bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SGLT-2 Inhibitors in Heart Failure and Type-2 Diabetes: Hitting Two Birds with One Stone?
Authors: Santos-Ferreira Diogo , Gonçalves-Teixeira Pedro , Fontes-Carvalho Ricardo
Published: December 2019

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and heart failure (HF) have a tremendous impact worldwide, markedly reducing life-expectancy and quality of life. It is now known that each disease represents a risk factor for the other. Moreover, when they are combined, the prognosis is significantly worse. Until recently, these pathologies have been managed independently. However, their treatment paradigm is rapidly changing, with recent cardiovascular outcome trials showing that sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2i) are effective in the management of both diseases. This article explores the interactions between T2DM and HF and the concept of diabetic cardiomyopathy and summarizes recent data regarding the effects of SGLT-2i on HF hospitalization and the proposed pathophysiological mechanisms involved.
Whipple’s Disease: A Rare Cause of Malabsorption Syndrome
Authors: Cardoso Joana , Gomes Lídia , Santos Sandra , Moreira Hélder , Gomes Paula , Rua João , Fortuna Jorge
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Whipple’s disease is a rare, chronic, systemic disease caused by the actinomycete Tropheryma whipplei. Clinical manifestations vary widely depending on the affected system, the most common being the digestive tract. Case Presentation: The authors report the case of a 52-year-old man with malabsorption syndrome, diarrhea, marked weight loss, melanoderma, and visual and proprioception disorders. Periodic acid-Schiff staining of a proximal small bowel biopsy and peripheral-blood PCR identification of T. whipplei confirmed the disease. The patient was initially treated with intravenous ceftriaxone, followed by oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole with significant clinical improvement. Conclusions: This case is reported due to its rarity and the diagnostic challenge it presents. Although uncommon, Whipple’s disease should be considered as a differential diagnosis of malabsorption syndrome due to its systemic impact and possible treatment with targeted antibiotic therapy.
The Effects of Hyaluronic Acid on Traumatic Urethral Inflammation
Authors: Yıldızhan Mehmet , Dundar Mehmet , Demirci Buket , Çulhacı Nil
Published: December 2019

Purpose: This study investigated the possible beneficial effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) on traumatic urethral healing. Methods: A total of 40 adult male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: control, sham (serum physiologic; SF group), HA 1.8%, and HA 3%. A tiny hook was introduced and drawn at the 12 o’clock position into the urethra for the SF and HA groups to create a urethral inflammation model. Either SF or HA was applied intraurethrally for 5 consecutive days. After a 15-day follow-up period (21st day of the study), penile tissue was harvested and evaluated histopathologically. Results: None of the groups showed inflammation at the end of study. Pathological findings such as calcification, hemorrhage, and stenosis were observed in the wound healing and these findings were present in all trauma groups. A significant increase in tissue thickness was observed in the group treated with saline (p = 0.004). No statistically significant difference was found in the two groups receiving HA treatment compared to the SF group. Conclusion: These data suggest that HA does not provide a beneficial effect on the connective tissue repairment when it is applied locally during the acute period of urethral injury for 5 consecutive days. There is a need for further studies in which the duration of drug use is extended or the dosage is increased.
Impact of a Changing Population Structure and Clustering of Cancer in Prostate Cancer Patients Depending on a First-Degree Family History
Authors: Meissner Valentin Henri , Bittner Robert , Kron Martina , Schiele Stefan , Schulwitz Helga , Gschwend Jürgen Erich , Herkommer Kathleen
Published: December 2019

Introduction: In the last century, there have been major changes within the population structure in Germany. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a changing population structure on identification of familial prostate cancer (PCa), and to investigate how many and which types of other cancers have occurred in patients and their first-degree relatives. Materials and Methods: A total of 19,540 patients were evaluated in a prospectively collected PCa family database and divided into four birth cohorts: 1925–1934 (cohort A), 1935–1944 (cohort B), 1945–1954 (cohort C), and 1955–1964 (cohort D). Other primary cancers and cancers of first-degree relatives were evaluated. Results: The percentage of PCa patients with ≥2 sons declined (A: 28.9% to D: 21.6%). The percentage of patients whose fathers lived for ≥65 years increased (B: 64.2% to D: 73.0%). Malignancies of the skin, the urinary tract, and the lymphoid/hematopoietic tissue were more common in patients with a positive first-degree PCa family history and their first-degree relatives. Additionally, first-degree relatives reported more often neoplasms of respiratory/intrathoracic organs and the female breast. Conclusions: A small family size, an early deceased father, and a high number of sporadic cases complicate the identification of familial PCa patients. Thus, a detailed family history should also include unaffected first-degree relatives to avoid any misclassification. Findings of other primary cancers in patients and their relatives warrant further investigation.
Immunohistochemical Reactivity of Prostate-Specific Markers for Salivary Duct Carcinoma
Authors: Takada Nami , Nishida Haruto , Oyama Yuzo , Kusaba Takahiro , Kadowaki Hiroko , Arakane Motoki , Wada Junpei , Urabe Shogo , Daa Tsutomu
Published: December 2019

Objectives: NKX3.1, a transcription factor related to androgen expression, has recently been introduced as a diagnostic marker of prostate adenocarcinoma. Salivary duct carcinoma (SDC) is typically positive for androgen receptor (AR). Therefore, we hypothesized that NKX3.1 is a new immunohistochemical marker for SDC and aimed to investigate whether NKX3.1 staining in combination with other immunomarkers of prostate carcinoma could have a diagnostic or prognostic value in SDC. Methods: Materials obtained from 42 resected SDCs were examined by immunohistochemistry using antibodies against AR, NKX3.1, α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), and prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Results: In immunoreactivity among SDC cases, 81.0, 35.7, 58.5, 33.3, and 0% were positive for AR, NKX3.1, AMACR, PAP, and PSA, respectively. AMACR and PAP immunoreactivity rates were higher in recurrence cases than in cases with no recurrence. Conclusions: NKX3.1 expression is useful for SDC diagnosis, but decreased NKX3.1 expression was not correlated with SDC progression. The immunoreactivity of AMACR and PAP could be useful for assessing prognosis in SDC, but immunohistochemical staining of prostate-specific markers should be interpreted with caution when determining whether a metastatic tumor is of prostate origin, especially when patients have a history of SDC.
Race and Ethnicity Gaps in Global Hidradenitis Suppurativa Clinical Trials
Authors: Price Kyla N. , Hsiao Jennifer L. , Shi Vivian Y.
Published: December 2019

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is an often-debilitating disease characterized by chronic and recurrent painful nodules, abscesses, and sinus tracts affecting the intertriginous areas. Despite evidence in the literature of varying prevalence of HS among different racial and ethnic groups, no studies have evaluated the overall generalizability of clinical trial results considering the increased prevalence of HS among African American populations. Additionally, there is a paucity of data exploring the distribution of race and ethnicity in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for HS. The goal of this analysis is to explore the distribution of race and ethnicity in recent HS RCTs. Summary: Using ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed, race and ethnicity demographics were extracted from phase II and III trials published from 2000 to August 2019. Fifteen trials were included and among these trials 669 (68.0%) participants were Caucasian and 138 (14.0%) were of African descent. Asians, American Indian or Alaskan Natives, and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islanders comprised 29 (2.9%), 3 (0.3%), and 1 (0.1%) participant respectively. Only 15 participants were reported as Hispanic as only three trials reported ethnicity data. The remaining 144 (14.6%) participants were recorded as “other/unspecified” (36 self-identified, 108 lacked race reporting). None of the trials included sub-analysis of treatment efficacy based on race or ethnicity.
Genes Positively Selected in Domesticated Mammals Are Significantly Dysregulated in the Blood of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Benítez-Burraco Antonio
Published: December 2019

Human self-domestication (i.e., the presence of traits in our species that are commonly found in domesticated animals) has been hypothesized to have contributed to the emergence of many human-specific features, including aspects of our cognition and behavior. Signs of self-domestication have been claimed to be attenuated in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), this conceivably accounting for facets of their distinctive cognitive and behavioral profile, although this possibility needs to be properly tested. In this study, we have found that candidate genes for mammal domestication, but not for neural crest development and function, are significantly dysregulated in the blood of subjects with ASD. The set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) is enriched in biological and molecular processes, as well as in pathological phenotypes, of relevance for the etiology of ASD, like lipid metabolism, cell apoptosis, the activity of the insulin-like growth factor, gene expression regulation, skin/hair anomalies, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and hearing impairment. Moreover, among the DEGs, there are known candidates for ASD and/or genes involved in biological processes known to be affected in ASD. Our findings give support to the view that one important aspect of the etiopathogenesis of ASD is the abnormal manifestation of features of human self-domestication.
A Comparison of the Changes in Gestational Weight, Body Mass Index, and Serum Vitamin D Level in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Patients Complemented with Vitamin D in Contrast to Those Who Did Not Receive the Supplement: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials
Authors: Saha Sumanta , Saha Sujata
Published: December 2019

Aims: To date, it is largely unknown how body mass index (BMI), gestational weight (GW), and stored vitamin D (25(OH)D) levels change in the vitamin D-supplemented gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients, irrespective of their pre-pregnancy BMI. Therefore, to study this association, a prospective systematic review and meta-analysis protocol is proposed here. Methods: Primarily, different databases (PubMed, Embase and Scopus) will be searched (without any limitation to date or language) for randomised parallel-arm trials comparing GW, BMI and stored vitamin D level in the body among GDM patients who were supplemented and not supplemented with vitamin D, besides their conventional GDM care. The study selection process and the consecutive risk of bias assessment will adhere to the PRISMA 2009 flow chart and the Cochrane collaboration’s guideline, respectively. These interventions’ effect on the respective outcomes will be compared by meta-analysis (along with an assessment of the statistical heterogeneity) when comparable data will be available from at least 4 studies. Subgroup analysis and Egger’s meta-regression will follow if an adequate number of trials are available. Narrative reporting will be considered when a quantitative comparison is not feasible for any of the outcomes. Conclusion: The proposed review aims to compare the BMI, GW, and 25(OH)D levels in the blood between the vitamin D supplemented and not supplemented GDM patients.
Interstitial 4q Deletion Syndrome Including NR3C2 Causing Pseudohypoaldosteronism
Authors: Barone Pritchard Amanda , Ritter Alyssa , Kearney Hutton M. , Izumi Kosuke
Published: December 2019

Interstitial and terminal deletions of chromosome 4q have been described for many years and have variable phenotypes depending on the size of the deletion present. Clinical features can include developmental delay, growth difficulty, digital differences, dysmorphic features, and cardiac anomalies. Here, we present an infant with pseudohypoaldosteronism found to have a deletion of 4q31.21q31.23, including NR3C2. Heterozygous mutations in NR3C2 have been reported to cause autosomal dominant pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1A). This represents a rare case of PHA1A due to a contiguous interstitial deletion and highlights the importance of evaluating patients with overlapping deletions for PHA1A.
Simple Spectral Models for Atmospheric Radiative Cooling
Authors: Jeevanjee Nadir , Fueglistaler Stephan
Published: December 2019

Atmospheric radiative cooling is a fundamental aspect of Earth’s greenhouse effect, and is intrinsically connected to atmospheric motions. At the same time, basic aspects of longwave radiative cooling, such as its characteristic value of 2 K day−1, its sharp decline (or “kink”) in the upper troposphere, and the large values of CO2 cooling in the stratosphere, are difficult to understand intuitively or estimate with pencil and paper. Here we pursue such understanding by building simple spectral (rather than gray) models for clear-sky radiative cooling. We construct these models by combining the cooling-to-space approximation with simplified greenhouse gas spectroscopy and analytical expressions for optical depth, and we validate these simple models with line-by-line calculations. We find that cooling rates can be expressed as a product of the Planck function, a vertical emissivity gradient, and a characteristic spectral width derived from our simplified spectroscopy. This expression allows for a pencil-and-paper estimate of the 2 K day−1 tropospheric cooling rate, as well as an explanation of enhanced CO2 cooling rates in the stratosphere. We also link the upper-tropospheric kink in radiative cooling to the distribution of H2O absorption coefficients, and from this derive an analytical expression for the kink temperature Tkink ≈ 220 K. A further, ancillary result is that gray models fail to reproduce basic features of atmospheric radiative cooling.
Surface Solar Irradiance in Continental Shallow Cumulus Fields: Observations and Large-Eddy Simulation
Authors: Gristey Jake J. , Feingold Graham , Glenn Ian B. , Schmidt K. Sebastian , Chen Hong
Published: December 2019

This study examines shallow cumulus cloud fields and their surface shortwave radiative effects using large-eddy simulation (LES) along with observations across multiple days at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Southern Great Plains atmospheric observatory. Pronounced differences are found between probability density functions (PDFs) of downwelling surface solar irradiance derived from observations and LES one-dimensional (1D) online radiation calculations. The shape of the observed PDF is bimodal, which is only reproduced by offline three-dimensional (3D) radiative transfer calculations, demonstrating PDF bimodality as a 3D radiative signature of continental shallow cumuli. Local differences between 3D and 1D radiative transfer calculations of downwelling surface solar irradiance are, on average, larger than 150 W m−2 on one afternoon. The differences are substantially reduced when spatially averaged over the LES domain and temporally averaged over the diurnal cycle, but systematic 3D biases ranging from 2 to 8 W m−2 persist across different days. Covariations between the domain-averaged surface irradiance, framed as a surface cloud radiative effect, and the simulated cloud fraction are found to follow a consistent diurnal relationship, often exhibiting hysteresis. In contrast, observations show highly variable behavior. By subsampling the LES domain, it is shown that this is due to the limited sampling density of inherently 3D observations. These findings help to define observational requirements for detecting such relationships, provide valuable insight for evaluating weather and climate models against surface observations as they push to ever higher resolutions, and have important implications for future assessments of solar renewable energy potential.
Calibration and Cross Validation of Global Ocean Wind Speed Based on Scatterometer Observations
Authors: Ribal Agustinus , Young Ian R.
Published: December 2019

Global ocean wind speed observed from seven different scatterometers, namely, ERS-1, ERS-2, QuikSCAT, MetOp-A, OceanSat-2, MetOp-B, and Rapid Scatterometer (RapidScat) were calibrated against National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) data to form a consistent long-term database of wind speed and direction. Each scatterometer was calibrated independently against NDBC buoy data and then cross validation between scatterometers was performed. The total duration of all scatterometer data is approximately 27 years, from 1992 until 2018. For calibration purposes, only buoys that are greater than 50 km offshore were used. Moreover, only scatterometer data within 50 km of the buoy and for which the overpass occurred within 30 min of the buoy recording data were considered as a “matchup.” To carry out the calibration, reduced major axis (RMA) regression has been applied where the regression minimizes the size of the triangle formed by the vertical and horizontal offsets of the data point from the regression line and the line itself. Differences between scatterometer and buoy data as a function of time were investigated for long-term stability. In addition, cross validation between scatterometers and independent altimeters was also performed for consistency. The performance of the scatterometers at high wind speeds was examined against buoy and platform measurements using quantile–quantile (Q–Q) plots. Where necessary, corrections were applied to ensure scatterometer data agreed with the in situ wind speed for high wind speeds. The resulting combined dataset is believed to be unique, representing the first long-duration multimission scatterometer dataset consistently calibrated, validated and quality controlled.
A Computationally Efficient Linear Semi-Lagrangian Scheme for the Advection of Microphysical Variables in Cloud-Resolving Models
Authors: Gavze E. , Ilotoviz E. , Khain A.
Published: December 2019

An efficient semi-Lagrangian (SL) numerical scheme for the advection of positive-definite microphysical variables in cloud-resolving models is proposed. The scheme is a linear combination of SL schemes of the first and second order. The proposed scheme is compared with two high-order, monotonic, nonlinear Eulerian schemes, in two 2D tests. In the first test, advection of a positive scalar field with large gradients is performed within complicated idealized steering flows. In the second test, a hail storm is simulated using the 2D Hebrew University Cloud Model, describing the interactions between 15 size distributions of different microphysical quantities (each distribution is described by 43 mass bins). The proposed scheme is computationally efficient, has a low numerical diffusion and a high level of mass conservation accuracy, and preserves the sum of multiple advected variables as well as the linear relationships between the advected scalar variables. Although the proposed SL scheme is not exactly positive definite, the negative values and their number, which may appear only in the case of very strong gradients, are negligible. The scheme produces results similar to those of nonlinear Eulerian advection schemes while reducing computation time by approximately a factor of 10.
Observed Relationship between Tornado Intensity and Pretornadic Mesocyclone Characteristics
Authors: Sessa Michael F. , Trapp Robert J.
Published: December 2019

In a previous study, idealized model simulations of supercell thunderstorms were used to demonstrate support of the hypothesis that wide, intense tornadoes should form more readily out of wide, rotating updrafts. Observational data were used herein to test the generality of this hypothesis, especially to tornado-bearing convective morphologies such as quasi-linear convective systems (QLCSs), and within environments such as those found in the southeastern United States during boreal spring and autumn. A new radar dataset was assembled that focuses explicitly on the pretornadic characteristics of the mesocyclone, such as width and differential velocity: the pretornadic focus allows us to eliminate the effects of the tornado itself on the mesocyclone characteristics. GR2Analyst was used to manually analyze 102 tornadic events during the period 27 April 2011–1 May 2019. The corresponding tornadoes had damage (EF) ratings ranging from EF0 to EF5, and all were within 100 km of a WSR-88D. A key finding is that the linear regression between the mean, pretornadic mesocyclone width and the EF rating of the corresponding tornado yields a coefficient of determination (R2) value of 0.75. This linear relationship is higher for discrete (supercell) cases (R2 = 0.82), and lower for QLCS cases (R2 = 0.37). Overall, we have found that pretornadic mesocyclone width tends to be a persistent, relatively time-invariant characteristic that is a good predictor of potential tornado intensity. In contrast, the pretornadic mesocyclone intensity (differential velocity) tends to exhibit considerable time variability, and thus would offer less reliability in anticipating tornado intensity.
Short-Term Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasting from Satellite Imagery Based on the Deviation Angle Variance Technique
Authors: Hu Liang , Ritchie Elizabeth A. , Tyo J. Scott
Published: December 2019

The deviation angle variance (DAV) is a parameter that characterizes the level of organization of a cloud cluster compared with a perfectly axisymmetric tropical cyclone (TC) using satellite infrared (IR) imagery, and can be used to estimate the intensity of the TC. In this study, the DAV technique is further used to analyze the relationship between satellite imagery and TC future intensity over the North Atlantic basin. The results show that the DAV of the TC changes ahead of the TC intensity change, and this can be used to predict short-term TC intensity. The DAV-IR 24-h forecast is close to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) 24-h forecast, and the bias is lower than NHC and other methods during weakening periods. Furthermore, an improved TC intensity forecast is obtained by incorporating all four satellite bands. Using SST and TC latitude as the other two predictors in a linear regression model, the RMSE and MAE of the DAV 24-h forecast are 13.7 and 10.9 kt (1 kt ≈ 0.51 m s−1), respectively, and the skill space of the DAV is about 5.5% relative to the Statistical Hurricane Intensity Forecast model with inland decay (Decay-SHIFOR) during TC weakening periods. Considering the DAV is an independent intensity technique, it could potentially add value as a member of the suite of operational intensity forecast techniques, especially during TC weakening periods.
Standardized Entrance/Aptitude Testing in the Era of Foucault’s Panopticon: The Bilingual Student and the Minority Student
Authors: Khan Shana Sanam
Published: December 2019

Standardized testing is an applauded system of testing due to the uniformity that it offers. The idea is that in standardized testing, because every student is being asked exactly the same question and each question has only one specific answer, standardized examinations are neutral, value free, and exonerated from the subjectivity that an examiner or teacher may inhibit. The reality is far from it. Using a Foucauldian panoptic perspective and focusing on what is known as the aptitude or entrance examination, I argue that standardized examinations are designed in such a way that bilingual and minority students shall not score on par with their monolingual majority counterparts. The questions are designed in such a way that those students who code switch (due to bilingualism) are placed at a disadvantage. Similarly, the culture represented in the examination is White middle class, hence making the examination relatively more difficult for minority students.
Does Mind Wandering During the Thought Incubation Period Improve Creativity and Worsen Mood?
Authors: Yamaoka Akina , Yukawa Shintaro
Published: December 2019

Enhancing creative problem-solving is increasingly important in a modern globalized society. Previous research has shown that creative problem-solving can be improved if the mind is allowed to wander during time set aside from solving a problem, known as the incubation period. However, some research also suggests that mind wandering leads to negative affect. Our study aims to clarify the effect of mind wandering during the incubation stage on both creative problem-solving and mood while controlling for the effect of working memory capacity. Fifty-two students (both undergraduate and graduates) completed a working memory task and repeated a creative problem-solving task at intervals before and after an incubation period. At the end of the incubation period, we measured participants’ frequency of mind wandering and their moods. Results showed that the group with the higher frequency of mind wandering showed the most improvement in one indicator of creativity, flexibility, although this finding was not significant after adjusting for the other four facets. Moreover, our findings indicate that as creativity improved, more negative affect was generated. Our results suggest that mind wandering during the incubation stage could be used to generate more diverse ideas but also suggest that there is a risk attached. Further research should explore how specific features of mind wandering might improve creativity without generating negative affect.
Complicity, performance, and the ‘doing’ of sports coaching: An ethnomethodological study of work
Authors: Corsby Charles L.T. , Jones Robyn L.
Published: December 2019

Recent attempts to ‘decode’ the everyday actions of coaches have furthered the case for sports coaching as a detailed site of ‘work’. Adhering to Harold Garfinkel’s ethnomethodological project, the aim of this article is to deconstruct contextual actors’ interactions, paying specific attention to the conditions under which such behaviours occur. The article thus explores the dominant taken-for-granted social rules evident at Bayside Rovers Football F.C. (pseudonym), a semi-professional football club. A 10-month ethnomethodologically informed ethnography was used to observe, participate in and describe the Club’s everyday practices. The findings comprise two principal ‘codes’ through which the work of the Club was manifest: ‘to play well’ and ‘fitting-in’. In turn, Garfinkel’s writings are used as a ‘respecification’ of some fundamental aspects of coaches’ ‘unnoticed’ work and the social rules that guide them. The broader value of this article not only lies in its detailed presentation of a relatively underappreciated work context, but that the fine-grain analysis offered allows insightful abstraction to other more conventional forms of work, thus contributing to the broader interpretive project.
Book review: Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for Human Future at the New Frontier of Power
Authors: Khan Aasim
Published: December 2019

Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. London: Profile Books, 2019, 692 pp., ₹799, ISBN 978-1-7881-6316-3.
Rural Wealth and Prosperity Across Social Class in India
Authors: Deb Surajit
Published: December 2019

The sixth part of the Social Change Indicators series presents state-level data on rural wealth and prosperity, that is, the percentage of rural households with semi-medium and medium operational land holding, owning more dwelling rooms with pucca walls and roof, with registered non-agricultural enterprises, have access to short-term credit (Kisan Credit Card) and households with salaried jobs or paying income tax, all disaggregated across social classes.
Book review: Dhananjay Rai (Ed.), Politics: Essays in Tribute to Randhir Singh
Authors: Rana Hemaadri Singh
Published: December 2019

Dhananjay Rai (Ed.), Politics: Essays in Tribute to Randhir Singh. Delhi: Aakar Books, 2018, 383 pp., ₹995, ISBN: 9789350025321.
Book review: Deepak Mehta and Rahul Roy (Eds.), Violence and the Quest for Justice in South Asia
Authors: Chhetri Nilamber
Published: December 2019

Deepak Mehta and Rahul Roy (Eds.), Violence and the Quest for Justice in South Asia. New Delhi, SAGE Publications, 2018, 380 pp., ₹895, ISBN 9789352806539.
Lifestyles of the rich and faithful: Confronting classism in Christian mission
Authors: Tizon Al
Published: December 2019

Classism is collective prejudice formed into a system of inequality that is based on socioeconomic stratification; it is undergirded by embedded cultural narratives surrounding the poor, and then instituted by the powers that be at the expense of the poor. If Christian mission does not challenge classism, then it is complicit in it and thus undermines the work of the gospel. This article proposes an evaluative tool to help align personal lifestyles and organizational practices with an image of Christ among the classes.
Evaluation of chemiluminescent immunoassay quantitative detection for pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP) in serum and plasma
Authors: Cheng Yizhuang , He Jing , Zhang Liping , Chen Xiufa , Ou Saiying
Published: December 2019

Objective

To evaluate a newly developed Hybiome ProGRP chemiluminescent assay.

Methods

Analytical sensitivity, precision, recovery, and equivalency of serum and plasma, serum stability, and complement interference of the Hybiome ProGRP assay were evaluated. Serum specimens from 318 individuals including 38 small cell lung cancer (SCLC), 65 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), 53 benign lung diseases, and 162 healthy controls were assessed using the Hybiome ProGRP assay and Roche Elecsys ProGRP assay, and the results were compared.

Results

The Hybiome ProGRP assay showed good analytical sensitivity, precision, and accuracy, and it showed equivalence between serum and plasma and serum stability. The methodological comparison results showed good correlation between the Hybiome and Roche assays (slope, 0.9889; intercept, 1.28). Both the Hybiome and Roche assays showed good ability to distinguish between SCLC and NSCLC. Based on 95% specificity in the NSCLC cohort, a clinical differentiation cut-off for separating SCLC from NSCLC patients was 114 pg/mL for the Hybiome assay and 117 pg/mL for the Roche assay; the AUC was 0.9166 and the sensitivity was 71.05% for Hybiome and 0.9045 and 76.32% for Roche, respectively.

Conclusion

The Hybiome ProGRP chemiluminescent assay shows good analytical performance and good correlation with the Roche Elecsys ProGRP assay.
Contribution of intraganglionic CGRP to migraine-like responses in male and female rats
Authors: Araya Erika Ivanna , Turnes Joelle de Melo , Barroso Amanda Ribeiro , Chichorro Juliana Geremias
Published: December 2019

Objective

To evaluate whether intraganglionic calcitonin gene-related peptide induced differential migraine-like responses in male and female rats.

Methods

Calcitonin gene-related peptide was injected in the trigeminal ganglion of male and female rats followed by assessment of periorbital mechanical allodynia with von Frey hairs. The influence of systemic treatment with sumatriptan or intraganglionic treatment with minocycline and propentofylline was determined on the calcitonin gene-related peptide-induced mechanical allodynia in male and female rats. One additional group was exposed to an aversive light 24 h after calcitonin gene-related peptide priming, followed by evaluation of periorbital mechanical threshold, and another group was tested in the elevated-plus maze.

Results

Intraganglionar calcitonin gene-related peptide-induced periorbital mechanical allodynia in female (0.5 to 6 h) and male rats (0.5 to 4 h). Systemic sumatriptan briefly attenuated the mechanical allodynia, but intraganglionar minocycline or propentofylline injection was effective only in male rats. Calcitonin gene-related peptide induced photic sensitivity in female and male rats (lasting 4 h and 1 h, respectively), as well as anxiety-like behavior.

Conclusions

Intraganglionar calcitonin gene-related peptide may play a major role in migraine-like responses, including periorbital mechanical allodynia, light sensitivity and anxiety like-behavior. Female rats are likely to be more susceptible to calcitonin gene-related peptide effects and a better understanding of the sexual dimorphism in calcitonin gene-related peptide signaling may help to improve migraine therapy.
Parents as Gatekeepers? An Indirect Account on the Image of Vocational Education in Historical Context
Authors: Pantea Maria-Carmen
Published: December 2019

Vocational education and training (VET) is high on the European agenda. This article adds nuance to the policy ambition of “fixing” parents’ views on VET. It is based on extensive qualitative research in Romania, with over 250 young people. An unanticipated finding was the “absence” of parents from the young people’s accounts, along with a tendency by the teachers and employers to blame young people for having “unreasonable expectations.” This article explores the deeper structural reasons for the current state of “parental disengagement.” It links parents’ precarious working lives with young people’s sense of disillusionment and communist nostalgia.
Incomplete Cushing’s reflex in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Cho Sung-Min , Kilic Ahmet , Dodd-o Jeffrey M
Published: December 2019

We report a case of intracranial hypertension presenting with bradycardia as the only component of Cushing’s triad in a patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. A 41-year-old woman with recurrent driveline infections of HeartMate-II had sternotomy and debridement that was complicated by right ventricular failure requiring veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Patient was comatose and acute onset of bradycardia occurred without any change in blood pressure or respiration. Computed tomography of brain demonstrated an uncal herniation from diffuse cerebral edema. Acute onset of bradycardia in comatose patients may be the sole component of Cushing’s triad in laminar flow circulatory support.
Conceptions of Local Economic Development: Comparing Citizen and Local Official Attitudes
Authors: Reese Laura A. , Li Xiaomeng
Published: December 2019

This research compares citizen and local official attitudes about local barriers to, and assets that, facilitate local economic health and the underlying factors that lead to local fiscal distress. Using surveys of citizens and local government officials, the research indicates that both groups point to very traditional barriers to local economic growth as being important: lack of large employers, tax rates that are too high, and poor traditional infrastructure. While citizens and officials tend to see local economic distress emanating from the same causes, local officials are more likely to “blame” citizen opposition to attempts to increase revenues and the state for policies that negatively affect local governments. Citizens, on the other hand, are more likely to place blame on their local officials for corruption and mismanagement and for poor decisions regarding public employee pensions. The implications for local economic development policy are discussed.
The dynamic response of the bicycle rider’s body to vertical, fore-and-aft, and lateral perturbations
Authors: Dialynas Georgios , de Haan Jelle W , Schouten Alfred C , Happee Riender , Schwab Arend L
Published: December 2019

The objective of this study was to identify the dynamic response of the bicycle rider’s body during translational perturbations, in an effort to improve two-wheeler safety and comfort. A bicycle mock-up was equipped with sensors measuring three-dimensional seat and trunk accelerations and rider’s force responses at the seat, handlebars, and footpegs. The bicycle mock-up was driven by a hexapod motion platform that generated random noise perturbations in the range of 0–10 Hz. Twenty-four healthy male adults participated in this study. Responses are represented as frequency response functions capturing three-dimensional force interactions of the rider’s body at the seat, handlebars and footpegs in terms of apparent mass, and rider’s trunk motion (one-dimensional) as function of seat motion as seat-to-sternum transmissibility. Results showed that the vertical and longitudinal apparent mass for most of the bicycle interfaces followed the resonance of the seat-to-sternum transmissibility. A twice as high magnitude was observed at the resonance, although a more heavily damped system was apparent in the seat-to-sternum transmissibility. Resonant frequencies were considerably higher in the vertical direction compared to the longitudinal direction. Different dynamics were observed for the lateral measurements, where all magnitudes decreased after the base frequency, and no resonance was observed.
Initial position detection for Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm manipulator joint based on an improved high-frequency injection method
Authors: Lu Wenqi , Wu Di , Lin Jian , Lu Kaiyuan , Wang Dong , Ye Maoshen
Published: December 2019

Starting oscillation or slow response will occur if the initial position of the motor used in the Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm manipulator is not known. To obtain the initial position of the motor, an improved high-frequency injection method is proposed. First, a high-frequency rotating voltage signal is injected into the stationary coordinate system, and the initial position information is extracted by the heterodyne method. Second, an improved position tracking observer is proposed to estimate the rotor position. Taking the joint of a four-axis Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm as an object, a special position servo drive system is designed. The design principle, simulation analysis and experimental verification of the proposed method are presented, respectively. The results show that the initial position of the motor can be estimated by the proposed method, enabling high torque and fast start of the Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm manipulator.
Analysis of incensole acetate in Boswellia species by near infrared spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression and cross-validation by high-performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Rehman Najeeb Ur , Al-Shidhani Sulaiman , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Al-Rawahi Ahmed , Mabood Fazal , Al-Broumi Muhammed , Al-Azri Mohammed , Alam Tanveer , Hussain Javid
Published: December 2019

Incensole acetate (diterpenoid), macrocyclic cembrenoid, found in significant amounts in Boswellia papyrifera has been shown to cause anti-inflammatory, psychoactive, anxiolytic and anti-depressive effects. Boswellia is the main source of incensole acetate and therefore developing a reliable and fast method of its analysis is of high importance. Thin layer chromatography and near infrared spectroscopy coupled with partial least squares regression were used for a rapid quantification of incensole acetate in the resins of five Boswellia species. The findings showed that the acetylated fraction of Boswellia papyrifera resin (MeOH extract) yielded the maximum amount of incensole acetate (32.87%) followed by n-hexane (14.66%) and ethyl acetate (2.84%), while no incensole acetate was found in the resins from four other species. The results obtained by non-destructive NIR spectroscopy are in complete agreement with the results obtained by HPLC, suggesting that the two alternative methods provide fast quantitative analysis of incensole acetate in B. papyrifera.
Managing a Shariah-Compliant Capital Protected Fund through Turbulent Times
Authors: Ahmad Ferhana , Seyyed Fazal Jawad , Ashfaq Hafsa
Published: December 2019

The case examines the performance and challenges faced by the Meezan Capital Protected Fund (MCPF) ensuing from the global financial crisis of 2008. The MCPF launched in May 2008 was the first-ever Shariah-compliant capital protected fund (CPF) offered in Pakistan targeted at conservative investors seeking principal protection along with upside exposure to equities through Shariah-compliant products and securities. The case is based on the scenario, the fund manager, Farhan Lakhani, is facing in early July 2009 following the colossal decline in stock markets crushing investor confidence in the financial system. Unlike equity funds, which had experienced an unprecedented drop in value during this period, MCPF had not only preserved its capital but also managed to generate a small positive return of over 1 per cent in terms of net asset value. Farhan sets out to capitalize on the extraordinary opportunity created by the financial crisis for CPFs to carve out a permanent space among an assortment of funds to mitigate risk for investors with low-risk appetite. He has to carefully review and analyse some of the key strategic choices to enhance the fund’s returns to meet investor expectations as equity markets recover from their historic lows; share his recommendation with the investment committee in two days.
ISO 15926–based integration of process plant life-cycle information including maintenance activity
Authors: Kim Byung Chul , Kim Bongcheol , Park Sangjin , Teijgeler Hans , Mun Duhwan
Published: December 2019

Many organizations in different locations with different cultures and languages participate in the construction and operation of process plants. The data generated by each stakeholder involved in the plant life-cycle are closely related to each other. Therefore, it is important to link and integrate the various data created by each stakeholder. In this study, a method of integrating plant life-cycle data, including the equipment maintenance history, was proposed based on the International Organization for Standardization 15926 standard. To this end, a data model for integrating plant life-cycle data, including maintenance, was developed using the International Organization for Standardization 15926 standard. The proposed method was validated by developing a prototype system and performing experiments converting and visualizing life-cycle data, including maintenance history in the International Organization for Standardization 15926 format, using sample data from a refinery plant.
Benefits and Barriers to Collaboration and Co-Teaching: Examining Perspectives of Gifted Education Teachers and General Education Teachers
Authors: Mofield Emily L.
Published: December 2019

This article examines collaboration in the context of how gifted education teachers co-plan and co-teach with general education teachers. Perspectives of the benefits and barriers to collaboration are explored from gifted education teachers, gifted education administration, and general education teachers in one school district in the Southeast United States. Benefits include perceived growth in teacher competency to differentiate for students identified as gifted and growth in student learning; barriers include time constraints and perceived conflicting assumptions. The article highlights implications of the challenges and practical nature of implementing collaboration between gifted education teachers and general education teachers within the context of systemic change.
Enhancing the Identification of Commercial Sexual Exploitation Among a Population of High-Risk Youths Using Predictive Regularization Models
Authors: de Vries Ieke , Kafafian Matthew , Goggin Kelly , Bouchard Elizabeth , Goldfarb Susan , Farrell Amy
Published: December 2019

Despite an increasing awareness about the existence and harms of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), the identification of victims remains a challenge for practitioners, hindering their ability to provide appropriate services. Tools that gauge risk of CSEC support the identification of victims but are underdeveloped because most tools assess risk of CSEC within a general youth population. An understanding of what predicts actual CSEC victimizations among youths at higher risk of CSEC due to experiences of childhood adversities has been left unassessed. Research in this area is limited in part because traditional methods do not allow for an assessment of the unique impact of childhood adversities that tend to co-occur. To address these difficulties, the current study applied predictive regularization methods to identify the most decisive risk items for CSEC. Proximal risk of CSEC was assessed among 317 youths who were referred to a specialized program in the Northeast of the United States due to suspicion of CSEC. With an innovative methodological approach, this study seeks to prompt other scholars to examine risk utilizing novel techniques and provides a foundation for the development of concise tools that assess risk of CSEC among populations of youths at higher levels of risk.
Encapsulation of black pepper seed oil using maltodextrin and pea protein
Authors: Can Karaca Asli
Published: December 2019

The goal of this research was to determine the physicochemical and emulsifying properties of pea protein, gum arabic, and maltodextrin and to investigate their potential for stabilizing black pepper seed oil emulsions and acting as carrier materials for spray dried microcapsules. The moisture content and water activity of pea protein and maltodextrin (∼5.5 g/100 g and ∼0.22) were found to be significantly lower than that of gum arabic (11.5 g/100 g and 0.46) whereas the glass transition temperatures of pea protein and maltodextrin (∼99.4 ℃) was significantly higher than that of gum arabic (72 ℃). Pea protein showed the highest viscosity (53.8 mPa s), the lowest surface tension (42.5 mN/m), and interfacial tension (10.5 mN/m) among the biopolymer materials studied. A mixture design was employed to investigate the effect of biopolymer formulation on droplet size and creaming stability of black pepper seed oil emulsions. Stable emulsions with relatively smaller droplet size were spray dried to produce microcapsules. Spray dried black pepper seed oil microcapsules produced with 1% pea protein and 39% maltodextrin had low surface oil (∼0.8%) and high encapsulation efficiency (95%). The results of this study suggest that pea protein in combination with maltodextrin can be used as carrier materials in encapsulation of black pepper seed oil.