bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Harm Reduction for Women in Treatment for Alcohol Use Problems: Exploring the Impact of Dominant Addiction Discourse
Authors: Brown Catrina , Stewart Sherry H.
Published: September 2020

The objectives of this study were to profile the landscape of women’s alcohol use programs in Canada. We explored service users’ and providers’ beliefs about alcohol use problems and how this affected treatment choices for alcohol use problems. Data were collected through standardized measures alongside in-depth semi-structured narrative interviews in six women’s alcohol treatment sites in Canada. Findings demonstrated that service users and service providers often supported an abstinence choice and were ambivalent about the viability of controlled or managed use in both abstinence- and harm reduction–based programs. Findings showed that women service users in this study had significant rates of trauma and depression which were associated with their alcohol use; the majority still adopted dominant alcohol addiction discourse which emphasizes the need for abstinence. We offer a number of recommendations to improve the viability of harm reduction for alcohol use in women’s treatment programs.
Social Work Training in Palliative Care: Addressing the Gap
Authors: Thiel Meghan , Mattison Debra , Goudie Elizabeth , Licata Sara , Brewster Josh , Montagnini Marcos
Published: September 2020

As people live longer with chronic disease and serious illness in the U.S., palliative care teams are called upon to support patients and their families. Social workers are an integral part of the palliative care interprofessional team, and yet there are disproportionately few training programs for social workers who wish to specialize in this area. The curriculum of a post-graduate palliative care training program for social workers should be based on the current standards for palliative care and social work, as described by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), Council for Social Work Education (CSWE) and the Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC). Trainees should develop skills to care for patients who have chronic or life-limiting illness, patients who are nearing their end of life, patients who are in the active dying phase and their families around end of life planning, medical decision making, grief and bereavement. A post-graduate social work training program that aims to prepare social workers to work in the field of palliative care should consist of clinical rotations at multiple sites, robust didactic curriculum and clinical supervision. Interprofessional learning is necessary and training should include opportunities for scholarly work, quality improvement activities, leadership, and teaching. Post-graduate training programs in palliative care will prepare future social workers to be experts in a sub-specialty skill set to meet the needs of people living with chronic disease. These needs and opportunities call on the social work profession to take action to develop post-graduate training programs in palliative care.
Intrapersonal Factors Impact Advance Care Planning Among Cancer Patients
Authors: Kelly Elizabeth Palmer , Henderson Brent , Hyer Madison , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Cancer patients infrequently engage in advance care planning processes. Establishing preferences for future medical treatment without advance care planning may not be patient-centered, as it fails to consider important factors that influence these important decisions.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of patient intrapersonal factors including race, religion, level of depression, and cancer stage on overall preferences for future medical treatment, including the presence of a (DNR), power of attorney, and advance directive.

Design:

A retrospective chart review design was used. Patients were included who were diagnosed with cancer at The Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center from 01/2015 to 08/2019.

Results:

A total of 3,463 patients were included. Median age was 59 years (IQR: 49, 67) and the majority of the patients was female (88.7%). Compared with no religious preference, patients who identified as religious had 61% higher odds (95%CI: 1.08-2.40) of having a DNR and approximately 30% higher odds of having a power of attorney (95%CI: 1.08-1.62) or advance directive (95%CI: 1.02-1.64). Patients with clinically relevant depression had more than twice the odds of having a DNR versus patients with no/lower levels of clinical depression (OR: 2.08; 95%CI: 1.40-3.10). White patients had higher odds of having a power of attorney (OR: 1.57; 95%CI: 1.16-2.13) and an advance directive (OR: 3.10; 95% CI: 1.95-4.93) than African-American/Black patients.

Conclusions:

Understanding the factors that affect preferences for future medical treatment is necessary for medical professionals to provide proper care and support to patients diagnosed with cancer and their families.
The Happy, Healthy, Safe Relationships Continuum: Conceptualizing a Spectrum of Relationship Quality to Guide Community-Based Healthy Relationship Promotion Programming
Authors: Murray Christine E. , Ross Ratchneewan , Cannon Jennifer
Published: September 2020

In recent years, the promotion of healthy relationships at the community level has been widely and rapidly increased. However, the lack of a comprehensive definition of healthy relationships has resulted in potential difficulties in comparing community-based research findings, thus likely hindering the advancement of science and practice in this area. Defining healthy relationships is complex due to diverse personal and cultural backgrounds and types of relationships among individuals in diverse communities. In this article, a definition of healthy relationships and a new research-driven framework, the Happy, Healthy, Safe Relationships (HHSR) Continuum are presented. This HHSR Continuum is designed to be adaptable to different types of relationships, perspectives, and needs of subpopulations within communities. Although additional research is needed to further refine the HHSR Continuum, this framework potentially holds significant implications for theory and community-based practice in the promotion of healthy relationships.
Load to Failure and Stiffness of Interference Screw vs Pulvertaft Weave for Distal Fixation in Peroneal Allograft Reconstruction
Authors: Abousayed Mostafa M. , Coleman Michelle M. , Abbasi Pooyan , Bean Bryan A. , Thompson John M. , Guyton Gregory P.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Allograft reconstruction of the peroneal tendons is an option for treatment of major tears of 1 or both peroneal tendons. No consensus on a superior distal fixation method has been reported. The purpose of the study was to compare load to failure and stiffness of a Pulvertaft weave (PTW) through a residual tendon stump to direct-to-bone interference screw (IS) fixation.

Methods:

Fifteen pairs of long leg cadaver specimens were used. All grafts were secured proximally to the peroneus brevis myotendinous junction via a PTW technique. Distally, the tendons were either sutured to the peroneus brevis stump via PTW or secured to the base of the fifth metatarsal via IS. Stiffness (slope of force/displacement) was measured for the intact tendon and after reconstruction, and finally each specimen was loaded to failure.

Results:

Mean load to failure was significantly higher in the PTW group compared with the IS group (373.6 ± 265.5 N vs 150.1 ± 93.1 N; P = .01). The PTW and IS groups had significantly lower stiffness compared with the intact specimens ( P < .001). There was no statistical significance in stiffness between the 2 techniques ( P = .96).

Conclusion:

The PTW technique yielded higher load to failure in comparison to IS. There was no difference in overall construct stiffness between both techniques. Both constructs demonstrated 19% decrease in stiffness compared to the intact state.

Clinical Relevance:

The PTW and IS constructs were biomechanically similar, and these results suggest that both should be moderately overtensioned to compensate for an inherent decreased initial stiffness.
Multimode velocity-delayed feedback vibration control of plates using a single sensor and a single actuator
Authors: Majeed Majed A , Alhazza Khaled , Khorshid Emad
Published: September 2020

Controlling multimode vibrations using a single actuator and a single sensor is challenging. Most researchers use multiactuators and multisensors to control multimode structural vibrations. In the present work, a multimode delayed feedback control using a single actuator and a single sensor, both attached at the top surface of a simply supported thin plate, is developed. The linear equations of motion of the plate are derived and then discretized using Galerkin’s method. The resulting coupled equations are controlled with a velocity-delay feedback control to mitigate multimode structural vibrations. A sensed accelerometer signal is integrated and then filtered to include only the effect of the targeted vibration frequency. A global optimization method is then used by minimizing the root mean square of the total controlled response of the system. Many parameters, such as size, location, and orientation of the sensor/actuator as well as time delay and controller gain, play an essential role in the controller performance. The results showed that the proposed velocity delay feedback controller was efficiently used to control multimode vibrations using a single sensor and a single actuator. The proposed single-input single-output controller is also capable of focusing on a given vibration mode rather than treating them all equally.
Adolescents’ Objectification of Their Same-Sex Friends: Indirect Relationships With Media Use Through Self-Objectification, Rewarded Appearance Ideals, and Online Appearance Conversations
Authors: Vangeel Laurens , Trekels Jolien , Eggermont Steven , Vandenbosch Laura
Published: September 2020

A cross-sectional study among adolescent boys and girls examined whether exposure to popular television programs and Facebook predicts the extent to which adolescents objectify their same-sex friends. Two pathways were tested to explain these relationships. The first included internalization of rewarded appearance ideals and self-objectification. The second included appearance conversations with friends on Facebook. Results revealed that adolescents’ television exposure and Facebook use only indirectly predicted friend-objectification through their engagement in appearance conversations on Facebook. The relationship between television exposure and friend-objectification was also fully mediated by internalization and self-objectification.
Leveraging advanced preparation of oncology medications: Decreasing turnaround-times in an outpatient infusion center
Authors: Blackmer James , Amoline Kevin , Amancher Jacqueline , Vogan Eric , Zimmer Heather , Borton Meave , Earl Marc , Boyd Anthony
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Many oncology infusions are provided in hospital-based infusion centers. With hospital-based infusion centers seeing increased volumes, patient wait times continue to be a priority. Extended wait times for oncology infusions have been shown to lead to patient dissatisfaction.

Methods

Advanced Preparation of oncology infusion medications allows pharmacy to verify and prepare specific medications the day before a patient’s infusion appointment. Our study targeted lower cost, commonly used medications to prepare in advance. Data analyzed included turnaround time (TAT), medication waste, and oncology infusion preparation volumes. Implementation took place in two phases to allow time for the healthcare team to adjust to the new workflow. Phase I medications include a small amount of medications prepared manually by pharmacy technicians. Phase II medications included all phase I medications plus additional medications that were compounded in the intravenous (IV) robotic compounding system.

Results

Our study demonstrated significant decrease in median TAT for medications prepared in advance. 537 infusions were prepared using the Advanced Preparation module with a median TAT of 24.2 minutes (IQR, 18.0–34.0). The pre-implementation median TAT was 45.0 minutes (IQR, 36.0–56.0), which represents a decrease of 20.8 minutes (46.2%) following implementation of the program, (p<0.001). There were a total of 149 advanced preparation doses that were wasted (21.7% of doses).

Conclusion

We have seen a statistically significant reduction in TAT for Advanced Preparation medications. Low volume of Advanced Preparation medications compared to total infusion volume limited impact on overall TAT.
Can Victim, Offender, and Situational Characteristics Differentiate Between Lethal and Non-Lethal Incidents of Intimate Partner Violence Occurring Among Adults?
Authors: Overstreet Suzanne , McNeeley Susan , Lapsey Jr David S.
Published: September 2020

This study investigates risk factors that predict the likelihood of homicide as a result of intimate partner violence. Using a subsample of the 2011 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data, we estimate binary logistic regression models comparing homicide by intimate partners to aggravated assault by intimate partners. Several victim characteristics (race, age), offender characteristics (age, race, relationship with victim), and situational characteristics (weapon use, offender alcohol use) differentiated homicide incidents from aggravated assault incidents. The findings provide evidence that characteristics of victims, offenders, and events contribute to the likelihood that intimate partner violence will escalate to homicide.
Fetal Vascular Malperfusion Due To Long and Hypercoiled Umbilical Cords Resulting in Recurrent Second Trimester Pregnancy Loss: A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Slack Jonathan C , Boyd Theonia K
Published: September 2020

Background

Intrauterine fetal demise due to fetal vascular malperfusion in mid-gestation is a rare occurrence. Abnormally long and hypercoiled umbilical cords are associated with an increased risk of umbilical cord blood flow restriction, which in turn can result in adverse perinatal and maternal outcomes. The factors that regulate umbilical cord development, specifically umbilical cord length and coiling, are poorly understood.

Methods

Maternal history, along with fetal and placental findings (post-mortem, pathological, and molecular), were reviewed for a series of 3 consecutive pregnancies that ended in second trimester intrauterine fetal demise.

Results

All 3 umbilical cords were exceptionally long and hypercoiled, and all placentas showed evidence of high-grade fetal vascular malperfusion. At fetopsy, all 3 fetuses were developmentally normal for gestational age and lacked congenital anomalies. Maternal medical history and antenatal testing (including an extensive work-up for maternal hypercoagulability syndromes) were normal and/or noncontributory.

Conclusion

Although excessively long and hypercoiled cords are generally thought of as sporadic, nongenetic events, rare examples of recurrent intrauterine fetal demise secondary to such exist have been reported. This intrafamilial clustering of a rare event is suggestive that at least a subset of hypercoiled, long umbilical cords may have an underlying genetic etiology.
Feasibility of a 3 mm arteriotomy for brachiocephalic fistula formation
Authors: Crane Jeremy , Salim Safa , Storey Rowland
Published: September 2020

Background:

The arteriovenous fistula is the modality of choice for long-term haemodialysis access. We describe the feasibility of routinely fashioning a brachiocephalic fistula utilising a 3 mm long arteriotomy in an attempt to reduce the incidence of symptomatic steal syndrome yet while maintaining satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Methods:

All patients who underwent brachiocephalic fistula formation using a routine 3 mm long arteriotomy within Hammersmith Hospital between January 2017 and March 2018 were included. Primary outcomes included primary failure, failure of maturation, secondary patency and steal syndrome.

Results:

Sixty-eight brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistula were fashioned utilising a 3 mm long arteriotomy during the study period. Mean age was 60.5 years with 59% having a history of diabetes mellitus. Mean followup was 368 days. Primary failure occurred in 10 (14.7%) patients. Cannulation was achieved in 67.3% of remaining fistula within 3-months, rising to 87.3% by 6-months. Primary patency at 6 and 12 months was 76% and 69%, respectively. Secondary patency at 6 and 12 months was 94% and 91%, respectively. Dialysis access steal syndrome was clinically apparent in three (4.4%) patients with all cases being managed conservatively.

Conclusion:

A 3 mm long arteriotomy may be routinely utilised for brachiocephalic fistula creation in an attempt to limit the incidence of steal syndrome yet while maintaining clinical patency outcomes.
Perspectives of my lived experiences for addressing suicides among aboriginal communities in the North Queensland tropics
Authors: Baird Mercy
Published: September 2020

This article contextualises my perspectives of Indigenous knowledge within a cultural cosmology, used to address the suicide epidemic in an Indigenous Community in the Far North Queensland Tropics of Australia. I use my personal narrative from the philosophical standpoint theory of an Indigenous female with first-hand experience of living under the residues of the Queensland Government Act (1897). Through the lens of a social constructivist worldview and theoretical underpinnings of Indigenist research, I give honour to Indigenous knowledge, cultural values and privilege the voices of local people. As a PhD researcher at James Cook University, I apply to my research, “Healing after experiencing the suicide of a young person—Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives informed by Indigenous Knowledges” with three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. This research also aligns itself to the JCU Strategic Intent, Peoples and Society in the Tropics.
Determinants of Hand Hygiene Practice at Critical Times among Food Handlers in Educational Institutions of the Sagnarigu Municipality of Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Amegah Kingsley E , Addo Henry O , Ashinyo Mary E , Fiagbe Loveland , Akpanya Serene , Akoriyea Samuel K , Dubik S Dajan
Published: September 2020

Introduction:

Food handlers’ hands serve as a vehicle for potential foodborne pathogenic contamination which constitutes a public health risk. In Ghana, there are always constant reports of outbreaks of foodborne diseases in schools. However, determinants of hand hygiene practice among educational institutions food handlers are little known. The study, therefore, aimed to assess the determinants of hand hygiene practice at critical times among educational institutions’ food handlers in the Sagnarigu Municipality of Ghana.

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional survey among educational institutions food handlers in the Sagnarigu Municipality. Two hundred and six food handlers were selected through convenience sampling in the educational institutions. At the same time, structured questions that were developed from previous studies were used to assess food handlers’ hand hygiene practice at critical times. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models. All variables with their respective confidence intervals (95%) and adjusted odds ratios were declared significant at P-values less than .05.

Results:

Hand hygiene practice at critical times among the food handlers were relatively good at a rating of 66.0% (95% CI: 59.1, 72.5%). Good hand hygiene practice at critical times was less likely among food handlers with no food safety training (AOR 0.04; 95% CI: 0.00, 0.41) and food handlers who had insufficient knowledge of hand hygiene (AOR 0.06; 95% CI 0.01, 0.25). Good hygiene practice at critical times was 99% lower in food handlers with a negative attitude as compared to food handlers with positive attitudes towards hand hygiene at critical times (AOR 0.01; 95% CI 0.00, 0.07). Only 17.0% of the food handlers demonstrated proper handwashing techniques, whereas a good number (85.4%) of the food handlers did not wash their hands after touching money.

Conclusion:

Good hand hygiene practice at critical times was relatively good. Food safety training, knowledge of hand hygiene and attitudes towards hand hygiene were independent predictors of hand hygiene practice at critical times. Concerned stakeholders and organizations should focus on WASH interventions that seek to improve educational institutions food handlers’ knowledge and attitudes towards hand hygiene, coupled with training on food safety.
Psychology and aggregation in International Relations
Authors: Gildea Ross James
Published: September 2020

Theories of decision-making grounded in political psychology have experienced a dramatic rise in the study of International Relations. There is widespread recognition of the benefits of incorporating insights from the behavioural sciences into analyses of political behaviour. However, some scholars have argued that the theoretical and empirical scope of these perspectives remains hampered by an unresolved issue: aggregation. While the fundamental unit of interest in psychology is the individual, most International Relations models concern patterns of collective decision-making in aggregate units such as states, bureaucracies, armed groups, transnational networks and institutions. This article contributes to the aggregation debate by providing a more optimistic portrait of its implications for interdisciplinary work. I argue that aggregation may be an overstated problem in International Relations and that a disciplinary preoccupation with it may hinder rather than pave the way for interdisciplinary theorizing.
Domestic courts, transnational law, and international order
Authors: Kahraman Filiz , Kalyanpur Nikhil , Newman Abraham L.
Published: September 2020

This article revisits the relationship between law and international order. Building on legal research concerned with transnational law, we argue that domestic courts are endogenous sites of international political change. National courts are constitutive of international order by generating new rules, adjudicating transnational disputes, and bounding state sovereignty. We illustrate the ways in which national courts create new political opportunities by updating three core international relations theory debates. Recognizing the role of domestic courts as global adjudicators enhances our understanding of regime complexity and international forum shopping. By re-interpreting aspects of conventional international law, and engaging in cross-border dialogue, domestic courts challenge our understanding of international diffusion and judicialization. By redefining the boundaries of state authority and sovereignty, national courts create potential for conflict and cooperation. A transnational law perspective illustrates the porous nature between domestic and international spheres, highlighting how domestic courts have become adjudicators for state and non-state actors that operate across mainstream levels of analysis. Our approach calls on scholars to move beyond analyzing national legal systems as mechanisms of compliance to instead consider domestic courts as co-creators of international order.
“The persistent myth of lost hegemony,” revisited: structural power as a complex network phenomenon
Authors: Winecoff William Kindred
Published: September 2020

This article resuscitates the idea of structural power in world politics by linking it to modern complex network science, presents a theoretical framework for understanding how global structures develop and change, and empirically analyzes the prominence of leading states within global finance, trade, security, and knowledge networks. It argues that the “fitness plus preferential attachment” (FPA) model of complex network evolution provides a logical explanation for the durability of American influence even as some of its advantages in country-level capabilities has eroded, and it introduces a network methodology that is capable of empirically analyzing the organizational complexity that exists within and across domains in world politics. It argues that the rise of China and other emerging powers has been overstated in some ways, but that a redistribution of structural prominence is taking place, in some domains, as emerging markets increase their transnational connections; this has mostly come at the relative expense of Europe, however, rather than the United States.
Monetary policy and exchange rate regime in tourist islands
Authors: Inchausti-Sintes Federico , Pérez-Granja Ubay
Published: September 2020

The broad impact of the travel industry on economies has been comprehensively analysed in the tourism literature. Despite this, its consequences for monetary policy have remained unaddressed. This article aims at providing a first approach in this line for the case of three small tourist islands such as Cabo Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles. The research is based on a Bayesian estimation using a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model (DSGE), and the optimal response to a tourism demand shock of four monetary policies is analysed. According to the results, both a conventional peg and an inflation-targeting policies achieve better economic performance. More precisely, the inflation is lower in the former. However, the rise in consumption and the gain in the external competitiveness are sharper in the latter. Finally, the other two policies, an inflation-targeting with managed exchange rate policy and an imported-inflation targeting policies, generate higher consumption and external competitiveness, but, also higher inflation and interest rate.
Integration of mental health counselling into chronic disease services at the primary health care level: Formative research on dedicated versus designated strategies in the Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Sorsdahl Katherine , Naledi Tracey , Lund Crick , Levitt Naomi S , Joska John A , Stein Dan J , Myers Bronwyn
Published: September 2020

Objective

To explore health care providers’ views on the acceptability and feasibility of two models for integrating facility-based counsellor delivered mental health counselling into chronic disease care, and how such an approach could be improved in South Africa.

Methods

Fourteen focus group discussions and 25 in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 109 health care workers and facility managers from 24 primary health clinics in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Results

Findings suggested that despite recent efforts to integrate mental health counselling into chronic disease services for common mental disorders, there remains limited availability of psychosocial and psychological counselling. Feedback on the two models of integration suggested equipoise and the potential of a hybrid approach where these approaches may be tailored to the specific needs and available resources of each facility. Participants identified constraints within the health system and broader social context that require consideration for integrating mental health counselling into chronic disease care.

Conclusion

Although study participants unanimously agreed that counselling for common mental disorders should be integrated into chronic disease services, they had differing views on the type of model that should be adopted. There is a need for further testing of the two models and aspects of the health service that may require strengthening to implement any such model.
Positing a schema of measurable outcomes of cultural engagement
Authors: Dunphy Kim , Smithies John , Uppal Surajen , Schauble Holly , Stevenson Amy
Published: September 2020

The cultural sector (arts, heritage and library agencies) receives increasing demands to articulate and evaluate outcomes of its work. These demands are challenging because of pervasive conceptions that the intangible nature of cultural activities makes them inherently unmeasurable, while their ‘intrinsic’ properties render them essentially valuable. This article addresses this challenge in positing a schema of measurable cultural outcomes of cultural engagement developed through literature analysis and an iterative Delphi-style stakeholder consultation. The outcomes are as follows: creativity stimulated; aesthetic enrichment experienced; knowledge, ideas or insight gained; diversity of cultural expression appreciated; and sense of belonging to cultural heritage deepened.
Absent and present: Biopolitics and the materiality of body counts on the US–Mexico border
Authors: Soto Gabriella
Published: September 2020

As the deaths of undocumented migrants expose the violence of border security policies around the globe, a complicated politics emerges between bodily death and the ways in which the migrant association of decedents (dis)appears in vital records – even as many migrants physically disappear during their border crossings. What happens between death and bureaucratic disappearance after a migrant body is discovered? How does the overwhelming material presence of migrant death, someone who dies through an unnecessary and excruciating process like drowning or dehydration during a border crossing, become not-a-migrant? This article considers these questions by exploring the materiality of body counts at the nexus of biopolitics, forensic anthropology, and material culture studies. To probe the process behind migrants’ seemingly systematized bureaucratic postmortem disappearance, this ethnographic case study of local postmortem investigations of migrant deaths at the US–Mexico border examines practices around burial or cremation and body discovery.
To raise a child with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative, comparative study of parental experiences in the United States and Senegal
Authors: Cardon Adair , Marshall Tara
Published: September 2020

Raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can often be a difficult and stressful process for families and caregivers. Though research on ASDs in Africa is burgeoning, very little is known about autism in francophone West Africa. Furthermore, no known ASD studies have explored parental experiences in particular from a cross-cultural perspective. This research used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyze in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven Senegalese and seven American families to investigate parental experiences within the Senegalese community with further illustration by cross-cultural comparison. Comparative analysis of data across the two countries was undertaken to identify cultural variables previously unreported, especially those that may affect Senegalese family experience. Analysis of interviews revealed thematic differences in social and community support. Although access to effective treatment services was low among Senegalese families compared to the American families, traditional Senegalese household structures and community relations were hypothesized to serve as protective factors against the high social isolation and resulting logistical struggles reported in the U.S. sample. Further targeted research within the Senegalese environment is recommended, particularly to explore social stigma and its possible effects on families with autism, causal beliefs and treatment practices, and parental mental health and wellbeing.
Rapid health data repository allocation using predictive machine learning
Authors: Uddin Md Ashraf , Stranieri Andrew , Gondal Iqbal , Balasubramanian Venki
Published: September 2020

Health-related data is stored in a number of repositories that are managed and controlled by different entities. For instance, Electronic Health Records are usually administered by governments. Electronic Medical Records are typically controlled by health care providers, whereas Personal Health Records are managed directly by patients. Recently, Blockchain-based health record systems largely regulated by technology have emerged as another type of repository. Repositories for storing health data differ from one another based on cost, level of security and quality of performance. Not only has the type of repositories increased in recent years, but the quantum of health data to be stored has increased. For instance, the advent of wearable sensors that capture physiological signs has resulted in an exponential growth in digital health data. The increase in the types of repository and amount of data has driven a need for intelligent processes to select appropriate repositories as data is collected. However, the storage allocation decision is complex and nuanced. The challenges are exacerbated when health data are continuously streamed, as is the case with wearable sensors. Although patients are not always solely responsible for determining which repository should be used, they typically have some input into this decision. Patients can be expected to have idiosyncratic preferences regarding storage decisions depending on their unique contexts. In this paper, we propose a predictive model for the storage of health data that can meet patient needs and make storage decisions rapidly, in real-time, even with data streaming from wearable sensors. The model is built with a machine learning classifier that learns the mapping between characteristics of health data and features of storage repositories from a training set generated synthetically from correlations evident from small samples of experts. Results from the evaluation demonstrate the viability of the machine learning technique used.
Apathy, convenience or irrelevance? Identifying conceptual barriers to safeguarding children’s data privacy
Authors: Keen Caroline
Published: September 2020

This article explores conceptual barriers to protecting children’s personal information in relation to online commercial data practices. It does this by using Vedder’s conceptual categories of privacy to identify and position parents’ and teenagers’ concepts of privacy within interpersonal, institutional and commercial data terrains. Drawing from qualitative interviews, the analysis shows that parents’ and teenagers’ conceptualise privacy in terms of the private/public dimension and that their conceptualisations of the consumer–corporate relationship, and corporations themselves, prohibited any concern for their decisional and informational privacy. As their conceptualisations of privacy harms were embedded within social rather than technological frames, this precluded motivation to protect children’s data privacy. This research argues that without a conceptual shift in the way we think about privacy and privacy harms, we need to question whether the logics of neoliberalism can effectively address children’s data privacy.
Pairwise estimation of multivariate longitudinal outcomes in a Bayesian setting with extensions to the joint model
Authors: Mauff Katya , Erler Nicole S , Kardys Isabella , Rizopoulos Dimitris
Published: September 2020

Multiple longitudinal outcomes are theoretically easily modelled via extension of the generalized linear mixed effects model. However, due to computational limitations in high dimensions, in practice these models are applied only in situations with relatively few outcomes. We adapt the solution proposed by Fieuws and Verbeke (2006) to the Bayesian setting: fitting all pairwise bivariate models instead of a single multivariate model, and combining the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) realizations obtained for each pairwise bivariate model for the relevant parameters. We explore importance sampling as a method to more closely approximate the correct multivariate posterior distribution. Simulation studies show satisfactory results in terms of bias, RMSE and coverage of the 95% credible intervals for multiple longitudinal outcomes, even in scenarios with more limited information and non-continuous outcomes, although the use of importance sampling is not successful. We further examine the incorporation of a time-to-event outcome, proposing the use of Bayesian pairwise estimation of a multivariate GLMM in an adaptation of the corrected two-stage estimation procedure for the joint model for multiple longitudinal outcomes and a time-to-event outcome ( Mauff et al., 2020 , Statistics and Computing). The method does not work as well in the case of the corrected two-stage joint model; however, the results are promising and should be explored further.
Lessons learned from the statewide implementation of the Music & Memory program in nursing homes in Wisconsin in the USA
Authors: Kwak Jung , Ha Jung-Hwa , O’Connell Valuch Katharine
Published: September 2020

The movement of evidence-based interventions into institutional settings such as nursing homes is challenging. Among ecopsychosocial interventions to address behavioral problems of nursing home residents with dementia, Music and Memory, a popular intervention that provides individualized music listening, has shown potential to improve residents’ quality of life. In Wisconsin in the USA, the Music and Memory program has been implemented in nursing home facilities statewide. In the present study, to examine facilitators and barriers related to implementation and sustainability of the Music and Memory program, all nursing homes in Wisconsin were invited to participate in a survey (online or mail). A total of 161 facilities participated, representing a response rate of 41%. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were conducted. Over 80% of responding facilities were providing the Music and Memory program, and 86% of those facilities planned to continue its use. The majority of respondents found Music and Memory to be beneficial to residents, but they also reported that the program was not equally effective for everyone and that it was time and labor intensive. Barriers to sustainability included lack of buy-in by direct care staff, use of technology, costs of equipment, inconsistency of volunteers, and families not supportive or helpful. Facilitators included support of facility personnel, family, and volunteers; observing positive effects of program; Music and Memory training provision and support; and accessibility of equipment. For the program to be successful, facilities must identify the residents most likely to benefit from it, realistically estimate its costs and required labor, and ensure staff buy-in.
CA 19-9 serum levels in patients with end-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs): Correlation with functional decline
Authors: Balestro Elisabetta , Castelli Gioele , Bernardinello Nicol , Cocconcelli Elisabetta , Biondini Davide , Fracasso Federico , Rea Federico , Saetta Marina , Baraldo Simonetta , Spagnolo Paolo
Published: September 2020

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis presents a progressive and heterogeneous functional decline. CA 19-9 has been proposed as biomarker to predict disease course, but its role remains unclear. We assessed CA 19-9 levels and clinical data in end-stage ILD patients (48 IPF and 20 non-IPF ILD) evaluated for lung transplant, to correlate these levels with functional decline. Patients were categorized based on their rate of functional decline as slow (n = 20; ΔFVC%pred ≤ 10%/year) or rapid progressors (n = 28; ΔFVC%pred ≥ 10%/year). Nearly half of the entire patients (n = 32; 47%) had CA 19-9 levels ≥37kU/L. CA 19-9 levels in IPF were not different from non-IPF ILD populations, however, the latter group had a median CA 19-9 level above the normal cut-off value of 37 KU/l (60 [17–247] kU/L). Among IPF patients, CA 19-9 was higher in slow than in rapid progressors with a trend toward significance (33vs17kU/L; p = 0.055). In the whole population, CA19-9 levels were inversely related with ΔFVC/year (r = −0.261; p = 0.03), this correlation remained in IPF patients, particularly in rapid progressors (r = −0.51; p = 0.005), but not in non. Moreover, IPF rapid progressors with normal CA 19-9 levels showed the greater ΔFVC/year compared to those with abnormal CA 19-9 (0.95 vs. 0.65 L/year; p = 0.03). In patients with end-stage ILD, CA 19-9 may represent a marker of disease severity, whereas its level is inversely correlated with functional decline, particularly among IPF rapid progressors.
Development of sustainable jute geotextiles by bitumen emulsion and polyester resin: Effect of gamma radiation
Authors: Akter Nasrin , Das Subrata Chandra , Grammatikos Sotirios A. , Saha Joykrisna , Khan Mubarak Ahmad
Published: September 2020

Jute fibers can be an alternative solution to replace synthetic fibers for temporary sustainable geotextiles applications. To produce sustainable geotextiles, jute fabrics were treated first by bitumen emulsion (BE) and unsaturated polyester (UPE) resin then γ-radiation (2.5, 5, and 10 kGy doses) applied to increase its durability and performance. The resulting samples were J0 (raw jute), J1 (20% BE + 10% UPE), and J2 (30% BE + 10% UPE). It was revealed that γ-irradiation significantly decreased the moisture sensitivity and water absorbency. Tensile strength (TS) improved at 2.5 and 5 kGy doses of irradiation and then decreased at 10 kGy in both directions. The highest increase of TS found for 5 kGy dose in both directions of J1 (27.1% in warp and 27.7% in weft) and J2 (16.0% in warp and 23.8% in weft). After 120 days of soil burial test, biodegradation occurred for all the specimens except 2.5 kGy irradiated sample which retained its TS, however, TS dropped remarkably such as 71.9% and 85.1% in warp and weft directions, respectively for J1 sample, and 90.7% and 94.1% in warp and weft directions, respectively for J2 sample. Antimicrobial resistance of jute fabrics was assessed against gram-positive S. aureus and gram-negative E. coli bacteria. Further, FTIR, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were also investigated in this study.
How do community pharmacies in Ontario manage drug shortage problems? Results of an exploratory qualitative study
Authors: Panic Gea , Yao Xuan , Gregory Paul , Austin Zubin
Published: September 2020

Background:

Pharmacists report spending a considerable amount of time dealing with drug shortages. There is no research in Canada identifying and describing the strategies and resources that pharmacists use to minimize disruption and continuity of care for patients.

Methods:

An exploratory qualitative methodology was used. Community pharmacists and technicians in Ontario were interviewed using a semi-structured protocol. Verbatim transcripts were generated and coded by at least 2 independent reviewers using content analysis methods to identify management strategies.

Results and Discussion:

A total of 14 pharmacists and 7 regulated pharmacy technicians participated in this study. The following 5 main strategies for managing drug shortages were identified: (1) using the supplier, (2) generic options, (3) brand options, (4) contacting other pharmacies and (5) switching to a different medication.

Conclusion:

The strategies identified through this research can provide pharmacists with some guidance in approaching the real-world problem of drug shortages. It also highlights opportunities for organizations, government and manufacturers to provide additional support for pharmacists to minimize disruptions for patients and to ensure current ad hoc practices do not further compound shortage issues. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2020;153:xx-xx.
Analysis and control for a new reconfigurable parallel mechanism
Authors: Huang Guanyu , Zhang Dan , Tang Hongyan , Kong Lingyu , Song Sumian
Published: September 2020

This article proposes a new reconfigurable parallel mechanism using a spatial overconstrained platform. This proposed mechanism can be used as a machine tool. The mobility is analyzed by Screw Theory. The inverse kinematic model is established by applying the closed-loop equation. Next, the dynamic model of the presented mechanism is established by Lagrange formulation. To control the presented mechanism, some controllers have been used. Based on this dynamic model, the fuzzy-proportion integration differentiation (PID) controller is designed to track the trajectory of the end effector. For each limb, a sliding mode controller is applied to track the position and velocity of the slider. Finally, some simulations using ADAMS and MATLAB are proposed to verify the effectiveness and stability of these controllers.
The impact of mindfulness training on performance in a group decision-making task: Evidence from an experimental study
Authors: Parsons Christine E , Nielsen Thomas Hessellund , Vermillet Arnault-Quentin , Lykke Hansen Isa , Mitkidis Panagiotis
Published: September 2020

It is widely assumed that mindfulness training will lead to a range of benefits, from improved attentional capacities to better decision-making. Indeed, many large corporations have begun to provide workplace mindfulness training with the aim of improving group-based decision-making. Yet, there has been little empirical work testing the effects of mindfulness training on complex group-based task performance. In a randomised experimental study ( N = 332), we examine the effects of two different durations of mindfulness training on strategic decision-making using the classic NASA survival task, assessing individual and then group performance. We expected that a longer training duration (seven daily sessions) would be associated with better group performance relative to a “one-off” training session. We did not find such an association: groups in the longer training condition made slightly, but not significantly, more errors than groups in the one-off condition. We did not find any differences across training conditions when examining individual performance. Our findings should be interpreted in light of numerous studies demonstrating the benefits of even short durations of mindfulness practice on cognitive performance. We conclude that our lengthier mindfulness training duration did not confer measurable benefits over a one-off training session at either the individual or the group level on a strategic decision-making task.
Understanding face identification through within-person variability in appearance: Introduction to a virtual special issue
Authors: Bindemann Markus , Hole Graham J
Published: September 2020

In the effort to determine the cognitive processes underlying the identification of faces, the dissimilarities between images of different people have long been studied. In contrast, the inherent variability between different images of the same face has either been treated as a nuisance variable that should be eliminated from psychological experiments or it has not been considered at all. Over the past decade, research efforts have increased substantially to demonstrate that this within-person variation is meaningful and can give insight into various processes of face identification, such as identity matching, face learning, and familiar face recognition. In this virtual special issue of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, we explain the importance of within-person variability for face identification and bring together recent relevant articles published in the journal.
Fingertip defect reconstruction with a modified pivot flap
Authors: Petrella Giovanna , Tosi Daniele , Sapino Gianluca , Adani Roberto
Published: September 2020

The pivot flap can treat volar oblique defects of the fingers distal to the distal interphalangeal joint. We present our experience in 11 fingers (11 patients) using this flap, including some modifications that optimize flap harvesting, mobilization, inset, and vascular supply and outcomes. The flaps harvested had an average size of 2.4 × 2.0 cm. The patients were followed for an average of 21 months (range 12 to 36) after surgery. Sensitivity of the flap was evaluated with the Semmes–Weinstein monofilaments test and static two-point discrimination test. Cold intolerance was also evaluated. The pivot flap with the modifications demonstrates a reliable technique for fingertip defect reconstruction. The results, in terms of sensitivity and functional recovery, seem promising.

Level of evidence: IV