bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three Different Ways of Treating Primary Hepatocellular Carcinoma at an Early Stage: A Prospective Comparative Study
Authors: Wu Di , Yang Yue , Chen Jing , Cai Huihua , Duan Yunfei , Sun Donglin
Published: May 2020

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) is one of the most common malignancies in clinical practice. According to the “Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer in China,” PHC, at an early stage, can be treated by surgical resection and ablation. Surgical resection basically consists of two ways; one is open hepatectomy (OH), and the other is laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH), which is a newly developed technique associated with advantages of open surgery. Ablation, also known as percutaneous thermal ablation using radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA), is a minimally invasive curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. This preliminary report was aimed at evaluating the postoperative outcome of the patients undergoing these three therapeutic methods, respectively. The study analyzed the data of 95 patients who underwent LH, OH, or ablation between June 2018 and June 2019 at First People’s Hospital of Changzhou, Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. There were 20 patients in the ablation group, 35 patients in the OH group, and 40 patients in the LH group. Among the three groups, the postoperative short-term outcome was the best in the ablation group, suggesting that it was a safe and cheap way to treat PHC at an early stage.
Anesthesia outside the Operating Room in a Patient with Mitochondrial Disease
Authors: Fadrique-Fuentes Alejandra , Martínez-Rafael Beatriz , Poves-Álvarez Rodrigo , Gómez-Pesquera Estefanía
Published: May 2020

Mitochondrial dysfunction comprehends a wide range of genetic disorders. These patients’ precarious metabolic balance makes its management difficult. Furthermore, the same systems affected by mitochondrial disease can be altered by many of the frequently used anesthetic agents. Each patient has to be evaluated individually according to their comorbidities and anesthetic requirements.
Biological Aging and Immune Senescence in Children with Perinatally Acquired HIV
Authors: Dalzini Annalisa , Petrara Maria Raffaella , Ballin Giovanni , Zanchetta Marisa , Giaquinto Carlo , De Rossi Anita
Published: May 2020

Chronic HIV-infected children suffer from premature aging and aging-related diseases. Viral replication induces an ongoing inflammation process, with the release of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), the activation of the immune system, and the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Although combined highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly modified the natural course of HIV infection, normalization of T and B cell phenotype is not completely achievable; thus, many HIV-infected children display several phenotypical alterations, including higher percentages of activated cells, that favor an accelerated telomere attrition, and higher percentages of exhausted and senescent cells. All these features ultimately lead to the clinical manifestations related to premature aging and comorbidities typically observed in older general population, including non-AIDS-related malignancies. Therefore, even under effective treatment, the premature aging process of HIV-infected children negatively impacts their quality and length of life. This review examines the available data on the impact of HIV and ART on immune and biological senescence of HIV-infected children.
RIRS with Vacuum‐Assisted Ureteral Access Sheath versus MPCNL for the Treatment of 2‐4 cm Renal Stone
Authors: Lai Dehui , He Yongzhong , Li Xun , Chen Meiling , Zeng Xingrong
Published: May 2020

Objective. Comparison of outcomes between RIRS with vacuum‐assisted ureteral access sheath (V‐UAS) and MPCNL in the treatment of renal stone. Materials and Methods. 28 patients with 2‐4 cm renal stone were treated using RIRS with 14/16 F V‐UAS. The outcomes were compared to those who underwent MPCNL with 16 F Amplatz sheath using a matched‐pair analysis in a 1 : 2 scenario. Matching criteria included stone size, location and laterality, gender, age, BMI, and degree of hydronephrosis. Patients’ demographics, perioperative and postoperative characteristics, complications, stone‐free rate (SFR), and auxiliary procedures were compared. Results. Mean operative times for the RIRS and MPCNL groups were 72.4 ± 21.3 minutes and 67.4 ± 25 minutes (P = 0.042). Postoperative pain was significantly less in the RIRS group. The initial SFR was 50% for the RIRS group and 73.2% for the MPCNL group (P = 0.035). The final SFR at postoperative three months improved to 89.3% for the RIRS group and 92.9% for the MPCNL group (P = 0.681). The auxiliary procedure rates were higher in the RIRS group (42.9% vs. 25%, P = 0.095). The overall complication rate in the RIRS group was lower, but the significant difference was not found. Conclusion. In the treatment of 2‐4 cm renal stone, using V‐UAS in RIRS can improve surgical efficiency with lower postoperative early pain scores. Comparing with MPCNL, its initial SFR was more depressed, and there is still a trend towards requiring more auxiliary procedures to achieve comparable final SFR.
Prognostic Value of a Three-DNA Methylation Biomarker in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Chen Yuxiao , Zhu Rui , Chen Min , Guo Wenna , Yang Xin , Xu Xin-Jian , Zhu Liucun
Published: May 2020

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a highly aggressive and heterogeneous group of malignant mesenchymal tumors. The prognosis of patients with advanced or metastatic STS remains poor, and the main therapy of STS patients combines primary surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. Aberrant DNA methylation shows close association with the pathogenesis and tumor progression. Therefore, DNA methylation biomarkers might have the potential in accurately predicting the survival of STS patients. In order to identify a prognostic biomarker based on DNA methylation sites, a comprehensive analysis of the DNA methylation profile of STS patients in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was performed. All samples were randomly divided into training and testing datasets. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify a prognostic biomarker that contains three DNA methylation sites. The Kaplan–Meier analysis demonstrated that the 3-DNA methylation biomarker discriminated patients into high-risk and low-risk groups, both in the training and in the testing datasets, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values (AUCs) were 0.844 (P<0.001, 95% CI: 0.740–0.948) and 0.710 (P=0.002, 95% CI: 0.595–0.823), respectively. Besides, this biomarker presented superior prognostic performance in STS patients with different age, sex, tissue of origin, therapy, and histologic subtypes. Compared with other prognostic biomarkers, this biomarker tended to be a more precise prognostic factor in STS patients. Moreover, methylation sites in this biomarker might provide a new way for clinicians to make decisions regarding the intervention and assess the effectiveness of an individual therapeutic strategy.
Dynamic Monitoring of sTREM-1 and Other Biomarkers in Acute Cholangitis
Authors: Jiang Jiahui , Wang Xiaolei , Cheng Tongtong , Han Mingyue , Wu Xinxin , Wan Haitong , DaojunYu
Published: May 2020

Background. Sepsis is a common complication of acute cholangitis (AC), which is associated with a high mortality rate. Our study is aimed at exploring the significance of white blood cell (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (sTREM-1), and temperature (T) alone or combined together in early identification and curative effect monitoring of AC with or without sepsis. Methods. 65 consecutive cases with AC and 76 control cases were enrolled. They were divided into three groups: Group A (AC with sepsis), Group B (AC without sepsis), and Group C (inpatients without AC or other infections). The levels of WBC, CRP, PCT, sTREM-1, and temperature were measured dynamically. The study was carried out and reported according to STARD 2015 reporting guidelines. Results. CRP had the highest AUC to identify AC from individuals without AC or other infections (AUC 1.000, sensitivity 100.0%, specificity 100.0%, positive predictive value 100.0%, and negative predictive value 100.0%). Among various single indexes, PCT performed best (AUC 0.785, sensitivity 75.8%, specificity 72.2%, positive predictive value 68.7%, and negative predictive value 78.8%) to distinguish sepsis with AC, while different combinations of indexes did not perform better. From day 1 to day 5 of hospitalization, the levels of sTREM-1 in Group A were the highest, followed by Groups B and C (P<0.05); on day 8, sTREM-1 levels in Groups A and B declined back to normal. However, other index levels among three groups still had a significant difference on day 10. Both in Groups A and B, sTREM-1 levels declined fast between day 1 and day 2 (P<0.05). Conclusions. CRP is the best biomarker to suggest infection here. PCT alone is sufficient enough to diagnose sepsis with AC. sTREM-1 is the best biomarker to monitor patients’ response to antimicrobial therapy and biliary drainage.
Renal Carcinoma and Kartagener Syndrome: An Unusual Association
Authors: Dergamoun Hamza , El Alaoui Abdelilah , Boualaoui Imad , Sayegh Hachem , Benslimane Lounis , Nouini Yassine
Published: May 2020

Background. The association of renal cell carcinoma and Kartagener’s syndrome is unusual, and only eleven cases have been reported in the literature. The purpose of this work is to analyze this unusual association of Kartagener’s syndrome and renal cell tumor and to study the main diagnostic and therapeutic aspects through our observation and review of the literature. Case Presentation. We report the case of a 50-year-old patient, with a history of recurrent respiratory infections, in whom a renal tumor was simultaneously diagnosed with Kartagener’s syndrome, represented by situs inversus, bronchiectasia, and chronic sinusitis. The patient was treated by partial nephrectomy, and the histological examination showed a clear cell carcinoma. Through this observation and a review of the literature, we try to analyze this association as well as the main diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. Conclusion. The association of situs inversus and renal cell carcinoma is very rare—preoperative assessment and anatomy knowledge are crucial for a better adaptation of the surgical technique.
Significance of LL‐37 on Immunomodulation and Disease Outcome
Authors: Yang Binbin , Good David , Mosaiab Tamim , Liu Wei , Ni Guoying , Kaur Jasmine , Liu Xiaosong , Jessop Calvin , Yang Lu , Fadhil Rushdi , Yi Zhengjun , Wei Ming Q.
Published: May 2020

LL‐37, also called cathelicidin, is an important part of the human immune system, which can resist various pathogens. A plethora of experiments have demonstrated that it has the multifunctional effects of immune regulation, in addition to antimicrobial activity. Recently, there have been increasing interest in its immune function. It was found that LL‐37 can have two distinct functions in different tissues and different microenvironments. Thus, it is necessary to investigate LL‐37 immune functions from the two sides of the same coin. On the one side, LL‐37 promotes inflammation and immune response and exerts its anti‐infective and antitumor effects; on the other side, it has the ability to inhibit inflammation and promote carcinogenesis. This review presents a brief summary of its expression, structure, and immunomodulatory effects as well as brief discussions on the role of this small peptide as a key factor in the development and treatment of various inflammation‐related diseases and cancers.
Pre-Quasi Simple Banach Operator Ideal Generated by s−Numbers
Authors: Bakery Awad A. , Abou Elmatty Afaf R.
Published: May 2020

Let E be a weighted Nakano sequence space or generalized Cesáro sequence space defined by weighted mean and by using s−numbers of operators from a Banach space X into a Banach space Y. We give the sufficient (not necessary) conditions on E such that the components SEX,Y≔T∈LX,Y:snTn=0∞∈E of the class SE form pre-quasi operator ideal, the class of all finite rank operators are dense in the Banach pre-quasi ideal SE, the pre-quasi operator ideal formed by the sequence of approximation numbers is strictly contained for different weights and powers, the pre-quasi Banach Operator ideal formed by the sequence of approximation numbers is small, and finally, the pre-quasi Banach operator ideal constructed by s−numbers is simple Banach space.
Evolution of the Complex Partnerships between Banks and B2B e-Trading Platforms: A Theoretical Interpretation from the Chinese Market
Authors: Shi Jinzhao , Guo Ju’e , Du Qiang , Bai Libiao , Li Yi , Yan Wenjun , Lai Kin Keung
Published: May 2020

Based on the principal-agent theory, we give a theoretical interpretation on evolution of the complex partnerships between the online SCF (supply chain finance) providers in China. First, we describe the principal-agent relationships and analyze the optimal profit-sharing contracts between the banks and the B2B platforms. Then, from a dual perspective of leadership transfer and absolute benefit change, we explain the behavioral choices of the banks in the cooperation. Results show that, at the initial stage of growth of the platforms’ abilities to rate online borrowers, the leadership and the absolute benefit of the banks will suffer a “double decline,” which explains why the leading banks in China “divorced” the B2B platforms during 2011 to 2013. However, as the platforms’ rating abilities grow to “maturity,” the absolute benefit of the banks will finally exceed its original level, and then the rational banks would cooperate with the platforms again even at the expense of losing a portion of their leadership, which answers why the banks in China have come back to “remarry” the B2B platforms since 2014.
A Systematic Review of In Vitro Activity of Medicinal Plants from Sub‐Saharan Africa against Campylobacter spp.
Authors: Hlashwayo Delfina Fernandes , Barbosa Filomena , Langa Sílvia , Sigaúque Betuel , Bila Custódio Gabriel
Published: May 2020

Introduction. Campylobacter spp. are zoonotic bacteria that cause gastroenteritis in humans and may cause extraintestinal infections such as Guillain‐Barré syndrome, reactive arthritis, and bacteremia. Resistance to antibiotics is an increasing concern in the Sub‐Saharan Africa; thus, search for alternatives such as plant‐based active ingredients is important in order to develop new drugs. Objectives. To present a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo studies of the antibacterial activity of medicinal plants from Sub‐Saharan Africa against Campylobacter spp. Methodology. Studies published until March 2020 on medicinal plants used against Campylobacter spp. from each country of Sub‐Saharan Africa were searched on PubMed, Science Direct, AJOL, and Google Scholar. Articles were selected based on the existence of information regarding in vitro and in vivo activity of medicinal plants against Campylobacter spp. Results. A total of 47 medicinal plants belonging to 28 families were studied for in vitro activity against Campylobacter spp. No plant was studied in vivo. Plants from Fabaceae family were the most commonly studied. The plants with the strongest antimicrobial activities were Cryptolepis sanguinolenta and Terminalia macroptera. The root extracts from these plants were effective, and both had a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 25 μg/ml. Seven pure compounds were isolated and analyzed for activity against Campylobacter spp. The compound cryptolepine from C. sanguinolenta was the most effective with MIC values ranging between 6.25 and 25 μg/ml. Conclusion. Several native plants from the Sub‐Saharan Africa region were studied for in vitro activity against Campylobacter spp. Some plants seemed very effective against the bacteria. Chemical compounds from three plants have been isolated and analyzed, but further studies are needed in order to produce new and effective drugs.
Duck Enteritis Virus VP16 Antagonizes IFN-β-Mediated Antiviral Innate Immunity
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Mingshu , Cheng Anchun , Jia Renyong , Yang Qiao , Chen Shun , Zhu Dekang , Liu Mafeng , Zhao Xinxin , Zhang Shaqiu , Huang Juan , Ou Xumin , Mao Sai , Yu Yanling , Zhang Ling , Liu Yunya , Pan Leichang , Tian Bin , Rehman Mujeeb Ur , Chen Xiaoyue
Published: May 2020

Duck enteritis virus (DEV) can successfully evade the host innate immune responses and establish a lifelong latent infection in the infected host. However, the study about how DEV escapes host innate immunity is still deficient up to now. In this study, for the first time, we identified a viral protein VP16 by which DEV can obviously downregulate the production of IFN-β in duck embryo fibroblast (DEF). Our results showed that ectopic expression of VP16 decreased duck IFN-β (duIFN-β) promoter activation and significantly inhibited the mRNA transcription of IFN-β. Further study showed that VP16 can also obviously inhibit the mRNA transcription of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs), such as myxovirus resistance protein (Mx) and interferon-induced oligoadenylate synthetase-like (OASL). Furthermore, we found that this anti-interferon activity of VP16 depended on its N-terminus (aa1-200). Coexpression analysis revealed that VP16 selectively blocked duIFN-β promoter activity at the duIRF7 level rather than duIRF1. Based on the results of coimmunoprecipitation analysis (co-IP) and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA), VP16 was able to bind to duck IRF7 (duIRF7) directly, but did not interact with duck IRF1 (duIRF1) in vitro.
Atrioventricular Valve Regurgitation in Single Ventricle Heart Disease: A Common Problem Associated With Progressive Deterioration and Mortality
Authors: Tseng Stephanie Y. , Siddiqui Saira , Di Maria Michael V. , Hill Garick D. , Lubert Adam M. , Kutty Shelby , Opotowsky Alexander R. , Possner Mathias , Morales David L. S. , Quintessenza James A. , Alsaied Tarek
Published: May 2020

The Fontan procedure has provided patients with single ventricle physiology extended survival into adulthood and in many cases has improved their quality of life. Atrioventricular valve regurgitation (
AVVR
) is common in single ventricle patients and is associated with increased risk of mortality.
AVVR
is more common in patients with a systemic tricuspid or common atrioventricular valve but is generally progressive irrespective of underlying valve morphology.
AVVR
can be attributable to diverse structural and functional abnormalities at multiple levels of the valvar apparatus, as well as ventricular dysfunction and dilation. Multiple imaging modalities including recent advances in 3‐dimensional echocardiography and cross‐sectional imaging have been used to further understand
AVVR
. Surgery to address
AVVR
must be tailored to the underlying mechanism and the timing of surgical repair should be chosen carefully. In this review, we discuss the etiologies, treatment options, surgical timing, and outcomes of valve repair or replacement for
AVVR
in patients with single ventricle congenital heart disease, with a focus on those with a Fontan circulation as
AVVR
is associated with increased risk for Fontan failure and mortality. In‐depth understanding of the current literature will help guide clinicians in their approach and management of
AVVR
in this population.
Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Implications of Coronavirus Disease 2019: An Evolving Case Study in the Crescent City
Authors: Razavi Alexander C. , Kelly Tanika N. , He Jiang , Fernandez Camilo , Whelton Paul K. , Krousel‐Wood Marie , Bazzano Lydia A.
Published: May 2020

Medicine and public health have traditionally separated the prevention and treatment of communicable and noncommunicable diseases. The coronavirus disease 2019 (
COVID
‐19) pandemic has challenged this paradigm, particularly in the setting of cardiovascular disease (
CVD
). Overall, individuals with underlying
CVD
who acquire severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 experience up to a 10‐fold higher case‐fatality rate compared with the general population. Although the impact of the pandemic on cardiovascular health continues to evolve, few have defined this association from a frontline, public health perspective of populations disproportionately affected by
CVD
and
COVID
‐19. Louisiana is ranked within the bottom 5 states for cardiovascular health, and it is home to several parishes that have experienced among the highest
COVID
‐19 case‐fatality rates nationally. Herein, we review
CVD
prevention and implications of
COVID
‐19 in New Orleans, LA, a city holding a sobering yet resilient history with previous public health disasters. In particular, we discuss potential pandemic‐driven changes in access to health care, preventive pharmacotherapy, and lifestyle behaviors, all of which may adversely affect
CVD
prevention and management, while amplifying racial disparities. Through this process, we highlight proposed recommendations for how
CVD
prevention efforts can be improved in the midst of the current
COVID
‐19 pandemic and future public health crises.
Cardiac Surgery During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Perioperative Considerations and Triage Recommendations
Authors: Patel Vivek , Jimenez Ernesto , Cornwell Lorraine , Tran Trung , Paniagua David , Denktas Ali E. , Chou Andrew , Hankins Samuel J. , Bozkurt Biykem , Rosengart Todd K. , Jneid Hani
Published: May 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2, represents the third human affliction attributed to the highly pathogenic coronavirus in the current century. Because of its highly contagious nature and unprecedented global spread, its aggressive clinical presentation, and the lack of effective treatment, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 infection is causing the loss of thousands of lives and imparting unparalleled strain on healthcare systems around the world. In the current report, we discuss perioperative considerations for patients undergoing cardiac surgery and provide clinicians with recommendations to effectively triage and plan these procedures during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. This will help reduce the risk of exposure to patients and healthcare workers and allocate resources appropriately to those in greatest need. We include an algorithm for preoperative testing for coronavirus disease 2019, personal protective equipment recommendations, and a classification system to categorize and prioritize common cardiac surgery procedures.
Animal Experimentation and Society: Scientists’ Motivations, Incentives, and Barriers toward Public Outreach and Engagement Activities
Authors: Crettaz von Roten Fabienne
Published: May 2020

Scientists’ public outreach and engagement have been analyzed in many disciplines, but not in animal experimentation science, even though its relationship with society is complex. Research shows that scientists are active: they participate in public outreach and engagement activities. Scientists profile themselves mostly via the deficit model perspective, either in their attitudes or in the types of activities chosen. With regard to attitudes and behaviors, scientists are not a homogenous group but vary according to demographic and academic factors. This means that the relationship between science and society is predominantly determined by a group of scientists, which may reduce its richness. The study reveals tension between recognition of the importance of engagement and fears of being misquoted and of negative reactions from peers or the hierarchy.
Dogs Feared and Dogs Loved: Human-Dog Relations in the Late Ottoman Empire
Authors: Gündoğdu Cihangir
Published: May 2020

The current study investigates human-animal relations with a specific focus on the case of dogs in the late Ottoman Empire. It contextualizes the new type of animal-human relations against the backdrop of the Ottoman modernization efforts, which took the form of institutional, legal, political and social reforms, and relates the adoption of dogs as pet (companion) animals to the global trends of keeping pets in Western Europe. In so doing, it scrutinizes the various religious, medical and professional perspectives concerning dogs and the human world in the late Ottoman Empire; the purchase and transfer of breed dogs from Europe and the middle classes’ responses to this new form of relationship; and finally, the dissemination of pet-keeping culture and practices among Ottoman upper and middle classes.
Truncated power-law distribution of group sizes in antelope
Authors: Minasandra Pranav , Isvaran Kavita
Published: May 2020

Quantifying and understanding group size distributions can be useful for understanding group behaviour in animal populations. We analysed group size data of the blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra, from six different field sites to estimate the group size distribution of this antelope. We used likelihood based methods (AICs and likelihood ratios) to show that an exponentially truncated power law is the distribution that best describes blackbuck group data, outperforming a simple power-law, an exponential distribution, and a lognormal distribution. Our results show that distribution parameters can be used to draw novel insights regarding group dynamics, and we demonstrate this by investigating how habitat openness affects group size distributions.
Leon Trotsky, the Cultural Debates, and the Political Struggle in 1923
Authors: Reznik Alexander
Published: May 2020

This article examines interconnections between politics and culture in the early Soviet era, using Leon Trotsky’s activities in the campaign for a new everyday life (novyi byt) in 1923 as a case-study. Traditionally, scholars pay attention primarily to Trotsky’s writings on literature and art. In contrast, this article shows the important role of Trotsky’s brochure ‘Problems of Everyday Life’ in the development of a new field of political communication that became the space for criticism of different political and cultural aspects of Soviet power and Bolshevik rule. Using archival and press sources, it shows how the campaign was spread both from below and above, and what were the reasons for its failure to become an alternative cultural revolution.
The Second Most Difficult Job in the World
Authors: Klabbers Jan
Published: May 2020

This article addresses the ecology and functioning of the World Health Organization in a time of crisis, zooming in on the pressures on both the organization and its leadership generated by the circumstance that the organization cannot avoid allocating costs and benefits when taking decisions. The article argues that the covid-19 crisis illustrates how international organizations generally and the who in particular are subjected to conflicting demands, and how this impacts on the role of decision-makers. The latter, it transpires, need to display considerable practical wisdom.
The Combat Archaeology of the Fifth-Century BC Kopis: Hoplite Swordsmanship in the Archaic and Classical Periods
Authors: Rover Thomas O.
Published: May 2020

‘Traditionalist’ scholars of historical Greek warfare assert that hoplites formed a close-order formation that moved slowly and deliberately to overwhelm its enemies. Opposing them the ‘revisionists’, claim that hoplites fought in an ‘open-order’ formation resembling Homeric combat well into the Archaic and even early Classical periods. Existing studies of the physical remains of Greek arms and armour, iconographic representations of hoplites in combat, and literary descriptions of Greek warfare are not decisive. Combat archaeology, i.e. the reconstruction and testing of arms and armour, remains a largely untapped source of evidence. This article presents the results of an experimental archaeological reconstruction of the kopis, a curved sword used in Greek combat from the mid-sixth to fourth centuries BC. A more complete understanding of the use of the kopis sheds light on the realities of hoplite combat and offers strong support for the traditionalist position.
Book review: Rama V. Baru and Madhurima Nundy. Commercialisation of Medical Care in China: Changing Landscapes
Authors: Chakravarthi Indira
Published: May 2020

Rama V. Baru and Madhurima Nundy. Commercialisation of Medical Care in China: Changing Landscapes (London and New York: Routledge, 2020), pp. 112, ₹695, ISBN: 978-0-367-44483-9.
Book review: Leo T. S. Ching, Anti-Japan: The Politics of Sentiment in Postcolonial East Asia
Authors: Oh 오준 Joon
Published: May 2020

Leo T. S. Ching, Anti-Japan: The Politics of Sentiment in Postcolonial East Asia (Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2019), pp. 176, US$23.95, ISBN: 9781478003359 (e-book).
Book review: Jawad Syed and Yung-Hsiang Ying, China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a Global Context, Volume I: A Business and Management Perspective and Jawad Syed and Yung-Hsiang Ying, China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a Global Context, Volume II: The China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Its Implications for Business
Authors: Shahriar Saleh
Published: May 2020

Jawad Syed and Yung-Hsiang Ying, China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a Global Context, Volume I: A Business and Management Perspective (Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), xxii + 262 pp., €114.39 (Hardback), ISBN 978-3-030-14721-1.

Jawad Syed and Yung-Hsiang Ying, China’s Belt and Road Initiative in a Global Context, Volume II: The China Pakistan Economic Corridor and Its Implications for Business (Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019), xxvi + 365 pp., €124.79 (Hardback), ISBN 978-3-030-18958-7.
Between the inkwell and the scalpel: Italian literary transfigurations in medicine and anatomy from the 19th to the 21st century
Authors: Carli Alberto
Published: May 2020

Arrigo Boito, author of Lezione di anatomia ( Anatomy Lesson), was able to sum up the deepest cultural theme of the 19th century in Italy using one single verse (‘Son luce e ombra’). Notably, the development of the dialogue between natural sciences, literature, anatomy and art illuminates the mixture of sincere admiration and fear felt by writers and poets like Igino Ugo Tarchetti, Emilio Praga and Carlo Dossi. The mood of Positivism, which could be found even in Fine Arts Academies, was the perfect backdrop and the very root of many ‘clinical details’ in the first examples of Italian mass literature. Dossi portrayed in Note azzurre his friend Paolo Gorini, a scientist and anatomical preparator. Thus, Gorini becomes a literary character, presumably being also the inspiration for the identification of peculiar death aesthetics and for other similar characters. Efisio Marini, another Italian scientist, almost coeval with Gorini, shared with him similar interests and practices. Marini, who died in Naples in 1900, used to petrify corpses for anatomical museums; he is the main character of a series of five historical and noir novels written through the first decade of the 21st century by the Sardinian author Giorgio Todde, establishing a link between the 19th and 21st centuries.
Cyberbullying and Internet Addiction in Gifted and Nongifted Teenagers
Authors: Sureda Garcia Inmaculada , López Penádes Raül , Rodríguez Rodríguez Rosabel , Sureda Negre Jaume
Published: May 2020

The present article analyzed whether there are differences between gifted and nongifted teenagers in relation to cyberbullying (either as aggressor or victim) and to Internet addiction (in both the intrapersonal and interpersonal dimensions). Furthermore, the existing relationships between cyberbullying and Internet addiction were explored in a sample of gifted teenagers and their nongifted classmates. Participants were 122 adolescents between 13 and 17 years of age ( M = 14.40), in compulsory secondary education, half of whom were considered gifted students. The data obtained through a matched case-control study design revealed no significant differences between gifted students and the rest of the students in terms of the incidence of cyberbullying and Internet addiction. Nevertheless, results from generalized linear models revealed the important role that interpersonal conflicts deriving from Internet addiction play in explaining situations of cyberbullying.
Impact of an Interprofessional Collaborative Quality Improvement Initiative to Decrease Inappropriate Thyroid Function Testing
Authors: Bradshaw Alyssa B. , Bonnecaze Alex K. , Burns Cynthia A. , Beardsley James R.
Published: May 2020

Background: Published data show that thyroid function laboratory tests are often ordered inappropriately in the acute care setting, which leads to unnecessary costs and inappropriate therapy decisions. Pilot data at our institution indicated that approximately two-thirds of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) laboratories were unnecessary, correlating to a potential cost avoidance of more than $20,000 annually. The purpose of this study was to improve the appropriateness of thyroid function test ordering with a multipronged initiative. Methodology: This controlled, single-center, before and after study included inpatients or emergency department (ED) patients at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center who were at least 18 years of age and had a TSH level ordered during the study period. Patients with a history of thyroid cancer were excluded. The initiative included an electronic ordering intervention, direct education of providers (medical residents, attendings, and clinical pharmacists), and distribution of pocket information cards with appropriate ordering criteria. The primary outcome was the number and percentage of inappropriate TSH tests ordered before and after implementing the 3 interventions. Secondary outcomes included cost savings, inappropriate changes in thyroid therapy based on improperly ordered tests, and the number of free T4 lab tests ordered on patients with a TSH within the therapeutic range. Results: All 3 interventions were implemented, except for education of ED residents and faculty, who chose to forgo the direct education component. Inappropriate ordering of TSH levels decreased from 63 to 50 (13% reduction, P = .062) after implementation. Inappropriate TSH ordering decreased across all services, except in the ED. Inappropriate Free T4 orders decreased from 191 to 133 (30% reduction, P = .01). There were no therapy changes based on inappropriate TSH orders. Extrapolated annual cost savings were approximately $6,000. Conclusion: This multipronged interprofessional collaborative quality improvement initiative was associated with a nonstatistically significant reduction in inappropriate TSH orders, statistically significant reduction in inappropriate free T4 orders, and cost savings. There was a reduction in inappropriate ordering across all services except the ED, which may have been due the ED not participating in the direct education component of the initiative.
Application of continuous potential function stochastic resonance in early fault diagnosis of rolling bearings
Authors: Ren Xueping , Kang Jian , Li Zhixing , Wang Jianguo
Published: May 2020

The early fault signal of rolling bearings is very weak, and when analyzed under strong background noise, the traditional signal processing method is not ideal. To extract fault characteristic information more clearly, the second-order UCPSR method is applied to the early fault diagnosis of rolling bearings. The continuous potential function itself is a continuous sinusoidal function. The particle transition is smooth and the output is better. Because of its three parameters, the potential structure is more comprehensive and has more abundant characteristics. When the periodic signal, noise and potential function are the best match, the system exhibits better denoise compared to that of other methods. This paper discusses the influence of potential parameters on the motion state of particles between potential wells in combination with the potential parameter variation diagrams discussed. Then, the formula of output signal-to-noise ratio is derived to further study the relationships among potential parameters, and then the ant colony algorithm is used to optimize potential parameters in order to obtain the optimal output signal-to-noise ratio. Finally, an early weak fault diagnosis method for bearings based on the underdamped continuous potential stochastic resonance model is proposed. Through simulation and experimental verification, the underdamped continuous potential stochastic resonance results are compared with those of the time-delayed feedback stochastic resonance method, which proves the validity of the underdamped continuous potential stochastic resonance method.
Application of the 3R principles: Vertebrae as an additional source of murine bone-marrow cells
Authors: Justin Mojca , Jež Mojca , Košir Andrej , Miceska Simona , Rožman Primož , Jazbec Katerina
Published: May 2020

Experimental murine models are an essential tool in the field of bone marrow (BM) transplantation research. Therefore, numerous mice are required to obtain a sufficient number of BM cells, which is in contrast with the Reduction principle of the 3R principles. The selection of the cell source and the isolation protocol are therefore critical in obtaining a sufficient yield of cells for experiments. Nowadays, the vertebrae are already used as an extra source of BM cells to enrich the number of isolated cells from the long bones and ilia (LBI), when needed. Yet, little is known if BM cells from LBI and vertebrae share the same characteristics and can be pooled together for further analysis. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to compare the quantity and characteristics of haematopoietic and stromal cell lines in the BM from the LBI and vertebrae. To count haematopoietic and mesenchymal stem/stromal progenitors, colony-forming unit assays were performed. To determine the expansion capacity of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), cultivation of MSCs and measurement of the expression of surface markers by flow cytometry was performed. The characterisation and enumeration of immune cell populations was also performed by flow cytometry. Here, we show that the vertebrae are a comparable source of BM cells to the LBI regarding the analysed parameters.
Deliberation, Democracy, and the Digital Landscape
Authors: Chambers Simone , Gastil John
Published: May 2020

Deliberative scholarship is particularly well positioned to offer insight on our new digital reality. The papers in this Special Issue showcase both the methodological pluralism that flourishes in deliberative democracy studies and the productive collaborations across methodologies. This Special Issue shows how deliberative theory can place digital media in a wider theoretical context, sharpen our understanding of the Internet’s worst features, and show the way forward to a better design for digital public engagement. Whether online or offline, democracy will always remain a work in progress, and these essays should help us navigate a course toward a more deliberative democracy in the digital age.
Models of Liturgical Memory: Mystical-Political Dimensions, Mythic-Historic Tensions
Authors: Morrill Bruce T.
Published: May 2020

The exercise of memory, both within and in relation to the performance of sacramental rites, comprises a number of related phenomena rich in theological and anthropological complexity. Due to their symbolic and ritual natures, memory and liturgy each evade abstract, generalizing theories while nonetheless inviting historical, social-scientific, and theological analyses useful to pastoral ministry. Given the importance yet complexity of the role of memory in liturgy, the author proposes a typological approach, essaying a number of models of liturgical memory according to some dozen categories, while noting that the mystical and political dimensions of these overlap and mutually impact each other in the practices of actual assemblies.
Re-Membering in Action: Liturgy and Healing of Hurt Memories
Authors: Phiri Mabvuto Felix
Published: May 2020

We experience around us situations of violence, pain, suffering, and injustice. Some of these experiences often leave individual and/or communal memories hurt in many different ways. The consequence is that when these hurt memories live with us they begin to shape our identity and selfhood from the perspective of wounded persons. Overlooking these experiences or burying them to amnesia can lead to the denial of what we are truly called to be. Remembering well these memories with hope for a better future in the presence of the risen Lord would be a source of healing for both individuals and communities. This essay posits liturgy as the means by which we can re-member the past to the present and so look to the future with hope of healing. This is so because liturgy has the capacity to bring the participants in the ritual to the past event as a present encounter. Through symbols, gestures, words, songs, and materials used in the ritual, in a concrete manner the participants receive what they are ritualizing in reality. In this way liturgy can give a body to memory, say what words cannot master to say, and to hope for what would be hopeless: healing of hurt memories. This is a theological reflection on the relationship between liturgy and healing of hurt memories through the path of forgiveness. It posits that through liturgy, forgiveness can be given a body and so through forgiveness the Church can offer new life in the face of horrifying hurt memories.
Penetration—Permeation—Fermentation: Ponderings on the Being of Liturgy and Its Memorial Modes
Authors: Geldhof Joris
Published: May 2020

The present contribution seeks to address the following fundamental questions at the crossroads of liturgical theology and metaphysics: How is liturgy in the world? What is the fundamental mode of being of the phenomena, events, actions, and experiences commonly referred to as Christian liturgy? How can people be in the liturgy and the liturgy in them? Or is liturgy only something that is performed and not something human beings can become (part of)? How must the liturgy’s apparent ontological capacity for inclusion be understood? How is it that liturgies can include us and, reversely, that we can embody, disseminate and radiate liturgy? The proposal is to use the three interrelated concepts of penetration, permeation, and fermentation to disentangle the complexities involved in these questions and to do that by primarily relying on both a liturgical and a non-liturgical source. Hence the discussion is concretely centered around the intriguing work Qu’est-ce que la liturgie (1914) of Dom Maurice Festugière, an outstanding thinker and representative of the early Liturgical Movement, and a selection of material taken from the Ordo Missae (2008) which is currently in use in the Roman Catholic Church. On the basis of a careful conceptual analysis of these works, a case is made for embracing metaphysics in liturgical studies and theology instead of considering its import as something of the past.
Anamnesis: A Term—or Rather a Concept?
Authors: Weis Marco
Published: May 2020

This is a statement for the Young Scholars’ Panel at the Congress of Societas Liturgica 2019 in Durham, UK. The short reflection is based on the major presentations and the upcoming questions by the congress: what does “anamnesis” mean, how is it connected to emotional affects, how can we produce it, or should we just have to let it happen through God himself.
Homily at the 2019 Congress Eucharist
Authors: Geldhof Joris
Published: May 2020

This homily given at the beginning of this article was pronounced in the afternoon of August 9 at the 2019 Congress Eucharist of Societas Liturgica. The liturgy was celebrated in the chapel of Ushaw College just outside of the city of Durham, UK. It was the memorial feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein).
Young Scholars’ Panel: Durham 2019
Authors: Mbengue Marcel Birame
Published: May 2020

In this brief contribution the author would just like to express his satisfaction and pleasure in having participated in Congress of the Societas Liturgica which was held in Durham in August 2019. It was an opportunity for him, a young participant, to convey in a general manner his impressions concerning the overall organization of the congress. The article is supplied in the original French with an English translation provided by the author.
Funerals as Paschal Remembrance and Incorporation into the Risen Christ
Authors: Mariolle Sr Bénédicte
Published: May 2020

In our contemporary cultural context, the Christian references and the ritual cues no longer work as rites provided by an ecclesiastical institution in the way that they were still able to in the 1960s. The long-term memory which guaranteed the symbolic effectiveness of this rituality has evaporated. The author identifies three ways in which people’s relationship with memory has changed: it is no longer inscribed in time and space; this goes hand in hand with a form of “virtualization” of memory; but especially of its de-institutionalization, meaning that the norms guiding the ritual are no longer founded on an institutional basis linked to a collective memory, but rather on the individual subject and his or her unique character. This is a situation which poses a challenge to the Christian tradition of funerals, precisely because this is founded on a long ritual memory, which is incarnated, and is institutional. One solution to this problem has been to adapt to the expectations and aspirations of our contemporaries by relativizing traditional ritual forms. The author suggests the real question is rather to discern the specifically Christian features of ritualizing death within the long tradition of the Church and identify the elements of this deep Christian “memory” on which certain aspects of the liturgy depend for meaning. Losing this memory would endanger the proclamation of faith and Christian hope. An important source for this rereading is Augustine’s treatise De cura gerenda pro mortuis. It provides the key to interpreting this tradition, thereby enabling a definition of the characteristics of this Christian “memory” which is operative in funerals, and saying how this serves toward building Christian identity. This enables the author to outline the features of a specifically Christian ritualization of funerals for today and the implications for proclaiming a truly paschal faith.
The impact of state-owned enterprises on the employment growth of manufacturing in Chinese cities: Evidence from economic census microdata
Authors: Zheng Liang
Published: May 2020

This article utilises economic census microdata to examine the impact of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) on the employment growth of manufacturing industries in Chinese cities between 2004 and 2008. The main findings show that the presence of SOEs inhibits employment growth in the manufacturing industry. Using the historical landscape of SOEs as an instrumental variable, our findings underscore that the overall impact of SOEs remains negative. This study then explores three potential mechanisms underlying this negative relationship. First, SOEs appear to have no significant impact on knowledge spillovers in their own industry. Second, SOEs tend to hinder the entry of new privately-owned enterprises (POEs) into the marketplace. Third, SOEs are generally less productive than POEs. The article also provides new evidence about dynamic externalities theory: the employment growth rate of manufacturing industries is higher in cities, with a substantial number of rivals in their own industry.