bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arterial baroreflex regulation of muscle sympathetic single-unit activity in men: influence of resting blood pressure
Authors: Incognito Anthony V. , Samora Milena , Shepherd Andrew D. , Cartafina Roberta A. , Guimarães Gabriel M. N. , Daher Mauricio , Millar Philip J. , Vianna Lauro C.
Published: March 2020

The arterial baroreflex has dominant control over multiunit muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) burst occurrence, but whether this extends to all single units or is influenced by resting blood pressure status is unclear. In 22 men (32 ± 8 yr), we assessed 68 MSNA single units during sequential bolus injections of nitroprusside and phenylephrine (modified Oxford). Sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (sBRS) was quantified as the weighted negative linear regression slope between diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and single-unit spike firing probability and multiple spike firing. Strong negative linear relationships ( r ≥ −0.50) between DBP and spike firing probability were observed in 63/68 (93%) single units (−2.27 ± 1.27%·cardiac cycle−1·mmHg−1 [operating range, 18 ± 8 mmHg]). In contrast, only 45/68 (66%) single units had strong DBP-multiple spike firing relationships (−0.13 ± 0.18 spikes·cardiac cycle−1·mmHg−1 [operating range, 14 ± 7 mmHg]). Participants with higher resting DBP (65 ± 3 vs. 77 ± 3 mmHg, P < 0.001) had similar spike firing probability sBRS (low vs. high, −2.08 ± 1.08 vs. −2.46 ± 1.42%·cardiac cycle−1·mmHg−1, P = 0.33), but a smaller sBRS operating range (20 ± 6 vs. 16 ± 9 mmHg, P = 0.01; 86 ± 24 vs. 52 ± 25% of total range, P < 0.001) and a higher proportion of single units without arterial baroreflex control outside this range [6/31 (19%) vs. 21/32 (66%), P < 0.001]. Participants with higher resting DBP also had fewer single units with arterial baroreflex control of multiple spike firing (79 vs. 53%, P = 0.04). The majority of MSNA single units demonstrate strong arterial baroreflex control over spike firing probability during pharmacological manipulation of blood pressure. Changes in single-unit sBRS operating range and control of multiple spike firing may represent altered sympathetic recruitment patterns associated with the early development of hypertension.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Muscle sympathetic single units can be differentially controlled during stress. In contrast, we demonstrate that 93% of single units maintain strong arterial baroreflex control during pharmacological manipulation of blood pressure. Interestingly, the operating range and proportion of single units that lose arterial baroreflex control outside of this range are influenced by resting blood pressure levels. Altered single unit, but not multiunit, arterial baroreflex control may represent changes in sympathetic recruitment patterns in early stage development of hypertension.
Volar Dislocation of the Fourth and Fifth Carpometacarpal Joint Associated with Hamate Hook Fracture: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Saka Natsumi , Matsui Hirotada , Tsuji Hideki
Published: March 2020

We report a case of volar fourth and fifth carpometacarpal (CMC) joint dislocation complicated by a hamate hook fracture. The CMC joint was reduced in a closed fashion and temporally fixed with Kirschner wires. Using intraoperative computed tomography, the displaced fracture of the hamate hook was reduced by open reduction and internal fixation and fixed with a screw. We suggest that this rare injury was caused by the over contraction of the flexor carpi ulnaris and avulsion force from the ligamentous structure around the pisiform, hamate, and metacarpal bones.
Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor-Associated Protein 1 Protects against Mitochondrial Injury by Preventing High Glucose-Induced mPTP Opening in Diabetes
Authors: Liu Lerong , Zhang Lingxiao , Zhao Jiangpei , Guo Xiangyu , Luo Yuanyuan , Hu Wenli , Zhao Tongfeng
Published: March 2020

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become the leading cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis and tubular atrophy have been recognized as indicators of the severity and progression of DKD, while the mechanism remains elusive. Tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) plays critical roles in apoptosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective role TRAP1 plays in DKD and to study the potential underlying mechanisms. TRAP1 expression was decreased, and mitochondria were injured in NRK-52e cells under high-glucose (HG) conditions. The overexpression of TRAP1 ameliorated HG-induced apoptosis, increased cell viability, maintained mitochondrial morphology, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and buffered oxidative stress, whereas TRAP1 knockdown aggravated these effects. The protective effects of TRAP1 may be exerted via the inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening, and the damage caused by TRAP1 knockdown can be partially reversed by treatment with the mPTP opening inhibitor cyclosporin A (CsA). In vivo, TRAP1 expression upregulation by AAV2/9 injection prevented renal dysfunction, ameliorated histopathological changes, maintained mitochondrial morphology and function, and reduced apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in STZ-treated DKD rats. Thus, our results suggest that TRAP1 ameliorates diabetes-induced renal injury by preventing abnormal mPTP opening and maintaining mitochondrial structure and function, which may be treated as a potential target for DKD treatment.
Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor as a Possible Treatment Agent for Choroidal Neovascularization
Authors: Xi Lei
Published: March 2020

Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is a sight-threatening disease and is characterized by the formation of pathological neovascularization in the choroid which extends into the subretinal space. Exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the formation of CNV in the macular area which leads to irreversible blindness. Continuous leakage and hemorrhage of the CNV lesion may eventually result in scarring or later fibrosis, which could result in photoreceptor cell atrophy. The current strategy for treating CNV is the use of antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. Many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy. Other studies have also reported the side effects of single anti-VEGF treatment. And long-term inhibition of a single system may result in collateral damage to other visual elements. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a 50 kDa protein that was first isolated from the conditioned medium of human RPE cells. PEDF has both antiangiogenesis and neuroprotective functions for photoreceptor cells. It may be a potential ocular antiangiogenic agent. This review outlines the distribution of PEDF in the eye, the mechanism of antiangiogenesis, the protective effect on the retina, and the relationship between PEDF and VEGF.
Brown Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus rufus) May Lack Opportunities to Learn about Predator Calls
Authors: Deppe Anja Martha
Published: March 2020

Diurnal primates commonly modify their behaviour in response to predator vocalizations, but little is known about how nocturnal primates perceive predator calls. Mouse lemurs do not innately perceive predator calls as dangerous but may learn to do so in the wild. I hypothesized that wild brown mouse lemurs (Microcebus rufus) in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar, differentiate between predator and non-predator vocalizations and exposed 29 adult subjects to calls of 3 sympatric predators (goshawk, fossa and owl), 3 sympatric non-predators and 4 controls. Brown mouse lemurs did not differentiate among stimuli, and there was no evidence that any recording was associated with danger, as neither activity nor spatial preferences changed in response to a stimulus, nor did subjects exhibit obvious behaviours indicative of danger such as flight or position on the branches. The failure to perceive predator calls as dangerous is common among small nocturnal solitary prey species and could be explained by a lack of learning opportunities. In social species acquired behaviours can spread quickly by social learning. Solitary species like mouse lemurs have to individually learn to associate predator calls with danger which is dependent on encounter rates. Unlike diurnal prey mouse lemurs lack the opportunity to observe diurnal raptors and associate their calls with the bird, and owls are proficient predators, which are difficult to observe in a rain forest where they hunt cryptically from perches. While sometimes nocturnal, the fossa is solitary and largely silent, and is also particularly rare at my study site. Cryptic, rare or non-vocal predators provide prey with few opportunities to associate their calls with danger. Mouse lemurs are subject to high predation rates by a wide range of predators and need to balance the costs and benefits of antipredation behaviours. Their cryptic lifestyle and preference for dense vegetation lowers the likelihood of being detected by predators, and they utilize visual and olfactory predator cues to make decisions about risk. Furthermore, their high reproductive output compensates for the high predation rates.
Management of Primary Nonresponders and Partial Responders to Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitor Induction Therapy among Patients with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Iijima Hideki , Kobayashi Taku , Nagasaka Mitsuo , Shinzaki Shinichiro , Kitamura Kazuya , Suzuki Yasuo , Watanabe Mamoru , Hibi Toshifumi ,   on behalf of JRT Group
Published: March 2020

Induction therapy with tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors is highly effective for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. However, there are primary nonresponders (PNR) of TNF-α inhibitors without clinical response during the induction period. In addition, there are partial responders (PR), who show some efficacy, but clinical remission is not achieved by induction therapy. To date, the definition and clinical management of PNR and PR have not been established. This report summarizes the opinions of 36 Japanese experts attending the Japan Round Table Discussion on IBD Meeting regarding how to determine PNR and PR of TNF-α inhibitors and how to manage these patients in clinical practice. PNR, who do not show any initial improvement of clinical symptoms and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, require re-assessment of intestinal complications. PR can be determined either by clinical symptoms, serum CRP levels, or imaging results. PR need intensification of the treatment with TNF-α inhibitors either with or without optimization of immunomodulators. Optimization of initial TNF-α inhibitor therapy may improve long-term outcomes, but more evidence is required to improve the use of TNF-α inhibitors for the prevention and management of PNR and PR.
Adverse Effects of Autoclaved Diets on the Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disorder in Rats
Authors: Biruete Annabel , Srinivasan Shruthi , O’Neill Kalisha D. , Vorland Colby J. , Hill Gallant Kathleen M. , Cai Weijing , Uribarri Jaime , Johnston Nancy , Allen Matthew R. , Chen Neal X. , Moe Sharon M.
Published: March 2020

Background: Autoclaving rodent diets is common in laboratory animals, but autoclaving increases the formation of dietary advanced glycation end-products (AGE). We studied the effect of autoclaved (AC) diet alone or in combination with a diet high in bioavailable phosphorus on biochemistries of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD), intestinal gene expression, and oxidative stress. Methods: Male CKD rats (Cy/+) and normal littermates were fed 1 of 3 diets: AC 0.7% phosphorus grain-based diet for 28 weeks (AC); AC diet for 17 weeks followed by non-autoclaved (Non-AC) 0.7% phosphorus casein diet until 28 weeks (AC + Casein); or Non-AC diet for 16 weeks followed by a Non-AC purified diet until 30 weeks (Non-AC + Casein). Results: AC diets contained ~3× higher AGEs and levels varied depending on the location within the autoclave. Rats fed the AC and AC + Casein diets had higher total AGEs and oxidative stress, irrespective of kidney function. Kidney function was more severely compromised in CKD rats fed AC or AC + Casein compared to Non-AC + Casein. There was a disease-by-diet interaction for plasma phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, and c-terminal fibroblast growth factor-23, driven by high values in the CKD rats fed the AC + Casein diet. Compared to Non-AC + Casein, AC and AC + Casein-fed groups had increased expression of receptor of AGEs and intestinal NADPH oxidase dual oxidase-2, independent of kidney function. Conclusions: Autoclaving rodent diets impacts the progression of CKD and CKD-MBD, highlighting the critical importance of standardizing diets in experiments.
A fuzzy neighborhood rough set method for anomaly detection in large scale data
Authors: Marouane EL Meziati , Elhoussaine Ziyati
Published: March 2020

Mining Outlier in database is to find exceptional objects that deviate from the rest of the datasets. Besides classical outlier analysis algorithms, recent studies have focused on mining local outliers. The outliers that have density distribution significantly different from their neighborhood.  However, the existing outlier detection algorithms suffer the drawbacks that they are inefficient in dealing with large scale datasets. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for outlier detection with voluminous data. This approach involves a neighborhood fuzzy rough set theory to rank outlier according to fuzzy membership function computed in rough approximation space. In order to improve the speed of computation, an efficient parallel computing system based on Map Reduce model is developed
Large-scale image-to-video face retrieval with convolutional neural network features
Authors: Hachchane Imane , Badri Abdelmajid , Sahel Aïcha , Ruichek Yassine
Published: March 2020

Convolutional neural network features are becoming the norm in instance retrieval. This work investigates the relevance of using an of the shelf object detection network, like Faster R-CNN, as a feature extractor for an image-to-video face retrieval pipeline instead of using hand-crafted features. We use the objects proposals learned by a Region Proposal Network (RPN) and their associated representations taken from a CNN for the filtering and the re-ranking steps. Moreover, we study the relevance of features from a finetuned network. In addition to that we explore the use of face detection, fisher vector and bag of visual words with those CNN features. We also test the impact of different similarity metrics. The results obtained are very promising.
Sampling efficiency, bias and shyness in funnel trapping aquatic newts
Authors: Arntzen Jan W. , Zuiderwijk Annie
Published: March 2020

A lightweight, collapsible funnel trap designed for crayfish was furnished with a smaller mesh and then used to study adult breeding populations of five species of newts in five ponds in France. Observations were made in spring, at the peak of breeding activity, over an 11-year period. Annual experiments involved on average 7.7 traps and 5.3 overnight sampling sessions at 2.0 day intervals. In 95 out of 171 experiments (56%) the probability for an individual to go undetected was <1%. A trend was observed for catchability to increase with body size (Lissotriton < Ichthyosaura < Triturus). The two Triturus species involved were frequently exhaustively sampled in a single overnight session. In spite of their smaller size, L. helveticus males were more readily captured than females, presumably reflecting breeding associated locomotor activity. The numbers captured decreased over time suggesting ‘trap shyness’ to operate. We noted some predation by diving beetles (family Dytiscidae) affecting L. helveticus males in particular.
Looking Back and Looking Forward in Negotiation and Conflict Research
Authors: Druckman Daniel
Published: March 2020

In this article, I look back primarily at the research accomplishments made by my various collaborative teams to date and look forward toward the gaps that remain to be filled. Key insights and gaps are discussed on five research topics: group attachments and representation, turning points, social justice, values and interests, and conceptual learning. A concluding section highlights key discoveries that provide fertile ground for new research. Examples include the pulls and pushes of stakeholders, the role played by crises in producing turning points, connecting micro- to macro-level processes, the link between values and identities, and the thought processes that are encouraged by design activities. Further, advances in methodologies contribute to the next generation of studies on negotiation and conflict.
Trade Negotiations at the (Possible) End of Multilateral Institutionalism
Authors: Singh J.P
Published: March 2020

Multilateral negotiations are often facilitated through international organizations, but are not coterminous with them. This essay advances a few ‘mid-level’ propositions with respect to the negotiation structure that provides an overall context and the negotiation process where tactics guide the exchange of concessions. In terms of negotiation structure, a stable institutional structure is giving rise to a transitional one resulting in system spoilers in international negotiations leading to deadlocks and no-agreements. The bargaining phases are marked with games of chicken and grand-standing making it hard to effectively practice common negotiation tactics such as coalition-building, trade-offs and linkages. The article provides examples from the Uruguay Round and the breakdown of the Doha Round of trade negotiations through the World Trade Organization. The essay’s propositions address the breakdown of existing multilateralism through international organizations, but also document the continuation of underlying multilateral principles.
The Impact of Participatory Governance on Regional Development Pathways: Citizen-driven Smart, Green and Inclusive Urbanism in the Brainport Metropolitan Region
Authors: Gebhardt Christiane
Published: March 2020

Urban innovation policies reintroduce the role of social entrepreneurs and civil society into innovation studies with regard to the governance of regional innovation and the emergence of new innovation pathways. The research approach integrates the concepts of urban and regional transformation, participatory governance and works with an actor-centered approach that employs the enactment of innovation models by actor constellations such as the smart city concept and the Triple Helix model. We illustrate the pathway of a citizen-driven approach in innovation for the case of Brainport smart district in the city of Helmond, in the metropolitan high-tech region Eindhoven in The Netherlands. The empirical data is obtained in a real-world laboratory (rwl) in a multi-stakeholder co-creation process. The case contributes to the categorization of citizen-driven innovation pathways within an extended approach of Economic Evolutionary Geography (eeg) and thus to the frame of reference for structural dynamics in social theory.
Indian Christian Spiritual Autobiography
Authors: Chaturvedi Namrata
Published: March 2020

Krupabai Satthianadhan’s Saguna (1887–88), initially serialised in the Madras Christian College magazine is rightfully regarded as the first Indian spiritual autobiographical novel. Any study of this narrative compels one to explore the influence of the Evangelical autobiography on this genre in nineteenth century India as well as to engage with the distinctive aspects of an Indian Christian woman’s spiritual quest in British India. This study also argues for focus on the spiritual life of Indian Christianity as a valid way of according recognition to the experiences and struggles of the life of a religion that is outside of mainstream religious discourse in contemporary India.
A Tamil Pietist in Ceylon: The Educational Experiments of Christian David
Authors: Balmforth Mark E.
Published: March 2020

This microhistory of the early nineteenth-century school-building efforts of a Tamil preacher in British Ceylon tracks an intersection between missionary education, British colonialism, and South Asian modernity. Christian David (1771–1852) was born into a Tamil Christian family with deep connections to the Royal Danish-Halle Mission at Tranquebar and educated by German missionaries Christian Friedrich Schwartz and Christoph Samuel John, like his more famous contemporaries King Serfoji ii of Tanjore and the celebrated Christian poet Vētanāyakam Cāstiriyār. In the year 1801, after declining employment in Serfoji’s court, David accepted an offer to become ‘Preacher in the Malabar Language in the District of Jafnapatam’. Drawing upon his extensive, albeit little-known writings, this essay argues that David expanded upon the mixed Tamil-German education of his childhood and the pedagogical experimentation of his missionary mentors to propose and construct a pioneering and consequential state-funded boarding school explicitly seeking to cultivate governable subjects.
Contribution to the knowledge of three species of the genus Thopeutica Schaum, 1861 from the Philippines (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae)
Authors: ANICHTCHENKO ALEXANDER , MEDINA MILTON NORMAN
Published: March 2020

The new species from Mindanao (the Philippines) Thopeutica (s.str.) wiesneri sp. nov. is described. The new species is compared with T. (s.str.) angulihumerosa (W. Horn, 1929). The study of type material allowed to establish the new synonymy: T. (s.str.) juergenwiesneri Schüle, 2017 syn. nov. = T. (s.str.) angulihumerosa (W. Horn, 1929). Illustrations of the habitus and diagnostic characters are provided.
The giant “penis” of a newly described species in the subgenus Scotoconiopteryx from Peru (Neuroptera: Coniopterygidae: Coniopteryginae: Coniopteryx)
Authors: GRUPPE AXEL , ASPÖCK ULRIKE
Published: March 2020

The coniopterygid fauna of the Neotropical region is poorly known. The most recent summary was provided by Martins (2019) who noted that 14 species were known from Peru. The subgenus Coniopteryx (Scotoconiopteryx) is endemic to the Neotropical region and comprises 36 species (Meinander 1972; Meinander & Penny 1982; Sziráki 2011; Martins & Amorim 2016, Sarmiento-Cordero & Contreras-Ramos 2019).
A new genus for Painter & Painter’s Villa “celer”-group in the New World (Diptera: Bombyliidae)
Authors: EVENHUIS NEAL L.
Published: March 2020

The bee fly genus Hemipenthes Loew in the New World reflects a heterogeneous assemblage of species. Study of species attributed to Painter & Painter’s 1962 Villa “celer” group (the species were later transferred to Hemipenthes) from the southern United States, and Central and South America shows a suite of characters that separate it from Hemipenthes s. str. and it is here described as the new genus Ins Evenhuis, n. gen. with its type species Anthrax ignea Macquart. Eight described species are here transferred to Ins: Ins celeris (Wiedemann, 1828), n. comb., Ins constituta (Walker, 1852), n. comb.; Ins curta (Loew, 1869), n. comb., Ins ignea (Macquart, 1846), n. comb.; Ins leucocephala (Wulp, 1886), n. comb., Ins martinorum (Painter, 1962), n. comb., Ins minas (Macquart, 1848), n. comb., and Ins pleuralis (Williston, 1901), n. comb. Two new species, Ins pectorcolumbo Evenhuis, n. sp. from El Salvador and Ins zanouts Evenhuis, n. sp. from Panama and Costa Rica are described and illustrated. The holotype of Anthrax divisa Walker, 1852, has been examined and found to be conspecific with Ins minas (Macquart, 1848), n. syn., and Anthrax galathea Osten Sacken, 1886 is found to be synonymous with Ins constituta (Walker, 1852), n. syn. Two other South American species currently in Hemipenthes, H. melaleuca (Wiedemann), and H. ruficollis (Bigot) are here transferred to Chrysanthrax, n. combs. A key to species in the genus is given.
The Role of Extratropical Background Flow in Modulating the MJO Extratropical Response
Authors: Zheng Cheng , Kar-Man Chang Edmund
Published: March 2020

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is the dominant mode of tropical intraseasonal variability. Many studies have found that the MJO, which acts as a tropical heating source, can excite Rossby waves that propagate into the midlatitude and modulate midlatitude circulation. The extratropical mean flow can modulate the MJO extratropical response. Rossby waves can grow or decay in different extratropical background flows, and the propagation of the Rossby waves also varies as the background flow acts as a waveguide. In this study, how extratropical mean flow modulates the MJO extratropical response is explored by using a nonlinear baroclinic primitive equation model. MJO-associated heating, as an external forcing of the model, is imposed into scenarios with different extratropical background flows. Different background flow modulates the generation and advection of the vorticity anomalies induced by the MJO, which determines the initial location and strength of the Rossby waves. The midlatitude waveguides can be different as the background flow changes. As the propagation of Rossby waves follows the waveguides, the background flow determines whether the Rossby waves are trapped in the Pacific Ocean region or can propagate to the north and to the east into North America. The experiments also show that the anomalies associated with the Rossby waves can extract energy from the midlatitude jet over the jet exit region and the southern flank of the jet. This further modulates the strength, location, and duration of the MJO extratropical response.
Toward Identifying Subseasonal Forecasts of Opportunity Using North American Weather Regimes
Authors: Robertson Andrew W. , Vigaud Nicolas , Yuan Jing , Tippett Michael K.
Published: March 2020

Large-scale atmospheric circulation regime structures are used to diagnose subseasonal forecasts of wintertime geopotential height fields over the North American sector, from the NCEP CFSv2 model. Four large-scale daily circulation regimes derived from reanalysis 500-hPa geopotential height data using K-means clustering are used as a low-dimensional basis for diagnosing the model’s forecasts up to 45 days ahead. On average, hindcast skill in regime space is found to be limited to 10–15 days ahead, in terms of anomaly correlation of 5-day averages of regime counts, over the 1999–2010 period. However, skill up to 30 days ahead is identified in individual winters, and intraseasonal episodes of high skill are identified using a forecast-evolution graphical tool. A striking vacillation between the West Coast and Pacific ridge patterns during December–January 2008/09 is shown to be predicted 20–25 days in advance, illustrating the possibility to identify “forecasts of opportunity” when subseasonal forecast skill is much higher than the average. The forecast-evolution tool also provides insight into the poor seasonal forecasts of California precipitation by operational centers during the 2015/16 El Niño winter. The Pacific trough regime is shown to be greatly overpredicted beyond 1–2 weeks in advance during the 2015/16 winter, with weather-scale features dominating the forecast evolution at shorter lead times. A similar though less extreme situation took place during the weaker El Niño of 2009/10, with the Pacific trough overforecast at S2S lead times.
Making Cultural Heritage Claims on Profitable Land: The Case of the Ngassa Wells in Uganda’s Oil Region
Authors: Nakayi Rose , Witte Annika
Published: March 2020

In the exploration phase of Uganda’s oil project, controversy arose regarding the drilling of wells on the grounds of important shrines of spirits of the adjacent Lake Albert. While the oil companies and the state looked at the market value of the land, the claimants emphasised its cultural heritage value, building a link to an international heritage discussion. This article argues that, while they have been barred from political influence on the oil project, cultural institutions such as the Bunyoro Kingdom and the claimants in the village near the controversial well used cultural heritage as a vantage point to get their voices heard and to gain negotiating power in the project. The article shows how widening of the definition of cultural heritage – which means dropping a bias for built infrastructure – has put culture alongside politics, economics, and the environment as an important factor to consider in extractive projects.
Social Protection for Migrant Domestic Workers in Singapore: International Conventions, the Law, and Civil Society Action
Authors: Yeoh Brenda S. A. , Goh Charmian , Wee Kellynn
Published: March 2020

Although migrant women from neighboring Southeast Asian countries fill crucial care gaps in Singapore households as live-in domestic workers, their social protection remains uneven, uncertain, and indeterminate. Framed as unskilled work shunned by citizens and characterized by isolation in the privatized sphere of the home, domestic work has invariably become low-status, low-visibility, and low-pay work performed by foreign women engaged on private contracts. The access of migrant domestic workers in Singapore to social protection has thus triggered concern among international organizations, governments, and civil society. Using data derived from a survey of Indonesian domestic workers, interviews with key stakeholders, and archival research, this article adopts a transnational social protection research agenda by mapping how institutionalized practices that aim to reduce the vulnerabilities of migrant domestic workers in Singapore have shifted in the past decade. We begin by addressing the circumscribed impact of international conventions and origin government policies. Following our premise that the social support and protection of migrant domestic workers still depend largely on the host society, we focus on two interrelated developments in Singapore. First, we examine the reach of immigration, labor, and criminal law in recent “maid abuse” cases to reveal how criminal law in particular has broadened to account for the specific vulnerability of domestic workers and, relatedly, the culpability of errant employers. Second, we consider how civil society’s campaign for a “mandatory” rest day offers insight into both the success and limitations of developing transnational advocacy for domestic workers in Singapore.
Friends in war: Sweden between solidarity and self-help, 1939–1945
Authors: Pashakhanlou Arash Heydarian , Berenskötter Felix
Published: March 2020

This article scrutinizes the assumption that friends support each other in times of war. Picking up the notion that solidarity, or ‘other-help’, is a key feature of friendship between states, the article explores how states behave when a friend is attacked by an overwhelming enemy. It directs attention to the trade-off between solidarity and self-help that governments face in such a situation and makes the novel argument that the decision about whether and how to support the friend is significantly influenced by assessments of the distribution of material capabilities and the relationship the state has with the aggressor. This proposition is supported empirically in an examination of Sweden’s response to its Nordic friends’ need for help during the Second World War – to Finland during the 1939–1940 ‘Winter War’ with the Soviet Union, and to Norway following the invasion of Germany from 1940 to 1945.
Separatist Threat, Militarization and Voter Turnout: Exploring the Dynamics of the 2017 Governorship Election in Anambra State, Nigeria
Authors: Mbah Peter O. , Nzeadibe Thaddeus C. , Nwangwu Chikodiri , Iheanacho Ambrose O. , Eze Christopher Okonkwo , Ezeibe Christian C.
Published: March 2020

Using the qual-dominant mixed methods approach, this study analysed the impact of the separatist threat and the militarization of elections on voter turnout during the 2017 governorship election in Anambra State, Nigeria. Findings indicate that perceived and real marginalization of the Igbo in Nigeria’s state-building is largely driving the neo-Biafra separatist threat to boycott elections in Anambra State. This does not only account for the state militarization of elections in order to guarantee security; it also inadvertently engendered fear among citizens, undermined voter turnout and exacerbated political exclusion. This study concludes that inclusive political development presents an opportunity for de-escalation of separatist threats, demilitarization of elections and enhancement of voter turnout in Nigeria.
Experimental replications in animal trials
Authors: Frommlet Florian , Heinze Georg
Published: March 2020

The recent discussion on the reproducibility of scientific results is particularly relevant for preclinical research with animal models. Within certain areas of preclinical research, there exists the tradition of repeating an experiment at least twice to demonstrate replicability. If the results of the first two experiments do not agree, then the experiment might be repeated a third time. Sometimes data of one representative experiment are shown; sometimes data from different experiments are pooled. However, there are hardly any guidelines about how to plan for such an experimental design or how to report the results obtained. This article provides a thorough statistical analysis of pre-planned experimental replications as they are currently often applied in practice and gives some recommendations about how to improve on study design and statistical analysis.
Crowdsourcing, Social Media, and Intercultural Communication About Zika: Use Contextualized Research to Bridge the Digital Divide in Global Health Intervention
Authors: Ding Huiling
Published: March 2020

This article presents a case study of the Smarter Crowdsourcing project the International Development Bank and Governance Lab cohosted to cope with the emerging Zika outbreaks in Latin America countries. Using the lenses of intercultural communication methodologies, user-centered design, and global cultural flow, I examine the exclusion of at-risk populations as marginalized end users of the project. I also examine the impacts of this oversight on the effectiveness of the technocratic solutions. I then conclude by discussing the implications this case has for international health intervention, global technical communication, and community-based research.
Guest Editor’s Introduction: Culture and Causal Chains of Care—A Perspective on the Chronology of Health and Medical Communication in Cross-Cultural Contexts
Authors: St.Amant Kirk
Published: March 2020

Today, diseases can spread internationally faster and farther than ever before, and a range of public health issues can “go global” quickly and easily. The challenge becomes communicating ideas of care—that is, issues of health and wellness—across different cultures, languages, and geopolitical contexts. Doing so involves understanding the dynamics of such factors and how to apply this knowledge effectively. The entries in this special issue examine such factors and provide readers with frameworks for understanding and strategies for addressing these issues.
“Glocalization” of Health Information: Considering Design Factors for Mobile Technologies in Malaysia
Authors: Saru Evelyn H. , Wojahn Patti
Published: March 2020

Mobile phones offer promising solutions to basic health-care provisions for developing countries like Malaysia. However, for such technologies to be useful for health and medical intervention, information designers must make information shared via small-screen usable for diverse cultural audiences within a nation. In this entry, we use the international patient experience design framework to propose a heuristic for addressing this situation. This approach can provide insights that can facilitate the “glocalization”—or creating materials to address specific cultural contexts and make health and medical information more usable to diverse populations living in the same country.
Impact of Bus Routes on Crash Frequency in Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Guadamuz Renato , Gayah Vikash V. , Paleti Rajesh
Published: March 2020

Although research in transportation safety is abundant, very few studies have examined the relationship between public transportation systems and safety performance. Most studies on the subject have focused on the impact of infrastructure countermeasures related to bus rapid transit systems. However, the impact of city-street buses on safety performance remains unknown. This research explores the pseudo-causal impact of the presence of bus routes and bus traffic on observed crash frequencies by developing safety performance functions (SPFs) that include the presence of a bus route and estimated weekly bus traffic as input variables. The SPFs were developed using the propensity score–potential outcomes (PS-PO) framework to reduce unobserved biases that might exist between segments that have and do not have bus routes. The results suggest that PS-PO reduced standardized biases significantly, allowing stronger causal inferences to be obtained. The results revealed that the presence of a bus route was associated with a 27% increase in expected crash frequency after controlling for other infrastructure-related variables. Weekly bus traffic was also found to be a significant predictor of overall crash frequency, with a 1% increase in ] weekly bus traffic associated with an expected increase in crash frequency of 0.016%. A non-parametric approach is also presented for comparison with the results from the SPFs; this confirmed the findings from the parametric method used.
Globally Visible Environmental Protest: A Cross-national Analysis, 1970–2010
Authors: Evans Erin M. , Schofer Evan , Hironaka Ann
Published: March 2020

We examine the global rise of environmental protest events reported in major news outlets from 1970 to 2010, based on a new cross-national dataset. The paper addresses conventional arguments regarding resources and political opportunities, but focuses principally on the international dynamics that affect local protest and its visibility. World society theory as well as scholarship on transnational movements and advocacy networks suggests that international organizations and institutions play an important role in bringing resources, opportunities, and global media attention to local movements. We argue that international forces will be especially important in nondemocratic countries. Cross-national quantitative analyses suggest that nations with strong organizational ties to the international community have more protests that get covered in international media, and that the effects of international forces are stronger in less democratic societies.
In-Home Technology Training Among Socially Isolated Older Adults: Findings From the Tech Allies Program
Authors: Fields Jessica , Cemballi Anupama Gunshekar , Michalec Cathy , Uchida Debbie , Griffiths Kami , Cardes Heather , Cuellar Jacqueline , Chodos Anna Haseltine , Lyles Courtney Rees
Published: March 2020

Technology has the potential to increase social connectedness among older adults, but one-third do not use the internet. We formed a community partnership, Tech Allies, providing tablets, broadband, and 1:1 training to isolated older adults. In a pragmatic pilot trial, participants were randomized into intervention ( n = 44) and waitlist ( n = 39) groups. Volunteers provided eight weekly, in-home iPad lessons. Surveys assessed self-reported loneliness, social support, technology use, and confidence at baseline and follow-up. A subgroup completed in-home interviews. The intervention group showed no change in loneliness, marginally significant improvement in social support and technology confidence, and significant increase in technology use. Among the waitlist group, no changes were observed. Interviews showed some participants felt more connected to the world, and many expressed increased technology confidence. Key implementation lessons on program feasibility are discussed. Embedding training within existing community-based programs holds promise as a potentially sustainable mechanism to provide digital training to older adults.
Using the PBIS Framework to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Youth in Juvenile Justice Facilities
Authors: Kumm Skip , Mathur Sarup R. , Cassavaugh Michelle , Butts Erin
Published: March 2020

Youth in juvenile justice facilities may experience symptoms of mental health disorders and trauma at a higher rate than their normative peers. As a result, juvenile justice facilities have become de facto mental health agencies, resulting in an increased need to provide interventions that can meet the various needs of their residents. Embedding mental health and trauma-informed care into tiered facility-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (FW-PBIS) is an emerging practice to meet a multitude of youth mental health symptoms. In this article, we provide examples of how mental health and trauma-informed care can be interwoven into an FW-PBIS framework by using a data-based decision-making process to guide the implementation of tiered evidence-based interventions, and we offer implications for practice and research.
Mechanical and morphological characterization of basalt/Cissus quadrangularis hybrid fiber reinforced polylactic acid composites
Authors: Kumar A Arul Jeya , Prakash M
Published: March 2020

In today's scenario, most of the research works are carried out on the replacement of synthetic fibers using eco-friendly materials called natural fibers. Although there are many research findings in connection with natural fibers, in this work, a new combination of natural fiber having high biomedical potential is reinforced in the polymer composite. Three different weight fractions of polylactic acid, basalt, and Cissus quadrangularis fibers were melt mixed using twin-screw extruder named as PBCQ 1, PBCQ 2, and PBCQ 3. The mechanical, physical, and thermomechanical properties were studied by testing tensile, flexural, impact, hardness, water absorption, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and dynamic mechanical analysis of the injection-molded biomedical composite specimens prepared as per ASTM standards. It was noticed that the PBCQ 2 composite has the maximum elongation strength, bending strength, shear strength, and shore D hardness compared to other composites taken in this study. Water absorption of PBCQ 1 and PBCQ 2 composites are relatively less than PBCQ 3. The scanning electron microscopy micrograph of PBCQ composites shows tight bonding between the matrix and fibers. The adhesion of matrix and fibers was confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy graph, which indicates the stretching of molecular structure for the occurrence of O–H, C=O, and C–H links. The dynamic mechanical analysis curve of the PBCQ 2 composite indicates high storage modulus and less loss modulus compared to PBCQ 1 and PBCQ 3 due to the low weight percentage of basalt fiber in these composites.
Maintenance of virologic suppression and improvement in comorbidities after simplification to raltegravir plus boosted darunavir among treatment-experienced HIV-infected patients
Authors: Casado José L , Vizcarra Pilar , Blanco José L , Montejano Rocío , Negredo Eugenia , Espinosa Nuria , Montero Marta , Mena Alvaro , Palacios Rosario , Lopez Juan C , Vergas Jorge , Galindo Maria J , Cabello Alfonso , Deltoro Miguel García , Diaz De Santiago Alberto ,   on behalf of the BIRDi study group
Published: March 2020

The use of two potent, well-tolerated, drugs could permit the maintenance of virologic suppression even in heavily pretreated people living with HIV. In this retrospective, multicenter, simplification study (NCT03348449), we included those patients with virologic suppression who switched to raltegravir (RAL) plus boosted darunavir (b/DRV). Overall, 345 patients (75 females, 25%) were included. Patients were largely pretreated (mean, 9.4 regimens), suppressed for a median of 41.1 months. Fifty patients had ≥1 mutation against DRV. At 96 weeks, the efficacy by intention-to-treat analysis (snapshot) was 73% (95%CI, 68.4–77.8%), but 97.1% (95%CI, 95.4–98.9) excluding changes due to non-virologic reasons, and virologic failure was rare (0.9%; 95%CI, 0.1–1.2%). Median CD4/CD8 ratio increased from 0.59 to 0.62 (p < 0.01), CD4+ cell count by +90 cells/µl (p < 0.01), and mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) increased from 85.2 to 88.5 ml/min at 96 weeks, greater for patients receiving tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (eGFR, +3.6 ml/min, p = 0.04; serum phosphate +0.33 mg/dl; p < 0.01). There was a continued and significant improvement in the total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio. In conclusion, the simplification to a dual regimen with the combination of RAL and b/DRV is associated with maintenance of virologic suppression, even in largely pretreated patients, with improvements in CD4+ cell count, CD4/CD8 ratio, and in renal and lipid parameters.
‘We Do Not Want Fake Energy’: The Social Shaping of a Solar Micro-grid in Rural India
Authors: Sharma Aviram
Published: March 2020

During the last two decades, numerous policy actors have advocated multiple models for the diffusion of solar energy-based technologies in India. In recent years, the social development-based energy business model was promoted by some NGOs, civil society groups and academicians for reaching the poor for meeting their energy needs. Using a case study approach, this article explores the social shaping of a solar micro-grid established in rural Bihar through the hybrid model of environmental governance. The article employs the social shaping of technology framework to explain the top-down and bottom-up interpretations of the solar micro-grid in rural India. By focusing on the idea of citizens and consumers, it explains the influence of the wider socio-political context in closing down the debate and stabilising the choices. The article illustrates the implications of the narrow framing of the socio-technical ensemble by the NGO’s and civil society groups (top-down perspective) on the diffusion potential of the solar micro-grid. The bottom-up perspective adds more layer to the interpretation of the socio-technical ensemble. An integrated, comprehensive understanding based on both the top-down and bottom-up perspective would help in developing a responsible research and innovation paradigm.
A Surgical and Educational Video of the Inferior Turbinate Mucosal Flap for the Nasal Floor and Intraoral Reconstruction in Unilateral Complete Cleft Lip Repair
Authors: Denadai Rafael , Chou Pang-Yun , Jung Soyeon , Sato Nobuhiro , Pascasio Dax Carlo G. , Lo Lun-Jou
Published: March 2020

Since the original description of Millard rotation advancement principle for cleft lip repair, many important contributions have subsequently been described by other surgeons worldwide. However, the reconstruction of the nasal floor and intraoral lining has received less attention over time. This article demonstrates a modified unilateral complete cleft lip repair using the rotation advancement principle plus multipurpose inferior turbinate mucosal flap. The accompanying videos display the 10 key steps for rationale, design, and proper execution of the inferior turbinate mucosal flap for the nasal floor and intraoral reconstruction.