bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metallic bezoar in the gastrointestinal tract - case report
Authors: Oliveira Paula Souza Cruz de , Franco Renata Oliveira Melhem , Souza Maria Cristina Almeida de , Garcia Humberto José Portella
Published: August 2017

The purpose of this article is to describe a clinical case of relapsing metallic bezoar in the gastroinstestinal tract, observed in a psychiatric patient treated at the Hospital Universitario Sul Fluminense, located at city of Vassouras/ RJ. Bezoars are foreign bodies that impact the lumen of the digestive tract and are formed by the continued, prolonged and intentional ingestion of exotic materials or continuous use of medications. The bezoars may extend in continuity to the small intestine or could be presented as multiple masses detectable in any gut segment. By exploratory laparotomies, the metallic bodies in the gastric and intestinal region were removed. The patient evaded the Hospital and monitoring of the case by a multidisciplinary team was not possible
Lamivudine’s hypersensitivity in an HIV infected patient: case report
Authors: Valviesse Vitor R. G. A. , Pinho Leonardo I. de , Freitas Rodrigo F. , Varon Andrea G. , Lemos Alberto S.
Published: August 2017

Relevance: To report a case of hypersensitivity to lamivudine, a medicine that is considered safe and is indicated as part of the initial therapy for HIV infected patients. Comments: It is reported the evolution of an HIV patient who developed a drug eruption due to the following antirretroviral therapy: tenofovir, lamivudine and efavirenz. It initially was attributed to efavirenz, due to its higher incidence in these adverse reactions and it was replaced by fosamprenavir/ritonavir. In spite of the replacement, the patient developed Stevens-Johnson's Syndrome. She was hospitalized and began a new therapy with atazanavir/ritonavir, followed by zidovudine and lamivudine and presented a drug reaction with the last one, which was considered to be the responsible for the hypersensitivity
Socioeconomic and gestational determinants of birth weight of term infants
Authors: Moreira Mônica Évelim Figueiredo Horta , Silva Cristiane Leila , Freitas Ronilson Ferreira , Macêdo Mariana Souza , Lessa Angelina do Carmo
Published: August 2017

Objective: To identify the social and gestational factors associated with birth weight of full-term newborns. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2004 and July 2005. The information was obtained through the Statement of Live Birth and subsequent home visit after the child’s birth. Results: The mean birth weight in the sample was 3,146 (± 375 grams), and the incidence of low birth weight was 7.5%. In the multivariate analysis female children, maternal age less than 19 years, smoking during pregnancy and greater overcrowding in the home were associated with significantly lower mean birth weight. The most significant difference was seen among children whose mothers were smokers, with a mean birth weight less than 258grs compared to nonsmoking mothers (p = 0.001). Jointly, these factors accounted for 16% of the variation in birth weight. Conclusion: Greater investment in primary care is required, in an attempt to reduce the number of adolescent pregnancies and smoking during pregnancy, among other factors relevant to the health of the newborn
Basic features of panic disorder
Authors: Zuardi Antonio W.
Published: August 2017

The aim of this paper is to characterize the Panic Disorder (PD) with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment. PD is one of the anxiety disorders, characterized by recurrent panic attacks accompanied by a persistent preoccupation with additional attacks and maladaptive behavioral changes (American Psychiatric Association – DSM-V). Its etiology is not known, but should involve an interaction of genetic, developmental and environmental factors that result in changes in the functioning of some brain areas. The pharmacological treatment of choice is with the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which has a latency of 20 for 30 days for the beginning of the therapeutic effect
Ghana Trips Over the trips Agreement on Plant Breeders’ Rights
Authors: Manu Thaddeus
Published: August 2017

The premise under which the global Intellectual Property Right (ipr) system is validated has often focused on a traditional materialistic approach. While this seems to find legitimate support in economic reasoning, such a fundamental view also appears to contradict a related social norm claim, which dictates that society ought to be shaped by appropriate values rather than economic rubrics. Although Ghana is not a signatory member of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants Convention (upov Convention), there is explicit evidence that the Plant Breeders’ Rights (pbrs) Bill under consideration in the Ghanaian Parliament contains provisions modelled on the upov Act 1991 rather than the potentially flexible and effective sui generis system in trips. This paper aims to contribute to a recently active area of discussion on the topic by examining the consequences of stringent legislation on pbrs in the absence of adequate safeguard measures to protect the public interest. Consequently, the hypothesis of this paper rests on the argument that every system needs checks and balances and the legislative system is no exception. The conclusion is that Ghana should not ignore the effective sui generis system under trips for the pbrs modelled around the upov Convention because the latter does not entail adequate safeguard provisions and stands to devalue the public interest.
From Atrocity Crimes to Human Rights: Expanding the Focus of the Responsibility to Protect
Authors: Ainley Kirsten
Published: August 2017

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) was envisaged by its authors to encompass a wide range of human rights protections. In order to gain state support for the idea of the R2P, its focus was narrowed to the protection of populations from atrocity crimes. This article challenges the ‘atrocity lens’, arguing that the restricted focus is both practically and conceptually flawed. Practically, it has failed to inspire action in situations where there were good reasons to believe that atrocities were occurring. Conceptually, it has led to a counterproductive focus in R2P implementation on conflict and on particular actors within conflict. The article therefore explores the possibilities and implications of stretching the focus of R2P back to the broader vision found within the iciss report. It concludes that there are significant potential benefits to adopting a ‘human rights lens’ if states are willing to fulfil their pillars one and two responsibilities.
Value Propositions for Disruptive Technologies: Reconfiguration Tactics in the Case of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Bohnsack René , Pinkse Jonatan
Published: August 2017

Disruptive technologies tend to underperform on attributes that are considered as key attributes of incumbent technologies and require new value propositions to increase mainstream customer appeal. Yet, how do firms reconfigure their value proposition as a way to overcome the technological inferiority of disruptive technologies? This article conceptualizes and empirically investigates the process of value proposition reconfiguration. Based on evidence on the commercialization of electric vehicles, it explores the tactics firms use to reconfigure value propositions to increase market acceptance from mainstream customers. The article develops a framework showing three reconfiguration tactics: compensating, enhancing, and coupling tactics.
Neuromarketing: Inside the Mind of the Consumer
Authors: Hsu Ming
Published: August 2017

Managers today are under tremendous pressure to uncover factors driving customers’ attitudes and behavior. Unfortunately, traditional methods suffer from well-known limitations and have remained largely unchanged since their introduction decades ago. As a result, there is growing interest in brain-based approaches that may enable managers to directly probe customers’ underlying thoughts, feelings, and intentions. This article provides practical guidance to managers on using these tools, focusing on two distinct uses: validation of existing insights and generation of novel insights. Throughout, we emphasize that managers should see traditional and brain-based approaches as complements, rather than substitutes, in understanding customers.
Entering Conscious Consumer Markets: Toward a New Generation of Sustainability Strategies
Authors: Cohen Boyd , Muñoz Pablo
Published: August 2017

More than 40% of U.S. consumers participate in the $300 billion conscious consumer market (CCM). In the past decade, the growth of the CCM has not gone unnoticed by startups and established multinational corporations. Yet what differentiates success and failure of such forays is not fully understood. By using multi-case study design, this article explores how a range of firms have approached entry into the CCM. It develops a CCM Entry Strategies Matrix that suggests alternate market entry strategies dependent on the scope of the marketplace and the values of the target consumer segment.
Errors Using Observational Methods for Ergonomics Assessment in Real Practice
Authors: Diego-Mas Jose-Antonio , Alcaide-Marzal Jorge , Poveda-Bautista Rocio
Published: August 2017

Objective:

The degree in which practitioners use the observational methods for musculoskeletal disorder risks assessment correctly was evaluated.

Background:

Ergonomics assessment is a key issue for the prevention and reduction of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in workplaces. Observational assessment methods appear to be better matched to the needs of practitioners than direct measurement methods, and for this reason, they are the most widely used techniques in real work situations. Despite the simplicity of observational methods, those responsible for assessing risks using these techniques should have some experience and know-how in order to be able to use them correctly.

Method:

We analyzed 442 risk assessments of actual jobs carried out by 290 professionals from 20 countries to determine their reliability.

Results:

The results show that approximately 30% of the assessments performed by practitioners had errors. In 13% of the assessments, the errors were severe and completely invalidated the results of the evaluation.

Conclusion:

Despite the simplicity of observational method, approximately 1 out of 3 assessments conducted by practitioners in actual work situations do not adequately evaluate the level of potential musculoskeletal disorder risks.

Application:

This study reveals a problem that suggests greater effort is needed to ensure that practitioners possess better knowledge of the techniques used to assess work-related musculoskeletal disorder risks and that laws and regulations should be stricter as regards qualifications and skills required by professionals.
On estimating the impact of information spreading in a consumer market modeled by probabilistic cellular automata and ordinary differential equations
Authors: Schimit PHT , Barros Junior DF , Araújo SA
Published: August 2017

Individuals spread information about their lives, their career, and their recently purchased items. In addition, considering that the customer’s opinions may influence their friendship circle, neighbors, and work colleagues, they constitute a very important factor to consider in future actions of companies. In this paper, we present an approach based on probabilistic cellular automata and ordinary differential equations for modeling the consumer market, inspired by a biological system of an infectious disease-spreading model. However, instead of spreading a disease, consumers spread their opinion to other individuals, thereby having consequences on sales levels. Using marketing, the economic situation, and individual opinion as input variables of the consumer market model, simulation output (generated demand) is then used in the business game, helping the mediator (teacher) to create different scenarios and giving feedback to the student at simulation runtime, even if many players are involved in the game. Analytical and numerical simulations show that the proposed approach allows the teacher to create virtual markets for the players just by setting the parameters that describe a scenario, increasing the dynamism of the game, saving time, and allowing the mediator to focus on other important subjects, such as the teaching concepts of business strategies and decision support. Moreover, simulations are conducted to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model in real life problems, such as the electro-domestic market.
The Gendered Economics of Synchronized Retirement
Authors: Gustafson Per
Published: August 2017

Women generally receive lower pensions than men, and research on gender and pensions has identified a number of factors underlying this pattern. The present article examines one factor that has largely gone unnoticed—synchronized retirement. In most married couples, the husband is older than his wife, yet many couples prefer to retire together. At the same time, pension systems are increasingly designed to discourage early retirement and reward late retirement. If younger wives and older husbands tend to synchronize their retirement, this may reinforce gendered income inequalities among older persons. Analyses of register data on Swedish married couples provide empirical support for this argument. Comparisons of their pre- and postretirement incomes show that women who synchronized retirement with their husbands had, in relative terms, lower postretirement incomes than other women, whereas men who synchronized had higher postretirement incomes than other men.
Emergency department presentations of people who are homeless: The role of occupational therapy
Authors: Lloyd Chris , Hilder Joanne , Williams Philip Lee
Published: August 2017

Introduction

This project had two aims: to gain an understanding of the profile and expressed needs of people seen by the Homeless Emergency Department Liaison Officer in the emergency department in comparison to general hospital presentations, and to explore the potential role for occupational therapy to respond to this population.

Method

The Emergency Department Information Systems database and Homeless Emergency Department Liaison Officer files were examined to gather data on all individuals who presented to the hospital emergency department over a 16-month period. The viability of a discipline-specific role to respond to this population was then considered by senior occupational therapists.

Results

The results revealed that the majority of homeless people seen were male and in the early middle age group, with more than half arriving at the emergency department by way of ambulance services. The most common reasons for presentation were medical, mental health and drug- and alcohol-related issues.

Conclusion

It was found that a large percentage of people seen in the emergency department were discharged back to the streets. Senior occupational therapists have the potential to provide brief assessments and interventions that could reduce the ongoing demand on emergency department resources by people who are homeless.
Dynamic strength of adhesively bonded composite joints with similar and dissimilar assembled adherends
Authors: He Boling , Ge Dongyun
Published: August 2017

The effect of similar versus dissimilar assembled adherends, on the dynamic strength of single-lap, adhesively bonded composite joints is investigated. The assembled adherend materials include titanium, aluminum and composite. To this end, split Hopkins pressure bar is used to assess the strength of the joints at high loading rates. The tests show that the dynamic strength of the joints is influenced by the assembled adherend material stiffness, and the highest strength is achieved when using high stiffness adherend materials. Numerical results conclude that the increase in the stiffness of the assembled adherend material alleviates the stress concentration and promotes a more uniform distribution of stresses in the adhesive. The results of this study indicate that the selection of assembled adherend material should be accounted for while designing adhesively bonded composite joints.
Outpaced by events: Our ageing law of the sea
Authors: Nyman Elizabeth
Published: August 2017

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was completed in 1982, after nearly 10 years of negotiation. It was an important accomplishment for standardizing international maritime law, which had been in chaos as the older regime of the ‘freedom of the seas’ failed to keep pace with changing technology and time. But even as UNCLOS heralded a new era of maritime law, it too was out of date almost upon completion. Hijackings, terrorism, piracy and technological innovation all exposed cracks in the omnibus treaty, and the international maritime world has been struggling to keep up ever since. New treaties and new policies attempted to mend these gaps, but just as UNCLOS failed to solve all the problems of the weakening ‘freedom of the seas’ doctrine, so too have these measures foundered in their effort to keep pace with a changing world.
The birth of the legend: The odyssey of the cruiser Emden as presented by German daily newspapers, 1914–1915
Authors: Suchoples Jarosław
Published: August 2017

From August to early November 1914, the effectiveness of a lone German commerce-raider, the light cruiser Emden eventually brought the bulk of Allied cargo-shipping in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean to a virtual halt, thus hampering their war effort in Europe. Although the Emden was finally destroyed at the battle of the Cocos Islands, the press were able to continue the story relating the daring escape of some of her crew. The escapees got away from Direction Island in the Cocos in a requisitioned sailing schooner, the Ayesha. What followed were several months of dangerous and arduous progress first through the Indian Ocean, then through Arabia, finally reaching Constantinople and thence to Germany. Theirs was the only German military unit that returned home from overseas and their story was a gift for German propagandists. Scanning the contemporary German newspapers it becomes clear that they were determined to make the most of this story. It was about German seafarers whose courage and chivalrous attitude towards their enemies should be publicly recognised. It was likewise appreciated by the British. During 1914 and 1915, the German daily press kept the public regularly informed about the Emden whenever there was any news. The legend steadily grew to become a permanent and indisputably positive element of the German collective memory and military tradition. Because the news only came intermittently it became all the more exciting for their readers to follow. The press material is stored as a collection of clippings in the Federal Archive (Bundesarchiv) in Berlin, which clearly shows how the narrative unfolded. It was soon taken up by the German propaganda machine to boost the morale of the German people. Reading the articles it is clear that the editors seized upon this as a story of heroic deeds, allowing them to present their countrymen as super-men who proved the superiority of the German fighting man.
Path dependence and change in the Spanish port system in the long run (1880–2014): An historical perspective
Authors: Castillo Daniel , Valdaliso Jesus M.
Published: August 2017

The aim of this article is to describe and explain the evolution of the Spanish port system and its main ports over the long run. Building on the literature on path dependence and port evolution, we set up an analytical framework with three broad driving factors – economic, technological and institutional – in order to explain path dependence and change in the ranking of the largest Spanish ports. The port system shows a trend towards de-concentration between 1880 and 1990, mainly due to the decline of former leading ports in the first half of the twentieth century and by the appearance of emergent ones in the second half of that century. Besides, there is a small club of leading ports that have managed to maintain themselves among the top ten throughout this period.
What Counts as an Apology? Exploring Stakeholder Perceptions in a Hypothetical Organizational Crisis
Authors: Bentley Joshua M.
Published: August 2017

Many scholars have studied the role of organizational apologies in crisis communication, but they have defined and operationalized apologies inconsistently. This study uses a grounded theory approach to explore what constitutes an effective organizational apology from the perspective of organizational stakeholders. One hundred participants were asked to imagine being the victims of a data breach at an online retailer and to write the kind of apology they would like to receive from the organization. One hundred more participants were asked to write suggestion lists for how the organization could make its apology effective. These data were analyzed using a constant comparative method. Fifteen apology elements were identified and organized along two dimensions: (a) whether the element involved primarily words or behavior and (b) whether the element focused on fixing the problem or rebuilding relationships. Based on the data, these elements must be combined to make an apology effective with stakeholders.
The Mismeasurement of Mind: Life-Span Changes in Paired-Associate-Learning Scores Reflect the “Cost” of Learning, Not Cognitive Decline
Authors: Ramscar Michael , Sun Ching Chu , Hendrix Peter , Baayen Harald
Published: August 2017

The age-related declines observed in scores on paired-associate-learning (PAL) tests are widely taken as support for the idea that human cognitive capacities decline across the life span. In a computational simulation, we showed that the patterns of change in PAL scores are actually predicted by the models that formalize the associative learning process in other areas of behavioral and neuroscientific research. These models also predict that manipulating language exposure can reproduce the experience-related performance differences erroneously attributed to age-related decline in age-matched adults. Consistent with this, results showed that older bilinguals outperformed native speakers in a German PAL test, an advantage that increased with age. These analyses and results show that age-related PAL performance changes reflect the predictable effects of learning on the associability of test items, and indicate that failing to control for these effects is distorting the understanding of cognitive and brain development in adulthood.
Associative Learning of Social Value in Dynamic Groups
Authors: FeldmanHall Oriel , Dunsmoor Joseph E. , Kroes Marijn C. W. , Lackovic Sandra , Phelps Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2017

Although humans live in societies that regularly demand engaging with multiple people simultaneously, little is known about social learning in group settings. In two experiments, we combined a Pavlovian learning framework with dyadic economic games to test whether blocking mechanisms support value-based social learning in the gain (altruistic dictators) and loss (greedy robbers) domains. Subjects first learned about an altruistic dictator, who subsequently made altruistic splits collectively with a partner. Results revealed that because the presence of the dictator already predicted the outcome, subjects did not learn to associate value with the partner. This social blocking effect was not observed in the loss domain: A kind robber’s partner, who could steal all the subjects’ money but stole little, acquired highly positive value—which biased subjects’ subsequent behavior. These findings reveal how Pavlovian mechanisms support efficient social learning, while also demonstrating that violations of social expectations can attenuate how readily these mechanisms are recruited.
Charcot–Leyden crystals: do they exist in veterinary species? A case report and literature review
Authors: Choi Eunju , Miller Andrew D. , Devenish Elizabeth , Asakawa Makoto , McConkey Marina , Peters-Kennedy Jeanine
Published: August 2017

The Charcot–Leyden crystal (CLC) is a major human eosinophil protein that readily crystallizes; these crystals are common in eosinophilic diseases. Although anecdotal existence of these crystals is known in veterinary pathology, definitive reports do not exist, to our knowledge. We identified eosinophilic crystals in a laryngeal myxosarcoma from a 2-y-old, spayed female, Labrador Retriever dog that were tentatively interpreted as CLCs. However, Ziehl–Neelsen acid-fast stain was negative, arguing against CLCs. The crystals stained red with Masson trichrome, precluding collagen. Periodic acid–Schiff and alcian blue were negative. The crystals stained positively with Okajima, and no myoglobin immunoreactivity was detected, supporting their identity as hemoglobin crystals. In the absence of a hematologic abnormality, these crystals were interpreted to be abnormal hemoglobin breakdown products. Protein sequence comparison was pursued to determine whether a protein similar to CLC exists in mammals. Only 3 nonhuman primate species, the Sumatran orangutan ( Pongo abelii), rhesus macaque ( Macaca mulatta), and cynomolgus monkey ( Macaca fascicularis), had a sequence similarity of >80%. Of the crystal-forming residues, 12 of 54 (22%) were different in the Sumatran orangutan and 15 of 54 (28%) were different in the Macaca spp., which may affect the crystallization process. The lack of reports of CLCs in nonhuman species and our results collectively suggest that CLCs are human-specific.
A numerical and experimental investigation on passive piezoelectric shunt damping of mistuned blisks
Authors: Mokrani B , Preumont A
Published: August 2017

In a previous study, we proposed a method for the damping of rotationally periodic structures, when a specific mode with n nodal diameters is targeted. The proposed method considers 4 n lead zirconate titanate patches (or a multiple of) which can be, either, shunted independently on 4 n identical resistor–inductor circuits, or mounted in two parallel loops and shunted on only two resistor–inductor circuits. Both configurations offer the same performance; however, the parallel configuration requires only two inductors and it is aimed to reduce the demand on inductors; it works actually like a spatial filter and assumes a perfectly symmetric structure with harmonic mode shapes in the circumferential direction. The study presented in this article is aimed at evaluating the proposed damping technique in the presence of blade mistuning. In the first part, the parallel and the independent configurations are compared numerically on a set of mistuned bladed drums with controlled level of mistuning. In the second part, the parallel and the independent shunts are implemented experimentally on a mistuned bladed drum mock-up. For the considered mock-up, the numerical results show that for moderate levels of mistuning, the parallel shunt performs almost like the independent shunt, while the experimental results confirm this fact.
Global loss of myelin water over 5 years in multiple sclerosis normal-appearing white matter
Authors: Vavasour Irene M , Huijskens Sophie C , Li David KB , Traboulsee Anthony L , Mädler Burkhard , Kolind Shannon H , Rauscher Alexander , Moore GR Wayne , MacKay Alex L , Laule Cornelia
Published: August 2017

Background:

Reduced myelin water fraction (MWF, a marker for myelin), increased geometric mean T2 (ieGMT2, reflecting intra/extracellular water properties), and increased T1 (related to total water content) have been observed in cross-sectional studies of multiple sclerosis (MS) normal-appearing white matter (NAWM).

Objective:

To assess longitudinal changes of magnetic resonance (MR) measures in relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) brain NAWM.

Methods:

A total of 11 subjects with RRMS and 4 controls were scanned on a 3T MRI at baseline and long-term follow-up (LTFU; 3.2–5.8 years) with a 32-echo T2 relaxation and an inversion recovery T1 sequence. For every voxel, MWF, ieGMT2, and T1 were obtained. Mean, peak height, and peak location from NAWM mask-based histograms were determined.

Results:

In MS subjects, NAWM MWF mean decreased by 8% ( p = 0.0016). No longitudinal changes were measured in T1 or ieGMT2. There was no relationship between change in any MR metric and change in EDSS. Control white matter showed no differences over time in any metric.

Conclusion:

The decreases we observed in MWF suggest that changes in myelin integrity and loss of myelin may be occurring diffusely and over long time periods in the MS brain. The timescale of these changes indicates that chronic, progressive myelin damage is an evolving process occurring over many years.
Evaluation: Discursive practice or communicative action?
Authors: Picciotto Robert
Published: August 2017

Public trust in expert analysis is at all-time low. Vivid claims unconstrained by fact checking dominate public policy. In this operating environment is evaluation obsolete? To help rebut this proposition, this article examines the relationship between information, knowledge, and politics through two contrasting philosophical lenses. First, Michel Foucault’s discursive practice model: rather than pursuing truth, power is intent to capture evaluation, shape knowledge and engage in linguistic opportunism to enhance its authority to monitor, sanction and punish. Jurgen Habermas’ communicative action approach is the antidote to this state of affairs: it challenges the power structure, celebrates democratic deliberation, promotes evaluation independence and highlights ethical concerns and the public interest.
Using online mining techniques to inform formative evaluations: An analysis of YouTube video comments about chronic pain
Authors: Bicquelet Aude
Published: August 2017

Despite the growing body of research analysing information posted on social media, very few studies have focused on how ‘naturally occurring data’ could inform formative evaluations in health research. This article argues that exploratory data-mining techniques such as descending hierarchical classification, cluster and correspondence analysis could usefully be employed either as stand-alone or mixed methods in the design of needs assessments on health-related issues. To this end, the article reports on the application of text mining techniques to analyse YouTube video comments on chronic pain. The article finds that online forums such as YouTube are packed with information difficult to obtain through traditional research techniques where social desirability and fear of judgement may influence what people are willing to say. It argues that insights gained from social media research could provide important substantive information for health practitioners.
Using process tracing to evaluate unique events: The case of EXPO Milano 2015
Authors: Busetti Simone , Dente Bruno
Published: August 2017

In the social sciences, there is an emerging interest in process tracing as a method for improving rigour and transparency in within-case inferences. Recently, the method has been proposed as a possible enhancement of theory-based approaches to evaluation, but applications of the method remain rare. In an attempt to fill this gap, process tracing was used to evaluate the Universal Exposition held in Milano in 2015 (EXPO2015). Mega-events of this kind are perfect candidates for ‘testing’ the method; although their effects have been widely discussed in the relevant literature, claims about the causal contribution of mega-events are not straightforward, and a number of ambiguities complicate any clear assessment of their consequences. Two in-depth case studies of projects related to EXPO2015 – the East External Highway and Refettorio Ambrosiano – demonstrate the advantages and feasibility of process tracing and of the application of Bayesian logic to evidence search, collection and assessment. In particular, case study results show that Bayesian scrutiny may reveal unexpected weakness in apparently obvious inferences and increase reliability in assessing less straightforward causal attributions.
Patient involvement 2.0: Experience-based co-design supported by action research
Authors: Gustavsson Susanne MK , Andersson Thomas
Published: August 2017

Strong professionals who influence the development of healthcare services have dominated healthcare organizations for many years. However, this dominance has been challenged recently through patient involvement. One method of achieving patient involvement is experience-based co-design (EBCD), in which patients and healthcare professionals work together to improve care. Patient involvement has considerable potential, but also presents certain challenges. This article addresses these challenges using experiences from patients and healthcare professionals who participated in two action research projects that aimed to improve patient experienced quality using EBCD in pediatric care. The paper shows that patient involvement in quality improvements can challenge the traditional roles of professionals and patients by new roles as co-designers. The role as co-designer embraces new perspectives for healthcare professionals that force them to step out of their comfort zone. Accordingly, healthcare professionals are able to view patients as equal partners in improvement work. Reflecting dialogues during the projects offered eye-opening stories for patients and healthcare professionals that enabled them to construct a common picture of care. The contribution of this study is strengthening earlier research that argues that an action research approach can strengthen important values for successful EBCD projects: equal partnerships, new roles, and dialogue. The findings show that the combination of EBCD and action research is a promising approach to address the challenges of patient involvement in healthcare improvement.
Affective Flexibility: Relations to Expressive Flexibility, Feedback, and Depression
Authors: Zhu Zhuoying , Bonanno George A.
Published: August 2017

Theory and research on emotion regulation have shifted from emphasizing the adaptiveness of specific strategies to flexible regulation. Studies on the modulation of emotional expression, or expressive flexibility (EF), have demonstrated a close link between flexibility and psychological adjustment. The present study extended this line of research to the modulation of subjective emotional experience. We developed the affective flexibility (AF) task, which measures individual differences in the ability to up-regulate and down-regulate subjective feeling. We examined relations between AF and EF tasks, and how each task related to feedback and depression. Performance on the two tasks was moderately correlated. Feedback did not modulate task performance, but there was an overall improvement in AF over time. Improvement in AF abilities were incrementally associated with lower depression. Specifically, after controlling for change in expressive abilities, improvements in up-regulation and down-regulation of affect were each significantly inversely associated with depression.
In Conversation with Sam
Authors: Shivji Issa G.
Published: August 2017

This article raises four issues which were very dear to Sam. All are, in a sense, classical questions, very commonly debated among Marxists, but need to continue to be address anew, in concrete situations. The first is the category of ‘the peasant’, in its analytical and empirical dimensions; the second is the relationship between the peasant question and the national question; the third is the form and character of accumulation in the agrarian sector; and the fourth relates to social agency for transformation and forms of its organization. These issues are raised somewhat tentatively, in order to contribute to the ongoing debate.
Transtibial Versus Anteromedial Portal ACL Reconstruction: Is a Hybrid Approach the Best?
Authors: Jennings Jonathan K. , Leas Daniel P. , Fleischli James E. , D’Alessandro Donald F. , Peindl Richard D. , Piasecki Dana P.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Improved biomechanical and clinical outcomes are seen when the femoral tunnels of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are placed in the center of the femoral insertion. The transtibial (TT) technique has been shown to be less capable of this than an anteromedial (AM) portal approach but is more familiar to surgeons and less technically challenging. A hybrid transtibial (HTT) technique using medial portal guidance of a transtibial guide wire without knee hyperflexion may offer anatomic tunnel placement while maintaining the relative ease of a TT technique.

Purpose:

To evaluate the anatomic and biomechanical performance of the HTT technique compared with TT and AM approaches.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Thirty-six paired, fresh-frozen human knees were used. Twenty-four knees (12 pairs) underwent all 3 techniques (TT, AM, HTT) for femoral tunnel placement, with direct measurement of femoral insertional overlap and femoral tunnel length. The remaining 12 knees (6 pairs) underwent completed reconstructions to evaluate graft anisometry and tunnel orientation, with each technique performed in 4 specimens and tested using motion sensors with a quad-load induced model. Graft length changes and graft/femoral tunnel angle were measured at varying degrees of flexion.

Results:

Percentage overlap of the femoral insertion averaged 37.0% ± 28.6% for TT, 93.9% ± 5.6% for HTT, and 79.7% ± 7.7% for AM, with HTT significantly greater than both TT ( P = .007) and AM ( P = .001) approaches. Graft length change during knee flexion (anisometry) was 30.1% for HTT, 12.8% for AM, and 8.5% for TT. When compared with the TT approach, HTT constructs exhibited comparable graft–femoral tunnel angulation (TT, 150° ± 3° vs HTT, 142° ± 2.3°; P < .001) and length (TT, 42.6 ± 2.8 mm vs HTT, 38.5 ± 2.0 mm; P = .12), while AM portal tunnels were significantly shorter (31.6 ± 1.6 mm; P = .001) and more angulated (121° ± 6.5°; P < .001).

Conclusion:

The HTT technique avoids hyperflexion and maintains femoral tunnel orientation and length, similar to the TT technique, but simultaneously achieves anatomic graft positioning.

Clinical Relevance:

The HTT technique offers an anatomic alternative to an AM portal approach while maintaining the technical advantages of a traditional TT reconstruction.
Epileptic Negative Myoclonus as the First and Only Symptom in a Challenging Diagnosis of Benign Epilepsy With Centrotemporal Spikes
Authors: Chen Jing , Zheng Guo , Guo Hu , Lu Xiaopeng , Wu Chunfeng , Wang Xiaoyu , Tao Wei
Published: August 2017

Objective:

To investigate the clinical and neurophysiological characteristics of epileptic negative myoclonus as the first and only ictal symptom of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes.

Methods:

Electrophysiological evaluations included polygraphic recordings with simultaneous video electroencephalogram monitoring and tests performed with patient’s upper limb outstretched in standing posture. Epileptic negative myoclonus manifestations, electrophysiological features, and responses to antiepileptic drugs were analyzed.

Results:

The authors report 2 patients with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, who had epileptic negative myoclonus as the first and only seizure type. Video electroencephalogram monitoring results showed that their negative myoclonus seizures were emanating from the contralateral central and the parietal regions. Epileptic negative myoclonus was controlled by administration of valproate and levetiracetam.

Conclusion:

Epileptic negative myoclonus can be the first and only seizure type of benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, and long-term follow-up monitoring should be the care for the recurrence and/or presence of other types of seizures.
Akt/FoxM1 signaling pathway-mediated upregulation of MYBL2 promotes progression of human glioma
Authors: Zhang Xue , LV Qiao-Li , Huang Yuan-Tao , Zhang Li-Hua , Zhou Hong-Hao
Published: August 2017

Background

MYB-related protein B (B-MYB/MYBL2), a member of the myeloblastosis family of transcription factors, has been reported for its role in the genesis and progression of tumors. Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1), another transcriptional factor, is considered to be an independent predictor of poor survival in many solid cancers. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical significance of the correlation between MYBL2 and FoxM1 in glioma and the possible mechanism of FoxM1and MYBL2 expression.

Methods

MYBL2 and FoxM1expression in cancerous tissues and cell lines were determined by reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunostaining. The co-expression of MYBL2 and FoxM1 was analyzed in low-grade glioma (LGG) and glioblastoma (HGG) cohorts of TCGA using cBioportal and UCSC Xena. And, the role of MYBL2 and FoxM1 in glioma cell progression and the underlying mechanisms were studied by using small interfering RNA (si-RNA) and pcDNA3.1 + HAvectors. Furthermore, the effects of MYBL2 and FoxM1 in cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and adhesion were determined by cell proliferation assays, flow cytometry analysis, transwell migration and cell adhesion assay.

Results

MYBL2 and FoxM1 expression are significantly associated with clinical stages and overall survival of glioma patients. In cohorts of TCGA, patients with high MYBL2 but without radio-chemotherapy had the highest hazard ratio (adjusted HR = 5.29, 95% CI = 1.475–18.969, P < 0.05). Meanwhile, MYBL2 closely related to the FoxM1 expression in 79 glioma tissues (r = 0.742, p < 0.05) and LGG (r = 0.83) and HGG (r = 0.74) cohorts of TCGA. Down regulation of FoxM1 and MYBL2 by siRNAs induced the cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and EMT of glioma cells. Furthermore, inactivations of Akt/FoxM1 signaling by Akt inhibitor and siRNA-FoxM1 reduce the expression of MYBL2 in glioma cells.

Conclusions

MYBL2 is a key downstream factor of Akt/FoxM1 signaling to promote progression of human glioma, and could be a new candidate gene for molecular targeting therapy and biomarker for radiotherapy of glioma.

Trial registration

CTXY-1300041-3-2. ChiCTR-COC-15006186. Registered date: 13 September 2013.
Joint acoustic full-waveform inversion of crosshole seismic and ground-penetrating radar data in the frequency domain
Authors: Feng Xuan , Ren Qianci , Liu Cai , Zhang Xuebing
Published: August 2017

Integrating crosshole ground-penetrating radar (GPR) with seismic methods is an efficient way to reduce the uncertainty and ambiguity of data interpretation in shallow geophysical investigations. We have developed a new approach for joint full-waveform inversion (FWI) of crosshole seismic and GPR data in the frequency domain to improve the inversion results of both FWI methods. In a joint objective function, three geophysical parameters (P-wave velocity, permittivity, and conductivity) are effectively connected by three weighted cross-gradient terms that enforce the structural similarity between parameter models. Simulation of acoustic seismic and scalar electromagnetic problems is implemented using 2D finite-difference frequency-domain methods, and the inverse problems of seismic FWI and GPR FWI are solved using a matrix-free truncated Newton algorithm. The joint inversion procedure is performed in several hierarchical frequencies, and the three parameter models are sequentially inverted at each frequency. The joint FWI approach is illustrated using three numerical examples. The results indicate that the joint FWI approach can effectively enhance the structural similarity among the models, modify the structure of each model, and improve the accuracy of inversion results compared with those of individual FWI approaches. Moreover, joint inversion can reduce the trade-off between permittivity and conductivity in GPR FWI, leading to an improved conductivity model in which artifacts are significantly decreased.
First as Tragedy, Second as Farce: Heartfield's Photomontages and the Engaged Viewer
Authors: Nikolic Misa
Published: August 2017

Apart from the work of Eduard Fuchs, there has been little Marxist scholarship on caricature and satire. This is a glaring omission, especially in light of the work of John Heartfield, whose photomontages were viewed across the political spectrum as well as across class boundaries. To discover how Heartfield's photomontages interpellate their subject as a politically engaged viewer, this article investigates the mechanisms by which satire addresses its audience, how it communicates its message, and to what degree we might judge its effectiveness as a means of persuasion. A Benjaminian analysis of the Verfremdungseffekt produced by montage, the alienating distanciation of unexpected juxtapositions, contributes to the construction of a true dialectical image of satire, which allows us to plot the oppositional axes of satire and to extrapolate the characteristics of other forms of mass persuasion such as state propaganda. In this way we can trace how mass persuasion results in political action.
The Truth of Modern Society? Critical Theory and Fascism
Authors: Breuer Stefan
Published: August 2017

The article discusses the contributions of the Frankfurt School (Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Herbert Marcuse, and Erich Fromm) to a theory of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s, after the Institute for Social Research had moved to the United States. The discussion concentrates on the economic and psychoanalytic aspects and concludes that Critical Theory remained too close to traditional Marxism to generate more profound insights into the nature of fascism, especially with regard to its political features.
Sound Biopolitics: Modernist Music and Degeneration in the Wilhelmine Empire
Authors: Gentry Jonathan
Published: August 2017

After the success of Richard Strauss's Salome, the German music world devolved into bitter arguments about the degeneration of both music and society. Simultaneously, Germany's constitutional crisis over imperial wars generated new nationalist coalitions and racist politics to combat revolutionaries. This article demonstrates the shared contours of crisis across music and politics, specifically placing Salome in an imperial context and showing the role of German biopolitics in the repression of modernist music. Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow oversaw a shift from positive to negative biopolitics, which sought to improve national health by removing unhealthy opposition. Both the structures of imperialism and the specter of degeneration should be credited with a pre-Nazi merger of sovereignty and biopolitics, which affected aesthetics no less than eugenics. Modernist music in the vein of Strauss became pathologized and policed by critics, conductors, and state authorities, as composers lost their freedom of expression and exposure to the public.