bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptom Resolution and Patient-Perceived Recovery Following Ankle Arthroplasty and Arthrodesis
Authors: Pinsker Ellie , Inrig Taucha , Daniels Timothy R. , Warmington Kelly , Beaton Dorcas E.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Patients’ perception of outcomes is not always defined by the absence of limitations/symptoms (resolution), but can also be characterized by behavioral adaptation and cognitive coping arising in cases with residual deficits. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) are designed to measure levels of function or symptoms, largely missing whether patients are coping with ongoing limitations. This study aimed to broaden the conventional definition of a “satisfactory” outcome following ankle reconstruction by comparing patient-reported outcomes of patients with and without residual symptoms and limitations.

Methods:

The study consisted of a cross-sectional survey of ankle arthroplasty (n = 85) and arthrodesis (n = 15) patients. Outcome measures included the Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale, Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment, Short Form-12, and EuroQol-5 Dimension. Patients also completed measures of pain (0-10), stiffness (0-10), satisfaction (0-3), and ability to complete activities of daily living (ADL) (0-6). Based on a self-reported question regarding recovery and coping, patients were categorized as “Recovered-Resolved” (better with no symptoms or residual effects), “Recovered, not Resolved” (RNR, better with residual effects), or “Not Recovered” (not better). Recovery groups were compared across measures.

Results:

Only 15% of patients were categorized Recovered-Resolved. Most were RNR (69%), leaving 14% Not Resolved. Recovered-Resolved experienced lower rates of pain (1.4 ± 2.3), stiffness (1.1 ± 2.6), and difficulty performing ADLs (0.9 ± 1.2). Overall, outcome measure scores were high (ie, better health) for Recovered-Resolved patients, midrange for RNR patients, and low for Not Recovered patients, thus confirming predefined hypotheses. Recovered-Resolved and RNR patients had similarly high satisfaction summary scores (3.0 ± 0.0 vs 2.6 ± 0.6).

Conclusion:

Most patients reported positive outcomes, but few (15%) experienced resolution of all symptoms and limitations. Current PROs focus on achieving low levels of symptoms and limitations, but miss an important achievement when patients are brought to a level of residual deficits with which they can cope. Patients’ perceptions of satisfactory outcomes were not predicated on the resolution of all limitations; thus, the conventional definition of “satisfactory” outcomes should be expanded accordingly.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective cohort study.
Effect of Custom Orthosis and Rehabilitation Program on Outcomes Following Ankle and Subtalar Fusions
Authors: Sheean Andrew J. , Tennent David J. , Owens Johnny G. , Wilken Jason M. , Hsu Joseph R. , Stinner Daniel J. ,   Skeletal Trauma Research Consortium (STReC)
Published: August 2016

Background:

Fractures of the distal tibia, ankle, and foot sustained through a high-energy mechanism can be extremely debilitating, and ankle and/or subtalar fusion may be indicated if the limb is deemed salvageable. Functional outcomes among this population are often poor. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effect of an advanced rehabilitation program combined with the use of a custom ankle-foot orthosis for patients with ankle or subtalar fusion on selected physical performance measures and patient-derived outcome measures and to determine if the response to treatment was predicated upon the type of fusion.

Methods:

We conducted a prospective, longitudinal, observational, cohort study composed of 23 active duty Service Members treated for lower extremity trauma. Patients were separated into 2 groups: group 1 was composed of 12 patients who underwent isolated ankle fusion or ankle fusion combined with ipsilateral subtalar fusion, group 2 was composed of 11 patients who underwent subtalar fusion only. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and physical performance measures were recorded at baseline and at the conclusion of the rehabilitation program.

Results:

Significant improvements in both groups were seen in each of the 4 physical performance measures. Only group 2 showed significant improvements in all domains of the Veteran’s Rand 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12) and Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) at all points during the course of rehabilitation.

Conclusion:

Among a subset of patients treated for severe lower extremity trauma with ankle and/or subtalar fusion, an integrated orthotic and rehabilitation initiative improved physical performance and PRO measures over an 8-week course.

Level of Evidence:

Level III, prospective comparative series
Tommy’s Tune
Authors: Lee Karen V. , Gouzouasis Peter
Published: August 2016

The following autoethnographic duet by faculty advisor and professor creates a dramatic and evocative account of the personal and cultural experience about a disabled student teacher. They blend storytelling and music which fuses a theoretical analysis about storytelling and life. Although sociocultural issues draw deep reflection about the emotional turmoil, cultural influences of language and social interaction provide details that critique social structures. As musician becoming teacher is a passionate yet complex endeavor, the faculty advisor shares first-hand a poetic but painful story about a disabled teacher being inducted into the teaching profession. By making explicit the personal-cultural connection, they use the life-changing epiphany to critique cultural issues about teaching and disability. As the faculty advisor approaches the professor for advice, his musicianship shifts her forward, backward, and sideways through feelings that evoke, invoke, and provoke a curriculum that does not transfer knowledge from educational method classes. Instead, it embeds musical language as a metaphorical conduit to interrogate the pros, cons and both sides of the complicated issue of disability that influences the completion of his teaching practicum for his undergraduate bachelor of education degree. An epiphany from music and story reveals the irony of living in a culture of both uniformity and diversity. They explore the constructs of ideology, abnormality, marginalization, and secrecy. Thus, by blending story and music, the authors resolve a transformative autoethnographic aspect about the personal and cultural influences that provoke new deeper ways of thinking about curriculum.
A Proposal for Expanding Endarkened Transnational Feminist Praxis
Authors: Zerai Assata , Perez Joanna , Wang Chenyi
Published: August 2016

Western researchers often do not incorporate the voices of African women in their research endeavors; and a serious engagement in women’s health activism in Zimbabwe cannot happen without this preliminary step. Endarkened feminist epistemologies have theorized a social science that refuses to sidestep African women’s perspectives. As a corrective to conceptual quarantining of Black (African and African diasporic) feminist thought, the exciting body of literature in the field broadly characterized as Africana feminism has helped to legitimate the languages, discourses, challenges, unique perspectives, divergent experiences, and intersecting oppressions and privileges of African women’s and girls’ lives. In this article, we develop an emerging Africana feminist methodology to propose building a scholarship and activism database as well as guide an exploratory discussion of health activism in Zimbabwe.
Beyond Measure
Authors: Lewis Tyson Edward
Published: August 2016

This article examines the implicit educational logic of Patti Lather’s book Getting Lost: Feminist Efforts Toward a Double(d) Science and her insistence on critical self-reflection. To unlock the form of education that Lather enacts through Getting Lost, I will turn to Italian critical theorist Giorgio Agamben and his notion of study as an alternative to mere learning. What is unique and important is that Getting Lost offers a moment of what I refer to as studious inoperativity wherein the researcher as studier can live within a threshold condition that is neither outside nor inside the research protocol. Instead of being lost, Lather emphasizes getting lost as a state betwixt and between, of pushing forward toward resolution while also perpetually withdrawing from such resolution, of constantly feeling the power to find solutions while also perpetually witnessing such solutions fade into the background as new problems arise, of learning from and wrestling with a learning that un-learns itself in its learning. In this sense, to get lost in the remnants of research is to feel the shift in the educational logic of research from learning from one’s experiences (to be an advocate or militant researcher) to studying in the ruins of this experience.
Becoming the Phenomenon? An Alternative Approach to Reflexivity in Ethnography
Authors: Müller Sophie Merit
Published: August 2016

This article presents a praxeologically informed approach to “transgressing the researcher-subject” in ethnography. I unfurl a concept of “strong” reflexivity as developing a perspective of unfamiliarity toward one’s own practices and beliefs. By drawing on my study on practicing ballet, I illustrate how I dealt with my own bodily involvement as a professional dance student. Comparing my approach with evocative autoethnography, I not only emphasize that corporeal sensitivity and alertness are inherent to both styles of inquiry. Yet, I also point out their differences. Whereas evocative autoethnography takes subjectivity as a resource for insights, this approach uses it as an instrument for discovery.
How African American Adolescents Manage Depression
Authors: Al-Khattab Halima , Oruche Ukamaka , Perkins Danielle , Draucker Claire
Published: August 2016

BACKGROUND: African American (AA) adolescents with depression face serious negative outcomes. Despite racial/ethnic disparities in treatment utilization, few studies have explored how AA adolescents manage their depression. OBJECTIVE: To describe common ways AA adolescents manage depressive symptoms through relationships with people in their lives. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive methods were used to analyze the narratives of 22 AA young adults who had been depressed as adolescents and 5 AA adolescents in treatment for depression. RESULTS: A typology describing the varied ways AA adolescents manage their depressive symptoms through interactions with other people was constructed and labeled Being With Others. The five categories in the typology are keeping others at bay, striking out at others, seeking help from others, joining in with others, and having others reach out. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians might use the Being With Others typology to guide discussions related to detecting, assessing, and treating AA adolescents with depression.
Initial Examination of the BRIEF2 in Clinically Referred Children With and Without ADHD Symptoms
Authors: Jacobson Lisa A. , Pritchard Alison E. , Koriakin Taylor A. , Jones Kelly E. , Mahone E. Mark
Published: August 2016

Objective: Clinical utility of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, Second Edition (BRIEF2) was examined in 1,381 clinically referred youth (62.5% male, 5 to 18 years) with and without ADHD symptoms. Method: Participants included children with restricted inattentive symptoms (IA only), restricted hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (HI only), symptoms in both domains (Combined), and non-ADHD clinical comparison. Results: Greater hyperactivity (Combined, HI only) was associated with higher Behavior Regulation (BRI) and Emotion Regulation (ERI) scores, whereas greater inattentiveness (IA only, Combined) was associated with higher Cognitive Regulation scores. Effect sizes were largest for Inhibit, Working Memory, and Organization of Materials scales; these scales discriminated children with and without ADHD symptoms and restricted inattentive and hyperactive presentations. Conclusion: The BRIEF2 distinguishes associated features of ADHD and the day-to-day executive impact. Sensitivity was consistently poorer than specificity. The referred nature of the sample and examination of restricted presentations suggest additional work is needed to examine whether ERI and BRI are dissociable.
Theoretical model for dynamic response of aluminum foam sandwich targets by truncated cone-nosed projectiles
Authors: Chen Pengcheng , Niu Weijing , Yan Xiaopeng , Lu Guoyun
Published: August 2016

Based on classical dynamic cylindrical cavity expansion theory, a nine-step penetration and perforation process of aluminum foam sandwich targets by truncated cone-nosed projectiles are developed theoretically. In the theoretical model, the friction, shear strength, and the force for tearing the cells in the core at the periphery of the projectile are considered, and the resistance force and instantaneous velocity are achieved from this process. On this basis, the effects of the geometry of projectiles, core thickness, and impact velocities of projectiles on absorbed energy are also analyzed. Simple composite failure criteria will be applied in the fracture and perforation of the face sheet, core, and back sheet. It is shown that the diameter of projectile and core thickness have significant influence on the ballistic velocity of the projectile, which is important for the impact response and absorbed energy of the sandwich. Numerical simulation at various impact velocities is also performed, and there is a good agreement between the numerical predictions and the analytical measurements.
Calculation of plasticity index of two-process surfaces
Authors: Pawlus P , Zelasko W , Reizer R , Wieczorowski M
Published: August 2016

This paper presents the method of plasticity index calculation of isotropic two-process surfaces on the basis of index developed by Greenwood and Williamson for random surfaces of Gaussian ordinate distribution. This method was applied to computer generated isotropic two-process textures. The proposed plasticity index of two-process surface was compared with that of plateau surface and of the whole surface calculated by traditional manner. It was shown that plasticity index and generally the contact properties of two-process surfaces depended not only on plateau but also in a smaller degree on valley roughness. The method of estimation of summit radius of plateau surface from the analysis of two-process surface was presented too.
The values of pallets: An ethnography of exchange in the warehouse of an Italian supermarket
Authors: Orlandi Edda Cecilia
Published: August 2016

Based on ethnographic research carried out in an Italian supermarket, this article discusses the role of European Pallet Association (EPAL) pallets as especially valued objects in the social economy of its warehouse. Pallet exchanges and the processes of value conversion they entail are framed in the context of the supermarket as a workplace where the connecting and individualizing elements of exchange relationships are analysed. Pallets travel around in a commodity context where the value of things is equated with their price. Yet, participation in pallet exchange allows for the creation of a community of practice between warehousemen and drivers, as well as enabling them to establish their distinctive roles and status as men whose work has to do with the ‘making’ of commodities.
Racial justice activist hashtags: Counterpublics and discourse circulation
Authors: Kuo Rachel
Published: August 2016

Using critical discourse analysis and network analysis, I address how racial justice activist hashtags #NotYourAsianSideKick and #SolidarityisforWhiteWomen circulate discourse across networked online publics within and outside Twitter. These hashtags showcase relationships between feminist online publics, demonstrate ways that hashtags circulate racial justice discourse, and exemplify the fluidity and intersectionality of racialized and feminist online publics. I draw on critical technocultural discourse analysis (CTDA) (Brock, 2012) as my technique in order to examine the hashtag’s discursivity. In order to analyze message spread and network relationships, I then provide a network analysis that illustrates message circulation in online feminist spheres.
Researching new media and social diversity in later life
Authors: Givskov Cecilie , Deuze Mark
Published: August 2016

As societies are ageing and mediatizing at the same time, it becomes both timely and relevant to develop particular perspectives on the role and meaning of media for older people. The diversity and inequality in the lived experience of the ageing population in the new media environment constitute a blind spot in current research. In this essay, we bring literatures of (cultural) ageing studies and (new) media studies into conversation with each other by asking what future directions for research on older people and their media lives from the particular perspective of social diversity could be. We propose three key interventions: developing a focus on social stratification and inequality broadly conceived; designing research with a life course perspective rather than reducing people to age groups; and focusing empirical work looking at the various ways people ‘do’ media in an ensemblematic way.
New stiffened plate elements based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation
Authors: Zhao Chunzhang , Yu Haidong , Zheng Bin , Wang Hao
Published: August 2016

In this study, several new stiffened plate element models are proposed based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation. The stiffened plate elements with different geometrical continuity conditions and performances are developed by a full parametrized plate element and three different beam elements of absolute nodal coordinate formulation. The effect of stiffener is incorporated by internally constraining the stiffener displacement fields to the relevant plate displacement fields. The displacement compatible conditions of plate and stiffener are investigated to obtain the transformation matrix of nodal coordinates. The mass and stiffness of a stiffener is reflected at all the nodes of the plate element in which it is placed. Accordingly, the stiffener can be positioned anywhere within the plate element along lines of local coordinates and need not necessarily be placed on nodal lines, which gives a great flexibility in the choice of mesh size. The stiffened plate elements also achieve a better continuity condition with the slope constraint equations. Static, dynamic, and free vibration analyses are conducted to validate the proposed elements and to study the performance of the stiffeners. The results show that the new elements can be applied to describe mechanical behaviors of stiffened structures in both static and dynamic situations. The effects of the dimension of cross section and the number of stiffeners are also numerically investigated for both linear and nonlinear deformation problems.
‘It be hard just existing’: Institutional surveillance and precarious objects in the northeast rustbelt
Authors: Ziv Tali
Published: August 2016

Northeastern, post-industrial cities have some of the highest rates of incarceration, parole and foster care management in the United States. In this essay, I focus on one woman, who I call Kira, to explore ethnographically the lived experience of institutional surveillance in the post-industrial, northeastern city. Written as an analysis of fieldwork completed in a major post-industrial center, this essay traces the emergence of an anxious affect that tethers Kira’s intimate and structural relationships. I show how this affective subjectivity has serious structural implications for the duration and intensity of state surveillance, as well as the possibilities for freedom and continuity in Kira’s world. Through engagement with affect and object relations theory, this paper works through the subjective experience of political-economic marginalization and surveillance in the inner-city. I conclude with reflections on the ethical implications of ethnography and the broader stakes for an anthropology embedded in these types of affective relationships.
Ontology and political theory: A critical encounter between Rawls and Foucault
Authors: Rosenthal Irena
Published: August 2016

Contemporary political thought is deeply divided about the role of ontology in political thinking. Famously, political liberal John Rawls has argued that ontological claims are best to be avoided in political thought. In recent years, however, a number of theorists have claimed that ontology is essential to political philosophy. According to the contributors to this ‘ontological turn’, ontological investigations may foster the politicisation of hegemonic political theories and can highlight new possibilities for political life. This essay aims to contribute to the debate about ontology in political philosophy by arguing that a compelling case for ontology can also be made in light of Rawls’ political liberalism itself, in particular, by taking seriously Rawls’ commitment to the politicisation of justice and the task of orientation of political philosophy. To make this case, the paper brings Rawls' perspective in conversation with the critical methodology and the ontology of agonism and reflections on parrhesia or frank truth-telling of Michel Foucault.
A combined algorithm approach to fuel consumption rate analysis and prediction of sea-worthy diesel engine-powered marine vessels
Authors: Nwaoha Thaddeus C , Ombor Garrick , Okwu Modestus O
Published: August 2016

Prediction of fuel consumption rate level of a vessel per voyage posed to be a challenge under uncertainties. In such uncertain conditions, revealing of fuel consumption rate levels of the fleet of vessels is deemed imperative to ensure effective and efficient operations of the vessels per voyage. Therefore, development of uncertainty treatment model is necessary in this research. A combined algorithm that is made up of fuzzy rule base and utility theory methods is incorporated in the investigation of the fuel consumption rate levels of marine vessels. The mechanism of the algorithm is used to capture and combine all the important parameters that determine the fuel consumption rate level of each marine vessel. The workability of the model is demonstrated. The produced results revealed that the combined algorithm can support estimation of the fuel consumption rate levels of marine vessels and show which vessel is better than the other. Based on the results of this article, the management and crew of a marine vessel are equipped with the necessary decision support tool to optimize, implement and manage improvements on the performance characteristics and fuel consumption rate of their marine vessels during voyages.
Capitalism, immigration, language and literacy: Mapping a politicized reading of a policy assemblage
Authors: Masny Diana , Waterhouse Monica
Published: August 2016

Immigration for Australia and Canada is critical to sustain economic growth. Each country’s immigration policy stems from its vision of a nation that includes the role of language and literacy and a program of economic outcomes. While the authors acknowledge that economic integration through employment dominates immigration policies in Canada and Australia, the goal of this article is to critically examine and map how language and literacies in an immigration policy are positioned in relation to economic outcomes in neo-liberal times. Questions flowing from the article’s objective are: what does immigration produce, and what is its effect on how language and literacies are legitimated? The questions explore how capitalism decodes immigration, language and literacy, and in turn how immigration, language and literacies reterritorialize/reconfigure in the context of human and economic capital. These questions are taken up in an assemblage that includes Deleuze and Guattari’s writings on capitalism and deploys multiple literacies theory to read capitalism, immigration, language and literacy in the context of immigration policies prevailing in Australia and Canada. These two countries offer an interesting entry point for rhizomatic analysis since Canada’s government has, in recent years, been actively investigating Australia’s policies and their effectiveness in the successful integration of newcomers. Mapping a politicized reading of the immigration–language–literacy policy assemblage and questioning how this assemblage reconfigures is important as global migration intensifies around the world.
Perceptions of Social Climate and Aggressive Behavior in Forensic Services: A Systematic Review
Authors: Robinson Joanne , Craig Leam A , Tonkin Matthew
Published: August 2016

Social climate is a term used to describe the environment of a particular setting which may influence the moods and behaviors of the people inhabiting that setting. This review explores perceptions of social climate in secure forensic services and the associations with aggression. Article searches were conducted using electronic databases, hand-searching reference lists, and contacting experts. Inclusion/exclusion criteria were applied to each study, and quality screens conducted on the remaining articles to establish those for inclusion. A total of seven studies were identified. Factors which were found to have an association with aggression included patients’ perceptions of safety, the level of cohesion between patients, the atmosphere of the environment, and an open group climate. It is argued that services which create positive social climates for both staff and patients are more likely to observe lower levels of aggression.
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Interventions to Prevent Youth Violence in Latin America: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Evidence Synthesis
Authors: Atienzo Erika E. , Kaltenthaler Eva , Baxter Susan K.
Published: August 2016

Youth violence in Latin America is an important public health problem. However, the evidence from preventive programs within the region to address this problem is limited. Identifying context-specific factors that facilitate or hinder the success of interventions is necessary to guarantee the successful implementation of new preventive strategies. We present a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative studies to identify factors affecting the implementation of programs to prevent youth violence in Latin America. We searched 10 electronic databases and websites of international institutions. The quality of the studies was assessed using the critical appraisal skills program checklist, while the certainty of the findings of the synthesis was assessed using the certainty of the qualitative evidence approach. We included eight papers describing five programs in Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, El Salvador, and Mexico. Most of the factors affecting the implementation of programs were aspects related to features of the programs and social/political constraints. The synthesis suggests that future programs can benefit from having a multidisciplinary and/or multisectoral approach involving different key players. At the same time, potential strategies for avoiding problems related to such active engagement should be planned via promoting effective channels for communication and supervision. The review also suggests the importance of increasing awareness and motivation toward the problem of youth violence among relevant agencies and stakeholders. While the limited volume and quality of the literature impact on the ability to draw conclusions, the results could be useful for new programs being designed and the ones seeking to be adapted from other contexts.
SafeTalk: Training Peers to Deliver a Motivational Interviewing HIV Prevention Program
Authors: Allicock Marlyn , Golin Carol E. , Kaye Leanne , Grodensky Catherine , Blackman Loneke T. , Thibodeaux Herbert
Published: August 2016

As multiple effective interventions emerge to reduce the spread of HIV, there is a need to implement and disseminate such programs cost-effectively, such as by expanding service delivery through integration of peer supporters. The benefits of peer support are well established. However, knowledge about peer counseling initiatives remain limited. This pilot study tested the feasibility, fidelity, and acceptability of a motivational interviewing (MI) counseling training with individuals living with HIV to serve as peer counselors in order to address medication adherence and safer sex. We adapted, SafeTalk, an evidence-based intervention previously delivered by health professionals to reduce risky sexual behaviors among people living with HIV. We trained six peers in a 5-day program (24 hours total) over a 2-month period. We used a combination of training observation, pre-and posttests, debriefing, and the Motivational Interviewing Treatment Integrity (MITI 3.1) scale 3.1 to assess implementation of the training. Results suggest the program was feasible, and there was positive acceptability. However, fidelity to MI was poor. While participants were dedicated and enthusiastic about the training and able to learn some skills and demonstrate the “spirit of MI,” they had difficulty with reflecting and moving away from giving direct advice. Training challenges and successes are discussed.
Ecobehavioral Characteristics of Self-Contained High School Classrooms for Students With Severe Cognitive Disability
Authors: Kurth Jennifer A. , Born Kiara , Love Hailey
Published: August 2016

This study investigated educational experiences for students with significant cognitive disability (SCD) taught in self-contained high school classrooms. Nineteen students and nine teachers across five high schools and four school districts participated. A time-sampling method was used to describe the ecological, teacher, and student behaviors of these classrooms. Field notes were collected and analyzed as well. Results revealed that students in these classrooms were often passively engaged and had few opportunities to learn from rigorous curriculum. Instructors engaged in few practices known to be effective in supporting the learning of students with SCD. Finally, the classrooms themselves were often distracting and demonstrated little evidence of specialized or effective instruction. Implications for teaching and research are included.
The Evolution of the Surgical Treatment of Sports Injuries in the 20th Century
Authors: Konstantinos Markatos , Georgios Karaoglanis , Konstantinos Saropoulos , Georgios Tzagkarakis
Published: August 2016

Sports injuries have been a major issue in medicine, surgery, and especially in orthopedics since the classical antiquity era. The 20th century, with its progress and innovations, changed the general concept of treating these injuries forever. The purpose of this review is to show how innovations in surgery in the 20th century changed the rationale of treating sports injuries. In this historical review, we present innovations concerning fracture treatment, spine injury treatment, and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction related to sports injuries. In addition, we present and record those surgical techniques and the pioneer surgeons who first used them.
Analysis on distribution of freeway accidents under various conditions in China
Authors: Wang Xiaofei , Yang Siqi , Yan Ying , Li Xinwei , Du Jintao , Tang Jinjun
Published: August 2016

This study aims to provide a current survey on the situation of freeway accidents in China. The results show that the accident rate, death toll, injury toll, and direct loss of property are 3.2, 8.4, 7.2, and 24.3 times that of the average for an ordinary highway in China. Freeway accidents occur mainly in Southern (20.77%) and Central (20.2%) China. With detailed data from Guangdong Province, the number of accidents in freeways with 80 km/h design speed (29.58/km/103 pcu) was more than three times that in freeways with design speed of 100 km/h (9.54/km/103 pcu) and 120 km/h (9.42/km/103 pcu). The total accident rate increased monotonously with the decrease in horizontal radius. The results indicate that 54.54% (/km/103 pcu) of accidents occurred on a steep slope (4%–5%), representing about 10 times that of 3%–4% slope and 20 times that of the less than 3% slope. Based on the data, the safety situation of China’s highway transportation is obviously grim, and improving freeway heavy traffic management in economically developed regions, strengthening the safeguarding of mountain freeways, applying small radius and large vertical grade with caution, and developing a monitoring system of tunnels and interchanges could be used as effective measures to prevent freeway accidents.
Distribution dilemmas
Authors: Mifsud Denise
Published: August 2016

In this paper, I explore the relationship of democracy to educational leadership; more specifically, to the notion of distributed leadership as it unfolds within policy-mandated multi-site school collaboratives, with particular reference to practices in Malta. Under the policy framework ‘For All Children To Succeed’ introduced in Malta in 2005, Maltese primary and secondary state schools embarked on the process of being organized into networks, legally termed ‘colleges’. I explore leadership distribution among the leaders constituting the college and the subsequent inherent tensions within this educational scenario. The notion of distributed leadership as perceived by the leaders is examined, and especially the leaders’ reception of its presentation in the policy document as the leadership discourse; and its eventual (non-)enactment at both school and college level. A Foucauldian theoretical framework, specifically Foucault’s concepts of power relations, governmentality, discourse, and subjectification, is used to carry out a case study of a Maltese college, collecting data via semi-structured, in-depth interviews, participant observation and documentary analysis. Narrative is both the phenomenon under study and the method of analysis. The policy discourse does not unfold in a participatory democratic manner in practice, resulting in an organizational paradox where leadership enactment in a Maltese college is ‘directed’ from above, rather than ‘distributed’. These findings may be significant for educational practice, policy and theory in terms of the generation of problematization which may lead to further research on this contested topic.
Consecutive k-out-of-n lines with a change point
Authors: Eryilmaz Serkan
Published: August 2016

Reliability analysis of consecutive k-out-of- n systems and their generalizations has attracted a great deal of attention in the literature. Such systems have been used to model telecommunication networks, oil pipeline systems, vacuum systems in accelerators, spacecraft relay stations, etc. In this paper, nonrecursive closed form equations are presented for the reliability functions and mean time to failure values of consecutive k-out-of- n systems consisting of two types of nonidentical components. The results are illustrated for reliability evaluation of oil pipeline system.
Long-term results of single-stage reduction surgery for the treatment of macrodactyly
Authors: Lee H.-J. , Kim P.-T. , Lee S.-J. , Kim H.-J. , Jeon I.-H. , Seo I.
Published: August 2016

We report the long-term results of a single-stage reduction procedure for the treatment of macrodactyly. Six patients (eight cases) were included. These patients underwent a single-stage operation that included debulking with resection of the hypertrophied digital nerve and distal interphalangeal joint fusion or corrective osteotomy. Plain radiographs and functional parameters were assessed. Aesthetic improvement was achieved in all patients. The mean ratios of the lengths and circumference differences between the affected digit and the corresponding normal digit on the other hand were 1:1 and 1:1, respectively. The mean range of motion in the proximal interphalangeal joint was 76°. A sensory deficit in the lateral pulp of the distal phalangeal area was observed in three fingers. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score ranged from 0 to 9 (mean 4). The long-term results of the single-stage reduction procedure were satisfactory, as demonstrated by the excellent adjustment of the length and acceptable circumference of the affected digits.

Level of evidence: IV
Benefits of using a spectral hindcast database for wave power extraction assessment
Authors: Maisondieu Christophe , Le Boulluec Marc
Published: August 2016

When considering deployment of wave energy converters at a given site, it is of prime importance from both a technical and an economical point of view to accurately assess the total yearly energy that can be extracted by the given device. Especially, to be considered is the assessment of the efficiency of the device over the widest span of the sea-states spectral bandwidth. Hence, the aim of this study is to assess the biases and errors introduced on extracted power classically computed using spectral data derived from analytical functions such as a JONSWAP spectrum, compared to the power derived using actual wave spectra obtained from a spectral hindcast database.
Sports Ultrasound
Authors: Finnoff Jonathan T. , Ray Jeremiah , Corrado Gianmichael , Kerkhof Deanna , Hill John
Published: August 2016

Background:

Traditionally, ultrasound has been used to evaluate musculoskeletal injuries in athletes; however, ultrasound applications extend well beyond musculoskeletal conditions, many of which are pertinent to athletes.

Evidence Acquisition:

Articles were identified in PubMed using the search terms ultrasound, echocardiogram, preparticipation physical examination, glycogen, focused assessment with sonography of trauma, optic nerve, and vocal cord dysfunction. No date restrictions were placed on the literature search.

Study Design:

Clinical review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Results:

Several potential applications of nonmusculoskeletal ultrasound in sports medicine are presented, including extended Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (eFAST), limited echocardiographic screening during preparticipation physical examinations, assessment of muscle glycogen stores, optic nerve sheath diameter measurements in athletes with increased intracranial pressure, and assessment of vocal cord dysfunction in athletes.

Conclusion:

Ultrasound can potentially be used to assist athletes with monitoring their muscle glycogen stores and the diagnosis of multiple nonmusculoskeletal conditions within sports medicine.
Relationship of amniotic fluid index (AFI) in third trimester with fetal weight and gender in a southeast Nigerian population
Authors: Agwu Emeka John , Ugwu Anthony C , Shem Samuel L , Abba Muhammed
Published: August 2016

Background

Amniotic fluid (AF) is one of the major determinants of fetal biophysical profile and can predict pregnancy outcome. Abnormal value of amniotic fluid index (AFI) may indicate fetal and maternal disorders.

Purpose

To establish reference standards for AFI for this population after 28 weeks of pregnancy and evaluate the relationship between AFI, the estimated fetal weight (EFWT), and fetal gender.

Material and Methods

A prospective cross-sectional estimation of AFI and FWT was done in 385 apparently healthy pregnant women in the gestational age range of 28–42 weeks. General scanning in longitudinal, transverse, and oblique directions of the abdomen was done to assess the fetal wellbeing and determine the fetal gender for each participant. AF was measured in each of the quadrants of the abdomen. The four values of the AF were summed to get the AFI. Measurement of the head circumference, biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, and femoral length of the fetus were obtained. The EFWT was calculated using Hadlock’s formula. The data were divided into five groups: 28–30 weeks 6 days; 31–33 weeks 6 days; 34–36 weeks 6 days; 37–39 weeks 6 days; and 40–42 weeks. AFI for the different gestational age group studied and their percentiles were obtained.

Results

AFI normogram for the local population was established. Positive and significant correlations of AF and EFWT were seen in all the gestational age groups of the women. No significant correlations between AF and EFWT was seen in male fetuses. Regression equations of EFWT and AFI were obtained for female fetuses.

Conclusion

The normal range for AFI values for the third trimester was established and could be used to evaluate AFI in the studied population. Established fetal weight should be taken into account when interpreting AFI for female fetuses but this need not be applied for male fetuses.
Intramural Anomalous Right Coronary Artery From the Main Pulmonary Artery
Authors: Ramani Jaydip , Ananthanarayanan Chandrasekaran , Pujara Jigisha , Thakkar Bhavesh , Jain Imelda , Mishra Amit
Published: August 2016

Anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery (anomalous right coronary artery from pulmonary artery; ARCAPA) is a rare congenital anomaly. Here, we present an unusual case of anomalous right coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery with proximal intramural course.
Single-Stage Total Arch Replacement Including Resection of Kommerell Diverticulum in a Patient With Loeys-Dietz Syndrome
Authors: Ong Chin Siang , Kasai Yuhei , Fukushima Souta , Hibino Narutoshi , Magruder Trent , Suarez-Pierre Alejandro , Cameron Duke , Vricella Luca
Published: August 2016

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is an autosomal dominant genetic connective tissue disorder associated with aortic aneurysmal disease. Kommerell diverticulum (KD) is a rare aortic diverticulum, for which the indication for surgery and the surgical techniques remain subjects of debate. We describe our experience with a successful total aortic arch replacement including KD resection through a median sternotomy for a pediatric patient with LDS.
Home Alone With Dementia
Authors: Evans David , Price Kay , Meyer Julienne
Published: August 2016

The aim of this qualitative exploratory study was to investigate community care clinicians’ perceptions of the challenges faced by people who have dementia and live alone at home. Data were collected through interviews and focus groups with 21 community health and social care clinicians who supported people with dementia in the community. The perceived challenges that were identified related to poor hygiene, inadequate nutrition, keeping safe, other health problems, managing money, coping with technology, and lack of support. Although the findings only represent the perspective of clinicians and so tend to focus on clinical issues, they nonetheless resonate with previous research demonstrating that the issues have persisted for at least two decades. There are a number of implications arising from these perceptions related to a person with dementia’s potential capacity to care for their health, interact safely with other people, and live at home alone. As the severity of cognitive impairment increases, their ability to care for their health and well-being will be compromised. This highlights the importance of community care clinicians being engaged in the early detection of this population and the establishment of supportive routines. These issues will likely to be of international interest, as many countries are facing the challenge of providing community-based care for an increasing number of older people with dementia. However, providing this type of dementia care for people who live alone has received little attention in the literature, and problems remain with meeting the practical challenges faced by this vulnerable population.
Measuring More
Authors: Little Michael H.
Published: August 2016

Despite growing interest in the importance of nonacademic skills for student success, very few studies have examined the extent to which schools and teachers are associated with gains in these outcomes. This descriptive study adds to the nascent literature by examining the amount of school- and teacher-associated variation in kindergarten students’ executive function (EF) skill gains. Leveraging direct EF assessment data from a nationally representative sample of 10,800 public school kindergarteners, the analysis reveals no variation in EF gains among teachers within schools but substantial variation across schools. Additionally, it shows that school-associated variation in EF and academic achievement are weakly correlated, suggesting that some schools are associated with increases in student achievement but not with EF skills and vice versa.
RNA polymerase II pausing modulates hematopoietic stem cell emergence in zebrafish
Authors: Yang Qiwen , Liu Xiuli , Zhou Ting , Cook Jennifer , Nguyen Kim , Bai Xiaoying
Published: August 2016

Key Points

Pol II pausing is required for HSC emergence in zebrafish embryos. TGFβ and IFN-γ signaling are oppositely regulated by Pol II pausing to regulate HSC emergence.
New Measures Assessing Predictors of Academic Persistence for Historically Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Undergraduates in Science
Authors: Byars-Winston Angela , Rogers Jenna , Branchaw Janet , Pribbenow Christine , Hanke Ryan , Pfund Christine
Published: August 2016

An important step in broadening participation of historically underrepresented (HU) racial/ethnic groups in the sciences is the creation of measures validated with these groups that will allow for greater confidence in the results of investigations into factors that predict their persistence. This study introduces new measures of theoretically derived factors emanating from social cognitive and social identity theories associated with persistence for HU racial/ethnic groups in science disciplines. The purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) the internal reliability and factor analyses for measures of research-related self-efficacy beliefs, sources of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and science identity; and 2) potential group differences in responses to the measures, examining the main and interaction effects of gender and race/ethnicity. Survey data came from a national sample of 688 undergraduate students in science majors who were primarily black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a with a 2:1 ratio of females to males. Analyses yielded acceptable validity statistics and race × gender group differences were observed in mean responses to several measures. Implications for broadening participation of HU groups in the sciences are discussed regarding future tests of predictive models of student persistence and training programs to consider cultural diversity factors in their design.
Influences on Faculty Willingness to Mentor Undergraduate Students from Another University as Part of an Interinstitutional Research Training Program
Authors: Morales Danielle X. , Grineski Sara E. , Collins Timothy W.
Published: August 2016

In 2014, the National Institutes of Health invested $31 million in 10 primary institutions across the United States through the Building Undergraduate Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program; one requirement of BUILD is sending undergraduate trainees from those primary institutions to partner institutions for research experiences. Mechanisms like BUILD are designed to broaden research opportunities for students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined faculty willingness to mentor undergraduates from other institutions through structured training programs. Survey data from 536 faculty members at 13 institutions were collected in Fall 2013 and analyzed using multiple statistical techniques. Results show that faculty who valued the opportunity to increase diversity in the academy and those who believed that mentoring undergraduates benefited their own research expressed greater willingness to serve as research mentors to visiting undergraduates, and faculty who perceived that they did not have the ability to accommodate additional students expressed less willingness to do so. Most respondents viewed student and faculty incentives as motivating factors in their willingness to mentor, but their perspectives on different types of incentives varied based on faculty career stage, discipline, and research funding status. Results have important implications for designing multi-institutional undergraduate research training programs.