bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age-Associated Mitochondrial Dysfunction Accelerates Atherogenesis
Authors: Tyrrell Daniel J. , Blin Muriel G. , Song Jianrui , Wood Sherri C. , Zhang Min , Beard Daniel A. , Goldstein Daniel R.
Published: December 2019

Rationale:

Aging is one of the strongest risk factors for atherosclerosis. Yet whether aging increases the risk of atherosclerosis independently of chronic hyperlipidemia is not known.

Objective:

To determine if vascular aging before the induction of hyperlipidemia enhances atherogenesis.

Methods and Results:

We analyzed the aortas of young and aged normolipidemic wild type, disease-free mice and found that aging led to elevated IL (interleukin)-6 levels and mitochondrial dysfunction, associated with increased mitophagy and the associated protein Parkin. In aortic tissue culture, we found evidence that with aging mitochondrial dysfunction and IL-6 exist in a positive feedback loop. We triggered acute hyperlipidemia in aged and young mice by inducing liver-specific degradation of the LDL (low-density lipoprotein) receptor combined with a 10-week western diet and found that atherogenesis was enhanced in aged wild-type mice. Hyperlipidemia further reduced mitochondrial function and increased the levels of Parkin in the aortas of aged mice but not young mice. Genetic disruption of autophagy in smooth muscle cells of young mice exposed to hyperlipidemia led to increased aortic Parkin and IL-6 levels, impaired mitochondrial function, and enhanced atherogenesis. Importantly, enhancing mitophagy in aged, hyperlipidemic mice via oral administration of spermidine prevented the increase in aortic IL-6 and Parkin, attenuated mitochondrial dysfunction, and reduced atherogenesis.

Conclusions:

Before hyperlipidemia, aging elevates IL-6 and impairs mitochondrial function within the aorta, associated with enhanced mitophagy and increased Parkin levels. These age-associated changes prime the vasculature to exacerbate atherogenesis upon acute hyperlipidemia. Our work implies that novel therapeutics aimed at improving vascular mitochondrial bioenergetics or reducing inflammation before hyperlipidemia may reduce age-related atherosclerosis.
Human Relaxin‐2 Fusion Protein Treatment Prevents and Reverses Isoproterenol‐Induced Hypertrophy and Fibrosis in Mouse Heart
Authors: Sun Junhui , Hao Weidong , Fillmore Natasha , Ma Hanley , Springer Danielle , Yu Zu‐Xi , Sadowska Agnieszka , Garcia Andrew , Chen Ruoyan , Muniz‐Medina Vanessa , Rosenthal Kim , Lin Jia , Kuruvilla Denison , Osbourn Jane , Karathanasis Sotirios K. , Walker Jill , Murphy Elizabeth
Published: December 2019

Background

Heart failure is one of the leading causes of death in Western countries, and there is a need for new therapeutic approaches. Relaxin‐2 is a peptide hormone that mediates pleiotropic cardiovascular effects, including antifibrotic, angiogenic, vasodilatory, antiapoptotic, and anti‐inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo.

Methods and Results

We developed
RELAX
10, a fusion protein composed of human relaxin‐2 hormone and the Fc of a human antibody, to test the hypothesis that extended exposure of the relaxin‐2 peptide could reduce cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis.
RELAX
10 demonstrated the same specificity and similar in vitro activity as the relaxin‐2 peptide. The terminal half‐life of
RELAX
10 was 7 days in mouse and 3.75 days in rat after subcutaneous administration. We evaluated whether treatment with
RELAX
10 could prevent and reverse isoproterenol‐induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis in mice. Isoproterenol administration in mice resulted in increased cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis compared with vehicle. Coadministration with
RELAX
10 significantly attenuated the cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis compared with untreated animals. Isoproterenol administration significantly increased transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1)–induced fibrotic signaling, which was attenuated by
RELAX
10. We found that
RELAX
10 also significantly increased protein kinase B/endothelial NO synthase signaling and protein S‐nitrosylation. In the reversal study,
RELAX
10‐treated animals showed significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy and collagen levels.

Conclusions

These findings support a potential role for
RELAX
10 in the treatment of heart failure.
Comparison of Long‐Term Clinical Outcome Between Multivessel Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Versus Infarct‐Related Artery–Only Revascularization for Patients With ST‐Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction With Cardiogenic Shock
Authors: Lee Joo Myung , Rhee Tae‐Min , Kim Hyun Kuk , Hwang Doyeon , Lee Seung Hun , Choi Ki Hong , Kim Jihoon , Park Taek Kyu , Yang Jeong Hoon , Song Young Bin , Choi Jin‐Ho , Choi Seung‐Hyuk , Koo Bon‐Kwon , Chae Shung Chull , Cho Myeong‐Chan , Kim Chong Jin , Kim Ju Han , Kim Hyo‐Soo , Gwon Hyeon‐Cheol , Jeong Myung Ho , Hahn Joo‐Yong ,   The KAMIR Investigators
Published: December 2019

Background

Data are limited regarding long‐term outcomes in patients with ST‐segment–elevation myocardial infarction and multivessel disease presenting with cardiogenic shock according to revascularization strategy. We sought to compare the 3‐year clinical outcomes of patients with ST‐segment‐elevation myocardial infarction multivessel disease with cardiogenic shock and patients with multivessel percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and infarct‐related artery (IRA)–only PCI.

Methods and Results

Of 13 104 patients from the nationwide, multicenter, prospective KAMIR‐NIH (Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry––National Institutes of Health) registry, we selected 659 patients with ST‐segment‐elevation myocardial infarction who had concomitant non‐IRA stenosis and presented with cardiogenic shock. The primary outcome was all‐cause death. Multivessel PCI was performed in 260 patients and IRA‐only PCI in 399 patients. At 3 years, patients in the multivessel PCI group had a lower risk of all‐cause death (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.45–0.94 [
P
=0.024]), all‐cause death or MI (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.41–0.84 [
P
=0.004]), and non‐IRA repeat revascularization (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.10–0.50 [
P
<0.001]) than those in the IRA‐only PCI group. The results were consistent after confounder adjustment by propensity score matching and inverse probability weighting analysis. Landmark analysis at 1 year demonstrated that the multivessel PCI group had a lower risk of recurrent MI and non‐IRA repeat revascularization beyond 1 year (log‐rank
P
=0.030 and
P
=0.017, respectively) than the IRA‐only PCI group.

Conclusions

In patients with ST‐segment‐elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock, multivessel PCI was associated with a lower risk of all‐cause death than IRA‐only PCI at 3 years, suggesting potential benefit of non‐IRA revascularization during the index hospitalization to improve long‐term clinical outcomes.
Contrasting Associations of Body Mass Index and Hemoglobin A1c on the Excess Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction and Heart Failure in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Edqvist Jon , Rawshani Araz , Adiels Martin , Björck Lena , Lind Marcus , Svensson Ann‐Marie , Gudbjörnsdottir Sofia , Sattar Naveed , Rosengren Annika
Published: December 2019

Background

Body mass index (
BMI
) may be a stronger risk factor for heart failure than for coronary heart disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus, but prior studies have not been powered to investigate the relative and absolute risks for acute myocardial infarction and heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus by
BMI
and glycemic level combined as compared with age‐ and sex‐matched general population comparators.

Methods and Results

We identified 181 045 patients from The Swedish National Diabetes Registry, registered during 1998 to 2012 and 1538 434 general population comparators without diabetes mellitus, matched for age, sex, and county, all without prior major cardiovascular disease. Cases and comparators were followed with respect to the outcomes through linkage to the Swedish Inpatient Registry. Over a median follow‐up time of 5.7 years, there were 28 855 acute myocardial infarction and 33 060 heart failure cases among patients and comparators. Excess risk (above that of comparators in whom no data on hemoglobin A1c and
BMI
was available), incidence rates and hazard ratios for heart failure were substantially higher among the obese patients compared with those with low
BMI
, where very obese patients (
BMI
≥40 kg/m
2
) who also had poor glycemic control, suffered a 7‐fold risk of heart failure versus comparators (reference level). By contrast, for acute myocardial infarction, the highest absolute and relative risks were found among patients with poor glycemic control, with no additional risk conferred by increasing
BMI
.

Conclusions

BMI
is a strong independent risk factor for heart failure but not for acute myocardial infarction among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Swing door technique for uncinectomy versus standard technique: a comparative study
Authors: Yadav SP , Singh K , Gulia JS , Hooda A
Published: December 2019

INTRODUCTION Uncinectomy can be performed using various methods. The aim of the present study was to compare the results and complications of uncinectomy and middle meatus antrostomy using the standard and swing door techniques during functional endoscopic sinus surgery. METHODS In a prospective controlled study, 60 patients (aged 18–50 years) suffering from chronic maxillary sinusitis underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery from January 2007 to December 2008 at a tertiary care centre. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of 30: Group A underwent uncinectomy using the standard technique, while Group B underwent uncinectomy using the swing door technique. RESULTS Group B showed more improvement in symptoms, with a mean visual analogue scale score of 80.58 ± 14.34 compared to 78.50 ± 16.63 in Group A. Both groups had no major complications. At the end of Week 2, minor complications were observed in 8 (26.7%) of the patients from Group A and 2 (6.7%) from Group B. By the sixth week, the minor complication rate was 1 (3.3%) and 0 (0%) in Group A and Group B, respectively. When compared statistically during the second week using chi-square test, the difference in the minor complication rate was found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05, χ2 = 4.81), with lower incidence of complications in Group B. CONCLUSION The swing door technique for uncinectomy produces good postoperative results, with fewer complications, as compared to the standard technique.
The taxonomy of two species of Xenophthalmidae from Maharashtra, India, and the generic placement of Xenophthalmus garthii Sankarankutty, 1969 (Decapoda, Brachyura)
Authors: Khot Mayura , Jaiswar A. K. , Ng Peter K. L.
Published: December 2019

Two species of xenophthalmid crabs are recorded from the state of Maharashtra in northwestern India. Xenophthalmus garthii Sankarankutty, 1969, originally described from northern Kerala in India, is rediscovered, and the species proves to be a member of Anomalifrons Rathbun, 1931, a genus not previously known from the Indian Ocean. The taxonomy of this species is discussed and compared with its only congener, A. lightana Rathbun, 1931, from Southeast and East Asia. Xenophthalmus wolffii Takeda & Miyake, 1970, is recorded for first time from the coast of Mumbai; the species is otherwise known from various parts of the Indian Ocean.
Effet du champ magnétique statique sur les préférences écologiques de trois isopodes terrestres (Isopoda, Oniscidea)
Authors: Béjaoui Mustapha , Khalloufi Noureddine , Mahmoudi Ezzeddine , Touaylia Samir
Published: December 2019

Dans ce travail, nous avons analysé les préférendums photique, thermique, hygrique et granulométrique de trois espèces d’isopodes terrestres : Armadillidium vulgare (Latreille, 1804), A. granulatum (Brandt, 1833), et Porcellio laevis Latreille, 1804 en réponse à un champ magnétique statique (CMS) (0 Hz, 200 mT). Les animaux exposés au CMS montrent une augmentation significative du nombre des spécimens photophiles et une diminution significative des animaux photophobes. Ces cloportes montrent aussi une diminution significative des spécimens préférant le froid et une augmentation significative de ceux préférant le compartiment chaud. Cette exposition au CMS cause un inversement très significatif du choix préférentiel du compartiment humide au compartiment sec chez A. vulgare et P. laevis, alors que ce changement n’est pas significatif chez A. granulatum. Cette même exposition a entrainé une nette perturbation du choix de la granulométrie du substratum, en particulier pour le gravier chez A. vulgare.
Stump's Modified Anselmianism
Authors: Johnson Adam J.
Published: December 2019

Eleonore Stump’s Atonement is a sustained and mature reflection on the doctrine by a major scholar, based on a career-long reflection upon the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection. She attempts to rethink the doctrine, drawing on Thomas Aquinas to formulate an account of Christ’s life, passion, and death, which brings about a psychic or empathic unity between God and human beings. In this essay, I explore historical, biblical, and theological problems with her thesis that prevent it from offering a successful doctrine of the atonement according to her criteria.
War as a Backdrop for Legislation
Authors: Wu Juan
Published: December 2019

While the story of the Magadhan king Ajātaśatru’s seeking the Buddha’s advice on attacking the Vṛjis is well known and much studied, rather less known and little studied are stories of his war or conflict with the Vṛjis embedded in Indian Buddhist monastic law codes. This paper explores these lesser-known stories of Ajātaśatru’s warfare, primarily focusing on their function as narrative frames for monastic rules or exceptions (anāpatti) that have no necessary relation to war. It investigates the rationale behind Indian Buddhist jurists’ utilization of these stories to account for monastic legislation, and discusses the perceptions of war reflected therein. Moreover, the paper shows that Indian Buddhist jurists of different sects or schools do not seem to have shared the same stance on predicting warfare, some arguably more ambivalent than others, especially when a prediction proves wrong and is thus liable to shake the laity’s faith and/or harm the mutual trust between monks themselves.
Deployments of Memory with the Tools of Law – the Case of Poland
Authors: Gliszczyńska-Grabias Aleksandra
Published: December 2019

Recent invocations of the past in the service of ideology, based to a large extent on nationalistic motives, are a particularly disturbing phenomenon in the area of the European “duty to remember” and memory laws. One of the most telling examples of this trend was Polish legislation introduced in January 2018 (partly repealed in June 2018) that penalized defamation of the Polish State and the Polish Nation by claiming their responsibility or co-responsibility for crimes committed by German Nazis in occupied Poland. Although the idea of opposing the falsification of history appears valid, the structure of the law left room for also bringing to trial those daring to ask uncomfortable questions challenging the heroic vision of Poland’s past. This article claims that legal provisions such as the Polish law represent a dangerous tool of strengthening the feeling of national community understood very narrowly and limited to one nationally, religiously and ethnically homogeneous group. This approach is directly connected with promulgation of the narrative of a “besieged castle”, which defends itself against “the Other” and demands indisputable recognition for its past sufferings. The reasons, mechanisms and consequences of recent implementation in Poland of legal and political discourse regarding the past, are discussed here.
Reservations/Declarations under the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (cedaw) in Light of Sex/Gender Constitutional Debates
Authors: Burke Ciarán , Molitorisová Alexandra
Published: December 2019

The decisions of the governments of Slovakia, Bulgaria and Latvia not to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention) caused a turmoil within the Council of Europe system. This article first examines the respective rationales provided to justify the states’ decisions not to ratify the Convention. Against the background of the Bulgarian Constitutional Court’s recent decision, legal advice provided to the governments of Slovakia and Latvia and various public announcements, the present article examines legal, cultural, linguistic and societal arguments put forward by the respective governments against ratification. It then revisits the interpretative declarations submitted by Poland, Lithuania, Croatia and Latvia against the Convention’s narrow reservation regime. The article then compares the situation ignited by the Istanbul Convention with the reservation regime under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (cedaw) and the so-called Sharia reservations. It highlights the interconnectedness of the two treaties as well as their differences, while shedding light on the treaties’ reservations/declarations regimes. In so doing, a discussion is offered of the advantages and disadvantages of wider and narrower reservation regimes in treaties pertaining to the rights of women. The article concludes by pointing to the implications for the validity and effectiveness of the interpretative declarations submitted by the EU countries in question if the Istanbul Convention and cedaw are not treaties in conflict, and if the declarations are manifestly unfounded. The article also places emphasis on the role of grevio and the cedaw Committee to combat potential withdrawal tendencies via high-quality monitoring and evaluation output.
Confirmation of a Predating of the First Abbasid Masjid-i Jumʿa in Isfahan: the nahr Farsān as the mādī Fadan
Authors: Duva Federica
Published: December 2019

The first Abbasid Masjid-i Jumʿa in Isfahan, underneath the present-day building, was brought to light by the Italian Archaeological Mission in the 1970s. An in-depth study of the unedited archaeological data obtained from the excavations has allowed the author to equate the mosque with the building described by some historical sources as having been erected close to the ancient nahr (canal) Farsān by the Abbasid governor Ayyūb ibn Ziyād in 767. This paper aims to present some new observations that support this hypothesis. In particular, extending the research to incorporate the study of the water canalization of Isfahan, mostly dated to the Safavid period, suggests the possibility that the mādī Fadan – an old branch of a canal running very close to the present-day mosque – could be identified with the nahr Farsān, thus confirming the identification of the excavated mosque with the 767 building.
2. The Giant Sword and the Ice
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

Chapter 2 initially surveys previous scholars’ comments on the poetic image of the waning sword of Beowulf, before Pettit challenges these interpretations as inadequate. He then looks at descriptions of swords in later Old Norse skaldic poetry, comparing them to the giant sword of Beowulf in terms of links to ice and icicles as well as their melting, ultimately finding many differences between their poetic images
Applying the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds to predict stiffness of multicomponent 3D printed structures: Towards regenerative orthopaedic medicine
Authors: Katsifis Georgio A , McKenzie David R , Suchowerska Natalka
Published: December 2019

Customised orthopaedic implants made from polymer materials would have advantages over metallic implants, if the mechanical properties could be matched more closely to bone. Here, the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds for isotropic composites are used to examine the feasibility of using scaffolds made from 3D printed polyether–etherketone (PEEK) that may adequate modulus immediately after printing, but when integrated and mineralised could approach the modulus of bone. The ability to predict the mechanical properties of 3D printed objects is essential for skeletal implants that require both immediate and long-term strength, such as the mandible and the femur. However, there is no method for predicting the change in mechanical properties due to the effect of ossification of bone scaffolds. Our aim was to calculate the upper and lower limits of the elastic moduli of polymer composites using the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds for isotropic composite solids and use them to compare the pre- and post-ossification properties for a range of scaffolds. We describe 3D printed PEEK as a composite of fully dense PEEK and air, water or bone. We confirm, by mechanically testing three designs, that our 3D printed scaffolds lie within the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds for PEEK–air composites. Improvements in strength achieved by integrating the PEEK scaffold with bone are predicted by calculating the Hashin–Shtrikman bounds for a three-phase composite and show the feasability of reaching bone equivalence. These predictions can be implemented for orthopaedic applications, customising the implant such that it can provide the appropriate immediate and long-term mechanical support for a specific implant size.
Numerical study of GFRP joints bearing strength reduction due to drilling-induced delamination
Authors: Safarabadi M , Sardar M
Published: December 2019

Delamination is one of the most common defects caused by drilling, which can have negative effect on the joint performance. This study investigates the effect of delamination on the bearing strength of [0/90]2s, [15/−75]2s, [30/−60]2s and [45/−45]2s GFRP layers numerically. Cohesive zone method and virtual crack closure technique have been used for delamination modeling and the results of these two methods have been compared. FEM results show good agreement with available experimental data. Results demonstrated that delamination reduces the bearing strength. Among four different stacking sequences, delamination has the most effect on the laminate with the stacking sequence of [0/90]2s. In both delaminated and non-delaminated models, [0/90]2s and [45/−45]2s stacking sequences have the most and the least bearing strength, respectively. By increasing the radius of delaminated zone from 3 mm to 15 mm, bearing strength does not change a lot. As the delaminated zone reaches the edge of the specimen, bearing strength reduces strongly because the layers separate completely and the load-carrying capacity reduces. A parametric study was also conducted to examine the effects of different factors. The results of parametric study showed that by increasing the volume fraction of the fiber as well as the use of carbon fiber instead of glass fiber, the bearing strength increases.
Effects of EVA-g-MA and EVACO compatibilizers/tougheners on morphological and mechanical properties of PP/EVA/HNT blend polymer nanocomposites
Authors: Doğu Salih , Tekay Emre , Şen Sinan
Published: December 2019

A series of polypropylene (PP)/poly(ethylene- co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) blend nanocomposites was produced by utilizing different amounts of organophilic halloysite nanotube (Org-HNT) and EVA-based compatibilizers/tougheners. They were prepared by using either only EVA elastomer or using EVA with the compatibilizers which are maleic anhydride grafted EVA (EVA-g-MA) and poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate-carbon monoxide) (EVACO) as well as maleic anhydride grafted PP (PP-g-MA). The morphology–mechanical property relationship was investigated as a function of nature of the compatibilizer and the amount of aluminosilicate nanotube/compatibilizer. The composites prepared without using the EVA-based compatibilizers in all nanotube loading degrees (1%, 3%, 5%) exhibited nanotube aggregates as evidenced by scanning electron microscope analyses. On the other hand, EVA-g-MA and EVACO provided a good dispersion of HNTs at both PP–EVA interface and in the PP matrix. The use of compatibilizers together with 3% Org-HNT resulted in PP/EVA blend nanocomposites with higher tensile modulus and toughness when compared to PP/EVA blend. Particularly, EVACO compatibilizer having highly polar carbonyl group at its backbone provided the highest toughness and Young’s modulus as well as impact resistance for the 3% Org-HNT loaded nanocomposite while retaining the yield strength as an indication of a good balance between stiffness/toughness.
Social Policy and the Dynamics of Neoliberalism: The My House, My Life Program and the Commodified Mediation of Housing
Authors: Falchetti Cristhiane
Published: December 2019

A study of social policy under the governments of the Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers’ Party—PT) focused on the My House, My Life program shows that the recent political cycle associated with Lulism was not an inflection of neoliberalism but an adaptation of it to the context. The program is an instance of the commodification of housing in that it mobilizes public funds as an instrument of capital accumulation and intensifies the financialization of the real estate sector. Contrary to the view that associates neoliberalism with the minimal state, the state here plays a key role in the neoliberalization process, whose meaning is the commodification of all life.

Um estudo de política social sob os governos do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), focado no programa Minha Casa, Minha Vida, mostra que o recente ciclo político associado ao Lulismo não foi uma inflexão do neoliberalismo, mas uma adaptação dele ao contexto. O programa é um exemplo da mercantilização da habitação, na medida em que mobiliza recursos públicos como instrumento de acumulação de capital e intensifica a financeirização do setor imobiliário. Ao contrário da visão que associa o neoliberalismo ao estado mínimo, o estado aqui desempenha um papel fundamental no processo de neoliberalização, cujo significado é a mercantilização de toda a vida.
Lulism, Populism, and Bonapartism
Authors: Boito Armando
Published: December 2019

Lulism is one of the most important political phenomena of twenty-first-century Brazil. It can be compared to the Varguism that dominated Brazilian politics between 1930 and 1964 in its broad popular but politically unorganized base and its policy of state intervention in the economy to stimulate economic growth, increase the state’s room for maneuver against the imperialist countries, and promote a moderate income distribution. These two variants of populism differ, however, in that Varguism was based on the working class while Lulism, which may be called “neopopulism,” is based on the marginal mass of workers and has less potential to destabilize the political process. Bonapartism, to which Lulism has also been compared, is distinct from it in that what links its leadership to its base is the fetish of the state based on order rather than the fetish based on protection.

O lulismo é um dos fenômenos políticos mais importantes do Brasil do século XXI. Pode ser comparado ao varguismo que dominou a política brasileira entre 1930 e 1964 em relação à sua ampla, mas politicamente desorganizada, base popular, e sua política de intervenção estatal na economia para estimular o crescimento econômico, aumentar a margem de manobra do Estado contra os países imperialistas e promover uma distribuição de renda moderada. Essas duas variantes do populismo diferem, no entanto, no sentido de que o varguismo era baseado na classe trabalhadora, enquanto o lulismo, que pode ser chamado de “neopopulismo”, é baseado na massa marginal de trabalhadores e tem menos potencial para desestabilizar o processo político. O bonapartismo, ao qual o lulismo também foi comparado, é distinto dele, pois o que liga sua liderança à sua base é o fetiche do estado baseado na ordem, e não o fetiche baseado na proteção.
The Growth Model of the PT Governments: A Furtadian View of the Limits of Recent Brazilian Development
Authors: Rossi Pedro , Mello Guilherme , Bastos Pedro Paulo Zahluth
Published: December 2019

Evaluation of the growth model of the PT governments based on the contributions of Celso Furtado reveals that the recent growth cycle has alleviated the typical characteristics of underdevelopment by developing a mass consumption market and improving labor market conditions. However, the limitations of the model prevented modernizing the structure of production to sustain changes on the demand side, including labor in sectors with higher productivity, limiting the control of foreign subsidiaries, and reducing the structural vulnerability inherent in specialization in basic commodities exports. The limits of the model were aggravated by the crisis of 2008–2009, revealing the difficulty of incorporating a peripheral economy like the Brazilian into global capitalism.

Uma avaliação do modelo de crescimento dos governos do PT a partir da contribuição de Celso Furtado revela que o ciclo de crescimento recente amenizou características típicas do subdesenvolvimento ao desenvolver um mercado de consumo de massa no Brasil e ao melhorar as condições no mercado de trabalho. No entanto, as limitações do modelo não permitiram modernizar a estrutura produtiva de forma a sustentar as transformações do lado da demanda, incluir a mão de obra em setores de maior produtividade, limitar o controle das filiais estrangeiras, e diminuir a vulnerabilidade estrutural inerente à especialização em exportações de commodities básicas. Os limites do modelo de desenvolvimento adotado se agravaram após a crise de 2008–2009, revelando as dificuldades de inserção de uma economia periférica como a brasileira no capitalismo global.
Of Techno-Ethics and Techno-Affects
Authors: Amrute Sareeta
Published: December 2019

As digital labour becomes more widespread across the uneven geographies of race, gender, class and ability, and as histories of colonialism and inequality get drawn into these forms of labour, our imagination of what these worlds contain similarly needs to expand. Beyond the sensationalist images of the ‘brogrammer’ and the call-centre worker lie intersecting labour practices that bring together histories of bodies and materiality in new ways. In the recent past, these entanglements have yielded oppressive results. As scandals over predictive policing, data mining and algorithmic racism unfold, digital labourers need both to be accounted for in analyses of algorithmic technologies and to be counted among the designers of these platforms. This article attempts to do both of these by highlighting particular cases in which digital labour frames embodied subjects, and to propose ways digital workers might train themselves to recognise ethical problems as they are emerging. I use the idea of attunements as a way to grasp what these forms of care might look like for the digital worker.
Challenging the Invisibility of Sex Work in Digital Labour Politics
Authors: Rand Helen M.
Published: December 2019

This article adds to the debate on digital labour by including sexual labour, a feminised form of work that is traditionally excluded from official labour statistics and mainstream labour politics because of the embedded sociolegal, cultural and political context that defines female sexual labour as illegitimate work. This exclusion has been extended to digital labour politics. This article draws on a four-year multi-method qualitative study in the UK, which in part focused on sex work mediated and managed by digital platforms. Drawing on and adding to the literature on women’s digital entrepreneurialism, I argue that digital sex workers embody an ‘entrepreneurial subjectivity’ and narrate ideals of flexibility and choice. However, on closer inspection, digital platforms shape and manage the labour so that agency over labour practices and processes become coerced choices.
Mechanical Maids and Family Androids: Racialised Post-Care Imaginaries in Humans (2015–), Sleep Dealer (2008) and Her (2013)
Authors: Mackereth Kerry
Published: December 2019

Feminist investigations into caring technologies emphasise the tension between their reproduction of care’s assumed femininity and their ability to destabilise gendered markers and systems. However, the existing literature ignores the historical racialisation of care and its perpetuation in the form of the posthuman caring object. This article examines how racialised relations of power shape the posthumanisation of care in three science-fiction works, Channel 4’s television show Humans (2015), Alex Riviera’s film Sleep Dealer (2008) and Spike Jonze’s film Her (2013). While Her’s disembodied operating systems are premised upon an implicit whiteness, posthuman caring objects in Humans and Sleep Dealer take a racialised, embodied form. Drawing upon the work of Saidiya Hartman and Fred Moten, this article examines how the racialised objects in Humans and Sleep Dealer are constituted as both labourers and commodities, purchased for the purpose of facilitating white reproductivity. Nonetheless, this article also documents how these caring technologies complicate key binaries such as subject/object, human/machine and productive/reproductive labour. In doing so, they disrupt the whiteness of the social reproduction paradigm. The article concludes by calling for greater feminist engagement with the racialisation of care labour in human and posthuman forms, in order to challenge white, heterosexual models of reproductivity based upon the exploitation of racialised labour.
The First Pull‐through Approach to a Tongue Tumor by Giorgio Regnoli in 1838
Authors: Mazzola Riccardo F. , Cantarella Giovanna
Published: December 2019

The aim of this article is to describe the first report of a “pull‐through” submental approach for excision of a tongue tumor, performed by Giorgio Regnoli in 1838 on a 14‐year‐old girl affected by a huge swelling of the tongue, which obstructed the upper airway and hindered swallowing and speech. Regnoli made a midline submental incision, divided the mylohyoid muscle and the oral mucosa, and entered the floor of the mouth. The tongue was pulled into the neck through the newly created opening, and the tumor was circumscribed by thread loops to prevent bleeding and was excised. Then the tongue stump was repositioned in the oral cavity. The skin margins were approximated by bandages. Despite limited armamentarium, the operation was successful. The described approach, subsequently named “pull‐through,” is still utilized nowadays for selected cases of tongue neoplasms when mandibular splitting is not required.
Evaluation of Tonsillotomy Effects on Pharyngeal Volume and Compliance in Children
Authors: Al Ali Abeer , Bois Emilie , Boujemla Imene , Teissier Natacha , Van den Abbeele Thierry , Delclaux Christophe , Bokov Plamen
Published: December 2019

Our objective was to assess whether adenotonsillotomy improved pharyngeal compliance, which is a risk factor for sleep‐disordered breathing. Otherwise healthy children underwent Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)‐18 questionnaire and a pre‐ and postoperative acoustic pharyngometry in both sitting and supine positions, allowing the measurement of the volume of the palatine tonsil region and pharyngeal compliance. Thirty‐five children (median age 5.3 years) were enrolled; they were reevaluated at a median of 18 days (25th‐75th percentiles, 15‐25) after surgery. Participants were compared according to a normal (n = 18) or an increased (n = 17) preoperative pharyngeal compliance. Surgery was associated with a significant decrease in OSA‐18 and Brodsky scores, with a median increase in palatine volume of 0.13 cm3 (25th‐75th percentiles, 0.00‐0.73). A decrease in pharyngeal compliance was observed in children with increased preoperative compliance. The variation of palatine volume after surgery was positively related to the variation of pharyngeal compliance, suggesting that obstruction relief was associated with muscle relaxation in children with normal preoperative compliance.
Visual ability in adolescents with visual impairment
Authors: Naipal Shivani , Rampersad Nishanee
Published: December 2019

To investigate the visual ability (the ability to perform everyday tasks) of adolescents with visual impairment (VI) at the Arthur Blaxall School in Pietermaritzburg. This study was an observational, descriptive research study conducted at the Arthur Blaxall School for children and adolescents with VI. Students registered at the school aged between 10 and 19 years were recruited using convenience sampling. Visual ability was assessed with the Cardiff Visual Ability Questionnaire for Children (CVAQC). Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The sample consisted of 70 participants with a mean age of 13.83 ± 2.28 years. The most common cause of VI was oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) followed by posterior segment disorders. The mean visual ability score was −0.27 ± 0.74 log units, and the most difficult tasks were reading the smallest print in textbooks and the chalkboard in the classroom. Males and participants aged 14–19 years had significantly better visual ability than females and participants aged 10–13 years, respectively. Participants with anterior segment disorders had the poorest visual ability while those with OCA had relatively better visual ability. The variation of visual ability and therefore quality of life, regardless of the cause of VI, needs to be considered when managing individuals with VI. Furthermore, younger adolescents may experience more difficulty coping with VI than older adolescents. The results of this study form a baseline for future studies to compare the visual ability of adolescents with VI attending mainstream schools.
A winter sport mega-event and its aftermath: A critical review of post-Olympic PyeongChang
Authors: Lee Jung Woo
Published: December 2019

Almost two years have passed since the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, and this small rural province has now fully returned to its ordinary routine. In this viewpoint article, I present a critical review of the aftermath of PyeongChang 2018. This short essay focuses on three areas: (a) environmental damage and its restoration process, (b) the construction of the sport facilities and their use after the event, and (c) the sustainability of social infrastructure built for the Winter Olympics. The critical appraisal of the post-Olympic PyeongChang reveals that first, the winter sporting competition is more likely to degrade the natural environment surrounding the Olympic venues than its summer counterpart. Second, winter sporting activities such as ski jumping and bobsled are less likely to develop into community sports due to specific equipment and skills required. Finally, because of this comparatively high opportunity cost, the Winter Olympic Games is an excessively expensive event to host. The 2018 Winter Olympic Games may be seen as South Korean cultural diplomacy at its best. Yet, underneath this South Korean winter fantasy, symptoms of post-Olympic tensions, degeneration, and unfulfilled obligations remain.
User-generated insight of Rio’s Rocinha favela tour: Authentic attraction or vulnerable living environment?
Authors: Wise Nicholas , Polidoro Maurício , Hall Gareth , Uvinha Ricardo Ricci
Published: December 2019

Urban transformations help shape new opportunities and create/re-create awareness in everyday living environments. It is not transformation in the infrastructural sense, but transformation in the form of a service industry producing socio-economic change that can result in inclusion and exclusion of people in the community, thus affecting the everyday living environment. Within this, we need to consider the tourist gaze and how users who visit/tour vulnerable living environments report perceptions of their experiences on forums such as TripAdvisor, which helps researchers frame understandings of commodification, opportunities/awareness and even authenticity (each addressed in this paper). This paper evaluates TripAdvisor posts of ‘Rio’s Rocinha Favela Tour’. In many respects, the notion of commodification, and even authenticity, runs through each theme, but the analysis and data posted to TripAdvisor challenges us to consider how a favela becomes a consumer product or a tourist attraction. The Rocinha Favela tour is widely publicised to prospective visitors as a chance to experience a living and working favela, the focus of the first theme presented in this paper. Given Rocinha has become a popular attraction in Rio, this leads to the second theme: opportunity or awareness. Opportunities do exist for people in the community to get involved in tourism, and turning the favela into a product helps shape and maintain awareness. The third theme builds on and relates to the previous two, but focuses more on the semblances of authenticity that emerges. To link the points highlighted in this paper, a discussion of soft power concerns relationships bonded through economic and cultural influence. Because favelas have become distinct attractions, it is cultural appeal and a different (residential) side of the city that persuades travellers to visit. Online and social media platforms for more than a decade now have played an important role today in projecting images and promoting authentic experiences based on user-perceptions, and this paper looks at how the users communicate their experiences.
Banking Efficiency Determinants in India: A Two-stage Analysis
Authors: Goswami Rishabh , Hussain Farah , Kumar Manish
Published: December 2019

This study aims at measuring the technical efficiency of banks in India and examining its determinants. Efficiency is said to be achieved if a bank is able to maximise its output subject to limited inputs. To obtain technical efficiency score, input-oriented Malmquist Data Envelopment Analysis is applied on two outputs and three input variables, based on a VRS (variable returns to scale) assumption. Three foreign banks—namely, A B Bank Ltd, Bank of Ceylon, and Citibank N A—and two Indian banks—namely, HDFC Bank and State Bank of India—are found to be most efficient during the study period. The efficiency scores when subsequently used as the dependent variable along with independent variables—bank size, capitalisation, liquidity risk, returns on assets, interest rate, credit risk, market concentration and gross domestic product (GDP)—in a panel regression analysis found the fixed effect model to be more appropriate in explaining the determinants. The results reveal that liquidity risk, returns on assets, credit risk, market concentration and GDP have a significant effect on the technical efficiency, while banks size, interest rate and level of capitalisation are found to be insignificant variables.

JEL Classification: G21, C13, C60
The spectrum of response to erenumab in patients with chronic migraine and subgroup analysis of patients achieving ≥50%, ≥75%, and 100% response
Authors: Brandes Jan Lewis , Diener Hans-Christoph , Dolezil David , Freeman Marshall C , McAllister Peter J , Winner Paul , Klatt Jan , Cheng Sunfa , Zhang Feng , Wen Shihua , Ritter Shannon , Lenz Robert A , Mikol Daniel D
Published: December 2019

Objective

To assess the efficacy of erenumab across the spectrum of response thresholds (≥50%, ≥75%, 100%) based on monthly migraine days (MMD) reduction in patients with chronic migraine from a 12-week, randomized study (NCT02066415).

Methods

Patients (n = 667) received (3:2:2) placebo or erenumab 70/140 mg once-monthly. The proportion of patients achieving a given response threshold was assessed. A post-hoc analysis was conducted to contextualize the actual treatment benefit in subgroups of patients achieving (or not) specified response thresholds. Outcome measures included MMD, acute migraine-specific medication treatment days (MSMD) and disability.

Results

The proportion of patients responding to erenumab exceeded that of placebo at the ≥50% and ≥75% response thresholds. At month 3, 39.9% and 41.2% of patients on erenumab 70 and 140 mg, respectively, achieved ≥50% response versus placebo (23.5%). Similarly, at month 3, 17.0% and 20.9% of patients on erenumab 70 and 140 mg, respectively, achieved ≥75% response versus placebo (7.8%). Compared with the overall erenumab-treated population (change in MMD: −6.6 [both 70 and 140 mg]), ≥50% responders showed MMD reductions of −12.2/−12.5 for 70 mg/140 mg versus −2.6/−2.2 for those not achieving ≥50% response. ≥75% responders showed MMD reductions of −13.9/−14.8 for 70 mg/140 mg versus −5.0/−4.3 for those not achieving ≥75% response. Relative improvements in MSMD and disability were observed in responders versus overall erenumab-treated population.

Conclusion

For erenumab-treated patients achieving ≥50% response, the actual reduction in MMD was almost twice that of the overall population. These findings provide context for setting realistic expectations regarding actual treatment benefit experienced by patients responding to treatment.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Corticosteroid Injections in the Management of Elbow Epicondylitis and Plantar Fasciitis: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Kai , Giddins Grey , Wu Li-dong
Published: December 2019

Background:

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), as a promising alternative to traditional corticosteroid (CS), is now increasingly used in the treatment of elbow epicondylitis (EE) and plantar fasciitis (PF). To date, however, the synthesis of information on the clinical efficacy of PRP versus CS is limited with divergent conclusions.

Purpose:

To compare the clinical efficacy of PRP and CS injections in reducing pain and improving function in EE and PF.

Study Design:

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Methods:

Online databases were searched from inception to October 2018 for prospective studies evaluating PRP versus CS injections for EE or PF. Independent reviewers undertook searches, screening, and risk-of-bias appraisals. The primary outcomes of interest were pain and function in both the short term (1-3 months) and the long term (≥6 months).

Results:

Twenty trials with 1268 participants were included. For EE, PRP provides a statistically and clinically meaningful long-term improvement in pain, with a very large effect size of −1.3 (95% CI, −1.9 to −0.7) when compared with CS, but the evidence level was low. For EE, there was moderate evidence that CS provides a statistically meaningful improvement in pain in the short term, with a medium effect size of 0.56 (95% CI, 0.08-1.03) as compared with PRP; this improvement might not be clinically significant. For PF, there was low evidence that PRP provides a statistically and clinically meaningful long-term improvement in function (American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society score), with a very large effect size of 1.94 (95% CI, 0.61-3.28). There were no significant differences between the groups in improvement in function in EE and pain and short-term function in PF, but the quality of the evidence was low.

Conclusion:

The use of PRP yields statistically and clinically better improvement in long-term pain than does CS in the treatment of EE. The use of PRP yields statistically and clinically better long-term functional improvement than that of CS in the treatment of PF.