bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Young people at a revivalist summer gathering: Rituals, liminality, and emotions
Authors: Nissilä Paula
Published: June 2018

This article examines the religiosity of young people at a summer gathering of a Christian revivalist movement. Studies on religious mass events as social phenomena, as well as research on youth participation, are still quite few. The open-air summer gatherings of the traditional Finnish revivalist movements operating within the national Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland attract masses of people from all generations simultaneously as the church itself sustains losses in attendance at the more institutional collective practices. This article seeks to answer why one of these gatherings is appealing for a group of active young people by investigating their visitor experiences and the meanings attached. The study regards the event as an arena for expressing, negotiating, and reviving religious meanings. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, and narratives, this qualitative case study seeks to illustrate current religiosity and, in general, to contribute to the comprehension of collective religiousness in people’s somewhat individualized and private religious lives.
A new waste and energy nexus? Rethinking the modernisation of waste services in Delhi
Authors: de Bercegol Rémi , Gowda Shankare
Published: June 2018

One important aspect of sustainability involves the flows of materials and energy, extracted, consumed, transformed and disposed of in the functioning of urban societies, which makes it directly linked to the ‘nested’ character of infrastructure that this special issue of Urban Studies on ‘urban nexus’ is keen to address. In particular, the question of urban waste, a sector previously neglected in the field of urban policy, has slowly become a major issue in world urbanisation that can be tackled through its cross-sectorial interactions and its multidimensional effects. Through an analysis of the case of Delhi, this article aims to undertake an exploration of the waste and energy nexus in order to contribute to the current debates on the socio-technical transformations of waste infrastructure and its societal interlinkages. This article studies the effects of waste management policies in Delhi that essentially promote large centralised technical systems such as waste-to-energy plants, which are presented as a ‘modern nexus’ of waste and energy, at the expense of any ‘alternative nexus’ such as the existing traditional recycling sector. Hence, the main objective is not only to question the socio-spatial and political implications of the current reforms of the waste sector but also to discuss the development of other potential decentralised solutions that could complement the overall system in an adapted way.
Reproductive Decision Making in Spain: Heterosexual Couples’ Narratives About How They Chose to Have Children
Authors: Alvarez Bruna
Published: June 2018

This article seeks to expand researchers’ understanding of choice in the reproductive decision-making narratives of heterosexual couples to help explain fertility rates in Spain. The data comprise 32 interviews and two focus groups with heterosexual mothers and fathers. Two broad categories have been identified: couples who chose “when” to have children and couples who chose “whether” to have children. The results show that couples choosing “when” considered having children to be a normal step in the life course and had a shared plan to become parents. Couples who chose “whether” considered having children to be a voluntary lifestyle choice and decisions were more individualized. Both groups reported having decided to have children. Parents’ sense of responsibility for this decision could help explain the postponement of motherhood and low fertility rates in Spain.
Inferior Turbinate Swing Technique: A Novel Surgical Route to Approach Maxillary Sinus Area Pathology
Authors: Jung Yong Gi , Park Gi Cheol
Published: June 2018

The inferior turbinate is an important structure for maintenance of adequate physiologic function within the nasal cavity. However, it hampers access to lesions involving maxillary sinus areas, including postoperative mucocele or benign tumor, and acts as an inferior limit to widening the natural ostium of a maxillary sinus. Here, we introduce a novel technique, interior turbinate swing, to facilitate entry to the inferior meatus or maxillary sinus while maintaining integrity of the inferior turbinate. In this technique, the anterior part of inferior turbinate is cut with sharp scissors, rotated posteriorly, and held in the nasopharynx. The inferior turbinate swing technique was employed in 38 subjects, and no patients exhibited recurrence of the causative disease without complication. Therefore, we may conclude that the inferior turbinate swing technique is a simple, effective, and safe treatment option for the management of postoperative mucocele, maxillary sinusitis with narrow inlet, or benign tumors.
Refugees: A New Testament Perspective
Authors: Escobar Samuel
Published: June 2018

This study builds an argument for ‘embrace’ as an adequate Christian response to the refugee crisis. Against the ‘church as homogenous unit’ missiological theory of Donald McGavran and Peter Wagner, the author argues that the list of greetings in Romans 16 proves that at least some of the house churches in Rome were mixed – migrants of different backgrounds living together. Thus Paul’s exhortation to welcome one another.
Aging Alters Circadian Rhythms in the Mouse Eye
Authors: Baba Kenkichi , Tosini Gianluca
Published: June 2018

The eye contains a circadian system that acts independently from the master circadian clock located in the brain. This circadian system regulates important physiological functions within the eye. Emerging experimental evidence also indicates that disruption of the ocular circadian clock, or its outputs, negatively affects the overall health of the eye. Although previous studies have investigated the effect of aging on the regulation of circadian rhythms, no study has investigated the effects of aging on the circadian rhythm in the ocular system. The aim of the present study was to investigate how aging affects the circadian rhythm of PER2::LUC bioluminescence in the retina, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), and cornea. Our data suggest that among the 3 different ocular tissues investigated, the retina appears to be the most affected by aging whereas the RPE and cornea are less affected by aging. Our data, along with studies of other organs and tissues, suggest that reduction in the amplitude of rhythms is probably the most severe effect of aging on the circadian clock.
Willingness of the Public to Share Geolocation Information in a U.S. Census Bureau Survey
Authors: Olmsted-Hawala Erica , Nichols Elizabeth
Published: June 2018

In 2016, the U.S. Census Bureau conducted a split-panel experiment to explore the public’s willingness to share geolocation information within a survey. A sample of participants from a nonprobability panel were invited to take part in an online survey using their mobile device. Within the survey, one question asked for their address and then the survey requested permission to access their geolocation information. Depending on the study condition, the survey varied how the geolocation request was made and where in the survey the address and geolocation requests appeared. Results showed that the treatment that explicitly asked for permission in addition to the device’s default permission request increased female respondents’ sharing of that data but not male respondents’ sharing. Results also showed that placing the address and geolocation request toward the end of the survey significantly increased the willingness of all respondents to share their location information. Results indicated that respondents with more education and nonminority respondents were more willing to share their location data, but willingness to share location data did not depend on age of the respondent. Assuming that the respondents reported truthfully that they were at home while taking the survey and entered their home address, we found the geolocation data to be accurate to the correct block a little more than 50% of the time.
Giving up on individual justice? The effect of state non-execution of a pilot judgment on victims
Authors: Kindt Eline
Published: June 2018

The recent judgment of the ECtHR in Burmych and others v. Ukraine has shed new light on the question of how it regards individual justice in the context of the pilot judgment procedure. Confronted with a State reluctant to execute a previous pilot judgment, the Court has chosen to absorb all similar pending cases in the execution process at the Committee of Ministers. This article examines the pilot judgment procedure from the perspective of the involved applicants and aims to answer the question whether in this context the Court has given up on individual justice all together.
SiO2-coated Cu nanoparticle/epoxy resin composite and its application in the chip packaging field
Authors: Tian Qing , Li Junhui , Huiwei Xiao , Zhou Can
Published: June 2018

A silicon dioxide–copper (SiO2-Cu) epoxy resin composite material for chip packaging was made by a mechanical mixing method with epoxy resin as the base glue and SiO2 coated with nano-Cu (SiO2-Cu) particles as the filler. The dispersion of SiO2-Cu nanoparticles in epoxy resin was studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Meanwhile, the effects of the filler on the coefficient of thermal conductivity, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and the mechanical properties of the composite material were also studied. The results show that SiO2-Cu nanoparticles disperse well in the epoxy resin, the coefficient of thermal conductivity of SiO2-Cu epoxy resin composites increases with an increase in the SiO2-Cu filler amount, the coefficient of thermal conductivity begins to decline when the filling volume is over 25%, and the suitable amount of SiO2-Cu is 25% of the total volume. With the increase in the filler, the CTE of the composite decreases; when the SiO2-Cu filling amount is 25%, the material has good impact resistance and a long electromigration failure time for chip packaging materials.
Between the eye and the gaze: Maternal shame in the novel We Need to Talk about Kevin
Authors: Slobodin Ortal
Published: June 2018

This paper seeks to understand the social power of maternal shame, using a framework that integrates feminist criticism of contemporary motherhood ideologies with philosophical theories that discuss shame in the broader context of visual perception. By using Lionel Shriver’s (2005) novel We Need to Talk about Kevin, the paper illustrates how shame operates in the interplay between the socio-cultural, gendered ideals of motherhood and mothers’ representations of these ideals. Specifically, the paper suggests that today’s mothers operate under a social gaze that expects them to meet the cultural and moral standards of “good” motherhood. This internalized societal judging gaze and the perception of failing to meet these standards are often the source of maternal shame. In line with philosophical accounts which focus on the primacy of vision in shame, I argue that empathy (“seeing with the eyes of the other”) is the most powerful antidote to shame. While shame is induced by a judging gaze, empathy develops through connected gazes, each acknowledging the other’s subjectivity. Locating shame within a socio-cultural context can provide invaluable insights for psychological research and practice that pay critical attention to positionality, reflexivity, and the power relationships inherent in contemporary motherhood.
Book review: Deepak K. Mishra, Internal Migration in Contemporary India
Authors: Das Amiya Kumar
Published: June 2018

Deepak K. Mishra, Internal Migration in Contemporary India. New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 2016, ₹995 (Hardback), xiv + 343 pp. ISBN: 978-93-515-0857-1.
Translating the SDG Commitments into Reality: Time Use Data for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in the Global South
Authors: Hirway Indira
Published: June 2018

It was a great moment when all 193 member countries of United Nations adopted the Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to be achieved by 2030. Although it does not seem to be feasible to achieve all the goals by 2030, it is enough at this stage that countries understand the dynamics of the factors operating behind the poor status of the development today and adopt a new development paradigm that has the capacity to reach the SDGs sooner or later. Fortunately, the documents and reports prepared under the SDGs by the UN provide enough material to help countries to develop such a paradigm as well as they give enough flexibility and autonomy to countries for this purpose. The article argues that most countries today are moving on a development path that is far from conducive to the achievement of the SDGs including gender equality and women’s empowerment. Countries have to develop a new development path to reach these goals. The article also highlights the centrality of gender equality in the achievement of the SDGs by discussing the different areas of the SDGs. Finally, the article recommends some building blocks of an alternative development path that has gender equality and women’s empowerment build in it.
Sibling Relationships in Adoptive Families That Disrupted or Were in Crisis
Authors: Selwyn Julie
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

The study investigated whether sibling relationships influenced the outcomes of a sample of adoptive placements in England and Wales that had broken down postorder or were in crisis.

Method:

The study used secondary analysis drawing on in-depth interviews with 41 families who had experienced an adoption disruption and 42 families who described the adoptive placement as being in crisis in England and in Wales. The families contained 214 adopted and birth children.

Results:

Siblings placed together were statistically more likely to disrupt in comparison with sequential placements. Only 18 of the 83 families described normal sibling relationships. Placements intended to maintain sibling relationships had not done so.

Conclusion:

Assessments need to pay more attention to sibling dynamics. Children’s relationships might be better supported by separate placements with planned contact. Interventions are needed to improve sibling relationships.
Evanescence of Endometrial Carcinomas in Hysterectomy Specimens: Observations on the “Vanishing Cancer” Phenomenon
Authors: Bharani Vani , Rai Bhavana , Rajwanshi Arvind , Gupta Nalini , Dey Pranab , Kalra Jasvinder , Suri Vanita , Srinivasan Radhika
Published: June 2018

Background. The phenomenon of vanishing carcinomas, first described in context of prostatic carcinomas, has been documented in endometrial carcinomas as well. Methods. The archives of the department were searched for case files of endometrial carcinoma diagnosed on endometrial curetting/biopsy but which did not reveal any cancer on the subsequent hysterectomy specimen. Clinical and pathological correlation was established. Results. A total of 5 cases were retrieved with biopsy-diagnosed endometrial carcinomas, 4 endometrioid and 1 serous type, which on subsequent hysterectomies did not reveal any tumor. These 5 cases represented 1.56% of total hysterectomies in our series. All were Stage Ia tumors, which on follow-up (mean = 18.2 months) did not show any local reoccurrence. Adjuvant therapy was instituted in 1 case in the form of pelvic irradiation in view of the serous histology. In all cases, the primary diagnosis was reconfirmed and any remote possibility of incorrect patient identification, laboratory errors, and institution of hormonal therapy were adequately ruled out along with an extensive endometrial sampling in hysterectomy. Conclusion. The recognition of “vanishing endometrial carcinoma” as a distinct entity is of utmost importance to avoid mislabeling them as medical errors.
The Effect of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 Inhibition on Sterol Absorption Markers in a Cohort of Real-World Patients
Authors: Brandt Eric J. , Benes Lane B. , Lee Linda , Dayspring Thomas D. , Sorrentino Matthew , Davidson Michael
Published: June 2018

Background:

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is expressed in multiple tissues, including the small intestine. The effect of PCSK9 inhibition on cholesterol absorption is not known.

Objectives:

Measure serum cholesterol absorption markers before and after initiation of PCSK9 inhibitors.

Methods:

Single-center retrospective cohort of patients administered evolocumab and alirocumab between July 2015 and January 2017. Paired t tests were used to compare mean serum cholesterol marker concentrations, and ratios to total cholesterol, before and after PCSK9 inhibitor initiation. Analyses were repeated for those taking and not taking statins and taking or not taking ezetimibe at both initiation and follow-up, for each PCSK9 inhibitor, and based on follow-up time (<60, 60-120, and >120 days).

Results:

There were 62 possible participants, 34 were excluded for lack of data or unknown PCSK9 inhibitor initiation date. Average follow-up was 92.5 days. Mean campesterol (before 3.14 μg/mL, 95% CI: 2.79-4.38 μg/mL; after 2.09 μg/mL, 95% CI: 1.87-2.31 μg/mL; P < .0001), sitosterol (before 2.46 μg/mL, 95% CI: 2.23-2.70 μg/mL; after 1.62 μg/mL, 95% CI: 1.48-1.75 μg/mL; P < .0001), and cholestanol (before 3.25 μg/mL, 95% CI: 3.04-3.47 μg/mL; after 2.08 μg/mL, 95% CI: 1.96-2.21 μg/mL; P < .0001) all significantly decreased at follow-up. There was no significant change in absorption marker to total cholesterol ratios. Findings were not influenced by statin or ezetimibe use or nonuse, which PCSK9 inhibitor was prescribed, or time to follow-up.

Conclusion:

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibition was associated with decreased cholesterol absorption markers.
A Quarter of a Century Later: What is Dofetilide’s Clinical Role Today?
Authors: Wolbrette Deborah L. , Hussain Sarah , Maraj Ilir , Naccarelli Gerald V.
Published: June 2018

Dofetilide is a class III antiarrhythmic agent approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the conversion of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter and maintenance of sinus rhythm in symptomatic patients with persistent arrhythmia. Drug trials showed neutral mortality in post–myocardial infarction patients and those with heart failure. This is a review of postmarket data, including real-world efficacy and safety in a variety of populations. Dofetilide has been used off-label with success in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter, as well as atrial tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia. The real-world acute conversion rate of atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter is higher than that reported in clinical trials. Dofetilide has an acceptable safety profile when initiated (or reloaded) under hospital monitoring and dosed according to creatinine clearance. Dofetilide is well tolerated and a good choice for patients with acceptable renal function and a normal QT interval, especially if atrioventricular nodal blockade needs to be avoided.
Analytical investigation on geared rotor system with multi-body fault based on finite element method
Authors: Li Wei , Pang Daqian
Published: June 2018

With the rapid development of modern industry, the situation of high speed and heavy load is becoming even more relevant in the gear transmission system. Under the condition of high speed and heavy load, the fault type and frequency of the gear transmission system are gradually increasing. Effective and accurate detection of fault location and fault type is one of the difficult problems in today’s fault diagnosis. In the case of high speed and heavy load, the probability of multi-body fault is greatly increased. However, most of the current fault diagnosis methods are limited to the study of single fault characteristics, and do not take into account the multi body fault. In this paper, the single crack, gear coupling crack, single shaft crack, and gear and shaft coupling crack signal are analyzed by means of the short-time Fourier transform, and the corresponding fault characteristics of different fault types are found out. The modal analysis of the fault state of the gear transmission system is carried out, the structural characteristics of the gear drive are verified, and the influence of the different fault forms on the vibration characteristics of the gear is compared.
State Government Preemption of Local Government Decisions Through the State Courts
Authors: Swanson Jeffrey , Barrilleaux Charles
Published: June 2018

What factors are associated with state government preemption of local government policies? This research asks whether state courts limit local authority in areas in which local preferences differ from the state’s, and whether this is conditioned by the level of autonomy the state grants the local government. Using a newly constructed data set of 404 local governments that had local ordinances challenged in state courts between the years 1996 and 2017, we find that local governments with citizen ideological preferences that differ from the state are less likely to have an ordinance preempted by the courts when the level of local autonomy given by the state is high. Thus, institutions like home rule provide local governments with certain legal protections from challenges to local authority.
Warrior Scholars & Bridge Builders: Civic Dreaming in ELA Classrooms
Authors: Mirra Nicole , Coffey Jerica , Englander Ashley
Published: June 2018

This study explores how two high school English language arts (ELA) teachers leveraged disciplinary literacy practices in their classrooms to help students explore their identities as citizens and imagine a more just and equitable democratic society. Using a figured worlds framework, the study articulates a sociocritical approach to civic literacy learning that challenges neoliberal constructions of citizenship and literacy and situates ELA classes as crucial sites of civic education. Findings demonstrate how the intersection of teacher and student identities, literacy practices, and learning contexts create distinct classroom civic worlds in which civic dreaming can take place and democratic praxis can be enacted. The authors suggest a need for the field of ELA to consider the intersections of race, literacy, and citizenship to challenge social inequities through classroom learning.
Tele-delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A mixed-methods feasibility study
Authors: Farver-Vestergaard Ingeborg , O’Connor Maja , Smith Nina C , Løkke Anders , Bendstrup Elisabeth , Zachariae Robert
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has been shown to reduce psychological distress in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but uptake and attendance rates of hospital-based, face-to-face mindfulness-based cognitive therapy are low. The present mixed-methods study evaluates the clinical feasibility of home-based, tele-delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Methods

Eight patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (mean age: 72.6 years; 50% female) received a standardised eight-week mindfulness-based cognitive therapy programme delivered via home-based video-conferences in groups of four. Feasibility in relation to (a) clinical change, (b) attendance and (c) instructor-patient working alliance were evaluated with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews.

Results

Statistically non-significant reductions in psychological distress (Cohen’s d = 0.504; p = 0.399) and physical health status impairment ( d = 0.743; p = 0.156) were observed from pre- to post-intervention. Participant narratives about clinical outcomes focused on changes in how to relate to unpleasant sensations, i.e. through attentional flexibility, taking a pause and acceptance. The average attendance rate was 7.5 (standard deviation = 0.8) out of eight sessions and no participants dropped out. The tele-based format appeared to accommodate participants’ planning difficulties and promoted their ability and wish to participate. Although participant narratives suggested the tele-based format to be a barrier to developing a trusting and safe therapeutic environment, working alliance questionnaire scores were comparable to those found for face-to-face mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Discussion

The preliminary results indicate that tele-delivered mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a clinically feasible intervention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Future large-scale, randomised controlled trials testing its efficacy on the outcomes of psychological distress and physical health status should include analyses of potential mediators and moderators of the effect as well as and careful monitoring of attendance and adverse events.
Evaluating a stroke-specific version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised, using the Think-Aloud method
Authors: Aujla Navneet , Vedhara Kavita , Walker Marion , Sprigg Nikola
Published: June 2018

The main purpose was to evaluate, using the Think-Aloud method, a version of the Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised for stroke survivors. Six stroke survivors (mean age = 58.8 years, range = 31–78 years, standard deviation = 18.9 years) took part in Think-Aloud interviews, analysed according to established guidelines. Overall, 179 problems emerged. The most noteworthy was missing or insufficient Think-Aloud data generated, where participants did not think out loud. Others included complex and negative item wording, and items on the treatment control sub-scale. Questionnaire length, simpler wording and verbal probing are important considerations in further development of an Illness Perception Questionnaire–Revised for stroke survivors.
Examining fat talk and self-compassion as distinct motivational processes in women’s eating regulation: A self-determination theory perspective
Authors: Guertin Camille , Barbeau Kheana , Pelletier Luc
Published: June 2018

This study examined whether pursuing intrinsic versus extrinsic goals was associated with distinct motivational processes in eating regulation and with healthy versus unhealthy eating. Path analysis demonstrated that appearance goals were associated with fat talk, whereas health goals were associated with self-compassion. Fat talk was positively associated with non-self-determined motivation and unhealthy eating, whereas self-compassion was positively associated with self-determined motivation and healthy eating, and negatively associated with unhealthy eating. Findings emphasize the negative effects of pursuing appearance goals and engaging in fat talk and the benefits of pursuing health goals and being self-compassionate.
Assessing pain in children in the perioperative setting
Authors: Bennett Michelle
Published: June 2018

Pain assessment and management in children is challenging for a number of reasons. This paper aims to identify these challenges and highlight strategies for effective pain assessment and management in children in the perioperative setting.
Impact of relative dose intensity in gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy for metastatic urothelial carcinoma
Authors: Kohei Naoki , Sugiyama Kyohei , Chihara Ichiro , Muro Yusuke , Imamura Masaaki , Nishio Yasunori , Yoshimura Koji
Published: June 2018

Objectives:

To evaluate the impact of relative dose intensity for gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy in patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 18 patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma, who received gemcitabine–cisplatin regimen as the first-line chemotherapy between 2009 and 2015. The doses of gemcitabine and cisplatin were reduced or the intervals between treatment cycles were prolonged according to the treatment efficacy and adverse events during the first and second cycles. The individually optimal relative dose intensity was set as the actual dose per the standard dose in the first and second cycles. From the third course onward, patients received the gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy with the same relative dose intensity. Overall survival was compared with the groups according to the value of relative dose intensity.

Results:

The median age was 72.5 (range, 56–79) years and 15 men and 3 women were enrolled in the study. The median number of cycles of first-line gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy was 8 (range, 2–17), and the median survival time from initiation of first-line chemotherapy was 20.1 (range, 3.5–32.8) months. The total median relative dose intensity of gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy was 56.1%. The median survival time of 10 patients in the group with the relative dose intensity of less than 60% was significantly longer than that of 8 patients in the group with the relative dose intensity of more than 60% (19.2 and 11.0 months, respectively, p = 0.04).

Conclusion:

Individual low relative dose intensity management in the first-line gemcitabine–cisplatin chemotherapy may be an acceptable option for patients with metastatic urothelial carcinoma.
Harboring Contaminants in Repeatedly Reprocessed Pedicle Screws
Authors: Agarwal Aakash , Schultz Christian , Agarwal Anand K. , Wang Jeffrey C. , Garfin Steve R. , Anand Neel
Published: June 2018

Study Design:

It consisted of evaluation of the pedicle screws for presence of residual nonmicrobial contaminants and tabulation of the minimum steps and time required for reprocessing implants as per guidelines and its comparison with actual practice.

Objective:

An evaluation of the nonmicrobial contaminants prevalent on the pedicle screws used for spine surgery and the underlying practice cause behind the source.

Methods:

The first component consisted of a random selection of 6 pedicle screws and its assessment using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The second component consisted of review of implant reprocessing guidelines and its applicability.

Results:

Three types of contaminants were identified: corrosion, saccharide of unknown origin, and soap residue mixed with and were mostly present at the interfaces with low permeability. In addition, manufacturer’s guideline recommends 19 hours of reprocessing, whereas the real-time observation revealed a turnaround time of 1 hour 17 minutes.

Conclusion:

Repeatedly reprocessed pedicle screws host corrosion, carbohydrate, fat, and soap, which could be a cause of surgical site infection and inflammatory responses postsurgery. The cause behind it is the impracticality of repeated cleaning and inspection of such devices.
Not in Your Backyard! Organizational Structure, Partisanship, and the Mobilization of Nonbeneficiary Constituents against “Fracking” in Illinois, 2013–2014
Authors: Dokshin Fedor A. , Buday Amanda
Published: June 2018

In the interest of enlarging their constituencies, social movements often broaden mobilization efforts beyond the directly aggrieved, beneficiary populations. The authors examine this process through an analysis of a movement against unconventional oil and gas development (UOGD or “fracking”) in Illinois. Using data on more than 37,000 public comments submitted during a regulatory review of fracking, the authors examine the composition of the antifracking movement’s constituency. Individuals residing outside the targeted development region submitted the vast majority of the comments opposing UOGD. Analyses reveal that these participants tend to be Democratic partisans who were affiliated with one or more large environmental and progressive organizations. The study offers new insight into how environmental and progressive issue campaigns are organized in the contemporary U.S. context. The authors highlight how partisan discursive opportunities combine with recent organizational innovations in the social movement sector to enable nascent single-issue campaigns to tap into the mobilization potential of motivated partisans.
Familial aggregation and heritability of sarcoidosis: a Swedish nested case−control study
Authors: Rossides Marios , Grunewald Johan , Eklund Anders , Kullberg Susanna , Di Giuseppe Daniela , Askling Johan , Arkema Elizabeth V.
Published: June 2018

Sarcoidosis is believed to be caused by both genetic and environmental risk factors, but the proportion of the susceptibility to sarcoidosis that is mediated by genetics remains unknown. We aimed to estimate the familial aggregation and heritability of sarcoidosis using a case–control–family study design and population-based Swedish registers.

We identified 23 880 individuals with visits for sarcoidosis in the Swedish National Patient Register using International Classification of Diseases codes (1964‒2013). Information on Löfgren's syndrome was available for a subset diagnosed at Karolinska University Hospital (Stockholm, Sweden). General population controls were matched to cases (10:1). Relatives of cases and controls were identified from the Swedish Multi-Generation Register and ascertained for sarcoidosis in the National Patient Register. We estimated familial relative risks for sarcoidosis using conditional logistic regression and heritability using biometric models.

Having at least one first-degree relative with sarcoidosis was associated with a 3.7-fold increase in the risk of sarcoidosis (95% CI 3.4−4.1). The relative risk increased in those with two or more relatives (relative risk 4.7) and in Löfgren's syndrome (relative risk 4.1). The heritability was 39% (95% CI 12−65%).

This large investigation showed that having a relative with sarcoidosis is a very strong risk factor for the disease. Genetic variation is an important, albeit partial, contributing factor to the risk for sarcoidosis.
Accurate diffraction imaging for detecting small-scale geologic discontinuities
Authors: Lin Peng , Peng Suping , Zhao Jingtao , Cui Xiaoqin , Du Wenfeng
Published: June 2018

Seismic diffractions contain valuable information regarding small-scale inhomogeneities or discontinuities, and therefore they can be used for seismic interpretation in the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoirs. Velocity analysis is a necessary step for accurate imaging of these diffractions. A new method for diffraction velocity analysis and imaging is proposed that uses an improved adaptive minimum variance beamforming technique. This method incorporates the minimum variance, coherence factor, and correlation properties to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and enhance correlations. Our method can make seismic diffractions become better focused in semblance panels, allowing for the optimal migration velocity for diffractions to be accurately picked. Synthetic and field examples demonstrate that the migration velocity for the diffractions can differ from that for the reflections. The results suggest that the diffraction velocity analysis and imaging method is feasible for accurately locating and identifying small-scale discontinuities, which leads to the possibility of using this approach for practical application and seismic interpretation.
A stable approach for Q-compensated viscoelastic reverse time migration using excitation amplitude imaging condition
Authors: Zhao Xuebin , Zhou Hui , Wang Yufeng , Chen Hanming , Zhou Zheng , Sun Pengyuan , Zhang Jianlei
Published: June 2018

The earth [Formula: see text] filtering causes poor illumination of the subsurface. Compensating for the attenuated amplitude and distorted phase is crucial during elastic reverse time migration (ERTM) to improve the imaging quality. Conventional [Formula: see text]-compensated ERTM ([Formula: see text]-ERTM) methods tend to boost the attenuated energy to inverse the [Formula: see text] effects. These methods usually suffer from severe numerical instability because of the unlimited amplification of the high-frequency noise. Low-pass filtering is generally used to stabilize the process, however, at the expense of precision. We have developed a stable compensation approach in this paper. Based on the decoupled fractional Laplacians viscoelastic wave equation, two compensation operators are obtained by extrapolating wavefield in the dispersion-only and viscoelastic media. Because no explicit amplification is included, these two operators are absolutely stable for implementation. To improve the division morbidity for calculating the compensation operators, we use the excitation amplitude criterion and embed the operators into a vector-based [Formula: see text]-compensated excitation amplitude imaging condition. With the derived imaging condition, we could compensate for the absorption accurately without needing to concern the stability issue. The [Formula: see text]-ERTM results for noise-free data are carried out over a simple layered model and a more realistic Marmousi model with an attenuating area to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach. The migration results for noisy data from the Marmousi model further prove that the proposed method performs better fidelity, adaptability, and antinoise performance compared with conventional compensation method with low-pass filtering.
Usefulness of the Korean Version of the CAGE-Adapted to Include Drugs Combined With Clinical Predictors to Screen for Opioid-Related Aberrant Behavior
Authors: Lee Chang-Soon , Kim Daehyun , Park Sang-Yoen , Lee Sang Chul , Kim Young-Chul , Moon Jee Youn
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND:

As national opioid consumption in South Korea has soared, well-validated screening tools for opioid use disorder (OUD) have become indispensable. The aims of our study were to evaluate OUD using the Korean version of the CAGE-Adapted to Include Drugs (CAGE-AID) and the CAGE-Opioid (an alternative version of the CAGE-AID), and to investigate clinical predictors that might be useful to screen for OUD in conjunction with the CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaires.

METHODS:

A single-center, prospective, observational study was performed. After linguistic validation of the Korean version of the CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaires, we assessed OUD in patients with chronic opioid treatment. Multivariable logistic models of the CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaires combined with relevant clinical predictors were established. Then, the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of the multivariable CAGE-AID/Opioid models was conducted to assess diagnostic accuracy to screen for OUD. Next, we calculated predicted probability with >85% sensitivity and >50% specificity in each CAGE-AID and CAGE-Opioid model. Using the optimal value of the predicted probability, a cutoff score of the CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaires combined with the relevant clinical factors was suggested to screen for OUD.

RESULTS:

Among 201 participants, 51 patients showed ≥1 OUDs. In the multivariable regression model, male sex, comorbid neuropsychiatric disorder, and current heavy drinking significantly remained as clinical variables to predict OUD combined with the scores of the Korean CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaire. The area under the curve was 0.77 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.83) for the CAGE-AID model and 0.78 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.83) for the CAGE-Opioid model. The optimal predicted probability values to screen for OUD in the CAGE-AID/Opioid models were >0.135 (sensitivity, 0.86; specificity, 0.52) and >0.142 (sensitivity, 0.86; specificity, 0.53), respectively. When we used these predictive probabilities, the cutoff score of the CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaires ranged from 0 to 3, which was dependent on the presence of the relevant clinical variables in each model.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this study, one fourth of the total participants with chronic opioid treatment showed OUD in the Korean population. The multivariable models of the CAGE-AID/Opioid with sex, comorbid neuropsychiatric disorder, and current heavy drinking are valid parameters to screen for OUD, with the cutoff scores of the CAGE-AID/Opioid questionnaires ranging from 0 to 3 depending on the presence of the clinical variables.
Coagulation factor 9-deficient mice are protected against dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis
Authors: Khandagale Avinash , Kittner Jens M. , Mann Amrit , Ascher Stefanie , Kollar Bettina , Reinhardt Christoph
Published: June 2018

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are susceptible to thromboembolism. Interestingly, IBD occurs less frequently in patients with inherited bleeding disorders. Therefore, we analysed whether F9-deficiency is protective against the onset of acute colitis in a genetic hemophilia B mouse model. In the 3.5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model, F9-deficient mice were protected from body weight loss and had a reduced disease activity score. We detected decreased colonic myeloperoxidase activity and decreased CXCL-1 levels in DSS-treated F9-deficient mice compared with WT littermate controls, indicating decreased neutrophil infiltration. Remarkably, we identified expression of coagulation factor IX (FIX) protein in small intestinal epithelial cells (MODE-K). In epithelial cell cultures, cellular FIX protein expression was increased following stimulation with the bacterial Toll-like receptor agonists lipopolysaccharide, macrophage-activating lipopeptide-2 and Pam3CSK4. Thus, we revealed a protective role of F9-deficiency in DSS-induced colitis and identified the intestinal epithelium as a site of ectopic FIX.
Life after Lead: Effects of Early Interventions for Children Exposed to Lead
Authors: Billings Stephen B. , Schnepel Kevin T.
Published: June 2018

Lead pollution is consistently linked to cognitive and behavioral impairments, yet little is known about the benefits of public health interventions for children exposed to lead. This paper estimates the long-term impacts of early life interventions (e.g., lead remediation, nutritional assessment, medical evaluation, developmental surveillance, and public assistance referrals) recommended for lead-poisoned children. Using linked administrative data from Charlotte, NC, we compare outcomes for children who are similar across observable characteristics but differ in eligibility for intervention due to blood lead test results. We find that the negative outcomes previously associated with early life exposure can largely be reversed by intervention. (JEL I12, I18, I21, J13, J24, Q51)
Paying to Avoid Recession: Using Reenlistment to Estimate the Cost of Unemployment
Authors: Borgschulte Mark , Martorell Paco
Published: June 2018

This paper provides revealed preference estimates of the monetary value to workers of a lower unemployment rate at the time of job separation. By examining the decision between reenlisting and exiting the military, we find that service members would sacrifice 1.5–2 percent in earnings to avoid a 1 percentage point increase in the home-state unemployment rate during job search. Comparing these quantities to realized earnings losses for those who separate suggests that the value of nonwork time and other factors (e.g., private and public transfers) offset less than one-third of the earnings losses caused by exiting the military into a weak labor market. (JEL E24, E32, J31, J45, J64)
The Persistent Power of Behavioral Change: Long-Run Impacts of Temporary Savings Subsidies for the Poor
Authors: Schaner Simone
Published: June 2018

I use a field experiment in rural Kenya to study how temporary incentives to save impact long-run economic outcomes. Study participants randomly selected to receive large temporary interest rates on an individual bank account had significantly more income and assets 2.5–3.5 years after the interest rates expired. These changes are much larger than the short-run impacts on experimental bank account use and almost entirely driven by growth in entrepreneurship. In contrast, interest rates on joint accounts and modest cash payments did not significantly impact long-run economic outcomes. (JEL C93, D13, D14, D90, G21, I32, O12)
Diplomacia financiera en la periferia global: entre la cooperación y la coerción. Aproximaciones teórico-empíricas a partir de las relaciones crediticias de Argentina con Venezuela y China
Authors: Fernández Alonso José Marcelino
Published: June 2018

El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar las características reportadas por la diplomacia financiera entre los países de la periferia global durante los primeros años del siglo XXI. En términos específicos, el artículo enfoca su escrutinio en los lazos crediticios entretejidos por la República Argentina con la República Bolivariana de Venezuela y la República Popular China (RPC) en aras de sortear su marginación financiera internacional. A modo de hipótesis, el artículo sostiene que los canales y los dispositivos de diplomacia financiera articulados entre Argentina y Venezuela, y Argentina y la rpc resultaron habilitados tanto por la acumulación de reservas internacionales como por la afinidad político-identitaria, aunque condicionados por el grado de asimetrías entre las partes. Tras la validación empírica de la misma, el trabajo concluye que, aunque relevantes para la concreción de las operaciones crediticias, los factores habilitantes de la diplomacia financiera tuvieron una ponderación desigual: la afinidad político-identitaria (instancia ideacional) gravitó detrás de la disponibilidad de recursos (instancia material). Por otra parte, las modalidades que asumieron dichos canales y dispositivos estuvieron, en efecto, condicionadas por el grado de asimetría entre los Estados intervinientes. De este modo, los desequilibrios estructurales crecientes entre Argentina y la rpc redundaron en que las iniciativas de cooperación financiera se reconocieran ante todo signadas por una lógica coercitiva, en contraste con lo reportado con las vinculaciones con Venezuela.
Reel them in with passion
Authors: Bissett Julie
Published: June 2018

Enthusiasm is a ‘big catch’ when it comes to landing that next big job and you should cast you net wide. Julie Bissett explains
‘I fainted on my first day as a dental nurse’
Authors: Bissett Gaby
Published: June 2018

Dental nurse Nikita White talks new job jitters with Gaby Bissett and shares her experience of those first nerve-wracking weeks in practice
Not just a paper exercise
Authors: Sharma Priya
Published: June 2018

Priya Sharma reveals why the control of hazardous substances is a vital part of your role and good for everyone's health
Medical emergencies – and you
Authors: Gray Sophie
Published: June 2018

When did you last update your skills?
Specifying a Gold Standard for the Validation of Fetal Fraction Estimation in Prenatal Screening
Authors: Wald Nicholas J , Lau King Wai , Bestwick Jonathan P , Old Robert W , Huttly Wayne J , Cheng Ray
Published: June 2018

BACKGROUND

An estimate of fetal fraction (FF) is needed for DNA-based screening for trisomy 21 and other aneuploidies, but there is no gold standard to validate FF measurement methods. We specify a gold standard and use it to validate a method of measuring FF (SeqFF) in singleton pregnancies.

METHODS

The gold standard was a formula derived from 2 elements: (a) an estimate of the percentage of DNA fragments in maternal plasma from chromosome 21 (%Ch21) in pregnancies without trisomy 21, 18, or 13 (PU) and (b) calculation of %Ch21 with increasing FF in trisomy 21 pregnancies (P21). The SeqFF method was evaluated by plotting regression lines of %Ch21 and SeqFF estimates of FF in 31 singleton male and 31 female trisomy 21 pregnancies and comparing the regressions with the reference line derived from the gold standard formula.

RESULTS

The gold standard formula was P21 = (1/2)PUFF + PU, with FF expressed as a proportion, or converting %Ch21 to multiples of the median (MoM), P21(MoM) = (1/2)FF + 1. Based on 3865 pregnancies, the PU was 1.2935%. The regression lines for trisomy 21 pregnancies with male and female fetuses were almost identical to the gold standard reference line (regression slopes in MoMs 0.52 and 0.50, respectively, compared with 0.50 for the gold standard reference line).

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed gold standard can be used to validate different methods of estimating FF in singleton pregnancies. SeqFF is an accurate method of estimating FF.