bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A revision of the genus Drasteria of Central Asia and Kazakhstan with special attention to the adjacent areas (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)
Authors: MATOV ALEXEY YU. , KORB STANISLAV K.
Published: September 2019

A revision of the genus Drasteria within Central Asia and Kazakhstan with attention to the adjacent areas is presented. The status and position of all Drasteria taxa known from this area is clarified, the primary types are revised, primary types and their genitalia are illustrated. The following lectotypes are designated: Leucanitis aberrans Staudinger, 1888, Leucanitis tenera var. antiqua Staudinger, 1889, Leucanitis axuana Püngeler, 1907, Leucanitis cailino var. obscura Staudinger, 1901, Leucanitis cailino forma baigacumensis John, 1921, Euclidia сatocalis Staudinger, 1882, Ophiusa astrida Eversmann, 1857, Leucanitis herzi Alphéraky, 1895, Leucanitis chinensis Alphéraky, 1892, Ophiusa flexuosa Ménétriés, 1849, Leucanitis flexuosa var. caspica Staudinger, 1901, Leucanitis indecora John, 1910, Leucanitis kabylaria A. Bang-Haas, 1906, Leucanitis kusnezovi John, 1910, Syneda langi Erschoff, 1874, Leucanitis obscurata Staudinger, 1882, Leucanitis cailino var. picta Christoph, 1877, Leucanitis picta var. radapicta Staudinger, 1901, Leucanitis saisani var. clara Staudinger, 1894, Leucanitis scolopax Alphéraky, 1892, Leucanitis sculpta Püngeler, 1904, Leucanitis pamira John, 1921, Leucanitis sesquilina Staudinger, 1888, Leucanitis sinuosa Staudinger, 1894, Leucanitis tenera Staudinger, 1877. The type locality of Drasteria antiqua corrected to “Chinese Kashgaria”. The following synonymy is established: Drasteria flexuosa mongolica (Staudinger, 1896) = D. pulverosa pulverosa Wiltshire, 1969, syn. n.; = D. pulverosa intermedia Ronkay, 1985, syn. n.; D. picta (Christoph, 1877) = Drasteria austera (John, 1921), syn. n. The following new statuses are proposed: D. langi obscurata (Staudinger, 1882), stat. n., D. axuana indecora (John, 1910), stat. n. A new species, Drasteria pseudopicta Matov et Korb, sp. n., from the vicinities of Dosang (Astrakhan Province, Russia) is described. The brief DNA analysis (COI sequence) of the closely related taxa of the Central Asiatic Drasteria is presented. A key to species of the genus Drasteria of the studied area is compiled.
Large-Eddy Simulations of Real-World Episodes in Complex Terrain Based on ERA-Reanalysis and Validated by Ground-Based Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Hald Cornelius , Zeeman Matthias , Laux Patrick , Mauder Matthias , Kunstmann Harald
Published: September 2019

A computationally efficient and inexpensive approach for using the capabilities of large-eddy simulations (LES) to model small-scale local weather phenomena is presented. The setup uses the LES capabilities of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF-LES) on a single domain that is directly driven by reanalysis data as boundary conditions. The simulated area is an example for complex terrain, and the employed parameterizations are chosen in a way to represent realistic conditions during two 48-h periods while still keeping the required computing time around 105 CPU hours. We show by evaluating turbulence characteristics that the model results conform to results from typical LES. A comparison with ground-based remote sensing data from a triple Doppler-lidar setup, employed during the “ScaleX” campaigns, shows the grade of adherence of the results to the measured local weather conditions. The representation of mesoscale phenomena, including nocturnal low-level jets, strongly depends on the temporal and spatial resolution of the meteorological boundary conditions used to drive the model. Small-scale meteorological features that are induced by the terrain, such as katabatic flows, are present in the simulated output as well as in the measured data. This result shows that the four-dimensional output of WRF-LES simulations for a real area and real episode can be technically realized, allowing a more comprehensive and detailed view of the micrometeorological conditions than can be achieved with measurements alone.
Humility before New Scientific Evidence: We No Longer Have Moral Certainty that “Brain Death” Is True Death
Authors: Alexander Irene
Published: September 2019

In light of the current medical evidence, physicians and ethicists no longer have the moral certainty that Pope John Paul II deemed vital for vital organ transplantation. The current medical evidence suggests that some brain-dead patients do seem to exhibit signs of global integration. This article will analyze the interpretations of this evidence, both from ethicists for and against the neurological criteria. Even the strongest arguments in favor of the neurological criteria in light of the new evidence fail to prove that the patient with total brain failure (TBF) has died. Furthermore, the recent Jahi McMath case demonstrates a new and alarming reality that there is no way in practice to distinguish global ischemic penumbra from TBF. In the absence of the moral certainty required by Pope John Paul II, it is clear that the Catholic Church should immediately call for a halt on vital organ transplantation.

This article analyzes the current medical evidence about brain death and argues that we have lost the moral certainty that Pope John Paul II deemed necessary for vital organ transplantation.
Hypo-Egoic Nonentitlement as a Feature of Humility
Authors: Banker Chloe C. , Leary Mark R.
Published: September 2019

Two studies tested the hypothesis that humility is characterized by the belief that, no matter how extraordinary one’s accomplishments or characteristics may be, one is not entitled to be treated special because of them (hypo-egoic nonentitlement). Participants identified either one (Study 1) or five (Study 2) positive accomplishments or characteristics, rated those accomplishments/characteristics, indicated how they believed they should be treated because of them, and completed measures of humility and related constructs. As predicted, humility was inversely associated with the belief that other people should treat one special because of one’s accomplishments and positive characteristics. However, humility was not related to participants’ ratings of the positivity of their accomplishments or characteristics or of themselves. Ancillary analyses examined the relationships between hypo-egoic nonentitlement, humility, and measures of self-esteem, narcissism, self- and other-interest, psychological entitlement, individualism-collectivism, and identification with humanity.
A bibliometric analysis of topic modelling studies (2000–2017)
Authors: Li Xin , Lei Lei
Published: September 2019

Topic modelling is a powerful text mining tool that has been applied in many fields such as software engineering, political and linguistic sciences. To evaluate the development of topic modelling studies, the present study reports a bibliometric analysis of SCIE, SSCI and A&HCI listed articles published from 2000 and 2017. Bibliometric indices for productive authors, countries and institutions are analysed. In addition, thematic changes concerning topic modelling are also examined. Results show that China plays a leading role in this field. Topic modelling has established itself as an important technique in not only natural and formal sciences but also social sciences. LDA, social networks and text analysis are the topics with increasing popularity, while certain models (e.g. pLSA) and applications (e.g. topic detection) are declining in popularity. The findings could help researchers optimise research topic choices, seek collaboration with appropriate partners and stay up-to-date with the development of the field.
Fathers’ Satisfaction With Physical Affection Before and After the Birth of a New Baby: Cross-Parent Effects and Associations With Family Dynamics
Authors: Cava-Tadik Yasemin , Brown Geoffrey L. , Mangelsdorf Sarah C.
Published: September 2019

This study examined the correlates of fathers’ satisfaction with physical affection (SPA) in their marital relationship before and after the birth of a new baby. Both parents ( N = 97) completed surveys assessing SPA, and fathers completed surveys assessing division of household labor and coparenting quality during the third trimester of pregnancy and again at 3 months post-birth. An actor-partner interdependence model revealed partner effects, such that mothers’ SPA post-birth was predicted by fathers’ SPA pre-birth but not viceversa. Cross-lagged path analyses indicated that fathers who have high SPA pre-birth reported more supportive coparenting post-birth. Furthermore, fathers who believed pre-birth that they would be more involved in child-related household labor had increased SPA after the birth of a new baby. Results are discussed in terms of implications for couple and family therapy, education for new fathers, as well as programs designed to support parents during the transition to parenthood.
Seeing like the Missionary: An Iconography of Education in Mysore, 1840–1920
Authors: Nair Janaki
Published: September 2019

Missionaries working in Mysore, as elsewhere in India, took enthusiastically to the new art of photography from the 1840s, to record their ‘views’ of the society they undertook to transform. Evangelising was, however, early on, allied with education as a way for missionaries to make their way into a complex, hierarchical society with learning traditions of its own. How did the missionary ‘see’ the Indian classroom, and invite the viewer of their photographs to participate in its narrative of ‘improvement’? What was the place of the photograph at a time when meticulous written records were kept of victories and reverses in the mission field of education?

Revealing the work of the photograph in aiding missionary work must perforce begin with the more instrumentalist uses of this new art, as technologies of recording par excellence, before turning to the possible ways of looking at photographs, whether by those contemporaries of the missionaries who were physically distanced from the location, and were yet linked to their work in India, or when they formed part of the contemporary historian’s archive. Here one may exploit photography’s ‘inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation and fantasy’ instead of its truth-telling capacity. I am precisely posing a dynamic and perhaps even antagonistic relationship between the copious written and the sparser visual record of educational changes in Mysore in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This investigation of the visual field in the service of education also allows us also to speculate about the specific aesthetic achievements of missionary photography, with its own pedagogic goals.
Relationship and sexual satisfaction: A developmental perspective on bidirectionality
Authors: Quinn-Nilas Christopher
Published: September 2019

Researchers have investigated the directionality between relationship and sexual satisfaction; however, there remains no definitive conclusion. Previous longitudinal studies have not conceptualized relationship and sexual satisfaction as systematic developmental processes and have focused on predicting scores at later time points. Instead, researchers should be concerned with understanding how relationship and sexual satisfaction change together over time. The objective of this study was to use longitudinal data from midlife American marriages to test the directionality of the association between relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction. Multivariate latent growth curve modeling of 1,456 midlife Americans married for 20 years from the Midlife in the United States study was used to compare directionality models. Findings support that long-term, stable marriages of midlife Americans at the sample level were characterized by a linear increase in relationship satisfaction over 20 years and a linear decline in sexual satisfaction during the same time frame. A co-change model, wherein relationship and sexual satisfaction changed together over time, fit the data best. Trajectory correlations showed that changes in relationship and sexual satisfaction were strongly interconnected. High initial levels of sexual satisfaction protected against declines in relationship satisfaction over 20 years. Results support that relationship and sexual satisfaction change together over time and highlight that the longitudinal association between these outcomes is dynamic rather than static.
The deep origins of society: An assessment of E.O. Wilson’s Genesis
Authors: Turner Jonathan H , Maryanski Alexandra
Published: September 2019

E.O. Wilson’s Genesis: The Deep Origins of Societies is one of a series of short books where the author has tried to explain human societies using ideas and concepts from biology. While Wilson is to be lauded for his recent efforts to reintroduce the notions of group selection and multilevel selection, he still sustains an emphasis on only Darwinian selection and reveals a bias toward seeing selection for groups as a result of selection on individuals (as is the case for insects), perhaps entangled with selection on groups. The effort to conceive of human societies as an example of eusocieties of social insects ignores most of the sociological works on human and societal evolution; and as a result, the book is not convincing in its argument. Despite the pleasant writing style, Wilson and other biologists writing about human societies need to engage the almost 200 years of sociological work devoted to understanding the evolution of human societies.
Polar policy making: Two ethnographic accounts of Polar field scientists interacting with Polar governance and policy
Authors: Ferguson Laura
Published: September 2019

This review article discusses the recent publications Studying Arctic Fields by Richard C Powell and The Technocratic Antarctic by Jessica O’Reilly. Both books are ethnographic accounts of scientists working in the Polar Regions that analyse interactions at the science–policy interface. Studying Arctic Fields is a detailed story of Canada’s Resolute research station, based on immersive ethnographic observation and communicated through an engaging narrative of colourful stories from Powell’s two summers among the scientists and support staff there. The Technocratic Antarctic treads new ground in its examination of Antarctic social science, presenting the findings of a wide-ranging and thorough research project that engages with the themes of territory, security, processes, practice, problems and science communication. Both publications make valuable contributions to Polar social science and will also appeal to many beyond this.
Common misdiagnoses and prevalence of dermatological disorders at a pediatric tertiary care center
Authors: Onsoi Witchuwan , Chaiyarit Jitjira , Techasatian Leelawadee
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Dermatological disorders are common in general pediatric practice. This study aimed to examine common skin problems and the manner in which they tend to be misdiagnosed.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 using medical record data from the Pediatric Dermatological Outpatient Unit at Khon Kaen University, Faculty of Medicine.

Results

A total of 1551 visits by 769 patients were documented during the study period. A total of 114 presenting diseases were recorded. The most common skin disease in the study population was dermatitis (unspecified) (88/769, 11.4%), followed by atopic dermatitis (76/769, 9.8%) and infantile hemangioma (72/769, 9.3%). There was a total of 55 (48.2%) misdiagnosed diseases. Some unique cutaneous diseases were undiagnosed because of their rarity. However, the percentages of common cutaneous diseases, such as tinea capitis and molluscum contagiosum, which had been misdiagnosed, were also high (62.50% [95% confidence interval = 24.49–91.48] and 71.43% [95% confidence interval = 29.04–96.33], respectively).

Conclusion

A large percentage of misdiagnoses of common cutaneous diseases may be due to general pediatricians being undereducated in the field of dermatology. Accurate recognition and appropriate management of these conditions should be emphasized for educating general pediatricians in the future.
Genetic and sex hormone analysis of infertile men
Authors: Xie Xiaolei , Guo Xiaoyan , Li Fuguang , Tan Weihe , Yin Weiguo , Chen Runqinag
Published: September 2019

Objective

Genetic defects and endocrine-related factors are the leading causes of male infertility. This study was performed to analyze the genetic characteristics and sex hormone levels in different types of male infertility.

Methods

A total of 423 men with infertility underwent genetic and sex hormone analysis at The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.

Results

The incidences of abnormal karyotypes in patients with male infertility, azoospermia, and oligoasthenozoospermia were 6.94%, 22.40%, 15.09%, respectively. Among men with azoospermia, Klinefelter syndrome (47,XXY) was identified in 60.71% (17/28) of those with abnormal karyotypes. Additionally, the levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and human luteinizing hormone were significantly higher in men with azoospermia showing abnormal karyotypes than in men of the other study groups. The serum testosterone level in men with azoospermia showing abnormal karyotypes was lower than that in men of the other study groups.

Conclusions

Azoospermia is closely associated with chromosome abnormalities. The levels of testosterone, human luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone in men with azoospermia showing abnormal karyotypes provide a clinical reference for genetic counseling and assisted reproduction.
Signs, things and packaging: Recovering the material agency of the cigarette packet
Authors: Bell Kirsten
Published: September 2019

In recent years, cigarette packets have become the site of considerable legislative attention, via initiatives to remove industry branding from tobacco products. These efforts are based on the premise that branded cigarette packaging acts as a ‘silent salesman’ for smoking. According to this perspective, the cigarette packet has a particular sort of agency, but one rooted in its communicative powers rather than its material qualities. In this article, I reconsider this view, based on an analysis of archives in the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library produced by a search of the term ‘packet design’, and scholarship on containerization. Taking up the idea of containers as undertheorized forms of materiality, I argue that the cigarette packet is best conceptualized as a technology with powerful, albeit largely invisible, physical consequences on the circulation of cigarettes and the practice of smoking itself.
Occupational therapy-led pulmonary rehabilitation: A practice analysis
Authors: Easthaugh Susan , Bradley Gemma , Peel Lorna , Donnelly Joanna
Published: September 2019

Statement of context:

Pulmonary rehabilitation is accepted as an essential strategy for the management of respiratory disease. However, there is wide variation in models of service delivery, and evidence to understand which elements are most effective is less clear. This analysis outlines key elements of an occupational therapy-led pulmonary rehabilitation programme.

Critical reflection on practice:

It is proposed that the core focus on occupation and the unique skills and reasoning of occupational therapists contribute to positive outcomes for service users.

Implications for practice:

Occupational therapists are ideally placed to lead and develop pulmonary rehabilitation programmes. As there is genuine uncertainty about which elements are most effective, this analysis should encourage further evaluation and research.
A preliminary study using rotational thromboelastometry to investigate perioperative coagulation changes and to identify hypercoagulability in obese patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement
Authors: Gurunathan Usha , Stanton Lisa M , Weir Rachael M , Hay Karen E , Pearse Bronwyn L
Published: September 2019

Surgery and obesity are known risk factors for thromboembolic events due to the presence of a hypercoagulable state. Rotational thromboelastometry is a viscoelastic assay that can provide a measure of hypercoagulability via a comprehensive assessment of the coagulation process. This prospective study investigates haemostatic changes over time, presence of hypercoagulability and the association between body mass index and thromboelastometry results in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery. Fifty adult patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement surgery had serial thromboelastometry measures performed prior to and following surgery, and on postoperative days 1 and 3. A hypercoagulable state, defined by an ExTEM maximum clot firmness G score ≥11 dyne/cm2, was present in 28% of the patients at baseline. The mean ExTEM maximum clot firmness G score increased by an average of three units from 10 (95% confidence interval (CI) 9–11) dyne/cm2 at baseline to 13 (95% CI 13–14) dyne/cm2 on postoperative day 3, with 85% of patients having a G score ≥11 dyne/cm2. A decrease in ExTEM and InTEM clot formation time and an increase in ExTEM, InTEM and FibTEM clot amplitude at 10 minutes, alpha angle and maximum clot firmness were observed by postoperative day 3 ( P <  0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean thromboelastometry values between patients with a body mass index <35 kg/m2or ≥35 kg/m2. Although a modest association between body mass index and the ExTEM maximum clot firmness G score was observed with exploratory data analysis, further study is required in a large cohort to test the effects of confounders, validate these findings, and determine their clinical importance.
The Danger of a “Geyser Disease” Effect: Structural Fragility of the Tourism-Led Recovery in Iceland
Authors: Macheda Francesco , Nadalini Roberto
Published: September 2019

The fall of the Icelandic economy in 2008 highlighted the destructive effects of unbridled markets. Yet, in recent years Iceland’s annual growth rates have been significantly higher than those of the overwhelming majority of advanced capitalist countries. The aim of this article is to delve into the fragile foundations that the current Icelandic economic boom rests on. We argue that the impressive appreciation of the Icelandic króna, triggered by the rapid expansion of tourism, has made the rapid absorption of unemployment compatible with price stability during the recovery period. By restricting sources of international competitiveness, however, this tourism-led recovery strategy will render the current level of unemployment and real wages inconsistent with internal and external equilibrium in the long run.

JEL classification: E24, F31, J24, O33, B51
Causes of Aging in the Federal Prison Population and a Comparison to States
Authors: Litwok Daniel , Cutler Christopher , Luallen Jeremy
Published: September 2019

The unremitting growth of older inmates in prison populations is one of the most pressing concerns in federal corrections today; however, empirical research on the topic says little about the causes of these changes. This article addresses this gap by applying an established methodology to analyze and quantify the contributions of key factors driving the growth of aging federal prison populations. Specifically, we use data from the Federal Justice Statistics Program (FJSP) to determine how changes to prisoner age at entry, rate of entry, and rate of exit have shaped the prison population over recent decades. Overall, we find that from 1994 to 2004, rapid increases in the rate of prisoner admission explain the majority of growth in the elderly population, but that since 2004, age at admission has been much more important, with longer time served and rate of admission also playing a role. These influences appear to be quite different from those shaping state prison populations. Our results suggest optimal policy responses to aging populations will need to be tailored to their jurisdiction.
Do Targeted Business Subsidies Improve Income and Reduce Poverty? A Synthetic Control Approach
Authors: Bundrick Jacob , Yuan Weici
Published: September 2019

Interstate competition for economic development has led many states to adopt targeted economic development incentive programs known as deal-closing funds. Deal-closing funds allow state officials to provide discretionary cash grants to select businesses to attract and retain economic development projects. However, whether these targeted business subsidies increase prosperity in the local economy remains unclear. The authors use evidence from Arkansas’s Quick Action Closing Fund to analyze how effective deal-closing funds are at increasing incomes and decreasing poverty. Specifically, the causal effects of the Quick Action Closing Fund on Arkansas’s county-level per capita personal income and poverty rates are estimated using a synthetic control approach. The results largely suggest that the business subsidy program fails to increase incomes and lower poverty rates over the long term, at least at the county level. These findings should serve as a caution to policy makers who wish to improve incomes and poverty rates with targeted business subsidies.
Contemporary epistemologies of militarization in the Global South: Palimpsests and accumulative processes in Lampedusa and Lebanon
Authors: Ragin Renée Michelle , Riccò Giulia
Published: September 2019

We propose that contemporary militarization be understood as part of the continued legacy and consequence of colonial practices and (neo-)imperial logics. We reveal how, in spaces characterized by the palimpsestic legacies and consequences of colonialism and militarization, the latter functions as an accumulative process that glosses over, silences, and normalizes past and present practices of violence and control. Accordingly, the process of demilitarization begins by deconstructing these multiple layers, especially in countries with very recent histories of coloniality. Lampedusa and Lebanon both serve as case studies of contemporary epistemologies of militarization within and beyond the fluid contours of today’s Global South. They are deeply contested sites whose dense imperial, colonial, and militarized histories are embodied in generations of inhabitants, the consequences of which resonate in real-time. The future of these sites and their populaces are open-ended, and how individuals and collectives will remember and represent them remains, in many ways, contingent on current events.
Persuading policy-makers
Authors: Salas Christian
Published: September 2019

Interest groups persuade policy-makers by publicly providing information about policies—for example, through commissioning scientific studies or piloting programs—or about constituents’ views—for example, through opinion polls or organizing manifestations. By understanding these public lobbying activities as public signals whose informational content can be strategically manipulated, this paper studies the strategic use of these tools in order to persuade a policy-maker. A game between a policy-oriented interest group who can design a public signal and a self-interested executive who can implement a policy is used to analyze the equilibrium public signal and policy, the underlying persuasion mechanism, and the consequences for voters. This paper finds that, even when an interest group always wants the same policy regardless of the state of the world, voters can sometimes benefit from the group’s activity. Furthermore, voters may be best served by a worse (less able or more cynical) policy-maker. This is because a-priori a worse policy-maker will tend to herd on the prior relatively more than a better policy-maker; this will force interest groups to release greater amounts of information in order to change the policy-maker’s mind, which increases the probability that the voters’ best policy is implemented. Ideologically biased policy-makers are not totally undesirable either, for they induce similar incentives to interest groups of opposite ideology.
Humans, fire, and ecology in the southern Missouri Ozarks, USA
Authors: Nanavati William P , Grimm Eric C
Published: September 2019

A multiproxy study from Sweeton Pond, Ozark County, Missouri, USA, provides a high-resolution 1900-year-long history of vegetation and fire in the southern Missouri Ozarks, where the modern vegetation is oak-hickory ( Quercus-Carya) forest. Pollen and charcoal data are compared with dendroecological data to assess how climate and fire shaped local vegetation history. Land use, particularly by the Osage tribe of Native Americans, is assessed from historical and archaeological records. Three cultural periods are superimposed on the paleoenvironmental history: (1) The Pre-Osage period, ending ~1500 CE, was characterized by open oak-hickory forest and frequent low-severity fires, suggesting interannual climate variability as a driver of vegetation and fire occurrence. At ~1360 CE, mesic tree species began to expand, while fire frequency remained low. (2) The Osage period (~1500–1820 CE) was characterized by the continued expansion of mesic, fire-sensitive species, especially elm ( Ulmus), in conjunction with cool, effectively wet conditions in the southern Missouri Ozarks. Despite climate conditions less favorable for fire, Osage expansion in the region was accompanied by increased fire and fire-dependent shortleaf pine ( Pinus echinata). The expansion of both fire-sensitive and fire-dependent taxa coincident with Osage occupation suggests that anthropogenic fire and land use was local in nature and increased landscape heterogeneity prior to Euro-American settlement. (3) The Euro-American period (since ~1820 CE) was characterized by increased disturbance pollen types (e.g. Ambrosia-type) at the expense of shortleaf pine pollen, resulting from increased settlement size and extensive agricultural and logging activities. During this period, forest clearance led to fuel fragmentation, reducing fire activity; after 1920 CE, fire was actively suppressed.
Process quality control of the manufacturing of Chinese Materia Medica by process analysis technology
Authors: Ma Lijuan , Qiao Yanjiang , Wu Zhisheng
Published: September 2019

Process quality control is essential for the manufacturing of Chinese Materia Medica. Non-destructive monitoring is still a challenge for the quality control of Chinese Materia Medica manufacturing. As the commonly used non-destructive process analysis technology, near infrared spectroscopy, near infrared chemical imaging, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy have been applied to the quality control of Chinese Materia Medica manufacturing. The characteristic near infrared bands of 29 natural chemical components have been assigned. Ten spectral pre-processing methods and five variable selection methods have been optimized, respectively. Given the interrelationship among modeling parameters, a system modeling concept was put forward to establish a global model. Accuracy Profile was further proposed as the validation method of models. In addition, the homogeneity of chlorpheniramine maleate tablets from six brands was successfully visualized by near infrared-chemical imaging. As and Hg variation in An-Gong-Niu-Huang Wan have been rapidly monitored by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. A systematic modeling method (model establishment, evaluation, and validation) and the non-destructive technology of homogeneity visualization and toxic element detection have been developed for quality control of Chinese Materia Medica manufacturing, which is shown in Figure 1 of the article. These achievements have greatly promoted the research and application of process analysis technology in Chinese Materia Medica manufacturing, laying a solid foundation for the development of intelligent Chinese pharmaceutical industry.
Malnutrition-Related Health Care Cost in Japan: An Analysis of Health Insurance Claims Data
Authors: Ogawa Sumito , Hosoi Tatsuya , Akishita Masahiro , Igarashi Ataru
Published: September 2019

The objective of our study is to evaluate the prevalence and health care cost of malnutrition in Japan. Using the health insurance data, we defined 2 types of malnutrition, strictly diagnosed malnutrition (SDM) and disease-associated malnutrition (DAM) by International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision. We also analyzed the health care costs by body mass index (BMI) data from medical checkups. The nationwide prevalence of SDM was estimated 0.8%, and that of SDM plus DAM was 2.9%. The total annual health care cost for SDM patients in Japan was $14.5 billion, representing 4.3% of the national health expenditures in 2014; the excess cost for patients with SDM was estimated to be $9.7 billion. The health care costs became high among the patients with either low BMI or high BMI. Because of the rapidly aging population, actions are urgently needed to avoid increasing the current high health care costs of malnutrition.
Cigarette Smoking Among Secondary School-Going Male Adolescents in Malaysia: Findings From the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2017
Authors: Ling Miaw Yn Jane , Rodzlan Hasani Wan Shakira , Mohd Yusoff Muhammad Fadhli , Abd Hamid Hamizatul Akmal , Lim Kuang Hock , Tee Guat Hiong , Baharom Nizam , Ab Majid Nur Liana , Robert Lourdes Tania Gayle , Mat Rifin Halizah , Saminathan Thamil Arasu
Published: September 2019

Smoking is a learned behavior during adolescence, and it is found predominantly among male adolescents in Malaysia. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictive factors of current cigarette smoking among school-going male adolescents in Malaysia. Data were derived from the National Health and Morbidity Survey: Adolescent Health Survey 2017, a cross-sectional study that utilized a 2-stage stratified cluster sampling to select a nationally representative sample of school-going adolescents in Malaysia (n = 27 497). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with current cigarette smoking among male adolescents in Malaysia. Male adolescents aged 16 to 17 years (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.41-1.70), current illicit drug users (AOR = 8.14; 95% CI = 6.37-10.41), current alcohol users (AOR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.65-2.23), those from rural schools (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.46-1.76), those whose parents were widowed/divorced/separated (AOR = 1.37; 95% CI = 1.21-1.55), and those whose parents/guardians were tobacco product users (AOR = 3.47; 95% CI = 2.33-5.16) were more likely to be current cigarette smokers. Tobacco control strategies should be aimed at both adolescents at risk and at promoting parental smoking cessation.
Nasalance-Based Preclassification of Oral–Nasal Balance Disorders Results in Higher Agreement of Expert Listeners’ Auditory-Perceptual Assessments: Results of a Retrospective Listening Study
Authors: de Boer Gillian , Marino Viviane Christina de Castro , Dutka Jeniffer de Cassia Rillo , Pegoraro-Krook Maria Inês , Bressmann Tim
Published: September 2019

Objective:

Reliable perceptual and instrumental assessment of oral–nasal balance disorders is a persistent problem in speech-language pathology. The goal of the study was to evaluate whether nasalance-based preclassification of oral–nasal balance disorders improves listener agreement.

Design:

Retrospective listening study.

Setting:

Tertiary university hospital.

Participants:

Fifty-four randomly selected recordings of patients with repaired unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). Three experienced speech-language pathologists participated as expert listeners.

Interventions:

Two listening experiments were based on nasalance scores and audio recordings of speakers with repaired UCLP. The speakers were preclassified as normal, hypernasal, hyponasal, or mixed based on their nasalance scores. Initially, the listeners determined the diagnostic category of the oral–nasal balance for 62 audio recordings (8 repeats). Six months later, they listened to 38 of the recordings (6 repeats) along with a spreadsheet indicating the nasalance-based categories for the oral–nasal balance. The listeners confirmed, or rejected and corrected, the nasalance-based preclassification.

Main Outcome Measures:

Intralistener, interlistener agreement, and agreement between listener categories and nasalance-based oral–nasal balance categories.

Results:

In the first study, the agreement between the listeners’ diagnostic category and the nasalance-based category was 45.1% and the interlistener agreement was 36.7%. In the second study, the agreement between the listeners’ category and the nasalance-based category was 67.1% (75% agreement for the correct nasalance-based categories and 41.7% for the misclassifications), and the interlistener agreement was 85.4%.

Conclusions:

Preclassification of oral–nasal balance disorders based on nasalance scores may help listeners achieve better diagnostic accuracy and higher agreement.
Domiciliary Care Service: Factors Influencing Improvement in Activities of Daily Living Among Stroke Survivors
Authors: Ismail Nur Raihan , Abdul Hamid Anees , Hamid Noor Aman
Published: September 2019

Stroke is a debilitating disease, adding to morbidity and mortality. Home-based rehabilitation has an influence on functional recovery among stroke survivors. This study aimed to determine factors influencing the improvement in activities of daily living (ADL) among stroke survivors after domiciliary care service. A state-wide record-review study using Domiciliary Care Record from health clinics with comprehensive domiciliary care was conducted. A logistic regression (LR) model was performed to assess factors influencing ADL improvement. Improved ADL was defined as obtaining at least 30% improvement on the Modified Barthel Index at the end of the program. From the records review, 72.2% of the participants had improved ADL following domiciliary care service. The mean age of the sample was 68.21 years ( SD = 11.99). The majority were ischemic stroke survivors (81.2%). In the single LR model, the influencing factors of ADL improvement were younger age (odds ratio [OR] = 2.76; p = .004), married (OR = 2.04; p = .018), ischemic stroke type (OR = 6.35; p < .001), less severe stroke (OR = 4.18; p < .001), no previous stroke (OR = 4.24; p < .001), and 9 to 12 home visits (OR = 2.79; p < .006). The multiple LR model showed ischemic stroke type (adjusted odds ratio [Adj. OR] = 5.30; p < .001), less severe stroke (Modified Rankin Scale score = 4; Adj. OR = 3.70; p < .001), and no previous stroke (Adj. OR = 3.51; p = .001) as significant factors when adjusted for other variables. Recognition of these factors associated with the improvement in stroke recovery is beneficial to intensify an optimal stroke care and home-based rehabilitation services.
Vitreomacular interface alterations following peripheral laser retinopexy: Interface changes after laser
Authors: Tosi Gian Marco , Bacci Tommaso , Tarantello Antonio , Marigliani Davide , Calmanti Giacomo , Polito Maria Sole , Neri Giovanni , Fusco Fiorella , Cevenini Gabriele , Virgili Gianni
Published: September 2019

Aim:

To demonstrate the morphological outcomes of macular hole following prophylactic peripheral laser retinopexy (PPLR).

Methods:

Our retrospective case-control analysis included 92 eyes, 55 in the laser group and 37 in the non-laser group. Fifty-five patients were subjected to prophylactic peripheral laser retinopexy in preparation for pars plana vitrectomy for macular hole, with and without vitreomacular adhesion (laser group). Before and after prophylactic peripheral laser retinopexy, we evaluated any changes in vitreomacular anatomy by optical coherence tomography. Optical coherence tomography changes were also analyzed in the visits preceding pars plana vitrectomy in 37 macular hole eyes not subjected to prophylactic peripheral laser retinopexy (non-laser group).

Results:

In the laser group, 7 out of 55 eyes (12.7%) showed macular hole closure (6 out of 18 macular hole eyes with vitreomacular adhesion (33.3%) and 1 out of 37 eyes without vitreomacular adhesion (2.7%)), while no patients showed macular hole closure in the non-laser group (p < 0.05). The mean width of the seven closed macular hole was 191.4 µm (range: 59–282 µm). In all except one of the six macular hole eyes with vitreomacular adhesion, the macular hole closed without vitreomacular adhesion release. In our analysis of the patient subgroup with vitreomacular adhesion, we observed a release of vitreomacular adhesion in 3 out of 18 eyes (16.6%) in the laser group and in 1 out of 13 eyes (7.6%) in the non-laser group (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

These findings support a possible beneficial role for prophylactic peripheral laser retinopexy in selected individuals with macular hole.
Microincision cataract surgery with implantation of a bitoric intraocular lens using an enhanced program for intraocular lens power calculation
Authors: Lesieur Gilles
Published: September 2019

Purpose:

To evaluate the potential benefit of a new version of an online toric intraocular lens calculator in eyes implanted with a bitoric intraocular lens.

Patients and methods:

Retrospective observational comparative study in patients that underwent cataract surgery with implantation of the bitoric intraocular lens AT TORBI 709M (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany). Visual and refractive outcomes were evaluated at 1 month after surgery. The selection of the toric intraocular lens power was performed with the software Z CALC 2.0 (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG). The absolute refractive prediction errors for the spherical equivalent and cylinder were calculated and compared with the values that would have been obtained using version 1.5 of the same software.

Results:

A total of 393 eyes of 276 patients were evaluated. Mean postoperative sphere and cylinder were +0.03 ± 0.54 and −0.19 ± 0.30 D, respectively. A total of 95.67%, 98.22%, and 95.17% of eyes had a postoperative sphere, cylinder, and spherical equivalent within ±1.00 D, respectively. Mean absolute refractive prediction error for spherical equivalent was 0.34 ± 0.27 D with the two versions of the Z CALC software. In contrast, a significantly higher absolute refractive prediction error value for the cylinder was found with Z CALC 1.5 compared to version 2.0 (0.35 ± 0.32 vs 0.28 ± 0.30 D, p < 0.001). The absolute refractive prediction error for cylinder was ⩽0.25 D in 62.3% and 47.5% when using the versions 2.0 and 1.5, respectively.

Conclusion:

The use of an optimized software for toric intraocular lens power calculation, considering the contribution of posterior corneal astigmatism, improved the astigmatic outcome with a bitoric intraocular lens.
Socio-cultural Utilization of Open Spaces in the Traditional Residential Neighborhood of Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Authors: Afon Abel Omoniyi , Adebara Temitope Muyiwa
Published: September 2019

This study explores the socio-cultural uses of open spaces within and around buildings in the traditional residential neighborhood of Ile-Ife, Nigeria. This is with a view to provide information that could guide open space planning and management in traditional residential environments. The data for this study were obtained through a questionnaire survey, direct observation, measurement of open spaces, and photographic recordings. It is established that open spaces played a number of crucial roles in the socio-cultural life of residents: they served as areas for social ceremonies, burying the dead, ancestral worship/rituals, family meetings, and reception of visitors. The important determinants of the uses of open spaces were traditions and cultural practices, the need for social interactions among neighbors and climatic condition. The study concluded that open spaces are settings where residents connect socially, culturally and spiritually in the traditional environment. It is therefore recommended that physical planners should endeavor to appreciate the socio-cultural values and needs of urban residents in open space planning, design, and management.
Pivotal response treatment: A study into the relationship between therapist characteristics and fidelity of implementation
Authors: Verschuur Rianne , Huskens Bibi , Korzilius Hubert , Bakker Leonhard , Snijder Michelle , Didden Robert
Published: September 2019

In this study, we investigated the relationship between fidelity of pivotal response treatment implementation and therapist characteristics, such as therapist personality, therapist–child relationship, therapist attitude toward evidence-based practices, and therapist experience. We also explored whether child age and autism symptom severity were related to pivotal response treatment fidelity. Participants were 41 level III certified pivotal response treatment therapists who recorded three 10-min pivotal response treatment sessions and completed four questionnaires to measure therapist characteristics. Results indicated that therapists’ attitude toward evidence-based practices, specifically openness to innovation, and therapists’ experience with pivotal response treatment significantly predicted fidelity of pivotal response treatment implementation. Cross-validation methods largely confirmed these findings. Therapist personality, therapist–child relationship, and child characteristics were not significantly related to pivotal response treatment fidelity. Implications for clinical practice and directions for future research are discussed.

Lay abstract

Pivotal response treatment is a naturalistic behavioral intervention that teaches pivotal skills to children with autism spectrum disorder to produce widespread gains in other skills. Although most children with autism spectrum disorder benefit from pivotal response treatment, intervention outcomes vary considerably among children. Fidelity of intervention implementation (i.e. the extent to which an intervention is implemented as intended) may affect intervention outcomes. In this study, we studied the relationship between fidelity of pivotal response treatment implementation and therapist characteristics, such as therapist personality, therapist–child relationship, therapist attitude toward evidence-based practices, and therapist experience. We also explored whether a child’s age and autism symptom severity were related to pivotal response treatment fidelity. Participants were 41 pivotal response treatment therapists who videotaped three pivotal response treatment sessions and completed four questionnaires to measure therapist characteristics. This study found that therapists’ openness to innovation and their experience with pivotal response treatment predicted fidelity of implementation. Therapist personality, therapist–child relationship, and child characteristics were not related to pivotal response treatment fidelity. The results of this study emphasize that it is important (1) to target therapists’ attitudes toward innovation prior to or during training in pivotal response treatment and (2) to provide therapists with ongoing supervision and feedback after training to increase fidelity of implementation and thus to improve intervention outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder.
Sensing the next battle: An overshadowed prehistory of creative dissent in Tunisia
Authors: Ben Yakoub Joachim , Zemni Sami
Published: September 2019

When analysing the Tunisian uprising through its aesthetics, the premonitory and subversive agency of the artistic sphere becomes intelligible. This contribution, therefore, engages in a reconstruction of an often overlooked local and historical sequence of aesthetic contention and asks if this sequence prefigured the Tunisian uprising. This seditious premonitory subversion grew into a generalized practice as it emerged into full daylight during the liberation phase of the uprising as an important mediator of the fundamental changes the country was taking itself through. The specific practices that structured the aesthetics of Tunisian uprising were thus already formed a decade before the self-immolation of Tarek el-Tayeb Mohammed Bouazizi. This insight is not only fruitful in relation to the ongoing debates reconstructing the historical dynamics that preceded the revolution, but also gives important insights into the visionary subversive dynamics the artistic sphere is still engaging in today, maybe sensing the next battle coming.