bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polygenic risk, adherence to a healthy lifestyle, and childhood obesity
Authors: Fang Jiao , Gong Chun , Wan Yuhui , Xu Yuanyuan , Tao Fangbiao , Sun Ying
Published: December 2018

Background

Both polygenic and unhealthy lifestyle factors contribute to individual‐level risk of obesity during childhood. The extent to which increased polygenic risk can be offset by healthy lifestyle is unknown.

Objective

To examine whether increased polygenic risk of obesity is modified by a healthy lifestyle during childhood.

Methods

A total of 997 children (418 boys and 579 girls) who had complete DNA genotyping and body mass index (BMI) were eligible for the study were analyzed from an established prospective puberty cohort. The polygenic risk score (PRS) was computed based on 11 BMI‐increasing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) derived from a published genome‐wide association study (GWAS) for child obesity. Seven lifestyle factors were selected to determine a composite healthy lifestyle, such as food responsiveness, slowness in eating, satiety responsiveness, physical activity, screen time, sleep duration, and sugar‐sweetened beverages consumption, and which was classified as healthy (P75) lifestyle. Linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted.

Results

Children carrying additional BMI susceptibility alleles increased the BMI by 0.11 kg/m2, after adjusting gender, age and socio‐economic status (SES). A healthy lifestyle was associated with a substantially lower risk of obesity than an unhealthy lifestyle, regardless of the polygenic risk category. Among children at high polygenic risk, a healthy lifestyle was associated with an 85% lower risk of obesity than an unhealthy lifestyle (odds ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.59; p = 0.007).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that increased polygenic risk might be largely offset by healthy lifestyle as early as in childhood.
Does climate action destroy jobs? An assessment of the employment implications of the 2‐degree goal
Authors: MONTT Guillermo , WIEBE Kirsten S. , HARSDORFF Marek , SIMAS Moana , BONNET Antoine , WOOD Richard
Published: December 2018

The Paris Agreement lays out the objective of keeping global warming below 2 °C. The goal can be achieved by increasing both the share of renewables in the energy mix and energy efficiency. Such action entails a transformation of the energy sector, which, given its linkages with the rest of the economy, will have a knock‐on effect on other sectors. Using scenarios based on a multiregional input–output database, this article explores the economy‐wide and worldwide employment impact of such a transition. Findings suggest that by 2030 most economies will experience net job creation and reallocation across industries. Job creation is driven by the construction, manufacturing and renewables sectors.
L'action pour le climat, une action contre l'emploi? Évaluation des conséquences du scénario à 2 °C sur l'emploi
Authors: MONTT Guillermo , WIEBE Kirsten S. , HARSDORFF Marek , SIMAS Moana , BONNET Antoine , WOOD Richard
Published: December 2018

L'Accord de Paris fixe pour objectif de limiter le réchauffement climatique à 2 °C. Il faudra pour cela accroître la part des énergies renouvelables et améliorer l'efficacité énergétique. Une telle transition énergétique aura des répercussions sur l'ensemble de l'économie, y compris en matière d'emploi. Les auteurs cherchent à mesurer cet effet sur l'emploi en utilisant un modèle entrées‐sorties multirégional. Ils montrent que la transition énergétique débouchera sur une création nette d'emplois dans la plupart des économies en 2030 (principalement grâce à la construction, à l'industrie manufacturière et au secteur des énergies vertes) et sur des flux d'emplois intersectoriels.
Retrospective audit of neutropenic fever after chemotherapy: how many patients could benefit from oral antibiotic management?
Authors: Poprawski Dagmara M. , Chan Johan , Barnes Alex , Koczwara Bogda
Published: December 2018

Guidelines suggest that carefully selected patients with neutropenic fever (NF) may be suitable for early discharge on oral antibiotics. Despite these recommendations, many centres manage NF with intravenous antibiotic protocols and inpatient care. We have conducted a retrospective audit of patients with NF, and found that 12 of 40 (30%) patients were eligible for early discharge on oral antibiotics and ambulatory care. Further studies into the barriers to ambulatory management in NF are warranted.
Enhanced pyroelectric properties of lead‐free BNT‐BA‐KNN ceramics for thermal energy harvesting
Authors: Shen Meng , Qin Yanfeng , Zhang Yujing , Marwat Mohsin Ali , Zhang Chao , Wang Wanqiang , Li Mingyu , Zhang Haibo , Zhang Guangzu , Jiang Shenlin
Published: December 2018

In this work, (1−x)(0.98Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3‐0.02BiAlO3)‐x(Na0.5K0.5)NbO3 (BNT‐BA‐xKNN) lead‐free pyroelectric ceramics were prepared by a solid‐state reaction method. The effect of Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (KNN) content on microstructure, phase transition, and electrical properties of the BNT‐BA‐xKNN ceramics were systematically investigated. The results show that the appropriate content of KNN can induce the formation of the tetragonal structure, which results in the decreased ferroelectric‐antiferroelectric phase transition temperature as a result of the break of long‐range translational symmetry of BNT lattices. Therefore, the ferroelectric and pyroelectric properties of the BNT‐BA‐xKNN near room temperature are improved. The room‐temperature pyroelectric coefficient significantly increases from 3.66 × 10−4 C/m2/K at x = 0 to 8.04 × 10−4 C/m2/K at x = 0.02, making a great contribution to the superior pyroelectric energy harvesting. The output energy density in one cycle of the BNT‐BA‐0.02KNN is 23.32 μJ/cm3, which is twice as high as that of the pristine samples. The enhancement of material properties suggests that the pyroelectric energy harvesting can be efficiently optimized by the adequate control of the phase structure.
Isolated left atrial posterior wall tachycardia
Authors: Pap Robert , Kohári Maria , Sághy László
Published: December 2018

A case of macroreentry tachycardia of the isolated posterior left atrium is presented after surgical and subsequent catheter ablation.
Optimal team composition for tool‐based problem solving
Authors: Bendor Jonathan , Page Scott E.
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we construct a framework for modeling teams of agents who apply techniques or procedures (tools) to solve problems. In our framework, tools differ in their likelihood of solving the problem at hand; agents, who may be of different types, vary in their skill at using tools. We establish baseline hiring rules when a manager can dictate tool choice and then derive results for strategic tool choice by team members. We highlight three main findings: First, that cognitively diverse teams are more likely to solve problems in both settings. Second, that teams consisting of types that master diverse tools have an indirect strategic advantage because tool diversity facilitates coordination. Third, that strategic tool choice creates counterintuitive optimal hiring practices. For example, optimal teams may exclude the highest ability types and can include dominated types. In addition, optimal groups need not increase setwise. Our framework extends to cover teamwork on decomposable problems, to cases where individuals apply multiple tools, and to teams facing a flow or set of problems.
Low‐dose aspirin can reduce colorectal cancer mortality after surgery: A 10‐year follow‐up of 13 528 colorectal cancer patients
Authors: Sung Joseph J Y , Ho Jason M W , Chan Felix C H , Tsoi Kelvin K F
Published: December 2018

Background and Aim

The chemopreventive effect of aspirin in colorectal cancer (CRC) is well studied, but its benefit in patients after CRC diagnosis and surgery is unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of low‐dose aspirin use in mortality among CRC patients after surgery.

Methods

Patients were analyzed in two cohorts: (i) patients taking aspirin before CRC diagnosis and continued or discontinued aspirin after surgery and (ii) patients, who never used aspirin before CRC diagnosis, received or did not receive aspirin after surgery. CRC‐related mortality and all‐cause mortality were the primary and secondary outcomes. Sub‐distribution hazard ratio (SHR) for competing‐risk CRC mortality was fitted to adjust for other causes of death; hazard ratio (HR) was used to compare all‐cause mortality.

Results

A total of 13 528 CRC patients were included. Among 3292 patients with regular aspirin use before CRC diagnosis, 2658 (80.7%) continued aspirin and 634 (19.3%) discontinued aspirin after surgery. Continuous use of aspirin significantly reduced CRC‐related mortality (SHR: 0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.59–0.81) and all‐cause mortality (HR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.55–0.68). Among 10 236 patients who did not use aspirin before CRC diagnosis, 1054 patients (10.3%) received aspirin after surgery and 9182 (89.7%) did not. Aspirin initiated after surgery reduced CRC‐related mortality (SHR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.80–0.98) and all‐cause mortality (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81–0.94).

Conclusions

Irrespective of aspirin use before surgery for CRC, low‐dose aspirin after surgery lowers risk of both CRC‐related mortality and overall mortality.
Frailty and Pulmonary Function in Older Women
Authors: Sultan Mona , Oo Thet N. , Shil Asit B.
Published: December 2018

See the Reply by Son et al.
Development of the Leiden Independence Questionnaire for Support Staff: a measure of staff behaviour regarding promoting independence of people with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Sandjojo J. , Gebhardt W. A. , Zedlitz A. M. E. E. , Hoekman J. , Dusseldorp E. , den Haan J. A. , Evers A. W. M.
Published: December 2018

Background

Support staff of adults with intellectual disability (ID) play an important role in promoting independence in home and community settings. However, little is known about the types of behaviours staff should use to promote independence and instruments that assess such behaviour do not yet exist. The aim of this study was therefore to develop and initially validate a reliable questionnaire that measures the degree to which support staff display behaviours that promote independence in people with ID.

Method

The Leiden Independence Questionnaire for Support Staff (LIQSS) was constructed to measure the extent to which support staff promote independence in people with ID. The LIQSS was completed by 142 staff members working with people with ID. For the psychometric evaluation of the LIQSS, a principal component analysis was performed with an oblique rotation in all items. Next, the principal component analysis was performed with a forced three‐component extraction, and three sub‐scales were computed. To assess internal consistency, Cronbach's α was calculated for each of the sub‐scales.

Results

The LIQSS was found to consist of three internally consistent (Cronbach's α was respectively 0.92, 0.79 and 0.76) and meaningful components: (1) communication, agreements and coordination; (2) positive encouragement and tailoring; and (3) supporting independent performance. The final 22 items had factor loadings between 0.44 and 0.91 on their corresponding component and a minimal difference in loading to the other factors of 0.20.

Conclusions

The LIQSS appears to be an instrument with positive face validity and reliability (internal consistency) that assesses the degree to which support staff promote independence in people with ID. To increase the instrument's value for both scientific research and clinical practice, studies should focus on the further validation of the LIQSS.
The National Early Warning Score predicts mortality in hospital ward patients with deviating vital signs: A retrospective medical record review study
Authors: Spångfors Martin , Bunkenborg Gitte , Molt Mats , Samuelson Karin
Published: December 2018

Aims and objectives

To evaluate whether the scale used for assessment of hospital ward patients could predict in‐hospital and 30‐day mortality amongst those with deviating vital signs; that is, that patients classified as medium or high risk would have increased risk of in‐hospital and 30‐day mortality compared to patients with low risk.

Background

The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) is a widely adopted scale for assessing deviating vital signs. A clinical risk scale that comes with the NEWS divides the risk for critical illness into three risk categories, low, medium and high.

Design

Retrospective analysis of vital sign data.

Methods

Logistic regression models for age‐adjusted in‐hospital and 30‐day mortality were used for analyses of 1,107 patients with deviating vital signs.

Results

Patients classified as medium or high risk by NEWS experienced a 2.11 or 3.40 increase, respectively, in odds of in‐hospital death (95% CI: 1.27–3.51, p = 0.004% and 95% CI: 1.90–6.01, p < 0.001) compared to low‐risk patients. Moreover, those with NEWS medium or high risk were associated with a 1.98 or 3.19 increase, respectively, in odds of 30‐day mortality (95% CI: 1.32–2.97, p = 0.001% and 95% CI: 1.97–5.18, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The NEWS risk classification seems to be a reliable predictor of mortality on patients in hospital wards.

Relevance to clinical practice

The NEWS risk classification offers a simple way to identify deteriorating patients and can aid the healthcare staff to prioritise amongst patients.
Dose–response functions and methodological insights for sensory tests with astringent stimuli
Authors: Kershaw Jonathan C. , Running Cordelia A.
Published: December 2018

Sensations such as bitterness and astringency can limit the acceptance of many purportedly healthy foods. The purpose of this study was to investigate dose–response relationships of various astringent and bitter stimuli in a beverage, and to simultaneously gain additional methodological insight for the effects of wording, repeated tasting, and beverage matrix on these sensations. Untrained participants were presented with samples of a “flavored beverage” or water containing various concentrations of four stimuli (alum, malic acid, tannic acid, and quinine) and were asked to rate intensities of tastes (bitterness, sourness, and sweetness) and astringency subqualities (roughing, drying, and constricting or puckering) using a generalized visual analog scale. Using constricting in place of puckering had no effect on ratings. The effects of repeated tasting and beverage matrix on astringency perception were stimulus‐dependent. This study informs future investigations to understand the psychophysics of tastes and astringency.

Practical applications

This study provides stimulus‐ and quality‐specific data to improve astringency research. Furthermore, dose–response functions will aid researchers when selecting appropriate concentrations of astringent stimuli. We also provide recommendations for a variety of testing contexts, such as beverage matrix and the number of samples, to optimize the design of astringency studies, especially for naïve participants. This study further demonstrates how affective responses influence evaluation of astringent samples among untrained participants.
Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of pregabalin suppositories based on pharmacological research
Authors: Yajima Ryo , Matsumoto Kazuaki , Yokono Kanako , Watabe Yuki , Enoki Yuki , Taguchi Kazuaki , Ise Yuya , Katayama Shiro , Kizu Junko
Published: December 2018

Objectives

As commercially available pregabalin preparations are limited to oral administration, it is impossible to use it as an adjuvant analgesic for neuropathic cancer-related pain in terminally ill cancer patients with oral feeding difficulties. The objective of this study was to develop a pregabalin suppository to be available at hospitals.

Methods

Pregabalin suppositories were prepared using bases comprising six different compositions of Witepsol H-15, Witepsol S-55, and Witepsol E-75. The suppository release test and stability test were performed in vitro. The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the suppositories were assessed in rats.

Key findings

In the in vitro releasing test, the pregabalin suppositories with H-15, H-15 : S-55 = 1 : 1, H-15 : S-55 = 2 : 1, H-15 : S-55 = 1 : 2 released approximately 100% of the pregabalin within 180 min. Among these pregabalin suppositories, only the suppository with H-15 : S-55 = 2 : 1 demonstrated an equivalent AUC0−∞ with the oral administration group. Consistent with the results of the pharmacokinetic study, the pregabalin suppository with H-15 : S-55 = 2 : 1 exhibited antinociceptive effects. In addition, the pregabalin suppository with H-15 : S-55 = 2 : 1 was stable for 12 weeks when refrigerated with light shielding.

Conclusions

The pregabalin suppositories prepared in this study may be applicable for pain control for terminally cancer ill patients with oral feeding difficulties.
Sleep patterns and insomnia in young adults: A national survey of Norwegian university students
Authors: Sivertsen Børge , Vedaa Øystein , Harvey Allison G. , Glozier Nick , Pallesen Ståle , Aarø Leif E. , Lønning Kari J. , Hysing Mari
Published: December 2018

The aim of this study was to describe sleep patterns and rate of insomnia according to diagnostic criteria in college and university students, as well as to examine potential changes in sleep problems from 2010 to 2018. Data stemmed from a national student health survey from 2018 for higher education in Norway (the SHoT study), which invited all 162,512 fulltime students in Norway. A total of 50,054 students (69.1% women) aged 18–35 years were included, yielding a response rate of 30.8%. Sleep parameters, reported separately for weekdays and weekends, included calculations of bedtime, rise time, sleep duration, sleep‐onset latency, wake after sleep onset, sleep need and sleep deficit. Insomnia was defined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edn) criteria. For the trend analysis, we used one item measuring difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep, over three time points (2010, 2014 and 2018). The results from 2018 showed large weekday–weekend differences across most sleep parameters. Both male and female students obtained a mean sleep duration in the lower end of the normal range on weekdays (7:24 hr), but met their own sleep need and sleep recommendations at weekends (8:25 hr). The overall prevalence of insomnia was 34.2% in women and 22.2% in men. There was a substantial increase in sleep problems from 2010 (22.6%) to 2018 (30.5%), which was especially pronounced in women. We conclude that sleep problems are both prevalent and increasing among students. This warrants attention as a public health problem in this population.
Hepatitis C virus genotype 3 was associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in Korea
Authors: Lee Sang Soo , Kim Cha Young , Kim Bo Ra , Cha Ra Ri , Kim Wan Soo , Kim Jin Joo , Lee Jae Min , Kim Hong Jun , Ha Chang Yoon , Kim Hyun Jin , Kim Tae Hyo , Jung Woon Tae , Lee Ok‐Jae
Published: December 2018

Although hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 3 infection is thought to be an important risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), current evidence is limited because only a few Western studies have evaluated the occurrence of HCC in patients with HCV genotype 3 infection. We evaluated the impact of genotype 3 and non‐3 on HCC incidence and on disease progression in chronic HCV patients; this is the first study reporting such findings in an Asian population. We performed a retrospective cohort study using the data of 1448 consecutive chronic HCV patients evaluated at three centres in Korea between January 2005 and December 2016. Of these, 604, 675 and 169 had genotype 1, genotype 2 and genotype 3 HCV infections, respectively. Over a mean follow‐up period of 53.2 months, 75 and 143 patients of all the patients developed HCC and experienced disease progression, respectively. The incidences of HCC were 1.10, 0.92 and 2.50 per 100 person‐years, and those of disease progression were 1.95, 1.62 and 6.72 per 100 person‐years for HCV genotypes 1, 2 and 3, respectively. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, genotype 3 was associated with an increased risk of HCC (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.02‐8.97) and an increased risk of disease progression (HR = 4.88, 95%; CI = 2.94‐8.08). Our study proposes that HCV genotype 3 is an independent risk factor for HCC and disease progression in chronic HCV patients.
Notions of at‐issueness
Authors: Koev Todor
Published: December 2018

Upon hearing the sentenceMessi, who once scored a goal with his hand, won the Ballon d'Or, the addressee is likely to interpret the main clause as conveying the “main point” and view the appositive relative clause as contributing secondary information. The intuition that some part of the utterance conveys the main point has recently been discussed in formal semantics and pragmatics under the label of “at‐issueness.” However, this label has been used in a variety of ways, and there is often little clarity as to what is meant by it. This survey tries to clear things up by identifying and spelling out three specific notions of at‐issueness, i.e. Q(uestion)‐at‐issueness, P(roposal)‐at‐issueness, and C(oherence)‐at‐issueness. After looking into what they say about similar kinds of data, I conclude that while these notions appear to capture facets of the same broad intuition, they are truly distinct. The paper also discusses potential connections of at‐issueness to projection and commitment strength.
Image‐based post‐disaster inspection of reinforced concrete bridge systems using deep learning with Bayesian optimization
Authors: Liang Xiao
Published: December 2018

Many bridge structures, one of the most critical components in transportation infrastructure systems, exhibit signs of deteriorations and are approaching or beyond the initial design service life. Therefore, structural health inspections of these bridges are becoming critically important, especially after extreme events. To enhance the efficiency of such an inspection, in recent years, autonomous damage detection based on computer vision has become a research hotspot. This article proposes a three‐level image‐based approach for post‐disaster inspection of the reinforced concrete bridge using deep learning with novel training strategies. The convolutional neural network for image classification, object detection, and semantic segmentation are, respectively, proposed to conduct system‐level failure classification, component‐level bridge column detection, and local damage‐level damage localization. To enable efficient training and prediction using a small data set, the model robustness is a crucial aspect to be taken into account, generally through its hyperparameters’ selection. This article, based on Bayesian optimization, proposes a principled manner of such selection, with which very promising results (well over 90% accuracies) and robustness are observed on all three‐level deep learning models.
The Angara Rock Art Style and the Emergence of Ethno‐Cultural Identity
Authors: Ponomareva Irina A. , Taçon Paul S.C.
Published: December 2018

This paper focuses on a stylistic analysis of depictions of elk in Siberian rock art in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The aim of this paper is to go beyond the cultural and chronological attributions of rock art and to try to understand why and through what processes changes in rock‐art style occurred. In order to answer these questions, the phenomena of ethnicity and ethno‐cultural identity are explored. Rock art is not considered as a passive reflection of past ethno‐cultural groups but rather as an active agent in structuring social identities.
Wood forming tissue‐specific bicistronic expression of PdGA20ox1 and PtrMYB221 improves both the quality and quantity of woody biomass production in a hybrid poplar
Authors: Cho Jin‐Seong , Jeon Hyung‐Woo , Kim Min‐Ha , Vo The K. , Kim Jinsoo , Park Eung‐Jun , Choi Young‐Im , Lee Hyoshin , Han Kyung‐Hwan , Ko Jae‐Heung
Published: December 2018

With the exponential growth of the human population and industrial developments, research on renewable energy resources is required to alleviate environmental and economic impacts caused by the consumption of fossil fuels. In this study, we present a synthetic biological application of a wood forming tissue‐specific bicistronic gene expression system to improve both the quantity and quality of woody biomass to minimize undesirable growth penalties. Our transgenic poplars, designed to express both PdGA20ox1 (a GA20‐oxidase from Pinus densiflora producing bioactive gibberellin, GA) and PtrMYB221 (a MYB transcription factor negatively regulating lignin biosynthesis) under the developing xylem (DX) tissue‐specific promoter (i.e., DX15::PdGA20ox1‐2A‐PtrMYB221 poplar), resulted in a 2‐fold increase in biomass quantity compared to wild‐type (WT), without undesirable growth defects. A similar phenotype was observed in transgenic Arabidopsis plants harboring the same gene constructs. These phenotypic consequences were further verified in the field experiments. Importantly, our transgenic poplars exhibited an improved quality of biomass with reduced lignin content (~16.0 wt%) but increased holocellulose content (~6.6 wt%). Furthermore, the saccharification efficiency of our transgenic poplar increased significantly by up to 8%. Our results demonstrate that the controlled production of both GA and a secondary wall modifying regulator in the same spatio‐temporal manner can be utilized as an efficient biotechnological tool for producing the desired multi‐purpose woody biomass.
Proliferating Policy: Technologies, Performance, and Aesthetics in the Circulation and Governance of Health Care Reform in Bolivia
Authors: Bernstein Alissa
Published: December 2018

This article examines the circulation of a national health reform policy in Bolivia. While much of what exists as policy finds its dissemination and implementation in literary and material forms such as documents, pamphlets, and legal papers, I suggest that both documented and performative forms of policy provide openings to aesthetic realization that exceed the staid and stable manifestations of finished forms. I examine the presentations and performances of a national health reform policy, which repeated in different iterations and were represented through a variety of aesthetic strategies throughout the country, such as through slide presentations, vocalization, and images. I suggest that the circulation of policy demands an attention not only to specific forms of dissemination but also to the governance strategies and histories that dictate the aesthetic practices and possibilities through which these media come into life, interpellate audiences, and make possible interactive engagements with its content and implementation. This work can help researchers think critically about policy more generally and raise questions about how to study health policy circulation ethnographically.
The Rise and Irrelevance of the State: Political Views from a Peasant Community of the 2016 Peruvian Presidential Election
Authors: Vincent Susan
Published: December 2018

This case study of a peasant community in the Peruvian central highlands examines how vibrant political engagement in the 1970s became indifference during the 2016 Peruvian presidential election. It focuses on changing livelihood activities over the past three decades. Thirty years ago, community incomes were based on farming and wage labor, and community members were activists in worker–peasant organizations to achieve better market and work conditions. Now, small‐scale agriculture and formal employment have declined and livelihoods are precarious. The state addresses this through decentralized spending and cash transfers. Despite this unprecedented state support, the community had no interest in the 2016 national election. Instead, their attention was focused on the municipality, which delivers the new funds in Peru's decentralized government system. Rather than leveraging job and income creation, these funds condemn the people to ongoing precarity because the state has avoided the structural changes that would create viable jobs and markets for their products. These concerns find no organized political expression, as recent analysis of Peruvian politics reveals a weak party system and fragmented civil society. This situation poses significant challenges to political organizations that would seek more equitable structural transformations.
Life, Death, and Dialysis: Medical Repatriation and Liminal Life among Undocumented Kidney Failure Patients in the United States
Authors: Kline Nolan
Published: December 2018

Anthropological research on policy and health underscores how policy reflects cultural ideologies and results in marginalizing specific populations. Ethnographic inquiry can further reveal the broader, unexpected effects of policy change. In this article, I describe how state legislators in Georgia revised an existing entitlement program to specifically exclude undocumented immigrants with kidney failure from receiving life‐sustaining care. This health policy change converged with broader efforts to financialize the US health system and resulted in undocumented immigrant patients dying; being medically repatriated to their countries of birth; placed in private, for‐profit dialysis centers; or obtaining care through a burdensome process involving a public hospital's emergency room. Drawing from Mbembe's concept of necropolitics, I show how policy changes left undocumented kidney failure patients in a state between life and death, revealing the hidden outcomes of policies targeting immigrants. As anti‐immigrant policies continue to be proposed in the United States, findings from this article provide a cautionary tale about the sweeping consequences of legislation that targets immigrants.
Project Governance beyond Foreign Aid: Mediating Neoliberalism in Lithuania
Authors: Mikhaylova Marina
Published: December 2018

Scholars have shown that foreign aid projects reconfigure social relations and political institutions, but projects are a novel form of governance that has significant social and political effects in other national and transnational contexts. My argument is based on seventeen months of ethnographic research at nonprofit organizations that work with youth in Lithuania. These organizations operate primarily through projects, which are publicly or privately financed initiatives open to competition. Individuals who are part of the project system get recruited into social roles and adopt terminology linked to European Union and transnational discourses. The project system transforms institutional relations, as organizations orient toward multiple sources of financing at different national and international levels, and prompts individuals to reconceptualize their activities as apolitical project work. Project governance, which is based on competition and short‐term initiatives, aligns with and reinforces some features of neoliberalism. However, individuals have complex and sometimes contradictory orientations to neoliberalism in that they also critique the state and the transnational project system. Projects not only highlight transformations of the political economy but also provide new resources to resist state withdrawal and aspects of neoliberalism.
“A Dot on a Map”: Cartographies of Erasure in Garifuna Territory
Authors: Brondo Keri Vacanti
Published: December 2018

This article explores the complexities of territorial dispossession in a post‐Washington‐Consensus global development policy context. In particular, it explores a contemporary development paradox in Honduras: the transnational recognition of the rights of indigenous people alongside massive land dispossession of the Afro‐Indigenous Garifuna in the name of development. Cartography is considered both in terms of physical mapping projects and ideological boundary‐making through rhetorical dispossession. In state‐sponsored communal mapping projects from the late 1990s into the early 2000s, the Garifuna were denied both currently inhabited land and that which they historically accessed. Anything that sat beyond mapped borders became “open” to foreign purchase. Legislation passed after the 2009 coup d’état further erased the Garifuna's historical occupation of coastal lands by embracing "model city” development and megatourism. Despite post–Washington Consensus development discourses of equality and official rhetoric of inclusion and celebration of indigenous rights, this case study demonstrates cartographic processes continue to erase Garifuna historical rights to territory.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐C*03:302 allele by sequencing‐based typing
Authors: Elsermans Vincent , Visentin Jonathan , Top Isabelle , Varlet Pauline , Labalette Myriam
Published: December 2018

HLA‐C*03:302 differs from HLA‐C*03:249 by one nucleotide substitution at codon 99 in exon 3.
HLA‐A*02 repertoires in three defined population groups from North and Central India: Punjabi Khatries, Kashmiri Brahmins and Sahariya Tribe
Authors: Saxena Abhishweta , Sharma Gaurav , Tyagi Shweta , Mourya Manish , Coshic Poonam , Tiwari Pramod K. , Mehra Narinder K. , Kanga Uma
Published: December 2018

The allelic family of HLA‐A*02 with a repertoire of approximately 1022 alleles represents the predominant and most heterogeneous group at the HLA‐A locus. This remarkable diversity signifies its evolutionary relevance. Its population‐specific diversity is attributed to environmental factors and pathogen pressure and can be harnessed in biology and medicine, particularly in disease association and for HLA‐based vaccination approaches. We therefore investigated the HLA‐A*02 repertoire in two North Indian caste populations, viz Punjabi Khatries (PK, N = 250), Kashmiri Brahmins (KB, N = 160) and a Central Indian tribe Sahariya (ST, N = 100) using Luminex‐based high‐resolution rSSO method. When required, results were confirmed with high‐resolution PCR‐SSP and/or next‐generation sequencing (NGS). In the three populations evaluated, HLA‐A*02 was observed with an overall high phenotypic/allelic frequency, however, A*02 repertoire differed among them. A total of six alleles were observed (A*02:01, *02:03, *02:05, *02:06, *02:07 and *02:11) in the caste groups, compared with four (except *02:05 and *02:07) in the tribals. Our striking observation was the high occurrence of A*02:11 at the repertoire level (80.6% in ST, 39% in PK, 31.8% in KB). Globally, this allele is rare, observed with low frequencies in limited ethnic groups. The primordial A*02:01 allele, representative A*02 allele in most ethnicities was observed as the second predominant allele (PK = 27.3%, KB = 31.8% and ST = 11.9%). Extremely high occurrence of A*02:11 in ST may be representation of ancient Austro‐Asiatic genetic pool. In caste populations, the observed A*02 repertoire may be a consequence of natural selection and/or admixture from different populations.
Monoclonal anti‐CD47 interference in red cell and platelet testing
Authors: Velliquette Randall W. , Aeschlimann Judith , Kirkegaard Julie , Shakarian Gayane , Lomas‐Francis Christine , Westhoff Connie M.
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

Anti‐CD47 (Hu5F9‐G4) is a human monoclonal immunoglobulin G (IgG)4 antibody that is in clinical trials to treat hematologic or solid malignancies. CD47, a glycoprotein expressed on all cells, binds to signal‐regulatory protein α on macrophages and regulates phagocytosis. Blocking CD47 is thought to enhance phagocytosis and promote antitumor responses. Here, we evaluate drug interference in pretransfusion testing, determine mitigation strategies, and compare interference with anti‐CD38 (Daratumumab).

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Samples from four patients were tested by standard methods. Anti‐IgG (Immucor monoclonal Gamma‐clone and Ortho BioClone) were used, and dithiothreitol and enzyme‐treated RBCs were tested. Allo‐adsorption was performed with papain treated RBCs, pooled platelets, or with commercial human platelet concentrate. Platelet antibody testing was performed according to manufacturer's instructions.

RESULTS

All plasma samples reacted 3+ to 4+ in all phases with all red blood cells (RBCs) by all methods including immediate spin. Stronger reactivity was observed with D– RBCs with titers as high as 16,384 at indirect antiglobulin testing. Reactivity at indirect antiglobulin testing using Gamma‐clone anti‐IgG (which does not detect IgG4) was only weakly positive and confirmed to be carryover agglutination. Plasma reacted with dithiothreitol, trypsin, papain, α‐chymotrypsin, or warm autoantibody removal medium (W.A.R.M., Immucor) treated RBCs. Direct antiglobulin testing and autocontrol were negative or weak with 3+ reactive eluates. Reactivity was removed by multiple alloadsorptions with papain‐treated cells or pooled platelets. Polyethylene glycol adsorption was invalid due to precipitation of antibody.

CONCLUSION

Anti‐CD47 (Hu5F9‐G4) interferes with all phases of pretransfusion testing, including ABO reverse typing. To remove interference requires multiple RBC alloadsorptions and/or the use of monoclonal Gamma‐clone anti‐IgG in the indirect antiglobulin testing.
Coalescence of Oil Droplets using Sponge-like Structure of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Membranes
Authors: Chiam C. K. , Nurashiqin M. , Zykamilia K. , Ismail N. M. , Duduku K. , Rosalam S.
Published: December 2018

This work reports the effect of the membrane pore size distribution on the oil droplets size distribution in permeate using the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. The sponge-like structures of the PVDF membranes were fabricated via the phase inversion technique using 30% v/v ethanol aqueous solution as coagulation medium. Water and polyethylene glycol (PEG1000) were used as the pore forming additives in the dope solutions. Microfiltration was employed to coalesce the oil droplets at the transmembrane pressure of 2.5 bar. Simulated alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) produced water was tested as the feed solution. Results revealed that the PVDF membranes with sponge-like structure were formed. The additives in the dope solutions have induced the membranes to become thicker due to more porous, spongy and resilient structure. The membrane pore sizes increased with the presence of the additives in the dope solutions especially when larger molecular weight of the additive, i.e., PEG1000 was used. The mode of the oil droplets radius increased from 61.2 nm in the feed solution to 95.1, 356.2 and 1335 nm in the permeates by the corresponding membranes without additive, with water and PEG1000 as the additives. The membranes with larger pore sizes as well as more open structure were able to trap and coalesce more oil droplets which produced larger size of the oil droplets in the permeates.
Barriers and facilitators to type 2 diabetes management in the Caribbean region: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Nixon Amy Latifah , Leonardi-Bee Jo , Chattopadhyay Kaushik
Published: December 2018

Review objective:

The objective of this systematic review is to summarize the barriers and facilitators to type 2 diabetes management in the Caribbean region.
Comparative effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation via buccal spray versus oral supplements on serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations in humans: a systematic review protocol
Authors: Pritchard Lucy , Lewis Stephen , Hickson Mary
Published: December 2018

Review questions:

The questions of this review are:
Methodology of Turbulence Parameter Correction in Water-Lubricated Thrust Bearings
Authors: Deng Xin , Gates Harrison , Fittro Roger , Wood Houston
Published: December 2018

Oil-lubricated bearings are widely used in high-speed rotating machines such as those found in automotive industries and aerospace. However, environmental issues and risk-averse operations are resulting in the removal of oil and the replacement of all sealed oil bearings with reliable water-lubricated bearings. The low viscosity of water increases Reynolds numbers drastically and therefore makes water-lubricated bearings prone to turbulence effects. This requires finer meshes for finite element modeling when compared to oil-lubricated bearings as the low-viscosity fluid produces a very thin lubricant film. Analyzing water-lubricated bearings can also produce convergence and accuracy issues in traditional oil-based analysis codes. Fitting the velocity profile with experiments having a nondimensional wall distance y+ in a certain range results in Ng-optimized Reichardt's constants k and δ+. The definition of y+ can be used to approximate the first layer thickness calculated for a uniform mesh. On the condition that the y+ is fixed to that of a standard oil bearing for which an oil-bearing code was validated, the number of elements across the film thickness and coefficients used in the eddy-viscosity equation can be adjusted to allow for convergence with other fluids other than that which the traditional oil-bearing code was designed for. This study proposed a new methodology to preserve the y+ value to make water-lubricated thrust bearing models valid. A method for determining the required number of cross-film elements in water-lubricated bearings was found. The results of this study could aid in improving future designs and models of water-lubricated bearings.
Transport of Entropy Waves Within a High Pressure Turbine Stage
Authors: Gaetani Paolo , Persico Giacomo
Published: December 2018

This paper presents the results of an experimental study on the transport of entropy waves within a research turbine stage, representative of the key aero-thermal phenomenon featuring the combustor-turbine interaction in aero-engines. The entropy waves are injected upstream of the turbine by a dedicated entropy wave generator (EWG) and are released in axial direction; they feature circular shape with peak amplitude in the center and exhibit sinusoidal-like temporal evolution over the whole wave area. The maximum over-temperature amounts to 7% of the undisturbed flow, while the frequency is 30 Hz. The entropy waves are released in four azimuthal positions upstream of the stage, so to simulate four different burner-to-stator blade clocking. Time-resolved temperature measurements were performed with fast microthermocouples (FTC); the flow and the pressure field upstream and downstream of the stator and the rotor was measured with five-hole pneumatic probes and fast-response aerodynamic pressure probes. The entropy waves are observed to undergo a relevant attenuation throughout their transport within the stator blade row, but they remain clearly visible at the stator exit and retain their dynamic characteristics. In particular, the total temperature distribution appears severely altered by burner-stator clocking position. At the stage exit, the entropy waves loose their coherence, appearing spread in the azimuthal direction to almost cover the entire pitch in the outer part of the channel, while being more localized below midspan. Despite the severe and unsteady interaction of the entropy waves within the rotor, they retain their original dynamic character. A comparison with measurements performed by injecting steady hot streaks is finally reported, remarking both differences and affinities. As a relevant conclusion, it is experimentally shown that entropy waves can be proficiently simulated by considering a succession of hot streaks of different amplitude.
A Critique on the Research Activities and Potential Benefits of Dual-Fuel Diesel Engines Run on Biogas and Oxygenated Liquid Fuels
Authors: Sarkar Achinta , Saha Ujjwal K.
Published: December 2018

The dual fuel concept of diesel engines is gaining popularity because of their ability to use alternative renewable gaseous fuels (natural gas, biogas, producer gas) and liquid fuels (biodiesel, alcohol, and others) simultaneously. The dual fuel mode (DFM) not only reduces the consumption of diesel or substitutes the diesel fuel, but there is an advantage of operating the engine in pure diesel mode (PDM) in case of shortage of gaseous primary fuel. The uses of renewable fuels in such engines have the positive impact on green ecosystem in terms of reduction in NOx and smoke emissions; however, there is the engine derating as performance penalty in comparison to engines operating under PDM. The most influential parameters in DFM engines are the type and flow rate of inducted gaseous fuel, fuel–air equivalence ratio (Φglobal), compression ratio (CR), and injection timing (IT). During the last few decades, the researchers have studied the effect of various parameters to improve the overall performance characteristics (performance, combustion, and emission) of DFM engines. This paper makes an in-depth analysis to unveil the physical characteristics of the crucial parameters of DFM engines with specific reference to the use of biogas with ternary blends (TB) of diesel, biodiesel, and ethanol. The paper addresses the issues on how the gaseous fuel flow rate, preheating of the intake charge, compression ratio, injection timing, and the type of oxygenated fuels dominate the overall performance characteristics.
The Effect of Inhomogeneous Trabecular Stiffness Relationship Selection on Finite Element Outcomes for Shoulder Arthroplasty
Authors: Reeves Jacob M. , Athwal George S. , Johnson James A. , Langohr G. Daniel G.
Published: December 2018

An important feature of humeral orthopedic finite element (FE) models is the trabecular stiffness relationship. These relationships depend on the anatomic site from which they are derived; but have not been developed for the humerus. As a consequence, humeral FE modeling relies on relationships for other anatomic sites. The variation in humeral FE outcomes due to the trabecular stiffness relationship is assessed. Stemless arthroplasty FE models were constructed from CT scans of eight humeri. Models were loaded corresponding to 45 deg and 75 deg abduction. Each bone was modeled five times with the only variable being the trabecular stiffness relationship: four derived from different anatomic-sites and one pooled across sites. The FE outcome measures assessed were implant-bone contact percentage, von Mises of the change in stress, and bone response potential. The variance attributed to the selection of the trabecular stiffness relationship was quantified as the standard deviation existing between models of different trabecular stiffness. Overall, variability due to changing the trabecular stiffness relationship was low for all humeral FE outcome measures assessed. The variability was highest within the stress and bone formation potential outcome measures of the trabecular region. Variability only exceeded 10% in the trabecular stress change within two of the eight slices evaluated. In conclusion, the low variations attributable to the selection of a trabecular stiffness relationship based on anatomic-site suggest that FE models constructed for shoulder arthroplasty can utilize an inhomogeneous site-pooled trabecular relationship without inducing marked variability in the assessed outcome measures.
Wave Drift Forces' Calculation on Two Floating Bodies Based on the Boundary Element Method—Attempt for Improvement of the Constant Panel Method
Authors: Li Qiao , Nihei Yasunori
Published: December 2018

An improved constant panel method for more accurate evaluation of wave drift forces and moment is proposed. The boundary element method (BEM) of solving boundary integral equations is used to calculate velocity potentials of floating bodies. The equations are discretized by either the higher-order boundary element method or the constant panel method. Though calculating the velocity potential via the constant panel method is simple, the results are unable to accurately evaluate wave drift forces and moment. An improved constant panel method is introduced to address these issues. The improved constant panel method can, without difficulty, employ the near-field method to evaluate wave drift forces and moment, especially for multiple floating bodies. Results of the new evaluation method will be compared with other evaluation method. Additionally, hydrodynamic interaction between multiple floating bodies will be assessed.