bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Headache in recent onset hypothyroidism: Prevalence, characteristics and outcome after treatment with levothyroxine
Authors: Lima Carvalho Marise de Farias , de Medeiros Josian Silva , Valença Marcelo Moraes
Published: July 2016

Objective

The objective of this article is to analyze the features of headache attributed to hypothyroidism (HAH), evaluate the differences between groups with and without HAH, between “overt” and “subclinical” hypothyroidism groups, and evaluate outcomes after levothyroxine treatment.

Methods

Patients with hypothyroidism were selected in a cross-sectional study, followed prospectively for 12 months, and classified as subclinical or overt hypothyroidism. The patients were divided into two groups: with and without HAH.

Results

HAH was reported by 73/213 (34%) patients, involving the following areas: fronto-orbital (49%), temporal (37%), and posterior part of the head (15%). The HAH features were as follows: pulsatile (63%), four to 72 hours’ duration (78%), unilateral (47%), nausea/vomiting (60%), and moderate-severe intensity (72%). Hypothyroidism symptomatology was similar in both groups, except for a greater frequency of hoarseness in the group with HAH. Migraine history was more frequent in the patients with HAH (53% vs 38%, p < 0.05). The frequency of HAH was similar both in overt and subclinical hypothyroidism. After levothyroxine treatment 78% reported a decrease in HAH frequency. Subclinical and overt hypothyroid patients reported a similar alleviation of their headaches.

Conclusion

Patients with HAH may present with unilateral, pulsatile, episodic pattern, and nausea/vomiting, which is at odds with the criteria for HAH established by ICHD 3 beta. Not all individuals responded to levothyroxine, and patients with the subclinical form of hypothyroidism benefit from this treatment.
Beyond Error Patterns
Authors: Lewis Katherine E.
Published: July 2016

Although many students struggle with fractions, students with mathematical learning disabilities (MLDs) experience pervasive difficulties because of neurological differences in how they process numerical information. These students make errors that are qualitatively different than their typically achieving and low-achieving peers. This study builds upon a quantitative study of fraction comparison errors and a qualitative study of students’ understandings to explore why students with MLDs make errors on the easiest fraction comparison problems. A detailed analysis of videotaped individual tutoring sessions with two adult students with MLDs revealed that both students understood mathematical representations in atypical ways, which may help explain the unique and persistent error patterns identified in students with MLDs. This study illustrates how building upon both quantitative and qualitative studies can provide a more nuanced understanding of student errors, which in turn can directly connect to implications for instructional interventions.
Psychological Distress and Revictimization Risk in Youth Victims of Sexual Abuse
Authors: Pittenger Samantha L. , Schreier Alayna , Meidlinger Katie , Pogue Jessica K. , Theimer Kate , Flood Mary Fran , Hansen David J.
Published: July 2016

Psychological distress, including depression and anxiety, has been associated with increased risk for sexual revictimization in youth who have experienced child sexual abuse. The present study utilized assessment information from treatment seeking youth with histories of sexual abuse to explore specific risk indicators for revictimization—risk taking, social problems, maladaptive cognitions, and posttraumatic stress—that may be indicated by self-reported distress. The relationship between initial levels of distress and change in symptoms over a 12-week course of treatment was also explored. Participants were 101 youth referred to a child-focused therapeutic group for victims of sexual abuse, 65 youth referred to an adolescent-focused group, and their non-offending caregivers. Results revealed that when combined into a distress score, depression and anxiety were associated with delinquent behaviors, interpersonal difficulties, maladaptive cognitions, and posttraumatic stress symptoms for child and adolescent group participants at presentation to treatment. Children exhibited improvement on measures of interpersonal difficulties, maladaptive cognitions, and self-reported posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Adolescents exhibited less change over time, with significant improvement on self-reported social problems and PTSD only. Higher psychological distress was associated with less improvement in regard to negative expectations of abuse impact for child group participants. The findings suggest that distress indicates the presence of specific revictimization risk indicators, helping to identify targetable symptoms for intervention. Therefore, screening for psychological distress after discovery of sexual abuse may help detect youth at higher risk for revictimization and guide treatment.
Assessing the Economic Impacts of Local Food System Producers by Scale
Authors: Schmit Todd M. , Jablonski Becca B. R. , Mansury Yuri
Published: July 2016

Policy makers and economic developers are increasingly interested in the impacts of local food systems, yet attempts to obtain accurate estimates are often complicated by a lack of available data. Utilizing a unique data set from producers in New York, the authors examine the extent of differential purchasing and sales patterns for small-scale direct agriculture (SDA) producers. The supplemental data are integrated into a regional input–output model to assess the total effects and distributional implications of equivalent policies targeted to agriculture sectors. The authors demonstrate that SDA producers have different expenditure patterns than other agricultural producers and, for equivalent policy shocks targeted toward agriculture industry expansion, have lower total employment and output impacts but higher effects on labor income and total value added than non-SDA producers. The results underscore the importance of collecting appropriate data for analysis and outline the local economic benefits of small-scale local food system participants.
Novel bio-based epoxidized cardanol/cenosphere syntactic foams
Authors: Kaur Mandip , Jayakumari LS
Published: July 2016

Cenosphere-filled epoxidized cardanol syntactic foams were fabricated using stir-casting technique: 10–40 wt% of cenosphere was mixed gradually in several steps in order to avoid any damage of the cenosphere. The syntactic foams were cured at room temperature for a day followed by postcure for 3 h at 100°C. Completion of the cure reaction was ascertained using differential scanning calorimetry of the fresh sample and postcured sample. Homogeneous distribution of cenosphere was confirmed with the scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images. The fracture mechanism was also analysed using SEM image of the compression failed sample. Thermal, hygrothermal and compressive properties of the syntactic foams were studied. Epoxidized cardanol-based syntactic foams were found to have lower density, good thermal stability and higher char residue as revealed from the thermogravimetric analysis result. The yield strength decreased with the increase in cenosphere. The specific modulus was optimum for 30% loading of cenosphere and it increased by 42% in comparison to the neat sample. Hygrothermal studies conducted using deionized water and sea water at room and high temperature conditions revealed stability and lower water absorption. The bio-based syntactic foams derived from cardanol promised sustainable path for the preparation of light-weight foam core materials.
Predictive modeling of geometric shapes of different objects using image processing and an artificial neural network
Authors: Ayyıldız Mustafa , Çetinkaya Kerim
Published: July 2016

In this study, an artificial neural network model was developed to predict the geometric shapes of different objects using image processing. These objects with various sizes and shapes (circle, square, triangle, and rectangle) were used for the experimental process. In order to extract the features of these geometric shapes, morphological features, including the area, perimeter, compactness, elongation, rectangularity, and roundness, were applied. For the artificial neural network modeling, the standard back-propagation algorithm was found to be the optimum choice for training the model. In the building of the network structure, five different learning algorithms were used: the Levenberg–Marquardt, the quasi-Newton back propagation, the scaled conjugate gradient, the resilient back propagation, and the conjugate gradient back propagation. The best result was obtained by 6-5-1 network architectures with single hidden layers for the geometric shapes. After artificial neural network training, the correlation coefficients ( R2) of the geometric shape values for training and testing data were very close to 1. Similarly, the root-mean-square error and mean error percentage values for the training and testing data were less than 0.9% and 0.004%, respectively. These results demonstrated that the artificial neural network is an admissible model for the estimation of geometric shapes using image processing.
A bond graph model of a singularly perturbed LTI MIMO system with a slow state estimated feedback
Authors: Gonzalez-A Gilberto
Published: July 2016

A bond graph model for a closed-loop linear time invariant multiple input multiple output system with singular perturbations is presented. This system is formed by a plant, an observer and the feedback. Hence, the storage elements that represent the slow dynamics of the observer determine the feedback control. Also, a junction structure of the bond graph model for the closed-loop system with singular perturbations is proposed. A new bond graph to obtain the observer and controller gains of the closed-loop system is presented. This new bond graph has the characteristic that storage elements of the fast dynamics and slow dynamics have a derivative and integral causality assignment, respectively. Thus, a quasi-steady state model of a singularly perturbed system with a slow state estimated feedback is obtained. Finally, the proposed methodology is applied to an illustrative example.
Effectiveness of the sequential organ failure assessment, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, and simplified acute physiology score II prognostic scoring systems in paraquat-poisoned patients in the intensive care unit
Authors: Lee Jun Ho , Hwang Seong Youn , Kim Hye Ran , Kim Yang Won , Kang Mun Ju , Cho Kwang Won , Lee Dong Woo , Kim Yong Hwan
Published: July 2016

Objective:

This study was conducted to assess the ability of the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scoring systems, as well as the simplified acute physiology score (SAPS) II method to predict group mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who were poisoned with paraquat. This will assist physicians with risk stratification.

Material and methods:

The medical records of 244 paraquat-poisoned patients admitted to the ICU from January 2010 to April 2015 were examined retrospectively. The SOFA, APACHE II, and SAPS II scores were calculated based on initial laboratory data in the emergency department and during the first 24 h of ICU admission. The probability of death was calculated for each patient based on the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SAPS II. The ability of the SOFA score, APACHE II score, and SAPS II method to predict group mortality was assessed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration analyses.

Results:

A total of 219 patients (mean age, 63 years) were enrolled. Sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies were 58.5%, 86.1%, and 64.0% for the SOFA, respectively; 75.1%, 86.1%, and 77.6% for the APACHE II scoring systems, respectively; and 76.1%, 79.1%, and 76.7% for the SAPS II, respectively. The areas under the curve in the ROC curve analysis for the SOFA score, APACHE II scoring system, and SAPS II were 0.716, 0.850, and 0.835, respectively.

Conclusion:

The SOFA, APACHE II, and SAPS II had different capabilities to discriminate and estimate early in-hospital mortality of paraquat-poisoned patients. Our results show that although the SOFA and SAPS II are easier and more quickly calculated than APACHE II, the APACHE II is superior for predicting mortality. We recommend use of the APACHE II for outcome predictions and risk stratification in paraquat-poisoned patients in the ICU.
Human Values and the Legal Articulation of ‘Vagabond’
Authors: Ray Avishek
Published: July 2016

How law perceives the world is often grounded in systems of values and beliefs adopted by the legal practitioners: their interpretive frameworks, prejudices and dispositions, which shape the very ‘paradigms’ upon which they choose to see the ‘facts’ and frame their methods of inquiries. In other words, ‘truth’ in the eyes of the law is but ex post facto (re)construction of ‘reality’ achieved through narratorial articulation of relevant events and chosen facts. Taking off from here, this article sets out to understand: how do we unpack the social ‘constructivism’ of the a priori assumptions that cloak the idea of the ‘vagabond’ in the legal imagination? How does law ‘frame’ the vagabond as a subset within the ‘human’? What conflates this idea with the notion of the ‘abject’? Why at all is vagabondage perceived as a punishable in the eyes of the law? Invoking a few case studies, both from India and beyond, this article points to the arbitrariness in the juridico-political imagination and the ambiguity in the legal articulation of the ‘vagabond’.
Reflexivity and the “Acting Subject”
Authors: Shaw James A.
Published: July 2016

The ways in which social scientists conceptualize the “reflexive” human subject have important consequences for how we go about our research. Whether and how we understand human subjects to be the authors of our own actions helps to structure what we say about health, health care, and the many other topics addressed in qualitative health research. In this article, I critically discuss assumptions of human reflexivity that are built into qualitative social science of health and medicine. I describe three alternative ways of understanding reflexive thought and human action derived from the theoretical works of Pierre Bourdieu, Bruno Latour, and George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, respectively. I then apply these three different ways of thinking about reflexivity and the acting subject to the analysis of an excerpt of participant observation data from a health services research study of transitions from hospital to home, illuminating the different kinds of analyses that arise from each perspective. I conclude with a call for social scientists to commit to the search for better ways of understanding the human subject, resisting the temptation to “settle” on theoretical statements that close down the path to more sophisticated conceptualizations of human thought and action.
Nebulized Fentanyl in Acute Pain
Authors: Thompson Joshua P. , Thompson Dennis F.
Published: July 2016

Objective: To provide a systematic review of the current role of nebulized fentanyl in acute pain and potentially other conditions. Data Sources: A MEDLINE literature search inclusive of the dates 1946 to May 2016 was performed using the following search terms: fentanyl and administration, inhaled. Excerpta Medica was searched from 1980 to May 2016 using the following search terms: exp fentanyl/inhalation drug administration. Additionally, Web of Science was searched using the terms fentanyl and pain inclusive of 1945 to May 2016. Study Selection and Data Extraction: We utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to select English language, human primary literature, review articles, and supporting data assessing the efficacy of nebulized fentanyl in acute pain. Data Synthesis: Seven clinical trials have demonstrated no difference in efficacy between nebulized fentanyl and intravenous (IV) opioids. Few adverse effects were reported; however, the trials were of short duration. Nebulized fentanyl appeared to be a rapid-acting analgesic that does not require IV access. Conclusion: Evidence suggests that nebulized fentanyl is as effective as IV opioids in the treatment of acute pain, with relatively few adverse effects. However, questions remain about the extemporaneous preparation of fentanyl nebulized solution, the variability in nebulization devices, and ensuring consistent drug delivery to distal airways in the clinical setting. The abuse potential of nebulized fentanyl should also be considered.
Intraosseous Hibernoma in the Sacrum of an Adult
Authors: Westacott Lorraine , Collins Angus , Dickenson Ian
Published: July 2016

Hibernoma is an uncommon lipomatous tumor composed of brown adipose cells that until recently has only ever been described in soft tissue locations. This report describes the histological features of a discrete lesion in the sacrum of an 84-year-old lady. Biopsy of this lesion demonstrated that it consisted predominantly of multivacuolated lipocytes with a morphological and immunohistochemical profile consistent with brown fat cells. The lesion was diagnosed as an intraosseous hibernoma. This is the 16th report in the English literature of a hibernoma occurring outside of a soft tissue location.
On averaging and input optimization of high-frequency mechanical control systems
Authors: Tahmasian Sevak , Allen David W , Woolsey Craig A
Published: July 2016

This paper presents the optimization of input amplitudes for mechanical control-affine systems with high-frequency, high-amplitude inputs. The problem consists of determining the input waveform shapes and the relative phases between inputs to minimize the input amplitudes while accomplishing some control objective. The effects of the input waveforms and relative phases on the dynamics are investigated using averaging. It is shown that of all zero-mean, periodic functions, square waves require the smallest amplitudes to accomplish a control objective. Using the averaging theorem the problem of input optimization is transformed into a constrained optimization problem. The constraints are algebraic nonlinear equalities in terms of the amplitudes of the inputs and their relative phases. The constrained optimization problem may be solved using analytical or numerical methods. A second approach uses finite Fourier series to solve the input optimization problem. This second approach confirms the earlier results concerning minimum amplitude inputs and is then applied to the problem of minimizing control energy.
Wavelets approach for the optimal control of vibrating plates by piezoelectric patches
Authors: Abualrub Taher , Abukhaled Marwan , Jamal Binish
Published: July 2016

The optimal control for vibration suppression of a plate by distributed piezoelectric actuators is considered. A performance index in the form of a weighted quadratic functional of the dynamic response of a rectangular simply supported plate will be minimized within a prescribed time duration using piezoelectric patches (voltages). The minimization of the performance index over these voltages is subject to the equation of motion governing the plate's structural vibration and a set of initial and boundary conditions. The solution method is a combination of modal space expansion and direct state parameterization. Modal space expansion will transform the optimal control of a distributed parameter system into the optimal control of a lumped parameter system. Using Legendre wavelets, the quadratic optimization problem is transformed into a mathematical programming problem, where the objective is to minimize a set of unknown coefficients to obtain the optimal trajectory and the optimal control. Numerical examples will be provided to illustrate the effectiveness and the efficiency of the proposed method.
Establishing Communicative Validity
Authors: Call-Cummings Meagan
Published: July 2016

In this article, I examine the process of establishing the communicative validity of research. Using Habermas’ ideal speech situation as a theoretical backdrop, I explore three moments in which the roles enacted by members of a research collective were implicitly or explicitly negotiated. I find that by examining moments of role negotiation we can explore the level of participation at which stakeholders engage in the process of knowledge production. When roles are explicitly negotiated, therefore, fluid, authentic participation is greater and communicative validity is enhanced.
Has Critique Run Out of Steam?—On Discourse Research as Critical Inquiry
Authors: Keller Reiner
Published: July 2016

Is there still a role for discourse research today, some 30 years after Michel Foucault’s death? A decade ago, French actor-network theorist Bruno Latour famously declared the end of critique as ethos and practice in the social sciences. What is more, arguments made about the contingency of historical phenomena even arm “enemy” forces. Empirical work therefore should be replaced by a politics of “matters of concern.” French sociologist Luc Boltanski added to this critique of critical perspectives by suggesting that an investigation into social modes of critique should replace critical sociology. The present contribution discusses both critiques of critique and the problems and limitations of the solutions proposed by both Latour and Boltanski. Against this background, and with a focus on discourse research, it stresses the ongoing need for precise empirical work as a condition for the social unfolding of critical perspectives.
Utilization and evaluation of noncore chemotherapy regimens within an academic medical center
Authors: Jared Jason R , Mably Mary S , Makielski Rory , Reed Michael P , Fallon Michael J , Liu Glenn , Mulkerin Daniel , Callander Natalie S
Published: July 2016

Uniformity of evidence-based chemotherapy prescribing using approved, standard, or “core” regimens provides systems-based safety. Noncore chemotherapy regimens are non-standard-of-care regimens requested by physicians on a patient-by-patient basis. Chemotherapy Council, a Pharmacy & Therapeutics subcommittee, assesses all requests and determines approval status based upon submitted evidence and patient-specific factors. This study's purpose is to describe noncore chemotherapy regimens utilization, efficacy, and clinical outcomes in patients receiving noncore chemotherapy regimens. This retrospective chart review includes a two-stage utilization and outcomes evaluation of patients receiving noncore chemotherapy regimens. Stage I, a demographics and utilization assessment of patients receiving noncore chemotherapy regimens, has data collection including patient age, sex, performance score, malignancy, and noncore chemotherapy regimen use justification. Stage II assesses noncore chemotherapy regimen-related, patient-specific outcomes of breast cancer noncore chemotherapy regimen patients. Breast cancer patients were evaluated on regimen and clinical outcomes including disease stage, regimen duration, discontinuation reason, subsequent chemotherapy, survival, and time from noncore chemotherapy regimen until death. Within stage I, 307 patient-specific noncore chemotherapy regimen requests were submitted. The most commonly submitted rationale was modification of a core regimen (33%), followed by patient-specific factors (29%) and salvage therapy (22%). For stage II, 29 breast cancer patients received a noncore chemotherapy regimen and most (54%) received a modified core regimen. The vast majority of noncore chemotherapy regimen discontinuation was due to either regimen completion (42%) or disease progression (42%). Nonelective hospitalizations (35%) and mortality (30%) were found during the median 13.3 months of follow up. Noncore chemotherapy regimen use provides regimen tailoring for patients who are candidates for further therapy, but nonelective hospitalizations, end-of-life chemotherapy, and mortality warrant further investigation to improve patient outcomes.
From Adaptation to Transformation: An Extended Research Agenda for Organizational Resilience to Adversity in the Natural Environment
Authors: Clément Viviane , Rivera Jorge
Published: July 2016

This article aims to encourage research into how organizations can manage their resilience in response to adverse conditions stemming from the natural environment (ecological adversity). While firms may have a general ability to cope with unfavorable operating environments, adaptation to ecological adversity in particular may actually face serious limitations. Using an interdisciplinary approach that draws from resilience theory in socioecology, this article develops several lines of inquiry. First, we identify the mechanisms by which organizational resilience may fluctuate as firms adapt to changing levels of ecological adversity. Second, we suggest that the existing conceptualization of organizational resilience could be expanded to include transformative change, which may allow firms to mitigate the operational impacts of reaching adaptation limits. Finally, we consider the resilience implications of the interdependency between firms and the broader ecosystems in which they operate. We conclude with potential avenues for future research in this area.
Inquiry Into the Independent Reading Development of First-Generation College Graduates With Advanced Degrees
Authors: Knoester Matthew , Plikuhn Mari
Published: July 2016

Studies suggest that individuals with a parent who attended college or a university are more likely to attend themselves. Scholars have also argued that academic success at the highest levels requires the acquisition of a large vocabulary and fluency in multiple discourses, and that forming habits of reading various kinds of texts outside of school may be necessary. Using interviews with 40 individuals who completed advanced degrees and whose parents did not attend college, this study examined factors that may have influenced their independent reading habits. We found that each of our participants developed strong habits of recreational reading and was motivated at least in part due to relationships with various sponsors of literacy, including parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, neighbors, librarians, teachers, and church members. Social challenges to recreational reading were also noted by participants, including the challenge of learning to code switch with family members and others.
Clinical Use of Continuous Performance Tests to Diagnose Children With ADHD
Authors: Park Jangho , Kim Changyoon , Ahn Joon-Ho , Joo Yeonho , Shin Min-Sup , Lee Hyun-Jeong , Kim Hyo-Won
Published: July 2016

Objective: This study evaluated the diagnostic application of continuous performance tests in children with ADHD. Method: We recruited 114 children (aged 6-12) from August 2012 to May 2014. Seventy-nine children were diagnosed with ADHD and 35 were enrolled as controls. The Advanced Test of Attention (ATA) was administered to all participants. Results: There were significant between-group differences for the frequency distribution of four ATA variables. The ATA criteria yielded a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 84.8% and 45.7%, respectively. Discriminant analysis revealed that auditory reaction time variability and visual commission errors helped distinguish between the groups. Discriminate functions indicated correct classification of 64.9% children. ADHD children tended to have lower intra-class correlation coefficients. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the ATA distributions of ADHD individuals may differ from the general population; in addition, the ATA results could not independently diagnose ADHD. Therefore, they should be considered carefully before diagnosis.
Working Together or Working on the Same Task but Separately? A Comparison of Police Chief and Chief Probation or Parole Officer Perceptions of Partnership
Authors: Kim Bitna , Matz Adam K. , Lee Selye
Published: July 2016

It remains unclear how pervasive police-community corrections partnerships are, and to what extent they are integrated into routine practice, as well as whether or not police chiefs and chief probation or parole officers within the same jurisdictions perceive them to be effective. The current study enhances our understanding of such partnerships between police and probation or parole. Data were collected through a statewide survey of a random sample of municipal police chiefs and county chief probation or parole officers in Pennsylvania. The primary research questions focus on identifying the following: (a) empirically derived and meaningful patterns of police-community corrections partnerships, (b) a comparison of police chief and chief probation or parole officer perceptions of benefits and problems regarding their partnerships, and (c) the predictors of these perceptions. Results reveal that such partnerships are prevalent, but they are predominantly informal, with formalization largely contingent on the progressiveness of the police chief (i.e., newer police chiefs were more likely to engage in formalized partnerships). Further, the crime prevention and recidivism reduction potential of these partnerships remain unclear from the perspectives of both law enforcement and community supervision leaders. In general, Pennsylvania police chiefs are less favorable to the partnerships than are the chiefs of probation or parole offices, and certain partnership types relate to the negative perceptions of some agency leaders. The implications of the findings reported here for policies, training, and future research are discussed.
Static characteristics of misaligned multiple axial groove water-lubricated bearing in the turbulent regime
Authors: Mallya Ravindra , Shenoy Satish B , Pai Raghuvir
Published: July 2016

The static characteristics of misaligned three-axial water-lubricated journal bearing in the turbulent regime are analyzed for groove angles 36° and 18°. Ng and Pan’s turbulence model is applied to study the turbulence effects in the journal bearing. The static parameters such as load-carrying capacity, friction coefficient, and side leakage are found for different degree of misalignment (DM). The change in flow regime of the lubricant from laminar to turbulent and the increase in misalignment, improved the load capacity of the bearing. For lightly loaded bearings, the friction coefficient of the bearing increased with the increase in Reynolds number.
Using realist action research for service redesign
Authors: Westhorp Gill , Stevens Kaye , Rogers Patricia J.
Published: July 2016

This case demonstrates the integration of realist action research and co-design to address the complex social problem of long-term reliance on welfare benefits. Realist action research combines a realist philosophy of science and the questions that flow from it with an action research cycle. Realist approaches to evaluation and planning seek to explain for whom in what contexts and how impacts are generated or might be generated. Action research seeks to solve real world problems, trialling solutions until a ‘best fit’ solution is reached. The article describes the principles underpinning the methodology and the research cycles through which the project worked – situation analysis; prioritizing; co-design; trialling and further refining ideas for change. It demonstrates the development and testing of program theory for one service innovation. It also reflects on the experience and potential benefits of this approach.
Dominant mode selection and modal coupling analysis for wind-induced response of long-span roofs
Authors: Li Yuxue , Shi Kai , Yang Qingshan , Tian Yuji
Published: July 2016

Mode selection and modal coupling analysis are important to estimate wind-induced structural response of long-span roof structures. This article presents a framework for predicting wind-induced structural response of long-span roof structures based on modal analysis. This framework first identifies the dominant modes according to the correlation between the mode shape and the wind load spatial distribution on the structure as well as a proposed “modal participation coefficient.” Second, the concept of modal strain energy is introduced and a modal coupling coefficient is defined, based on which the dominant coupling modes are determined. A modified square root of the sum of the squares methodology is then developed to account for the modal coupling effects of the background and the resonant response components. The total responses can be obtained by combining the contributions of the dominant coupling modes and the square root of the sum of the squares results from the dominant modes. This avoids the use of the computation expensive complete quadratic combination method. Finally, an illustrative example of wind-induced response analysis of the China National Stadium roof structure is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Sympathetic trunk repair following penetrating injury to the neck
Authors: Privett Benjamin J , Lehane Christopher , Wykes James , Ebrahimi Ardalan
Published: July 2016

There are relatively few published reports of Horner’s syndrome following penetrating injury to the neck. We present the case of a 19-year-old female sustaining a Zone 2 neck laceration with Horner’s syndrome due to complete transection of the sympathetic trunk. Nerve repair was performed with an interposition cable nerve graft using ansa cervicalis and resulted in complete recovery at 13 months follow-up. Neuropraxia cannot be differentiated from nerve transection clinically or radiologically and given the potential for complete recovery after nerve repair, we advocate for surgical exploration in all cases of penetrating neck injury with Horner’s syndrome.
Infrastructures for healthcare: From synergy to reverse synergy
Authors: Langhoff Tue Odd , Amstrup Mikkel Hvid , Mørck Peter , Bjørn Pernille
Published: July 2016

The Danish General Practitioners Database has over more than a decade developed into a large-scale successful information infrastructure supporting medical research in Denmark. Danish general practitioners produce the data, by coding all patient consultations according to a certain set of classifications, on the entire Danish population. However, in the Autumn of 2014, the system was temporarily shut down due to a lawsuit filed by two general practitioners. In this article, we ask why and identify a political struggle concerning authority, control, and autonomy related to a transformation of the fundamental ontology of the information infrastructure. We explore how the transformed ontology created cracks in the inertia of the information infrastructure damaging the long-term sustainability. We propose the concept of reverse synergy as the awareness of negative impacts occurring when uncritically adding new actors or purposes to a system without due consideration to the nature of the infrastructure. We argue that while long-term information infrastructures are dynamic by nature and constantly impacted by actors joining or leaving the project, each activity of adding new actors must take reverse synergy into account, if not to risk breaking down the fragile nature of otherwise successful information infrastructures supporting research on healthcare.
Modeling and simulation of frictional energy loss in mixed lubrication of a textured piston compression ring during warm-up of spark ignition engine
Authors: Usman Ali , Park Cheol Woo
Published: July 2016

Road vehicles account for a substantial portion of energy consumed by transportation. A large amount of this energy is lost to overcome friction within vehicle engines, in which the piston compression rings are a major source of such parasitic losses. The internal losses of engines increase several times in the case of unfavorable warm-up conditions. Recent developments in surface modification showed promising results in improving the frictional behavior of piston rings. Analyses are often idealized, such as isothermal conditions and unrealistic engine operating conditions. This study presents a numerical investigation of the frictional behavior of mixed-hydrodynamic interaction in a textured piston compression ring–cylinder liner during the warm-up process. The transient Reynolds equation is solved with a mass-conserving cavitation algorithm, realistic oil rheology, and practical engine operating conditions. Several multigrade and monograde oils are considered to draw comprehensive conclusions. The results show that ring surface texturing substantially reduces energy loss during the entire warm-up phase.
Marx and Weber and the logic of historical explanation: The rise of machine capitalism
Authors: Gould Mark
Published: July 2016

In Marx’s characterization of the first stage of manufacture, economic production is constituted by the formal subsumption of labor under capital and thus the retention of precapitalist processes of production. In consequence, increases in production occur with constant returns to scale, competitive constraints are incompletely developed (per unit costs are not reduced), cooperation is simple, and this economic structure is consistent with various traditional as well as with rationalizing values. The objective, coercive, competitive constraints found in machine capitalism (the “iron cage”) are absent, and if capital accumulation occurs within this first stage of manufacture, it must be motivated subjectively. While Weber provides an explanation of the nature of this subjective motivation, an explanation of the capacity of the Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism to motivate capital accumulation systematically presumes a characterization of the logic of economic production that is developed incompletely in Weber’s analysis. The Protestant ethic becomes the spirit of capitalism, and methodically motivates capital accumulation, only when it interpenetrates the first stage of manufacture. Thus, neither Marx nor Weber alone provides an adequate explanation for the emergence of machine capitalism. Marx slights the necessity for the autonomous, subjective motivation of capital accumulation within the first stage of manufacture, while Weber provides an inadequate analysis of the nature of manufacture, the structure of economic production that is rationalized subjectively by the spirit of capitalism. However, their arguments are complementary and, if integrated, provide the foundation for a satisfactory explanation of this developmental process. Through my characterization of their analyses of capital accumulation in the first stage of manufacture, I construct an argument about Marx and Weber’s understanding of the role of value-commitments in the analysis of economic/social structures and about the common logic of historical explanation found in their theories.
Domesticating artificial intelligence: Expanding human self-expression through applications of artificial intelligence in prosumption
Authors: Fox Stephen
Published: July 2016

The need for self-expression influences individuals in their preferences for goods and how they obtain them. One way for individuals to express themselves is through the prosumption of original unique goods. It is explained how the traditional trade-off between the originality and economy of such goods can be addressed through applications of artificial intelligence. However, although applications of artificial intelligence can transcend the originality/economy trade-off, they cannot transcend differences between cultures that value scarcity and cultures that value sharing. Nonetheless, applications of artificial intelligence can expand human self-expression because they can reduce barriers, such as lack of production skills, to prosumers realizing their own original ideas. With reference to technologies’ cultural domestication, it is explained that rather than artificial intelligence being either a miracle or a monster, the potential of artificial intelligence is mediated by multiple considerations.
Public preferences for allocation of donated livers for transplantation: A conjoint analysis
Authors: Danesh Ahmad , Asghari Fariba , Zeraati Hojjat , Yazdani Kamran , Nedjat Saharnaz , Mansournia Mohammad-Ali , Jafarian Ali , Fotouhi Akbar
Published: July 2016

Despite the fact that the criteria for allocation of donated livers have been laid down for years, these criteria may not help to select a potential recipient from those with the same medical requirements. This study used conjoint analysis method to determine the importance of certain non-medical factors from the public’s point of view. Through a population based study, a sample of 899 randomly selected persons filled a questionnaire where in each question the respondents had to choose one out of two hypothetical patients as the recipients of a donor liver considering their expressed characteristics. The collected data were analyzed by means of conjoint analysis method, and the importance of each characteristic was determined. According to the respondents the important criteria for allocation of donated livers included younger age, being married or breadwinner of the family, more than 3-year survival after transplantation, and having no role in causing the illness. Among the selected criteria, financial ability to pay post-operation costs had the least value on the selection. The findings of this study indicate that the public may values certain social and individual factors in case of multiple potential recipients with equal medical need for liver transplant.
Contesting ideologies and the struggle for equality: Reconsidering the politics of education in South Africa
Authors: Tomlin Hannah
Published: July 2016

As international standards are continually publicized, countries across the globe have adapted educational policies to meet the demands of the global market, which has led to much emphasis on specific subjects and teaching methods. Although modern educational policies tend to focus on rhetoric about inclusion, systematic segregation remains in many parts of the world. In the case of South Africa, the political transition in the 1990s had tremendous impacts on educational policies. However, by studying the policies that were in effect during apartheid, it is easier to understand some of the inequalities that remain. From the 1950s to the 1980s, Bantu education was used as a tool to support the apartheid state. In the 1980s, the People’s Education Movement began as a grassroots initiative to promote equal education and the transition to democracy. While the latter was achieved, the people’s education vision was largely abandoned in exchange for policies that would allow the state to be most competitive in the global market. Just as the apartheid regime imposed Bantu education on the non-White population, this article argues that international standards are now imposing a Western model of education on South Africa. Although great strides have been made toward a more egalitarian education system, this pattern has been occurring worldwide. Through studying these policies, scholars may better understand how the legacy of apartheid continues to impact modern education systems.
Local Diameter, Wall Stress, and Thrombus Thickness Influence the Local Growth of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Authors: Martufi Giampaolo , Lindquist Liljeqvist Moritz , Sakalihasan Natzi , Panuccio Giuseppe , Hultgren Rebecka , Roy Joy , Gasser T. Christian
Published: July 2016

Purpose: To investigate the influence of the local diameter, the intraluminal thrombus (ILT) thickness, and wall stress on the local growth rate of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Methods: The infrarenal aortas of 90 asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients (mean age 70 years; 77 men) were retrospectively reconstructed from at least 2 computed tomography angiography scans (median follow-up of 1 year) and biomechanically analyzed with the finite element method. Each individual AAA model was automatically sliced orthogonally to the lumen centerline and represented by 100 cross sections with corresponding diameters, ILT thicknesses, and wall stresses. The data were grouped according to these parameters for comparison of differences among the variables. Results: Diameter growth was continuously distributed over the entire aneurysm sac, reaching absolute and relative median peaks of 3.06 mm/y and 7.3%/y, respectively. The local growth rate was dependent on the local baseline diameter, the local ILT thickness, and for wall segments not covered by ILT, also on the local wall stress level (all p<0.001). For wall segments that were covered by a thick ILT layer, wall stress did not affect the growth rate (p=0.08). Conclusion: Diameter is not only a strong global predictor but also a local predictor of aneurysm growth. In addition, and independent of the diameter, the ILT thickness and wall stress (for the ILT-free wall) also influence the local growth rate. The high stress sensitivity of nondilated aortic walls suggests that wall stress peaks could initiate AAA formation. In contrast, local diameters and ILT thicknesses determine AAA growth for dilated and ILT-covered aortic walls.
Talking About What Provokes Us
Authors: Lee Hoon , Jang S. Mo
Published: July 2016

The current research assessed whether political satire viewing could indirectly promote interpersonal talk about politics by eliciting emotions. The theoretical model was tested utilizing both experimental and survey designs. The findings indicated good agreement, demonstrating that negative emotions significantly mediate and reinforce the effect of political satire viewing on interpersonal talk. Conversely, the process wherein traditional news sources motivate interpersonal talk is mostly direct, with little development of affective responses. The results suggest that political satire can help to paint a sanguine picture of a healthy deliberative democracy mainly through an affective rather than cognitive route.
Automated Thinking and the Limits of Reason
Authors: Parisi Luciana
Published: July 2016

This article reflects on how the ingression of computation in culture has not only transformed media into algorithmic devices but has also, more importantly, led to the automation of the most precious faculty of the human, namely, reasoning. This article problematizes the tout court refusal of algorithmic thinking as thinking and suggests that we are witnessing the advance of a dynamic form of automated reasoning, exposing the limits of the critical approach toward the calculative. The article points out that the alliance between algorithmic automation and the digital infrastructure of neoliberalism is not without significance, but attention must be paid to the specific posthuman form of cognitive capitalism.
An evaluation of the effectiveness of an algorithm intervention in reducing inappropriate faecal samples sent for Clostridium difficile testing
Authors: Thompson Irene , Lavelle Colin , Leonard Laurence
Published: July 2016

Background:

Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile) is a leading cause of infectious diarrhoea in hospitals. Sending faecal samples for testing expedites diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Clinical suspicion of C. difficile based on patient history, signs and symptoms is the basis for sampling. Sending faecal samples from patients with diarrhoea ‘just in case’ the patient has C. difficile may be an indication of poor clinical management.

Aim:

To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention by an Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) in reducing inappropriate faecal samples sent for C. difficile testing.

Method:

An audit of numbers of faecal samples sent before and after a decision-making algorithm was introduced. The number of samples received in the laboratory was retrospectively counted for 12-week periods before and after an algorithm was introduced.

Findings:

There was a statistically significant reduction in the mean number of faecal samples sent post the algorithm. Results were compared to a similar intervention carried out in 2009 in which the same message was delivered by a memorandum. In 2009 the memorandum had no effect on the overall number of weekly samples being sent.

Conclusion:

An algorithm intervention had an effect on the number of faecal samples being sent for C. difficile testing and thus contributed to the effective use of the laboratory service.