Search

This study aimed to understand the effects of a custom-developed, artificial intelligence–based, asynchronous remote invigilation system on the student user experience. The study was conducted over 3 years at a large Australian university, and findings demonstrate that familiarity with the system over time improved student attitudes towards remote invigilation. Positive experiences were found to be related to ease of use and convenience for test sitting. The majority of students reported that it was important for the institution to have approaches such as remote invigilation to discourage cheating and they believed that the system was useful in this regard. Perceived technical problems were found to invoke feelings of anxiety with being remotely invigilated, and students suggested that greater clarity on expectations of appropriate behaviour, privacy and data security would help alleviate discomfort and improve the system. Implications for practise or policy: Educators can improve the student user experience of remote invigilation by ensuring that students are provided the opportunity to practise and become familiar with using remote invigilation software before any summative assessment task. Administrators should provide clear policy guidance about the management of student data collected during remotely invigilated assessment tasks.

Here, we advance an omics approach to understand how lithium salts in locally super-concentrated electrolytes (LSCEs) should be mixed to create stable ionically conductive interphases in high-power Li|NMC811 cells charged to high voltage. Mixed-anion LCSEs maintain an areal ion flux of 6 mA cm–2 during discharge across 500 cycles with 70% capacity retention, outperforming single-salt LSCEs as well as single- and dual-salt concentrated electrolytes. These advantages stem from the enrichment of cathode–electrolyte interphases with fluoroethers, which suppress cathode corrosion and fracturing.

Introduction Surgical treatment for insertional Achilles tendinosis (IAT) sometimes requires tendon repair augmentation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of polycaprolactone-based polyurethane urea (PUUR) matrix augmentation in the treatment of IAT. Methods A retrospective review was performed in surgically treated IAT. Repairs were augmented with a PUUR matrix. Factors evaluated included date of full weightbearing, patient satisfaction, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score, strength, and ankle motion. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare baseline and final follow-up VAS scores. Results A total of 18 cases were included in the study. The mean patient age was 54.61 ± 8.25 (40-75) years with a mean follow-up of 163.61 ± 57.81 (92-314) days. Patient satisfaction was obtained on 15 of 18 patients, with 14 patients satisfied with their outcome. Mean VAS for pain significantly decreased from 6.19 ± 1.97 (2.5-9) to 0.83 ± 1.54 (0-5) postoperatively, which was statistically significant (P < .01). Conclusion Achilles tendon augmentation with the PUUR matrix is a viable option in the treatment of IAT. Its use in this condition has minimal morbidity and can be an alternative to other forms of augmentation. Levels of Evidence: Level IV: Retrospective case series

Batteries capable of fast charging rely on electrolytes that maximize ion mobility to allow redox reactions to proceed at the same rate electrons are transported between electrodes. Here I will describe our recent efforts in liquid electrolyte development to enable 80% change in state-of-charge in 15, 10, and 5 minutes in lithium metal batteries without irreversible damage to the cell. The effects of concentration, viscosity, ionic conductivity, and solvation effects on cycle life are investigated, revealing that electrolytes with the highest Li+ mobility minimize the fast-charge overpotential and enable the full capacity of the cell to cycle reversibly. We further show through detailed synchrotron hard X-ray microtomography and complementary scanning electron microscopy that such electrolytes also suppress ramified Li growth. We also perform detailed electroanalytical studies to quantify the remarkably slow rates of lithium consumption and point to dead lithium formation as a primary challenge for (ultra)-fast-charging lithium metal batteries.

Objectives: The relationship between acromial morphology and glenohumeral instability is not well understood. It is unknown whether a flatter acromion predisposes a nonarthritic shoulder to increased posterior glenoid bone loss (GBL). The purpose of this study was to determine whether acromial morphology influences the extent or pattern of posterior glenoid bone loss in a cohort of patients with posterior glenohumeral instability. Methods: A comprehensive review of case logs between two academic institutions was performed to identify patients treated for primary posterior glenohumeral instability. MRI and/or CT scans were examined by two independent reviewers and the following measurements were obtained: total area glenoid bone loss (GBL) using the perfect circle technique, glenoid version, obliquity of GBL relative to the long axis of the glenoid, arc of GBL, acromial tilt, posterior acromial height (PAH), and anterior/posterior acromial coverage. The primary outcome was the association between acromial morphology parameters and glenoid bone loss. Results: A total of 89 shoulders with primary posterior glenohumeral instability were included. The mean age was 28.3 years (range 18-49), and male:female ratio was 11:1. Fifty-nine patients had measurable posterior glenoid bone loss and 30 patients had posterior labral tears without bone loss. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between acromial tilt and posterior GBL (R2= 0.09, p=0.005), a positive correlation between PAH and posterior GBL (R2= 0.04, p=0.046), and a negative correlation between posterior acromial coverage and posterior GBL (R2= 0.03, p=0.005). Increasing PAH and decreasing posterior acromial coverage were associated with a more superior extent of GBL (R2= 0.1, p=0.044 and 0.024, respectively). Subgroup analysis stratified by total area of GBL demonstrated that the area of posterior glenoid bone loss increases as the acromial tilt decreases. Conclusions: A flatter, higher acromion with less posterior coverage relative to the center of the glenoid is associated with increased posterior glenoid bone loss in patients with posterior glenohumeral instability. [Table: see text]

Background:Medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction for patellar instability is a commonly performed procedure with a reported high rate of return to preinjury activity. However, no previous study has assessed the functional outcomes of military servicemembers undergoing MPFL reconstruction.Hypothesis:Primary MPFL reconstruction confers patellar stability, but with limited return to preinjury function and ability to maintain unrestricted military active duty status.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:Using the Management Analysis and Reporting Tool database, we conducted a retrospective review of active duty servicemembers throughout the US Department of Defense Health System who underwent primary MPFL reconstruction between 2012 and 2015. Demographic variables were recorded as well as ability to return to impact activities—defined as running, jumping, rucking with a load >40 pounds (18 kg), and returning to airborne operations—and to remain on active duty status. The rates of recurrent instability and the need for subsequent surgeries were identified and assessed for statistical significance using uni- and multivariate analyses. Patients were evaluated for a minimum of 2 years postoperatively.Results:Of the 213 patients who underwent primary MPFL reconstruction, including 34 with concomitant tibial tubercle osteotomy, 19 (8.9%) patients developed recurrent instability. The presence of bilateral patellar instability was associated with higher recurrence rate. Patients with bilateral instability comprised 47.3% of those with recurrence but only 24.9% of patients without recurrence ( P = .019). Impact activity restrictions were present in 57.6% of patients (n = 121), with 86 patients (52.1%) undergoing medical separation from the military. Patients who were prescribed activity restriction before surgery were significantly more likely to have postoperative activity restrictions (64.5%; P = .019), and junior enlisted servicemembers were more likely to be medically separated from service postoperatively than higher ranking senior enlisted members or officers.Conclusion:Only 42.4% of US military servicemembers undergoing primary MPFL reconstruction were able to return to unrestricted impact activity after surgery. Bilateral instability negatively affected return to impact activities. Military servicemembers, particularly junior enlisted members, should be counseled on this poor prognosis for a full return to unrestricted activity postoperatively.

Study design Prospective, prognostic study, level II evidence. Purpose To define the normal change in the creatine kinase (CK) levels in patients undergoing prone or supine lumbar or cervical spine surgery and to determine if positioning influences the postoperative changes in the CK levels. Overview of literature Spine surgery is one of the most commonly performed and fastest growing areas of surgery in the United States. Thus, the various possible complications need to be understood, and risk factors for these complications need to be mitigated. One of the rare complications, reported in the literature as small case series and case reports, is rhabdomyolysis, diagnosed by high CK levels. Thus far, very few studies have examined the rise in CK levels following spine surgery, and to our knowledge, none has assessed the potential association of surgical positioning and the rise in CK levels. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 94 patients. We obtained their preoperative CK levels, and re-assessed their CK levels at postoperative day (POD) 1, 2, and 3, as well as at their 2-week follow-up. The data were analyzed with respect to the spine level and positioning to determine if positioning had any effect on the postoperative rise in the CK level. Results Total 94 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study. The average preoperative CK level was 179.64, and the average CK level was 847.04 on POD 1. Prone positioning showed a greater rise in the CK levels following surgery than the supine positioning. In a similar manner, lumbar procedures led to a larger rise in the CK levels than cervical surgery. Prone/lumbar surgery showed the largest increase among all groups. Finally, revision surgery and instrumentation both increased the postoperative CK levels. Conclusions This study demonstrated that positioning can affect the postoperative CK level rise, with patients undergoing prone/ lumbar surgery showing the greatest rise in the postoperative CK levels. This rise, however, may be related to paraspinal muscle damage, rather than the positioning itself.

Learning analytics are an important tool for educators as they provide insight into educational trends and patterns based on real student data. This case study focuses on a capstone unit in business at a university in Western Australia. Instructors used learning analytics of average weekly eTest scores, overall average eTest scores, a benchmark assessment score, and study mode extracted from learning management system (LMS) reports to target areas where assessment integrity could be improved. It was found that academic integrity breaches were likely in various iterations of weekly eTests amongst students enrolled in the online study mode. Thus, in 2017, a proof-of-concept was undertaken to assess the suitability and practicality of using a browser-based remote invigilation system to be able to verify a student’s identity and monitor behaviour to better assure assessment integrity. Study success (in this case coursework comprehension and the subsequent attainment of an assessment grade) should not be a function of learning mode. This case study explains how remote invigilation allowed the researchers to achieve a higher degree of study success equivalence within the student cohort. Staff usage, technical challenges and student attitudes regarding webcam monitoring are also explored.

For the past two years, the Foundations in Physics and Mathematics (FPM) summer program has been held at Indiana University in order to fulfill two goals: provide additional physics and mathematics instruction at the high school level, and provide physics graduate students with experience and autonomy in designing curricula and teaching courses. In this paper we will detail changes made to the program for its second year and the motivation for these changes, as well as implications for future iterations of the program. We gauge the impact of the changes on student performance using pre-/post-test scores, student evaluations, and anecdotal evidence. These data show that the program has a positive impact on student knowledge and this impact was greater in magnitude in the second year of the program. We attribute this improvement primarily to the inclusion of more inquiry-driven activities. All activities, worksheets, and lesson plans used in the program are available online.1

Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is one of the most successful operations. There is little in the literature regarding weight change following TJA, particularly in a young cohort.Retrospective analysis of 181 primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 185 primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients was conducted. We reviewed preoperative and post-operative weights and post-operative body mass index at 3 and 6 months, 1 year, 2 and 3 years. We evaluated expected versus actual weight gain, and performed subgroup analyses of obese versus non-obese patients and active duty versus civilian patients. We used a minimal clinically meaningful weight change from baseline of ≥5%.One hundred and fifty-one (41.3%) patients were active duty military service members with the mean age of 53 ± 11.1 years. In TKA patients, statistically significant differences were found in mean weights at 3 months (-1.8%, P ≤ 0.0001) and 2 years (+1.9%, P = 0.0006). In THA patients, statistically significant weight gains were found at 6 months (+1.1%, P = 0.006). For obese TKA patients, significant weight changes were observed at 3 months (-2.5%, P ≤ 0.0001), and none in the obese THA group. There were no statistical or clinically meaningful weight changes in the non-obese TKA or THA groups. There was a clinically meaningful weight gain in active duty TKA patients at 3 years (5.18%, P = 0.17).Despite a theoretical ability to lose weight following TJA, patients maintain their preoperative weight following TJA. We found a clinically meaningful weight gain at 3 years post-operatively only in active duty TKA patients. Overall, however, we found no clinically significant weight changes following TJA at 3-year follow-up.

To date, customer satisfaction and service quality studies have only focused on disconfirmation of expectations in terms of product/service attributes. This study applies the disconfirmation of expectations paradigm to explain what makes the consumption of sin products (high risk alcohol consumption) a satisfactory or unsatisfactory experience. In doing so, it illustrates that disconfirmation of expectations should focus on consumption outcomes as they motivate customers to consume products and services. Furthermore, both positive and negative outcome expectancies should be included. The alcohol expectancy literature offers operational definitions of positive and negative outcome expectancies. However, alcohol expectancy studies do not use the disconfirmation paradigm to explain high risk drinking behaviours. This is a serious omission as disconfirmation of expectations have been shown to be a better predictor of customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions than customer expectations This study concludes with data gained from a university setting testing the hypotheses proposed, showing distinct differences between positive and negative disconfirmation of outcome expectations.

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the different forms of retaliatory responses towards unsatisfactory service encounters experienced by Australian consumers. It further compares demographic and psychographic profiles of complainers versus non‐complainers.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 1,200 mail surveys were sent out through a random list of addresses obtained from the White Pages. Data from 237 usable surveys (29.1 per cent) were analysed using a series of statistical techniques including factor analysis to profile psychographic factors and discriminant analysis to identify complainers from non‐complainers.FindingsIt is found that both complainers and non‐complainers engage in some form of retaliatory responses. Complainers have a high sense of justice, are less conservative and have a more positive attitude towards complaining than their non‐complaining counterparts. Gender, income and education have no effect on complaining behaviour for both complainers and non‐complainers.Practical implicationsThe high number of retaliations through “exit” is a concern for Australian firms. Firms have to make an effort to identify exactly the conditions in which each occurs and the strategies best available to rectify them. Mechanisms can be put in place to reduce these occurrences to improve the business as a whole.Originality/valueThe paper matches the demographic and psychographic profiles of complainers and non‐complainers with potential types of products and services and the related retaliatory responses.

Pericles has always been a play which is equally enthralling and perplexing. Some perplexity certainly comes from its status as a poorly transmitted collaboration. However, in this reading I explore the thesis that the play makes dramaturgical sense, partly because of its original perplexity. In The Comedy of Errors, Shakespeare had treated the Apollonius story with nuanced irony, and in all likelihood, he was presented with an incomplete play on the same subject in 1607. Once again, he gave the melodramatic story an ironic tone, experimenting freely on his source. Shakespeare shows as much free-ranging, collaborative playfulness as the Rose playwrights who wrote the Huntingdon plays, but he also shows some of the pathos of tragedy. This zestful complexity of tone is heavily dependent on its contemporary dramatic context, as well as the resources of a theater to complicate representation. l This may explain why modem readers find it hard to understand why Pericles was so popular in the seventeenth century.2 The problem is that we are modem and that we are readers.

The NOvA (NuMI Off-Axis ve Appearance) experiment is a long-baseline neutrino experiment designed to search for vµ (vµ) to ve (ve) oscillations using Fermilab's NuMI main injector neutrino beam. The experiment consists of two detectors; both positioned 14 mrad off the beam axis: a 220 ton Near Detector constructed in an underground cavern at Fermilab and a 14 kton Far Detector constructed in Ash River, MN, 810 km from the beam source. The health and performance of the NOvA Data Acquisition (DAQ) system is monitored with a DAQ Monitor system based on the Ganglia distributed monitoring system, an open source third-party product which provides much of the NOvA DAQ monitoring needs "out-of-the-box". This paper will discuss the use of the Ganglia system for this purpose, including augmentations we have made to the Ganglia base for the specific needs of our system. This paper will also discuss two other systems used to monitor the quality of the data collected by the NOvA detectors: an Online Monitoring system and Event Display, both of which leverage tools from the offline framework to provide close to real time diagnostic tools of detector performance.

The prognostic significance of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) identified by simple electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria in high-risk patients with established cardiovascular (CV) diseases is not clearly understood.The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) trial was a randomized trial, which evaluated the effects of ramipril and of vitamin E on major CV outcomes in 9541 men and women aged 55 years or older with a history of coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease or diabetes mellitus with at least one additional CV risk factor. Patients were followed for an average of 4.5 years. We evaluated the association between simple ECG criteria for LVH and the risk for major vascular events, for CV and all-cause mortality and for heart failure.Electrocardiographic LVH was present in 793 (8.3%) HOPE study participants. Of these, 19.0% sustained a major CV event (MI, stroke or CV death), 15.6% died and 6.1% developed heart failure compared with 15.6%, 10.8% and 2.9% respectively of those without ECG-LVH (P = 0.0023; P0.0001 and P0.0001). In multivariate analysis ECG-LVH was an independent predictor of CV and all-cause death and of heart failure.In patients with CV disease simple, easily applicable ECG criteria for LVH identify a subset of individuals at particularly high risk for death and for heart failure.

Silent myocardial ischemia is a frequent finding when Holter monitoring is done in patients with advanced coronary disease. Silent ischemia is associated with a worse prognosis in patients with stable or unstable angina, survivors of myocardial infarction, and populations at risk for coronary disease. Whether medical therapy for silent ischemia improves prognosis is not known. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter trial of 60 patients with documented coronary disease, positive exercise tests, and ischemic episodes on Holter monitoring, long-acting diltiazem reduced ischemic episodes by 50% compared to placebo, from a mean of 5.6 to 2.8 (p less than 0.0001). Efficacy was maintained over 24 h and diltiazem also significantly improved exercise test parameters. Three smaller studies also demonstrated that diltiazem effectively reduces ambulatory ischemia; however, results with nifedipine are conflicting, with several studies showing no benefit. In contrast, beta-blockers reliably reduce ischemic episodes. The role of medical therapy for silent ischemia will be clarified only when its effect upon morbidity and mortality are determined.

Summary The present study was conducted to determine the extent to which squirrel monkeys might demonstrate self-selective behavior when fed a riboflavin deficient diet, and the extent to which such a diet might lead to digestive disturbances, general weakness, lack of vigor, and loss of weight for such animals. Ss included 12 male squirrel monkeys approximately eight months of age. Experimental Ss, fed a riboflavin deficient diet, were tested on performance on a T-maze, a “vigor roller apparatus,” and observed for digestive disturbances, general weakness, and loss of weight. Control Ss, fed a balanced diet, were given the same procedure. Significant results from the .001 to the .05 levels indicated experimental Ss preferred a high riboflavin diet after the diet was deficient in this substance, and indicated digestive disturbances, lack of vigor, and loss of weight as compared with the control Ss.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was recovered from dried bloodstains aged up to three years and shown to be of high molecular weight. DNA was digested with restriction endonucleases and fractionated by agarose gel electrophoresis. Following transfer to a filter, DNA was hybridized with two different radioactively labeled recombinant probes which recognize highly polymorphic regions in human DNA. The autoradiographic pattern observed was not altered by sample age, and the size of the alleles was consistent with those observed in the general population. Therefore, DNA of high molecular weight prepared from dried blood samples can be used for identification.

This study was designed to analyze the effects of common environmental insults on the ability to obtain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) restriction fragment-length polymorphisms (RFLP) patterns from laboratory prepared specimens. The environmental conditions studied include the exposure of dried bloodstains to varying amounts of relative humidity (0, 33, 67, and 98%), heat (37 degrees C), and ultraviolet light for periods of up to five days. In addition, the effect of drying over a four-day period in whole blood collected with and without ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) was examined. The results of the study showed that, under the conditions studied, the integrity of DNA is not altered such that false RFLP patterns are obtained. The only effect observed was that the overall RFLP pattern becomes weaker, but individual RFLP fragments are neither created nor destroyed.

Sperms, collected following sexual activity of volunteers, were processed to isolate high-molecular weight deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). These DNA samples were digested with particular restriction endonucleases and analyzed with probes that recognize polymorphic DNA regions within the human genome. The pattern of restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) detected by this test is identical to that observed with DNA prepared from blood of the male sexual partner. Therefore, RFLP analysis can be used to exclude or to determine the probable identity of an assailant in rape cases.

This study was designed to analyze the effects of the environment and substrata on the quality of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) isolated from evidentiary specimens. The quality of DNA isolated from actual casework specimens was determined by measuring its size by agarose gel electrophoresis. The information obtained could be used to predict the suitability of the DNA in the samples for restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The evidentiary specimens chosen for DNA were classified according to substrate (scrapings, plastic bags, synthetics, denim, and carpet) and according to a subjective evaluation of the condition of the stain (soiled, damp, or putrefied) and to its size (small or large). The results show that DNA of sufficient quality and high molecular weight (HMW) can be reliably isolated from bloodstains deposited on evidentiary items which have an unknown environmental history and which have dried onto a variety of substrata. Subsequent RFLP analysis of a selected number of these samples verified that the DNA was suitable for this type of analysis.