bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global analysis of support practices in USLE-based soil erosion modeling
Authors: Xiong Muqi , Sun Ranhao , Chen Liding
Published: March 2019

Support practices (SPs) influence the magnitude of soil loss and can be readily influenced by human interventions to mitigate soil loss. The SPs factor is expressed as the P-factor in the widely used soil erosion model – the universal soil loss equation (USLE) – and its revised version. Although the effects of SPs on soil erosion are well recognized, the quantification of the P-factor for soil loss modeling remains challenging. This limitation of the P-factor particularly restricts the applicability of USLE-based models at large scales. Here, we analyzed the P-factor values in USLE-based models from 196 published articles. The results were as follows: (a) an increasing trend in the number of studies has been observed in recent years, especially at large scales; (b) the P-factor values for paddy fields, orchards, and croplands were 0.16 ± 0.15, 0.47 ± 0.12, and 0.49 ± 0.21, respectively, and in terms of different types of SPs, the P-factor values for terracing, contouring, and strip-cropping were 0.28 ± 0.18, 0.52 ± 0.24, and 0.49 ± 0.28, respectively; (c) various methods have been developed for P-factor qualification, although the methods that consider SP conditions were most frequently used in studies with relatively smaller areas (< 100 km2), suggesting that USLE-based models are in need of improvement via the quantification of the P-factor, particularly with respect to the regional and global scale; and (d) further improvements of the P-factor for soil erosion modeling should concentrate on building P-factor datasets at the regional level according to data on the effectiveness of SPs on soil loss control based on field experiments in published articles, using advanced image processing techniques based on higher-resolution satellite imagery and developing proxy indicators for P-factors at large scales.
Air Quality and Health Impacts of Freight Modal Shifts: Review and Assessment
Authors: Ramani Tara , Jaikumar Rohit , Khreis Haneen , Rouleau Mathieu , Charman Nick
Published: March 2019

Freight movement is a significant and growing contributor to transportation emissions globally. Modal shifts in freight, that is, moving freight from a higher emission mode to one associated with lower emissions, are discussed as a strategy to reduce emissions of criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases (GHGs). However, there is limited knowledge of the magnitude of potential benefits and their impacts on human health. The overall goal of this study is to identify and characterize the potential of modal shifts in freight transport for mitigating air pollutant emissions, air pollutant concentrations, population exposure to air pollutants, and health impacts. The analysis was conducted in the Canadian context, with a focus on land-based freight such as trucks, trains, and pipelines, as well as marine shipping for inland and coastal waters. A structured review of the existing literature database, and a critical assessment of the findings was conducted, using a weight-of-evidence approach. The assessment took into consideration potential local and regional variables for Canada. The results indicated that there is limited evidence that road-to-rail, road-to-marine, and rail-to-marine modal shifts could reduce pollutant and GHG emissions. There was insufficient evidence on modal shifts involving the pipeline mode, and on the air quality, population exposure, and health impacts related to any modal shift. Several research gaps remain, which must be addressed establish the emissions, air quality, and health impacts of freight modal shifts.
Peak-Car Phenomenon Revisited for Urban Areas: Microdata Analysis of Household Travel Surveys from Five European Capital Cities
Authors: Wittwer Rico , Gerike Regine , Hubrich Stefan
Published: March 2019

This study investigates the peak-car phenomenon for the five European capital regions of Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Paris, and Vienna. Household travel survey (HTS) microdata was harmonized for the five regions and transferred to one consistent database; all time-series date back at least 20 years. Developments in car use were found to be surprisingly similar despite the substantial differences between the regions in terms of size, governance structures, built environments, transport systems, and societal framework conditions. Car use peaked earliest in Paris in the early 1990s; followed by Berlin, London, and Vienna in the late 1990s; and lastly in Copenhagen in the late 2000s. Working persons and mandatory trips were found to be the most relevant person group and trip purpose for the observed peak-car developments, both with declining overall trip numbers and a modal shift toward non-car modes. Young working persons had the most significant decline with substantial cohort effects. People seem to carry forward their behavior adopted in early life-cycle stages as they age. The person groups of seniors and women both damped the peak-car effect. Shopping trips were the second most relevant trip purpose for car use: car use for this purpose was high and stable over time. This study has elaborated potentials for reducing car use in relation to person groups and trip purposes. Findings from this retrospective analysis could be used for purposefully shaping future transport systems.
Experimental Investigation on Fatigue and Low Temperature Properties of Asphalt Mixtures Designed with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement and Taconite Aggregate
Authors: Moon Ki Hoon , Cannone Falchetto Augusto , Wang Di , Kim Yun Su
Published: March 2019

Using reclaimed asphalt material for rehabilitation and construction of new asphalt pavements is currently a common practice not only in view of the economic benefits associated with this process but also because of the reduced exploitation of natural resources. For this reason, road authorities have implemented recommendations and guidelines to regulate the use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and other recycled materials such as industrial by-products. Nevertheless, the combined use of different recycled materials is not commonly addressed. In this paper, the effect of adding RAP and taconite (a mining by-product) on fatigue and low temperature properties of asphalt mixture was investigated with two different testing geometries: indirect tensile (IDT) and semi-circular bending (SCB). Fatigue behavior, creep stiffness, relaxation modulus, low temperature fracture energy, and fracture toughness were also evaluated, computed, and then compared. A more brittle behavior was observed for mixture prepared with RAP material, however, the mechanical performance was not significantly different for mixtures containing 20% RAP alone and in combination with 50% taconite compared with conventional asphalt mixtures designed with virgin material. This was not the case when RAP content was increased up to 50%, showing a substantially poorer response both in terms of fatigue and low temperature characteristics and suggesting the RAP had a dominant effect. The present exploratory research seems to support the idea of combining RAP and different industry by-products, such as taconite, as long as the RAP content is kept below a specific threshold.
Evaluation of Moisture Damage under Crack-Sealed Asphalt Pavements in Louisiana
Authors: Mousa Momen R. , Elseifi Mostafa A. , Zhang Zhongjie , Gaspard Kevin
Published: March 2019

Crack sealing prevents the ingress of water in the pavement structure, thus preventing the weakening of the pavement and delaying its deterioration. Earlier studies indicate that sealing pavements in areas with a high ground water table (GWT) may prevent moisture from escaping upwards through cracks in asphalt pavements, therefore, accelerating stripping. The objective of this study was to provide guidelines for using crack sealing to minimize moisture entrapment under cracks, thus reducing stripping on low volume roadways. To achieve this, a calibrated Finite Element (FE) model was used to model a field experiment consisting of cracked and crack-sealed asphalt pavement sections. Sensitivity analysis was then conducted to compare crack-sealed and unsealed sections under different GWT levels, air relative humidity, air temperatures, rain intensities, and asphalt hydraulic conductivities. Results indicate that crack sealing could be applied under common rain intensities in Louisiana and any GWT depth without potential for stripping because of moisture entrapment if the hydraulic conductivity of the original pavement does not exceed 2 × 10–6 m/s. Yet, crack sealing should be applied after a dry period to ensure that the existing moisture in the original pavement is minimal. A non-linear regression model was developed for use in the Southern United States to help determine whether crack sealing should be used to avoid moisture damage in a cracked pavement at a given site based on the GWT and air relative humidity without the need for FE simulations. This can be a useful tool when planning maintenance activities.
German Governesses in Victorian Middle-class Families: A Challenge to Domestic Authority?
Authors: Bayley Susan N.
Published: March 2019

Between 1840 and 1900 thousands of German governesses resided in English middle-class homes. As employees they were subject to domestic authority, which lay mainly with the mother. This study uses the memoirs, advice books, essays and letters of governesses, pupils and employers to analyze how domestic authority operated in individual households. It concludes that domestic authority was powerful but open to challenge and modification. It also demonstrates that mothers were important filters of German culture, that minor differences in English and German domestic styles caused conflicts and that knowledge transfer was a piecemeal and selective process.
A 6-Week Transition to Maximal Running Shoes Does Not Change Running Biomechanics
Authors: Hannigan J.J. , Pollard Christine D.
Published: March 2019

Background:

A recent study suggested that maximal running shoes may increase the impact force and loading rate of the vertical ground-reaction force during running. It is currently unknown whether runners will adapt to decrease the impact force and loading rate over time.

Purpose:

To compare the vertical ground-reaction force and ankle kinematics between maximal and traditional shoes before and after a 6-week acclimation period to the maximal shoe.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Participants ran in a traditional running shoe and a maximal running shoe during 2 testing sessions 6 weeks apart. During each session, 3-dimensional kinematics and kinetics were collected during overground running. Variables of interest included the loading rate, impact peak, and active peak of the vertical ground-reaction force, as well as eversion and dorsiflexion kinematics. Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance compared data within participants.

Results:

No significant differences were observed in any biomechanical variable between time points. The loading rate and impact peak were higher in the maximal shoe. Runners were still everted at toe-off and landed with less dorsiflexion, on average, in the maximal shoe.

Conclusion:

Greater loading rates and impact forces were previously found in maximal running shoes, which may indicate an increased risk of injury. The eversion mechanics observed in the maximal shoes may also increase the risk of injury. A 6-week transition to maximal shoes did not significantly change any of these measures.

Clinical Relevance:

Maximal running shoes are becoming very popular and may be considered a treatment option for some injuries. The biomechanical results of this study do not support the use of maximal running shoes. However, the effect of these shoes on pain and injury rates is unknown.
The clinical application of combination suprapubic prostatectomy with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in patients with large volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
Authors: Wei Shiping , Cheng Fan , Yu Weiming
Published: March 2019

Objective:

To investigate the safety and efficacy of the combination of suprapubic prostatectomy with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) for the treatment of large volume benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods:

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of two methods of treatment with 60 cases of a large volume BPH (>100 g) from January 2011 to 2017; the methods were suprapubic prostatectomy and suprapubic prostatectomy combination with TURP, in which the single open group comprised 30 cases, treated using the former method, and the combined open group comprised the other 30 cases, treated using the latter method. In the combined open group, the residual prostate gland was removed by TURP. We compared both the groups of patients using age, prostate volume, international prostate symptom score (IPSS), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), maximum flow rate, residual urine, operation time, hospitalization time, postoperative washing time, blood transfusion rate, and decreased amount of intraoperative hemoglobin in operation, and compared the preoperative and postoperative IPSS, maximum flow rate, and residual urine volume.

Results:

There was no significant difference between the two groups in age, prostate volume, IPSS, PSA, maximum flow rate, residual urine, and other clinical data ( P > 0.05); the single group operation time, postoperative bladder irrigation time, hospitalization time, blood transfusion rate, and decreased amount of intraoperative hemoglobin were significantly greater in the single open group than in the combined open group, and statistically significant differences were observed between both the groups ( P < 0.05). Postoperative voiding function improved significantly compared with the preoperative, and a statistically significant difference was observed ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The combination of suprapubic prostatectomy with TURP is an effective and a safe surgical method for the treatment of patients with large volume BPH. It is certainly worthy of clinical application.
From Shebeen’s to supervised injecting centres: The socio-historical construction and portrayal of addiction in modern Ireland
Authors: O’Mahony Shane
Published: March 2019

The most commonly accepted view internationally is that addiction is an individualised brain-based disease or disorder. This view is buttressed by neuroscientific evidence, which is interpreted as demonstrating that the addicted brain undergoes long-term structural and functional changes as a result of substance use. Proponents of this model argue that such evidence is conclusive and that we have finally, over many decades, arrived at an enlightened, evidence-based, scientific understanding of addiction and dispensed with outdated ‘moral models’. However, critical scholars have argued that what we mean by addiction very much depends on the political–economic and socio-culture structure of a particular society at a particular temporal juncture. This paper seeks to build on this critical scholarship by examining shifting addiction understandings across time in Ireland. (This refers to the 26 counties of the southern Irish state.) This has involved analysing various documents, archives, and journal articles relating to the main ‘claim-making’ groups in Irish society (Catholic Church, medical profession, government, and media). It is argued that understandings of addiction through time in Ireland have tracked the country’s political–economic and socio-cultural development and have not developed according to ‘objective evidenced-based Science’. Furthermore, the portrayal of addiction across time has directed attention inwards to the diseased or disordered individual and away from macro-level processes. This has also led to the neglect of potentially vital areas of inquiry in relation to addiction scholarship in Ireland. To this end, the present research paper intends to highlight some of these macro-level processes in order to suggest fruitful avenues for future research.
Energy saving analysis of the hydrostatic drives used in the rotary head system of the blast hole drill rig
Authors: Vardhan Alok
Published: March 2019

Blast hole drill rigs are used for drilling the soft and the medium-hard rocks in open-pit mines. In such rigs, the drill bit is rotated by a hydrostatic drive. In this respect, two different type hydrostatic drives have been considered. In the first drive, the rotation of the drill bit takes place by a variable displacement pump and two low-torque high-speed hydro-motors along with a step-down gear unit (i.e. LTHS drive), whereas in the second drive an identical pump and a high-torque low-speed hydro-motor (i.e. HTLS drive) rotate the drill bit. In this study, the energy saving analysis of the above mentioned hydrostatic drives has been performed with respect to the load profile of the blast hole drilling. In this respect, the modelling, simulation and the experimentation of the drives have been carried out. Simulations have been performed in MATLAB–Simulink environment and it has been verified through experiments. The proportional-integral-derivative control algorithm has been used to control the drives speed in various loading stages. Results show that the high-torque low-speed drive save more energy compares to the low-torque high-speed drive for the usual operating range of the blast hole drilling.
Vulpinic acid, a lichen metabolite, emerges as a potential drug candidate in the therapy of oxidative stress–related diseases, such as atherosclerosis
Authors: Sahin E , Dabagoglu Psav S , Avan I , Candan M , Sahinturk V , Koparal AT
Published: March 2019

Vulpinic acid, a lichen compound, has been shown to have many beneficial effects and its medicinal value increases day by day. As in atherosclerosis, endothelial damage is the basis of many diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of vulpinic acid against oxidative stress damage induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in endothelial cells. In order to find the IC50 of H2O2 and the protective dose of vulpinic acid, methyl thiazolyldiphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays were performed. The amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by H2O2 and the protective effects of vulpinic acid against ROS were examined by fluorometric DCF-DA kit. The effects of H2O2 and vulpinic acid on actin filaments were determined by tetramethyl rhodamine (TRITC)-phalloidin fluorescence staining. Expression of Tie2 proteins was immunocytochemically analyzed in H2O2- and vulpinic acid-treated cells. After 24 h, the IC50 was found to be 215 μM in HUVECs treated with H2O2. The most effective dose of vulpinic acid against H2O2-associated damage was found to be 15 μM. Vulpinic acid pretreatment was shown to reduce H2O2-induced ROS production significantly ( p < 0.05). It was shown that 215 μM of H2O2 caused actin fragmentation, cell shrinkage, and decrease in actin florescence intensity while vulpinic acid protected the cells from these damages. It was found that Tie2 immunoreactivity was decreased in H2O2-treated groups and vulpinic acid pretreatment reduced the expression of this protein. In conclusion, vulpinic acid decreases H2O2-induced oxidative stress and oxidative stress–related damages in HUVECs. It may be drug candidate in the therapy of atherosclerosis.
Literature Review on Education Reform in the UAE
Authors: Matsumoto Amy
Published: March 2019

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a wealthy and relatively new country attempting to achieve top tier global status in education. A literature review of education reform efforts in the UAE reveals remarkably limited research on the subject. Existing studies show the a country is struggling to align market-driven academic goals with dominant cultural paradigms. A transition away from a reliance on a formerly lucrative petroleum industry raises the stakes of their academic outcomes. This literature review uses terms explored in Comparative Education such as policy borrowing to explain the government’s approach to reform, and suggests areas for future research.
Leading Rwandan Primary Schools: Some Deliberations on the Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Karareba Gilbert , Clarke Simon , O’Donoghue Tom
Published: March 2019

This article is premised on the belief that research on educational leadership should embrace different settings. Accordingly, a Rwandan study is reported informed by three interrelated aims regarding primary school leadership: to understand its historical background from colonial times to 1994 (the genocide year), to understand developments occurring from 1994 to 2014, and to understand perspectives of primary school leaders on their concerns. Data gathering methods comprised interviews, document analysis, and observation. Key outcomes of the study are articulated according to propositions relating to each research aim illuminating the past, present, and future of primary school leadership in Rwanda.
Journalism Educators, Regulatory Realities, and Pedagogical Predicaments of the “Fake News” Era: A Comparative Perspective on the Middle East and Africa
Authors: Mutsvairo Bruce , Bebawi Saba
Published: March 2019

From diplomatic spats between Qatar and Saudi Arabia to ubiquitous deceptive “news” updates purportedly sent by the Eritrean government urging all men to marry two wives or risk imprisonment, the future of fact-based reporting appears uncertain as mass media recipients world over become accustomed to consuming “fake news.” Despite the exponential expansion of journalism educators in the Middle East and Africa, several curriculums in these regions have been struggling to cope with the rising dominance of the “fake news” movement. Both regions have a well-documented appetite for conspiracy theories and indeed the power of disinformation and propaganda, which seem to have gathered steam in the wake of deliberate dissemination of hoaxes or sensationalist stories predominantly distributed via social media platforms, potentially posing a threat to the credibility of journalism. This article provides an updated state of affairs on the expansion of “fake news” in the Middle East and Africa arguing after an explorative examination of 10 journalism curriculums that educators need to focus on local contexts when preparing journalism modules. Although it is important to discuss global trends, developments, controversies, debates, and discussions involving the “fake news” movement, we think future journalists from both regions would benefit from media literacy courses that identify the difference between fact and fiction in relation to their own contexts. This is relevant because current pedagogical approaches appear influenced by developments abroad especially in these countries’ past colonial masters.
Safe vincristine use in Switzerland: Still a long way to go?
Authors: Brühwiler Lea D , Schwappach David LB
Published: March 2019

Background

Different international organizations recommend safety measures for the use of vincristine to prevent wrong route administrations. A central recommendation is to use infusion bags instead of syringes to prevent confusion with intrathecal chemotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of safety measures for vincristine and intrathecal chemotherapies in Switzerland.

Method

We conducted a written survey among hospital pharmacies of all general care and pediatric hospitals in Switzerland (n = 102). A responsible person of each hospital pharmacy was invited by email to participate in the online survey in May 2018.

Results

Of 66 responding hospitals (response rate 65%), 27 have a hospital pharmacy preparing parenteral chemotherapy. All of these hospitals prepared vincristine in 2017, while 21 also prepared intrathecal chemotherapy. Of these 21, 16 hospitals prepared vincristine as syringes, with small volume syringes being the most widely distributed dosage form. A switch from syringes to infusion bags was discussed in seven hospitals, and discussions led to plans for switch in two. The most prevalent safety measures were labeling for vincristine and special delivery for intrathecal drugs. Of hospitals preparing both vincristine syringes and intrathecal chemotherapy, four reported to have no safety measures implemented neither for vincristine nor for intrathecal chemotherapy.

Conclusion

International recommendations are not widely implemented in Swiss hospitals. Syringes are still in use and other safety measures are sparsely disseminated. Thus, Swiss vincristine patients are still at an increased risk for wrong route application. Recommendations have to be further disseminated and implementation could be enhanced.
Managing Shame: A Grounded Theory of How Stigma Manifests in Families Living With Dementia
Authors: Lopez Ruth Palan , Rose Karen M. , Kenney Lauren , Sanborn Victoria , Davis Jennifer Duncan
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are irreversible, progressive brain disorders that slowly destroy memory, language, problem solving, and cognition. In the United States, dementia is the fifth leading cause of death for people age 65 years and older. Early diagnosis could have important benefits stigma related to dementia remains a significant impediment to diagnosis, treatment, and accessing services. While a growing body of research documents the existence and negative outcomes of stigma, less is known about how dementia-related stigma produces ill effects. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to use qualitative methods to explore how stigma manifests within families from the perspective of family caregivers of people with dementia. METHOD: Using a grounded theory approach, we interviewed 13 family caregivers of people with dementia. RESULTS: Shame emerged as the central theme experienced by family caregivers of people with dementia. Attempting to manage shame, produced three categories of responses: (1) silencing and not calling attention to the symptoms, (2) concealing the diagnosis, and (3) shunning and avoiding contact. CONCLUSIONS: Shame may be an underlying mechanism by which stigma is enacted and perpetuated, resulting in caregivers’ isolation and delay in access to diagnostic and supportive services. Efforts to dispel the misconception that dementia is a shameful disease may be one way to diminish stigma.
Locational Strategy of Professional Hosts: Effect on Perceived Quality and Revenue Performance of Airbnb Listings
Authors: Xie Karen , Mao Zhenxing (Eddie)
Published: March 2019

Professional hosts usually invest in properties at various locations. Our study aims to investigate the effect of their locational strategy (clustering vs. diversification) on the perceived quality and revenue performance of each listing in their portfolio. Using data of Airbnb in New York City, we find that locational clustering drives the perceived quality but undermines the revenue performance of each listing, and these effects are further moderated by the size of the listing portfolio managed by a professional host. Implications for Airbnb investment using effective locational strategy are provided.
Central perpendicular line in macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in five eyes
Authors: Guixeres Esteve María Carmen , Postelmans Laurence
Published: March 2019

Purpose:

The aim of this study is to report a rare spectral-domain optical coherence tomography finding in the macula.

Methods:

This is a descriptive consecutive case series. Patients diagnosed with hyperreflective central perpendicular line in the macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were included. Best-corrected visual acuity assessment, standard Amsler grid test, biomicroscopic examination and macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were performed.

Results:

We examined three men and one woman, aged 56 to 91 years (average age: 75.25 years). Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography showed a hyperreflective central perpendicular line in five eyes accompanied by vitreofoveal adhesion in all of them. In two eyes, we observed a lifting of the ellipsoid zone, and in one eye the external limiting membrane was also pulled. In one eye, a subtle lifting of the interdigitation zone was revealed. In another eye, we also found a triangular foveolar detachment of the interdigitation zone. Snellen’s best-corrected visual acuity ranged from 0.2 to −0.1 logMAR (average of 0.006 logMAR). Amsler grid test was unremarkable in four eyes and metamorphopsia was detected in one eye. One eye developed a full-thickness macular hole several weeks after the phacoemulsification cataract surgery.

Conclusion:

The presence of a central perpendicular line can be revealed by the macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. We hypothesize that this finding could be considered as a sign of vitreomacular traction. In our patients, best-corrected visual acuity was only mildly reduced, and Amsler grid test was affected in only one eye.
Simultaneous Determination of Kynurenine and Kynurenic Acid by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Photoirradiation System Using a Mobile Phase Containing 18-crown-6
Authors: Atsumi Motomasa , Mawatari Ken-ichi , Morooka Akari , Yasuda Makoto , Fukuuchi Tomoko , Yamaoka Noriko , Kaneko Kiyoko , Nakagomi Kazuya , Oku Naoto
Published: March 2019

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system has been developed for the fluorometric determination of kynurenine (KYN) and kynurenic acid (KYNA) in human serum using a mobile phase containing 18-crown-6. A retention time of KYNA was adjusted with pH of phosphate buffer in 18-crown-6. KYN and KYNA were separated on a CAPCELLPAK C18 (250 × 4.6 mm i.d.). The mobile phase consisted of 35 mmol/L phosphate buffer (pH 8.0)/methanol (85/15, v/v) containing 35 mmol/L hydrogen peroxide and 10 mmol/L 18-crown-6. The retention times of KYN and KYNA were 18and 24 minutes, respectively. The calibration graphs of KYN and KYNA were linear over the range 180 to 2900 and 1 to 84 nmol/L by injecting a 50-μL volume of KYN and KYNA, respectively. Pretreatment of serum was achieved by deproteinization only. The mean recoveries of KYN and KYNA from serum were more than 97%.
Estimation of Gastric Volume Before Anesthesia in Term-Pregnant Women Undergoing Elective Cesarean Section, Compared With Non-pregnant or First-Trimester Women Undergoing Minor Gynecological Surgical Procedures
Authors: Gal Oren , Rotshtein Mark , Feldman Dan , Mari Amir , Hallak Motti , Kopelman Yael
Published: March 2019

Background:

Traditionally, intubation of pregnant women has been performed using a rapid sequence induction. This is due to the classical concept that women with more than 18 weeks of pregnancy (mid-second trimester) are always considered to have an increased risk of aspiration due to a number of factors, regardless of the fasting duration. Rapid sequence induction is associated with a higher rate of adverse events.

Aims:

Our study aimed to illuminate the hypothesis that there is no difference in gastric volume between term-pregnant women and non-pregnant or first-trimester pregnant women who were undergoing minor gynecological surgical procedures. Accordingly, we measured gastric volume and content before anesthesia in term-pregnant women undergoing elective cesarean section, and to compare it with non-pregnant or first-trimester pregnant women who were undergoing minor gynecological surgical procedures.

Methods:

In this single-center prospective study, the gastric volume and content were assessed by abdominal ultrasound (AUS) just prior to the scheduled procedure. AUS was performed in the sagittal or para-sagittal plain in the upright position and the stomach content was estimated according to the antral circumferential area. Group 1 consisted of 50 term-pregnant women scheduled for cesarean section. Group 2 consisted of 45 non-pregnant or first-trimester pregnant women who were scheduled for minor gynecologic procedure.

Results:

Despite significant longer fasting time prior to the interventional procedure in the non-pregnant or first-trimester women group, there was no significant difference in gastric volume between term-pregnant and first-trimester pregnant women (3.2 ± 0.97 cm2 vs 3.2 ± 0.79 cm2;  P = .97). Gastric volume was small in the two groups.

Conclusion:

Fasting gastric volume before cesarean section in term-pregnant women is small and is not different than in non-pregnant or first-trimester women undergoing minor gynecologic procedures. Ultrasound estimation of gastric volume is a reliable and easy-to-perform technique which might help in decision-making regarding the airway management prior to induction of anesthesia in pregnant women.
Needs and readiness assessments for implementing school-wide restorative practices
Authors: Garnett Bernice , Moore Mika , Kidde Jon , Turner Tracy Arámbula , Kervick Colby T. , Bedinger Lisa , Smith Lance C. , Sparks Henri
Published: March 2019

Persistent disparities in exclusionary discipline procedures continue to portent negative educational outcomes for students from specific racial, income, and ability categories. Restorative practices (RP) has emerged as a promising approach to mitigate these disparities and improve school climate. This study describes the utility of field-initiated implementation readiness assessments that might guide school districts by targeting the needs of faculty and staff. This study is a part of a mixed-methods Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) project made possible by a university and school-district partnership. The results reveal potential challenges and opportunities related to RP implementation and hold implications for professional development trainings for school districts that aim to implement RP as a foundation to employ more just and effective disciplinary mechanisms.
The digital potlatch: The uses of uselessness in the digital economy
Authors: Kaplan Michael
Published: March 2019

Drawing on the century-long preoccupation with premodern or “primitive” economic forms that has shaped the social sciences, this essay argues that the political economy of social networking platforms is structured like a potlatch. Understanding this structure and its dynamics is indispensable for grasping the social, economic and cultural preconditions and implications of communicative capitalism.
Exploiting ambiguity: The diffraction artefact and the architectural surface
Authors: Matthews Linda , Perin Gavin
Published: March 2019

In the contemporary ‘envisioned’ environment, Internet webcams, low- and high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites are the new vantage points from which to construct the image of the city. Armed with hi-resolution digital optical technologies, these vantage points effectively constitute a ubiquitous visioning apparatus serving either the politics of promotion or surveillance. Given the political dimensions of this apparatus, it is important to note that this digital imaging of public urban space refers to the human visual system model. In order to mimic human vision, a set of algorithm patterns are used to direct numerous ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ technologies. Mimicry thus has a cost because this insistence on the human visual system model necessitates multiple transformative moments in the production and transmission pipeline. If each transformative moment opens a potential vulnerability within the visioning apparatus, then every glitch testifies to the artificiality of the image. Moreover, every glitch potentially interrupts the political narratives be communicated in contemporary image production and transmission. Paradoxically, the current use of scripting to create glitch-like images has reimagined glitches as a discrete aesthetic category. This article counters this aestheticisation by asserting glitching as a disruption in communication. The argument will rely on scaled tests produced by one of the authors who show how duplicating the digital algorithmic patterns used within the digital imaging pipeline on any exterior building surface glitches the visual data captured within that image. Referencing image-based techniques drawn from the Baroque and contemporary modes of camouflage, it will be argued that the visual aberrations created by these algorithm-based patterned facades can modify strategically the ‘emission signature’ of selected parts of the urban fabric. In this way, the glitch becomes a way to intercede in the digital portrayal of city.
Fast and wild: Bootstrap inference in Stata using boottest
Authors: Roodman David , Nielsen Morten Ørregaard , MacKinnon James G. , Webb Matthew D.
Published: March 2019

The wild bootstrap was originally developed for regression models with heteroskedasticity of unknown form. Over the past 30 years, it has been extended to models estimated by instrumental variables and maximum likelihood and to ones where the error terms are (perhaps multiway) clustered. Like bootstrap methods in general, the wild bootstrap is especially useful when conventional inference methods are unreliable because large-sample assumptions do not hold. For example, there may be few clusters, few treated clusters, or weak instruments. The package boottest can perform a wide variety of wild bootstrap tests, often at remarkable speed. It can also invert these tests to construct confidence sets. As a postestimation command, boottest works after linear estimation commands, including regress, cnsreg, ivregress, ivreg2, areg, and reghdfe, as well as many estimation commands based on maximum likelihood. Although it is designed to perform the wild cluster bootstrap, boottest can also perform the ordinary (nonclustered) version. Wrappers offer classical Wald, score/Lagrange multiplier, and Anderson–Rubin tests, optionally with (multiway) clustering. We review the main ideas of the wild cluster bootstrap, offer tips for use, explain why it is particularly amenable to computational optimization, state the syntax of boottest, artest, scoretest, and waldtest, and present several empirical examples.
On the importance of syntax coloring for teaching statistics
Authors: Haghish E. F.
Published: March 2019

In this article, I underscore the importance of syntax coloring in teaching statistics. I also introduce the statax package, which includes JavaScript and LATEX programs for highlighting Stata code in HTML and LATEX documents. Furthermore, I provide examples showing how to implement this package for developing educational materials on the web or for a classroom handout.
piaactools: A program for data analysis with PIAAC data
Authors: Jakubowski Maciej , Pokropek Artur
Published: March 2019

The OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) is currently the only international survey of adult skills. It provides rich data on skills, work and life situations, earnings, and attitudes. To ensure representativeness and high reliability, the study is based on a complex survey design and advanced statistical methods. To obtain correct results from publicly available microdata, one must use special methods that are often too advanced for less experienced researchers. In this article, we present piaactools—a package of three commands that facilitate analysis with PIAAC data. The command piaacdes calculates basic statistics, piaactab computes frequencies of adults at each proficiency level, and piaacreg allows for the use of several regression models with PIAAC data. Output is saved as HTML files that can be opened in most spreadsheets and as Stata matrices that can be further processed in Stata. We also explain how to use these commands and provide examples that can be easily modified for use with different models and variables.
Speaking Stata: How best to generate indicator or dummy variables
Authors: Cox Nicholas J. , Schechter Clyde B.
Published: March 2019

Indicator or dummy variables record whether some condition is true or false in each observation by a value of 1 or 0. Values may also be missing if truth or falsity is not known, and that fact should be flagged. Such indicators may be created on the fly by using factor-variable notation. tabulate also offers one method for automating the generation of indicators. In this column, we discuss in detail how otherwise to best generate such variables directly, with comments here and there on what not to do.
Mechanism research of slip effect between frictional laminated beams
Authors: Zhong Jintu , Yan Quansheng , Wu Jie , Zhang Zhuojie
Published: March 2019

For laminated beams connected by Coulomb friction, interlayer slippage occurs when interfacial shear stress exceeds the resistant friction stress. Then, the physical properties of the laminated beams will change and may even cause structural damage. In this article, the law of interlayer slippage of laminated beams is obtained by mechanical derivation, and the finite element model is used for comparison verification. First, the internal shear force calculation formula of the laminated beam considering the interlaminar friction is derived from the segment micro-element method. Second, interlayer slippage laws of the frictional laminated beams in both horizontal and longitudinal direction are derived according to the hierarchical slip determination conditions. Third, according to the state quantity of different boundary conditions, the transfer matrix method is used to solve the longitudinal length of interlayer slip. Then, the design of the algorithm program is completed by MATLAB. Finally, based on the comparison between the finite element model calculation results and the calculation results of the algorithm program, the accuracy of the proposed method is verified. The analysis results indicate that slippage destroys the integrity of the laminated beam section and reduces the bending moment of inertia of the slip section of the beam. The influence of slip effect on the frictional laminated beams should be considered in deflection calculation.
A fast X-corner detection method based on block-search strategy
Authors: Meng Cai , Wang Qi , Wu Lingjie , Guan Shaoya , Wu Yao , Wang Tianmiao
Published: March 2019

In order to detect X-corner (or X-point) features more accurately and apace, this article presents a novel and fast detection method based on block-by-block search strategy. Unlike general pixel-by-pixel searching method, the sampling window is first moved along the image block-by-block to find the X-corner candidates rapidly keeping in view the four-step and min-step-distance constraints. During the motion, some overlap is kept between the adjacent sampling windows in order to ensure that all X-corners could have a chance to reside inside, avoiding the possibility of that some X-corners may locate on the edge. Moreover, labeling technology is adopted to prevent duplicate candidates. After the collection of X-corner candidates, the neighborhood variance and centrosymmetry constraints are used to exclude outliers, and the intersection lines is calculated as the sub-pixel position of true X-corner. The experimental results using synthetic and real images show that the presented method approximately takes just about 13 ms to detect 52 X-corners in an image size of 1024 × 768 on a computer having Intel Core i3 CPU at 3.6 GHz and 4GB RAM. The proposed method has faster detection speed compared with the latest methods such as ChESS, SC, and Micron Tracker system while possessing the same or higher detection precision.
From the golden age of television: The case of Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)
Authors: Pantenburg Volker ,   In Memoriam Werner Dütsch
Published: March 2019

The mid-1970s proved a particularly fertile moment in the encounter between cinema and television in West Germany. Focusing on different editorial units at Cologne-based Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), this dossier traces the sense of experimentation at the public service broadcaster. Commissioning editors like Werner Dütsch at the film unit, Angelika Wittlich and the series Telekritik, but also those at the department ‘Language and Literature’ made it possible for critics and film-makers like Harun Farocki to explore essayistic formats and programmes. The dossier combines a retrospective essay by WDR commissioning editor Dütsch, several archival documents from 1974 to 1976, and starts with a contextualising essay by Pantenburg.
Composition of Essential Oil from Piper jacquemontianum from Eight Provenances of Guatemala
Authors: Cáceres Armando , Cruz Sully M. , Martínez-Arevalo José V. , Henriques Amelia T. , Apel Miriam A.
Published: March 2019

Piper jacquemontianum Kunth (Piperaceae) is a native species from Central America and the Caribbean lowlands. It is traditionally used as a medicine and condiment in several ethnic groups from the region. Essential oils of dry leaves were obtained from eight ecologically different sites of Guatemala, which were cultivated under similar conditions in the Pacific basin. The essential oil yields obtained by hydrodistillation varied with the site of collection (0.3-1.7%). The essential oil composition was determined by gas chromatography; E-nerolidol was the only compound common to all provenances, although in a wide range (5.7-73.8%), being the main component of four of them. In the oils from other provenances, the main components were linalool, terpinen-4-ol, spathulenol, and α-bisabolol. This is the first report on the variation of the essential oil composition of this species of different provenance cultivated under similar conditions, suggesting high variability in its composition, and demonstrating at least five groups of P. jacquemontianum according to the composition of its essential oil. In further agrotechnological research, selection of the most promising samples could generate unique cultivars which might produce the expected compound.
Update on male hormonal contraception
Authors: Gava Giulia , Meriggiola Maria Cristina
Published: March 2019

Despite increases in female contraceptive options, 40–45% of pregnancies across the world are still unplanned. While several effective female contraceptive methods have been developed, contraceptive choices for men are still limited to the male condom with its high failure rates and to vasectomies, which are invasive and not reliably reversible. Several studies have demonstrated a great interest among men and women for effective, reversible, and safe male contraceptive methods. Over the years, numerous studies have been performed to develop male hormonal and nonhormonal safe and effective contraceptives. A variety of new molecules are under development as oral or transdermal hormonal contraceptives for men demonstrating few side effects. In our overpopulated world, the development and commercialization of a male contraceptive method that will allow both men and women to take an active role in family planning is mandatory and further research on this topic is required.
Granulomatous lobular mastitis associated with ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast
Authors: Oddó David , Domínguez Francisco , Gómez Natalia , Méndez Gonzalo P , Navarro María Elena
Published: March 2019

The association of granulomatous lobular mastitis and carcinoma of the breast is very infrequent. We present the case of a 44-year-old woman with concurrent granulomatous lobular mastitis with coryneform bacteria and ductal carcinoma in situ in the same breast.
Metastatic tumor of the hand of unknown primary origin
Authors: Giordano Vincenzo , Giordano Marcos , Giordano Carolina , Giordano José , Koch Hilton Augusto , Knackfuss Irocy Guedes
Published: March 2019

Acral metastases in the hand are exceedingly rare. We present the unusual case of a metastatic tumor of the hand of unknown primary site in a 77-year-old man with no known cancer history. The patient presented with pain and swelling in the tip of the left ring finger, which had previously been diagnosed as gout at another clinic. Laboratory tests, including white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate/C-reactive protein, and uric acid were all within normal limits. Excisional biopsy was taken by amputation of the distal phalanx of the left ring finger through the distal third of the middle phalanx. Pathology confirmed the presence of a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site. Roentgenographic examination of the chest revealed no pathologic findings. The patient refused further investigation and adequate treatment. He died 4 months later. The current description confirms the rarity of metastatic malignancy of the hand and its poor prognosis.