bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound for Lower Extremity Deep Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Needleman Laurence , Cronan John J. , Lilly Michael P. , Merli Geno J. , Adhikari Srikar , Hertzberg Barbara S. , DeJong M. Robert , Streiff Michael B. , Meissner Mark H.
Published: April 2018

Venous ultrasound is the standard imaging test for patients suspected of having acute deep venous thrombosis (DVT). There is variability and disagreement among authoritative groups regarding the necessary components of the test. Some protocols include scanning the entire lower extremity, whereas others recommend scans limited to the thigh and knee supplemented with serial testing. Some protocols use gray-scale ultrasound alone, whereas others include Doppler interrogation. Point-of-care ultrasound is recommended in some settings, and there is heterogeneity of these protocols as well. Heterogeneity of recommendations can lead to errors including incorrect application of guidelines, confusion among requesting physicians, and incorrect follow-up. In October 2016, the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to evaluate the current evidence to develop recommendations regarding ultrasound protocols for DVT and the terminology used to communicate results to clinicians. Recommendations were made after open discussion and by unanimous consensus.

The panel recommends a comprehensive duplex ultrasound protocol from thigh to ankle with Doppler at selected sites rather than a limited or complete compression-only examination. This protocol is currently performed in many facilities and is achievable with standard ultrasound equipment and personnel. The use of these recommendations will increase the diagnosis of calf DVT and provide better data to explain the presenting symptoms. The panel recommends a single point-of-care protocol that minimizes underdiagnoses of proximal DVT.

The panel recommends the term chronic postthrombotic change to describe the residual material that persists after the acute presentation of DVT to avoid potential overtreatment of prior thrombus.

Adoption of a single standardized comprehensive duplex ultrasound and a single point-of-care examination will enhance patient safety and clinicians’ confidence.
Diabetes Mellitus in Pregnancy Leads to Growth Restriction and Epigenetic Modification of the
Srebf2
Gene in Rat Fetuses
Authors: Golic Michaela , Stojanovska Violeta , Bendix Ivo , Wehner Anika , Herse Florian , Haase Nadine , Kräker Kristin , Fischer Caroline , Alenina Natalia , Bader Michael , Schütte Till , Schuchardt Mirjam , van der Giet Markus , Henrich Wolfgang , Muller Dominik N. , Felderhoff-Müser Ursula , Scherjon Sicco , Plösch Torsten , Dechend Ralf
Published: April 2018

Diabetic pregnancy is correlated with increased risk of metabolic and neurological disorders in the offspring putatively mediated epigenetically. Little is known about epigenetic changes already present in fetuses of diabetic pregnancies. We aimed at characterizing the perinatal environment after preexisting maternal diabetes mellitus and at identifying relevant epigenetic changes in the fetus. We focused on the transcription factor
Srebf2
(sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 2), a master gene in regulation of cholesterol metabolism. We tested whether diabetic pregnancy induces epigenetic changes in the
Srebf2
promoter and if they become manifest in altered
Srebf2
gene expression. We worked with a transgenic rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (Tet29) in which the insulin receptor is knocked down by doxycycline-induced RNA interference. Doxycycline was administered preconceptionally to Tet29 and wild-type control rats. Only Tet29 doxycycline dams were hyperglycemic, hyperinsulinemic, and hyperlipidemic. Gene expression was analyzed with quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and CpG promoter methylation with pyrosequencing. Immunohistochemistry was performed on fetal brains. Fetuses from diabetic Tet29 dams were hyperglycemic and growth restricted at the end of pregnancy. They further displayed decreased liver and brain weight with concomitant decreased microglial activation in the hippocampus in comparison to fetuses of normoglycemic mothers. Importantly, diabetic pregnancy induced CpG hypermethylation of the
Srebf2
promoter in the fetal liver and brain, which was associated with decreased
Srebf2
gene expression. In conclusion, diabetic and hyperlipidemic pregnancy induces neurological, metabolic, and epigenetic alterations in the rat fetus.
Srebf2
is a potential candidate mediating intrauterine environment-driven epigenetic changes and later diabetic offspring health.
Volume of Light Versus Moderate‐to‐Vigorous Physical Activity: Similar Benefits for All‐Cause Mortality?
Authors: Saint‐Maurice Pedro F. , Troiano Richard P. , Berrigan David , Kraus William E. , Matthews Charles E.
Published: April 2018

Background

It is unclear whether the greater benefits of moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (
PA
) over light
PA
are attributed to the higher‐intensity
PA
or simply the greater volume of
PA
accumulated per unit time for moderate‐to‐vigorous
PA
. We examined this question using estimates of the
volume
of light and moderate‐to‐vigorous
PA
in relation to all‐cause mortality.

Methods and Results

We used National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2006 accelerometer records in adults (≥40 years; n=4840) and mortality data collected through 2011 (n=700 deaths). We estimated intensity‐specific
PA
volume using activity counts (
AC
) accumulated in light (100–759 AC/min), moderate‐to‐vigorous
PA
(≥760 AC/min), and total
PA
(≥100 AC/min). We examined quartiles of each exposure using Cox proportional hazard models (hazard ratios [95% confidence interval) adjusted for demographic and behavioral risk factors, health status, and body mass index. Mortality risk was less across increasing quartiles of light
PA
volume (
AC
×1000) when compared with the least quartile (
AC
≤61.8); the least risk occurred in the upper quartile of light
PA
,
AC
>98.5 (hazard ratios=0.69, 95% confidence interval: 0.47, 1.00,
P
trend ≤0.05). The benefits for mortality risk were greater across quartiles of moderate‐to‐vigorous
PA
and reached a hazard ratio of 0.28 (95% confidence interval: 0.17, 0.46,
P
trend ≤0.05) for
AC
>187.9, when compared with the referent group (
AC
≤50.8). Results examining various combinations of light and moderate‐to‐vigorous intensity‐specific volumes demonstrated the strong influence of total activity on mortality risk.

Conclusions

In this population, increasing light
PA
was associated with less mortality, but at an approximately equal volume of
PA
, moderate‐to‐vigorous
PA
appeared to have greater benefits.
Design Methods and Critical Historiography: An Example from Swedish User-Centered Design
Authors: Göransdotter Maria , Redström Johan
Published: April 2018

Design history tends to focus on designers and design outcomes, primarily objects. In contrast, historical accounts and analyses of designing are rare. This paper argues for the need of design histories that also address the origins of our design methods with respect to contexts, values and ideas in order to understand what these actually bring to the contemporary design situation. To illustrate what such a historical approach to design methods might bring, we present a study on the origins of Scandinavian user-centered design. In particular, we discuss the Home Research Institute's (HFI) development of methods for investigating and reforming everyday life and domestic work in mid-1940s Sweden.
Thinking with Interactive Artifacts: Reflection as a Concept in Design Outcomes
Authors: Ghajargar Maliheh , Wiberg Mikael
Published: April 2018

Reflection is a recurring notion in the HCI/interaction design literature. Throughout the years “reflection” has been highlighted as a key dimension of design thinking and as an important ingredient of design processes. In this paper we take stock in our community's interest in reflection, and we suggest that while it has been acknowledged as a cornerstone for design processes, it has been less explored as a basis for design outcomes. Given this extensive literature study, it seems that 1) the interest in this area is growing, and we present tables that illustrate this growing interest over time; 2) reflection and behavioral change are two interrelated notions; and 3) these notions are well-explored in our field. Further, we suggest that as interaction design is increasingly exploring the design of “tangible,” “smart,” “connected,” and even “intelligent” artifacts, we should think about how reflection and our ability to “think with artifacts” can be extended to include the design of interactive artifacts. In this paper we suggest how that might be done, and we point at a design space for designing such interactive artifacts to think with.
Social Innovation Networks: A New Approach to Social Design Education and Impact
Authors: Easterday Matthew W. , Gerber Elizabeth M. , Rees Lewis Daniel G.
Published: April 2018

We may be able to educate social designers who can design for human needs through social innovation networks (SINs). SINs engage in three interrelated activities of: supporting design teams' project-based learning, supporting the leadership in studio-based learning communities, and continuous network improvement. SINs face challenges in diffusing social design that might be overcome through networked coaching platforms that support teams' socially-regulated learning and leaders' studio orchestration. SINs offer way to spread design education across disciplines in any organization where design teams need to both innovate and learn.
The North Atlantic Waveguide and Downstream Impact Experiment
Authors: Schäfler Andreas , Craig George , Wernli Heini , Arbogast Philippe , Doyle James D. , McTaggart-Cowan Ron , Methven John , Rivière Gwendal , Ament Felix , Boettcher Maxi , Bramberger Martina , Cazenave Quitterie , Cotton Richard , Crewell Susanne , Delanoë Julien , Dörnbrack Andreas , Ehrlich André , Ewald Florian , Fix Andreas , Grams Christian M. , Gray Suzanne L. , Grob Hans , Groß Silke , Hagen Martin , Harvey Ben , Hirsch Lutz , Jacob Marek , Kölling Tobias , Konow Heike , Lemmerz Christian , Lux Oliver , Magnusson Linus , Mayer Bernhard , Mech Mario , Moore Richard , Pelon Jacques , Quinting Julian , Rahm Stephan , Rapp Markus , Rautenhaus Marc , Reitebuch Oliver , Reynolds Carolyn A. , Sodemann Harald , Spengler Thomas , Vaughan Geraint , Wendisch Manfred , Wirth Martin , Witschas Benjamin , Wolf Kevin , Zinner Tobias
Published: April 2018

The North Atlantic Waveguide and Downstream Impact Experiment (NAWDEX) explored the impact of diabatic processes on disturbances of the jet stream and their influence on downstream high-impact weather through the deployment of four research aircraft, each with a sophisticated set of remote sensing and in situ instruments, and coordinated with a suite of ground-based measurements. A total of 49 research flights were performed, including, for the first time, coordinated flights of the four aircraft: the German High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft (HALO), the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) Dassault Falcon 20, the French Service des Avions Français Instrumentés pour la Recherche en Environnement (SAFIRE) Falcon 20, and the British Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) BAe 146. The observation period from 17 September to 22 October 2016 with frequently occurring extratropical and tropical cyclones was ideal for investigating midlatitude weather over the North Atlantic. NAWDEX featured three sequences of upstream triggers of waveguide disturbances, as well as their dynamic interaction with the jet stream, subsequent development, and eventual downstream weather impact on Europe. Examples are presented to highlight the wealth of phenomena that were sampled, the comprehensive coverage, and the multifaceted nature of the measurements. This unique dataset forms the basis for future case studies and detailed evaluations of weather and climate predictions to improve our understanding of diabatic influences on Rossby waves and the downstream impacts of weather systems affecting Europe.
Provision of Climate Services for Agriculture: Public and Private Pathways to Farm Decision-Making
Authors: Haigh Tonya , Koundinya Vikram , Hart Chad , Klink Jenna , Lemos Maria , Mase Amber Saylor , Prokopy Linda , Singh Ajay , Todey Dennis , Widhalm Melissa
Published: April 2018

The pathways between climate information producers and agricultural decision-makers are evolving and becoming more complex, with information increasingly flowing through both public and for-profit intermediaries and organizations. This study characterizes the various channels of climate information flow, as well as the needs and preferences of information intermediaries and end users. We use data from a 2016 survey of farmers and agricultural advisors in 12 U.S. Corn Belt states to evaluate perceptions of climate information and its usability. Our findings reinforce the view that much weather and climate information is not reaching farmers explicitly but also suggest that farmers may not be aware of the extent to which the information is packaged with seed, input, or management recommendations. For farmers who are using weather and climate information, private services such as subscription and free tools and applications (apps) are as influential as publicly provided services. On the other hand, we find that agricultural advisors are engaged users and transformers of both public and private sources of weather/climate information and that they choose sources of information based on qualities of salience and credibility. Our results suggest that climate information providers could improve the use of information in agriculture by engaging advisors and farmers as key stakeholders and by strategically employing multiple delivery pathways through the private and public sectors.
An Observational Study of the Diurnal Variation of Precipitation over Hong Kong and the Underlying Processes
Authors: Li Xiuzhen , Lau Ngar-Cheung , Lee Tsz-Cheung
Published: April 2018

Hourly rainfall from automatic weather stations and reanalysis data from MERRA-2 are used to investigate the diurnal variation of precipitation in Hong Kong, a site along the southeast China coast with strong interactions between the monsoonal circulation and the land–sea breeze. The precipitation in Hong Kong is characterized by a spatially uniform diurnal cycle with the peak at about 0800 local time (LT), with rather weak dependence on local terrain. Precipitation unrelated to tropical cyclones (TCs) dominates the diurnal variation of precipitation, especially in the summer. The diurnal cycle exhibits a notable seasonal dependence, with the strongest signal in the summer. The morning peak of precipitation over Hong Kong is coincident with deep rising motion, linking to near-surface convergence and overlying weak divergence. The convergence may be attributed to the prevalence of the southerly monsoonal flow over the South China Sea (SCS) and to the northerly land breeze induced by the land–sea thermal contrast in the morning. The overlying weak divergence could be ascribed to the nocturnal–early morning acceleration of southerly flow over southeast China. Linked to the inverse relationship between monsoon intensity and the land–sea thermal contrast, the diurnal cycle of precipitation is strengthened when the SCS monsoon is active and weakened when the land–sea thermal contrast is high. Both the cloud-top radiative cooling effect and the enhanced radiative cooling over inland cloud-free areas also play roles in the development of the morning rainfall peak over Hong Kong.
A Simple Accurate Formula for Calculating Saturation Vapor Pressure of Water and Ice
Authors: Huang Jianhua
Published: April 2018

It is necessary to calculate the saturation vapor pressure of water and of ice for some purposes in many disciplines. A number of formulas are available for this calculation. These formulas either are tedious or are not very accurate. In this study, a new formula has been developed by integrating the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. This new formula is simple and easy to remember. In comparison with the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam reference dataset, the mean relative errors from this new formula are only 0.001% and 0.006% for the saturation vapor pressure of water and of ice, respectively, within a wide range of temperatures from −100° to 100°C. In addition, this new formula yields a mean relative error of 0.0005% within the commonly occurring temperature range (10°–40°C). Therefore, this new formula has significant advantages over the improved Magnus formula and can be used to calculate the saturation vapor pressure of water and of ice in a wide variety of disciplines.
An Improved Algorithm for Low-Level Turbulence Forecasting
Authors: Muñoz-Esparza Domingo , Sharman Robert
Published: April 2018

A low-level turbulence (LLT) forecasting algorithm is proposed and implemented within the Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG) turbulence forecasting system. The LLT algorithm provides predictions of energy dissipation rate (EDR; turbulence dissipation to the one-third power), which is the standard turbulence metric used by the aviation community. The algorithm is based upon the use of distinct log-Weibull and lognormal probability distributions in a statistical remapping technique to represent accurately the behavior of turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer for daytime and nighttime conditions, respectively, thus accounting for atmospheric stability. A 1-yr-long GTG LLT calibration was performed using the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh operational model, and optimum GTG ensembles of turbulence indices for clear-air and mountain-wave turbulence that minimize the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) were determined. Evaluation of the proposed algorithm with in situ EDR data from the Boulder Atmospheric Observatory tower covering a range of altitudes up to 300 m above the surface demonstrates a reduction in the error by a factor of approximately 2.0 (MAPE = 55%) relative to the current operational GTG system (version 3). In addition, the probability of detection of typical small and large EDR values at low levels is increased by approximately 15%–20%. The improved LLT algorithm is expected to benefit several nonconventional turbulence-prediction sectors such as unmanned aerial systems and wind energy.
The June–September Low Cloud Cover in Western Central Africa: Mean Spatial Distribution and Diurnal Evolution, and Associated Atmospheric Dynamics
Authors: Dommo A. , Philippon N. , Vondou Derbetini A. , Sèze G. , Eastman R.
Published: April 2018

Western central Africa (WCA) was recently shown to be one of the cloudiest areas of the tropics. Analyzing an ensemble of satellite products and surface cloud observations, we show that in June–September, WCA cloud cover is dominated by single-layered low stratiform clouds. Despite an underestimation of low cloud frequency in satellite estimates at night, comparisons with surface observations bring insights into the spatial distribution and diurnal cycle of low clouds. Both appear strongly influenced by orography: to the west, the coastal plains and the ocean-facing valleys have the largest cloud cover and a lower-amplitude diurnal cycle with a maximum cloud phase at 0400 local time (LT). To the east, across the windward slopes, plateaus, and downwind slopes, the cloud cover becomes progressively reduced and the diurnal cycle has a larger amplitude with a maximum cloud phase at 1000 LT. In terms of atmospheric dynamics, the east/west gradient observed in low cloud frequency and amount is related to a foehn effect without substantial rainfall on windward slopes. The diurnal cycle of low clouds on the windward slopes and plateaus is related to the reversal, from mean subsidence at 0700 LT over the Atlantic and inland to rising motion inland at 1300 LT. In addition, the airmass stability in low levels prevents the vertical development of cloud cover. Last, we could not detect in the European reanalyses any nocturnal jet as observed in southern West Africa (SWA), suggesting different mechanisms triggering low cloud formation in WCA compare to SWA.
Destabilization of an Oceanic Meddy-Like Vortex: Energy Transfers and Significance of Numerical Settings
Authors: Ménesguen C. , Le Gentil S. , Marchesiello P. , Ducousso N.
Published: April 2018

The increase of computational capabilities led recent studies to implement very high-resolution simulations that gave access to new scale interaction processes, particularly those associated with the transfer of energy from the oceanic mesoscales to smaller scales through an interior route to dissipation, which is still underexplored. In this context, we study spindown simulations of a mesoscale interior vortex, unstable to a mixed baroclinic–barotropic instability. Even though the global energy is almost conserved, some energy is transferred down to dissipation scales during the development of instabilities. However, in our parameter regime, there is no substantial forward energy cascade sustained by unbalanced dynamics. Rather than exploring the physical parameter range, we clarify numerical discretization issues that can be detrimental to the physical solutions and our interpretation of finescale dynamics. Special care is given to determining the effective resolution of the different simulations. We improve it by a factor of 2 in our primitive equation (PE) finite-difference Coastal and Regional Ocean Community (CROCO) model by implementing a fifth-order accurate horizontal advection scheme. We also explore a range of grid aspect ratios dx/dz and find that energy spectra converge for aspect ratios that are close to N/f, the ratio of the stratification N over the Coriolis parameter f. However, convergence is not reached in the PE model when using a fourth-order centered scheme for vertical tracer advection (standard in ROMS-family codes). The scheme produces dispersion errors that trigger baroclinic instabilities and generate spurious submesoscale horizontal features. This spurious instability shows great impact on submesoscale production and energy cascade, emphasizing the significance of numerical settings in oceanic turbulence studies.
On the Importance of a Consistent Treatment of Prognostic Moisture Variables between Convective and Microphysical Parameterizations
Authors: Grell Evelyn D. , Bao Jian-Wen , Kingsmill David E. , Michelson Sara A.
Published: April 2018

Analysis of WRF Model output from experiments using two double-moment microphysics schemes is carried out to demonstrate that there can be an inconsistency between the predicted mass and number concentrations when a single-moment convective parameterization is used together with a double-moment microphysics scheme. This inconsistency may arise because the grid-scale and subgrid-scale cloud schemes generally apply different levels of complexity to the parameterized microphysical processes. In particular, when a multimoment formulation is used in the microphysics scheme and other physical parameterizations modify only the mass-related moment while the values of the second (or higher) moment for individual hydrometeors remain unchanged, an unintended modification of the particle size distribution occurs. Simulated radar reflectivity is shown to be a valuable tool in diagnosing this inconsistency. In addition, potential ways to minimize the problem are explored by including number concentration calculations in the cumulus parameterization that are consistent with the assumptions of hydrometeor sizes in the microphysics parameterization. The results of this study indicate that it is physically preferable to unify microphysical assumptions between the grid-resolved and subgrid cloud parameterization schemes in weather and climate simulation models.
Using participatory approaches with children to better understand their physical activity behaviour
Authors: Hayball Felicity ZL , Pawlowski Charlotte Skau
Published: April 2018

Aims and objectives:

The importance of childhood physical activity is widely recognised. Helping children to articulate their opinions is a crucial factor in improving their health and well-being, yet the field is predominantly focused on adult-led quantitative methods and lacks deeper understanding from a child perspective.

Methods:

This paper draws on experiences from a Danish study in which children depicted their physical activity behaviour in go-along group interviews in schoolyards ( n = 111), and a Scottish study in which children photographed or drew meaningful places and discussed physical activity in these places ( n = 25).

Results:

The benefits and challenges associated with using participatory methods to understand how children perceive the environment in relation to their physical activity behaviour are described.

Conclusion:

Findings contribute to the literature by suggesting that participatory approaches are valuable in capturing children’s perceptions of physical activity behaviour in outdoor environments.
A county extension-delivered, email-mediated walking intervention: A programme evaluation
Authors: Richards Elizabeth A , Woodcox Stephanie
Published: April 2018

Objective:

The promotion of walking could be a feasible population-level physical activity strategy because it requires little planning, is low cost and can be done year-round across settings. Community, nonprofit organisations offer one means by which to help increase walking through community programmes. The US Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service has a history that spans more than a century and is known for quality in the delivery of educational programmes to help improve the lives of people in communities across the USA. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility and acceptability of the Get WalkIN’ intervention – an initiative supported by this programme – from the perspectives of both programme participants and county extension educators.

Methods:

Participants were recruited from 15 county extension sites in the Midwest region of the USA. Intervention emails targeted self-efficacy, social support, goal-setting and benefits/barriers to walking. To assess the perceptions of feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, participants and extension educators were asked to respond to a series of Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. Self-reported physical activity was assessed using the Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Results:

On average, participants and extension educators agreed that the programme was easy to use and would consider either recommending the programme to a friend or implementing the programme again within the community. Post-intervention, 69.1% of respondents were classified as sufficiently active compared to 60.5% pre-intervention.

Conclusion:

The use of the county-based US Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service is an effective option for health promotion programming. Furthermore, a theory-based, email-mediated intervention is a valuable strategy as an independent and convenient way to facilitate increase in physical activity.
Reading the whiteness of British Asian literature: A reading of Sathnam Sanghera’s The Boy with the Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhampton
Authors: Bhanot Kavita
Published: April 2018

A text is assumed to reflect truth when its ideology meets that of the reader. British Asian literature has tended to be read as giving an insight into South Asian communities, as reflecting “truth”. Dominant readings do not tend to “see” the ways in which this literature, in terms of perspective, ideology, and the direction in which it faces, is located in Britishness as whiteness. This article, through a close reading of Sathnam Sanghera’s popular memoir The Boy with the Topknot, reverses the gaze on the community that the memoir is assumed to reveal, in order to highlight and identify what becomes normalized, invisible, universal in such a text. The article seeks to show how “Britishness” as whiteness is the normative perspective of the text, embodied in the second-generation British narrator as ideal integrated/assimilated citizen. From this perspective, non-whiteness, in the form of first generation immigrants as well as Sanghera’s younger self, is othered. The text reflects the state’s integrationist and assimilationist policies, founded on the assumption that “identity” is a construction that needs to be left behind, while intimating that a normalized whiteness/Britishness as “non-identity” should be embraced, revealing an internalized historicist racism. Meanwhile, “identity” and “difference” are used to sell British Asian texts such as this memoir — they are packaged as “multicultural”, “hybrid” (and, increasingly, “diverse”) products, and this is also how they are popularly read. Therefore, my reading of this text, as located in Britishness as whiteness, unpacks what terms such as multiculturalism, hybridity, and diversity may conceal. A counter reading of the text, which draws out the violence it reveals, of the historicist British racial state, highlights the role of readers’ assumptions in the construction of a text, suggesting that other readings are possible. This is also illustrated by alternative readings of the book by Sikh readers.
Integrated Social Class Identities Improve Academic Performance, Well-Being, and Workplace Satisfaction
Authors: Herrmann Sarah D. , Varnum Michael E. W.
Published: April 2018

Biculturalism has typically been used as a framework to understand the experiences of people who move to new societies or who have multiple ethnic identities; we argue that first-generation college (FGC) students can also be thought of as bicultural as a function of social class. FGC students undergo adjustment to the middle-class culture of universities and face challenges negotiating different cultural identities. The present research demonstrated that FGC students are more likely to identify as bicultural and experience dissonance between home and school (Study 1), that integrated social class identities are linked to positive outcomes for FGC students during (Study 2) and after college (Study 3), and that these effects are due in part to reduced acculturative stress (Study 4). These findings suggest that integrating different class identities may be key to the success of FGC students.
Micropatterned Silica Films with Nanohydroxyapatite for Y-TZP Implants
Authors: Miranda R.B.P. , Grenho L. , Carvalho A. , Fernandes M.H. , Monteiro F.J. , Cesar P.F.
Published: April 2018

This investigation aimed at developing micropatterned silica thin films (MSTFs) containing nanohydroxyapatite (nano-HA) microaggregates that were not completely covered by silica so that they could directly interact with the surrounding cells. The objectives were 1) to evaluate the effect of the presence of 2 films (MSTF with or without nano-HA addition) on the characteristic strength (σ0) and Weibull modulus ( m) of a yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP) and 2) to evaluate the effect of these 2 films, as applied onto the Y-TZP surface, on the morphology, orientation, and proliferation of MG63 cells. Sol-gel process and soft lithography were used to apply the MSTF onto the Y-TZP specimens. Three experimental groups were produced: Y-TZP, Y-TZP + MSTF, and Y-TZP + MSTF + sprayed nano-HA. All surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and tested for 4-point flexural strength ( n = 30) in water at 37 °C. Weibull analysis was used to determine m and σ0 (maximum likelihood method). In vitro biological behavior was performed with human osteoblast-like cells (MG63). Y-TZP was successfully coated with MSFT and MSFT + nano-HA. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs indicated that the microaggregates of nano-HA were not entirely covered by the silica. There was no statistically significant difference among the experimental groups for σ0 and m. In the groups containing the films, the cells were elongated and aligned along the lines. The MSFT + nano-HA group showed significantly higher cell metabolic activity than that obtained for the Y-TZP group at day 7. This investigation was successful in producing an MSTF containing nano-HA microaggregates that remained exposed to the environment. The developed films did not jeopardize the structural reliability of a commercial Y-TZP, as confirmed by the Weibull statistics. The MG63 cells seeded over the films became elongated and aligned along the films’ micropatterned lines. Y-TZP specimens coated with MSTF and nano-HA showed a higher cell metabolic activity and proliferation after 7 d of culture when compared with uncoated Y-TZP.
Vascularization in Craniofacial Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Tian T. , Zhang T. , Lin Y. , Cai X.
Published: April 2018

Craniofacial bones, separate from the appendicular skeleton, bear a significant amount of strain and stress generated from mastication-related muscles. Current research on the regeneration of craniofacial bone focuses on the reestablishment of an elaborate vascular network. In this review, current challenges and efforts particularly in advances of scaffold properties and techniques for vascularization remodeling in craniofacial bone tissue engineering will be discussed. A microenvironment of ischemia and hypoxia in the biomaterial core drives propagation and reorganization of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to assemble into a primitive microvascular framework. Co-culture strategies and delivery of vasculogenic molecules enhance EPCs’ differentiation and stimulate the host regenerative response to promote vessel sprouting and strength. To optimize structural and vascular integration, well-designed microstructures of scaffolds are biologically considered. Proper porous structures, matrix stiffness, and surface morphology of scaffolds have a profound influence on cell behaviors and thus affect revascularization. In addition, advanced techniques facilitating angiogenesis and vaculogenesis have also been discussed. Oxygen delivery biomaterials, scaffold-free cell sheet techniques, and arteriovenous loop-induced axial vascularization strategies bring us new understanding and powerful strategies to manage revascularization of large craniofacial bone defects. Although promising histological results have been achieved, the efficient perfusion and functionalization of newly formed vessels are still challenging.
Lessons for Teacher Education: The Role of Critical Professional Development in Teacher of Color Retention
Authors: Kohli Rita
Published: April 2018

With disproportionately high attrition rates for teachers of Color, there are many lessons to be learned from veteran teacher leaders that can inform how we train teachers. In this article, I share analysis of interviews with 11 women of Color veteran teachers who serve in formal or informal leadership roles within social justice education. Their reflections reveal how teacher education programs—justice oriented or not—fell short in preparing them for the hostile racial climate of schools, thus putting them at increased risk of being pushed out of teaching. This article also points to collectivized teacher-led spaces of racial literacy development—framed as critical professional development (CPD)—that have helped to sustain them in the field. These teachers’ narratives offer significant insights for teacher education to better prepare teachers of Color for long, effective, and transformative careers.
Resource use as hindrance to sustainable overseas development intervention: A view focused on Pentecostal Christianity
Authors: Harries Jim
Published: April 2018

The use of outside resources (and global languages) seriously curtails the ability of intervening agents at engaging with non-western societies at an ontological depth. As a result the unhealthy, socially destructive, presuppositional level of people’s lives may not be challenged. Intervention in the lives of the poor using outside resources can obscure the need to engage with people at ontological depth. A case study illustrates how engagement without resources can challenge deep presuppositions associated with poverty. Deep theological engagement with preexisting ontologies from a position of understanding is advocated as the means to premeditated sustainability.
The Use of Visuals in Issue Framing: Signifying Responsible Drinking
Authors: Christiansen Lærke Højgaard
Published: April 2018

This article offers new insights into the organizational framing of social issues by drawing attention to the use of visual framing. These insights are based on a case study of the organization, Drinkaware, and its visual framing of the issue of alcohol-related harm in its campaign material. The study identifies three overall visual framing functions performed by Drinkaware’s campaign material: normalizing alcohol consumption, defining and delimiting the scope of the issue and the responsible parties, and establishing the organization’s identity as an expert. The article contributes to institutional theory, and to organizational theory more broadly by elaborating on the significant role of visuals in the framing of an issue, particularly by providing a systematic elaboration of the visual framing functions and components. The article also extends the literature on issues and issue fields, by showing how visuals contribute to defining and delimiting issues and establishing an expert identity in an issue field.
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Implementation in Secure Care Juvenile Justice Schools: Results of a National Survey of School Administrators
Authors: Gagnon Joseph Calvin , Barber Brian R. , Soyturk Ilker
Published: April 2018

Despite the prevalence of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) for addressing student behavior in public schools, little information exists on the extent and consistency of implementation efforts in secure juvenile justice (JJ) schools. Reports of fidelity to core PBIS processes and components are needed to determine the ubiquity of comprehensive efforts and link implementation to outcomes. All 301 JJ schools in the United States were sent a survey and we report on responses from 143 (47.5%) principals. The survey focused on (a) use of multitiered systems of behavior supports; (b) organizational leadership and training; (c) expectations and consequences; (d) behavior response, monitoring, and oversight; and (e) crisis prevention and management. Approximately 84% of respondents identified alignment with a multitiered framework for behavioral supports. However, fewer supports were available to youth with more serious behavioral needs (i.e., at Tiers 2 and 3). Additional results, implications, and recommendations are provided.
A nutritional intervention program improves the nutritional status of geriatric patients at nutritional risk—a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Terp Rikke , Jacobsen Kim Otto , Kannegaard Pia , Larsen Anne-Mette , Madsen Ole Rintek , Noiesen Eline
Published: April 2018

Objectives:

To investigate the effect of a nutrition intervention program for geriatric nutritional at-risk patients.

Design:

A randomized controlled trial.

Setting:

Department of geriatric medicine in a university hospital and in the primary healthcare sector, Copenhagen.

Subjects:

Geriatric patients ( N = 144) at nutritional risk.

Intervention:

The intervention consisted of an individual dietary plan for home, including pre-discharge advice on nutritional intake, combined with three follow-up visits after discharge (one, four, and eight weeks).

Main measures:

Change in body weight, Barthel Index, hand-grip strength and self-rated health from baseline (discharge) to three months after discharge, readmission, and mortality (90 and 120 days).

Results:

The mean (SD) age in total sample was 87.2 (6.2) years. Sample size in the intervention group (IG) was N = 72, and in the control group (CG), N = 72. IG had a mean (SD) weight gain of 0.9 (4.2) kg compared to a weight loss of 0.8 (3.6) kg in the CG ( P = 0.032). In addition, an improvement in self-rated health was seen in the IG compared to CG (IG: 23 (47%) vs. CG: 12 (24%); P = 0.021). No significant difference between groups was found in functional status, mortality, or readmission rates.

Conclusion:

An individual dietary plan based on everyday food, combined with three follow-up visits (one, four, and eight weeks) after discharge, led to an improvement in nutritional status and self-rated health in geriatric patients.
Fair compensation for victims of human trafficking? A case study of the Dutch injured party claim
Authors: Cusveller Jeltsje , Kleemans Edward
Published: April 2018

Any person who has been a victim of human trafficking has a right to compensation. Compensation entails the reimbursement of material and immaterial damages a trafficked person has suffered. In spite of the internationally recognized right to compensation, the number of trafficked persons in Europe having actually received any reimbursement is very low. The present study identifies obstacles to compensation by analysing the Dutch injured party claim. It uses 190 case files covering the period 2013–2014. The empirical results show several issues. Only an estimated 4% of all registered victims claim compensation in the criminal court. A fifth of these claims are inadmissible. Admissible claims are on average awarded only half of the claimed amount. A major reason for this is how difficult it is to estimate damages accurately. This is, in many cases, related to a lack of proof, caused by for example lack of records, insufficient financial investigation, and incomplete testimonies, which result in only minimum amounts being awarded. Additionally, judges are often inclined to dismiss the claim or award a minimum, even in those cases where evidence is available. As a result, compensation is often not in line with damages that have actually been suffered.
Improving Understanding of Diagnostic Test Outcomes
Authors: Talboy Alaina N. , Schneider Sandra L.
Published: April 2018

Background. Understanding diagnostic test outcomes requires determining the positive predictive value (PPV) of the test, which most laypeople and medical professionals struggle to do. Despite advances found with frequency formats and visual aids, less than 40% of people can typically identify this value. This study tests the impact of using congruent reference classes in problem-question pairings, evaluates the role of numeracy, and assesses how diagnostic value estimates affect the reported likelihood to use the test. Method. A 3 × 2, Pairing (congruent test-focus, congruent condition-focus, incongruent) × Response Format (frequency, percentage) mixed design experiment was conducted, in which participants answered diagnostic questions about 7 medical problems presented in a format focusing either on the reference class of those who test positive or those who have the condition. Answer accuracy, numeracy, and ratings of likelihood to use estimates were assessed. Results. Focusing on the congruent test reference class allowed 87% of participants to consistently identify the PPV, and focusing on the congruent condition reference class led 63% of participants to consistently identify the sensitivity (SEN). Aligning reference classes was especially beneficial for those with lower numeracy, increasing accuracy on problems from 21% for incongruent pairings to 66% for congruent pairings. Ratings of likelihood to use the test were closely tied to participants’ estimates of diagnostic values, regardless of the accuracy of those estimates. Conclusions. Although often overlooked, a straightforward mapping of reference classes from the relevant diagnostic information to the question of interest reduces confusion and substantially increases accuracy in estimates of diagnostic values. These findings can be used to strengthen training in the assessment of uncertainties associated with medical test results.
A Validation Study of the Rank-Preserving Structural Failure Time Model: Confidence Intervals and Unique, Multiple, and Erroneous Solutions
Authors: Ouwens Mario , Hauch Ole , Franzén Stefan
Published: April 2018

Background. The rank-preserving structural failure time model (RPSFTM) is used for health technology assessment submissions to adjust for switching patients from reference to investigational treatment in cancer trials. It uses counterfactual survival (survival when only reference treatment would have been used) and assumes that, at randomization, the counterfactual survival distribution for the investigational and reference arms is identical. Previous validation reports have assumed that patients in the investigational treatment arm stay on therapy throughout the study period. Objectives. To evaluate the validity of the RPSFTM at various levels of crossover in situations in which patients are taken off the investigational drug in the investigational arm. Methods. The RPSFTM was applied to simulated datasets differing in percentage of patients switching, time of switching, underlying acceleration factor, and number of patients, using exponential distributions for the time on investigational and reference treatment. Results. There were multiple scenarios in which two solutions were found: one corresponding to identical counterfactual distributions, and the other to two different crossing counterfactual distributions. The same was found for the hazard ratio (HR). Unique solutions were observed only when switching patients were on investigational treatment for <40% of the time that patients in the investigational arm were on treatment. Limitations. Distributions other than exponential could have been used for time on treatment. Conclusions. An HR equal to 1 is a necessary but not always sufficient condition to indicate acceleration factors associated with equal counterfactual survival. Further assessment to distinguish crossing counterfactual curves from equal counterfactual curves is especially needed when the time that switchers stay on investigational treatment is relatively long compared to the time direct starters stay on investigational treatment.
Fine-Tuning the Fight Against Food Waste
Authors: Aschemann-Witzel Jessica , de Hooge Ilona E. , Almli Valérie L. , Oostindjer Marije
Published: April 2018

The complex causes of consumer food waste make it difficult for commercial actors and public policy makers to develop successful foodwaste reduction campaigns. One of the essential problems is that consumer food waste seems to be the unplanned result of divergent food-related behaviors. The current research investigates the relationship between distinctive consumer food-related lifestyle patterns and food waste. A survey with 848 consumers in a Northern European country (Denmark) suggests that segments of consumers identified by food-related behaviors have corresponding differences in food waste produced. For example, consumers’ food waste varies across different patterns of food-related lifestyle-dimensions, such as 1) cooking enjoyment, 2) food planning, 3) price orientation, 4) social relationships related to meals, and 5) food-safety concerns. The study presents possible macromarketing actions and policies targeting consumer segments to reduce food waste.