bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Practical Mathematic Method to Predict and Manage Hypocalcemia After Parathyroidectomy and Thyroidectomy
Authors: Liu Changxing , Tang Liyang , Goel Pedram , Chambers Tamara , Kokot Niels , Sinha Uttam , Maceri Dennis
Published: September 2019

Objective:

Prediction and early intervention for hypocalcemia following parathyroidectomy and total thyroidectomy can decrease hospital cost and prevent severe hypocalcemia-related complications. This study aims to predict the severity of hypocalcemia after parathyroidectomy or thyroidectomy and to stratify patients into groups with different levels of risk for developing severe hypocalcemia, so that higher risk patients may be monitored more closely and receive earlier interventions.

Methods:

This was a retrospective cohort study of 100 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroidectomy as the primary treatment modality at a tertiary care hospital. Clinical information, including demographic information, perioperative PTH and calcium levels, vitamin D levels, weight of the pathologic glands removed, gland pathology, and re-admission rates, were retrieved. Statistical analysis was performed to analyze the association between collected variables and percentage of calcium drop following parathyroidectomy with statistical significant set at P-values <0.05.

Results:

Age, sex, and vitamin D level provided very minimal information to quantify risks of postoperative hypocalcemia. The percentage of decrease from preoperative PTH level to the lowest PTH level after the removal of the abnormal gland(s) is the most significant predicting factor for the severity of postoperative hypocalcemia. There is a mathematic regressional correlation between them. A formula was generated to quantify this linear relationship between them, and the nadir calcium can be calculated as [Formula: see text], where Canadir = the lowest postoperative calcium level, and PTHintraop = PTH level 15 minutes after removal of the abnormal gland, with the value of R2 > 0.7. The formula has been tested primarily in our patient population with good reliability.

Conclusions:

The highest preoperative, lowest postoperative, and change in PTH level can help us reliably calculate the trend of postoperative calcium level. Decision to pursue early interventions can be made based on the calculated result from the formula we obtained.
Simple Defocused Fiber Optic Volume Probe for Subsurface Raman Spectroscopy in Turbid Media
Authors: Walther Anders Runge , Andersen Morten Østergaard , Dam Christine Kamstrup , Karlsson Frederikke , Hedegaard Martin Aage Barsøe
Published: September 2019

We investigated the ability to perform deep subsurface Raman spectroscopy in turbid media using a simple fiber optic volume probe. Being able to collect Raman signals from regions deep within a biological sample provides the ability to noninvasively study underlying living tissue and tissue engineered constructs with high chemical specificity. Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy has shown great potential for obtaining subsurface Raman signals in biological samples. The applicability of the method for in vivo studies depends on the system complexity and small size probes are often desirable. Most real-time studies on human patients utilizing Raman spectroscopy have been performed with easy-to-handle miniaturized probes. Here we show both experimentally and theoretically that the sampling depth from a simple volume probe can be controlled by changing the probe to sample distance effectively suppressing Raman and fluorescence contributions from shallow sample layers while favoring the collection of signals from deeper layers. Relative spectral intensities as function of probe to sample distance were investigated for layered phantoms of poly(methyl methacrylate) and trans-stilbene and compared with theory. The volume probe was then utilized for the collection of spectra from phantoms mimicking in vivo transcutaneous measurement configurations of bone and engineered scaffold as well as from an ex vivo sample of bone and soft tissue. Together the results show that Raman fiber optic volume probes can be utilized for subsurface Raman spectroscopy in turbid media, providing a simple alternative to spatially offset Raman systems for, e.g., noninvasive monitoring and studying mineralized tissue and implanted scaffolds in vivo.
Student protests and organised labour: Developing a research agenda for mobilisation in late neoliberalism
Authors: Türkoğlu Didem
Published: September 2019

Students have a long history of protesting the introduction or rise of tuition fees. However, political parties do not often endorse their demands. Even the centre-left, which is known for its redistributive policies, does not necessarily ally itself with the student opposition to fees. In this article, the author focuses on the impact of social movement–organised labour alliances on the opposition of political parties to government policy. The author argues that such alliances have a unique impact on centre-left parties, especially in relation to non-labour issues. Two examples of this alliance are presented, emerging from the quite different political contexts of Germany and Turkey. In Germany, student movements failed to block the introduction of tuition fees in 2006. However, in 2008–2011, after students established a deeper alliance with organised labour, tuition fees were scrapped. In Turkey, student movements had been protesting tuition fees for a quarter of a century before an alliance with labour gained the support of social democrats in 2011. These case studies suggest that labour–movement alliances are effective in shifting social democratic politics in higher education policy because of labour’s experience and know-how in alliance building with centre-left parties and the student mobilisation’s potential to make tuition fees an electoral issue cross-cutting party allegiances. This finding suggests that scholars need to take the degree of engagement in opposition alliances into account, in addition to union density, in order to more accurately measure the political power of organised labour. This point has implications for analysing a variety of policy outcomes in policy areas exposed to permanent austerity measures.
Sitting Posture During Occupational Driving Causes Low Back Pain; Evidence-Based Position or Dogma? A Systematic Review
Authors: Tinitali Sarah , Bowles Kelly-Ann , Keating Jennifer L. , Haines Terry
Published: September 2019

Objective

In this review, we determine if there is evidence to demonstrate a relationship between occupational driving posture and low back pain.

Background

The burden of low back pain is increasing. An understanding of this relationship is required to enable the development of recommendations for clinicians and policy-makers for the driving industry.

Method

Five databases were searched up to March 12, 2018. Study quality was assessed using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies, followed by a GRADE analysis to consider the evidence as a whole. A narrative, critical synthesis was completed that considered the methods by which driving posture and low back pain were measured and analyzed.

Results

There were 653 articles identified, with seven eligible for review. Four articles identified an association between occupational driving posture and low back pain, yet this was based on the use of measurement tools lacking validity. Although a relationship may exist, the specific driving postures associated with low back pain and the strength of this relationship have not been confirmed.

Conclusion

Future research needs to employ validated and reliable, real-time qualitative methods for measuring occupational driving posture to advance our understanding of this relationship.

Application

Clinical and policy recommendations regarding driving posture and low back pain should be used with caution, as they are guided by evidence incorporating bias. Future studies are required to confirm the specific postures assumed while occupational driving and their relationship with low back pain, before recommendations can be made.
From Social Justice to Economic Logic: The World Health Organization and Health Sector Reform in Nigeria, 1993–2007
Authors: Anaemene Benjamin U.
Published: September 2019

This article examines the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) in global health governance, particularly in the area of health sector reform. This is a demonstration of its strategic adaptation to the aspirations of wealthy member states and other external forces, such as the World Bank. The article argues that this change in strategic adaptation dramatically undercut the aspiration of the WHO and facilitated the encroachment of economic logic into matters of emerging regimes of global governance of the WHO, by emphasizing the importance of health for economic development rather than as a fundamental part of a nation’s social development. This accounted for the immense technical and financial support the WHO gave to health sector reform in developing countries, particularly Nigeria, to promote equity and access to health services. It concludes that remarkable progress was made through the comprehensive health sector reform largely due to the support from the WHO. What remains to be done is for Nigeria to keep faith with the principles of the Comprehensive Health Sector Reform Programme.
Let’s Make a “Deal”: How Deal Collectives Coproduce Unintended Value from Sales Promotions
Authors: Campbell Colin , Schau Hope Jensen
Published: September 2019

Users of deal collectives coproduce “deals” that yield value beyond what a marketer intends when offering promotions. The authors develop an understanding of how this unintended value is coproduced through the combined actions of users in deal collectives. Users are drawn to deal collectives by a web of motivations that include subversive shopper feelings, which reflect a desire to outsmart firms and temporarily upend the market power structure. Uncovered transvaluation processes show that deal forums—due to their collective knowledge, creativity, and trust—are more effective than individual consumers at identifying, developing, and vetting opportunities to capture unintended value. The authors further reveal that unintended value can stem from untargeted promotions, pricing and promotion errors, and combinations or stacking of promotions. Strategies for monitoring deal collectives and either discouraging or supporting their activities are offered.
Strategic Design toward Foundational Learning Goals in Introduction to Sociology
Authors: Rogers Kimberly B. , Nemeroff Adam , Caputo Kelly
Published: September 2019

Scholars of teaching and learning in sociology have argued that introductory courses should teach toward foundational learning goals instead of providing an exhaustive review of the discipline. Nevertheless, prior research has provided far more guidance on what instructors ought to teach than how they can cohesively support learning across the goals advocated. Additionally, few studies have considered whether introductory course designs adequately address students’ diverse reasons for enrolling. To address this gap in the literature, we offer insights from our experiences with a redesigned introductory course tailored to support student learning in the areas recommended by earlier work. After describing our learning goals and the elements of our course design, which are grounded in empirical findings from the literature, we present evidence for the efficacy of this design in achieving key disciplinary learning goals, serving students’ personal learning goals, and attracting new and existing majors and minors.
Deep vein sclerosis following sclerotherapy: Ultrasonic and d-dimer criteria
Authors: Parsi Kurosh , Panozzo Brydon , Bull Alison , Yang Anes , Kang Mina , Parsi Yana , Connor David E.
Published: September 2019

Objectives

The aim of sclerotherapy is to induce fibrosclerosis of superficial veins. We postulated that inadvertent entry of sclerosants into deep veins can result in sclerotic occlusion, deep vein sclerosis, a non-thrombotic process distinct from spontaneous deep vein thrombosis. The aim of this study was to assess the role of d-dimer in differentiating between deep vein sclerosis and deep vein thrombosis.

Methods

Proximal trunks of great and small saphenous veins were treated with endovenous laser ablation. Venous tributaries and perforators were treated with foam ultrasound guided sclerotherapy. Ultrasound studies of lower limb deep veins were performed before and one week after the procedures, to detect deep vein occlusions (DVOs). d-dimer levels were measured for DVOs and long-term ultrasound studies monitored the recanalisation rates.

Results

In a six-year period, 9143 procedures were performed in 1325 patients for bilateral varicose veins. This included 1124 endovenous laser ablation and 8019 foam ultrasound guided sclerotherapy procedures. A total of 259 DVOs (2.83%) were identified on ultrasound which included 251 deep vein sclerosis (2.74%), seven deep vein thrombosis (0.07%) and one endovenous heat-induced thrombosis (EHIT, 0.08%). d-dimer values <0.5 µg/mL excluded deep vein thrombosis s, 0.5–1.0 µg/mL were more likely to be associated with deep vein sclerosis and >1.0 µg/mL were a more likely to be associated with deep vein thrombosis. Lower sclerosant concentrations and higher foam volumes were associated with increased risk of DVO ( p <  .0001). No significant relationship was found between DVO and gender or thrombophilia. Deep vein thrombosis and EHIT cases but not deep vein sclerosis patients were anticoagulated. None had thromboembolic complications. Patients were followed up for a median of 299 days (37–1994 days). Recanalisation rates were 71.1% for deep vein sclerosis (92.3% competent) and 71.4% for deep vein thrombosis (60.0% competent).

Conclusions

Deep vein sclerosis is a relatively benign clinical entity distinct from deep vein thrombosis and does not require anticoagulation. Majority of affected veins on long-term follow-up regain patency and competence. d-dimer can be used to assist in differentiating deep vein sclerosis from deep vein thrombosis.
Rethinking U.S. enterprise zones: The role of research design in program evaluation
Authors: Zhang Sumei
Published: September 2019

This paper offers an up-to-date review of Enterprise Zone programs across states in the U.S. An Enterprise Zone program often focuses on target locations, populations, and/or industries. Enterprise Zone program designs and implementations vary between states. The expected outcomes are likely to differ from the desired outcome, which is to revitalize Enterprise Zone areas. This paper also provides a review of the existing Enterprise Zone empirical literature on program effectiveness assessments. There are conflicting recommendations, even for the same Enterprise Zone program. To assess whether research design contributes to this situation, the paper explores several research design factors, including outcome measure, time span, spatial unit, data choice, and control of endogeneity. Information on these research factors in the existing literature is collected and coded. Descriptive and correlation analyses suggest that outcome measure, spatial unit, post-program time span, and the choice of an endogeneity control method have significant impacts on program effectiveness assessments.
Urinary tract infection pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibilities in Kobe, Japan and Taipei, Taiwan: an international analysis
Authors: Yi-Te Chiang , Shigemura Katsumi , Nishimoto Kento , Yamada Naoki , Kitagawa Koichi , Sung Shian-Ying , Chen Kuan-Chou , Fujisawa Masato
Published: September 2019

Objective

This study compared urinary tract infection (UTI) pathogens and antibiotic susceptibilities between Kobe, Japan and Taipei, Taiwan to investigate the regional resistance pattern of UTI-causative bacteria.

Methods

UTI-causative bacteria and antibiotic susceptibility for 4519 samples from Kobe University Hospital, Kobe and 25,131 samples from Shuang-Ho Hospital, Taipei from 2015 to 2017 were retrospectively analyzed to compare the differences between these hospitals.

Results

Escherichia coli was the most common pathogen in both areas (30.0% in Kobe, 41.2% in Taipei). The prevalence of cephalosporin and gentamicin-resistant E. coli tended to be higher in Taipei than in Kobe. Additionally, antibiotic susceptibilities of Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa tended to be higher in Kobe than in Taipei. The ratio of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing K. pneumoniae was significantly higher in Taipei than in Kobe (up to 40% vs. 14.8%), but this was not observed for E. coli.

Conclusion

Variations in the type of UTI-causative bacteria and antibiotic susceptibility between the two hospitals may be influenced by the use of different antibiotics. Further surveillance of resistance patterns is necessary for effective treatment.
Curcumin ameliorates chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by modulating autophagy and endoplasmic reticulum stress through regulation of SIRT1 in a rat model
Authors: Tang Feng , Ling Chunhua
Published: September 2019

Objectives

The ability of curcumin to activate SIRT1 and thereby promote autophagy and inhibit endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. We investigated the relationship between curcumin and SIRT1 activation in relation to autophagy and ERS in COPD.

Methods

We developed a rat COPD model by cigarette smoke exposure, and divided the rats into control, COPD, COPD + low-dose curcumin (50 mg/kg), COPD + medium-dose curcumin (100 mg/kg), COPD + high-dose curcumin (150 mg/kg), and COPD + high-dose curcumin + sirtinol (2 mM, 30 μL/kg) groups. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL assay. SIRT1 gene and protein expression, and protein expression of autophagy-related genes LC3-I, LC3-II, and Beclin1, and ERS-related genes CHOP and GRP78 were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot.

Results

SIRT1, LC3-I, LC3-II, and Beclin1 expression were significantly decreased and CHOP and GRP78 were enhanced in COPD compared with control rats. Curcumin increased the expression of SIRT1, LC3-I, LC3-II, and Beclin1 and decreased the expression of CHOP and GRP78 in COPD rats. The alleviating effects of curcumin on COPD in the SIRT1-inhibition group were reversed by suppressing LC3-I, LC3-II, and Beclin1 and increasing CHOP and GRP78.

Conclusion

Curcumin might alleviate COPD by promoting autophagy and inhibiting ERS through SIRT1 activation.
The future of stenting in patients with type A aortic dissection: a systematic review
Authors: Harky Amer , Chan Jeremy , MacCarthy-Ofosu Beverly
Published: September 2019

Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) carries high morbidity and mortality rates and is a clinical emergency. The reported mortality rate is 50% to 65% within the first 48 hours without surgical intervention. Open surgery therefore remains the gold standard management for ATAAD. However, in patients who are deemed unfit for surgery and where possible, endovascular repair offers a useful alternative to medical treatment alone or high-risk open surgical repair. Several case reports, case series, and retrospective studies have reported good outcomes following endovascular treatment. The endovascular option also has comparable early and late outcomes, favourable aortic remodelling, and satisfactory overall survival despite having a higher-risk patient cohort. However, stenting in patients with ATAAD undoubtedly still has several limitations and technical challenges.
A case of late-onset sporadic hemiplegic migraine
Authors: Yang Xiu-Yan , Du Hua-Ping , Xu Yuan
Published: September 2019

Sporadic hemiplegic migraine is a rare form of migraine headache with aura. We herein report a case of visual impairment, dizziness, and motor weakness in a patient who had experienced recurrent headache attacks with aura including flickering spots and blurred vision for 20 years, Electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and brain imaging findings were normal. The patient gradually recovered after treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and flunarizine.
Needles and Cribs: Becoming a First-time Mother and Starting Industrial Homework in Early Twentieth-century Sweden
Authors: Nilsson Malin
Published: September 2019

This article investigates the relationship between labor force transitions and becoming a mother in the early twentieth century. It aims to answer the question: did women start industrial homework when they had their first child? The empirical material consists of 588 interviews made with individual industrial homeworkers in 1911. Event history models were used to analyze the data. The study found that many of the industrial homeworkers did start around the time they had their first child. The results thus suggest that in the early twentieth century, having a child did not always imply making a labor force transition out of the labor force but could also imply making a labor force transition to flexible types of employment, just as it often does today.
Long-term Results of the Open Latarjet Procedure for Recurrent Anterior Shoulder Instability in Patients Older Than 40 Years
Authors: Ernstbrunner Lukas , Wartmann Lara , Zimmermann Stefan M. , Schenk Pascal , Gerber Christian , Wieser Karl
Published: September 2019

Background:

Subgroup analyses of the Latarjet procedure have suggested that age over 40 years is a risk factor for dislocation arthropathy.

Purpose:

To analyze long-term results of the open Latarjet procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation in patients at least 40 years of age.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 39 consecutive patients (40 shoulders) with a mean age of 48 years (range, 40-66 years) at surgery were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 11.0 years (range, 8-16 years). Of these, 15 patients (38%) had undergone previous soft tissue stabilization surgery. Long-term results were assessed clinically and radiographically, including computed tomography scanning at final follow-up.

Results:

No recurrence of dislocation was noted. Subluxation had occurred in 3 patients (8%), and apprehension persisted in 5 patients (13%). The total Walch-Duplay score averaged 89 points at the final follow-up, and the mean Subjective Shoulder Value (60%-91%) had improved significantly ( P < .001). In total, 36 patients rated their result as excellent, 3 as good. Further, 6 patients (15%) underwent joint-preserving reoperation, and 1 patient (3%) had reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for severe dislocation arthropathy. Dislocation arthropathy was severe in 14 patients (37%) and had progressed by at least 2 grades in 17 patients (45%). Patients with severe dislocation arthropathy had already shown degenerative changes preoperatively as opposed to those who ultimately had no or moderate dislocation arthropathy (n = 24) ( P < .001). Progression of dislocation arthropathy was associated with lateral (>1 mm) graft positioning ( P < .001) and older age at surgery ( r = 0.58; P < .001).

Conclusion:

The open Latarjet procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder instability in patients older than 40 years reliably restores stability and leads to high patient satisfaction. This procedure is, however, associated with a substantial rate of advanced but clinically mild symptomatic dislocation arthropathy, which is associated with the degree of preoperative joint degeneration, older age at surgery, and lateral graft placement.
Walking and Its Contribution to Objective Well-Being
Authors: Ferdman Avigail
Published: September 2019

Walking contributes to well-being in more than health-related ways. This paper adds a new perspective to the walkability agenda by introducing the concept of objective well-being. Objective well-being is the view that our well-being is dependent on the successful development and exercise of our various human capacities. Walking enables unique opportunities to develop our human capacities; opportunities that are absent in driving or commuting. Walking enables a more discerning acquisition of knowledge, opportunity for creativity, for developing our affective and social capacities, and for exercising the capacity to will. Finally, the paper reflects on possible directions for incorporating objective well-being into the walkability agenda.
Clock Genes Disruption in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Diaz Elena , Diaz Irene , del Busto Cecilia , Escudero Dolores , Pérez Silvia
Published: September 2019

Background:

Intensive care unit (ICU) environment disrupts the circadian rhythms due to environmental and other nonphotic synchronizers. The main purpose of this article is to establish whether critically patients have desynchronization at the molecular level after 1 week of stay in the ICU.

Methods:

The rhythm of Clock, Bmal1, Cry1, and Per2 genes in neuro-ICU patients (n = 11) on the first day after admission in the unit (1 day) and 1 week later (1 week) was studied, 4 time points throughout the day, at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. Human whole blood samples were obtained from neuro-ICU patients. The total RNA was isolated and each sample was reverse transcribed to complementary DNA and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCRq) was performed. The possible rhythm was studied using Fourier Series.

Results:

After 1 week, the clock gene rhythmicity completely disappeared. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression for the 4 clock genes was shown rhythmicity at the first day after admission in the ICU. Circadian rhythmicity for none of them was observed but rather, ultradian rhythmicity was found. The expression of Clock, Bmal1, and Per2 mRNA after 1 week was similar in the 4-time point studies without significant fluctuation among the 4 time points analyzed.

Discussion:

Rhythmic mRNA expression is present at the first day after admission in the ICU. However, ICU stay during 1 week affects the molecular machinery of the biological clock generating chronodisruption. Circadian disruption is associated with the risk of several pathologies, thus, it seems to be clear that ICU stay in constant conditions could adversely affect patient evolution and probably, circadian resynchronization restoring clock gene expression could lead to a better clinical evolution of the patient.

Conclusions:

Clock genes disruption is observed in neuro-ICU patients. Light therapy as well as melatonin treatment could reduce the impact of ICU stay period in biological clock, thereby improving patients’ recovery.
Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-based aliphatic polyester composites: Synthesis, characterization, and investigation of thermal properties
Authors: Saltan Fehmi , Akat Hakan
Published: September 2019

In this article, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-containing aliphatic polyester composites were synthesized using condensation polymerization. Firstly, a series of polyesters have been prepared from malonic acid, succinic acid, adipic acid, sebacic acid (diacids), and 1,4-butanediol. On the other step of this study, polyester composites were synthesized between 1,2-propanediolisobutyl POSS (POSS-Diol) and diacid. For comparison, the same reaction was repeated in the presence of 1,4-butanediol, POSS-Diol, and diacids. The resulting samples were characterized by proton nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermal behaviors of molecules were analyzed using thermogravimetry (TG) analysis. Molecular weights of synthesized polymers were determined with gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The XPS results indicate that the POSS hybrid molecule was successfully incorporated into the polyester structure. The characteristic binding energies of organic silicium atoms and Si–O were observed at 102 eV and 104 eV, respectively. According to the results from GPC, POSS-containing polyester composites (POSS-Diol + diacid + 1,4-butanediol) have higher molecular weight. The number-average molecular weights ( Mn) of polyester composites b1,b2,b3, and b4 are found to be 6800 g/mol, 7050 g/mol, 7200 g/mol, and 7250 g/mol, respectively. TG results show that the resistance to thermal degradation of POSS-containing polymer bonds is not strong as expected. The results support that the synthesized POSS-based polyesters can be used as high-performance commercial polymers.
Proxy reconstruction of ultraviolet-B irradiance at the Earth’s surface, and its relationship with solar activity and ozone thickness
Authors: Jardine Phillip E , Fraser Wesley T , Gosling William D , Roberts C Neil , Eastwood Warren J , Lomax Barry H
Published: September 2019

Solar ultraviolet-B (UV-B) irradiance that reaches the Earth’s surface acts as a biotic stressor and has the potential to modify ecological and environmental functioning. The challenges of reconstructing ultraviolent (UV) irradiance prior to the satellite era mean that there is uncertainty over long-term surface UV-B patterns, especially in relation to variations in solar activity over centennial and millennial timescales. Here, we reconstruct surface UV-B irradiance over the last 650 years using a novel UV-B proxy based on the chemical signature of pollen grains. We demonstrate a statistically significant positive relationship between the abundance of UV-B absorbing compounds in Pinus pollen and modelled solar UV-B irradiance. These results show that trends in surface UV-B follow the overall solar activity pattern over centennial timescales, and that variations in solar output are the dominant control on surface level UV-B flux, rather than solar modulated changes in ozone thickness. The Pinus biochemical response demonstrated here confirms the potential for solar activity driven surface UV-B variations to impact upon terrestrial biotas and environments over long timescales.
Understanding Chinese Nursing Education and Practice for Developing International Nursing Partnerships
Authors: He Qilian , Fu Yanfen , Su Yunpeng , Luan Yuquan
Published: September 2019

Introduction: Modern nursing was introduced into China by Western missionaries in the 19th century; since then, significant changes continued to occur, which provides beneficial areas of international collaboration based on trends in globalization. Methods and Materials: The description was developed through reviews of published literature, policy documents that inform Chinese nursing practice, education, and the firsthand working experiences between American and Chinese nurses and faculty. Results: 82 articles and 13 governmental documents were included. Chinese nursing has undergone significant changes in the organization, quality assessment, and roles requirements in education and practice. International collaboration areas include addressing the severe faculty shortage, maternal child care, elderly care, quality assessment, and educational programs evaluation. Discussion: Informative knowledge of changing Chinese nursing education and practices in the new millennium, the potential areas, and guides for international nursing collaboration would be meaningful to internationally involved faculty and nurses in China and America.
Community Engagement in Music Education: Preservice Music Teachers’ Perceptions of an Urban Service-Learning Initiative
Authors: Forrester Sommer Helweh
Published: September 2019

To facilitate cultural competency among preservice music teachers, music teacher educators must create ongoing opportunities for discourse and situated learning. The purpose of this collective case study was to examine four preservice music teachers’ experiences in the Arranger-in-Residence Program (AIRP)—a community engagement project emphasizing service-learning and placed within a socioeconomically diverse urban school district. Research questions included (1) How did the participants describe their experiences in the AIRP? and (2) What challenges, if any, did the participants experience during the service-learning initiative. The AIRP involved music education students enrolled in an undergraduate-level orchestration course. Overwhelmingly, the participants’ experiences with the AIRP were considered positive and signaled unique opportunities for personal growth as novice teachers. Each of the participants described moments where they acknowledged and confronted their implicit biases.
Human Resource Professionals’ Perceptions of Music Teacher Candidate Performance on Prescreening Interview Instruments
Authors: Shaw Ryan D.
Published: September 2019

The purpose of this study was to investigate human resources (HR) professionals’ perceptions of music teacher job candidate performance on prescreening interviews in five Midwestern school districts. Specifically, I explored how HR professionals viewed music teacher job candidate performance in relation to specific facets of the interviews as well as to other candidates. The primary data sources were interviews with HR professionals in charge of hiring new teachers. Participants perceived that prescreening interview instruments revealed differences between primary (grades K–6) and secondary (grades 7–12) licensure areas. Music teacher candidates’ responses appeared to mirror those of secondary candidates; they had difficulty exercising empathy and discussing individual student growth, and instead focused on policies and exhibited a program director mindset. Finally, participants exercised agency to personalize prescreening interview instruments depending on licensure type and applicant pool.
Decreased Cigarette Smoking but No Change in Use of Electronic Cigarettes Following a University-Wide Smoking Ban
Authors: Allen Ben , Stuart Gregory L.
Published: September 2019

The prevalence of electronic cigarette use is increasing, particularly among youth. This recent trend is troubling given that electronic cigarette use is associated with future cigarette smoking. Here, we assessed the prevalence of cigarette smoking and use of electronic cigarettes among college students before and after implementation of a university-wide smoking ban on campus. We found that after the smoking ban was implemented, the prevalence of self-reported combustible cigarette smoking decreased (12% versus 7%; unadjusted: OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.34, 0.89, p = 0.015), but we did not observe a difference in the prevalence of electronic cigarette use (26.3% versus 27.5%; unadjusted: OR = 1.06, 95% CI = 0.78, 1.43, p = 0.699). Future studies should identify factors that increase the impact of university smoking policies on electronic cigarette use.
Blast-Related Traumatic Brain Injury: Current Concepts and Research Considerations
Authors: Bryden Daniel W , Tilghman Jessica I , Hinds Sidney R
Published: September 2019

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a well-known consequence of participation in activities such as military combat or collision sports. But the wide variability in eliciting circumstances and injury severities makes the study of TBI as a uniform disease state impossible. Military Service members are under additional, unique threats such as exposure to explosive blast and its unique effects on the body. This review is aimed toward TBI researchers, as it covers important concepts and considerations for studying blast-induced head trauma. These include the comparability of blast-induced head trauma to other mechanisms of TBI, whether blast overpressure induces measureable biomarkers, and whether a biodosimeter can link blast exposure to health outcomes, using acute radiation exposure as a corollary. This examination is contextualized by the understanding of concussive events and their psychological effects throughout the past century’s wars, as well as the variables that predict sustaining a TBI and those that precipitate or exacerbate psychological conditions.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely the views of the authors and not those of the Department of Defense Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office, US Army Medical Research and Development Command, US Army Futures Command, US Army, or the Department of Defense.
Fertility Preservation in Women With Malignancy: Future Endeavors
Authors: Blumenfeld Zeev
Published: September 2019

The area of fertility preservation is constantly developing. To date, the only noninvestigational and unequivocally accepted methods for fertility preservation are cryopreservation of embryos and unfertilized oocytes. This article is one of several in a monogram on fertility preservation. The debate, pros and cons, and equivocal data on the use of GnRH analogues for fertility preservation are elaborated by 3 other manuscripts, in this monogram. A repeat of the arguments, pros and cons of this debatable issue, would be a repetition and redundancy of what is already included in this monogram. The subject of ovarian cryopreservation for fertility preservation is also elaborated by several other authors in this monogram. It is possible that, in the not too far future, the technologies of in vitro maturation of primordial follicles to metaphase 2 oocytes, and the “artificial ovary,” will turn clinically available. These technologies may bypass the risk of resuming malignancy by autotransplantation of cryopreserved-thawed ovarian tissue in leukemia and diseases where malignant cells may persist in the cryopreserved ovarian tissue. We summarize here the suggested options for future endeavors in fertility preservation.
Imperial dialectics and epistemic mapping: From decolonisation to anti-Eurocentric IR
Authors: Murray Christopher
Published: September 2019

What would it mean to construct a post-imperial discipline rather than a ‘post-Western’ one? ‘Post-imperial’ means addressing the ways in which colonial empires divided the world into separate realms of human capability and thought. The binary categories of Western and Eastern, or Western and non-Western, represent one such way of dividing the world according to an imperial imaginary. Rather than merely excluding, these divisions created justifications for local universalisms and power structures. Yet, many anti-Eurocentric scholars now make use of these categories in order to argue for fixed epistemic differences between Western and non-Western populations. Accordingly, I critique the imperial division of the world by drawing on the intellectual trajectories of two thinkers who struggled against empire in the 20th century: WEB Du Bois and Frantz Fanon. Du Bois and Fanon were both aware of how ethnic and cultural foundations for politics could reproduce imperial order, and, therefore, offer potential alternatives to Western/non-Western ontologies. This includes recognising that representations of difference are processual, determined by strategic necessity, and subject to incentives to represent difference within hierarchical institutions. This article builds on recent studies in International Relations and other disciplines to think through the legacies of empire in knowledge production, and to push towards more historical and relational approaches to world political and social inquiry.
Culture & Psychology: 25 Constructive years
Authors: Valsiner Jaan
Published: September 2019

In this article, I review main directions in innovative ideas that have been presented on the pages of Culture & Psychology over its 25 year history. The field of cultural psychology has become established and gains increasing prominence over the years covered—yet its future depends on careful development of the specific theoretical ideas catalyzed by the use of the hyper-term culture in the different arenas of concrete human psychology. Potential future ideas for cultural psychology include a move from acculturation to proculturation, modulation of psychological distance by signs, building models of dialogical relationships in socially asymmetric role relations, and of the affective textures of everyday living. These are all processes of higher-order complexity that require new ways of conceptualizing methodology in psychology—one that prioritizes theoretically based methods construction over those of consensually established “tool boxes.” Cultural psychology has the advantage over other areas of psychology to consider both the real and not (yet) real human conditions within the same scheme, thus allowing for conceptualization of highest forms of human creativity in ordinary human lives.
Are Korean children free from suicide? Risk and protective factors within a transactional–ecological perspective
Authors: Cho Yoon-Joo
Published: September 2019

This study aimed to explore and identify the trends and risks, as well as the protective factors of child suicide in Korea. Data from the 10th year Korea Welfare Panel Study in 2016 were used. These data were collected from 458 fourth to sixth grade boys and girls in elementary schools. The results showed that the mean suicidal ideation score was 1.55, the suicide attempt rate was .9%, and the mean number of suicide attempts was .2. Suicidal ideation was more prevalent in children who reported the absence of a parental figure, frequent experiences of school violence, increased Internet use, and decreased guidance and supervision from parents. The presence of parental figure explained the greatest amount of variance. Logistic regression analysis with suicide attempts as the dependent variable demonstrated that family income was a significant variable. Regarding the mediating roles of depression and anxiety, Internet usage directly affected children’s suicidal ideation, while the experience of school violence, academic stress, and parents’ guidance and supervision affected suicidal ideation, which was mediated by the child’s depression and anxiety. Depression and anxiety had a positive impact on suicidal ideation. Based on these results, implications and interventions were suggested.
Relieving the tension between national health equity strategies and global health equity
Authors: McNamara Courtney L.
Published: September 2019

Globally, numerous national strategies have taken aim at reducing health inequities. An ever-present tension characterizing these strategies, however, is their lack of attention to the global political economy. This commentary argues that national policies which target only domestic factors (without engaging with the global political economy) will be limited, both, in their ability to address national levels of health equity and the larger global health inequity problem. Meaningful proposals to reduce health inequities have been made that take into account a global political economy perspective. National health equity strategies could provide the lacking momentum to advance such proposals, but will require united and sustained advocacy by global health and health equity scholars. Ultimately, relieving the tension between national health equity commitments and global health equity concerns could be one of the new approaches needed to improve health equity worldwide.
Prediction of fatigue damage accumulation of defective materials under variable amplitude loading
Authors: Saggar Maroua , Nasr Anouar , Sallem Haifa , Bouraoui Chokri
Published: September 2019

The main goal of this attempt is to explore and analyze the behavior of a material containing artificial surface defect and solicited under variable amplitude cyclic loading. The observation and the follow-up of the loading history and the characterization of the damage accumulation were evaluated in the presence of an artificial surface defect. The results made it possible to highlight a strong nonlinearity of the damage accumulation. However, the absence of sequence effects encountered in a defect-free material has been found. In the perspective of developing an approach to evaluate the influence of the defects on cumulative damage under variable amplitude loading, this work consists of coupling a multiaxial fatigue criterion adapted to defective materials with a law of uniaxial damage solicited under variable amplitudes loading. A cumulative damage law has been used to analyze the validity of the proposed method. Introducing the equivalent multiaxial fatigue stress due to the presence of the defect allowed us to predict the residual lifetime of a defective material, and to find the effects of sequences usually observed for variable amplitude loading for the defect-free material. A coherent agreement is observed between the results predicted by the improved model and those obtained from the experimental investigations on specimens containing artificial surface defect subjected to purely alternating tension and torsion under increasing and decreasing load levels.
Direct detection of morphine in human urine by surface-ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Usmanov DT , Akhunov ShDj , Khasanov U , Rotshteyn VM , Kasimov BSh
Published: September 2019

Detection and analysis of drugs-of-abuse in biological fluids are the essential tasks for the law enforcement, forensic toxicology, doping research and social health. In this work, we developed a surface-ionization mass spectrometry method for direct detection of trace amount of morphine spiked in blank urine. The mass-spectrometric analysis of spiked samples was carried out without preliminary extraction and chromatographic separation. It was found out that the major fragment ions at m/z 144, 146 could be served as indicator lines of morphine spiked in blank urine. Limit of detection of morphine spiked in blank urine was 100 pg (50 ng/ml), and a linear range of calibration curve was more than two orders of magnitude. The spiked samples were also analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry without preliminary extraction and derivatization procedures. No morphine was found in the spiked samples. The experimental data show that the high selectivity of the surface ionization can be allowed to direct analysis of morphine spiked in blank urine without its preliminary extraction and chromatographic separation.
The Effects of Embedding Closed-ended Cognitive Probes in a Web Survey on Survey Response
Authors: Scanlon Paul J.
Published: September 2019

Web, or online, probing has the potential to supplement existing questionnaire design processes by providing structured cognitive data on a wider sample than typical qualitative-only question evaluation methods can achieve. One of the practical impediments to the further integration of web probing is the concern of survey managers about how the probes themselves may affect response to other items and to a questionnaire as a whole. This study explores the effects web probes had on response to a self-administered web survey by comparing two rounds of this survey—one without web probes and one with web probes—that were administered to a probability-based panel of approximately 100,000 American adults. While the item response to the probes themselves appears to be related to the way they are formatted, the findings indicate that web probes do not have an overall negative effect on a questionnaire in which they are embedded.
A fuzzy recurrent neural network for driver fatigue detection based on steering-wheel angle sensor data
Authors: Li Zuojin , Yang Qing , Chen Shengfu , Zhou Wei , Chen Liukui , Song Lei
Published: September 2019

The study of the robust fatigue feature learning method for the driver’s operational behavior is of great significance for improving the performance of the real-time detection system for driver’s fatigue state. Aiming at how to extract more abstract and deep features in the driver’s direction operation data in the robust feature learning, this article constructs a fuzzy recurrent neural network model, which includes input layer, fuzzy layer, hidden layer, and output layer. The steering-wheel direction sensing time series sends the time series to the input layer through a fixed time window. After the fuzzification process, it is sent to the hidden layer to share the weight of the hidden layer, realize the memorization of the fatigue feature, and improve the feature depth capability of the steering wheel angle time sequence. The experimental results show that the proposed model achieves an average recognition rate of 87.30% in the fatigue sample database of real vehicle conditions, which indicates that the model has strong robustness to different subjects under real driving conditions. The model proposed in this article has important theoretical and engineering significance for studying the prediction of fatigue driving under real driving conditions.