bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on and development of a Miller cycle engine with multi-stage boosting
Authors: He Yongsheng , Liu Jim , Zhu Bin , Sun David
Published: January 2016

In order to improve the thermal efficiency of engines, it is essential to increase their geometric compression ratio or the expansion ratio. This research explores the technology options to enable a higher expansion ratio in future boosted spark-ignition direct-injection engines, with the aim of significantly reducing the fuel consumption while achieving the same torque and combustion performances as those of baseline turbocharged engines. Variable-valve-actuation technologies such as the late-intake-valve-closing cam strategy and the early-intake-valve-closing cam strategy were considered, and their effectiveness in reducing the effective compression and preventing knock in high-compression-ratio engines was assessed. To compensate for the torque loss due to late intake valve closing or early intake valve closing, multi-stage boosting systems including the turbocharger–supercharger combination and the two-stage turbocharger were implemented and compared. In this study, a Miller cycle engine concept with a high expansion ratio of 12.0:1 was developed with variable valve actuation and multi-stage boosting. On the basis of this new concept, an engine was built and extensively tested on an engine dynamometer to assess its part-load fuel consumption and full-load performance. The experimental results indicated that this engine concept can improve the fuel economy of the vehicle by 3–4% at typical city and highway driving conditions while maintaining the same performance.
Comparison of calculation methods for wheel–switch rail normal and tangential contact
Authors: Xu Jingmang , Wang Ping , Ma Xiaochuan , Xiao Jieling , Chen Rong
Published: January 2016

Wheel–rail contact is more complex in railway a turnout than in ordinary track and, thus, necessitates an advanced model to simulate dynamic interaction and predict rail wear. The main aim of the present work is to assess the application of several wheel–rail rolling contact models in railway turnout. For normal contact problems, wheel–rail contact models based on four different methods are compared: Hertz theory, the semi-Hertzian method, CONTACT, and the finite element method. The assessment is based on the results of contact patch shape and size and contact pressure for several wheelset lateral displacements. The load is set to a constant and equal to static wheel load. Calculations are performed at the section of switch rail head with width 35 mm in CN60-1100-1:18 turnout; both standard and worn rail profiles are accounted for. For tangential contact problems, four corresponding methods are assessed, based on the calculation of creep forces, distribution of the stick/slide region and computational efficiency: Shen–Hedrick–Elkins theory, FASTSIM, improved FASTSIM based on semi-Hertzian method, and CONTACT. It is found that the normal contact problems solved by the semi-Hertzian method and CONTACT correlate well with the finite element method, and the tangential contact problems solved by improved FASTSIM and CONTACT are quite favorable. The conclusions of this work can provide some guidance for contact model selection in the dynamic simulation and wear prediction of railway turnout.
Biomechanical design considerations for transradial prosthetic interface: A review
Authors: Sang Yuanjun , Li Xiang , Luo Yun
Published: January 2016

Traditional function and comfort assessment of transradial prostheses pay scant attention to prosthetic interface. With better understanding of the biomechanics of prosthetic interface comes better efficiency and safety for interface design; in this way, amputees are more likely to accept prosthetic usage. This review attempts to provide design and selection criteria of transradial interface for prosthetists and clinicians. Various transradial socket types in the literature were chronologically reviewed. Biomechanical discussion of transradial prosthetic interface design from an engineering point of view was also done. Suspension control, range of motion, stability, as well as comfort and safety of socket designs have been considered in varying degrees in the literature. The human–machine interface design should change from traditional “socket design” to new “interface design.” From anatomy and physiology to biomechanics of the transradial residual limb, the force and motion transfer, together with comfort and safety, are the two main aspects in prosthetic interface design. Load distribution and transmission should mainly rely on achieving additional skeletal control through targeted soft tissue relief. Biomechanics of the residual limb soft tissues should be studied to find the relationship between mechanical properties and the comfort and safety of soft tissues.
A rare cause of lymphadenopathy – Rosai-Dorfman disease in a HIV-positive Ugandan woman
Authors: Nathan Bavithra , Roomallah Bhoomika , Salisbury Jon R , Tenant-Flowers Melinda , Kassam Shireen
Published: January 2016

This case illustrates a rare cause of lymphadenopathy as a presenting feature of HIV and highlights the importance HIV testing in all patients who present with lymphadenopathy.
Infectious syphilis in women: what’s old is new again?
Authors: Shaw Souradet Y , Ross Craig , Nowicki Deborah L , Marshall Shelley , Stephen Sandy , Davies Christina , Riddell Jennifer , Bailey Kim , Elliott Lawrence J , Reimer Joss N , Plourde Pierre J
Published: January 2016

The aim of this study was to examine trends in infectious syphilis epidemiology among women in Winnipeg, Canada. A descriptive study of syphilis among Winnipeg residents between 2003 and 30 June 2015 was undertaken. Adjusted rate ratios (ARR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) from Poisson regression analyses are reported. Characteristics of men and women were compared using logistic regression, with adjusted odds ratios (AOR) reported. Between 2014 and 2015, the rate of syphilis was 1.7/100,000, representing a five-fold increase since 2006–2013. All cases have been heterosexual, 90% 20–39 years of age, and 59% living in Winnipeg’s inner core. Approximately 24% were pregnant at diagnosis; no cases of congenital syphilis have been reported. Compared to men, women were more likely to report alcohol use (AOR: 3.8, 95% CI: 1.2–11.9) and co-infection with chlamydia (AOR: 5.0, 95% CI: 1.1–22.9). In conclusion, the rates of infectious syphilis are increasing among women. Prenatal screening and education for inner-core women and the health care providers serving them should be prioritized.
Involvement of oxidative stress in tri-ortho–cresyl phosphate-induced liver injury in male mice
Authors: Xu LL , Long CY , Wang JL , Yu M , Chen JX
Published: January 2016

Tri- ortho–cresyl phosphate (TOCP) has been widely used as plasticizers, plastic softeners, and flame retardants in industry and reported to have delayed neurotoxicity and reproductive toxicology in animals. However, it remains to be elusive whether TOCP induces liver injury. In this study, male mice were orally administered different concentrations of TOCP (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. Histological examination showed that TOCP led to serious hepatocellular injury. In addition, administration of TOCP induced a marked elevation in the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels in mice. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased significantly in the liver after the mice were treated with TOCP; while there was a dramatic decrease in the content of glutathione (GSH) and the activities of antioxidative enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX). TOCP inhibited viability of mouse liver cancer Hepa 1-6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, TOCP significantly increased MDA content and inhibited GSH content and the activities of SOD and GSH-PX in the cells, respectively. Oxidative stress dramatically inhibited viability of Hepa 1-6 cells; while inhibition of oxidative stress by N-acetyl-l-cysteine could rescue the cell viability inhibited by TOCP to a certain extent. In summary, oxidative stress might be involved in TOCP-induced hepatocellular injury in male mice.
Identifying public expectations of genetic biobanks
Authors: Critchley Christine , Nicol Dianne , McWhirter Rebekah
Published: January 2016

Understanding public priorities for biobanks is vital for maximising utility and efficiency of genetic research and maintaining respect for donors. This research directly assessed the relative importance the public place on different expectations of biobanks. Quantitative and qualitative results from a national sample of 800 Australians revealed that the majority attributed more importance to protecting privacy and ethical conduct than maximising new healthcare benefits, which was in turn viewed as more important than obtaining specific consent, benefit sharing, collaborating and sharing data. A latent class analysis identified two distinct classes displaying different patterns of expectations. One placed higher priority on behaviours that respect the donor ( n = 623), the other on accelerating science ( n = 278). Additional expectations derived from qualitative data included the need for biobanks to be transparent and to prioritise their research focus, educate the public and address commercialisation.
A white horse in the desert: The life of Dr Thomas Somerville (1887–1941)
Authors: Watkins PE
Published: January 2016

This article details the remarkable life of Dr Thomas Somerville, who qualified both as a veterinary surgeon and medical practitioner, served in two world wars and was recommended for the nation’s highest award for gallantry. In doing so, it records the life of a man whose repeated gallantry on the battlefield has been overlooked.
Capitalising on intuition and reflection: Making sense of a composer’s creative process
Authors: Pohjannoro Ulla
Published: January 2016

This case study investigated the transformation of intuitive and reflective thinking during a composer’s compositional process. The qualitative data comprised stimulated recall interviews conducted in the composer’s studio during the compositional process and the entire manuscript corpus that the composer created during that process. The results showed the qualitative change in the composer’s intuitive and reflective thinking in the course of the process; within intuitive compositional acts, imagination changed into experimentation and incubation into restructuring, whereas within reflective compositional acts, rule-based reasoning changed into contemplating alternatives. Further, intuitive metacognition decreased while reflective metacognition increased. These changes were explained by concurrent procedures of grounding and rationalisation. In the grounding procedure, the composer substantiated the fuzzy construction of his original ideas (called the Identity Idea by the composer) into aesthetically coherent musical structures that gradually limited the compositional problem space. The rationalisation procedure involved the composer becoming increasingly proficient in the way in which he operated on his musical ideas and materials. After a critical moment, the composer adopted a situation-specific cognitive device called ‘rational intuition’. This ‘rational intuition’ was the composer’s way of creating aesthetic coherence when working fluently, albeit retaining rationality, in an insecure and complex working situation of a creative process. The prerequisites of ‘rational intuition’ were (1) the guidance of a goal-driven cue (i.e. the Identity Idea) as a key determinant and motivational energy for the process; (2) the selection of intuitive and reflective compositional acts to match compositional situations; (3) an expert ability to learn implicitly; and (4) resilience to abeyance.
The Influence of Organizational Systems on Information Exchange in Long-Term Care Facilities
Authors: Caspar Sienna , Ratner Pamela A. , Phinney Alison , MacKinnon Karen
Published: January 2016

Person-centered care is heavily dependent on effective information exchange among health care team members. We explored the organizational systems that influence resident care attendants’ (RCAs) access to care information in long-term care (LTC) settings. We conducted an institutional ethnography in three LTC facilities. Investigative methods included naturalistic observations, in-depth interviews, and textual analysis. Practical access to texts containing individualized care-related information (e.g., care plans) was dependent on job classification. Regulated health care professionals accessed these texts daily. RCAs lacked practical access to these texts and primarily received and shared information orally. Microsystems of care, based on information exchange formats, emerged. Organizational systems mandated written exchange of information and did not formally support an oral exchange. Thus, oral information exchanges were largely dependent on the quality of workplace relationships. Formal systems are needed to support structured oral information exchange within and between the microsystems of care found in LTC.
Male Elementary General Music Teachers
Authors: Robison Tiger
Published: January 2016

The purpose of this study was to describe the essence of being a male elementary general music teacher (MEGMT). I sought answers for two research questions. First, what are the perceived uniquely male experiences in elementary general music teaching? Second, in what ways might gender be a consideration in the preparation of elementary general music teachers? I conducted semistructured interviews of ten current MEGMTs in one New England state. After three cycles of coding, I found four emergent themes: (a) perceived uniquely male issues in teaching, (b) the hiring process and early years, (c) workplace gender issues, and (d) urban teaching overall. These findings both corroborated and contradicted those of the limited studies about MEGMTs, yielding support to investigate MEGMTs’ multifaceted essence further.
Prognostic Value of Treatment Setting in Patients With Cancer Having Pulmonary Embolism: Comparison With the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index
Authors: Ahn Shin , Lee Yoon-Seon , Kim Won Young , Lim Kyung Soo , Lee Jae-Lyun
Published: January 2016

Background:

Active cancer is a poor prognostic factor for survival after pulmonary embolism (PE). This retrospective cohort study was performed to investigate how accurately the pulmonary embolism severity index (PESI) predicts 30-day mortality in patients with active cancer. Whether the treatment setting (palliative vs curative) could predict mortality in these patients was also investigated.

Methods:

All consecutive patients with active cancer and PE who visited the emergency department of Asan Medical Center in January 2007 to June 2014 were identified. The covariates for predicting 30-day mortality were PESI classification, treatment setting (curative vs palliative), brain natriuretic peptide ≥ 150 ng/L, troponin I ≥ 0.10 ng/mL, right ventricular dysfunction, deep vein thrombosis, and anticoagulants used. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to assess the association between treatment setting and 30-day mortality.

Results:

The PESI classification and 30-day mortality did not associate significantly. Area under the receiver–operating curve of the PESI was 0.565 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.453-0.677). Palliative treatment setting associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality, regardless of the PESI classification (adjusted hazard ratio: 3.72, 95% CI: 1.49-9.26). Treatment setting predicted mortality 30 days, 3 months, and 6 months after PE presentation better than PESI.

Conclusion:

The PESI did not accurately predict mortality in patients with active cancer. Treatment setting was the most important determinant of clinical outcome in these patients. When stratifying patients with active cancer and PE, palliative treatment setting should be considered as it is predictive of high mortality.
The Relationship Between Lymphocyte-to-Monocyte Ratio and Bare-Metal Stent In-Stent Restenosis in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Murat Sani Namik , Yarlioglues Mikail , Celik Ibrahim Etem , Kurtul Alparslan , Duran Mustafa , Kilic Alparslan , Oksuz Fatih
Published: January 2016

In-stent restenosis (ISR) is a common clinical problem in patients with coronary artery disease treated with percutaneous coronary intervention. Inflammatory process plays a pivotal role in the development of ISR. Both lymphocytes and monocytes are associated with inflammatory status. Recently, it has been shown that the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) is a novel inflammatory marker. We aimed to investigate the association of serum LMR levels and ISR in patients undergoing bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation. The study included 273 patients (aged 61 ± 11 years, 66.5% men) with a history of BMS implantation and a further control coronary angiography due to stable angina pectoris. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with and without ISR. The LMR levels were significantly lower in patients with ISR than in those without ISR (2.50 ± 0.95 vs 3.87 ± 1.51, respectively, P < .001). On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the LMR was independently associated with ISR (odds ratio [OR]: 0.310, 95% confidence interval: 0.166-0.579, P < .001) together with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (OR: 1.244, P = .008), reason for stent implantation (OR: 6.566, P = .003), stent diameter (OR: 0.015, P < .001), and stent length (OR: 1.137, P = .007). In conclusion, LMR levels are inversely related to ISR in patients treated with BMS implantation.
A structural-acoustic optimization of two-dimensional sandwich plates with corrugated cores
Authors: Yang Haosen , Li Huirong , Zheng Hui
Published: January 2016

This paper presents an optimization study of sandwich plates with corrugated cores for minimizing the transmitted sound power, considering the manufacturability of the structure and constraints on the structural weight and fundamental frequency. A two-dimensional plate model is developed based on the spectral element method (SEM) for the calculation of the frequency-domain vibration response of the whole sandwich structure subject to airborne excitation, and the Rayleigh integral formula is used to calculate the transmitted sound power via its structure-born path. A genetic algorithm-based multi-parameter optimization method is employed to search for the optimal structural parameters with the objective to minimize the sound power transmitted. It is indicated that the optimization results depend highly on the properties of resonant modes in the targeted frequency band. Because of the local modes of the sandwich structure in the high frequency band, the transmitted sound power can be significantly reduced with neither increasing the structural weight nor deteriorating the bending stiffness.
A Room for One’s Own? The Partisan Allocation of Affordable Housing
Authors: Gay Claudine
Published: January 2016

Millions of Americans live in communities without an adequate supply of affordable housing. The governmental response to the crisis has focused on subsidies to private developers who build below-market housing, with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) at the center of this effort. Although federally funded, the LIHTC program grants states wide latitude in distributing billions of dollars of tax credits annually. Do state officials exploit this discretion to channel housing subsidies to geographic constituencies for political ends? Drawing on 20 years of LIHTC administrative data, I test whether electoral support for the state’s governing party predicts the level of tax credit investment directed to an area. The analysis reveals a modest relationship between partisan loyalty and housing investment, conditional on the partisan and institutional contexts. Democratic governors steer tax credits to areas of core support, but only where the governor exercises a high level of control over the state’s LIHTC-allocating agency.
Comparative effectiveness of granulocyte colony-stimulating factors to prevent febrile neutropenia and related complications in cancer patients in clinical practice: A systematic review
Authors: Mitchell Sarah , Li Xiaoyan , Woods Matthew , Garcia Jacob , Hebard-Massey Kerri , Barron Rich , Samuel Miny
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Febrile neutropenia (FN) is a serious side-effect of myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Several clinical trials and observational studies have evaluated the effects of prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factors (G-CSFs) on risk of FN and related complications; however, no systematic reviews have focused on effectiveness in routine clinical practice. Here, we perform a systematic review assessing the comparative effectiveness of prophylaxis with a long-acting G-CSF (pegfilgrastim) versus short-acting G-CSFs (filgrastim, lenograstim, and filgrastim biosimilars) in cancer patients in real-world clinical settings.

Methods

A systematic review was performed based on a pre-specified protocol and was consistent with the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook (2009) and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination’s Guidance for Undertaking Reviews in Health Care (2011). MEDLINE, Embase, BIOSIS, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published from January 2002 to June 2014. Congress databases (MASCC/ASCO/ESMO) and Google Scholar were searched for abstracts published from January 2012 to August 2014. Filgrastim (NEUPOGEN®), lenograstim and nivestim (a filgrastim biosimilar) were the only short-acting G-CSFs and pegfilgrastim (Neulasta®) was the only long-acting G-CSF described in eligible studies. Outcomes of interest were FN, FN-related hospitalisation and other FN-related complications (death, chemotherapy dose delays and reductions, antimicrobial treatment, severe neutropenia and costs and resource use).

Results

Of 1259 unique records identified, 18 real-world observational studies met predefined inclusion criteria; 15 were retrospective studies, and 3 were prospective studies. Multiple tumour types, chemotherapy regimens and geographical regions were included. Seven studies provided statistical comparisons of the risk of FN; risk of FN among patients receiving prophylaxis with pegfilgrastim versus short-acting G-CSF was significantly lower in three studies, numerically lower in three studies, and numerically higher in one study. Six studies provided statistical comparisons of the risk of FN-related hospitalisation; risk of FN-related hospitalisation among patients receiving prophylaxis with pegfilgrastim versus short-acting G-CSF was significantly lower in all six studies, though some variation was seen in subanalyses. Data for other outcomes were sparse with available results being generally consistent with the results seen for risk of FN and FN-related hospitalisation.

Conclusions

Based on the findings from this review of real-world comparative effectiveness studies, risks of FN and FN-related complications were generally lower for prophylaxis with pegfilgrastim versus prophylaxis with short-acting G-CSFs.
HIV, Viral Suppression and New Technologies of Surveillance and Control
Authors: Guta Adrian , Murray Stuart J , Gagnon Marilou
Published: January 2016

The global response to managing the spread of HIV has recently undergone a significant shift with the advent of ‘treatment as prevention’, a strategy which presumes that scaling-up testing and treatment for people living with HIV will produce a broader preventative benefit. Treatment as prevention includes an array of diagnostic, technological and policy developments that are creating new understandings of how HIV circulates in bodies and spaces. Drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, we contextualize these developments by linking them to systems of governance and discursive subjectivation. The goal of this article is to problematize the growing importance of viral suppression in the management of HIV and the use of related surveillance technologies. For people living with HIV, we demonstrate how treatment-as-prevention’s emphasis on individual and collective viral load is transforming the performative dimensions of embodied risk, affect, subjectivity and sex.
The effectiveness of the use of consumer health information technology in patients with heart failure: A meta-analysis and narrative review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Or Calvin KL , Tao Da , Wang Hailiang
Published: January 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the use of consumer health information technologies (CHITs) has an impact on outcomes of patients in the self-management of heart failure (HF).

Methods

A literature search of six electronic databases was conducted to identify relevant reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for the analysis. Mortality, hospitalization and length of hospital stay were meta-analyzed and other patient outcomes were synthesized using a narrative approach.

Results

The literature search identified 50 studies, representing 43 RCTs, comparing the use of CHITs with usual care for HF patients. The meta-analysis showed that the use of CHITs reduced the risk of HF-caused mortality (relative risk (RR) = 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54–0.91), p = 0.007), lowered the risk of HF-caused hospitalization (RR = 0.80, 95% CI: 0.66–0.96), p = 0.020), and shortened HF-caused length of hospital stay (mean difference = –0.52, 95% CI: –0.77 to –0.27, p < 0.00), but not all-cause mortality, all-cause hospitalization or all-cause length of hospital stay, compared with usual care. The narrative synthesis indicated that only a small proportion of the trials reported positive effects of CHITs over usual care.

Conclusions

Evidence from RCTs presents mixed results on the impacts of CHITs for HF management. Further studies are required to assess whether and how CHITs would play a role in enhancing health care and patient outcomes and what specific CHIT features and functions are relevant to different HF treatment goals and self-care objectives.
Research on help-seeking for mental illness in Africa: Dominant approaches and possible alternatives
Authors: Cooper Sara
Published: January 2016

There is growing concern within the global mental health arena that interventions currently being executed to scale up mental health services in Africa will be ineffective unless simultaneous steps are taken to address people’s help-seeking behaviour. Drawing upon two conceptual tools arising from science and technology studies (STS), those of a “classification system” and “the black box,” this paper looks critically at discursive constructions of help-seeking in Africa within mental health research over the last decade. Research in this area can be divided into two dominant traditions: the knowledge-belief-practice survey and indigenous-knowledge-system approaches. Although the content and value-codes between these approaches differ, structurally they are very similar. Both are mediated by the same kind of system of classification, which demarcates the world into homogenous entities and binary oppositions. This system of ordering is one of the most stubborn and powerful forms of classification buried in the “black box” of the modernist/colonial knowledge archive and is fraught with many questionable Eurocentric epistemological assumptions. I consider whether there might be other ways of understanding help-seeking for mental illness in Africa and discuss two studies that illustrate such alternative approaches. In conclusion, I discuss some of the challenges this alternative kind of research faces in gaining more influence within contemporary global mental health discourse and practice.
Different size, different language? Linguistic ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation by majority and minority groups
Authors: Moscatelli Silvia , Hewstone Miles , Rubini Monica
Published: January 2016

This study examines the impact of relative group size on linguistic ingroup favoritism and outgroup derogation. Members of minority, majority, and equal-size groups freely described outcome allocations made by either ingroup or outgroup members. The abstraction and valence of the terms used were analyzed. Majority members expressed ingroup favoritism by describing the majority ingroup with positive terms at a higher level of abstraction than negative terms. They also provided more favorable descriptions of ingroup members than minority members did. Minority members expressed ingroup favoritism, but also outgroup derogation, by referring to the majority outgroup with negative terms at a higher level of abstraction than positive terms. These findings highlight the distinct consequences of minority and majority memberships on these two facets of intergroup discrimination.
Fairness and family background
Authors: Almås Ingvild , Cappelen Alexander W , Salvanes Kjell G , Sørensen Erik Ø , Tungodden Bertil
Published: January 2016

Fairness preferences fundamentally affect individual behavior and play an important role in shaping social and political institutions. However, people differ both with respect to what they view as fair and with respect to how much weight they attach to fairness considerations. In this article, we study the role of family background in explaining these heterogeneities in fairness preferences. In particular, we examine how socioeconomic background relates to fairness views and to how people make trade-offs between fairness and self-interest. To study this, we conducted an economic experiment with a representative sample of 14- to 15-year-old and matched the experimental data to administrative data on parental income and education. The participants made two distributive choices in the experiment. The first choice was to distribute money between themselves and another participant in a situation where there was no difference in merit. The second choice was to distribute money between two other participants with unequal merits. Our main finding is that there is a systematic difference in fairness view between children from low-socioceconomic status (SES) families and the rest of the participants; more than 50 percent of the participants from low-SES families are egalitarians, whereas only about 20 percent in the rest of the sample hold this fairness view. In contrast, we find no significant difference in the weight attached to fairness between children from different socioeconomic groups.
General practitioners’ perceptions of the stigma of dementia and the role of reciprocity
Authors: Gove Dianne , Small Neil , Downs Murna , Vernooij-Dassen Myrra
Published: January 2016

A qualitative exploration of the stigma of dementia reported that general practitioners described lack of reciprocity as one way in which people with dementia are perceived within society. This was closely linked to their perception of dementia as a stigma. In this article, we explore whether general practitioners perceive people with dementia as lacking reciprocity and, if so, if this is linked with societal opinions about dementia as a stigma. The implications of both perceptions of people with dementia failing to reciprocate and of stigma for timely diagnosis are explored. Our approach is to follow the thread of reciprocity in the data from our initial study. In this follow-up study, general practitioners’ perceptions of societal views of people with dementia included a perception of a lack of reciprocity specifically linked with; failing to respond to human contact, the absence of an appropriate return on social investment and failing to contribute to, or being a burden on, society. General practitioners reported a link between societal perceptions of lack of reciprocity and stereotypes about advanced dementia, difficulties communicating with people with dementia, and lack of opportunities for people with dementia to reciprocate. General practitioners occupy a key position, they can challenge stereotypes and, with support and targeted training about communicating with people living with dementia, can emphasize the ways in which people with dementia can communicate, thereby enhancing their potential to reciprocate. Such changes have implications for improved care and quality of life through the continued maintenance of social inclusion and perceptions of personhood.
Non-pharmacological interventions for managing dementia-related sleep problems within community dwelling pairs: A mixed-method approach
Authors: Gibson Rosemary H , Gander Philippa H , Dowell Anthony C , Jones Linda M
Published: January 2016

Dementia-related sleep problems can be complex and challenging. Environmental interventions which resynchronise the sleep/wake cycle have been trialled with promising results for people with dementia in institutionalised settings. However, there is less research concerning community-dwelling people with dementia and their family carers. This study involved a five-week feasibility study including timed light therapy, exercise and sleep education. Sleep and physical and mental functioning were measured at the beginning and end of the trial using objective measures, standardised questionnaires and structured participant feedback. Of 15 community-dwelling pairs who participated, nine completed the trial. The case studies presented here reveal that it is feasible for this population to use non-pharmacological interventions, with positive outcomes. However, there are also issues that can mask benefits or prevent compliance. The options for treating dementia are limited. Environmental interventions may help manage dementia-related sleep problems and further trials would be worthwhile to improve compliance and evaluate effectiveness.
The civic effects of schools: Theory and empirics
Authors: Bischoff Kendra
Published: January 2016

In concert with policy trends, theory and research on the ways in which school context affects student outcomes have focused almost exclusively on academic achievement in recent years. Given the fundamental role that schools should play in civic education, and the potential for schools to affect civic equality, more empirical and theoretical research is warranted to help predict and explain how schools affect civic outcomes. The author outlines the ways in which schools act as civic institutions and analyzes how theories of school effects might be applied to hypotheses regarding youth civic behavior and attitudes. The author provides two examples of mechanisms that provide unique pathways to civic learning in schools – student diversity and the existence of a micro-political environment – and discusses the consequences of the unequal distribution of civic opportunities in schools. She concludes with a discussion of the challenges for empirical research on the civic effects of schools.
The influence of drawing pressure on the properties of PET/PA6 bicomponent spunbonded fibers
Authors: Wang Min , Yu Bin , Han Jian , Song Weimin , Zhu Feichao
Published: January 2016

The properties of fibers were significantly affected by drawing during the spunbond process. In this paper, the influence of drawing pressure on the properties of spunbonded PET/PA6 hollow pie wedge bicomponent filaments was studied, and their performance was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, Beion F6 fiber fineness tester, and single fiber strength tester. The hollow pie wedge bicomponent fiber had a distinct interface between the two polymers due to poor compatibility. With increasing of drawing pressure, diameter of the fibers reduced regularly. When the drawing pressure increased, both the degree of crystallinity and orientation of bicomponent fibers enhanced, and the melting point of polyester component increased as well. Furthermore, with increasing of drawing pressure, the breaking strength of the fibers increased, but the breaking elongation and linear density decreased.
Toxicological Differences Between NMDA Receptor Antagonists and Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Authors: Shi Xiaodong , Lin Xiaotian , Hu Rui , Sun Nan , Hao Jingru , Gao Can
Published: January 2016

Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), represented by donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine, used to be the only approved class of drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. After the approval of memantine by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor antagonists have been recognized by authorities and broadly used in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Along with complementary mechanisms of action, NMDA antagonists and ChEIs differ not only in therapeutic effects but also in adverse reactions, which is an important consideration in clinical drug use. And the number of patients using NMDA antagonists and ChEIs concomitantly has increased, making the matter more complicated. Here we used the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System for statistical analysis , in order to compare the adverse events of memantine and ChEIs. In general, the clinical evidence confirmed the safety advantages of memantine over ChEIs, reiterating the precautions of clinical drug use and the future direction of antidementia drug development.
Comparison of Endovenous Laser and Radiofrequency Ablation in Treating Varicose Veins in the Same Patient
Authors: Bozoglan Orhan , Mese Bulent , Eroglu Erdinc , Erdogan Mustafa Bilge , Erdem Kemalettin , Ekerbicer Hasan Cetin , Yasim Alptekin
Published: January 2016

Purpose:

To compare endovenous laser ablation (EVLA) and radiofrequency venous ablation (RFA) in different legs in the same patients with venous insufficiency.

Methods:

Sixty patients with bilateral saphenous vein insufficiency were included. Endovenous laser ablation or RFA was applied to one of the patient’s legs and the remaining procedure, RFA or EVLA, to the other leg.

Results:

Minor complications in EVLA and RFA were hyperemia at 20.7% and 31.0%, ecchymosis at 31.0% and 51.7% and edema at 27.6% and 65.5%, respectively. The rate of recanalization was 6.8% in the RFA group. No recanalization was observed in the EVLA group. The level of patients satisfied with EVLA was 51.7%, compared to 31.0% for RFA, while 17.2% of patients were satisfied with both the procedures. Times to return to daily activity were 0.9 days in the EVLA group and 1.3 days in the RFA group.

Conclusion:

The EVLA procedure may be superior to RFA in certain respects.
Childhood Exposure to Religions With High Prevalence of Members Who Discourage Homosexuality Is Associated With Adult HIV Risk Behaviors and HIV Infection in Black Men Who Have Sex With Men
Authors: Nelson LaRon E. , Wilton Leo , Zhang Nanhua , Regan Rotrease , Thach Chia T. , Dyer Typhanye V. , Kushwaha Sameer , Sanders Rev. Edwin C. , Ndoye Omar , Mayer Kenneth H. ,   HPTN 061 Study Team
Published: January 2016

Exposure to childhood religious affiliations where the majority of members discourage homosexuality may have negative psychological impacts for Black men who have sex with men. This study tested the hypothesis that exposures to these environments during childhood were associated with adulthood human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) behavioral risk and HIV infection, because these exposures influenced HIV/STI risk by undermining race/sexual identity congruence and increasing internalized homophobia and interpersonal anxiety. Structural equation modeling as well as logistic and Poisson regressions were performed using baseline data from HIV Prevention Trials Network 061 ( N = 1,553). Childhood religion affiliations that were more discouraging of homosexuality were associated with increased likelihood of HIV infection; however, the association was no longer significant after adjusting for age, income, and education. Having a childhood religion affiliation with high prevalence of beliefs discouraging homosexuality was associated with increased numbers of sexual partners (adjusted odds ratio = 4.31; 95% confidence interval [3.76, 4.94], p < .01). The hypothesized path model was largely supported and accounted for 37% of the variance in HIV infection; however, interpersonal anxiety was not associated with HIV/STI risk behaviors. Structural interventions are needed that focus on developing affirming theologies in religious institutions with Black men who have sex with men congregants.
Time density curve analysis for C-arm FDCT PBV imaging
Authors: Kamran Mudassar , Byrne James V
Published: January 2016

Introduction

Parenchymal blood volume (PBV) estimation using C-arm flat detector computed tomography (FDCT) assumes a steady-state contrast concentration in cerebral vasculature for the scan duration. Using time density curve (TDC) analysis, we explored if the steady-state assumption is met for C-arm CT PBV scans, and how consistent the contrast-material dynamics in cerebral vasculature are across patients.

Methods

Thirty C-arm FDCT datasets of 26 patients with aneurysmal-SAH, acquired as part of a prospective study comparing C-arm CT PBV with MR-PWI, were analysed. TDCs were extracted from the 2D rotational projections. Goodness-of-fit of TDCs to a steady-state horizontal-line-model and the statistical similarity among the individual TDCs were tested. Influence of the differences in TDC characteristics on the agreement of resulting PBV measurements with MR-CBV was calculated.

Results

Despite identical scan parameters and contrast-injection-protocol, the individual TDCs were statistically non-identical ( p < 0.01). Using Dunn's multiple comparisons test, of the total 435 individual comparisons among the 30 TDCs, 330 comparisons (62%) reached statistical significance for difference. All TDCs deviated significantly ( p < 0.01) from the steady-state horizontal-line-model. PBV values of those datasets for which the TDCs showed largest deviations from the steady-state model demonstrated poor agreement and correlation with MR-CBV, compared with the PBV values of those datasets for which the TDCs were closer to steady-state.

Conclusion

For clinical C-arm CT PBV examinations, the administered contrast material does not reach the assumed ‘ideal steady-state’ for the duration of scan. Using a prolonged injection protocol, the degree to which the TDCs approximate the ideal steady-state influences the agreement of resulting PBV measurements with MR-CBV.
Impact motion control of humanoid robot BHR-5 based on the energy integral method
Authors: Meng Fei , Chen Xiaopeng , Yu Zhangguo , Chen Xuechao , Zhou Mingliang , Huang Qiang
Published: January 2016

To replace human beings for a task conducted in a realistic environment, the ability to perform impact motions such as running, jumping, and carrying is required for a humanoid robot. At present, it is quite difficult for the humanoid robot to achieve the motion performance of human beings. To address this issue, this article proposes to use a novel impact motion control method for a humanoid robot called BHR-5 using energy integral method. First, we have designed a high power density joint controller to drive each brushless motor to actuate each robot joint. The joint controller can generate sufficient power to actuate the robot joint with an instantaneous overload when limiting the input power in a unit interval. Second, the control system can generate trajectories to realize impact motion by integrating the energy of the whole body. Finally, we have conducted performance test on BHR-5 to verify the control method using our motor drivers and trajectory generation method. Analysis of the experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed control method for performing impact motions.
Management of incidental renal masses: Time to consider contrast-enhanced ultrasonography
Authors: Di Vece Francesca , Tombesi Paola , Ermili Francesca , Sartori Sergio
Published: January 2016

Proliferation of imaging studies for different clinical purposes and continuous improvement of imaging technology have led to an increasing number of incidental findings of renal masses. It is estimated that over 50% of patients older than 50 years have at least one renal mass.

The majority of incidental renal masses are simple cysts that can be easily diagnosed by conventional ultrasonography. However, some incidental renal masses are not simple cysts, and differentiation between benign and malignant entities requires further imaging modalities. In the past, multiphase contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were considered the primary imaging modalities used to characterize and stage complex cystic and solid renal lesions. Currently, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography represents a novel alternative to contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography employs microbubble contrast agents that allow the study of different enhancement phases of the kidney without risk of nephrotoxicity and radiation exposure. The diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the characterization of complex renal cysts is comparable to that of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and several studies have demonstrated its reliability also in identifying solid lesions such as pseudotumors, typical angiomyolipomas, and clear cell renal carcinomas. Considering the high incidence of incidental renal masses and the need for rapid and reliable diagnosis, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography could be proposed as the first step in the diagnostic work-up of renal masses because of its safety and cost effectiveness. In this paper, we propose a diagnostic algorithm for the characterization of cystic and solid renal masses.
Mapping civic engagement: A case study of service-learning in Appalachia
Authors: Mann Jessica , Casebeer Daniel
Published: January 2016

This study uses social cartography to map student perceptions of a co-curricular service-learning project in an impoverished rural community. As a complement to narrative discourse, mapping provides an opportunity to visualize not only the spatial nature of the educational experience but also, in this case, the benefits of civic engagement. The authors suggest that short-term immersion programs can provide students, regardless of their previous experiences with service, with opportunities to develop dispositions for active citizenship. Their maps, which envision a heterotopic space in two dimensions, examine the relationship between thought and action, specifically between empathy and apathy, and illustrate how what the students brought to the experience, in terms of their motivations and inclinations toward service-learning, as well as what they took away, in terms of their likelihood to participate in future service, ultimately led to individual growth and transformation.