bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Distance Education: What Do Our Students Tell Us?
Authors: Petracchi Helen E. 
Published: September 2017

Objective Given the rapid growth of distance education in social work, there is need to evaluate contemporary efforts in schools of social work, including multisite assessments of distance learning. This article reports multisite data addressing the question of how students enrolled in distance learning courses at two urban campuses (one using Interactive TV [ITV] and the other videotape) perceive their learning experiences. Method 142 students’ responses were received from voluntarily submitted survey questionnaires querying students regarding their experiences with the technology used in their course, their learning environment, the instructor's teaching skills, and perceived resource availability. Results Respondents at both sites were pleased with their learning experience, with 100% of ITV students and 75% of the students Who viewed videotaped courses indicating they would enroll in distance learning again. Conclusions The opinions of remote student respondents suggest positive learning experiences are had by students in schools of social work, particularly as they experienced these two delivery formats.
A Comparison Study of Live Instruction versus Interactive Television for Teaching MSW Students Critical Thinking Skills
Authors: Huff Marie Thielke 
Published: September 2017

Objective The acquisition of critical thinking skills over one semester by distant and campus social work students enrolled in a graduate-level policy course were compared. Method The scores of pretests and posttests of 62 master's of social work students were analyzed using the California Critical Thinking Skills Test. Results Both groups significantly increased their critical thinking skills with no significant differences found between the two groups. Conclusion Distance education using interactive television was found to be equivalent to face-to-face instruction with regard to acquisition of critical thinking skills.
Delivering Substance Abuse and Child Welfare Content through Interactive Television
Authors: Hollister C. David , McGee Gloria 
Published: September 2017

Objective To evaluate interactive television (ITV) for delivering a graduate course on substance abuse and child welfare to distant sites. Method Students’ ratings of instructor-student communication are compared across distance and resident sites for the ITV course and with students in the traditional course. Similar comparisons are made for students’ ratings of the amount learned and for instructors’ judgments of student performance. Distance and resident students’ ratings of the ITV course are also compared to traditional courses. Results The mean of the instructor-student communication dimensions was the same for distance and traditional students and was slightly more positive for distance students compared to resident students. Student performance and course grades were similar across groups, and the distance and resident students in the ITV course rated it as helpful to their learning as traditional courses. Conclusions The results suggest that ITV compromised neither instructor-student communication nor the amount that students learned.
Teaching over the Internet: Results of One Doctoral Course
Authors: Schoech Dick 
Published: September 2017

Objective Although the Internet is new, many educators see it as a future instructional medium that will rival the face-to-face classroom. Currently, we have very little experience teaching a course using only the Internet. The objective of the course evaluated in this article was to test the feasibility and effectiveness of teaching a semester-long social work Ph.D. course on Technology Supported Practice entirely over the Internet. The course was open to master's of social work and Ph.D. students, and continuing education students. Method Internet tools used included a Web site, listserv, discussion forum, and chat room. Results Findings suggest that the Internet provides ample tools to deliver a course, especially when chat is used. Students report satisfaction and learning similar to a face-to-face classroom. Conclusion The Internet provides an environment rich enough to teach at a level of quality consistent with a face-to-face classroom.
Postcourse Evaluations of WebCT (Web Course Tools) Classes by Social Work Students
Authors: Wernet Stephen P. , Olliges Ralph H. , Delicath Timothy A. 
Published: September 2017

Objective Technology-enhanced education is becoming an increasingly important part of higher and professional education. Web-based course management tools such as WebCT (Web Course Tools) are the latest wave of technology-based pedagogical tools. The question is whether certain groups of students, in particular, nontraditional students, are disadvantaged when these tools are used for teaching and learning. Method This study reports on a survey of39 social work students’ satisfaction with and perception of impact of WebCT in social work education. Results All students found course materials on the course Web site helpful. Graduate and nontraditional students reported greater utility of the course management tools. Nontraditional students were not disadvantaged by, and preferred access to, Web-based courses. Conclusions Web-based and Web-enhanced courses hold promise for accommodating the needs of nontraditional students in social work education.
Students’ Use of Computer-Mediated Communication in a Distance Education Course
Authors: Johnson Miriam Mcnown , Huff Marie Thielke 
Published: September 2017

Objectives The authors were interested in how and why students use computer-mediated communication (CMC). Method Electronic messages sent by 76 social work students enrolled in a distance education course were examined. Responses to a survey with regard to the usefulness of these technologies were also analyzed. Results Students attending at distant sites were more likely than on-campus students to use both e-mail and the course listserv. Students used the technology more often for practical reasons than for academic enrichment. At the end of the term they reported increased competence in using CMC and expressed positive opinions about these technological supports. Conclusions CMC presents a partial remedy for the real and perceived isolation of students taking classes at distant sites. It does not, however, automatically augment learning.
Reprofessionalizing Child Welfare Services: An Evaluation of a Title IVE Training Program
Authors: Jones Loring P. , Okamura Amy 
Published: September 2017

Objective Test the effectiveness of a Title IVE training program for preparing practitioners for public child welfare employment. Method The sample consisted of all workers (N = 266) hired between June 1994 and June 1997 at a public child welfare agency. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, a follow-up phone interview, and a review of personnel records. Results Title IV–trained workers scored higher on a test of child welfare knowledge, and they expressed more confidence in their ability to perform basic child welfare tasks than did other workers. Eighty-nine percent of IVE workers were still employed at the study close. Overall, 76% of workers were still employed at that time. Contrary to expectations, IVE workers were not more satisfied with their jobs than other workers. Conclusion The retention finding is encouraging because it may mean that the staffing crisis in child welfare may have a solution in programs like IVE. However, IVE-trained workers may not stay unless the unsatisfactory working conditions are corrected.
The Client Satisfaction Inventory: Results of an Initial Validation Study
Authors: Mcmurtry Steven L. , Hudson Walter W. 
Published: September 2017

Objective To obtain initial results with regard to the reliability and validity of the Client Satisfaction Inventory (CSI), a 25-item scale for measuring general satisfaction with services among clients of human service agencies. Method The CSI was administered to 329 clients of 11 agencies in six states. Also administered were three other standardized measures and a brief descriptive questionnaire, results from which were used to assess the discriminant validity of the CSI. Results Findings indicated that both the full version of the CSI and a 9-item short-form version, the CSI-SF, have good to excellent internal consistency. Item analyses also provided some affirmative evidence with regard to the content validity of both versions, and the presence of hypothesized relationships between client satisfaction scores and those of the other instruments offered indications of good discriminant validity for each version. Conclusion Accountability demands, including pressures associated with managed care, have created a need in many agencies for brief, accurate, and norm-referenced measures of client satisfaction. Although further research is needed, initial results suggest that the CSI and CSI-SF may be useful tools for meeting this need.
Systematic review of lessons learned from delivering tele-therapy to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder
Authors: Turgoose David , Ashwick Rachel , Murphy Dominic 
Published: September 2017

Introduction Despite increases in the number of ex-service personnel seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there remain a number of barriers to help-seeking which prevents many veterans from accessing psychological therapies. Tele-therapy provides one potential method of increasing the number of veterans accessing support. This review aimed to systematically review the literature in order to summarise what lessons have been learned so far from providing trauma-focused tele-therapies to veterans with PTSD. Methods A systematic literature review was conducted from which 41 papers were reviewed. Studies were included if they involved the use of trauma-focused therapies carried out using tele-therapy technologies. Only studies using tele-therapy interventions via video or telephone with populations of ex-military personnel with PTSD were included. Results In the majority of cases tele-therapy was found to be as effective in reducing PTSD symptoms as in-person interventions. Similarly, there were few differences in most process outcomes such as dropout rates, with tele-therapy helping to increase uptake in some cases. Veterans using tele-therapy reported high levels of acceptability and satisfaction. Some challenges were reported in terms of therapeutic alliance, with some studies suggesting that veterans felt less comfortable in using tele-therapy. Several studies suggested it was harder for clinicians to read non-verbal communication in tele-therapy, but this did not affect their ability to build rapport. Technological issues were encountered, but these were not found to impede therapy processes or outcomes. Discussion Tele-therapy provides a viable alternative to in-person therapies and has the potential to increase access to therapy for veterans. Tele-therapy should continue to be evaluated and scrutinised in order to establish the most effective methods of delivery.
Effectiveness of remote feedback on physical activity in persons with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Kongstad Malte Bue , Valentiner Laura Staun , Ried-Larsen Mathias , Walker Karen Christina , Juhl Carsten Bogh , Langberg Henning 
Published: September 2017

Objectives The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to examine the effectiveness of remote feedback intervention compared with standardized treatment on physical activity levels in persons with type 2 diabetes. Further, to investigate the influence of the length of intervention, number of contacts, study size, delivery of feedback, and preliminary face-to-face sessions. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in May 2017, with a priori defined eligibility criteria: randomized controlled trials investigating remote feedback interventions in adult persons with type 2 diabetes, using physical activity as outcome. The effect size was calculated as standardized mean difference (SMD) and was pooled in a meta-analysis using a random-effects model. Meta-regression analyses were performed to examine if the observed effect size could be attributed to study- or intervention characteristics using these as covariates. Results The literature search identified 4455 articles of which 27 met the eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis including a total of 4215 participants found an overall effect size in favour of remote feedback interventions compared to standardized treatment, SMD = 0.33 (95% CI: 0.17 to 0.49), I2 = 81.7%). Analyses on study characteristics found that the effect on physical activity was only influenced by study size, with a larger effect in small studies. Conclusion Adding remote feedback to standardized treatments aimed at increasing physical activity in persons with type 2 diabetes showed a small to moderate additional increase in physical activity levels. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42016033479.
Transvenous retrograde AVM embolization: Indications, techniques, complications and outcomes
Authors: Lv Xianli , Song Cao , He Hongwei , Jiang Chuhan , Li Youxiang 
Published: September 2017

Objective Transvenous retrograde arteriovenous malformation (AVM) embolization (TRAE) has been proposed. The present study was to review the techniques, their conjunctions and effectiveness. Methods Eligible related articles were identified by searching the PubMed and Web of Science databases using “transvenous” and “arteriovenous malformation.” Results A total of 16 eligible studies, with 60 cases of AVM treated with TRAE, were analyzed. Prior to TRAE procedure, transarterial Onyx 18 was performed in 23 (38.3%), cyanoacrylate in three (5%) and coiling in two (3.3%), neurosurgery in one (1.7%) and radiosurgery in three (5%). These prior treatments were used to reduce the size of the nidus to <3 cm and TRAE was performed. One anterior choroidal artery aneurysm was coiled before TRAE. Systemic hypotension (blood pressure<100 mmHg) occurred in six (10%) patients and local hypotension (proximal arterial temporary balloon protection) in five (8.3%) patients. Complete obliteration was achieved in 56 (93.3%) AVMs, four (6.7%) with residual, of which one was supplemented with radiosurgery. During mean one-year follow-up (1 month to 3.2 years), there were five cases (8.3%) of permanent disability and one (1.7%) mortality resulting from initial hemorrhage. Fifty-four (90%) patients were independent (mRS ≤ 2) at follow-up. Ruptured AVMs and Spetzler-Martin I–III were associated with a high cure rate. Conclusion According to previous reports, selected AVMs could undergo TRAE. TRAE is safe and curative with Onyx after the nidus size is reduced sufficiently by transarterial embolization, neurosurgery or radiosurgery, with or without the aid of proximal arterial temporary balloon protection.
Testing a new surfactant in a widely-used blood mimic for ultrasound flow imaging
Authors: Zhou Xiaowei , Hoskins Peter R. 
Published: September 2017

Background A blood-mimicking fluid developed by Ramnarine et al. has been widely used in flow phantoms for ultrasound flow imaging research, and it has also been cited by IEC 61685 as a reference for making blood-mimicking fluid.However, the surfactant material Synperonic N in this blood-mimicking fluid recipe is phased out from the European market due to environmental issues. The aim of this study is to test whether Synperonic N can be substituted by biodegradable Synperonic A7 in making blood-mimicking fluid for ultrasound flow imaging research. Methods and materials A flow phantom was fabricated to test the blood-mimicking fluid with Synperonic N and Synperonic A7 as surfactants separately. Doppler images and velocity data were collected using a clinical ultrasound scanner under constant and pulsatile flows; and images and measured velocities were compared. Results It was found that both blood mimics can provide exactly the same images under spectral Doppler ultrasound and colour Doppler ultrasound in terms of their image qualities. The maximum velocities under constant flow were measured by the spectral Doppler ultrasound as 0.4714 ± 0.001 m.s−1 and 0.4644 ± 0.001 m.s−1 for blood-mimicking fluid with Synperonic N and blood-mimicking fluid with Synperonic A7, respectively. Measured velocities using the two different blood-mimicking fluids were statistically different ( p < 0.001), but this difference was less than 2%. The Synperonic A7 can be used as a substitute for Synperonic N as a surfactant material in making the blood-mimicking fluid for ultrasound flow imaging research.
Treatment of ulcerative compared to non-ulcerative interstitial cystitis with hyperbaric oxygen: a pilot study
Authors: Wenzler David L. , Gulli Farris , Cooney Maureen , Chancellor Michael B. , Gilleran Jason , Peters Kenneth M. 
Published: September 2017

Background The etiology of interstitial cystitis (IC) is often idiopathic but can be due to Hunner’s ulcers. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is used to treat ulcerative disease of the superficial skin. We hypothesized that HBO can treat ulcerative IC (UIC) but would be less efficacious for non-ulcerative IC (NIC). Methods Patients with NIC and UIC enrolled in this study. Following informed consent, demographic information was collected. A visual analog pain scale and validated questionnaires were collected; each patient underwent cystoscopy prior to treatment. Each subject met with a hyperbaric specialist and after clearance underwent 30 treatments over 6 weeks. Adverse events were monitored. Patients repeated questionnaires, visual analog pain scale and global response assessment (GRA) immediately, 2 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Patients also underwent cystoscopy 6 months after treatment. Differences before and after treatment were compared. Results Nine patients were recruited to this study. One was unable to participate, leaving two subjects with NIC and six with UIC. All patients completed HBO without adverse events. Three patients completed HBO but pursued other therapies 7, 8.5 and 11 months after treatment. On GRA, 83% of patients with UIC were improved. This treatment effect persisted, as 66% of UIC patients remained better at 6 months. In contrast, only one patient in the NIC group improved. Questionnaire scores improved in both groups. Pain scores improved by 2 points in the UIC group but worsened by 1.5 points in the NIC group. Two patients with ulcers resolved at 6-month cystoscopy. Conclusion HBO appeared beneficial for both UIC and NIC. Data shows slightly better benefit in patients with UIC compared to NIC; both groups showed improvement. Given the small sample size, it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from these data. Larger studies with randomization would be beneficial to show treatment effect.
Anxiety, irritability, and agitation as indicators of bipolar mania with depressive symptoms: a post hoc analysis of two clinical trials
Authors: Suppes Trisha , Eberhard Jonas , Lemming Ole , Young Allan H. , McIntyre Roger S. 
Published: September 2017

Abstract
Background
Symptoms of anxiety, irritability, and agitation (AIA) are prevalent among patients with bipolar I disorder (BD-I) mania with depressive symptoms, and could potentially be used to aid physicians in the identification of this more severe form of BD-I. Using data from two clinical trials, the aims of this post hoc analysis were to describe the phenomenology of bipolar mania in terms of AIA and depressive symptoms, and to evaluate the influence of these symptoms on the likelihood of remission during treatment.

Methods
Patients with a BD-I manic or mixed episode (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV criteria) were randomised to 3 weeks of double-blind treatment with asenapine, placebo, or olanzapine (active comparator). Anxiety was defined as a score of ≥3 on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale ‘anxiety’ item, irritability as a score of ≥4 on the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) ‘irritability’ item, and agitation as a score of ≥3 on the YMRS ‘increased motor activity–energy’ item. Depressive symptoms were defined as a score of ≥1 on three or more individual Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) items, or a MADRS Total score of ≥20.

Results
A total of 960 patients with BD-I were analysed, 665 with a manic episode and 295 with a mixed episode. At baseline, 61.4% had anxiety, 62.4% had irritability, 76.4% had agitation, and 34.0% had all three AIA symptoms (‘severe AIA’); 47.3% had three or more depressive symptoms, and 13.5% had a MADRS total score of ≥20. Anxiety, irritability, and severe AIA (but not agitation) were statistically significantly more common in patients with depressive symptoms. Patients with anxiety or severe AIA at baseline were statistically significantly less likely to achieve remission (YMRS total <12). In general, remission rates were higher with asenapine and olanzapine than with placebo, irrespective of baseline AIA or depressive symptoms.

Conclusions
Assessment of AIA symptoms in bipolar mania could enable physicians to identify patients with more severe depressive symptoms, allowing for appropriate intervention. Assessment and monitoring of AIA may help physicians to predict which patients may be harder to treat and at risk for self-harm.
Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00159744, NCT00159796. Registered 8 September 2005 (retrospectively registered)
Estrogen Metabolism in Abdominal Subcutaneous and Visceral Adipose Tissue in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Hetemäki Natalia , Savolainen-Peltonen Hanna , Tikkanen Matti J , Wang Feng , Paatela Hanna , Hämäläinen Esa , Turpeinen Ursula , Haanpää Mikko , Vihma Veera , Mikkola Tomi S 
Published: September 2017

AbstractContextIn postmenopausal women, adipose tissue (AT) levels of estrogens exceed circulating concentrations. Although increased visceral AT after menopause is related to metabolic diseases, little is known about differences in estrogen metabolism between different AT depots.ObjectiveWe compared concentrations of and metabolic pathways producing estrone and estradiol in abdominal subcutaneous and visceral AT in postmenopausal women.Design, Setting, Patients, and InterventionsAT and serum samples were obtained from 37 postmenopausal women undergoing surgery for nonmalignant gynecological reasons. Serum and AT estrone, estradiol, and serum estrone sulfate (E1S) concentrations were quantitated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Activity of steroid sulfatase and reductive 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes was measured using radiolabeled precursors. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of estrogen-converting enzymes was analyzed by real-time reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsEstrone concentration was higher in visceral than subcutaneous AT (median, 928 vs 706 pmol/kg; P = 0.002) and correlated positively with body mass index (r = 0.46; P = 0.011). Both AT depots hydrolyzed E1S to estrone, and visceral AT estrone and estradiol concentrations correlated positively with serum E1S. Compared with visceral AT, subcutaneous AT produced more estradiol from estrone (median rate of estradiol production, 1.02 vs 0.57 nmol/kg AT/h; P = 0.004). In visceral AT, the conversion of estrone to estradiol increased with waist circumference (r = 0.65; P = 0.022), and estradiol concentration correlated positively with mRNA expression of HSD17B7 (r = 0.76; P = 0.005).ConclusionsBoth estrone and estradiol production in visceral AT increased with adiposity, but estradiol was produced more effectively in subcutaneous fat. Both AT depots produced estrone from E1S. Increasing visceral adiposity could increase overall estrogen exposure in postmenopausal women.