bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The X Factor of opportunity structures: How grab and wrap effects of entertainment create inadvertent news audience in a high-choice media environment
Authors: Andersen Kim , Skovsgaard Morten , Pedersen Rasmus T.
Published: September 2019

In today’s high-choice media environments, newscasts increasingly compete for viewers against multiple entertainment options. This development has led to concerns over the demise of inadvertent news audiences, which is especially problematic for public service broadcasters who have an obligation to provide news to all segments of the population. However, this study demonstrates how entertainment shows can be used to create a favourable opportunity structure that generates substantial inadvertent news audiences. Using Danish TV meter data from 2008 to 2016, we show that scheduling the music talent show The X Factor before and after the newscast on the main public service channel increased news audiences dramatically. These ‘grab’ and ‘wrap’ effects of entertainment were particularly strong among young people and people with low news interest, and the effects became even stronger over time. Consequently, entertainment shows, indirectly, play a positive democratic role, by increasing the viewership of newscasts.
High-efficiency, high-flux in-line hemofiltration using a high blood flow extracorporeal circuit
Authors: Grazioli Alison , Shah Sanjeev R , Rabin Joseph , Shah Rashmikant , Madathil Ronson J , King Joshua D , DiChiacchio Laura , Rector Raymond P , Deatrick Kristopher B , Wu Zhongjun J , Herr Daniel L
Published: September 2019

The ability of current renal replacement therapy modalities to achieve rapid solute removal is limited by membrane surface area and blood flow rate. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation offers high blood flow and hemodynamic support that may be harnessed to overcome limitations in traditional renal replacement therapy. Using an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation circuit, we describe a high blood flow, high-efficiency hemofiltration technique using in-line hemofilters (hemoconcentrators) and standard replacement fluid to enhance solute clearance. Using this approach and a total of 5 L of replacement volume per treatment, creatinine (Cr) clearances of 8.3 L/hour and 11.2 L/hour using one and two hemoconcentrators, respectively, were achieved. With use of a high blood flow rate of up to 5 L/min, this hemofiltration technique can potentially offer clearance of 30 times that of continuous renal replacement therapy and of 6 times that of hemodialysis which may expand the ability to remove substances traditionally not considered removable via existing extracorporeal therapies.
Antidepressant-like effect induced by P2X7 receptor blockade in FSL rats is associated with BDNF signalling activation
Authors: Ribeiro Deidiane E , Müller Heidi K , Elfving Betina , Eskelund Amanda , Joca Samia RL , Wegener Gregers
Published: September 2019

Background:

P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) are ligand-gated ion channels activated by adenosine 5’-triphosphate (ATP), which are involved in processes that are dysfunctional in stress response and depression, such as neurotransmitter release, and neuroimmune response. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of the P2X7R induce antidepressant-like effects in animals exposed to stress. However, the effect of P2X7R antagonism in an animal model of depression based on selective breeding has not previously been studied, and the mechanism underling the antidepressant-like effect induced by the P2X7R blockade remains unknown.

Aims:

The present study aimed to: (1) determine whether P2X7R blockade induces antidepressant-like effects in the Flinders Sensitive Line (FSL) rats and, (2) investigate whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signalling in the frontal cortex and hippocampus is involved in this effect.

Methods:

FSL and the control Flinders Resistant Line (FRL) rats were treated with vehicle or the P2X7R antagonist A-804598 (3, 10 or 30 mg/Kg/day) for 1 or 7 days before being exposed to the forced swim test (FST). After the behavioural test, animals were decapitated, their brains were removed and the frontal cortex, ventral and dorsal hippocampus were dissected for BDNF signalling analysis.

Results:

We found that repeated treatment with A-804598 (30 mg/Kg) reduced the immobility time in the FST and activated the BDNF signalling in the ventral hippocampus of FSL rats.

Conclusions:

P2X7R blockade induces an antidepressant-like effect associated with increased levels of BDNF-AKT-p70 S6 kinase in the ventral hippocampus, which may be mediated by tropomyosin-related kinase B (TRKB) receptor activation supporting the notion of P2X7R antagonism as a potential new antidepressant strategy.
A rare presentation of neuralgic amyotrophy in a child and a review of recent literature
Authors: Manfredi Marco , Gismondi Pierpacifico , Iuliano Silvia , Maffini Valentina , Scivales Sonya , Gargano Giancarlo
Published: September 2019

Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA), also known as brachial neuritis and previously known as Parsonage–Turner Syndrome, has an unknown etiology. Patients with NA have a clinical pattern characterized by sudden and acute pain across the shoulder followed by flaccid paralysis. NA has an incidence of one new case per 1000 people per year with an onset of age ranging between 20 and 60 years. We describe a rare presentation of NA in a Caucasian boy who was 11 years old and did not have any other family members affected by NA. All diagnostic studies were normal and he had full recovery 5 months from the onset of symptoms. We revised the recent literature of NA. No specific diagnostic studies can confirm the diagnosis of NA, although magnetic resonance imaging or electrophysiological studies can highlight some special features. Treatment of NA is symptomatic and it is based on analgesic drugs and physical therapy, although early administration of steroids appears to improve the outcome. Prognosis of NA is generally favorable with full recovery usually within 2 years. This disease is typically an adult syndrome, but pediatricians should also be aware of this entity to avoid delays in diagnosis.
Pathology Associated With an Outbreak of Entamoebiasis in Wild Cane Toads (Rhinella marina) in Tropical Australia
Authors: Shilton Catherine M. , Šlapeta Jan , Shine Richard , Brown Gregory P.
Published: September 2019

Infection due to Entamoeba spp. is known to cause serious disease in primates ( Entamoeba histolytica) and snakes ( Entamoeba invadens), but there are no detailed descriptions of the pathology associated with Entamoeba spp. infection in amphibians. In 2014, an outbreak of entamoebiasis associated with a novel species of Entamoeba induced clinical illness and poor body condition in free-ranging cane toads in Australia’s Northern Territory. Here, we describe the gross pathology, histology, and clinical pathology linked to the outbreak. The study compared 25 toads with invasive entamoebiasis, defined as histologically visible amoebas within tissue, and 12 toads without invasive entamoebiasis. Grossly, affected toads had mild to marked congestion of colonic serosal vasculature, with variable thickening of the intestinal wall and serosanguineous to hemorrhagic colonic content. Histologically, invasive entamoebiasis manifested primarily as moderate to severe, variably hyperplastic to ulcerative colitis. The small intestine was affected in 10 of 25 toads, and 5 of 25 toads also had gastric lesions. Amoebas consistent in morphology with Entamoeba sp. were commonly intermingled with mucosal epithelium, frequently along the basement membrane, with deeper invasion into the superficial lamina propria in only 5 toads. Toads with invasive entamoebiasis had neutrophilia, monocytosis, and lymphopenia, and thus elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios, suggestive of an inflammatory and/or stress leukogram.
The Polish Underground Home Army (AK) and the Jews: What Postwar Jewish Testimonies and Wartime Documents Reveal
Authors: Zimmerman Joshua D.
Published: September 2019

This article is part of the special cluster titled Conceptualizations of the Holocaust in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine since the 1990s, guest edited by Grzegorz Rossoliński-Liebe.

The attitude of the Polish Home Army (AK) to Nazi exterminationist policies is among the most controversial topics of wartime Polish–Jewish relations. Scholarly studies appearing since the 1980s have reconstructed the Home Army’s complex local and national organizations, its many sub-divisions and departments, its policies and objectives, as well as its sacrifice in the Warsaw Uprising of August–September 1944. In this article, I will analyze Holocaust survivor testimonies as a source for evaluating the attitude and behavior of the Home Army towards the Jews during the Second World War. Archival repositories used will include testimonies preserved at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw, the Yad Vashem Archives in Jerusalem, the Fortunoff Archive for Holocaust Testimonies at Yale, and the Shoah Foundation Visual Archive at the University of Southern California. I will demonstrate that the widely held view in collective Jewish memory and Jewish historiography that the Home Army was hostile is largely confirmed by these sources. At the same time, however, the same sources reveal that a substantial minority of the testimonies—approximately 30 percent—tells stories of a Home Army that rescued and protected Jews. The second part of this article compares testimonies to the documentary record, asking whether or not the behavior of the Home Army as a whole reflected the experience of Jews as reflected in postwar testimonies. The article will give more concrete form to the debate over the Polish underground’s attitude and behavior towards the Jews during the Second World War.
The Holocaust in Lithuania: The Key Characteristics of Its History, and the Key Issues in Historiography and Cultural Memory
Authors: Stasiulis Stanislovas
Published: September 2019

This article is part of the special cluster titled Conceptualizations of the Holocaust in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine since the 1990s, guest edited by Grzegorz Rossoliński-Liebe.

The Holocaust is the darkest page of Lithuanian history: Nearly the whole Jewish community in Lithuania was destroyed, while a part of ethnic Lithuanians participated in this destruction. This article discusses three layers and periods of the Holocaust in Lithuania that have made a considerable impact on the perception of this traumatic period in Lithuanian society. The first period deals with the Lithuanian–Jewish relations during the German occupation in Lithuania (1941–1944). The second one is related to the Soviet reoccupation of Lithuania and discussions among Lithuanian émigrés in the West (1944–1990), which shaped the history of the Holocaust in Lithuania from the ideological (Soviet) and defensive (Lithuanian émigré) perspectives. The final part of this article discusses the historiography and Holocaust memory in independent Lithuania after the 1990s. Almost thirty years of independence mark not only the re-creation of some old myths and stereotypes in Lithuania, but also new groundbreaking and open discussions in society, concerning the perception of this dark page of Lithuanian history.
The Competitive Effects of School Choice on Student Achievement: A Systematic Review
Authors: Jabbar Huriya , Fong Carlton J. , Germain Emily , Li Dongmei , Sanchez Joanna , Sun Wei-Ling , Devall Michelle
Published: September 2019

School-choice policies are expected to generate healthy competition between schools, leading to improvements in school quality and better outcomes for students. However, the empirical literature testing this assumption yields mixed findings. This systematic review and meta-analysis tests this theory by synthesizing the empirical literature on the competitive effects of school choice on student achievement. Overall, we found small positive effects of competition on student achievement. We also found some evidence that the type of school-choice policy and student demographics moderated the effects of competition on student achievement. By examining whether school competition improves outcomes, our findings can inform decisions of state and local policymakers who have adopted or are considering adopting school-choice reforms.
Impact of Physical and Functional Limitations on Health Care Utilization in Older Cancer Survivors: A Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey
Authors: Chavan Prachi P. , Kedia Satish K. , Yu Xinhua
Published: September 2019

Objective: This study examines effects of physical and functional limitations on health care utilization among older cancer survivors, compared with those without cancer and without physical and functional limitations. Method: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data from 2008 to 2011 were used. Physical limitations (PL), activities of daily living (ADL), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) were measured on a 5-point scale. Propensity score weighting was developed using logistic regressions. Results: Older cancer survivors with physical and functional limitations had higher rate of emergency department visits than those without limitations (PL: 21.8% vs.17%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR]:1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI]: [1.26, 2.35], p < .05; ADL: 25.8% vs.17.4%, aOR: 2.68, 95% CI: [1.86, 3.86], p < .001), and higher cost of hospitalization (IADL: M = US$24,916, SD: 3,877.1). Conclusion: Older cancer survivors with physical and functional limitations had higher health care utilization compared with those without cancer. Addressing complex and unique health care needs in this population will help reduce excess burden on the health care system.
Mechanical Follow-the-Leader motion of a hyper-redundant surgical instrument: Proof-of-concept prototype and first tests
Authors: Henselmans Paul WJ , Smit Gerwin , Breedveld Paul
Published: September 2019

One of the most prominent drivers in the development of surgical procedures is the will to reduce their invasiveness, attested by minimally invasive surgery being the gold standards in many surgical procedures and natural orifices transluminal endoscopic surgery gaining acceptance. A logical next step in this pursuit is the introduction of hyper-redundant instruments that can insert themselves along multi-curved paths referred to as Follow-the-Leader motion. In the current state of the art, two different types of Follow-the-Leader instruments can be distinguished. One type of instrument is robotized; the movements of the shaft are controlled from outside the patient by actuators, for example, electric motors, and a controller storing a virtual track of the desired path. The other type of instrument is more mechanical; the movements of the shaft are controlled from inside the patient by a physical track that guides the shaft along the desired path. While in the robotized approach all degrees of freedom of the shaft require an individual actuator, the mechanical approach makes the number of degrees of freedom independent from the number of actuators. A desirable feature as an increasing number of actuators will inevitably drive up costs and increase the footprint of an instrument. Building the physical track inside the body does, however, impede miniaturization of the shaft’s diameter. This article introduces a new fully mechanical approach for Follow-the-Leader motion using a pre-determined physical track that is placed outside the body. This new approach was validated with a prototype called MemoFlex, which supports a Ø5 mm shaft (standard size in minimally invasive surgery) that contains 28-degrees-of-freedom and utilizes a simple steel rod as its physical track. Even though the performance of the MemoFlex leaves room for improvement, especially when following multiple curves, it does validate the proposed concept for Follow-the-Leader motion in three-dimensional space.
Simultaneous inference for multiple marginal generalized estimating equation models
Authors: Ristl Robin , Hothorn Ludwig , Ritz Christian , Posch Martin
Published: September 2019

Motivated by small-sample studies in ophthalmology and dermatology, we study the problem of simultaneous inference for multiple endpoints in the presence of repeated observations. We propose a framework in which a generalized estimating equation model is fit for each endpoint marginally, taking into account dependencies within the same subject. The asymptotic joint normality of the stacked vector of marginal estimating equations is used to derive Wald-type simultaneous confidence intervals and hypothesis tests for multiple linear contrasts of regression coefficients of the multiple marginal models. The small sample performance of this approach is improved by a bias adjustment to the estimate of the joint covariance matrix of the regression coefficients from multiple models. As a further small sample improvement a multivariate t-distribution with appropriate degrees of freedom is specified as reference distribution. In addition, a generalized score test based on the stacked estimating equations is derived. Simulation results show strong control of the family-wise type I error rate for these methods even with small sample sizes and increased power compared to a Bonferroni-Holm multiplicity adjustment. Thus, the proposed methods are suitable to efficiently use the information from repeated observations of multiple endpoints in small-sample studies.
Suppression efficacy of lignosulfonate/mercerized cotton fiber composite against cancer cell’s activities
Authors: El-kott Attalla , Syef Aishah FA , Alshehri Mohammad Ali , Al Dessouky Sahar I , Keshk Sherif MAS
Published: September 2019

Lignosulfonate (LS)/mercerized cotton composite was prepared to study the LS suppressive possibility to control malignant cell activities to facilitate chemotherapy treatment. The composite was characterized by cross-polarized/magic angle spinning 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry and scanning electron microscope (SEM). 13C NMR spectra and SEM indicated that the presence of LS increased crystallinity and porosity of mercerized cellulose, respectively. Furthermore, the composite efficacy against cancer cell activity was evaluated by cytotoxicity for malignant cell line HCT116, HepG2, and MCF-7. The cancer cells thrive in an acidic environment and they do not survive in normal or alkaline media. The release of LS was intended at acidic pH, in which, the acidity increased due to the activity of the cancer cells that activate the LS released from the mercerized cotton into the media. Therefore, this release process reduced the activity of cancer cells. The released LS kept cancer cells in a low activity via decreasing acidity. Hence, the composite may not eliminate the cancer cells, but it reduces the activity of cancer cells.
An ethical exploration of the narratives surrounding substance use and pain management at the end of life: a discussion paper
Authors: Witham Gary , Yarwood Gemma , Wright Sam , Galvani Sarah
Published: September 2019

This discussion article examines narrative positioning related to pain management for people who use substances at the end of life. We explore how dominant narrative genres associated with biomedicine, such as ‘restitution’ and narratives common within the context of drug services such as ‘recovery’ can hinder effective pain management within this population. We argue that these discourses can marginalise the ethical self-identity of patients who use substances at the end of life. It can also trouble health and social care professionals in supporting patients and generating counter-narratives that challenge those often associated with substance use. Stigma is a common experience for this population with stereotyping as ‘junkies’ and associated with criminality. They are positioned as drug-seeking, and this requires more surveillance at the end of life when opioid therapy is potentially more available and authorised. This can make it challenging to generate ‘companion’ stories that are positive and maintain moral adequacy. Dominant biomedical narrative genres often prevent the recognition of the fractured stories that people using substances can often present with. This can lead to narrative silencing and to the under treatment of pain. The person’s self-identity is invested in narratives of recovery, and opioid use symbolises their addicted past because for practitioners, this population is at clinical risk with the potential for drug seeking behaviours. Whilst not requiring formal ethical review this discussion paper was constructed in accordance with good scientific practice with the work of other researchers respected and cited appropriately.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry International Relations (CAPIR): building bridges for psychiatry workforce capacity with Pacific Island nations
Authors: Kowalenko Nick , Chang Odille , Hagali Monica , Allen Myrielle , Obed Jimmy , Bush Alistair , Robertson Paul
Published: September 2019

Objective:

To describe the span of work of child and adolescent psychiatrists in Australia and New Zealand in recent years aimed at collaborative efforts to build mental health capacity in the Pacific Island nations of Fiji, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Method:

Steps taken to coordinate resourcing, networking, delivery of appropriate initiatives, establishing and maintaining key relationships with partners are described.

Results:

Engagement with Pacific nations mental health professionals, ministries of health, NGOs, universities, multilateral agencies and professional and international organisations has expanded and strengthened since 2013.

Conclusions:

Planned and staged implementation of initiatives can harness RANZCP (and its faculties and interest groups) goodwill to effectively contribute to psychiatry and mental health capacity building in partnerships with Pacific Island nations to address mental health needs over the life-span.
Family Caregivers’ Anticipatory Grief: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Its Multiple Challenges
Authors: Coelho Alexandra , de Brito Maja , Teixeira Pedro , Frade Pedro , Barros Luísa , Barbosa António
Published: September 2019

The end-of-life trajectory of cancer patients in palliative care (PC) elicits an anticipatory grief (AG) process in family caregivers (FCs). Although widely recognized, AG lacks conceptual clarification. This study aims to qualitatively explore the experience of FCs of patients with terminal cancer to identify the core characteristics and the specific adaptive challenges related to AG in the context of end-of-life caregiving. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in a clinical sample of 26 FCs of cancer patients in PC. Findings from thematic analysis suggest that the AG experience is characterized by traumatic distress from being exposed to life-threatening conditions and the separation distress induced by loss anticipation and current relational losses, challenging the FCs to long-term emotional regulation effort demands. These results contribute to the conceptualization of AG and may inform intervention programs for the main challenges the FCs face when adjusting to loss during end-of-life caregiving.
The persistent enigma of motivation: a commentary on Nathaniel Barrett’s “On the nature and origins of cognition as a form of motivated activity”
Authors: Lyon Pamela
Published: September 2019

Barrett is to be applauded for attempting to build a case for motivated activity as “reasons that act as causes.” Had he stuck to the plan he set out at the beginning of his essay, and assiduously worked on clarifying the very difficult issues involved in this extremely ambitious venture, he would have had an excellent foundation for further development. Unfortunately, he fell into some conceptual and methodological traps that have claimed many. This commentary aims to suggest some ways forward.
Are Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises Willing to Contribute to Collective Flood Risk Reduction? Scenario-Based Field Experiments from Jakarta and Semarang, Indonesia
Authors: Neise Thomas , Sambodo Maxensius Tri , Revilla Diez Javier
Published: September 2019

In developing countries, micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) often cannot substantially reduce their exposure to floods on their own. As state authorities also have difficulty in providing sufficient flood protection, experts argue that collective adaptation initiated by firms can compensate for these shortcomings. However, private sector engagement in this field remains rare and is mostly dominated by large firms. Our article examines whether MSMEs are willing to contribute to flood risk reduction measures. Based on scenario-based field experiments, 120 participating enterprises in Jakarta and Semarang are willing to contribute to collective adaptation in 43% of all the scenarios we ran. Even though MSMEs often operate under difficult conditions, they are surprisingly often willing to contribute if the costs are distributed fairly. The analysis underlines the importance of social motives in explaining the collective engagement of MSMEs and, thus, provides relevant results for future adaptation policies.
Data-Based Decision Making for Social Behavior: Setting a Research Agenda
Authors: Bruhn Allison L. , Wehby Joseph H. , Hasselbring Ted S.
Published: September 2019

With the advent of Precision Teaching more than 50 years ago, researchers and practitioners began to examine how to use K-12 students’ academic data to guide instructional decisions. Although the field has advanced with the use of curriculum-based measurement and data-driven decision rules for reading and math, the same is not true in the area of social behavior. In this article, we provide a brief retrospective of academic decision making to inform an initial call for research related to behavioral decision making. Then, we highlight areas for exploration related to baseline data, measurement tools, and features of behavior that, if answered via rigorous scientific inquiry, can move the field forward in making data-based decisions to improve behavioral outcomes.
‘Manufactured hysteria’: audience perceptions of sensationalism and moral panic in Australian news representations of asylum seekers
Authors: Haw Ashleigh L
Published: September 2019

Seeking asylum is a highly polarising topic, exacerbated by news discourses that construct asylum seekers as threats to the nation. National and international news coverage has been said to incite ‘moral panics’ via the use of sensationalised depictions of asylum seekers, however, few studies have examined audience responses. This article discusses the findings of research utilising Critical Discourse Analysis alongside an Audience Reception framework to examine how 24 Western Australians perceive news coverage of asylum seekers. All participants critiqued news constructions of the issue, with many emphasising sensationalism and the incitement of fear as central concerns affecting their trust and engagement with Australian coverage. Analysed with consideration of the ‘moral panic’ and ‘media panic’ literature, these findings demonstrate that sensationalist depictions of asylum seekers are being resisted by audiences. This inclination towards ‘media panics’ over ‘moral panics’ is discussed in terms of its implications for democracy and audience reception scholarship.
James March in Irvine: A history of the ahistorical in organisation theory
Authors: Kavanagh Donncha
Published: September 2019

James G. March, one of organisation theory’s most influential scholars, died in September 2018. From 1963 to 1969, he was the founding Dean of UC-Irvine’s School of Social Sciences where he led a unique and influential experiment in organisation, pedagogy and social scientific inquiry. This article gives an account of that experiment and also reflects on March’s memory and legacy. In line with contemporary enthusiasms, March believed that social phenomena could be modelled using sophisticated mathematical techniques, and that this should inform both research and pedagogy. These techniques were necessarily ahistorical. He also celebrated innovation and interdisciplinarity, and so assembled a heterogeneous group, many of whom were not mathematical modellers. In retrospect, the School was an important node in the development of new and influential streams of research, such as situated learning, ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. Significantly, these approaches were also ahistorical. The experiment provides an important historical setting for understanding how, where, and when these fields emerged and illustrates the contextual nature of knowledge in organisation theory. It also helps explicate how history and theory have come to be differentiated from one another in organisation studies and contextualises attempts to integrate the two domains.
Dynamic response of vehicle and track in long downhill section of high-speed railway under braking condition
Authors: Lu Chenxu , Shi Jin
Published: September 2019

The dynamic behaviors of vehicle and track in long and downhill section of high-speed railway are studied under braking condition. A vehicle–track dynamic interaction model is constructed based on two longitudinal vehicle–track interaction models. In the model, the vehicle is considered as a 21-degree-of-freedom multi-rigid body system composed of a car body, two bogies, and four wheels; using the finite-element method, the track is modeled as a Euler beam; the “circular track” method is proposed to reduce the degree of freedom of the model for the simulation of long-distance track; two longitudinal wheel–rail interaction models are considered: the Polach creep theory (suitable for simulating condition of large creep resulting from heavy braking) and the longitudinal rigid-contact theory. The dynamic responses of the substructures during vehicle braking calculated by the models based on the Polach creep model and longitudinal contact model show little difference, but the Polach creep model can fully consider the motion of the wheels and large wheel–rail creep in the braking process and can accurately analyze the wheel–rail interface damage. The results of dynamic interaction between wheel and rail under different conditions suggest that large braking torque will cause some or all of the wheels to slide and then cause the damage of wheel–rail interface. The grade will lead to the increase in braking distance and time and also extend the sliding time of locked wheels, increasing the risk of damage of the wheel–rail interface. The braking torque should be kept below a reasonable value, so that the braking distance and braking time can be as short as possible without the occurrence of wheel sliding along the track. A reasonable braking torque under the dry track and wet track conditions should be 7 and 4 kN m respectively, according to the calculation in this article.
Analysis of the failure mechanism of multi-beam steel–concrete composite bridge under car explosion
Authors: Zhu Zhao , Li Yuan , He Shuanhai , Ma Chao
Published: September 2019

The objective of this study is to investigate the damage mechanism of a multi-beam steel–concrete composite bridge under car explosion. The steel–concrete composite bridge is widely used in expressways and urban viaducts. Explosives are distributed in multiple locations above the deck to avoid stress concentration. The explosion damage analysis is carried out with the equivalent trinitrotoluene of 50 kg, which represents a car explosion in the state of full oil tank. The multi-Euler domain method based on the fully coupled Lagrange and Euler models is adopted for the structural analysis of the explosion process with the commercial software Autodyn. This study shows that the structural failure goes through three stages: elastoplastic, plastic, and plastic hinge with full section. From 1/8 to 1/2 of the bridge span, the failure times of the bridge are 277, 164, 133, and 133 ms, matching the displacements of 412, 889, 819, and 819 mm, respectively, while the explosion occurs above steel beams. For the explosion occurring above the concrete deck, the failure times are 335, 154, 121, and 125 ms, corresponding to the deflections of 479, 930, 722, and 752 mm. When the explosion occurs from bearings to the quarter of the bridge span, shear failure of steel beams occurs before bending failure, and both of them control the explosion-resistant design of structures. For the detonation occurring at 1/4 to 1/2 of the bridge length, the explosion damage of the steel–concrete composite bridge is controlled by flexural failure, and only local shear failure occurs. The multi-beam steel–concrete composite bridge which meets the design requirements will generate plastic hinge and lose bearing capacity under car explosion wherever the explosion occurs.
Detecting falsification in a television audience measurement panel survey
Authors: Sharma Sharan , Elliott Michael R
Published: September 2019

Case studies reporting real-world experiences with survey falsification are uncommon. In this article, we document the experience of a panel survey in India that produced TV viewing estimates (“TV ratings”) where external parties were illegitimately trying to influence respondents’ behavior. The usual method to detect possible falsifications was that of analysts poring through data to find suspicious viewing patterns. Here, we develop a method using multilevel models and illustrate its use in the detection of an actual incident. We report how the model-based method was used to direct on-ground investigations that ultimately supported our analytic inferences. The model-based method offers four advantages over the usual method. First, by approximating an interpenetrated sample, the model simultaneously controls for several household characteristics. Second, Empirical Best Linear Unbiased Predictors (EBLUPs) of random effects can be examined separately at both the household and interviewer level, thus suggesting where further investigation efforts should be directed. Third, the method is faster and more objective than the usual method. Fourth, the method is easily implemented and can provide regular quality control for survey organizations.
MediYoga as a part of a self-management programme among patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation – a randomised study
Authors: Wahlström Maria , Rosenqvist Mårten , Medin Jörgen , Walfridsson Ulla , Rydell-Karlsson Monica
Published: September 2019

Background:

Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is associated with impaired health-related quality of life. Yoga has been suggested to improve health-related quality of life among patients with heart failure and hypertension.

Aim:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of MediYoga, in respect of health-related quality of life, blood pressure, heart rate, as well as N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide, among patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, compared with standard therapy or relaxation.

Methods:

Patients with symptomatic paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, n=132, were stratified for gender and randomised to MediYoga, a relaxation group or a control group, 44 patients per group with a 12-week follow-up. Health-related quality of life, blood pressure, heart rate and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide were assessed.

Results:

After 12 weeks, there were no differences in health-related quality of life between the groups. There were improvements in Short-Form Health Survey bodily pain, general health, social function, mental health and mental component summary scores within the MediYoga group ( p=0.014, p=0.037, p=0.029, p=0.030, p=0.019, respectively). No change was seen in the relaxation and control groups. Systolic blood pressure decreased in the MediYoga group (134±18 to 127±13) compared with the control group (126±17 to 127±15, p=0.041); no difference compared with the relaxation group (131±17 to 125±12). Diastolic blood pressure decreased in the MediYoga group (79±9 to 74 ±9) compared with the control group (76±9 to 79±8, p=0.005); no difference compared with the relaxation group (76±9 to 77±8). There were no differences in heart rate and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide between the groups after 12 weeks.

Conclusions:

MediYoga improves health-related quality of life and decreases blood pressure in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. MediYoga may be used as a part of a self-management programme among patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.
Zinc Finger Protein 521, Negatively Regulated by MicroRNA-204-5p, Promotes Proliferation, Motility and Invasion of Gastric Cancer Cells
Authors: Huan Chen , Xiaoxu Cai , Xifang Ren
Published: September 2019

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the expression, role, and detailed mechanism of microRNA-204-5p and zinc finger protein 521 in gastric cancer.

Methods:

Immunohistochemistry was adopted to detect the expressions of zinc finger protein 521 in 82 cases of gastric cancer tissues. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of zinc finger protein 521 in gastric cancer cells and adjacent cells. Moreover, the correlation between zinc finger protein 521 and the prognosis of patients were also evaluated. Cell Counting Kit 8 assay and colony formation assay were performed to figure out the impact of zinc finger protein 521 on the proliferation of gastric cancer cells. By conducting flow cytometry, the effect of zinc finger protein 521 on the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells was determined. The scratch wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay were carried out to determine the effect of zinc finger protein 521 on regulating the motility and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Ultimately, the targeting relationship and interaction between microRNA-204-5p and zinc finger protein 521 were verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and dual luciferase reporter gene assay.

Results:

Compared with adjacent cells, zinc finger protein 521 was highly expressed in gastric cancer cells, which was related to TNM stage ( P = .0388), tumor size ( P = .0168), and local lymph node metastasis ( P = .0024). Overexpressed zinc finger protein 521 can promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells and inhibit the apoptosis. Zinc finger protein 521 is a target gene of microRNA-106-5p, and there was a negative correlation between the expression of zinc finger protein 521 and microRNA-204-5p.

Conclusion:

Zinc finger protein 521 can arrest the apoptosis and enhance the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells via regulating microRNA-204-5p. Our study may provide novel clues for the treatment of patients with gastric cancer.
PTA and Stenting of Femoropopliteal Trunk With Cordis Smartflex Stent System: A Single-Center Experience
Authors: Garriboli Luca , Miccoli Tommaso , Pruner Gianguido , Jannello Antonio Maria
Published: September 2019

Introduction:

The aim of this study is to describe our experience in the treatment of femoropopliteal occlusive disease with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) followed by stenting with S.M.A.R.T. Flex vascular stent system.

Materials and Methods:

From June 2014 to October 2018, 80 patients were treated at our Institution for intermittent claudication, critical, or acute limb ischemia due to total occlusion or long diffused lesions of the femoropopliteal segment. Main study end points are primary patency, target lesion revascularization, and stent fractures; secondary end points are major amputation rate, procedure-related bleeding, incidence of intrastent restenosis, and primary assisted patency after reintervention.

Results:

Mean follow-up time was 21 months (range 2-48 months). Primary patency rate was 80% (64 patients of 80), with mean covered lesion length of 8.2 cm. The deployment of a single stent was obtained for 57 (89%) patients, with a mean stent length of 9.86 cm. Of 80 patients, 2 (2.5%) had early stent occlusion within first 48 hours after the procedure, while 4 (5%) of 80 patients experienced stent occlusion within first 6 months. Of 80 patients, 6 (7.5%) had an intrastent restenosis detected at duplex ultrasound with a primary-assisted patency after simple re-PTA procedures of 83.3% at 12 months.

Discussion:

In the literature, primary patency after PTA and stenting of the femoropopliteal trunk seems to be related to several variables, such as number of stents used, specific stent length, diameters, type and length of lesions, type of pathology (if acute or chronic), and number of preoperatory patent below-the-knee vessels. In this study, we try to analyze each single factor in order to understand their role in predisposing specific stent restenosis.

Conclusions:

S.M.A.R.T. Flex vascular stent system has shown good results in terms of primary patency in the treatment of calcified lesions both at SFA and at popliteal level. However, in our experience, stent patency seems to be significantly poorer in patients presenting with acute limb ischemia associated with chronic atherosclerotic disease as well as for lesions located in the mid-distal part of the popliteal artery and both when number of stents increases or number of runoff vessel decreases.
Science mapping the knowledge base in educational leadership and management: A longitudinal bibliometric analysis, 1960 to 2018
Authors: Hallinger Philip , Kovačević Jasna
Published: September 2019

This review employed science mapping methods to analyze the evolution of the knowledge base in educational leadership and management from 1960 to 2018. Descriptive trend analysis, citation analysis, co-citation analysis, and visualization of similarities were used to document growth and change in the ‘intellectual structure’ of the educational leadership and management knowledge base as it evolved through the decades. The review analyzed a database comprised of 22,492 articles published in 21 Scopus-indexed journals over six decades. The authors found that contributions to the knowledge base have evolved from primarily Anglo-American male scholars up until 2000 to increasing gender and geographic diversity in the past 20 years. The review identified several ‘schools of thought’ that emerged across four generations of EDLM scholarship. These include: Leadership for Learning, Leading Change, Leading Teachers, and School Effectiveness and School Improvement. The review also documented a broader evolution in the field’s intellectual structure from a focus on ‘administration’ during the 1960s and 1970s to the embrace of ‘leadership for learning’ as the dominant theme during recent generations. This paradigm shift has not only reshaped the focus of research but also the identity of educational leadership and management as a field of study.
The synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of (+)-demethoxyaspidospermine: Density functional theory calculations of the structural, electronic, and non-linear optic and spectroscopic properties
Authors: Serdaroğlu Goncagül , Uludağ Nesimi
Published: September 2019

(+)-Demethoxyaspidospermine was synthesized via the acylation of aspidospermidine with acetic anhydride, and the structure was determined by elemental analysis and Fourier-transform infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic tools and was supported by the simulated spectroscopic studies. Next, the stable geometries obtained by the conformational analysis performed at the B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) level were used for further investigations carried out in B3LYP and M06-2X functionals, and Hartree–Fock (HF) method, employed by the 6-311++G(d, p) basis set. Also, the natural bond orbital analysis revealed that the most contribution to the lowering of the stabilization energy came from n → π* and π → π* interactions. Moreover, the non-linear optic analysis has shown that the title compound can be a useful agent in the optoelectronic devices because of the optical properties. Also, the chemical reactivity tendency for nucleophilic or electrophilic attack reactions on the compound was evaluated by frontier molecular orbital analysis, and the reactive sites of the compound was shown by highest molecular orbital and lowest unoccupied orbital amplitudes and molecular electrostatic potential diagrams.
Does Blocking Facial Feedback Via Botulinum Toxin Injections Decrease Depression? A Critical Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Coles Nicholas A. , Larsen Jeff T. , Kuribayashi Joyce , Kuelz Ashley
Published: September 2019

Researchers have proposed that blocking facial feedback via glabellar-region botulinum toxin injections (GBTX) can reduce depression. Random-effects meta-analyses of studies that administered GBTX to individuals with depression indicate that, 6 weeks postintervention, GBTX groups were significantly less depressed compared to placebo groups ( d = 0.83) and pretreatment levels ( d = 1.57). However, we noted the following concerns: (a) effect sizes were extraordinarily large, (b) authors failed to provide information to compute 51% of relevant effect sizes, (c) 96% of effect sizes came from studies conducted by investigators with conflicts of interest, (d) there is some evidence of publication bias, and (e) studies used ineffective blinding procedures. These considerations suggest that confidence in GBTX as a treatment for depression is premature.
ACL Size and Notch Width Between ACLR and Healthy Individuals: A Pilot Study
Authors: Wang Hsin-Min , Shultz Sandra J. , Ross Scott E. , Henson Robert A. , Perrin David H. , Schmitz Randy J.
Published: September 2019

Background:

Given the relatively high risk of contralateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in patients with ACL reconstruction (ACLR), there is a need to understand intrinsic risk factors that may contribute to contralateral injury.

Hypothesis:

The ACLR group would have smaller ACL volume and a narrower femoral notch width than healthy individuals after accounting for relevant anthropometrics.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

Magnetic resonance imaging data of the left knee were obtained from uninjured (N = 11) and unilateral ACL-reconstructed (N = 10) active, female, collegiate-level recreational athletes. ACL volume was obtained from T2-weighted images. Femoral notch width and notch width index were measured from T1-weighted images. Independent-samples t tests examined differences in all measures between healthy and ACLR participants.

Results:

The ACLR group had a smaller notch width index (0.22 ± 0.02 vs 0.25 ± 0.01; P = 0.004; effect size, 1.41) and ACL volume (25.6 ± 4.0 vs 32.6 ± 8.2 mm3/(kg·m)−1; P = 0.025; effect size, 1.08) after normalizing by body size.

Conclusion:

Only after normalizing for relevant anthropometrics, the contralateral ACLR limb had smaller ACL size and narrower relative femoral notch size than healthy individuals. These findings suggest that risk factor studies of ACL size and femoral notch size should account for relevant body size when determining their association with contralateral ACL injury.

Clinical Relevance:

The present study shows that the method of the identified intrinsic risk factors for contralateral ACL injury could be used in future clinical screening settings.