bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Munich to Berlin (via Weimar)
Authors: Caplan Jane
Published: July 2019

The ‘Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei’ (National Socialist German Workers’ Party), was a product of the new political and social universe of post-war Germany. ‘From Munich to Berlin (via Weimar)’ traces the history of the NSDAP from its early base in Munich to the appointment of Hitler as chancellor in January 1933, paying particular attention to the party’s regional base. It explains the popular appeal of the Nazi party beyond the core of believers; the impact of the Depression; and the crisis of elite politics that brought the party to power.
Preparing for war
Authors: Caplan Jane
Published: July 2019

Hitler saw war not simply as a rational vehicle of policy, but also as an incarnation of his own and Germany’s destiny, a belief that justified the extraordinary risks he repeatedly took. ‘Preparing for war’ examines Hitler’s primary ambition to conquer German ‘living space’ (Lebensraum) in the east, and his plans for a pan-European ‘New Order’ freed from Bolshevism, plutocracy, and international Judaism. It also discusses Germany’s economic and political preparations for war, its territorial acquisitions before the invasion of Poland in September 1939, and its victories in western Europe in 1940.
Physics: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Perkowitz Sidney
Published: July 2019

Physics, the fundamental science of matter and energy, encompasses all levels of nature from the sub-atomic to the cosmic, and underlies much of the technology around us. Physics: A Very Short Introduction provides an overview of how this pervasive science came to be and how it works. It presents the theories and outcomes of pure and applied physics from ideas of the Greek natural philosophers to modern quantum mechanics, cosmology, digital electronics, and energy production. Considering its most consequential experiments, including recent results in elementary particles, gravitational waves, and materials science, it also discusses the effects of physics on society, culture, and humanity’s vision of its place in the universe.
1. What is geopolitics?
Authors: Dodds Klaus
Published: July 2019

‘What is geopolitics?’ explains that geopolitics involves three qualities. First, it is concerned with questions of influence and power over space and territory. Second, it uses geographical frames to make sense of world affairs. Third, geopolitics is future-oriented. It offers insights into the likely behaviour of states because their interests are fundamentally unchanging. States need to secure resources, protect their territory including borderlands, and manage their populations. Two fundamental ways of understanding the term geopolitics are offered: classical geopolitics that focuses on the interrelationship between the territorial interests and power of the state and geographical environments, and critical geopolitics, which tends to focus more on the role of discourse and ideology.
4. Popular geopolitics
Authors: Dodds Klaus
Published: July 2019

‘Popular geopolitics’ considers the interconnection between popular culture and geopolitics. It focuses on the sensorial nature of popular geopolitics—the power and politics of images and sound. Social media in particular reminds us that images and stories can amplify and exaggerate the controversial and emotive qualities of geopolitics. Film and television have been judged to be significant interventions in the making of geopolitical cultures. While established media forms such as newspapers, television, and radio remain highly significant in producing and circulating news worldwide, it is new media forms such as the internet and social media practices, such as blogging and podcasting, which will command increasing attention from those interested in popular geopolitics.
6. Objects
Authors: Dodds Klaus
Published: July 2019

Geopolitics is often imagined through objects, but it is also exercised with objects. Objects can shape geopolitical relations and illuminate state authority. So, flags can be powerful and hyper-visible expressions of state security, while at other times they are barely noticed in everyday life. Objects play a key role in securitizing, regularizing, and disciplining our lives. Whether we choose to ignore them, play with them, accept them, and/or break them, they help to bring the human and non-human elements of geopolitics into contact with one another. ‘Objects’ considers a range of objects—pipelines, maps, waste, and action toys—and discusses their roles and significance in geopolitics.
3. The theorist of liberty
Authors: Skinner Quentin
Published: July 2019

‘The theorist of liberty’ examines Machiavelli’s Discourses, which discuss the constitution of a free state, maintenance of military power, and good leadership. Examining Livy to find the roots of Rome’s success, Machiavelli argues that a city state must be self-governing and able to pursue the common good. The civic body must also possess virtù. Cities only grow quickly and manage to acquire greatness if the people are in control, so that the city and its citizens are living in liberty. But if liberty is the key to greatness, how can it be acquired and kept safe? Machiavelli admits that an element of luck is always involved, but he chiefly focuses on the role of civic religion and mixed forms of government.
Introduction
Authors: Skinner Quentin
Published: July 2019

Niccolò Machiavelli died nearly 500 years ago, but his name lives on as a byword for cunning, duplicity, and the exercise of bad faith in political affairs. So much notoriety has gathered around Machiavelli’s name that the charge of being a machiavellian still remains a serious accusation in political debate. What lies behind the sinister reputation Machiavelli has acquired? Is it really deserved? What views about politics and political morality does he put forward in his major works? In order to understand Machiavelli’s doctrines, we need to begin by recovering the problems he evidently saw himself confronting in The Prince, the Discourses, and his other works of political thought.
9. Modern alchemy
Authors: Scerri Eric R.
Published: July 2019

‘Modern alchemy: from missing elements to synthetic elements’ explores the science behind the synthesis of elements. Rutherford and Soddy were able to transmute elements by bombarding nuclei with particles. This only worked up to calcium, and it took the invention of the cyclotron in the 1930s to enable the transmutation of heavier elements. This enabled the gaps in the periodic table to be filled. The twenty-six elements after uranium in the periodic table do not always follow periodicity, so they were excised from the main body and put into their own section. The high speeds of electrons in atoms can produce relativistic effects, but the chemical periodicity of elements is a remarkably robust phenomenon.
Translating Domesticity in Chinese History and Historiography
Authors: LaCouture Elizabeth
Published: July 2019

This article examines knowledge about “domesticity” in China in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and argues against the naturalization of Euro-American historiographical frameworks around “domesticity.” “Domesticity” was not a Chinese concept: although Confucianism had long connected the household to the state through ideology and prescriptive practices, Anglo-American ideas about “domesticity” were translated into Chinese first by way of Japan in the late nineteenth century, and second by way of American missionary educators in the twentieth century. “Domesticity” did not translate easily into Chinese, however; neither the ideology nor its pedagogical practices ever became popular in China. The history of translating “domesticity” into Chinese thus reveals that Euro-American historiographical terms that were once thought to be universal map poorly onto other places and suggests that we need more inclusive frames for comparative gender history.
Metahistory: The Historical Imagination in Nineteenth-Century Europe, by Hayden White
Authors: Dean Carolyn J.
Published: July 2019

Hayden White’s 1973 Metahistory tossed the entire concept of historical science out the window, claiming that historians are fundamentally artists who imbue historical action with aesthetic and ethical purpose. The book urged historians to grapple with whether and how their writing creates rather than reflects reality. It also celebrated the ethics and art of history-writing and diminished historians’ empirical claims. There were two receptions of White’s work: the first, amply documented, was among intellectual historians and others in humanities’ disciplines, especially literary theory; the second took place within the mainstream of the discipline and has received little attention. This essay assesses how mainstream historians’ reception of Metahistory unfolded from the 1970s, and with what consequences. Historians focused on White’s purported conflation of language and reality and neglected his argument about how and why historians resist theory. In so doing, he demonstrated—and the reception of his work demonstrates in turn—that historians most effectively resist theory when they seem most to engage it.
Loss of Consciousness is Associated with Increased Neurocognitive Intra-Individual Variability Following Sports-Related Concussion
Authors: Merritt V C , Greenberg L S , Meyer J E , Arnett P A
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Traditional markers of concussion severity, including loss of consciousness (LOC), retrograde amnesia (RA), and post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), have been inconsistently associated with neurocognitive performance following sports-related concussion. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether LOC, RA, and PTA influence a particular aspect of post-concussion cognitive functioning—across-test intra-individual variability (IIV).

Methods

Concussed athletes (N=119; 77.3% male) were evaluated, on average, 8.55 days post-concussion (SD=11.27; Mdn=4 days) via clinical interview and neuropsychological assessment. Primary outcomes of interest included two measures of IIV-an average standard deviation (ASD) score and a maximum discrepancy (MD) score-computed from 18 norm-referenced variables.

Results

A one-way ANCOVA adjusting for time since injury revealed a significant effect of LOC on the ASD (F(1, 116)=6.78, p=.010, ηp2=.055) and MD (F(1, 116)=5.65, p=.019, ηp2=.046) scores, such that athletes with LOC displayed significantly greater IIV than athletes without LOC. In contrast, measures of IIV did not significantly differ between athletes who did and did not experience RA or PTA (all p>.05).

Conclusion

LOC, but not RA or PTA, was associated with greater variability, or inconsistencies, in cognitive performance following concussion. This suggests that LOC may be a relevant consideration when evaluating post-concussion cognitive dysfunction. IIV has recently been established as a sensitive measure of cognitive functioning in a variety of clinical samples and has been associated with underlying neurobiological integrity. Taken together, our results implicate LOC as a possible contributing factor of less efficient cognitive functioning following concussion and may help detect athletes at risk for poor clinical outcomes.
An Examination of Concussion Recovery Time in Athletes Ages 13–18
Authors: Burkhart S , Ellis C , Baggett J , Smurawa T , Polousky J
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine recovery time from concussion utilizing date of injury and date of return to play. It was hypothesized females would have longer recovery times by age and dual gender sports (baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, swimming/diving, and track/field).

Methods

This study used data from the Rank One Health Injury Surveillance Database (ROH ISD) between 2012–18, in student-athletes ages 13 to 18. This study examined concussion reporting by Athletic Trainers (ATCs) at both middle schools and high schools. Independent sample t-tests were performed by gender, age (13–15, 16–18), and sport with p < 0.05 being statistically significant.

Results

A total of 3,967 concussions with an average age of 15.34 (SD = 1.43), with a defined date of injury and date of return to play were recorded by ATCs. There was a significant effect in recovery time for gender, F(1, 3965) = 3.36, p<0.001 with females taking longer to recover than males. There was a statistically significant effect in recovery time for age, F(1, 3965) = 3.97, p<0.001 with athletes ages 13–15 taking longer to recovery than athletes ages 16–18. Females also experienced longer recovery when comparing sports, with significant differences observed in baseball/softball, soccer, swimming/diving, and track/field.

Conclusion

This study marks the largest examination of recovery time in student athletes ages 13–18. The findings from this study provide further evidence for longer observed recovery time in females compared to males.
Trends in United States High School Soccer Concussion Reporting from 2012–2017
Authors: Burkhart S , Ellis C , Baggett J , Smurawa T , Polousky J
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to provide updated high school soccer concussion incidence rates by gender and event type. It was hypothesized more soccer injuries occur in females, during games, and that females would have higher injury rates and risk.

Methods

This study used data from the Rank One Health Injury Surveillance Database (ROH ISD) between 2012–17, from 1,999 high schools in student-athletes ages 14 to 18. This study examined high school soccer concussion incidence rate reporting by Athletic Trainers (ATCs). Injury rates per 1,000 Athletic Exposures, injury rate ratios (IRRs), and risk ratios (RR) were calculated by event type. All 95% confidence intervals (CIs) not containing 1.0 were considered statistically significant.

Results

A total of 6,669 concussions with an average age of 15.62 (SD=1.26) were reported by ATCs in high school soccer from 2012-17. More concussions occurred in games (4,527; 67.9%) than practices (2,142; 32.1%). During games, males (3.49/1,000 AEs) had lower rates than females (7.78/1,000 AEs). During practice, males (0.52/1,000 AEs) had lower rates than females (0/97/1,000 AEs). Injury risk ratio was higher in games than practices for males (RR=6.71; 95% CI=6.67, 6.75) and females (RR=8.11; 95% CI=8.08, 8.14).

Conclusion

This study marks the largest epidemiological high school soccer concussion incidence investigation to date. The findings from this study provide updated high school soccer concussion incidence rates and provide further evidence of differences in injury rates when comparing practices and games.
Etiology and Clinical Presentation of Concussion: An Age- and Sex-matched Case Series
Authors: Porter S S , Spy K G , Worts P R
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Differential patterns of clinical presentation in concussion have been explored previously based on etiology (e.g., sport vs. non-sport) and may be affected by biomechanical, pathophysiological, and psychological factors. The purpose of the study was to compare neurocognitive performance and symptom presentation across different etiologies in concussed patients.

Methods

36 concussion patients, 12 slip-and-fall (SNF) were age- and sex-matched with motor vehicle accident (MVA) and sport-related concussions (SRC) (20.3±1.5 years; 4 males; 8 females per group). They were evaluated ≤ 2 weeks (7.2±3.7 days) after their injury. Patients completed medical history, an Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Test (ImPACT), and Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) at initial visit. Descriptive statistics, a series of Kruskal-Wallis H Tests, χ² tests and one-way ANOVAs were performed using SPSS 24.

Results

The three groups exhibited no differences in verbal memory (p=0.11), visual memory (p=0.10), visual motor speed (p=0.19), or reaction time (p=0.19) composites. There were no differences in symptom severity (p=0.69) or symptom count (p=0.99) or the cognitive-migraine-fatigue (p=0.69), somatic (p=0.26), affective (p=0.92), or sleep (p=0.73) symptom clusters. Comorbidities (i.e., learning disorder, previous concussion, migraine, seizure, psychological condition, or motion sickness) were not significantly different across groups.

Conclusion

No significant differences were found on ImPACT or PCSS across etiologies. When controlling for comorbidities and demographic variables, these groups appear similar at the initial evaluation. Future research will focus on practice patterns and clinical outcomes.
Addressing the ``Replication Crisis'' in Sports Neuropsychology: Validation of the Two-Factor Theory of ImPACT
Authors: Schatz P , Bogar K , Elbin R J
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The "replication crisis" in psychology and across the broader field of social sciences raises criticism due to a lack of data to show that esoteric research findings can be replicated. The present study replicated and validated the two-factor “memory” and “speed” structure of ImPACT (Schatz & Maerlender, 2013).

Methods

High school aged athletes (N=18,918, Mean age=15.4, SD=1.2) who completed pre-season baseline ImPACT testing were randomly assigned to one of 5 independent samples of approximately 3,780 athletes. Exploratory factor analyses (FA) for a two-factor solution were conducted with ImPACT composite scores within each of the five groups. Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS) scores were included, with the expectation they would load on a third, unique factor.

Results

All five samples met assumptions for FA (KMO Measure of Sampling Adequacy above .600), and all five analyses yielded the same “memory” and “speed” two-factor structure. Visual Motor Speed and Reaction Time loaded on the first "Speed" factor and Verbal and Visual Memory loaded on a second "Memory" factor. The PCSS scores loaded on a third, unique “symptom” factor.

Conclusion

Replication of the two-factor structure for ImPACT in a five large high school sample further validates the model. Given that both visual and verbal memory involve encoding of information presented visually, use of a “memory” factor may improve interpretation of ImPACT scores. Similarly, similarities between constructs measuring speed of responding (Reaction Time) and speed of processing (Visual Motor Processing Speed) may be best explained using a “speed” factor.
Comparison of Clinical Outcomes Following Patients' First and Second Concussions
Authors: Jennings S , French J , Holland C , Collins M , Kontos A P
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The objective of this study was to examine differences in self-reported symptoms, neurocognitive performance, and vestibular-ocular insufficiencies between patients’ first and second concussions. A secondary purpose was to explore the role of risk factors on recovery.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective medical chart review of 73 (32-M/41-F) patients aged 15.69 (SD=1.67) years from a concussion specialty clinic with two separate concussions (84.9% of 1st and 79.5% of 2nd sport-related) that occurred between August 2010 and April 2018. Clinical outcomes included the PCSS, ImPACT, and the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS). A series of paired samples t-tests were used to compare clinical outcomes along with chi-square analyses for risk factor associations.

Results

Verbal memory scores were higher following the second (M=80.67, SD=15.3) (M=76.32, SD=15.65) (t[73]=–2.18, p=.03) concussion. Visual motor processing speed was faster following the second concussion (M=35.04, SD= 7.90) (M=31.35, SD=7.63) (t[73]=–5.72, p<.001). There were no other significant differences observed. Recovery time was similar for the first (61.07, SD=58.41.5) and second (67.91 SD=70.10) respectively, t(70)=–.91, p=.37. There was no relationship between any risk factors, and recovery time for either injury with the exception a significant association between gender and recovery time (>21 days) with the 1st injury for females (χ2, N=73)=10.58, p=.001.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that a second concussion does not result in more pronounced symptoms, worse neurocognitive performance, or increased deficits on vestibular/ocular performance and/or longer recovery time. The only significant risk factor to a recovery over 21 days included gender.
Sleep Symptoms Among Patients with Different Concussion Clinical Profiles
Authors: Sufrinko A , Brustman K , Combs J , Collins M W , Kontos A P
Published: July 2019

Purpose

To evaluate if the classification of patients into one or more concussion clinical profiles could predict which patients would have sleep problems postinjury.

Methods

Based on distribution of total sleep symptoms among a sample of 416 concussion patients (M=15.27±2.13 years old, 48.8% male) evaluated within 30 days of injury, the top one-third were designated as the high sleep symptom group (n=151) and lowest one-third as low sleep symptoms group (n=172). The middle third of participants were excluded. A logistic regression (LR) analysis was performed with sleep symptom group (low or high) as the DV and the clinical profiles as predictor variables.

Results

Results of the LR revealed that the model significantly predicted sleep group (omnibus X2(5)=24.23, p<.001) but accounted for only between 7.2% and 9.7% of the variance in sleep symptoms. Overall 61.6% of predictions were accurate, with 67.4% of the patients with no sleep problems successfully classified and 55% in the high sleep symptoms group accurately classified. Only the mood (p=.003) and vestibular (p=.01) clinical profiles reliably predicted sleep group membership.

Conclusion

Understanding the presence or absence of each clinical profile post-concussion was useful in predicting which patients had a high degree of sleep symptoms post injury. Specifically, having a mood and/or vestibular clinical profile was associated with membership in the high sleep symptoms group. Clinicians should consider behavioral management strategies to improve sleep, especially among patients with those clinical profiles associated with sleep problems.
Resiliency and Post-Concussion Symptoms in Adolescents with Sport-Related Concussions
Authors: Bunt S C , Wanf H H , Straub J J , Meredith-Duliba T , Didehbani N , Sabo T , Bell K , Batjer H , Cullum C M
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Resiliency is a factor affecting an individual’s ability to “bounce back” from stressful events, including injury. A Sport-Related Concussion (SRC) may constitute a stressful event for athletes, yet the association of resiliency with symptoms following SRC is not well known. Thus, we sought to determine if a brief measure of resiliency was related to initial symptoms following SRC in adolescent athletes.

Methods

Subjects (n=458, 199 female, 259 male) aged 12–25 with SRC were evaluated within 30 days of injury (M= 8.35 days, SD=6.98) at a North Texas Concussion Registry (ConTex) clinic. Subjects completed the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 symptom evaluation and the Brief Resiliency Scale (BRS). Subjects were grouped into low (n=56,) average (n= 280), and high (n=122) resiliency groups according to the BRS. ANOVA was conducted to compare initial concussion symptoms across resiliency groups.

Results

Subjects with low resiliency reported a greater number of symptoms (M=12.96, SD=6.79) than those with high resiliency (M=9.47, SD=6.52; p<.005) and a higher level of symptoms (M=34.73, SD=25.90 vs M=25.11 SD=24.72; p<.02). Subjects with low resiliency also reported higher levels of emotional symptoms (Irritability, Sadness, Nervousness, and Feeling More Emotional) than those with average and high resiliency.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that low resiliency may be associated with greater symptoms following SRC. For emotional symptoms, resiliency level (low, average, high) showed a linear relationship with symptom level. However, the potential relationship between resiliency and recovery or persistence of symptoms over time remains a question.
The Utility of the King-Devick Test in Evaluating Professional Ice Hockey Players with Suspected Concussion
Authors: Echemendia R J , Bruce J M , Thelen J , Comper P , Hutchison M , Meeuwisse W
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The King-Devick (KD) is a measure of rapid number naming used in the evaluation of sports-related concussion (SRC). Recent data from the Canadian Football League and Rugby Union suggest that the KD should not be used as a stand-alone measure of SRC. The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic utility of the KD in professional ice hockey players.

Methods

NHL players who were suspected of having a concussion were evaluated with the KD and either the SCAT3 or the SCAT5. Players who were evaluated and not diagnosed with concussion served as Active controls. A small group of non-Active control players was also tested twice and was included in the present study for comparison.

Results

1605 players were evaluated with the KD at baseline. Of these, 53 were diagnosed with concussion, 76 were Active controls, and 11 were non-Active controls. Concussed players revealed a decline in performance from baseline to acute evaluation, t(52)=3.05, p<.01, d=.42 while Active controls significantly improved, t(75)=2.05, p<.05, d=.24. No significant change between baseline and acute testing was observed for non-Active controls. Using a cut score of any decline in performance from baseline to suspected injury evaluation yielded Sensitivity=64%, Specificity=61%, Positive Predictive Value=53% and Negative Predictive Value=71%.

Conclusion

Our data are consistent with previous studies suggesting that while the KD is useful in differentiating concussed and not concussed athletes acutely, the relatively low predictive values indicate that a decline in KD performance should not be used as a standalone measure to diagnose concussion.
Traditional Chinese medicine Dingkun Pill facilitates uterine receptivity for implantation in mice†
Authors: Huang Lin , Wang Lemeng , Bao Haili , Xu Yingchun , Meng Meiqing , Qiao Manting , Wang Haibin , Kong Shuangbo
Published: July 2019

Dingkun Pill (DK) is one of the representative traditional Chinese medicines, which has been used in the treatment of gynecological diseases for hundreds of years. Accumulative observations and evidence have shown the beneficial effects of DK, including enhancing the function of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, the effects of DK on uterine receptivity and implantation were explored by a series of studies with different mouse models. The results showed that DK can advance the time of implantation by influencing the expression of estrogen target genes to facilitate embryo implantation. DK was efficient to activate embryo implantation at the presence of suboptimal estrogen in delayed implantation mouse model. Our further study revealed that the improvement of DK on receptivity establishment is attributed to the differential regulation of DK on implantation-associated genes. This study provides previously unappreciated molecular mechanism of DK in embryo implantation and benefits the potential clinical application of DK in human reproduction improvement.
Is there a need for accepting paraphyletic taxa? A case study in the Sardinian endemic Cymbalaria muelleri (Plantaginaceae)
Authors: Carnicero Pau , Schönswetter Peter , Garcia-Jacas Núria , Galbany-Casals Mercè
Published: July 2019

Evolution does not always result in dichotomous phylogenetic trees. For instance, in anacladogenetic speciation, where a new species originates by budding, the ancestral taxon is often initially paraphyletic. Here we study Cymbalaria muelleri (Plantaginaceae), a chasmophytic species endemic to Sardinia, a major island in the Mediterranean Basin. Its distribution range is divided into two well-delimited geographical groups with some morphological differences. Using a combination of morphology, molecular data (amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting) and relative genome size, we found that the two geographical groups should be considered two separate taxa, which split through anacladogenesis. Accordingly, we formally describe the new paraphyletic subspecies C. muelleri subsp. villosa as the ancestor, from which C. muelleri subsp. muelleri originated by budding. Morphological analyses support the differentiation of the two subspecies, and there are strong diagnostic characters to differentiate them. In addition to morphology and genetics, slightly divergent habitat preferences and the disjunct distribution of the two subspecies also support the recognition of two taxa. Genome size data obtained for the two subspecies are consistent with the previously established hexaploidy of C. muelleri.
Burst suppression uncovers rapid widespread alterations in network excitability caused by an acute seizure focus
Authors: Liou Jyun-You , Baird-Daniel Eliza , Zhao Mingrui , Daniel Andy , Schevon Catherine A , Ma Hongtao , Schwartz Theodore H
Published: July 2019

Burst suppression is an electroencephalogram pattern of globally symmetric alternating high amplitude activity and isoelectricity that can be induced by general anaesthetics. There is scattered evidence that burst suppression may become spatially non-uniform in the setting of underlying pathology. Here, we induced burst suppression with isoflurane in rodents and then created a neocortical acute seizure focus with injection of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) in somatosensory cortex. Burst suppression events were recorded before and after creation of the focus using bihemispheric wide-field calcium imaging and multielectrode arrays. We find that the seizure focus elicits a rapid alteration in triggering, initiation, and propagation of burst suppression events. Compared with the non-seizing brain, bursts are triggered from the thalamus, initiate in regions uniquely outside the epileptic focus, elicit marked increases of multiunit activity and propagate towards the seizure focus. These findings support the rapid, widespread impact of focal epilepsy on the extended brain network.
Hitting Times for Random Walks on Sierpiński Graphs and Hierarchical Graphs
Authors: Qi Yi , Dong Yuze , Zhang Zhongzhi , Zhang Zhang
Published: July 2019

The Sierpiński graphs and hierarchical graphs are two much studied self-similar networks, both of which are iteratively constructed and have the same number of vertices and edges at any iteration, but display entirely different topological properties. Both graphs have a large variety of applications: Sierpiński graphs have a close connection with WK-recursive networks that are employed extensively in the design and implementation of local area networks and parallel processing architectures, while hierarchical graphs can be used to model complex networks. In this paper, we study hitting times for several absorbing random walks in Sierpiński graphs and hierarchical graphs. For all considered random walks, we determine exact solutions to hitting times for both graphs. The obtained explicit expressions indicate that the hitting times in both graphs behave quite differently. We show that the structural difference of the graphs is responsible for the disparate behaviors of their hitting times.
Health care use and remaining needs for support among women with breast cancer in the first 15 months after diagnosis: the role of the GP
Authors: Lo-Fo-Wong Deborah N , de Haes Hanneke C , Aaronson Neil K , van Abbema Doris L , Admiraal Jolien M , den Boer Mathilda D , van Hezewijk Marjan , Immink Marcelle , Kaptein Ad A , Menke-Pluijmers Marian B , Russell Nicola S , Schriek Manon , Sijtsema Sieta , van Tienhoven Geertjan , Sprangers Mirjam A
Published: July 2019

Background

The number of women with breast cancer in general practice is rising. To address their needs and wishes for a referral, GPs might benefit from more insight into women’s health care practices and need for additional support.

Objective

To examine the prevalence of health care use and remaining needs among women with breast cancer in the first 15 months after diagnosis.

Methods

In this multicentre, prospective, observational study women with breast cancer completed a questionnaire at 6 and 15 months post-diagnosis. Medical data were retrieved through chart reviews. The prevalence of types of health care used and remaining needs related to medical, psychosocial, paramedical and supplementary service care (such as home care), was examined with descriptive analyses.

Results

Seven hundred forty-six women completed both questionnaires. At both assessments patients reported that they had most frequent contact with medical and paramedical providers, independent of types of treatment received. Three to fifteen percent of the patients expressed a need for more support. Prominent needs included a wish for more frequent contact with a physiotherapist, a clinical geneticist and a psychologist. Patients also wanted more help for chores around the house, particularly in the early post-treatment phase.

Conclusion

A small but relevant percentage of women with breast cancer report having unmet needs. GPs may need to be particularly watchful of their need for more support from specific providers. Future research into the necessity of structural needs assessment among cancer patients in general practice is warranted.
How Effective Are Dementia Caregiver Interventions? An Updated Comprehensive Meta-Analysis
Authors: Walter Erik , Pinquart Martin
Published: July 2019

Background and Objectives

Caring for a person with dementia places a significant burden upon informal caregivers and leads to decreased psychological and physical health, which is why dementia caregiver interventions have been developed. However, empirical evidence for the efficacy of those interventions is inconclusive and the last comprehensive meta-analysis (Pinquart & Sörensen. Helping caregivers of persons with dementia: Which interventions work and how large are their effects? International Psychogeriatrics. 2006;18(4), 577–595.) was published more than 10 years ago.

Research Design and Method

This meta-analysis aims to update the meta-analysis conducted by Pinquart and Sörensen. Based on a systematic search in electronic data bases, effects of 282 controlled studies were integrated. The effectiveness of different intervention types and influences of study characteristics were evaluated.

Results

Interventions had, on average, a significant, small-to-moderate effect on the improvement of ability/knowledge, subjective well-being, burden, depression, and the caregiver’s anxiety as well as symptoms of the care recipient. No mean effect was found in regard to reducing the risk of institutionalization. Most intervention types had an effect on the reduction of burden as well as on other outcomes. Psychoeducation and multicomponent interventions affected most outcomes, whereas the efficacy of other intervention types was domain-specific.

Discussion and Implications

There is evidence for the efficacy of dementia caregiver interventions, though due to having predominantly small effect sizes, there is still room for improvement. Interventions should be tailored to the desired outcome. More research on long-term effects, effects on anxiety and institutionalization, efficacy of respite and support interventions, care recipient training, and the intervention process is needed.
Do health programmes within the New Zealand food industry influence the work environment for employees?
Authors: Roy Rajshri , Styles Teri Winona , Braakhuis Andrea
Published: July 2019

Workplace wellness programmes have increased over the past years, but as yet has not been investigated in food and grocery organizations in New Zealand (NZ). The study aim was to explore the commitment of NZ Food and Grocery Council (FGC) companies in altering the workplace environment for employee health and the efficacy of the current wellness policies. Using a mixed-methods approach, FGC companies (n = 22) completed a workplace environment audit (WEA) survey. Three focus groups were held, consisting of employees (n = 20) from four of the FGC companies that completed the WEA survey. Two sets of data were then compared via methodological triangulation. The mean WEA score was 46% (p = 0.00), indicating an ‘average’ commitment by the FGC to health-promotion in their own workplaces. Significantly more initiatives related to improving nutrition were offered (p = 0.00) and larger food companies scored higher than smaller companies (p = 0.063). During the focus groups, employees revealed they felt workplace wellness programmes increased productivity, improved their physical health, allowed work–life balance, promoted social interaction and provided health-related education. Barriers to participating in wellness activities were identified as lack of time, working in a blue-collar position and working externally to the main office. The results of this study have large implications for companies and employers in NZ for future planning, implementation and monitoring of health initiatives in the workplace.
Up in smoke? Global tobacco control advocacy and local mobilization in Africa
Authors: Patterson Amy S. , Gill Elizabeth
Published: July 2019

Even though most African states have signed and ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global treaty to limit tobacco use, African states have been slow to pass and implement tobacco control policies like regulations on sales, smoke-free environments and taxes. This article examines how the ineffectiveness of local tobacco-control advocacy contributes to this suboptimal outcome. It asserts that the disconnect between the global tobacco-control advocacy network and local advocates shapes this ineffectiveness. With funding and direction predominately from the Bloomberg Initiative, local advocates emulate the funders' goal of achieving quick, measurable policy results. Their reliance on the network drives African advocates to strive to pass legislation, even in difficult political climates, and to remake their agendas when funders change their priorities. They also emulate the network's focus on evidence-based arguments that stress epidemiological data and biomedical interventions, even when this issue frame does not resonate with policy-makers. Financial dependence can draw local advocates into expectations about patronage politics, undermine their ability to make principled arguments, and lead them to downplay the ways that their home country's socioeconomic and cultural contexts affect tobacco use and control. Based on key informant interviews with African advocates, media analysis and the case-studies of Ghana and Tanzania, the article broadens the study of philanthropy in global health, it adds an African perspective to the literature on global health advocacy, and it deepens knowledge on power dynamics between external funders and local actors in the realms of health and development.
Unlocking Curriculum Design: Experiences in Constructing a Dynamic IR Undergraduate Curriculum in South Africa
Authors: de Matos-Ala Jacqui
Published: July 2019

The intricate nature of curriculum construction is not always apparent to academics especially those who have not studied in the area of education. This article addresses the issue of curriculum construction or design in the field of international relations. Specifically, we discuss issues of constructive alignment, disciplinary knowledge structure, and cognitive load – issues we found most generative in the process of redesigning the undergraduate international relations curriculum at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Reflections by staff members provided here suggest that we have been successful in creating environments conducive for learning. However, extraneous factors hindered us from fully realizing our objectives; the resolution of the socio-political problems that create such extraneous factors is beyond the ability of curriculum design. We argue that the contribution of curriculum design lies in a reflective educational response to societal needs based on sound pedagogical theory.
Using convolutional neural networks to identify patient safety incident reports by type and severity
Authors: Wang Ying , Coiera Enrico , Magrabi Farah
Published: July 2019

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of a convolutional neural network (CNN) with word embedding to identify the type and severity of patient safety incident reports.

Materials and Methods

A CNN with word embedding was applied to identify 10 incident types and 4 severity levels. Model training and validation used data sets (n_type = 2860, n_severity = 1160) collected from a statewide incident reporting system. Generalizability was evaluated using an independent hospital-level reporting system. CNN architectures were examined by varying layer size and hyperparameters. Performance was evaluated by F score, precision, recall, and compared to binary support vector machine (SVM) ensembles on 3 testing data sets (type/severity: n_benchmark = 286/116, n_original = 444/4837, n_independent = 6000/5950).

Results

A CNN with 6 layers was the most effective architecture, outperforming SVMs with better generalizability to identify incidents by type and severity. The CNN achieved high F scores (> 85%) across all test data sets when identifying common incident types including falls, medications, pressure injury, and aggression. When identifying common severity levels (medium/low), CNN outperformed SVMs, improving F scores by 11.9%–45.1% across all 3 test data sets.

Discussion

Automated identification of incident reports using machine learning is challenging because of a lack of large labelled training data sets and the unbalanced distribution of incident classes. The standard classification strategy is to build multiple binary classifiers and pool their predictions. CNNs can extract hierarchical features and assist in addressing class imbalance, which may explain their success in identifying incident report types.

Conclusion

A CNN with word embedding was effective in identifying incidents by type and severity, providing better generalizability than SVMs.
Sunflower Moth (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Biology, Ecology, and Management
Authors: Royer Tom A , Knodel Janet J
Published: July 2019

Sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst) is an important insect pest of cultivated sunflower in North America. In this review, we outline sunflower moth life history and biology and describe direct and indirect crop injury to cultivated sunflower. Pest management strategies for sunflower moth are discussed including proper field scouting, pheromone trapping, use of economic thresholds and biological control, cultural control, host plant resistance and chemical control for incorporation into an integrated pest management (IPM) program.
Landscape of education and clinical practice in geriatric oncology: a Japanese nationwide survey
Authors: Nishijima Tomohiro F , Tamura Kazuo ,   Geriatric Oncology Guideline-establishing (GOGGLE) Study Group, Nagashima Fumio , Aiba Keisuke , Saito Mitsue , Saeki Toshiaki , Karasawa Kumiko , Uchitomi Yosuke , Takahashi Takao , Kaibori Masaki , Sakuda Hiromi , Imamura Chiyo , Tsuji Tetsuya
Published: July 2019

Objective

The aim of this survey was to describe how geriatric oncology is integrated in undergraduate teaching and graduate training as well as in daily clinical oncology practice in Japan.

Methods

All schools of medicine in Japan are allied with graduate schools of medicine. We conducted a survey of all Japanese medical and graduate schools (n = 81), and designated cancer hospitals (n = 437) from July 2018 to August 2018. The survey of the schools asked about existence of geriatrics division and geriatric oncology service and if an education curriculum in geriatrics and geriatric oncology was used. The survey of designated cancer hospitals requested general hospital information and the current practice patterns of general geriatric and cancer patients.

Results

Forty-eight medical schools (59%) participated in this survey, and teaching in geriatrics and geriatric oncology was implemented in 23 schools and 1 school, respectively. Forty-two graduate schools of medicine (52%) responded; five had an education curriculum in geriatrics, but none provided geriatric oncology training. Among 151 participating hospitals (35%), 5 had a geriatrics division and 20 hospitals employed geriatricians. There was no geriatric oncology service or geriatric oncology specialists in any of the 151 hospitals. Seventy percent of the hospitals reported performing a geriatric assessment for at least some older adults with cancer.

Conclusions

This survey provides information on the current state of Japanese education and clinical practice in geriatric oncology. In Japan, a nation with among the largest population of older citizens in the world, education and training greatly need to be promoted to disseminate a core set of geriatrics knowledge and skills to students, trainees and healthcare professionals.
Spatial relationships among free-living cururos (Spalacopus cyanus) demonstrate burrow sharing and communal nesting
Authors: Lacey Eileen A , O’Brien Shannon L , Sobrero Raúl , Ebensperger Luis A
Published: July 2019

Spatial relationships among conspecifics can provide insights into numerous aspects of social behavior. Spatial data may be particularly important for characterizing the behavior of difficult-to-study species such as subterranean rodents, direct observations of which are challenging. To characterize the social organization of the cururo (Spalacopus cyanus), a subterranean species in the rodent family Octodontidae, we used radiotelemetry to quantify spatial relationships within populations of this species located in Parque Nacional Bosque Fray Jorge and Santuario de la Naturaleza Yerba Loca, Chile. Specifically, we sought to determine if adults in this diurnal species share burrows and subterranean nests, the two criteria typically used to identify subterranean rodents as social. Analyses of radio fixes collected during February–March 2003 revealed that cururos at both Fray Jorge and Yerba Loca shared nighttime nest sites; cluster analyses of these data identified multiple spatially distinct subsets of adults in each population. Overlap of minimum convex polygons constructed from radio fixes collected during daylight hours suggested burrow sharing by animals in both populations. Cluster analyses of overlap values revealed the same spatially distinct groups of individuals identified from analyses of nest sharing; in addition, these analyses revealed one cluster of animals in each population that was not evident from analyses of nighttime data. Collectively, these results confirm that cururos are social, with adults in both study populations sharing burrow systems and communal nests. Our findings add to the growing understanding of social organization in octodontid rodents and reveal a new system for comparative studies of the ecology and evolution of behavioral variation in burrow-dwelling mammals.
Procedural Fairness and the Legitimacy of Agency Rulemaking
Authors: Ruder Alexander I , Woods Neal D
Published: July 2019

We examine the relationship between procedural fairness and the legitimacy of rulemaking decisions made by government agencies. Evidence from a survey experiment indicates that the perceived fairness of the rulemaking process is closely tied to procedures designed to make it more transparent and to encourage greater citizen participation. However, our findings do not indicate that fair procedures bestow unconditional legitimacy on agency rulemaking actions. Rather, they suggest that the effect of procedural fairness is context-dependent and complex, with legitimacy perceptions varying across policy domains and being driven by the institutional avoidance of procedural controls rather than the procedures themselves. Thus, there may be significant limitations on the ability of fair procedures to impart legitimacy to bureaucratic policymaking.