bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New species and records of deep-water Orbiniidae (Annelida, Polychaeta) from the Eastern Pacific continental slope, abyssal Pacific Ocean, and the South China Sea
Authors: BLAKE JAMES A.
Published: February 2020

Eighteen species of Orbiniidae, 15 new to science, are reported from deep-sea habitats in the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. The collection includes specimens from continental slope and abyssal soft sediments as well as hydrothermal vent and methane seep sites. New collections of Califia calida Hartman, 1957, Naineris uncinata Hartman, 1957, and Phylo nudus (Moore, 1911) allow redescription and new distributional records of these species to be documented. Five species of Leitoscoloplos: L., cliffordi n. sp., L. gordaensis n sp., L. lunulus n. sp., L. sahlingi n. sp., and L. williamsae n. sp. are described together with a new species of Berkeleyia, B. lelievre n. sp., two new species of Scoloplos: S. californiensis n. sp. and S. sparsaciculus n. sp., and a new species of Leodamas, L. bathyalis n. sp. In addition, six new species of Orbiniella are described: O. abyssalis n. sp., O. eugeneruffi n. sp., O. grasslei n. sp., O. longilobata n. sp., O. rugosa n. sp., and O. tumida n. sp.
NOAA’s Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) Experiment Observations and Forecast Impacts
Authors: Wick Gary A. , Dunion Jason P. , Black Peter G. , Walker John R. , Torn Ryan D. , Kren Andrew C. , Aksoy Altug , Christophersen Hui , Cucurull Lidia , Dahl Brittany , English Jason M. , Friedman Kate , Peevey Tanya R. , Sellwood Kathryn , Sippel Jason A. , Tallapragada Vijay , Taylor James , Wang Hongli , Hood Robbie E. , Hall Philip
Published: February 2020

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT) project evaluated the ability of observations from high-altitude unmanned aircraft to improve forecasts of high-impact weather events like tropical cyclones or mitigate potential degradation of forecasts in the event of a future gap in satellite coverage. During three field campaigns conducted in 2015 and 2016, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global Hawk, instrumented with GPS dropwindsondes and remote sensors, flew 15 missions sampling 6 tropical cyclones and 3 winter storms. Missions were designed using novel techniques to target sampling regions where high model forecast uncertainty and a high sensitivity to additional observations existed. Data from the flights were examined in real time by operational forecasters, assimilated in operational weather forecast models, and applied postmission to a broad suite of data impact studies. Results from the analyses spanning different models and assimilation schemes, though limited in number, consistently demonstrate the potential for a positive forecast impact from the observations, both with and without a gap in satellite coverage. The analyses with the then-operational modeling system demonstrated large forecast improvements near 15% for tropical cyclone track at a 72-h lead time when the observations were added to the otherwise complete observing system. While future decisions regarding use of the Global Hawk platform will include budgetary considerations, and more observations are required to enhance statistical significance, the scientific results support the potential merit of the observations. This article provides an overview of the missions flown, observational approach, and highlights from the completed and ongoing data impact studies.
A Unified Nonlinear Multiscale Interaction Model of Pacific–North American Teleconnection Patterns
Authors: Luo Dehai , Ge Yao , Zhang Wenqi , Dai Aiguo
Published: February 2020

In this paper, reanalysis data are first analyzed to reveal that the individual negative (positive)-phase Pacific–North American pattern (PNA) or PNA− (PNA+) has a lifetime of 10–20 days, is characterized by strong (weak) westerly jet stream meanders, and exhibits clear wave train structures, whereas the PNA− with rapid retrogression tends to have longer lifetime and larger amplitude than the PNA+ with slow retrogression. In contrast, the wave train structure of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is less distinct, and the positive (negative)-phase NAO shows eastward (westward) movement around a higher latitude than the PNA. Moreover, it is found that the PNA wave train occurs under a larger background meridional potential vorticity gradient (PVy) over the North Pacific than that over the North Atlantic for the NAO. A unified nonlinear multiscale interaction (UNMI) model is then developed to explain why the PNA as a nonlinear wave packet has such characteristics and its large difference from the NAO. The model results reveal that the larger background PVy for the PNA (due to its location at lower latitudes) leads to its larger energy dispersion and weaker nonlinearity than the NAO, thus explaining why the PNA (NAO) is largely a linear (nonlinear) process with a strong (weak) wave train structure, though it is regarded as a nonlinear initial-value problem. The smaller PVy for the PNA− than for the PNA+ leads to lower energy dispersion and stronger nonlinearity for PNA−, which allows it to maintain larger amplitude and have a longer lifetime than the PNA+. Thus, the difference in the background PVy is responsible for the asymmetry between the two phases of PNA and the difference between the PNA and NAO.
A Climatology and Extreme Value Analysis of Large Hail in China
Authors: Ni Xiang , Muehlbauer Andreas , Allen John T. , Zhang Qinghong , Fan Jiwen
Published: February 2020

Hail size records are analyzed at 2254 stations in China and a hail size climatology is developed based on gridded hail observations for the period 1960–2015. It is found that the annual percentiles of hail size records changed sharply and national-wide after 1980, therefore two periods, 1960–79 and 1980–2015, are studied. There are some similarities between the two periods in terms of the characteristics of hail size such as the spatial distribution patterns of mean annual maximum hail size and occurrence week of annual maximum hail size. The 1980–2015 period had higher observation density than the 1960–79 period, but showed smaller mean annual maximum hail size, especially in northern China. In the majority of grid boxes, the annual maximum hail size experienced a decreasing trend during the 1980–2015 period. A Gumbel extreme value model is fitted to each grid box to estimate the return periods of maximum hail size. The scale and location parameter of the fitted Gumbel distributions are higher in eastern China than in western China, thereby reflecting a greater likelihood of large hail in eastern China. In southern China, the maximum hail size exceeds 127 mm for a 10-yr return period, whereas in northern China maximum hail size exceeds this threshold for a 50-yr return period. The Gumbel model is found to potentially underestimate the maximum hail size for certain return periods, but provides a more informed picture of the spatial distribution of extreme hail size and the regional differences.
The Ups and Downs of Camera-Monitor Systems: The Effect of Camera Position on Rearward Distance Perception
Authors: Bernhard Christoph , Hecht Heiko
Published: February 2020

Objective

This study investigates the effects of different positions of side-mounted rear-view cameras on distance estimation of drivers.

Background

Camera-monitor systems bring advantages as compared to conventional rear-view mirrors, such as improved aerodynamics and enlarged field-of-view. Applied research has mainly focused on the comparison between cameras and mirrors or on positioning of in-vehicle monitors. However, the positioning of the exterior camera awaits investigation given that the perspective of the observer at does affect depth perception at large.

Method

In two experiments, a total of 50 students estimated metric distances to static vehicles presented in realistic or 3D-rendered pictures. The pictures depicted the rearward scene of a car following the driver as viewed through a camera at varying vertical and horizontal positions. The following vehicle’s size and environmental information varied among conditions and experiments.

Results

Lower camera positions led to distance overestimation and higher positions to underestimation. The effect increased as the distance to the following vehicle decreased. Moreover, larger vehicles led to stronger distance underestimation, especially in low camera positions. Interestingly, the main effect of camera position disappeared when the ego-vehicles’ back was visible.

Conclusion

Different rearward viewpoints affect distance estimation of drivers, especially in close distances. However, a visible reference of one’s own vehicle seems to mostly compensate this effect.

Application

In general, the rear-view camera should be mounted rather higher and to the front of the vehicle. Also, the vehicle’s back should always be visible. Low camera positions are not recommended.
How can governance support collaborative innovation in the public sector? A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Lopes André Vaz , Farias Josivania Silva
Published: February 2020

Collaborative innovation has been increasingly adopted by the public sector to address complex issues and improve its efficiency. Despite the developments in the literature on this subject, recent studies still indicate the need to investigate how public governance could be organized to support collaborative processes of innovation. Through a systematic review of 36 empirical studies, this article aims to contribute to bridging this gap by identifying the characteristics that should form governance in order to support the collaborative innovation process in the public sector. The results show that the establishment of relationships of trust, supported by technology tools and promoted by leaders committed to well-established goals, is a characteristic of governance that has a positive influence on collaborative innovation processes. However, there is still a need to develop more studies that indicate the characteristics of governance that may contribute to the implementation of innovation and not just to its creation processes.

Points for practitioners

Collaboration has been shown to be a more positive strategy for innovation in the public sector in comparison with strategies that seek isolation or competition. However, it is necessary to establish governance mechanisms that contribute to the involvement of stakeholders and to the achievement of the intended results so that this strategy becomes successful. By reviewing the results of prior empirical experiences, this article identifies that in order for collaborative innovation processes in the public sector to be successful, governance must predict: the participation of top management and managers with decision-making power; the setting of clear goals and needs; the generation of useful innovation that benefits stakeholders; and the establishment of tools that facilitate communication, interaction, and the sharing of information and knowledge. This information provides managers and public policymakers with key indicators, learned from prior mistakes and accomplishments, for the implementation of this innovation strategy in their organizations.
The Role of Enculturation, Racial Identity, and Body Mass Index in the Prediction of Body Dissatisfaction in African American Women
Authors: Awad Germine H. , Kashubeck-West Susan , Bledman Rashanta A. , Coker Angela D. , Stinson Rebecca D. , Mintz Laurie B.
Published: February 2020

The purpose of the current study was to examine the role of enculturation and racial identity in the prediction of body dissatisfaction and weight preoccupation in a sample of African American women. Participants consisted of 278 African American female college students enrolled in a large Midwestern university who completed a racial identity measure, an African American enculturation measure, and body dissatisfaction measures. Simultaneous regression results suggested that preencounter self-hatred attitudes were the only racial identity dimension to significantly predict body dissatisfaction. In addition, the level of enculturation significantly predicted body dissatisfaction, suggesting that African American women who were highly enculturated experienced greater body dissatisfaction. Subsequent mediational analyses found that body mass index fully mediated the relationship between enculturation and body dissatisfaction for African American women. Greater enculturation was associated with a higher body mass index, which in turn predicted greater overweight preoccupation. Study implications are discussed.
An improved particle filter propeller fault prediction method based on grey prediction for underwater vehicles
Authors: He Jiayu , Li Ye , Cao Jian , Li Yueming , Jiang Yanqing , An Li
Published: February 2020

The overall architectural complexity of autonomous underwater vehicles continuous to increase, enlarging the probability of fault occurrence in subsystems. Estimating the thrust loss by particle filter provided a useful method to detect the fault in propeller subsystem. In order to detect the fault in propellers as early as possible, the particle filter direct prediction method could amplify the fault trend and detect the fault earlier, but at the same time increase the possibility of false diagnosis. Therefore, a more accurate fault diagnosis method was required to discover the fault early and decrease the occurrence of false diagnosis. In this paper, an improved particle filter prediction method was proposed, combining the advantage of grey prediction to forecast the motion state, reducing the uncertainty in particle filter direct prediction process. Besides, the Gaussian kernel function was applied to judge the credibility of the prediction result, decreasing the possibility of the false diagnosis. In the experiments with simulated working conditions data and a section of actual sea trial data with propeller fault, the proposed method detected the fault earlier compared with the original particle filter method, and reduced the false diagnosis rate compared with the particle filter direct prediction method. The results show that the proposed method is effective in detecting the fault early with low false diagnosis.
Allergic Fungal Sinusitis with Intracranial Extension and Frontal Lobe Symptoms: A Case Report
Authors: Lydiatt William M. , Sobba-Higley Anne , Huerter James V. , Leibrock Lyal G.
Published: February 2020

This is the first report of AFS which caused frontal lobe symptomatology and which resolved with surgical therapy. The surgical approach used provided excellent exposure and the sinuses could be examined and thoroughly cleaned both from above and intranasally. The dural defect, which resulted from the destruction of the cribiform and fovea ethmoidalis, was easily reconstructed with a pericranial flap. This exposure facilitates debridement and reconstruction while minimizing complications such as cerebral spinal fluid leakage or brain injury which may occur with endoscopic manipulations in patients with bony destruction and loss of normal landmarks.
Inferior Partial Turbinectomy: An Effective Procedure for Chronic Rhinitis
Authors: Mucci Steven , Sismanis Aristides
Published: February 2020

The safety and effectiveness of inferior partial turbinectomy (IPT) as a treatment for refractory chronic rhinitis was studied. Fifty-five patients, 34 males and 21 females, underwent IPT for chronic rhinitis, the majority under local anesthesia and in conjunction with septoplasty. Relief of nasal obstruction, rhinorrhea, snoring, headache, and obstructive sleep apnea was subjectively measured after an average follow-up of 18 months. We noted particularly high success rates - 92.3% and 85.5% - for nasal obstruction and rhinorrhea, respectively. Complications, in the form of post-op bleeding, were low at 3.7%. We conclude that IPT is an effective and safe procedure when properly performed. This work should help otolaryngologists become more comfortable in performing this old but controversial technique for treating chronic rhinitis.
Topical Applications of 5-Fluorouracil in the Medical Treatment of Cholesteatoma of the Middle Ear
Authors: Sala Tito
Published: February 2020

Recent studies have demonstrated that aural cholesteatoma features intense DNA turnover in the germinati ve layer of the matrix and an immune response in the wall of the cyst, which trigger a chain reaction. 5-Fluorouracil, an antimetabolitic agent that is also effective topically, was applied to the cyst wall in initial cholesteatoma, in relapsing cholesteatoma (even transtympanically) and in large exudative cavities resulting from attico-antrectomy: in all cases, it inhibited the formation of keratin and reduced the mucous hypersecretion. These results have persisted even after 12 months of suspending treatment.
Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in the Management of Acute Suppurative Thyroiditis
Authors: Singh S. K. , Agrawal J. K. , Kumar M. , Shukla H. S.
Published: February 2020

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is relatively uncommon. We report 11 such cases from a population residing in a goiter endemic zone of Northern India. The important contribution of fine needle aspiration cytology in confirming the diagnosis and management is emphasized.
Subglottic Stenosis in Wegener's Granulomatosis Limited to the Head and Neck Region
Authors: Yumoto Eiji , Saeki Katsuya , Kadota Yoshimi
Published: February 2020

Subglottic stenosis as a complication of Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a relatively rare lesion and is difficult to treat surgically once stenosis becomes sufficiently severe to cause inspiratory dyspnea. Thus, it is important to diagnose WG in its early stages to prevent troublesome subglottic stenosis from developing by initiating immunosuppressive therapy. The authors report on a 30-year-old woman suffering from subglottic stenosis of sudden onset due to protracted WG limited to the head and neck region. She had had exudative otitis media for 13 years and saddle nose and nasal crusting for five years. Repeated biopsies of the nasal mucosa and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for cytoplasmic patterns of antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (cANCA) had failed to establish the diagnosis. However, further histologic examination of the nasal mucosa showed vasculitis, and indirect immunofluorescence delected the presence of cANCA. Thus, the diagnosis of WG was confirmed 13 years after the appearance of the initial symptoms in the ear. The patient was given prednisolone (60 mg/day for five days), which greatly relieved the subglottic stenosis. The prednisolone dosage was then tapered to 5 mg/day.
New Wineskin of Conflict Resolution: Conditions of Change in the Parable on Wineskin
Authors: Jokinen Heidi
Published: February 2020

The biblical treasury has inspired people throughout millennia to ponder questions regarding their lives. Changing circumstances is a typical feature in the western societies today and elementary conditions of it are of urgent importance to many. The parable on wineskin offers inspirational reading in grasping some of these realities. This paper analyses conditions of change that the parable on wineskin informs of in the light of a change from the prevailing retributive justice paradigm to a more restorative one. Restorative justice proposes a method that takes into account the two parties involved in the conflict, and their individual needs, rather than any preset laws or procedural codes. Restorative justice maintains that justice comes through empowering the two, rather than through punishing the offender. However, restorative justice has difficulties in finding large scale positive response in the western societies today. In this paper I will argue that the parable on wineskin offers important perspectives on these realities. While the focus will be in the context of conflict resolution, the results of this article can be applicable far beyond. No field of life can escape the consequences of change and Bible can be of inspiring support to deal with those.
The Trinational Coalition in Defense of Public Education and the Challenges of International Teacher Solidarity
Authors: Bocking Paul
Published: February 2020

The ascendance of economic globalization, epitomized for the United States, Canada, and Mexico by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), has been paralleled by the increasingly transnational scale of education policy. While national and regional governments remain the employers of public school teachers, the policies articulated by supranational institutions including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are ever more influential. Teacher internationalism has become increasingly significant for its capacity to both articulate shared analyses of the predominantly neoliberal character of global education policy and coordinate cross-border solidarity. The Trinational Coalition in Defense of Public Education emerged in the context of the end of Cold War labor politics and the signing of NAFTA in 1994. It has become an enduring network of established and dissident teachers’ unions and movements in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. This article assesses how the Trinational has confronted critical issues for labor internationalism. These include navigating national and international union tensions, facilitating grassroots cross-border radical unionist networks, horizontal power relations in North-South alliances, moving beyond rhetorical declarations to practical action, and the long-term sustainability of international solidarity.
Atopy and allergic diseases among Saudi young adults: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Alqahtani Jobran Miree
Published: February 2020

Objective

In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of asthma and other allergic diseases among a homogenous group of students attending the health colleges of a Saudi university and to investigate the relationship between their atopy profile and associated clinical symptoms of allergic diseases.

Methods

A total of 222 students completed the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire and underwent skin prick testing (SPT) using a standardized panel of allergenic extracts.

Results

Overall prevalence of physician-diagnosed allergic diseases was 27% for bronchial asthma (BA), 13.1% for atopic dermatitis (AD), and 5% for allergic rhinitis (AR). Atopy was present in 90 (40.5%) students. Students with atopic disease were more likely to have physician-diagnosed BA, AR, and AD. Atopy and polysensitization was more frequent among male than female students. SPT results were positive in 20.8% of participants for Bermuda grass, 18.9% for cat fur, and 12.7% for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus.

Conclusion

The prevalence of atopy and allergic diseases in Saudi young adults is high and worrisome. Comorbid allergic diseases were more prevalent among our participants with atopic disease. Determination of allergen sensitization patterns in patients with atopic disease is crucial for selecting proper preventive and therapeutic strategies.
Does cytoreductive surgery followed by adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy decrease the risk of recurrence and death in stage III endometrial cancer?
Authors: Verrengia Apollonia , Sigismondi Cristina , Iannacone Eva , Bellia Adriano , Busci Luisa , Trezzi Gaetano , Malandrino Chiara , Gianatti Andrea , Frigerio Luigi
Published: February 2020

Introduction:

The optimal postoperative adjuvant treatment for stage III endometrial cancer (EC) is controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in stage III EC.

Methods:

Data on 36 patients with stage III EC were reviewed. A review of the literature was performed.

Results:

Median follow-up was 31 months (range 3–195). All patients underwent radical surgery with lymph nodes assessment in 29 (80.6%). The histologic specimen revealed 27 (75%) type I and 9 (25%) type II cancers staged IIIA, IIIB, IIIC1, and IIIC2 in 9 (25%), 3 (8.3%), 17 (47.2%), and 7 (19.5%) patients, respectively. At the end of surgery, 32 (88.9%) had no residual tumor. Eighteen (50%) patients were treated with CRT (50% with sandwich approach, 50% with concurrent chemotherapy [CT]), 4 (11.1%) patients received radiotherapy (RT), and 14 (38.9%) had multiagent CT. Four patients (11.1%) with a residual tumor larger than 1 centimeter after surgery died of disease. The 5-year median recurrent free survival (RFS) for CRT, RT, and CT was 69.1%, 37.5%, and 23.8%, respectively ( p = 0.05); the 5-year OS for CRT, RT, and CT was 83%, 35.7%, and 25%, respectively ( p = 0.023). Multivariate analyses showed residual tumor as independent predictor for recurrence and death. CRT showed a borderline significance on OS.

Conclusions:

Our study demonstrated that optimal cytoreduction is the most significant prognostic factor and adjuvant CRT seems to be associated with a significant decreased risk of recurrence in stage III EC.
Flipping the Academic Conference, or How We Wrote a Peer-Reviewed Journal Article in a Day
Authors: Baron Ilan Zvi , Havercroft Jonathan , Kamola Isaac A. , Koomen Jonneke , Prichard Alex
Published: February 2020

Is it possible to write a publishable, peer-reviewed academic paper in a day? We attempted this task in 2016, motivated by a desire to find new ways of doing academic work in the face of our growing sense of alienation within the neoliberal academy. This article provides our analysis of academic alienation and an auto-ethnography of our experiment. We discuss four lessons learned: (1) knowledge as a social relation, (2) time and the academy, (3) gender and collaborative writing, and (4) the contradictions and possibilities of anarchy and authorship. We also offer practical advice for scholars looking to engage in similar collaborations.
Political Ideology and Research: How Neoliberalism Can Explain the Paucity of Qualitative Criminological Research
Authors: Armstrong Emma Katie
Published: February 2020

Research has demonstrated that there is a paucity of qualitative criminological research published in journals. Neoliberal ideology reigns hegemonic in the United Kingdom, promoting competition and quantifiable success. With neoliberal narratives infiltrating the functioning of academia, researchers are required to cater their methodological choices to suit metrics and arbitrary university goals. Consequently, the pressure to publish frequently and in prestigious journals can coerce academics into prioritizing research quantity above quality. As qualitative methodologies often require more time to conduct and inherently convey a more complex ethical process, researchers can favor the quicker, convenient methods to the detriment of quality theoretical research.
Techno-social reconfigurations in diabetes (self-) care
Authors: Danesi Giada , Pralong Mélody , Panese Francesco , Burnand Bernard , Grossen Michèle
Published: February 2020

This article focuses on the ways in which a flash glucose monitoring system, FreeStyle Libre®, is introduced and used by people living with type 1 diabetes, their relatives and healthcare professionals. It draws on a multi-sited ethnography in a variety of clinical and daily situations, and on interviews with caregivers and people living with diabetes. We explore how the users develop knowledge-in-practice, and consider the use of self-management technologies to be largely dependent on locally grounded and situated care acts, and resulting from the relational, pragmatic and creative maneuvering of technology-in-practice. Our findings show that adjustments between users, their bodies and the technology are required, and show the reflexive work and practices of patients and relatives who learn to use the device in a proper way. Moreover, we reveal that practitioners see this technology as a tool that not only improves self-care practices but also clinical practices, and that wearing and using this new medical device may become a moral injunction for self-improvement. Our results illustrate the techno-social reconfigurations at work and the development of new ways of feeling, thinking and acting in diabetes (self-) care.
A Comparison of Emergency Preparedness Policies by Long-Term Care Setting Type in Ohio: Assisted Living Settings Lag Behind Nursing Homes in Key Areas
Authors: Kennedy Katherine A. , Hua Cassandra L. , Nelson Ian
Published: February 2020

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) have received regulatory attention in relation to their emergency preparedness. Yet, assisted living settings (ALs) have not experienced such interest due to their classification as a state-regulated, home- and community-based service. However, the growth in the number of ALs and increased resident acuity levels suggest that existing disaster preparedness policies, and therefore, plans, lag behind those of SNFs. We examined differences in emergency preparedness policies between Ohio’s SNFs and ALs. Data were drawn from the 2015 wave of the Ohio Biennial Survey of Long-Term Care Facilities. Across setting types, most aspects of preparedness were similar, such as written plans, specifications for evacuation, emergency drills, communication procedures, and preparations for expected hazards. Despite these similarities, we found SNFs were more prepared than large ALs in some key areas, most notably being more likely to have a backup generator and 7 days of pharmacy stocks and generator fuel.
The Overlap Between Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care: A Scoping Literature Review
Authors: Visser Renske , Borgstrom Erica , Holti Richard
Published: February 2020

With an increasing aging population worldwide, there is a growing need for both palliative care and geriatric medicine. It is presumed in medical literature that both specialties share similar goals about patient care and could collaborate. To inform future service development, the objective of this review was to identify what is currently empirically known about overlapping working practices. This article provides a scoping literature review on the relationship between geriatric medicine and palliative care within the United Kingdom. The review encompassed literature written between 1997 and 2019 accessed via Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Three themes were identified: (a) unclear boundaries between specialties, (b) communication within and between specialisms, and (c) ambiguity of how older people fit in the current health care system. We suggest that more empirical research is conducted about the overlap between palliative care and geriatric medicine to understand how interprofessional working and patient care can be improved.
Determination of thallium in urine, blood, and hair in illicit opioid users in Iran
Authors: Molavi N , Ghaderi A , Banafshe HR
Published: February 2020

Context:

Heavy metals, including thallium and lead, are introduced to illicit drug users’ body as a result of using drugs such as cocaine and heroin.

Objective:

This study aimed to determine urine, blood, and hair thallium (Tl) concentrations in illicit opioid users along with the relevant clinical signs and symptoms consistent with thallotoxicosis and to compare them with the corresponding variables in the control non-opioid user group.

Materials and Methods:

This case–control study was conducted on 50 illicit opioid users who had abused opioids continuously for more than a year, referred to Amirie Drug Abuse Treatment Clinic in Kashan, Iran. The control group included 50 non-opioid users. Thallium concentrations in urine, blood, and hair were assessed in both groups ( n = 100) using electrothermal (graphite furnace) atomic absorption spectrometry (ET AAS, GF AAS).

Results:

In the studied group, the median (interquartile range) concentrations of thallium in urine, blood, and hair were 54.8 ± 79.9 μg/L, 14.5 ± 11.1 μg/L, and 5.4 ± 3.7 µg/g, respectively; these values were 4.8 ± 5.2 μg/L, 2.5 ± 2.4 μg/L, and 1.4 ± 1.1 µg/g, respectively, in the control group. There were significant differences in urine, blood, and hair thallium concentrations between the study group and the control group ( p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between duration of illicit opioid use and urine thallium concentrations ( r = 0.394, p = 0.005) and hair thallium concentrations ( r = 0.293, p = 0.039), but not with blood thallium concentrations ( r = 0.246, p = 0.085). Urine and blood thallium concentrations of illicit opioid users with clinical signs and symptoms consistent with thallotoxicosis of weakness ( p = 0.01), depression ( p = 0.03), and headache ( p = 0.03) were higher than users without these problems.

Discussion and conclusion:

The results of the study showed that thallium concentrations in urine, blood, and hair in illicit opioid users were significantly higher than the comparable concentrations in the control group. This can be due to the use of illicit opioids adulterated with thallium. Also, this study showed long-term illicit opioid use may lead to thallium exposure. In addition, cigarette smoking was associated with increased thallium exposure.
Building The Ark: Text World Theory and the evolution of dystopian epistolary
Authors: Norledge Jessica
Published: February 2020

Told through a series of interrelated documents (including emails, text messages, newspaper clippings and blog posts), Annabel Smith’s interactive digital novel The Ark epitomises the contemporary hybridity of the dystopian genre. Designed to be fully immersive, the story can be engaged with across media, enabling readers to ‘dive deeper into the world of the novel’ and challenge how they experience dystopian texts. Taking a Text World Theory perspective, I examine the implications of this challenge, investigating the impact of transmedial storytelling on world-building and exploring the creative evolution of dystopian epistolary more broadly. In analysing both the ebook element of The Ark and certain facets of its companion pieces (which take the form of a dynamic website and a smartphone app), I investigate the creation of the novel’s text-worlds, considering the process of multimodal meaning construction, examining the conceptual intricacies of the epistolary form and exploring the influence of paratextual matter on world-building and construal. In doing so, I offer new insights into the conceptualisation of ‘empty text-worlds’, extend Gibbons’ discussions of transmedial world-creation and argue for a more nuanced understanding of dystopian epistolary as framed within Text World Theory.
Community-based Disaster Management and Its Salient Features: A Policy Approach to People-centred Risk Reduction in Bangladesh
Authors: Azad M. Abul Kalam , Uddin M. Salim , Zaman Sabrina , Ashraf Mirza Ali
Published: February 2020

The discourse of disaster management has undergone significant change in recent years, shifting from relief and response to disaster risk reduction (DRR) and community-based management. Organisations and vulnerable countries engaged in DRR have moved from a reactive, top-down mode to proactive, community-focused disaster management. In this article, we focus on how national disaster management policy initiatives in Bangladesh are implementing community-based approaches at the local level and developing cross-scale partnerships to reduce disaster risk and vulnerability, thus enhancing community resilience to disasters. We relied chiefly on secondary data, employing content analysis for reviewing documents, which were supplemented by primary data from two coastal communities in Kalapara Upazila in Patuakhali District. Our findings revealed that to address the country’s vulnerabilities to natural disasters, the Government of Bangladesh has developed and implemented numerous national measures and policies over the years with the aim of strengthening community-focused risk reduction, decentralising disaster management, developing cross-scale partnerships and enhancing community resilience. Communities are working together to achieve an all-hazard management goal, accepting ownership to reduce vulnerability and actively participating in risk-reduction strategies at multiple levels. Community-based disaster preparedness activities are playing a critical role in developing their adaptive capacity and resilience to disasters. Further policy and research are required for a closer examination of the dynamics of community-based disaster management, the role of local-level institutions and community organisations in partnerships and resilience building for successful disaster management.
Disclinations and GND tensor effects on the multislip flow rule in crystal plasticity
Authors: Cleja-Ţigoiu Sanda
Published: February 2020

This paper deals with new elastoplastic models for crystalline materials with microstructural defects, such as dislocations and disclinations, which are consistent with the multislip plastic flow rule, and compatible with the free energy imbalance principle. The defect free energy function is a function of the disclination tensor and its gradient, and of the geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) tensor, via the Cartan torsion. By applying the free energy imbalance, the appropriate viscoplastic (diffusion-like) evolution equations are derived for shear plastic rates (in slip systems) and for the disclination tensor. The two sets of differential (or partial differential, i.e., non-local) equations describe the rate form of the adopted disclination–dislocation model. The first set is typical for finite deformation formalism, while the second set refers to the evolution equations with respect to the reference configuration. The dislocation appears to be a source for producing disclination defects. A pure dislocation elastoplastic model is also proposed. Multislip models with disclination within the small deformation approach are derived from the finite deformation models. The initial and boundary value problems are formulated and the incremental (rate) equilibrium equation leads to a variational equality for the velocity field, at any time, which is coupled with the rate type models for the set of variables. First, the elastic problem is solved for a certain time interval by assuming that the existing defects inside the body remain inactive. Subsequently, the variational equality is solved for the velocity field, at any time, if the slip systems are activated. Consequently, the state of the body with defects is defined by the solution of the differential-type equations, when the velocity field is known for a certain time interval. Appropriate initial conditions are necessary, including those associated with defects which became active. Finally, an update algorithm must be provided in order to compute the fields at the current moment.
A discrete formulation of Kirchhoff rods in large-motion dynamics
Authors: Giorgio Ivan
Published: February 2020

A nonlinear model for the dynamics of a Kirchhoff rod in the three-dimensional space is developed in the framework of a discrete elastic theory. The formulation avoids the use of Euler angles for the orientation of the rod cross-sections to provide a computationally singularity-free parameterization of rotations along the motion trajectories. The material directions related to the principal axes of the cross-sections are specified using auxiliary points that must satisfy constraints enforced by the Lagrange multipliers method. A generalization of this approach is presented to take into account Poisson’s effect in an orthotropic rod. Numerical simulations are performed to test the presented formulation.
Peripapillary choroidal thickness in patients with vitamin D deficiency
Authors: Vural Esra , Hazar Leyla , Çağlayan Mehtap , Şeker Ömer , Çelebi Ali Rıza Cenk
Published: February 2020

Aim:

To investigate the effects of vitamin D deficiency on peripapillary choroidal thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness.

Materials and methods:

Patients diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency but not yet treated for it (Group 1) and patients with normal vitamin D levels (Group 2) were included in this study. Subjects with any kind of eye disease and/or systemic disease were excluded from this study. Demographic characteristics of the patients were collected, and the subfoveal choroidal thickness, central foveal thickness, retinal nerve fiber layer thickness, and peripapillary choroidal thickness were measured using optical coherence tomography.

Results:

The mean ages in Groups 1 and 2 were 30.5 ± 6.7 and 28 ± 5.78 years (p = 0.12), respectively, and female to male ratios were 19/11 and 17/13, respectively (p = 0.59). The mean vitamin D levels were 8.2 ± 2.5 and 28 ± 4.9 ng/mL in Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p <0.001). In Group 1, subfoveal choroidal thickness and nasal and inferior peripapillary choroidal thicknesses at 500 µm were 327.5 ± 81.4, 142.9 ± 40, and 140.66 ± 38.74 µm, respectively. For Group 2, these values were 407.1 ± 85.5, 189.3 0 ± 57.18, and 195.93 ± 67.58 µm, respectively (p <0.001, p = 0.001, and p <0.001, respectively). In addition, a positive correlation was found between vitamin D levels and the subfoveal choroidal thickness and nasal and inferior peripapillary choroidal thicknesses in all patients (r = 0.365, p = 0.005; r = 0.341, p = 0.008; and r = 0.370, p = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusion:

Subfoveal choroidal thickness and inferior and nasal peripapillary choroidal thicknesses decreased in patients with vitamin D deficiency.
Can a Smartphone App for Cannabis Cessation Gain a Broader User Group than Traditional Treatment Services?
Authors: Vederhus John-Kåre , Rørendal Malin , Bjelland Cathrine , Skar Anja Kristin Solheim , Kristensen Øistein
Published: February 2020

Background:

Treatment demand for cannabis use disorders is increasing in Europe. Mobile phone– and internet-based interventions for cannabis users can possibly help meet the need. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a recently developed Norwegian Cannabis Cessation app reaches a broader or different user group compared to community-based Cannabis Cessation programs (CCP, Nordic abbreviation: HAP).

Method:

The app respondents (n = 148) were recruited through an online link in the app. A comparative sample (n = 102) was recruited in three municipally based CCPs in Norway. We examined whether app users differed from the CCP population in sociodemographics, substance use, mental health, and well-being.

Result:

The app group included more women than the CCP group (46% versus 26%, χ2 = 10.9, P = .001), but otherwise the groups were similar for sociodemographic variables. Severity of cannabis use did not differ between groups, but the app sample exhibited a higher depressiveness score on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (mean difference, 0.24; 95% CI 0.04–0.44; P = .018) and lower perceived well-being (3.4 point lower score on the Outcome Rating Scale; 95% CI −5.7 to −1.2; P = .003). Well-being was negatively associated with being in the app group, being older, and having higher levels of mental distress, and was positively associated with the perceived ability to make changes (‘self-efficacy of quitting’).

Conclusion:

The higher proportion of women in the app group indicated that the app did capture an expanded segment of the cannabis-using population. The app can be an alternative for those who are not yet prepared to seek treatment in formal healthcare services. The high level of depressive symptoms and lower levels of well-being among the app respondents suggest that some app users might need additional support.
Rap and Mizoued Music: Claiming a Space for Dissent and Protest in Post-Arab Spring Tunisia
Authors: Gabsi Zouhir
Published: February 2020

The Arab Spring in Tunisia has brought with it positive changes, such as freedom of expression and democracy. However, Tunisians have found that these applauded achievements have not improved their living conditions. After Ben Ali was ousted in 2010, the decline of Tunisia’s economy was exacerbated by internal and external factors such as global recession, a dysfunctional liberal economy, internal political infighting, and corruption. To ventilate their frustration and dismay with the government and the overall socio-economic situation in Tunisia, some Tunisians turn to the music of rap and Mizoued in search for a new space where there is solace and escapism. Mizoued music and rap deal with core issues about the living conditions in Tunisia, such as ḥarga (border jumping, clandestine migration). Most rappers and Mzēwdiyye (Mizoued players) represent the houma (neighbourhood), and it is their connection with frustrated youths and struggling Tunisians that influenced these two genres to merge and gain popularity in their shared history of marginalization. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it analyses the points of convergence and divergence of these two genres in terms of themes and authenticity. Second, it discusses how rap and Mizoued discourses use the notion of ‘space’ in the development of the artists’ trajectories and narratives in three domains: cultural, political, and sociological. Within these domains, Bourdieu’s social concepts of habitus, cultural capital, and field throw light on how ‘taste’, power’, and ‘class’ are exercised in the three domains.
Stuart Hall as a criminological theorist-activist
Authors: Murji Karim
Published: February 2020

What is the legacy of Stuart Hall for criminology, beyond just Policing the Crisis? In this article I highlight two other engagements by Hall in race and policing one in the 1980s through an independent inquiry, the other in the 1990s through a major public inquiry. Beyond bringing this work to light, this article shows how these engagements reveal Hall’s unique style of theorizing the concrete politics of the present through his stress upon conjunctures and context, and via the concept of articulation. Hall’s interventions in these two cases underscore an analytical and theoretical stance in public forums that made him more than a ‘scholar-activist’ but rather a ‘theorist-activist’ who drew on theory for strategic and ‘applied’ purposes. The ways in which he did this can, I suggest, point to different ways of ‘doing race’ in a critical criminology.
Experimental and numerical assessment of the flexural behaviour of semi-precast-reinforced concrete slabs
Authors: Mohamed MI Sifan , Thamboo Julian Ajith , Jeyakaran Thuraisingam
Published: February 2020

Semi-precast-reinforced concrete slab system offers more economic method of construction as it minimises the need of formwork at site. The assembly of semi-precast slab system involves two steps: (1) casting of semi-precast slab at the yard and (2) overtopping of concrete at the site. One of the main factors that influence the performance of such slab system is the interface bonding between precast and overtopping concrete. Therefore, in order to better understand the performance of this slab system, a research was carried out to investigate the influence of surface treatment methodologies to the overall flexural behaviour through experimental and numerical studies. In total, five representative semi-precast slabs were constructed and tested to assess the flexural performance with different surface preparation methods and concrete overtopping. Further small-scale precast with overtopped concrete couplets and triplets were casted and tested as the representative semi-precast concrete slab types to examine the interface shear and tensile bond strength characteristics with those different surface treatments. The experimental results revealed that the surface treatment methods have influenced the flexural behaviour of the slabs, where the interface shear bond strength exceeds more than 1.0 MPa and the slab system behaves monolithically under flexural action. Moreover, numerical modelling technique for this slab system was developed based on the finite element framework to further analyse the overall flexural behaviour. Subsequently, good agreements between experimental and developed numerical model results were found. Finally, parametric analyses were performed to further assess the influences of concrete strengths, spans and reinforcement ratios on the safe imposed pressure applicable for this slab system.