bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitamin K2 Status and Arterial Stiffness Among Untreated Migraine Patients: A Case‐Control Study
Authors: Mansour Anthony G. , Ahdab Rechdi , Daaboul Yazan , Korjian Serge , Morrison Daniel Alexander , Hariri Essa , Salem Maher , El Khoury Christelle , Riachi Naji , Aoun Bahous Sola
Published: November 2019

Objective

We aimed to examine arterial stiffness and vitamin K2 status in migraine subjects by comparison to controls.

Background

Migraine is a primary headache disorder that has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Mechanisms underlying this increased risk, however, remain unclear. Vitamin K2 deficiency emerged as a cardiovascular risk factor, but vitamin K2 status has never been explored in migraine subjects.

Design and Methods

This is a case‐control, single‐center, observational study that includes a cohort of subjects with migraine and their age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Arterial stiffness was measured using carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV). Dephosphorylated‐uncarboxylated matrix‐Gla‐protein (dp‐ucMGP) was used as a marker for vitamin K2 status. A propensity‐matched scoring method was used.

Results

A total of 146 patients (73 matched pairs) were included in this study, of whom 89% were women with a mean age of 31.9 ± 8.4 years. Compared with controls, migraine patients had statistically significantly higher mean cfPWV (7.2 ± 1.1 vs 6.4 ± 0.8 m/s, 95% confidence interval (CI) of mean difference [0.45, 1.08], P < .001), as well as higher dp‐ucMGP (454.3 ± 116.7 pmol/L vs 379.8 ± 126.6 pmol/L, 95% CI of mean difference [34.63, 114.31], P < .001). Higher cfPWV was associated with higher dp‐ucMGP concentrations only in the migraine with aura (MWA) group. Moreover, migraine subjects had a higher frequency of vitamin K2 deficiency (dp‐ucMGP ≥ 500 pmol/L) compared to controls, but this association was not statistically significant (23/73 [31.5%] vs 16/73 [21.9%], P = .193).

Conclusions

Individuals with migraine have worse indices of arterial stiffness as compared with their age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects. This increase in arterial stiffness is associated with an increase in markers of vitamin K2 deficiency in the MWA group.
A practical method for reducing the interference due to lipaemia in coagulation tests
Authors: Gardiner Chris , Lane Philip , Tailor Hitesh , Mackie Ian J.
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Plasma samples with gross lipaemia present a challenge for coagulation laboratories using optical analysers. High‐speed centrifugation may be used to remove excess lipids but it has not established whether this affects haemostasis tests. The aims were to determine whether the removal of lipid by centrifugation affects PT, APTT, fibrinogen, D‐dimer and von Willebrand factor activity measurements.

Methods

Twenty‐six lipaemic samples (median [range]): triglyceride 4.6 mmol/L [0.5‐17.0]; cholesterol: 4.06 mmol/L [2.20‐9.41] and 20 plasmas spiked with Intralipid 20 or lipid isolated from patient plasmas (median triglyceride of 11.95 mmol/L [5.0‐17.0] and cholesterol 4.33 [3.22‐7.06]), were tested before and after the removal of the lipid layer by centrifugation (10000 g for 10 minutes). Tests were performed using the CS‐5100 (Sysmex) coagulation analyser.

Results

Thirteen, 9, 3 and 1 of the lipaemic or spiked samples failed to give PT, APTT, fibrinogen and D‐dimer results, respectively. Centrifugation significantly reduced triglyceride (median 2.7, [0‐6.1 mmol/L]) and cholesterol (median 0.52 [0‐3.5]), allowing clot detection in all tests. There were no statistically significant differences in fibrinogen, D‐dimer or VWF levels in samples before and after lipid removal. A small but clinically insignificant change in PT and APTT was observed after lipid removal.

Conclusion

High‐speed centrifugation reduces lipaemia sufficiently to allow testing on an optical coagulation analyser without introducing clinically significant differences PT, APTT, fibrinogen, D‐dimer or VWF activity values.
Second‐order‐transition like characteristic contributes to strain temperature stability in (K, Na)NbO3‐based materials
Authors: Liu Gang , Yin Jie , Zhao Chunlin , Lv Xiang , Wu Jiagang
Published: November 2019

High strain and good temperature stability are contradictory properties in (K, Na)NbO3 (KNN)‐based materials. Herein, good temperature stability with high strain is obtained in a multiphase coexistent [ie, orthorhombic‐tetragonal (O‐T) and rhombohedral‐orthorhombic‐tetragonal (R‐O‐T)] KNN. A second‐order transition‐like characteristic should contribute to the temperature stability, in which an intrinsic lattice structure forms a bridge between them. The observed second‐order transition‐like characteristic is due to the reduced discrepancy among different lattice symmetries and a broadened temperature region for the phase transition. These integrated factors can slow the latent heat in a first‐order transition and extend it over a wide temperature region, thereby exhibiting second‐order transition‐like behavior. Correspondingly, the abrupt increase in strain near the phase transition temperature significantly slows. In addition, the appearance of pure tetragonal symmetry (P4mm) is deferred to a much higher temperature than TO‐T, in which the strain will inevitably decrease. As a result, good temperature stability with a high strain response can be realized in multiphase coexistent KNN materials, including d33*=448 pm/V, ‐27.5%≤fluctuation≤4.2% for O‐T, and d33*=446 pm/V, ‐17.5%≤fluctuation≤7.6% for R‐O‐T, over the whole temperature range 25 °C‐190 °C.
Making Design Education (Even More) Complex: Exploring Complexity for an Amplified Mindset of Design
Authors: Moreira Mafalda
Published: November 2019

An Amplified Mindset of Design (AMD) has emerged from recent research on emerging design practices, as designers are once again re‐inventing their identity to include an adaptability to uncertainty and paradox. However, this is not yet visible in what design education offers. As designers intervene in complex contexts and embrace participatory, collaborative and interdisciplinary practices informed by strong ethical and sustainability concerns, design education must adjust and expand its scope to include, for example, collaboration, cross‐cultural and interdisciplinary skills, and a way of being in the world through design. In this article, I argue for the formal introduction and exploration of social complexity in design education to assist the development of an AMD in design students. Boundaries, dependence on context, edge of chaos, emergence and organisation were identified as key qualities of complex systems to introduce to students. Embodiment and visualisation techniques were used as the most appropriate vehicles for such an endeavour. In this article, I discuss the results of a qualitative research informed by action research in which I explore ways of teaching complexity to design students. The inquiry was driven by the following core research question: How can complexity can be taught in design education using visual and embodiment methods to encourage the development of an Amplified Mindset of Design?
Bridge or Barrier? Writing in Secondary Art & Design Education in the UK
Authors: Blunden Jennifer
Published: November 2019

What role does writing play in secondary art & design education? In the context of current debates on access and participation in the visual arts, the nature of art discourse and the value of creative subjects within the curriculum, what impact do the existing requirements have on students, teachers and the broader arena of the visual arts? This article presents the findings‐to‐date of an ongoing pilot study which set out to explore these questions. Drawing on interviews with teachers and exam board representatives, and a review of student texts and exam board documents and resources, the study found that even though writing is only a minor part of what is an essentially practice‐based subject, it was a source of significant concern and confusion. A marked disconnect was revealed between intent and practice, which in turn highlighted a series of underlying values and beliefs that seemed to further drive this disconnect. The study calls for a wider discussion of the way writing is framed, used, supported and assessed in the art & design classroom, and the need to ensure that any pedagogy and resources developed align with the values as well as curriculum of art & design. It also previews how strategies created in the context of developing more inclusive and flexible writing skills among curators and other art museum professionals may offer a useful model. The study is part of a larger investigation into the discourse/s of the visual arts, with a focus on issues of access and participation.
Art and Design Education in the Ecology of Care
Authors: Tan Michael Koon Boon
Published: November 2019

In the light of challenges arising from contemporary issues such as inclusivity, sustainability and justice, the connections between art, design and caring appears to be pertinent. What role can artists and designers play in the ecology of care? How can we lead art and design students to connect and lend their creative skills to care needs? Drawing on the ethics of care and a relational view on health this article highlights the various teaching approaches and initiatives introduced at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, to support and guide students to realise various art and design for health and wellbeing projects that provide opportunities for students to part take in ecology of care using their creative skills. Although creative explorations at the intersection of art, design and caring is still at an early stage, outcomes from this ongoing effort have been encouraging in response to the shifting social needs to create a more inclusive and flourishing society in Singapore.
Design Domain: Created Space, Creative Space
Authors: Stevens Thea
Published: November 2019

In this article, I describe and explore Design Domain, a large‐cohort course for which I am academic coordinator and which is enacted across six design programmes at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA). I unpack Design Domain’s context and intentionality as a ‘created space’, where student learners are exposed to different ways of thinking, making and doing, with an emphasis on working within discipline but pushing boundaries beyond the discipline. Next, I evaluate Design Domain as a ‘creative space’, unpacking its lineaments and evaluating its positives and challenges. Then, I set out initial reflections on the taxonomy of disciplinarities, arguing that these can be usefully reappraised when applied to a pedagogical framework like Design Domain, which blends predominantly individual learning with particular and specific points of collective commonality of purpose and action. Finally, I describe how I will go onto develop my understanding via an action research informed evaluation of a recent Design Domain project in Communication Design, where students of graphic design, photography and illustration worked together. I frame the type of critical questions I might ask of staff and student respondents in an action research informed evaluation study, and I offer a preliminary conclusion: that it is more appropriate to focus on ways of thinking than prescribing ways of doing, and that this might bring practice and process into a more adaptive theoretical framework.
Comparison of 24‐hour urine and 24‐hour diet recall for estimating dietary sodium intake in populations: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: McLean Rachael , Cameron Claire , Butcher Elizabeth , Cook Nancy R. , Woodward Mark , Campbell Norm R. C.
Published: November 2019

This systematic literature review and meta‐analysis examined whether 24‐hour diet recall is a valid way to measure mean population sodium intake compared with the gold standard 24‐hour urinary assessment. The authors searched electronic databases MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus using pre‐defined terms. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed adult humans in free‐living settings, and if they included group means for 24‐hour diet recall and 24‐hour urinary collection of sodium intake in the same participants. Studies that included populations with an active disease state that might interfere with normal sodium metabolism were excluded. Results of 28 studies are included in the meta‐analysis. Overall, 24‐hour diet recall underestimated population mean sodium intake by an average of 607 mg per day compared to the 24‐hour urine collection. The difference between measures from 24‐hour urine and 24‐hour diet recall was smaller in studies conducted in high‐income countries, in studies where multiple‐pass methods of 24‐hour diet recall were reported and where urine was validated for completeness. Higher quality studies also reported smaller differences between measures than lower quality studies. Monitoring of population sodium intake with 24‐hour urinary excretion remains the most accurate method of assessment. Twenty‐four‐hour diet recall tends to underestimate intake, although high‐quality 24‐hour diet recall improves accuracy, and may be used if 24‐hour urine is not feasible.
Early morning home blood pressure control among treated patients with controlled office blood pressure
Authors: Zuo Hui‐Juan , Song Xian‐Tao , Yang Hong‐Xia , Deng Li‐Qun , Wang Jin‐Wen
Published: November 2019

Elevated morning blood pressure (BP) has a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events, so morning BP is of substantial clinical importance for the management of hypertension. This study aimed to evaluate early morning BP control and its determines among treated patients with controlled office BP. From May to October 2018, 600 treated patients with office BP < 140/90 mm Hg were recruited from hypertension clinics. Morning BP was measured at home for 7 days. Morning home systolic blood pressure (SBP) increased by an average of 11.5 mm Hg and that morning home diastolic blood pressure (DBP) increased by an average of 5.6 mm Hg compared with office BP. Morning home SBP, DBP, and their moving average were more likely to be lower among patients with a office SBP < 120 mm Hg than among patients with a office SBP ranging from 120 to 129 mm Hg and from 130 to 139 mm Hg (P < .001). A total of 45% of patients had early morning BP < 135/85 mm Hg. The following factors were significantly correlated with morning BP control: male sex, age of <65 years, absence of habitual snoring, no drinking, adequate physical activity, no habit of high salt intake, office BP < 120/80 mm Hg, and combination of a calcium channel blocker (CCB) and angiotensin receptor blocker or angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor (ARB/ACEI). Less than half of patients with controlled office BP had controlled morning BP and that positive changes may be related to an office BP < 120/80 mm Hg, combination of a CCB and ACEI/ARB and a series of lifestyle adjustments.
Parent–child neural synchrony: a novel approach to elucidating dyadic correlates of preschool irritability
Authors: Quiñones‐Camacho Laura E. , Fishburn Frank A. , Camacho M. Catalina , Hlutkowsky Christina O. , Huppert Theodore J. , Wakschlag Lauren S. , Perlman Susan B.
Published: November 2019

Background

Research to date has largely conceptualized irritability in terms of intraindividual differences. However, the role of interpersonal dyadic processes has received little consideration. Nevertheless, difficulties in how parent–child dyads synchronize during interactions may be an important correlate of irritably in early childhood. Innovations in developmentally sensitive neuroimaging methods now enable the use of measures of neural synchrony to quantify synchronous responses in parent–child dyads and can help clarify the neural underpinnings of these difficulties. We introduce the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule: Biological Synchrony (DB‐DOS:BioSync) as a paradigm for exploring parent–child neural synchrony as a potential biological mechanism for interpersonal difficulties in preschool psychopathology.

Methods

Using functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) 4‐ to 5‐year‐olds (N = 116) and their mothers completed the DB‐DOS:BioSync while assessing neural synchrony during mild frustration and recovery. Child irritability was measured using a latent irritability factor that was calculated from four developmentally sensitive indicators.

Results

Both the mild frustration and the recovery contexts resulted in neural synchrony. However, less neural synchrony during the recovery context only was associated with more child irritability.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that recovering after a frustrating period might be particularly challenging for children high in irritability and offer support for the use of the DB‐DOS:BioSync task to elucidate interpersonal neural mechanisms of developmental psychopathology.
Periostin as a novel biomarker of cardiovascular disease: A systematic evidence landscape of preclinical and clinical studies
Authors: Azharuddin Md , Adil Mohammad , Ghosh Pinaki , Kapur Prem , Sharma Manju
Published: November 2019

Background

Periostin is a matricellular protein, expressed in various normal adult and fetal tissues. Recently, elevated periostin levels have been reported in heart failure, coronary artery disease, and stroke. However, there is lack of clinical studies to clarify the prognostic significance of systemic periostin levels in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The aim of the study was to perform a systematic review of published evidence on periostin and CVDs, and to clarify the diagnostic and prognostic significance of systemic periostin levels in CVDs.

Methods

A systematic search on PubMed was performed to identify relevant articles from inception to December 2018. The eligible studies evaluating the periostin expression and periostin levels in animal and human studies.

Results

A total of 24 relevant studies, including both animal and human data, were included. Periostin is significantly observed in myocardium tissue of failing hearts compared with control, and is also expressed in atherosclerotic plaques. Systemic periostin levels were significantly correlated with cardiac function and severity of CVD in several studies. A clinical study also observed positive correlation between periostin and N‐terminal pro b‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), highly sensitive troponin (hsTnT), and ST2 cardiac biomarker. Studies reported limited adjustment for potential confounders.

Conclusions

The evidence of current review support potential role of periostin in the pathophysiology of CVD. However, scarcity of data regarding the clinical use of periostin levels in the current management of CVDs further creates room for the future investigation. Therefore, further studies warrant to clarify its potential role, if any, as a novel cardiac biomarker.
Mapping the spatial variability of the field distribution of sterile Anastrepha ludens over a release area
Authors: Vanoye‐Eligio Venancio , Vázquez‐Sauceda María de la Luz , Rocandio‐Rodríguez Mario , Chacón‐Hernández Julio César , de la Rosa‐Manzano Edilia
Published: November 2019

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is an environmental‐friendly method used against Anastrepha ludens Loew (Diptera: Tephritidae) populations. This study aimed to perform an analysis of the spatial variability of the field distribution of sterile A. ludens using a geostatistical approach along with Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Field data on captures of sterile A. ludens during a Valencia orange season over a release area were analysed using spherical, exponential and Gaussian variograms. Such variograms were evaluated by criteria such as the mean absolute error, average standard error, root mean square error and the coefficient of determination. Results revealed a spatially structured distribution of sterile A. ludens across the release area. Interpolated models by Ordinary Kriging technique exhibited continuous surfaces evidencing spatial heterogeneity of the distribution of flies. Such a result evidenced that the spatial dynamics of flies significantly varied despite the planned uniform coverage of the release. The GIS led to integrating spatial information of the spatial dynamics through one single model. The release activity should be improved westward of the studied area, as the final model suggested that the ratio sterile: wild is lower than that in the east. This study provides insights into the spatial analysis of the distribution of sterile flies further than one single geographical point. Moreover, it highlights geostatistical techniques and GIS as useful tools for the assessment of the impact and quality of the release activity over fruit‐growing areas subjected to an area‐wide integrated pest management approach.
Risk for Health Events After Deprescribing Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors in Nursing Home Residents With Severe Dementia
Authors: Niznik Joshua D. , Zhao Xinhua , He Meiqi , Aspinall Sherrie L. , Hanlon Joseph T. , Hanson Laura C. , Nace David , Thorpe Joshua M. , Thorpe Carolyn T.
Published: November 2019

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Reevaluation of the appropriateness of acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) is recommended in older adults with severe dementia, given the lack of strong evidence to support their continued effectiveness and risk for medication‐induced adverse events. We sought to evaluate the impact of deprescribing AChEIs on risk of all‐cause events (hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and mortality) and serious falls or fractures in older nursing home (NH) residents with severe dementia.

DESIGN

Analysis of 2015 to 2016 data from Medicare claims, Part D prescriptions, Minimum Data

Set (MDS) version 3.0, Area Health Resource File, and Nursing Home Compare. Marginal structural models with inverse probability of treatment weights were used to evaluate the association of deprescribing AChEIs and all‐cause negative events as well as serious falls or fractures.

SETTING

US Medicare‐certified NHs.

PARTICIPANTS

Nonskilled NH residents, aged 65 years and older, with severe dementia receiving AChEIs within the first 14 days of an MDS assessment in 2016 (n = 37 106).

RESULTS

The sample was primarily white (78.7%), female (75.5%), and aged 80 years or older (77.4%). Deprescribing AChEIs was associated with an increased likelihood of all‐cause negative events in unadjusted models (odds ratio [OR] = 1.17; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11‐1.23; P < .01), but not in fully adjusted models (adjusted OR [aOR] = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.94‐1.06; P = .94). By contrast, deprescribing was associated with a reduced likelihood of serious falls or fractures in unadjusted models (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.52‐0.66; P < .001) and remained significant in adjusted models (aOR = 0.64; 95% CI = 0.56‐0.73; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Deprescribing AChEIs was not associated with a significant increase in the likelihood for all‐cause negative events and was associated with a reduced likelihood of falls and fractures in older NH residents with dementia. Our findings suggest that deprescribing AChEIs is a reasonable approach to reduce the risk of serious falls or fractures without increasing the risk for all‐cause events. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:699–707, 2020
Financial analyst coverage for U.S. firms facing foreign competition: Evidence from trade liberalization
Authors: Lee Dongyoung , Wen He
Published: November 2019

This study examines financial analyst coverage for U.S. firms following an increase in foreign product market competition. To capture exogenous shocks to domestic firms' competitive environments, we exploit a quasi‐natural experiment from large import tariff reductions over the 1984 to 2005 period in the manufacturing sector. Using data for the years before and after large tariff reductions, our difference‐in‐differences analysis shows evidence of a significant decrease in analyst coverage for incumbent U.S. firms when they face greater entry threat from foreign competitors. We also find that analysts with less firm‐specific experience and less accurate prior‐period forecasts are more likely to stop following the domestic firm when foreign competition intensifies. Overall, the findings suggest that foreign product market competition from global trade liberalization is an important determinant of financial analysts' coverage decisions.
A health‐related quality of life model for patients undergoing haemodialysis
Authors: Jung Hye Min , Kim Hye Young
Published: November 2019

Aims and objectives

This study aimed to construct and verify a model that explains and predicts the health‐related quality of life in patients undergoing haemodialysis.

Background

Individual and disease‐related characteristics, social support, physical and emotional symptoms, patient role adherence and perceived health status may be interrelated and might affect the health‐related quality of life of patients undergoing haemodialysis directly or indirectly.

Design

A correlational, cross‐sectional research design was used.

Methods

Participants were 202 patients undergoing haemodialysis at one of the seven nephrology clinics specified in this study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from September–November 2017. The collected data were analysed using spss version 25.0® and amos 23.0. This study adhered to the STROBE guideline.

Results

The hypothetical model with 13 of the 15 analysed paths showed a good fit to the empirical data: χ2 = 85.67 (p < .001), normed χ2 = 2.14, GFI = 0.94, CFI = 0.97, NFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.08, and RMSR = 0.04. Symptoms (fatigue, quality of sleep, and depression), environmental (social support) and individual (age) characteristics and general health perception had a direct effect on health‐related quality of life. Additionally, individual and environment characteristics affected health‐related quality of life through biological functions, symptoms, functional status and general health perception. These variables explained 78.6% of the variation in health‐related quality of life.

Conclusions

To improve health‐related quality of life in patients undergoing haemodialysis, systematic and integrated intervention programmes need to be developed and applied considering a variety of factors related to health‐related quality of life.

Relevance to clinical practice

Individual and environment characteristics, biological functions, symptoms, functional status and general health perception should be systematically monitored to improve the health‐related quality of life of patients on haemodialysis. It is also necessary to develop detailed interventions that consider all these factors.
Perspectives of residents and staff regarding food choice in residential aged care: A qualitative study
Authors: Wang Donna , Everett Bronwyn , Brunero Scott , Northall Tiffany , Villarosa Amy R. , Salamonson Yenna
Published: November 2019

Aims and objectives

To explore the experiences of food choice and meal service in residential aged care facilities and its impact on autonomy, self‐determination and quality of life from the perspectives of both residents and staff.

Background

Globally, residential aged care is a principal provider of care for older people who can no longer live independently at home. Within this setting, lack of food choice has been identified as a significant factor impacting on residents' self‐determination, sense of autonomy and quality of life.

Design

This study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative approach guided by self‐determination theory.

Method

A total of 14 participants (seven residents and seven staff members) from two Australian residential aged care facilities were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling with assistance from one independent contact nurse at each facility. In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews were conducted, digitally recorded and transcribed. The COREQ checklist was used in this qualitative study.

Results

Three main themes were identified from the interview data provided by residents and staff, which were as follows: (a) catering for the masses; (b) organisational barriers to providing choice; and (c) food impacts well‐being.

Conclusions

This study explored the experiences of food choice and service in residential aged care facilities, from the perspectives of both residents and staff. Results of interviews highlighted the importance of providing adequate food choice which has become an enduring issue that requires more attention and commitment to make a positive change for residents living in residential aged care facilities.

Relevance to clinical practice

Nurses and other staff working in residential aged care facilities need to be aware of the importance of providing adequate food choice, including for residents who require modified diets. As advocates for residents, nursing staff must address the persistent lack of food choice. However, this will require a radical change in organisational culture and strong leadership.
Patient safety before and after implementing person‐centred inpatient care — A quasi‐experimental study
Authors: Jakobsson Sofie , Ringström Gisela , Andersson Eva , Eliasson Björn , Johannsson Gudmundur , Simrén Magnus , Jakobsson Ung Eva
Published: November 2019

Aims and objectives

To evaluate aspects of patient safety before and after a person‐centred (PC) inpatient care intervention.

Background

Transitioning from disease‐centred to person‐centred care requires great effort but can improve patient safety.

Design

A quasi‐experimental study with data collection preceding and 12 months after a PC inpatient care intervention.

Methods

The study consecutively recruited adult patients (2014, n = 263; 2015/2016, n = 221) admitted to an inpatient care unit. The patients reported experiences of care at discharge and their perceived pain at admission and discharge. Medical records were reviewed to gather data on medications, planned care and clinical observations. The study is reported according to TREND guidelines.

Results

At discharge, patients receiving PC inpatient care reported competent medical‐technical care. Patients receiving PC inpatient care reported more effective pain relief. Updated prescribed medications at the ward were maintained, and patients were made aware of planned medical care to higher extent during PC inpatient care. The assessment of pulse and body temperature was maintained, but fewer elective care patients had their blood pressure taken during PC inpatient care. Weight assessment was not prioritised during usual or PC inpatient care.

Conclusions

Patients receiving PC inpatient care reported that they were given the best possible care and had less pain at discharge. The PC inpatient care included improved documentation and communication of planned medical care to the patients. Vital signs were more frequently recorded for patients admitted for acute care than patients admitted for elective care. PC inpatient care had no effect on frequency of weight measurements.

Relevance to clinical practice

PC inpatient care seems beneficial for the patients. Aspects of patient safety such as prescribed medications were maintained, and PC inpatient care seems to enhance the continuity of care. Inpatient clinical observations need further evaluation as healthcare transitions from disease‐centred to person‐centred care.
Securitization, Ratings, and Credit Supply
Authors: DALEY BRENDAN , GREEN BRETT , VANASCO VICTORIA
Published: November 2019

We develop a framework to explore the effect of credit ratings on loan origination. We show that ratings endogenously shift the economy from asignalingequilibrium, in which banks inefficiently retain loans to signal quality, toward anoriginate‐to‐distributeequilibrium with zero retention and inefficiently low lending standards. Ratings increase overall efficiency, provided that the reduction in costly retention more than compensates for the origination of some negative net present value loans. We study how banks' ability to screen loans affects these predictions and use the model to analyze commonly proposed policies such as mandatory “skin in the game.”
Depressive Symptoms and Academic Achievement: The Role of Adolescents’ Perceptions of Teachers’ and Peers’ Behaviors
Authors: Diaconu‐Gherasim Loredana R. , Măirean Cornelia
Published: November 2019

This present study, using a longitudinal design, investigated how depressive symptoms are related to academic achievement and whether the perceptions of teachers’ and peers’ behaviors moderated this relation. A sample of 302 adolescents (60.10% girls, Mage = 17.35) completed scales measuring the depressive symptoms and perception of their teachers’ support/equity and peers’ cooperation/cohesiveness behaviors at Time 1. The adolescents’ average grades were also collected. The adolescents’ depressive symptoms and average grades were measured again at Time 2. The results showed that depressive symptoms measured at Time 1 were negatively associated with academic achievement measured at Time 2. The adolescents’ perception of their peers’ cooperation/cohesiveness moderated the relation between depressive symptoms and academic achievement. The results’ implications for educational practice are discussed.
Graded balloon atrial septostomy for palliation of congenital pulmonary hypertension in a dog: A case report
Authors: Allen Justin , Peterson Nathan , Barrett Kirstie , Llamas Anthony
Published: November 2019

Case Description

A 6‐month‐old intact female Maltese dog was presented for acute onset of syncope.

Clinical Findings

The dog was presented for collapse upon excitement and exercise. It collapsed at discharge and suffered cardiopulmonary arrest. Echocardiography after resuscitation indicated severe pulmonary hypertension without evidence of intracardiac or extracardiac shunting. A presumptive diagnosis of congenital pulmonary hypertension was made.

Treatment and Outcome

Initial treatment with sildenafil was effective at relieving syncope, but the extent of pulmonary hypertension as determined by serial echocardiography was unchanged. Graded balloon atrial septostomy was performed as a palliative procedure. Follow‐up echocardiography identified a patent interatrial communication with bidirectional shunting. The dog remained asymptomatic 18 months after treatment.

Clinical Relevance

To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first report in the veterinary literature of graded balloon atrial septostomy performed for therapeutic purposes. Further studies are required to determine if this palliative procedure is a beneficial treatment option for dogs with congenital or severe refractory pulmonary hypertension.
The frictional and adhesive properties of the shells of terrestrial hairy snails
Authors: Shvydka Z. , Kovalev A. , Gorb S.N.
Published: November 2019

Hair‐like structures of the shell in some terrestrial snails have been suggested to represent an adaptive advantage. One of the recently proposed explanations was the hypothesis that the possession of hairs facilitates the snails' adherence to the leaves of the plants during foraging, when humidity levels are high. In order to obtain some reliable data to test this contact mechanics hypothesis, the present paper deals with the frictional and adhesive properties of the smooth and hairy shells of two species of terrestrial mollusks, Trochulus hispidus and T. villosulus. Additionally, actively generated traction force of the snails was measured on different substrates. The conducted experiments revealed that in wet conditions the hairiness indeed increases friction and that adhesion through the water film is high enough to retain the weight of the snail. However, possession of long hairs decreases the adhesion, in comparison with the animals with short hairs. Our data suggest that hair‐like structures require more energy expenditure during locomotion and only provide the advantage of higher adhesion on wet substrates. Obtained maximal traction forces were about 30 times higher than friction forces of the shell surface dragged over the substrate. Neither wetting condition of the substrate nor surface roughness had considerable effect on the traction forces of snails. Therefore, the function of the hair‐like structures seems not to be related with snail locomotion and adhesion.
High‐throughput transposon sequencing highlights the cell wall as an important barrier for osmotic stress in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and underlines a tailored response to different osmotic stressors
Authors: Schuster Christopher F. , Wiedemann David M. , Kirsebom Freja C. M. , Santiago Marina , Walker Suzanne , Gründling Angelika
Published: November 2019

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that can cause soft tissue infections but is also a frequent cause of foodborne illnesses. One contributing factor for this food association is its high salt tolerance allowing this organism to survive commonly used food preservation methods. How this resistance is mediated is poorly understood, particularly during long‐term exposure. In this study, we used transposon sequencing (TN‐seq) to understand how the responses to osmotic stressors differ. Our results revealed distinctly different long‐term responses to NaCl, KCl and sucrose stresses. In addition, we identified the DUF2538 domain containing gene SAUSA300_0957 (gene 957) as essential under salt stress. Interestingly, a 957 mutant was less susceptible to oxacillin and showed increased peptidoglycan crosslinking. The salt sensitivity phenotype could be suppressed by amino acid substitutions in the transglycosylase domain of the penicillin‐binding protein Pbp2, and these changes restored the peptidoglycan crosslinking to WT levels. These results indicate that increased crosslinking of the peptidoglycan polymer can be detrimental and highlight a critical role of the bacterial cell wall for osmotic stress resistance. This study will serve as a starting point for future research on osmotic stress response and help develop better strategies to tackle foodborne staphylococcal infections.
Self‐care ability and sense of security among older persons when using an app as a tool for support
Authors: Göransson Carina , Wengström Yvonne , Ziegert Kristina , Langius‐Eklöf Ann , Blomberg Karin
Published: November 2019

The study’s rationale

The need for home care among older persons is increasing, and mHealth is evolving to help meet the challenge. When developing an app to help maintain their health, it is essential to incorporate older persons’ preferences.

Aims and objectives

To describe and evaluate the experiences of self‐care support and sense of security among older persons using an interactive app to report health concerns.

Methodological design and justification

The study had a descriptive and evaluative design. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to achieve a broader understanding.

Ethical issues and approval

Ethical approval was obtained from the Regional Ethical Review Board. The older persons received verbal and oral information about the study and gave written informed consent.

Research methods

Questionnaires (n = 17 older persons) answered at baseline, end of the intervention and at a 6‐month follow‐up were analysed with statistical analysis. Interviews (n = 17 older persons) conducted at the end of the intervention were analysed using a qualitative directed approach.

Measurements and intervention

The questionnaire included the Appraisal of Self‐care Agency Scale and a question concerning sense of security. For 3 months, the older persons used an app for regular reporting of health concerns. The app included self‐care advice, graphs and a risk assessment model that generated alerts directly to the nurses.

Results

The older persons described how self‐care and sense of security increased at the end of intervention, but statistically, it was shown to decrease afterwards.

Study limitations

The small sample size for statistical analysis.

Conclusions

This study shows that an app can be a complementary tool to conventional home care that can increase older persons’ sense of security and self‐care ability. The results mirror the older persons’ awareness that the support they received with the app was only temporary. Larger studies are needed for generalisation.
Distinctions between experiences of anger and sadness in children's and adolescents' narrative accounts of peer injury
Authors: Recchia Holly Elizabeth , Wainryb Cecilia , Dirks Melanie , Riedel Monique , Bodington Malene
Published: November 2019

Children's varied emotions following peer injury may reflect distinct ways of understanding and coping with such events. This study examined how children's references to anger and sadness in their accounts of peer injury were differentially related to narrative descriptions of their motivations, interpretations, evaluations, and behavioral responses, as well as the relationships in which harm occurred. We also explored how these associations between emotions and other narrative elements varied with age. The study was based on a corpus of 275 transcripts of oral narratives recounted by equal numbers of boys and girls across three age groups: 7, 11, and 16 years. In line with functionalist theories, anger was uniquely linked to maximizing attributions, indignation, and aggression, after accounting for age and gender. Sadness was related to harm in close relationships and relational goals, underlining the value placed on relationships with the offender, as well as a sense of powerlessness and confusion. Some associations between emotions and other narrative elements varied with age, suggesting that children's experiences of anger and sadness became increasingly agentic and relationally oriented. Findings suggest how narrative constructions of meaning about peer injury may serve as contexts for reflecting on how anger and sadness emerge from and are resolved through interpersonal relationships.
Three types of mathematical representational translations: Comparing empirical and theoretical results
Authors: Adu‐Gyamfi Kwaku , Bossé Michael J. , Lynch‐Davis Kathleen
Published: November 2019

Previous research has investigated the representational translation practices of high school students, high school teachers, and college preservice teachers in various mathematical contexts including linear functions. Findings from qualitative research has frequently led to new notions about participant work and understanding. Many quantitative research has investigated the degree to which some in these populations correctly perform these translations. However, it seems that only infrequently have empirical research investigated findings from qualitative studies and vice versa, and findings regarding one population are rarely compared with findings of another population. This study (a) empirically explores the frequency of success of preservice teachers (N = 80) regarding representational translations in the context of linear functions, (b) quantifies results from previous qualitative, literature‐based research regarding high school students and teachers, and (c) quantitatively compares the results. This study demonstrates that some mathematical representational translations are more difficult than others.
Students' gendered perceptions of mathematics in middle grades single‐sex and coeducational classrooms
Authors: Kombe Dennis , Che S. Megan , Bridges William
Published: November 2019

With the introduction of single‐sex classroom settings in coeducational public schools, there is an ongoing debate as to whether single‐sex education may reduce or reinforce traditional stereotypes and gender roles. In this article we present findings from a study that investigated the extent to which mathematics is perceived as a gendered domain among adolescent students enrolled in single‐sex classes and coeducational classes. Further we analyzed the relationships between student characteristics, class‐type, and teacher variables on students' perceptions of gender in mathematics. Findings from this study challenge the traditional view of mathematics as a male domain. Female participants more frequently considered mathematics to be a female domain than the male participants. Male participants, on the other hand, typically did not stereotype the mathematics as a gendered domain. Results from this study do not indicate, for girls at least, that participation in single‐sex classes results in a greater propensity to stereotype mathematics as a gendered domain than would be the case in coeducational classes. This study contributes to the evolving discourse and understanding of adolescents' gendered attitudes and beliefs towards mathematics—especially in light of stereotyped assertions that have a bearing on efforts to promote the learning of mathematics and science.
The role of processing trade in exporters' responses to exchange rate: Evidence from China
Authors: Xie Yiqing , Song Chao
Published: November 2019

Processing trade is an important exporting mode for many countries developed by the export‐oriented industrialisation such as 1960s Japan, 1990s Korea and 2000s China. Exporters who rely on processing trade for foreign profits do not enjoy much market power, and hence care more about exchange rate changes. We develop a model to illustrate how processing trade affects exporters' responses to exchange rate fluctuations. The model suggests that the elasticity of export price with respect to exchange rate for processing‐trade exporters is greater than that of the ordinary‐trade exporters, while the elasticity of export quantity of processing‐trade exporters is smaller compared to their ordinary‐trade counterparts. Most developing countries' governments offer processing‐trade exporters better tax/tariff reduction policy to encourage exporting, which grants processing‐trade exporters additional advantage to adjust more on export price and less on quantity when facing changes in exchange rate and therefore causes their different responses to exchange rate fluctuations. We find strong empirical supports by studying the data from China, which is the largest developing country and biggest processing‐trade exporter.
Arithmeticity of the monodromy of some Kodaira fibrations
Authors: Salter Nick , Tshishiku Bena
Published: November 2019

A question of Griffiths–Schmid asks when the monodromy group of an algebraic family of complex varieties is arithmetic. We resolve this in the affirmative for a class of algebraic surfaces known as Atiyah–Kodaira manifolds, which have base and fibers equal to complete algebraic curves. Our methods are topological in nature and involve an analysis of the ‘geometric’ monodromy, valued in the mapping class group of the fiber.
Biomechanical Comparison of a New Dynamic Ankle Orthosis to a Standard Ankle-Foot Orthosis During Walking
Authors: Chung Chloe L. , DiAngelo Denis J. , Powell Douglas W. , Paquette Max R.
Published: November 2019

Patients who sustain irreversible cartilage damage or joint instability from ankle injuries are likely to develop ankle osteoarthritis (OA). A dynamic ankle orthosis (DAO) was recently designed with the intent to offload the foot and ankle using a distractive force, allowing more natural sagittal and frontal plane ankle motion during gait. To evaluate its efficacy, this study compared ankle joint kinematics and plantar pressures among the DAO, standard double upright ankle-foot orthosis (DUAFO), and a nonorthosis control (CON) condition in healthy adults during walking. Ten healthy subjects (26 ± 3.8 yr; 69.6 ± 12.7 kg; and 1.69 ± 0.07 m) walked on a treadmill at 1.4 m/s in three orthosis conditions: CON, DAO, and DUAFO. Ankle kinematics were assessed using a three-dimensional (3D) motion capture system and in-shoe plantar pressures were measured for seven areas of the foot. DAO reduced hallux peak plantar pressures (PPs) compared to CON and DUAFO. PPs under toes 2–5 were smaller in DAO than DUAFO, but greater in DUAFO compared to CON. Early stance peak plantarflexion (PF) angular velocity was smaller in DAO compared to CON and DUAFO. Eversion (EV) ROM was much smaller in DUAFO compared to CON and DAO. Early stance peak eversion angular velocity was smaller in DAO and much smaller in DUAFO compared to CON. This study demonstrates the capacity of the DAO to provide offloading during ambulation without greatly affecting kinematic parameters including frontal plane ankle motion compared to CON. Future work will assess the effectiveness of the DAO in a clinical osteoarthritic population.