bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Right-wing populism with Chinese characteristics? Identity, otherness and global imaginaries in debating world politics online
Authors: Zhang Chenchen
Published: May 2019

The past few years have seen an emerging discourse on Chinese social media that combines the claims, vocabulary and style of right-wing populisms in Europe and North America with previous forms of nationalism and racism in Chinese cyberspace. In other words, it provokes a similar hostility towards immigrants, Muslims, feminism, the so-called ‘liberal elites’ and progressive values in general. This article examines how, in debating global political events such as the European refugee crisis and the American presidential election, well-educated and well-informed Chinese Internet users appropriate the rhetoric of ‘Western-style’ right-wing populism to paradoxically criticise Western hegemony and discursively construct China’s ethno-racial and political identities. Through qualitative analysis of 1038 postings retrieved from a popular social media website, this research shows that by criticising Western ‘liberal elites’, the discourse constructs China’s ethno-racial identity against the ‘inferior’ non-Western other, exemplified by non-white immigrants and Muslims, with racial nationalism on the one hand; and formulates China’s political identity against the ‘declining’ Western other with realist authoritarianism on the other. The popular narratives of global order protest against Western hegemony while reinforcing a state-centric and hierarchical imaginary of global racial and civilisational order. We conclude by suggesting that the discourse embodies the logics of anti-Western Eurocentrism and anti-hegemonic hegemonies. This article: (1) provides critical insights into the changing ways in which self–other relations are imagined in Chinese popular geopolitical discourse; (2) sheds light on the global circulation of extremist discourses facilitated by the Internet; and (3) contributes to the ongoing debate on right-wing populism and the ‘crisis’ of the liberal world order.
Reforming medical regulation: a qualitative study of the implementation of medical revalidation in England, using Normalization Process Theory
Authors: Tazzyman Abigail , Ferguson Jane , Boyd Alan , Bryce Marie , Tredinnick-Rowe John , Price Tristan , Walshe Kieran
Published: May 2019

Objectives

The introduction of medical revalidation in 2012 has been a controversial and radical change to medical regulation in the UK. It involved changes to the way organizations manage medical performance, and to the relationships between doctors, their employers and the professional regulatory body. In this paper, we explore the implementation of medical revalidation, analysing the change process and its consequences for doctors and organizations.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative investigation of the implementation of revalidation in 15 case study organizations in 2016–2017, collecting documents and undertaking a total of 80 interviews with medical and non-medical staff. We used Normalization Process Theory to frame and structure the analysis.

Results

Revalidation reforms were largely implemented successfully within and across our case study organizations, with evidence of growing acceptance of the purpose and processes of revalidation. There was an emergent shift from securing doctors’ compliance towards the use of revalidation to strengthen clinical governance, and towards evaluating revalidation processes and seeking to make them more effective. However, there was substantial variation in the implementation and impact of revalidation; it was still not fully understood by many doctors, and revalidation processes were highly reliant on a few key individuals in each organization. The changes brought about by revalidation have had consequences for the way in which doctors construct their identity and the way they relate to the organizations in which they work.

Conclusion

Despite considerable early scepticism and overt opposition in the medical profession, revalidation has become gradually accepted, embedded and even valued over time. Its impact and effectiveness are still questioned by many stakeholders, and the focus of attention has now shifted towards revising and improving the way revalidation works in practice.
Collective existential threat mediates White population decline’s effect on defensive reactions
Authors: Bai Hui , Federico Christopher M.
Published: May 2019

We present evidence from two studies probing into whether perceived numerical decline in the White population translate into collective existential threat to Whites, leading in turn to defensive reactions. In Study 1, we used correlational data to show whether collective existential threat mediates the relationship between perceptions of White population decline and defensive political reactions (i.e., racial biases and conservatism) among Whites. In Study 2, we replicate the results of Study 1 experimentally manipulating perceptions of White population decline and growth. Our results suggest that Whites’ perceptions of the ingroup’s numerical decline have a unique effect on their racial and political attitudes via heightened feelings of collective existential threat.
Investigation of pedestrian-level wind environment near two high-rise buildings in different arrangements
Authors: Mittal Hemant , Sharma Ashutosh , Gairola Ajay
Published: May 2019

The presence of buildings that surround the wind environment adversely affects at the pedestrian level. The present study investigates the effect of different arrangement of two buildings on wind flow structure and modification of wind speed conditions at the pedestrian level. The investigation was carried out for parallel, tandem, and staggered arrangement of two buildings using computational fluid dynamics simulations. The wind tunnel experiments were conducted to validate the computational fluid dynamics results. The computational fluid dynamics simulations were performed using the standard [Formula: see text] model with LK modification and revised closure coefficients. Different flow features such as skew-symmetric vortex structure for parallel arrangement, reattachment of shear layer on the surfaces of the downstream building for tandem arrangement, and deviation of wake region behind the upstream building to leftward of the flow direction for staggered arrangement were observed. It was observed that the strong wind conditions were mostly affected by tandem and parallel location of the twin buildings. The results of numerical simulation obtained using the modified SKE model were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.
Effects of indoor temperature and background noise on floor impact noise perception
Authors: Yang Wonyoung , Kim Myung-Jun , Moon Hyeun Jun
Published: May 2019

This study investigates effects of room air temperature and background noise on the perception of floor impact noises in a room. Floor impact noises were recorded in apartment buildings and were presented in an indoor climate chamber with background noise for subjective evaluation. Thirty-two participants were subjected to all combinations of three thermal conditions (20%C, 25%C, 30%C and relative humidity 50%), four background noise types (Babble, Fan, Traffic and Water), three background noise levels (35 dBA, 40 dBA and 45 dBA) and four floor impact noises (Man Jumping, Children Running, Man Running and Chair Scraping). After a 1-h thermal adaptation period for each thermal condition, the participants were asked to evaluate their thermal and acoustic perceptions. Statistically significant effects were found for the room air temperature and background noise level on the perception of the floor impact noises. Noisiness, loudness and complaints of floor impact noise increased with increasing room temperature and background noise level. Annoyance of floor impact noise showed a peak in acceptable thermal environment for general comfort. Room air temperature was a dominant non-auditory factor contributing to floor impact noise annoyance, while the floor impact noise level influenced the floor impact noise loudness and the floor impact noisiness was almost equally affected by the room temperature, background noise level and floor impact noise level. Further investigation is needed to fully understand the combined perception of floor impact noise under various indoor environmental conditions.
Wind-induced tower crane vibration and safety evaluation
Authors: Chen Wei , Qin Xianrong , Yang Zhigang , Zhan Pengming
Published: May 2019

The maximum wind load direction of tower crane is considered to be perpendicular to its jib. The interference effects of its different segments and across-wind loads are ignored in traditional crane safety evaluation. This study proposes a general scheme for the safety evaluation of tower cranes under fluctuating wind loads. The wind coefficients of a full-scale model of a tower crane were calculated by computational fluid dynamics, and then the time history of wind loads, simulated through the autoregressive method, were applied to the finite element model of a tower crane. The results reveal that the maximum along-wind load direction deflected 30°–60°, and the mean ratio of the absolute value of the across-wind coefficient to the along-wind coefficient of the tower crane was 8.56%, which indicated that the across-wind loads should be taken into account in wind-resistant design. Comparing the wind-induced responses of four typical wind directions, the maximum displacement, the bending stress and the axial stress of the tower crane occurred in the positive direction. Furthermore, the maximum acceleration of the cat-head was 0.028 m/s2, which met the comfort requirements of the operator. Although the tower crane met the strength and static stiffness requirements of design rules, the maximum bending stress at the junctions between the jib and the slewing platform, the counterweight and the counter-jib, exceeded the allowable stress, and the first modal of the tower crane was excited. These results warrant considering the effect of fluctuating wind loads in the safety evaluation of a tower crane.
Eurozone bailouts and national democracy: Detachment or resilience?
Authors: Schraff Dominik , Schimmelfennig Frank
Published: May 2019

How did the Eurozone bailouts affect national democracies? Recent research indicates strong citizen detachment due to the external constraints imposed by bailout programs on national autonomy. This paper re-examines the detachment thesis by broadening the view toward multiple dimensions of democracy and effect heterogeneity across time and space. Using the generalized synthetic control method, we find a negative effect of bailouts on satisfaction with democracy and turnout but show that effects vanish after several years and vary strongly across bailout cases. In addition, we find resilient attitudes and behaviors in spite of national democratic institutions that continue to deteriorate. These findings indicate that economic policy outcomes have a stronger influence on satisfaction with democracy and electoral turnout than the quality of the democratic process.
Exclusion, violence, and optimism: Ethnic divides in Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Agadjanian Victor
Published: May 2019

The nation-building projects in much of post-socialist Eurasia have been characterized by the promotion of ethnic majorities and marginalization of minority groups. In dialogue with the scholarship on nation-building, ethnic exclusion and conflict, and ethnic migration, this study examines individual views on current and future interethnic relations, assessments of prospects for own ethnicity, expectations for future economic changes, and intentions to migrate abroad in the multiethnic nation of Kyrgyzstan. I use nationally representative survey data to model differences in these outcomes across the majority-minorities divides and between regional subgroups of the nation’s ethnic majority. The results show that a native minority that experienced recent ethnic violence has the most negative assessment of current interethnic relations. However, the minority group of outside origin, which never suffered direct violence but whose size and societal preeminence have eroded rapidly, is least optimistic about the future and is most inclined to migrate. Yet, the analyses also detect substantial regional differences within the ethnic majority, underscoring the complexity of historically-rooted ethnocultural and socioeconomic cleavages as well as of more recent political experiences. I interpret these findings within the context of evolving meanings of ethnic identity and national belonging in this rapidly changing society.
Do you know who you are selling to? An ethnographic approach to upper-class shopping experiences in Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Balthazar Ana Carolina , Rocha Everardo
Published: May 2019

An ethnographic approach to consumption practices of upper-class young-adult women in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, shows how shopping and selling experiences are seen as opportunities for owners, staff, and customers to build social relations. As a consequence, the belt of trust that is built through such transactions creates a network of stores, women, brands, and goods attached by strong reciprocity ties. This also produces a distinction between shops that are “cozy,” and the ones that are bureaucratic and “open to everyone.” Among such practices, informants reproduce the particular Brazilian rite of asking “Do you know who you are talking to?” to reinforce local social hierarchies and distinctions, a rite that was previously analyzed by the anthropologist Roberto DaMatta. While consumption practices are often seen as some sort of North Americanization of the world, we argue for the importance of ethnographic accounts that map local forms of appropriation and particular power dynamics.
The weight of fairness
Authors: Bajaj Sameer
Published: May 2019

Many philosophers argue that individuals have duties to do their fair shares of the demands of achieving important common ends. But what happens when some individuals fail to do their fair shares? Are the remaining duty bearers required to take up the slack? The most prominent view, Fair Shares, holds that individuals are never required to take up the slack. But this view has counterintuitive implications; in many cases, it would show callous disregard not to take up the slack to help those in dire need. The central alternative, Slack-Taking, holds that considerations of fairness have no bearing in determining whether individuals are required to take up the slack. But this view fails to capture the practical importance of fairness in nonideal circumstances. I defend an alternative view, Weighing, according to which individuals properly weigh the value of fairness against the value of taking up the slack in determining whether they are all-things-considered required to take up the slack. While this view has been suggested before in the literature, I develop it by clarifying its structure and underlying rationale and defending it against important recent objections.
Collective Bargaining in a Basic North American Sports League Model With Broadcasting Revenue
Authors: Madden Paul
Published: May 2019

The general firm/trade union bargaining literature is brought to bear on a specific North American sports league model, where talent supply is perfectly inelastic and profit-maximizing clubs receive local (gate) revenue plus an equal share of league broadcasting revenue. Club and player representatives negotiate a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on the levels of local revenue sharing, salary cap, and salary floor. Results characterize the set of efficient bargains and the Nash bargaining solution and show how they are affected by increases in broadcasting market size, focusing on player salaries, competitive balance, the content of CBA documents, and comparisons with laissez-faire.
Anti-invasive and Anti-tumor Effects of Dryopteris crassirhizoma Extract by Disturbing Actin Polymerization
Authors: Lee Jongsung , Nho Youn Hwa , Yun Seok Kyun , Hwang Young Sun
Published: May 2019

Aim. To evaluate the anti-invasive effect of ethanol extracts of rhizome of Dryopteris crassirhizoma (EEDC) in matrix invasion and formation of functional invadopodia and to determine the anti-tumor effect of EEDC in a mouse model of mandibular invasion by gingival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods. The rhizome of D crassirhizoma was extracted in ethanol. The anti-invasive effect of EEDC was analyzed with a Matrigel-coated transwell invasion and 3D culture system. Crucial factors related to the control of cancer cell invasion by EEDC were determined using a human protease array. Molecular evidence supporting the anti-invasive effect of EEDC in oral SCC (OSCC) cells used an invadopodia-mediated extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation; an in vivo athymic mouse model was also provided. Results. EEDC treatment (10 µg/mL) suppressed transwell migration and invasion of HSC-3 OSCC cells without cytotoxicity. Decreased levels of matrix metalloprotease (MMP)-7, kalikrein 10, cathepsin V, MMP-2, and cathepsin D were also found in EEDC-treated HSC-3 cells based on human protease array. The anti-invasive effects of EEDC involved the suppression of invadopodia-mediated ECM degradation via inhibition of globular-actin elongation. The anti-invasive effect resulting from disturbance of functional invadopodia formation by EEDC was observed even at a low concentration of 5 µg/mL. The phosphorylation of cortactin involved in functional invadopodia formation was decreased at EEDC concentrations that inhibited invadopodia formation. The anti-tumor effect of EEDC was also observed in a mouse xenograft model. Administration of EEDC resulted in inhibition of tumor growth and progression. Conclusions. EEDC represents a potential anti-invasive and anti-tumor agent in cancer control.
The Association of Serum Testosterone Levels With Recurrence and Mortality After Acute Ischemic Stroke in Males
Authors: Ho Chen-Hsun , Wu Chia-Chang , Lee Mei-Ching , Huang Pai-Hao , Chen Jen-Tse , Liu Shih-Ping , Liao Pin-Wen
Published: May 2019

The current study aimed to investigate whether low testosterone predicted the recurrence and clinical outcomes after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in males. From June 2015 through August 2017, the study prospectively enrolled 110 male AIS patients. All received detailed evaluations at admission and were followed for at least 1 year. The cumulative incidence, overall survival, length of hospital stay, and the percentage of previous stroke were compared between subjects with testosterone <440 ng/dl and >440 ng/dl. The median age was 62 years (range, 35–93 years). The median serum testosterone at admission was 438 [203] ng/dl (range, 44–816 ng/dl); 55 patients (50%) had testosterone <440 ng/dl and were considered as low testosterone. The median follow-up was 23 months. During the period, 12 recurrences and 10 deaths occurred. The 1-year and 3-year cumulative recurrence rate were 8.3% and 11.9%, respectively; the 1-year and 3-year overall survival were 96.3% and 84.6%, respectively. The cumulative recurrence rates were similar between the two testosterone groups (log-rank test, p = .88). Low testosterone was associated with poor survival with marginal significance (log-rank test, p = .079). Men with low testosterone had a higher percentage of previous stroke (29.1% versus 12.7%, p = .035). The mean lengths of hospital stay were similar between the two testosterone groups (16.6 ± 15.8 days versus 14.0 ± 10.6, p = .31). Total testosterone at admission fails to predict stroke recurrence. However, men with low testosterone at admission are more likely to have previous stroke and may have a higher all-cause mortality rate after AIS.
Reliability and validity of the Chinese (Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong version) of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand on patients with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in Hong Kong
Authors: K.Y. Chan Rebecca , Leung Y.C. , K.L. Leung Frankie , X.S. Fang Christian , K.P. Cheung Amy , K.C. Lau Tony , K.M. Fung Jo Kamen
Published: May 2019

Objective

This study aimed to translate, culturally adopt and validate a Chinese version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) for use in patients with upper extremity musculoskeletal diseases in Hong Kong.

Methods

We followed a standard five-stage process: forward translation, synthesis, backward translation, expert panel review and field-testing to achieve linguistic and conceptual equivalence. The version was officially known as Chinese (Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong version) DASH. (Chinese QMH,HK version DASH) ( http://www.dash.iwh.on.ca/sites/dash/public/translations/DASH_Chinese_HK_2013.pdf ).

Results

Its internal consistency was then evaluated with 138 participants suffering from upper extremity musculoskeletal conditions. The results were high in DASH-Disability/Symptom module (DASH-DS) (Cronbach alpha 0.97), DASH-Work module (DASH-W) (Cronbach alpha 0.97) and DASH-Sports / Performing Arts module (DASH-SM) (Cronbach alpha 0.99). The test-retest reliability was evaluated with a subgroup of participants who had completed the Chinese (QMH,HK version) DASH on two occasions, with a median interval of 6.5 days. The results were excellent among DASH-DS Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.98 and DASH-W (ICC = 0.90). Good test-retest reliability was found in DASH-SM (ICC = 0.89). Construct validity of DASH-DS showed good correlation with the sub-domains of physical functioning (r = −.564) and social functioning (r = −.544) of the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Similarly, construct validity of DASH-W also showed good correlation with the sub-domains of physical functioning (r = −.510) and bodily pain (r = −.503) of SF-36.

Conclusion

The Chinese (Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong version) Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand is considered as a reliable and valid instrument that can provide a standardised measure of patient-centred outcomes for patients with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders in Hong Kong.
Therapeutic effect of pre-operative tirofiban on patients with acute ischemic stroke with mechanical thrombectomy within 6–24 hours
Authors: Luo Ying , Yang Yang , Xie Yang , Yuan Zhengzhou , Li Xiaogang , Li Jinglun
Published: May 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate and discuss the therapeutic effect of pre-operative tirofiban on patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) within 6–24 h.

Patients and methods

We retrospectively queried our AIS database from January to November 2018, and selected 99 patients with AIS within 6–24 h and evidence of proximal large vessel occlusion who were suitable for MT. They were divided into two groups, group A (with tirofiban, n = 56) and group B (without tirofiban, n = 43), according to whether they were intravenously infused with tirofiban before MT. The baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients were subjected to statistical analysis, including age, gender and risk factors, occlusion site, the time from onset to door, time of door to puncture, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), pre-operative Alberta stroke programme early CT (ASPECT) score, angioplasty/stenting, modified Rankin Scale score 0–2 at 3 months, symptomatic haemorrhage and mortality, the time of door to recanalization, endovascular procedure time, 7-day (7d) NIHSS score, and a modified treatment in cerebral infarction (m-TICI) grade of 2b or 3. All of the thrombi were analysed by histopathology.

Results

The differences in the time of door to recanalization, endovascular procedure time, 7d NIHSS score and the m-TICI were significantly different between groups ( P < 0.05). The other agents were not significantly different between groups ( P > 0.05 each). Histopathological analysis showed that all thrombi contained different amounts of platelets, fibrinogen, Haemamoebas and red blood cells.

Conclusion

The use of tirofiban before MT can shorten the procedure time and improve the recanalization rate of occluded vessels in AIS patients.
Investigating a tradable credit scheme with the system optimum theory
Authors: Lv Jianyu , Zong Fang , Tang Ming , Yu Ping
Published: May 2019

This article establishes a charging model for a tradable credit scheme based on the system optimum theory. The credit price and the distribution of the amount of tradable credit are determined with the model. The method of formulating the real-time tradable credit scheme in the circumstance of big data is also discussed. This article will enact the specific tradable credit scheme by adapting the charging model and then examine implementation effects after the scheme. The results indicate that the enacted tradable credit scheme by using the proposed charging model is helpful in reducing the total cost of the system and promoting the balance between traffic supply and demand. This suggests the effectiveness of the proposed tradable credit scheme and the feasibility of the charging model. A comparison between the tradable credit scheme and the congesting pricing strategy suggests the superior effect of the former strategy. The findings can be applied to formulating the tradable credit scheme, with which we can adjust travelers’ path selection behaviors and promote the traffic flow to a balanced distribution status. This is benefit to the urban transportation system by alleviating the problem of traffic congestion, fuel consumption, and pollution emissions.
Cavitation and flow forces in the flapper-nozzle stage of a hydraulic servo-valve manipulated by continuous minijets
Authors: Yang He , Wang Wen , Lu Keqing
Published: May 2019

Electro-hydraulic servo-valves play key roles in modern electro-hydraulic power systems in many industrial applications. As one of the widely used hydraulic servo-valves, cavitation in the flapper-nozzle servo-valve could produce deleterious effects of noise, flapper vibration and cavitation erosion. In this work, a numerical investigation has been conducted on the manipulation of the flapper-nozzle pilot valve using continuous minijets. Two minijets are symmetrically deployed around the main jet of each nozzle. Vapor fraction and flow forces under the effect of the continuous minijets are compared in detail between the traditional nozzle and the nozzle with the minijets. It is found that cavitation in the flapper-nozzle stage is greatly weakened under the effect of the continuous minijets. The remarkable drop in the radial jet velocity results in the suppression of the swirling structures in the annulus, which may be responsible for the cavitation reduction. The variation trend of the flow forces with the inlet pressure remains unchanged while the magnitude of the flow forces is varied slightly, depending on the various surfaces of the flapper.
Histopathological analysis of the synovium in trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis
Authors: Rein Susanne , Okogbaa Janet , Hagert Elisabet , Manthey Suzanne , Ladd Amy
Published: May 2019

Dorsoradial and anterior oblique ligaments were harvested during surgery in 13 patients with symptomatic trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis, which had been graded preoperatively by a modified Eaton-Littler radiographic grading. Ligaments, including the periligamentous synovium, were stained with S100 protein, neurotrophic receptor p75, protein gene product 9.5, calcitonin gene related peptide, acetylcholine, substance P, neuropeptide Y, noradrenaline, N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor and Met/Leu-enkephalin. The synovium was classified as showing no, low-grade or high-grade synovitis. Free nerve endings had higher immunoreactivity for substance P than for N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor, enkephalin and noradrenaline. The synovial stroma had less immunoreactivity for N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor than for noradrenaline, substance P and calcitonin gene related peptide. There was no relation between the grade of osteoarthritis and the visual pain analogue scale, synovitis score, immunoreactivity of all antibodies and quantity of free nerve endings or blood vessels. Synovium in trapeziometacarpal joint osteoarthritis produces several neuromediators causing a polymodal neurogenic inflammation and which may serve as biomarkers for osteoarthritis or therapeutic targets.
The time course of calprotectin liberation from human neutrophil granulocytes after Escherichia coli and endotoxin challenge
Authors: Lipcsey Miklos , Hanslin Katja , Stålberg Johan , Smekal David , Larsson Anders
Published: May 2019

Plasma calprotectin has previously been reported as a biomarker for sepsis. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the kinetics of calprotectin release from neutrophils exposed to Escherichia coli and endotoxin. Whole blood samples were exposed to E. coli bacteria or endotoxin in vitro. Blood samples were collected after 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 h and plasma calprotectin was analysed by particle enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay while TNF-α, IL-6, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) were analyzed by ELISA. When neutrophils were exposed to either E. coli or endotoxin, calprotectin levels began to increase within a couple of hours after the challenge. Calprotectin increases early in response to bacterial challenge. Given the logistic advantages of the calprotectin analysis, this may be of interest for early diagnosis of bacterial infections.
Bacterial skin infections
Authors: Gleeson David
Published: May 2019

Every year, around 24% of the population consults their GP about a skin problem. Bacterial skin infections, especially in the paediatric and elderly populations, are common and some are potentially life-threatening. The most common bacterial pathogens associated with skin infections are Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pyogenes. This article will cover diagnosis and management of the most common skin infections, high-lighting important features of potentially lethal presentations requiring hospitalisation. Infections affecting superficial layers of the skin, deeper layers, and accessory tissues are considered.
Advances by the Marie Curie project TANGO in thermoacoustics
Authors: Heckl Maria
Published: May 2019

This paper gives an overview of the research performed by the project TANGO – an Initial Training Network (ITN) with an international consortium of seven academic and five industrial partners. TANGO is the acronym for ‘Thermoacoustic and Aeroacoustic Nonlinearities in Green combustors with Orifice structures’). The researchers in TANGO studied many of the intricate physical processes that are involved in thermoacoustic instabilities. The paper is structured in such a way that each section describes a topic investigated by one or more researchers. The topics include:

- transition from combustion noise to thermoacoustic instability

- development of an early-warning system by detecting the precursor of an instability

- analytical flame models based on time-lags

- Green's function approach for stability predictions from nonlinear flame models

- intrinsic thermoacoustic modes

- transport phenomena in swirl waves

- model of the flame front as a moving discontinuity

- development of efficient numerical codes for instability predictions

- heat exchanger tubes inside a combustion chamber

A substantial amount of valuable new insight was gained during this four-year project.
Components of compulsory service program for health professionals in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review
Authors: Antonio CT , Guevarra JP , Medina PN , Avelino MD , Agbon AG , Sepe DC , Bardelosa DD , Cengca MM , Ting ML , Lara AB
Published: May 2019

Aims:

The global health landscape has been characterized by shortfalls and imbalances in human resources for health (HRH), with more health workers concentrated in urban than rural areas. To address this maldistribution, some countries resorted to the implementation of a compulsory service policy for HRH. However, there is no comprehensive documentation describing the different components of such policies. This scoping review aims to determine the components for compulsory service for selected health professionals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods:

A search was conducted in MEDLINE, PLoS, Scopus, and ProQuest Central, using keywords for ‘compulsory service’, ‘return service’, ‘mandatory service’, ‘physician’, ‘dentist’, ‘nurse’, ‘midwife’, ‘physical therapist’, ‘occupational therapist’, and identified LMICs. A total of 6757 records were retrieved and assessed, from which 41 relevant records were included in the study.

Results and conclusions:

Common elements of a compulsory service program are the following: a comprehensive master plan, clearly articulated program goals, appropriate education and training, transparent recruitment and placement, strong institutional and system support, competitive benefits and incentives, and active management of exit from the program. Results presented in this article can serve to inform LMICs on policy, guide program development and management, and direct future research in the area of HRH to address challenges in maldistribution.
Essential Oil Composition, Bioactive Compounds, and Antioxidant Activities in Iberis amara L.
Authors: Golkar Pooran , Moattar Fariborz
Published: May 2019

This research was carried out to assess essential oils (EOs), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids (TFD), total flavonols (TFL), total chlorophyll, total carotenoids, total anthocyanins, and different antioxidant activity assays in two plant samples (leaf and bud) of Iberis amara L. The gas chromatography mass spectrophotometry (GC-MS) of the EOs and the head space (HS)-GC-MS of the methanolic leaf extracts identified 34 and 6 different compounds, respectively. The major components of the leaf EOs were carvacrol (9.4%), camphene (6.2%), р-cymene (4.3%), and eugenol (3.8%) respectively, whereas cumin aldehyde (10.4%) was the main component in the bud sample. 1-Butene, 4-isothiocyanate (50%) was identified as the main component in the HS-GC-MS analysis of leaves extract. The highest content of TPC (32.8 ± 0.7 mg GAE/gDW), TFD (28.4 ± 0.7 mg QE/gDW), TFL (11.8 ± 0.06 mg QE/gFW), and anthocyanin (0.4 ±0.02 µmol/g FW) was found in the methanolic extract of leaves. The highest antioxidant activity in the phosphomolibdate assay (628.3 ± 10 µg AAE/gFW) and the least activity in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay (IC50 = 415 ± 3.1 µg/mL) was found in leaf samples. The high ratio of monoterpene hydrocarbons and oxygenated monoterpenes of the EOs along with the high antioxidant activity propose the application of this medicinal plant for general or specific applications in food industries as a herbal plant.
Computational Evaluation and Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Activities of Nebrodenside A Isolated From Dodonaea viscosa
Authors: Khan Kashif , Rasool Shagufta , Khan Khalid , Badshah Syed Lal , Ahmad Nasir , Jan Muhammad Tariq , Hizbullah Syed Muhammad , Khan Inamullah , Ullah Asad , Muhammad Akhtar
Published: May 2019

Nebrodenside A was isolated from the plant Dodonaea viscosa and its chemical structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Molecular docking simulation predicted its strong ability to be tested as a potential anti-inflammatory compound. Carrageen-induced paw model and formalin test were utilized for the assessment of anti-inflammatory and analgesic potential. Nebrodenside A was found to be significantly active in reducing inflammation, when compared with diclofenac as a standard drug. Similarly, the compound also possesses substantial analgesic activity in the formalin-induced writhing test. Thus, nebrodenside A revealed a robust potential to be developed as a possible leading medicinal agent for better management of pain and inflammation.
Chemical Constituents From Phalaenopsis Hybrids and Their Bioactivities
Authors: Lam Sio-Hong , Hung Hsin-Yi , Yang Mei-Lin , Chen Hong-Hwa , Kuo Ping-Chung , Wu Tian-Shung
Published: May 2019

One new flavone glycoside and 11 known compounds were characterized from the methanolic extracts of Dtps. Tinny Ribbon × Dtps. Plum Rose ( Phalaenopsis hybrids) by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometric analyses. In addition, the major pigment constituents 1 to 3 were examined for their antioxidant and antityrosinase activities. The experimental results indicated that the Phalaenopsis flower extracts were potential for developing new cosmetic products.
Chemical Composition of Needle, Cone, and Branch Oils From Vietnamese Pinus cernua
Authors: Thai Tran Hui , Hien Nguyen Thi , Diep Le Ngoc , Paoli Mathieu , Casanova Joseph , Tomi Félix
Published: May 2019

Conifers are well represented in Vietnam where a new pine species has been recently discovered in Son La province: Pinus cernua, synonym P. armandii ssp. xuannhaensis. The compositions of needle, cone, and branch oils have been investigated by gas chromatography (retention index), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance. Myrcene (47.0%) was the main component of needle oil, followed by β-pinene (28.4%) and α-pinene (12.5%). Branch oil also contained myrcene (32.8%), α-pinene (17.9%), β-pinene (9.8%), and a high content of limonene (20.0%). Finally, cone oil displayed α-pinene (44.1%) beside myrcene (11.5%), β-pinene (8.1%), and limonene (5.8%).
The capabilities of secondary school teachers to provide financial education
Authors: De Beckker Kenneth , Compen Boukje , De Bock Dirk , Schelfhout Wouter
Published: May 2019

This study examines the capabilities of in-service secondary school teachers to provide financial education. Data were gathered from online surveys, which were spread among 300 teachers in the Flemish region of Belgium. We distinguish between perceived and actual capabilities. Our results reveal that only one third of teachers consider themselves sufficiently competent to provide financial education. Actual capabilities are assessed using a broad measure of financial literacy, which takes into account teachers’ financial knowledge, financial behaviour and financial attitudes. Our results indicate that only approximately half of teachers score sufficiently on financial knowledge and only a third attains the preferred minimum score for financial attitudes. In addition, our heterogeneity analysis shows differences in scores related to teacher characteristics such as gender, teaching discipline and teaching experience. The large share of teachers not reaching the threshold indicating adequate capabilities for providing financial education raises concern, as teacher quality is an important factor contributing to the effectiveness of financial education. Teacher professional development can play a crucial role here.
Tapestries of Intimacy: Networked Intimacies and New Fathers’ Emotional Self-Disclosure of Mental Health Struggles
Authors: Das Ranjana , Hodkinson Paul
Published: May 2019

This article considers the ways in which new fathers use networked media to emotionally self-disclose as part and parcel of negotiating, initiating, and reciprocating emotional intimacies in the context of mental health difficulties. While, doubtless, disclosure by itself does not equal intimacy, we focus closely on the moment of disclosure as an affectively significant moment in the building of intimate ties. We focus on the ways in which platforms and their affordances are worked with, within and against, in the fraught and liminal moment of disclosure. We use that key moment of disclosure to shed light on the fluid and cross-cutting networked intimacies men establish as they cope with mental health struggles within broader contexts of silences around male mental health. As our analysis reveals, this means we pay attention not just to the experiencing of new forms of intimacy online but equally to the mediated shaping of existing intimacies and ties—locating our project, at its topmost level, within mediated frameworks of interpersonal ties.
Child healthcare nurses’ encounters with parents whose child is overweight
Authors: Harder Maria , Andersson Sara , Golsäter Marie
Published: May 2019

Nurses in the Swedish child healthcare system can make a difference by offering support to parents of children who are overweight or at risk of becoming so. Still, research concerning these nurses’ clinical practice when encountering parents whose child is overweight is inadequate. The aim of this study was to describe nurses’ clinical practice when encountering parents of an overweight child. Data were collected through interviews with 10 nurses, and a content analysis approach was used. The nurses’ clinical practice is described in relation to Olander’s theory: Individualising actions, Creating a dialogue, Documenting, and Focusing on normality. This study adds knowledge about nurses’ clinical practice in encounters with parents whose child is overweight. Also, it adds information on how an issue in a specific care situation may contribute to further understanding and use of an existing theory in caring science.
Qualitative comparative analysis in educational policy research: Procedures, processes, and possibilities
Authors: Bingham Andrea J , Dean Sean , Castillo Jessica
Published: May 2019

In educational policy research, linking specific practices to specific outcomes is an important (though not the only) goal, which can bias researchers (and funders) toward employing purely quantitative methods. Given the context-specific nature of policy implementation in education, however, we argue that understanding how specific practices lead to specific outcomes in specific conditions or contexts is critical to improving education. Qualitative comparative analysis is a method of qualitative research that we argue can help to answer these kinds of questions in studies of educational policies and reforms. Qualitative comparative analysis is a case-oriented research method designed to identify causal relationships between variables and a particular outcome. Distinct from quantitative causal methods, qualitative comparative analysis requires qualitative data to identify conditions (and combinations of conditions) that lead to a particular result; it is context driven, just as many educational reforms must necessarily be. We contend that qualitative comparative analysis has the potential to be of use to educational researchers in investigating complex problems of cause and effect using qualitative data. As such, our aim here is to provide a general overview of the characteristics, processes, and outcomes of qualitative comparative analysis. In so doing, we hope to offer guidance to educational researchers around how and when to use qualitative comparative analysis, as well as recommendations for current educational issues that could be investigated with qualitative comparative analysis.
Factors Associated With Extended Length of Stay and 90-Day Readmission Rates Following ACDF
Authors: Dial Brian L. , Esposito Valentine R. , Danilkowicz Richard , O’Donnell Jeffrey , Sugarman Barrie , Blizzard Daniel J. , Erickson Melissa E.
Published: May 2019

Study Design:

Retrospective.

Objective:

Identify patient risk factors for extended length of stay (LOS) and 90-day hospital readmissions following elective anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF).

Methods:

Included ACDF patients from 2013 to 2017 at a single institution. Eligible patients were subset into LOS <2 and LOS ≥2 days, and no 90-day hospital readmission and yes 90-day hospital readmission. Patient and surgical factors were compared between the LOS and readmission groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was utilized to determine the association of independent factors with LOS and 90-day readmission rates.

Results:

Our sample included 1896 patients; 265 (14%) had LOS ≥2 days, and 121 (6.4%) had a readmission within 90 days of surgery. Patient and surgical factors associated with LOS included patient age ≥65 years (odds ratio [OR] 1.72, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-2.56), marriage (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.43-0.79), private health insurance (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.15-0.50), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.12-1.86), African American race (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.38-2.72), and harvesting iliac crest autograft (OR 4.94, 95% CI 2.31-10.8). Patient and surgical factors associated with 90-day hospital readmission included ASA score (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.32-2.49), length of surgery (OR 1.002, 95% CI 1.001-1.004), and radiculopathy as indication for surgery (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39-0.96).

Conclusions:

Extended LOS and 90-day hospital readmissions may lead to poorer patient outcomes and increased episode of care costs. Our study identified patient and surgical factors associated with extended LOS and 90-day readmission rates. In general, preoperative patient factors affected these outcomes more than surgical factors.
Lumbar Laminectomy in the Outpatient Setting Is Associated With Lower 30-Day Complication Rates
Authors: Karukonda Teja R. , Mancini Nickolas , Katz Austen , Cote Mark P. , Moss Isaac L.
Published: May 2019

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives:

To compare the incidence of complications in patients undergoing single-level and 2-level lumbar laminectomy in either the inpatient or outpatient settings.

Methods:

Patients who underwent single-level and 2-level lumbar laminectomy were identified in the ACS NSQIP database from the years 2006 to 2015. Independent patient variables were recorded, including demographics and preoperative health characteristics. Logistic regression was used to determine the risk of postoperative complications for both a 1- and 2-level lumbar laminectomy as well as to identify independent risk factors for a complication. Comparisons were made between 2 groups: (1) inpatient and (2) outpatient as determined by billing data.

Results:

A total of 18 076 single- and 2-level lumbar laminectomy cases were identified with 10 743 (59.4%) inpatient procedures and 7333 (40.6%) outpatient procedures. The incidence of any postoperative complication was significantly lower in the outpatient group than in the inpatient group among all cohorts including 1-level lumbar laminectomy (1.9% vs 6.7%), 2-level lumbar laminectomy (3.17% vs 7.38%), as well as in the combined cohort of 1- and 2-level laminectomies (2.47% vs 7.01%). Significant independent risk factors for complications after lumbar laminectomy were identified, including body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2, age ≥55 years, a functional status of partially dependent, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic steroid use, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class 3 or 4, and operative time >90 minutes.

Conclusions:

This study reports a lower overall complication rate in the 30-day postoperative period following 1- and 2-level lumbar laminectomy performed in an outpatient versus inpatient setting. Significant risk factors for complications included BMI >30 kg/m2, age ≥55 years, a functional status of partially dependent, COPD, chronic steroid use, ASA class 3 or 4, and operative time >90 minutes.