bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on selective laser melting of commercially pure titanium powder
Authors: Antony Kurian , Rakeshnath T Reghunathan
Published: September 2018

Laser additive manufacturing processes melt the powder particles using laser beam energy to form solid three-dimensional objects. This article mainly focuses on numerical analysis and experimentation of laser melting of commercially pure titanium powder. Numerical solutions to moving heat source problems were developed, and their influences on process parameters were validated. The energy density has a significant role in laser melting process. The numerical investigation demonstrates the significant effect of laser energy density on laser tracks. The laser power, distribution of powder particles, the absorptivity, density, and chemical constitution of powder materials are the main factors which influence the laser energy penetration. The absorptivity plays a vital role in consolidation phenomena of the powder layer which helps to get a denser part or layer. The experimental result clearly indicates that at lower laser speed the powder compaction is better. Temperature distribution, depth, and width of laser track were compared in this article. By investigating the observations from optical microscopic images and scanning electron microscopic images, the surface characteristics of laser-melted tracks were studied. The study on numerical and experimental results shows that the optimum condition for better laser track is laser power 45 W, laser speed 20 mm/s, and laser diameter 2.5 mm. This study provides important insights into laser parameters in the melting of commercially pure titanium powder.
Antenna control systems for flexible structure under a wind load
Authors: Zhang Jie , Huang Jin , Zhao Pengbing , Liang Wei , Wang Congsi
Published: September 2018

Higher levels of pointing (directional) accuracy are required with the increase of diameter of large reflector antennae. The influence of wind disturbance on the level of pointing error has become a serious problem with the increased size of antenna. Newer, larger antenna designs have to combine increased control and more accurate pointing mechanisms that challenge existing technology. With reference to the typical Cassegrain antenna, this paper aims to improve the accuracy of antenna pointing mechanisms under a variety of wind conditions. This is based on the pointing model derived from combining both structural dynamics and electromechanics such that the pointing error caused by wind can be estimated efficiently. Using different controller design methods, which present the flexible pointing error as a combination of rotation angle error, torque disturbance, and state disturbance, the pointing error is compensated effectively. Tests and analysis of a 7.3 m antenna have been conducted. The results show that the linear-quadratic-Gaussian controller can reduce the maximum pointing errors by 79.3%, and the sliding mode controller is found to significantly outperform other controllers as it has the smallest root mean square of pointing error.
A spatial regression model for the disaggregation of areal unit based data to high-resolution grids with application to vaccination coverage mapping
Authors: Utazi CE , Thorley J , Alegana VA , Ferrari MJ , Nilsen K , Takahashi S , Metcalf CJE , Lessler J , Tatem AJ
Published: September 2018

The growing demand for spatially detailed data to advance the Sustainable Development Goals agenda of ‘leaving no one behind’ has resulted in a shift in focus from aggregate national and province-based metrics to small areas and high-resolution grids in the health and development arena. Vaccination coverage is customarily measured through aggregate-level statistics, which mask fine-scale heterogeneities and ‘coldspots’ of low coverage. This paper develops a methodology for high-resolution mapping of vaccination coverage using areal data in settings where point-referenced survey data are inaccessible. The proposed methodology is a binomial spatial regression model with a logit link and a combination of covariate data and random effects modelling two levels of spatial autocorrelation in the linear predictor. The principal aspect of the model is the melding of the misaligned areal data and the prediction grid points using the regression component and each of the conditional autoregressive and the Gaussian spatial process random effects. The Bayesian model is fitted using the INLA-SPDE approach. We demonstrate the predictive ability of the model using simulated data sets. The results obtained indicate a good predictive performance by the model, with correlations of between 0.66 and 0.98 obtained at the grid level between true and predicted values. The methodology is applied to predicting the coverage of measles and diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccinations at 5 × 5 km2 in Afghanistan and Pakistan using subnational Demographic and Health Surveys data. The predicted maps are used to highlight vaccination coldspots and assess progress towards coverage targets to facilitate the implementation of more geographically precise interventions. The proposed methodology can be readily applied to wider disaggregation problems in related contexts, including mapping other health and development indicators.
The unbearable anxiety of being: Ideological fantasies of British Muslims beyond the politics of security
Authors: Ali Nadya , Whitham Ben
Published: September 2018

A succession of media scandals and policy arguments in the UK in recent years has been integral to the construction of a so-called ‘Muslim Problem’. Media and political attention paid to Muslims in British public life, across a vast and varied range of issues, suggests a social preoccupation that exceeds the security framing the ‘War on Terror’ once imposed. In this article, we develop and apply Slavoj Žižek’s Lacanian theory of ideology to produce an original conceptual and analytic framework centred on the social functions served by, as well as the co-constitution of, anxiety and fantasy. We then apply this framework to explore three scandals relating to child sexual exploitation, halal meat and education. We show that the representations of British Muslims that these scandals entail are best understood as ideological fantasies, mobilized to suture traumatic gaps and conceal contradictions in wider social practices around such issues. We argue that the unrelenting media and political focus on myriad aspects of British Muslims’ imagined lives is symptomatic of what Žižek calls an ‘unbearable anxiety’: Islamophobic ideological fantasies conjure a ‘conceptual Muslim’ to sidestep confrontation with the Lacanian ‘Real’ – antagonistic and anxiety-inducing structures and practices underpinning British society, of which we do not speak.
Warfare as design: Transgressive creativity and reductive operational planning
Authors: Öberg Dan
Published: September 2018

This article argues that the politics of contemporary Western warfare finds an important reference point in discourses on military design. In the 2010s, military design has become a trending topic in military discourses on command and planning methodology. Since Clausewitz, warfare has been considered a phenomenon characterized by a tension between creativity and linear planning, and the ideal commander as someone with the vision to overcome this. By mapping and analyzing tactical, operational, and strategic narratives and practices, the article illustrates how they emphasize a warfare based both on experimentation and artistry and on traditional operational planning. In so doing, military design relies on reductive military concepts to push the tension identified by Clausewitz towards its extreme end-point, idealizing creativity as an objective of warfare. The article ends by asking to what extent military design risks spilling over into other dimensions of social and political life. It concludes that in pushing creativity as part of war, military design builds on and justifies transgressive political practices with the risk of becoming a vital aspect of future governing.
“I Would Like to Be Heard.” Communicating With Singaporean Chinese Patients With Dementia: A Focused Ethnography Study
Authors: Chin Si-Ying , Lopez Violeta , Tan Mui-Lan , Goh Yong-Shian
Published: September 2018

Introduction: Although first-generation Singaporean Chinese were mainly immigrants from Mainland China, the communication patterns of Singaporean Chinese in the present-day context differs from Mainland Chinese. This difference could be attributed to the subculture but is not conclusive. This study aimed to explore the experiences of nursing staff communicating with Singaporean Chinese with dementia in Singapore. Method: A focused ethnographic study was conducted in a long-term care setting for people with dementia, where data were obtained using nonparticipant observations and semistructured interviews. Data analyses were conducted using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Results: Nineteen nursing staff were interviewed. The central theme of “embracing diversity and accepting differences” was supported by three subthemes: acknowledging cultural differences, understanding the patients, and overcoming communicative challenges. Conclusions: This study highlighted the need for nurses to understand cultural characteristics among Singaporean Chinese with dementia especially on emotional expressions when they are not understood by others.
Optimization of piezoelectric wafer placement for structural health-monitoring applications
Authors: Tarhini Hussein , Itani Rafic , Fakih Mohammad Ali , Mustapha Samir
Published: September 2018

Optimization of the number and location of piezoelectric wafers used in sensor networks for continuous monitoring of automotive and aerospace structures is not yet fully developed. This article presents a novel approach for the optimization of piezoelectric wafer networks for application in the field of structural health monitoring. A mixed integer nonlinear program is formulated and validated for different geometric shapes. The proposed objective function is to maximize the coverage of the area under study, described by a set of control points. In the optimal solution, each control point should be covered by a user-defined number of sensing paths, where each sensing path is the line joining any two piezoelectric transducers within the monitored plate. During the optimization process, any place on the plate is a potential location of a piezoelectric wafer. A mathematical programming language is used to code the algorithm, and selected simulation cases are executed to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed optimization algorithm. The algorithm introduces several optimization parameters, such as coverage Levels 2 and 3, number of paths passing through a control point, and areas of concentrated coverage. Furthermore, the algorithm features the flexibility to change a wide range of problem parameters, such as the number of piezoelectric wafers, their coverage range, and the number of control points. The tractability of the model proposed is improved by feeding the solver an initial solution that makes the branch-and-bound technique less extensive. Data fusion is conducted to determine the quality of the coverage provided by the optimized piezoelectric wafer locations and to scrutinize the efficiency of the proposed approach. Finally, two sensor network configurations are selected and validated experimentally. The validation demonstrates a high level of coverage within the network, as well as evaluating the accuracy of damage localization within the optimized sensor networks.
Frequency-based damage detection in cantilever beam using vision-based monitoring system with motion magnification technique
Authors: Choi Andrew Jaeyong , Han Jae-Hung
Published: September 2018

This article proposes a method for damage detection using vision-based monitoring with motion magnification technique. The methods based on the vibration characteristics of structures such as natural frequency, mode shapes, and modal damping have been applied to structural damage detection. However, the conventional methods have limitations for practical applications. Vision-based monitoring system can be employed as a new structural monitoring system because of its simplicity, potentially low cost, and unique capability of collecting high-resolution data. A methodology called video motion magnification has been developed to amplify non-visible small motions in a video to reveal the dynamic response. The video motion magnification method can be applied to measure small displacements to calculate the natural frequencies and the operational deflection shapes of the structures. Unlike conventional optimization methods, a genetic algorithm explores the entire solution space and can obtain the global optimum. In this article, identification of the location and magnitude of damage in a cantilever beam is formulated as an optimization problem using a real-value genetic algorithm by minimizing the objective function, which directly compares the first three natural frequencies changes from the phase-based motion magnification measurement and from the analytical model of a damaged cantilever beam.
Working Closets: Mapping Queer Professional Discourses and Why Professional Communication Studies Need Queer Rhetorics
Authors: Cox Matthew B.
Published: September 2018

This article examines the importance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rhetorical approaches in professional communication theory, introducing the theory of working closets as central to understanding how LGBT professionals navigate and succeed. The author presents case studies of LGBT professionals at the headquarters of a national discount retail company as examples of working closets and asks what the implications are for professional communication studies. He also looks at the need to learn from and through queer rhetorics, cultural rhetorics, and social justice frameworks, especially given the cultural turn of professional communication studies in the early 21st century.
90-Day Hospital Readmissions of Patients in a Geriatric Acute Care Ward in Singapore
Authors: Tan Rachel Rui Qi , Toh Hui Jin , Yap Philip Lin Kiat , Jiao Nana , Wang Wenru
Published: September 2018

The objective of the study is to examine the 90-day readmission rate and identify the predictors for 90-day readmissions at a geriatric ward in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. A secondary analysis of case–control data was performed. Data of patients discharged from a geriatric ward between January 2015 and January 2016 were retrieved from an existing data set. Out of 564 index admissions involving older adults, the 90-day geriatric readmission rate was 10.1%. Activities of daily living dependency (odds ratio [OR]: 0.988, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [0.978, 0.999]) and living with the spouse (OR: 2.988, 95% CI: [1.388, 6.432]) were identified as significant predictors of 90-day geriatric readmissions. The study suggests that rehabilitation to restore the geriatric patient’s ability to perform daily activities and adequate caregiver training for the spouse are essential in reducing geriatric readmissions. Also, postdischarge follow-up with both the patient and caregiver can greatly reduce the risk of readmission in geriatric patients.
A Literature Review of Factors Influencing Injurious Falls
Authors: Poh Faithe J. X. , Shorey Shefaly
Published: September 2018

Falls pose substantial challenges to health care institutions. This review aims to provide a synthesis and critique of studies that investigated fall injury risk factors and to identify significant risk factors that predispose patients to injurious falls. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, COCHRANE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Heath Literature, and Scopus. Additional records were searched through Google Scholar and bibliographies of the retrieved articles. Twenty-three primary research studies were included. Demographic, intrinsic, and extrinsic factors have been identified. Demographics include age, gender, and marital status. Intrinsic factors include body mass index, medication, and preexisting conditions, and extrinsic factors include environmental factors. Several factors were found to be inconclusive. These factors should be considered and examined further. Future research may evaluate interventions focusing on targeted risk factors of injurious falls. Clinical guidelines addressing the factors in this review may be considered after further testing and research.
A device to make the pelvic sagittal plane horizontal and reduce error in cup inclination during total hip arthroplasty: a validation study
Authors: McMahon Samuel E , Magill Paul , Bopf Daniel P , Beverland David E
Published: September 2018

Introduction:

Radiological inclination (RI) is determined in part by operative inclination (OI), which is defined as the angle between the cup axis or handle and the sagittal plane. In lateral decubitus the theatre floor becomes a surrogate for the pelvic sagittal plane. Critically at the time of cup insertion if the pelvic sagittal plane is not parallel to the floor either because the upper hemi pelvis is internally rotated or adducted, RI can be much greater than expected. We have developed a simple Pelvic Orientation Device (POD) to help achieve a horizontal pelvic sagittal plane.

Methods:

A model representing the posterior aspect of the pelvis was created. This permitted known movement in 2 planes to simulate internal rotation and adduction of the upper hemi pelvis, with 15 known pre-set positions. 20 participants tested the POD in 5 random, blinded position combinations, providing 200 readings. The accuracy was measured by subtracting each reading from the known value.

Results:

Two statistical outliers were identified and removed from analysis. The mean adduction error was 0.73°. For internal rotation, the mean error was −0.03°. Accuracy within 2.0° was achieved in 176 of 190 (93%) of readings. The maximum error was 3.6° for internal rotation and 3.1° for adduction.

Conclusion:

In a model pelvis the POD provided an accurate and reproducible method of achieving a horizontal sagittal plane. Applied clinically, this simple tool has the potential to reduce the high values of RI sometimes seen following THA in lateral decubitus.
Multicentre, randomised, blinded, control trial of drug-eluting balloon vs Sham in recurrent native dialysis fistula stenoses
Authors: Swinnen Jan “John” , Hitos Kerry , Kairaitis Lukas , Gruenewald Simon , Larcos George , Farlow David , Huber David , Cassorla Gabriel , Leo Christopher , Villalba Laurencia M , Allen Richard , Niknam Farshid , Burgess David
Published: September 2018

Background:

Endovascular treatment of autogenous arteriovenous haemodialysis fistula stenosis has high reintervention rates. We investigate the effect of drug-eluting balloons in the treatment of recurrent haemodialysis fistula stenosis.

Methods:

This is a randomised, controlled, investigator-initiated and run, prospective, blinded, multicentre trial. Patients with recurrent autogenous arteriovenous haemodialysis fistula stenosis received standard endovascular treatment plus drug-eluting balloon or standard endovascular treatment plus uncoated balloon (Sham). Primary endpoint was late lumen loss in trial area on ultrasound at 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. Secondary endpoints were freedom from reintervention to the Index Trial Area and decline in fistula flow (Qa). Interim analysis was performed at 6 months (unblinded due to timeliness).

Results:

Patients with 132 recurrent stenoses (48% in bare Nitinol stents) were randomised with 70 receiving drug-eluting balloon and 62 Sham. At 6 months, decline in late lumen loss was 0.23 ± 0.03 mm/month for Sham and 0.045 ± 0.03 mm/month for drug-eluting balloon arm, a significant difference (0.18 mm, p = 0.0002). At 12 months, this difference persisted at 0.12 mm (p = 0.0003). At 6 months, significant difference in late lumen loss for instent restenoses (p = 0.0004) was observed, with non-significant difference for unstented restenoses (p = 0.065). Mean time for freedom from reintervention was 10.14 months for Sham versus 42.39 months for drug-eluting balloon (p = 0.001). The same was shown for instent (p = 0.014) and unstented (p = 0.029) restenoses. Qa decline rate at 6 months was 36.89 mL/min/month (Sham) and 0.41 mL/min (drug-eluting balloon). The difference was significant (36.48 mL/min; p = 0.02) and persisted to 12 months (p = 0.44).

Conclusion:

Paclitaxel drug-eluting balloon significantly delays restenosis after angioplasty for recurrent autogenous arteriovenous haemodialysis fistula stenosis, persisting to 12 months. Drug-eluting balloon significantly increases freedom from reintervention at 12 months with these effects true in stented and unstented fistulas.
Finite element analysis of fretting wear considering variable coefficient of friction
Authors: Li Ling , Kang Le , Ma Shiyun , Li Zhiqiang , Ruan Xiaoguang , Cai Anjiang
Published: September 2018

Fretting wear is a kind of material damage in contact surfaces caused by microrelative displacement between two bodies. It can change the profile of contact surfaces, resulting in loosening of fasteners or fatigue cracks. Finite element method is an effective method to simulate the evolution of fretting wear process. In most studies of fretting wear, the coefficient of friction was assumed to be constant to simplify model and reduce the difficulty of solving. However, fretting wear test showed that the coefficient of friction was a variable related to the number of fretting cycles. Therefore, this paper introduces the coefficient of friction as a function of the number of fretting cycles in numerical simulation. A wear model considering variable coefficient of friction is established by combining energy consumption model and adaptive grid technique. The nodes of contact surfaces are updated through the UMESHMOTION subroutine. The effects of constant coefficient of friction and variable coefficient of friction on fretting wear are analyzed by comparing the wear amount under different loading conditions. The results show that when compared with coefficient of friction model, fretting wear is obviously affected by variable coefficient of friction and the variable coefficient of friction model has a larger wear volume when the fretting is in partial slip condition and mixed slip condition. In gross slip condition, the difference of wear volume between variable coefficient of friction model and coefficient of friction model decreases with the increase in the displacement amplitudes.
Glutamate-sensitive imaging and evaluation of cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis
Authors: O’Grady Kristin P , Dula Adrienne N , Lyttle Bailey D , Thompson Lindsey M , Conrad Benjamin N , Box Bailey A , McKeithan Lydia J , Pawate Siddharama , Bagnato Francesca , Landman Bennett A , Newhouse Paul , Smith Seth A
Published: September 2018

Background:

Cognitive impairment (CI) profoundly impacts quality of life for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Dysfunctional regulation of glutamate in gray matter (GM) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of MS by post-mortem pathological studies and in CI by in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy, yet GM pathology is subtle and difficult to detect using conventional T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). There is a need for high-resolution, clinically accessible imaging techniques that probe molecular changes in GM.

Objective:

To study cortical GM pathology related to CI in MS using glutamate-sensitive chemical exchange saturation transfer (GluCEST) MRI at 7.0 Tesla (7T).

Methods:

A total of 20 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 20 healthy controls underwent cognitive testing, anatomical imaging, and GluCEST imaging. Glutamate-sensitive image contrast was quantified for cortical GM, compared between cohorts, and correlated with clinical measures of CI.

Results and Conclusion:

Glutamate-sensitive contrast was significantly increased in the prefrontal cortex of MS patients with accumulated disability ( p < 0.05). In addition, glutamate-sensitive contrast in the prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with symbol digit modality test ( rS = −0.814) and choice reaction time ( rS = 0.772) scores in patients ( p < 0.05), suggesting that GluCEST MRI may have utility as a marker for GM pathology and CI.
Liver injury with drugs used for multiple sclerosis: A contemporary analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System
Authors: Antonazzo Ippazio Cosimo , Poluzzi Elisabetta , Forcesi Emanuele , Riise Trond , Bjornevik Kjetil , Baldin Elisa , Muratori Luigi , De Ponti Fabrizio , Raschi Emanuel
Published: September 2018

Background:

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) has been observed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), raising concerns on the liver safety of MS drugs.

Objective:

To describe DILI events with MS drugs by analyzing the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.

Methods:

DILI reports were extracted and classified in overall liver injury (OLI), including asymptomatic elevation of liver enzymes, and severe liver injury (SLI). We performed disproportionality analysis by calculating adjusted reporting odds ratios (RORs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) and case-by-case evaluation for concomitant drugs with hepatotoxic potential.

Results:

Fampridine showed statistically significant ROR for both OLI and SLI, whereas teriflunomide and fingolimod generated solid disproportionality (ROR > 2) only for OLI (ROR, 2.31; 95% CI, 2.12–2.52; and 2.53; 2.40–2.66, respectively). Among monoclonal antibodies, only alemtuzumab generated higher-than-expected ROR for OLI (1.34; 1.09–1.65). We also detected the expected hepatotoxic potential of beta interferon and mitoxantrone. Concomitant reporting of hepatotoxic drugs ranged from 26% (dimethyl fumarate) to 90% (mitoxantrone).

Conclusion:

These real-world pharmacovigilance findings suggest that DILI might be a common feature of MS drugs and call for (1) formal population-based study to verify the risk of fampridine and (2) awareness by clinicians, who should assess the possible responsibility of MS drugs when they diagnose DILI.
The double edge sword of John Henryism: Impact on patients’ health in the People’s Republic of China
Authors: Vargas Emily A , Li Yidi , Mahalingham Ramaswami , Hui Pan , Liu Grace , Lapedis Marissa , Liu J. Rebecca
Published: September 2018

The People’s Republic of China has experienced extraordinary economic growth, which is associated with increases in chronic health stressors. We examined the impact of John Henryism—a coping mechanism—on various health indicators in a sample of patients ( n = 642) in China. John Henryism significantly related to increased medical adherence [Formula: see text] and health-promotional behaviors [Formula: see text]. John Henryism predicted several indicators of psychological health through social support. John Henryism was also related to increased alcoholism [Formula: see text]. The findings highlight the complexity and paradoxical implications of John Henryism on health. Implications are discussed in relation to China’s epidemiological and age demographic shifts.
Subjective social status and health: Multidisciplinary explanations and methodological challenges
Authors: Hoebel Jens , Lampert Thomas
Published: September 2018

Since the early 2000s, evidence has been accumulating that subjective social status – a person’s sense of their own position on the social ladder – affects health above and beyond objective socioeconomic status. To date, however, little is known about how these distinct health effects of subjective social status can be explained. This article narratively reviews different explanatory approaches and key methodological challenges, backed up by empirical findings and supplemented by the authors’ own reflections. Both social–psychological and psychoneurobiological explanations can make a theoretically plausible contribution to explaining the subjective social status–health relationship. Experimental and panel designs appear promising for addressing important methodological challenges in this strand of research.
Nurses’ knowledge and deliberations crucial to Barcoded Medication Administration technology in a Dutch hospital: Discovering nurses’ agency inside ruling
Authors: Boonen Marcel , Rankin Janet , Vosman Frans , Niemeijer Alistair
Published: September 2018

This article shows how Barcoded Medication Administration technology institutionally organizes and rules the daily actions of nurses. Although it is widely assumed that Barcoded Medication Administration technology improves quality and safety by reducing the risk of human error, little research has been done on how this technology alters the work of nurses. Drawing on empirical and conceptual strategies of analysis, this qualitative study used certain tools of institutional ethnography to provide a view of how nurses negotiate Barcoded Medication Administration technology. The approach also uses elements from practice theory in order to discern how technology operates as a player on the field instead of being viewed as a ‘mere’ tool. A literature review preceded participant observation, whereby 17 nurses were followed and data on an orthopaedic ward were collected over a period of 9 months in 2011 and 2012. Barcoded Medication Administration technology relies on nurses’ knowledge to mediate between the embedded logics of its design and the unpredictable needs of patients. Nurses negotiate their own professional logic of care in the form of moment-to-moment deliberations which subvert the ruling frame of the barcoded system and its objectified model of patient safety. The logic of Barcoded Medication Administration technology differs from the logic of nursing care, as this technology presumes medication distribution to be linear, even though nurses follow another line of actor-bound safety practices that we characterize as ‘deliberations’.
Modern avenues for intergroup contact: Using E-contact and intergroup emotions to reduce stereotyping and social distancing against people with schizophrenia
Authors: Maunder Rachel D. , White Fiona A. , Verrelli Stefano
Published: September 2018

Intergroup contact is the leading strategy for reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. For the first time, the current study examines the effectiveness of a contemporary intergroup contact strategy, called electronic or E-contact, to reduce stigma against people diagnosed with schizophrenia. It also examines the mediating role of three target-relevant intergroup emotions, namely fear, anger, and pity. In total, 133 participants engaged in E-contact with a person diagnosed with schizophrenia (intergroup E-contact), E-contact with a person without a mental illness (intragroup E-contact), or no contact. Compared to the intragroup E-contact and no-contact conditions, intergroup E-contact reduced fear, anger, and stereotyping toward people with schizophrenia. Additionally, fear and anger, but not pity, were found to be significant affective mediators of the E-contact effect. The findings demonstrate the value of computer-mediated intergroup contact for stigma reduction, and emphasize the importance of intergroup emotions in this domain.
The limits of Anthropocene narratives
Authors: Simon Zoltán Boldizsár
Published: September 2018

The rapidly growing transdisciplinary enthusiasm about developing new kinds of Anthropocene stories is based on the shared assumption that the Anthropocene predicament is best made sense of by narrative means. Against this assumption, this article argues that the challenge we are facing today does not merely lie in telling either scientific, socio-political, or entangled Anthropocene narratives to come to terms with our current condition. Instead, the challenge lies in coming to grips with how the stories we can tell in the Anthropocene relate to the radical novelty of the Anthropocene condition about which no stories can be told. What we need to find are meaningful ways to reconcile an inherited commitment to narrativization and the collapse of storytelling as a vehicle of understanding the Anthropocene as our current predicament.
The class imbalance problem detecting adverse drug reactions in electronic health records
Authors: Santiso Sara , Casillas Arantza , Pérez Alicia
Published: September 2018

This work focuses on adverse drug reaction extraction tackling the class imbalance problem. Adverse drug reactions are infrequent events in electronic health records, nevertheless, it is compulsory to get them documented. Text mining techniques can help to retrieve this kind of valuable information from text. The class imbalance was tackled using different sampling methods, cost-sensitive learning, ensemble learning and one-class classification and the Random Forest classifier was used. The adverse drug reaction extraction model was inferred from a dataset that comprises real electronic health records with an imbalance ratio of 1:222, this means that for each drug–disease pair that is an adverse drug reaction, there are approximately 222 that are not adverse drug reactions. The application of a sampling technique before using cost-sensitive learning offered the best result. On the test set, the f-measure was 0.121 for the minority class and 0.996 for the majority class.
Talking About Hepatitis C: FAQs From Young Adults Who Inject Drugs
Authors: Knight Lauren L. , Wagner Katherine , Leyva Yuridia , Bruce Veronica R. , White Kirsten A. M. , Talamantes Yvonne S. , Price Brittany , Page Kimberly , Carvour Martha L.
Published: September 2018

Introduction. Young adults who inject drugs and live in rural communities are at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Recent changes in HCV treatment must be communicated within these communities to improve access to care and reduce HCV transmission. Methods. Field workers in the ¡VÁLE! Hepatitis Treatment and Integrated Prevention Services study identified frequently asked questions (FAQs) posed by young-adult participants at high risk for HCV during screening and educational sessions. From 2016 to 2018, 183 young adults (44.3% women; 85.8% Latino/a) younger than 30 years who inject drugs and reside in Rio Arriba or Doña Ana counties in New Mexico were enrolled. The research team compiled deidentified questions during field enrollments. Results. FAQs were reviewed and categorized into four major domains, including risk/prevention, screening, treatment, and reinfection. FAQs were addressed by a team of medical and public health professionals, using the most current research and recommendations. Conclusions. These FAQs address important gaps in HCV knowledge among young adults who are at high risk for infection. The FAQs also highlight the importance of risk reduction counseling provided by frontline public health providers as well as access to safe and effective HCV treatments for young adults who inject drugs.
Using the Awareness, Motivation, Skills, and Opportunity Framework for Health Promotion in a Primary Care Network
Authors: Oelke Nelly D. , Milkovich Lorna , Whitmore Bev
Published: September 2018

Purpose. To use the Awareness, Motivation, Skills, and Opportunity (AMSO) framework as a foundation for service delivery in a primary care network (PCN). Method. The AMSO framework (awareness, motivation, skills, opportunity) was integrated into PCN program design: Health Basics (8 weeks with monthly follow-up) focused on healthy living and Happiness Basics (6 weeks) used positive psychology. Evaluation included quality of life (QofL) and participant experience; weight, body mass index, and waist circumference were included for Health Basics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t tests, and thematic analysis. Setting. PCN in western Canada with midsized urban center and surrounding areas. Participants. Health Basics—adults with or at risk for chronic disease (n = 103). Happiness Basics—adults with depression, languishing, or flourishing (n = 124). Results. Changes were evident in weight loss, body mass index, waist circumference, and QofL (p < .05) for Health Basics participants. The participants also reported being more active, eating healthier, having a more positive mind-set, and having confidence in making lifestyle changes. Happiness Basics participants’ QofL improved in all domains (p < .05) except the physical summary score (p = .079). Happiness participants described positive experiences and learned new skills. Conclusion. The AMSO framework was successfully implemented in our PCN. Recommendations are included to improve program effectiveness and use.
Trends in African Americans’ Attitudes and Behaviors About Living Donor Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Vilme Helene , Davenport Clemontina A. , Pendergast Jane , Boulware L. Ebony
Published: September 2018

Background:

Due to marginal efforts to increase living donor kidney transplantation, it is unclear whether interventions to improve African Americans’ interest and pursuit of living donation should be tailored to address patients’ exposure to or familiarity with dialysis or transplant settings.

Design, Setting, and Participants:

We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of baseline data from 3 separate randomized clinical trials among African Americans with varying degrees of experience with dialysis or transplantation (predialysis, on dialysis but not on transplant list, and on transplant wait-list) settings.

Methods:

Interest in living donation was described using a 0 to 10 scale and pursuit of living donor kidney transplantation by achievement of at least 1 pursuant behavior. In multivariable logistic regression analyses, we assessed the association of knowledge, health literacy, and trust in health care with interest in or pursuit of living donation.

Results:

Interest among the 3 study cohorts was high (predialysis, 62.9%; dialysis, 67.4%; and transplant wait-list, 74.2%). The dialysis and transplant wait-list study cohorts pursued living donation more readily than those not on dialysis (73%, 92%, and 45%, respectively). Interest and pursuit were not statistically significantly associated with knowledge, health literacy, or the 3 factors reflecting medical mistrust.

Conclusion:

Interest and pursuit of living donation were greater among study participants with greater exposure to dialysis or transplant settings. Efforts to promote patients’ early interest and pursuit of living donor transplants may consider novel strategies to educate patients with less experience about the benefits of living donor kidney transplantation.
Assessing Early Literacy Growth in Preschoolers Using Individual Growth and Development Indicators
Authors: Kincaid Aleksis P. , McConnell Scott R. , Wackerle-Hollman Alisha K.
Published: September 2018

Evidence of longitudinal relations between language and early literacy skills in early childhood and later reading (and other) achievement is growing, along with an expanding array of early education programs designed to improve later academic outcomes and prevent, reduce, or close later academic achievement gaps across groups. Assessment systems to support this intervention have been developed, but to date we have little evidence of these systems’ outcomes when used at a broad scale in community-based preschool programs. For this broad purpose, two research questions were addressed: (a) How much progress do children make on language and early literacy skills over the course of one school year? and (b) What is the relationship between child characteristics, baseline performance, and growth on language and early literacy skills? Results indicated growth over time for all measures and relations between child age, gender, and free-or-reduced-price status and students’ performance at the beginning of the school year, but (with one exception) no relation between these covariates and growth over time. Discussion centers on current status of language and early literacy assessment in early childhood education as well as needs and issues to be addressed in future research and program development.
Commentary on “A Framework for Community and Stakeholder Engagement: Experiences From a Multicenter Study in Southern Africa”
Authors: Newman Peter A. , Slack Catherine M. , Lindegger Graham
Published: September 2018

Community and stakeholder engagement (CSE) is increasingly acknowledged as foundational to global health research. This commentary builds on the multisite framework for CSE described in an eco-health study conducted in Southern Africa. We acknowledge the context-specific nature of some of the challenges for CSE and draw attention to significant issues and concerns that arose from our studies of CSE in the context of multisite HIV prevention trials in South Africa, India, and Canada: (a) Pretrial—historically based mistrust, identification of appropriate gatekeepers, and considering the breadth of community; (b) Trial implementation—impact of early trial cessations, appropriate community roles and responsibilities, and multifaceted stigma; and (c) Posttrial—supporting and sustaining CSE mechanisms independent of particular trials. Many of these challenges are exacerbated by widespread disparities in wealth and power between trial sponsors and participating communities, further supporting the central importance of sound CSE practices and infrastructures to advance ethical biomedical and public health research.
Asystole during onyx embolisation of a dural AV fistula: The trigeminocardiac reflex
Authors: Nicholson Patrick , Hilditch Christopher , Brinjikji Waleed , Krings Timo
Published: September 2018

There are fewer than 20 published case reports of bradycardia or asystole during intracranial embolisation procedures. These are well described in open neurosurgical procedures, particularly involving the skull base. We present a case of a 59-year-old male patient who presented for elective embolisation of a dural arteriovenous fistula. During the injection of Onyx, the patient experience sudden asystole, which recurred after a second Onyx injection. Following successful treatment, a third injection proceeded without incident.
A retained guidewire fractured with subsequent pericardial tamponade two years after endovascular neurointervention
Authors: Han Zongli , Du Yanli , Chen Jinhui , Qi Hui
Published: September 2018

Entrapment of aneurysm embolization hardware is an extremely rare complication of endovascular neurointerventional procedures. We describe a case of a retained guidewire in a 42-year-old male during an aneurysm embolization. After unsuccessful attempts at removal via interventional methods, we decided to leave the guidewire within the vessel. A guidewire fracture resulted in several fragments in the carotid artery and aorta with subsequent cardiac tamponade, pseudoaneurysm and aortojejunal fistula two years later. The fragments in the aorta were removed via interventional and surgical methods. We advocate early surgical management of the retained guidewires after unsuccessful retractions via interventional methods. Meticulous and gentle maneuvering is necessary to prevent such serious complications.
Effect of a participatory patient education programme (

NE

xt

ED

ucation) in group-based patient education among Danes with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Christoffersen Lea AN , Hansen Anne K , Pals Regitze AS , Willaing Ingrid , Siersma Volkert , Olesen Kasper
Published: September 2018

Objective

To assess the effect of a participatory group-based education programme for individuals with type 2 diabetes, Next Education.

Method

In a quasi-experimental study, individuals with type 2 diabetes were recruited from 14 Danish municipalities with a patient education programme. Eight municipalities using Next Education were intervention sites; six control sites used usual group-based education programmes. Data were collected through questionnaires at baseline and at 3 and 12 months after programmes ended. Changes in quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), diabetes-related emotional distress (PAID-5), physical activity, diet, foot care and sense of coherence (SOC-13) were assessed in generalised linear mixed models.

Results

At baseline, 310 participants (52.6% females, mean age 62.5 years [SD = 10.7] and a mean duration of type 2 diabetes of 6.9 years [SD = 8.4]) participated in Next Education ( n = 234) or group-based education ( n = 76) at control sites. Compared with participants at control sites, participants at intervention sites had significantly larger sense of coherence scores at 3 (9.4%, p = 0.03) and 12 (9.8%, p = 0.02) months of follow-up. Other measures did not differ significantly between groups.

Discussion

It is likely that person-centeredness and high degrees of user participation at the intervention sites improved sense of coherence among Danes with type 2 diabetes.
Prosaic sites of multiculturalism as educational encounters in neo-liberal higher education: Sociological imagination and reflexive teaching and learning in the multicultural classroom
Authors: Peyrefitte Magali
Published: September 2018

The article reflects on the pedagogy of a first-year sociology and criminology module that was developed around the idea of ‘Researching the City’ in order to introduce students to the methodological and analytical processes of doing research in social science. Part of the assessment strategy centres around a weekly online diary which enables students to use positionality by way of reflecting on their experience of the city, of London, most specifically, due to the location of the university and the origin of the students. Expanding on Ash Amin’s idea of ‘prosaic sites of multiculturalism’, the article argues in favour of the transformative potential of a pedagogy that value experiential knowledge and is responsive to this form of knowledge in providing the theoretical and methodological tools to make sense of personal experiences in relation to structures and structural constraints. In this, the pedagogy works to develop a sociological imagination as a pedagogical route to empowering students in and out of the classroom in opposition to a neo-liberal ethos that instead values individualisation and competitiveness and is at present transforming higher education and society as a whole in the United Kingdom.
Community engineering education: The case of post-conflict Rwanda
Authors: Karareba Gilbert , Baillie Caroline
Published: September 2018

We argue for the need for and provide an example of a new form of community-based engineering education in Rwanda. We draw on Bourdieu’s theories of field and habitus to frame the arguments for an alternative to the current dominant engineering education model. The proposed community engineering education programme has three key facets including the development of critical thinking of students using critical theory, the students’ creation of alternative practices as a result of such critical thinking, and the appropriate pedagogy for delivering the programme. This model programme is aimed to address Rwanda’s endemic problems of economic development, poverty, environment, healthcare and energy. Specifically, it can allow students to develop very much needed, socially and environmentally just engineering systems as well as locally appropriate businesses, thus directly addressing the needs of the country and its people. The programme could apply to any post-conflict situation or indeed any development context.