bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Soluble ST2 Is Associated With New Epileptiform Abnormalities Following Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Lissak India A. , Zafar Sahar F. , Westover M. Brandon , Schleicher Riana L. , Kim Jennifer A. , Leslie-Mazwi Thabele , Stapleton Christopher J. , Patel Aman B. , Kimberly W. Taylor , Rosenthal Eric S.
Published: March 2020

Background and Purpose—

We evaluated the association between 2 types of predictors of delayed cerebral ischemia after nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, including biomarkers of the innate immune response and neurophysiologic changes on continuous electroencephalography.

Methods—

We studied subarachnoid hemorrhage patients that had at least 72 hours of continuous electroencephalography and blood samples collected within the first 5 days of symptom onset. We measured inflammatory biomarkers previously associated with delayed cerebral ischemia and functional outcome, including soluble ST2 (sST2), IL-6 (interleukin-6), and CRP (C-reactive protein). Serial plasma samples and cerebrospinal fluid sST2 levels were available in a subgroup of patients. Neurophysiologic changes were categorized into new or worsening epileptiform abnormalities (EAs) or new background deterioration. The association of biomarkers with neurophysiologic changes were evaluated using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid sST2 were further examined longitudinally using repeated measures mixed-effects models.

Results—

Forty-six patients met inclusion criteria. Seventeen (37%) patients developed new or worsening EAs, 21 (46%) developed new background deterioration, and 8 (17%) developed neither. Early (day, 0–5) plasma sST2 levels were higher among patients with new or worsening EAs (median 115 ng/mL [interquartile range, 73.8–197]) versus those without (74.7 ng/mL [interquartile range, 44.8–102];
P
=0.024). Plasma sST2 levels were similar between patients with or without new background deterioration. Repeated measures mixed-effects modeling that adjusted for admission risk factors showed that the association with new or worsening EAs remained independent for both plasma sST2 (β=0.41 [95% CI, 0.09–0.73];
P
=0.01) and cerebrospinal fluid sST2 (β=0.97 [95% CI, 0.14–1.8];
P
=0.021). IL-6 and CRP were not associated with new background deterioration or with new or worsening EAs.

Conclusions—

In patients admitted with subarachnoid hemorrhage, sST2 level was associated with new or worsening EAs but not new background deterioration. This association may identify a link between a specific innate immune response pathway and continuous electroencephalography abnormalities in the pathogenesis of secondary brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Performance Limitations in Sensorimotor Control: Trade-Offs Between Neural Computation and Accuracy in Tracking Fast Movements
Authors: Saxena Shreya , Sarma Sridevi V. , Dahleh Munther
Published: March 2020

The ability to move fast and accurately track moving objects is fundamentally constrained by the biophysics of neurons and dynamics of the muscles involved. Yet the corresponding trade-offs between these factors and tracking motor commands have not been rigorously quantified. We use feedback control principles to quantify performance limitations of the sensorimotor control system (SCS) to track fast periodic movements. We show that (1) linear models of the SCS fail to predict known undesirable phenomena, including skipped cycles, overshoot and undershoot, produced when tracking signals in the “fast regime,” while nonlinear pulsatile control models can predict such undesirable phenomena, and (2) tools from nonlinear control theory allow us to characterize fundamental limitations in this fast regime. Using a validated and tractable nonlinear model of the SCS, we derive an analytical upper bound on frequencies that the SCS model can reliably track before producing such undesirable phenomena as a function of the neurons' biophysical constraints and muscle dynamics. The performance limitations derived here have important implications in sensorimotor control. For example, if the primary motor cortex is compromised due to disease or damage, the theory suggests ways to manipulate muscle dynamics by adding the necessary compensatory forces using an assistive neuroprosthetic device to restore motor performance and, more important, fast and agile movements. Just how one should compensate can be informed by our SCS model and the theory developed here.
Comparison of Different Spike Train Synchrony Measures Regarding Their Robustness to Erroneous Data From Bicuculline-Induced Epileptiform Activity
Authors: Ciba Manuel , Bestel Robert , Nick Christoph , de Arruda Guilherme Ferraz , Peron Thomas , Henrique Comin César , Costa Luciano da Fontoura , Rodrigues Francisco Aparecido , Thielemann Christiane
Published: March 2020

As synchronized activity is associated with basic brain functions and pathological states, spike train synchrony has become an important measure to analyze experimental neuronal data. Many measures of spike train synchrony have been proposed, but there is no gold standard allowing for comparison of results from different experiments. This work aims to provide guidance on which synchrony measure is best suited to quantify the effect of epileptiform-inducing substances (e.g., bicuculline, BIC) in in vitro neuronal spike train data. Spike train data from recordings are likely to suffer from erroneous spike detection, such as missed spikes (false negative) or noise (false positive). Therefore, different timescale-dependent (cross-correlation, mutual information, spike time tiling coefficient) and timescale-independent (Spike-contrast, phase synchronization (PS), A-SPIKE-synchronization, A-ISI-distance, ARI-SPIKE-distance) synchrony measures were compared in terms of their robustness to erroneous spike trains. For this purpose, erroneous spike trains were generated by randomly adding (false positive) or deleting (false negative) spikes (in silico manipulated data) from experimental data. In addition, experimental data were analyzed using different spike detection threshold factors in order to confirm the robustness of the synchrony measures. All experimental data were recorded from cortical neuronal networks on microelectrode array chips, which show epileptiform activity induced by the substance BIC. As a result of the in silico manipulated data, Spike-contrast was the only measure that was robust to false-negative as well as false-positive spikes. Analyzing the experimental data set revealed that all measures were able to capture the effect of BIC in a statistically significant way, with Spike-contrast showing the highest statistical significance even at low spike detection thresholds. In summary, we suggest using Spike-contrast to complement established synchrony measures because it is timescale independent and robust to erroneous spike trains.
Developmental costs of yellow colouration in fire salamanders and experiments to test the efficiency of yellow as a warning colouration
Authors: Caspers Barbara A. , Krause E. Tobias , Hermanski Isabelle , Wiesbrock Christopher , Kastrup Friedrich-Wilhelm , Steinfartz Sebastian
Published: March 2020

Warning colouration reduces predation risk by signalling or mimicking the unpleasantness of prey and therefore increases survival. We tested in two experiments the evolutionary costs and benefits of the yellow colour pattern in fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra), which display a yellow/black colour pattern usually associated with toxic alkaloids. Our first experiment aimed to test whether the development of colouration is condition dependent and thus related to developmental costs, i.e. influenced by resource availability during the developmental process. Therefore, we reared fire salamander larvae under different nutritional conditions and compared the relative amount of yellow they developed after metamorphosis. Fire salamander larvae reared under limited food conditions had a lower proportion of yellow following metamorphosis than control larvae reared under superior food conditions. In a second experiment we tested whether the proportion of yellow has an impact on the risk of being attacked using artificial models. We tested, in salamander-free and salamander-occupied natural habitats, whether artificial clay models with different proportions of yellow and black receive different attack rates from potential predators (birds, mammals, insects). In clay models the proportion of yellow and the site had a significant effect on predation risk. Models with larger amounts of yellow had fewer bite marks from predators such as carabid beetles and birds, but only in sympatry with salamanders. In conclusion, the early expression of conspicuous colouration seems to be condition dependent and therefore potentially costly. Furthermore, the yellow colouration of fire salamanders act as a signal that potentially reduces their risk of being attacked by predators. Thus, the yellow colouration of fire salamanders seems to represent an adaptive trait that reduces the risk of predation, which can be expressed in higher quantity by individuals of a certain condition.
Waiting for Children’s Rights Theory
Authors: Hanson Karl , Peleg Noam
Published: March 2020

In this article we argue that what is missing in children’s rights studies is not so much the presence of theories, but rather reflections and discussions about the normative relevance, analytical qualities and explanatory powers of the mobilised theories. We consider theorisations in children’s rights, first, on the normative level, where there is a need to continue reflecting about the moral and legal rights children have and/or should have, and about how these rights can be further exercised, or need to be balanced against one another. Next, we look at the analytical merits of the concept intersectionality to consider simultaneously differences and similarities between children’s rights and other categories of fundamental rights, as well as to reflect on the very categories that are employed. We then discuss empirical implications of globalisation processes, that have significantly impacted on how children’s rights are taking shape in the world, and how interconnections between local and global spheres shape imaginations, discourses, normative frameworks, policies and programmes in the field of children’s rights.
The Wave Climate of the Southern Ocean
Authors: Young Ian R. , Fontaine Emmanuel , Liu Qingxiang , Babanin Alexander V.
Published: March 2020

The wave climate of the Southern Ocean is investigated using a combined dataset from 33 years of altimeter data, in situ buoy measurements at five locations, and numerical wave model hindcasts. The analysis defines the seasonal variation in wind speed and significant wave height, as well as wind speed and significant wave height for a 1-in-100-year return period. The buoy data include an individual wave with a trough to crest height of 26.4 m and suggest that waves in excess of 30 m would occur in the region. The extremely long fetches, persistent westerly winds, and procession of low pressure systems that traverse the region generate wave spectra that are unique. These spectra are unimodal but with peak frequencies that propagate much faster than the local wind. This situation results in a unique energy balance in which waves at the spectra peak grow as a result of nonlinear transfer without any input from the local wind.
Hybrid Gain Data Assimilation Using Variational Corrections in the Subspace Orthogonal to the Ensemble
Authors: Chang Chih-Chien , Penny Stephen G. , Yang Shu-Chih
Published: March 2020

The viability of a parameterless hybrid data assimilation algorithm is investigated. As an alternative to the traditional hybrid covariance scheme, hybrid gain data assimilation (HGDA) was proposed to blend the gain matrix derived from the variational method and the ensemble-based Kalman filter (EnKF). A previously proposed HGDA algorithm uses a two-step process applying the EnKF with a variational update. The algorithm is modified here to limit the variational correction to the subspace orthogonal to the ensemble perturbation subspace without the use of a hybrid weighting parameter, as the optimization of such a parameter is nontrivial. The modified HGDA algorithm is investigated with a quasigeostrophic (QG) model. Results indicate that when the climatological background error covariance matrix B and the observation error covariance R are well estimated, state estimates from the parameterless HGDA are more accurate than the parameter-dependent HGDA. The parameterless HGDA not only has potential advantages over the standard HGDA as an online data assimilation algorithm but can also serve as a valuable diagnostic tool for tuning the B and R matrices. It is also found that in this QG model, the empirically best static B matrix for the stand-alone 3DVAR has high variance at larger spatial scales, which degrades the accuracy of the HGDA systems and may not be the best choice for hybrid methods in general. A comparison of defining the orthogonal subspace globally or locally demonstrates that global orthogonality is more advantageous for stabilizing the hybrid system and maintains large-scale balances.
A Quality Assessment of the Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) for Aviation
Authors: Morris Matthew T. , Carley Jacob R. , Colón Edward , Gibbs Annette , De Pondeca Manuel S. F. V. , Levine Steven
Published: March 2020

Missing observations at airports can cause delays in commercial and general aviation in the United States owing to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety regulations. The Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) has provided interpolated temperature data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis (RTMA) at airport locations throughout the United States since 2015, with these data substituting for missing temperature observations and mitigating impacts on air travel. A quality assessment of the RTMA is performed to determine if the RTMA could be used in a similar fashion for other weather observations, such as 10-m wind, ceiling, and visibility. Retrospective, data-denial experiments are used to perform the quality assessment by withholding observations from FAA-specified airports. Outliers seen in the RTMA ceiling and visibility analyses during events meeting or exceeding instrument flight rules suggest the RTMA should not be substituted for missing ceiling and visibility observations at this time. The RTMA is a suitable replacement for missing temperature observations for a subset of airports throughout most of the CONUS and Alaska, but not at all stations. Likewise, the RTMA is a suitable substitute for missing surface pressure observations at a subset of airports, with notable exceptions in regions of complex terrain. The RTMA may also be a suitable substitute for missing wind speed observations, provided the wind speed is ≤15 kt (1 kt ≈ 0.51 m s−1). Overall, these results suggest the potential for RTMA to substitute for additional missing observations while highlighting priority areas of future work for improving the RTMA.
Physical and Mental Health of Live-In Female Migrant Domestic Workers: A Randomly Sampled Survey in Hong Kong
Authors: Chung Roger Yat-Nork , Mak Jonathan Ka-Long
Published: March 2020

There has been a rising trend of labor migration globally. Given their alien status within the legal framework of the host countries, migrant domestic workers (MDWs) are especially vulnerable to poor employment conditions that may affect their health status, yet there is still a lack of quantitative evidence in this population hitherto. Using randomly sampled data from a cross-sectional survey of 2,017 live-in female MDWs in Hong Kong, a setting with a high concentration of MDWs, this study examined the association of employment conditions with physical and mental health among the MDWs. We observed poorer physical and mental health status among the MDWs when compared with the general population in Hong Kong. Our findings suggest that employment conditions, including household size, working on the rest day, and housing type, and age were associated with physical health, while employment conditions, including not ever receiving wages on time, frequency of financial remittances, paying the employment agency, having a private room, fulfillment of work-related needs, physical abuse, and discrimination, and sociodemographic characteristics, including age and duration of migration, were associated with mental health. Social support in general did not confound these associations, but religious activities and daily contact with friends were also associated with mental health. Our findings have important implications in designing interventions and policies to improve the physical and mental well-being of this vulnerable migrant population.
Becoming of Use as an Analyst: Imagining Something that was Never there Before
Authors: Griffin Fred L.
Published: March 2020

Every analysis that becomes generative must be an original experience, in both senses of the word: an experience that reaches into the origins of the emotional life of the analysand and one that creates something entirely new. If the analysis goes well enough, these efforts lead the analysand to feel the oldness and newness to be an integrated whole. Analysands who have experienced an absence of intimate emotional connection early in life especially require that new psychological capacity be developed from their germinal potential as a means by which the psychoanalytic process is brought to life. In such cases, both analyst and analysand are required to find ways to expand their receptivity to sensory experience and to cultivate their imaginative capacities in a manner that make emotional growth possible. Through this process words become embodied and better able to articulate the analysand’s self-experience and to create the experience of reciprocity with the analyst and with others in ways never before experienced.
Thermoplastic polyurethane foams: From autoclave batch foaming to bead foam extrusion
Authors: Shabani Amin , Fathi Amir , Erlwein Sebastian , Altstädt Volker
Published: March 2020

Two ester-based and one ether-based thermoplastic polyurethane grades have been used to produce thermoplastic polyurethane foams. The foaming process comprised pressure-induced batch foaming, foam extrusion, and bead foam extrusion by using an underwater granulator. Foam density and morphological properties, such as cell size, cell size distribution, and cell density, were measured through different analytical methods. Through autoclave batch foaming a minimum cell size of 10 µm and density of 202 kg/m3 is obtained, which is lower than the densities previously reported in the literature for thermoplastic polyurethane. Extrusion foaming however could not achieve the same range of foam expansion given that the lowest density achieved is 635 kg/m3 and a minimum cell size equal to 46 µm. The production of thermoplastic polyurethane bead foams is also reported for the first time. The minimum density of the obtained foamed beads is 306 kg/m3 and the lowest cell size is 55 µm.
Fast gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the detection of gas phase composition of polyurethane foam and its role in foam thermal conductivity
Authors: Galakhova Anastasiia , Riess Gisbert
Published: March 2020

This paper presents an enhanced gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method for the separation of cell gases in polyurethane foam. The novel method was then tested on several polyurethane foams produced at different mixing times, showing successful results. The measurement of gas content in polyurethane foams has been rarely considered in published literature. This parameter, indeed, plays a critical role in the deterioration of polyurethane foam thermal conductivity. This is because of the diffusion of gases which is the main mechanism of foam aging. Hence, an improved gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method was developed to offer simultaneous separation of several types of gas in only one column, using gas chromatography as its main concept. The composition of a sample gas consisting of N2, O2, CO2, and C5H10 was accurately calculated by measuring the ratio of each peak area on the chromatograms, with argon being used for sampling. This fast and simple method was found to be useful, on one hand for the accurate determination of C5H10 and CO2 cell gases used as blowing agents, and on the other hand for N2 and O2 air gases that diffuse rapidly from the surrounding environment into foam cells. The effect of mixing time on foam kinetics, cellular structure, foam thermal conductivity, and the overall thermal conductivity of cell gas mixture was also investigated. By complex analysis of foam density, the presence of open cells, cell size, and thermal conductivity of cell gas mixture, the lowest measured value of foam thermal conductivity was explained. The major goal of these experiments was to show the importance of foam cell gas analysis, together with foam structure, which is uniquely done to contribute to the understanding of polyurethane foam thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity of cell gas mixture is considered as an example of the potential applications of this novel gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method.
Ultra-violet health monitoring of smart composite laminate using embedded fiber Bragg grating sensors
Authors: Mohanta S , Padarthi Y , Chokkapu S , Gupta J , Neogi S
Published: March 2020

A novel approach is developed to evaluate the property retention on prolonged ultra-violet exposure and hence, health monitoring of glass fiber reinforced polymer composite laminate. This is achieved in a non-destructive manner by mapping the strength retention with the established strain. Embedded fiber Bragg grating sensor and strain gauges are employed to monitor the strain evolution within the laminate. Tensile and flexural tests are conducted at regular intervals to estimate the mechanical strength retention with varying duration of ultra-violet exposure. Through this analysis, it is observed that the property degradation mechanism follows the first-order reaction kinetics. The degradation of matrix material along with the stress relaxation over time develops the stress–strain fields near the interfaces of matrix and fiber. Moreover, the established strain is interpreted by formulating the model that considers the unifying influence of stress relaxation and chemical degradation. This model has closely (R2 = 0.9810 and 0.9790) predicted the experimental data of strain than the existing ones (R2 = 0.9142 and 0.9119). Besides, property retention is mapped with the predicted strain. More importantly, FESEM and FTIR confirm the fact that ultra-violet radiation degrades the matrix material, and thus the mechanical property gets significantly deteriorated. This suggests that the strain measurement is an effective, non-destructive and health monitoring technique to assess the property degradation of the manufactured glass fiber reinforced polymer composites.
Refining the unilateral ureteral obstruction mouse model: No sham, no shame
Authors: Atkinson John , Boden Tania , Mocho Jean-Philippe , Johnson Tim
Published: March 2020

Fibrosis, as a common final pathway in many renal diseases, contributes significantly to the decline of organ function and to progression to end-stage renal disease. To establish therapeutic interventions that target fibrosis, animal models are essential. The most widely used model of renal fibrosis is the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model. Typically, the control for this model is a sham-operated animal. Sham surgery causes pain and distress to these control animals, and here we aim to show that there is no difference in the main read-outs of this model between sham-operated animals and non-operated C57BL/6J mice. In five experiments, quantification of Picro Sirius Red stained collagen in the renal cortex did not show any difference between 15 sham and 25 non-operated individuals. A comparison of the regulation of genes involved with fibrosis did not show any difference between sham and non-operated groups at 21 days post surgery either. We conclude that there are no significant differences between non-operated controls and sham animals with respect to collagen deposition and fibrosis pathways in the UUO mouse model.
Dunbar’s Number goes to Church: The Social Brain Hypothesis as a third strand in the study of church growth
Authors: Bretherton R , Dunbar RIM
Published: March 2020

The study of church growth has historically been divided into two strands of research: the Church Growth Movement and the Social Science approach. This article argues that Dunbar’s Social Brain Hypothesis represents a legitimate and fruitful third strand in the study of church growth, sharing features of both previous strands but identical with neither. We argue that five predictions derived from the Social Brain Hypothesis are accurately borne out in the empirical and practical church growth literature: that larger congregations lead to lower active engagement from members; that single-leader congregations are limited to around 150 members; that congregations of 150 are further stratified into smaller functioning groups; that congregations expanding beyond 150 members undergo internal tensions and are forced to reorganise; and that congregations larger than 150 will require structural sub-divisions to retain active member involvement. While these assertions are reflected in the church growth literature and articulate the common sense assumptions of church growth experts, the Social Brain Hypothesis offers a coherent theoretical framework which unifies these observations and thereby represents a distinctive contribution to church growth studies.
The moral economy of Asian migrant women in small business in Hong Kong
Authors: Kwok Kim
Published: March 2020

This article explores how moral norms shape migrant women’s small businesses and examines the implications for immigrant social integration. It draws on qualitative data collected in Hong Kong in the period 2014–2018. Findings from the study suggest that the picture of Asian migrant women in business as either a silent supporter or independent entrepreneur is incomplete. Rather, it is a more complex picture shaped by the intersection of class, gender, ethnicity and religion. Female immigrant entrepreneurship and female empowerment have a complicated relationship, where moral norms both facilitate and constrain women’s business activities. This study contributes to the literature on immigrant economy by suggesting that moral norms should not be overlooked for their implications on the long-term social integration of women immigrants.
Historical Change in the Moral Foundations of Political Persuasion
Authors: Buttrick Nicholas , Moulder Robert , Oishi Shigehiro
Published: March 2020

How have attempts at political persuasion changed over time? Using nine corpora dating back through 1789, containing over 7 million words of speech (1,666 documents in total), covering three different countries, plus the entire Google nGram corpus, we find that language relating to togetherness permanently crowded out language relating to duties and obligations in the persuasive speeches of politicians during the early 20th century. This shift is temporally predicted by a rise in Western nationalism and the mass movement of people from more rural to more urban areas and is unexplained by changes in language, private political speech, or nonmoral persuasion. We theorize that the emergence of the modern state in the 1920s had psychopolitical consequences for the ways that people understood and communicated their relationships with their government, which was then reflected in the levers of persuasion chosen by political elites.
Working While Liberal/Conservative: A Review of Political Ideology in Organizations
Authors: Swigart Kristen L. , Anantharaman Anuradha , Williamson Jason A. , Grandey Alicia A.
Published: March 2020

Political polarization has increased significantly in society over the past decade, and whether intended or not, employees at all levels bring their political ideologies into organizations. We posit that political ideology is unique and warrants the attention of organizational scholars. We begin by integrating literature from political science and political psychology to review the various conceptualizations of political ideology as representing values, identity, and political affiliation. Next, we review the literature of political ideology in organizational sciences which has examined political ideology through a values-based lens,understanding it to be a source of motivated reasoning that influences strategic decisions. We then review a smaller subset of literature that has examined political ideology through an identity-based lens, exploring its influence on social dynamics including stereotyping, diversity in teams, and person-organization fit. Finally, we chart a course for future research on political ideology, focusing on (1) conceptual expansions, (2) contextual determinants, (3) diversity, (4) cross-level alignment, and (5) the acknowledgment of possible researcher bias.
Race in the Microbiome
Authors: Benezra Amber
Published: March 2020

Microbiome science asserts humans are made up of more microbial cells and genes than human ones, and that each person harbors their own unique microbial population. Human microbiome studies gesture toward the post-racial aspirations of personalized medicine—characterizing states of human health and illness microbially. By viewing humans as “supraorganisms” made up of millions of microbial partners, some microbiome science seems to disrupt binding historical categories often grounded in racist biology, allowing interspeciality to supersede race. But inevitably, unexamined categories of race and ethnicity surface in a myriad of studies on microbiota. This paper approaches race as a ghost variable across microbiome research and asks, what is race doing in studies of the microbiome? Why is it there, and how is it functioning? I examine this research to argue that social scientists must work with biological scientists to help put microbial differences into perspective—to investigate how microbiomes and race are entangled embodiments of the social, environmental, and biological. Ultimately, transdisciplinary collaboration is required to address racial health disparities in microbiome research without reifying race as a straightforward biological or social designation.
Camping it up and toning it down: gay and lesbian sexual identity in media work
Authors: Kerrigan Páraic , O’Brien Anne
Published: March 2020

By its make-up, Irish screen production is heteronormative. This can be seen in terms of output, representation and production. Accordingly, this article argues that heteronormativity is a structuring dynamic in the identities of gay and lesbian media workers. Its impacts are two-fold and somewhat contradictory. On the one hand, it results in bias and discrimination towards many media labourers, while on the other hand, heteronormativity offers gay and lesbian workers some opportunities to overcome or challenge overbearing structures wrought by heteronorms within media industries. To demonstrate this argument, we maintain that disclosure and the formation of networks play a role in the maintenance of gay and lesbian identities in media work, whereas bias and discrimination serve to other and discipline gay and lesbian media workers for not meeting heteronormative expectations. The article concludes by exploring how gay and lesbian media workers can manage and co-opt their sexual minority identity in a way that can challenge heteronormative expectations, providing a common ground in media work. Furthermore, this article builds on the growing field of Queer Production Studies by contributing towards the field’s expanding set of empirical practices and diversifying the contexts in which Queer Production Studies research takes place.
A Pathology Review of the Lower Gastrointestinal Tract in Relation to Ulcerative Colitis in Rats and Cynomolgus Macaques Treated With Ammonium Perfluorooctanoate
Authors: Chang Sue , Parker George A. , Kleinschmidt Sarah E. , Olsen Geary W. , Ley Carol A. , Taiwo Oyebode A.
Published: March 2020

Among many short-term, subchronic, and chronic toxicology studies with ammonium perfluorooctanoate (PFOA), the gastrointestinal tract has not been identified as a target organ for PFOA-related toxicity in laboratory animals where the corresponding serum PFOA concentrations typically approach several orders of magnitude higher than the general human population. These lack of gastrointestinal tract-related findings were in direct contrast to an epidemiological observation where a positive trend was observed for ulcerative colitis, an idiopathic chronic inflammatory condition of the gut, in a Mid-Ohio River community whose drinking water contained higher levels of PFOA. This study was conducted to perform a histological reevaluation of large intestine sections in laboratory animals from 2 long-term toxicological studies: one was with Sprague Dawley rats that received ammonium PFOA in their diet for 2 years and the other one was with cynomolgus macaques that received daily capsules of ammonium PFOA for 6 months. In both studies, there was a lack of histological evidence of treatment-related inflammatory lesions that was suggestive of the occurrence of ulcerative colitis in these laboratory animals even under the most rigorous treatment schedules. These findings do not offer support for the biological plausibility of the epidemiological associations reported.
Linguistic Influences on the Outcomes of Imposed Advice
Authors: Van Swol Lyn M. , Paik Jihyun Esther , Prahl Andrew
Published: March 2020

This study examines how language used by advice recipients and whether the peer apologized before offering advice affected advice outcomes. Participants wrote about a problem and then shared the problem through online chat with a peer (who was actually an experimental confederate). Although the participant was expecting the peer to share a problem as well and stated they did not want advice, the peer gave advice. Use of future tense verbs by the recipient in problem descriptions reduced implementation intention, perceived efficacy of advice, perceived approbation of advice, and perception of advice as confirming. This supports research that planning, operationalized through use of future tense verbs, reduces receptiveness to advice. Participants who used more I and we pronouns had lower intentions to implement advice. Contrary to hypotheses, use of apologies by the advisor for giving unwanted advice did not affect implementation intentions and increased reported negative emotions.
To oblivion and beyond: Imagining infrastructure after collapse
Authors: Carter Daniel , Acker Amelia
Published: March 2020

Theorists of infrastructure have thought a great deal about time and temporality but have not often seriously considered the future of these massive and durable objects. This elision is notable due to infrastructures’ current role in our world: highly vulnerable to crises such as those brought about by climate change yet also playing a role in hastening such events. Following Lauren Berlant and Dominic Boyer, we take the current moment as an opportunity to reconsider infrastructure and to work toward a perspective that would see it as a resource from which to construct more creative and equitable futures. Here, we consider such futures through readings of Kim Stanley Robinson’s Three Californias Trilogy, which imagines various sociopolitical futures for southern California. Attending to the roles that infrastructures play in shaping these futures, we argue for a perspective that sees collapse as an opening of material possibility and highlight aspects of infrastructures, such as their distribution in space that might prove meaningful in thinking about such crises and transitions.
Hidden in plain sight: Architectures of community corrections as public secret
Authors: Shah Rita
Published: March 2020

Public secrets are the information the public chooses to keep from itself. Architecture is required to both house and operate these secrets. Community sanctions are arguably a public secret. This study analyses the most visible aspects of community sanctions, probation and parole offices, to understand whether and how their architectural features help keep the system hidden. By analysing photographs of such offices, I argue that not only do the building features help maintain community corrections as a public secret, but they also keep the systems secret from the public. I also argue that keeping the offices intentionally obscured may also impact how those under supervision are viewed by the general public.
Effect of prompt type on test-takers’ writing performance and writing strategy use in the continuation task
Authors: Shi Bibing , Huang Liyan , Lu Xiaofei
Published: March 2020

The continuation task, a new form of reading-writing integrated task in which test-takers read an incomplete story and then write the continuation and ending of the story, has been increasingly used in writing assessment, especially in China. However, language-test developers’ understanding of the effects of important task-related factors on test-takers’ performance with regard to this task is still in its infancy. In this study we investigate the effect of prompt type on English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ writing performance and writing strategy use in a continuation task. Four groups of Chinese EFL learners performed a continuation task with four different prompts and filled out a writing strategy questionnaire. The participants’ continuations were scored holistically and textually analyzed using a range of fluency, grammatical accuracy, lexical complexity, syntactic complexity, cohesion, and source-use features. Prompt type significantly affected the participants’ overall continuation writing scores, syntactic complexity, cohesion, and source-use features. It also significantly affected the participants’ monitoring strategy. We discuss how continuation-task conditions, such as providing opening sentences or key words (or both) for test-takers to use will affect how the test-takers orient themselves to the writing task and, concomitantly, may affect performance outcomes.
Patient-reported symptoms and problems at admission to specialized palliative care improved survival prediction in 30,969 cancer patients: A nationwide register-based study
Authors: Hansen Maiken B , Nylandsted Lone Ross , Petersen Morten A , Adsersen Mathilde , Rojas-Concha Leslye , Groenvold Mogens
Published: March 2020

Background:

Large, nationally representative studies of the association between quality of life and survival time in cancer patients in specialized palliative care are missing.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to investigate whether symptoms/problems at admission to specialized palliative care were associated with survival and if the symptoms/problems may improve prediction of death within 1 week and 1 month, respectively.

Setting/participants:

All cancer patients who had filled in the EORTC QLQ-C15-PAL at admission to specialized palliative care in Denmark in 2010–2017 were included through the Danish Palliative Care Database. Cox regression was used to identify clinical variables (gender, age, type of contact (inpatient vs outpatient), and cancer site) and symptoms/problems significantly associated with survival. To test whether symptoms/problems improved survival predictions, the overall accuracy (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) for different prediction models was compared. The validity of the prediction models was tested with data on 5,508 patients admitted to palliative care in 2018.

Results:

The study included 30,969 patients with an average age of 68.9 years; 50% were women. Gender, age, type of contact, cancer site, and most symptoms/problems were significantly associated with survival time. The predictive value of symptoms/problems was trivial except for physical function, which clearly improved the overall accuracy for 1-week and 1-month predictions of death when added to models including only clinical variables.

Conclusion:

Most symptoms/problems were significantly associated with survival and mainly physical function improved predictions of death. Interestingly, the predictive value of physical function was the same as all clinical variables combined (in hospice) or even higher (in palliative care teams).
Repeated subcutaneous esketamine administration for depressive symptoms and pain relief in a terminally ill cancer patient: A case report
Authors: Barbosa Matheus Ghossain , Delfino Rodrigo Simonini , Sarin Luciana Maria , Jackowski Andrea Parolin
Published: March 2020

Background:

Depressive disorders are common among cancer patients. Ketamine can quickly relieve depression, and its subcutaneous administration appears to be as effective as and probably safer than its standard intravenous administration. Herein, we report a case verifying the antidepressant effect of a subcutaneous esketamine formulation.

Case presentation:

A 65-year-old male with metastatic abdominal tumor reported sadness, weight loss, fatigue, hopelessness, insomnia, inattention, and reduced motivation. His scores on the visual analogical scale for pain and Montgomery–Asberg depression rating scale were 8/10 and 30/60, respectively.

Possible courses of action:

Monoaminergic antidepressants are effective, but their response is slow for end-of-life care.

Formulation of a plan:

Esketamine was preferred because it possibly contributes to pain relief. It can repeatedly be infused intravenously, but was subcutaneously administered twice a week for safety reasons.

Outcome:

The patient showed continuous mood improvement, achieving depression remission on day 7. Pain relief was observed but without stability. His vital signs remained stable, and he remained calm, without major complaints.

Lessons from the case:

Repeated subcutaneous esketamine injections are possibly safe and effective in pain and depression relief in palliative care cancer patients.

View on research problems, objectives, or questions generated by the case:

Placebo-controlled studies with similar cases are needed to establish efficacy and safety.
Soft pneumatic actuator-driven origami-inspired modular robotic “pneumagami”
Authors: Robertson Matthew A , Kara Ozdemir Can , Paik Jamie
Published: March 2020

This article presents a new modular robotic platform for enabling reconfigurable, actively controlled, high-degree-of-freedom (high-DoF) systems with compact form factor. The robotic modules exploit the advantages of origami-inspired construction methods and materials, and soft pneumatic actuators (SPAs) to achieve an actuator embedded, parallel kinematic mechanism with three independently controlled “waterbomb” base legs. The multi-material, layer-fabricated body of the modules features selectively compliant flexure hinge elements between rigid panels that define the module as a kinematic 6R spherical joint. The precision layer-fabrication technique is also used to form embedded distribution channels within the module base to connect actuators to onboard control hardware. A decentralized control architecture is applied by integrating each module with small-scale solenoid valves, communication electronics, and sensors. This design approach enables a single pneumatic supply line to be shared between modules, while still allowing independent control of each leg joint, driven by soft, inflatable pouch actuators. A passive pneumatic relay is also designed and incorporated in each module to leverage the coupled, inverted inflation, and exhaust states between antagonistic actuator pairs allowing both to be controlled by a single solenoid valve. A prototype module is presented as the first demonstration of integrated modular origami and SPA design, or pneumagami, which allows predefined kinematic structural mechanisms to locally prescribe specific motions by active effect, not just through passive compliance, to dictate task space and motion. The design strategy facilitates the composition of lightweight, high-strength robotic structures with many DoFs that will benefit various fields such as wearable robotics.
Will Millennials Drive Less as the Economy Recovers: A Postrecession Analysis of Automobile Travel Patterns
Authors: Wang Kailai , Akar Gulsah
Published: March 2020

Personal vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the United States has seen a dip from 2004 to 2014, owing to the recent economic recession. News reports and academic articles relate this change to Millennials’ (those born in the last two decades of the twentieth century) travel patterns. Some researchers argue that the existing mobility patterns of Millennials may not persist as the U.S. economy fully recovers from the Great Recession. This study examines the changes in automobile travel patterns across generations. The empirical study builds on three most recent nationwide travel surveys. Research results reveal that residential location choice and life course events have stronger associations with Millennials’ automobility travel patterns than those of Gen Xers. We also find as personal wealth increases, the Millennials generation will not increase auto mileage as much as the preceding generations. Analyzing the driving distances by trip purposes while accounting for the differences between weekdays and weekends offers timely insights on formulating effective policy provisions for specific periods or planning targets.
Comparison of Baseline, Bone-Subtracted, and Enhanced Chest Radiographs for Detection of Pneumothorax
Authors: Homayounieh Fatemeh , Digumarthy Subba R. , Febbo Jennifer A. , Garrana Sherief , Nitiwarangkul Chayanin , Singh Ramandeep , Khera Ruhani Doda , Gilman Matthew , Kalra Mannudeep K.
Published: March 2020

Purpose:

To assess and compare detectability of pneumothorax on unprocessed baseline, single-energy, bone-subtracted, and enhanced frontal chest radiographs (chest X-ray, CXR).

Method and Materials:

Our retrospective institutional review board–approved study included 202 patients (mean age 53 ± 24 years; 132 men, 70 women) who underwent frontal CXR and had trace, moderate, large, or tension pneumothorax. All patients (except those with tension pneumothorax) had concurrent chest computed tomography (CT). Two radiologists reviewed the CXR and chest CT for pneumothorax on baseline CXR (ground truth). All baseline CXR were processed to generate bone-subtracted and enhanced images (ClearRead X-ray). Four radiologists (R1-R4) assessed the baseline, bone-subtracted, and enhanced images and recorded the presence of pneumothorax (side, size, and confidence for detection) for each image type. Area under the curve (AUC) was calculated with receiver operating characteristic analyses to determine the accuracy of pneumothorax detection.

Results:

Bone-subtracted images (AUC: 0.89-0.97) had the lowest accuracy for detection of pneumothorax compared to the baseline (AUC: 0.94-0.97) and enhanced (AUC: 0.96-0.99) radiographs ( P < .01). Most false-positive and false-negative pneumothoraces were detected on the bone-subtracted images and the least numbers on the enhanced radiographs. Highest detection rates and confidence were noted for the enhanced images (empiric AUC for R1-R4 0.96-0.99).

Conclusion:

Enhanced CXRs are superior to bone-subtracted and unprocessed radiographs for detection of pneumothorax.

Clinical Relevance/Application:

Enhanced CXRs improve detection of pneumothorax over unprocessed images; bone-subtracted images must be cautiously reviewed to avoid false negatives.