bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Changes in Water Pressure and Vortex during the Aquatic Exercise for Upper Limb in Person by Fluid Flow Simulation
Authors: Kang Dogyeong , Choe Mun Seok , Kim Jong Im
Published: February 2020

The purpose of this study is to find the cause of the physical changes on the human body caused by water during aquatic exercise. We extracted the shape of the upper limb using 3D scanner and made chamber and upper limb with Catia to simulate the movement. Finally, in order to analyze the effects on the human body through engineering analysis, this study analyzes the water pressure and vortex on the upper limb according to the angular velocity by fluid flow simulation. The result has shown that the vortex and the pressure applied to the upper limbs moved up and down vary depending on the angular speed of such an upper limb movement. Considering such a result, it is thought that in-depth studies on the effects of vortex generated depending on the moving speed and the water pressure on skin or muscle are required to be conducted later.
A Study on the Factors Affecting the Uniformity of Urea and Exhaust Gas Using an SCR Simulator
Authors: Choe Mun Seok , Kang Dogyeong , Choi Dooseuk
Published: February 2020

As it is difficult to confirm mixed shape and mixing ratio which depend on the actual mixer inside the SCR, the present study on mixed shape and mixing ratio has been conducted by producing an SCR system simulator. Total 19 sensors were installed and the system was designed not to allow formation of a negative pressure inside the exhaust pipe. The experiment was conducted setting engine rpm, temperature, mixer shape, and distance as the experiment variables. As a result of the experiment, in the case of non-mixer type, a phenomenon was found where urea became locally packed as the exhaust gas and urea were not mixed and, when an R-type mixer was applied, urea was formed being spread on the whole. It was also confirmed that uniformity index was increased by 8 % in average when an R-type mixer was used in comparison to that of the non-mixer type, and the non-mixer type failed to achieve flow uniformity of 90 % or higher while the case where an R-type mixer was used could achieve it when the distance was 20 cm or bigger. Based on such a result, changes in the uniformity of urea and exhaust gas depending on existence of a mixer, exhaust gas temperature, engine rpm, and distance could be confirmed. It is thought that additional studies are required to be conducted later on the effect of a change in the mixer shape on flow uniformity.
Effect of Laser Cutting Parameters on the Heat Affected Zone and on the Boundary Layer in Steel Laser Processing
Authors: Aggoune Samia , Abid Cherifa , Amara El Hachemi
Published: February 2020

This paper investigates the effect of the laser cutting parameters on the heat-affected zone, and on the boundary layer of stainless steel processing. A new analytical resolution based on the boundary layer theory is used to deduce the interaction effects of the cutting parameters on the above zones. The results revealed that, the laminar nitrogen assist gas has a negligible effect on the HAZ depth but it has a remarkable effect on the molten boundary layer. It is also noticed that the pressure gradient remains very small compared to the interface shearing and the conductive heat losses from the cutting zone towards the substrate is dominant compared to the convective heat losses towards the gas.
Drying of Banana Slices in Cylindrical Shape: Theoretical and Experimental Investigations
Authors: de Farias Raimundo Pereira , Sousa Santos Rosilda , Soares Gomes Ricardo , da Silva Wilton Pereira , Barbalho Gustavo Henrique de Almeida , de Melo Cavalcante Atacy Maciel , de Lima Antonio Gilson Barbosa
Published: February 2020

This work presents a drying study of banana fruit (cylindrical slices) using heat, mass and shrinkage lumped models, and experiments in different drying conditions. Whole bananas were peeled, sliced manually (cylindrical pieces) and dried in an oven at constant drying condition (40 and 70°C). Drying, heating and shrinkage lumped models were proposed and fitted to experimental data. Results revealed which air temperature affects significantly the moisture removal, heating and shrinkage of bananaslices. Furthermore, results revealed which air temperature affects significantly the moisture migration, heating and shrinkage rates of banana slices. The fitted results presented good agreement with experimental data.
Cooling and Freezing of Cashew Apple Using Computational Fluid Dynamics: The Effect of the Moisture Content
Authors: Brandão V.A. Agra , de Queiroz Robson Araújo , de Morais Lima Hallyson Gustavo Guedes , de Farias Raimundo Pereira , Carmo de Lima Ana Raquel , da Silva Júnior Joselito Bastos , de Lima Antonio Gilson Barbosa
Published: February 2020

Cashew is a fruit with high nutritional value and great economic importance in the Northeast region of Brazil, however, due to high moisture content, it is highly perishable. Freezing is one the most efficient methods for conservationof biological products, especially, fruits and vegetables. Then, the optimizationof the freezing process by numerical simulation is crucial. In this sense, the objective of this work was to investigate the influence of the moisture content on the cooling and freezing processes of cashew appleby using thecomputational fluid dynamics technique. Results of the cooling and freezing kinetics of the cashew apple and temperature distribution inside the fruitduring these processes are presented and analyzed. It was verified that the variation inthe initial moisture content had small effect in the total time of the process, however the samples with higher moisture content presented higher heat transfer rate during the cooling period and lesser during the freezing period.
Characterization of the Mixing Induced by Multiple Elevated Jets in Cross Flow
Authors: Radhouane Amina , Mahjoub Said Nejla , Mhiri Hatem , Bournot Philippe
Published: February 2020

Experimental and numerical consideration is given in the present work to an inline, inclined triple elliptic jet-group discharged in cross flow, a common configuration widely present in several domains, namely environmental, industrial and even medical. The experiments were described by particle image velocimetry and hot wire anemometry measurements, and the numerical simulation was based upon the finite volume method together with a non uniform grid system tightened close to the discharging nozzles. Generally, optimizing similar configurations is meant to reach optimum mixings in terms of heat and/or mass transfers. The present work will be particularly dedicated to the heat transfers generated within the examined multiple jet in cross flow configuration, for jets emitted under an injection height equivalent to , and under a variable injection ratio. After presenting the handled geometry, a validation of the numerical model is proposed. Afterward, a discussion of the reduced static temperature is presented. This is a highly interesting parameter due to its closeness, if not similarity under some circumstances, to the cooling efficiency.
Direct and Inverse Problems for a Fourth Order Anomalous Diffusion Model
Authors: Junior Jader Lugon , Bevilacqua Luiz , da Silva Neto Antônio José
Published: February 2020

The second order equation (also known as Fick’s equation) is derived from a classical well-known theory, but it is not enough to model all applications of interest. Recently, fractional equations and higher order equations began to receive more attention, demanding increased research efforts. They are used to simulate the diffusion process in many important applications in sciences, such as chemistry, heat and mass transfer, biology and ecology. In this work, the sensitivity analysis is performed for a recently developed anomalous diffusion model in order to evaluate the possibility of estimating a set of parameters that are part of the fourth order equation model, including the parameters representing the variation of the fraction of particles that are allowed to diffuse using a sigmoid function. Finally, after the sensitivity analysis the Inverse Problem approach is used to estimate viable parameters that are necessary for simulation in the cases considered. The differential equation was approximated using the Finite Difference Method, and that solution was implemented in the RStudio platform. The Sensitivity Matrix was calculated and the Inverse Problem was solved using the same RStudio platform, and the Simulated Annealing Method.
The Vibration of Nano-Beam Subjected to Thermal Shock and Moving Heat Source with Constant Speed
Authors: Alghamdi Najat A.
Published: February 2020

This paper deals with a mathematical model of thermoelastic rectangular nano-beam, which is thermally loaded by thermal shock and subjected to moving heat source with constant speed. The nano-beam has been clamped-clamped and its length along the x-axis. The governing equations have been written by using the Euler–Bernoulli equation of nano-beams and the non-Fourier heat conduction with one-relaxation time. Laplace transform has been applied with respect to the time variable, and the solutions have been derived in its domain. The numerical solutions for the Silicon material have been done by using Tzou method. The results have been shown in figures for the temperature increment and the lateral deflection with various values of heat source speed to stand on its effects. Moreover, the effects of the ratio between the length and the width of the beam have been discussed. The speed of the heat source and the dimensions of the beam have significant effects on the temperature increment and the lateral deflection of the beam.
Structural, Optical, Photocatalytic and Electrochemical Studies of PbS Nanoparticles
Authors: Ajibade Peter A. , Oluwalana Abimbola E.
Published: February 2020

Oleic acid (OA) and octadecylamine (ODA) capped lead sulphide (PbS) nanoparticles were prepared at 150, 190 and 230 °C. X-ray diffraction patterns indicates that the synthesized PbS nanoparticles were in the rock cubic salt crystalline phase. The particle sizes of the as-prepared PbS nanoparticles are in the range 2.91–10.05 nm for OA-PbS(150), 24.92–39.98 nm for ODA-PbS(150), 9.26 – 29.08 nm for OA-PbS(190), 34.54 – 48.04 nm for ODA-PbS(190), 17.96–88.07 nm for OA-PbS(230) and 53.60 – 94.42 nm for ODA-PbS(230). SEM images revealed flaky and agglomerated spherical like morphology for the nanoparticles. The energy bandgap of the PbS nanoparticles are in the range 4.14 – 4.25 eV, OA-PbS(230) have the lowest bandgap of 4.14 eV while ODA-PbS(150) have the highest bandgap of 4.25 eV. The PbS nanoparticles were used as photocatalyst for the degradation of Rhodamine B and OA-PbS(150) showed efficiency of 44.11% after 360 mins. Cyclic voltammetry of the PbS nanoparticles showed a reversible redox reaction and linear Randles-Sevcik plots indicates electron transfer process is diffusion controlled.
Influence of Alkalinity on the Synthesis of Zeolite A and Hydroxysodalite from Metakaolin
Authors: Andrades Raphael Cons , Neves Roberto Freitas , Díaz Francisco Rolando Valenzuela , Júnior Antonio Hortencio Munhoz
Published: February 2020

Kaolin is a cheap and abundant source of silica and alumina, which may be used as precursors for the production of zeolites, molecular sieves with pores in the nanometer scale. Brazil, one the largest producers of kaolin, generates tons of kaolin waste in the paper coating process. That waste may be used to synthesize zeolite A and hydroxysodalite, greater added value materials with a wide range of applications. In this work, Zeolite A and hydroxysodalite were synthesized from kaolin waste of processing industries for paper coating. Kaolin was calcined to dehydroxylate kaolinite and obtain metakaolin, an amorphous material with Si/Al ratio equal to 1, being suitable for production of zeolite A and hydroxysodalite. Zeolites were synthesized under static hydrothermal conditions by reacting metakaolin with NaOH solutions of different concentrations. The zeolitic products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the higher the NaOH concentration in the reaction medium, the higher the proportion of hydroxysodalite in the zeolitic samples.
Healthy Work Environments, Nurse-Physician Communication, and Patients’ Outcomes
Authors: Manojlovich Milisa , DeCicco Barry
Published: February 2020

Background Adverse events and serious errors are common in critical care. Although factors in the work environment are important predictors of adverse outcomes for patients, communication between nurses and physicians may be the most significant factor associated with excess hospital mortality in critical care settings.

Objectives To examine the relationships between nurses’ perceptions of their practice environment, nurse-physician communication, and selected patients’ outcomes.

Methods A nonexperimental, descriptive design was used, and all nurses (N=866) working in 25 intensive care units in southeastern Michigan were surveyed. The Conditions for Work Effectiveness Questionnaire-II and the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index were used to measure characteristics of the work environment; the ICU Nurse-Physician Questionnaire was used to measure nurse-physician communication. Nurses self-rated the frequency of ventilator-associated pneumonia, catheter-related sepsis, and medication errors in patients under their care.

Results A total of 462 nurses (53%) responded. According to multilevel modeling, both practice environment scales accounted for 47% of the variance in nurse-physician communication scores (P=.001). Nurse-physician communication was predictive of nurse-assessed medication errors only (R2=0.11). Neither environment scale was predictive of any of the patient outcomes.

Conclusions Healthy work environments are important for nurse-physician communication. In intensive care units, characteristics of the work environment did not vary enough to be significantly predictive of outcomes, suggesting that even in various types of critical care units, characteristics of the work environment may be more similar than different.
Cutting Edge: Antitumor Immunity by Pathogen-Specific CD8 T Cells in the Absence of Cognate Antigen Recognition
Authors: Danahy Derek B. , Berton Roger R. , Badovinac Vladimir P.
Published: February 2020

Cancer prognosis often correlates with the number of tumor-infiltrating CD8 T cells, but many of these cells recognize pathogens that commonly infect humans. The contribution of pathogen-specific “bystander” CD8 T cells to antitumor immunity remains largely unknown. Inflammatory cytokines are sufficient for memory CD8 T cell activation and gain of effector functions, indicating tumor-derived inflammation could facilitate pathogen-specific CD8 T cells to participate in tumor control. In this study, we show in contrast to tumor-specific CD8 T cells that pathogen-specific primary memory CD8 T cells inside tumor were not able to exert their effector functions and influence tumor progression. However, infection-induced memory CD8 T cells with defined history of repeated Ag encounters (i.e., quaternary memory) showed increased sensitivity to tumor-derived inflammation that resulted in activation, gain of effector functions, and better control of tumor growth. Thus, memory CD8 T cells with heightened ability to recognize environmental inflammatory stimuli can contribute to antitumor immunity in the absence of cognate Ag recognition.
Noninvasive ventilator prevents intubation in thyrotoxic hypokalemic periodic paralysis-associated respiratory failure
Authors: Hung Shu-Ya , Liu Wen-Jing , Wu Pei-Chan , Yang Mei-Chen , Wu Yao-Kuang , Lan Chou-Chin
Published: February 2020

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a rare complication of hyperthyroidism, often presents with limb muscle paralysis, hypokalemia with elevated-free T3, T4, and low thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). We herein reported an unusual presentation of TPP with acute hypercapnic respiratory failure. A 28-year-old female had complaints of nausea and vomiting. Laboratory investigations showed a serum potassium level of 1.2 mEq/L. Thyroid function test revealed the TSH level of 0.021 μlU/mL and free T4 at 2.01 ng/dL. She suddenly suffered from dyspnea and drowsiness. Acute hypercapnic respiratory failure with CO2 retention was found. Noninvasive ventilation was used. Rapid correction of hypokalemia and administration of propylthiouracil, propranolol, and 5% Lugol's solution were performed. After the normalization of potassium levels, the patient's respiratory pattern stabilized and noninvasive ventilator (NIV) use was discontinued. Respiratory failure is an unusual but lethal complication of TPP. Rapid correction of hypokalemia and temporarily NIV can successfully avoid endotracheal intubation for respiratory failure.
Elemental Composition of Indoor Particulate Matter in Response to Heating
Facility at Sakaka City, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Hesham Al-Jeelani Hesham Al-Jeelani
Published: February 2020

Indoor and outdoor airborne particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) were sampled from homes with
different heating facilities, located at Sakaka city, northern of Saudi Arabia during winter season. Elemental
composition of PM10 and PM2.5 samples, including Al, Ba, Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Ga, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na,
Ni, Pb, Se, Te and Tl, were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Black
carbon (BC) was also measured using EEL-type Smoke Stain Reflectometer. Results showed that the highest
indoor concentration PM2.5 (541.67 µg m–3) and PM10 (1201.39 µg m–3) were found at homes using wood
burning as heating facility. The most dominant metals were Na, Fe and Al in the investigated PM2.5 and PM10
samples. The highest concentrations of black carbon were found in homes using wood burning as heating
facility. For similar homes in heating facilities, we can deduce that by increasing the number of smoking
persons the value of BC increased.
Interest rates, income distribution and the monetary policy transmissions mechanism under endogenous money: what have we learned 30 years on from Horizontalists and Verticalists?
Authors: Smithin John
Published: February 2020

This paper suggests that the near-optimal setting of the real policy rate of interest (the real overnight rate in Basil Moore's home country of Canada) is zero. This will achieve as close an approximation as possible to a fair distribution of income in a particular sense. It will also promote financial stability, inflation stability, high growth, full employment and higher real wages.
A New Industrial Policy for the Italian Start-Up Ecosystem
Authors: Volpe Roberto , Corbetta Mattia
Published: February 2020

Since 2012 the Italian Government has been engaged in the creation of a far-reaching legislative package aimed at supporting the development of the national start-up ecosystem. Drawing from policy suggestions by key players of the Italian innovation ecosystem, the so-called Italian Startup Act encompasses a vast and diversified array of tools affecting all stages of the lifecycle of newly established high-tech businesses. Data regarding the impact of the policy are publicly accessible and are subject to continuous reporting, culminating in the issuance of the Annual Relation to the Italian Parliament by the Italian Minister of Economic Development.
Identifying Aspiration Among Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units Through Occupational Therapy Feeding Evaluations
Authors: Bowman O. Jayne , Hagan Joseph L. , Toruno Rose Marie , Wiggin Mitzi M.
Published: February 2020

Importance: When a neonate’s sucking, swallowing, and breathing are disorganized, oropharyngeal aspiration often occurs and results in illness, developmental problems, and even death. Occupational therapists who work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) need to identify neonates who are at risk for aspirating so they can provide appropriate treatment.

Objective: To ascertain whether client factors and performance skills of infants ages 0–6 mo during occupational therapy feeding evaluations are related to results of videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSSs).

Design: Retrospective chart reviews.

Setting: 187-bed NICU in a nonprofit teaching hospital.

Participants: A purposive sample of 334 infants ages 0–6 mo, ≥33 wk gestational age at birth, admitted to a Level II, III, or IV NICU as defined by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Outcomes and Measures: Neonates were administered a feeding evaluation by an occupational therapist and a VFSS by a speech-language pathologist, which yielded information about client factors and performance skills.

Results: Signs and symptoms of aspiration on the evaluations were significantly associated with VFSS results. Of 310 patients, 79 had silent aspiration. Of 55 infants who demonstrated no aspiration symptoms during the feeding evaluation, 45% demonstrated aspiration symptoms on the VFSS, and 55% aspirated on the VFSS but demonstrated no symptoms of aspiration.

Conclusions and Relevance: Aspiration among infants occurs inconsistently and depends on client factors, contexts, and environments. Occupational therapists are encouraged to assess an infant’s feeding over several sessions to obtain a more accurate picture of the infant’s feeding status.

What This Article Adds: This study provides information that helps occupational therapists identify infants at risk for aspiration and make optimal recommendations regarding safe feeding practices and appropriate referrals for a VFSS. Making appropriate referrals for VFSS is also important in preventing unnecessary exposure to radiation for preterm infants.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Authors:   International Monetary Fund. African Dept.
Published: February 2020

In the last decade, rapid growth, the fastest in Sub-Saharan Africa, and strong
policies to address poverty have yielded a remarkable improvement in living standards.
But the debt-financed public investment-led development model has reached its limits,
amid a buildup in external vulnerabilities, as illustrated by severe foreign exchange
shortages and high premia on the parallel market, as well as debt and likely financial
sector vulnerabilities. Recognizing these vulnerabilities, the authorities have prepared a
“Homegrown Economic Reform Plan”. Their reform agenda is appropriately ambitious
and wide-ranging, encompassing macroeconomic reforms, structural reforms to ease
institutional and structural bottlenecks to productivity and job growth, and sectoral
reforms.
Comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography/computed tomography in pulmonary nodules: a prospective study
Authors: Can Tuba Selcuk , Uzan Gulfidan
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are the mainstay imaging methods in the evaluation and follow-up of pulmonary nodules. But they both have high radiation risk for patients. Diffusion- weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI), on the other hand, is a radiation free imaging method that gives information about the biological structure of tissues at the molecular level by measuring random movement of water in biological tissues. In this prospective study we aimed to compare the computed tomography characteristics of the nodules in terms of malignancy and to compare the accuracy of DW-MRI and PET/CT results in those patients.

Material and methods

Seventy-six patients suspicious for lung cancer on thorax CT imaging were prospectively further evaluated by thorax diffusion-weighted imaging and PET/CT. Pulmonary lesion characteristics, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and maximum standardised uptake values (SUVmax) were compared with histopathological results.

Results

There was statistically significant moderate negative correlation between PET-SUVmax and ADC values of lung lesions. ADC values below the cut-off was 97.1%, specificity was 97.6%, positive predictive value was 97.1%, and the negative predictive value was 97.6%.

Conclusions

DAG-MRI and PET/CT have similar success in the differentiation of benign and malignant lung lesions.
Diastasis of rectus abdominis muscles: patterns of anatomical variation as demonstrated by ultrasound
Authors: Corvino Antonio , De Rosa Dario , Sbordone Carolina , Nunziata Antonio , Corvino Fabio , Varelli Carlo , Catalano Orlando
Published: February 2020

Purpose

The aim of our study was to categorise the anatomical variations of rectus abdominis muscle diastasis (dia­stasis recti) by using ultrasound (US).

Material and methods

In a one-year period 92 women were evaluated with US because of suspected diastasis of rectus muscles. Patients were examined in a supine position, with head extended, upper limbs aligned to the trunk, and knees flexed. US was performed with high-frequency, broad-band transducers. Trapezoid field-of-view and extended field-of-view were employed to measure diastasis exceeding 5 cm. Diastasis was defined as a margin-to-margin distance > 20 mm at rest and classified according to the following anatomical patterns: open only above the navel, open only below the navel, open at the navel level, open completely but wider above the navel, and open completely but wider below the navel.

Results

Diastasis was found in 82 patients (30-61 years old, mean age 35 years). The width was 21-97 mm, mean 39 mm. The prevalence and severity of the anatomical patterns was as follows: open only above the navel in 48 patients (21-88 mm, mean 40 mm), open only below the navel in one patient (33 mm), open at the navel level in seven patients (23-39 mm, mean 34 mm), open completely but wider above the navel in 24 patients (21-97 mm, mean 41 mm), open completely but wider below the navel in two patients (21-29 mm, mean 25 mm).

Conclusions

The above-navel patterns of recti muscle diastasis are the most common. Even when open completely, diastasis is usually wider above the navel. Knowledge of the anatomical type of rectus muscle diastasis could be of value to the patient (exercises to do and to avoid) and to the surgeon (abdominoplasty planning).
Ultrasound elastography in the evaluation of peripheral neuropathies: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Zakrzewski Jakub , Zakrzewska Katarzyna , Pluta Katarzyna , Nowak Oleg , Miłoszewska-Paluch Anna
Published: February 2020

Peripheral neuropathy is associated with an increase in intraneural pressure, and hence ultrasound elastography seems to be an ideal method to detect early stages of this condition based on changes in the affected nerve stiffness. The aim of this systematic review was to analyse the applicability of strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) in the evaluation of peripheral nerves in patients with neuropathy of various aetiologies. Published evidence shows clearly that ultrasound elastography can accurately diagnose many types of peripheral neuropathies (carpal tunnel syndrome and other entrapment neuropathies, diabetic peripheral neuropathy and peripheral neuropathy associated with other systemic diseases), sometimes at the stages at which the condition is still asymptomatic. However, it is still unclear whether elastographic changes within the nerves precede functional anomalies detectable on nerve conduction studies. Also, relatively little is known about the relationship between the stiffness of peripheral nerves and the severity of peripheral neuropathy and its underlying condition. Based on the reproducibility data, SWE seems to be superior to SE. Nevertheless, the sources of heterogeneity in the peripheral nerve stiffness in healthy persons need to be identified, and the sets of reference values for specific peripheral nerves need to be determined. Finally, the potential confounding effect of hardening artefacts, such as bones, on the stiffness of peripheral nerves needs to be verified. After addressing all these issues, elastographic evaluation of peripheral nerve stiffness might become a reliable, easily accessible, and convenient diagnostic test performed routinely in patients with various peripheral neuropathies.
Imaging spectrum of meningiomas: a review of uncommon imaging appearances and their histopathological and prognostic significance
Authors: Krishnan Venkatram , Mittal Mahesh K. , Sinha Mukul
Published: February 2020

Meningiomas are the most common primary non-glial intracranial neoplasms. In most cases, meningiomas have typical imaging appearances and locations, enabling a straightforward radiological diagnosis. However, a myriad of unusual appearances potentially complicate the imaging picture. Furthermore, certain imaging features can also predict the specific histopathological nature and WHO grade of the meningioma. ‘Typical’ meningiomas include meningothelial, fibrous, and transitional variants and have the characteristic imaging features described for meningiomas. Several ‘atypical’ variants exist, which, although less common, also generally have a less favourable prognosis and necessitate early diagnosis. In addition, meningiomas can occur in a variety of unusual intracranial and even extra-cranial locations and need to be distinguished from the more common tumours of these regions on imaging. Any associated oedema or haemorrhagic changes may alter the prognosis and have to be carefully assessed and reported. Cystic changes in meningiomas have been divided into five subtypes, and accurate characterisation is essential to predict the prognosis. An extensive review of the several possible variations in imaging appearances of meningiomas including the differential features of common and uncommon variants would facilitate informative radiological reporting of meningiomas. This would be expected to improve pre-operative planning prior to surgical biopsy and thereby improve disease prognosis and patient outcomes.
Ultrasound elastography as a potential method to evaluate entrapment neuropathies in elite athletes: a mini-review
Authors: Dąbrowska-Thing Agnieszka , Zakrzewski Jakub , Nowak Oleg , Nitek Żaneta
Published: February 2020

Entrapment neuropathies constitute a significant albeit still neglected problem in athletes. Currently available diagnostic options in patients with suspected neuropathies, nerve conduction studies, and magnetic resonance imaging have some drawbacks, mostly related to their invasive character, high cost, and limited availability. This paper reviews published articles documenting the use of ultrasound elastography, a novel technique to determine tissue strain, in the evaluation of nerve stiffness in entrapment neuropathy, and it discusses potential pros and cons of this method in the examination of elite athletes. Based on the review of literature, ultrasound elastography – especially shear wave elastography – seems suitable for the evaluation of entrapment neuropathies in elite athletes. Published evidence from the general population suggests that most common entrapment neuropathies (carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy of the elbow, ulnar tunnel syndrome) are associated with a significant increase in the stiffness of affected nerves, which can be accurately detected with ultrasound elastography. Before adding ultrasound elastography to the armamentarium of diagnostic tests used routinely in athletes, its accuracy in the detection of entrapment neuropathies needs to be verified in this specific group, and the reference values for peripheral nerve strain in sportspersons need to be determined.
Neorealist Film Culture, 1945-1954
Authors: Pitassio Francesco
Published: February 2020

Unique, truthful, brutal... Neorealism is often associated with adjectives stressing its peculiarities in representing the real, its lack of antecedents, and its legacy in terms of film style. While this is useful when confronting auteurs such as De Sica, Rossellini or Visconti, it becomes problematic when examining a widespread cultural practice that realistic modes deeply affected. This cultural production included filmmaking, literature, visual culture and photography, as well as media discourses. It was internally contradictory but fruitful inasmuch as its legacy influenced national culture for many decades to come. The volume spotlights post-war Italian film culture by locating a series of crossroads, i.e. topics barely examined when discussing neorealism: nation, memory and trauma, visual culture, stardom, and performance. The aim is to deconstruct neorealism as a monument and to open up its cultural history.
Independent Filmmaking across Borders in Contemporary Asia
Authors: Ma Ran
Published: February 2020

Independent Filmmaking across Borders in Contemporary Asia examines an array of auteur-driven fiction and documentary independent film projects that have emerged since the turn of the millennium from East and Southeast Asia, a strand of transnational filmmaking that converges with Asia’s vibrant yet unevenly developed independent film movements amidst global neoliberalism. These projects bear witness to and are shaped by the ongoing historical processes of inter-Asia interaction characterized by geopolitical realignment, migration, and population displacement. This study threads together case studies of internationally acclaimed filmmakers, artists, and collectives such as Zhang Lu, Kuzoku, Li Ying, Takamine Go, Yamashiro Chikako, and Midi Z, all of whose transborder journeys and cinematic imaginations disrupt static identity affiliations built upon national, ethnic, or cultural differences. This border-crossing filmmaking can be viewed as both an aesthetic practice and a political act, reframing how people, places, and their interconnections can be perceived — thereby opening up possibilities to reimagine Asia and its connections to globalization.
The Work of Terrence Malick
Authors: Blasi Gabriella
Published: February 2020

The Work of Terrence Malick: Time-Based Ecocinema develops a timely ecocinema approach to film analysis illuminated by Benjamin's notion of the turn of time. Current work on Malick's films emphasizes the spatial dynamics of his cinema, particularly as it pertains, from within a phenomenological framework, to the viewer's experience of films. This book redirects scholarly attention to the way Malick's directorial work shapes time and duration, laying new groundwork for the analysis of how films unsettle nature-culture binaries in modernity. The study performs this intervention through a rigorous engagement with Walter Benjamin's work on time, violence and technologies and the emergent figural approach to aesthetics in film studies. Each of these methods has important precedents in film studies and other fields. The combination of methods performed in this book contributes to understanding the relevance of a time-based approach to Malick's films and the practical implications of a time-based relation to history in contemporary ecocinema discourses.
Homosexuality, Transidentity, and Islam
Authors: Zahed Ludovic-Mohamed , Bharat Adi
Published: February 2020

-- With a foreword from Jan Jaap de Ruiter. Translation and Afterword by Adi S. Bharat. -- In Homosexuality, Transidentity, and Islam: A Study of Scripture Confronting the Politics of Gender and Sexuality, Ludovic-Mohamed Zahed systematically analyses the entirety of Islamic scriptural sources that relate to the question of gender and sexuality in relation to their historical contexts. Through an approach that is certainly more politically engaged than that of most Islamic thinkers of our time, he clarifies key theological concepts that may seem esoteric to the uninitiated. In doing so, he makes a compelling case for the compatibility of sexual and gender diversity within Islam. Zahed also examines the historical and contemporary socio-political impacts of inclusive and exclusive (or, quite simply, homophobic, transphobic, and misogynistic) interpretations of scripture. This important study dynamically examines the connections between scripture, interpretation, and the politics of gender and sexuality.
Sacred Sisters
Authors: Callan Maeve
Published: February 2020

Sacred Sisters focuses on five saints: the four female Irish saints who have extant medieval biographies (Darerca, Brigid, Íte, and Samthann), and Patrick, whose writings -- fifth-century Ireland’s sole surviving texts -- attest to the centrality of women in Irish Christianity’s development. Women served as leaders and teachers, perhaps even as bishops and priests, and men and women worked together in a variety of arrangements as well as independently. Previous studies of gender in medieval Ireland have emphasized sexism and sex-segregated celibacy, dismissing abundant evidence of alternative approaches throughout the sources, including in the Lives of Ireland’s female saints. Sacred Sisters places these generally marginalized texts at its center, exploring their portraits of empowered, authoritative, compassionate women who exemplified an accepting and affirming ethics of gender and sexuality that would be unusual in many mainstream Christian movements in the present day, let alone in the Middle Ages.
Museum Processes in China
Authors: Ho Chui-fun Selina
Published: February 2020

This book challenges the museum enterprise in China as a state monopoly and considers it as a new cultural agency that has emerged in the early twenty-first century. Following a constructive and multi-perspectival approach, it discusses the roles of political and cultural-economic agents, museum intermediaries, and museum publics in the interlinked processes of regulation, cultural production and consumption, and the issues of identity and representation faced by the art museums in the Greater Pearl River Delta Region. It broadly traces the art museum from its origin as a tool of nationalism and adoption as a vehicle of modernization in both nationalist and early communist periods, until its role in the present, as it reflects the contested and alternative representations, diverse publics, and fissured identities of the post-economic reform period of China.
Data-Gathering in Colonial Southeast Asia 1800-1900
Authors: Noor Farish A.
Published: February 2020

Empire-building did not only involve the use of excessive violence against native communities, but also required the gathering of data about the native Other. This is a book about books, which looks at the writings of Western colonial administrators, company-men and map-makers who wrote about Southeast Asia in the 19th century. In the course of their information-gathering they had also framed the people of Southeast Asia in a manner that gave rise to Orientalist racial stereotypes that would be used again and again. Data-Gathering in Colonial Southeast Asia 1800-1900: Framing the Other revisits the era of colonial data-collecting to demonstrate the workings of the imperial echo chamber, and how in the discourse of 19th century colonial-capitalism data was effectively weaponized to serve the interests of Empire.
Eurocentrism in European History and Memory
Authors: Brolsma Marjet , Bruin Robin , Lok Matthijs , Berger Stefan , Drace-Francis Alex , Hoenselaars Ton , Ifversen Jan , Kemper Michael , Leerssen Joep , Rodriguez Perez Jolanda , Schmale Wolfgang , Vos Claske , Ümit Ugur
Published: February 2020

Eurocentrism means seeing the world in Europe’s terms and through European eyes. This may not be unreasonable for Europeans, but there are unforeseen consequences. Eurocentric history implies that a scientific modernity has diffused out from Europe to benefit the rest of the world, through colonies and development aid. It involves the imposition of European norms on places and times where they are often quite inappropriate. In Eurocentrism in European History and Memory, well-known scholars explore and critically analyse manifestations of Eurocentrism in representations of the European past from different disciplines — history, literature, art, memory and cultural policy — as well as from different geographical perspectives. The book investigates the role imaginings of the European past since the eighteenth century played in the construction of a Europeanist worldview and the ways in which ‘Europe’ was constructed in literature and art.
Future Challenges of Cities in Asia
Authors: Bracken Gregory , Rabé Paul , Parthasarathy R. , Sami Neha , Zhang Bing , Li Shiqiao , Qu Lei , Wan Liu , Chaves Thomas , Marks Danny , Simarmata Hendricus Andy , Hornidge Anna-Katharina , Antweiler Christoph , Mell Ian , Musil Clément , Arakali Amogh
Published: February 2020

The ten essays in Future Challenges of Cities in Asia engage with some of the most critical urban questions of the near future across Asia. These comprise socio-economic and cultural transitions as a result of urbanization; environmental challenges, especially questions of climate change, natural disasters, and environmental justice; and the challenges of urban infrastructure, built form, and new emerging types of urban settlements. The essays demonstrate that it is increasingly difficult to conceptualize the ‘urban’ as one particular type of settlement. Rather, it would be more accurate to say that the ‘urban’ characterizes a global transition in the way we are beginning to think about settlements. This book is of interest not only to researchers interested in comparative and inter-disciplinary research, but also to urban practitioners more broadly, illustrating through concrete cases the challenges that urban regions in Asia and beyond are facing, and the various opportunities that exist for dealing with these challenges.
Detection of land-surface-induced atmospheric water vapor patterns
Authors: Marke Tobias , Löhnert Ulrich , Schemann Vera , Schween Jan H. , Crewell Susanne
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Finding observational evidence of land surface and atmosphere interactions is crucial for understanding the spatial and temporal evolution of the boundary layer, as well as for model evaluation, and in particular for large-eddy simulation (LES) models. In this study, the influence of a heterogeneous land surface on the spatial distribution of atmospheric water vapor is assessed. Ground-based remote sensing measurements from a scanning microwave radiometer (MWR) are used in a long-term study over 6 years to characterize spatial heterogeneities in integrated water vapor (IWV) during clear-sky conditions at the Jülich ObservatorY for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE). The resulting deviations from the mean of the scans reveal a season- and direction-dependent IWV that is visible throughout the day. Comparisons with a satellite-derived spatial IWV distribution show good agreement for a selection of satellite overpasses during convective situations but no clear seasonal signal. With the help of a land use type classification and information on the topography, the main types of regions with a positive IWV deviation were determined to be agricultural fields and nearby open pit mines. Negative deviations occurred mainly above elevated forests and urban areas. In addition, high-resolution large-eddy simulations (LESs) are used to investigate changes in the water vapor and cloud fields for an altered land use input.
Influences of hydroxyl radicals (OH) on top-down estimates of the global and regional methane budgets
Authors: Zhao Yuanhong , Saunois Marielle , Bousquet Philippe , Lin Xin , Berchet Antoine , Hegglin Michaela I. , Canadell Josep G. , Jackson Robert B. , Dlugokencky Edward J. , Langenfelds Ray L. , Ramonet Michel , Worthy Doug , Zheng Bo
Published: February 2020

Abstract. The hydroxyl radical (OH), which is the dominant sink of methane (CH4), plays a key role to close the global methane budget. Previous research that assessed the impact of OH changes on the CH4 budget mostly relied on box modeling inversions with a very simplified atmospheric transport and no representation of the heterogeneous spatial distribution of OH radicals. Here using a variational Bayesian inversion framework and a 3D chemical transport model, LMDz, combined with 10 different OH fields derived from chemistry-climate models (CCMI experiment), we evaluate the influence of OH burden, spatial distribution, and temporal variations on the global CH4 budget. The global tropospheric mean CH4-reaction-weighted [OH] ([OH]GM-CH4) ranges 10.3–16.3 × 105 molec cm−3 across 10 OH fields during the early 2000s, resulting in inversion-based global CH4 emissions between 518 and 757 Tg yr−1. The uncertainties in CH4 inversions induced by the different OH fields are comparable to, or even larger than the uncertainty typically given by bottom-up and top-down estimates. Based on the LMDz inversions, we estimate that a 1 %-increase in OH burden leads to an increase of 4 Tg yr−1 in the estimate of global methane emissions, which is about 25 % smaller than what is estimated by box-models. The uncertainties in emissions induced by OH are largest over South America, corresponding to large inter-model differences of [OH] in this region. From the early to the late 2000s, the optimized CH4 emissions increased by 21.9 ± 5.7 Tg yr−1 (16.6–30.0 Tg yr−1), of which ~ 25 % (on average) is contributed by −0.5 to +1.8 % increase in OH burden. If the CCMI models represent the OH trend properly over the 2000s, our results show that a higher increasing trend of CH4 emissions is needed to match the CH4 observations compared to the CH4 emission trend derived using constant OH. This study strengthens the importance to reach a better representation of OH burden and of OH spatial and temporal distributions to reduce the uncertainties on the global CH4 budget.
Interacting effects of vegetation components and water level on methane dynamics in a boreal fen
Authors: Riutta Terhi , Korrensalo Aino , Laine Anna M. , Laine Jukka , Tuittila Eeva-Stiina
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Vegetation and hydrology are important controlling factors in
peatland methane dynamics. This study aimed at investigating the role of
vegetation components, sedges, dwarf shrubs, and Sphagnum mosses, in methane fluxes
of a boreal fen under natural and experimental water level drawdown
conditions. We measured the fluxes during growing seasons 2001–2004 using the
static chamber technique in a field experiment where the role of the
ecosystem components was assessed via plant removal treatments. The first
year was a calibration year after which the water level drawdown and
vegetation removal treatments were applied. Under natural water level
conditions, plant-mediated fluxes comprised 68 %–78 % of the mean growing
season flux (1.73±0.17 g CH4 m−2 month−1 from June to
September), of which Sphagnum mosses and sedges accounted for one-fourth and three-fourths,
respectively. The presence of dwarf shrubs, on the other hand, had a
slightly attenuating effect on the fluxes. In water level drawdown
conditions, the mean flux was close to zero (0.03±0.03 g CH4 m−2 month−1) and the presence and absence of the plant groups had a
negligible effect. In conclusion, water level acted as a switch; only in
natural water level conditions did vegetation regulate the net fluxes. The
results are relevant for assessing the response of fen peatland fluxes to
changing climatic conditions, as water level drawdown and the consequent
vegetation succession are the major projected impacts of climate change on
northern peatlands.