bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CONSULTING DOMESTIC UNIVERSITIES IN USING A NEW EFFECTIVE TEACHING-LEARNING METHOD (KM-TFU) BASED ON THE METHOD OF ‘TEACHING FOR UNDERSTANDING’ AND THE CONCEPT OF ‘LEARNING-BY-DOING KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT’
Authors: Chinnanpour Marjan
Published: August 2016

Using the four modes of knowledge conversion (socialization, internalization, combination, and externalization) from Nonaka and Takeuchi 's theory of knowledge as an interplay between tacit and explicit knowledge, and applying these to the four key ideas of TfU (generative topics, understanding goals, performance of understanding, and ongoing assessment), a new method of teaching and learning is born, KM-TfU method. This paper is aimed at using this new effective teaching-learning method which is a more knowledge-based method of TfU using the concept of ‘Learning-by-Doing Knowledge Management’ and applying this method in open and distance learning (ODL) in domestic universities. This new method which is based on critical and creative thinking, reflection, dialogue, interaction, brainstorming and knowledge creation, exploration, and expansion can effectively be applied in open and distance learning to create a more dynamic global knowledge-based society.
STANDARDS AND INDEXES FOR EVALUATING OPEN UNIVERSITIES
Authors: Yang Chang Yeul , Kim Bowon
Published: August 2016

This article is the second part of the research on the institutional evaluation of the open universities. The title of the first one was ‘Evaluation Standards for Institutional Evaluation of Open Universities,’ which was presented at the 22nd AAOU Annual Conference, Tianjin, China. In the previous study we discussed the definition of university evaluation and some of the controversial points in the existing evaluation. The focal point was that the existing standards and indexes are not appropriate for Korea National Open University (KNOU) as an open university, and that it is necessary to establish a new evaluating system for the university. We believe it is true of the other open universities throughout Asia and the world. In short, the present research provides the practical and effective data on the evaluation standard. It also includes some new qualitative, quantitative and modified evaluation indexes reflecting the distinctive features of the open universities. The main part of this article elaborates on 5 evaluation domains, 23 evaluation sections, 81 evaluation items and 229 evaluation indexes. These evaluation domains, sections, items and indexes result from the practical surveys and AHP and Swing analyses. The result of this research will prove a good and essential element for ranking indicators in ODE universities. At the end of the paper we add some new standards and indexes for evaluating regional campuses of the open universities, which is another important agenda for upgrading the learner support throughout the country.
Assuring the quality of online teaching and learning: The case of Wawasan Open University
Authors: Kooi Liew Teik , Ping Teoh Ai
Published: August 2016

The dynamic business environment and powerful market forces in the 21st century are challenging leaders at open universities to compete successfully in the national and global higher education stage. The notion of quality is becoming an important and overriding issue with the paradigm shift in the education landscape due to the rapid penetration of Internet usage. Open universities are experiencing pressure from numerous stakeholders to become more client-focused, particularly in their provision of technology-enhanced education to systematically support the learning experience of open distance learners. In the pursuit of establishing institutional and national/regional-based quality assurance practices, Asian open universities should pay particular attention to one of the key components within the overall QA framework; that is, the web-based teaching and learning on the online learning management system (LMS). The assurance of quality in the web-based teaching and learning component is vital to support the effective and efficient delivery of open and distance education within the blended approach adopted by many open universities.

In this study, the authors first examine the dimensions of quality assurance of key services that are closely associated with web-based education in the online LMS of Wawasan Open University (WOU). The authors then analyse the pattern of interactions in the LMS to determine the actual activities of learners in the web-based environment. By synthesising the findings, indicators that address diverse facets and components of quality relevant to web-based teaching and learning in the LMS are identified. The authors then discuss the application of the quality components within the overall QA framework in WOU to further enhance the quality of its web-based teaching and learning component. Assessment of learners' satisfaction in WOU is carried out to determine the effectiveness of the QA components in the LMS. The QA components identified in the web-based teaching and learning within the LMS are then recommended to Asian open universities for integration into their overall QA framework.
The establishment of academic credit accumulation and transfer system: A case study of Shanghai Academic Credit Transfer and Accumulation Bank for Lifelong Education
Authors: Li Huikang , Sun Yaoting , Yang Min , Wei Zhihui
Published: August 2016

Nowadays, the construction of lifelong education system has become the common trend of educational development in many countries. In China, credit accumulation and transfer as one of the effective measures to promote the lifelong education system was proposed in the National Medium and Long-term Educational Reform and Development Plan (2010 – 2020). It certainly poses a new opportunity and challenge to open universities in China, most of which are in transition from TV and radio universities and expected to play more important roles in the construction of lifelong education system in China. The paper presents the initial research and practice of Shanghai Academic Credit Transfer and Accumulation Bank for Lifelong Education (SHCB), which is led by Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and operated by Shanghai Open University as one of the initiatives of open universities in China since 2010. Focusing on continuing education for Shanghai citizens and cooperating with other universities and related institutions, SHCB has been established with the organisational structure, accreditation criteria for credits, credit accumulation and transfer system, learners' learning portfolios, technology service platform, and the detailed operating mode. By now, accreditation criteria of learner's credits of 166 courses and 139 non-degree certificates, and recognition of 541 non-degree certificates and 1549 leisure courses have been completed. SHCB has been open to the public from 24 July, 2002 to promote the exchange and transfer among the academic education, even between academic education and non-academic education, and ultimately promote the construction of the lifelong education system in Shanghai.
Web-based learning through mixed-initiative interactions: Design and implementation
Authors: Subramaniam Nantha Kumar
Published: August 2016

Mixed-initiative interaction is a naturally-occurring feature of human-human interactions. It is characterised by turn-taking, frequent change of focus, agenda and control among the "speakers". This human-based mixed-initiative interaction can be implemented through mixed-initiative systems. This is a popular approach to building intelligent systems that can collaborate naturally and effectively with people. Mixed-initiative systems exhibit various degrees of involvement with regards to the initiatives taken by the user or the system. In any discourse, the initiative may be shared between either, a learner and a system agent, or between two independent system agents. Both the parties in question establish and maintain a common goal and context, and proceed with an interaction mechanism involving initiative taking that optimises their progress towards the goal. However, the application of mixed-initiative interaction in web-based learning is very much limited. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a web-based learning system through mixedinitiative system known as JavaLearn. JavaLearn allows the interaction between the system (in the form of a software agent) and the individual learner. Here, the system supports the learning through a problem solving activity by demanding active learning behaviour from the learner with minimal natural language understanding by the agent and embodies the application-dependent aspects of the discourse. It guides the learner to solve the problem by giving adaptive advice, hints and engages the learner in the real time interaction in the form of "conversation". The principal features of this system are it is adaptive and is based on reflection, observation and relation. The system acquires its intelligence through the finite state machine and rule-based agents.
Reaching the unreached — IGNOU's interventions in Tihar Central Jail
Authors: Singh Kaushalendra Pratap
Published: August 2016

According to the late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, "Education is a liberating force, and in our age it is also a democratising force, cutting across the barriers of caste and class, smoothing out inequalities imposed by birth and other circumstances." In India, not all are able to avail opportunities for education due to various reasons including accessibility. In this regard, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) provides education to the disadvantaged and unreached learners (some of them living in special circumstances) to build an inclusive knowledge society through inclusive education.

One of the world's largest prisons is the Tihar Central Jail in New Delhi. It has about 12,000 prisoners accommodated in its 10 jails. There are over 530 prisoners enrolled in various programmes from certificate to postgraduate levels with IGNOU. The School of Social Work (SOSW) is facilitating a study centre of IGNOU in this prison. Faculty members, research scholars and students are visiting this Central Jail thrice a week to reach these learners living in special circumstances with educational programmes as well as counselling services through professional social work intervention. The university has also helped several former inmates to find jobs. The School of Social Work is also involved in extending counselling services to the inmates with regards to their personal matters.

This paper explores the extent of interventions being made by IGNOU for the inmates in Tihar Central Jail, for their education, emotional support, transformation and rehabilitation after serving their jail term.
The Relationship between Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction in Face-to-face Tutorials at Universitas Terbuka
Authors: Herman
Published: August 2016

This article discusses the relationship between Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction in the context of face-to-face tutorials at Universitas Terbuka, Indonesia. In this study, the idea — which was derived from marketing theory for tangible products — was implemented for face-to-face tutorial services. The sample consisted of 200 students involved in face-to-face tutorials whose perceptionsof the tutors' performance,tutorial results,tutorial costs and students' satisfactionwere measured by using six scales.Customer Value consists of the tutors' performance, tutorial results and tutorial costs; and Customer Satisfaction was derived from SERVQUAL. The findings show that there is a significant positive correlation between Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction. This finding indicates that marketing theory for tangible product can also be used for face-to-face tutorials as an intangible product.
Expanding the Frontiers of Engineering Education in Open and Distance Learning by an Online Laboratory Platform
Authors: Rasika Nandana W. A. , de Mel W. R , Priyankara H.D.N.S.
Published: August 2016

At present, people have a tendency to carry out higher education in a distance mode due to their busy lifestyles. However, open and distance learning (ODL) educational organizations encounter difficulties when delivering laboratory experiments. This paper presents the development of an online laboratory platform as a solution. It can be used to deliver laboratory experiments, using electronic components and instruments such as a signal generator and oscilloscope. Students are able to perform experimental tasks remotely utilizing real equipment and components. The system users can view laboratory environments via a camera which provides a sense of reality.The platform provides facilities to customize and rebuild the laboratory experiments according to the requirements of the organization. It can also be utilized as a useful educational tool to acquire pre-experience before entering the real laboratory. Thestatistical analysis shows no significant difference between the face-to-face laboratory (FFL) and online remote laboratory (ORL) experimental results within a 95% confidence level.The system can enhance the existing open and distance learning system by sharing the resources in a flexible manner.This system reduces the difficulties that distance learning students encounter when participating in FFL sessions. It also reduces the number of FFL sessions and is helpful to working students. One of the main objectives of ODL is to provide a learning environment for those who missed the opportunity for higher education for a variety of reasons. This system will help to achieve this objective.
Mentoring aspiring racialized leaders
Authors: Jack David , Lobovsky Robert
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the initial outcomes of a mentoring program designed to increase the advancement prospects of racialized teachers to vice principal positions within a Canadian school district.

Design/methodology/approach

– This program assessment documents evidence that challenges current school leadership paradigms rooted in western dominance and suggests new approaches to leadership informed by research on diversity, equity, and identity.

Findings

– Survey data from 32 participants (13 mentors and 19 mentees) from Canada’s second largest school district were analyzed thematically and showed that racialized mentees generally rated their satisfaction with the program lower than did mentors (both racialized and non-racialized), particularly as it relates to feelings of inclusion and in the program’s potential to influence the recruitment and advancement of racialized employees in the district.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings are limited to a single mentoring program for aspiring racialized leaders within a single, large school district but reinforce similar findings from research conducted in another large Canadian urban center, the USA and UK, and are of interest in other educational contexts where leaders from diverse backgrounds are underrepresented.

Originality/value

– The paper reinforces findings from the small number of studies on targeted leadership mentoring for specific populations. While the findings support the practice of mentoring for leaders, the authors challenge the culture-free leadership paradigm that permeates Western education literature and question its role as an underlying barrier for aspiring racialized leaders in schools.
Destructive entrepreneurship and the security context
Authors: Desai Sameeksha
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to deliver insight from the concept of destructive entrepreneurship to program design considerations in conflict regions.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper discusses and connects destructive entrepreneurship – an important yet largely unexplored question in the entrepreneurship literature – with security policy, related to evolving directions in the counterinsurgency literature and the traditional disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) literature.

Findings

– Counterinsurgency is increasingly the approach used by international and domestic policymakers when dealing with regional conflict, and DDR processes have been used for decades to transition former combatants into civilian life. Three broad considerations are particularly salient (timing/sequencing/phasing, benefits and beneficiaries, and measurement) for DDR programs in the counterinsurgency context.

Practical implications

– An incentives-based approach to understanding destructive entrepreneurship can provide useful insights for these two approaches and in particular, how they can be used together.

Originality/value

– This paper expands the current scope of understanding of destructive entrepreneurship to the previously unconnected security policy contexts related to counterinsurgency and DDR.
Application of statistical process control in service industry
Authors: Mirzaei Nima , Niroomand Sadegh , Zare Rahim
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This study aims to apply statistical process control (SPC) techniques to improve the quality and efficiency of the processes in a restaurant.

Design/methodology/approach

SPC tools such as check sheet, cause-and-effect analysis, Pareto chart, control charts and SERVQUAL methodology is adapted to measure and improve the quality of the system.

Findings

At the end, some suggestions for improving the quality of service system are proposed in this study to complete the research.

Research limitations/implications

The most difficult part of this study was data collection. Because of the situation of the restaurant, the number of customers does not exceed 60 every day. Another limitation of this study is that the samples have been collected from the same population each day, and it may affect the final result.

Practical implications

The research is based on the present service system at a restaurant, located at a university campus in Cyprus.

Social implications

A similar study can be applied in the social sector to evaluate and improve service quality.

Originality/value

In this paper, for the first time, SPC and SERVQUAL are used to evaluate and improve quality in the service sector.
Developing a neuropsychological measurement to capture workplace learning
Authors: Lagrosen Yvonne , Travis Frederick
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine variables to be included in a measurement instrument which measures workplace learning related to recent research into quality management and brain functioning.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was conducted, investigating measures of workplace learning as well as the connections between brain functioning and management. Further studies will use the brain integration scale to compare levels of brain integration with measures of workplace learning.

Findings

The variables “empathy”, “presence and communication”, “continuity”, “influence”, “development”, “work-integrated learning” and “flow” were found to be relevant from the literature review to be tested for inclusion in the measurement instrument. A measurement model with these variables included has been developed.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is conceptual in its nature. Empirical studies are needed to validate the propositions.

Practical implications

The proposed measurement instrument can be used by managers to gain insight into underlying mechanisms in the organizational culture that influence employees’ learning and potential for development. Thus, it can aid managers to achieve profound learning in their organizations, which is necessary for continuously maintaining high quality of products and services.

Social implications

For society, the implementation of the proposed measurement instrument in companies could lead to better health and higher job satisfaction among employees.

Originality/value

Traditional ways of measuring working environment are rarely connected to brain functioning of the employees. Only requiring small resources, this approach adds to an understanding of underlying mechanisms.
Learning through reflection: the critical role of reflection in work-based learning (WBL)
Authors: Helyer Ruth
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the critical role reflection plays in work-based learning (WBL).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents an contextualist examination of reflection in the WBL environment.

Findings

People consciously reflect in order to understand events in their lives and as a consequence hopefully add and enhance meaning.

Research limitations/implications

Reflection is associated therefore with “looking back” and examining the past in order to learn from what happened and perhaps not repeat mistakes. However, it is also increasingly associated with reflecting on action (Schon, 1983) and encourages an exploring of thoughts and feelings; looking for insights; and maximizing on self-awareness which all tie the process closely to identity formation (Lacan, 1977).

Practical implications

If used effectively and purposefully reflection facilitates ongoing personal and professional learning, and creates and develops practitioners capable of demonstrating their progression towards learning outcomes and required standards. Reflection can also provide a structure in which to make sense of learning, so that concepts and theories become embedded in practice, and constant thought and innovation are simultaneously fostered.

Social implications

By actively considering the thoughts and actions one becomes aware of the power of reflective thinking as a tool for continuous improvement, and one that has implications beyond the personal.

Originality/value

This paper represents the first study which examines the role reflection plays in WBL.
Apply these six tips to stop wasting time on performance reviews
Authors: Row Shelley
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is for employers to learn how to make performance reviews of the employees more efficient and effective.

Findings

For performance reviews to be effective, they must be conducted in a manner that activates reward responses in the brain and supports repetition – the key to habit change. There are four ways to activate reward responses, which are presented in this paper.

Originality/value

Employers should use this information to restructure performance reviews with their employees. By doing so, less time will be wasted and improvement will be optimized.
Effects of intra‐operative maintenance of general anaesthesia with propofol on postoperative pain outcomes – a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Qiu Q. , Choi S. W. , Wong S. S. C. , Irwin M. G. , Cheung C. W.
Published: August 2016

Propofol is used both for induction and maintenance of anaesthesia. Recent evidence shows that propofol has analgesic properties. This meta‐analysis evaluated differences in postoperative analgesia between general anaesthetic maintenance with intravenous propofol and inhalational anaesthetics. Fourteen trials met inclusion criteria and were included. Our outcomes were pain scores 2 and 24 h after surgery. No significant difference in pain scores was found at 2 h after surgery (Hedge's g (95% CI) −0.120 (−0.415–0.175) (p = 0.425). Propofol was associated with a statistically significant, albeit marginal, reduction in pain scores 24 h after surgery (Hedge's g (95% CI) −0.134 (−0.248 to −0.021) (p = 0.021). Data were insufficient to allow a meaningful analysis regarding 24‐h morphine‐equivalent consumption. Propofol was associated with reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting (relative risk (95%CI) 0.446 (0.304–0.656) (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, this meta‐analysis suggests that propofol improves postoperative analgesia compared with inhalational anaesthesia 24 h after surgery, with a lower incidence of nausea and vomiting.
Amateur, professional and proto‐practices: a contribution to ‘the proficiency debate’
Authors: Banfield Janet
Published: August 2016

With increasing disciplinary interest in amateur practice, and growing geographical use of artistic practice as a research method, ideas of proficiency are increasingly coming under scrutiny. In this paper, I explore and unsettle different classifications of proficiency in relation to empirical data from practice‐based research with art practitioners. I focus on the role and nature of experimentation within artistic practices across different levels of proficiency, and suggest that this leads to increasingly individualised practices over time, which can be characterised by features from outside the conventions of a field (proto‐practices) irrespective of formal attributions of proficiency. I suggest an alternative understanding of proficiency that characterises the practice rather than the practitioner in terms of experimental style rather than skill, which has theoretical and methodological implications for geographical research into both amateur and artistic practices.
Constructing Impossibility: Israeli State Discourses about Palestinian Child Labour
Authors: Grinberg Omri
Published: August 2016

This paper analyses discussions of the Israeli Parliament's Committee on the Rights of the Child about Palestinian children who make their way from the occupied Palestinian territories to traffic junctions in Israel, where they earn money in various ways. Using theories by Derrida and Latour, I claim that the children compel the state to rhetorically display humanitarian care, while overlooking its commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child so to avoid aiding them in practice. Placing these children in a bureaucratic lacuna, Israel denies its duty to offer hospitality to all children.
ETV6 rearrangement in a case of mammary analogue secretory carcinoma of the skin
Authors: Chang Michael D , Arthur Allison K , García Joaquín J , Sukov William R , Shon Wonwoo
Published: August 2016

Mammary analog secretory carcinoma of salivary glands is a relatively recently recognized entity that harbors the ETV6‐NTRK3 fusion transcript. To date, only rare cases of mammary analog secretory carcinoma of the skin have been reported. A 57‐year‐old man presented with a 6.0 cm cystic mass in the axilla, involving the dermis and superficial subcutis. Microscopically, the tumor exhibited nodular aggregation of tubular and microcystic structures embedded in the dense fibrotic and hyalinized stroma. Characteristic ‘colloid‐like’ eosinophilic secretory material was present within intraluminal spaces. Tumor cells were largely characterized by vesicular nuclei with inconspicuous nucleoli and pink vacuolated cytoplasm. With respect to immunohistochemistry, tumor cells were intensely positive for AE1/AE3, Cam 5.2, and CK7, whereas Ber‐EP4 and CEA were completely negative. A dual color break‐apart fluorescence in situ hybridization probe identified rearrangement of the ETV6 gene locus on chromosome 12. The patient is alive with no evidence of recurrent disease or metastasis 3 years after the initial surgery. In conclusion, we report a rare example of mammary analog secretory carcinoma of the skin with ETV6 rearrangement. Awareness of this unique cutaneous tumor and subsequent reporting of additional cases is necessary for better characterization of its completely clinicopathologic spectrum.
Tinea capitis: temporal shift in pathogens and epidemiology
Authors: Ziegler Wiebke , Lempert Sigrid , Goebeler Matthias , Kolb‐Mäurer Annette
Published: August 2016

Background

Tinea capitis is the most common type of dermatomycosis in children. Its pathogen profile shows geographic variations as well as temporal shifts.

Patients and methods

Data from 150 patients with mycologically confirmed tinea capitis treated at the Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Würzburg, between 1990 and 2014 were analyzed with respect to gender, age, and pathogen spectrum. Two time periods, each 12.5 years long, were compared.

Results

Although tinea capitis was most frequently diagnosed in children between the ages of 0 and 5, the percentage of adults (16 %) was higher than previously reported. The zoophilic dermatophyte Microsporum canis was most frequently identified as the causative agent of tinea capitis. However, there was a rise in infections caused by the anthropophilic fungi Trichophyton tonsurans and Trichophyton rubrum, and also a trend towards a lower percentage of zoophilic versus anthropophilic pathogens. Over the course of time, we observed an increase in the diversity of the pathogen spectrum. Dermatophytes such as Trichophyton soudanense, the Trichophyton anamorph of Arthroderma benhamiae, Trichophyton schoenleinii, and Microsporum audouinii were isolated either for the first time or for the first time after a long hiatus.

Conclusions

Although Microsporum canis infections still predominate, there has been an increase in anthropophilic pathogens. Given the unexpectedly high percentage of adults, tinea capitis should be included in the differential diagnostic considerations in all age groups.
Morphologic criteria of vesiculobullous skin disorders by in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy
Authors: Samhaber Kinga T. , Buhl Timo , Brauns Birka , Hofmann Lars , Mitteldorf Christina , Seitz Cornelia S. , Schön Michael P. , Rosenberger Albert , Haenssle Holger A.
Published: August 2016

Background and objectives

Reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) may be a useful method for accurate, rapid, and noninvasive bedside diagnosis of vesiculobullous skin diseases (VSD). The main outcome measure of this study was a descriptive statistical analysis of RCM features associated with selected group of VSD.

Patients and methods

Single‐center, observational study at a university‐based dermatology department. Forty skin lesions in 24 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), varicella zoster virus infection (VZI), or allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) were assessed.

Results

Patients with BP, VZI, and ACD were assessed for the presence of a large spectrum of RCM features, among others including histopathological correlates for spongiosis, vesicles/blisters, epidermal necrosis, pleomorphic ballooned keratinocytes, and inflammatory infiltrate. The three conditions showed distinct patterns of occurrence with respect to these RCM features. Using a multivariate regression model, we identified sets of morphologic features in BP (vesicles/blisters at the dermoepidermal junction, inflammatory infiltrate within blisters and basal epidermal layers, spongiosis in basal epidermal layers), VZI (acantholysis in the stratum spinosum, epidermal necrosis, pleomorphic ballooned keratinocytes, multinucleated giant cells), and ACD (microvesicles, spongiosis, and prominent inflammatory infiltrate in the stratum granulosum/spinosum).

Conclusions

RCM seems to be a useful tool in the evaluation and differentiation of a selected group of VSD, and offers a good correlation with histopathological findings.
Lineage tracing reveals conversion of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells into hepatocytes
Authors: Tan Zhaoli , Chen Keyan , Shao Yong , Gao Lihua , Wang Yan , Xu Jianming , Jin Yang , Hu Xianwen , Wang Youliang
Published: August 2016

Although liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) have long been known to contribute to liver regeneration following injury, the exact role of these cells in liver regeneration remains poorly understood. In this work, we performed lineage tracing of LSECs in mice carrying Tie2‐Cre or VE‐cadherin‐Cre constructs to facilitate fate‐mapping of LSECs in liver regeneration. Some YFP‐positive LSECs were observed to convert into hepatocytes following a two‐thirds partial hepatectomy (PH). Furthermore, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) could be triggered to convert into cells that closely resembled hepatocytes when cultured with serum from mice that underwent an extended PH. These findings suggest that mature non‐hepatocyte LSECs play an essential role in mammalian liver regeneration by converting to hepatocytes. The conversion of LSECs to hepatocyte‐like (iHep) cells may provide a new approach to tissue engineering.
Cerebral collateral circulation and acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Gill D.
Published: August 2016

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Influence of dentin pretreatment with synthetic hydroxyapatite application on the bond strength of fiber posts luted with 10‐methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate‐containing luting systems
Authors: Scotti Nicola , Bergantin Emanuele , Tempesta Riccardo , Turco Gianluca , Breschi Lorenzo , Farina Elena , Pasqualini Damiano , Berutti Elio
Published: August 2016

The aim of this in vitro study was evaluate the effect of application of synthetic hydroxyapatite on fiber post bond strength to radicular dentine. Forty, single‐root teeth were endodontically treated and an 8 mm post space was prepared. Specimens were randomly placed in four groups (n = 10 in each) and treated using the following fiber post luting procedures: group 1, 17% EDTA + Panavia SA; group 2, 17% EDTA + Teethmate Desensitizer + Panavia SA; group 3, All‐Bond Universal + Duo‐Link Universal; and group 4, All‐Bond Universal + Teethmate Desensitizer + Duo‐Link Universal. Fiber posts were luted in the post space and light‐cured for 120 s using a light‐emitting diode (LED) lamp. After 7 d of storage at 37°C, the teeth were cut into 1‐mm‐thick slices, which were subjected to a push‐out test until failure using a universal testing machine. Two specimens per group were prepared for scanning electron microscopy analysis. An energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy detector was used for elemental analysis of the specimen surface. The results were statistically analyzed using one‐way anova. The fiber post bond strength was statistically significantly increased after the application of Teethmate Desensitizer to post space walls, either with a 10‐MDP‐containing self‐adhesive cement or with a universal adhesive. Scanning electron microscopy and EDAX analysis showed that Teethmate Desensitizer created a calcium phosphate precipitate over post space dentinal tubules, which significantly improved the bond strength of the fiber post luted with 10‐methacryloyloxydecyl dihydrogen phosphate (10‐MDP)‐containing adhesive systems.
An investigation on friction spot welding of AA2198‐T8 thin sheets
Authors: de Barros P. A. F. , Campanelli L. C. , Alcântara N. G. , Dos Santos J. F.
Published: August 2016

The feasibility of joining 1.6‐mm‐thick sheets of AA2198‐T8 by the novel friction spot welding technology and the resulting microstructural features on the welds cross sections were assessed, with further evaluation of the process parameters on the weld performance. Besides the intrinsic discontinuity related to the interface between the sheets, the hook feature was found to be inherent to the welding process, and its morphology was determinant to the weld performance and fracture mode. A beneficial response on the shear strength was achieved with the minimization of the hook feature because of the absence of a potential site for crack nucleation, although the generation of other defects, depending on the combination of parameters, could erase this benefit. Through statistical analysis, the most influent parameters on the weld performance were plunge depth and welding time. In the present study, regardless of the weld discontinuities, the optimum shear strength revealed a satisfactory performance in mechanical terms for aerospace applications.
Multipolar versus monopolar radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe: Results of a propensity score analysis
Authors: Hirooka Masashi , Ochi Hironori , Hiraoka Atsushi , Koizumi Yohei , Tokumoto Yoshio , Abe Masanori , Michitaka Kojiro , Joko Kouji , Hiasa Yoichi
Published: August 2016

Aim

This study aimed to compare multipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with monopolar RFA as the major treatment for nodules of hepatocellular carcinoma in the caudate lobe.

Methods

This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board. Data were reviewed from 101 patients who met the Milan criteria and were treated by multipolar RFA (n = 22) or monopolar RFA (n = 79). After propensity score matching, complications and local tumor progression were compared between the two groups.

Results

Before propensity score matching (n = 101), the 2‐year relapse‐free survival rates for multipolar and monopolar RFA (65.1% vs. 38.8%, respectively; P = 0.064) and the local tumor progression rate (12.5% vs. 14.9%, respectively; P = 0.313) were not significantly different. There were no significant differences between the two RFA techniques by treatment efficacy of transcatheter hepatic arterial embolization, location of tumor, and puncture route. After matching (n = 44), the 2‐year relapse‐free survival rate for the multipolar and monopolar groups (65.1% vs. 22.7%, respectively; P = 0.004) was significantly different, and the local tumor progression rate (12.5% vs. 22.9%, respectively; P = 0.004) was significantly different. No severe complications occurred in the patients treated by multipolar RFA.

Conclusion

Multipolar RFA appears to be a safe and effective method for hepatocellular carcinoma nodules in the caudate lobe.
Properties of Low‐Temperature Sintering PNN–PMW–PSN–PZT Piezoelectric Ceramics with Ba(Cu1/2W1/2)O3 Sintering Aids
Authors: Nie Rui , Zhang Qian , Yue Yang , Liu Hong , Chen Qiang , Zhu Jianguo , Yu Ping , Xiao Dingquan
Published: August 2016

Piezoelectric ceramics Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Mg1/2W1/2)O3–Pb(Sb1/2Nb1/2)O3–Pb(Zr0.39Ti0.61)O3 with Ba(Cu1/2W1/2)O3 sintering aids were fabricated using economical industrial oxide powders and their piezoelectric, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated in order to develop low‐temperature sintering ceramics for multilayer piezoelectric actuators. A quadratic formula and the Curie–Weiss law reveal that the ceramics are typical displacive‐type ferroelectric relaxors. The ceramics sintered as low as 900°C have good piezoelectric properties of d33 = 551 pC/N, kp = 0.52, εr = 3583, tgδ = 0.02, and TC = 161°C, which is much promising to manufacture multilayer piezoelectric transducers.
An evidence‐based system for health surveillance of occupational divers
Authors: Sames C. , Gorman D. , Mitchell S. , Sandiford P.
Published: August 2016

Background

The value of the commonly required routine annual medical examination of occupational divers has been questioned, and there is a need for a robust, evidence‐based system of health surveillance for this group of workers.

Aims

To determine whether the medical examination and investigation component of occupational divers’ routine comprehensive health surveillance adds significantly to the information gained from the questionnaire component in determining fitness for diving.

Methods

An occupational diver database was interrogated to identify divers issued with a ‘limited’ medical clearance or considered ‘unfit’ for diving over a 5‐year period. Reasons for the ‘unfit’ or ‘limited’ designation and the source of the critical information, whether the annual health questionnaire or the medical examination or questionnaire component (or both) of the initial or 5‐yearly comprehensive medical evaluation, was recorded. For divers completing the 5‐yearly repeat comprehensive medical evaluation, the sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire alone for determining unfitness for diving was compared with that of a nominal ‘gold standard’.

Results

Of 5178 certificates issued to 2187 divers over a 5‐year period, 158 (3%) were provisionally designated as either ‘limited’ or ‘unfit’. Of nine divers identified by the examination component of the 5‐yearly comprehensive medical evaluation, four were eventually designated ‘fit’, two ‘limited’, and three were lost to follow up. None who had completed subsequent investigations remained ‘unfit’. The sensitivity and specificity of the questionnaire to detect unfit divers compared with the gold standard were 84.6 and 99.3%, respectively, and its accuracy was 98.9%.

Conclusion

The current New Zealand occupational diver medical certification process, comprising annual health questionnaires and 5‐yearly full examinations, detects all health issues critical to the determination of fitness to dive.
Electrochemical Fingerprint of Archeological Lead Silicate Glasses Using the Voltammetry of Microparticles Approach
Authors: Doménech‐Carbó Antonio , Villegas María‐Ángeles , Agua Fernando , Martínez‐Ramírez Sagrario , Doménech‐Carbó María Teresa , Martínez Betlem
Published: August 2016

The application of a solid‐state electrochemical technique, voltammetry of microparticles (VMP), for studying archeological lead glass is described. Upon attachment to graphite electrodes immersed into aqueous acetate buffer, characteristic voltammetric profiles were obtained for submicrosamples of archeological glasses dated between the 9th and 19th centuries. Bivariate and multivariate chemometric analyses of the VMP data allowed us to characterize individual workshops/provenances which enabled a clear discrimination between soda‐rich and potash‐rich glasses. An analysis of the VMP data, combined by XRF, FESEM, AFM and ATR‐FTIR and Micro‐Raman spectroscopies, denoted the presence of Pb(IV) centers accompanying network‐former and network‐modifier Pb(II).
The annual marine feeding aggregation of Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus in the inner Bay of Fundy: population characteristics and movement
Authors: Dadswell M. J. , Wehrell S. A. , Spares A. D. , Mclean M. F. , Beardsall J. W. , Logan‐Chesney L. M. , Nau G. S. , Ceapa C. , Redden A. M. , Stokesbury M. J. W.
Published: August 2016

Atlantic sturgeon Acipenser oxyrinchus aggregate to feed from May to October in Minas Basin (45° N; 64° W), a large, cul‐de‐sac embayment of the inner Bay of Fundy. The aggregation consists mainly of migrants from the Saint John, NB and Kennebec Rivers, ME (99%). During 2004–2015, 4393 A. oxyrinchus were taken as by‐catch by commercial fish trawlers or at intertidal fishing weirs, and 1453 were marked and/or sampled and released. Fork length (LF) ranged from 458 to 2670 mm, but 72·5% were <1500 mm. Mass (M) ranged from 0·5 to 58·0 kg. The mass‐length relationship for fish ≤50 kg was log10M = 3·32log10LF − 5·71. Observed growth of unsexed A. oxyrinchus recaptured after 1–8 years indicated fish of 90–179 cm LF grew c. 2–4 cm a year. Ages obtained from pectoral spines were from 4 to 54 years. The Von Bertalanffy growth model predicted K = 0·01 and L∞ = 5209 mm LF. Estimated annual mortality was 9·5–10·9%. Aggregation sizes in 2008 and 2013 were 8804 and 9244 individuals, respectively. Fish exhibited high fidelity for yearly return to Minas Basin and population estimates indicated the total at‐sea number utilizing the Basin increased from c. 10 700 in 2010 to c. 37 500 in 2015. Abundance in the Basin was greatest along the north shore in spring and along the south shore in summer, suggesting clockwise movement following the residual current structure. Marked individuals were recaptured in other bays of the inner Bay of Fundy, north to Gaspé, Quebec, and south to New Jersey, U.S.A., with 26 recoveries from the Saint John River, NB, spawning run. Fish marked at other Canadian and U.S. sites were also recovered in Minas Basin. Since all A. oxyrinchus migrate into and out of the Basin annually they will be at risk of mortality if planned tidal power turbines are installed in Minas Passage.
A 6‐month, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study evaluating the ability of a marine complex supplement to promote hair growth in men with thinning hair
Authors: Ablon Glynis
Published: August 2016

Background

Male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, affects approximately 50% of the adult population and can cause poor self‐image, low self‐esteem and have a significant negative impact on the quality of life. An oral nutraceutical supplement based on a marine complex formulation has previously been reported to significantly increase the number of terminal hairs in women with thinning hair. AIMS: The objective of this double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study was to confirm the beneficial effects of a similar marine complex supplement in adult male subjects with thinning hair (Viviscal® Man; Lifes2good, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Patients/Methods

Healthy adult male subjects with thinning hair associated with clinically diagnosed male pattern hair loss were enrolled and randomized to receive study drug or placebo twice daily.

Results

At Day 90, subjects indicated a significant improvement in three of six quality of life measures as well as a significant overall improvement in quality of life. After 180 days, significant increases were observed for total hair count, total hair density, and terminal hair density (for each, P = 0.001). The investigator assessments revealed significant improvements in terminal and vellus hair count and terminal hair density. Hair pull test results were significantly lower (fewer hairs removed) for study drug vs. placebo at Days 90 (P < 0.05) and 180 (P < 0.01). There were no reports of treatment‐emergent adverse events.

Conclusion

The results of this study showed for the first time that a dietary supplement containing a marine complex and other ingredients can decrease hair shedding and promote hair growth in men with thinning hair.
Bridging the gap between guidelines and practice in the management of emerging infectious diseases: a qualitative study of emergency nurses
Authors: Lam Stanley KK , Kwong Enid WY , Hung Maria SY , Pang Samantha MC
Published: August 2016

Aims and objectives

To explore the difficulties and strategies regarding guideline implementation among emergency nurses.

Background

Emerging infectious diseases remain an underlying source of global health concern. Guidelines for accident and emergency departments would require adjustments for infectious disease management. However, disparities between guidelines and nurses' practice are frequently reported, which undermines the implementation of these guidelines into practice. This article explores the experience of frontline emergency nurses regarding guideline implementation and provides an in‐depth account of their strategies in bridging guideline‐practice gaps.

Design

A qualitative descriptive design was used.

Methods

Semi‐structured, face‐to‐face, individual interviews were conducted between November 2013–May 2014. A purposive sample of 12 frontline emergency nurses from five accident and emergency departments in Hong Kong were recruited. The audio‐recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed with a qualitative content analysis approach.

Results

Four key categories associated with guideline‐practice gaps emerged, including getting work done, adapting to accelerated infection control measures, compromising care standards and resolving competing clinical judgments across collaborating departments. The results illustrate that the guideline‐practice gaps could be associated with inadequate provision of corresponding organisational supports after guidelines are established.

Conclusions

The nurses' experiences have uncovered the difficulties in the implementation of guidelines in emergency care settings and the corresponding strategies used to address these problems. The nurses' experiences reflect their endeavour in adjusting accordingly and adapting themselves to their circumstances in the face of unfeasible guidelines.

Relevance to clinical practice

It is important to customise guidelines to the needs of frontline nurses. Maintaining cross‐departmental consensus on guideline interpretation and operation is also indicated as an important component for effective guideline implementation.