bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Functional Assessment and Children's Preferences to Improve the Behavior of Young Children with Behavioral Disorders
Authors: Blair Kwang-Sun C. , Umbreit John , Bos Candace S.
Published: March 2018

Functional assessments conducted individually with four young children (ages 60–63 months) with behavioral disorders indicated that their behavior improved substantially when they engaged in preferred activities. An intervention in which these activities were imbedded within their existing curricula produced dramatic reductions in their problem behaviors. Probes conducted in nontargeted activities showed good generality with these children and with two nontargeted peers. Substantial increases in positive teacher interaction also occurred when the intervention was implemented. Treatment acceptability data indicated that the teachers strongly preferred the intervention over the instructional and behavior management procedures they had used previously. Finally, procedural reliability data indicated that the teachers could implement the intervention procedures properly even with limited training and support.
Skills Training for Inattentive, Overactive, Aggressive Boys: Differential Effects of Content and Delivery Method
Authors: Charlebois Pierre , Normandeau Sylvie , Vitaro Frank , Bernèche Frankie
Published: March 2018

This study was conducted to verify the differential effects of content and method of delivery of training on trainers' management strategies and on the behaviors during training of boys who are inattentive, overactive, and aggressive (IOA). In the study, thirty 6-year-old boys identified as having IOA behaviors participated in 24 weekly social skills and self-regulation training sessions. They were divided into four subgroups matched on IQ, Preschool Behavior Questionnaire scores, and parent education level. Two trainers implemented the training with the four subgroups. Trainers' management strategies and the boys' behaviors during training were coded by independent observers. Results indicated that both trainers used more teaching management interventions (e.g., providing information and asking questions) and more behavior management interventions (e.g., calling the child to attention, recall of rules, formal interdictions) during the social skills training than during the self-regulation skills training. Boys had more difficulty sustaining their attention in social skills training than in self-regulation skills training. Implications for careful planning of content and delivery methods with regard to the particular behavioral and developmental needs of children exhibiting IOA behaviors are discussed.
Functional Assessment in School Settings
Authors: Gable Robert A. , Kauffman James M.
Published: March 2018

The mandate that schools address the relationship between student behavior and classroom learning by means of functional behavioral assessment poses many challenges, since not all clinical procedures of proven effectiveness are practical in school settings. Compensatory options and new strategies and procedures are needed to bolster our present methodology so that the control and experimentation that characterizes clinical assessment is not abandoned. We must establish and support valid and effective methods that are practical in school settings and that adequately address the multifarious relationship between problem behavior and its social/environmental context. If we can do so, then the complex nature of functional behavioral assessment will not limit its value in school settings.
Functional-Assessment-Based Behavior Support Planning: Research to Practice to Research
Authors: Sugai George , Horner Robert H. , Sprague Jeffrey R.
Published: March 2018

Research in applied behavior analysis has shaped an important technology, called functional assessment, for understanding the relationship between problem behavior and environmental events and factors. From this understanding, effective and relevant behavioral interventions have emerged. However, given the dramatic increase in the need to conduct functional assessments, efforts must focus on translating what we have learned from this research into formats and processes that can be used efficiently in applied settings. In addition, research must continue to build a technology of functional assessment that meets the full range of situations faced in our schools, homes, and communities.
Irreversible profound symptomatic bradycardia requiring pacemaker after tizanidine/loxoprofen combination therapy: a case report
Authors: Li Xiaolin , Jin Yunpeng
Published: March 2018

A 37-year-old man suffered irreversible profound symptomatic bradycardia requiring a pacemaker 3 days after beginning tizanidine/loxoprofen combination therapy for neck pain. This combination therapy is prescribed frequently for joint pain; however, combining loxoprofen with tizanidine could increase the risk of symptomatic bradycardia that is both permanent and severe. Similar cases have not been reported. This case suggests that tizanidine should be used cautiously when combined with loxoprofen, and drug interaction screening should be performed.
Predictors of knowledge sharing behaviour on Sustainable Development Goals among library personnel in Nigeria
Authors: Igbinovia Magnus Osahon , Osuchukwu Ngozi P.
Published: March 2018

The study was carried out to investigate the predictors of library personnel’s knowledge sharing behaviours and its implication for achieving sustainable development goals, using the theory of planned behaviour. Survey research design was adopted for the study whereby a structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from 100 registered library personnel in Anambra State, Nigeria. Total enumeration was adopted as the sampling technique to obtain the population sample. The study revealed that attitude, perceived behavioural control and subjective norm had a significant influence on knowledge sharing intention at P < 0.05. Also, knowledge sharing intention had a positive and significant influence on SDGs actualization. The study concluded that for library personnel to contribute greatly to the realization of Sustainable Development Goals, they must ensure effective knowledge sharing behaviour on Sustainable Development Goals-related information. Therefore, management of libraries should set up structures that foster knowledge sharing. Also, library personnel should develop themselves with the required skills and knowledge on Sustainable Development Goals, which will stimulate a high rate of knowledge sharing.
Circadian Rhythms and Reproductive Phenology Covary in a Natural Plant Population
Authors: Salmela Matti J. , McMinn Robby L. , Guadagno Carmela R. , Ewers Brent E. , Weinig Cynthia
Published: March 2018

The circadian clock is a molecular timekeeper that matches endogenous rhythms in diverse traits with 24-h cycles in the external environment. Although a lack of clock resonance to the environment is detrimental to performance, clock phenotypes in wild populations nevertheless deviate substantially from the predicted optimal cycle length of 24 h, and significant genetic variation exists for circadian parameters. Here, we describe covariation between 2 traits considered to reflect adaptation to different aspects of temporal environmental heterogeneity, circadian rhythms (adaptation to daily environmental cycles) and flowering time (adaptation to seasonal cycles), in a Rocky Mountain population of the mustard Boechera stricta, a North American relative of Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that 18 families that differ in circadian period in leaf movement by 3.5 h expressed genetic diversity in first-year growth, reproductive phenology, vegetative size at reproduction, and starch concentration following vernalization. The families exhibited a large (~90-day) range in mean flowering time, even though the spatial scale of population sampling covered only a few hundred meters. Circadian period covaried with other traits such that longer-period families flowered earlier and at a larger size, a trait combination predicted to yield a fitness benefit in the wild. Circadian clock research in model systems has previously shown that mutations in clock genes influence phenology. Our results widen the scope of this research by illustrating a link between naturally segregating clock variation and reproductive phenology among wild genotypes, suggesting that the causes of genetic diversity in the clock lie partly in adaptation to seasonal environmental heterogeneity.
Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)/short-carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotube composite membrane applied for vanadium redox flow battery
Authors: Wei Fang , Yang Jun
Published: March 2018

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone) (SPES) is a potential polymer for replacing Nafion membranes in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRB); however, at a high degree of sulfonation, SPES membrane displays high swelling, poor mechanical stability, and high vanadium crossover. In this study, to improve membrane performance, composite membranes of SPES and short-carboxylic multi-walled carbon nanotube (denoted as SPES/SCCT membrane) were prepared and employed as the separator for VRB to evaluate the vanadium ions permeability and cell performance. The composite membrane showed the lowest vanadium ion permeability and highest selectivity compared with the Nafion221 and SPES membranes. The VRB with SPES/SCCT membrane also showed higher coulombic efficiency of about 91.7% and energy efficiency of about 84.1% but lower capacity loss and self-discharge than that of VRB with Nafion221 membrane during the cycling test, which further indicated the promising prospects of SPES/SCCT composite membrane application in VRB systems.
Numerical study of the stand-off distance and liner thickness effect on the penetration depth efficiency of shaped charge process
Authors: Dehestani P , Fathi AR , Daniali HR Mohammadi
Published: March 2018

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of geometrical parameters on the performance of jet penetration in the process of shaped charge. To this end, the finite element analysis was used to simulate the process. The simulated process was validated by experimental tests and the effect of some parameters including stand-off distance and the liner thickness on the jet penetration depth was studied. The results indicated that choosing the optimal distance between the liner and the target (stand-off distance) can significantly affect the performance of jet penetration in the target. In addition, examining the effect of liner thickness on the penetration depth efficiency revealed that by decreasing the liner thickness, the jet penetration depth on the target increases. It should be noted that ABAQUS finite element software was used in this simulation to analyze the process of shaped charge.
Reconstruction of the mid-Holocene paleoclimate of the Ecuadorian Andean páramo at Tres Lagunas, Ecuador
Authors: Frederick Logan , Brunelle Andrea , Morrison Mathew , Crespo Patricio , Johnson William
Published: March 2018

Previous paleoclimate studies have suggested a warm/dry event during the mid-Holocene in páramo vegetation of the tropical Andes of South America. However, the timing of the mid-Holocene warm/dry event in Tres Lagunas, Ecuador, remains uncertain, since a previously reported bog core record characterized the warm/dry event during a hiatus in sediment deposition. In order to understand the timing of the warm/dry event in Tres Lagunas in relation to regional records, a lake sediment core was collected. Subsamples from the core were analyzed for radiocarbon dates, pollen, magnetic susceptibility, and charcoal to reconstruct the depositional, vegetational, and fire history of the area. A near-constant sedimentation rate in the lake core indicated that the lake did not dry, in contrast to the adjacent previously reported bog core. Increases in lower elevation pollen types suggest a warm period between 2700 and 2200 cal. yr BP, with the peak of warming at 2200 cal. yr BP co-occurring with the end of hiatus in the bog core record. Statistically significant increases in charcoal influx and magnetic susceptibility from 3900 to 800 cal. yr BP also suggest a dry climate during this period. While the lake record corroborates the presence of a warm/dry period in Tres Lagunas during the mid-Holocene, this record suggests a shorter period of warm/dry climate where the intensity was not sufficient to cause the lake to dry. However, anthropogenic alteration of the landscape, either vegetation or burning, must also be considered when interpreting Holocene records from this region.
Exploring moral problems and moral competences in midwifery: A qualitative study
Authors: Oelhafen Stephan , Monteverde Settimio , Cignacco Eva
Published: March 2018

Background:

Most undergraduate midwifery curricula comprise ethics courses to strengthen the moral competences of future midwives. By contrast, surprisingly little is known about the specific moral competences considered to be relevant for midwifery practice. Describing these competences not only depends on generic assumptions about the moral nature of midwifery practice but also reflects which issues practitioners themselves classify as moral.

Objective:

The goal of this study was to gain insight into the ethical issues midwives encounter in their daily work, the key competences and resources they consider indispensable to understand and deal with them, and to assess phenomena linked to moral distress.

Methods:

We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with eight midwives and two other health professionals, varying in terms of years of experience and work setting. Interview transcripts were analyzed in an interdisciplinary research group, following thematic analysis.

Ethical considerations:

This study was not subject to approval according to the Swiss Law on Research with Humans. Participants were informed about the study goals and gave written informed consent prior to participation.

Results:

External constraints limiting the midwife’s and the patient’s autonomy and resulting interpersonal conflicts were found to be the most relevant ethical issues encountered in clinical practice and were most often associated with moral distress. These conflicts often arise in the context of medical interventions midwives consider as not appropriate and situations in which less experienced midwives in particular observe a lack of both interprofessional communication and trust in their professional competence. Ethical issues related to late abortions or prenatal diagnostics and selective abortions were also frequently addressed, but many midwives involved had learned to cope with them.

Discussion:

In the light of the ethical issues and factors contributing to phenomena of moral distress, an empirically grounded profile of moral competences is drafted. Curricular implications in the light of possible adaptations within undergraduate midwifery education are critically discussed.
Anticancer redox activity of gallium nanoparticles accompanied with low dose of gamma radiation in female mice
Authors: Kandil Eman I , El-sonbaty Sawsan M , Moawed Fatma SM , Khedr Ola MS
Published: March 2018

Guided treatments with nanoparticles and radiotherapy are a new approach in cancer therapy. This study evaluated the beneficial antitumor effects of γ-radiation together with gallium nanoparticles against solid Ehrlich carcinoma in female mice. Gallium nanoparticles were biologically synthesized using Lactobacillus helveticus cells. Transmission electron microscopy showed gallium nanoparticles with size range of 8−20 nm. In vitro study of gallium nanoparticles on MCF-7 revealed IC50of 8.0 μg. Gallium nanoparticles (0.1 mg/kg body weight) were injected intraperitoneally daily on the seventh day of Ehrlich carcinoma cells inoculation. Whole-body γ-radiation was carried out at a single dose of 0.25 Gy on eighth day after tumor inoculation. Biochemical analysis showed that solid Ehrlich carcinoma induced a significant increase in alanine aminotransferase activity and creatinine level in serum, calcium, and iron concentrations in liver tissue compared to normal control. Treatment of Ehrlich carcinoma–bearing mice with gallium nanoparticles and/or low dose of γ-radiation exposure significantly reduced tumor volume, decreased alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels in serum, increased lipid peroxidation, and decreased glutathione content as well as calcium and iron concentrations in liver and tumor tissues with intense DNA fragmentation accompanied compared to untreated tumor cells. Moreover, mitochondria in the treated groups displayed a significant increase in Na+/K+-ATPase, complexes II and III with significant reduction in CYP450 gene expression, which may indicate a synergistic effect of gallium nanoparticles and/or low dose of γ-radiation combination against Ehrlich carcinoma injury, and this results were well appreciated with the histopathological findings in the tumor tissue. We conclude that combined treatment of gallium nanoparticles and low dose of gamma-radiation resulted in suppressive induction of cytotoxic effects on cancer cells.
Short-Term Complications, Reoperations, and Radiographic Outcomes of a New Fixed-Bearing Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Authors: Saito Guilherme H. , Sanders Austin E. , de Cesar Netto Cesar , O’Malley Martin J. , Ellis Scott J. , Demetracopoulos Constantine A.
Published: March 2018

Background:

With the increasing use of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), new implants with varied configurations are being developed every year. This study aimed to assess the early complications, reoperations, and radiographic and clinical outcomes of the Infinity TAA. To date, clinical results of this novel implant have not been published.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of 64 consecutive ankles that underwent a primary Infinity TAA from July 2014 to April 2016 was performed. Patients had an average follow-up of 24.5 (range, 18-39) months. Medical records were reviewed to determine the incidence of complications, reoperations, and revisions. Radiographic outcomes included preoperative and postoperative tibiotalar alignment, tibial implant positioning, the presence of periprosthetic radiolucency and cysts, and evidence of subsidence or loosening. Additionally, patient-reported outcomes were analyzed with the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS).

Results:

Survivorship of the implant was 95.3%. Fourteen ankles (21.8%) presented a total of 17 complications. A total of 12 reoperations were necessary in 11 ankles (17.1%). Revision surgery was indicated for 3 ankles (4.7%) as a result of subsidence of the implant. Tibiotalar coronal deformity was significantly improved after surgery ( P < .0001) and maintained during latest follow-up ( P = .81). Periprosthetic radiolucent lines were observed around the tibial component in 20 ankles (31%) and around the talar component in 2 ankles (3.1%). A tibial cyst was observed in 1 ankle (1.5%). Outcome scores were significantly improved for all FAOS components analyzed ( P < .0001), from 39.0 to 83.3 for pain, from 34.0 to 65.2 for symptoms, from 52.3 to 87.5 for activities of daily living, and from 15.7 to 64.2 for quality of life.

Conclusion:

Most complications observed in the study were minor and successfully treated with a single reoperation procedure or nonoperatively. Failures and radiographic abnormalities were most commonly related to the tibial implant. Further studies with longer follow-up are needed to evaluate the survivorship of the tibial implant in the long term.

Level of evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Capacity, Vulnerability, and Informed Consent for Research
Authors: Biros Michelle
Published: March 2018

This article presents an overview for clinician investigators on the concepts of decision-making capacity and vulnerability as related to human subjects research. Tools for capacity assessment and unacknowledged sources of vulnerability are discussed, and the practical gaps in current informed consent requirements related to impaired capacity and potential vulnerability are described. Options are suggested for research discussions when full regulatory consent is not possible and an exception from informed consent does not apply.
Health Research with Big Data: Time for Systemic Oversight
Authors: Vayena Effy , Blasimme Alessandro
Published: March 2018

To address the ethical challenges in big data health research we propose the concept of systemic oversight. This approach is based on six defining features (adaptivity, flexibility, monitoring, responsiveness, reflexivity, and inclusiveness) and aims at creating a common ground across the oversight pipeline of biomedical big data research. Current trends towards enhancing granularity of informed consent and specifying legal provisions to address informational privacy and discrimination concerns in data-driven health research are laudable. However, these solutions alone cannot have the desired impact unless oversight activities by different stakeholders acquire a common substantive orientation.
Child Trafficking: Issues for Policy and Practice
Authors: Greenbaum V. Jordan , Yun Katherine , Todres Jonathan
Published: March 2018

Efforts to address child trafficking require intensive collaboration among professionals of varied disciplines. Healthcare professionals have a major role in this multidisciplinary approach. Training is essential for all professionals, and policies and protocols may assist in fostering an effective, comprehensive response to victimization.
ADHD Endophenotypes in Caribbean Families
Authors: Cervantes-Henríquez M. L. , Acosta-López J. E. , Martínez-Banfi M. L. , Vélez J. I. , Mejía-Segura E. , Lozano-Gutiérrez S. G. , Sánchez-Rojas M. , Zurbarán M. A. , Zurek E. E. , Arcos-Burgos M. , Pineda D. A. , Puentes-Rozo P. J.
Published: March 2018

Objective: The aim of this study is to contrast the genetics of neuropsychological tasks in individuals from nuclear families clustering ADHD in a Caribbean community. Method: We recruited and clinically characterized 408 individuals using an extensive battery of neuropsychological tasks. The genetic variance underpinning these tasks was estimated by heritability. A predictive framework for ADHD diagnosis was derived using these tasks. Results: We found that individuals with ADHD differed from controls in tasks of mental control, visuospatial ability, visuoverbal memory, phonological and verbal fluency, verbal and semantic fluency, cognitive flexibility, and cognitive ability. Among them, tasks of mental control, visuoverbal memory, phonological fluency, semantic verbal fluency, and intelligence had a significant heritability. A predictive model of ADHD diagnosis using these endophenotypes yields remarkable classification rate, sensitivity, specificity, and precision values (above 80%). Conclusion: We have dissected new cognitive endophenotypes in ADHD that can be suitable to assess the neurobiological and genetic basis of ADHD.
Exploring the Potential of Participatory Theatre to Reduce Stigma and Promote Health Equity for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) People in Swaziland and Lesotho
Authors: Logie Carmen H. , Dias Lisa V. , Jenkinson Jesse , Newman Peter A. , MacKenzie Rachel K. , Mothopeng Tampose , Madau Veli , Ranotsi Amelia , Nhlengethwa Winnie , Baral Stefan D.
Published: March 2018

Stigma and discrimination affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people compromise health and human rights and exacerbate the HIV epidemic. Scant research has explored effective LGBT stigma reduction strategies in low- and middle-income countries. We developed and pilot-tested a participatory theatre intervention (PTI) to reduce LGBT stigma in Swaziland and Lesotho, countries with the world’s highest HIV prevalence. We collected preliminary data from in-depth interviews with LGBT people in Lesotho and Swaziland to enhance understanding of LGBT stigma. Local LGBT and theatre groups worked with these data to create a 2-hour PTI composed of three skits on LGBT stigma in health care, family, and community settings in Swaziland (Manzini) and Lesotho (Maseru, Mapoteng). Participants ( n = 106; nursing students, health care providers, educators, community members) completed 12 focus groups following the PTI. We conducted thematic analysis to understand reactions to the PTI. Focus groups revealed the PTI increased understanding of LGBT persons and issues, increased empathy, and fostered self-reflection of personal biases. Increased understanding included enhanced awareness of the negative impacts of LGBT stigma, and of LGBT people’s lived experiences and issues. Participants discussed changes in attitude and perspective through self-reflection and learning. The format of the theatre performance was described as conducive to learning and preferred over more conventional educational methods. Findings indicate changed attitudes and awareness toward LGBT persons and issues following a PTI in Swaziland and Lesotho. Stigma reduction interventions may help mitigate barriers to HIV prevention, treatment, and care in these settings with a high burden of HIV.
Men in Time
Authors: Rommel Carl
Published: March 2018

This article explores men at a state-owned youth center in Cairo, struggling to cope with uncertainties and change in the aftermath of Egypt’s January 2011 Revolution. Conceptually, the article critically engages anthropologist Laura Bear’s suggestion that an ethics of productivity saturate neoliberal masculinity. As my ethnographic stories about football coaches and state bureaucrats illustrate, being a good man recurrently surfaced as a problem of how to work productively in and on time: as ambiguities between discordant futures that left material needs, familiar care, and development of football talents difficult to reconcile. Often, my interlocutors linked this conundrum to a wide-ranging opacity, conjured as “corruption” ( fisad). My analysis of this male predicament allows me to spotlight one of the Egyptian revolution’s most luring promises: a transparent and meritocratic system, where a man’s work would finally be allowed to work on all futures deemed morally and materially significant.
Retinal vascular speed <0.5 disc diameter per week as an early sign of retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment
Authors: Solans Pérez de Larraya Ana M , Ortega Molina José M , Fernández José Uberos , Escudero Gómez Júlia , Salgado Miranda Andrés D , Chaves Samaniego Maria J , García Serrano José L
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To analyse the speed of temporal retinal vascularisation in preterm infants included in the screening programme for retinopathy of prematurity.

Material and methods:

A total of 185 premature infants were studied retrospectively between 2000 and 2017 in San Cecilio University Hospital of Granada, Spain. The method of binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy with indentation was used for the examination. The horizontal disc diameter was used as a unit of length. Speed of temporal retinal vascularisation (disc diameter/week) was calculated as the ratio between the extent of temporal retinal vascularisation (disc diameter) and the time in weeks.

Results:

The weekly temporal retinal vascularisation (0–1.25 disc diameter/week, confidence interval) was significantly higher in no retinopathy of prematurity (0.73 ± 0.22 disc diameter/week) than in stage 1 retinopathy of prematurity (0.58 ± 0.22 disc diameter/week). It was also higher in stage 1 than in stages 2 (0.46 ± 0.14 disc diameter/week) and 3 of retinopathy of prematurity (0.36 ± 0.18 disc diameter/week). The rate of temporal retinal vascularisation (disc diameter/week) decreases when retinopathy of prematurity stage increases. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.79–0.91) for retinopathy of prematurity requiring treatment versus not requiring treatment. The best discriminative cut-off point was a speed of retinal vascularisation <0.5 disc diameter/week, with a sensitivity and a specificity of 84.8% and 77%, respectively.

Conclusion:

The rate of temporal retinal vascularisation is a quantifiable observation that can help to alert a clinician that treatment of retinopathy of prematurity may be required. However, before becoming a new standard of care for treatment, it requires careful documentation, with agreement between several ophthalmologists.
Clinical outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in pediatric glaucoma
Authors: Pakravan Mohammad , Esfandiari Hamed , Yazdani Shahin , Doozandeh Azadeh , Dastborhan Zahra , Gerami Ebrahim , Kheiri Bahareh , Pakravan Parastou , Yaseri Mehdi , Hassanpour Kiana
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the outcomes of Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in refractory primary congenital glaucoma as well as primary procedure in aphakic glaucoma.

Method:

In this retrospective study, medical records of patients who underwent Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation for refractory glaucoma and aphakic glaucoma were reviewed. Primary outcome measures were the surgical success defined as intraocular pressure ≤21 mm Hg and decreased ≥20% and no secondary glaucoma surgery. Secondary outcome measures were the number of glaucoma medications, complications, best corrected visual acuity, and intraocular pressure.

Results:

A total of 62 eyes of refractory primary congenital glaucoma patients (group 1) and 33 eyes of aphakic glaucoma patients (group 2) were included in our study. Mean follow-up was 51 ± 33 months in group 1 and 49 ± 41 months in group 2 (p = 0.82). The cumulative probability of success was 90% in both groups at the first year; however, the success rate was 52.5% in group 1 and 71.5% in group 2 at 5 years’ follow-up visit. In group 1, the mean intraocular pressure ± standard deviation was 33.1 ± 8.6 mm Hg at the baseline and decreased to 17.1 ± 5.3 mm Hg at 1 year and 18.5 ± 6.4 at 3 years postoperatively (all p’s < 0.001). Corresponding values for group 2 were 28.9 ± 6.1, 15.2 ± 4.6, and 16.0 ± 5.9 mm Hg, respectively (all p’s < 0.001). The baseline number of glaucoma medications was 3 ± 0.7 that decreased to 2 ± 0.8 at final follow-up (p = 0.02).

Conclusion:

Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation has a moderate success rate in the management of refractory primary congenital glaucoma with an increased chance of tube-related complications. The surgical success rate is higher in case of primary Ahmed glaucoma valve implant for aphakic glaucoma with acceptable safety profile.
Graft-free glaucoma drainage device implantation: Short tunnel small flap technique
Authors: Pakravan Mohammad , Hekmat Vahid Reza , Pakravan Parto , Hassanpour Kiana , Esfandiari Hamed
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To introduce a new technique of short tunnel small flap graft-free glaucoma drainage device implantation and report our early experience.

Methods:

In a retrospective study, patients with uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma underwent short tunnel small flap graft-free Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation. In this technique, plate is sutured 8–10 mm posterior to the limbus and a partial thickness flap is made at 1 or 11 o’clock position, 1 mm posterior the limbus. Tube was passed through a tunnel immediately anterior to the plate into the proximal edge of the flap and then inserted into the anterior chamber via a route underneath the flap. Flap then covered the distal end of the tube and conjunctiva was sutured. Patients were followed for a minimum of 12 months for any sign of tube exposure and rise of intraocular pressure.

Results:

A total of 16 consecutive patients with refractory primary open-angle glaucoma and uncontrolled intraocular pressure were included in this study. Mean age of participants was 59 ± 8.3 years and nine (56%) were male. Mean intraocular pressure at the time of presentation was 26 ± 6.2 mm Hg, which dropped to 16 ± 4.5 at 12 months postoperative follow-up. The number of medications at baseline was 3 ± 1 eye drops, which was decreased to 1 ± 1.2 at 12 months. There were no conjunctival and flap-related complications or any sign of tube exposure during 1-year postoperative period.

Conclusion:

Short tunnel small flap graft-free glaucoma drainage device implantation technique combines advantages of both tunneling and flap techniques. Also, it may result in better tube positioning and more favorable cosmetic outcomes.
(Not) just a girl: Reworking femininity through women’s leadership in Europe
Authors: Enderstein Athena-Maria
Published: March 2018

This article applies a critical femininities perspective to the concept of women’s leadership, interrogating the market-oriented instrumentalization of femininity. The author presents empirical research consisting of in-depth interviews conducted with young women leaders in European student organizations. These participants juggle complicity and subversion as they negotiate the divergent expectations of femininity and leadership through interpersonal interactions and sociocultural positionalities. In these narratives the themes of social responsibility, difference, femininity, culture and embodiment are interlaced. The analysis of findings complicates monolithic interpretations of femininity by evidencing intra-categorical fracturing, multiplicity in locations and manifestations of femininities, conflicting attachments and affective relations to femininity, and broader geopolitical contextualization. This theoretically and practically challenges tropes of hegemonic femininity, and presents opportunities for resistance. On this basis the author argues for countering the feminist trouble of engaging with non-transgressive femininity from within strongly normative spaces in the development of critical femininity studies.
Establishing a retro-marketing rental company
Authors: O’Brien Justin
Published: March 2018

‘Establishing a retro-marketing rental company: VW Kamper’ is a teaching case study primarily targeted for postgraduate and advanced undergraduate entrepreneurship, marketing and management students who are seeking to learn a range of small business start-up business planning and evaluation methods. The case draws theoretically on the brand revival characteristic framework of Brown, Kozinets and Sherry to consider the allure of renting a nostalgic Volkswagen (VW) campervan for a glamorous camping experience while relating some of the growing literature pertaining to the challenges faced by female entrepreneurs. The case provides financial and marketing contextual information to practically engage students with an intriguing and authentic motorhome rental service concept to help develop financial reasoning skills related to new ventures and risk.
Economic Abuse as an Invisible Form of Domestic Violence: A Multicountry Review
Authors: Postmus Judy L. , Hoge Gretchen L. , Breckenridge Jan , Sharp-Jeffs Nicola , Chung Donna
Published: March 2018

The predominant perception of intimate partner violence (IPV) as constituting physical violence can still dominate, particularly in research and media reports, despite research documenting multiple forms of IPV including sexual violence occurring between intimate partners and various forms of psychological and emotional abuse. One frequently hidden or “invisible” form of abuse perpetrated within intimate partner relationships is economic abuse, also referred to as financial abuse in much of the literature. While the links between gendered economic insecurity and economic abuse are emerging, there remains a lack of consistency about definitions within the United States and globally, as there is no agreed upon index with which to measure economic abuse. As such, the purpose of this article is to review and analyze the global literature focused on either economic or financial abuse to determine how it is defined and what measures are used to capture its prevalence and impact. The 46 peer-reviewed articles that met all inclusion criteria for analysis came from a range of countries across six continents. Our review found that there is growing clarity and consistency of terminologies being used in these articles and found some consistency in the use of validated measures. Since this research is in its “infancy,” we need to have stronger collaborative efforts to use similar measures and terminology. Part of that collaborative effort is to consider how language and cultural differences may play a part in our understanding of economic abuse.
Suburbs against the Region: Homeowner Environmentalism in 1970s Detroit
Authors: Ward Brandon M.
Published: March 2018

Suburban residents in the Detroit metropolitan area practiced a homeowner environmentalism that sought protection of property values, local sovereignty, and a bucolic aesthetic, while rejecting the sacrifice of political power or resources to the larger region. Such homeowner activism deftly navigated a new political terrain created in the wake of passage of the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act and the rise of the modern environmental movement. Using three case studies of organizations successfully defying major regional developments, this article illustrates the regional planning challenges created in the context of increasing environmental activism and ongoing urban crisis in Detroit.
Enlarging Trauma-Induced Superficial Temporal Artery Pseudoaneurysm
Authors: Bender Melinda , Yesenko Sandra , Sakarwala Abizer , Tan Carmela D. , Joseph Douglas
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Pseudoaneurysm of the superficial temporal artery is rare and most often the result of blunt trauma to the head. Thomas Bartholin first observed and reported on this phenomenon in 1740.

Case Report

Presented is the case of an 18-year-old man referred for the evaluation of a pulsatile mass over the left temple that developed after an altercation occurring in the preceding 2 months.

Methods

Duplex ultrasound examination was performed with the use of a Philips IU22 (Bothell, WA) with a 17–5 MHz linear transducer.

Results

Fusiform dilation of the frontal branch of the superficial temporal artery was noted, measuring 0.6 × 0.8 cm and containing echogenic material. The proximal segment of the artery measured 0.2 × 0.2 cm. A follow-up scan was performed 6 weeks later demonstrating enlargement of the aneurysm to 0.6 × 1.2 cm with additional homogeneous thrombus. The aneurysm was resected, followed by suture ligation of the inflow and outflow arteries. Pathologic description was consistent with a dilated segment of artery filled with organizing granulating tissue and focal areas of thrombosis. The wall of the aneurysm consisted of fibrous tissue only, with no evidence of a muscular layer. No evidence of inflammatory infiltrate or giant cells was identified.

Conclusions

Aneurysms may be saccular or fusiform and may be true or false. Aneurysmal dilation is identified when a vessel measures 1.5 times the diameter of the proximal segment. A true aneurysm will involve all layers of the vessel wall, whereas a false aneurysm (pseudoaneurysm) is identified when less than all layers of the vessel wall are involved. Aneurysms resulting from a single traumatic event, such as the one described in the present case report, are most often pseudoaneurysms. The superficial temporal artery and its branches are readily and accurately evaluated and characterized by duplex ultrasound.
Evaluation and identification of dynamic strain on a blast door subjected to blast loading using fibre Bragg grating sensors
Authors: Xiong Ziming , Zhang Qinghua , Lu Hao , Shi Shaoshuai , You Zewei , Xia Yuanpu , Bu Lin
Published: March 2018

Tunnels and subway blast doors are effective barriers to terrorist attacks and emergencies, and research into the mechanical properties of blast doors under explosive dynamic loads can improve and enhance the performance thereof. In this article, surface strain measurements on subway blast door models under dynamic load are carried out using quasi-distributed fibre Bragg grating sensors. The principle underpinning fibre Bragg grating sensing is introduced before the experiment. In the experiment, a model of an explosion-proof door was designed, and the experimental foundation pit was designed to be used to fix the explosion-proof door. Then, eight fibre Bragg grating sensors are placed at different positions on the surface of the explosion door to measure the strain at the time of explosion. Through the experiment we found that the optical fibre grating sensing system can be used under explosive loading surface strain: the strain distribution on the surface of the protective door is revealed under large dynamic strain. At the same time, the rebound effect of the protective door in the explosion was found through the strain phenomenon in double peak phenomenon. The strain distribution and rebound effect in the test results can provide a useful reference for the mechanical design of the blasting door and the strain monitoring of reinforced concrete structures under dynamic load.
An improved geometric algorithm for indoor localization
Authors: Yang Junhua , Li Yong , Cheng Wei
Published: March 2018

Indoor localization system using receive signal strength indicator from wireless access point has attracted lots of attention recently. Geometric method is one of the most widely used spatial graph algorithms to locate object in an indoor environment, but it does not achieve good results when it is applied to a limited amount of valid data, especially when using the trilateration method. On the other hand, localization based on fingerprint can achieve high accuracy but need to pay heavy manual labor for fingerprint database establishment. In this article, we propose a bilateral greed iteration localization method based on greedy algorithm in order to use all of the effective anchor points. Comparing to trilateration, fingerprint, and maximum-likelihood method, the bilateral greed iteration method improves the localization accuracy and reduces complexity of localization process. The method proposed, coupled with measurements in a real indoor environment, demonstrates its feasibility and suitability, since it outperforms trilateration and maximum-likelihood receive signal strength indicator–based indoor location methods without using any radio map information nor a complicated algorithm. Extensive experiment results in a Wi-Fi coverage office environment indicate that the proposed bilateral greed iteration method reduces the localization error, 63.55%, 9.93%, and 47.85%, compared to trilateration, fingerprint, and maximum-likelihood method, respectively.
DCS-based MBSBL joint reconstruction of multi-sensors data for energy-efficient telemonitoring of human activity
Authors: Wu Jianning , Wang Jiajing , Ling Yun
Published: March 2018

The joint reconstruction of nonsparse multi-sensors data with high quality is a challenging issue in human activity telemonitoring. In this study, we proposed a novel joint reconstruction algorithm combining distributed compressed sensing with multiple block sparse Bayesian learning. Its basic idea is that based on the joint sparsity model, the distributed compressed sensing technique is first applied to simultaneously compress the multi-sensors data for gaining the high-correlation information regarding activity as well as the energy efficiency of sensors, and then, the multiple block sparse Bayesian learning technique is employed to jointly recover nonsparse multi-sensors data with high fidelity by exploiting the joint block sparsity. The multi-sensors acceleration data from an open wearable action recognition database are selected to assess the practicality of our proposed technique. The sparse representation classification model is used to classify activity patterns using the jointly reconstructed data in order to further examine the effectiveness of our proposed method. The results showed that when compression rates are selected properly, our proposed technique can gain the best joint reconstruction performance as well as energy efficiency of sensors, which greatly contributes to the best sparse representation classification–based activity classification performance. This has a great potential for energy-efficient telemonitoring of human activity.
Clinical opioids differentially induce co-internalization of μ- and δ-opioid receptors
Authors: Bao Fenghua , Li Chang-Lin , Chen Xu-Qiao , Lu Ying-Jin , Bao Lan , Zhang Xu
Published: March 2018

Opioid receptors play an important role in mediating the spinal analgesia. The μ-opioid receptor is the major target of opioid drugs widely used in clinics. However, the regulatory mechanisms of analgesic effect and tolerance for clinical μ-opioid receptor-targeting opioids remain to be fully investigated. Previous studies showed the interaction of δ-opioid receptor with μ-opioid receptor to form the μ-opioid receptor/δ-opioid receptor heteromers that could be processed in the degradation pathway after δ-opioid receptor agonist treatment. Here, we showed that clinical μ-opioid receptor-targeting opioids, morphine, fentanyl, and methadone, but not tramadol, caused μ-opioid receptor co-internalization with δ-opioid receptors in both transfected human embryonic kidney 293 cells and primary sensory neurons. Prolonged treatment of morphine led to μ-opioid receptor co-degradation with δ-opioid receptors. Furthermore, fentanyl and methadone, but not tramadol, induced the drug tolerance similar to morphine. Thus, the clinical μ-opioid receptor-targeting opioids including morphine, fentanyl, and methadone induce μ-opioid receptor co-internalization with δ-opioid receptors, which may be involved in the analgesic tolerance of these opioids.
Comparison of the efficacy and safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with primary dysmenorrhea: A network meta-analysis
Authors: Feng Xuan , Wang Xiaoyun
Published: March 2018

Objective

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are used as first-line treatment of primary dysmenorrhea, but there has been no optimal clinical choice among non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs yet. The present study was to assess the relative benefits of different common non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for primary dysmenorrhea patients with a network meta-analysis.

Methods

Randomized controlled trials were screened by our criteria and included in the network meta-analysis. Pain relief was considered as primary outcomes and adverse effect was supplied as a safety outcome, while additional rescue, assessment score, and pain intensity difference were secondary outcomes. All the indexes were evaluated with odds ratio or standardized mean difference. Surface under cumulative ranking curve result was used to calculate the ranking of each treatment.

Results

Totally, 72 randomized controlled trials of 5723 patients and 13 drugs were included in our study after screening. As for pain relief, all drugs except nimesulide, rofecoxib, and waldecoxib were superior to aspirin (odds ratio with 95% credible intervals, diclofenac: 0.28 (0.08, 0.86), flurbiprofen: 0.10 (0.03, 0.29), ibuprofen: 0.32 (0.14, 0.73), indomethacin: 0.21 (0.07, 0.58), ketoprofen: 0.25 (0.10, 0.64), mefenamic acid: 0.28 (0.09, 0.87), naproxen: 0.31 (0.15, 0.64), piroxicam: 0.15 (0.03, 0.59), and tiaprofenic acid: 0.17 (0.04, 0.63)). Aspirin also required additional rescue when compared with the majority of other drugs (flurbiprofen: 3.46 (1.15, 11.25), ibuprofen: 6.30 (2.08, 20.09), mefenamic acid: 7.32 (1.51, 37.71), naproxen: 2.66 (1.17, 6.55), and tiaprofenic acid: 9.58 (1.43, 94.63)). As for assessment of the whole treatment, ketoprofen, naproxen, rofecoxib, and ibuprofen got higher score significantly than placebo. In addition, ibuprofen performed better than placebo in pain intensity difference. Considering the safety, tiaprofenic acid and mefenamic acid were noticeable in low risk, and indomethacin revealed higher risk than any other drugs. According to the results of network analysis and surface under cumulative ranking curve, flurbiprofen was considered to be the best one among all the treatments in efficacy, and aspirin was worse than most of others. On the other hand, tiaprofenic acid and mefenamic acid were indicated as the safest drugs.

Conclusion

Considering the efficacy and safety, we recommended flurbiprofen and tiaprofenic acid as the optimal treatments for primary dysmenorrhea.