bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conducting EQ-5D Valuation Studies in Resource-Constrained Countries: The Potential Use of Shrinkage Estimators to Reduce Sample Size
Authors: Chan Kelvin K. W. , Xie Feng , Willan Andrew R. , Pullenayegum Eleanor M.
Published: August 2017

Background. Resource-constrained countries have difficulty conducting large EQ-5D valuation studies, which limits their ability to conduct cost-utility analyses using a value set specific to their own population. When estimates of similar but related parameters are available, shrinkage estimators reduce uncertainty and yield estimators with smaller mean square error (MSE). We hypothesized that health utilities based on shrinkage estimators can reduce MSE and mean absolute error (MAE) when compared to country-specific health utilities. Methods. We conducted a simulation study (1,000 iterations) based on the observed means and standard deviations (or standard errors) of the EQ-5D-3L valuation studies from 14 counties. In each iteration, the simulated data were fitted with the model based on the country-specific functional form of the scoring algorithm to create country-specific health utilities (“naïve” estimators). Shrinkage estimators were calculated based on the empirical Bayes estimation methods. The performance of shrinkage estimators was compared with those of the naïve estimators over a range of different sample sizes based on MSE, MAE, mean bias, standard errors and the width of confidence intervals. Results. The MSE of the shrinkage estimators was smaller than the MSE of the naïve estimators on average, as theoretically predicted. Importantly, the MAE of the shrinkage estimators was also smaller than the MAE of the naïve estimators on average. In addition, the reduction in MSE with the use of shrinkage estimators did not substantially increase bias. The degree of reduction in uncertainty by shrinkage estimators is most apparent in valuation studies with small sample size. Conclusion. Health utilities derived from shrinkage estimation allow valuation studies with small sample size to “borrow strength” from other valuation studies to reduce uncertainty.
Value relevance of voluntary internal control certification: An information asymmetry perspective
Authors: Garg Mukesh
Published: August 2017

Internal control certification reduces information uncertainty on the quality of controls and therefore is expected to affect the pricing of equity securities. This study investigates whether chief executive officers’ (CEOs) and chief financial officers’ (CFOs) voluntary certification of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) is value relevant. Using a sample of firms from a unique Australian ICFR reporting environment, the study finds that voluntary ICFR certification is positively associated with share price. Moreover, the financial information of ICFR certification firms is significantly associated with the share price if they have higher price volatility, bid-ask spread and analysts’ forecast dispersion, suggesting ICFR certification has an incremental effect on the value relevance of financial information for firms operating within a weak information environment. Results from the returns model, the change model and differences in the R2support that ICFR certification is useful to investors. The study informs on the value relevance of ICFR reporting outside the United States.
Opportunities to improve the conversion of food waste to lactate: Fine-tuning secondary factors
Authors: RedCorn Raymond , Engelberth Abigail S
Published: August 2017

Extensive research has demonstrated the potential for bioconversion of food waste to lactate, with major emphasis on adjusting temperature, pH, and loading rate of the fermentation. Each of these factors has a significant effect on lactate production; however, additional secondary factors have received little attention. Here we investigate three additional factors where opportunities exist for process improvement: freezing of samples during storage, discontinuous pH control, and holdover of fermentation broth between fermentations. Freezing samples prior to fermentation was shown to reduce the production rate of lactate by 8%, indicating freeze–thaw should be avoided in experiments. Prior work indicated a trade-off in pH control strategies, where discontinuous pH control correlated with higher lactate accumulation while continuous pH control correlated with higher production rate. Here we demonstrate that continuous pH control can achieve both higher lactate accumulation and higher production rate. Finally, holding over fermentation broth was shown to be a simple method to improve production rate (by 18%) at high food waste loading rates (>140 g volatile solids L−1) but resulted in lower lactate accumulation (by 17%). The results inform continued process improvements within the waste treatment of food waste through fermentation to lactic acid.
Impact of vent pipe diameter on characteristics of waste degradation in semi-aerobic bioreactor landfill
Authors: Jiang Guobin , Liu Dan , Chen Weiming , Ye Zhicheng , Liu Hong , Li Qibin
Published: August 2017

The evolution mechanism of a vent pipe diameter on a waste-stabilization process in semi-aerobic bioreactor landfills was analyzed from the organic-matter concentration, biodegradability, spectral characteristics of dissolved organic matter, correlations and principal-component analysis. Waste samples were collected at different distances from the vent pipe and from different landfill layers in semi-aerobic bioreactor landfills with different vent pipe diameters. An increase in vent pipe diameter favored waste degradation. Waste degradation in landfills can be promoted slightly when the vent pipe diameter increases from 25 to 50 mm. It could be promoted significantly when the vent pipe diameter was increased to 75 mm. The vent pipe diameter is important in waste degradation in the middle layer of landfills. The dissolved organic matter in the waste is composed mainly of long-wave humus (humin), short-wave humus (fulvic acid) and tryptophan. The humification levels of the waste that was located at the center of vent pipes with 25-, 50- and 75-mm diameters were 2.2682, 4.0520 and 7.6419 Raman units, respectively. The appropriate vent pipe diameter for semi-aerobic bioreactor landfills with an 800-mm diameter was 75 mm. The effect of different vent pipe diameters on the degree of waste stabilization is reflected by two main components. Component 1 is related mainly to the content of fulvic acid, biologically degradable material and organic matter. Component 2 is related mainly to the content of tryptophan and humin from the higher vascular plants.
Bending or Breaking: Appropriating edTPA Policy in Special Education Teacher Education
Authors: Bartlett Maggie , Otis-Wilborn Amy , Peters Lacey
Published: August 2017

The Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) has been widely adopted in schools of higher education across the United States. Different state education departments have set policies, to varying degrees, that determine the outcomes for passing the edTPA, with some requiring a passing score to obtain licensure. As a result of the high-stakes nature of the edTPA, teacher education programs are taking steps to support teacher candidates as they navigate this process. The adoption of edTPA, however, is not without obstacles and has become complicated in the process of implementation. The purpose of this study is to report on a policy analysis of the edTPA in special education using a Critical Practice Approach. Researchers sought to find answers to the following questions: (a) What were the negotiations, decisions, and actions taken by special education teacher education programs in their efforts to appropriate the edTPA policy? and (b) To what extent did the appropriation process foster or empower “participation agency in the democratic production of policy?” Data were collected through in-depth phenomenological interviews with special education teacher educators in three different institutions. Findings suggest that teacher educators at each institution engaged in three general types of appropriation activities that were central to their efforts; embedding, co-opting, and reifying. This critical practical policy analysis helped to identify ways in which the edTPA policy appropriation process was and was not democratic and participatory; a process that recognizes contributions, expertise, and experience of local appropriators as well as factors that characterize the local context.
A Practice-Based Theory of Healing Through Therapeutic Touch: Advancing Holistic Nursing Practice
Authors: Hanley Mary Anne , Coppa Denise , Shields Deborah
Published: August 2017

For nearly 50 years, Therapeutic Touch (TT) has contributed to advancing holistic nursing practice and has been recognized as a uniquely human approach to healing. This narrative explores the development of a practice-based theory of healing through TT, which occurred between 2010 and 2016. Through the in-depth self-inquiry of participatory reflective dialogue in concert with constant narrative analysis, TT practitioners revealed the meaning of healing within the context of their TT practice. As the community of TT experts participated in an iterative process of small group and community dialogues with analysis and synthesis of emerging themes, the assumptions and concepts central to a theory of healing emerged, were clarified and verified. Exemplars of practice illustrate the concepts. A model of the theory of healing illuminates the movement and relationship among concepts and evolved over time. Feedback from nursing and inter-professional practitioners indicate that the theory of healing, while situated within the context of TT, may be useful in advancing holistic nursing practice, informing healing and caring approaches, stimulating research and education, and contributing to future transformations in health care.
The Impact of Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease on Related Disability in Older Irish Adults
Authors: Cruise Sharon M. , Hughes John , Bennett Kathleen , Kouvonen Anne , Kee Frank
Published: August 2017

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD)–related disability (hereafter also “disability”) and the impact of CHD risk factors on disability in older adults in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland (NI). Method: Population attributable fractions were calculated using risk factor relative risks and disability prevalence derived from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and the Northern Ireland Health Survey. Results: Disability was significantly lower in ROI (4.1% vs. 8.8%). Smoking and diabetes prevalence rates, and the fraction of disability that could be attributed to smoking (ROI: 6.6%; NI: 6.1%), obesity (ROI: 13.8%; NI: 11.3%), and diabetes (ROI: 6.2%; NI: 7.2%), were comparable in both countries. Physical inactivity (31.3% vs. 54.8%) and depression (10.2% vs. 17.6%) were lower in ROI. Disability attributable to depression (ROI: 16.3%; NI: 25.2%) and physical inactivity (ROI: 27.5%; NI: 39.9%) was lower in ROI. Discussion: Country-specific similarities and differences in the prevalence of disability and associated risk factors will inform public health and social care policy in both countries.
Education Inequalities in Health Among Older European Men and Women: The Role of Active Aging
Authors: Arpino Bruno , Solé-Auró Aïda
Published: August 2017

Objective: We assessed whether education inequalities in health among older people can be partially explained by different levels of active aging among educational groups. Method: We applied logistic regression and the Karlson, Holm, & Breen (KHB) decomposition method using the 2010 and 2012 waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe on individuals aged 50+ years ( N = 27,579). Active aging included social participation, paid work, and provision of grandchild care. Health was measured by good self-perceived health, low number of depressive symptoms, and absence of limitations because of health in activities people usually do. Results: We found a positive educational gradient for each of the three health measures. Up to a third of the health gaps between high and low educated were associated with differences in engagement in active aging activities. Discussion: Policies devoted at stimulating an active participation in society among older people should be particularly focused on lower educated groups.
In situ fabrication of a microwire electrode using dynamic liquid membrane electrochemical etching
Authors: Xu Fan , Meng Lingchao , Wang Yufeng , Qu Ningsong
Published: August 2017

Wire electrochemical micromachining is a promising micromachining method of fabricating micro metal parts. Before conducting wire electrochemical micromachining, microwire electrode should be prepared. Existing microwire electrode preparation processes suffer from drawbacks such as inconvenience in remounting the fabricated electrode and losses of accuracy and efficiency as the electrode is moved for the subsequent wire electrochemical micromachining. Dynamic liquid membrane electrochemical etching of a microwire electrode is proposed here as a way to overcome these limitations by in situ fabrication of the electrode. A mathematical model is constructed to predict the diameter of the fabricated microwire electrode and experimental results are in good agreement with the model. An experimental setup is developed combining the functions of electrode fabrication and wire electrochemical micromachining. Microwire electrodes with the diameter of 14 μm have been prepared, and microslits with the width of 34 μm have been fabricated without the need to remount the electrode.
Factors affecting diesel fuel degradation using a bespoke high-pressure fuel system rig
Authors: Gopalan Kesavan , Smith Christopher R , Pickering Simon G , Chuck Christopher J , Bannister Christopher D
Published: August 2017

Recently, there has been automotive-industry-wide impetus to reduce the overall diesel vehicle emissions and the fuel consumption by increasing the fuel injection pressure within common-rail systems. Many production fuel injection systems are now capable of delivering rail pressures of 1800–2000 bar, with those able to achieve 3000 bar under development. In addition, there has been a gradual increase in the permitted fatty acid methyl ester content in EN 590 diesel from 5% to 7% with further increases to 10% proposed. With these changes, there has been mounting speculation that increasing the injection pressure, particularly with an elevated biodiesel content, can contribute to fuel degradation, deposit formation, fuel filter blocking and corresponding vehicle reliability issues. In this investigation, a bespoke high-pressure fuel injection rig was designed and commissioned to mimic conditions representative of those experienced within a modern vehicle engine. The impacts of the rail pressure, the biodiesel content and the accelerated testing conditions on the stability of the diesel fuel and deposit formation leading to filter blocking were assessed. Despite the abundance of literature on laboratory-based biodiesel degradation, in these more realistic operating conditions it was found that biodiesel did not increase the likelihood of deposit formation within the high-pressure fuel system, with the same level of filter blocking observed for both the baseline diesel B0 (i.e. no biodiesel) and the B10 blend (which contains 10% biodiesel). This implies that the filter-blocking problem caused by onboard fuel degradation has the potential to occur broadly in a wide range of different fuel compositions. B10 fuel tested with a rail pressure of 2000 bar resulted in a pressure drop across the fuel filter of 0.5 bar within 12,000 min (approximately 8.3 days), whereas the corresponding experiment at a rail pressure of 1000 bar showed no increase in the filter pressure. When using model (B10) fuel, filter blocking was observed at rail pressures of both 2000 bar and 1000 bar, but with a lower pressure at a much reduced rate, leading to the belief that the increases in the rail pressure towards 2000 bar has a significant effect on the propensity of vehicle diesel filters to block. Measures taken to increase the severity of the test, such as recirculating injected fuel to simulate shear effects, were found to increase the rate of degradation but did not change the chemical composition of the solids formed, thus implying that they were valid methods of reducing the test duration without introducing new degradation mechanisms. The rig presented here is therefore a suitable accelerated testing system for assessing the behaviour of fuels at higher pressures that will be common throughout the global diesel fleet in the near future.
A typical dynamic parameter identification method of 6-degree-of-freedom industrial robot
Authors: Jiang Surong , Jiang Meng , Cao Yanfei , Hua Daren , Wu Hongtao , Ding Yadong , Chen Bai
Published: August 2017

Accurate dynamic parameters are required in the dynamic model–based robot motion controller designing. Experiment-based robot parameter identification is the only way to obtain them effectively, in which motion parameters and actuator torques are measured and used to estimate the actual dynamic model. To simplify the identification procedure and improve the identification precision, a step-by-step identification method was proposed and investigated in this article with dynamic parameters of wrist and elbow joint estimated separately considering the difference in inertia parameters between wrist joint and elbow joint of typical no-load 6-DOF robots. The effectiveness, simplification and high precision compared with the traditional one-step identification method were demonstrated through comparative experiments.
Exploring Meaning and Types of Trust in Maternity Care in Peri-Urban Kenya: A Qualitative Cross-Perspective Analysis
Authors: Sripad Pooja , Ozawa Sachiko , Merritt Maria W. , Jennings Larissa , Kerrigan Deanna , Ndwiga Charity , Abuya Timothy , Warren Charlotte E.
Published: August 2017

Trust offers a distinctive lens on facility responsiveness during labor and birth. Though acknowledged in prior literature, limited work exists linking conceptual and empirical spheres. This study explores trust in the maternity setting in Kenya through a theoretically driven qualitative approach. Focus groups ( n = 8, N = 70) with women who recently gave birth (WRB), pregnant women, and male partners, and in-depth-interviews ( n = 33) with WRB, frontline providers, and management, were conducted in and around a peri-urban public hospital. Combined coding and memo-writing showed that trust in maternity care is nested within understandings of institutional and societal trust. Content areas of trust include confidence, communication, integrity, mutual respect, competence, fairness, confidentiality, and systems trust. Trust is relevant, multidimensional, and dynamic. Examining trust provides a basis for developing quantitative measures and reveals structural underpinnings, repercussions for trust in other health areas, and health systems inequities, which have implications for maternal health policy, programming, and service utilization.
Implementation of Global Strategies to Prevent Hospital-Onset Clostridium difficile Infection: Targeting Proton Pump Inhibitors and Probiotics
Authors: Lewis Paul O. , Lundberg Timothy S. , Tharp Jennifer L. , Runnels Clay W.
Published: August 2017

Background: Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been identified as a significant risk factor for the development of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Probiotics given concurrently with antibiotics have been shown to have a moderate impact on preventing CDI. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of hospital-wide interventions designed to reduce PPI use and increase probiotics and whether these interventions were associated with a change in the incidence of hospital onset (HO)-CDI. Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared 2 fiscal years: July 2013 to June 2014 (FY14) and July 2014 to June 2015 (FY15). In July of FY15, global educational initiatives were launched targeting PPIs. Additionally, a HO-CDI prevention bundle was added to antibiotic-containing order sets targeting probiotics. Overall PPI use, probiotic use, and incidence of HO-CDI were recorded and compared for each cohort. Charts were also reviewed for patients who developed HO-CDI for the presence and appropriateness of a PPI and presence of probiotics. Results: The interventions resulted in a decrease in PPI use by 14% or 96 doses/1000 patient days (TPD; P = 0.0002) and a reduction in IV PPI use by 31% or 71 doses/TPD ( P = 0.0008). Probiotic use increased by 130% or 126 doses/TPD ( P = 0.0006). The incidence of HO-CDI decreased by 20% or 0.1 cases/TPD ( P = 0.04). Conclusions: A collaborative, multifaceted educational initiative directed at highlighting the risks associated with PPI use was effective in reducing PPI prescribing. The implementation of a probiotic bundle added to antibiotic order sets was effective in increasing probiotic use. These interventions were associated with a decrease in incidence of HO-CDI.
The Promise of Equity: A Review of Health Equity Research in High-Impact Quality Improvement Journals
Authors: Scott Michael , Rawal Shail
Published: August 2017

Equity is a core domain of health care quality. This study characterizes equity research in the quality improvement (QI) literature. The data sources were all review articles, methodology articles, original research, and research letters/abstracts published in 5 high-impact QI journals in 2015. Using the Institute of Medicine definition of equity, 2 reviewers assessed the abstracts to identify equity-focused articles. The number of Google Scholar citations and study site were recorded for each abstract. For equity-focused studies, the equity topic was recorded. Of 684 abstracts, 63 (9.2%) investigated equity topics. A weighted average of 7.4% of abstracts examined equity. The most commonly studied equity topics were health care resource scarcity, race/ethnicity, and mental health. Equity-focused articles received equal citations and were more likely to be conducted in low-/middle-income countries when compared with articles unrelated to equity. Few articles published in 5 leading QI journals addressed topics related to equity.
The Construction and Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire for Online Sexual Solicitation and Interaction of Minors With Adults
Authors: Gámez-Guadix Manuel , De Santisteban Patricia , Alcazar Miguel Ángel
Published: August 2017

The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess the online sexual solicitation and interactions of minors with adults in order to document the extent of this problem. The questionnaire was constructed in four phases: (a) a review of the previous literature; (b) interviews with convicted online child-sex offenders; (c) a review of the questionnaire items by experts; and (d) a pilot study of the questionnaire administered to adolescents. The validation sample consisted of 2,731 minors (12-15 years old, 50.6% girls). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure. The first factor, called “sexual solicitation,” included items referring to sexual requests from an adult to a minor. The second factor, termed “sexualized interactions,” included items indicating an adult groomed a minor with the purpose of committing a sexual offense. Of participants, 12.6% reported sexual solicitations, and 7.9% reported sexualized interactions. These findings open possible directions for research on the characteristics and consequences of online sexual solicitation and abusive interactions.
The Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility on Brand Equity and the Moderating Role of Ethical Consumerism: The Case of Starbucks
Authors: Kang Jee-Won , Namkung Young
Published: August 2017

This study investigates the effects of customers’ perceptions of multidimensional corporate social responsibility (philanthropic, ethical, legal, and economic) on brand equity in the restaurant industry, specifically by examining the case of Starbucks in Korea. Furthermore, this study examines whether consumers with a high degree of ethical consumerism form more positive brand equity perceptions of restaurants than other consumers do. The results showed that ethical, legal, and economic aspects of corporate social responsibility had a significant influence on consumers’ perceptions of brand equity, while philanthropic corporate social responsibility did not. The analysis of moderating effects showed that consumers with high levels of ethical consumerism exhibit stronger relationships between economic corporate social responsibility and restaurants’ positive brand equity. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Early Congenital Syphilis: Recognising Symptoms of an Increasingly Prevalent Disease
Authors: Patel Nupur U. , Oussedik Elias , Landis Erin T. , Strowd Lindsay C.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Congenital syphilis (CS) is an infectious disease resulting from transplacental transmission of Treponema pallidum spirochetes from an infected mother to fetus during pregnancy. While uncommon, CS has shown an increased incidence in Canada and the United States since 2001 and 2012, respectively.

Case Report:

We present the case of a 5-week-old female infant with blistering rash on the palms and soles. The infant displayed decreased movement of the left upper extremity, clinically consistent with Parrot pseudoparalysis. Cutaneous involvement was limited to few tan crusted papules on the palms and soles. Mother reported a “false-positive” result of rapid plasma reagin (RPR) testing at 31 weeks. Cerebrospinal fluid studies of the infant resulted with positive Venereal Disease Research Laboratory (VRDL) test and positive m﻿icrohemagglutination assay (MHA-TP). Histopathology of a crusted papule revealed a lichenoid infiltrate composed of lymphocytes, histiocytes, and plasma cells. Immunohistochemical staining for T pallidum was negative. The patient completed treatment with a 10-day course of intravenous penicillin.

Discussion:

While CS is largely considered a historic entity, it has been increasing in incidence in the United States since 2012 and in Canada since the early 2000s. Diagnosis of CS can be difficult as infants may be asymptomatic or present with nonspecific signs. This case highlights the presentation of minimal cutaneous involvement as well as skeletal involvement after birth. RPR testing may result in false negatives or indeterminate results, further complicating diagnosis. Given these difficulties in screening and the increasing incidence of CS, clinicians may need to refamiliarise themselves with its clinical findings.
Mediation for affect: coming to care about factory-farmed animals
Authors: Mummery Jane , Rodan Debbie
Published: August 2017

In this article, we examine the digitalised emotional campaigning of one of Australia’s peak animal welfare body, Animals Australia, focusing on their most effective digital strategies associated with their campaigns against factory farming. Our broader interest lies with sounding out the affective affordances of the technologies informing such activist work; technologies of affect in a very significant sense. This discussion comprises three parts. First, we unpack the context for the problematic faced by animal and environmental activisms: neoliberalism, showing how neoliberal assumptions constrain such activisms to emotional appeals and denounce them for such strategising. Second, we sound out some of the affordances of digital media technologies for affectively oriented activisms; and finally, we delve into some of Animals Australia’s digital campaigning with regard to issues of factory farming in order to show the efficacy of such affectively oriented mediated strategising for the forming of new relations with factory farm.
Regulation of endothelial hemoglobin alpha expression by Kruppel-like factors
Authors: Sangwung Panjamaporn , Zhou Guangjin , Lu Yuan , Liao Xudong , Wang Benlian , Mutchler Stephanie M , Miller Megan , Chance Mark R , Straub Adam C , Jain Mukesh K
Published: August 2017

Hemoglobin subunit alpha (HBA) expression in endothelial cells (ECs) has recently been shown to control vascular tone and function. We sought to elucidate the transcriptional regulation of HBA expression in the EC. Gain of KLF2 or KLF4 function studies led to significant induction of HBA in ECs. An opposite effect was observed in ECs isolated from animals with endothelial-specific ablation of Klf2, Klf4 or both. Promoter reporter assays demonstrated that KLF2/KLF4 transactivated the hemoglobin alpha promoter, an effect that was abrogated following mutation of all four putative KLF-binding sites. Fine promoter mutational studies localized three out of four KLF-binding sites (sites 2, 3, and 4) as critical for the transactivation of the HBA promoter by KLF2/KLF4. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies showed that KLF4 bound to the HBA promoter in ECs. Thus, KLF2 and KLF4 serve as important regulators that promote HBA expression in the endothelium.
Progression of asymptomatic mild carotid artery stenosis: Implications for frequency of surveillance
Authors: Hamilton Russell D , Shield Cory E , Laughrun David
Published: August 2017

We looked retrospectively at the 3- to 5-year progression of mild, asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (CAS). A random sample of 600 patients who had undergone at least two carotid artery duplex ultrasounds between 31 October 2006 and 1 November 2016 with a second duplex ⩾3 and ⩽5 years following the initial one were screened for inclusion. Internal carotid arteries (ICAs) were included if they had 20–49% stenosis on the initial duplex, with 440 carotid arteries meeting this criteria. Analyses were performed utilizing chi-squared and two-tailed t-tests. Twenty-four (5.45%) of the initial 440 carotid arteries progressed to moderate CAS. There was a statistically significant increase in the prevalence of hypertension (68% vs 47%, p=0.022) and diabetes mellitus (44% vs 22%, p=0.008) in patients with carotids that progressed to moderate CAS. There was a decrease in moderate-intensity statin use (32% vs 58%, p=0.005) and an increase in patients not on statins (36% vs 11%, p=0.001) in the group of carotids that progressed to moderate CAS. One carotid artery (0.2%) progressed from mild CAS to severe CAS. If supported by others, our data may lead to a change in the recommendations regarding appropriate follow-up of asymptomatic CAS.
Validation of the Norwegian version of the work-related sense of coherence scale
Authors: Grødal Karoline , Innstrand Siw Tone , Bauer Georg F. , Haugan Gørill , Rannestad Toril , André Beate
Published: August 2017

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Norwegian version of the work-related sense of coherence scale, which measures the perceived comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness of an individual’s current work situation. Methods: Factorial validity, convergent and discriminant validity of the factors, as well as scale reliability were tested with confirmatory factor analyses among two samples of employees in higher education institutions ( N = 6951) and nursing homes ( N = 558). Factorial invariance across occupational groups was also investigated. Results: A modified three-factor structure was shown to be valid and reliable in both samples and invariant across occupational groups. However, problems were detected regarding the discriminant validity between the factors comprehensibility and manageability. Conclusions: The Norwegian version of the work-related sense of coherence scale seems to have good properties. Further development is needed to better distinguish between the comprehensibility and manageability dimensions.
Doing digital team ethnography: being there together and digital social data
Authors: Beneito-Montagut Roser , Begueria Arantza , Cassián Nizaiá
Published: August 2017

With the digital availability of social data helping reshape ethnographic research and thus broadening the mainstream understanding of ethnography, this research proposes a set of strategies to overcome current limitations in doing ethnography. Based on a two-year online and offline ethnographic project on social media use in later life, insights are provided into how the practices and meanings of ethnography are being reconstructed and negotiated in response to the explosion of digital social data and through team practices. This paper reviews how collaborative and interdisciplinary ethnographic reflection is sustained and extended by digital tools, creating a live source of data that can be analysed within the framework of ethnography. As a contribution to current debates on the ’Social Life of Methods’, it also reviews epistemic issues associated with digital data and team ethnography, such as the role of the ethnographer(s), the field(s) and computational data analysis. The article reaches the conclusion that digital team ethnography is a viable option for undertaking thick and descriptive studies about the use of social media, which in turn favours a collaborative, non-hierarchical and dialogue-driven knowledge production process.
Establishing Fidelity of Occupational Performance Coaching
Authors: Dunn Winnie , Little Lauren M. , Pope Ellen , Wallisch Anna
Published: August 2017

As the call for evidence-based practices has risen, discussions about the fidelity of those practices have received increased attention. Although research suggests that Occupational Performance Coaching (OPC) is effective, a systematic evaluation of the fidelity of OPC is needed. The purpose of this study was to test fidelity of OPC intervention through study design, training, monitoring, and intervention receipt, and to offer the structure from this study as a guide for other programs of research and practice. As part of a trial of OPC with n = 17 families of children with autism spectrum disorder, we measured specific elements of fidelity during the study intervention design, training, delivery, and receipt as outlined by Gearing et al. We established fidelity of OPC design and training from the study data. Transcription and analysis of 40% of intervention sessions showed that we maintained fidelity during intervention delivery and receipt. This study reports on the evidence of the fidelity of OPC and provides fidelity standards for OPC for occupational therapy practice and research applications.
ZeroMAC: Toward a zero sleep delay and zero idle listening media access control protocol with ultralow power radio frequency wakeup sensor
Authors: Lee Sang Hoon , Choi Lynn
Published: August 2017

In wireless sensor networks, duty cycling has been an imperative choice to reduce idle listening but it introduces sleep delay. To break through the energy-latency tradeoff, we propose a pair of a radio wave sensor called radio frequency wakeup sensor and an on-demand media access control protocol called ZeroMAC. Radio frequency wakeup sensor is dedicated to sense the presence of a signal. The distinctive feature is that the sensor can provide the same sensitivity while it consumes only two orders of magnitude less energy than the underlying radio frequency module. With the sensor, a node no longer requires duty cycling. We also propose an on-demand media access control protocol called ZeroMAC that can effectively utilize the on-demand wakeup functionality of a radio frequency wakeup sensor by broadcasting a dedicated signal to wake up nodes before starting a communication. Since each node can notify neighbor nodes of a communication immediately, ZeroMAC can eliminate both idle listening and sleep delay. ZeroMAC wakes up only the nodes on the communication path by propagating wakeup signals in a hop-by-hop manner, avoiding unnecessary signal flooding. To further save energy, ZeroMAC can turn off radio frequency module as soon as it detects the end of communication. According to packet level simulation results, ZeroMAC can deliver data packets at least 1.87 times faster by eliminating both idle listening and sleep delay while it consumes only 3% of the energy compared to X-MAC and A-MAC.
School Nursing: Becoming Credible and Visible
Authors: Maughan Erin D. , Johnson Kathleen H. , Engelke Martha K.
Published: August 2017

A group of school nurses attending the innovation relay event at the NASN 2017 Annual Conference were asked to tackle the problem expressed by many school nurses: How can we increase the visibility and credibility of school nurses? The innovation relay allowed school nurses to look at the problem differently so that they could identify innovative solutions. This article shares more detail on each of the team’s solutions and illustrates how school nurses can look at problems in a new light.
Efficacy of Self-Regulated Strategy Development Instruction for Developing Writers With and Without Disabilities in Rural Schools: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Mason Linda H. , Cramer Anne Mong , Garwood Justin D. , Varghese Cheryl , Hamm Jill , Murray Allen
Published: August 2017

A workshop with virtual consultation practice-based professional development model for self-regulated strategy development persuasive writing instruction was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Nineteen general education teachers and 564 Grade 5 and 6 students in 16 low-wealth rural schools participated. Following training, teachers provided instruction in their inclusive classrooms. Results indicated that students receiving instruction improved in the number of persuasive elements and words written when compared with students in the control group. Differences in element type were evaluated with largest effects noted for reasons and explanations. Student group differences were noted with nonstruggling students having greater gains than struggling students.
Patient-derived antibody recognizes a unique CD43 epitope expressed on all AML and has antileukemia activity in mice
Authors: Gillissen Marijn A. , de Jong Greta , Kedde Martijn , Yasuda Etsuko , Levie Sophie E. , Moiset Gemma , Hensbergen Paul J. , Bakker Arjen Q. , Wagner Koen , Villaudy Jullien , van Helden Pauline M. , Spits Hergen , Hazenberg Mette D.
Published: August 2017

Key Points

AT1413 is a monoclonal antibody isolated from a cured patient with AML that recognizes CD43s, a novel epitope expressed by AML and MDS blasts. AT1413 eliminates CD43s-expressing leukemic blasts in vitro and in vivo and may have potential as a therapeutic antibody.
The impact of von Willebrand factor on factor VIII memory immune responses
Authors: Chen Juan , Schroeder Jocelyn A. , Luo Xiaofeng , Shi Qizhen
Published: August 2017

Key Points

VWF attenuates primed T-cell proliferation and memory B-cell differentiation. VWF mitigates FVIII memory responses in FVIIInull mice.
Reflecting on Graphs: Attributes of Graph Choice and Construction Practices in Biology
Authors: Angra Aakanksha , Gardner Stephanie M.
Published: August 2017

Undergraduate biology education reform aims to engage students in scientific practices such as experimental design, experimentation, and data analysis and communication. Graphs are ubiquitous in the biological sciences, and creating effective graphical representations involves quantitative and disciplinary concepts and skills. Past studies document student difficulties with graphing within the contexts of classroom or national assessments without evaluating student reasoning. Operating under the metarepresentational competence framework, we conducted think-aloud interviews to reveal differences in reasoning and graph quality between undergraduate biology students, graduate students, and professors in a pen-and-paper graphing task. All professors planned and thought about data before graph construction. When reflecting on their graphs, professors and graduate students focused on the function of graphs and experimental design, while most undergraduate students relied on intuition and data provided in the task. Most undergraduate students meticulously plotted all data with scaled axes, while professors and some graduate students transformed the data, aligned the graph with the research question, and reflected on statistics and sample size. Differences in reasoning and approaches taken in graph choice and construction corroborate and extend previous findings and provide rich targets for undergraduate and graduate instruction.
Investigating Undergraduate Students’ Use of Intuitive Reasoning and Evolutionary Knowledge in Explanations of Antibiotic Resistance
Authors: Richard Melissa , Coley John D. , Tanner Kimberly D.
Published: August 2017

Natural selection is a central concept throughout biology; however, it is a process frequently misunderstood. Bacterial resistance to antibiotic medications provides a contextual example of the relevance of evolutionary theory and is also commonly misunderstood. While research has shed light on student misconceptions of natural selection, minimal study has focused on misconceptions of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, research has focused on the degree to which misconceptions may be based in the complexity of biological information or in pedagogical choices, rather than in deep-seated cognitive patterns. Cognitive psychology research has established that humans develop early intuitive assumptions to make sense of the world. In this study, we used a written assessment tool to investigate undergraduate students’ misconceptions of antibiotic resistance, use of intuitive reasoning, and application of evolutionary knowledge to antibiotic resistance. We found a majority of students produced and agreed with misconceptions, and intuitive reasoning was present in nearly all students’ written explanations. Acceptance of a misconception was significantly associated with production of a hypothesized form of intuitive thinking (all p ≤ 0.05). Intuitive reasoning may represent a subtle but innately appealing linguistic shorthand, and instructor awareness of intuitive reasoning’s relation to student misunderstandings has potential for addressing persistent misconceptions.
Investigating Novice and Expert Conceptions of Genetically Modified Organisms
Authors: Potter Lisa M. , Bissonnette Sarah A. , Knight Jonathan D. , Tanner Kimberly D.
Published: August 2017

The aspiration of biology education is to give students tools to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to everyday life. Genetic modification is a real-world biological concept that relies on an in-depth understanding of the molecular behavior of DNA and proteins. This study investigated undergraduate biology students’ conceptions of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) when probed with real-world, molecular and cellular, and essentialist cues, and how those conceptions compared across biology expertise. We developed a novel written assessment tool and administered it to 120 non–biology majors, 154 entering biology majors, 120 advanced biology majors (ABM), and nine biology faculty. Results indicated that undergraduate biology majors rarely included molecular and cellular rationales in their initial explanations of GMOs. Despite ABM demonstrating that they have much of the biology knowledge necessary to understand genetic modification, they did not appear to apply this knowledge to explaining GMOs. Further, this study showed that all undergraduate student populations exhibited evidence of essentialist thinking while explaining GMOs, regardless of their level of biology training. Finally, our results suggest an association between scientifically accurate ideas and the application of molecular and cellular rationales, as well as an association between misconceptions and essentialist rationales.
Rolling neutrophils form tethers and slings under physiologic conditions in vivo
Authors: Marki Alex , Buscher Konrad , Mikulski Zbigniew , Pries Axel , Ley Klaus
Published: August 2017

Human and mouse neutrophils are known to form tethers when rolling on selectins in vitro. Tethers are ∼0.2 μm thin, ∼5–10 μm-long structures behind rolling cells that can swing around to form slings that serve as self-adhesive substrates. Here, we developed a mouse intravital imaging method, where the neutrophil surface is labeled by injecting fluorescently labeled mAb to Ly-6G. Venules in the cremaster muscle of live mice were imaged at a high frame rate using a confocal microscope equipped with a fast resonant scanner. We observed 270 tethers (median length 3.5 μm) and 31 slings (median length 6.9 µm) on 186 neutrophils of 15 mice. Out of 199 tether break events, 123 were followed by immediate acceleration of the rolling cell, which shows that tethers are load-bearing structures in vivo. In venules with a high wall shear stress (WSS; > 12 dyn/cm2), median rolling velocity was higher (19 μm/s), and 43% of rolling neutrophils had visible tethers. In venules with WSS < 12 dyn/cm2, only 26% of rolling neutrophils had visible tethers. We conclude that neutrophil tethers are commonly present and stabilize rolling in vivo.
LDL switches the LRP6 internalization route from flotillin dependent to clathrin dependent in hepatic cells
Authors: Yamamoto Hideki , Umeda Daisuke , Matsumoto Shinji , Kikuchi Akira
Published: August 2017

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-related protein 6 (LRP6) was originally identified as a co-receptor of the Wnt signalling pathway and has been shown to be involved in LDL transport. In polarized hepatocytes, many apical proteins are sorted to the basolateral membrane and then internalized and transported to the apical bile canalicular membrane – a process known as transcytosis. We show that LRP6 is transcytosed to the apical membrane of polarized hepatic HepG2 cells via a flotillin-dependent manner in the absence of LDL. LRP6 formed a complex with Niemann–Pick type C1-like 1 (NPC1L1), which is localized to the bile canalicular membrane of the liver and is involved in cholesterol absorption from the bile. LRP6 was required for apical membrane localization of NPC1L1 in the absence of LDL. Clathrin-dependent LRP6 internalization occurred in the presence of LDL, which resulted in trafficking of LRP6 to the lysosome, thereby reducing apical sorting of LRP6 and NPC1L1. These results suggest that LRP6 endocytosis proceeds by two routes, depending on the presence of LDL, and that LRP6 controls the intracellular destination of NPC1L1 in hepatocytes.
Mosaic loss of non-muscle myosin IIA and IIB is sufficient to induce mammary epithelial proliferation
Authors: Nguyen-Ngoc Kim-Vy , Silvestri Vanesa L. , Georgess Dan , Fairchild Amanda N. , Ewald Andrew J.
Published: August 2017

The mammary epithelium elaborates through hormonally regulated changes in proliferation, migration and differentiation. Non-muscle myosin II (NMII) functions at the interface between contractility, adhesion and signal transduction. It is therefore a plausible regulator of mammary morphogenesis. We tested the genetic requirement for NMIIA and NMIIB in mammary morphogenesis through deletion of the three NMII heavy chain-encoding genes (NMHCIIA, NMHCIIB and NMHCIIC; also known as MYH9, MYH10 and MYH14, respectively) that confer specificity to the complex. Surprisingly, mosaic loss, but not ubiquitous loss, of NMHCIIA and NMHCIIB induced high levels of proliferation in 3D culture. This phenotype was observed even when cells were cultured in basal medium, which does not support tissue level growth of wild-type epithelium. Mosaic loss of NMIIA and NMIIB combined with FGF signaling to induce hyperplasia. Mosaic analysis revealed that the cells that were null for both NMIIA and NMIIB, as well as wild-type cells, proliferated, indicating that the regulation of proliferation is both cell autonomous and non-autonomous within epithelial tissues. This phenotype appears to be mediated by cell–cell contact, as co-culture did not induce proliferation. Mosaic loss of NMIIA and NMIIB also induced excess proliferation in vivo. Our data therefore reveal a role for NMIIA and NMIIB as negative regulators of proliferation in the mammary epithelium.