bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Functional Performance in Acute Geriatric Psychiatry – Time for New Strategies?
Authors: Trumpf Rieke , Morat Tobias , Zijlstra Wiebren , Haussermann Peter , Fleiner Tim
Published: October 2019

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and reliability of functional performance tests in people living with dementia and depression.

Method:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a geriatric psychiatry hospital. People living with dementia, depression, and healthy older adults were included. Feasibility of the timed up and go test (TUG), the short physical performance battery (SPPB), and the multisurface obstacle test for older adults (MSOT) was assessed based on valid test executions. Test-retest reliability was evaluated by mean difference (MD), coefficient of variation (CV), standardized MD, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and correlation coefficient ( rs).

Results:

A total of 53 people in acute geriatric psychiatry and 21 healthy older adults were included. In people living with dementia (n = 23), feasibility was 65.2% (MSOT), 8.7% (TUG), and 8.7% (SPPB). In people living with depression (n = 30), feasibility was 83.3% (MSOT), 80.0% (TUG), and 46.7% (SPPB). Intraclass correlation coefficients and rs for the MSOT were high (ICC > 0.70) in both groups. Coefficient of variations of the MSOT were between 10.7% and 18.0% (dementia) and 7.1% and 17.0% (depression). Reliability of the TUG and SPPB was not analyzed in people living with dementia, due to low feasibility. In people living with depression, ICCs and rs were between 0.86 and 0.87 with CVs of 7.2% (TUG) and 0.69 and 0.95 with CVs of 7.8% and 15.1% (SPPB).

Conclusion:

Feasibility and reliability of established functional performance tests in acute geriatric psychiatry are limited, especially in people living with dementia. New strategies, for example, sensor-based approaches, may allow measurement of functional performance apart from standardized instruction-based test procedures in this clinical population.
Sound-Symbolism Effects in the Absence of Awareness: A Replication Study
Authors: Heyman Tom , Maerten Anne-Sofie , Vankrunkelsven Hendrik , Voorspoels Wouter , Moors Pieter
Published: October 2019

People have been shown to link particular sounds with particular shapes. For instance, the round-sounding nonword bouba tends to be associated with curved shapes, whereas the sharp-sounding nonword kiki is deemed to be related to angular shapes. People’s tendency to associate sounds and shapes has been observed across different languages. In the present study, we reexamined the claim by Hung, Styles, and Hsieh (2017) that such sound–shape mappings can occur before an individual becomes aware of the visual stimuli. More precisely, we replicated their first experiment, in which congruent and incongruent stimuli (e.g., bouba presented in a round shape or an angular shape, respectively) were rendered invisible through continuous flash suppression. The results showed that congruent combinations, on average, broke suppression faster than incongruent combinations, thus providing converging evidence for Hung and colleagues’ assertions. Collectively, these findings now provide a solid basis from which to explore the boundary conditions of the effect.
A profit-based self-scheduling framework for generation company energy and ancillary service participation in multi-constrained environment with renewable energy penetration
Authors: Reddy Srikanth , Panwar Lokesh , Panigrahi Bijaya Ketan , Kumar Rajesh , Goel Lalit , Al-Sumaiti Ameena Saad
Published: October 2019

This paper presents a profit-based self-scheduling framework for generation company participation in energy and ancillary service markets under multi-constrained environment with renewable energy participation. The participation strategies of generation company include various objectives incorporating economic (profit maximization), environmental (emission minimization), and social (maximum load satisfaction) aspects. The total objective under single, dual and multi-constrained approaches is formulated along with appropriate constraints for energy, spinning reserve, and non-spinning reserve offerings in various markets. In addition, the impact of renewable energy participation in energy market on scheduling decisions of generation company in different markets is also examined. The renewable energy independent power producers namely wind energy and solar photovoltaic energy generators are considered in this study. The sensitivity analysis is also carried out to examine the impact of reserve deployment probability on optimal offerings and generation company surplus in energy as well as ancillary service markets. To solve the proposed framework, binary fireworks algorithm is used, considering the binary natured commitment problem of generation company’s thermal units. The simulation results of proposed framework tested using thermal units, wind energy independent power producer, solar photovoltaic independent power producer are presented for base case and various scenarios involving single, dual and multi objectives. The comparison shows the effectiveness of proposed multi-constrained approach in arriving at optimal offering of generation company under economic, environmental and social constraints. Therefore, this integrated approach can prove to be an effective tool for generation company participation in energy and ancillary service market under renewable participation.
Combustion kinetics of lignite preheated under oxygen-enriched conditions
Authors: Uğuz Özlem , Haykiri-Açma Hanzade , Yaman Serdar
Published: October 2019

This study bases on the testing of the solid-state kinetic models to determine the combustion kinetics of thermally pretreated Turkish lignite (Adiyaman–Golbasi) in O2-enriched environment. The lignite sample was first preheated in a horizontal tube furnace at temperatures of 200°C, 400°C and 600°C that correspond to torrefaction, partly devolatilization and partly ashing temperatures. Oxidative environments that have the O2 concentrations of 21, 30, 40 and 50 vol.%. were created during this treatment by changing the ratio of O2/N2 in the binary gas mixtures. The solid residues remaining after oxidation were then subjected to non-isothermal combustion conditions in a thermal analyzer up to 900°C under dry air atmosphere. The conversion degrees calculated from the thermogravimetric analysis were used to establish the kinetic parameters based on the Coats–Redfern method. It was concluded that the first-order reaction model fits well for both the combustion of volatiles and the burning of the char. It was also seen that the concentration of O2 in the pre-oxidation stage plays an important role as treatment temperature also increases. Moreover, it was also concluded that the activation energies for the char burning regions of the samples treated at 200°C and 400°C differ seriously.
Proposal of a novel mixed integer linear programming model for site selection of a wind power plant based on power maximization with use of mixed type wind turbines
Authors: Ari Emin Sertaç , Gencer Cevriye
Published: October 2019

Several methods that have been developed to obtain energy, which is indispensable for life and whose necessity has increased geometrically in the course of time, are no longer sustainable. Therefore, human being has headed towards sustainable alternative energy sources. Wind has been one of the most interested renewable energy sources for human as of the beginning of the 20th century. This study focuses on one of the most important work items at the establishment phase of this important energy source, power plant site selection. Within the scope of linear programming perspective, two models were presented based on mixed integer linear programming. The first model provides employment of single-type wind turbine on the selected site, whereas the second model, which was developed within the current study, aims additional increase in total power output by allowing employment of multiple-type wind turbine on the selected site. The same region showed up as the most appropriate site to establish wind power plant as a result of both models of the study.
Clinical characteristics and risk factors of microvascular involvement in primary antiphospholipid syndrome: a longitudinal single-center study in China
Authors: Sun Y , Zhao J , Zhang P , Wu C , Jiang N , Zhou J , Zhang S , Wu Q , Wang Q , Li M , Zeng X
Published: October 2019

Objectives

The objective of this study was to investigate risk factors of microvascular involvement and survival in Chinese patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.

Methods

In this single-center, retrospective study, we enrolled 112 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of primary antiphospholipid syndrome who were admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2004 to December 2016. Demographic data, clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and follow-up records were collected.

Results

A total of 112 patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome were studied. Microvascular involvement was identified in 21 patients (18.75%). Patients with microvascular involvement experienced fewer episodes of arterial or venous thrombosis (28.6% vs. 84.6%) and a higher incidence of thrombocytopenia (85.7% vs. 54.9%), respectively. Low complement and elevated high-sensitivity CRP levels were observed more frequently in the microvascular group compared with the non-microvascular group (complement 38.1% vs. 18.7%; high-sensitivity CRP 71.4% vs. 31.9%, respectively). Anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibodies were more prevalent in patients with microvascular involvement than in patients without (66.7% vs. 33.0%, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that thrombocytopenia (odds ratio = 4.523, 95% confidence interval 1.139–17.962), elevated high-sensitivity CRP levels (odds ratio = 6.385, 95% confidence interval 1.969–20.704), and anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibody positivity (odds ratio = 5.042, 95% confidence interval 1.555–16.352) were independent risk factors for microvascular involvement. A Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that survival was significantly poorer in patients with microvascular involvement compared with patients without ( p = 0.0278).

Conclusions

In addition to arterial and venous thrombosis, antiphospholipid syndrome can affect the microvasculature of select organs. It is thus important for clinicians to be aware that antiphospholipid syndrome-associated microvascular involvement has a unique pathogenesis and can be a life-threatening condition.
Moral identity and palliative sedation: A systematic review of normative nursing literature
Authors: Wright David Kenneth , Gastmans Chris , Vandyk Amanda , de Casterlé Bernadette Dierckx
Published: October 2019

Background:

In the last two decades, nursing authors have published ethical analyses of palliative sedation—an end-of-life care practice that also receives significant attention in the broader medical and bioethics literature. This nursing literature is important, because it contributes to disciplinary understandings about nursing values and responsibilities in end-of-life care.

Research aim:

The purpose of this project is to review existing nursing ethics literature about palliative sedation, and to analyze how nurses’ moral identities are portrayed within this literature.

Research design:

We reviewed discussion papers, written by nurses about the ethics of palliative sedation, which were cited in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Nursing and Allied Health, or Philosopher’s Index (search date March 2018). Twenty-one papers met selection criteria. We performed a comprehensive review and analysis (using the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven), of the values, responsibilities, and relationships reflected in authors’ portrayal of the nursing role.

Findings:

Two different tones are apparent in the extant nursing ethics literature. One is educational, while the other is critically reflective. Irrespective of tone, all authors agree on the alleviation of suffering as a fundamental nursing responsibility. However, they differ in their analysis of this responsibility in relation to other values in end-of-life care, including those that depend on consciousness. Finally, authors emphasize the importance of subjective and experience-based understandings of palliative sedation, which they argue as depending on nurses’ proximity to patients and families in end-of-life care.

Discussion and conclusion:

Based on our findings, we develop three recommendations for future writing by nurses about palliative sedation. These relate to the responsibility of recognizing how consciousness might matter in (some) peoples’ moral experiences of death and dying, to the importance of moral reflectiveness in nursing practice, and to the value of a relational approach in conceptualizing the nursing ethics of palliative sedation.
Determinants of Work Engagement Among Nurses in Northeast India
Authors: Rastogi Mansi , Saikia Ashim
Published: October 2019

The present empirical study examines the effects of home and work domain resources (family–work enrichment and supervisor’s support) on work engagement among nurses using the perspective of job-demands resources model. Considering the dearth of literature in government health-care sector especially in North Eastern Region (NER) of India, the study was conducted in Assam. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from government hospitals. The results of multiple hierarchical regression indicated that family–work enrichment and supervisor’s support both play a significant positive role in enhancing the work engagement levels among nurses. Thus, both hypotheses were supported. Limitations, future scope and conclusion are discussed.
FinTech, Crowdfunding and Customer Retention in Islamic Banks
Authors: Baber Hasnan
Published: October 2019

Financial technology (FinTech) has gained a lot of attention and popularity in recent past years. Some researchers blame it for disrupting financial ecosystem and while others admire it for redefining traditional business models. According to the Statista Report 2018, transaction value in the crowdfunding segment amounts to US$ 5,250 mn in 2018. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of FinTech applications and crowdfunding on customer retention in Islamic banks of Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. A structured questionnaire consisting of 31 items was designed to gather data from 535 customers of selected banks from both countries through strata sampling. Various statistical tests were done to check the association between FinTech applications including crowdfunding and customer retention using SPSS 25.0. The results indicated that financing application of FinTech has no relevance to customer retention while as other variables such as payments, advisory services, compliance and crowdfunding has an impact on retaining customers in Islamic banks of these two countries. The conclusion of this study emphasis on expanding the range of applications of FinTech services by Islamic banks so that the customer will stay longer with the bank. Also, crowdfunding should be integrated into the Islamic banking system so that it can help in social entrepreneurship, micro-finance and establishing global Zakah and Sadaqa system.
Real-world experience managing blinatumomab toxicities in adults with relapsed/refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Crist MacKenzie , Emadi Ashkan , Duffy Alison
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of blinatumomab toxicities on drug therapy modifications in an intended 28-day course of blinatumomab therapy.

Methods

Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who received blinatumomab at the University of Maryland Marlene & Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center from March 1, 2015 to April 30, 2018 were included. The primary objective of this study was to identify the frequency and severity of blinatumomab toxicities that led to drug therapy modifications; secondary objectives were to identify the frequency and duration of modifications and the total dose and duration of therapy received.

Results

This study included 23 patients. Seventy-eight percent of patients experienced cytokine release syndrome and/or neurotoxicity. Eighteen drug therapy modifications occurred due to toxicity with a median interruption time of nine hours. Drug therapy was continued for the majority of grade 1 or 2 events and discontinued during grade 3 or 4 neurotoxicity. The median number of days of therapy delivered was 28 days (range, 27–35). A median of 2 h (range, 0–16) of therapy or 0.2% (range, 0–2.4) of a total 28-day cycle was lost due to transition of care.

Conclusion

This retrospective study demonstrates a single center experience with blinatumomab toxicity management and appropriate delivery of drug during transitions of care. Overall, these results support to the importance of institutional guidelines in place to facilitate safe and effective delivery of blinatumomab.
Safe use of nivolumab in a patient with renal cell carcinoma and hepatitis B
Authors: Akar Emre , Baytekin Halil F , Deniz Hatice , Tural Deniz
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors gains a major role in bladder cancer. Because of the treatment’s immune modulatory effects, patients may develop hepatitis. Hepatitis B was an exclusion criterion in clinical trials that investigated nivolumab. Therefore, its effects and risk of hepatitis B reactivation in nivolumab are not clinically investigated in renal cell carcinoma patients with hepatitis B.

Case report

In this case report, we presented a metastatic renal cell carcinoma patient who was treated with anti-viral treatment for hepatitis reactivation caused by previous sunitinib therapy. After progression, nivolumab was commenced and the patient was closely monitored with hepatic function tests.

Management and outcome

Nivolumab was well tolerated and no treatment-related adverse effect occurred. Hepatitis or viral hepatitis reactivation was not detected.

Discussion

This case supports the safety of nivolumab in patients with renal cell carcinoma and viral hepatitis.
Self- and Other-Dehumanization Processes in Health-Related Contexts: A Critical Review of the Literature
Authors: Diniz Eva , Bernardes Sónia F. , Castro Paula
Published: October 2019

Dehumanization is an everyday, pervasive phenomenon in health contexts. Given its detrimental consequences to health care, much research has been dedicated to understanding and promoting the humanization of health services. However, health care service research has neglected the sociopsychological processes involved in the dehumanization of self and others, in formal but also informal health-related contexts. Drawing upon sociopsychological models of dehumanization, this article will bridge this gap by presenting a critical review of studies on everyday meaning-making and person perception processes of dehumanization in health-related contexts. A database search was conducted in PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed, using a combination of keywords on dehumanization and health/illness/body; 3,229 references were screened; 95 full texts were assessed for eligibility; 59 studies were included. Most studies focused on informal contexts, reflecting a decontextualized and one-sided view of dehumanization (i.e., not integrating actors’ and victims’ perspectives). Despite the dominant focus on self-dehumanization, emerging perspectives uncover the role of processes that deny human uniqueness to others, and their individual determinants and consequences for mental health. A few studies bring to light the functions of a variety of dehumanizing body metaphors on self- and other-dehumanization. These trends in the literature leave several gaps, which are here critically analyzed to inform future research.
Clinical and Pathological Features of a Newborn With Compound Heterozygous ANKS6 Variants
Authors: Kulkarni Sakil , Abro Brooj , Duque Lasio Maria Laura , Stoll Janis , Grange Dorothy K , He Mai
Published: October 2019

We report a term female infant born to nonconsanguineous parents who presented with renal failure at birth, hypothyroidism, cholestasis, and progressive cardiac dysfunction. Multigene next-generation sequencing panels for cholestasis, cardiomyopathy, and cystic renal disease did not reveal a unifying diagnosis. Whole exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in ANKS6 (Ankyrin Repeat and Sterile Alpha Motif Domain Containing 6), which encodes a protein that interacts with other proteins of the Inv compartment of cilium ( NEK8, NPHP2/INVS, and NPHP3). ANKS6 has been shown to be important for early renal development and cardiac looping in animal models. Autopsy revealed cystic renal dysplasia and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, disarray, and focal necrosis. Liver histology revealed cholestasis and centrilobular necrosis, which was likely a result of progressive cardiac failure. This is the first report of compound heterozygous variants in ANKS6 leading to a nephronopthisis-related ciliopathy-like phenotype. We conclude that pathogenic variants in ANKS6 may present early in life with severe renal and cardiac failure, similar to subjects with variants in genes encoding other proteins in the Inv compartment of the cilium.
Microstructural characterization and experimental investigations into two body abrasive wear behavior of Al-7079/TiC in-situ metal matrix composites
Authors: Sujith SV , Mahapatra Manas M , Mulik Rahul S
Published: October 2019

High strength Al-7079 aluminum metal-matrix composites with 5, 7 and 9 wt.% of TiC particulate reinforcement were procured by in-situ melt reaction method. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and XRD analysis were conducted in order to confirm the presence of titanium carbide (TiC) particles and homogeneity inside the aluminum matrix. The parameters like applied load (9.8–29.4 N), sliding distance (1000–2000 m), sliding velocity (1.5 m/s) and SiC-P-600 grit paper (25 µm) were used in this study. The influence of sliding distance, applied load and wt.% of (TiC) reinforcement on in-situ Al-7079 under two body abrasion was investigated. Further, the obtained results were compared with the base Al-7079 alloy. It was examined that, the in-situ reinforced composites exhibited significantly greater wear resistance of 20–60% compared to conventional as cast Al-7079 base matrix. Experimental results confirmed that the wt.% of TiC and sliding distance had higher influence on coefficient of friction and the weight loss was highly affected by the applied load. Further the wear mechanisms involved in the worn surfaces were demonstrated through atomic force microscopy and SEM analysis throughout the surfaces.
Resilient incumbents: Ethnic minority political parties and voter accountability
Authors: Aha Katharine
Published: October 2019

Are ethnic minority parties held accountable by voters for their participation in governing coalitions in the same way as parties drawing votes from the ethnic majority? Scholars have shown that incumbents in postcommunist East Central Europe are routinely punished in elections, particularly in the face of poor economic performance. However, it remains to be seen if ethnic minority political parties are similarly punished by voters when they join coalitions. I argue that ethnic minority parties are less likely to be punished than their fellow coalition members for poor economic performance, enjoying the benefits of a “captive” electorate. Using data sets of electoral and economic data at the national and subnational levels in Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia, I find that ethnic minority parties, on average, gain votes after serving in government, while mainstream parties almost always lose. This finding holds when controlling for economic factors. Additionally, I show that while mainstream incumbents are punished or rewarded accordingly for changes in gross domestic product growth, ethnic minority parties do not see their vote share being impacted. Understanding the unique role of ethnic minority parties in party systems enhances our understanding of the dynamics of political representation, party competition, and coalition building in ethnically heterogeneous states.
Reliability and accuracy of individual Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score regions using a medical and a smartphone reading system in a telestroke network
Authors: Salazar Antonio J , Useche Nicolás , Granja Manuel , Bermúdez Sonia , Morillo Aníbal J , Torres Oscar , Rueda Natalia , Ropero Brenda
Published: October 2019

Introduction

The aim of this study was to assess individual regions of the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score in noncontrast head computed tomography interpretations using a smartphone in a telestroke network, by comparison to a medical monitor.

Methods

The review board of our institution approved this retrospective study. A factorial design with 188 patients, four radiologists and two reading systems was used. Accuracy and reliability were evaluated.

Results

Very good interobserver agreements were observed on the total Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score for both the medical and smartphone reading systems, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.91 and 0.84 respectively. Interobserver agreements were moderate to very good for the medical reading system (all intraclass correlation coefficients >0.74), whereas they were fair to very good for the smartphone (intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.31–0.81). All intraobserver agreements were good (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.64), except for internal capsule (0.48) and M2 (0.55) regions. The areas under the receiver-operating curve ranged from 0.69–0.89 for the medical system, while for the smartphone ranged from 0.44–0.86. No statistical differences were observed between medical and smartphone reading systems for each region (all p >  0.05).

Discussion

If radiologists are better trained in the evaluation of the lesions in the insula, the internal capsule and the M2 regions, the total and the dichotomised Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score will be more precise. Hence, ruling out contraindications to thrombolysis administration will be improved, allowing assessment of head computed tomography in a telestroke network using a smartphone to be a common practice.
Similarity of medical concepts in question and answering of health communities
Authors: Naderi Hamid , Madani Sina , Kiani Behzad , Etminani Kobra
Published: October 2019

The ability to automatically categorize submitted questions based on topics and suggest similar question and answer to the users reduces the number of redundant questions. Our objective was to compare intra-topic and inter-topic similarity between question and answers by using concept-based similarity computing analysis. We gathered existing question and answers from several popular online health communities. Then, Unified Medical Language System concepts related to selected questions and experts in different topics were extracted and weighted by term frequency -inverse document frequency values. Finally, the similarity between weighted vectors of Unified Medical Language System concepts was computed. Our result showed a considerable gap between intra-topic and inter-topic similarities in such a way that the average of intra-topic similarity (0.095, 0.192, and 0.110, respectively) was higher than the average of inter-topic similarity (0.012, 0.025, and 0.018, respectively) for questions of the top 3 popular online communities including NetWellness, WebMD, and Yahoo Answers. Similarity scores between the content of questions answered by experts in the same and different topics were calculated as 0.51 and 0.11, respectively. Concept-based similarity computing methods can be used in developing intelligent question and answering retrieval systems that contain auto recommendation functionality for similar questions and experts.
Direct and indirect effects of crime-related media consumption on public confidence in the police
Authors: Choi Jaeyong , Yim Haneul , Hicks Randolph D.
Published: October 2019

This study explores the potential links between crime-related media consumption and confidence in the police based on instrumental and expressive models. Drawing on data from a large sample of South Koreans, direct and indirect effects of crime-related media consumption on perceptions of the police are examined using regression-based multiple mediation analysis. Results showed that although there is no direct effect of media consumption on confidence in the police, crime-related media consumption is significantly and negatively associated with public confidence in the police via perceived incivilities and fear of crime. This study suggests that the police should make a constant effort to develop strategies to enhance communication with the public.
Echoes of victimhood: on passionate activism and ‘sex trafficking’
Authors: Cheng Sealing
Published: October 2019

The sexually violated woman has become a salient symbol in feminist discourse, government policies, the media and transnational activism at this historical juncture. In this article, I seek to understand the conviction of anti-prostitution activists that all women in prostitution are victims (despite evidence to the contrary), and their simultaneous dismissal or condemnation of those women who identify as sex workers. The analysis identifies the centrality of victimhood to the affective logic of women activist leaders in the anti-prostitution movement, and its embeddedness in discourses of suffering and redemption in Korean nationalist historiography. Sexual victimhood thus acquires the power to incite moral outrage, compel consensus and inhibit dissent. Sex workers further come to bear the historical and political burden of righting all that is wrong with the nation, making their elimination essential for the nation’s rescue. Critiques of capitalism and the state become footnotes and silences in this process. In effect, the victimhood of ‘prostituted women’ allows women activists to circulate effectively in the affective economy of the nation as well as in the global anti-trafficking campaign. The passionate activism of anti-prostitution women activists may say less about the state of prostitution than about the activists’ subjectivity as historical and global subjects, and the symbolic world that they locate themselves in.
Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on health-related outcomes for patients with heart failure: a systematic review
Authors: Zou Huijing , Cao Xi , Geng Jing , Chair Sek Ying
Published: October 2019

Background:

Mindfulness-based interventions may offer a promising approach for promoting psychological and physical health and wellbeing for patients with heart failure. However, the effects of mindfulness-based interventions for this population have not been systematically reviewed.

Aims:

This review aimed to synthesise available evidence to assess the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on psychological and physical outcomes and health-related quality of life in patients with heart failure.

Methods:

Seven English and two Chinese electronic databases were searched with keywords from inception to May 2019. Experimental studies that examined mindfulness-based interventions in adults with heart failure were eligible for inclusion. Two reviewers independently performed study selection, data extraction and study quality assessment. The results were then narratively synthesised.

Results:

This review identified five studies involving 467 patients with heart failure. The reviewed studies had weak to moderate quality. There were consistent findings that mindfulness-based interventions could significantly reduce depression (three studies) and anxiety (two studies) and improve health-related quality of life (two studies) after intervention. However, the effects on physical symptoms were inconsistent in three studies. The effects on physical function were only measured in one study, with non-significant changes being reported.

Conclusions:

This review provides preliminary evidence that mindfulness-based interventions are beneficial for patients with heart failure in reducing depression and anxiety and enhancing health-related quality of life in the short term. These findings should be carefully generalised considering the methodological limitations across studies. More rigorous studies are required to examine further the effects of mindfulness-based interventions in patients with heart failure.
Marketization in a state-centred policing context: The case of Sweden
Authors: Hansen Löfstrand Cecilia
Published: October 2019

This article examines how and why marketization of policing may occur in a historically state-centred policing context in the absence of governmental policy promoting privatization and marketization. In Sweden, a community-level marketization is increasingly becoming the new norm. It is a result of a political mobilization by the private security industry, characterized by an association of private security with the public interest in safety, an absence of national political decision-making, and pragmatic local initiatives to increase public safety, but it results in the dispersion of political decision-making that fails to ensure democratic governance of policing and security provision.
Engaged Political Science
Authors: Wood Matthew
Published: October 2019

Political scientists are wary of engaging with ‘the public’ on mainstream and social media because they fear those mediums fail to get across the deep and nuanced argument they develop in their own research. This article suggests a way of justifying public engagement that begins not with debates about the ethical and political concerns of doing this in practice (of which there are many), but how we as political scientists justify public media engagement to ourselves on the basis of the ethical and political process of ‘doing’ political science. As such, this article identifies the disciplinary basis upon which we may justify media-driven public engagement as an integral part of political science as an academic enterprise. Drawing on current epistemological debates in political science, the article characterises moments of political research as impressionistic exercises, which require public engagement. This means making the public aware of the deep and valuable insights of political science, in a way that sketches out how the discipline can shed light on important social and political phenomena, thereby informing our own scholarly thinking, and that of those we engage with.
Examining the technical feasibility of prostate cancer molecular imaging by transrectal photoacoustic tomography with transurethral illumination
Authors: Zhang Haonan , Huang Shengsong , Chen Yingna , Xie Weiya , Zhang Mengjiao , Pan Jing , Sato Naoto , Wang Xueding , Wu Denglong , Cheng Qian
Published: October 2019

To pave the road toward clinical application of photoacoustic imaging in prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis, we studied the technical feasibility and performance of transrectal photoacoustic (PA) imaging in mapping the indocyanine green (ICG) contrast agent, which is approved by FDA, in entire prostates by using light illumination via the urethral track. Experiments were conducted on a clinically relevant ex vivo model involving whole human prostates harvested from radical prostatectomy. The light source placed in the urethral track was an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs), illuminating the prostate with a delivered light power on the urethral wall within the safety limit. A dual-modality imaging system acquired PA and ultrasound (US) images simultaneously in the same way as in transrectal ultrasound (TRUS), with the US imaging presenting the tissue structure and PA imaging detecting the ICG solution. The imaging results demonstrated that tubes containing ICG solution at different concentrations can be detected at different positions in the prostate within a 2 cm range around from the urethral wall. Considering the sizes of regular human prostates, the proposed transurethral illumination in combination with transrectal US detection can facilitate PA molecular imaging over the entire prostate in a non-invasive manner, which makes it possible to further improve the PCa diagnosing efficiency with better molecular sensitivity and resulted better biopsy accuracy and much reduced pain for patients.

Impact statement

Differentiating cancerous tissues from healthy ones is critical in the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). However, due to the low sensitivity of ultrasound (US) imaging to cancerous tissues, transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided biopsies, current standard procedure for diagnosing PCa, suffer from low core yield, leading to under-sampling and under-grading of clinically significant tumors. Via the experiment on the ex vivo human prostates, we evaluated the translational potential of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) based on a safe light emitting diodes (LED) source for detecting the molecular information in deep human prostate. We showed that transurethral light illumination in combination with transrectal US detection can facilitate PA molecular imaging over an entire human prostate in a non-invasive manner. The success of this study in the clinically relevant ex vivo human prostate model suggested a new strategy for PA and US combined imaging and detection of PCa.
Energy Sources for the Surgical Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: MacGregor Robert M. , Melby Spencer J. , Schuessler Richard B. , Damiano Ralph J.
Published: October 2019

The surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation has evolved over the past 2 decades due to the advent of ablation technology, and the introduction of less invasive surgical approaches. Current devices produce ablation lines that aim to replace the incisions of traditional surgical ablation strategies, such as the Cox-Maze procedure. This has helped to simplify and shorten surgical ablation procedures and has allowed for the development of minimally invasive surgical techniques. This review discusses surgical ablation energy sources and devices, providing background on device characteristics, mechanism of tissue injury, and success in creating transmural lesions.
Study on dyeing behavior of banana fiber with reactive dyes
Authors: Balakrishnan Subashini , Wickramasinghe GL Dharmasri , Wijayapala UG Samudrika
Published: October 2019

The objective of this research paper is to establish a suitable reactive dyeing process for banana fiber and comparison between dyeing behaviors of banana fibers with cotton fibers. Ambon (Cavendish type) banana variety was selected for this research study. Data accumulation is done by quantitative research methodology and experimental research strategies for this investigation; 5% enzyme and 6% H2O2-, 2% Na2SiO3-, and 3% NaOH-treated banana fibers were dyed with reactive dye. Banana fibers were dyed with three standard colors (red, blue, and yellow) each with four different concentrations (0.25, 1%, 4%, and 6%) of reactive dye. Testing was conducted to assess the color properties between pretreated banana fiber, dyed banana fiber, and cotton fiber. Color measurement was performed by using a Datacolour 600 spectrophotometers. The ΔE* values were used to determine the degree of color deterioration. Results showed that pretreated fibers become brighter (whiteness) than the raw banana fibers. Reflectance curves of dyed banana fibers were found similar to cotton in all the experiments and confirming the dye absorption tendency is more similar to cotton. Further results indicate that the dyeing behavior of banana is similar to cotton. Therefore, cotton dyeing process can be applied for the banana fibers. Dyeing of banana fiber was carried out with a reactive type of dye, which provided better washing fastness properties than cotton fibers.
Popular movements and the fragility of the Nordic democracies during the first half of the twentieth century
Authors: Hilson Mary
Published: October 2019

The Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are among the few European countries where parliamentary democracy survived the challenges of the interwar period. The apparent resilience of Nordic democracy has sometimes been partly attributed to the strength of the popular movements, the internal democratic structures, and culture of these organizations and not least their role in educating their members in democratic practices. Drawing primarily on examples from the co-operative movements in several Nordic countries, the article asks how democracy was understood in co-operative societies and how it functioned in practice. Co-operative societies were committed to the principle of ‘one member one vote’, but faced constant dilemmas over how to combine the possibility for grassroots influence with the need for central control, especially as the organizations grew in size. In some cases, this led to irreconcilable conflicts and splits in central organizations. The article argues that although the co-operatives and other popular movements later came to be seen as crucial elements in the survival of Nordic democracy, their role in this survival should not be taken for granted.
Simulation and analysis of non-recurrent traffic congestion triggered by crashes in road networks using a grid-based approach
Authors: Li Sulan , Shi Junqing , Zhang Xiedong , Zhu Hongwei , Meng Guolian
Published: October 2019

The non-recurrent traffic congestion triggered by crashes is one of the most important factors that undermine the traffic efficiency of urban road networks. In this article, an improved cellular automaton model was proposed to simulate the non-recurrent congestion triggered by crashes in grid networks with signalized intersections. Four rules were adopted to represent vehicle movements on road sections and intersections. The network speed is adopted to capture the propagation and dissipation of the non-recurrent congestion. The effect of main influencing factors of crashes on the road network was evaluated through the simulation. Simulation results showed the incident duration and areas affected by the distance between the crash point and the upstream intersection, the number of closed lanes, and the crash duration. In addition, the stop-start wave was observed in the simulation. The realistic findings from the simulations validated the model to have the potential for practical applications in the analysis of the non-recurrent congestion triggered by crashes.
Toward a methodology for studying leadership-as-practice
Authors: Raelin Joseph A
Published: October 2019

This article is intended as a conceptual and practical foundation for those who wish to conduct research in the area of leadership-as-practice. Rather than offer a single methodology for studying how social and leadership activity is carried out in everyday life, it details a pluralistic set of methods and presents a series of theoretical guidelines through its phenomenological form of inquiry. In particular, it endorses discursive, narrative, ethnographic, aesthetic, and multimodal methods to attempt to capture concurrent, collective, and dialogical social practices. After providing an overview of praxis-oriented research as the methodological basis of leadership-as-practice, the article turns to the conceptual building blocks that can provide some guidance in selecting an appropriate methodology for study. These building blocks incorporate issues of agency, identity, materiality, context, power, and dialogue. The author hopes that researchers will take up the challenge of examining leadership dynamics “from within” to co-participate in working with actors engaged in projects of significance advance their mutual endeavors.
Neither Penalised nor Prized: Feminist Legislators, Women’s Representation, and Career Paths in Argentina
Authors: Caminotti Mariana , Piscopo Jennifer M.
Published: October 2019

The conventional wisdom holds that party leaders punish women legislators who advocate for gender equality. We test this assumption using the Argentine case, asking two questions. First, who counts as a feminist legislator and how do we know? Second, do feminist legislators have career trajectories that indicate marginalisation or penalisation? We use bill authorship data and expert surveys to identify legislators of both sexes who champion feminist causes and who adopt a gendered, though not necessarily feminist, perspective. Comparing these categories of legislators to those in the general population, we find no meaningful differences in political careers by either legislators’ gender or policy profile. In fact, many feminist champions hold prestigious positions while in congress, but this political capital results neither in punishment nor reward after congress. Women who represent women do not go on to the top posts after congress, but neither do they disappear from public life.
Refractory seizures: Prediction of outcome of surgical intervention based on results from PET-CT, PET-MRI and electroencephaolography
Authors: Johnson Rashad , Rizk Grace , Kaur Harleen , Ibekwe Henry , Atta Monica , Gayed Isis
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the effectiveness of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) and PET-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with scalp and intracranial electroencephalogram (EEG) in predicting surgical outcomes in patients with refractory seizures.

Methods

Patients who underwent PET-CT and MRI fusion, scalp and intracranial EEG, and subsequent surgical intervention were retrospectively included. PET-CT were fused with MRI and interpreted by an experienced blinded reader. An area of hypometabolism on PET was identified as the location of the epileptic focus. The site of seizure focus was correlated with scalp and intracranial EEG findings. Surgical outcomes were evaluated. Thirty-six patients were included; all had presurgical PET-CT, scalp EEG, and PET-MRI fusion, and 28 of these patients had intracranial EEGs.

Results

PET-CT showed concordance of epileptic foci with scalp EEG in 7/36 patients (19%) and with intracranial EEG in 9/28 patients (32%). PET-MRI was concordant with scalp EEG in 6/36 patients (17%) and with intracranial EEG in 8/28 patients (29%). All patients with concordance of epileptic foci between PET-CT and PET-MRI and scalp EEG had improvement or resolution of seizures postintervention, and 89% of patients had concordance between intracranial EEG and PET studies. However, 45% of patients with discordant PET-CT and scalp EEG, 37% with discordance PET-CT and intracranial EEG, 43% with discordant PET-MRI and scalp EEG, and 35% of patients with discordant PET-MRI and intracranial EEG did not improve postsurgically.

Conclusion

Concordance of epileptic foci localization between PET imaging and EEG yields favorable postoperative outcome in nearly all patients, whereas discordance has an equal probability of favorable vs unfavorable outcomes.