bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Cohort Study of Fecal miR-223 and miR-451a as Noninvasive and Specific Biomarkers for Diagnosis of Necrotizing Enterocolitis in Preterm Infants
Authors: Ng Pak Cheung , Chan Kathy Yuen Yee , Lam Hugh Simon , Wong Raymond Pui On , Ma Terence Ping Yuen , Sit Tony , Leung Kam Tong , Chan Lawrence Chi Ngong , Pang Yennie Lap Ian , Cheung Hon Ming , Chu Winnie Chiu Wing , Li Karen
Published: November 2020

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of fecal microRNA (miR)-223 and miR-451a, as novel noninvasive biomarkers for early diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Methods: Among the top-listed target miRNAs in our previous differential microarray analysis, miR-223 and miR-451a were quantified in a pilot validation case-controlled study (NEC vs. non-NEC/nonsepsis infants; n = 6 in each group). A definitive prospective cohort study (n = 218) further assessed their clinical usefulness as noninvasive and specific diagnostic biomarkers. Fecal calprotectin was quantified in parallel for comparison. Results: Of 43 proven NEC cases in the cohort study, 24 (55.8%) had fecal samples recovered within the first 3 days of clinical presentation. Fecal miRNA-223 (10.5 fold), miR-451a (4.5 fold), and calprotectin (2.1 fold) concentrations were significant higher in NEC compared with the non-NEC group (p < 0.009). Accepting a minimum sensitivity of 0.75, the positive predictive values (PPVs) ranged between 0.19 and 0.20. Combining fecal biomarkers and CRP (Day 1) could marginally increase the PPVs (0.31–0.34) but adversely lowered the sensitivity (0.54–0.63). Conclusions: Although fecal miRNA biomarkers and calprotectin concentrations were significantly higher in the NEC group, the considerable overlapping of concentrations between groups and low recovery of stool specimens within 72 h of clinical presentation rendered fecal noninvasive tests of limited clinical value in guiding diagnosis of NEC during the acute phase. A further study is underway to evaluate their roles in surveillance for predicting high-risk premature infants developing NEC.
Association of Admission Hyperglycemia with Clinical Outcomes in Japanese Patients with Acute Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke: A post hoc Analysis of the Recovery by Endovascular Salvage for Cerebral Ultra-Acute Embolism Japan Registry 2
Authors: Yazawa Yukako , Ohira Tetsuya , Itabashi Ryo , Uchida Kazutaka , Sakai Nobuyuki , Yamagami Hiroshi , Morimoto Takeshi , Yoshimura Shinichi ,   on behalf of RESCUE-Japan Registry 2 Investigators
Published: November 2020

Introduction: Admission hyperglycemia is an indicator of poor functional prognosis in acute stroke, but investigations of its prevalence and effects on the outcomes of acute large vessel occlusion in real-world, large-scale studies are limited, especially in Asian population. Objective: We aimed to elucidate the relationship between admission hyperglycemia and outcomes in a prospective multicenter registry in Japan. Methods: We analyzed data from the Recovery by Endovascular Salvage for Cerebral Ultra-Acute Embolism (RESCUE) Japan Registry 2, which was a prospective, multicenter registry that enrolled patients from 46 centers in Japan. Admission hyperglycemia was defined as blood glucose level >140 mg/dL. The relationships between clinical outcomes and admission hyperglycemia were analyzed in all 1,932 assessable patients. A favorable functional outcome, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of 0–2 at day 90, as well as mortality within 90 days and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) within 72 h, was analyzed. We performed subgroup analyses of the adjusted variables to investigate the association between hyperglycemia and favorable outcome in relation to each variable. Results: Admission hyperglycemia was present in 687 (35.6%) of the assessable patients and in 420 (26.9%) of the 1,561 patients without diabetes. A favorable outcome was significantly less frequent in the hyperglycemia group than in the no-hyperglycemia group (33.2% vs. 47.6%, adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.47–0.76). The mortality rates were 12.8% and 6.8% in the hyperglycemia and no-hyperglycemia groups, respectively. The incidence of SICH within 72 h was higher in the hyperglycemia group than in the no-hyperglycemia group (4.4% vs. 1.9%, adjusted OR: 2.54, 95% CI: 1.36–4.82). Hyperglycemia was associated with unfavorable outcomes in almost all subgroups. Conclusions: Admission hyperglycemia in Japanese patients with large vessel occlusion stroke is associated with an unfavorable functional outcome at 90 days, mortality within 90 days, and the occurrence of SICH within 72 h.
Impact of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery on Rate of Complications, Time to Adjuvant Treatment, and Risk of Recurrence
Authors: Oberhauser Ida , Zeindler Jasmin , Ritter Mathilde , Levy Jeremy , Montagna Giacomo , Mechera Robert , Soysal Savas Deniz , Castrezana López Liliana , D’Amico Veronica , Kappos Elisabeth Artemis , Schwab Fabienne Dominique , Müller Madleina , Kurzeder Christian , Haug Martin , Weber Walter Paul
Published: November 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the risk of complications and recurrence between oncoplastic and conventional breast surgery. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of 436 patients with stage I–III breast cancer who underwent surgery at the University Hospital of Basel between 2011 and 2018. Results: The nipple/skin-sparing mastectomy (NSM/SSM) group showed significantly more delayed wound healing (32.7 vs. 5.8%, p < 0.001) and skin necrosis (13.9 vs. 1.9%, p = 0.020) compared to conventional mastectomy (CM), which corresponded to significantly higher odds of short-term complications (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.02–5.35, p = 0.044). The incidence rate of long-term morbidity in oncoplastic breast-conserving surgery (OBCS) was significantly higher compared to conventional breast-conserving surgery (CBCS; 25.5 vs. 11.3 per 100 patient years [PY], p < 0.001), in particular concerning chronic pain (13.3 vs. 6.6, p = 0.011) and lymphedema (4.1 vs. 0.4, p = 0.003). Seroma as a long-term morbidity occurred more often in the CM group compared to the NSM/SSM group (5.8 vs. 0.5 per 100 PY, p = 0.004). Patients received adjuvant treatment earlier after CM compared to NSM/SSM (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.05–3.19, p = 0.034). There were no significant differences in the incidence of positive margins nor in the odds of recurrence after OBCS versus CBCS and after NSM/SSM versus CM. Conclusions: Even though the present study confirmed expected differences in complications and morbidity, it suggested that oncoplastic surgery is oncologically safe. Patients undergoing NSM/SSM should be followed closely to allow early detection and treatment of frequently associated complications and ensure timely start of adjuvant therapy.
Encontro no subsolo
Authors: Cavalheiro Juciane dos Santos
Published: November 2020

Em Memórias do subsolo, escrita por Dostoiévski em 1864, emerge a confissão das incertezas e contradições de um homem. Kafka, n’A construção (1923), opta pelo discurso do protagonista dirigido e elaborado sob a influência antecipável do outro. Propõe-se, neste trabalho, a acompanhar as duas narrativas a partir de ideias e conceitos bakhtinianos presentes em Problemas da Poética de Dostoiévski (PPD), a saber: homem no homem, tom confessional, diálogo interior, autoconsciência dialogizada, polêmica velada e aberta, discurso com evasivas, consciência e alteridade. Objetiva-se, portanto, analisar, a partir da organização teórica e metodológica esboçada em PPD, alguns dos graus e formas de incorporação da palavra do outro nas duas novelas, de modo a acompanhar o relato e a confissão de duas personagens que vivem no subsolo, privadas de reconhecimento e interação, em um espaço de ausência e silêncio.
Skepticism and Inquiry
Authors: Goldberg Sanford C.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, I am interested in skepticism’s downstream effects on further inquiry. To account for these downstream effects, we need to distinguish (i) the (skepticism-supporting) reasons for doubting whether p, (ii) one’s other background beliefs bearing on the prospects that further inquiry would improve one’s epistemic position on p, and (iii) the value one assigns to determining whether p. I advance two claims regarding skepticism’s downstream effects on inquiry. First, it is characteristic of “radical” forms of skepticism that (i) is sufficient to undermine the prospect described in (ii). By contrast (and second), ordinary forms of skepticism, which can be identified in connection with (ii), can actually be a boon to inquiry by enhancing (iii). In such cases, having reasons for skeptical doubt is not merely compatible with inquiring further, but also serves to motivate and to help frame such inquiry.
Description and Quality Assessment of Poetry Translation: Application of a Linguistic Model
Authors: Ma Yuanyi , Wang Bo
Published: November 2020

This article presents a linguistic model, based on systemic functional linguistics (SFL), for describing and comparing poetry translations. The proposed model takes both the form and meaning of poetry into consideration and involves linguistic analyses at the levels of graphology, phonology, lexicogrammar and context. To illustrate the applicability of the model, we offer an analysis of Rabindranath Tagore’s Stray Birds in English and its three Chinese translations, point out the choices made by Tagore and the translators at different levels, and discuss the translation shifts in the target texts. On the basis of a contextual analysis, we relate the target texts with the Chinese norms of translation and comment on the quality of the translations. Our intention is to prove that linguistic theories offer a powerful tool for analysing poetry translation and offer new possibilities in translation studies from the perspective of SFL.
Arabic Astronomical Tables in China: Tabular Layout and its Implications for the Transmission and Use of the Huihui lifa
Authors: Liang Li
Published: November 2020

This paper examines the early transmission and translation of Arabic astronomical tables in China by comparing the layouts of parallax correction tables. After comparing the layouts of equation tables in various Huihui lifa works, this paper concludes that the characteristics of tabular layout are related to the specific nature of each work, and these adjustments thereto may reflect changes in their intended audience and purpose. Comparison of a single type of table that appears in Huihui lifa works of different eras in one-dimensional array, two-dimensional array, and rotational symmetry layouts illustrates that Chinese astronomical tables continually absorbed and adapted the advantages offered by Arabic and European counterparts, flexibly adapting them to their own purposes on the basis of their own tradition and habits.
The Use of Pain in Childbirth Recorded in Chinese Medical Works
Authors: Siang Ng Margaret Wee
Published: November 2020

In pre-modern China, midwives and pregnant mothers used pain description as a tool to gauge the progress of childbirth. This was recorded in the twelfth century medical work Shichan lun 十產論 (Ten Topics on Birth), which takes the form of a list, describing routine childbirth, birth complications and the techniques used to manage those specific complications. It was the most widely quoted and disseminated work on childbirth and birth complications in late imperial China. The description of childbirth pain in Shichan lun would shift in meaning and use by the end of the imperial period, leading to the representation of childbirth pain as inevitable, nondescript and immutable. This study examines how pain was a tool for the pregnant woman and birth attendants in Shichan lun. This reading of pain challenges our current understanding of the value and meaning of pain in childbirth physiology.
Tricorythopsis nupem: a new species for the Atlantic forest from southeast Brazil (Ephemeroptera: Leptohyphidae)
Authors: ARAÚJO VINÍCIUS ALBANO , DIAS LUCIMAR GOMES
Published: November 2020

Tricorythopsis Traver, 1958 is a neotropical genus of the Leptohyphidae (Ephemeroptera, Ephemerelloidea), with 19 species described (Molineri 2001; Dias & Salles 2005; Dias et al. 2008, 2009; Lima et al. 2011; Belmont et al. 2011, 2012, 2015; Domínguez et al. 2019). The genus comprises species of approximately two or three millimeters, and can be considered one of the smallest members of the order (Molineri 1999, 2001; Dias & Salles 2005; Dias et al. 2006, 2008, 2009; Belmont et al. 2011, 2015).
Climate Model Teleconnection Patterns Govern the Niño-3.4 Response to Early Nineteenth-Century Volcanism in Coral-Based Data Assimilation Reconstructions
Authors: Sanchez Sara C. , Hakim Gregory J. , Saenger Casey P.
Published: November 2020

Scientific understanding of low-frequency tropical Pacific variability, especially responses to perturbations in radiative forcing, suffers from short observational records, sparse proxy networks, and bias in model simulations. Here, we combine the strengths of proxies and models through coral-based paleoclimate data assimilation. We combine coral archives (δ18O, Sr/Ca) with the dynamics, spatial teleconnections, and intervariable relationships of the CMIP5/PMIP3 Past1000 experiments using the Last Millennium Reanalysis data assimilation framework. This analysis creates skillful reconstructions of tropical Pacific temperatures over the observational era. However, during the period of intense volcanism in the early nineteenth century, southwestern Pacific corals produce El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) reconstructions that are of opposite sign from those from eastern Pacific corals and tree ring records. We systematically evaluate the source of this discrepancy using 1) single-proxy experiments, 2) varied proxy system models (PSMs), and 3) diverse covariance patterns from the Past1000 simulations. We find that individual proxy records and coral PSMs do not significantly contribute to the discrepancy. However, following major eruptions, the southwestern Pacific corals locally record more persistent cold anomalies than found in the Past1000 experiments and canonical ENSO teleconnections to the southwest Pacific strongly control the reconstruction response. Furthermore, using covariance patterns independent of ENSO yields reconstructions consistent with coral archives across the Pacific. These results show that model bias can strongly affect how proxy information is processed in paleoclimate data assimilation. As we illustrate here, model bias influences the magnitude and persistence of the response of the tropical Pacific to volcanic eruptions.
The Drag on the Barotropic Tide due to the Generation of Baroclinic Motion
Authors: Shakespeare Callum J. , Arbic Brian K. , McC. Hogg Andrew
Published: November 2020

The interaction of a barotropic flow with topography generates baroclinic motion that exerts a stress on the barotropic flow. Here, explicit solutions are calculated for the spatial-mean flow (i.e., the barotropic tide) resulting from a spatially uniform but time-varying body force (i.e., astronomical forcing) acting over rough topography. This approach of prescribing the force contrasts with that of previous authors who have prescribed the barotropic flow. It is found that the topographic stress, and thus the impact on the spatial-mean flow, depend on the nature of the baroclinic motion that is generated. Two types of stress are identified: (i) a “wave drag” force associated with propagating wave motion, which extracts energy from the spatial-mean flow, and (ii) a topographic “spring” force associated with standing motion at the seafloor, including bottom-trapped internal tides and propagating low-mode internal tides, which significantly damps the time-mean kinetic energy of the spatial-mean flow but extracts no energy in the time-mean. The topographic spring force is shown to be analogous to the force exerted by a mechanical spring in a forced-dissipative harmonic oscillator. Expressions for the topographic stresses appropriate for implementation as baroclinic drag parameterizations in global models are presented.
Adjusting ISCCP Cloud Detection to Increase Consistency of Cloud Amount and Reduce Artifacts
Authors: Knapp Kenneth R. , Young Alisa H. , Semunegus Hilawe , Inamdar Anand K. , Hankins William
Published: November 2020

The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) began collecting data in the 1980s to help understand the distribution of clouds. Since then, it has provided important information on clouds in time and space and their radiative characteristics. However, it was apparent from some long-term time series of the data that there are some latent artifacts related to the changing satellite coverage over the more than 30 years of the record. Changes in satellite coverage effectively create secular changes in the time series of view zenith angle (VZA) for a given location. There is an inconsistency in the current ISCCP cloud detection algorithm related to VZA: two satellites viewing the same location from different VZAs can produce vastly different estimates of cloud amount. Research is presented that shows that a simple change to the cloud detection algorithm can vastly increase the consistency. This is accomplished by making the cloud–no cloud threshold VZA dependent. The resulting cloud amounts are more consistent between different satellites and the distributions are shown to be more spatially homogenous. Likewise, the more consistent spatial data lead to more consistent temporal statistics.
Dynamical–Statistical Prediction of Week-2 Severe Weather for the United States
Authors: Wang Hui , Kumar Arun , Diawara Alima , DeWitt David , Gottschalck Jon
Published: November 2020

A dynamical–statistical model is developed for forecasting week-2 severe weather (hail, tornadoes, and damaging winds) over the United States. The supercell composite parameter (SCP) is used as a predictor, which is derived from the 16-day dynamical forecasts of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) model and represents the large-scale convective environments influencing severe weather. The hybrid model forecast is based on the empirical relationship between GEFS hindcast SCP and observed weekly severe weather frequency during 1996–2012, the GEFS hindcast period. Cross validations suggest that the hybrid model has a low skill for week-2 severe weather when applying simple linear regression method at 0.5° × 0.5° (latitude × longitude) grid data. However, the forecast can be improved by using the 5° × 5° area-averaged data. The forecast skill can be further improved by using the empirical relationship depicted by the singular value decomposition method, which takes into account the spatial covariations of weekly severe weather. The hybrid model was tested operationally in spring 2019 and demonstrated skillful forecasts of week-2 severe weather frequency over the United States.
Comment: It’s Not Academic
Authors: Kim Oliver J.
Published: November 2020

The author comments on how academic research on white space could be utilized in policy making. Through this discussion, the author explores the intersection between academic and political advocacy. Sociologists should consider, but not be limited by, the work of practitioners and advocates in determining how their research can be useful in influencing public policy.
New York State and the Nation: Trends in Firearm Purchases and Firearm Violence During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Donnelly Megan R. , Barie Philip S. , Grigorian Areg , Kuza Catherine M. , Schubl Sebastian , de Virgilio Christian , Lekawa Michael , Nahmias Jeffry
Published: November 2020

Background

The impacts of social stressors on violence during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are unknown. We hypothesized that firearm purchases and violence would increase surrounding the pandemic. This study determined the impact of COVID-19 and shelter-in-place (SIP) orders on firearm purchases and incidents in the United States (US) and New York State (NYS).

Methods

Scatterplots reflected trends in firearm purchases, incidents, and deaths over a 16-month period (January 2019 to April 2020). Bivariate comparisons of SIP and non-SIP jurisdictions before and after SIP (February 2020 vs. April 2020) and April 2020 vs. April 2019 were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results

The incidence of COVID-19 in the US increased between February and April 2020 from 24 to 1 067 660 and in NYS from 0 to 304 372. When comparing February to March to April in the US, firearm purchases increased 33.6% then decreased 22.0%, whereas firearm incidents increased 12.2% then again increased by 3.6% and firearm deaths increased 23.8% then decreased in April by 3.8%. In NYS, comparing February to March to April 2020, firearm purchases increased 87.6% then decreased 54.8%, firearm incidents increased 110.1% then decreased 30.8%, and firearm deaths increased 57.1% then again increased by 6.1%. In both SIP and non-SIP jurisdictions, April 2020 firearm purchases, incidents, deaths, and injuries were similar to April 2019 and February 2020 (all P = NS).

Discussion

Coronavirus disease 2019–related stressors may have triggered an increase in firearm purchases nationally and within NYS in March 2020. Firearm incidents also increased in NYS. SIP orders had no effect on firearm purchases and firearm violence.
Predictors of Anastomotic Leak After Esophagectomy for Cancer: Not All Leaks Increase Mortality
Authors: Krasnoff Chloe C. , Grigorian Areg , Smith Brian R. , Jutric Zeljka , Nguyen Ninh T. , Daly Shaun , Lekawa Michael E. , Nahmias Jeffry
Published: November 2020

Background

The impact of preoperative chemotherapy/radiation on esophageal anastomotic leaks (ALs) and the correlation between AL severity and mortality risk have not been fully elucidated. We hypothesized that lower severity ALs have a similar risk of mortality compared to those without ALs, and preoperative chemotherapy/radiation increases AL risk.

Methods

The 2016-2017 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program’s procedure-targeted esophagectomy database was queried for patients undergoing any esophagectomy for cancer. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for risk of ALs.

Results

From 2042 patients, 280 (13.7%) had ALs. AL patients requiring intervention had increased mortality risk including those requiring reoperation, interventional procedure, and medical therapy ( P < .05). AL patients requiring no intervention had similar mortality risk compared to patients without ALs ( P > .05). Preoperative chemotherapy/radiation was not predictive of ALs ( P > .05).

Conclusion

Preoperative chemotherapy/radiation does not contribute to risk for ALs after esophagectomy. There is a stepwise increased risk of 30-day mortality for ALs requiring increased invasiveness of treatment.
Characterization of Emergency Department Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Procedures with an Infectious Diseases Clinic Referral Process
Authors: Frederickson Jessica J. , Monroe Alexandra K. , Hall Gregory A. , Weant Kyle A.
Published: November 2020

Purpose: Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (rPEP) in the emergency department (ED) is associated with high costs, complicated administration protocols, and a time-sensitive vaccination series that often requires ED follow-up visits for subsequent vaccine administration. This study sought to characterize the number of redirected vaccine administrations in those patients referred to ID Clinic, guideline compliance, and opportunities for improvement. Methods: Retrospective chart review of adult and pediatric patients presenting to the ED from 2016 to 2019 and prescribed rabies immunoglobulin. Results: Of the 89 patients included, 66.3% were referred to ID Clinic. Those referred to clinic had significantly fewer average visits to the ED for repeat vaccination ( P < .001). Of the 177 vaccinations prescribed for patients referred, 105 were administered in clinic. Overall, having insurance significantly increased the odds of completing the prescribed vaccination series (Odds Ratio (OR) = 4.34, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.34 to 15.52). Among those patients referred to clinic, having insurance significantly increased the odds of receiving any follow-up doses in clinic (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 1.48 to 25.98), receiving all of their prescribed follow-up doses in clinic (OR = 10.00, 95% CI = 1.72 to 190.80), and completing the entirety of their vaccination series (OR = 5.89, 95% CI = 1.50 to 26.21). Conclusions: The use of an ID Clinic referral process for rPEP resulted in a significant reduction in the average number of visits to the ED for repeat vaccination, hence avoiding 105 ED visits. Insurance status was a significant factor in both the utilization of the ID Clinic referral system and overall completion of the vaccination series. Future research should explore workflows inclusive of both ED care and outpatient follow-up, care plans for the uninsured, and mechanisms to limit the number of patients that fail to complete the recommended vaccination series.
Government spending and economic growth in the Middle East and North Africa region
Authors: Albassam Bassam Abdullah
Published: November 2020

In 2011, during the Arab Spring, citizens in some Arab countries marched in the streets, demanding decreased corruption, increased public participation in running state affairs, and provision of jobs for citizens. In response, governments in the Middle East and North Africa region initiated strategic plans to meet the people’s demands (e.g. Morocco Vision 2030, Saudi Vision 2030). One of the main parts of these plans is related to reforming the public finance sector. Recently, in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, most Middle East and North Africa countries have taken loans or withdrawn from reserves (both considered sources of funding for government expenditures) to support the economy and fund the healthcare plans to fight the disease. Thus, the efficiency and effectiveness of government spending is very important in utilizing the available resources at all times. Using data for the Middle East and North Africa region from 1990 to 2019, and utilizing a scatterplot technique and the general linear modeling procedure, this article explores the relationship between public expenditures and economic growth. The results show that the current public expenditure system is inefficient and that efficient public spending has to be combined with other factors that influence the economy (e.g. enhancing public participation in running state affairs, controlling corruption, and supporting good governance practices in the public sector).

Points for practitioners

Government spending is one of the most important elements in managing state affairs toward achieving advanced levels of development and providing high-quality services to beneficiaries. This research explores the relationship between government spending and economic growth; the result of this study confirms that non-financial factors, such as fighting corruption, promoting democracy and freedom, enhancing public institutions’ quality, and supporting the productivity and accountability of the public sector, are important dimensions in promoting economic growth, especially in developing countries.
Foaming behavior of the fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer assisted with supercritical carbon dioxide
Authors: Jiang Zi-yin , Zhang Yun-fei , Gong Chang-jing , Yao Zhen , Shukla Abhinaya , Cao Kun
Published: November 2020

Foaming behavior of the fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer (FEP) and its composites assisted with supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as the blowing agent were investigated. The batch foaming process was applied at temperature ranging from 250°C to 265°C and pressure ranging between 12 MPa and 24 MPa. The optimal foaming temperature and saturation pressure were obtained for both pure FEP and FEP composites with 1 wt% different-sized BaTiO3 as nucleating agent. The cell diameter of pure FEP foam ranging from 80–140 µm was observed while the cell diameter decreased to 20–40 µm after adding BaTiO3 particles. The cell density of foamed FEP with BaTiO3 increased significantly from 106 to 108 cells/cm3 and the expansion ratio ranged between 4.0 and 5.5. Moreover, a decrease in an abnormal phenomenon that expansion ratio for the pure FEP foam was observed as the saturation pressure increased. This unexpected phenomenon can be explained by the relationship between foaming and crystallization coupling processes.
Precariousness, kinship, and care: Becoming human in Claire Cameron’s The Last Neanderthal
Authors: Šlapkauskaitė Rūta
Published: November 2020

This article employs Christine L. Marran’s notion of “obligate storytelling” to examine the poetic structures of vulnerability in Canadian author Claire Cameron’s novel The Last Neanderthal (2017). The theoretical backbone of ideas on the materiality of being suggested by Judith Butler, Donna Haraway, Erinn C. Gilson, and Matt Edgeworth, among others, solicits a reading which foregrounds the moral upshot of conceiving the body as an affective centre of life and an arc of anthropogenesis. By following this trajectory, I attempt to show how in troping the archeological dig as a biosemiotic archive, Cameron exposes the structural homologies between the lives of her two female protagonists, a twenty-first-century scientist and a Neanderthal, whose bones she has unearthed. The novel’s use of narrative bifocality offers a visceral construction of subjectivity, which takes its bearings from the shared experience of corporeal vulnerability. By thus imaginatively unspooling the affective links between the neoliberal female subject and her Neanderthal cousin, the novel calls upon us both to rescale our conceptions of creaturely life and rethink our narratives of human origins.
Mitigations of machine-damaged free-edge effects on fiber-reinforced composites
Authors: Brauning Kevin A , Kunza Arifa , Alarifi Ibrahim M , Asmatulu Ramazan
Published: November 2020

The carbon fiber-reinforced composites were prepared in a vacuum oven using pre-preg composites, and the edge surfaces of the composite coupons were treated using high performing adhesives to eliminate the free-edge effects. The primary objective of the study was to usefully address the free-edge effects of composites used in aircraft and other manufacturing industries. The mechanical test results conducted on the untreated and edge-treated test coupons showed that the edge treatment and fiber orientations significantly affected the tensile strength and quality of the composites. It is determined that applying adhesives on the edges of the coupons could improve the mechanical properties of the composites, about 11%. Successful testing and evaluation of materials can lead to the precise analysis of a structure, and predictable behavior of the end design. This study may open up new possibilities to enhance the overall mechanical properties of fiber-reinforced composites for various manufacturing industries.
Reminiscence in the Face of Death of a Filipino Elderly With Substance Use Disorder: The Case of Burt
Authors: Ramos Sixtus Dane A.
Published: November 2020

Death is an important reality that the elderly face. In preparation for death, old people engage in reminiscence. However, the presence of addiction in the elderly may influence this process. The current study examined the life of Burt, a sixty-five year old man with substance use disorder, his reflections on death, and the different types of reminiscence he uses. Using a case study, six themes were uncovered. Burt’s reflections on death revealed his awareness of his death, how he plans to spend his dying days, and his idea of a symbolic death by losing his loved ones. Burt engages in reminiscence patterns that are composed of identity recollections, life milestones, and painful experiences. These themes were examined in order to understand how an elderly person with addiction prepares for his own death. Research limitations, recommendations, and implications in clinical practice and human development research are also discussed.
Racial composition and trajectories of gentrification in the United States
Authors: Rucks-Ahidiana Zawadi
Published: November 2020

Prior studies suggest that middle-income Americans are more likely to move to predominately white, low-income neighbourhoods than predominately black or Latino neighbourhoods. Given that black and Latino neighbourhoods are, on average, lower income and higher in poverty than low-income, white neighbourhoods, it may be that gentrification in these neighbourhoods is a different kind of change than that occurring in predominately white neighbourhoods. Using Census data from 1970 to 2010 for 275 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, I find that racial composition influences not only whether gentrification occurs, but how it occurs and whether it influences racial demographics. Majority white gentrifying tracts were more likely to experience an increase in higher-income residents and white residents, while majority non-white gentrifying tracts experienced an increase in higher-educated but not higher-income residents, and an increase in white residents and decrease in black and Latino residents. Racial composition thus contributed to the kind of gentrification that a tract experienced and the extent to which gentrification produced racial change. These findings suggest that race affects not only where gentrification occurs, as previously established, but also the kind of class and racial changes a neighbourhood experiences. Ultimately, this article suggests that gentrification neither unfolds in one way nor affects all neighbourhoods the same way.
What Can Children Learn from a Free Trial of Eyeglasses Use? Evidence from a Cluster‑Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural China
Authors: Shi Yaojiang , Nie Wei , Mu Ming , Song Shuyi , Peng Lanxi , Zhang Lifang , Yang Jie , Guan Hongyu , Zhu Yiqi , Gao Qiufeng , Nie Jingchun
Published: November 2020

Free trial is a widely used business strategy that takes advantage of information asymmetry. However, evidence on what we can learn and how rapidly we can learn from a free trial of health care is limited. This study evaluates the effect of a free trial of eyeglasses on children’s 8 items of perception related to eyeglasses use. An evaluation was conducted alongside a cluster-randomized controlled trial involved 832 myopic children from northwest rural China. A total of 428 myopic children from 42 schools were randomized to receive free eyeglasses, and 404 myopic children from 42 schools were randomized as control group. We find that the perceived costs and benefits of eyeglasses use and the perceived timing of wearing eyeglasses at the appropriate time can be learned from a free trial of eyeglasses. Compared with the control group in the long run, 5.6 percentage points more children in treatment group agreed that wearing eyeglasses was attractive, 16.5 percentage points more children agreed that wearing eyeglasses is helpful to academic performance, and 7.9 percentage points more children agreed that children with vision problems should wear eyeglasses. Due to the effects of a free product and the time to learning from experience, the magnitude of the impact of a free trial changed over time. We also find that the indirect experience, such as a vision protection course, cannot change children’ perceptions about the cost or benefits of eyeglasses use. The findings imply that children can learn significantly from the experience of a free trial of eyeglasses. A free trial is an effective strategy to solve the information asymmetry problem for health care. The first pair of eyeglasses of children can be one-off subsidized to trigger demand for eyeglasses use.
Impacts of Health Care Industry Consolidation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: A Qualitative Study
Authors: O’Hanlon Claire E.
Published: November 2020

While most studies of health care industry consolidation focus on impacts on prices or quality, these are not its only potential impacts. This exploratory qualitative study describes industry and community stakeholder perceptions of the impacts of cumulative hospital, practice, and insurance mergers, acquisitions, and affiliations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since the 1980s, Pittsburgh’s health care landscape has been transformed and is now dominated by competition between 2 integrated payer-provider networks, health care system UPMC (and its insurance arm UPMC Health Plan) and insurer Highmark (and its health care system Allegheny Health Network). Semi-structured interviews with 20 boundary-spanning stakeholders revealed a mix of perceived impacts of consolidation: some positive, some neutral or ambiguous, and some negative. Stakeholders perceived consolidation’s positive impacts on long-term viability of health care facilities and their ability to adopt new care models, enhanced competition in health insurance, creation of foundations, and pioneering medical research and innovation. Stakeholders also believed that consolidation changed geographic access to care, physician referral behaviors, how educated patients were about their health care, the health care advertising environment, and economies of surrounding neighborhoods. Interviewees noted that consolidation raised questions about what the responsibilities of non-profit organizations are to their communities. However, stakeholders also reported their perceptions of negative outcomes, including ways in which consolidation had potentially reduced patient access to care, accountability and transparency, systems’ willingness to collaborate, and physician autonomy. As trends toward consolidation are not slowing, there will be many opportunities to experiment with policy levers to mitigate its potentially negative consequences.
A Study of Language Development and Affecting Factors in Children Aged 5 to 27 Months
Authors: Muluk Nuray Bayar , Bayoğlu Birgül , Anlar Banu
Published: November 2020

We conducted a study to assess the factors that affect language development in infants and toddlers using data obtained during developmental screening. Our study group consisted of 505 children–-244 (48.3%) boys and 261 (51.7%) girls, aged 5 to 27 months. The children were divided into four age groups: group 1, which we designated as the “6 months” group (age range: 5 to 7 mo); group 2, designated as the “12 months” group (11 to 13 mo); group 3, designated as the “18 months” group (17 to 19 mo); and group 4, designated as the “24 months” group (23 to 27 mo). In addition to demographic data, we compiled data using the Denver II Developmental Screening Test, as well as neurologic examination findings and medical histories. At 6 months, the social item “Works for toy out of reach” was positively related to all language development items. Two gross motor development items–-“Pull to sit, no head lag” and “Lifs chest with arm support”–-were related to the “Turns to sound” and “Turns to voice” items, respectively. Overall, children whose mothers had higher education levels and who were living in higher socioeconomic areas showed significantly greater language development, as did boys, specifically. At 12 months, higher maternal ages, some gross motor development items, and some social items were related to better language development, and children living in higher socioeconomic areas had a significantly increased ability to pass the “4 words other than mama/dada” item. At 18 months, the ability of girls to pass the “4 words other than mama/dada” item increased, and children who passed the “4 words other than mama/dada” item did not pass the “Throws ball” gross motor item. At 24 months, children whose mothers were older had better “Combines 2 words” and “Speech half intelligible” items, girls had better “Comprehends prepositions (such as under/above)” skills, and boys had better “Shows 4 parts of doll” skills. We conclude that language items appear to change together with gross motor items and social development, and that they can be influenced by a family's socioeconomic level. However, as children get older, language development diverges from gross motor development.
First Description of Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma of the Larynx in a Young Child
Authors: Quéré Julien , Leclere Jean-Christophe , Prévot Julien , Conan Virginie , Marianowski Rémi
Published: November 2020

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the larynx has been very rarely described in pediatric population. There are 3 histological subtypes: embryonal, pleomorphic, and alveolar. With regard to the English literature, we present the first case of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the larynx ever described in a child. This tumor has been diagnosed on an endoscopic biopsy. Thus, a unilateral arytenoidectomy has been performed. This tumor has a poor prognosis. Lymph node metastases were successfully treated by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery has shifted from radical to conservative combined with adjuvant treatments.
Granulomatous Inflammation Causing Severe Supraglottic Edema and Airway Obstruction in a Pediatric Patient
Authors: Colevas Sophia M. , Gietman Bradley T. , Cook Shelly M. , Kille Tony L.
Published: November 2020

A 12-year-old male with a family history of inflammatory bowel disease presented with sleep-disordered breathing and was found to have chronic, granulomatous swelling of the supraglottic larynx. His airway was managed with tracheostomy, regular interval laryngeal steroid injections, supraglottoplasty, and “pepper pot” CO2 laser resurfacing leading to eventual decannulation. Due to the non-necrotic nature of the granulomatous inflammation, as well as the patient’s family history of inflammatory bowel disease, the leading diagnosis was Crohn disease, but isolated laryngeal sarcoidosis could not be ruled out. There are only 13 reported cases of laryngeal manifestations of Crohn disease in the literature, with only 2 cases occurring in pediatric patients. This case report adds to this body of literature and discusses strategies for managing granulomatous supraglottic edema when definitive diagnosis is not fully clear.
A Case of Actinomycosis in the Rosenmüller’s Fossa
Authors: Kusaka Takahiro , Kuwashima Shigeru , Hiraumi Harukazu , Sato Hiroaki
Published: November 2020

Actinomycosis is an infrequent infectious disease caused by Actinomyces species. Actinomycoses in the nasopharynx are extremely rare, especially in the Rosenmüller’s fossa. This report presents a case of actinomycosis in the Rosenmüller’s fossa. A 75-year-old woman presented with a 6-month history of bloody sputum. A grayish-white caseous tissue was found in the right Rosenmüller’s fossa after retracting the torus tubarius. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a well-defined lesion with low-signal intensity on T1- and T2-weighted images; small low-signal areas were interspersed inside. The lesion was removed under an endoscope. Histopathological examination revealed eosinophilic, club-shaped structures surrounding a hematoxylophilic center, leading to the diagnosis of actinomycosis. The symptoms improved after 3 months of amoxicillin administration but recurred quickly. After 6 months of amoxicillin administration, the bloody sputum disappeared, and local and imaging findings were normal.
Evaluation of Olfactory Function With Objective Tests in COVID-19-Positive Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gözen E. Deniz , Aliyeva Chinara , Tevetoğlu Fırat , Karaali Rıdvan , Balkan İlker İnanç , Yener H. Murat , Özdoğan H. Ahmet
Published: November 2020

Objective:

Olfactory dysfunction is relatively high in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the incidence of olfactory disorder objectively in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Material and Method:

The study included 31 healthy controls and 59 COVID-19 patients who were diagnosed and treated in the COVID departments in a tertiary hospital. The patients with corona virus infection were screened by a questionnaire and were classified into 2 groups as either group 2 (patients without self-reported smell loss) or group 3 (patients with self-reported smell loss). Age and gender matched healthy controls who do not have chronic nasal condition or nasal surgery history comprised the control group (group 1). All of the patients and subjects in the control group were tested by the Sniffin’ Sticks test. All of the answers and scores were recorded, and the comparisons were made.

Results:

The rate of self-reported smell and taste loss in all COVID-19 patients in this study was 52.5% and 42%, respectively. There was a significant difference in threshold, discrimination, identification, and Threshold, Discrimination, Identification (TDI) scores between groups 1 and 2. When the comparisons between group 1 and 3 were made, again threshold, discrimination, identification, and TDI scores were significantly different. The comparison between groups 2 and 3 demonstrated a significant difference in discrimination, identification, and TDI scores, but threshold score was not different statistically. With questionnaire, the rate of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients was 52.5%, but with objective test, the rate was calculated as 83%.

Conclusion:

Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are common in COVID-19 patients. According to findings with the objective test method in this study, smell disorder in COVID-19 patients was much higher than those detected by questionnaires.
The Anticoagulant Therapy for Otogenic Sigmoid Sinus Thrombophlebitis: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Yuan Lanlai , Yuan Jie , Sun Yu , Wang Yanjun
Published: November 2020

Sigmoid sinus thrombophlebitis is a severe and potentially fatal intracranial complication of acute otitis media and middle ear cholesteatoma. Early administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics and immediate radical mastoidectomy are the recommended standard treatments; however anticoagulant therapy is always an option worthy of clinical consideration. Here, we report a case of middle ear cholesteatoma complicated with sigmoid sinus thrombophlebitis in a patient who received anticoagulant therapy for 1 year before the operation because of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Female Fashion as Leisure and Labor on Reddit
Authors: Murray Margaret A. , Desrayaud Nathalie
Published: November 2020

This paper examines a vibrant online community called Female Fashion Advice, which exemplifies convergence culture because its members both produce and consume its content. This large subreddit offers a compelling alternative to traditional fashion journalism and empowers women to partake in a hobby that has been denigrated due to its association with femininity. Using grounded practical theory, we found that fashion is treated as serious leisure, as evidenced by displays of personal effort, career progress, and an emphasis on enduring benefits. However, women in this community also struggle to keep fashion from becoming unpaid labor. The tension between leisure and labor emerged as women discussed fashion as meaningful, enjoyable, and enriching, but also stressful and socially required. We argue that this is an aspect of convergence culture, which has collapsed the distinction between media producers and consumers, and therefore made the line between leisure and labor blurry.