bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health Survey in a Peruvian health system (ENSSA)
Authors: Llanos Renán Quispe , Ramírez Rofilia Ramírez , Palacios Martha Tizón , Flores Claudio Flores , Borda-Olivas Alfredo , Castillo Roger Araujo , Guanira Juan , Condor Risof Solis , Villasante Manuel Catacora , Hurtado-Roca Yamilée
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE: To report the design, methodology and initial results of the National Socioeconomic Survey of Access to Health of the EsSalud Insured. RESULTS: There were interviews in 25,000 homes, surveying 79,874 people, of which 62,659 were affiliated to EsSalud. The insured people are mainly males (50.6%) with a higher technical education level (39.7%). The insured population has mostly independent (95.0%) and own (68.1%) home. Only 34.5% of the insured practice some sport or physical exercise; 14.0% of the population suffers from a chronic disease; 3.5% have diabetes; and 7.1%, arterial hypertension. In the last three months, 35.4% of the members needed medical attention; of these, only 73.1% received health care and the remaining 10.9% were treated in pharmacies or non-formal health care services. RESULTS: The 25,000 homes were interviewed, surveying 79,874 people, of which 62,659 were affiliated to EsSalud. The insured people are mainly males (50.6%) with a higher technical education level (39.7%). The insured population has mostly independent (95.0%) and own (68.1%) home. Only 34.5% of the insured practice some sport or physical exercise; 14.0% of the population suffers from a chronic disease; 3.5% have diabetes; and 7.1%, arterial hypertension. In the last three months, 35.4% of the members needed medical attention; of these, only 73.1% received health care and the remaining 10.9% were treated in pharmacies or non-formal health care services. CONCLUSIONS: This survey is the first performed in the population of EsSalud affiliates, applied at the national level, and has socio-economic and demographic data of the insured, their distribution, risk factors of health, prevalence of health problems and the degree of access to health services.
‘This Man Has Come into My House’: Hospitality in Genesis 19; 34; and Judges 19
Authors: Southwood Katherine
Published: March 2019

This article explores narratives wherein themes of hospitality, sexual violence against women, and migration coalesce. The presence of migration and the theme of ‘guest’ and ‘host’ make Genesis 19, and in the linked tradition in Judges 19, particularly apt for analysis that uses modern literature coupling hospitality and migration as a heuristic tool. Indeed, as well as being thematic, hospitality may also function in the narratives as a metaphor for immigrants and host communities. In Genesis 34, the metaphor of hospitality and the consequences of hospitality broken are also important thematically as is the desire for revenge. The article argues that in all three cases, group boundaries reach a new level of significance in response to migration, but are violently concretised through acts of sexual exploitation.
Examining Sport Fans and the Endangered Species Who Represent Their Affiliated Team Mascots
Authors: Sartore-Baldwin Melanie , McCullough Brian
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship sport fans have with their mascots when represented by a nonhuman animal who is a member of an endangered species group. Adopting a shared responsibility perspective, this study examined the level of knowledge sport fans possess about their endangered species mascot and how sport fan identity might impact one’s desire to learn more. Findings supported the hypothesis that highly identified fans would want to learn more about the endangered species, thus suggesting that sport organizations may be in an advantageous position to create change through organizational initiatives and practices involving partner organizations and in-house conservation efforts.
Revisiting the Marxist Skilled-Labour Debate
Authors: Caligaris Gastón , Starosta Guido
Published: March 2019

This article offers an overview of Marx’s textual legacy on the subject of the multiplied value-positing powers of skilled labour, and undertakes a critical reconstruction of the history of the subsequent controversies over the so-called ‘skilled-labour problem’. Critical examination of the different Marxist responses to the objections put forward by critics shows that they have failed to develop a solution that is consistent with the foundations of Marx’s value-theory. Thus, the article finally offers an alternative solution grounded in the Marxian analysis of the determinations of value as laid out in Capital.
On the Evaluation of The Essence of Christianity
Authors: Feuerbach Ludwig
Published: March 2019

The following text is a translation of Feuerbach’s essay ‘Zur Beurteilung der Schrift Das Wesen des Christentums’, which was published in February 1842. The piece is intended to clarify Feuerbach’s relation to many of his most important contemporaries and influences, especially Hegel. An Introduction to this essay has been published simultaneously (see DOI 10.1163/1569206X-00001620).
Social Stratification in Qatari Society
Authors: Hassan Islam
Published: March 2019

The family in Qatar plays a significant role in shaping its members’ lives, passing down the dominant culture with its history, traditions, values, customs, and social order to subsequent generations. Through the institution of marriage, individuals have been choosing their partners based on criteria passed down to them by their families. They have also been preserving and reproducing the culture, traditions, values, and customs invested in them by their own families by reinvesting them into their own children. By relying on a mixed method approach, the author investigates the role of the family and marriage institutions in the sustenance and stimulation of the reproduction of social stratification in Qatari society. This article is the first of its kind to address the phenomenon of reproduction of social stratification in an Arab state of the Persian Gulf.
The Role and Impact of Arab Fathers
Authors: Ridge Natasha , Jeon Soohyun , Shami Soha , Chung Brian Jaewon
Published: March 2019

Research over the past twenty years has found that fathers play an important role in their children’s development. However, the literature on fatherhood is still limited, particularly in the Arab world. This paper uses data from a mixed-method pilot study of sixty-one Arabs residing in the United Arab Emirates to examine the nature and impact of father involvement in the Arab region. The findings indicate that Arab fathers score highly on the good provider role, but low on responsible paternal engagement, which includes father involvement in the child’s education and related activities. We also find that the more positively involved a father has been in his child’s life, the higher the child’s self-esteem tends to be. In addition, the results show that experiences of father involvement vary according to the gender of the child, socioeconomic status, and nationality. These findings have important implications for understanding the nature of Arab father involvement and serve as a prelude to a larger study of father involvement across the Arab region.
Punitive House Burning in Chechnya: Is Collective Punishment Outside Armed Conflict Prohibited?
Authors: Klocker Cornelia
Published: March 2019

Collective punishment describes the punishment of a group for an act allegedly committed by one or more of its members and is prohibited in times of armed conflict. It is not explicitly prohibited in situations outside of armed conflict governed by human rights law. This contribution centers on a case study on collective punishment in Chechnya from the two Chechen Wars up until today. Recent years have witnessed the destruction of family homes of alleged insurgents in Chechnya. As it is unclear whether the armed conflict in Chechnya is still ongoing, it is equally unclear whether the law of armed conflict and the explicit prohibition of collective punishment apply to those punitive house burnings. This contribution explores the relation between the law of armed conflict and human rights law regarding collective punishment and concludes that, theoretically, human rights law could encompass such a prohibition.
Twentieth Century Totalitarian Regimes, Lustration, and Guilt for Crimes of the Past: Challenges and Dangers for the Strasbourg Court
Authors: Bowring Bill
Published: March 2019

This article addresses a key contemporary problem confronting the Strasbourg Court. While it is well established that seeking the historical truth is an integral part of the right to freedom of expression, it cannot be the role of the Strasbourg Court to arbitrate underlying historical issues (Dzhugashvili v. Russia, 2014). Still less can it be for the Court to decide on individual or collective guilt for crimes of the past, rather than on violations of Convention rights. For example, the Court has found many violations of human rights in the more recent armed conflicts in Northern Ireland, South-East Turkey, Chechnya, or the Basque Country, but has never sought to pronounce on the legal or moral issues underlying these conflicts, or on their deep historical roots. However, the existence of the ussr for more than 70 years, and 12 years of Nazism in Germany, leading to wwii, dominated the 20th century in Europe. These have both been described as totalitarian regimes. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 followed by the collapse of the ussr in 1991 led to dramatic changes not only in statehood and political systems, but also a strong desire for states emerging from the ussr or Soviet domination to purge the past, and to identify and punish wrongdoers. Various forms of lustration have been a product of this desire, with the exception of the Russian Federation, where the characterization and proper evaluation of its Soviet past are questions still unresolved. Increasingly the Strasbourg Court has been called on to decide highly controversial cases, for example Ždanoka v. Latvia (2006), Vajnai v. Hungary (2008), Kononov v. Latvia (2010), Korobov v. Estonia (2013), Soro v. Estonia (2015). The author was counsel for the applicants in some of these cases. I ask: what are the dangers and challenges for the Strasbourg Court in adjudicating such cases, and how can it avoid the appearance of taking sides in bitter and intractable arguments?
An early record of a vesselless angiosperm from the middle Cenomanian of the Envigne valley (Vienne, Western France)
Authors: Boura A. , Saulnier G. , De Franceschi D. , Gomez B. , Daviero-Gomez V. , Pons D. , Garcia G. , Robin N. , Boiteau J-M. , Valentin X.
Published: March 2019

Thousands of silicified wood fragments were recently collected from the middle Cenomanian of Vienne in western France at less than 10 km away from a historical locality where in 1870 the French geologist Alphonse Le Touzé de Longuemar reported silicified wood. The plant assemblage is very diverse, and includes several species of ferns, conifers, and angiosperms. We describe and discuss the systematic affinities of a new vesselless angiosperm. Many of its characters are shared by extant and fossil Winteraceae. Nevertheless, the absence of uniseriate rays makes the anatomy of these specimens unique. Its combination of characters justifies the establishment of a new genus of vesselless fossil angiosperm wood of uncertain affinity, Sherwinoxylon gen. nov.
A new species of genus Bonnaya (Linderniaceae) from the Western Ghats of India
Authors: VINOD SHIMPALE , VINAYAK SARDESAI , SANJAY SATHE
Published: March 2019

Bonnaya milindii (Linderniaceae), a new species from the Western Ghats of India is described and illustrated. The species is similar to Bonnaya sanpabloensis but differs in its petaloid staminodes and glabrous corolla.
Taxonomy of Ostracods from the Pirabas Formation (Upper Oligocene to Lower Miocene), Eastern Amazonia (Pará State, Brazil)
Authors: NOGUEIRA ANNA ANDRESSA EVANGELISTA , RAMOS MARIA INÊS FEIJÓ , HUNT GENE
Published: March 2019

Ostracods from the Upper Oligocene to Lower Miocene Pirabas Formation, Northeastern Amazonia, Pará State, Brazil were examined from one subsurface and four outcrop sections. A total of 119 species were recognized and are illustrated; another 53 species were left in open nomenclature. Twenty-seven of the species are common to the Neogene of Caribbean, another two species are known from areas other than the Caribbean, and one species was already described from the studied unit. This study provides a robust taxonomic database for paleoenvironmental, biostratigraphic and paleogeographic studies and contributes to the knowledge of the paleodiversity of Neogene Ostracods from the Southwestern Atlantic.
Evaluating U.S. East Coast Winter Storms in a Multimodel Ensemble Using EOF and Clustering Approaches
Authors: Zheng Minghua , Chang Edmund K. M. , Colle Brian A.
Published: March 2019

Empirical orthogonal function (EOF) and fuzzy clustering tools were applied to generate and validate scenarios in operational ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) for U.S. East Coast winter storms. The National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), and Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) EPSs were validated in their ability to capture the analysis scenarios for historical East Coast cyclone cases at lead times of 1–9 days. The ECMWF ensemble has the best performance for the medium- to extended-range forecasts. During this time frame, NCEP and CMC did not perform as well, but a combination of the two models helps reduce the missing rate and alleviates the underdispersion. All ensembles are underdispersed at all ranges, with combined ensembles being less underdispersed than the individual EPSs. The number of outside-of-envelope cases increases with lead time. For a majority of the cases beyond the short range, the verifying analysis does not lie within the ensemble mean group of the multimodel ensemble or within the same direction indicated by any of the individual model means, suggesting that all possible scenarios need to be taken into account. Using the EOF patterns to validate the cyclone properties, the NCEP model tends to show less intensity and displacement biases during 1–3-day lead time, while the ECMWF model has the smallest biases during 4–6 days. Nevertheless, the ECMWF forecast position tends to be biased toward the southwest of the other two models and the analysis.
Sensitivity to Physical and Numerical Aspects of Large-Eddy Simulation of Stratocumulus
Authors: Matheou Georgios , Teixeira João
Published: March 2019

A series of numerical experiments where both physical and numerical model parameters are varied with respect to a reference setup is used to investigate the physics of a stratocumulus cloud and the performance of a large-eddy simulation (LES) model. The simulations show a delicate balance of physical processes with some sensitivities amplified by numerical model features. A strong feedback between cloud liquid, cloud-top radiative cooling, and turbulence leads to slow grid convergence of the turbulent fluxes. For a methodology that diagnoses cloud liquid from conserved variables, small errors in the total water amount result in large liquid water errors, which are amplified by the cloud-top radiative cooling leading to large variations of buoyancy forcing. In contrast, when the liquid–radiation–buoyancy feedback is not present in simulations without radiation, the turbulence structure of the boundary layer remains essentially identical for grid resolutions between 20 and 1.25 m. The present runs suggest that the buoyancy reversal instability significantly enhances the entrainment rate. Even though cloud-top radiative cooling is regarded as a key attribute of stratocumulus, the present simulations suggest that surface fluxes and surface shear significantly contribute to the total turbulent kinetic energy. Turbulence spectra exhibit inertial range scaling away from the confinement effects of the surface and inversion. Fine grid resolution LESs agree with observations, especially with respect to cloud liquid and vertical velocity variance, and exhibit grid convergence without any model tuning or ad hoc model choices.
Assimilation of Satellite Soil Moisture for Improved Atmospheric Reanalyses
Authors: Draper Clara , Reichle Rolf H.
Published: March 2019

A newly developed, weakly coupled land and atmosphere data assimilation system for NASA’s Global Earth Observing System model is presented, and used to demonstrate the benefit of assimilating satellite soil moisture into an atmospheric reanalysis. Specifically, Advanced Scatterometer and Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity soil moisture retrievals are assimilated into a system that uses the same model, atmospheric assimilation system, and atmospheric observations as the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2). The atmosphere is sensitive to soil moisture only under certain conditions. Hence, while the globally averaged model improvements were small, regionally, the soil moisture assimilation induced some substantial improvements. For example, in a large region spanning from western Europe across southern Russia, the soil moisture assimilation decreased the RMSE against independent station observations of daily maximum 2-m temperature () by up to 0.4 K, and of 2-m specific humidity (q2m) by up to 0.5 g kg−1. Over all available stations, the mean RMSE was reduced from 2.82 to 2.79 K, while the mean q2m RMSE was reduced from 1.25 to 1.20 g kg−1. The soil moisture assimilation also reduced the mean RMSE across 29 flux tower sites from 34.2 to 32.6 W m−2 for latent heating, and from 37.7 to 36.5 W m−2 for sensible heating. For all variables evaluated, the soil moisture assimilation improved the model at monthly to seasonal, rather than daily, time scales. Based on the above experiments, it is recommended that satellite soil moisture be assimilated into future reanalyses, including the follow-on to MERRA-2.
Cross-Border Merger and Acquisition Activity and Wage Dynamics
Authors: Orefice Gianluca , Sly Nicholas , Toubal Farid
Published: March 2019

Using detailed administrative data that link French firms and workers over the years 2002 to 2007, the authors document declines in worker-level wages ahead of the time their employer is acquired by a foreign firm that are more than offset by gains in wages that emerge after cross-border acquisition. Specifically, relative wages fall by an estimated 7.5% in the years just before foreign acquisition, and they rise by approximately 12.5% in the years afterward. Changes in workers’ earnings are evident in both wages and in-kind payments given to workers. Moreover, the authors provide theoretical foundations for the conditional mean independence assumption that underlies commonly applied empirical techniques.
Is Neorealism a Deterministic Theory of International Relations?
Authors: Freire Lucas G.
Published: March 2019

This article is a contribution to the clarification of the central claim of Kenneth Waltz’s neorealist international relations theory. Over the years, the notion that Waltz’s Theory of International Politics postulates a deterministic connection between the configuration of the structure of the international system and the behaviour of each of the units has gained traction in textbooks and in straw-man critiques of the neorealist approach. Two major groups of critics of neorealism’s alleged determinism have formed. The first group focuses on instances where predicted balancing behaviour did not occur in order to refute neorealism’s central claim about the link between structure and behaviour. The second group objects to any strong claims about structural features as such. In response, this article shows that a careful reading of Waltz’s writings suffices to indicate that the presupposition adopted by both groups of critics is flawed. Neorealism was never presented by its main proponent as a deterministic international relations theory.
Transhumanist Medicine: Can We Direct Its Power to the Service of Human Dignity?
Authors: Mirkes Renée
Published: March 2019

The medicalization of transhumanist technologies demands our prompt and undivided attention. This article surveys the principal body/mind enhancement goals of transhumanist medicine and the means it would employ—genetic, robo, info-, and nanotechnologies—to accomplish those ends (Part One). Second, it engages Christian anthropological and natural law principles to evaluate the populist and essentialist concerns these therapeutic/enhancement interventions provoke (Part Two). And, third, it proposes formation of a Catholic medical think tank to appraise whether transhumanist biotechnologies can serve human dignity and, to the extent they can, to formulate wise clinical/administrative guidelines for their inclusion in US Catholic healthcare settings (Part Three).

Nontechnical summary:

This article explores the body/mind enhancement goals of transhumanist medicine, evaluates the biotechnological means to accomplish those therapeutic/enhancement goals, and suggests the formation of a Catholic medical think tank to formulate wise clinical/administrative guidelines for the inclusion of genetic, robo, info-, and nanotechnologies in US Catholic healthcare settings.
“Not an Ounce of Hollywood Bullshit”: A Narrative Analysis of News Media Coverage of Spotlight’s Oscar Win
Authors: Bishop Ronald
Published: March 2019

A narrative analysis was conducted of news media coverage of the Academy Award-winning movie Spotlight from January 1, 2015, until June 1, 2016, with a focus on how journalists, film critics, and commentators invoked the history of investigative reporting—and of investigative reporting on film—in evaluating Spotlight and the significance of the journalism-related issues it raised. Even as the narrative asks the reader to revisit the “heroic journalist” myth, its elements mitigate against endorsement: the field’s financial distress, the focus on “grunt work,” the desire of the film’s creators to honor journalism’s past, the impression that journalists had been cordoned off somewhere until the film reintroduced us to them, and the Spotlight team begrudgingly accepting Hollywood’s demands—even the repeated comparisons to All the President’s Men—coalesce to negate the film’s potential to remind us of the need for aggressive, uncompromising investigative reporting and to affirm the myth of the dogged investigative journalist.
Publishing and Scholarship in Economic Education: A Catalog and Assessment
Authors: Asarta Carlos J. , Mixon Frank G.
Published: March 2019

The American Economist ( AEX) has a long history of publishing scholarship in economic education. In fact, a recent study by Lo, Wong, Mixon, and Asarta found AEX to rank third in terms of economic education articles published in all economics journals indexed in the Social Sciences Citations Index. According to Asarta, Jennings, and Grimes, AEX’s contributions to the field can be cataloged into four major categories: program design, instructional and assessment methodology, instructional materials, and student outcomes. To continue with AEX’s history of encouraging, promoting, and disseminating economic education scholarship, this article catalogs the opportunities that now exist for publishing such work in journals focused on economic education–specific work. In addition, the article assesses the relative impact of the work presented in those journals since 1995, a key year in the field, with the ultimate goal of serving as a valuable resource for scholars interested in publishing in the dynamic field of economic education.

JEL Classifications: A20, A30
IMPACT: Effects of an Online Capacity-Building Intervention for IPV Prevention Professionals
Authors: Drabkin Anya S. , Baden Lucy , Solomon Julie , Card Josefina J.
Published: March 2019

IMPACT, an online, interactive, capacity-building intervention for professionals engaged in direct intimate partner violence (IPV) work, was evaluated for preliminary efficacy. The IMPACT intervention comprised 13 training modules developed using the Rotheram-Borus Common Factors approach to prevention program development. In total, 156 participants from a diverse range of organizational settings across the United States completed baseline assessments and were randomized to the IMPACT intervention or to the control condition. Participants completed a follow-up assessment 3 months after baseline. Compared with control participants, IMPACT participants significantly increased their general IPV-related knowledge and their self-efficacy to utilize best practice IPV prevention strategies; effect sizes for these outcomes were moderate to large, indicating that these results are meaningful for IPV prevention practice. No differences by condition were observed in other outcomes such as scenario-based skills implementation or utilization of IPV-related strategies in participants’ work. In addition, analyses showed that these findings were consistent across IPV prevention experience levels. Results suggest that IMPACT is flexible, generalizable, scalable, and a promising tool for disseminating IPV research into practice and helping to prevent IPV.
Evaluating Healthy Vending at the American Heart Association National Center: A Pilot Study
Authors: Yan Stella , Pappas Antigoni , Yuan Meghan D. , Vafiadis Dorothea , Carson Jo Ann
Published: March 2019

Purpose:

To determine whether a 100% healthy vending model would affect revenue, employee satisfaction, and nutrition in the workplace.

Design:

This study compared revenue and nutrition data pre- and post-adoption of nutrition standards from the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Healthy Workplace Food and Beverage Toolkit. Employee satisfaction was measured using a survey.

Setting:

The AHA National Center which, over time, included 5 vending machines and a micromarket.

Measures:

Comparisons of monthly snack and beverage revenues; survey results assessing employee satisfaction; reduction in mean saturated fat (g) and sodium (mg) per snack sold; reduction in mean sugar (g) per beverage sold; monthly mean number of fruits, vegetable, and dairy sold.

Analysis:

Paired t tests were used to compare monthly revenue while t tests were used to compare nutrition information pre- and post-adoption of nutrition standards. Survey results and food group purchases were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results:

Mean monthly snack revenue increased ( P = .002). Mean monthly beverage revenue did not decrease. Most survey respondents were satisfied with the healthy vending. Mean saturated fat and sodium content per snack sold decreased ( P < .001). Mean sugar content per beverage sold decreased. The micromarket sold an average of 210 units of dairy, 85 units of fruit, and 87 units of vegetables per month.

Limitations:

This study was conducted at one workplace.

Conclusion:

Healthy vending did not decrease revenue but did decrease saturated fat and sodium per snack, decrease sugar per beverage, and provide fruits, vegetables, and fat-free/low-fat dairy. Employees were generally satisfied with healthy vending.
Geographical Variation in Wages of Workers in Low-Wage Service Occupations: A U.S. Metropolitan Area Analysis
Authors: Grimes Donald R. , Prime Penelope B. , Walker Mary Beth
Published: March 2019

Low-wage, service-providing occupations accounted for almost half of all U.S. net job growth between 2006 and 2016. The authors study the variation in wages of low-wage service employees across U.S. metropolitan statistical areas, using cross-sectional estimations for 2016 for the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentile wage rates. New data are used to examine the impact of different cost-of-living adjustments on model results, arguing that the preferred adjustment separates housing costs from other costs. The main results are that strong labor market conditions positively contribute to real wages in most of the categories; minimum wages contribute positively to the 10th percentile of four occupations with evidence of influencing higher wages in the 50th and 90th percentiles; and using the authors’ cost-of-living adjustment and controlling for housing costs, the presence of an educated population did not substantially raise wages in the four low-wage, low-skill occupations.
The Experience of Holistic Nurse Coaching for Patients With Chronic Conditions
Authors: Delaney Colleen , Bark Linda
Published: March 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the lived experience of adults with chronic conditions receiving holistic nurse coaching. Method: A qualitative phenomenological research design was used for this study. A purposive sample of 15 patients with varied chronic conditions participated. Institutional review board approval was obtained from the participating university prior to data collection. The patients’ stories of their experiences with holistic nurse coaching were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method of phenomenological analysis. Findings: Eight theme clusters emerged when the formulated meanings were organized into the following categories: (1) Seeking Guidance to Navigate Life’s Challenges, (2) Entering a Safe Sacred Place, (3) Feeling Empowered and Accountable, (4) Developing Strategies to Access Different Ways of Knowing, (5) Finding the Answers Within, (6) Making Healthy Behavioral Changes, (7) Forming a New Caring Relationship with Self, and (8) Transforming to a Brand-New Approach to Life. Conclusions: Findings from this study provide insight into experiences of holistic nurse coaching for patients with chronic conditions. Further research is needed to examine the influence of holistic nurse coaching on health outcomes related to chronic conditions such as quality of life, patient empowerment, and targeted metrics related to specific chronic conditions.
Proposal of a new low-cycle fatigue life model for cast iron with room temperature calibration involving mean stress and high-temperature effects
Authors: Delprete Cristiana , Sesana Raffaella
Published: March 2019

The paper presents and discusses a low-cycle fatigue life prediction energy-based model. The model was applied to a commercial cast iron automotive exhaust manifold. The total expended energy until fracture proposed by the Skelton model was modified by means of two coefficients which take into account of the effects of mean stress and/or mean strain, and the presence of high temperature. The model was calibrated by means of experimental tests developed on Fe–2.4C–4.6Si–0.7Mo–1.2Cr high-temperature-resistant ductile cast iron. The thermostructural transient analysis was developed on a finite element model built to overtake confidentiality industrial restrictions. In addition to the commercial exhaust manifold, the finite element model considers the bolts, the gasket, and a cylinder head simulacrum to consider the corresponding thermal and mechanical boundary conditions. The life assessment performance of the energy-based model with respect the cast iron specimens was compared with the corresponding Basquin–Manson–Coffin and Skelton models. The model prediction fits the experimental data with a good agreement, which is comparable with both the literature models and it shows a better fitting at high temperature. The life estimations computed with respect the exhaust manifold finite element model were compared with different multiaxial literature life models and literature data to evaluate the life prediction capability of the proposed energy-based model.
Comparison of a fixed-grid and arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian methods on modelling fluid–structure interaction of the aortic valve
Authors: Joda Akram , Jin Zhongmin , Summers Jon , Korossis Sotirios
Published: March 2019

This study was aimed at assessing the robustness of a fixed-grid fluid–structure interaction method (Multi-Material Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian) to modelling the two-dimensional native aortic valve dynamics and comparing it to the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method. For the fixed-grid method, the explicit finite element solver LS-DYNA was utilized, where two independent meshes for the fluid and structure were generated and the penalty method was used to handle the coupling between the fluid and structure domains. For the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method, the implicit finite element solver ADINA was used where two separate conforming meshes were used for the valve structure and the fluid domains. The comparison demonstrated that both fluid–structure interaction methods predicted accurately the valve dynamics, fluid flow, and stress distribution, implying that fixed-grid methods can be used in situations where the Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian method fails.
In vitro study of age-related changes in human ureteral failure properties according to region, direction, and layer
Authors: Sokolis Dimitrios P
Published: March 2019

Knowledge of the capacity of the ureteral wall to withstand urodynamic or external stresses is essential to understand ureteral injury and rupture that mostly occur following trauma, but may also be secondary to obstructive uropathy. It has clinical significance as well in the prevention of iatrogenic injury, for example, during ureteroscopy, but no information is available with regard to the age-related failure properties and regional differences have not been systematically described. Uniaxial tensile testing was performed on 166 ureteral rings and strips from 21 humans free of overt urologic disease; histological evaluation was performed. The degree of layer participation to the intact wall failure stress (=tissue strength), peak elastic modulus (=stiffness), and failure stretch (=extensibility) was assessed by examining layer-specific ruptures in the stress–stretch data. Failure stress at and peak elastic modulus before the first (muscle/adventitial) rupture correlated inversely less with age ( p < 0.05 in few regions/directions) than failure stress at the second (mucosal) rupture ( p < 0.05 in the middle and lower ureter), consistent with the decreased mucosal thickness in ≥50-year-old subjects. Failure stretch at both ruptures did not correlate with age ( p > 0.05 in most regions/directions), paralleling elastin content. Correlations with age were more significant in females than males. Failure stress at the second rupture point was higher ( p < 0.05) distally in <50-year-old but not in ≥50-year-old subjects, justified by the increased collagen distally in the former. Directional differences in failure stretches ( p < 0.05 at all ages/regions/genders) were justified by preferentially axial collagen reinforcement. The presented results may establish the foundation for computational models of iatrogenic/accidental ureteral trauma.
Numerical predictions of hip joint and muscle forces during daily activities: A comparison of musculoskeletal models
Authors: Mathai Basil , Gupta Sanjay
Published: March 2019

Musculoskeletal loading plays an important role in pre-clinical evaluations of hip implants, in particular, bone ingrowth and bone remodelling. Joint force estimation using musculoskeletal models evolved as a viable alternative to in vivo measurement owing to the development of computational resources. This study investigated the efficiencies of four eminent open-source musculoskeletal models in order to determine the model that predicts the most accurate values of hip joint reaction and muscle forces during daily activities. Seven daily living activities of slow walking, normal walking, fast walking, sitting down, standing up, stair down and stair up were simulated in OpenSim using inverse dynamics method. Model predictions of joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation patterns were compared with published results. The estimated values of hip joint reaction force were found to corroborate well with in vivo measurements for each activity. Although the estimated values of hip joint reaction force were within a satisfactory range, overestimation of hip joint reaction force (75% BW of measured value) was observed during the late stance phase of walking cycles for all the models. In case of stair up, stair down, standing up and sitting down activities, the error in estimated values of hip joint reaction force were within ~20% BW of the measured value. Based on the results of our study, the London Lower Extremity Model predicted the most accurate value of hip joint reaction force and therefore can be used for applied musculoskeletal loading conditions for numerical investigations on hip implants.
Predicting Early-Childhood Gender Transitions
Authors: Rae James R. , Gülgöz Selin , Durwood Lily , DeMeules Madeleine , Lowe Riley , Lindquist Gabrielle , Olson Kristina R.
Published: March 2019

Increasing numbers of gender-nonconforming children are socially transitioning—changing pronouns to live as their identified genders. We studied a cohort of gender-nonconforming children ( n = 85) and contacted them again approximately 2 years later. When recontacted, 36 of the children had socially transitioned. We found that stronger cross-sex identification and preferences expressed by gender-nonconforming children at initial testing predicted whether they later socially transitioned. We then compared the gender-nonconforming children with groups of transitioned transgender children ( n = 84) and gender-conforming controls ( n = 85). Children from our longitudinal cohort who would later transition were highly similar to transgender children (children who had already socially transitioned) and to control children of the gender to which they would eventually transition. Gender-nonconforming children who would not go on to transition were different from these groups. These results suggest that (a) social transitions may be predictable from gender identification and preferences and (b) gender identification and preferences may not meaningfully differ before and after social transitions.
An Empirical Examination of IPO Underpricing Between High-technology and Non-high-technology Firms in Taiwan
Authors: Gao Simon , Hou Tony Chieh-Tse
Published: March 2019

This study investigates the determinants of initial public offering (IPO) underpricing by focusing on variables relating to information asymmetry, investor sentiment and corporate governance and examines whether the determinants of IPO underpricing in high-technology and non-high-technology IPOs differ. With data from Taiwan for 2009–2011, this study finds that overallotment is negatively related to underpricing, whereas market momentum, first-day trading volume and managers’ ownership retention rates are positively related to underpricing, particularly for high-technology IPOs. Our results support the signalling hypothesis in high-technology IPOs.

JEL Classification: G12, G14, G24, G32
How Underlying Dimensions of Political Risk Affect Excess Return in Emerging and Developed Markets
Authors: Nesset Ida Q. , Bøgeberg Ingrid , Kjærland Frode , Molden Lars H.
Published: March 2019

Political risk is expected to increase due to emerging markets’ increasing influence on the world economy. We identify legal, tension, conflict and policy as underlying dimensions through principal component analysis by using a disaggregated political risk index. Using a two-way error correction model, ethnic and religious tension is identified as a new and distinct dimension of political risk. Consequently, global investors are likely to benefit from understanding which dimension implies a reward. Investors in particular should direct their attention towards tension, which seems to command a risk premium regardless of both market and time.

JEL Classification: C33, F30, F50, G15
Exploring Provider Cultural Competence and Patient Mood in an Outpatient Apheresis Unit
Authors: Bennett Emelita , Stutzman Sonja E. , Hicks Amber D. , Olson DaiWai M.
Published: March 2019

Introduction: Health care and culture are important to patient care. Theoretical frameworks, service delivery, and self-awareness are important to the provider/patient. Provider care varies, and studies are needed to understand the current interactions between providers, patients, and culture. Methodology: This was a prospective, descriptive correlational pilot study. Providers and patients completed a baseline assessment of culture, as well as a Brief Mood Introspection Scale at each visit at the patient’s standard of care visit (i.e., visit as part of clinical procedures). Results: The providers and baseline assessment of culture showed higher than average cultural awareness. All four mood subscales show no statistically significant differences in patient or providers’ mood. There were no significant differences in mood when considering differences and similarities between gender, race, and ethnicity. Discussion: There was no difference in patient or provider mood in this study when based on the differences or similarities in gender, race, and ethnicity.
Characteristics of hospitalizations among patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors at a community teaching hospital
Authors: Rasor Brendan , Henderson Rachel , Chan Kin
Published: March 2019

Purpose

As immune checkpoint inhibitors continue to acquire new indications, it is important to understand the impact their use has on patients. This study adds to current literature by presenting an analysis of hospitalizations in this population. The primary objective was to assess the reasons for an emergency department visit or hospital admission in patients who receive immune checkpoint inhibitors. Secondary objectives included identifying the frequency of suspected or confirmed immune related adverse events, types of immune related adverse events, number of preventable admissions, duration of immunotherapy, and length of stay.

Methods

This study was a retrospective, multi-center, chart review of patients hospitalized after receiving an immune checkpoint inhibitor. The population included patients aged 18 and above who received at least one dose of an immune checkpoint inhibitor at a network facility and had a documented admission within one year following the initiation of immunotherapy. Descriptive statistics were performed along with inferential comparisons and a Poisson regression to determine if the immune checkpoint blocker or cancer type predicted admission or reason for admission.

Results

The 99 patients who met inclusion criteria had a total of 202 admissions. Of these patients, 56 (56.6%) had multiple admissions within the year following initiation of immunotherapy. The most common diagnoses on initial admissions were shortness of breath, pain, and pneumonia. A total of 104 admissions (51.5%) were considered potentially preventable. Suspected or confirmed immune related adverse events were identified in 15.6% of all admissions. There were no significant predictors of admissions or reason for admission.

Conclusion

Reasons for admission in the study population were comparable to those identified in the general cancer population, with immune related adverse events being associated with a minority of both total and potentially preventable admissions.
Treatment modalities of non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients over 65 years of age: A two-center experience
Authors: Cetin Guven , Ece Dogan Elif , Samanci Nilay Sengul , Ayer Mesut , Ozkan Tuba , Ekinci Iskender , Bag Rabia , Turgut Seda , Uysal Omer
Published: March 2019

Objective

This study was conducted with the aim of making the contribution to a decision for treatment and determination of the modalities in patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkın lymphoma which increasingly become widespread in the geriatric population.

Materials and methods

Ninety-one patients aged over 65 years diagnosed with lymphoma and treated in Bezmialem Vakıf University Medical Faculty Hospital and Haseki Training and Research Hospital between 2008 and 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Finally, 63 patients for whom data could be reached were included in the study.

Results

Examining the results, histological diagnoses of our patients were as follows: diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (50.8%), follicular lymphoma (23.8%), marginal zone lymphoma (12.7%), mantle cell lymphoma (4.8%), T-cell lymphoma (4.8%), lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (1.6%) and small lymphocytic lymphoma (1.6%). Stages at the time of diagnosis were early stage by 33.3% and late stage by 66.7%. Of the patients, 36.5% had a low-intermediate and 63.5% a high-intermediate International Prognostic Index score. According to the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group scoring, 34.9% of the patients have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score of 2–4. Activities of daily living score of 33.3% patients was under 5. Looking at the responses to treatment, the complete response was found in 50.8%, partial response in 4.8%, stable disease in 1.6% and progressive disease in 9.5% of the patients. The mean follow-up duration of patients was found as 25.2 months and disease-free survival after remission as 20.2 months.

Conclusion

We found that we have achieved a complete remission in more than half of our patients (50.8%). Based on this, treatment should aim remission in elderly patients.
The rise of the sharing economy: Guesthouse boom and the crowding-out effects of tourism in Lisbon
Authors: Ferreira João-Pedro , Ramos Pedro N , Lahr Michael L
Published: March 2019

At the urban scale, tourism activities can compete for spaces formerly used by housing and rendering opposing structured economic consequences. As tourism can generate jobs, there is the idea among urban residents that they can become victim of tourism increase. In this work, we apply a multiregional input–output model to assess the economic impacts of guesthouse boom in Lisbon city according to three scenarios and a hypothetical distribution of residential choices between the center and the periphery. This is particularly poignant because the supply of guesthouse units has risen from 100 in 2010 to more than 10,000 units in 2018. We find that Lisbon guesthouses were responsible by creating a total of more than 29,400 jobs nationwide and by increasing the national gross domestic product by 0.5%. At the regional level, only about 50% of the positive economic impacts of tourism were retained by Lisbon—the rest is split between the city’s suburbs and the rest of the country. Also, we conclude that the regional distribution of gains becomes even more unbalanced if the city center observes a large exodus of its residents to the periphery.
Student debt, neoliberalism and frame analysis: A Goffmanesque account of neoliberal governmentality
Authors: Kanade Nicky , Curtis Bruce
Published: March 2019

Ballooning levels of student debt have manifested as an important and global social problem and highlight long-standing forms of governmentality. It is our contention that while Foucaldian, top-down analysis provides a valid account of prevailing governmentality, it may not be as sensitive to ambiguity wherein moral subjects are not unproblematically the risk-taking entrepreneurs that neoliberalism requires. This ambiguity is around debt, and relates to the definition of student debt as good debt or bad debt. In respect to this process, there is something to be salvaged from Goffman’s oeuvre, especially his appreciation of activity within the context of primary framings. This article uses a Goffmanesque frame analysis to explore student debt as a means of securing students as neoliberal subjects. It is a case study of how the University of Auckland secures students as neoliberal subjects, in terms of taking on debt, and in fostering self-regulation as both risk-taking entrepreneurs and consumers.