bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reference Gene Validation for Quantitative Real-time PCR Studies in Amphibian Kidney-derived A6 Epithelial Cells
Authors: Verbrugghe Elin , Martel An , Pasmans Frank
Published: July 2019

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction is a widely used technique that relies on reference genes for the normalisation of gene expression. These reference genes are constitutively expressed and must remain stable across all samples and treatments. Stability of housekeeping genes may vary and must be optimised for a specific tissue, sample or cell line. Here we present a study screening for possible reference gene candidates, eef1a1, rpl8, sub1.L, clta, H4 and odc1, in the Xenopus laevis (A6) kidney cell line. Quantification cycle results were analysed using geNorm to calculate the average expression stability and the coefficient of variation (CV) for each candidate reference gene. All of the tested genes met the guidelines for stable reference genes, namely an average expression stability of < 0.5 and a CV value of < 0.2, with eef1a1 > sub1.L > rpl8 > clta > odc1 > H4. By using pairwise variation analysis, the optimal number of reference targets was determined to be 2. As such, we report that the reference genes eef1a1 and sub1.L should be used to achieve optimal normalisation in A6 cells.
Understanding extradyadic sex and its underlying motives through a dualistic model of sexual passion
Authors: Guilbault Valerie , Bouizegarene Nabil , Philippe Frederick L. , Vallerand Robert J.
Published: July 2019

Extradyadic sex in monogamous romantic relationships represents a violation of trust that has been associated with adverse personal and relationship outcomes. Although relational factors related to extradyadic sex have been extensively studied, few individual sexual factors have been identified, and these factors have remained one-dimensional. The present research proposes that sexual passion, as defined by the dualistic model of sexual passion, can help better understand extradyadic sex and its underlying motives by distinguishing two types of sexual passion. Study 1 (631 students, mean age = 24.92 years) showed that obsessive sexual passion (OSP), but not harmonious sexual passion (HSP), was related to past extradyadic sex, conflict between sexuality and the maintenance of long-term romantic relationships, and ego-invested motives for engaging in extradyadic sex. Study 2 (84 students, mean age = 28.49 years) used a longitudinal design and showed that OSP, but not HSP, predicted prospective extradyadic sex. In addition, results revealed that men with an OSP reported engaging in extradyadic sex more often and with more partners than other individuals. These studies underline the importance of using a two-dimensional approach to understand how sexual passion relates to extradyadic sex.
Altered neural dynamics in occipital cortices serving visual-spatial processing in heavy alcohol users
Authors: Lew Brandon J , Wiesman Alex I , Rezich Michael T , Wilson Tony W
Published: July 2019

Background:

Visual-spatial processing deficits have been previously linked to heavy alcohol use, but the underlying neurological mechanisms are poorly understood. Neuroimaging studies have shown alcohol-related aberrations in occipital cortices that appear to be associated with these neuropsychological deficits in visual-spatial processing, however the neural dynamics underlying this altered processing remains unknown.

Methods:

Twenty-three adults with high scores on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption (male: ⩾5, female: ⩾4) were compared to 30 demographically-matched controls with low Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test – Consumption scores (⩽2). All participants completed a visual-spatial processing task while undergoing high-density magnetoencephalography. Time-frequency windows of interest were determined using a data-driven method, and spectrally-specific neural activity was imaged using a beamforming approach. Permutation testing of peak voxel time series was then used to statistically compare across groups.

Results:

Participants with heavy alcohol use responded slower on the task and their performance was more variable. The magnetoencephalography data indicated strong theta (4–8 Hz), alpha (10–16 Hz), and gamma (62–72 Hz) responses in posterior brain regions across both groups. Following voxel time-series extraction, significant group differences were found in the left and right visual association cortices from about 375–550 ms post-stimulus, such that adults with heavy alcohol use had blunted alpha responses compared to controls.

Conclusion:

Individuals with heavy alcohol use exhibited aberrant occipital alpha activity during visual-spatial processing. These data are the first to show spectrally-specific differences during visual-spatial processing related to heavy alcohol use, and highlight alcohol’s effect on systems-level neural activity.
Clinical evaluation of anesthesia for high-risk cesarean section at a tertiary medical center: retrospective study for 8 years (2009–2016)
Authors: Kang HW , Kim WY , Jin SJ , Kim YH , Min TJ , Lee YS , Kim JH
Published: July 2019

Objective

The number of high-risk pregnancies is increasing in tertiary medical centers. Therefore, we investigated perioperative outcomes based on risk factors to ascertain proper maternal and neonatal management.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of patients receiving cesarean sections over an 8-year period. Clinical parameters for anesthesia and the neonatal outcome were compared among high-risk groups after subdivision by the number of clinical risk factors. The groups were as follows: group A (one risk factor), group B (two risk factors), and group C (three or more risk factors).

Results

Patient age, estimated blood loss (EBL), and volume of transfused red blood cell (RBC) were higher in group B than group A. Birth weight, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, and gestational age were lower while the frequency of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was higher in group B than group A. Group C patients were significantly older than group A or B patients. Birth weight, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores and gestational age were significantly lower while frequency of NICU admission was higher in group C than group A and B.

Conclusion

The number of maternal risk factors was positively associated with adverse outcomes in the neonates.
Explaining the diversity of policy responses to platform-mediated short-term rentals in European cities: A comparison of Barcelona, Paris and Milan
Authors: Aguilera Thomas , Artioli Francesca , Colomb Claire
Published: July 2019

Short-term rentals facilitated by online platforms (like Airbnb) have recently become a subject of intense debate, leading many city governments to pass new regulations attempting to control both their proliferation and platform activities. While these policy responses vary greatly from city to city, there is little comparative research to explain this diversity. This paper employs a sociological approach to public policy analysis to compare the politicization process, collective action around and regulation of platform-mediated short-term rentals (PM-STR) in three cities – Barcelona, Paris and Milan. They were chosen to represent most-dissimilar cases in terms of regulatory outputs, both in terms of stringency (weak in Milan, intermediate in Paris, strong in Barcelona) and choice of policy sectors (sharing economy and tourism in Milan, housing and land use in Paris, urban planning and tourism in Barcelona). Two main findings emerged from the comparison. First, the differences between regulations can be explained by the type of actors who politicized the issue in the first place and framed it within a specific policy sector, the pre-existing policy instruments traditionally used in that sector and the distribution of competences between the city and higher tiers of government. Second, the regulations remain continuously subject to intense political mobilization by six types of actors with clashing interests: professional STR operators, associations of hosts or ‘home-sharers’, the hotel industry, residents’ associations or citizens’ movements, ‘sharing economy’ advocates and corporate platforms. Each actor constructs different narratives regarding PM-STR, claiming different types of rights in this contentious politics of regulation.
A practical seasonal performance evaluation of small wind turbine in urban environment
Authors: Rajab Zakariya , sassi Yousef , Taher Ahmed , Khalil Asharf , Mohamed Faisal
Published: July 2019

Due to the low environmental impact, smaller storage units, low wind speed, low power system distribution network impact, and low maintenance, small wind turbines have gained more attention. However, the usage of small turbines usually faces several shortcomings, and the actual yield is often lower than expected, generally because the output power is low when compared with the manufacturer, and the actual wind turbine behavior does not reproduces. In a view of performance evaluation of a small wind turbines using high-accuracy measurement devices to measure wind speed and energy production, this article illustrates an experimental seasonal performance evaluation of a 0.5-kW Hummer small wind turbine, placed in an urban environment. In addition, we study the influence of the height in the energy output and analyze its effect in the system performance, which is another aim in this work. Three cases have been carried out: 4 m in order to protect rotor blades during strong winds and storms in the first scenario and 6 m the manufacturing height in the second scenario while 10 m the third case. A 0.5-kW Hummer wind turbine has been installed in Noagia-Benghazi since 2010 for educational purposes, field studies, training, graduate projects, and research. The wind turbine seasonal performance under different periods was obtained and compared in terms of the wind speed, output power, energy production, and average wind speed. The average wind speed is 6.4, 4, 5.8, and 4 m/s, and the average energy production is 948.24, 172.8, 648, and 172.8 kWh in spring, summer, winter, and autumn, respectively. Spring has the highest wind speed followed by winter and autumn then summer for all height. Improvement is attained if the wind turbine tower height is 6 m, and 10 m where more energy is harvested. But the main problem at 10 m is that the system control needs more improvement because the wind speed exceeds 14 m/s which represents the maximum speed. The system can produce about 1.942 MW yearly and save CO2 emissions.
In Vivo Imaging of Exogenous Progenitor Cells in Tendon Regeneration via Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particles
Authors: Kremen Thomas J. , Bez Maxim , Sheyn Dmitriy , Ben-David Shiran , Da Xiaoyu , Tawackoli Wafa , Wagner Shawn , Gazit Dan , Pelled Gadi
Published: July 2019

Background:

Although tendon injuries and repairs are common, treatment of these injuries has limitations. The application of mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs) is increasingly used to optimize the biological process of tendon repair healing. However, clinically relevant technologies that effectively assess the localization of exogenous MPCs in vivo are lacking.

Hypothesis:

Exogenous MPCs labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) particles would allow monitoring of the localization and retention of cells within the site of implantation via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without negatively affecting cell survival or differentiation.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Genetically modified C3H10T1/2 MPCs engineered to express luciferase (Luc+) reporter gene were implanted into surgically created Achilles tendon defects of 10 athymic nude rats (Hsd:RH-Foxn1rnu). Of these animals, 5 animals received Luc+ C3H10T1/2 MPCs colabeled with SPIO nanoparticles (+SPIO). These 2 groups of animals then underwent optical imaging with quantification of bioluminescence and MRI at 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery. Statistical analysis was conducted by use of 2-way analysis of variance. At 28 days after surgery, animals were euthanized and the treated limbs underwent histologic analysis.

Results:

Optical imaging demonstrated that the implanted cells not only survived but also proliferated in vivo, and these cells remained viable for at least 4 weeks after implantation. In addition, SPIO labeling did not appear to affect MPC survival or proliferation, as assessed by quantitative bioluminescence imaging ( P > .05, n = 5). MRI demonstrated that SPIO labeling was an effective method to monitor cell localization, retention, and viability for at least 4 weeks after implantation. Histologic and immunofluorescence analyses of the repaired tendon defect sites demonstrated tenocyte-like labeled cells, suggesting that cell differentiation was not affected by labeling the cells with the SPIO nanoparticles.

Conclusion:

MRI of exogenous MPCs labeled with SPIO particles allows for effective in vivo assessments of cell localization and retention in the setting of tendon regeneration for at least 4 weeks after implantation. This SPIO labeling does not appear to impair cell survival, transgene expression, or differentiation.

Clinical Relevance:

SPIO labeling of MPCs appears to be safe for in vivo assessments of MPCs in tendon regeneration therapies and may be used for future clinical investigations of musculoskeletal regenerative medicine.
Historicizing Earthquake and Cyclones: Evolution of Geology and Cyclonology in Colonial India
Authors: Ghosh Tirthankar
Published: July 2019

The article elucidates the ideologies behind the colonial policy regarding the mitigation of earthquakes and cyclonic hazards in nineteenth- and twentieth-century India. Colonial encounters with the natural world of the Indian subcontinent had generated much discontent and uneasiness between the rulers and the ruled. There is no doubt that the environmental or natural policies of the colonial state were guided by economic interests, but in the cases of natural disasters like earthquakes and cyclones, these were unleashed in a more critical and dramatic way. The present article intends to critically examine the geological and cyclonological developments in colonial India as part of the disaster mitigation process and thereby explore the colonial attitude towards natural disasters. The economy and politics of disasters had evolved in the course of time in accordance with the shifting interests of colonial rulers. The article does not merely intend to deal with the ‘science’ of the disasters but delves into the historical evolution of geological and cyclonological study in colonial India.
The body in group analysis
Authors: Hadar Bracha
Published: July 2019

This article explores the history of the exclusion/inclusion of the body in group analytic theory and practice. At the same time, it aims to promote the subject of the body in the mind of group analysts. The main thesis of the article is that sitting in a circle, face-to-face, is a radical change in the transition Foulkes made from psychoanalysis to group analysis. The implications of this transition have not been explored, and in many cases, have been denied. The article describes the vicissitudes of relating group analysis to the body from the time of Foulkes and Anthony’s work until today.

The article claims that working with the body in the group demands that the conductor gives special attention to his/her own bodily sensations and feelings, while at the same time remaining cognizant of the fact that each of the participants is a person with a physical body in which their painful history is stored, and that they may be dissociated because of that embodied history. The thesis of the article is followed by a clinical example. The article ends with the conclusion that being in touch with one’s own body demands a lot of training.
Globalizing the savage: From stadial theory to a theory of luxury in late-18th-century Swedish discussions of Africa
Authors: Hodacs Hanna , Persson Mathias
Published: July 2019

This article examines the effects of globalization on changing notions of the ‘savage’. We compare discussions taking place in different contexts in the late 18th century concerning two Swedish scholars and travellers to Africa: Anders Sparrman (1748–1820), a naturalist and Linnaean disciple, and Carl Bernhard Wadström (1746–99), an engineer and economist. Both moved in Swedish Swedenborgian circles, and both became involved in the British abolitionist movement. Nevertheless, their images of African ‘Others’ diverged in crucial respects, reflecting differences in their ideological outlooks, institutional affiliations, and understandings of how the world was changing. More specifically, we argue that the perception of global change brought about by a new economic framework of production and consumption provides a key for reading and comparing Wadström’s and Sparrman’s texts. Comparing their divergent uses of ‘savagery’, the article also highlights the versatility of the savage as a tool for presenting distant parts of the world to a domestic audience.
Rethinking savagery: Slavery experiences and the role of emotions in Oldendorp’s mission ethnography
Authors: Van Gent Jacqueline
Published: July 2019

By the late 18th century, the Moravian mission project had grown into a global enterprise. Moravian missionaries’ personal and emotional engagements with the people they sought to convert impacted not only on their understanding of Christianity, but also caused them to rethink the nature of civilization and humanity in light of their frontier experiences. In this article I discuss the construction of ‘savagery’ in the mission ethnography of C. G. A. Oldendorp (1721–87). Oldendorp’s journey to slave-holding societies in the Danish West Indies, where Moravian missions had been established in the 1730s, and his own experiences of the violence of these societies had such an impact on him that his proto-ethnographic descriptions of all the inhabitants of the Danish West Indies – from slaves to slaveholders – broke with traditional representations of savagery. He suggested two different paths for emotional transformation: one for slaves, and another for slaveholders. His views aligned with those of the later abolitionists, yet he was writing sixty years before those movements first gained public momentum in Great Britain. In many ways, therefore, this early mission ethnography reshaped contemporary understandings of ‘savagery’. I consider how Oldendorp did this in relation to a Moravian theology of the heart and love of Christ, the emerging Scottish Enlightenment philosophy of ‘love of humanity’ and its use in colonial encounters between missionaries and local people, and especially the emotions that were provoked by the extreme violence of the slavery system in this colonial contact zone.
Conceptual design optimization of a wide-body commercial aircraft using a competitiveness model
Authors: Li Xiaoyong , Chai Xiao , Liu Hong
Published: July 2019

The conceptual design optimization of wide-body commercial aircraft is very challenging today. This paper deals with the conceptual design optimization problem of a next-cycle wide-body commercial aircraft, which has many similarities to the one being co-developed by China and Russia. The most difficult weaknesses are that the design requirements cannot be traded off during the conceptual design optimization process. To overcome this issue, a competitiveness model is built up for the wide-body commercial aircraft. The analytic hierarchy process is applied to formulate the competitiveness model, which is a multi-level evaluation model. The competiveness model includes three levels, i.e. target level, criteria level, and attributes level. The target level has an output, i.e. the competitiveness of the investigated aircraft, which serves as the single objective function in the conceptual design optimization problem. The criteria level includes four elements of economics, comfort, environmental impact, and adaptability. In addition, each criterion is further divided into more attributes, which are parameters obtained from the commercial aircraft conceptual design. By using the competitiveness model, the conceptual design optimization problem is converted into an unconstrained one that can be solved easily. Two optimizations with different judgment matrices for criteria level were performed. Compared with the baseline design candidate, the overall competitiveness of the optimal design for the optimization case 1 and case 2 increased by 9.28% and 11.51%, respectively, which benefits the designers and decision-makers.
Diabetes negatively impacts the ten-year survival rates of people living with HIV
Authors: Park Jungmin , Zuñiga Julie A , García Alexandra A
Published: July 2019

People living with HIV (PLWH) are dying of non-AIDS associated conditions, including type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the impact of diabetes and CKD on HIV survival rates is unknown. The purpose of this retrospective longitudinal study was to investigate the impact of diabetes and CKD on the survival rates of PLWH, using a secondary analysis of data from the Centers for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems ( N = 10,043 PLWH). The sample was divided into three comorbidity groups: HIV alone, HIV with diabetes, and HIV with diabetes and CKD. Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to examine survival rates; Cox regression was used to assess relationships between variables. Overall mean survival time was 19.7 years (95% CI, 19.57–19.8). For HIV alone ( n = 8266), the mortality rate was 3.6%; for HIV with diabetes ( n = 1720), mortality was almost three times higher (12.0%); and for HIV with diabetes and CKD ( n = 57), survival was less than three times higher (36.8%) than for HIV alone. Knowing that diabetes mellitus decreases survival rates, healthcare providers need to halt or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes by more aggressively assessing for prediabetes and treating it.
Chlamydia treatment failure after repeat courses of azithromycin and doxycycline
Authors: Sherrard Jackie , Jensen Jorgen S
Published: July 2019

A case is presented of a 22 year-old woman with genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection, which persisted for 8 months despite treatment with four 1g doses of azithromycin and both a 7-day and 14-day course of doxycycline. She denied any sexual contact during this time. Tests for other infections including extragenital sites were negative.
Effect of chain segment length on crystallization behaviors of poly(l-lactide-b-ethylene glycol-b-l-lactide) triblock copolymer
Authors: Gong Yongji , Song Weihua , Wu Yifan , Zhang Daohai , Liu Yufei , Zhao Qian , He Min , Chen Xiaolang
Published: July 2019

The poly(l-lactide-b-ethylene glycol-b-l-lactide) (PLLA-PEG-PLLA) triblock copolymers with different chain segment length are fabricated by ring-opening polymerization. The structure, molecular weight, and crystallization behaviors of the triblock copolymers are characterized by Fourier transform infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, gel permeation in chromatography, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). The results show that the increase of block length is beneficial to improve its crystallization. In addition, the triblock copolymer exhibits a double crystallization phenomenon. The POM results indicate that PEG and PLLA chains of the copolymer crystallize in their respective crystallization temperature regions. The growth rate of the PLLA spherocrystal decreases and the dendritic spherocrystals appear with increasing the PEG chain length when the PLLA chain of the copolymer is isothermal crystallized at 80°C and PLLA chain length is constant. The growth rate of the PEG spherocrystal decreases and the spherocrystal morphology changes little with increasing PLLA chain length when the PEG chain is isothermal crystallized at 25°C and the length of PEG chain remained unchanged.
Deep Learning-based Sentiment Analysis: Establishing Customer Dimension as the Lifeblood of Business Management
Authors: Agarwal Sonali
Published: July 2019

‘First mover advantage does not go to the first company that launches, it goes to the first company that scales’ (Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, ScaleIt, 2016 ). M. Andreesen defines scale-up as a company that has identified its product/market fit and has reached notable proofs of market traction (e.g., profitability, revenues, active users, registered users, market demand). It has been previously established that five interdependent core dimensions can be used to evaluate scale-up: customer, product, team, business model and financials. Most of the business failures result from falling apart of one or more of these dimensions with others.

We in our article discuss the ‘customer dimension’ as the essence of scaling up. For running a profitable business, it is crucial to evaluate customers’ reviews, like their perception and expectation from the product and services in terms of service quality, deliverables, staff and management practices and pricing. This will increase customer satisfaction which will further boost the demand and popularity of the brand and business. The customers today are very vocal in sharing their experiences through social media blogs, channels, review sites and so on. These experiences need to be decrypted by the management to understand the customer’s point of view, their apprehensions and expectations.

Sentiment analysis is one of the best ways to tap customer feedback. The usual way of analysis involves the bag of words model using ngrams. A more refined version is an ontology-based analysis. Research has also been done using the radial basis function kernel for support vector machines (SVMs) (for recognizing polarity of sentiments). Naïve Bayes algorithms have also been used in some sentiment studies along with linear kernel SVM classifiers. But we realized during the literature review that it is not enough to just classify the text into positive and negative or a few more categories. It is even more important to know which topics are being discussed by the customers, their intention behind the message and further the need to classify them as complaints, suggestions, appreciation or query and so on. Thus, we in our article discuss the solution to all these types of analyses using ‘deep sentiment analysis’. We discuss the case of a few current social topics and introduce ‘recurrent neural networks’ (RNNs) and ‘convolutional neural networks’ (CNNs) for sentiment and intent analysis.

These advanced analytical techniques will help in the ‘pivoting’ of businesses by taking desired actions such as improving product quality, improving quality of services and increasing quality checks in areas with maximum negative reviews. This eventually will help start-up ventures in improving customer experience and gradually help in the scaling of ventures.
The Nature of Exchange Rate Movements and Exchange Rate Exposure: The Bangladesh Case
Authors: Choi Sunghee , Salam Md. Abdus , Lee Ki-Dong
Published: July 2019

This article analyses whether the effect of exchange rate changes on firms’ returns, known as the ‘exchange rate exposure’ of firms, varies with the nature of exchange rate movements. Using Bangladesh as a case study, we identify multiple structural breakpoints in a Bangladesh exchange rate time series from January 1999 to June 2013, which allows us to divide the whole period into multiple sub-periods. By estimating the exchange rate exposure of non-financial Bangladeshi firms for each sub-period, we find that most firms are significantly exposed in the sub-period spanning May 2011 to June 2013, when movements in the exchange rate between the Bangladeshi taka and the US dollar are unprecedentedly turbulent. This finding is consistent when trade-weighted exchange rates are used. Our results suggest that corporate investors and policymakers in Bangladesh need to be aware of firms’ exchange rate risk when the taka–dollar exchange rate, as the primary indicator, moves significantly away from the previous patterns.
Semi-active control of smart porous structure for sound absorption enhancement
Authors: Kim Bo-Seung , Kwon Semin , Jeong Seongyoung , Park Junhong
Published: July 2019

For sound absorption of conventional porous materials, its noise-reducing ability in low frequencies is less than that in high frequency bands. A porous layer offers effective sound absorption when the thickness of layer is a quarter wavelength of the sound wave. Increasing the layer thickness is not an effective solution. Adjustment of rear air cavity volume for the porous medium has been used in practical applications to increase low frequency sound absorption. Noise reduction using only passive sound absorption characteristics is a challenge, especially when the operation conditions of noise source changes. In this study, we propose a smart porous material having noise reduction ability in the broad frequency band. We implement semi-active control by applying a magnetic reactive material to a porous medium. The smart foam proposed in this study reduced noise with adjustment of the magnitude and polarity of the magnetic field. Evaluation of its noise reduction performance is performed with the impedance tube method. Experiments are conducted for semi-active noise control of the proposed smart foam. The sound absorption characteristics are controlled efficiently with relatively low electric power consumption. A theoretical model to predict absorption characteristics is proposed using the transfer-matrix method, and its results show good agreement with measured behaviors.
Analysis of tension-tunable clamped–clamped piezoelectric beams for harvesting energy from wind and vibration
Authors: Chatterjee Punnag , Bryant Matthew
Published: July 2019

This article presents a nonlinear structural modeling framework to analyze a tensioned doubly clamped energy harvesting device. The device is investigated for energy harvesting under base excitation loading, where the structure undergoes bending motion and aerodynamic loading, where the structure undergoes combined bending–torsion motion. Transfer-matrix method for analyzing torsional motion is modified to include the effects of applied axial preload tension. The tension-modulated mode shapes and natural frequencies of the structure, obtained using transfer-matrix method, are found to be in good agreement with the results obtained using a commercially available Finite Element software. Under base excitation loading, it is shown that the effects of tension on electromechanical coupling and stiffness create competing influences on the power efficiency of the system. For aerodynamic loading, increasing preload tension increases the cut-in wind speed of the device. However, beyond the cut-in wind speed, with proper selection of the preload tension, the tensioned structure can produce an order of magnitude more power than the untensioned case at the same flow speed.
Creating a Meaningful Music Curriculum for Students With Disabilities
Authors: Draper Ellary A.
Published: July 2019

When teaching students with disabilities, it is important for music teachers to consider the functionality of the skills taught and learned beyond the music classroom. In special education, a curriculum centered on the life-long skills important for students to be independent in their communities is called a “functional curriculum.” Before considering how to adapt a traditional curriculum for students with disabilities, music teachers can used the ideas based in functional curriculum to develop a functional music curriculum, ensuring that both students with and without disabilities are learning the skills to engage in life-long music experiences.
Sclerosing Epithelioid Fibrosarcoma of the Bone With Rare EWSR1-CREB3L3 Translocation Driving Upregulation of the PI3K/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Shenoy Archana , Surrey Lea , Jain Payal , Foster Jessica , Straka Joshua , Resnick Adam , Waanders Angela , Luo Minjie , Li Marilyn , Kazahaya Ken , Bagatell Rochelle , Wojcik John , Pogoriler Jennifer
Published: July 2019

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF) is an uncommon neoplasm that rarely presents in bone. It is characterized by epithelioid cells arranged in nests and single-file cords within a sclerotic stromal background which may mimic neoplastic bone. SEF harbors an EWSR1 translocation, which may complicate its distinction from Ewing sarcoma in cases with histomorphologic overlap. We present a diagnostically challenging case of SEF in the mandible of a 16-year-old girl. Our experience highlights the lack of specificity of traditional morphology and EWSR1 break-apart fluorescent in situ hybridization. Open-ended RNA-based fusion gene testing coupled with MUC4 immunohistochemistry aided the eventual diagnosis in this case. Herein, we report the third case of SEF with EWSR1-CREB3L3 translocation and show that this fusion leads to aberrant upregulation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway in heterologous cell models.
Epstein-Barr Virus–Associated With Lymphoepithelial Carcinoma: A Rare Tumor of the Larynx
Authors: Monteiro Francisco , Baldaia Helena , Ribeiro Leandro , Sousa Manuel , Oliveira Pedro , Ferreira Edite , Almeida Mário Giesteira de , Condé Artur
Published: July 2019

Lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the larynx is a rare tumor, as this histological entity is mostly diagnosed in nasopharynx. However, it may be present in other non-nasopharyngeal sites and it is extremely rare in the larynx. The authors present a case of a 59-year-old man who presented to the Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Department complaining of a long-standing dysphonia, odynophagia, and dysphagia. The clinical examination revealed a laryngeal tumor involving the right epiglottis, right aryepiglottic fold, and ipsilateral false vocal fold. It presented with ispilateral neck lymph node extension. Multiple biopsies of the laryngeal lesion were performed under local anesthesia and the histological examination showed a poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. After discussing the case in a multidisciplinary tumor board, a total laryngectomy with a bilateral neck dissection was performed and the histological specimen showed a lymphoepithelial carcinoma. Although immunostaining with LMP-1 antibody was negative, in situ hybridization for Epstein-Barr virus was positive. He underwent adjuvant chemoradiation. He is now at 9-months follow-up period, with no evidence of disease. Lymphoepithelial carcinoma of the larynx is an extremely rare disease, with an aggressive pattern. Epstein-Barr virus–associated lymphoepithelial carcinoma has been exceptionally reported. A correct diagnosis and close collaboration with pathologist is crucial to achieve the best treatment strategy. We present this case to discuss the clinical and histology findings and the different therapeutic aspects of this uncommon histological subtype carcinoma.
The use of façade sun shading systems for the reduction of indoor and outdoor sound pressure levels
Authors: Fausti Patrizio , Secchi Simone , Zuccherini Martello Nicolò
Published: July 2019

External shading devices are widely used in recent buildings because they reduce the greenhouse effect due to the solar irradiation through transparent surfaces and the glare effects in interiors. The acoustic effects of these devices have not been well investigated in the literature. In this article, we use a bi-dimensional pressure acoustics finite element model of a shading device attached to a building façade, in frequency domain, to analyse the effects both in the indoor and in the outdoor environments. The finite element model was validated with experimental measurements carried out in a semi-anechoic chamber and then extended to an urban scale to evaluate the effect in the reduction of outdoor noise due to traffic. To improve the acoustic effect of the shading device, a sound absorbing material was added to the bottom side of each louvre. Results of the simulations show that external shading devices tend to increase the sound pressure level over the building façade, while the introduction of the sound absorbing material behind each louvre reduces this problem. The dependencies of the sound pressure level reduction to the geometrical factors of the shading device were investigated by means of the finite element model. The installation of louvres on a building façade can affect also the sound pressure level over a façade of a building placed 20 m away, across a road. In this article, both the effect over the façade of the opposite building and the effect over the urban area between the two buildings are analysed.
Coastal flooding and frontline health care services: challenges for flood risk resilience in the English health care system
Authors: Landeg Owen , Whitman Geoff , Walker-Springett Kate , Butler Catherine , Bone Angie , Kovats Sari
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Our objective was to assess the health care system impacts associated with the December 2013 east coast flooding in Boston, Lincolnshire, in order to gain an insight into the capacity of the health care sector to respond to high-impact weather.

Methods

Semistructured interviews were held with regional strategic decision makers and local service managers within 1 km of the recorded flood outline to ascertain their experiences, views and reflections concerning the event and its associated health impacts and disruption to health care services. A snowballing sampling technique was used to ensure the study had participants across a broad range of expertise. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data analysis was preformed using NVivo (v10) to apply a thematic coding and develop a framework of ideas.

Results

The results of this case study provide a vital insight into the health care disruption caused by flooding. All sectors of the health care system suffered disruption, which placed a strain on the whole system and reduced the capacity of the sector to respond to the health consequences of flooding and delivering routine health care. The formal recovery phase in Lincolnshire was stood-down on 4th February 2014. The results of this work indicate limitations in preparedness of the health care system for the reasonable worse-case scenario for an east coast surge event.

Conclusions

The health care sector appears to have limited capacity to respond to weather-related impacts and is therefore unprepared for the risks associated with a future changing climate. Further work is required to ensure that the health care system continues to review and learn from such events to increase climate resilience.
Raymond Williams and the politics of the commons: The performative quality of the intellectual
Authors: Stevenson Nick
Published: July 2019

The first part of this article seeks to return to some of the questions posed by Raymond Williams in respect of the critical role that could be played by art in the struggle for a world beyond capitalism. Here I defend the performativity of public intellectuals like Williams as he sought to reconnect ideas produced in the academy to social movements and artistic forms of production which remain necessary in the age of austerity and ecological fragility. Also I explore the art of the commons through an investigation of the cultural production of Raymond Williams and the more recent debates on the commons and neoliberalism.
Outcomes From the Multicenter Italian Registry on Primary Endovascular Treatment of Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease
Authors: Piffaretti Gabriele , Fargion Aaron Thomas , Dorigo Walter , Pulli Raffaele , Gattuso Andrea , Bush Ruth L. , Pratesi Carlo , Fontana Federico , Piacentino Filippo , Castelli Patrizio , Speziali Sara , Angiletta Domenico , Marinazzo Davide , Zacà Sergio , Grego Franco , Antonello Michele , Piazza Michele , Squizzato Francesco , Bellosta Raffaello , Pegorer Matteo , Ippoliti Arnaldo , Pratesi Giovanni , Citoni Gianluca , Benedetto Filippo , Pipitò Narayana , Derone Graziana , Ferri Michelangelo , Cumino Andrea , Suita Roberta , Gargiulo Mauro , Mascoli Chiara , Sonetto Alessia , Bracale Umberto M. , Turchino Davide
Published: July 2019

Purpose: To report the results of endovascular treatment of iliac and complex aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD) in a multicenter Italian registry. Materials and Methods: A retrospective, multicenter, observational cohort study analyzed 713 patients (mean age 68±10 years; 539 men) with isolated iliac and complex aortoiliac lesions treated with primary stenting between January 2015 and December 2017. Indications for treatment were claudication in 406 (57%) patients and critical limb ischemia in 307 (43%). According to the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus II (TASC) classification, the lesions were categorized as type A (104, 15%), type B (171, 24%), type C (170, 24%), and type D (268, 37%). Early (<30 days) endpoints included mortality, thrombosis, and major complications. Late major outcomes were primary and secondary patency and freedom from reintervention as estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis; estimates are given with the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Associations between baseline variables and primary patency were sought with multivariate analysis; the results are presented as the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI. Results: Technical success was achieved in 708 (99%) lesions; in-hospital mortality was 0.6% (n=4). The median follow-up was 11 months (range 0–42). The estimated primary patency rate was 96% (95% CI 94% to 97%) at 1 year and 94% (95% CI 91% to 96%) at 2 years. The estimated secondary patency was 99% (95% CI 97% to 99%) at 1 year and 98% (95% CI 95% to 99%) at 2 years. The estimated freedom from reintervention was 98% (95% CI 96% to 99%) at 1 year and 97% (95% CI 94% to 98.5%) at 2 years. Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the application of a covered stent was associated with an increased need for reintervention (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.74, p=0.005). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was associated with decreased primary patency (HR 3.7, 95% CI 1.25 to 10.8, p=0.018). Conclusion: Endovascular intervention with primary stent placement for aortoiliac occlusive disease achieved satisfactory 2-year patency regardless of the complexity of the lesion. Almost all TASC lesions should be considered for primary endovascular intervention if suitable.
ESport Superstars
Authors: Ward Michael R. , Harmon Alexander D.
Published: July 2019

We analyze the careers of Esports professional players. The Esport industry has been able to monetize growing spectator demand to offer tournament prize money amounting to US$113 million in 2017. A few hundred players, out of tens of thousands, earn enough to remain professional gamers exclusively. We examine three aspects of professional Esport player careers. First, a “superstar” effect leads to increases in the top prizes drawing amateurs into the professional ranks. Next, while age and experience affect player performance, player ability remains difficult to assess. Finally, career exits reflect a quick resolution regarding the uncertainty in player ability.
The Relationship Between School Administrator and Teacher Ratings of Classroom Practices and Student Achievement in High-Poverty Schools
Authors: Reddy Linda A. , Hua Anh N. , Dudek Christopher M. , Kettler Ryan , Arnold-Berkovits Ilona , Lekwa Adam , Crouse Kevin , Kurz Alexander , Hu Jiefang
Published: July 2019

This study examined the relationship of school administrator and teacher self-ratings of instructional and behavioral management practices to student growth on statewide achievement tests (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career [PARCC]). The study included 78 teachers and 1,594 students from fourth through eighth grades in nine high-poverty charter schools. Observation scores completed by school administrator and teacher self-ratings were collected on the Classroom Strategies Assessment System (CSAS), an observational assessment that reports outcomes as discrepancy scores: differences between recommended frequency and observed frequency of specific instructional and behavior management strategies for teachers. Correlations revealed negative relations between both informants’ discrepancy scores and PARCC growth scores, demonstrating that teachers with lower discrepancy scores tended to have students with greater PARCC growth scores. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed school administrator and teacher CSAS total discrepancy scores were related to student performance on PARCC mathematics, but not English Language Arts (ELA), and teachers’ CSAS Total discrepancy scores explained an additional 4.8% of variance in PARCC mathematics. Implications of findings for professional development and research are offered.
Low-Level Exposure to Arsenic in Drinking Water and Risk of Lung and Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-Analysis
Authors: Boffetta Paolo , Borron Claire
Published: July 2019

Background:

Exposure to high levels of arsenic in drinking water has been associated with an increased risk of lung and bladder cancer, but the presence of an increased risk at low levels is questionable.

Methods:

A systematic review and a dose–response meta-analysis were conducted on risk estimates of lung and bladder cancer for exposure to arsenic in drinking water up to 150 µg/L, using a 2-stage approach based on a random-effects model.

Results:

Five studies of lung cancer were identified; the meta-relative risk (RR) for an increase of 10 µg/L arsenic level was 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99-1.06; P heterogeneity = .05). The meta-analysis of bladder cancer included 8 studies; the meta-RR for an increase of 10 µg/L arsenic level was 1.02 (95% CI: 0.97-1.07, P heterogeneity = .01). Sensitivity analyses, including a 1-stage meta-regression, confirmed the main findings.

Conclusion:

This systematic review and meta-analysis provided evidence of a lack of an increased risk of lung and bladder cancer for exposure to arsenic in drinking water up to 150 µg/L, the highest concentration studied.