bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing the Effectiveness of Child Resistant Closures by Studying Attempted Entry Behavior
Authors: Adams S. Keith , Henderson Larry W.
Published: December 2015

The Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 was the culmination of an effort lasting over a decade. The purpose of this act was “to protect children from serious personal injury or serious illness…” as the result of gaining access to hazardous household substances. The purpose of the investigation reported in this paper was to analyze three commonly available safety caps (plug-key), arrow line-up, and push-turn types), comparing them with one another and with standard types (snap and twist off) for a large group of children (99) aged 2, 3, 4, and 5 years, male and female. Testing procedures resembling those required under the federal standard were employed with two important exceptions: (1) children were not shown how to gain entry to the containers and (2) the period of attempted entry was reduced to two minutes. Incentives were placed in the containers to stimulate interest. Analysis of successful and unsuccessful entries was conducted with respect to container type, age, and sex. Several significant effects were noted. The push-turn type of safety cap proved most effective, followed by the arrow line-up and slot-key types. The percentage of successful entries was directly related to age. The statistics also revealed evidence questioning the effectiveness of some caps in meeting the federal standard. A detailed motion analysis was conducted on all subjects to study their investigative behaviors in attempting to gain entry to the containers. In testing subjects, all data were recorded on reel-to-reel video tape, permitting instant replay and micromotion analysis using slow motion and stop action viewing. A taxonomy and a frequency chart for these motions were then constructed.
Disruptive Camouflage and Visual Search
Authors: Bloomfield John R.
Published: December 2015

In two laboratory experiments, involving 282 observers and using aerial photographs, 155 camouflage conditions were evaluated. When compared with sixteen scenes containing un-camouflaged targets, 46 of these conditions produced significant increases in search time. On the basis of this research, several ways of delaying, or preventing altogether, the detection of ground tax-gets from the air are suggested.
Nasa Flight Management Research
Authors: Laveson Jack I.
Published: December 2015

The NASA Flight Management Research Program is committed to better understanding the aircrew role and human-system interface requirements within the air transportation system. Tradition pilot roles have been supplemented by the flight management concept where crew members become decision makers and monitors of aircraft status. The aircrew is viewed as skilled human operators in a complex environment. In a systems context, work is under way to better understand the theoretical basis for human performance. Applied efforts are aimed at investigating current and future problems which crews face as flight managers. Research areas include control-display development and evaluation; procedures for effective crew-system interface; and alternative, non-visual communication techniques. These areas are investigated in laboratory, part-task simulation and full mission simulation studies.
The Assessment of Rotary Wing Aviator Precision Performance during Extended Helicopter Flights
Authors: Lees Michael A. , Kimball Kent A. , Stone Lewis W.
Published: December 2015

To insure the most effective utilization of his aviation resources, the rotary wing flight commander requires information which describes how extended flight time affects the operational capability of his flight crews. In response to this requirement, the US Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory has conducted an investigation of the man-helicopter system performance during five days of extended flight. The current report describes the changes in pilot performance and aircraft stability on one of the maneuvers performed during the large scale fatigue investigation, the stabilized three-foot (.91 meter) precision hover.

The results obtained during the current examination strongly suggest the occurrence of a learning effect across the first day of extended flight. The most stable hover performance was observed during the second flight day. By the third flight day, pilots attempted to maintain high quality precision hovers through an increase in the number of control inputs. Results obtained on the fourth day of flight suggest that the pilots have shifted their control technique from active control of the helicopter to a more passive strategy of responding to observed error.
Vibration, Performance, and Personality
Authors: Hunt Bonnie
Published: December 2015

The present study was conducted using 16 Subjects, two test sites and two levels of vibration to investigate the “Fatigue Decreased Proficiency Boundary (FDPB) set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The Subjects were qualified physically fit for exposure to whole-body, z-axis vibration. The Subject's seat was a rigid, tractor-type, unpadded seat mounted on a base plate which carried footrests and handgrips. The test sites were in the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, and were selected to accommodate all the vibration frequencies used in an entire series of studies conducted by the University of Dayton Research Institute in conjunction with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Performance, physiological, and subjective measurements were taken in five test sessions for each subject individually. The physiological measure was heart rate. The subjective measures were ratings of motion severity and task difficulty. The Institute for Personality and Ability Testing Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (IPAT 16 PF) was administered.

It was concluded that vibration induced at the level of the ISO FDPB did not affect human performance. Motion severity and task difficulty were rated significantly higher under the 8 Hz condition than under the 0 Hz condition and were significantly correlated to each other. No differences emerged between the two different vibration sites. The introversion vs. extraversion scale was not significantly correlated to the motion severity nor the task difficulty scale as hypothesized. The introversion vs. extraversion scale was significantly correlated with all the measures of heart rate. That is, the Subjects who exhibited highest heart rates tended to score on introversion end of the Factor QIscale.
Implications of the System Concept for Human Factors Research Methodology
Authors: Meister David
Published: December 2015

This paper discusses the following topics: the underlying assumptions and goals of Human Factors (HF) and their implications for HF research; the major HF research problems to be solved. The concept is advanced that HF is a distinctive discipline with special research requirements and needs that have so far not been satisfied.
Experiments on Communication: Writing, Dictating, and Speaking
Authors: Gould John D.
Published: December 2015

Of the various methods of communication that will be technically feasible within this century, on which one(s) do people perform best and prefer most? To study this, in a series of psychological experiments 24 participants were given about 45 different specific letters to compose, using different methods of composition. Their resulting times, quality, attitudes, and component psychological processes were analyzed. Results demonstrate, among other things, that most common assumptions about dictating are wrong. Limiting factors in composition do not seem to be output processes (e.g., dictating vs. writing). Good authors are good authors, regardless of method. In choosing whether or not to use a communication system, people's attitudes toward it may be at least as important as their performance on it.
Personnel Subsystem Design Experience under a Total System Development Philosophy
Authors: Soth M. W. , Grosso I. W.
Published: December 2015

This paper presents the favorable experience of personnel subsystem designers working on data communications systems projects. The Total System Development concepts that were employed are presented first, followed by examples of the human-oriented design.
Special Populations—A Design for the Aged
Authors: Olshan Mark D.
Published: December 2015

Through a description of a hypothetical retirement community, this paper discusses several characteristic behaviors of elderly people and describes how the special needs of this group can be incorporated into the design of an enriching environment.
Enhance parallel input/output with cross-bundle aggregation
Authors: Wang Teng , Vasko Kevin , Liu Zhuo , Chen Hui , Yu Weikuan
Published: December 2015

The exponential growth of computing power on leadership scale computing platforms imposes grand challenge to scientific applications’ input/output (I/O) performance. To bridge the performance gap between computation and I/O, various parallel I/O libraries have been developed and adopted by computer scientists. These libraries enhance the I/O parallelism by allowing multiple processes to concurrently access the shared data set. Meanwhile, they are integrated with a set of I/O optimization strategies such as data sieving and two-phase I/O to better exploit the supplied bandwidth of the underlying parallel file system. Most of these techniques are optimized for the access on a single bundle of variables generated by the scientific applications during the I/O phase, which is stored in the form of file. Few of these techniques focus on cross-bundle I/O optimizations. In this article, we investigate the potential benefit from cross-bundle I/O aggregation. Based on the analysis of the I/O patterns of a mission-critical scientific application named the Goddard Earth Observing System, version 5 (GEOS-5), we propose a Bundle-based PARallel Aggregation (BPAR) framework with three partitioning schemes to improve its I/O performance as well as the I/O performance of a broad range of other scientific applications. Our experiment result reveals that BPAR can deliver 2.1× I/O performance improvement over the baseline GEOS-5, and it is very promising in accelerating scientific applications’ I/O performance on various computing platforms.
The effect of face-sheet thickness on low-velocity impact response of sandwich composites with foam cores
Authors: Atas Cesim , Potoğlu Umut
Published: December 2015

This paper presents an experimental investigation on impact response of sandwich composite panels with different face-sheet thicknesses. A number of low velocity impact tests were performed under various impact energies. The damage process of the sandwich composites consisted of glass/epoxy face-sheets, and foam cores are analyzed from cross-examining some graphs such as load–deflection curves and damaged specimens. The primary damage modes observed are fiber fractures at upper and lower skins, delaminations between adjacent glass-epoxy layers, and core shear fractures.
Magnetization mechanism of nonferrous wear debris by magnetic fluid in ferrography
Authors: Liu Tonggang , Zhao Jinbao , Liu Shujin , Bao Jiusheng
Published: December 2015

The application of magnetic fluid in ferrography has improved the technique for separating nonferrous wear debris by magnetic means. Brass debris was used as an example to analyze the magnetization mechanism based on ferrographic experiments and molecular analysis. The results show that the nanomagnetic particles in magnetic fluid attach to the surface of the micro nonferrous debris by the functional group of surfactant molecule so as to develop in that debris a positive susceptibility and make it responsive to the magnetic field. The magnetic action of the magnetic particles is selective as to the property of the debris surface to which it attaches, and the magnetization time depends on how readily of the attachment. Mathematical derivation based on mechanical models shown that the magnetic force exerted on the debris is strong enough for its precipitating on ferrogram.
Is the hotel industry prepared to face the challenge of sustainable development?
Authors: Melissen Frans , Cavagnaro Elena , Damen Maartje , Düweke Anna
Published: December 2015

This article focuses on one of the hotel industry’s key challenges: sustainable development. By reviewing the current impact and characteristics of this industry, its high potential to contribute to this challenge is established. The key question addressed here – especially interesting from a futures perspective – is whether the hotel industry is prepared to fulfil that potential. Through a review of relevant literature and 12 in-depth interviews with hoteliers in leading positions in Dutch hotels, this article evaluates to what extent the hotel industry’s current business models and its managers’ willingness and capabilities are ‘future proof’ from a sustainable development perspective. It concludes that the hotel industry is not yet able to make an optimal contribution and needs assistance to do so in the future, especially with respect to addressing guests’ needs and wants and (subsequent) institutionalization of sustainability, but the potential is there and maybe even more so than before.
The softer side of learning: Measuring students’ non-cognitive skills
Authors: Egalite Anna J , Mills Jonathan N , Greene Jay P
Published: December 2015

With an abundance of datasets of standardized test score data, researchers and education policymakers run the risk of focusing exclusively on the measurement of cognitive outcomes in key academic subjects such as math and reading at the expense of important non-cognitive outcomes. We use behavioral measures of conscientiousness, perseverance, and delay of gratification as well as a self-reported measure of student grit – defined as student perseverance and passion for long-term goals – to assess the non-cognitive skills of 174 16- to 18-year-old students attending a residential public high school in Arkansas, United States. Analysis shows that 11th grade students (16- to 17-year-olds) rate themselves lower on self-reported grit but outperform their 12th grade counterparts (17- to 18-year-olds) on behavioral measures of persistence, delay of gratification, and conscientiousness. These findings point to the strengths and limitations of existing tools for measuring non-cognitive skills and the need for more measures to be developed and tested with diverse populations.
Distressing Visions at the End of Life: Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Shinar Yael R. , Marks Adam D.
Published: December 2015

There is a growing body of literature documenting dreams, visions, and other trans-personal communications that occur as part of the dying process, often called end-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) or deathbed communications (DBCs). This paper describes a unique case involving distressing visions at the end of life, provides a review of existing literature around ELDVs, and will provide a framework within which to approach the patient experiencing distressing ELDVs.
Taking Inventory and Moving Forward: A Review of the Research Literature and Assessment of Qualitative Research in JPCC, 2010–2014
Authors: McCarroll Pamela R.
Published: December 2015

As the foremost journal in spiritual care and counseling (SCC), Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling (JPCC) functions as a barometer for the discipline’s research and interests. This article presents the findings of a review of the research literature in JPCC between 2010 and 2014. It examines research articles by asking the following questions: What are the quantity and types of research published? What are the dominant themes in this research? What are the quantity and methodologies of qualitative research? Findings are presented, discussed and recommendations are made in an effort to assess and further build the research base of the discipline.
Flow diverter placement for management of dissecting ruptured aneurysm in a non-fused basilar artery
Authors: Saliou Guillaume , Power Sarah , Krings Timo
Published: December 2015

Intracranial vertebral artery dissection can be associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and pseudoaneurysm formation. Dissecting aneurysms have a high risk of rebleeding in the acute phase. To our knowledge, the management of an acute vertebrobasilar junction dissecting aneurysm associated with a basilar non-fusion has not been previously reported. We report here a case of SAH due to rupture of a dissecting aneurysm involving the vertebrobasilar junction and extending to involve the right limb and proximal junction of a non-fused basilar artery, managed by insertion of a flow-diverting stent with excellent clinical outcome and long-term patency of the flow diverter.
Titanium phosphate glass microcarriers induce enhanced osteogenic cell proliferation and human mesenchymal stem cell protein expression
Authors: Lakhkar Nilay J , M Day Richard , Kim Hae-Won , Ludka Katarzyna , Mordan Nicola J , Salih Vehid , Knowles Jonathan C
Published: December 2015

In this study, we have developed 50- to 100-µm-sized titanium phosphate glass microcarriers (denoted as Ti5) that show enhanced proliferation of human mesenchymal stem cells and MG63 osteosarcoma cells, as well as enhanced human mesenchymal stem cell expression of bone differentiation markers, in comparison with commercially available glass microspheres at all time points. We also demonstrate that these microcarriers provide superior human mesenchymal stem cell proliferation with conventional Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle medium than with a specially developed commercial stem cell medium. The microcarrier proliferative capacity is revealed by a 24-fold increase in MG63 cell numbers in spinner flask bioreactor studies performed over a 7-day period, versus only a 6-fold increase in control microspheres under the same conditions; the corresponding values of Ti5 and control microspheres under static culture are 8-fold and 7-fold, respectively. The capability of guided osteogenic differentiation is confirmed by ELISAs for bone morphogenetic protein-2 and osteopontin, which reveal significantly greater expression of these markers, especially osteopontin, by human mesenchymal stem cells on the Ti5 microspheres than on the control. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy images reveal favorable MG63 and human mesenchymal stem cell adhesion on the Ti5 microsphere surfaces. Thus, the results demonstrate the suitability of the developed microspheres for use as microcarriers in bone tissue engineering applications.
Facing Big Data: Making sociology relevant
Authors: Mützel Sophie
Published: December 2015

Working with computational methods and large textual analysis has been challenging and very rewarding—with all the ups and downs that doing empirical social research entails. In my contribution, I relate some research experiences and reflect upon data construction and the links between theory, data, and methods.
The fictionality of topic modeling: Machine reading Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire series
Authors: Buurma Rachel Sagner
Published: December 2015

This essay describes how using unsupervised topic modeling (specifically the latent Dirichlet allocation topic modeling algorithm in MALLET) on relatively small corpuses can help scholars of literature circumvent the limitations of some existing theories of the novel. Using an example drawn from work on Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope's Barsetshire series, it argues that unsupervised topic modeling's counter-factual and retrospective reconstruction of the topics out of which a given set of novels have been created allows for a denaturalizing and unfamiliar (though crucially not “objective” or “unbiased”) view. In other words, topic models are fictions, and scholars of literature should consider reading them as such. Drawing on one aspect of Stephen Ramsay's idea of algorithmic criticism, the essay emphasizes the continuities between “big data” methods and techniques and longer-standing methods of literary study.
Small decisions with big impact on data analytics
Authors: Diesner Jana
Published: December 2015

Big social data have enabled new opportunities for evaluating the applicability of social science theories that were formulated decades ago and were often based on small- to medium-sized samples. Big Data coupled with powerful computing has the potential to replace the statistical practice of sampling and estimating effects by measuring phenomena based on full populations. Preparing these data for analysis and conducting analytics involves a plethora of decisions, some of which are already embedded in previously collected data and built tools. These decisions refer to the recording, indexing and representation of data and the settings for analysis methods. While these choices can have tremendous impact on research outcomes, they are not often obvious, not considered or not being made explicit. Consequently, our awareness and understanding of the impact of these decisions on analysis results and derived implications are highly underdeveloped. This might be attributable to occasional high levels of over-confidence in computational solutions as well as the possible yet questionable assumption that Big Data can wash out minor data quality issues, among other reasons. This article provides examples for how to address this issue. It argues that checking, ensuring and validating the quality of big social data and related auxiliary material is a key ingredient for empowering users to gain reliable insights from their work. Scrutinizing data for accuracy issues, systematically fixing them and diligently documenting these processes can have another positive side effect: Closely interacting with the data, thereby forcing ourselves to understand their idiosyncrasies and patterns, can help us to move from being able to precisely model and formally describe effects in society to also understand and explain them.
Non-surgical interventions for pelvic organ prolapse in rural Nepal: a prospective monitoring and evaluation study
Authors: Fitchett Joseph R , Bhatta Surya , Sherpa Tenzing Y , Malla Bishwo S , A Fitchett Elizabeth J , Samen Arlene , Kristensen Sibylle
Published: December 2015

Objectives

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a major cause of morbidity in Nepal, particularly affecting women in the rural communities. Women with POP in Nepal may suffer from symptoms for decades. At present, the Government of Nepal advocates surgical intervention but access to surgical care is inadequate. This report evaluated the feasibility of a non-surgical public health programme in rural Nepal, and describes risk factors associated with POP in this setting.

Design

Prospective monitoring and evaluation study of a new public health programme.

Setting

Baglung district, rural Nepal.

Participants

Women with gynaecological symptoms of POP.

Main outcome measures

Risk factors for disease progression were assessed using Fisher’s exact test, Pearson’s χ2-test and logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of the 74 women included in this analysis, 70.8% were diagnosed with stage 2 POP or greater. The majority of women did not have any further children following the onset of POP symptoms (63.5%). Duration of symptoms ranged from 2 months to 60 years, with 73.4% of women suffering for over 5 years and 28.4% suffering for over 20 years. Univariate analyses identified age at screening, age at onset of symptoms, the duration of symptoms and an associated rectocele as factors associated with increasing POP severity ( p < 0.05). Kegel exercises were taught to 25 (33.8%) women with POP and ring pessaries were offered to 47 (63.5%) women with POP.

Conclusions

Non-surgical interventions may provide an opportunity to address the significant burden of POP in rural Nepal.
Role of NGOs in Promoting Micro Health Insurance: A Study with Reference to ‘Sampoorna Suraksha’ Health Insurance Scheme by SKDRDP, Mangalore (India)
Authors: Pinto Vishal
Published: December 2015

The insurance sector has penetrated towards many of the high-income individuals and families but was unable to reach to those poor who do not have the capacity to purchase these insurance products. Thus, it is has created a huge gap between the rich and the poor. Micro health insurance is a new phenomenon in the Indian insurance sector which is specifically designed for the poor. This insurance programme is very essential for the individuals to protect them from various uncertainties and risk. The insurance is normally a product designed for the convenience of the middle- and higher-income groups of people. The lower segments of the people are alienated from taking the insurance policies as the prices of the policies are too high and unaffordable for them. Microfinancial institutions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work with urban and rural poor felt the need for the security of these people. Thus, many such institutions have come forward to offer insurance facilities to the poor. They have kept policy prices low and the premium was priced according to their level of income. The Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Programme (SKDRDP) is one such institution which has focused on medical and hospitalization costs of the poor people. Accordingly, they designed a favourable micro health insurance product named as ‘Sampoorna Suraksha’ health insurance scheme. The scheme was introduced in the year 2004 and has witnessed tremendous progress over the years.

In this article, we have analyzed the concept of micro-insurance, its development in India, its delivery models etc. We have also evaluated the ‘Sampoorna Suraksha’ scheme of SKDRDP and the progress of the insurance scheme in terms of enrolment, claim settlement, premium collection etc. The main objective of this article is to analyze the role of NGOs towards micro health insurance. In order to make an appropriate study, we have used exploratory and descriptive research methodology by taking the SKDRDP as a unit of the case study.
Flipping to Teach the Conceptual Foundations of Successful Workplace Writing
Authors: Campbell Kim Sydow
Published: December 2015

Flipping originated in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, where didactic transmission of conceptual knowledge has been the standard pedagogy. Flipping has resulted in additional focus on procedural knowledge within class meetings. This article argues that business and professional writing pedagogy, which already focuses largely on procedural knowledge within class meetings, would benefit from flipping because it could create an additional focus on conceptual knowledge outside of the classroom. The article explains why we need to teach conceptual foundations, why video is a good choice for that teaching, and what challenges we face in creating those instructional videos.
Short-term pre- and post-Operative Stress Prolongs Incision-Induced Pain Hypersensitivity without Changing Basal Pain Perception
Authors: Cao Jing , Wang Po-Kai , Tiwari Vinod , Liang Lingli , Lutz Brianna Marie , Shieh Kun-Ruey , Zang Wei-Dong , Kaufman Andrew G. , Bekker Alex , Gao Xiao-Qun , Tao Yuan-Xiang
Published: December 2015

Background

Chronic stress has been reported to increase basal pain sensitivity and/or exacerbate existing persistent pain. However, most surgical patients have normal physiological and psychological health status such as normal pain perception before surgery although they do experience short-term stress during pre-and post-operative periods. Whether or not this short-term stress affects persistent postsurgical pain is unclear.

Results

In this study, we showed that pre-or post-surgical exposure to immobilization 6 h daily for three consecutive days did not change basal responses to mechanical, thermal, or cold stimuli or peak levels of incision-induced hypersensitivity to these stimuli; however, immobilization did prolong the duration of incision-induced hypersensitivity in both male and female rats. These phenomena were also observed in post-surgical exposure to forced swimming 25 min daily for 3 consecutive days. Short-term stress induced by immobilization was demonstrated by an elevation in the level of serum corticosterone, an increase in swim immobility, and a decrease in sucrose consumption. Blocking this short-term stress via intrathecal administration of a selective glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU38486, or bilateral adrenalectomy significantly attenuated the prolongation of incision-induced hypersensitivity to mechanical, thermal, and cold stimuli.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that short-term stress during the pre- or post-operative period delays postoperative pain recovery although it does not affect basal pain perception. Prevention of short-term stress may facilitate patients' recovery from postoperative pain.
Survival Impact of Increasing Time to Treatment Initiation for Patients With Head and Neck Cancer in the United States
Authors: Murphy Colin T. , Galloway Thomas J. , Handorf Elizabeth A. , Egleston Brian L. , Wang Lora S. , Mehra Ranee , Flieder Douglas B. , Ridge John A.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

To estimate the overall survival (OS) impact from increasing time to treatment initiation (TTI) for patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods

Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we examined patients who received curative therapy for the following sites: oral tongue, oropharynx, larynx, and hypopharynx. TTI was the number of days from diagnosis to initiation of curative treatment. The effect of TTI on OS was determined by using Cox regression models (MVA). Recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) identified TTI thresholds via conditional inference trees to estimate the greatest differences in OS on the basis of randomly selected training and validation sets, and repeated this 1,000 times to ensure robustness of TTI thresholds.

Results

A total of 51,655 patients were included. On MVA, TTI of 61 to 90 days versus less than 30 days (hazard ratio [HR], 1.13; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.19) independently increased mortality risk. TTI of 67 days appeared as the optimal threshold on the training RPA, statistical significance was confirmed in the validation set (P < .001), and the 67-day TTI was the optimal threshold in 54% of repeated simulations. Overall, 96% of simulations validated two optimal TTI thresholds, with ranges of 46 to 52 days and 62 to 67 days. The median OS for TTI of 46 to 52 days or fewer versus 53 to 67 days versus greater than 67 days was 71.9 months (95% CI, 70.3 to 73.5 months) versus 61 months (95% CI, 57 to 66.1 months) versus 46.6 months (95% CI, 42.8 to 50.7 months), respectively (P < .001). In the most recent year with available data (2011), 25% of patients had TTI of greater than 46 days.

Conclusion

TTI independently affects survival. One in four patients experienced treatment delay. TTI of greater than 46 to 52 days introduced an increased risk of death that was most consistently detrimental beyond 60 days. Prolonged TTI is currently affecting survival.
Androgen Regulates Mafb Expression Through its 3′UTR During Mouse Urethral Masculinization
Authors: Matsushita Shoko , Suzuki Kentaro , Ogino Yukiko , Hino Shinjiro , Sato Tetsuya , Suyama Mikita , Matsumoto Takahiro , Omori Akiko , Inoue Satoshi , Yamada Gen
Published: December 2015

External genitalia are prominent organs showing hormone-dependent sexual differentiation. Androgen is an essential regulator of masculinization of the genital tubercle, which is the anlage of external genitalia. We have previously shown that v-maf avian musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homolog B (MAFB) is an androgen-inducible regulator of embryonic urethral masculinization in mice. However, it remains unclear how androgen regulates Mafb expression. The current study suggests that the Mafb 3′ untranslated region (UTR) is an essential region for its regulation by androgen. We identified 2 functional androgen response elements (AREs) in Mafb 3′UTR. Androgen receptor is bound to such AREs in 3′UTR during urethral masculinization. In addition to 3′UTR, Mafb 5′UTR also showed androgen responsiveness. Moreover, we also demonstrated that β-catenin, one of genital tubercle masculinization factors, may be an additional regulator of Mafb expression during urethral masculinization. This study provides insights to elucidate mechanisms of gene regulation through AREs present in Mafb 3′UTR for a better understanding of the processes of urethral masculinization.
Glial expression of Swiss-cheese (SWS), theDrosophilaorthologue of Neuropathy Target Esterase, is required for neuronal ensheathment and function
Authors: Dutta Sudeshna , Rieche Franziska , Eckl Nina , Duch Carsten , Kretzschmar Doris
Published: December 2015

Swiss-cheese (SWS) and its vertebrate ortholog Neuropathy Target Esterase (NTE) cause progressive neuronal degeneration in Drosophila and mice and a complex syndrome in humans that includes mental retardation, spastic paraplegia, and blindness. SWS and NTE are widely expressed in neurons but can also be found in glia however the function in glia was unknown. We have used a knockdown approach to specifically address SWS function in glia and to probe for resulting neuronal dysfunctions. This revealed that loss of SWS in pseudocartridge glia causes the formation of multi-layered glial whorls in the lamina cortex, the first optic neuropil. This phenotype can be rescued by the expression of SWS and NTE suggesting that the glial function is conserved in the vertebrate protein. SWS is also required for the glial wrapping of neurons by ensheathing glia and its loss in glia causes axonal damage. We also detected severe locomotion deficits in glial SWS knockdown flies that already occurred at 2d and increased further with age. Utilizing the giant fiber system to test for underlying functional neuronal defects showed that the response latency to a stimulus was unchanged in knockdown flies compared to controls but the reliability with which the neurons responded to increasing frequencies was reduced. This shows that the loss of SWS in glia impairs neuronal function, thereby playing an important role in the phenotypes described in the sws mutant. It is therefore likely that changes in glia also contribute to the pathology observed in patients that carry mutations in NTE.
A new brand for Disease Models & Mechanisms and The Company of Biologists
Authors: Hackett Rachel , Moulton O. Claire , Cagan Ross L.
Published: December 2015

Summary: The launch of a new brand and website for DMM.
Evaluation of PEG-SAM Stabilities and Inhibition of Nonspecific Protein Adsorption during Storage for 2 Months
Authors: Aoki Takahiro , Okumura Yasuaki , Shioi Masahiko , Kawamura Tatsuro
Published: December 2015

We investigated the stabilities of poly(ethylene glycol)-terminated self-assembled monolayers (PEG-SAMs) and quantitatively evaluated their inhibition of nonspecific protein adsorption on Au substrates. PEG-SAMs with 16-carbon alkyl chains bound stably to the Au substrate and inhibited nonspecific protein adsorption, in contrast to PEG-SAMs with 11 or fewer carbon alkyl chains, as demonstrated by 2 months’ storage in a protein mixture at 37 °C.
Synthesis and Characterization of Heterofluorenes with Five-coordinated Group 13 Elements
Authors: Matsumoto Takuya , Takamine Hirofumi , Tanaka Kazuo , Chujo Yoshiki
Published: December 2015

Heterofluorenes containing group 13 atoms such as aluminum (alumafluorene) and gallium (gallafluorene) were synthesized and characterized. The synthesized heterofluorenes had five-coordinated states in their single crystals. From UV–vis absorption measurements, the heterofluorenes presented similarly shaped spectra. Interestingly, in the emission spectra at room temperature, gallafluorene presented the phosphorescence property. At 77 K, gallafluorene showed larger phosphorescence than alumafluorene did. The heavy atom effect of gallium should be responsible for the phosphorescence property of gallafluorene.
Facile Preparation and Characterization of Polystyrene/Triphenyl Phosphate Nanocomposite via Suspension Polymerization
Authors: Zhang Cunwei , Li Xiangmei , Yang Rongjie
Published: December 2015

In this work, polystyrene (PS)/triphenyl phosphate (TPP) nanocomposites were prepared by suspension polymerization. The TPP dissolved firstly in styrene monomer, and then suspension polymerization was carried out. The results showed that TPP nanoparticles, being about 50 nm spheres, were homogeneously and uniformly dispersed in a PS matrix, which was first reported. Furthermore, the formation mechanism of TPP nanoparticles was simulated by the dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) method. The flame retardance of the PS/TPP nanocomposite was significantly improved, which was attributed to the nanodispersion of TPP particles in the PS matrix.
Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(arylene vinylene ketone)s Bearing 1,1′-Binaphthylene Units through Mizoroki–Heck Coupling Polymerization
Authors: Tsukamoto Tadashi , Maeyama Katsuya , Higashibayashi Shuhei , Sakurai Hidehiro
Published: December 2015

Mizoroki–Heck coupling polymerization of diiodonated 1,1′-binaphthyls ((S)-1/2) with divinylbenzenes (DVB-H/-Me/-OMe) afforded a series of poly(arylene vinylene ketone)s (PAVK1–PAVK6). The resulting PAVKs have high thermal stabilities, excellent solubilities in organic solvents, and pale blue to green fluorescence properties.
Ab Initio Study of Internal Conversion through S1/S2 and S2/S3 Conical Intersections of 6-Acetyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthalene
Authors: Kunisada Tomotaka , Ushiyama Hiroshi , Yamashita Koichi
Published: December 2015

In this letter, we report the results of an ab initio study on non-radiative decay from the S3 to S1 states of the ACEDAN molecule. We discuss if the process is likely to occur on an ultrafast time scale and if a coherent nuclear wavepacket is likely to be generated due to a non-adiabatic transition through the conical intersection. We conclude that the decay from S3 to S2 is likely to occur on an ultrafast time scale.
Market Externalities of Large Unemployment Insurance Extension Programs
Authors: Lalive Rafael , Landais Camille , Zweimüller Josef
Published: December 2015

We provide evidence that unemployment insurance affects equilibrium conditions in the labor market, which creates significant “market externalities.” We provide a framework for identification of such equilibrium effects and implement it using the Regional Extension Benefit Program (REBP) in Austria which extended the duration of UI benefits for a large group of eligible workers in selected regions of Austria. We show that non-eligible workers in REBP regions have higher job finding rates, lower unemployment durations, and a lower risk of long-term unemployment. We discuss the implications of our results for optimal UI policy. (JEL E24, J64, J65, R23)
Constitutional-law aspects of reforming of state administration
Authors: Калишева Нажия , Kalisheva Nazhiya
Published: December 2015

The aim of the article is to study the constitutional and legal problems of state control. Actualized the problem of generalization theoretical base content of the category "control" as one of the most effective forms of implementation of social activities of public authorities; identify the underlying types of strategies and priorities of state control in the Republic of Kazakhstan, its place and role in the system of checks and balances aimed at preserving the balance, balance of power; study of the main directions and principles of constitutionalization measures of state control as a means of ensuring, on the one hand, the effectiveness of the other, the modernization of public administration.
Exploring the activity profile of health care assistants and nurses in home nursing
Authors: De Vliegher Kristel , Aertgeerts Bert , Declercq Anja , Moons Philip
Published: December 2015

Are home nurses (also known as community nurses) ready for their changing role in primary care? A quantitative study was performed in home nursing in Flanders, Belgium, to explore the activity profile of home nurses and health care assistants, using the 24-hour recall instrument for home nursing. Seven dates were determined, covering each day of the week and the weekend, on which data collection would take place. All the home nurses and health care assistants from the participating organisations across Flanders were invited to participate in the study. All data were measured at nominal level. A total of 2478 home nurses and 277 health care assistants registered 336 128 (47 977 patients) and 36 905 (4558 patients) activities, respectively. Home nurses and health care assistants mainly perform ‘self-care facilitation’ activities in combination with ‘psychosocial care’ activities. Health care assistants also support home nurses in the ‘selfcare facilitation’ of patients who do not have a specific nursing indication.
Understanding the Code: use of medicines
Authors: Griffith Richard
Published: December 2015

The revised Code of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), the statutory professional regulator for district nurses, makes clear that while district nurses can interpret the values and principles for medication use in community settings, the standards are not negotiable or discretionary. They must be applied or the district nurse's fitness to practice will be called into question. In the final article in the series analysing the legal implications of the NMC Code on district nurse practice, Richard Griffith considers standard 18 on medicines.
The importance of mentoring for practitioners
Authors: McIntosh Bryan
Published: December 2015

Dr Bryan McIntosh, senior lecturer in health management and organisational behaviour at the University of Bradford, reflects on the crucial role of mentors
Horticulture and ecotherapies: Improving health and wellbeing
Authors: Haith Josh , Trenoweth Steve
Published: December 2015

In this article, the evidence for the potential value of horticultural therapy to those with mental health difficulties will be reviewed. Horticultural therapy will be discussed in relation to its position within a broader ecotherapeutic framework. A number of recent research studies will then be discussed and evaluated. Finally, the article will analyse common themes from these research papers and explore the implications for mental health nursing practice.
Healthy lifestyle behaviours in pregnancy: A prospective cohort study in Ireland
Authors: Dunney Clare , Murphy Deirdre J
Published: December 2015

Background:

Women attempting to conceive and those in early pregnancy are advised to alter their lifestyles to achieve and maintain a healthy pregnancy. This study aimed to determine women's reported health behaviours during pregnancy to identify ‘at risk’ groups of women and their pregnancy outcomes.

Method:

A cohort study of 907 women who booked for antenatal care and birth in a large maternity hospital in Dublin, was undertaken from 2010–2011. Eligible women completed an interview at the first visit, a postal questionnaire during the third trimester, and were followed-up until birth and hospital discharge.

Results:

Over 80% of women were found to have factors contributing to an unhealthy lifestyle during the first and third trimester of pregnancy. Clustering of unfavourable factors was evident, with 47% of women engaging in two or more unhealthy lifestyle behaviours during pregnancy. Women of Irish nationality, aged 35–39 years, or who had private health care, were identified as being more likely to have favourable factors for a healthy pregnancy. Women were more likely to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviours during the third trimester if they were having their first baby. Women with healthy lifestyles in pregnancy had better perinatal outcomes than unhealthy women.

Conclusion:

Many women continue to make unhealthy lifestyle choices during pregnancy despite guidelines that recommend healthy behaviours in pregnancy. The ongoing challenge for health professionals is to encourage healthy behaviour modification in women who are planning to conceive or who are already pregnant, particularly young women and those with an unplanned pregnancy.
Unconscious bias
Authors: Sporek Paulina Ewa
Published: December 2015

Your background, personal experiences, societal stereotypes and cultural context can have an impact on your midwifery practice, says Paulina Sporek.
Personal hygiene in school children aged 6–12 years in Jordan
Authors: ALBashtawy Mohammed
Published: December 2015

Personal hygiene among children is considered as the best tool to improve community strategies and intervention practices to tackle the many communicable and infectious diseases. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out over 3 weeks in November 2014. The participants were school children in grades 1 to 6 (6–12-year-olds). A questionnaire was used to collect information about demographic characteristics, and then the children were interviewed and inspected regarding their general hygiene, including the state of their uniform or clothes, bathing, oral care, hand washing before and after eating, hand washing after use of toilet, covering one's mouth when sneezing and coughing, appropriate disposal of solid tissue and unkempt hair or nails. Data were analysed using the SPSS programme version 14. Descriptive distribution statistics and the Pearson chi-square test were computed. The prevalence of cleanliness and neatness among school children was 76.7%. Furthermore, these improved with age. Poor oral hygiene (47.6%) and not washing hands after eating (47.1%) followed by unkempt hair (44.0%) were the main types of poor personal hygiene. Health promotion programmes and health education lectures should be implemented for children and their families. School nurses, school staff and parents also have an important role in teaching the children how to practice good personal hygiene.
The needs of young carers and the role of the school nurse
Authors: Lovell Helen , Cleaver Karen
Published: December 2015

Young carers provide a significant contribution to society in their caring role, which is in line with the UK Government's Big Society agenda. In contrast with their contribution to society, young carers have huge associated costs related to poor outcomes and the numbers that end up not in employment, education or training (NEET). Missing school due to caring responsibilities is likely to have affect future education and job prospects. Understanding the impact of the caring role on the school experience of young carers will enable school nurses to provide appropriate support for young carers, improving their school experience and subsequent outcomes.
Addressing childhood obesity: Overcoming the barriers
Authors: Dawe Natasha
Published: December 2015

Obesity is a major public health issue, and with more than a third of 10–11-year-olds affected school nurses should be leading in tackling this issue. Natasha Dawe discusses some of the barriers that may prevent them from delivering effective interventions to help reduce obesity rates.
Comparison of ceiling effects between two patient-rating scores and a physician-rating score in the assessment of outcome after the surgical treatment of distal radial fractures
Authors: Kim S-J. , Lee B-G. , Lee C-H. , Choi W-S. , Kim J-H. , Lee K-H.
Published: December 2015

We compared the ceiling effects of two patient-rating scores, the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE), and a physician-rating score, the Modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS) in assessing the outcome of surgical treatment of an unstable distal radial fracture. A total of 77 women with a mean age of 64.2 years (50 to 88) who underwent fixation using a volar locking plate for an unstable distal radial fracture between 2011 and 2013 were enrolled in this study. All completed the DASH and PRWE questionnaires one year post-operatively and were assessed using the MMWS by the senior author. The ceiling effects in the outcome data assessed for each score were estimated.

The data assessed with both patient-rating scores, the DASH and PRWE, showed substantial ceiling effects, whereas the data assessed with MMWS showed no ceiling effect.

Researchers should be aware of a possible ceiling effect in the assessment of the outcome of the surgical treatment of distal radial fractures using patient-rating scores. It could also increase the likelihood of a type II error.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1651–6.