bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
God of Abraham, God of Aristotle: Soloveitchik’s Reading of The Guide of the Perplexed
Authors: Sztuden Alex
Published: October 2018

R. Joseph Soloveitchik’s profound engagement with The Guide of the Perplexed is amply attested by Lawrence Kaplan’s recent publication of Soloveitchik’s lectures on this classic work of Jewish philosophy, delivered in 1950–1951 during a year-long course on the Guide. Soloveitchik’s reading is situated outside the boundaries of the Guide’s usual interpretations, and his lectures offer an entirely new view of the essence of the Guide. For Maimonides, hesed, or loving-kindness, is the foundation of the world. Soloveitchik’s lectures offer an elaborate working out of this fundamental insight.
“The East within Us”: Leo Strauss’s Reinterpretation of Heidegger
Authors: McIlwain David
Published: October 2018

Leo Strauss’s grand theme, the theological-political problem, has its basis in the predicament of being a philosopher in a political society. As a Jew and a philosopher, Strauss also faced the entanglement of Judaism and German philosophy culminating in Heidegger’s historicism. These related challenges prompted Strauss’s recognition of the first steps for philosophy in a global epoch. Strauss reinterpreted Heidegger’s religious anticipation of a “meeting of East and West” as a philosophical re-encounter with the Bible as “the East within us.” Whereas the Bible challenges the rationality of the philosophical way of life, this “Bible as Eastern” challenges rationalism itself.
The Evolution and Modernisation of Treaty Regimes
Authors: Bewley-Taylor David R. , Fitzmaurice Malgosia
Published: October 2018

The UN based framework for international drug control, described as the global drug prohibition regime, has displayed some capacity to evolve. This is the case both in terms of formal structures and accompanying norms. Recent moves by a small number of jurisdictions towards the legal regulation of cannabis for non-medical and non-scientific purposes has, however, highlighted the existence of systemic inertia in the face of unprecedented challenge. The resultant obstacles and accompanying recourse by states to creative legal argumentation contrasts with approaches found within the regime for environmental regulation and its underpinning Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). In this case a variety of structures and bodies characterise a more dynamic and responsive framework. It is argued here that while we should be alert to issue area specificity, much can be learned from MEAs and their regime evolution, in relation to governance structures and the use of Conferences of the Parties.
Illusory Depth Based on Interactions Between Fluorescent and Conventional Colours: A Case Study on Frank Stella’s Irregular Polygons Paintings
Authors: De Winter Stefanie , Moors Pieter , Van Gelder Hilde , Wagemans Johan
Published: October 2018

Although Frank Stella intended to create flat, illusion-less Irregular Polygons paintings, it is not uncommon to experience the illusion of colour depth, based on the interaction between their fluorescent and conventional colours. Some critics praised these artworks’ flatness, while others described odd depth experiences that they categorised as a new kind of illusion. In order to provide a correct reading of these works and to reassess their art historical significance, a scientific case study regarding this colour-depth effect imposes itself. This article discusses an experiment in which we determined whether twenty artists, twenty art historians and twenty laypeople experienced fluorescent colours as protruding, receding or flat in combination with conventional colours. We additionally looked at whether they still perceived colour depth when all fluorescent colours were replaced with their conventional variants. All participants observed fifteen designs, which they had to rate according to the perceived depth of each coloured region with a number between −3 (strongly receding) and +3 (strongly protruding). The results revealed that most participants experience fluorescent regions as strongly protruding, unlike all conventional colours, which were rated as much less protruding. When a fluorescent colour was swapped with a conventional variant, all participants experienced significantly less depth. The differences between the subject groups were statistically negligible when looking at the mean depth ratings for both colour types. However, we discovered that artists experienced more contrast effects, as they gave different ratings to different panels (of identical colour and shape) in the same design, depending on their position.
A new synonymy in East Asian Urostylididae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera)
Authors: ZHOU YANYAN , RÉDEI DÁVID
Published: October 2018

Urostylididae is a moderately species-rich family of phytophagous, mainly arboricolous pentatomoid true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) currently comprising 8 genera and 172 species (Rider et al. 2018). All described species occur in Asia, but undescribed taxa are present in Madagascar (P. Štys, pers. comm.). The present short paper was prompted by a recent contribution by Kim et al. (2018), who reviewed the species of the genus Urostylis Westwood, 1837, occurring in Korea, including the description of a purportedly new species, U. koreana Kim & Jung, 2018. The identity of the latter species is clarified below, with proposal of a new subjective synonymy.
Interannual Agulhas Leakage Variability and Its Regional Climate Imprints
Authors: Cheng Yu , Beal Lisa M. , Kirtman Ben P. , Putrasahan Dian
Published: October 2018

We investigate the interannual variability of Agulhas leakage in an ocean-eddy-resolving coupled simulation and characterize its influence on regional climate. Many observational leakage estimates are based on the study of Agulhas rings, whereas recent model studies suggest that rings and eddies carry less than half of leakage transport. While leakage variability is dominated by eddies at seasonal time scales, the noneddy leakage transport is likely to be constrained by large-scale forcing at longer time scales. To investigate this, leakage transport is quantified using an offline Lagrangian particle tracking approach. We decompose the velocity field into eddying and large-scale fields and then recreate a number of total velocity fields by modifying the eddying component to assess the dependence of leakage variability on the eddies. We find that the resulting leakage time series show strong coherence at periods longer than 1000 days and that 50% of the variance at interannual time scales is linked to the smoothed, large-scale field. As shown previously in ocean models, we find Agulhas leakage variability to be related to a meridional shift and/or strengthening of the westerlies. High leakage periods are associated with east–west contrasting patterns of sea surface temperature, surface heat fluxes, and convective rainfall, with positive anomalies over the retroflection region and negative anomalies within the Indian Ocean to the east. High leakage periods are also related to reduced inland convective rainfall over southeastern Africa in austral summer.
Statistical Postprocessing and Multivariate Structuring of High-Resolution Ensemble Precipitation Forecasts
Authors: van Straaten Chiem , Whan Kirien , Schmeits Maurice
Published: October 2018

A comparison of statistical postprocessing methods is performed for high-resolution precipitation forecasts. We keep hydrological end users in mind and thus require that the systematic errors of probabilistic forecasts are corrected and that they show a realistic high-dimensional spatial structure. The most skillful forecasts of 3-h accumulated precipitation in 3 × 3 km2 grid cells covering the land surface of the Netherlands were made with a nonparametric method [quantile regression forests (QRF)]. A parametric alternative [zero-adjusted gamma distribution (ZAGA)] corrected the precipitation forecasts of the short-range Grand Limited Area Model Ensemble Prediction System (GLAMEPS) up to +60 h less well, particularly at high quantiles, as verified against calibrated precipitation radar observations. For the subsequent multivariate restructuring, three empirical methods, namely, ensemble copula coupling (ECC), the Schaake shuffle (SSh), and a recent minimum-divergence sophistication of the Schaake shuffle (MDSSh), were tested and verified using both the multivariate variogram skill score (VSS) and the continuous ranked probability score (CRPS), the latter after aggregating the forecasts spatially. ECC and MDSSh were more skillful than SSh in terms of the CRPS and the VSS. ECC performed somewhat worse than MDSSh for summer afternoon and evening periods, probably due to the worse representation of deep convection in the hydrostatic GLAMEPS compared to reality. Overall, the high-resolution postprocessing comparison shows that skill for local precipitation amounts improves up to the 98th percentile in both the summer and winter season and that the high-dimensional joint distribution can successfully be restructured. Forecasting products like this enable multiple end users to derive their own desired aggregations.
Intraseasonal Variability of the Equatorial Undercurrent in the Indian Ocean
Authors: Chen Gengxin , Han Weiqing , Li Yuanlong , Yao Jinglong , Wang Dongxiao
Published: October 2018

By analyzing in situ observations and conducting a series of ocean general circulation model experiments, this study investigates the physical processes controlling intraseasonal variability (ISV) of the Equatorial Undercurrent (EUC) of the Indian Ocean. ISV of the EUC leads to time-varying water exchanges between the western and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. For the 2001–14 period, standard deviations of the EUC transport variability are 1.92 and 1.77 Sv (1 Sv ≡ 106 m3 s−1) in the eastern and western basins, respectively. The ISV of the EUC is predominantly caused by the wind forcing effect of atmospheric intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs) but through dramatically different ocean dynamical processes in the eastern and western basins. The stronger ISV in the eastern basin is dominated by the reflected Rossby waves associated with intraseasonal equatorial zonal wind forcing. It takes 20–30 days to set up an intraseasonal EUC anomaly through the Kelvin and Rossby waves associated with the first and second baroclinic modes. In the western basin, the peak intraseasonal EUC anomaly is generated by the zonal pressure gradient force, which is set up by radiating equatorial Kelvin and Rossby waves induced by the equatorial wind stress. Directly forced and reflected Rossby waves from the eastern basin propagate westward, contributing to intraseasonal zonal current near the surface but having weak impact on the peak ISV of the EUC.
A New Hurricane Wind Direction Retrieval Method for SAR Images without Hurricane Eye
Authors: Gao Yuan , Guan Changlong , Sun Jian , Xie Lian
Published: October 2018

This study presents a new approach for hurricane wind direction retrieval utilizing rainband streaks contained in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images without hurricane eye information, based on the hurricane inflow angle. To calculate the wind direction field, a method for estimating the location of the hurricane center is given. In this paper, four Sentinel-1A (S-1A) images with a hurricane eye are used to clarify the center estimation method. Three S-1A SAR images without a hurricane eye are studied to evaluate the accuracy of the new method. The estimated locations of hurricane centers show good agreement with hurricane track data provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Hurricane Research Division (HRD), HurricaneCity, and the National Institute of Informatics (NII). To validate the estimated wind directions, the NOAA HRD dropwindsonde observations for Tropical Storm Karl are collected and compared. The wind directions retrieved by our approach are more consistent with visual inspection than the fast Fourier transform (FFT) method in subimages. Moreover, the retrieved wind speeds utilizing C-band model 5.N (CMOD5.N) are compared with wind speed estimations observed by Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR). The results suggest that the proposed method has good potential to retrieve hurricane wind direction from SAR images without a hurricane eye and external data.
Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and Gas Chromatography–Infrared (GC–IR) Analyses of the Chloro-1-n-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)-Indoles: Regioisomeric Cannabinoids
Authors: Abdel-Hay Karim M. , Belal Tarek S. , Abiedalla Younis , Thaxton-Weissenfluh Amber , DeRuiter Jack , Smith Forrest , Clark C. Randall
Published: October 2018

The analytical differentiation of the indole ring regioisomeric chloro-1- n-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)-indoles is described in this report. The regioisomeric chloroindole precursor compounds, N- n-pentyl chloroindole synthetic intermediates, and the target chloro-substituted naphthoylindoles showed the equivalent gas chromatographic elution order based on the position of chlorine substitution on the indole ring. The regioisomeric chloro-1- n-pentyl-3-(1-naphthoyl)-indoles yield electron ionization mass spectra having equivalent major fragments resulting from cleavage of the groups attached to the central indole nucleus. Fragment ions occur at m/z 127 and 155 for the naphthyl and naphthoyl cations common to all indoles having the naphthoyl group substituted at the indole-3 position. Fragments resulting from the loss of the naphthoyl and/or n-pentyl groups from the molecular radical cation yield the cations at m/z 318, 304, 248, and 178. The characteristic (M–17)+ fragment ion at m/z 358 resulting from the loss of OH radical is significant in the mass spectra of all these compounds with 1-naphthoyl groups substituted at the indole-3 position. The vapor phase infrared spectra provide a number of characteristic absorption bands to identify the individual isomers.
An Analysis of Mediating Effects of School Leadership on MTSS Implementation
Authors: Choi Jeong Hoon , McCart Amy B. , Hicks Tyler A. , Sailor Wayne
Published: October 2018

The present study investigated relationships among technical assistance, school leadership quality, and multitiered system of support (MTSS) implementation. The findings indicated technical assistance improved school leadership quality, and improved leadership significantly mediated the relationship between technical assistance and MTSS implementation for both behavior and academic systems. These results provide support for the foundational role of school leadership in MTSS implementation. Implications for providers of technical assistance are discussed.
Preventing Reading Failure for First-Grade Students in an Urban School
Authors: Telesman Alana Oif , Konrad Moira , Cartledge Gwendolyn , Gardner Ralph , Council Morris
Published: October 2018

This study sought to examine the effectiveness of Reading RACES (RR), a computer program designed to deliver a repeated reading intervention with culturally relevant passages. Specifically, this study examined the effects of RR on the oral reading fluency (ORF) and comprehension gains for first-grade learners in an urban setting and whether these gains would generalize to novel, generic passages. Five first-grade African American students at risk for reading failure were selected to participate in this study. Results indicated a functional relation between the use of RR and student gains in ORF and comprehension. All students who participated in this study demonstrated moderate to substantial gains on their ORF and comprehension on practiced passages. In addition, the data showed reading skills generalized to novel passages and maintained even 1 month following intervention. These findings extend the previous research base for RR. Limitations and future implications will be discussed.
Constrained model predictive control for T–S fuzzy system with randomly occurring actuator saturation and packet losses via PDC and non-PDC strategies
Authors: Liu Na , Tang Xiaoming , Deng Li
Published: October 2018

This paper studies model predictive control for a Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy system with randomly occurring actuator saturation and packet losses. The nonlinearity of the actuator saturation is transformed into a set of convex hulls, while the packet losses are assumed to obey the rules of Bernoulli distribution. Both parallel-distributed-compensation (PDC) and non-parallel-distributed-compensation (non-PDC) strategies are adopted to design the controller for the system. In addition, sufficient conditions of the stability for the closed-loop system are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities. It is shown that the non-PDC strategy behaves less conservatively than the PDC strategy in controlling the considered T–S fuzzy system, when the input and output constraints are explicitly considered. Two simulation examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed design techniques.
Sequential patterns rule-based approach for opinion target extraction from customer reviews
Authors: Rana Toqir A , Cheah Yu-N
Published: October 2018

Aspect extraction or opinion target extraction is the key task of sentiment analysis, which aims to identify targets of people’s sentiments. This is the most important task of aspect-based sentiment analysis as without the aspects, there is no much use of extracted opinions. Recent approaches have shown the significance of dependency-based rules for the given task. These rules are heavily dependent on the dependency parser and generated with the help of grammatical rules. In this article, we are proposing to learn from user’s behaviour to identify the relation among aspects and opinions. The use of sequential patterns has been proposed for the extraction of aspects. The key purpose of this research is to study the impact of sequential pattern mining in the phase of aspect extraction. Our experimental results show that the approach proposed in our work produced better results as compared with the state-of-the-art approaches.
Psychological Distress Among Resident and Nonresident Fathers: Findings From New Zealand’s Who Are Today’s Dads? Project
Authors: Rusten Nikolas F. , Peterson Elizabeth R. , Underwood Lisa , Verbiest Marjolein E. A. , Waldie Karen E. , Berry Sarah , Carr Polly Atatoa , Grant Cameron , Pryor Jan , Nicolson Jan , Morton Susan M. B.
Published: October 2018

When fathers live away from their children, taking an active paternal role may become challenging and can add to paternal psychological distress. In a large ( N = 3,980) diverse cohort, we found that nonresident fathers are more likely to be psychologically distressed than resident fathers (27.4% vs. 15.2%) and more likely to report wanting a change in the level of involvement they have in their child’s life (76.6% vs. 58.1%). Nonresident fathers were more likely to suffer economic hardship, unemployment, poor health, and have a depression and anxiety history ( ps < .001). However, the factors associated with increased psychological distress were largely the same across resident and nonresident fathers. The biggest stressors were managing work alongside family responsibilities and commitments, arguments with the partner, prior history of depression, and economic hardship or deprivation. Fathers’ actual levels of involvement and desired levels of involvement with their child did not predict their psychological distress.
Incidence, Epidemiology, and Outcomes of Pediatric Tracheostomy in the United States from 2000 to 2012
Authors: Muller R. Grant , Mamidala Madhu P. , Smith Samuel H. , Smith Aaron , Sheyn Anthony
Published: October 2018

Objectives

To investigate national and regional variations in pediatric tracheostomy rates, epidemiology, and outcomes from 2000 to 2012.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort analysis.

Setting

Previous research with the 1997 edition of the Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID), a national database of pediatric hospital discharge data, demonstrated that rates and outcomes of pediatric tracheostomy vary among US geographic regions. The KID has since been released an additional 5 times, increasing in size with successive editions.

Subjects and Methods

Patients ≤18 years old with procedure codes for permanent or temporary tracheostomy from 2000 to 2012 were included. Primary outcome was a weighted population‐based rate of tracheostomy stratified by year. Secondary analysis included epidemiologic characteristics and outcomes stratified by year and geographic region.

Results

A weighted total of 24,354 cases was analyzed. Population‐based tracheostomy rates decreased from 6.8 ± 0.2 (mean ± SD) tracheostomies per 100,000 child‐years in 2000 to 6.0 ± 0.2 in 2012. Minorities increased from 53.3% in 2000 to 56.4% in 2012. Patients experienced increased procedures, diagnoses, length of stay, and hospital charges with time. From 2000 to 2012, rates and outcomes varied by US geographic region. Mortality during hospitalization (8%) did not vary by year, patient age, region, or sex.

Conclusions

Pediatric tracheostomy is associated with variation in incidence, epidemiology, and hospitalization outcomes in the United States from 2000 to 2012. While rates of pediatric tracheostomy decreased, patients became increasingly medically complicated and ethnically diverse with outcomes varying according to geographic region.
Surgical management of early and late esophageal perforation
Authors: Fattahi Masoom Seyed Hossein , Nouri Dalouee Marziyeh , Fattahi Asieh Sadat , Hajebi Khaniki Saeedeh
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Esophageal perforation is a rare and life-threating problem with a 10%–40% mortality rate. Early diagnosis and treatment are important for prevention of complications. Strategies for treatment of esophageal perforation have been controversial for many years, especially in cases of late presentation.

Methods

We prospectively studied 27 patients (12 male, 17 female, mean age 42.7 ± 17.8 years) who presented with esophageal perforation from 1996 to 2015, and evaluated the results of surgical treatment. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to time of presentation: early (<24 h), intermediate (24–72 h), and late (>72 h). We also considered the etiology and site of esophageal perforation, complications, and mortality.

Results

Surgery was performed in 5 patients in the early group, 7 in the moderate group, and 15 in the late group. Primary repair was carried out in 5 cases, primary repair and reinforcement with a flap in 10, esophageal resection and reconstruction in 8, and a T-tube stent was used in 4. Four patients developed a fistula postoperatively, and there was one death due to respiratory failure. No relationship was found between complications and the cause of perforation, time of presentation, or type of treatment.

Conclusion

In patients without sepsis, primary repair can be an option even in those presenting late after esophageal perforation, with an acceptable result.
Comparing polymer-filled versus self-expanding endografts in Chinese patients
Authors: Law Yuk , Chan Yiu Che , Cheng Stephen Wing-Keung
Published: October 2018

Introduction

We performed a single-center nonrandomized study on patients who underwent endovascular aneurysm repair using polymer-filled or other self-expanding endografts.

Methods

Consecutive patients with asymptomatic infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms who underwent endovascular repair were retrospectively reviewed. They were divided into a polymer-filled ( n = 20) or self-expanding group ( n = 42). Baseline characteristics, operative mortality and morbidity, and follow-up data were compared.

Results

Aneurysm diameter, neck and iliac morphologies did not differ between the two groups. Technical success was 100%. The 30-day mortality was 0% and 2.4% in the polymer-filled and self-expanding group, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 17 months, the changes in sac size were −2.1 mm and −5.1 mm ( p = 0.144) at one year, and −3.5 mm and −7.7 mm ( p = 0.287) at 2 years in the polymer-filled and self-expanding group, respectively. The polymer-filled group had 7 (35%) type II endoleaks, and the self-expanding group had 1 (2.4%) type Ia and 13 (31%) type II endoleaks. Neck diameter remained stable in the polymer-filled stent-grafts whereas there was progressive neck degeneration in the self-expanding group. The rates of reintervention and overall survival were similar in both groups. The presence of an endoleak was the only predictor of non-regression of the aneurysm (odds ratio = 17.00, 95% confidence interval: 4.46–64.88, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Polymer-filled endografts had similar safety, effectiveness, and durability to other self-expanding endografts. The major advantage is the small iliofemoral access. They also have the potential long-term benefit of a more stable neck.
Post-politics contested: Why multiple voices on climate change do not equal politicisation
Authors: Kenis Anneleen
Published: October 2018

Contemporary discourses on climate change have been analysed as profoundly depoliticised. At the same time, this post-political thesis has been challenged for not taking the multiplicity of voices and actually existing forms of contestation into account. In this paper, I investigate the tension between these two positions and show that the existence of diverging voices and environmental struggles does not disprove the post-political thesis as such. I do this both from a theoretical and an empirical point of view. Theoretically, the paper presents a rereading of post-foundational theory and its implications for dealing with climate change. Empirically, the paper is based on activist research in the Transition Towns and Climate Justice Action movements, which have variably been depicted as profoundly political and depoliticised. The paper argues that it is often overlooked that it is on the level of discourse or representation that the diagnosis of post-politics should be made. It is not reality as such which is post-political, but the way reality is portrayed and thereby constructed. On this basis, I argue that post-politics is a real problem for climate movements and that the attempt to overcome it is not only a necessity but also a profound challenge for them.
The effects of 12-month administration of tofogliflozin on electrolytes and dehydration in mainly elderly Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Higashikawa Toshihiro , Ito Tomohiko , Mizuno Takurou , Ishigami Keiichirou , Kohori Masaru , Mae Kunihiro , Sangen Ryusho , Usuda Daisuke , Saito Atsushi , Iguchi Masaharu , Kasamaki Yuji , Fukuda Akihiro , Saito Hitoshi , Kanda Tsugiyasu , Okuro Masashi
Published: October 2018

Objective

To assess the effect of 12 months of treatment with tofogliflozin on electrolytes and dehydration in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)

Methods

This retrospective study involved mainly elderly patients with T2DM who had received tofogliflozin for 12 months. Data on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), serum electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride), haematocrit, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN)/creatinine ratio were retrieved and analysed.

Results

Data from 69 patients (77% of whom were ≥65 years) showed that there was a significant reduction in HbA1c over the 12-month treatment period with tofogliflozin. However, the drug had no significant effect on levels of haematocrit, electrolytes, eGFR or BUN/creatinine ratio.

Conclusion

This retrospective analysis of data from mainly elderly Japanese patients with T2DM showed that 12-month administration of tofogliflozin exhibited glucose-lowering capabilities with accompanying low risk of electrolyte abnormalities and dehydration.
Bovine Fetal Placenta During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period
Authors: Botta Carolina , Pellegrini Giovanni , Hässig Michael , Pesch Theresa , Prähauser Barbara , Wunderlin Sabina , Guscetti Franco , Schneeberger Marianne , Schmitt Sarah , Basso Walter , Hilbe Monika , Schuler Gerhard , Borel Nicole
Published: October 2018

Bovine abortion is a worldwide problem, but despite extensive histopathologic and molecular investigations, the cause of abortion remains unclear in about 70% of cases. Cellular debris is a commonly observed histopathologic finding in the fetal placenta and is often interpreted as necrosis. In this study, the nature of this cellular debris was characterized, and histologic changes in the normal fetal placenta during pregnancy and after delivery were assessed. In addition, the presence of the most common abortifacient pathogens in Switzerland ( Chlamydiaceae, Coxiella burnetii, Neospora caninum) was tested by polymerase chain reaction. We collected 51 placentomes and 235 cotyledons from 41 and from 50 cows, respectively. In total, cellular debris was present in 48 of 51 (94%) placentomes and in 225 of 235 (96%) cotyledons, inflammation occurred in 1 of 51 (2%) placentomes and in 46 of 235 (20%) cotyledons, vasculitis was seen in 1 of 51 (2%) placentomes and 46 of 235 (20%) cotyledons, and 18 of 51 (35%) placentomes and 181 of 235 (77%) cotyledons had mineralization. The amount of cellular debris correlated with areas of positive signals for cleaved caspase 3 and lamin A. Therefore, this finding was interpreted as an apoptotic process. In total, 10 of 50 cotyledons (20%) were positive for C. burnetii DNA, most likely representing subclinical infections. The results of our study indicate that histologic features in the fetal placenta such as cellular debris, inflammation, vasculitis, and mineralization must be considered physiological processes during pregnancy and after delivery. Therefore, their presence in placentae of aborted fetuses must be interpreted with caution and might not be necessarily linked to an infectious cause of abortion.
Sidney W Mintz’s ‘peasantry’ as a critique of capitalism: New evidence from Jamaica
Authors: Besson Jean
Published: October 2018

A major theme in Sidney W Mintz’s pioneering work on Caribbean societies has been the significance of peasantries in the transformation of this region. After outlining Mintz’s perspective on Caribbean peasantries as a ‘resistant response’ to colonialism, plantations, slavery and indenture, this article highlights on-going peasantization in Jamaica, which was highly developed as a slave-plantation colony and where the post-colonial legacies of this history persist. Drawing on the author’s long-term fieldwork in the island, the article explores maroons, free villages and ‘squatters’ as modes of peasantization and discusses common land, family land and ‘captured’ land as forms of peasant landholding in the face of capitalist land monopolization by the agricultural, bauxite and tourist industries. In conclusion, the article explores how this new evidence from Jamaica reinforces, revises and extends Mintz’s work on Caribbean peasantries as a critique of capitalism.
Time-Dependent Intermodal A* Algorithm: Methodology and Implementation on a Large-Scale Network
Authors: Verbas Ömer , Auld Joshua , Ley Hubert , Weimer Randy , Driscoll Shon
Published: October 2018

This paper proposes a time-dependent intermodal A* (TDIMA*) algorithm. The algorithm works on a multimodal network with transit, walking, and vehicular network links, and finds paths for the three major modes (transit, walking, driving) and any feasible combination thereof (e.g., park-and-ride). Turn penalties on the vehicular network and progressive transfer penalties on the transit network are considered for improved realism. Moreover, upper bounds to prevent excessive waiting and walking are introduced, as well as an upper bound on driving for the park-and-ride (PNR) mode. The algorithm is validated on the large-scale Chicago Regional network using real-world trips against the Google Directions API and the Regional Transit Authority router.
Reliability Assessment Tool: Development and Prototype Testing
Authors: List George F. , Rouphail Nagui , Smith Russell , Williams Billy
Published: October 2018

This paper presents a monitoring system that was developed to assess travel time reliability for observed operating conditions by utilizing traffic stream and non-transportation related data. A prototype was created for an interstate highway route in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina. It describes how the input datasets were obtained, the required data fusion procedures, how the data were analyzed to create the monitoring system outputs, and relevant insights obtained from the reliability monitoring system prototype.
Suitability of municipal solid waste in African cities for thermochemical waste-to-energy conversion: The case of Harare Metropolitan City, Zimbabwe
Authors: Makarichi Luke , Kan Rithy , Jutidamrongphan Warangkana , Techato Kua-anan
Published: October 2018

The recovery of energy from municipal solid waste (MSW) has gained popularity in many industrialized countries, but its adoption in economically developing countries, especially in Africa, has been slow. While capital investments and technical requirements for waste-to-energy (WtE) systems are among the most important causes for this slow adoption, the unavailability of data on the thermochemical quality of MSW as a potential feedstock for energy recovery is also a limiting factor. In this paper, Harare, a typical African city, was selected as a case study. The evaluation was based on the analysis of the MSW’s composition, moisture as-discarded, thermochemical properties and energy content. The results show that the quality of the MSW is comparable to that in regions outside Africa where WtE has been a success. The combustible fraction exceeded 75 wt% making it ideal for thermal treatment without requiring supplementary fuel. With an MSW throughput of 421,757 tonnes year−1 (11.1% of which is recycled), and a lower heating value of 10.1 MJ kg−1, the energetic potential was estimated at 3.8 × 106 GJ. MSW thermal treatment via conventional technologies can reduce the waste throughput to landfills by up to 40%, provide up to 112 GWh year−1 of electrical energy, and increase the annual share of electrical energy produced from bio-fuels and wastes from 1.3% to at least 2.2%. These benefits make thermal MSW treatment a suitable option for waste disposal in African cities.
Indigenous approaches to health and wellness leadership: A BC First Nations perspective
Authors: Gallagher Joe
Published: October 2018

In 2011, British Columbia (BC) First Nations came together to speak with one voice and by consensus made the largest self-determining decision made in this country: to take control over their own health and wellness. Guided by First Nations perspectives, values, and principles, the First Nations Health Authority works alongside the First Nations Health Directors Association and the First Nations Health Council to advance a shared vision of “healthy, self-determining, and vibrant BC First Nations children, families, and communities.” Strong leadership, rooted in the knowledge and teachings that have sustained BC First Nations for thousands of years, is integral to achievement of the vision. This article reflects on Indigenous approaches to health and wellness leadership in the BC context, drawing from traditional teachings shared by BC First Nations Elders and knowledge keepers in four areas: upholding governance and self-determination, “change starts with me,” building a leadership team, and reconciliation and partnership.
Gait Variability, Not Walking Speed, Is Related to Cognition in Adolescents With Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Kalron Alon , Achiron Anat , Menascu Shay
Published: October 2018

Gait variability is associated with cognitive performance in people with central neurologic damage illnesses, which includes multiple sclerosis. However, presently, there have been no data available as to whether this association exists in adolescents with multiple sclerosis. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the association between gait variability and cognition in adolescents with multiple sclerosis encompassing 48 recently diagnosed adolescents with multiple sclerosis (26 girls; 22 boys), average age of 16.0 years (SD = 2.2), and an Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score of 1.6 (SD = 1.3). Walking speed and gait variability expressed by the coefficient of variation of the mean step time was studied using an electronic walkway. A computerized cognitive battery of tests evaluated cognition. Cognitive outcome measurements included verbal and nonverbal memory, executive function, visual spatial processing, verbal function, attention, information processing speed, and motor skills. Mean walking speed was 76.9 cm/s (SD = 57.6); mean step time variability was 3.5 (SD = 1.3) and the global cognitive score was 93.9 (SD = 12.5). According to linear regression analysis, a significant association was found between step time variability, cognitive subdomains of attention, and information processing speed. After incorporating walking speed into the model, the association remained significant. Increased gait variability, not walking speed, is suggested as a clinical marker of cognitive performance in minimally disabled adolescents with multiple sclerosis.
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Cath

eter (AMCath), a minimally invasive endocardial catheter for the delivery of fast-gelling covalently cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogels
Authors: Dolan Eimear B , Kovarova Lenka , O'Neill Hugh , Pravda Martin , Sulakova Romana , Scigalkova Ivana , Velebny Vladimir , Daro Dorothee , Braun Nathalie , Cooney Gerard M , Bellavia Gabriella , Straino Stefania , Cavanagh Brenton L , Flanagan Aiden , Kelly Helena M , Duffy Garry P , Murphy Bruce P
Published: October 2018

Injectable hydrogels that aim to mechanically stabilise the weakened left ventricle wall to restore cardiac function or to deliver stem cells in cardiac regenerative therapy have shown promising data. However, the clinical translation of hydrogel-based therapies has been limited due to difficulties injecting them through catheters. We have engineered a novel catheter, Advanced Materials Catheter (AMCath), that overcomes translational hurdles associated with delivering fast-gelling covalently cross-linked hyaluronic acid hydrogels to the myocardium. We developed an experimental technique to measure the force required to inject such hydrogels and determined the mechanical/viscoelastic properties of the resulting hydrogels. The preliminary in vivo feasibility of delivering fast-gelling hydrogels through AMCath was demonstrated by accessing the porcine left ventricle and showing that the hydrogel was retained in the myocardium post-injection (three 200 μL injections delivered, 192, 204 and 183 μL measured). However, the mechanical properties of the hydrogels were reduced by passage through AMCath (≤20.62% reduction). We have also shown AMCath can be used to deliver cardiopoietic adipose-derived stem cell-loaded hydrogels without compromising the viability (80% viability) of the cells in vitro. Therefore, we show that hydrogel/catheter compatibility issues can be overcome as we have demonstrated the minimally invasive delivery of a fast-gelling covalently cross-linked hydrogel to the beating myocardium.
Prospective Associations Between Play Environments and Pediatric Obesity
Authors: Fitzpatrick Caroline , Alexander Stephanie , Henderson Melanie , Barnett Tracie A.
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

To identify school typologies based on the availability of play equipment and installations. We also examined the associations between availability of play items and child adiposity.

Design:

Secondary analysis of longitudinal data.

Setting:

Elementary schools in Montreal, Canada.

Participants:

We used data from the Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth study (QUALITY), an ongoing investigation of the natural history of obesity and type 2 diabetes in Quebec children of Caucasian descent.

Measures:

The presence of play items was assessed in each child’s school. A trained nurse directly assessed child anthropometric measurements to derive body mass index and waist circumference. Body fat composition was measured using DEXA Prodigy Bone Densitometer System.

Analyses:

The final analytic sample comprised 512 students clustered in 296 schools (81% response). We used K-cluster analyses to identify school typologies based on the variety of play items on school grounds. Generalized estimation equations were used to estimate associations between school clusters and outcomes.

Results:

We identified 4 distinct school typologies. Children in schools with the most varied indoor play environments had lower overall body fat, B = −1.26 cm (95% confidence interval [CI], −2.28 to −0.24 cm), and smaller waist circumference, B = −4.42 cm (95% CI, −7.88 to −0.96 cm), compared to children with the least varied indoor play environment.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that policies regulating the availability of play items in schools may enrich comprehensive school-based obesity prevention strategies. Extending research in this area to diverse populations is warranted.
Residual stress prediction based on MTS model during machining of Ti-6Al-4V
Authors: Pan Zhipeng , Liang Steven Y , Garmestani Hamid , Shih Donald , Hoar Eric
Published: October 2018

The material microstructure attributes are largely ignored in the machining community for the machining mechanics modeling. A physical-based mechanical threshold stress (MTS) model is proposed for the orthogonal turning application of Ti-6Al-4V material. The MTS model takes the material internal state variables, such as dislocation to dislocation interaction and dislocation/interstitial resistance, into the flow stress consideration. The MTS model is embedded into an analytical residual stress prediction model for machining induced residual stress prediction. The experimental data are provided for the model validation. The prediction generally captures the trend of the residual stress profile compared with experiments. The proposed model provides a microstructure insight of the workpiece material in the machining process modeling.
Optimal design of pre-triggering airbag system for occupant protection performance during frontal crashes
Authors: Xiao Zhi , Wang Li , Mo Fuhao , Zhao Siqi , Liu Cuina
Published: October 2018

With the rapid development of car crash sensing and identification technology, the application of pre-triggering airbag system is becoming an important option to improve vehicle safety. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the injury protection ability of pre-triggering airbag system and optimize its performance in frontal crashes regarding the key physical parameters. A driver restraint system model established and validated by National Crash Analysis Center was employed and validated for studying the injury protection ability of pre-triggering airbag system. Then, the influences of airbag triggering time, airbag volume scaling factor, inflator mass flow, and exhaust orifice size of pre-triggering airbag system on driver’s head and chest injuries were analyzed. Finally, the weighted injury criterion was selected as the evaluation index to optimize the pre-triggering airbag system. The results show the pre-triggering airbag should be designed with a larger airbag volume and inflator mass flow rate and smaller exhaust orifice. The optimized restraint system design presents a reduction of weighted injury criterion values in 100% and 40% overlapped frontal impacts reaching 25.63% and 42.23%, respectively.
Apolipoprotein E Affects In Vitro Axonal Growth and Regeneration via the MAPK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Yin Cheng , Guo Zong-duo , He Zong-ze , Wang Zhen-yu , Sun Xiao-chuan
Published: October 2018

Following central nervous system injury in mammals, failed axonal regeneration is closely related to dysneuria. Previous studies have shown that the obvious effects of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) on traumatic brain injury (TBI) were associated with an axonal mechanism. However, little information on the actions of ApoE and its isoforms on axonal regeneration following TBI was provided. In our study, the cerebral cortices of ApoE-deficient (ApoE-/-) and wild-type (ApoE+/+) mice were cultured in vitro, and an axonal transection model was established. Interventions included the conditioned medium of astrocytes, human recombinant ApoE2/3/4 isoforms and inhibitors of the JNK/ERK/p38 pathway. Axonal growth and regeneration were evaluated by measuring the maximum distance and area of the axons. The expression levels of β-tubulin III, MAP2, ApoE, p-JNK, p-ERK and p-p38 were detected by immunofluorescence and western blotting. The results showed that ApoE mRNA and protein were expressed in intact axons and regenerated axons. Axonal growth and regeneration were attenuated in ApoE-/- mice but recovered by exogenous ApoE. Human recombinant ApoE3 positively influenced axonal growth and regeneration; these effects were mediated by the JNK/ERK/p38 pathway. These results suggest ApoE and its isoforms may have influenced axonal growth and regeneration via the MAPK signaling pathway in vitro.
Rapid detection of the component contents in caryophylli flos by a handheld near infrared spectrometer based on digital light processing technology
Authors: Yan Hui , Ma Yue , Han Bangxing
Published: October 2018

A handheld and inexpensive near infrared spectrometer based on digital light processing technology was used to investigate the potential of fast quantitative detection of eugenol, beta-caryophyllene and eugenyl acetate in caryophylli flos. Gas chromatography was used to determine the reference values. The diffuse reflectance spectra of caryophylli flos powder were recorded and were pretreated by different methods, and then the partial least squares regression was applied to develop calibration models; furthermore, the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling was used for the wavelength selection to improve the performance of models. The results show that the best performance of the pretreatment methods is seen with the combination of the first derivative and standard normal variate, and the performance of calibration is improved by the competitive adaptive reweighted sampling. For the eugenol, the standard error of calibration and standard error of prediction are 0.46% and 0.60%, respectively, and the corresponding R-squares are 0.955 and 0.89; for beta-caryophyllene, the standard error of calibration and standard error of prediction are 0.11% and 0.14%, respectively, and the corresponding R-squares are 0.89 and 0.86; for eugenyl acetate, the standard error of calibration and standard error of prediction are 0.30% and 0.38%, respectively, and the corresponding R-squares are 0.89 and 0.80. The overall results of this work revealed the feasibility of the use of handheld near infrared spectrometers as a method for the quantitative on-site determination of eugenol, beta-caryophyllene and eugenyl acetate in caryophylli flos.
Investigations on short coir fibre–reinforced composites via full factorial design
Authors: de Olveira Lívia Ávila , Santos Júlio César dos , Panzera Túlio Hallak , Freire Rodrigo Teixeira Santos , Vieira Luciano Machado Gomes , Rubio Juan Carlos Campos
Published: October 2018

Over the last few decades, a significant amount of research has been focused on the use of natural fibres as reinforcement in polymers, due to their intrinsic properties such as sustainability, easy availability and processing, biodegradability and moderate mechanical strength. Among natural fibres, coir is a low-cost fibre extracted from coconut palm which is extensively produced in Brazil. A full factorial design was carried out to investigate the effects of the manufacturing and composition parameters on the mechanical and physical properties of short coir fibre–reinforced composites (SCoirFRCs). The random short fibres were mixed with epoxy polymer and compacted by uniaxial pressure. The physical and mechanical responses, namely, apparent density, impact resistance, flexural strength and modulus, were investigated under a design of experiment approach. SCoirFRCs fabricated with 35% of fibre volume fraction, 375 g/m2 of fibre grammage and HY956 epoxy hardener type achieved higher flexural modulus and impact resistance, while those consisting of 30 vol% of coir fibres, HY956 type and 300 g/m2 of grammage revealed higher flexural strength. The findings revealed that the mechanical properties of SCoirFRCs are substantially dominated by the properties of the matrix phase and fibre wettability.