bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bias Correction of Zero-Inflated RCM Precipitation Fields: A Copula-Based Scheme for Both Mean and Extreme Conditions
Authors: Maity Rajib , Suman Mayank , Laux Patrick , Kunstmann Harald
Published: February 2019

Changes in extreme precipitation due to climate change often require the application of methods to bias correct simulated atmospheric fields, including extremes. Most existing bias correction techniques (i) only focus on the bias in the mean value or on the extreme values separately, and (ii) exclude zero values from analysis, even though their presence is significant in daily precipitation. We developed a copula-based bias correction scheme that is suitable for zero-inflated daily precipitation data to correct the bias in mean as well as in extreme precipitation at any specific statistical quantile. In considering the whole of Germany as a test bed, the proposed scheme is found to work well across the entire study area, including the German Alpine regions. The joint distribution between observed and regional climate model (RCM)-derived precipitation is developed through copulas. In particular, the joint distribution is modified to make it discrete at zero in order to account for zero values. The benefit of considering zero precipitation values is revealed through the improved performance of bias correction both in the mean and extreme values. Second, the quantile that best captures the bias (whether in the mean or any extreme value) is determined for a specific location and varies spatially and seasonally. This relaxation in selecting the location-specific optimal quantile renders the proposed methodology spatially transferable. By acknowledging possible changes in extreme precipitation due to climate change, the proposed scheme is expected to be suitable for climate change impact assessments for extreme events worldwide.
‘His Life Rose With Him’—John 21 and the Resurrection of Jesus
Authors: O’Collins Gerald
Published: February 2019

The history of Jesus as portrayed in the Fourth Gospel, not least his relationship with Peter and the Beloved Disciple and his role as light and life of the world, rose with him in the final Easter episode (Ch. 21). The questioning style of Jesus and the love exhibited and commanded by him also rose again in that resurrection narrative. Further themes from the history of Jesus, such as meals, the Eucharist, martyrdom, testimony, and truth, also find their place in the account of the risen Jesus.
A Quantitative Self-Assessment of Seminarians’ Response to a Curriculum Addition on Marriage, Sexuality, FertilityCare, and Naprotechnology: The Kenrick–Glennon Experience (2006–2015)
Authors: Daly K. Diane , Richárd Edward , Hilgers Thomas W.
Published: February 2019

A special course on Marriage, the Family and Human Sexuality was established at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis so as to assist the seminarians in their better understanding of the Church’s teaching relative to natural methods of family planning and women’s health care. This article compares the response at the beginning of this three-credit semester course to the same seven-item questionnaire given at the conclusion of the course. The pre- and postcourse scores were calculated for each of the questions. The scores obtained after the course were all significantly higher than they were before the course with p values ranging from 0.01 to <0.0001. Four of the items showed marked improvement including an understanding of the church’s teaching related to natural methods, current methods of natural family planning, the impact of a natural method on a couple’s marriage, and also the impact of a natural method on family life. Statistically significant improvement was also seen in their understanding of the topic of natural family planning and the Creighton Model System and its relevance toward the seminarian’s vocation, the use of the methods to either achieve or avoid pregnancy, and how contraception and abortion are linked. In these last three items, the level of statistical significance was quite high, although not as high as the other four items. There were 104 seminarians over an eight-year period of time, who provided answers to these questions, both before and after the course. This course was modeled after a course that was initiated at the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction, which was for priests, seminarians, and Catholic leaders, titled Love & Life Unlimited.

Nontechnical Summary:

This is an evaluation of a ten-point, seven-question questionnaire that was utilized at the beginning of a course at Kenrick Seminary in Marriage, Sexuality, Creighton Model and NaProTECHNOLOGY. The same questionnaire was given to the students at the beginning of the course and then two to three months later at the conclusion of the three-credit course. The results show that there is a significant improvement in the seminarians’ knowledge and general attitude about natural methods of family planning and suggests that such courses would be beneficial to establish in seminaries throughout the country.
Image retrieval of wool fabric. Part I: Based on low-level texture features
Authors: Zhang Ning , Xiang Jun , Wang Lei , Gao Weidong , Pan Ruru
Published: February 2019

With huge and ever-growing products in the factory, image retrieval can help the worker retrieve the same, or similar, existing products rapidly and accurately to guide production. In this paper, an effective method based on Fourier transform and local binary pattern is proposed to improve the retrieval efficiency of wool fabric. After capturing the fabric image, histogram equalization was implemented on the value of the Hue, Saturation, Value (HSV) mode to enhance the contrast. Subsequently, Fourier transform together with local binary pattern operator were performed to obtain the frequency spectrum and the local binary pattern, respectively. Each frequency spectrum was divided into 22 rings with the same width, and the standard deviation of the frequencies in each ring was calculated as a Fourier feature. Distinct output values of each local binary pattern were counted and normalized as local binary pattern features. Finally, Euclidean distance was adopted to measure the similarity based on the Fourier feature and local binary pattern feature. Twenty thousand wool fabric images were captured to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method. Experimental results indicate that the framework is effective and superior for image retrieval of wool fabric, providing referential assistance for the worker in the factory and improving retrieval efficiency.
Gilles Deleuze’s Philosophy of Nature: System and Method in What is Philosophy?
Authors: Schönher Mathias
Published: February 2019

For its elliptical style, What is Philosophy? appears to be fragmentary and inscrutable, and its reception has been correspondingly contentious. Following an intimation by Gilles Deleuze himself, this article proposes that his final book, written in collaboration with Félix Guattari, contains a philosophy of nature. To address this proposition, the article begins by outlining the comprehensive system of nature set out in What is Philosophy?, defining it as an open system in motion that conjoins philosophy with the historical preconditions and intersects it with science and art. The article then addresses the precise method whereby the philosopher as an individual subject, emerging from nature, can succeed in becoming creative – that is, in creating concepts to bring forth new events. Finally, the brain turns out to be the pivot between the system and this method. What is Philosophy? thus presents an account of the brain based on a theory of the three specific planes of philosophy, science and art, and uses it to expand upon the idea of assemblage for a philosophy of nature.
Is interferential current effective in the management of pain, range of motion, and edema following total knee arthroplasty surgery? A randomized double-blind controlled trial
Authors: Kadı Mehmet Resul , Hepgüler Simin , Atamaz Funda Calıs , Dede Emine , Aydoğdu Semih , Aktuglu Kemal , Ozkayın Nadir , Ozturk Cihat
Published: February 2019

Objective:

To investigate the effectiveness of interferential current implementation following total knee arthroplasty surgery.

Design:

Double-blind randomized controlled study.

Setting:

Orthopedics and traumatology in-patient clinic.

Participants:

From an initial enrollment of 132 patients, 113 who met the study inclusion criteria were randomly separated into two groups: the interferential current group ( n = 57) and the sham current group ( n = 56). A total of 98 patients completed the study: 49 in the interferential current group and 49 in the sham group.

Intervention:

Patients in the interferential current group received interferential current treatment for 30 minutes, twice a day for five days postoperatively. For the patients in the sham interferential current treatment group, the same pads were applied to the patients for the same time periods but no electrical stimulation was applied.

Main outcome measures:

Patients were assessed in respect of pain, range of motion (ROM), edema, and the amount of paracetamol used at baseline and on the 5th and 30th days after surgery.

Results:

No significant difference was determined between the groups in respect of pain, ROM, and edema at days 0, 5, and 30. At the end of the 5th day, the amount of paracetamol used was significantly lower in the interferential current group ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

In this study, both groups showed significant improvements in pain, ROM, and edema with no significant difference between the groups. Although there was a significant difference in paracetamol intake of the two groups, this cannot be argued as showing the effectiveness of interferential current.
Predicting outcomes following holistic breathlessness services: A pooled analysis of individual patient data
Authors: Brighton Lisa Jane , Gao Wei , Farquhar Morag , Booth Sara , Bajwah Sabrina , Man William D-C , Reilly Charles C , Yi Deokhee , Higginson Irene J , Maddocks Matthew
Published: February 2019

Background:

Holistic breathlessness services have been developed for people with advanced disease and chronic breathlessness, leading to improved psychological aspects of breathlessness and health. The extent to which patient characteristics influence outcomes is unclear.

Aim:

To identify patient characteristics predicting outcomes of mastery and distress due to breathlessness following holistic breathlessness services.

Design:

Secondary analysis of pooled individual patient data from three clinical trials. Our primary analysis assessed predictors of clinically important improvements in Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire mastery scores (+0.5 point), and our secondary analysis predictors of improvements in Numerical Rating Scale distress due to breathlessness (−1 point). Variables significantly related to improvement in univariate models were considered in separate backwards stepwise logistic regression models.

Participants:

The dataset comprised 259 participants (118 female; mean (standard deviation) age 69.2 (10.6) years) with primary diagnoses of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (49.8%), cancer (34.7%) and interstitial lung disease (10.4%).

Results:

Controlling for age, sex and trial, baseline mastery remained the only significant independent predictor of improvement in mastery (odds ratio 0.57, 95% confidence intervals 0.43–0.74; p < 0.001), and baseline distress remained the only significant predictor of improvement in distress (odds ratio 1.64; 95% confidence intervals 1.35–2.03; p < 0.001). Baseline lung function, breathlessness severity, health status, mild anxiety and depression, and diagnosis did not predict outcomes.

Conclusions:

Outcomes of mastery and distress following holistic breathlessness services are influenced by baseline scores for these variables, and not by diagnosis, lung function or health status. Stratifying patients by levels of mastery and/or distress due to breathlessness appears appropriate for clinical trials and services.
Personalizing Second-Line Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Selection: Combining Network Meta-analysis, Individualized Risk, and Patient Preferences for Unified Decision Support
Authors: Choi Sung Eun , Berkowitz Seth A. , Yudkin John S. , Naci Huseyin , Basu Sanjay
Published: February 2019

Background. Personalizing medical treatment often requires practitioners to compare multiple treatment options, assess a patient’s unique risk and benefit from each option, and elicit a patient’s preferences around treatment. We integrated these 3 considerations into a decision-modeling framework for the selection of second-line glycemic therapy for type 2 diabetes. Methods. Based on multicriteria decision analysis, we developed a unified treatment decision support tool accounting for 3 factors: patient preferences, disease outcomes, and medication efficacy and safety profiles. By standardizing and multiplying these 3 factors, we calculated the ranking score for each medication. This approach was applied to determining second-line glycemic therapy by integrating 1) treatment efficacy and side-effect data from a network meta-analysis of 301 randomized trials ( N = 219,277), 2) validated risk equations for type 2 diabetes complications, and 3) patient preferences around treatment (e.g., to avoid daily glucose testing). Data from participants with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2003–2014, N = 1107) were used to explore variations in treatment recommendations and associated quality-adjusted life-years given different patient features. Results. Patients at the highest microvascular disease risk had glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists or basal insulin recommended as top choices, whereas those wanting to avoid an injected medication or daily glucose testing had sodium-glucose linked transporter 2 or dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors commonly recommended, and those with major cost concerns had sulfonylureas commonly recommended. By converting from the most common sulfonylurea treatment to the model-recommended treatment, NHANES participants were expected to save an average of 0.036 quality-adjusted life-years per person (about a half month) from 10 years of treatment. Conclusions. Models can help integrate meta-analytic treatment effect estimates with individualized risk calculations and preferences, to aid personalized treatment selection.
Holocene demographic fluctuations, climate and erosion in the Mediterranean: A meta data-analysis
Authors: Walsh Kevin , Berger Jean-François , Roberts C Neil , Vanniere Boris , Ghilardi Matthieu , Brown Antony G , Woodbridge Jessie , Lespez Laurent , Estrany Joan , Glais Arthur , Palmisano Alessio , Finné Martin , Verstraeten Gert
Published: February 2019

As part of the Changing the Face of the Mediterranean Project, we consider how human pressure and concomitant erosion has affected a range of Mediterranean landscapes between the Neolithic and, in some cases, the post-medieval period. Part of this assessment comprises an investigation of relationships among palaeodemographic data, evidence for vegetation change and some consideration of rapid climate change events. The erosion data include recent or hitherto unpublished work from the authors. Where possible, we consider summed probabilities of 14C dates as well as the first published synthesis of all known optically stimulated luminescence dated sequences. The results suggest that while there were some periods when erosion took place contemporaneously across a number of regions, possibly induced by climate changes, more often than not, we see a complex and heterogeneous interplay of demographic and environmental changes that result in a mixed pattern of erosional activity across the Mediterranean.
Collective Intelligence and Selecting the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments
Authors: Rogers Ryan , Strudler Keith , Baltaxe David
Published: February 2019

Every year millions of people fill out brackets, trying to accurately predict the outcome of the NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness tournament. This study examines how collective swarm intelligence might impact these choices in small groups. Rather than working by themselves, groups of people came together to combine their knowledge and opinions and pick brackets collectively. It is generally agreed that collective intelligence is effective in decision-making. However, how and why collective intelligence augments performance has not been totally agreed upon, and the theoretical explanations have been elusive. This study examines groups that are either highly dedicated or high in expertise to see whether they perform differently based on these dimensions.
The field-dependent viscoelastic and transient responses of plate-like carbonyl iron particle based magnetorheological greases
Authors: Mohamad Norzilawati , Mazlan Saiful Amri , Ubaidillah  , Choi Seung-Bok , Imaduddin Fitrian , Abdul Aziz Siti Aishah
Published: February 2019

The field-dependent viscoelastic and transient behaviours of plate-like-carbonyl-iron-particle-based magnetorheological greases are experimentally investigated in this study. The plate-like carbonyl-iron particles are made from spherical carbonyl-iron particles through a milling process using a rotary ball mill. Several samples of magnetorheological greases consisting of different weight percentages of plate-like carbonyl-iron particles are prepared. The surface microstructures and distributions of the plate-like carbonyl-iron particles in the grease are observed using various types of microscopic investigations. Subsequently, the viscoelastic and transient (dynamic) rheological properties of the plate-like carbonyl-iron particles are investigated using a commercial rheometer. The spherical carbonyl-iron particles are transformed into the flattened plate-like carbonyl-iron particles with a larger surface diameter. It is shown that the viscoelastic properties such as storage modulus and response time of the plate-like carbonyl-iron particles significantly depend on the shape and particle weight fraction. The findings reveal that the shape of the carbonyl-iron particles has a significant effect on the field-dependent behaviours. Thus, the results presented in this work provide very useful scientific contributions for devising appropriate applications utilizing the plate-like-carbonyl-iron-particle-based magnetorheological greases.
Working-Class Legislators and Perceptions of Representation in Latin America
Authors: Barnes Tiffany D. , Saxton Gregory W.
Published: February 2019

How does the near-exclusion of working-class citizens from legislatures affect citizens’ perceptions of representation? We argue that when groups of people are continually denied access to representation, citizens are less likely to believe that their interests are represented by the legislature. By contrast, more inclusive institutions that incorporate members of the working class foster support for representative bodies. Using a multilevel analysis of eighteen Latin American countries—a region plagued by disapproval of and disenchantment with representation—we find that greater inclusion of the working class is associated with better evaluations of legislative performance. These findings have important implications for strengthening democracy in Latin America, as they indicate that more diverse political institutions may be key to deepening citizens’ attachments to representative bodies.
Disentangling an Elusive Relationship: How Democratic Value Orientations Affect Political Trust in Different Regimes
Authors: Mauk Marlene
Published: February 2019

The question whether democratic values are on the rise or in decline has received much attention in political-culture research. Yet, few scholars have studied the consequences either of these trends has for political trust. Although political trust has long been attributed a central role for the functioning and stability of any political system, we still know little about the relationship between citizens’ value orientations and political trust. Recent advances have furthered the discussion by conceptualizing this relationship to be conditional on the respective country’s level of democracy; yet this literature does not take into account findings that demonstrate citizens rarely have an accurate grasp of their country’s democratic quality. Integrating the two strands of literature, this contribution suggests a relationship between democratic value orientations and political trust that is universally contingent on citizens’ perceptions of democratic quality. Testing this proposition for over one hundred democracies and autocracies, it finds that democratic value orientations decrease political trust whenever citizens perceive their regime’s democratic quality as lacking and increase political trust whenever citizens perceive their political regime as being of high democratic quality. In contrast, the actual level of democracy plays no role for the effect of democratic value orientations on political trust.
Bridging the Gaps: Transfer Between Scholarly Research and Newsrooms in Journalism Education—Toward an Evidence-Based Practice in an Age of Post-Truth and State of Flux
Authors: Meier Klaus , Schützeneder Jonas
Published: February 2019

Two boundaries impede an evidence-based perspective of journalism students and graduates on change, innovation, and epistemological problems of media reality: The separation of practical journalism training from scientific journalism research and the lack of transfer between academic research and newsrooms. The approach of this article bridges these gaps by making transfer projects a third pillar of journalism education. Based on projects from a master’s degree program, we show how—in an age of post-truth and state of flux in a developing digital journalism practice—students’ awareness of an evidence-based journalistic practice can be strengthened by research in and with newsrooms.
Uniqueness and Novelty in Phenomenological Inquiry
Authors: van Manen Michael A.
Published: February 2019

What distinguishes phenomenology as a method for human science inquiry? How does human science phenomenology share a common concern with phenomenological philosophy? Is phenomenology always, already innovative? In this article, I explore these questions through the example of antenatal ultrasound, the common medical practice of prenatal imaging to “look through” the pregnant body. An experiential account of antenatal ultrasound offers several potential topics for phenomenological reflection to reveal ultrasound imaging in its sociality, temporality, and diagnostic complexity. And this example shows how insights can ultimately be drawn from an engagement with descriptive experiential material as the ground for phenomenological reflection.
Rethinking Evaluation for Improved Health Outcomes: Implications for Remote Australia
Authors: Carey Timothy A. , Fauth James M. , Tremblay George C.
Published: February 2019

Despite enduring and unacceptable disparities in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians as well as people living in rural and remote locations, evidence indicates that health services are not routinely evaluated. This article describes an exploration of a context where evaluators and community partners have achieved considerable success in implementing and sustaining ongoing monitoring and evaluation for enhanced service effectiveness in rural and underserved communities of New Hampshire. The purpose of this project was to establish the principles supporting this success and to set the stage for future research investigating the applicability of these principles to the remote Australian context. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 people from different organizations and in different positions within those organizations. The results invite a reconsideration of the way in which evidence-based practice is conceptualized as well as the role of external evaluators. The study has important implications and recommendations for both policy and practice.
Predictive factors for patients receiving intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor for the treatment of diabetic macular edema
Authors: Carroll Robert M , Yu Yinxi , VanderBeek Brian L
Published: February 2019

Purpose:

To determine whether anemia and other demographic or laboratory “risk factors” impact anti-vascular endothelial growth factor treatment in diabetic macular edema patients.

Methods:

This is a retrospective, time-varying cohort study using a medical claims database to identify new diabetic macular edema patients who had received at least one intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor. Exclusion occurred for having <2 years in the plan prior to diabetic macular edema diagnosis, any history of proliferative retinopathy or any treatment that is used for diabetic macular edema. Covariates of interest were demographic characteristics, laboratory values, and clinical factors such as previous anti-vascular endothelial growth factor used, number of involved eyes, year of treatment, and time since last injection. Those variables that changed with time were assessed and updated at each visit. The main outcome measure was the odds of receiving treatment at any visit.

Results:

In total, 189 new diabetic macular edema patients with follow-up were analyzed, covering 729 visits with 543 (74.5%) receiving treatment. Univariate analysis showed that male gender (odds ratio: 0.54, 95% confidence interval: 0.32–0.91, p = 0.03), every week since last injection (odds ratio: 0.94, 95% confidence interval: 0.91–0.97, p = 0.001), and having two eyes affected (odds ratio: 2.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.10–3.97, p = 0.02) were associated with getting an injection. After multivariate analysis, only time since previous injection with every week that passed reduced the odds on having an injection at the next visit (odds ratio: 0.95, 95% confidence interval: 0.92–0.97, p < 0.001). Anemia was not associated with receiving an injection (odds ratio: 1.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.61–1.80, p = 0.86).

Conclusion:

This study used time-varying methodology to better identify which patients will likely need an injection at any one visit. While anemia was not found to impact injections, our results can aid future endeavors that may incorporate clinical visit information in developing a full prediction model to help make diabetic macular edema care more efficient.
Multimodal imaging evaluation of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium
Authors: Scupola Andrea , Grimaldi Gabriela , Sammarco Maria G , Sasso Paola , Marullo Michele , Blasi Maria A
Published: February 2019

Purpose:

Combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium is a rare benign tumor characterized by a variable combination of glial, vascular, and pigmented components. The purpose of our study was to analyze the features of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium on optical coherence tomography angiography.

Methods:

Small case series of two cases of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium with macular and optic nerve involvement, evaluated with multimodal imaging including optical coherence tomography, fluorescein angiography, and optical coherence tomography angiography.

Results:

On optical coherence tomography, combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium is characterized by disruption of the inner neurosensory retina and a variable degree of involvement of the external retina. Optical coherence tomography angiography showed diffuse alterations of the retinal vessels of the superficial and deeper layers, extended to the peripapillary area. Vessel abnormalities included increased tortuosity and caliber of vessels, vascular traction, and vessel stretching within the lesion.

Conclusion:

Optical coherence tomography angiography allows in-depth multilayer analysis of tumor vascular network, highlighting the fine abnormalities of retinal vasculature characteristic of combined hamartoma of the retina and retinal pigment epithelium.
Waldenström Macroglobulinemia: Unusual Presentation With Cast Nephropathy/Light Chain Tubulopathy
Authors: Ashraf Muddasir , Rastogi Prerna
Published: February 2019

Cast Nephropathy/Light chain tubulopathy is usually present in patients with multiple myeloma and is very rare in patients with Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia. There are very few case reports mentioned in the literature. We present an interesting case of Cast Nephropathy and light chain tubulopathy in an 81-year-old female patient with Waldenstrom Macroglobulinemia who required medical attention for worsening renal failure. Serum protein electrophoresis/Immunofixation showed IgM Kappa monoclonal gammopathy. Renal biopsy was remarkable for cast nephropathy and light chain tubulopathy. Furthermore on bone marrow biopsy a low grade B cell lymphoproliferative disorder with plasmacytic differentiation was present. This was most consistent with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, accounting for 50-60 percent of total bone marrow cellularity, in a hypercellular (60-80 percent) bone marrow.
Small Septal Branch Artery Thrombus Inducing Ventricular Fibrillation: To Intervene or Not to Intervene
Authors: Agarwal Vratika , Olson Peter C , Mroue Jad , Olkovsky Yefim , Bekheit Soad , Lafferty James
Published: February 2019

A 64-year-old woman presented for chest pain and was diagnosed with anteroseptal ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Emergent angiography showed 95% stenosis at the ostium of the second septal branch, consistent with thrombus, and no other significant lesions. The lesion was not amenable to intervention due to small caliber. Post angiography, the patient’s electrical rhythm deteriorated into ventricular fibrillation. Following resuscitation, repeat angiography confirmed same findings. Electrophysiology study at 3 months was positive for inducing fibrillation. Due to patient risk factors, she had placement of a dual chamber defibrillator. A 5-month follow-up echocardiogram showed a small area of ventricular septal wall bowing, consistent with blood supply from septal territory.
Internal bordering in the context of undeportability: Border performances in Italy
Authors: Fabini Giulia
Published: February 2019

In a contemporaneity of high mobility, porous borders, and harsher immigration laws, the great majority of illegalized migrants are not deported; they remain in the territory in a condition of legal non-existence. Through a case study of the interaction between illegalized migrants and police in Italy, this article demonstrates the utility of the concept of “border performativity” for the research on border control. It reveals how “differential inclusion” operates in a particular site, and it uses Althusser’s concept of interpellation in its discussion of discipline and resistance in the mechanisms of internal bordering. Finally, my development (and use) of the term undeportability extends theory by urging criminologists of mobility to consider contexts in which choices are structured by the inability of officials to fully deploy the deportation regime.
Distinctively queer in the Parish: Performances of distinction and LGBTQ+ representations in Flemish prestige television fiction
Authors: Vanlee Florian , Van Bauwel Sofie , Dhaenens Frederik
Published: February 2019

This article troubles the intuitive link between emancipatory portrayals of sexual and gender diversity and ‘quality television’ by focusing on three Flemish ‘prestige’ dramas: Met Man en Macht (VIER, 2013), Bevergem (Canvas, 2015) and Den Elfde Van Den Elfde (één, 2016). Contrary to the United States, Flemish quality television portrays fewer LGBTQ+ characters and narratives than less ‘prestigious’ content. Approached from a Bourdieusian perspective, the cases discussed show that when LGBTQ+ characters are featured in prestigious domestic fiction content, they function as distinctive queers. This article argues that, whereas LGBTQ+ characters in US quality television affirm the socio-cultural disposition of the target audience, Flemish prestige television fiction delegitimizes that of the group from which the imagined audience distinguishes itself. Distinctive queers circulate in a larger cultural repertoire associated with Flemish prestige television fiction, recasting markers of ordinary Flemishness found in domestic content. This repertoire is organized around the motif of the parish, and discursively separates Flanders into two distinct temporal configurations: one decidedly pre-modern and inferior, the other expressively modern and superior. A synecdoche for ‘common Flanders’, the parish constructs the majority of Flemings as culturally coarse, backwards and innately unable to be legitimately modern. As the analysis shows, distinctive queers accentuate the social deficit of mundane communities, and textually perform the distinction of fashionable, socially liberal urban-minded Flemings. In consonance with the hyperbolic representations that recast ‘ordinary Flemish cultural life’ as grotesque and ridiculous, distinctive queers frame LGBTQ+ inclusivity as the prerogative of conspicuously absent urban, socio-culturally progressive Flemings.
Monetizing new music ventures through blockchain: Four possible futures?
Authors: O’Dair Marcus , Owen Robyn
Published: February 2019

The article examines the rapidly developing area of blockchain finance as a potential opportunity for new creative ventures to obtain external investment funding and generate revenues. We focus on the music industry, as an example of how alternative Internet-based finance utilizing blockchain could provide opportunities for start-up funding and ongoing revenue streams. Our pioneering pilot research findings are drawn from literature review and emerging case studies, and are grounded in the academic literature of start-up funding gaps. Although some expect blockchain technology to remove intermediaries, facilitating a direct relationship between artist and fan, initial findings are that intermediation in some form will remain. The article’s central focus is the crucial emerging role of these facilitator organizations – the new breed of financial intermediaries or ‘infomediaries’. We examine this evolving process through adoption and development of financial intermediation theory, exploring the wider financial intermediary concept of incubators and accelerators as expert investors and promoters of new and very early-stage ventures – including artists. The article poses the question of whether blockchain technology offers a new, more cooperative approach for creative ventures, or merely the reinvention of existing corporate structures, for instance, the three major record labels that currently dominate recorded music. The article identifies four possible paths for the adoption of blockchain technology within the music industry, ranging from the anarcho-libertarian to the corporate and from the ‘utopian’ to the ‘dystopian’.
Modeling the relationship between tactile sensation and physical properties of synthetic leather
Authors: Chiba Tsuyoshi , Kuroda Shota , Yamaguchi Masaki
Published: February 2019

Surface texture plays an important role in expressing the tactile sensation of leather. The purpose of this study was to develop a combinational panel of physical properties that express the tactile sensations of coarse/fine, uneven/flat, soft/hard, sticky/slippery, and moist/dry. Thirteen synthetic leather samples were fabricated from polyurethane, and eight physical properties were measured as storage modulus, loss modulus, surface roughness, waviness, mean frictional coefficient, apparent contact angle, contact angle hysteresis, and urethane thickness. Thirty adult women performed sensory evaluation of the five tactile sensations by using a semantic differential method based on a five-point scale. The tactile sensation–physical property model for each tactile sensation was explored with logistic regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the proposed models based on multiple physical properties clearly distinguish the tactile sensations with higher sensitivity and specificity compared to using a single physical property. The dynamic viscoelasticity contributed to all the tactile sensations when polyurethane was used as synthetic leather. Additionally, the difference of five tactile sensations might be caused by the surface roughness, the mean frictional coefficient, and the polyurethane thickness.
Are Seizure Detection Devices Ready for Prime Time?
Authors: Van Ness Paul C.
Published: February 2019

[Box: see text]
Effects of Perturbation-Based Balance Training in Subacute Persons With Stroke: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Handelzalts Shirley , Kenner-Furman Michal , Gray Ganit , Soroker Nachum , Shani Guy , Melzer Itshak
Published: February 2019

Background: Reactive balance responses are critical for fall prevention. Perturbation-based balance training (PBBT) has shown a positive effect in reducing the risk of falls among older adults and persons with Parkinson’s disease. Objective: To explore the effect of a short-term PBBT on reactive balance responses, performance-based measures of balance and gait and balance confidence. Methods: Thirty-four moderate-high functioning, subacute persons with stroke (PwS) (lower extremity Fugl-Meyer score 29.2 ± 4.3; Berg Balance Scale [BBS] score 43.8 ± 9.5, 42.0 ± 18.7 days after stroke onset) hospitalized in a rehabilitation setting were randomly allocated to PBBT (n = 18) and weight shifting and gait training (WS>) (n = 16). Both groups received 12 training sessions, 30 minutes each, for a period of 2.5 weeks. PBBT included unexpected balance perturbations during standing and treadmill walking, WS> included weight shifting in standing and treadmill walking without perturbations. The main outcome measures, that is, multiple step-threshold and fall-threshold were examined at baseline, immediately postintervention, and about 5 weeks postintervention. The secondary outcome measures, that is, BBS, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), 10-meter walk test (10MWT), and Activity-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) scale were examined at baseline and immediately postintervention. Results: Compared with the WS> group, immediately postintervention participants in the PBBT group showed higher multiple-step thresholds in response to forward and backward surface translations (effect size [ES] = 1.07 and ES = 1.10, respectively) and moderate ES in the ABC scale (ES = 0.74). No significant differences were found in fall-threshold, BBS, 6MWT, and 10MWT between the groups. Conclusions: Inclusion of perturbation training during rehabilitation of PwS improved reactive balance and balance confidence.
Heat stress combined with lipopolysaccharide alter the activity and superficial molecules of peripheral monocytes
Authors: Luo Jiajing , Chen Yi , Ding Chengjia , Qiu Jialing , Chen Yulan , Lin Youping , Su Lei , Jiang Dongxin
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study was to focus on the underlying relationship between the hyperactivity for the peripheral monocytes and heat stroke by investigating the inflammatory oxidative activity of and the expression of superficial molecules. Peripheral blood samples were collected from 10 healthy adult volunteers. Human blood monocytes were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and sequent adherent culture. The objectives were divided into four groups: 43°C heat stress combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) group, 43°C heat stress group, LPS group, and control group. There were 10 cases in each group. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test was used to measure the concentrations of supernatant inflammatory mediators (tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-10 (IL-10)). After loaded by 2,7-Dichlorodi-hydrofluorescein-diacetate (DCFHDA) fluorescent probe, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were determined by a flow cytometry. After fluorescent microspheres incubation, the phagocytosis of monocytes was observed under a fluorescent microscope. Respectively, the flow cytometry and Western blot were used to evaluate the level of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells-1 (TREM-1) and Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4) on the monocytes. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of TREM-1 and TLR-4 was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The heat stress combined with LPS stimulation promoted the peripheral monocytes to produce inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10) and release ROS. Otherwise, such complex strike significantly suppressed the phagocytic activity of monocytes in peripheral blood. Moreover, the expression of TREM-1, TLR-4 and CD86 was measured by the flow cytometry on peripheral monocytes which were respectively promoted by the union of heat stress and LPS. The results of Western blot and RT-PCR demonstrated the similar kinetics on these superficial molecules (TREM-1, TLR-4, and CD86) stimulated by the combination of heat stress and LPS. The underlying mechanism of the dysfunction for the peripheral monocytes may be related to the abnormal expression of superficial molecules TREM-1, TLR-4, and CD86 on the monocytes induced by heat stress and LPS.
Decoding Nonadherence to Hypertensive Medication in New York City: A Population Segmentation Approach
Authors: Li Yan , Jasani Foram , Su Dejun , Zhang Donglan , Shi Lizheng , Yi Stella S. , Pagán José A.
Published: February 2019

Objective: Nearly one-third of adults in New York City (NYC) have high blood pressure and many social, economic, and behavioral factors may influence nonadherence to antihypertensive medication. The objective of this study is to identify profiles of adults who are not taking antihypertensive medications despite being advised to do so. Methods: We used a machine learning–based population segmentation approach to identify population profiles related to nonadherence to antihypertensive medication. We used data from the 2016 NYC Community Health Survey to identify and segment adults into subgroups according to their level of nonadherence to antihypertensive medications. Results: We found that more than 10% of adults in NYC were not taking antihypertensive medications despite being advised to do so by their health care providers. We identified age, neighborhood poverty, diabetes, household income, health insurance coverage, and race/ethnicity as important characteristics that can be used to predict nonadherence behaviors as well as used to segment adults with hypertension into 10 subgroups. Conclusions: Identifying segments of adults who do not adhere to hypertensive medications has practical implications as this knowledge can be used to develop targeted interventions to address this population health management challenge and reduce health disparities.
Differential Diagnosis Decision Support Systems in Primary and Out-of-Hours Care: A Qualitative Analysis of the Needs of Key Stakeholders in Scotland
Authors: McParland Christopher R. , Cooper Mark A. , Johnston Bridget
Published: February 2019

Background: Differential Diagnosis Decision Support Systems (DDDSS) and other forms of clinical decision support systems may have a role in supporting clinicians and the public in making decisions about differential diagnosis and accessing health care services. The aim of this qualitative, focus group study was to explore the needs of out-of-hours and primary care clinicians, and members of the public in relation to DDDSS. Methods: Twenty-nine participants (comprising 13 advanced nurse practitioners [ANPs], 7 general practitioners [GPs], 2 allied health professional advanced practitioners [AAPs], and 7 members of the public) took part in 1 of 6 focus groups. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed thematically. Results: Four themes were identified: (1) Current Practice, (2) Attitudes to DDDSS, (3) Implementation Considerations, and (4) Desirable Characteristics of DDDSS. Discussion: There may be a role for differential diagnosis decision support systems in supporting clinicians and members of the public; however, it is important that the needs of these groups are considered when designing or implementing any clinical decision support system in primary or out-of-hours care. More research is needed into how these systems could be used within clinical practice.
The Roles of Early Response and Sudden Gains on Depression Outcomes: Findings From a Randomized Controlled Trial of Behavioral Activation in Goa, India
Authors: Singla Daisy R. , Hollon Steven D. , Fairburn Christopher G. , Dimidjian Sona , Patel Vikram
Published: February 2019

The Healthy Activity Program (HAP), a brief, lay-counselor-delivered, behavioral activation psychological treatment, was found to be effective in reducing depressive symptoms among primary care attendees in India. We now examine whether early response predicts depression (PHQ-9) outcomes at the primary endpoint of 3 months and sustained recovery at 12 months after enrollment and the extent to which this effect is influenced by sudden gains in the context of the larger randomized controlled trial. HAP participants ( N = 245) who exhibited an early response (150 of 245 or 61.2%), as defined by a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms from baseline to Session 3, had lower depressive symptom scores than those who did not at 3 months (5.29 vs. 10.75, F = 33.21, p < .001) and at 12 months (6.56 vs. 11.02, F = 21.84, p < .001). Further exploratory analyses suggested that this advantage was largely confined to the subset of early responders who also showed sudden gains (87 of 150).