bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Types of Behavior Problems that May be Encountered in the Classroom
Authors: Fremont Theodore S. , Wallbrown Fred H.
Published: January 2019

This paper provides an overview of the different patterns of behavior problems that teachers are likely to encounter in the classroom. Different systems for categorizing learning and behavioral problems are considered from the standpoint of whether they involve behaviors that can be observed in the classroom or psychological constructs that must be inferred by mental health specialists. The four behavioral dimensions from the Quay system — personality problems, conduct problems, inadequate-immature behaviors, and socialized delinquency — appear relevant, since they deal with stable behavioral patterns that can be rated reliably in the classroom. Severe emotional problems are also discussed, along with learning disabilities and social misperception, to complete the coverage of behavioral problems. The paper concludes with a few suggestions for informal observation of classroom behavior and specific recommendations for further reading on this topic.
Child, School, Family: An Interactional View
Authors: Tucker Bernice Z. , Bernstein Arthur J.
Published: January 2019

This paper provides a rationale for viewing symptomatic child behavior in terms of a family systems perspective. In their clinical and consultation work, the authors have found that the family context provides the most constructive avenue for modifying problematic child behavior. The child brings to the school the repertoire of behaviors learned in the family, and the classroom becomes an avenue for the expression of these behaviors. School staff have the unique opportunity to take a leadership role with the families of children. The school can create a nonblaming environment where dialogue and mutual planning can take place between families and school personnel. In this way, the child is unburdened as the conveyor of information and values between the two systems. Changes in traditional school practices can be achieved: school psychologists can take on new roles, while principals and staff can learn new techniques and skills for relating to each other and for approaching family-based school learning problems.
The Impact of PL 94-142 at the Lea Level or PL 94-142 Revisited
Authors: Harmon A. B.
Published: January 2019

This article attempts to describe the reactions of public school personnel, parents, and the public to PL 94-142 including the process of carrying out the mandate of the law in comparison with the product that is being produced.
Investigation of the axial compressive behavior of Kevlar fibers using the dynamic loop test
Authors: Abuobaid Ahmad , Ganesh Raja , Gillespie John W
Published: January 2019

A dynamic loop test method for measuring strain rate-dependent fiber properties was developed. During dynamic loop testing, the fiber ends are accelerated at constant levels of 20.8, 50 and 343 m/s2. The test method is used to study Kevlar® KM2-600, which fails in axial compression due to kink band formation. The compressive failure strain and strain rate at the onset of kink band formation is calculated from the critical loop diameter ( D C), which is monitored throughout the test using a high-speed camera. The results showed that compressive failure strain increases with strain rates from quasi-static to a maximum strain rate of 116 s−1 by a factor of ∼3. Kink angles (φ) and kink band spacing ( D S) were 60 ° ± 2 ° and 16 ± 3 μm, respectively, over the strain rates tested. Rate-dependent mechanisms of compressive failure by kink band formation were discussed.
Contributions of Personality and Depressive Symptoms on Subjective and Objective Memory
Authors: Haavisto Wonjeong , Blaskewicz Boron Julie
Published: January 2019

This study aimed to examine whether individual differences in personality and multifaceted depression explain discrepancies between subjective memory (SM) and objective memory (OM), and whether these relationships varied as a function of gender. Structural equation modeling was used to test these relationships in a group of older adults (65–98 years, N = 606) from the 2000 Wave Panel 3 of the Long Beach Longitudinal Study. Women outperformed men on OM, reporting less frequent memory failures. Dysphoria and openness predicted OM, yet not SM. Cognitive concerns, neuroticism, and conscientiousness predicted SM but not OM. The personality and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) factors relevant for SM differed from those for OM, with the GDS factors showing a stronger impact. Overall, discrepancies between SM and OM may be partially explained by the varying impact of the GDS and personality factors, as both provide differential utility in understanding SM and OM differences in older adulthood.
Assessing Motor and Cognitive Areas in Older People: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Portuguese Version of Éxamen Géronto-Psychomoteur
Authors: Morais Ana , Santos Sofia , Lebre Paula , Simões Celeste
Published: January 2019

Aging involves changes in psychomotor performance. Few studies are focused on psychomotor skills among older people due, in part, to the inexistence of valid instruments in the field. The purpose of this article is to analyze the factor structure model of the Portuguese version of Exámen Géronto-Psychomoteur. The confirmatory factor analysis was completed in a sample of 497 older persons, aged between 60 and 99 years, with and without dementia (74.4% female; M = 78.0; standard deviation = 8.6). A baseline one-factor model was compared against 2 three-factor models (first and second order) that were developed based on the previous exploratory factor analysis. Fit indices for the one-factor model were slightly higher when compared with other models; however, the second-order model seems to be more representative of human behavior. The results of this study provide evidence to support a three-factor model: cognition, motor function, and physical aspects.
Solitary Extramedullary Plasmacytoma of the Nasal Tract: An Unusual Cause of Epistaxis
Authors: Sodhi Kushaljit Singh , Khandelwal Niranjan , Virmani Vivek , Das Ashim , Panda Naresh
Published: January 2019

Solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma is a rare hematologic malignancy with nonspecific clinical symptoms and imaging findings. We present a case of this entity that arose in the nasal tract of a 50-year-old man. The tumor was removed surgically, and the patient showed no evidence of recurrence on follow-up. We review the clinical features, imaging and histopathologic findings, and treatment of this rare disease. It is essential for otolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons to be familiar with this entity because total excision and radiation therapy for plasmacytomas can be curative in patients who have no underlying overt plasma cell dyscrasias.
Primary Laryngeal Actinomycosis in an Immunosuppressed Woman: A Case Report
Authors: Abed Tarik , Ahmed Jay , O'Shea Niamh , Payne Simon , Watters Gavin W.
Published: January 2019

We report a rare case of primary laryngeal actinomycosis, which occurred in a 35-year-old woman with end-stage renal failure secondary to systemic lupus erythematosus with membranous glomerulonephritis. The patient, who had been on long-term immunosuppression therapy, presented with hoarseness. Flexible laryngoscopy detected the presence of a granular glottic mass at the anterior commissure of the larynx. Histology revealed actinomycotic organisms associated with an abscess. The patient was treated with a prolonged course of oral penicillin V and speech therapy, and her dysphonia resolved almost completely. Although actinomycotic infection of the larynx is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hoarseness in an immunocompromised patient.
A Study of Mucosal Melanoma of the Oral Cavity in India: A Rare Tumor
Authors: Chaturvedi Pankaj , Lerra Sandeep , Gupta Piyush , Pai Prathamesh S. , Chaukar Devendra A. , Agarwal Jai Prakash , D'Cruz Anil K.
Published: January 2019

Malignant melanomas involving the mucosa are rare and aggressive lesions. Their rarity has made the formulation of staging and treatment protocols very difficult, as most of the available information comes from case reports and small case series. We conducted a retrospective study to analyze the behavior of melanomas of the oral mucosa in patients who were treated at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai, a tertiary care referral center for malignancies and one of the largest cancer centers on the Indian subcontinent. During the 22-year period from January 1986 through December 2007, we found only 13 such cases, which had occurred in 8 men and 5 women, aged 26 to 70 years (mean: 37.5). All patients had been offered surgery with curative intent. Mucosal melanomas have exhibited a greater tendency for distant recurrence than for local treatment failure, which is why adjuvant radiation therapy has not been shown to confer any consistent benefit. In our study, only 3 of the 13 patients (23.1 %) remained alive 2 years after diagnosis, despite aggressive treatment. Tumor staging, optimal treatment, and prognostic factors for oral mucosal melanoma are far from clear, and further research is needed. Despite the small number of patients in this study, it still represents one of the largest series of oral mucosal melanoma patients in India.
Sweet Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Contrucci Robert B. , Martin Donna Bilu
Published: January 2019

Sweet syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) is a disorder of unknown etiology. It has been associated with autoimmune processes, malignancies, infections, drug reactions, and gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease. We describe the case of a 51-year-old man who presented with severe pain in his tongue and throat and referred pain in his right ear, along with odynophagia, fever, and hoarseness of 48 hours'duration. An oral and oropharyngeal examination revealed the presence of aphthous ulcerations, as well as a 3 × 3-cm raised inflammatory lesion on the right anterior lateral tongue and a 5 × 5-mm bulla on the hard palate in the midline. In addition, erythematous papules and macules were noted on his face, neck, and extremities. Cultures, a biopsy, and laboratory tests yielded a diagnosis of Sweet syndrome. The patient was prescribed oral prednisone, and his signs and symptoms resolved within 2 months. Although Sweet syndrome is uncommon, even in dermatology practice, its head and neck and oral manifestations and its association with paraneoplastic disease warrant the need for otolaryngologists to be aware of the condition.
Nasal, Oral, and Pharyngolaryngeal Manifestations of Pemphigus Vulgaris: Endoscopic Ororhinolaryngologic Examination
Authors: Ohki Masafumi , Kikuchi Shigeru
Published: January 2019

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disorder that involves the skin and mucous membranes. Few reports have described nasal and oropharyngolaryngeal lesions in pemphigus vulgaris using an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 11 patients with pemphigus vulgaris between 2001 and 2013 with respect to their symptoms, lesion sites, lesion features, and treatments received. All patients had undergone an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination. Their mucosa-related symptoms were sore throat, oral pain, odynophagia, gingival bleeding, hoarseness, and epistaxis. The most frequent sites were the oral cavity (gingiva and buccal mucosa), larynx (epiglottis and vocal fold), oropharynx (soft palate), and nasal cavity (nasal septum). Lesions were typically characterized by erosion, erosion with a whitish exudate, and erythematous patches. Thus, our study findings reveal that pemphigus vulgaris involves both the nasal and oropharyngolaryngeal regions. Patients with pemphigus vulgaris should undergo an endoscopic ororhinolaryngologic examination to determine the range of their lesions.
Glomus Faciale Tumors: A Report of 3 Cases and Literature Review
Authors: Nadimi Sahar , Leonetti John P. , Marzo Sam J. , Anderson Douglas E. , Mahmood Gulrez , Bumgarner Derek
Published: January 2019

Our objectives in reporting this case series are to familiarize readers with the rare occurrence of paragangliomas originating along the facial nerve and to provide a literature review. We describe 3 such cases that occurred at our tertiary care academic medical center. Two women and 1 man presented with a tumor adjacent to the vertical segment of the facial nerve. The first patient, a 48-year-old woman, presented with what appeared to be a parotid tumor at the stylomastoid foramen; she underwent a parotidectomy, transmastoid facial nerve decompression, and a shave biopsy of the tumor. The second patient, a 66-year-old man, underwent surgery via a postauricular infratemporal fossa approach, and a complete tumor resection was achieved. The third patient, a 56-year-old woman, presented with a middle ear mass; she underwent complete tumor removal through a transmastoid transcanal approach. All 3 patients exhibited normal facial nerve function both before and after surgery. Paragangliomas of the facial nerve are extremely rare, and their signs and symptoms are unlike those of any other temporal bone glomus tumors. Management options include surgical resection, radiologic surveillance, and radiotherapy. The facial nerve can be spared in selected cases.
Peer Review or Lottery? A Critical Analysis of Two Different Forms of Decision-making Mechanisms for Allocation of Research Grants
Authors: Roumbanis Lambros
Published: January 2019

At present, peer review is the most common method used by funding agencies to make decisions about resource allocation. But how reliable, efficient, and fair is it in practice? The ex ante evaluation of scientific novelty is a fundamentally uncertain endeavor; bias and chance are embedded in the final outcome. In the current study, I will examine some of the most central problems of peer review and highlight the possible benefits of using a lottery as an alternative decision-making mechanism. Lotteries are driven by chance, not reason. The argument made in the study is that the epistemic landscape could benefit in several respects by using a lottery, thus avoiding all types of bias, disagreement, and other limitations associated with the peer review process. Funding agencies could form a pool of funding applicants who have minimal qualification levels and then select randomly within that pool. The benefits of a lottery would not only be that it saves time and resources, but also that it contributes to a more dynamic selection process and increases the epistemic diversity, fairness, and impartiality within academia.
iLDA: An interactive latent Dirichlet allocation model to improve topic quality
Authors: Liu Yezheng , Du Fei , Sun Jianshan , Jiang Yuanchun
Published: January 2019

User-generated content has been an increasingly important data source for analysing user interests in both industries and academic research. Since the proposal of the basic latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) model, plenty of LDA variants have been developed to learn knowledge from unstructured user-generated contents. An intractable limitation for LDA and its variants is that low-quality topics whose meanings are confusing may be generated. To handle this problem, this article proposes an interactive strategy to generate high-quality topics with clear meanings by integrating subjective knowledge derived from human experts and objective knowledge learned by LDA. The proposed interactive latent Dirichlet allocation (iLDA) model develops deterministic and stochastic approaches to obtain subjective topic-word distribution from human experts, combines the subjective and objective topic-word distributions by a linear weighted-sum method, and provides the inference process to draw topics and words from a comprehensive topic-word distribution. The proposed model is a significant effort to integrate human knowledge with LDA-based models by interactive strategy. The experiments on two real-world corpora show that the proposed iLDA model can draw high-quality topics with the assistance of subjective knowledge from human experts. It is robust under various conditions and offers fundamental supports for the applications of LDA-based topic modelling.
Transitional justice as a learning process: A contribution from the domesticating human rights model
Authors: Ingiyimbere Fidèle
Published: January 2019

In recent years, transitional justice (TJ) has become such an important field that it is believed to have become an international norm. Beginning as an initiative to help countries recovering from dictatorship in Latin America and communism regimes in East Europe, where the retributive justice paradigm was predominant, today it has gone beyond its birth place and integrated the restorative and reparative dimensions to its practice. Despite this development, some voices have criticized TJ of hiding an ideological agenda of promoting liberal democracy, focusing only on the legal dimension which favors political and civil rights, ignoring economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as the social and political contexts in which conflicts arise. The critics also argue that transitional practice assumes a clear-cut opposition between the victim and perpetrator who can be detrimental to its goal of achieving peace and reconciliation. In face of these critiques, this article explores whether the domestication of human rights theory can contribute to answering them. By domestication of human rights, I mean the process through which human rights are incorporated into local contexts to deal with human rights violations. Thus, the article is structured by three main points. First, I elaborate the different critiques against TJ; secondly, I present the domestication of human rights theory so that, in third place, I examine whether the latter can help TJ address the criticisms.
Impact of prosthetic heart valves on pregnancy in Bangladeshi women
Authors: Ranjan Redoy , Adhikary Dipannita , Saha Sanjoy Kumar , Mandal Sabita , Hasan Kamrul , Adhikary Asit Baran
Published: January 2019

Background:

This study evaluated pregnancy outcome in women with a prosthetic heart valve, especially with the oral anticoagulation therapy that must be weighed against the risk of intracardiac thrombosis.

Methods:

This multicenter, retrospective, cohort study was undertaken between January 2012 and June 2017. The principal maternal outcome variables included bleeding and thromboembolic complications, infective endocarditis, prosthetic valve thrombosis and heart failure. However, the main foetal outcome variables included miscarriage, mortality, preterm baby, warfarin embryopathy, low birthweight and the mode of delivery.

Results:

A total of 265 pregnancies in women with prosthetic heart valves were evaluated in two groups: Group I (n = 182) covers a mechanical valve, while Group II (n = 82) covers a bioprosthetic valve. The mean age of the patients was 25.2 ± 2.5 years and 24.5 ± 5.2 years in Group I and Group II, respectively. Approximately 80% of the patients had normal echocardiography findings. However, Group I (mechanical prostheses) has a higher incidence (11.54%) of thrombus formation in comparison with the bioprostheses. Hemorrhagic complications and spontaneous miscarriage were statistically significant (p⩽0.05) between the study groups. However, normal pregnancy outcome (91.57%) was significantly higher (p⩽0.05) in Group II compared to Group I (61.54%). Mean birthweight and mean APGAR score were found normal in both study groups. Only 2.75% of patients have warfarin embryopathy in Group I. Furthermore, comparison of SF-36 scores for HRQOL (Health-Related Quality of Life) before and after pregnancy were statistically insignificant among the study population.

Conclusion:

Proper antenatal care and early risk stratification are the fundamental measures to improve the maternal and foetal outcomes in a patient with a prosthetic heart valve.
Frequency of use of elastic compression stockings in patients with chronic venous disease of the lower extremities
Authors: Ayala-García Marco Antonio , Reyes Jorge Sanchéz , Muñoz Montes Norberto , Guaní-Guerra Eduardo
Published: January 2019

Objective

To determine the frequency of use of elastic compression stockings in patients with lower extremity chronic venous disease.

Methods

An explorational, prospective, transversal, observational, descriptive, analytical study including 168 patients was performed. We identified the proportion of patients using elastic compression stockings. The odds ratio (OR) was used to determine the relation between elastic compression stocking use and previous medical attention for chronic venous disease.

Results

Only 59 patients (35.1%) were using elastic compression stockings at the time of the study. We determined that the patients who had received previous medical attention to manage chronic venous disease in their lower extremities were >3 times more likely to use elastic compression stockings than patients who had not received previous medical attention (OR = 3.3, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Although there is sufficient evidence of the effectiveness of elastic compression stockings for treating chronic venous disease in the lower extremities, their use is relatively infrequent (35.1%).
From Mundane to Socially Significant Consumption: An Analysis of How Foodie Identity Work Spurs Market Formation
Authors: Ulver Sofia
Published: January 2019

How does dull turn into cool? Every now and then new markets emerge and consumption that used to be mundane and insignificant transforms into something socially significant. Using the theoretical lens of cultural system transformation, this research set out to analyze how consumers, through their identity work, unintentionally transform a market by negotiating its symbolic boundaries and expanding its borders in relation to their social surroundings. The results showed that consumer identity work contributes to forming the market by providing it with new symbolic meanings (epistemic, entertainment and erotic), by extending it with new discursive and material content (through epistemic refinement), and by expanding it through the provision (active and unintentional promotion of the consumption field to confirm their own identity) of new consumers. This research added to at least three ongoing conversations in marketing research; (i) to the macromarketing research stream on marketing systems by taking a cultural system perspective and recognizing the subtle but transformative impact of symbolic consumer meanings and identity work, (ii) to the consumer culture theory (CCT) research stream on market formation by highlighting consumers’ unintentional change of a market through intense identity struggle in their immediate social circle, and (iii) to both above streams by highlighting what makes identity struggle distinct at a mundane rather than more controversial or extraordinary market.
Predictors of Health Self-Management Program Preference Among Lower-to-Middle Wage Employed Adults With Chronic Health Conditions
Authors: Kneipp Shawn M. , Horrell Lindsey , Gizlice Ziya , Smith Matthew Lee , Linnan Laura , Brady Teresa
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

We examined the extent to which demographic, chronic disease burden, and financial strain characteristics were associated with a preference for engaging in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (presented as a “health self-management program” [HSMP]) over a financial self-management program (FSMP) and a no program preference (NPP) group among employed adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional, correlation design using baseline data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Subjects:

The analytic sample included 324 workers aged 40 to 64 years with 1 or more chronic disease conditions recruited into the RCT from 2015 to 2017.

Measures:

Chronic disease burden measures included the number of chronic conditions, body mass index (BMI), and the 8-item and 15-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8 and PHQ-15). Financial strain was measured as the inability to purchase essentials and food assistance receipt. Both individual and household measures of income were assessed.

Analyses:

Multinomial logistic regression and post-hoc marginal effects models.

Results:

Moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms increased the likelihood of having an HSMP preference when compared with those preferring the FSMP (RR = 4.2, P < .05) but not those having NPP; while higher BMI marginally increased HSMP preference over FSMP preference, but not NPP groups (RR = 1.04, P < .05). Financial strain differentially, but significantly, reduces the likelihood of HSMP preference at varying levels of household poverty, depressive symptom severity, and financial strain.

Conclusion:

Middle-aged, lower-to-middle income workers with moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms opt for HSMPs over FSMPs, but preference for HSMPs significantly diminished when they are experiencing financial strain.
Key Drivers of State Preemption of Food, Nutrition, and Agriculture Policy: A Thematic Content Analysis of Public Testimony
Authors: Pomeranz Jennifer L. , Pertschuk Mark
Published: January 2019

Purpose:

Local communities are often active public health policy makers, so state preemption—when the state withdraws authority from local governments—can hinder public health progress. Kansas enacted the most sweeping law in the nation preempting food, nutrition, and agricultural policy.

Design:

Qualitative thematic content analysis was used on public comments to identify and evaluate common and key arguments. A codebook was developed using an iterative process. Open coding was applied to all comments.

Setting:

All testimony and comments submitted by individuals and organizations to the Kansas State Legislature on the preemptive bill.

Participants:

Eight types of commentators submitted 34 written and 12 oral comments.

Measures:

The data were evaluated on a latent level to examine underlying drivers of preemption.

Results:

Comments addressed 18 themes, referenced 366 times; 68% in opposition. Common themes included local control, food labeling, public health, need for statewide standards, and debate over food regulation. Key themes included the need for state and federal uniformity to support businesses and consumers, debate over topics not in the bill, the value of local control, confusion over bill coverage, and outside influences.

Conclusion:

Confusion about bill language and coverage, the combination of food and agricultural issues, and backing by multinational corporations helped propel preemption forward in Kansas. Food policy stakeholders nationally can anticipate similar arguments and strategies in their state.
Anticoagulation of a Percutaneous Left Ventricular Assist Device Using a Low-Dose Heparin Purge Solution Protocol: A Case Series
Authors: Newsome Andrea Sikora , Taylor Ashley , Garner Seth
Published: January 2019

Background

Impella CP® is a percutaneous left ventricular assist device that requires a heparin–dextrose purge solution. The manufacturer recommends heparin 50 units/mL, but supratherapeutic anticoagulation has been observed with this concentration.

Objective

The purpose of this evaluation was to observe the efficacy and safety of a low-dose heparin-based purge solution (25 units/mL in dextrose 20%). The primary outcome evaluated percentage of activated clotting times (ACTs) below therapeutic range. Secondary objectives included evaluating the incidence of device thrombosis and rate of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Platelet trends were characterized.

Methods

A single-site retrospective review was conducted for all adults with the Impella CP from January 2015 to December 2017.

Results

A total of 18 patients were included. The percentage of ACT readings within goal of 160 to 200 seconds was 49%, and 38% of readings were subtherapeutic. Per BARC bleeding criteria, 22% (n = 4) patients experienced class IIIa bleeding and 39% (n = 7) experienced class II bleeding. Though 4 (22%) patients were tested for HIT, no patients were positive. Patients showed universal reductions in platelet counts.

Conclusions

The use of a low-dose anticoagulation protocol of heparin 25 units/mL in dextrose 20% as needed warrants further evaluation.
Synthesis and properties of benzocyclobutene-terminated imide-containing cyano group
Authors: Que Xianfeng , Qiu Zhiming , Yan Yurong
Published: January 2019

Benzocyclobutene (BCB) resins have aroused much interest because of their excellent physical and chemical properties. Unfortunately the temperature required to induce cross-linking in typical BCBs is higher than 250°C, which restricts their applications. In this study, a novel cyano-containing BCB-terminated imide monomer was synthesized through the reaction of 1-cyano-5-amino-benzocyclobutene with 4,4′-oxydiphthalic anhydride. This monomer allows a 50–100°C lower curing temperature in comparison with typical BCBs, and it is highly soluble in various solvents and can easily convert to cured film at 150–200°C. Because of the presence of rigid imide group and strong polar cyano group, the cured film exhibits excellent mechanical strength with tensile strength up to 87.8 MPa, high glass transition temperature up to 350°C, low coefficient of thermal expansion (36.9 ppm K−1), and outstanding planarity with the average surface roughness as low as 0.26 nm.
Psychometric evaluation of the Informed Consent Process Scale in Chinese
Authors: Chen Shu Yu , Chang Shu-Chen Susan , Lin Chiu-Chu , Lou Qingqing , Anderson Robert M
Published: January 2019

Background:

Informed consent is essential for the ethical conduct of clinical research and is a culturally sensitive issue. But, a measurable Chinese version of the scale to evaluate the informed consent process has not yet been explored in the existing literature.

Research objectives:

This study aimed to develop and psychometrically test the Chinese version of the Informed Consent Process Scale.

Research design:

Back-translation was conducted to develop the Chinese version of the questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey was administered, after which an exploratory factor analysis was conducted.

Participants:

We recruited a total of 375 participants who had experience in signing an informed consent form within the previous 3 years in Taiwan.

Ethical considerations:

This study was approved by two Institutional Review Boards and the autonomy of the participants was respected.

Findings:

The Chinese version of the Informed Consent Process Scale is composed of three factors with 23 items showing evidence of acceptable reliability and validity. Three major factors were extracted and labeled: Factor 1 – ‘Understanding of the research’, Factor 2 – ‘Trust and confidence’ and Factor 3 – ‘Doubt and uncertainty’. The three factors accounted for is 52.954 of the total variance with Cronbach’s α of .917.

Discussion and conclusion:

The finding corroborates previous studies showing that participants had too little understanding on the informed consent forms they signed and implied the need to clarify the critical points in clinical research. The psychometric results indicated good internal consistency and validity for this newly constructed instrument, and it was found worthy of conducting further testing and application.
Modelling and testing of a hydrodynamic clutch filled with electrorheological fluid in varying degree
Authors: Olszak Artur , Osowski Karol , Kęsy Zbigniew , Kęsy Andrzej
Published: January 2019

The article concerns steady-state characteristics of a hydrodynamic clutch with electrorheological working fluid controlled by changes in strength of electric field and changes in the filling degree. The characteristics were obtained by experimenting, as well as calculations based on one-dimensional mathematical models. While creating the mathematical models, factors taken into consideration included differences between methods controlling the clutch, as well as various ways the working fluid flows in the clutch’s working space, depending on the relation of angular speed of rotors. The resultant mathematical models were verified with experimental research.
Factors That Influence Attitudes Toward End-of-Life Care Among Medical Students: Nationwide Survey for Fourth-Year Korean Medical Students
Authors: Kim Do Yeun , Kim Kyong-Jee , Shin Sung Joon , Heo Dae Seog , Lee Soon Nam , Nam Eun Mi
Published: January 2019

Background:

Positive attitudes for end-of-life (EOL) care along with adequate education are key factors for the provision of quality EOL care. This national study was conducted to identify the factors that influence attitudes toward EOL care on medical students.

Method:

An anonymous survey was designed and administered to fourth-year medical students at all 41 medical schools in Korea. Topics related to EOL care were assessed in classroom teaching, bedside teaching, and feedback experiences during clinical clerkships. Seven questions for self-rated attitudes and affecting factors were analyzed toward EOL care.

Results:

With a response rate of 49.2%, the median number of topics recognized by the students as having been delivered was 5 of 11 topics in classroom lectures and 1 of 8 topics in clinical experience. Although few (21.2%) participants indicated that they felt ready for EOL care practice, nevertheless, most felt that they should have adequate knowledge of and preparation for clinical competency in EOL care. Several parameters including respondent’s demographics and exposure to EOL care topics in classroom and in bedside teaching influenced the responses to all 7 attitude questions. However, having more than 1 bedside experience was the only factor positively affecting all attitudinal measures.

Conclusions:

Clinical experience related to EOL care seems to be the utmost priory in fostering positive attitudes and competency among medical students.
Waste, Power, and Hegemony: A Critical Analysis of the Wastescape of Sri Lanka
Authors: Jayasinghe Randika , Azariadis Michael , Baillie Caroline
Published: January 2019

This article explores the power dynamics that shape the wastescape of Sri Lanka. Using theories of power and hegemony, we investigate how the discourses of expert knowledge and formal waste management processes marginalize the discourses and practices of the informal waste sector. By analyzing these discourses and practices, we demonstrate how legitimate and authoritative knowledge is constructed. The analysis uncovered five themes that frame the dominant model of waste management in Sri Lanka: (a) the discourse of development, (b) expert systems, (c) political decision-making, (d) coercion and alienation, and (e) removal of waste. We demonstrate that small-scale informal waste management can be both a solution to Sri Lanka’s waste problem and a much needed income source for the poor. Thus, instead of alienation, coercion, and exclusion, informal waste workers should be recognized as valuable contributors of the urban wastescape to create a sustainable wastescape in the country.
Exploring South Asian Women’s Experiences of Domestic Violence and Help-Seeking Within the Sociocultural Context in Hong Kong
Authors: Tonsing Kareen N. , Tonsing Jenny C.
Published: January 2019

Data are reported from a survey of 49 South Asian women who self-identified as having experienced domestic violence from an intimate partner within the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis reveals that perceived social support and having children emerged as the strongest predictors for seeking help. This study also demonstrates that women’s approach to help-seeking is shaped and embedded by a combination of individual and structural factors. The findings of this study may be used to help enhance efforts to promote and provide resources and support for victims of domestic violence from an intimate partner.
Shaming school children: A violation of fundamental rights?
Authors: Goodman Joan F. , Cook Britiny Iris
Published: January 2019

Children in schools are often shamed, at times intentionally, sometimes inadvertently. The question we pose is whether this practice violates their fundamental human rights, in particular that of freedom. Arguably, because of their limited capacities and dependent status what children require is protection rather than rights. Yet, children are not just a collection of needs requiring care; they are also apprentices to adulthood holding ‘rights-in-trust’. We confront the conflict through the following: (1) clarify the slippery term shame and its corollaries humiliation, embarrassment, and guilt; (2) illustrate school shaming practices with a focus on No Excuses charter management organizations; (3) review empirical and theoretical appraisals of shaming; (4) suggest that the concept of human dignity, upon which human rights rest, creates a moral barrier limiting the permissibility of shaming; (5) it follows schools should foster children’s dual rights, welfare, and freedom/autonomy, with a consciousness of freedom as the eventual and pre-eminent goal; (6) in conclusion, shame – a disparagement of the other by a person in authority that is both intended and received as such – is almost never justified as a disciplinary technique. It shrinks the self and immobilizes action. Discipline through guilt inducement is far preferable because its target is an act, not the person, and it motivates reparation. Schools are therefore obliged to abolish shaming practices, in so far as they can, and search for disciplinary alternatives; we offer an approach.
High School Response to Intervention and College Academic Self-Efficacy: Influence of Intervention Experiences
Authors: Banks Courtney , Hsiao Yu-Yu , Gordon Rayya , Bordelon Meagann
Published: January 2019

An increasing number of students enrolling in college engaged in Tier 2 response to intervention (RTI) academic supports in high school to supplement their secondary education. However, few researchers examined if prior experiences with RTI influence academic self-efficacy in college, a construct known to promote student retention and graduation by increasing motivation and persistence. A total of 1,639 college students completed an online survey to report their previous learning experiences, academic self-efficacy, and willingness to seek college supports. Structural equation modeling revealed that the number of academic interventions in high school significantly predicted greater willingness to seek academic supports in college and confidence in interacting with school staff and peers about educational requirements and assignments. The findings highlight benefits of prior experiences with RTI on postsecondary transition and college achievement.
Simvastatin prevents articular chondrocyte dedifferentiation induced by nitric oxide by inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13
Authors: Yu Seon-Mi , Kim Song Ja
Published: January 2019

In this study, we investigated whether simvastatin (SVT), a statin commonly prescribed to decrease cholesterol levels, might have a therapeutic effect in OA. Primary rabbit chondrocytes were pre-treated with SVT (50 μM), then treated with sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 1 mM), a donor of nitric oxide (NO) known as a pro-inflammatory mediator, and analyzed for the expression levels of type II collagen, SOX-9, aggrecan, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1, and 13. SNP increased NO generation in a dose-dependent manner, causing a loss of type II collagen and aggrecan indicative of chondrocyte dedifferentiation, which was inhibited by SVT. SVT also reversed the increase in MMP-1 and -13 and inhibited NO production and NO synthase expression induced by SNP in articular chondrocytes. Given that MMP-1 and -13 knockdown by siRNA increased the level of type II collagen in SNP-treated cells, our results show that SVT prevented NO-induced chondrocyte damage and dedifferentiation through downregulation of MMP expression. This study showed that SVT could attenuate the degradation of articular cartilage components, which is characteristic for OA, through inhibition of MMPs in NO-treated chondrocytes, suggesting that SVT may be a novel candidate therapeutic agent for the prevention and/or treatment of OA.

Impact statement

Dedifferentiation of chondrocytes is the main character of cartilage degradation. Therefore the understanding of chondrocytes dedifferentiation is essential for arthritis therapy. However, the molecular mechanism of cartilage destroy is mostly unknown. In this work we show that simvastatin (SVT) inhibits dedifferentiation by nitric oxide by blocking the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13. These effects of SVT on dedifferentiation suggest that SVT may be used as a drug for the cure of arthritis.
Biomaterial substrate modifications that influence cell-material interactions to prime cellular responses to nonviral gene delivery
Authors: Mantz Amy , Pannier Angela K
Published: January 2019

Gene delivery is the transfer of exogenous genetic material into somatic cells to modify their gene expression, with applications including tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, sensors and diagnostics, and gene therapy. Viral vectors are considered the most effective system to deliver nucleic acids, yet safety concerns and many other disadvantages have resulted in investigations into an alternative option, i.e. nonviral gene delivery. Chemical nonviral gene delivery is typically accomplished by electrostatically complexing cationic lipids or polymers with negatively charged nucleic acids. Unfortunately, nonviral gene delivery suffers from low efficiency due to barriers that impede transfection success, including intracellular processes such as internalization, endosomal escape, cytosolic trafficking, and nuclear entry. Efforts to improve nonviral gene delivery have focused on modifying nonviral vectors, yet a novel solution that may prove more effective than vector modifications is stimulating or “priming” cells before transfection to modulate and mitigate the cellular response to nonviral gene delivery. In applications where a cell-material interface exists, cell priming can come from cues from the substrate, through chemical modifications such as the addition of natural coatings, ligands, or functional side groups, and/or physical modifications such as topography or stiffness, to mimic extracellular matrix cues and modulate cellular behaviors that influence transfection efficiency. This review summarizes how biomaterial substrate modifications can prime the cellular response to nonviral gene delivery (e.g. integrin binding and focal adhesion formation, cytoskeletal remodeling, endocytic mechanisms, intracellular trafficking) to aid in improving gene delivery for future therapeutic applications.

Impact statement

This review summarizes how biomaterial substrate modifications (e.g. chemical modifications like natural coatings, ligands, or functional side groups, and/or physical modifications such as topography or stiffness) can prime the cellular response to nonviral gene delivery (e.g. affecting integrin binding and focal adhesion formation, cytoskeletal remodeling, endocytic mechanisms, and intracellular trafficking), to aid in improving gene delivery for applications where a cell-material interface might exist (e.g. tissue engineering scaffolds, medical implants and devices, sensors and diagnostics, wound dressings).
Review of Maximum Likelihood Estimation with Stata by Gould, Pitblado, and Sribney
Authors: Jenkins Stephen P.
Published: January 2019

The new book by Gould, Pitblado, and Sribney (2003) is reviewed.
Enhanced Routines for Instrumental Variables/Generalized Method of Moments Estimation and Testing
Authors: Baum Christopher F. , Schaffer Mark E. , Stillman Steven
Published: January 2019

We extend our 2003 paper on instrumental variables and generalized method of moments estimation, and we test and describe enhanced routines that address heteroskedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent standard errors, weak instruments, limited-information maximum likelihood and k-class estimation, tests for endogeneity and Ramsey's regression specification-error test, and autocorrelation tests for instrumental variable estimates and panel-data instrumental variable estimates.
Speaking Stata: Counting Groups, Especially Panels
Authors: Cox Nicholas J.
Published: January 2019

Counting panels, and more generally groups, is sometimes possible in Stata through a reduction command (e.g., collapse, contract, statsby) that produces a smaller dataset or through a tabulation command. Yet there are also many problems, especially with irregular sets of observations for varying times, that do not yield easily to this approach. This column focuses on techniques for answering such questions while maintaining the same data structure. Especially useful are the Stata commands by: and egen and indicator variables constructed for the purpose. With by: we often exploit the fact that subscripts are defined within group, not within dataset. egen functions are often used to produce group-level statistics. Tagging each group just once ensures that summaries, including counts, are of groups, not individual observations.
Age–period–cohort Modeling
Authors: Rutherford Mark J. , Lambert Paul C. , Thompson John R.
Published: January 2019

Age–period–cohort models provide a useful method for modeling incidence and mortality rates. It is well known that age–period–cohort models suffer from an identifiability problem due to the exact relationship between the variables (cohort = period — age). In 2007, Carstensen published an article advocating the use of an analysis that models age, period, and cohort as continuous variables through the use of spline functions (Carstensen, 2007, Statistics in Medicine 26: 3018–3045). Carstensen implemented his method for age–period–cohort models in the Epi package for R. In this article, a new command is introduced, apcfit, that performs the methods in Stata. The identifiability problem is overcome by forcing constraints on either the period or cohort effects. The use of the command is illustrated through an example relating to the incidence of colon cancer in Finland. The example shows how to include covariates in the analysis.
The Synth_Runner Package: Utilities to Automate Synthetic Control Estimation Using Synth
Authors: Galiani Sebastian , Quistorff Brian
Published: January 2019

The synthetic control methodology (Abadie and Gardeazabal, 2003, American Economic Review 93: 113–132; Abadie, Diamond, and Hainmueller, 2010, Journal of the American Statistical Association 105: 493–505) allows for a data-driven approach to small-sample comparative studies. synth_runner automates the process of running multiple synthetic control estimations using synth. It conducts placebo estimates in space (estimations for the same treatment period but on all the control units). Inference ( p-values) is provided by comparing the estimated main effect with the distribution of placebo effects. It also allows several units to receive treatment, possibly at different time periods. It allows automatic generation of the outcome predictors and diagnostics by splitting the pretreatment into training and validation portions. Additionally, it provides diagnostics to assess fit and generates visualizations of results.
Econometric Convergence Test and Club Clustering Using Stata
Authors: Du Kerui
Published: January 2019

In this article, I introduce a new package with five commands to perform econometric convergence analysis and club clustering as proposed by Phillips and Sul (2007, Econometrica 75: 1771–1855). The logtreg command performs the log t regression test. The psecta command implements the clustering algorithm to identify convergence clubs. The scheckmerge command conducts the log t regression test for all pairs of adjacent clubs. The imergeclub command tries to iteratively merge adjacent clubs. The pfilter command extracts the trend and cyclical components of a time series of each individual in panel data. I provide an example from Phillips and Sul (2009, Journal of Applied Econometrics 24: 1153–1185) to illustrate the use of these commands. Additionally, I use Monte Carlo simulations to exemplify the effectiveness of the clustering algorithm.