bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hanging Out in the Past: Looking for Trouble or Romance? An Exploration of the Practice and Meaning of Hanging Out for Young Dutch People in 1930–60
Authors: Kievitsbosch Anne F. , Timmerman Margaretha C. , Schreuder Pauline R. , van Bergen Diana D.
Published: June 2018

Young people’s ‘hanging out’ has had different meanings in the recent and distant past in various countries and cultures, including delinquency or a common social phenomenon. Although there is evidence for hanging out as social behaviour in various countries, Dutch research on hanging out as a common social phenomenon is scarce. This article retrospectively explores the practice and meaning of hanging out for young people in the Netherlands between 1930 and 1960. Semi-structured qualitative interviews ( n = 60) were analysed using the Constant Comparative Method, resulting in three key themes: familiarity, features and the meanings assigned to hanging out. Results indicate that hanging out was practised and known by most respondents, and included particular features (time, location, gender and routines). Meet, flirt with and date other young people was the most frequently mentioned meaning associated with hanging out. Accordingly, hanging out can indeed be considered to have been a common social phenomenon.
Change in Breast Cancer Screening Knowledge is Associated With Change in Mammogram Intention in Mexican-Origin Women After an Educational Intervention
Authors: Salinas Jennifer J , Byrd Theresa , Martin Charmaine , Dwivedi Alok K , Alomari Adam , Salaiz Rebekah , Shokar Navkiran K
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

To determine the relationship between breast cancer screening knowledge and intent to receive a mammogram within 6 months in a sample of Mexican-origin women living in El Paso, Texas.

Methods:

A total of 489 uninsured Mexican-origin women were assigned to treatment or control and completed surveys at pre- and postintervention. Pre-post associations between breast cancer screening knowledge and intent were tested.

Results:

Participants were on average were 56.7 years of age and spoke primarily Spanish (92.6%). Most of the samples had not had a mammogram in 3 or more years (51.6%) and 14.6% had never had a mammogram. At baseline, the majority intended to be screened for breast cancer within the next 6 months (93.4%). At postintervention, half of the intervention group changed their 6-month intent to be screened for breast cancer from likely to unlikely. Change in intent was associated with a change in knowledge of risk of having a first child by the age of 30 and breast cancer being rare after the age of 70.

Discussion:

Intent to be screened for breast cancer in Mexican-origin women may be influenced by the type of knowledge.

Conclusions:

Change in screening knowledge may influence perceived risk that influences intention to be screened.
Circulating MicroRNAs as Biomarkers in Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma: A Pilot Prospective Longitudinal Clinical Study
Authors: Bouvy Céline , Wannez Adeline , George Fabienne , Graux Carlos , Chatelain Christian , Dogné Jean-Michel
Published: June 2018

Objectives:

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is highly heterogeneous in terms of phenotype and treatment response in patients. These characteristics make the prognosis difficult to establish and hinder the use of new personalized treatments in clinical practice. In this context, there is currently a need to define new biomarkers enabling a better definition of DLBCL subtypes, prognosis evaluation, and an overview of the resistance to chemotherapeutics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of microRNAs found in plasma from patients with DLBCL as biomarkers of tumor evolution in these patients.

Method:

For this purpose, a plasma biobank was created with samples from patients with DLBCL. The evolution of the level of selected microRNAs during treatment has been studied. A total of 19 patients with DLBCL were included in this pilot mono-centered study and a total of 68 samples were analyzed.

Results:

The first step of this study was the selection of the microRNAs to be quantified in all the samples of the biobank and that could potentially be used as biomarkers. To this end, quantification of 377 microRNAs was performed on the plasma samples of 2 selected patients with DLBCL and 1 healthy donor with no history of cancer. Among the 377 microRNAs evaluated, 7 were selected and analyzed in the entire biobank.

Conclusions:

This study highlighted 5 circulating microRNAs whose plasma levels would be worth further investigating for the characterization of DLBCL evolution in patients. MiR-21 and miR-197 had a significant higher plasmatic level in patients with tumors unresponsive to treatment. With a higher plasma level in patients with complete remission, miR-19b, miR-20a, and miR-451 could enable to differentiate, at the remission review, patients with residual tumor, from patients with complete remission.
Development and Optimization of a Fluorescent Imaging System to Detect Amyloid-β Proteins: Phantom Study
Authors: Tes David , Kratkiewicz Karl , Aber Ahmed , Horton Luke , Zafar Mohsin , Arafat Nour , Fatima Afreen , Avanaki Mohammad RN
Published: June 2018

Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia, affecting more than 5 million people in the United States. During the progression of Alzheimer disease, a particular protein begins to accumulate in the brain and also in extensions of the brain, ie, the retina. This protein, amyloid-β (Aβ), exhibits fluorescent properties. The purpose of this research article is to explore the implications of designing a fluorescent imaging system able to detect Aβ proteins in the retina. We designed and implemented a fluorescent imaging system with a range of applications that can be reconfigured on a fluorophore to fluorophore basis and tested its feasibility and capabilities using Cy5 and CRANAD-2 imaging probes. The results indicate a promising potential for the imaging system to be used to study the Aβ biomarker. A performance evaluation involving ex vivo and in vivo experiments is planned for future study.
“CONSIDERABLE STRESS and MISERY”: A first-year music teacher’s experiences
Authors: Stringham David A. , Snell Alden H.
Published: June 2018

Preparing, inducting, mentoring, and retaining new music teachers remain concerns in our profession. This article began as a study of first-year music teachers who made regular entries in secure electronic journals and participated in mid- and end-of-year interviews. We initially sought to understand these new teachers’ experiences related to mentoring, professional development, collaboration, and standards-based instruction. Findings related to these topics were eclipsed, however, by challenging experiences that Elise, a first-year instrumental music teacher who participated in our study, reported. We used a narrative inquiry methodology to present Elise’s experiences in context of literature related to workplace incivility, gender, hierarchical structures, and emphasis on performance in instrumental music education. Based on findings, we offer recommendations for future research related to four stakeholder groups: pre-service teachers, early career in-service teachers, experienced in-service teachers, and administrators.
Profiles of psychosocial adversity and their associations with health risk behaviors and mental health outcomes in young adults
Authors: Woerner Jacqueline , Overstreet Cassie , Amstadter Ananda B , Sartor Carolyn E
Published: June 2018

Adverse psychosocial experiences operate simultaneously to affect mental health and behavior. The current study used mixture modeling to identify subgroups of young adults based on experiences of four types of psychosocial adversity and characterize their associations with depression, anxiety, world assumptions, substance use, and sexual risk behavior. Sexual assault, physical assault, and discrimination (interpersonal adversity) showed similar patterns within each group but diverged from neighborhood disadvantage in two groups. Groups characterized by higher interpersonal adversity reported the most negative health outcomes. Findings highlight variations in the co-occurrence of adverse experiences and differential links to risky health behaviors and mental health.
Exploring spatial patterns of cardiovascular disease in Sweden between 2000 and 2010
Authors: Rajabi Mohammadreza , Mansourian Ali , Pilesjö Petter , Åström Daniel Oudin , Cederin Klas , Sundquist Kristina
Published: June 2018

Aims: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, including in Sweden. The main aim of this study was to explore the temporal trends and spatial patterns of CVD in Sweden using spatial autocorrelation analyses. Methods: The CVD admission rates between 2000 and 2010 throughout Sweden were entered as the input disease data for the analytic processes performed for the Swedish capital, Stockholm, and also for the whole of Sweden. Age-adjusted admission rates were calculated using a direct standardisation approach for men and women, and temporal trends analysis were performed on the standardised rates. Global Moran’s I was used to explore the structure of patterns and Anselin’s local Moran’s I, together with Kulldorff’s scan statistic were applied to explore the geographical patterns of admission rates. Results: The rates followed a spatially clustered pattern in Sweden with differences occurring between sexes. Accordingly, hot spots were identified in northern Sweden, with higher intensity identified for men, together with clusters in central Sweden. Cold spots were identified in the adjacency of the three major Swedish cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö. Conclusions: The findings of this study can serve as a basis for distribution of health-care resources, preventive measures and exploration of aetiological factors.
The disobedient professional: Applying a nomadic imagination toward radical non-compliance
Authors: Leafgren Sheri
Published: June 2018

“Professionalism was basically a ton of petty shit, nothing ever to do with standing up for children in the face of harmful rules, curriculum, other teachers, administrators, etc. It was basically how to comply.” As the student quoted here makes clear, a “professional” teacher must learn to comply, even when doing so does harm to children. This article serves to disrupt the narrow and striated notions of professionalism promoted in many teacher education programs—notions that beg clarity on what is really believed about teaching, children, and what really matters. In school(ed) places, accepting—even welcoming—constraints and blinders that serve to sustain the broader injustices, inequities, and ignorance that infect society is common practice and is often shrouded in the cloak of professionalism. In examining the consequences of compliance disguised as professionalism, it becomes clear that what is necessary to reimagine school places is a nomadic and radical non-compliance. Radicalizing a teacher’s professional life requires deep inquiry, skepticism, integrity, and a nomad’s willingness to challenge and disrupt. Included in this article are examples of critique in the context of reimagining school spaces as spaces of joy, generosity, and justice; of creative maladjustments in the face of mundane mandates; and of the ways in which teachers can radically and nomadically non-comply in order smooth the striations of school(ed) spaces.
Sad and violent but I enjoy it: Children’s engagement with dark tourism as an educational tool
Authors: Israfilova Firangiz , Khoo-Lattimore Catheryn
Published: June 2018

This article aims to study the educational importance of dark tourism suppliers, with a particular focus on children’s experiences after their exposure to dark sites. The answers of 25 young visitors from two different secondary schools to a genocide site revealed four major impacts of the educational trip on them. From an educational curriculum framework, the respondents’ experiences are categorised into knowledge expansion, character building, emotional challenges and edutainment factors. The findings of the research indicate that children’s visit to a thanatological attraction fills their knowledge gap and motivates them to study history, and forms a character of patriotism encouraged by their observations at the site. The emotional and entertainment features of the trip are also revealed in this paper.
The male familial caregiver experience of caring for persons with Alzheimer’s disease from low socio-economic status: A South African perspective
Authors: Hendricks-Lalla Abeedah , Pretorius Chrisma
Published: June 2018

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of male familial caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease from low socio-economic status using the ecological systems theory perspective. The data were obtained from 11 semi-structured interviews that were conducted with the familial caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis, where four main themes emerged, namely, relationship difficulties, understanding Alzheimer’s disease, support networks, and finding meaning and satisfaction in the caregiving role. Behavioral problems, erosion of the relationship with the significant other, familial conflict, experience of diagnosis, lack of information, lack of free time, and financial concerns were identified challenges facing caregivers. Provision of information, support groups, social support, community-based support, and finding meaning and satisfaction in the caregiving role were reported as resources that assist in caregiver coping. Men seem to be capable of providing effective care and are able to successfully manage in their caregiving role. Culture seems to play a significant role in help-seeking behavior and the approach to caregiving. The findings provide the basis for the specific needs of male caregivers that should be focused on in order to provide culturally appropriate services to enhance caregiver coping amongst male caregivers in similar settings.
Presidential, But Not Prime Minister, Candidates With Lower Pitched Voices Stand a Better Chance of Winning the Election in Conservative Countries
Authors: Banai Benjamin , Laustsen Lasse , Banai Irena Pavela , Bovan Kosta
Published: June 2018

Previous studies have shown that voters rely on sexually dimorphic traits that signal masculinity and dominance when they choose political leaders. For example, voters exert strong preferences for candidates with lower pitched voices because these candidates are perceived as stronger and more competent. Moreover, experimental studies demonstrate that conservative voters, more than liberals, prefer political candidates with traits that signal dominance, probably because conservatives are more likely to perceive the world as a threatening place and to be more attentive to dangerous and threatening contexts. In light of these findings, this study investigates whether country-level ideology influences the relationship between candidate voice pitch and electoral outcomes of real elections. Specifically, we collected voice pitch data for presidential and prime minister candidates, aggregate national ideology for the countries in which the candidates were nominated, and measures of electoral outcomes for 69 elections held across the world. In line with previous studies, we found that candidates with lower pitched voices received more votes and had greater likelihood of winning the elections. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed an interaction between candidate voice pitch, national ideology, and election type (presidential or parliamentary). That is, having a lower pitched voice was a particularly valuable asset for presidential candidates in conservative and right-leaning countries (in comparison to presidential candidates in liberal and left-leaning countries and parliamentary elections). We discuss the practical implications of these findings, and how they relate to existing research on candidates’ voices, voting preferences, and democratic elections in general.
Interpretation of sensor data from in situ tests on a transversely bonded fibre-reinforced polymer road bridge
Authors: Sebastian Wendel Michael , Johnson Mike
Published: June 2018

The Frampton Cotterell fibre-reinforced polymer road bridge deck comprises pultruded glass-fibre-reinforced polymer units which are laid longitudinally and are adhesively bonded transversely, in contrast to previous glass-fibre-reinforced polymer deck bridges where the pultruded units were laid transversely. This novel layout dictates that transverse distribution of live loading occurs only through the deck’s flanges and entails possible transverse tension which should be controlled to avoid cracks through the bonded deck–deck joints. This article assesses these structural actions by interpreting strains and deflections recorded during lorry testing of the bridge. Transverse distribution is evaluated by comparing transverse profiles of recorded longitudinal strains and of predicted longitudinal moments, with the conclusions qualitatively reinforced using a deflected surface based on the test recordings. Evidence of the deck acting as a continuum free of propagating joint cracks comes from the fact that the strains recorded during complementary lorry runs along the bridge satisfy the superposition principle and that the recorded strain influence lines replicate an idiosyncratic feature of the moment influence line without redistribution effects. That feature was then exploited to inform the strategy for a braking test which produced valuable vibration data for the bridge. Test data integrity is corroborated by cross checking deflections recorded from different types of sensors. It is concluded that since longitudinal placement of pultruded decks enhances the versatility of fibre-reinforced polymer bridges, this sensor layout and data interpretation process may form part of a wider strategy for health monitoring of such bridges.
Diversity Intelligence as a Source of Strength in Human Resource Development: Increasing the Presence of Women Pilots
Authors: Opengart Rose , Germain Marie-Line
Published: June 2018

The Problem

Although more women have been entering the workforce in the past few decades, this progress has not readily been seen in the field of aviation. Indeed, of all current U.S. corporate and commercial pilots, women only account for 6%. Through a diversity intelligence (DQ) perspective, the authors explore the experiences of women pilots to identify ways of increasing female representation in male-dominated fields in general and in aviation in particular. Via a phenomenological qualitative research approach, a total of 33 female pilots were surveyed and an additional 20 participated in a one-on-one interview. NVivo qualitative data analysis software was used, employing an inductive constant comparative method to develop categories.

The Solution

Results indicate that female pilots face significant gender-related roadblocks to their careers. Human Resource Development (HRD) practitioners can help organizations increase DQ to recruit and retain women in nontraditional occupations and industries. Increasing DQ would create a more welcoming environment for both women and minorities. It would also address cultural and organizational issues such as tacit and subtle discrimination, increase the presence of role models, provide support systems, and assist with cultural change to eliminate the good old boy mentality.

The Stakeholders

Industry leaders, women, and HRD professionals.
Speech-Language Pathologists’ Use of Language Interpreters With Linguistically Diverse Clients: A Nationwide Survey Study
Authors: Santhanam Siva priya , Gilbert Caitlyn L. , Parveen Sabiha
Published: June 2018

The topic of utilizing language interpreters is becoming more relevant among speech-language pathologists (SLPs) given the rapidly changing demographics of the United States. A nationwide survey was administered to investigate the use of language interpreters’ influence of years of work experience on interpreter use, academic preparation and in-service training received by SLPs. Participants included 124 monolingual and 213 bilingual SLPs working in pediatric and/or adult settings. Results indicated no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the use of interpreters. SLPs who had greater than 10 years of work experience used more language interpreters than SLPs who had fewer years of experience. Approximately, 32% of monolingual and 37% of bilingual participants reported completing academic coursework on use of language interpreters. In conclusion, educating SLPs regarding interpreters and increasing technical competencies in this collaborative process is essential to deliver high quality clinical outcomes with linguistically diverse clients.
Dosimetric Evaluation of Pinnacle’s Automated Treatment Planning Software to Manually Planned Treatments
Authors: McConnell Kristen A. , Marston Tyler , Zehren Brianna Elizabeth , Lirani Aziz , Stanley Dennis N. , Bishop Aaron , Crownover Richard , Eng Tony , Shi Zheng , Li Ying , Baacke Diana , Kirby Neil , Rasmussen Karl , Papanikolaou Niko , Gutierrez Alonso N.
Published: June 2018

Introduction:

With the advent of complex treatment techniques like volumetric modulated arc therapy, there has been increasing interest in treatment planning technologies aimed at reducing planning time. One of these such technologies is auto-planning, which is an automated planning module within Pinnacle3. This study seeks to retrospectively evaluate the dosimetric quality of auto-planning-derived treatment plans as they compare to manual plans for intact prostate, prostate and lymph nodes, and brain treatment sites.

Materials and Methods:

Previous clinical plans were used to generate site-specific auto-planning templates. These templates were used to compare the 3 evaluated treatment sites. Plans were replanned using auto-planning and compared to the clinically delivered plans. For the planning target volume, the following metrics were evaluated: homogeneity index, conformity index, D2cc, Dmean, D2%, D98%, and multiple dose fall-off parameters. For the organs at risk, D2cc, Dmean, and organ-specific clinical metrics were evaluated. Statistical differences were evaluated using a Wilcoxon paired signed-rank test with a significance level of 0.05. Statistically significant ( P < 0.05) differences were noted in organs at risk sparing.

Results:

For the prostate, there was as much as 6.8% reduction in bladder Dmean and 23.5% reduction in penile bulb Dmean. For the prostate + lymph nodes, decreases in Dmean values ranging from 4.1% in the small bowel to 22.3% in the right femoral head were observed. For brain, significant improvements were observed in Dmax and Dmean to most organs at risk.

Conclusion:

Our study showed improved organs at risk sparing in most organs while maintaining planning target volume coverage. Overall, auto-planning can generate plans that delivered the same target coverage as the clinical plans but offered significant reductions in mean dose to organs at risk.
Use of Props During Mealtime for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Self-Regulation and Reinforcement
Authors: Muesbeck Jessica , St. John Brittany M. , Kant Shannon , Ausderau Karla K.
Published: June 2018

Mealtime is an important family routine commonly affected for families with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Limited research is available regarding strategies families incorporate to support mealtime engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore the frequency and characterize the purpose of Props used during mealtimes with children with ASD. A total of 12 families with a child(ren), N = 14, aged 2 to 7 years, with ASD and mealtime challenges or eating difficulties participated in video-recorded mealtimes in their home. Independent coders analyzed mealtimes for the frequency and purpose of Props (items used to support child participation during mealtime). Props were used by 75% of families ( n = 9); common Props included toys, electronics, and books. Props were used primarily as a self-regulation tool for the child and occasionally as positive reinforcement for specific behaviors. Overall, Props were used to support child engagement in mealtime. Occupational therapists should consider using Props as individualized, accessible, and supportive mealtime interventions for families and children.
Real-Time Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Using Newly Developed Wireless Portable Ultrasound: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Chen Yanxiong , Zheng Haofeng , Zang Zhijun , Hong Xiaobin , Cai Weizhong , Fang Youqiang
Published: June 2018

Objectives. To assess the feasibility and utility of a newly developed wireless portable ultrasound “UProbe- 2” for puncture guidance in percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Materials and Methods. The UProbe-2 consists of a probe with integrated ultrasound circuit boards inside, an intelligent terminal that installed specific ultrasound software, and a puncture trestle. The probe can connect to an intelligent terminal via WI-FI. It was used to guide puncture in PCNL in 31 patients who suffered kidney stones or large impacted proximal upper ureteral stones with hydronephrosis from June 2016 to July 2017. Patients’ characteristics as well as parameters during operation were collected. Results. PCNL was successfully performed in all patients with the guidance of the UProbe-2. The mean (standard deviation) puncture time was 3.6 (0.9) minutes, and the median operative duration was 50 (35-80) minutes. The primary stone clearance rate was 87% (27/31). No major intraoperative or postoperative complications occurred. Conclusion. The UProbe-2 ultrasound is safe and effective for puncture guidance during PCNL according to this initial study. It could provide a new and alternative choice for guidance of PCNL. However, more clinical trials especially randomized controlled trials should be performed.
Cross-coupled intelligent control for a novel two-axis differential micro-feed system
Authors: Du Fuxin , Feng Xianying , Li Peigang , Wang Jiawei , Wang Zhaoguo , Yu Chen
Published: June 2018

Nonlinear friction in a conventional drive feed system feeding at low speed is a main factor that contributes to feed drive complexity. A novel two-axis differential micro-feed system is developed in this study to overcome the accuracy limitation of conventional drive feed system. Instead of the screw-rotating-type ball screw adopted in conventional drive feed system, the transmission component of the proposed two-axis differential micro-feed system is a nut-rotating-type ball screw. In this setup, not only the screw but also the nut is driven by a servo motor. By superposing the two high-speed rotary motions (motor–drive–screw and motor–drive–nut) with an equivalent high velocity and the same rotating direction through the novel transmission mechanism, the nonlinear disturbance from the ball screw can be reduced significantly. In addition, both the axes can avoid the creeping transition zone when the table makes a zero-velocity crossing. Note that the motor load switches when the feeding direction of the table is changed, and the nonlinear friction of the table needs to be compensated. Based on this observation, we further present a cross-coupled intelligent second-order sliding mode control that includes a cross-coupled technology, a second-order sliding mode control, a wavelet fuzzy neural network estimator for the friction, and a motor load switch to improve system performance. The proposed cross-coupled intelligent second-order sliding mode control architecture is deployed on a two-axis differential micro-feed system, where numerical simulations and experiments demonstrate excellent tracking performance and friction compensation capability, achieving position tracking error reduced by 45% compared with conventional drive feed system.
Finite life fatigue design of spiral springs of dual-mass flywheels: Analytical estimation and experimental results
Authors: Maffiodo Daniela , Sesana Raffaella , Paolucci Dino , Bertaggia Sabrina
Published: June 2018

A procedure to design the spiral springs finite life for dual-mass flywheels is presented. Due to design constraints, installation space, production processes, stiffness requirement, maximum torque, and maximum speed, these components are dimensioned for finite life. Two- and three-dimensional finite element model static structural analysis was performed to obtain the stress distribution, deformed shape, and to validate optimization design. The fatigue analysis was performed both experimentally and by means of a component life estimation model. An experimental duty cycle was applied. Finite element analysis and experimental analysis agree in pointing out the location and the value of maximum stresses and the shape of deformation. Vehicle tests highlight premature spiral springs’ failures, which do not agree with life estimation. The examination of the fracture showed that fretting and wear, along with fatigue phenomena, are the causes of premature failures. A dedicated component life estimation model is required, taking into account of wear and loading history.
A fluid–structure analysis approach and its application in the uncertainty-based multidisciplinary design and optimization for blades
Authors: Meng Debiao , Liu Miao , Yang Shunqi , Zhang Hua , Ding Ran
Published: June 2018

In practical engineering, the choice of blade shape is crucial in the design process of turbine. It is because not only the structural stability but also the aerodynamic performance of turbine depends on the shape of blades. Generally, the design of blades is a typical multidisciplinary design optimization problem which includes many different disciplines. In this study, a fluid–structure coupling analysis approach is proposed to show the application of multidisciplinary design optimization in engineering. Furthermore, a strategy of uncertainty-based multidisciplinary design optimization using fluid–structure coupling analysis is proposed to enhance the reliability and safety of blades in turbine. The design of experiment technique is also introduced to construct response surface during uncertainty-based multidisciplinary design optimization using fluid–structure coupling analysis. The design solution shows that the adiabatic efficiency is increased and the equivalent stress is decreased, which means that better performance of the turbine can be obtained.
Control of a nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton for multi-joint assistance by contact force generation
Authors: Lee Hosang , Kim Hyung Joo , Park Jaeheung
Published: June 2018

In this article, a novel controller for a nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton robot was designed to reduce joint torque of its operator using the contact force between them. Since the joints of the nonanthropomorphic exoskeletons are not directly connected to those of the operator due to the difference between their kinematic structure, joint assistance is performed by transmitting the contact force on their coupling parts instead of transmitting the joint torque of the nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton directly into the human joint. Most of the previous studies have focused on reducing the measured contact force by moving the coupling parts or commanding the robot joint torque. On the contrary, the proposed method focuses on reducing the human joint torque, which is estimated by formulating inverse dynamics, by obtaining possible contact force solutions. The commanding torque of the nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton was calculated by inverse dynamics based on the model information. To verify the control performance of the proposed method, we have developed a simulation environment for a lower-limb nonanthropomorphic exoskeleton. When the coupling part was implemented to be rigid for an ideal case, the joint torque of the human model to perform the same motion was successfully reduced by the given torque reduction ratio. For a more realistic condition, a nonrigid coupling was also implemented as a virtual spring-damper system, and its effect on the control performance was demonstrated in the simulation.
Better patients’ treatment experiences are associated with better postoperative results in Dupuytren’s disease
Authors: Poelstra Ralph , Selles Ruud W. , Slijper Harm P. , van der Oest Mark J.W. , Feitz Reinier , Hovius Steven E.R. , Porsius Jarry T. ,   the Hand-Wrist Study Group
Published: June 2018

This prospective study investigates the extent to which a better experience with healthcare delivery is associated with better postoperative treatment outcomes after surgery for Dupuytren’s contracture. Patients undergoing limited fasciectomy or percutaneous needle fasciotomy for Dupuytren’s contractures completed the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire before and 3 months after surgery, together with a patient reported experience measure, while hand therapists assessed the straightness of the finger with a goniometer. Regression analyses were used to examine associations. We found that a better experience with healthcare delivery was associated with better patient-reported outcomes, while association with residual extension deficit was minimal. Strongest associations were seen with communication of the physician, postoperative care and information about the treatment. Experience with the treatment explained up to 12% of the variance in treatment outcome. These findings suggest that patient reported treatment outcomes in Dupuytren’s disease can be improved by improving the treatment context.

Level of evidence: II
The clinical application of tumor markers in the screening of malignancies and interstitial lung disease of dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients: A retrospective study
Authors: Lim Chong Hong , Tseng Chih-Wei , Lin Ching-Tsai , Huang Wen-Nan , Chen Yi-Hsing , Chen Yi-Ming , Chen Der-Yuan
Published: June 2018

Objective:

To examine the clinical utility of tumor markers in dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients in Taiwan.

Method:

Data were collected retrospectively from the database of Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan from 1998 to 2014. Patients who fulfilled Bohan and Peter criteria of dermatomyositis/polymyositis were recruited. Serum level of tumor markers including carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, carbohydrate antigen 125, carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 were measured. The occurrence of malignancies and interstitial lung disease was identified. The association of tumor markers with malignancies and interstitial lung disease was examined using Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test.

Results:

Among the enrolled 151 patients, 98 (64.9%) dermatomyositis and 53 (35.1%) polymyositis, a total of 15 malignancies were detected: breast ductal carcinoma (n = 4), bladder transitional cell carcinoma (n = 2), lung adenocarcinoma (n = 2), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 and papillary squamous cell carcinoma (n = 2), colorectal (colon and rectal adenocarcinoma) (n = 2), uterine adenocarcinoma (n = 1), nasopharyngeal carcinoma (n = 1) and hematological malignancy (myelodysplastic with excess blast cells) (n = 1). Among the patients with malignancies, 13 (86.7%) had dermatomyositis, 2 (13.3%) polymyositis and 3 (20%) interstitial lung disease. The mean duration from dermatomyositis/polymyositis diagnosis to the occurrence of malignancies was 6.05 ± 5.69 years. There was no significant association of raised tumor markers with the occurrence of malignancies (p > 0.085), while a significant association was observed between the elevated levels of carbohydrate antigen 15-3 and the presence of interstitial lung disease (p = 0.006).

Conclusion:

Tumor markers were not useful in malignancy screening or dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients in this tertiary center. The evaluation of the occurrence of malignancy in dermatomyositis/polymyositis patient should include a multidimensional approach. A raised level of carbohydrate antigen 15-3 may be a potential indicator of the presence of interstitial lung disease in dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients.
No effects of mitomycin-C in primary trabeculectomies in Sweden
Authors: Ayala Marcelo
Published: June 2018

Aim:

To evaluate the results of a long-term follow-up after two different types of surgical techniques: trabeculectomy with or without mitomycin-C.

Materials and methods:

This study is a retrospective chart review of patients operated on with a primary trabeculectomy at the Eye Department of the Skaraborg Hospital, Skövde, Sweden. Complete success was defined as intraocular pressure ⩽18 mmHg (criterion 1) or intraocular pressure reduction ⩾30% (criterion 2) without eye drops postoperatively. Qualified success was defined using the same criteria (1 and 2), but patients were treated or untreated with eye-drops.

Results:

A total of 167 patients were included in this retrospective study, 83 patients in the no-mitomycin-C group and 84 patients in the mitomycin-C-treated group. No significant difference was found in intraocular pressure reduction between the mitomycin-C and no-mitomycin-C group (t-test; p = 0.19). Complete success using criterion 1 was 66.2% in no-mitomycin-C and 62.8% in mitomycin-C (p = 0.88); success using criterion 2 was 76.6% in the no-mitomycin-C and 64.2% in the mitomycin-C group (p = 0.21). Qualified success using criterion 1 was 71.4% in the no-mitomycin-C and 74.4% in the mitomycin-C group (p = 0.84); success using criterion 2 was 80.0% in the no-mitomycin-C and 84.4% in the mitomycin-C group. All included patients were born in Sweden.

Conclusion:

Mitomycin-C seems to add no benefits to intraocular pressure reduction after primary trabeculectomies in a Swedish population.
Does Chronic Kidney Disease–Induced Cognitive Impairment Affect Driving Safety?
Authors: Kepecs David M. , Glick Lauren , Silver Samuel A. , Yuen Darren A.
Published: June 2018

Purpose of Review:

One of the principal mechanisms by which illness can affect driving safety is by impairing cognition. Nevertheless, despite the substantial evidence demonstrating cognitive impairment in chronic kidney disease (CKD), little is known about the effects of CKD on driving safety.

Objective:

Investigate the current national medical guidelines and research literature with respect to CKD and driving safety.

Sources of Information:

Medline, CINAHL, PEDro, Scopus as of August 2017. The most up to date national driving guidelines and available information provided by the provincial and territorial ministries of transportation across Canada

Findings:

Fives studies of driving fitness in patients with CKD have been published with minimal data available for patients at early stages of the disease. Amongst these studies, only two come from an era when modern end stage renal disease therapies were routinely provided. The first study demonstrated that 40% of 186 surveyed patients on hemodialysis felt uncomfortable driving and that 1/3 of patients were involved in motor vehicle collisions (MVC) since starting dialysis. Of the patients who felt comfortable driving, more than 75% were found to be at increased driving risk. The second study reported that 15% of patients on hemodialysis were involved in MVCs over a three year span and that the “Am I A Safe Driver” assessment tool by the American Medical Association may not capture all patients at high driving risk. Despite these alarming numbers, national guidelines place few driving restrictions on this patient population and only 3 of 11 available provincial or territorial driving forms include kidney disease as a category that physicians should consider when assessing medical fitness to drive.

Limitations:

Our review is limited by the lack of randomized control studies evaluating the effects of CKD on driving safety.

Implications:

Our review demonstrates that driving safety in this patient population remains poorly understood. The limited evidence that does exist, however, suggests that these patients are at substantial risk for unsafe driving. Future research is necessary to determine the impact of CKD-associated cognitive impairment on driving risk, and to parse out the contributions of CKD and its various treatments to driving impairment.
From Defensive Altruism to Pathological Altruism
Authors: Sun Sanxing
Published: June 2018

Altruism is often regarded as a virtuous trait and it often is. However, for some people, their altruism can unwittingly become pathological and cause serious behavioral problems in them. What makes their altruism go awry and become pathological? This article attempts to provide a psychoanalytic insight into the nature of the problem. By examining how altruism works as an ego-defensive strategy, it is reasoned that the defensive altruism can make people mistake their underlying self-serving motivation for their true altruistic intention. As a result, such self-deception can make them much less likely to restrain themselves from being carried away by their self-serving motivation. It is possible that if such unconscious self-serving motivation is too strong, it may drive them to perform altruistic act blindly or in irrational ways.
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography–Induced Splenic Injury in a Patient With Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Al Momani Laith , Karar Shoura , Shipley Lindsey C. , Locke Allison , Swenson James
Published: June 2018

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is an invasive procedure with significant complications. Splenic hematoma is an extremely rare but known complication following ERCP that has been increasingly reported in the past several years. We report the case of a 44-year-old patient with a history of sleeve gastrectomy who underwent an ERCP that was complicated by both acute pancreatitis and splenic hematoma. She was managed conservatively under close monitoring in the intensive care unit. Clinicians should be aware of this potentially life-threatening complication to make a prompt diagnosis and begin early appropriate management.
Poverty and Inequality in Maharashtra: Inter-group Differentials and Its Determinants
Authors: Naik Ajaya Kumar , Tagade Nitin
Published: June 2018

This article examines the inequality and poverty across socio-religious groups in Maharashtra. It also examines the relative strength of factors affecting inequality and poverty and decomposes the differences in income between scheduled castes (SCs) and Hindu high castes (HHCs) based on the 68th National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) survey on consumption expenditure. The results show that consumption expenditure is substantially low among marginalised communities leading to high inter-group inequality. The relative strength of the factors affecting earnings across socio-religious groups shows that the overall inter-group disparities are due to inter-caste differences in the rates of return on assets, asset ownership and caste identity. Also, poverty reducing factors, such as ownership of agricultural land, non-farm enterprises/business and education, impact differently in reducing poverty, their relative impact in reducing poverty being less for schedule tribes (ST) and SC compared to OBC and high caste. Due to high education and greater ownership of capital assets by high caste, they have significant higher income and low poverty levels compared to Hindu other backward castes (HOBC), SC and ST and Muslim.
Transcriptional upregulation of Bag3, a chaperone-assisted selective autophagy factor, in animal models of KY-deficient hereditary myopathy
Authors: Jokl Elliot J. , Hughes Gideon L. , Cracknell Tobias , Pownall Mary E. , Blanco Gonzalo
Published: June 2018

The importance of kyphoscoliosis peptidase (KY) in skeletal muscle physiology has recently been emphasised by the identification of novel human myopathies associated with KY deficiency. Neither the pathogenic mechanism of KY deficiency nor a specific role for KY in muscle function have been established. However, aberrant localisation of filamin C (FLNC) in muscle fibres has been shown in humans and mice with loss-of-function mutations in the KY gene. FLNC turnover has been proposed to be controlled by chaperone-assisted selective autophagy (CASA), a client-specific and tension-induced pathway that is required for muscle maintenance. Here, we have generated new C2C12 myoblast and zebrafish models of KY deficiency by CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis. To obtain insights into the pathogenic mechanism caused by KY deficiency, expression of the co-chaperone BAG3 and other CASA factors was analyzed in the cellular, zebrafish and ky/ky mouse models. Ky-deficient C2C12-derived clones show trends of higher transcription of CASA factors in differentiated myotubes. The ky-deficient zebrafish model (kyyo1/kyyo1) lacks overt signs of pathology, but shows significantly increased bag3 and flnca/b expression in embryos and adult muscle. Additionally, kyyo1/kyyo1 embryos challenged by swimming in viscous media show an inability to further increase expression of these factors in contrast with wild-type controls. The ky/ky mouse shows elevated expression of Bag3 in the non-pathological exterior digitorum longus (EDL) and evidence of impaired BAG3 turnover in the pathological soleus. Thus, upregulation of CASA factors appears to be an early and primary molecular hallmark of KY deficiency.
Corporeidade, imagem, fagocitação e alteridade: comunicação Mbyá-Guarani no Facebook
Authors: Souza Fátima Rosane Silveira , Menezes Ana Luisa Teixeira de
Published: June 2018

Las comunidades indígenas Mbyá-Guaraní de los municipios de Estrela Velha (Tekoá Ka’agui Poty) y Salto do Jacuí (Tekoá Porã), en Río Grande del Sur, región de Brasil, usan la red social Facebook para comunicarse. En la investigación etnográfica (Geertz, 1989), realizada entre 2014 y 2015, en esas aldeas y en Facebook, son destacados los procesos de comunicación establecidos con otros indígenas y no indígenas, como la fagocitación (Kusch, 1986). Destacamos la comunicación por medio de las alteridades en las relaciones culturales, la presencia abundante del cuerpo en las imágenes narrativas, y el nombre sagrado en la constitución y en el modo de comunicación del guaraní. Además, la resignificación del sentido de objetos como el smartphone y lo relativo a las alteridades, que se conforman en fagocitación de los conocimientos.
Parent communication: Building their trust
Authors: D'Cunha Craig
Published: June 2018

Chantry Academy has re-evaluated how it communicates with its parents in a bid to raise levels of engagement. Headteacher Craig D'Cunha discusses how to engage parents on their own terms
Stepping up to the SLT: Part 1
Authors: Denton Phil
Published: June 2018

In this three-part series, school leader Phil Denton looks at making the step up to a senior leadership post. He will describe a three-step process, which begins with finding the right post for you…
How to fail…
Authors: Knightsmith Pooky
Published: June 2018

Learning how to fail is a vital skill that our pupils are not developing – leaving them vulnerable to life's ups and downs. Dr Pooky Knightsmith explains and advises