bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How We Experience Being Alone: Age Differences in Affective and Biological Correlates of Momentary Solitude
Authors: Pauly Theresa , Lay Jennifer C. , Nater Urs M. , Scott Stacey B. , Hoppmann Christiane A.
Published: October 2016

Background: Spending time alone constitutes a ubiquitous part of our everyday lives. As we get older, alone time increases. Less is known, however, about age differences in the experience of spending time alone (momentary solitude). Objectives: We examined time-varying associations between momentary solitude, affect quality, and two hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity markers [salivary cortisol; dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAs)] to better understand the affective and biological correlates of momentary solitude across the adult life span. Method: A total of 185 adults aged 20-81 years (mean age = 49 years, 51% female, 74% Caucasian) completed questionnaires on momentary solitude (alone vs. not alone) and current affect on a handheld device, and provided concurrent saliva samples up to seven times a day for 10 consecutive days. Data were analyzed using multilevel models, controlling for the overall amount of time participants spent alone during the study (overall solitude). Results: Greater overall solitude was associated with decreased average high arousal positive affect and increased average cortisol and DHEAs levels. Momentary solitude was associated with reduced high arousal positive affect, increased low arousal positive affect, and increased low arousal negative affect. Age by momentary solitude interactions indicate that greater age was associated with increased high arousal positive affect and reduced low arousal negative affect during momentary solitude. Furthermore, momentary solitude was associated with increased cortisol and DHEAs. With greater age, the association between momentary solitude and cortisol weakened. Conclusion: Consistent with the negative connotations to loneliness and objective social isolation, greater overall solitude was associated with negative affective and biological correlates. Spending a large overall amount of time alone in old age might thus have negative ramifications for health and well-being. Momentary solitude, in contrast, can be a double-edged sword as evidenced by both positive and negative well-being implications. Importantly, greater age is linked to more favorable affective and biological correlates of momentary solitude. The momentary state of spending time alone is thus an experience that is not necessarily negative and that may improve with aging.
Endosonography of a Pulmonary Artery Obstruction in Echinococcosis
Authors: Schuuring Mark J. , Bonta Peter I. , van Vugt Michele , Smithuis Frank , van Delden Otto M. , Annema Jouke T. , Stijnis Kees
Published: October 2016

A 44-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary embolism and abdominal echinococcosis complained of sudden thoracic pain and shortness of breath. A D-dimer of 77.5 mg/l (reference ≤0.5 mg/l) was found. Chest CT scan revealed obstruction of the right lower and middle lobe pulmonary artery (PA). Anticoagulation therapy was initiated for the presumed diagnosis of recurrent pulmonary embolism. However, due to persistent symptoms of dyspnea, follow-up CT angiography of the chest was performed 3 months later. A persistent PA obstruction was found and the presumed diagnosis of embolism was questioned. Subsequently, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) imaging was performed to support an alternative diagnosis. EBUS imaging showed an inhomogeneous, sharply demarcated, intravascular lesion with round hypoechoic areas compatible with cysts. The diagnosis of embolism was rejected and treatment with albendazole was initiated for pulmonary echinococcosis. Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease and cystic spread in the PA is exceptional. The patient has remained stable for more than 4 years. In case of disease progression, including progressive PA obstruction or life-threatening hemoptysis, surgical resection will be considered.
Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Primary Mediastinal Germ Cell Tumors: 10-Years' Experience at a Single Institution with a Bleomycin-Containing Regimen
Authors: Dechaphunkul Arunee , Sakdejayont Siwat , Sathitruangsak Chirawadee , Sunpaweravong Patrapim
Published: October 2016

Background: Cisplatin-based chemotherapy followed by surgical resection of the residual tumor remains the standard of care for patients with mediastinal germ cell tumors (MGCTs). To prevent pulmonary complications, a non-bleomycin-containing regimen is generally preferred. This study aims to review the clinical characteristics and outcomes of these patients. Methods: A retrospective chart review was undertaken in patients treated for MGCTs between 2003 and 2013. Results: A total of 40 patients were enrolled; 7 patients were diagnosed with seminoma, while 33 patients had non-seminoma. 92% of patients received chemotherapy as a first treatment modality: 87% bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin; 13% etoposide and cisplatin, with an objective response rate of 61.3%. Among these, 44% achieved a complete serological response. 17 patients underwent surgical resection of the residual tumor. No patient suffered from pulmonary complications after surgery. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 71.4 and 27.3% in seminoma and non-seminoma patients, respectively (p = 0.051). For those who received chemotherapy followed by surgical resection with no viable tumor or only mature teratoma detected, the 5-year OS was 72.7% compared with 20.7% in patients not treated with surgery (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Our study confirmed the importance of a multimodality approach with primary chemotherapy followed by surgical resection of the residual tumor. A bleomycin-containing regimen can be safely used in this setting.
Sex Differences in the Epidemiology of New-Onset In-Hospital Post–Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Filardo Giovanni , Ailawadi Gorav , Pollock Benjamin D. , da Graca Briget , Sass Danielle M. , Phan Teresa K. , Montenegro Debbie E. , Thourani Vinod , Damiano Ralph
Published: October 2016

Background—

New-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) after coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) is associated with increased morbidity and poorer long-term survival. Although many studies show differences in outcome in women versus men after CABG, little is known about the sex-specific incidence and characteristics of post-CABG AF.

Methods and Results—

Overall, 11 236 consecutive patients without preoperative AF underwent isolated CABG from 2002 to 2010 at 4 US academic medical centers and 1 high-volume specialty cardiac hospital. Data routinely collected for the Society of Thoracic Surgeons database were augmented with details on new-onset post-CABG AF events detected via continuous in-hospital ECG/telemetry monitoring. Unadjusted incidence of post-CABG AF was 29.5% (3312/11 236) overall, 30.2% (2485/8214) in men, and 27.4% (827/3022) in women. After adjustment for Society of Thoracic Surgeons–recognized risk factors, women had significantly lower risk for post-CABG AF (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]=0.75 [0.64–0.89]), shorter first, longest, and total duration of AF episodes (mean difference [95% confidence interval]=−2.7 [−4.7 to −0.8] hours; −4.1 [−6.9 to −1.2] hours; −2.4 [−2.5 to −2.3] hours, respectively). At 48 hours, AF-free probabilities were 77% for women and 72% for men (
P
<0.001). Number of episodes (
P
=0.18), operative mortality (
P
=0.048), stroke (
P
=0.126), and discharge in AF (
P
=0.234) did not differ significantly by sex.

Conclusions—

These novel data on sex-specific characteristics of new-onset AF after isolated CABG show that women had lower adjusted risk for post-CABG AF and experienced shorter episodes. Investigation of sex-specific impacts on outcomes is needed to identify optimal strategies for prevention and management to ensure all patients achieve the best possible outcomes.
Splitting the South: China and India’s Divergence in International Environmental Negotiations
Authors: Stokes Leah C. , Giang Amanda , Selin Noelle E.
Published: October 2016

International environmental negotiations often involve conflicts between developed and developing countries. However, considering environmental cooperation in a North-South dichotomy obscures important variation within the Global South, particularly as emerging economies become more important politically, economically, and environmentally. This article examines change in the Southern coalition in environmental negotiations, using the recently concluded Minamata Convention on Mercury as its primary case. Focusing on India and China, we argue that three key factors explain divergence in their positions as the negotiations progressed: domestic resources and regulatory politics, development constraints, and domestic scientific and technological capacity. We conclude that the intersection between scientific and technological development and domestic policy is of increasing importance in shaping emerging economies’ engagement in international environmental negotiations. We also discuss how this divergence is affecting international environmental cooperation on other issues, including the ozone and climate negotiations.
An Association between Auditory–Visual Synchrony Processing and Reading Comprehension: Behavioral and Electrophysiological Evidence
Authors: Mossbridge Julia , Zweig Jacob , Grabowecky Marcia , Suzuki Satoru
Published: October 2016

The perceptual system integrates synchronized auditory–visual signals in part to promote individuation of objects in cluttered environments. The processing of auditory–visual synchrony may more generally contribute to cognition by synchronizing internally generated multimodal signals. Reading is a prime example because the ability to synchronize internal phonological and/or lexical processing with visual orthographic processing may facilitate encoding of words and meanings. Consistent with this possibility, developmental and clinical research has suggested a link between reading performance and the ability to compare visual spatial/temporal patterns with auditory temporal patterns. Here, we provide converging behavioral and electrophysiological evidence suggesting that greater behavioral ability to judge auditory–visual synchrony (Experiment 1) and greater sensitivity of an electrophysiological marker of auditory–visual synchrony processing (Experiment 2) both predict superior reading comprehension performance, accounting for 16% and 25% of the variance, respectively. These results support the idea that the mechanisms that detect auditory–visual synchrony contribute to reading comprehension.
Task-linked Diurnal Brain Network Reorganization in Older Adults: A Graph Theoretical Approach
Authors: Anderson John A. E. , Sarraf Saman , Amer Tarek , Bellana Buddhika , Man Vincent , Campbell Karen L. , Hasher Lynn , Grady Cheryl L.
Published: October 2016

Testing older adults in the morning generally improves behavioral performance relative to afternoon testing. Morning testing is also associated with brain activity similar to that of young adults. Here, we used graph theory to explore how time of day (TOD) affects the organization of brain networks in older adults across rest and task states. We used nodes from the automated anatomical labeling atlas to construct participant-specific correlation matrices of fMRI data obtained during 1-back tasks with interference and rest. We computed pairwise group differences for key graph metrics, including small-worldness and modularity. We found that older adults tested in the morning and young adults did not differ on any graph metric. Both of these groups differed from older adults tested in the afternoon during the tasks—but not rest. Specifically, the latter group had lower modularity and small-worldness (indices of more efficient network organization). Across all groups, higher modularity and small-worldness strongly correlated with reduced distractibility on an implicit priming task. Increasingly, TOD is seen as important for interpreting and reproducing neuroimaging results. Our study emphasizes how TOD affects brain network organization and executive control in older adults.
Telobella kemiri, a new species of Lobellini (Collembola: Neanuridae) from Lombok island (Indonesia)
Authors: SUHARDJONO YAYUK R. , DEHARVENG LOUIS
Published: October 2016

The subgenus Telobella Cassagnau, 1983 is raised to generic level and its type species is redescribed. A list and a key to the species of the genus are given. The new species Telobella kemiri is described from Lombok island in Indonesia.
Review of the genus Plateros Bourgeois (Coleoptera; Lycidae) from Sulawesi
Authors: TVARDIK DAVID , BOCAK LADISLAV
Published: October 2016

The Sulawesi species of the genus Plateros Bourgeois, 1879 are reviewed, with descriptions of seven new species (Plateros kalamensis sp. n., P. lalui sp. n., P. mamasensis sp. n., P. milenae sp. n., P. orobuensis sp. n., P. rubromamasensis sp. n., and P. tanatorajensis sp. n.), proposal of a new name P. toliensis nom. n. for P. diversithorax (Pic, 1921:3 nec Pic, 1921:2), and redescriptions of P. toliensis nom. n. and P. flavidus Kleine, 1933. Ecology and relationships of Plateros species from Sulawesi are discussed briefly. Male genitalia and important external characters are illustrated and all known species are keyed.
The educational gradient in self-rated health in Europe
Authors: Präg Patrick , Wittek Rafael , Mills Melinda C
Published: October 2016

Research suggests that doctor–patient relations have evolved from a doctor-centered, paternalistic approach towards a more patient-centered, egalitarian model of interactions between physicians and their patients. Given the long-running debate on the positive relationship between education and health, the question arises how this development in doctor–patient relations affects social inequalities in health. First, we test to what extent egalitarian (e.g. discussing treatment decisions with patients) doctor–patient relations are underlying the education–self-reported health association. Second, we test whether egalitarian and paternalistic (e.g. withholding some information from patients) doctor–patient relations show differential effects on self-reported health across educational groups. Analyses of the European Social Survey (ESS) 2004/2005 for 24 countries demonstrate that a more egalitarian doctor–patient relationship does not substantially reduce educational inequalities in self-reported health. However, some direct positive effects of egalitarian and direct negative effects of paternalistic doctor–patient relations on health ratings can be found. Finally, results show how the health status of the lower educated can improve with a more egalitarian and less paternalistic doctor–patient relationship.
Outcomes following first-episode psychosis – Why we should intervene early in all ages, not only in youth
Authors: Lappin Julia M , Heslin Margaret , Jones Peter B , Doody Gillian A , Reininghaus Ulrich A , Demjaha Arsime , Croudace Timothy , Jamieson-Craig Thomas , Donoghue Kim , Lomas Ben , Fearon Paul , Murray Robin M , Dazzan Paola , Morgan Craig
Published: October 2016

Objective:

To compare baseline demographics and 10-year outcomes of a first-episode psychosis patient incidence cohort in order to establish whether current youth-focussed age-based criteria for early intervention services are justified by patient needs. The patients in this cohort were treated prior to the establishment of early intervention services. The study aimed to test the hypothesis that those who develop psychosis at a younger age have worse outcomes than those who develop psychosis at an older age.

Methods:

Data on first-episode psychosis patients from the ÆSOP-10 longitudinal follow-up study were used to compare baseline characteristics, and 10-year clinical, functional and service use outcomes between those patients who would and would not have met age-based criteria for early intervention services, in Australia or in the United Kingdom.

Results:

In total, 58% men and 71% women with first-episode psychosis were too old to meet current Australian-early intervention age-entry criteria (χ2 = 9.1, p = 0.003), while 21% men and 34% women were too old for UK-early intervention age-entry criteria (χ2 = 11.1, p = 0.001). The 10-year clinical and functional outcomes did not differ significantly between groups by either Australian- or UK-early intervention age-entry criteria. Service use was significantly greater among the patients young enough to meet early intervention age-criteria (Australia: incidence rate ratio = 1.35 [1.19, 1.52], p < 0.001; United Kingdom: incidence rate ratio = 1.65 [1.41, 1.93], p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Current early intervention services are gender- and age-inequitable. Large numbers of patients with first-episode psychosis will not receive early intervention care under current service provision. Illness outcomes at 10-years were no worse in first-episode psychosis patients who presented within the age range for whom early intervention has been prioritised, though these patients had greater service use. These data provide a rationale to consider extension of early intervention to all, rather than just to youth.
A (sub)culture of their own? Children of lifestyle migrants in Goa, India
Authors: Korpela Mari
Published: October 2016

Increasing numbers of ‘Western’ families spend several months a year in Goa, India, and the rest of the time in the parents’ native countries or elsewhere. These ‘lifestyle migrants’ are motivated by a search for ‘a better quality of life.’ This article asks whether their children can be labeled as Third Culture Kids (TCKs) by elaborating and critically probing this concept. Based on extensive ethnography, the study not only examined what children say in interviews, but also paid attention to what they do. Findings from the study problematize the presumed elitist privilege of TCKs and the assumption that the parents have an unproblematic sense of belonging to their native ‘cultures.’ The article elaborates on what it means for the children to live in the global subcultural center of Goa and on their agency in creating the social and cultural environment in which they live.
An Accurate Method of Designing and Performing Individual‐Specific Genioglossus Advancement
Authors: Liu Stanley Yung‐Chuan , Huon Leh‐Kiong , Zaghi Soroush , Riley Robert , Torre Carlos
Published: October 2016

There is too much individual patient variation in mandibular anatomy for any single described genioglossus advancement technique to be used consistently. Virtual surgical planning allows surgeons to design genioglossus osteotomy that captures the structures of interest. Intraoperative osteotomy and positioning guides mitigate known risks of the procedure while maximizing the reproducibility and efficacy of the procedure. In this report, we demonstrate the protocol step by step as it had been used on 10 patients, and we highlight 3 clinical scenarios that exemplify its utility.
Freestyle stentless bioprosthesis for aortic valve therapy: 17-year clinical results
Authors: Ennker Juergen , Meilwes Markus , Pons-Kuehnemann Joern , Niemann Bernd , Grieshaber Philippe , Ennker Ina C , Boening Andreas
Published: October 2016

Background

Aortic valve replacement with stentless bioprostheses has been shown to produce lower aortic gradients than stented bioprostheses, thus facilitating left ventricular mass regression and preventing heart failure. We sought to determine the long-term results of stentless biological aortic valve replacement over a 17-year follow-up.

Methods

Between 1996 and 2012, 2551 patients underwent isolated aortic valve replacement with a stentless prosthesis (Medtronic Freestyle) at a single center. The mean patient age was 72 ± 10 years, 55% were male, 24.1% were in New York Heart Association class I and II, 9.6% had undergone previous surgery, 18.1% had coronary artery disease, and 23.1% had diabetes. For the long-term follow-up, patients were contacted in writing and by telephone; follow-up was 96.3% complete, resulting in 11,546 patient-years.

Results

At 30 days, mortality (5.4%), renal failure (3.9%), myocardial infarction (0.7%), and stroke (1.4%) rates were acceptable. During long-term follow-up of 1–17 years, the bleeding rate (2.9%) was higher than the thromboembolic event rate (0.7%) despite 18.1% of patients being on oral anticoagulants. New pacemaker implantation (4.5%; 0.87 events/100 patient-years), neurological disorders (5%; 0.52 events/100 patient-years), valve insufficiency (0.7%; 0.16 events/100 patient-years), paravalvular leakage (0.4%; 0.09 events/100 patient-years) and reoperation due to valvular complications (0.7%; 0.38 events/100 patient-years) were rare. Long-term survival was 41.8% ± 1.6 after 10 years, 21.3% ± 2.3 after 15 years, and 12.1% ± 3.9 after 17 years.

Conclusion

Long-term results after aortic valve replacement with stentless biological prostheses compare favorably with those obtained with stented bioprostheses.
Infected pulmonary aneurysm following pulmonary artery banding
Authors: Nakayama Yuki , Iwata Yusuke , Nishimori Toshihide , Takeuchi Takamasa
Published: October 2016

A 1-month-old girl, diagnosed with a common atrioventricular canal, moderate atrioventricular valvular regurgitation, and pulmonary hypertension, underwent pulmonary artery banding. Postoperatively, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus wound infection was treated with antibiotics. One month later, emergency surgery was performed for oozing rupture of an infected pulmonary aneurysm. The pulmonary aneurysm was completely resected, the banding tape was removed, and pulmonary angioplasty was performed to create pulmonary stenosis without using foreign material. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was cultured from the resected tissues and banding tape. The patient was discharged after antibiotic administration. Correction was performed at 1 year of age, and she remains well.
Perspectives on Patient Safety Among Practical Nursing Students
Authors: Raymond June , Medves Jennifer , Godfrey Christina
Published: October 2016

Background

Practical nursing students are students enrolled in a two-year college practical nursing diploma program. They are responsible for providing safe patient care to the patients they care for. Assessing students’ perceptions of their own patient safety competencies can help educators identify gaps in their knowledge and skills and identify, at a curricula level, the concepts and information required to improve the quality of their care.

Purpose

To explore practical nursing students’ confidence in what they are learning about patient safety within their nursing education.

Methods

This cross-sectional descriptive study used a modified version of the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey.

Results

Overall, students expressed the greatest confidence in their abilities to provide care in Clinical Safety topics. More than 75% of the students’ feared punishment when making an error and 88% have difficulty questioning other healthcare providers. Less than 30% of students stated that a system-level focus on errors was taught to them in their education programs.

Conclusions

More investigation is needed to understand what practical nursing students’ fear about the provision of safe care. Additional focus on systems aspects of hazard identification and the prevention of errors needs to be present in nursing education programs.
An integrated model to predict residual stress reduction by multiple cold forging operations in extra-large AA7050 T-section panels
Authors: Pan Ran , Shi Zhusheng , Davies Catrin M , Li Chen , Kaye Michael , Lin Jianguo
Published: October 2016

A finite element model has been developed to determine the effectiveness of a cold compression technique to reduce the large residual stresses generated from quenching solution heat treated T-section components of aluminium alloy AA7050. To compress long components, a multi-step process is required with some amount of overlap. A parametric study has been performed to determine the effect of the compression ratio, friction coefficient, length of overlap and length of the T-section component on the residual stress distribution post-quenching and after subsequent cold compression. Generally, a percentage reduction in the peak residual stress of over 90% was found. The optimal parameters for residual stress relief by cold compression have been suggested from the cases considered.
Efficient nonparametric confidence bands for receiver operating-characteristic curves
Authors: Martínez-Camblor Pablo , Pérez-Fernández Sonia , Corral Norberto
Published: October 2016

Receiver operating-characteristic curve is a popular graphical method frequently used in order to study the diagnostic capacity of continuous (bio)markers. In spite of the existence of a huge number of papers devoted to both theoretical and practical aspects of this topic, the construction of confidence bands has had little impact in the specialized literature. As far as the authors know, in the CRAN there are only three R packages providing receiver operating-characteristic curve confidence regions: plotROC, pROC and fbroc. This work tries to fill this gap studying and proposing a new nonparametric method to build confidence bands for both the standard receiver operating-characteristic curve and its generalization for nonmonotone relationships. The behavior of the proposed procedure is studied via Monte Carlo simulations and the methodology is applied on two real-world biomedical problems. In addition, an R function to compute the proposed and some of the previously existing methodologies is provided as online supplementary material.
Time-dependent efficacy of longitudinal biomarker for clinical endpoint
Authors: Kolamunnage-Dona Ruwanthi , Williamson Paula R
Published: October 2016

Joint modelling of longitudinal biomarker and event-time processes has gained its popularity in recent years as they yield more accurate and precise estimates. Considering this modelling framework, a new methodology for evaluating the time-dependent efficacy of a longitudinal biomarker for clinical endpoint is proposed in this article. In particular, the proposed model assesses how well longitudinally repeated measurements of a biomarker over various time periods (0,t) distinguish between individuals who developed the disease by time t and individuals who remain disease-free beyond time t. The receiver operating characteristic curve is used to provide the corresponding efficacy summaries at various t based on the association between longitudinal biomarker trajectory and risk of clinical endpoint prior to each time point. The model also allows detecting the time period over which a biomarker should be monitored for its best discriminatory value. The proposed approach is evaluated through simulation and illustrated on the motivating dataset from a prospective observational study of biomarkers to diagnose the onset of sepsis.
Group-based multi-trajectory modeling
Authors: Nagin Daniel S , Jones Bobby L , Passos Valéria Lima , Tremblay Richard E
Published: October 2016

Identifying and monitoring multiple disease biomarkers and other clinically important factors affecting the course of a disease, behavior or health status is of great clinical relevance. Yet conventional statistical practice generally falls far short of taking full advantage of the information available in multivariate longitudinal data for tracking the course of the outcome of interest. We demonstrate a method called multi-trajectory modeling that is designed to overcome this limitation. The method is a generalization of group-based trajectory modeling. Group-based trajectory modeling is designed to identify clusters of individuals who are following similar trajectories of a single indicator of interest such as post-operative fever or body mass index. Multi-trajectory modeling identifies latent clusters of individuals following similar trajectories across multiple indicators of an outcome of interest (e.g., the health status of chronic kidney disease patients as measured by their eGFR, hemoglobin, blood CO2 levels). Multi-trajectory modeling is an application of finite mixture modeling. We lay out the underlying likelihood function of the multi-trajectory model and demonstrate its use with two examples.
Algorithmic autoimmunity in the NHS: Radicalisation and the clinic
Authors: Heath-Kelly Charlotte
Published: October 2016

This article explores the extension of counter-radicalisation practice into the National Health Service (NHS). In the 2011 reformulation of the UK Prevent strategy, the NHS became a key sector for the identification and suppression of ‘radicalisation’. Optometrists, dentists, doctors and nurses have been incorporated into counter-terrorism and trained to report signs of radicalisation in patients and staff. This article explores how calculative modalities associated with big data and digital analytics have been translated into the non-digital realm. The surveillance of the whole of the population through the NHS indicates a dramatic policy shift away from linear profiling of those ‘suspect communities’ previously considered vulnerable to radicalisation. Fixed indicators of radicalisation and risk profiles no longer reduce the sample size for surveillance by distinguishing between risky and non-risky bodies. Instead, the UK government chose the NHS as a pre-eminent site for counter-terrorism because of the large amount of contact it has with the public. The UK government is developing a novel counter-terrorism policy in the NHS around large-N surveillance and inductive calculation, which demonstrates a translation of algorithmic modalities and calculative regimes. This article argues that this translation produces an autoimmune moment in British security discourse whereby the distinction between suspicious and non-suspicious bodies has collapsed. It explores the training provided to NHS staff, arguing that fixed profiles no longer guide surveillance: rather, surveillance inductively produces the terrorist profile.
Happiness as an intrinsic motivator in reinforcement learning
Authors: Gao Yue , Edelman Shimon
Published: October 2016

Reinforcement learning, a general and universally useful framework for learning from experience, has been broadly recognized as a critically important concept for understanding and shaping adaptive behavior, both in ethology and in artificial intelligence. A key component in reinforcement learning is the reward function, which, according to an emerging consensus, should be intrinsic to the learning agent and a matter of appraisal rather than a simple reflection of external outcomes. We describe an approach to intrinsically motivated reinforcement learning that involves various aspects of happiness, operationalized as dynamic estimates of well-being. In four experiments, in which simulated agents learned to explore and forage in simulated environments, we show that agents whose reward function properly balances momentary (hedonic) and longer-term (eudaimonic) well-being outperform agents equipped with standard fitness-oriented reward functions. Our findings suggest that happiness-based features can be useful in developing robust, general-purpose reward mechanisms for intrinsically motivated autonomous agents.
Effect of Insurance on Rates of Total Ankle Arthroplasty Versus Arthrodesis for Tibiotalar Osteoarthritis
Authors: Heckmann Nathanael , Bradley Alexander , Sivasundaram Lakshmanan , Alluri Ram Kiran , Tan Eric W.
Published: October 2016

Background:

Several studies have examined the effect of insurance on the management of various orthopedic conditions. The purpose of our study was to assess the effect of insurance and other demographic factors on the operative management of tibiotalar osteoarthritis.

Methods:

The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was used to identify patients who underwent a total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) or tibiotalar arthrodesis (TTA) for tibiotalar osteoarthritis. Insurance status was identified for each patient, and the proportions of each insurance type were computed for each operative modality. A multivariate analysis was performed to account for confounding variables to isolate the effect of insurance type on operative treatment.

Results:

From 2007 to 2012, a total of 10 010 patients (35.6%) were identified who underwent a total ankle replacement (TAR) procedure and 18 094 patients (64.4%%) who underwent TTA for tibiotalar osteoarthritis. Patients receiving a TAR were older (65.8 vs 64.2, P < .001), more likely to be female (54% vs 51%, P < .001), and had fewer comorbidities (4.2 vs 4.5, P < .001) than patients who underwent a TTA. After controlling for baseline differences, patients with Medicare (odds ratio [OR] 3.00, P < .001), and private insurance (OR 3.19, P < .001) were approximately 3 times more likely to undergo TAR than patients with Medicaid.

Conclusions:

Patients with tibiotalar osteoarthritis were more likely to receive a TAR procedure if they had Medicare or private insurance compared with patients who had Medicaid. Further research should be done to better understand the drivers of this phenomenon if equitable care is to be achieved.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prognostic study.
Failure to achieve therapeutic levels with high-dose posaconazole tablets potentially due to enhanced clearance
Authors: Maleki Sam , Corallo Carmela , Coutsouvelis John , Singh Jasmine
Published: October 2016

Aim

To describe a case of persistent sub-therapeutic posaconazole levels in setting of salvage chemotherapy for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia.

Case details

A 57-year-old male was admitted for the management of relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and ongoing pulmonary aspergillosis. While continuing on posaconazole tablet 300 mg daily, he received a course of salvage chemotherapy. The initial steady state posaconazole trough level was therapeutic at 0.84 mg/L (target >0.70 mg/L). However, after five days, the level had dropped to 0.40 mg/L, coinciding with hyperbilirubinemia and hypoalbuminemia. Bilirubin level peaked at 36 µm/L (normal high <20 µm/L), albumin levels were consistently low, averaging at 25 g/L (range 33–46 g/L). The patient had been compliant and there were no underlying gastrointestinal conditions identified which might have potentially affected posaconazole absorption.

Outcome

An increase in posaconazole dose failed to achieve target levels and treatment was changed to voriconazole. However, levels were surprisingly supra-therapeutic, resulting in side effects and substantial dose reduction was required.

Conclusion

Failure to achieve target posaconazole levels despite increased dosing may be attributed to factors other than impaired oral absorption. Enhanced metabolism and clearance could be associated with hypoalbuminemia and hyperbilirubinemia. Further case studies, including PK modelling, are required to confirm this effect.
The Time Course of Effect of Multilayer-Release Methylphenidate Hydrochloride Capsules: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study of Adults With ADHD in a Simulated Adult Workplace Environment
Authors: Wigal Sharon B. , Wigal Tim , Childress Ann , Donnelly Graeme A. E. , Reiz Joseph L.
Published: October 2016

Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the onset and duration of efficacy of multilayer-release methylphenidate (PRC-063) over 16 hr compared with placebo in adults with ADHD using the simulated adult workplace environment. Method: After dose-optimization with PRC-063, participants entered a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover phase. Primary outcome measure was the Permanent Product Measure of Performance (PERMP) total score measured pre-dose and from 1 to 16 hr post-dose. Results: Of the 59 randomized participants, 45 participants completed the study. While receiving PRC-063, adults had greater mean PERMP total scores across all time points compared with placebo (268.7 ± 11.24 vs. 255.6 ± 10.87; p = .0064). Common adverse events were decreased appetite, headache, and insomnia. There was no significant impact on overall sleep quality ( p = .9542). Conclusion: PRC-063 significantly improved PERMP scores with an onset within 1 hr post-dose, and maintained improvement throughout the 16 hr post-dose study period compared with placebo in adults with ADHD.
School Administrator Perceptions of Cyberbullying Facilitators and Barriers to Preventive Action: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Young Rachel , Tully Melissa , Ramirez Marizen
Published: October 2016

Background. Schools are often held responsible for preventing or addressing cyberbullying, yet little is known about school administrator perceptions of cyberbullying and the challenges they face in addressing this public health issue. Aims. The goal of this study is to examine school administrators’ perceptions of the facilitators of cyberbullying and barriers to primary and secondary prevention strategies. Method. Public school administrators ( N = 36) participated in in-depth interviews about bullying and discussed their experiences with cyberbullying and their perceptions of cyberbullying facilitators and barriers to prevention. Results. Three main themes arose from the analysis: (1) cyberbullying as a major challenge; (2) facilitators of cyberbullying and barriers to preventive action, including parents and technology; and (3) prevention efforts, including unclear jurisdiction for action, primary versus secondary prevention efforts, and technology attributes that facilitate school response to bullying. Discussion. Although administrators perceive cyberbullying as a major challenge facing their schools, they are often unsure about appropriate primary and secondary prevention efforts. Relationships with parents and police complicate response and prevention as schools attempt to navigate unclear jurisdiction. Additionally, technology presents a challenge to schools because it is seen as an enabler of cyberbullying, a facilitator of prevention, and a necessary part of education efforts. Conclusion. Lack of research on prevention strategies, parents’ knowledge and attitudes, and confusion about responsibility for addressing cyberbullying are barriers to action. Findings suggest administrators could benefit from additional clarity on which strategies are most effective for primary prevention of cyberbullying, and that prevention strategies should proactively involve parents to promote effective collaboration with schools.
The Optimal Size of the Tuition Tax Credit
Authors: Martinello F. , West E. G.
Published: October 2016

If we assume that price elasticity of demand for private schooling is 0.5, education tax credits even as low as $250 can be expected to reduce total government expenditure on education quite significantly. Recent empirical measures of such elasticities, however, are much higher. Based on these, a tax credit in the region of $1,000 would reduce expenditures by over $3.4 billion. If taxes are reduced accordingly, the gains to taxpayers would be higher to the extent of an appreciable reduction in marginal deadweight losses from the tax system.
We need to talk about Wittgenstein: The practice of dialogue in the classroom and in assessment
Authors: Erden Yasemin J
Published: October 2016

Is philosophy the pursuit of knowledge, as first year students with a dictionary sometimes write? With an aim to inspire and encourage philosophical inquiry, offering an invitation to participate in a process of discovery? Or are philosophers charged with teaching the history of such pursuits – who argued, proved, disproved what? On the first account, philosophy is a subject that resists information-transmission, and requires exploration, creativity, discussion and dialogue. On the second, teaching centres on information-transmission, etching old ideas into the minds of budding scholars, in short time slots. Though there need not be a division, there is a need to recognise where approaches differ. In this way, we can ensure sufficient time and space for the sometimes unquantifiable: imaginative, creative pursuits in philosophy, with space for independent, original thinking. This paper explores these ideas alongside approaches to teaching, and offers a paradigm for incorporating dialogue in the learning and practice of philosophy.
A Person-Centered Investigation of Achievement Motivation Goals and Correlates of Community College Student Achievement and Persistence
Authors: Fong Carlton J. , Acee Taylor W. , Weinstein Claire Ellen
Published: October 2016

Given low rates of student retention in community colleges, there has been growing interest in understanding characteristics that put students at-risk and that serve to buffer against academic difficulty. In particular, research on student success has focused on demographic predictors that are difficult to change, whereas motivational variables—that are malleable—require greater attention. In addition, studies have utilized variable-centered approaches, but in the present study, we use a person-centered approach to identify distinct motivational profiles informed by goal-orientation theory. With a large sample of community college students, we identified five clusters and found that high levels of mastery approach goals and moderate levels of performance-approach goal orientation were the ideal combination of academic motives for grade point average and persistence.
Setting an Agenda to Address Intimate Partner Violence Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Conceptual Model and Review
Authors: Kubicek Katrina
Published: October 2016

Research investigating intimate partner violence (IPV) among sexual minorities is limited. The research that does exist has found that rates of IPV are similar to or higher than the rates found for heterosexual women, the most commonly studied population in this area. This limited research has resulted in a dearth of prevention/intervention programs targeted for these populations. While some may argue that existing IPV programs can be used for these populations, this review presents an argument for more targeted work with sexual minority populations, using young men who have sex with men (YMSM) as an example. Drawing on the framework of intersectionality, this article argues that the intersectionality of age, sexual identity, and gender combines to create a spectrum of unique factors that require specific attention. This framework allows for the identification of known correlates for IPV as well as factors that may be unique to YMSM or other sexual minority populations. The article presents a conceptual model that suggests new areas of research as well as a foundation for the topics and issues that should be addressed in an intervention.
Strengthening the Core
Authors: Kaye Barbara K. , Johnson Thomas J.
Published: October 2016

This article “strengthens the core” of uses and gratifications theory by offering reliance, credibility, and interactivity as measures of social media use. Although reliance is recognized as a predictor of media use, it has not been extensively studied in regard to social media. The findings indicate that reliance is the strongest predictor of motivations for using social network sites (SNS) and blogs but is a weak predictor of Twitter use. Although results are mixed on whether credibility influences media use, credibility is a significant and positive predictor of blog and SNS use. Importantly, this study introduces interactivity as a predictor of social media use. Interactivity is a strong and significant influence on SNS and Twitter but only weakly affects blog use. Results from an online survey support reliance as a measure of media use and suggests that credibility and interactivity are also effective measures that should be included in future studies.
The “Holding-Out” Effect
Authors: Bullard Olya , Manchanda Rajesh V. , Sizykh Anastasia
Published: October 2016

This research examines the influence of regulatory focus on preference formation for sequentially presented choice alternatives. Across three experiments, we demonstrate the “holding-out” effect exhibited by prevention-focused individuals who tend to undervalue earlier options in a sequence, examine more options, and select an option encountered later in a sequence compared to promotion-focused individuals. We suggest and provide initial evidence that the mechanism underlying the holding-out effect is an inability to externally generate a comparison point in the beginning of a sequence, which negatively affects evaluations made by prevention-focused individuals.
The origin of spheroidal halloysites: a review of the literature
Authors: Cravero F. , Jock Churchman G.
Published: October 2016

Tubular halloysite has many applications as a nanomaterial. Spheroidal halloysite (SPH) is the other most common form of halloysite. Its mode of formation has had different explanations, including association with allophane, or more generally, following weathering of volcanic glass. Some SPHs have formed from minerals in crystalline rocks, sometimes as an early stage of evolution into plates and/or tubes of halloysite and ultimately to kaolinite. Spheroidal halloysites can show a range of Fe contents and can occur with other forms of halloysite; they have often formed in confined environments whereas tubular halloysites apparently form in more open spaces. They have also formed on microbes or where there is a significant amount of organic matter. Generally, SPHs have often formed by rapid dissolution of volcanic glass and primary minerals. The SPHs can persist over time. They have fewactive edges, so interparticle interaction is poor, causing low viscosities in clay-water suspensions, poor soil stability and low adsorption capacities.
Discovery of halloysite books in altered silicic Quaternary tephras, northern New Zealand
Authors: Cunningham M.J. , Lowe D.J. , Wyatt J.B. , Moon V.G. , Jock Churchman G.
Published: October 2016

Hydrated halloysite was discovered in books, a morphology previously associated exclusively with kaolinite. From ∼1.5 to ∼1500 μm in length, the books showed significantly greater mean Fe contents (Fe2O3= 5.2 wt.%) than tubes (Fe2O3= 3.2 wt.%), and expanded rapidly with formamide. They occurred, along with halloysite tubes, spheroids and plates, in highly porous yet poorly permeable, silt-dominated, Si-rich, pumiceous rhyolitic tephra deposits aged ∼0.93 Ma (Te Puna tephra) and ∼0.27 Ma (Te Ranga tephra) at three sites ∼10–20 m stratigraphically below the modern landsurface in the Tauranga area, eastern North Island, New Zealand. The book-bearing tephras were at or near saturation, but have experienced intermittent partial drying, favouring the proposed changes: solubilized volcanic glass + plagioclase→halloysite spheroids→halloysite tubes→halloysite plates→ halloysite books. Unlike parallel studies elsewhere involving both halloysite and kaolinite, kaolinite has not formed in Tauranga presumably because the low permeability ensures that the sites largely remain locally wet so that the halloysite books are metastable. An implication of the discovery is that some halloysite books in similar settings may have been misidentified previously as kaolinite.