bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Speech, Language, and Communication in a Public Health Context: A UK Perspective with Potential Global Application – An Opinion Piece
Authors: Enderby Pamela M. , Law James
Published: May 2019

Speech and language therapists often contribute to public awareness campaigns as well as supporting, teaching and promoting the facilitation of speech, language, communication, and safe swallowing with the general public and health and social care professionals. These are sometimes considered as public health interventions. It is important to consider the objectives, costs, and impact of this involvement in the same way as reviewing the evidence associated with the more personally targeted interventions with individuals or groups of clients with specific conditions. This opinion piece discusses speech and language therapy in the context of public health, clarifies the terminology, and proposes different approaches to demonstrate its influence associated with its objectives. The content has been informed by a Working Party of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (2017–2018).
The Role of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio, Platelet-Lymphocyte Ratio, and Platelets in the Prognosis of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Huszno Joanna , Kolosza Zofia , Mrochem-Kwarciak Jolanta , Rutkowski Tomasz , Skladowski Krzysztof
Published: May 2019

Objective(s): The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelets (PLT), and neutrophil level for their prognostic value in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Materials: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 141 patients with mRCC (2006–2016). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed with the Cox proportional hazards regression model. The cutoff value of NLR was “elevated” as >3.68 and the PLR cutoff value was “elevated” as >144.4. Results: The median PFS and OS were shorter in elevated NLR and PLR. A higher value of PLT was associated with worse median OS and higher neutrophil level with worse OS and PFS. In multivariate analysis, higher NLR (p = 0.007) and PLR (p = 0.006) were independent prognostic factors for shorter OS together with BMI ≤30 (p = 0.004), higher Fuhrman grade (p = 0.0002), lower level of hemoglobin (p= 0.010), and ZUBROD 2 (p = 0.0002). Higher PLR (p = 0.0002) was an independent negative prognostic factor for PFS together with higher Fuhrman grade (p = 0.001), higher neutrophil level (p = 0.001), and lower lymphocyte level (p = 0.013). Conclusion: Elevated pretreatment NLR, PLR, PLT, and neutrophil count are associated with shorter OS and PFS in patients with mRCC. NLR and PLR are independent prognostic factors for OS. However, PLR and neutrophil count are independent prognostic factors for PFS.
Clinicopathological Characteristics of Atypical Glandular Cells Determined by Cervical Cytology in Japan: Survey of Gynecologic Oncology Data from the Obstetrical Gynecological Society of Kinki District, Japan
Authors: Toyoda Shinji , Kawaguchi Ryuji , Kobayashi Hiroshi
Published: May 2019

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinicopathological characteristics of, and the clinical approach used to identify, atypical glandular cells (AGCs) in Japan based on cervical cytology screening. Objectives: This study included 1,254 patients with AGCs who underwent cervical cytology. Method: Data from patients with AGCs were used to examine the practical management of AGCs and the histological results. Results: The incidence of AGCs was 0.20% (1,254/614,791). The 1,254 AGC cases included 859 endocervical cells not otherwise specified (NOS), 3 glandular cells NOS, 91 endocervical cells favor neoplasia (FN), and 301 atypical endometrial cells (AEMCs). Among the 1,254 AGC patients, the histological diagnosis was benign in 666 (53.1%), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1 in 60 (4.8%), CIN2 in 31 (2.5%), CIN3 in 52 (4.1%), squamous cell carcinoma in 19 (1.5%), adenocarcinoma in situ in 39 (3.1%), cervical adenocarcinoma in 106 (8.5%), endometrial carcinoma in 209 (16.7%), ovarian cancer in 26 (2.1%), other malignancy in 4 (0.3%), and other under follow-up in 42 (3.3%). When the 1,254 AGC patients were divided into three medical intervention degrees according to histology, AGC-NOS, AGC-FN, and AEMC required no medical intervention in 78.7, 13.2, and 25.9% (678, 12, and 78) of the patients, cervical cone resection in 13.0, 9.9, and 0.3% (112, 9, and 1) of the patients, and radical laparotomy for invasive cancer in 8.3, 76.9, and 73.8% (72, 70, and 222) of the patients, respectively. Conclusions: Our histological results supported the medical interventions applied for AGC diagnosis and treatment. AGC cases require careful histological evaluation.
MOMS Plus: Single-Institution Review of Outcomes for Extended BMI Criteria for Open Fetal Repair of Myelomeningocele
Authors: Hilton Sarah A. , Hodges Maggie M. , Dewberry Lindel C. , Handler Michael , Galan Henry L. , Zaretsky Michael V. , Behrendt Nicholas , Marwan Ahmed I. , Liechty Kenneth W.
Published: May 2019

Background: In utero repair has become an accepted therapy to decrease the rate of ventriculoperitoneal shunting and improve neurologic function in select cases of myelomeningocele. The Management of Myelomeningocele Study (MOMS) trial excluded patients with a BMI >35 due to concerns for increased maternal complications and preterm delivery, limiting the population that may benefit from this intervention. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes associated with extending the maternal BMI criteria to 40 in open fetal repair of myelomeningocele. Method: Retrospective review of fetal closure of myelomeningocele at a quaternary referral center between 2013 and 2016 with maternal BMI ranging from 35 to 40. Results: Eleven patients with a BMI >35 were identified. The average BMI was 37. The average maternal age at the time of evaluation was 27 years. The average gestational age at fetal surgery was 24 weeks. Gestational age at birth was an average of 32 weeks. There was one perinatal death immediately following the fetal intervention. The shunt rate at 1 year was 45% (5/11 patients). Conclusions: In this single-institution review of expanded BMI criteria for fetal repair of myelomeningocele, we did not observe any adverse maternal outcomes associated with maternal obesity; however, the gestational age at delivery was 2 weeks earlier compared to the MOMS trial.
A New Model of Adult Height Prediction Validated in Boys with Constitutional Delay of Growth and Puberty
Authors: Reinehr Thomas , Hoffmann Elisa , Rothermel Juliane , Lehrian Theresa Johanna , Brämswig Jürgen , Binder Gerhard
Published: May 2019

Background: For children with retarded bone ages such as in constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) there are no specific methods to predict adult height based on bone age. Widely used methods such as Bayley-Pinneau (BP) tend to overestimate adult height in CDGP. Objective: We aimed to develop a specific adult height prediction model for teenage boys with retarded bone ages >1 year. Methods: Based on the adult heights of 68 males (median age 22.5 years) a new height prediction model was calculated based on 105 height measurements and bone age determinations at a median age of 14.0 years. The new model was adapted for the degree of bone age retardation and validated in an independent cohort of 32 boys with CDGP. Results: The BP method overestimated adult height (median +1.2 cm; p = 0.282), especially in boys with a bone age retardation ≥2 years (median +1.6 cm; p = 0.027). In the validation study, there was no significant difference between adult height and predicted adult height based on the new model (p = 0.196), while the BP model led to a significant overestimation of predicted adult height (median +4.1 cm; p = 0.009). Conclusions: The new model to predict adult height in boys with CDGP provides novel indices for height predictions in bone ages >13 years and is adapted to different degrees of bone age retardation. The new prediction model has a good predictive capability and overcomes some of the shortcomings of the BP model.
Blood Pressure and Cognitive Decline in Prevalent Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Drew David A. , Tighiouart Hocine , Duncan Sarah , Rollins Jasmine , Gupta Aditi , Scott Tammy , Weiner Daniel E. , Sarnak Mark J.
Published: May 2019

Background: Hypertension is associated with cognitive decline in the general population. It is unclear what impact blood pressure (BP) has on cognitive decline in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (HD). Methods: Using a longitudinal cohort of 314 prevalent HD patients without dementia at baseline, we examined the association of predialysis systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP), pulse pressure, and intradialytic SBP change (pre minus post), averaged for a month, with cognitive decline. Cognitive function was determined by a neurocognitive battery, administered yearly. Individual cognitive test results were reduced into 2 domain scores using principal components analysis (by definition mean of 0 and SD of 1), representing memory and executive function. Joint models, allowing for characterization of cognitive score slopes and including adjustment for potential confounders, were utilized to account for competing risks from death, dropout, or kidney transplantation. Results: Mean age was 62 years; 54% were men, 23% were black, and 90% had at least a high school education. During median follow-up of 2.1 years (25th–75th: 1.0–4.5), 191 had at least one follow-up test, 148 died, and 43 received kidney transplants. Low predialysis DBP and high pulse pressure were both associated with steeper executive function decline (each 10 mm Hg lower DBP = –0.03 SD [–0.01 to –0.05] per year steeper decline) in executive function (each 10 mm Hg higher pulse pressure = –0.03 SD [–0.06 to –0.01] steeper decline) but not for memory function. SBP and intradialytic change were not associated with steeper decline for either memory or executive function. Conclusions: No relationship was seen between SBP or intradialytic change in BP with cognitive decline. In prevalent HD patients, lower predialysis DBP and wider predialysis pulse pressure are associated with steeper cognitive decline in executive function but not memory.
Fronteiras incertas: arte e fotografia no acervo do MAC USP (1963-1978)
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Costa Helouise
Published: May 2019

A publicação, dividida em três seções, trata do processo de legitimação do fotográfico no sistema de arte brasileiro, tomando o MAC USP como a política de “colecionismo multimídia” desenvolvida nos primeiros anos do museu, como foco do estudo. Em três seções (o ensaio "Da fotografia como arte à arte como fotografia: a experiência do Museu de Arte Contemporânea da USP na década de 1970", material produzido para a exposição "Fronteiras incertas: arte e fotografia no acervo do MAC USP", realizada entre 2013 e 2015, e uma relação de obras incorporadas ao acervo do Museu entre 1963 e 1978, cujas técnicas estão relacionadas aos processos fotográficos), o estudo delineia um panorama do processo de institucionalização da fotografia no meio artístico e aponta questões referentes às fronteiras entre arte e fotografia.
Aureobasidium pini sp. nov. from pine needle in China
Authors: JIANG NING , LIANG YING-MEI , TIAN CHENG-MING
Published: May 2019

Aureobasidium is a yeast-like genus occurring on various substrates as pathogens, saprophytes or endophytes. In this study, Aureobasidium strains were isolated from needles of Pinus tabuliformis in China. The morphology and phylogeny evidences showed that it can be recognized as a new species. Hereby, Aureobasidium pini sp. nov. is introduced and it can be distinguished from its phylogenetically close species, A. namibiae by having shorter conidia.
Typification and a new synonym of Liparis atropurpurea (Orchidaceae)
Authors: ARIGELA RAVI KIRAN , SINGH RAJEEV KUMAR , JALAL JEEWAN SINGH
Published: May 2019

The genus Liparis Richard (1817: 21) composed of about 400 species (Mabberley 2017), widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and temperate areas of the World with maximal diversity in tropical Asia (Chen et al. 2009). In India it is represented by 51 species (Misra 2007).
The RNA-seq approach to discriminate gene expression profiles in response to Beauveria bassiana and Micrococcus luteus microbial pathogens on Actias selene (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
Authors: LIANG DAN , WANG PEI , WU LINGLING , JIANG XIAOLI , WEI GUOQING , ZHU BAOJIAN , WANG LEI , ZHANG HEYU , TOUFEEQ SHAHZAD , QIAN CEN , LIU CHAOLIANG
Published: May 2019

Actias selene (Hübner) is an important silk-spinning moth. Like other moths, it has innate immunity but no acquired immunity. However, there are few studies on immune-related genes of A. selene. Here, differential expression RNAseq experiment was employed to examine the genes related to different metabolic pathways and to explore the immune mechanism of the A. selene post Beauveria bassiana (Bb) and Micrococcus luteus (ML) stimuli. A total of 64,372,921 clean reads were obtained and 39,057 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. In the Bb vs. PBS group (PBS as the control), 9,092 genes were up-regulated and 4,438 genes were down-regulated; in the ML vs. PBS group, 5,903 genes were up-regulated and 5,175 genes were down-regulated. The KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) and GO (Gene Ontology) analyses of DEGs confirmed that many DEGs were associated with "Metabolism pathway", "cellular process", "cell" and "catalytic activity". Among them, 194 and 149 differentially expressed genes were related to immunity in the Bb vs. PBS group and ML vs. PBS group, respectively. We verified the reliability of the data with reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR analysis of randomly selected genes. Furthermore, the phylogenetic tree results showed that HSP90, PGRP and MyD88 genes of A. selene were most closely related to Antheraea pernyi (Guérin-Méneville). These results will provide an overview of the molecular mechanism of A. selene resistance to fungal and bacterial infections as well as an evolutionary aspect of these genes. Moreover, the interrelated trophic mechanisms among different groups of organisms are vital to explore, thus this study will lay a foundation for further studies on the innate immune mechanism of saturniid moths, and provide important theoretical basis for studying the relationship between A. selene and other species.
An updated checklist of Canadian and Alaskan Collembola
Authors: BABENKO ANATOLY , STEBAEVA SOPHYA , TURNBULL MATTHEW S.
Published: May 2019

The available literature data on the species diversity and geographical distribution of Collembola in Canada and Alaska is summarized. In total, the checklist covers 541 named species of Collembola. This includes 475 species in 135 genera from 24 families recorded from Canada, as well as 241 species in 75 genera from 19 families reported from Alaska. For each species the current name, basionym with a full reference, records for different provinces and territories with their authorships, and general distributional ranges are given. Taxonomic remarks have been added when necessary. The checklist is based on 536 references (including 262 with Canadian records) published up to May 2018 and on a number of publicly available online resources.
Predictability of Idealized Thunderstorms in Buoyancy–Shear Space
Authors: Lawson John R.
Published: May 2019

Thunderstorms are difficult to predict because of their small length scale and fast predictability destruction. A cell’s predictability is constrained by properties of the flow in which it is embedded (e.g., vertical wind shear), and associated instabilities (e.g., convective available potential energy). To assess how predictability of thunderstorms changes with environment, two groups of 780 idealized simulations (each using a different microphysics scheme) were performed over a range of buoyancy and shear profiles. Results were not sensitive to the scheme chosen. The gradient in diagnostics (updraft speed, storm speed, etc.) across shear–buoyancy phase space represents sensitivity to small changes in initial conditions: a proxy for inherent predictability. Storm evolution is split into two groups, separated by a U-shaped bifurcation in phase space, comprising 1) cells that continue strengthening after 1 h versus 2) those that weaken. Ensemble forecasts in regimes near this bifurcation are hence expected to have larger uncertainty, and adequate dispersion and reliability is essential. Predictability loss takes two forms: (i) chaotic error growth from the largest and most powerful storms, and (ii) tipping points at the U-shaped perimeter of the stronger storms. The former is associated with traditional forecast error between corresponding grid points, and is here counterintuitive; the latter is associated with object-based error, and matches the mental filtering performed by human forecasters for the convective scale.
Dry and Semidry Tropical Cyclones
Authors: Cronin Timothy W. , Chavas Daniel R.
Published: May 2019

It is widely believed that tropical cyclones are an intrinsically moist phenomenon, requiring evaporation and latent heat release in cumulus convection. Recent numerical modeling by Mrowiec et al., however, challenged this conventional wisdom by finding the formation of axisymmetric dry tropical cyclones in dry radiative–convective equilibrium (RCE). This paper addresses ensuing questions about the stability of dry tropical cyclones in 3D, the moist–dry vortex transition, and whether existing theories for intensity, size, and structure apply to dry cyclones. A convection-permitting model is used to simulate rotating 3D RCE, with surface wetness (0–1) and surface temperature (240–300 K) smoothly varying between dry and moist states. Tropical cyclones spontaneously form and persist for tens of days in both moist and dry/cold states, as well as part of the relatively moist/warm intermediate parameter space. As the surface is dried or cooled, cyclones weaken, both in absolute terms and relative to their potential intensities. Dry and semidry cyclones have smaller outer radii but similar-sized or larger convective centers compared to moist cyclones, consistent with existing structural theory. Strikingly, spontaneous cyclogenesis fails to occur at moderately low surface wetness values and intermediate surface temperatures of 250–270 K. Simulations with time-varying surface moisture and sea surface temperatures indicate this range of parameter space is a barrier to spontaneous genesis but not cyclone existence. Dry and semidry tropical cyclones in rotating RCE provide a compelling model system to further our understanding of real moist tropical cyclones.
Turbulent Transport of Spray Droplets in the Vicinity of Moving Surface Waves
Authors: Richter David H. , Dempsey Anne E. , Sullivan Peter P.
Published: May 2019

A common technique for estimating the sea surface generation functions of spray and aerosols is the so-called flux–profile method, where fixed-height concentration measurements are used to infer fluxes at the surface by assuming a form of the concentration profile. At its simplest, this method assumes a balance between spray emission and deposition, and under these conditions the concentration profile follows a power-law shape. It is the purpose of this work to evaluate the influence of waves on this power-law theory, as well as investigate its applicability over a range of droplet sizes. Large-eddy simulations combined with Lagrangian droplet tracking are used to resolve the turbulent transport of spray droplets over moving, monochromatic waves at the lower surface. The wave age and the droplet diameter are varied, and it is found that droplets are highly influenced both by their inertia (i.e., their inability to travel exactly with fluid streamlines) and the wave-induced turbulence. Deviations of the vertical concentration profiles from the power-law theory are found at all wave ages and for large droplets. The dynamics of droplets within the wave boundary layer alter their net vertical fluxes, and as a result, estimates of surface emission based on the flux–profile method can yield significant errors. In practice, the resulting implication is that the flux–profile method may unsuitable for large droplets, and the combined effect of inertia and wave-induced turbulence is responsible for the continued spread in their surface source estimates.
Intervention of Orai1 Influences the Response of Nuocytes From Allergic Rhinitis Mice to IL-33
Authors: Lin Lin , Wei Jinjin , Chen Zheng , Tang Xinyue , Dai Fei , Sun Guangbin
Published: May 2019

Objective:

Nuocytes are essential in innate type-2 immunity and contribute to the exacerbation of allergic rhinitis (AR). This study aimed to evaluate the intervention of Orai1 on the response of nuocytes from AR mice to interleukin (IL)-33.

Methods:

We established a murine model of AR. Nuocytes were obtained from the mouse nasal-associated lymphoid tissue. Then, we assessed expressions of Orai1, Ca2+ mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) in nuocytes, and their cellular response to mouse recombinant (rm) IL-33. After that, we administered rmlentivirus vectors (lenti) that encoded small hairpin RNA (shRNA) against ORAI1 (lenti-ORAI1) into nuocytes cultures and again evaluated Orai1 and Ca2+ MFI in nuocytes and their response to rmIL-33. Finally, we adoptively transferred nuocytes alone or nuocytes transfected by lenti or lenti-ORAI1 to AR models to investigate their roles during allergic inflammation.

Results:

We showed that Orai1 and Ca2+ MFI were upregulated in AR mice nuocytes. These cells were induced to produce more IL-5 and IL-13 by rmIL-33. However, the intervention of Orai1 by lenti-ORAI1 in nuocytes decreased Orai1 and Ca2+ MFI and reduced productions of aforementioned cytokines even after the administration of rmIL-33. Numbers of sneezing, nasal rubbing, and counts of eosinophils were all enhanced after the adoptive transfer of nuocytes. Concentrations of IL-5, IL-13, and IL-33 in the nasal lavage fluid (NLF) of allergic mice were also increased. However, the adoptive transfer of nuocytes transfected by lenti-ORAI1 decreased aforementioned parameters.

Conclusion:

These findings show that the intervention of Orai1 in nuocytes influences the response of nuocytes to rmIL-33.
Hybrids, identity and knowledge boundaries: Creative artists between academic and practitioner communities
Authors: Lam Alice
Published: May 2019

Hybrid people can be riven by identity conflicts and yet be profoundly disruptive of social boundaries. How can we understand these two facets of hybridity? This study examines how internal identity conflict resolution is related to external boundary disruption by focusing on the identity work of individuals who cross professional knowledge boundaries. It looks at artist-academic hybrids who operate at the interface between the academic and art worlds. The analysis shows the dynamic interplay between their hybrid identity work and knowledge boundary work. It distinguishes three categories of hybrids (‘Janusian’, ‘ambivalent’ and ‘asymmetric’) whose varied identity work strategies (‘integrative’, ‘multiplex’ and ‘buffering’) disrupt knowledge boundaries in different ways (‘blurring’, ‘transgressing’ and ‘brokering’). The study sheds light on the varied nature of hybrids and the mutually constitutive nature of their internal and external identity work. It advances our understanding of identity work as an agentic activity and reveals the identity processes underlying the disruption of knowledge boundaries.
Can Advertising Investments Counter the Negative Impact of Shareholder Complaints on Firm Value?
Authors: Wies Simone , Hoffmann Arvid Oskar Ivar , Aspara Jaakko , Pennings Joost M.E.
Published: May 2019

Shareholder complaints put pressure on publicly listed firms, yet firms rarely directly address the actual issues raised in these complaints. The authors examine whether firms respond in an alternative way by altering advertising investments in an effort to ward off the financial damage associated with shareholder complaints. By analyzing a unique data set of shareholder complaints submitted to S&P 1500 firms between 2001 and 2016, supplemented with qualitative interviews of executives of publicly listed firms, the authors document that firms increase advertising investments following shareholder complaints and that such an advertising investment response mitigates a postcomplaint decline in firm value. Furthermore, results suggest that firms are more likely to increase advertising investments when shareholder complaints are submitted by institutional investors, pertain to nonfinancial concerns, and relate to topics that receive high media attention. The findings provide new insights on how firms address stock market adversities with advertising investments and inform managers about the effectiveness of such a response.
Dispositional Mindfulness Mediates the Relationship Between Sensory-Processing Sensitivity and Trait Anxiety, Well-Being, and Psychosomatic Symptoms
Authors: Takahashi Toru , Kawashima Issaku , Nitta Yusuke , Kumano Hiroaki
Published: May 2019

Recent studies have suggested that sensory-processing sensitivity correlates to poor psychological and physical health. However, it remains unclear how this occurs. Sensory-processing sensitivity can be understood as sensitivity to sensations without the presence of intentional awareness and a nonreactive attitude, which are the components of mindfulness. We tested the hypothesis that dispositional mindfulness mediates the relationship between sensory-processing sensitivity and trait anxiety, well-being and psychosomatic symptoms. We analyzed data from 563 participating young adults living in Japan. Multiple mediation analysis showed that the four facets (nonreactivity, nonjudging, describing, and acting with awareness) of mindfulness partially mediated the effects of sub-factors of sensory-processing sensitivity (low sensory threshold and ease of excitation) on trait anxiety. Nonreactivity, describing, and acting with awareness partially mediated the effect of low sensory threshold on well-being and fully mediated the effect of ease of excitation. Nonjudging and acting with awareness partially mediated the effects of low sensory threshold and ease of excitation on psychosomatic symptoms. As a whole, the mediation hypotheses were supported, and it was determined that the improvement of dispositional mindfulness may prove effective for the psychological and physical problems of people with high sensory-processing sensitivity.
Diderot’s Letter on the Blind as Disability Political Theory
Authors: Hirschmann Nancy J.
Published: May 2019

This essay considers Denis Diderot’s Letter on the Blind for the Use of Those Who Can See as a work that can contribute to a disability political theory. By recounting the experiences of visually impaired persons in their own words, Diderot opens up possibilities for a disability politics of self-representation, maintaining that sighted persons should listen to blind persons’ accounts of their own experience rather than relying on their own imaginings and assumptions. By using blind experiences to challenge a philosophical problem that intrigued philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries amid often-unsuccessful efforts to “cure” blindness through cataract surgeries, Diderot develops a powerful critique of the empiricist stress on vision as the primary source of perception and provides a remarkably forward-looking critique of disablist attitudes toward the blind. Through this philosophical discourse, he engages a political argument about the way knowledge is gathered, evaluated, and interpreted through relationships of power.
A Sacred Duty: Nationalist and Anti-Imperial Activisms in Buenos Aires, 1916-1930
Authors: Hyland Steven
Published: May 2019

The Southern Atlantic city of Buenos Aires emerged a critical hub of radical political activism between 1916 and 1930 at a time when the influence of anarchist activists waned and organized labor often worked with the Radical Civic Union presidents. Whether based in or passing through this city, activists and exiles, partisans, and pretenders pursued various strategies to achieve revolutionary change, raise funds for causes, assure sovereignty, control the public narrative, and network with like-minded individuals and groups. These agitators created webs of associations throughout the Atlantic world in the process. These networks were vital in fashioning enduring transnational connections, strategies of resistance, shared discourses, and symbolic registers that framed how nationalist and anti-imperial interactions were understood. This article focuses on Irish republicans, Catalan nationalists, and Arab anti-colonialists and their interactions with Argentine agitators, sympathizers, and various state actors to more fully understand the importance of Buenos Aires in this period and the consequences on sociopolitical life in this Atlantic port city up to the global depression of 1930.
Gratitude and Loneliness: Enhancing Health and Well-Being in Older Adults
Authors: Bartlett Monica Y. , Arpin Sarah N.
Published: May 2019

We experimentally investigated gratitude’s impact on loneliness and health in older adults. Participants were assigned to a daily gratitude writing exercise (treatment group) or a control group. Self-reported loneliness and health (i.e., subjective well-being, subjective health, health symptoms) were measured daily over a 3-week period. In support of our hypotheses, within-person variability in gratitude predicted differences in loneliness and health. Furthermore, those in the treatment group showed stronger cumulative effects of gratitude on loneliness and health symptoms when aggregated across the 20-day study. Additionally, a series of conditional, multilevel indirect effect models found that loneliness acted as a mechanism for gratitude’s differential impact on subjective well-being and health symptoms across conditions. Taken together, this study provides initial evidence that a simple gratitude exercise can strengthen associations among daily gratitude and loneliness and, consequently, improve health, for older adults.
The design and development of Branch Bot: a branch-crawling, caterpillar-inspired, soft robot
Authors: Rozen-Levy Shane , Messner William , Trimmer Barry A
Published: May 2019

A soft climbing robot has the potential to access locations such as wiring ducts and tree canopies that are unreachable by humans and traditional rigid robots. In addition, a soft robot is robust and can fall without damaging itself or its environment. We present a soft, branch-crawling robot that is inspired by the passive gripping mechanisms used by caterpillars. The conformability of the robot’s soft body makes it uniquely suited to move in a complex 3D environment. A key innovation is that grip release is actively controlled and coordinated with propulsion generated by stored elastic energy. The robot is molded from silicone rubber and actuated using remote motor-tendons coupled to the structure through Bowden cables. Grip is achieved passively through an elastic flexure that pushes a compliant finger against the dowel. Experimental results show that the gripper is easily able to support the weight of the robot, and that the body structure allows the robot to crawl horizontally, vertically, and along branches. This robot demonstrates some key advantages of a soft robotic platform over traditional rigid robots.
Musical expertise: Evidence from a pilot study on reaction times and time/frequency oscillatory responses
Authors: Caravaglios Giuseppe , Castro Giuseppe , Crivelli Davide , De Filippis Daniela , Muscoso Emma Gabriella , Di Maria Giulia , Di Pietro Cristina , Coco Marinella , Perciavalle Vincenzo , Balconi Michela
Published: May 2019

The present study aimed at exploring adaptive mechanisms underlying the development of musical competence and, in particular, at qualifying and quantifying differences in cognitive functioning between people with and without musical training, as measured by electroencephalographic (EEG) and behavioral responses during an experimental task tapping into attention and monitoring mechanisms. Eighteen participants took part in the study. EEG responses to an omitted tone task were processed to compute their spatial components and time/frequency dynamics (power spectra, event-related spectral perturbation, and inter-trial coherence). In general, musicians showed greater EEG reactivity than control participants, which might signal adaptive changes linked to trained musical competence. Furthermore, musicians also performed better than controls, suggesting greater cognitive efficiency. Present findings also provide evidence that EEG is a valuable tool to help our understanding of adaptive mechanisms fostered by musical training and that it may complement behavioral methods to test performance.
Changing Greek libraries: A continuous dialogue
Authors: Glossiotis Georgios , Vassilakaki Evgenia , Semertzaki Eva
Published: May 2019

In the era of radical socio-economic-technological developments, the Library and Information Science sector in Greece is undergoing a series of changes in a dialectic relation with technological changes. Libraries in Greece have a long history, from the Academy of Plato and the Lyceum of Aristotle in the 5th century BC to the transition of the National Library of Greece at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre. This paper aims to provide an overview and record the milestones signifying the beginning of the changes happening in every aspect of the Greek LIS landscape. In addition, it aims to highlight the changes in the Greek library scene, extending from synergies and networks to new library buildings, as well as the role of LIS education and lifelong learning.
Evaluation and Validation of Fatigue Testing Methods for Rubberized Bituminous Specimens
Authors: Yu Huayang , Zhu Zihan , Wang Duanyi
Published: May 2019

Several fatigue evaluation methods are available to evaluate the durability of bituminous materials. In some cases, the test results may provide poor correlation with the true fatigue performance, especially when additives with complicated components are incorporated. This study aims to characterize the fatigue behavior of different warm asphalt rubber (WAR) specimens modified by both crumb rubber and warm mix asphalt (WMA) additives, and to validate the feasibility of binder and mortar fatigue tests on WAR. Three WARs with organic, chemical, and foaming additives were prepared. G*sin δ and liner amplitude sweep (LAS) tests (on both binders and liquid phases), and the shear fatigue test (on mortars) were performed. The four-point bending beam (4PB) test was used as reference to validate results of binder, liquid phase, and mortar tests. Test results indicated that the fatigue performance of virgin bitumen is obviously improved by crumb rubber. The selected organic additive contributes to superior fatigue resistance, whereas WARs with foaming and chemical WMA modifiers performed more poorly than asphalt rubber in relation to fatigue, but still much better that the non-rubberized samples. Finally, it is noted that for the rubberized bituminous specimens, LAS evaluation for asphalt binder and the shear fatigue test for asphalt mortar provide same prediction as the 4PB test, whereas other tests give inconsistent results. Therefore, it is suggested to use the 4PB test on mixture, the LAS test on binder, and the shear fatigue test on mortar for fatigue performance characterization of bituminous specimens containing crumb rubber particles. Further validation of the above findings on field specimens is suggested.
Approximative Network Partitioning for MFDs from Stationary Sensor Data
Authors: Ambühl Lukas , Loder Allister , Zheng Nan , Axhausen Kay W. , Menendez Monica
Published: May 2019

The macroscopic fundamental diagram (MFD) measures network-level traffic performance of urban road networks. Large-scale networks are normally partitioned into homogeneous regions in relation to road network topology and traffic dynamics. Existing partitioning algorithms rely on unbiased data. Unfortunately, widely available stationary traffic sensors introduce a spatial bias and may fail to identify meaningful regions for MFD estimations. Thus, it is crucial to revisit and develop stationary-sensor-based partitioning algorithm. This paper proposes an alternative two-step partitioning algorithm for MFD estimations based on information collected solely from stationary sensors. In a first step, possible partitioning outcomes are generated in the road networks using random walks. In a second step, the regions’ MFDs are estimated under every possible partitioning outcome. Based on previous work, an indicator is proposed to evaluate the traffic heterogeneity in regions. The proposed partitioning approach is tested with an abstract grid network and empirical data from Zurich. In addition, the results are compared with an algorithm that disregards stationary detectors’ biases. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach performs well for obtaining the quasi-optimal network partitions yielding the lowest heterogeneity among all possible partition outcomes. The presented approach not only complements existing literature, but also offers practice-oriented solutions for transport authorities to estimate the MFDs with their available data.
Expanding Collective Efficacy Theory to Reduce Violence Among African American Adolescents
Authors: Whipple Christopher R. , Robinson W. LaVome , Jason Leonard A.
Published: May 2019

Community violence is a complex phenomenon, and many theories have been put forth to explain the causes of community violence and disparities in community violence across neighborhoods. One notable theory, collective efficacy theory (CET), posits that collective efficacy (i.e., a neighborhood’s social cohesion and informal social control) mediates the association between concentrated disadvantage and community violence. As CET theorizes an inverse feedback loop between collective efficacy and community violence, collective efficacy could mitigate the link between neighborhood disadvantage and community violence. The current study examines the reciprocal association between collective efficacy and community violence exposure using data from 604 low-resourced, urban African American ninth-grade students from a large Midwestern city. Data were collected at 6-month intervals over 2 years. Significant cross-sectional associations were found between each of the collective efficacy constructs (social cohesion and informal social control) and community violence exposure, although no significant longitudinal cross-lagged associations were found. There were positive cross-sectional associations between (a) collective efficacy and community violence exposure and (b) informal social control and community violence exposure; however, the association between social cohesion and community violence exposure was negative. Associations between overall collective efficacy, as well as its subscales, and community violence exposure were consistent with hypothesized directions for social cohesion, but not for collective efficacy or informal social control. Findings support the use of collective efficacy as two constructs, rather than a single construct as proposed by Sampson et al. Implications for expanding original assumptions of CET are discussed.
Teacher and School Predictors of Teacher Deprofessionalization and Demoralization in the United States
Authors: Wronowski Meredith , Urick Angela
Published: May 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine changes in teachers’ perception of their work during key periods of the accountability and assessment policy movement in the United States. We utilize a teacher perception of deprofessionalization and demoralization framework operationalized using the restricted Schools and Staffing Surveys data sets from 1993-1994 through 2011-2012 to examine changes in teachers’ perception of their work. Using multiple group hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) we find that teacher deprofessionalization and demoralization increased from the state- to federal-level accountability periods. We also find that there are significant predictors of deprofessionalization and demoralization at the teacher level and school level.
Rehabilitation strategy for post-stroke recovery using an innovative elbow exoskeleton
Authors: Manna Soumya K , Dubey Venketesh N
Published: May 2019

Intensive and adaptive rehabilitation therapy is beneficial for post-stroke recovery. Three modes of rehabilitation are generally performed at different stages after stroke: external force-based control in the acute stage, assistive force-based rehabilitation in the midway of recovery and resistive force-based rehabilitation in the last stage. To achieve the above requirements, an innovative elbow exoskeleton has been developed to incorporate the three modes of rehabilitation in a single structure. The structure of the exoskeleton has been designed in such a way that the whole working region is divided into three where each region can provide a different mode of rehabilitation. Recovery rate can be varied for individuals since it depends on various parameters. To evaluate the rate of recovery, three joint parameters have been identified: range of angular movement, angular velocity and joint torque. These parameters are incorporated into the framework of planning a novel rehabilitation strategy, which is discussed in this article along with the structural description of the designed exoskeleton.
Social Class Matters: Rejoinder to “The Menace of Misinformation: Faculty Misstatements in Management Education and Their Consequences”
Authors: Heath Michele L.
Published: May 2019

“Faculty Misstatements in Management Education and their Consequences” is a thought-provoking article that draws attention to what information is being disseminated in business schools. The article argues that faculty communicate misinformation about the economic model and what matters in life. This rejoinder addresses the notion that social class plays a significant role in what students value and what matters to them in life. Social class refers to the division of individuals or groups of culture based on wealth, income, education, type of occupation, and social network. Social class matters because it shapes individuals’ experience of themselves in the world. I argue that socioeconomic factors matter when you discuss beliefs, values, and norms. Student demographics are changing in higher education. Working-class students are gaining access to higher education, which means that the classrooms in business schools are becoming more diverse. Ultimately, social class plays a role in how students view life and how they treat other people. The article concludes with a call to faculty to understand and explore differences in our classroom.
Product form design model based on the robust posterior preference articulation approach
Authors: Li Yongfeng , Zhu Liping
Published: May 2019

Affective responses reflect consumers’ affective needs and have attracted considerable attention in industrial product form design. When designing a product for consumers, designers should take into account multiple affective responses. Therefore, designing products that can satisfy multiple affective responses is a multi-objective optimization problem. In this article, a novel model based on the robust posterior preference articulation approach is proposed to optimize product form design by simultaneously considering multiple affective responses. First, design analysis is performed to determine design variables and affective responses. Subsequently, the Taguchi method is used, and the signal-to-noise ratios are calculated. Based on the results, predictive models for signal-to-noise ratios concerning multiple affective responses are built and then a multi-objective optimization model is constructed. The reference-point-based many-objective non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm–II (called NSGA-III) is used to solve the multi-objective optimization model for obtaining Pareto solutions. Finally, a combination of the fuzzy Kano model and the fuzzy optimum selection model is adopted to select the optimal solution from the obtained Pareto solutions. A car profile design was employed to present the proposed approach. The results reveal that the proposed approach can effectively achieve an optimal design and is a robust approach for optimizing product form design.
Precancerous Cervical Lesion Among HIV-Positive Women in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Weldegebreal Fitsum , Worku Teshager
Published: May 2019

In sub-Saharan Africa, cervical cancer is an intersecting epidemic with HIV and it is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Therefore, this study was aimed to estimate the current status of the prevalence and associated factors of precancerous cervical lesions among HIV-positive women in sub-Saharan Africa. A systematic literature search was conducted from legitimate electronic databases, including MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, EMBASE (Ovid), Emcare (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost), Web of Science, Scopus, and PopLine and other gray literature including Google, Google Scholar, World Cat, ResearchGate, and Mednar. Data were extracted with a structured format prepared in Microsoft Excel. Each study was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for cross-sectional and cohort studies checklists. Accordingly, medium and high-quality studies were included in the review. Data synthesis and statistical analysis was conducted using OpenMeta and comprehensive meta-analysis version 2 software. The study protocol is registered on PROSPERO with ID: CRD42018114266. The pooled prevalence of precancerous cervical lesion among HIV-positive women in sub-Saharan Africa was 25.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 19.4%-31.8%). Having more than 2 lifetime sexual partners (odds ratio [OR]: 4.77; 95% CI: 1.35-16.93), having had a history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs; OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.03-3.57), having more than 2 births (OR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.33-2.53), and CD4 count <200 cells/mm3 (OR: 1.765; 95% CI: 1.23-2.535) were significantly associated with precancerous cervical lesions. The prevalence of precancerous cervical lesion among HIV-positive women was high. One in 4 HIV-infected women suffers from precancerous cervical lesion. Lower CD4 cell count, STIs, multiple sexual partnering, and histories of multiple births and abortions were the foremost contributing factors for this burden. Precancerous cervical lesion could be reduced significantly if preventive and promotive measures are done on the associated factors.