bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Trajectories of Hospitalization in US Men and Women With Heart Failure
Authors: Dupre Matthew E. , Gu Danan , Xu Hanzhang , Willis Janese , Curtis Lesley H. , Peterson Eric D.
Published: November 2017

Background

Prior studies have documented racial and ethnic disparities in hospitalization among patients with heart failure (HF). However, racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of hospitalization following the diagnosis of HF have not been well characterized. This study examined racial/ethnic differences in individual‐level trajectories of hospitalization in older adults with diagnosed HF.

Methods and Results

Data from a nationally representative prospective cohort of US men and women aged 45 years and older were used to examine the number of hospitalizations reported every 24 months. Participants who were non‐Hispanic white, non‐Hispanic black, and Hispanic with a reported diagnosis of HF (n=3011) were followed from 1998 to 2014. Results showed a quadratic change in the number of reported hospitalizations following HF diagnosis, with an average of 2.36 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.19–2.53;
P
<0.001) hospitalizations within 24 months that decreased by 0.35 (95% CI, −0.45 to −0.25;
P
<0.001) every 24 months and subsequently increased by 0.03 (95% CI, 0.02–0.05;
P
<0.001) thereafter. In men, there were no racial/ethnic differences in hospitalizations reported at the time of diagnosis; however, Hispanic men had significant declines in hospitalizations after diagnosis (Hispanic×time=−0.52; 95% CI, −0.99 to −0.05 [
P
=0.031]) followed by a sizeable increase in hospitalizations at later stages of disease (Hispanic×time
2
=0.06; 95% CI, 0.00–0.12 [
P
=0.047]). In women, hospitalizations were consistently high following their diagnosis and black women had significantly more hospitalizations throughout follow‐up than white women (black=0.28; 95% CI, 0.00–0.55 [
P
=0.048]). Racial/ethnic disparities varied by geography and the differences remained significant after adjusting for multiple sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and physiological factors.

Conclusions

There were significant racial/ethnic differences in trajectories of hospitalization following the diagnosis of HF in US men and women. Racial/ethnic disparities varied by place of residence and the differences persisted after adjustment for multiple risk factors. The findings have important implications that may be crucial to planning the immediate and long‐term delivery of care in patients with HF to reduce potentially preventable hospitalizations.
Greco-Roman Ethical-Philosophical Influences in Bardaisan’s “Book of the Laws of Countries”
Authors: Robertson Paul
Published: November 2017

Bardaisan of Edessa’s Book of the Laws of Countries contains many elements of Greco-Roman ethical philosophy, ranging from loose allusions to fairly clear instances of direct borrowing. The influences from Greco-Roman philosophy are diverse, including Stoicism, Cynicism, Epicureanism, and the nebulously-defined “Middle Platonic” material that drew and innovated from both Platonic and Stoic sources. Specifically, we see in Laws several ethical concepts derived from Greco-Roman philosophy: the ideal human attitude to external forces, particularly the evils of society; the link between divinity, inner moral character, and proper ethics; the innate goodness of human character that can be improved and perfected based on an ideal of nature; and (closely aligned with the first concept) an understanding that moral virtue is determined by one’s individual, free will decisions, implying an innate valuation of the internal at the expense of the external.
Incubation temperature and clutch effects on initial body sizes and growth rates in green iguana hatchlings (Iguana iguana)
Authors: Martínez-Caballero Yuleimis T. , Bock Brian C. , Pérez Isabel , Ortega-León Ángela M. , Páez Vivian P.
Published: November 2017

Large initial body size and rapid early growth rate are important in many species, both because predation rates decline as individuals grow and because females that attain a larger adult body size are more fecund. To identify possible factors contributing to size and growth rate variation in hatchling green iguanas, we artificially incubated six clutches at three constant temperatures to test for effects of incubation temperature and/or clutch effects on initial size and growth rate. Higher incubation temperatures resulted in significantly shorter incubation periods but did not influence initial body size. There were significant differences among clutches in egg size, and also in initial hatchling body size, even after correcting for differences in egg size among clutches. A subset of hatchlings from each nest was reared in semi-natural conditions for four months, with individuals from the high incubation temperature condition exhibiting the slowest longer-term growth rates. No clutch effects were detected in the growth rate analyses. The observed variation in early growth rate of juvenile iguanas seems to be selectively important and this variation may be due in part to the conditions the eggs experience during incubation, but clutch effects in this study were limited to egg size and initial hatchling body size variation, but were not found for subsequent growth rates.
Trophic ecology and diet of Hydra vulgaris (Cnidaria; Hydrozoa)
Authors: Deserti María I. , Esquius Karina S. , Escalante Alicia H. , Acuña Fabián H.
Published: November 2017

Hydra is a genus of common, sessile, solitary freshwater cnidarians, which are defined as carnivorous and efficient predators. The purpose of this study was to obtain information on the feeding habits and diet of Hydra vulgaris collected from its natural habitat in Nahuel Rucá Lake (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). We found three categories of food items in the coelenteron: algae, fungi, and small invertebrates. Algae dominated the diet in terms of abundance and frequency of occurrence, but their volumetric contribution was almost negligible, as was their possible nutritional value. Invertebrate prey captured, using active predation, represented the major volumetric contribution, with four different taxa found. The detection of phytoplankton in the gastral cavities reveals the input of some organisms present in the surrounding waters in addition to the invertebrates. This information is novel, since studies on the natural diet of Hydra are very scarce.
Ektos sumphorās: Tragic Athens
Authors: Mills Sophie
Published: November 2017

It is orthodox to state that tragedy encourages its audience to meditate on questions related to living in the polis with the resulting claim that it should promote self-examination among its citizen-spectators. The evidence that tragedy is political in some sense is incontrovertible. And yet, given what is sometimes seen on stage, it is worth exploring this orthodoxy a little and asking if there are limitations to it. In particular, what happens when the city of Athens itself is brought into close contact with tragic suffering? It seems that there were limits to what the Athenians were willing to see of suffering that directly involved their city. This paper suggests that by its nature, tragedy must always contain the possibility of not challenging, but rather reaffirming, the audience’s beliefs about their own city and thus themselves. Modern scholars may possibly over-estimate the Athenians’ ability for self-critique.
Democratic Paideia in Aeschylus’ Suppliants
Authors: Pattoni Maria Pia
Published: November 2017

The analysis of political language in Aeschylus’ Suppliants confirms the hypothesis that the form of government here represented is strongly influenced by contemporary Athens: prehistoric Argos turns out to be a sort of mirror of democratic Athens. It is no coincidence that the sequence running from the entrance of Pelasgus at l. 234 to the Danaids’ song of benediction (ll. 625-709) presents a dramatic pattern similar in several respects to that underlying in Eumenides 397-1002 (the scenes between the entrance of Athena and the Chorus’ prayer of blessing). Pelasgus (likewise Athena in Eumenides) imparts a sort of lesson on ‘democratic paideia’ to the Danaids, in view of their integration as metoikoi in the institutional structures of the polis.
Sophocles’ Ajax and the Polis
Authors: Finglass P. J.
Published: November 2017

This article examines the two mentions of the polis in Sophocles’ Ajax, arguing that to understand the political aspects of this and other tragedies, we need to take into account the diverse composition of their audiences.
‘Democracy’ and Aristophanes: A Terminological Approach
Authors: Lauriola Rosanna
Published: November 2017

The term and the concept democracy prove to be not as easy to define as one might think. The word in itself implies some contradictions that undermine the very foundations of the form of government it describes, such as equality, freedom, tolerance, etc. The occurrences of the term and its derivates in Aristophanes seem to confirm this, thus proving the poet’s deep understanding of the political problematic mechanisms at work in 5th-century democratic Athens. By playing with the ambiguities of the terminology centered on δηµοκρατία, not only does Aristophanes denounce the flaws of democracy in general, and Athenian democracy in particular, but he also anticipates, in a way, the basic points of the ‘debate-to-be’ on the constitutions in which Plato and Aristotle, among others, will engage from the second half of the 5th century on.
Rethinking Aristophanes’ Comic Hero: Utopianism, Ambiguity, and Athenian Politics
Authors: Magnelli Enrico
Published: November 2017

This paper aims to reconsider the so-called ‘comic heroism’ in Aristophanes’ extant plays. The comic hero does not always express the collective self-image, like Dicaeopolis in Acharnians and Trygaios in Peace; Knights, as early as 424 bc, is a telling instance of Aristophanes’ will to introduce a much more nuanced picture of both the imaginary and the real Athens. Clouds and Wasps also provide further variations. But the real turning point comes in 414 with Birds, whose much disputed political meaning deserves the closest attention. After the ambiguous, disquieting Peisetaerus, comic heroes will not entirely disappear from Aristophanic comedy, yet their nature will never be the same again. Good ideas may come from a clever woman (Lysistrata), a cowardly god (Dionysus in Frogs), or even Apollo’s shrine (in the late Plutus), no longer from the Attic ‘common man’ of the earlier plays. The political evolution of Athens during the Peloponnesian War appears to have altered Aristophanes’ (alleged) trust in some kind of ‘saviour’ emerging from the erratic mass of Athenian male citizens.
On the Date of Eupolis’ Demes and the Political Events of 412 bc
Authors: Olson S. D.
Published: November 2017

Eupolis’ fragmentary Demes has traditionally been placed in 412 bc, after the failure of the Sicilian Expedition but before the oligarchic coup of 411. Ian Storey has recently argued that the play belongs instead in 417 or perhaps 416 bc, while Mario Telò and Leone Porciani put it in 410 bc. This article demonstrates that both alternative dates face decisive objections, and suggests that Demes is better kept in 412 bc. I then briefly consider the role of late 5th-century Athenian “political” comedy generally, and in particular the sort of popular sentiment that Eupolis’ comedy must have been exploiting or echoing when it was conceived in the first half of 413.
The genus Stactobia McLachlan (Trichoptera, Hydroptilidae) in Japan
Authors: ITO TOMIKO
Published: November 2017

The caddisfly genus Stactobia McLachlan (Hydroptilidae) is revised for Japan. Males are redescribed for 6 known species, Stactobia japonica Iwata, S. makartschenkoi Botosaneanu & Levanidova, S. inexpectata Botosaneanu & Nozaki, S. hattorii Botosaneanu & Nozaki, S. nishimotoi Botosaneanu & Nozaki, and S. distinguenda Botosaneanu & Nozaki. Six new species are described, also based on males: S. kanagawa, S. gunma, S. chichibu, S. yona, S. urauchi, and S. campire. A Taiwanese species, S. semele Malicky & Chantaramongkol, is recorded from Japan for the first time. Final instar larvae and their cases of 8 species and early instar larvae of 2 species are also described.
New taxa and new records of Deltocephalini leafhoppers from Thailand (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae)
Authors: DUAN YANI , DIETRICH CHRISTOPHER H. , WEBB MICHAEL D. , ZHANG YALIN
Published: November 2017

Two new genera and three new species of the leafhopper tribe Deltocephalini are described from Thailand, viz., Loeia Duan gen. n. with L. tamtipi Duan sp. n. as type species, Phetchabunia Duan gen. n. with P. janteabi Duan sp. n. as type species, and Maiestas subsirii Duan sp. n.. Five new country records for Thailand are also given, viz. Deltocephalus vulgaris Dash & Viraktamath, Maiestas dinghuensis Zhang & Duan, Maiestas scripta (Distant), Paramesodes sp., and Polyamia acicularis Dai, Xing & Li.
Descriptions of three new species of the genus Symmorphus Wesmael, 1836 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from South Korea, with an updated revised key to Far Eastern species
Authors: KIM JEONG-KYU
Published: November 2017

Three new species of the genus Symmorphus Wesmael, 1836 are described with materials from South Korea and Far eastern Russia: Symmorphus kurzenkoi Kim sp. nov., S. truncatoclypeus Kim sp. nov., S. yamanei Kim sp. nov. All are members of the subgenus Symmorphus Wesmael 1836. S. kurzenkoi Kim sp. nov. is likely to be closely related to Symmorphus fuscipes in having well developed and completely closed propodeal submedian carina, but is clearly different from the latter in the shape of metasomal tergum 1 that is not markedly narrowed toward base. Within the S. murarius group proposed by Cumming 1989, Symmorphus truncatoclypeus Kim sp. nov. is unique in having a clypeus with apical margin completely truncated. S. yamanei Kim sp. nov. is separated from congeners by following combination of characteristics: uniformly lengthened mesosomal setae; vestigial epicnemial carina; areolate mesepimeron; propodeal submedian carina that is somewhat strongly developed though doubled and not clearly closed dorsally; weakly raised basal transverse carina on metasomal tergum 1; faintly foveate-reticulate dorsomedian portion of metasomal tergum 1. Re-description of S. tsushimanus Yamane 1990, which is the most poorly known species in the Far East, is presented based on the holotype. Finally, an updated revised determination key to Far Eastern species, supplemented by digital images and line drawings, is given.
Gobio baliki, a new gudgeon from Turkey (Teleostei: Cyprinidae)
Authors: TURAN DAVUT , KAYA CÜNEYT , BAYÇELEBİ ESRA , AKSU İSMAİL , BEKTAŞ YUSUF
Published: November 2017

Gobio baliki, new species, is described from the stream Büyük Melen in the northwestern Anatolian Black Sea basin. The new species is distinguished from other gudgeons in Anatolia by the breast being completely covered by scales, scales extending slightly behind the isthmus; 5–6 scales between the posterior extremity of the pelvic-fin base and the anus; the distance between the anus and the anal-fin origin 7–10% SL; the postorbital distance equal to or greater than the snout length; the depth of the anal-fin approximately equal to the length of the pelvic-fin; 8–9 midlateral black blotches, usually separated from each-other
A new species of arboreal microteiid lizard of the genus Euspondylus (Gymnophtalmidae: Cercosaurinae) from the Andean slopes of central Peru with comments on Peruvian Euspondylus
Authors: CHÁVEZ GERMÁN , CATENAZZI ALESSANDRO , VENEGAS PABLO J.
Published: November 2017

We describe a new species of arboreal gymnophtalmid lizard from the eastern Andean slopes in central Peru. Euspondylus excelsum sp. nov. is assigned tentatively to this genus for the presence of a transparent and divided lower palpebral disc, a pair of prefrontals, striated, subimbricated and homogeneous dorsal scales, lateral scales reduced in proximity to ventrals, and a discontinuous series of femoral pores in males and females. We include a revision of the type material of E. maculatus and clarify morphological differences with the new species. Finally, we discuss the taxonomic status of Peruvian species of Euspondylus.
Revision of Hindumanes Logunov, 2004 (Araneae: Salticidae: Lyssomaninae), with description of a new species from the Western Ghats of Kerala, India
Authors: SUDHIN PUTHOOR PATTAMMAL , NAFIN KARUNNAPPILLI SHAMSUDHEEN , SUDHIKUMAR AMBALAPARAMBIL VASU
Published: November 2017

The monotypic genus Hindumanes Logunov, 2004 is revised. We present fresh specimens of Hindumanes karnatakaensis (Tikader & Biswas, 1978), the type species, and describe Hindumanes wayanadensis sp. nov. from the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of the Western Ghats, Kerala, India. This paper provides the first description of the male of H. karnatakaensis and a redescription of its female. We also transfer the genus from Asemoneinae Maddison, 2015 to Lyssomaninae Blackwall, 1877. The relationship between Hindumanes and Lyssomanes Hentz, 1845 and the zoogeography of the subfamily are discussed. The distribution records of the genus are mapped.
Sense of Coherence: Learning to live with chronic illness through health education
Authors: Førland Georg , Eriksson Monica , Silèn Charlotte , Ringsberg Karin
Published: November 2017

Objective:

This study examines people’s experiences of how to live with a chronic disease, their learning needs and their reasons for participating in a health education programme. The aim of the study was to examine if and how a Sense of Coherence (SOC) might guide an understanding of learning processes in health education.

Methods:

This study has a qualitative study design with data collected through five group interviews. Interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis to identify principal categories of response. Directed content analysis was then used to reference the categories emerging in the first step to the study’s theoretical framework.

Results:

Three main categories were found: (1) the ability to cope with daily life, (2) assets for a better life both in the present and for the future, and (3) the need for knowledge. A synthesis of empirical findings with reference to the first stage of analysis, the three main aspects of learning, and the three dimensions of a SOC revealed that a SOC may be useful in guiding an understanding of learning processes in health education as a life-oriented mastering resource.

Conclusion:

SOC offers a useful framework for informing health education. Research is needed to deepen an understanding of how salutogenic theory can strengthen the development of health education programmes and understanding of participants’ learning.
Evolving Regulatory Processes Used by Students and Experts in the Acquiring of Improvisational Skills: A Qualitative Study
Authors: de Bruin Leon R.
Published: November 2017

The way an improviser practices is a vital and significant aspect to a musician’s means and capacities of expression. Expert music performers utilize extensive self-regulatory processes involving planning, strategic development, and systemized approaches to learning and reflective practice. Scholars posit that these processes are constructivist and socioculturally explained and manifest in individual, jointly negotiated, and shared learning. This qualitative study explores the regulatory processes of four prominent Australian improvising musician-educators and four tertiary improvisation students. Expert and developing musicians’ processes in learning and teaching improvised music-making were investigated through observations of self-regulation, co-regulation, and shared regulation strategies. I identified and analyzed regulatory learning strategies located from practice, training, and experience using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings suggest insights of evolving self-regulative behavior that are dynamic, task-specific, personalised, and contextually contingent across individual and collaborative tasks and activity. An integrative regulatory model of learning offers guidance and reflection of metacognitive flow within a social constructed view of learning. Implications for researchers and educators are drawn for meaningful educational practice by knowing and understanding expert improvisers’ complex concepts of self-regulation, critical thinking, problem solving, and the evolution and evaluation of creative processes in improvisers.
Empire and the Johannine Epistles
Authors: Waters Kenneth L.
Published: November 2017

In what ways are the Johannine Epistles a response to empire ideology and propaganda? These Epistles proclaim a more complete and correct cosmology, a greater Savior and soteriology, a better pedagogy, a truer doctrine, a sounder koinōnia, and a more nurturing paterfamilias; moreover, they do so while indicting schismatics, who, in the view of the elder, represent the face of the empire. Although the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ drive the elder’s witness and ministry, he must still shape his message to counter the encroachment of empire in the church and on the mission field.
What’s love got to do with it?
Authors: Jackson Valencia
Published: November 2017

John admonishes believers to show love to one another and urges them not only to talk about love, but to demonstrate it as well. This sermon focuses on actively showing love to others because the need today is more love.
Using Radical Environmentalist Texts to Uncover Network Structure and Network Features
Authors: Almquist Zack W. , Bagozzi Benjamin E.
Published: November 2017

Radical social movements are broadly engaged in, and dedicated to, promoting change in their social environment. In their corresponding efforts to call attention to various causes, communicate with like-minded groups, and mobilize support for their activities, radical social movements also produce an enormous amount of text. These texts, like radical social movements themselves, are often (i) densely connected and (ii) highly variable in advocated protest activities. Given a corpus of radical social movement texts, can one uncover the underlying network structure of the radical activist groups involved in this movement? If so, can one then also identify which groups (and which subnetworks) are more prone to radical versus mainstream protest activities? Using a large corpus of British radical environmentalist texts (1992–2003), we seek to answer these questions through a novel integration of network discovery and unsupervised topic modeling. In doing so, we apply classic network descriptives (e.g., centrality measures) and more modern statistical models (e.g., exponential random graph models) to carefully parse apart these questions. Our findings provide a number of revealing insights into the networks and nature of radical environmentalists and their texts.
Comprehensive Preclinical Postmortem Evaluation of Valvular Prosthesis
Authors: Tellez Armando , Dillon Krista N. , Rousselle Serge D.
Published: November 2017

Transcatheter prosthetic valves are heralding a new era in interventional cardiology and affording real therapeutic options to categories of patients currently medically disqualified, namely the elderly and higher risk individuals. An increasing variety of novel artificial valve designs and delivery systems are being tested preclinically. Cardiologists and surgeons are generally well-equipped to assess deliverability and function; however, methods for pathological evaluation of animals enrolled in transcatheter valve implant testing are scant, often vague, and far from consensual. Through this manuscript, we present and discuss a comprehensive evaluation platform that is proving reliable, reproducible, effective, and applicable to most, if not all, types and locations of valvular prostheses.
SUMOylation in brain ischemia: Patterns, targets, and translational implications
Authors: Bernstock Joshua D , Yang Wei , Ye Daniel G , Shen Yuntian , Pluchino Stefano , Lee Yang-Ja , Hallenbeck John M , Paschen Wulf
Published: November 2017

Post-translational protein modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) regulates a myriad of homeostatic and stress responses. The SUMOylation pathway has been extensively studied in brain ischemia. Convincing evidence is now at hand to support the notion that a major increase in levels of SUMOylated proteins is capable of inducing tolerance to ischemic stress. Therefore, the SUMOylation pathway has emerged as a promising therapeutic target for neuroprotection in the face of brain ischemia. Despite this, it is prudent to acknowledge that there are many key questions still to be addressed in brain ischemia related to SUMOylation. Accordingly, herein, we provide a critical review of literature within the field to summarize current knowledge and in so doing highlight pertinent translational implications of the SUMOylation pathway in brain ischemia.
Use of Immunohistochemistry to Demonstrate In Vivo Expression of the Burkholderia mallei Virulence Factor BpaB During Experimental Glanders
Authors: Zimmerman Shawn M. , Long Mackenzie E. , Dyke Jeremy S. , Jelesijevic Tomislav P. , Michel Frank , Lafontaine Eric R. , Hogan Robert J.
Published: November 2017

Burkholderia mallei causes the highly contagious and debilitating zoonosis glanders, which infects via inhalation or percutaneous inoculation and often culminates in life-threatening pneumonia and sepsis. In humans, glanders is difficult to diagnose and requires prolonged antibiotic therapy with low success rates. No vaccine exists to protect against B. mallei, and there is concern regarding its use as a bioweapon. The authors previously identified the protein BpaB as a potential target for devising therapies due to its role in adherence to host cells and the formation of biofilms in vitro and its contribution to pathogenicity in a mouse model of glanders. In the present study, the authors developed an immunostaining approach to probe tissues of experimentally infected animals and demonstrated that BpaB is produced exclusively in vivo by wild-type B. mallei in target organs from mice and marmosets. They detected the expression of BpaB by B. mallei both extracellularly and within macrophages, neutrophils, and epithelial cells in respiratory tissues (7/10 marmoset; 2/2 mouse). The authors also noted the intracellular expression of BpaB by B. mallei in macrophages in the regional lymph nodes of mice (2/2 tissues) and MALT of marmosets (4/5 tissues). It is interesting that B. mallei bacteria infecting distal organs did not express BpaB (2/2 mice; 3/3 marmosets), suggesting that the protein is not necessary for bacterial fitness in these anatomic locations. These findings underscore the value of BpaB as a target for developing medical countermeasures and provide insight into its role in pathogenesis.
Analysis of Bacterial and Fungal Nucleic Acid in Canine Sterile Granulomatous and Pyogranulomatous Dermatitis and Panniculitis
Authors: Rosa Fabio B. , Older Caitlin E. , Meason-Smith Courtney , Suchodolski Jan S. , Lingsweiler Sonia , Mansell Joanne E. , Hoffmann Aline Rodrigues
Published: November 2017

Next generation sequencing (NGS) studies are revealing a diverse microbiota on the skin of dogs. The skin microbiota of canine sterile granulomatous and pyogranulomatous dermatitis (SGPD) has yet to be investigated using NGS techniques. NGS targeting the 16S rRNA and ITS-1 region of bacterial and fungal DNA, respectively, were used to investigate if bacterial and fungal DNA were associated with skin lesions in cases of canine SGPD. The study included 20 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) skin samples and 12 fresh samples from SGPD-affected dogs, and 10 FFPE and 10 fresh samples from healthy dogs. DNA was extracted from deep dermis and panniculus, and microbial DNA was amplified using primers targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA V1-V3 and fungal ITS-1 regions. The amplified DNA was utilized for NGS on an Illumina MiSeq instrument. The sequences were processed using QIIME. No differences in fungal or bacterial alpha diversity were observed between the SGPD and control samples. Beta diversity analysis demonstrated differences in the bacterial communities between SGPD and control, but not in the fungal communities. Compared to controls, the family Erysipelotrichaceae and genus Staphylococcus were significantly more abundant in the SGPD FFPE samples, and genus Corynebacterium were more abundant in fresh samples. The bacteria found to be more abundant in SGPD are common inhabitants of skin surfaces, and likely secondary contaminants in SGPD cases. This study provides additional evidence that SGPD lesions are likely sterile.
Exposing smart cities and eco-cities: Frankenstein urbanism and the sustainability challenges of the experimental city
Authors: Cugurullo Federico
Published: November 2017

In recent years, the world has seen the emergence of a number of urban projects which, under the banner of experimentation, have promoted alternative models of city-making capable, in theory, of creating sustainable built environments. Among these supposedly experimental models, the smart city and the eco-city stand out in terms of geographical diffusion, and are hailed by their advocates as the mark of an innovative urbanism based on a scientific approach to urban development. Through the analysis of Hong Kong and Masdar City, examples of a smart-city agenda and an eco-city project respectively, this paper questions the sustainability of so-called smart cities and eco-cities, by investigating the extent to which they are developed in a controlled and systematic manner as their developers claim. More specifically, the paper counterclaims mainstream understandings of smart and ecological urbanism, arguing that what are promoted as cohesive settlements shaped by a homogeneous vision of the sustainable city, are actually fragmented cities made of disconnected and often incongruous pieces of urban fabric. Theoretically, these claims are discussed through the concept of Frankenstein urbanism which draws upon Mary Shelley’s novel as a metaphor for unsuccessful experiments generated by the forced union of different, incompatible elements.
Challenging conceptions of young people as urban blight: Street children and youth’s ambiguous relationship with urban revitalization in Lima, Peru
Authors: Aufseeser Dena
Published: November 2017

Government officials, city planners and elites frequently position young people, especially street children and youth, as detrimental to revitalization, contributing to urban blight and needing removal. Through an examination of urban change in Lima, Peru, this article challenges the assumption that street children and youth exclusively detract from urban revitalization. Although many young people have been negatively affected by Lima’s revitalization, I argue that conflict does not tell the whole story. Street children and youths’ reactions are often more ambiguous than many assume, and young people may even be central to some efforts to improve urban space. Further, an examination of street children and youths’ informal and formal efforts to negotiate public space reveals the importance of relationships to perceptions of urban change and the success of various urban revitalization efforts. Such relationships are often overlooked in binaries that represent street children and youth as either a problem or, less typically, the solution. Instead, this research indicates the need for a more nuanced understanding of young peoples’ relationship with the uneven production of urban space.
One-dimensional model for axial thermal error in a micro high-speed spindle
Authors: Than Van-The , Huang Jin H , Ngo Thi-Thao , Wang Chi-Chang
Published: November 2017

This article proposes a robust and accurate axial thermal error model for a micro high-speed spindle. With measured temperatures, an inverse method is applied to obtain the heat source and temperature field in the spindle for demonstrating that there exists a uniform temperature distribution along the axial direction within the motor range. Hence, a simple one-dimensional heat transfer model is established to acquire the temperature and resulting thermal errors using only one measured temperature on housing surface. Jumped displacement when the spindle starts and stops and the nonlinear deformation on the bearings are satisfactorily treated in the model. The results show that the estimated thermal errors agree with the measured data for both constant and various speeds. In addition, the results reveal that spindle speed significantly affects the maximum thermal error. A short processing time is an advantage of the proposed method. The model promises effective integration in machine tools for compensating thermal errors.
Microscopic modeling on tribological behaviors of seal composites for aiding the selection of sealing material in a wet clutch
Authors: Gong Ran , Zhai Xinze , Che Huajun , Zhu Maotao , Wang Heng
Published: November 2017

A numerical method is proposed to investigate the tribological behaviors of three sealing composite materials based on the movable cellular automata (MCA). The MCA method is a discrete approach that treats a simulated medium like an ensemble of interacting cellular automata. These sealing materials are applied to the seals that are assembled in the wet clutch of an automobile. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) matrix materials with different proportions of the same filler materials are chosen as samples in this study. Based on the discretization concept, this study visualizes the microscopic dynamic responses, formation and evolution of the frictional layer of sealing material surfaces, by considering properties of filler materials and material inhomogeneity in the composites of the seals. The changing processes of friction coefficients and worn automata are obtained within the simulation time. PTFE composites with sealing ring configurations are tested in the test rig. Scanning electron microscopy is utilized to examine composite microstructures, and the results indicate that microstructure wear mechanisms are consistent with MCA simulations. The nature of filler material is investigated and the wear patterns of PTFE materials are revealed through the MCA method, which provides an option for sealing material selection and will improve the efficiency of the sealing design in the wet clutch.
Power and sample size for multivariate logistic modeling of unmatched case-control studies
Authors: Gail Mitchell H , Haneuse Sebastien
Published: November 2017

Sample size calculations are needed to design and assess the feasibility of case-control studies. Although such calculations are readily available for simple case-control designs and univariate analyses, there is limited theory and software for multivariate unconditional logistic analysis of case-control data. Here we outline the theory needed to detect scalar exposure effects or scalar interactions while controlling for other covariates in logistic regression. Both analytical and simulation methods are presented, together with links to the corresponding software.
Exact statistical calculation of the uncertainty term in the decision limits of the GH-2000 score for growth hormone misuse (doping) detection
Authors: Böhning Dankmar , Liu Wei , Holt Richard IG , Böhning Walailuck , Guha Nishan , Sönksen Peter , Cowan David , Liang Tianyi
Published: November 2017

The GH-2000 score has been developed as a powerful and unique technique for the detection of growth hormone misuse by sportsmen and women. The score depends upon the measurement of two growth hormone sensitive markers, insulin-like growth factor-I and the amino-terminal pro-peptide of type III collagen. It also includes a term to adjust for the age of the athlete. Decision limits for the GH-2000 score have been developed and are incorporated into the guidelines of the World Anti-Doping Agency. These decision limits are derived by setting a 1 in 10,000 false-positive rate rule. As these decision limits are estimated from samples of GH-2000 scores, they carry uncertainty. In previous work, this uncertainty has been addressed by establishing an upper 95% confidence interval for the true decision limits based on a normal approximation which has been shown to be appropriate if sample sizes are large (such as 1000 and above). Here, we show that these approximations, whether reasonable or not, can be entirely avoided by developing an upper 95% confidence interval for the true decision limits using an approach based upon the t-distribution. While there are considerable differences for smaller sample sizes, these become negligible when the sample size is large such as 1000 and above.
Cephalexin susceptibility breakpoint for veterinary isolates: Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute revision
Authors: Papich Mark G. , Lindeman Cindy
Published: November 2017

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) uses cephalothin as the class representative for testing veterinary isolates for susceptibility to other first-generation cephalosporins, including cephalexin. We examined replacing cephalothin with cephalexin because cephalexin is used more often clinically. Bacterial isolates were obtained from dogs and cats from a national surveillance program. CLSI testing methods were used to determine the MIC for 4 cephalosporins used in veterinary medicine. Cephalexin clinical breakpoints for canine isolates were established by using published pharmacokinetic data and Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the probability of target attainment (PTA). For 1,112 Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates, the mode, MIC50, and MIC90 were 1, 2, and 64 µg/mL, respectively, for cephalexin, and ≤0.06, 0.12, and 2 µg/mL for cephalothin. Susceptibility of S. pseudintermedius from 2011 to 2014 did not change for the 4 cephalosporins tested. Only 4.3% of the penicillin-binding protein 2a–positive S. pseudintermedius isolates had MIC values ≤2 µg/mL for cephalexin, but 66.3% of these isolates had MIC values ≤2 µg/mL for cephalothin. There were also discrepancies between cephalexin and cephalothin for other bacteria tested, but the largest difference was for S. pseudintermedius, with a MIC difference of 4 doubling dilutions. Cephalexin interpretive categories (breakpoints) of ≤2 μg/mL (susceptible), 4 μg/mL (intermediate), and ≥8 μg/mL (resistant) were established for isolates obtained from dogs. Cephalothin should not be used for susceptibility testing of cephalexin for veterinary bacterial pathogens, and canine-specific breakpoints should be used for testing susceptibility. Breakpoints determined using the methods described herein for the interpretive categories will be added to future CLSI tables to reflect this recommendation.
Methamphetamine Use With Subsequent Thyrotoxicosis/Thyroid Storm, Agranulocytosis, and Modified Total Thyroidectomy: A Case Report
Authors: Viswanath Omar , Menapace Deanna C , Headley Don B
Published: November 2017

Thyroid storm is a rare, potentially lethal condition involving collapse of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid feedback loop. Thyroid storm carries a significant mortality rate, thus requiring prompt identification and treatment. A 47-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of palpitations, shortness of breath, and emesis for 24 hours after using methamphetamine. Past medical history was significant for untreated hyperthyroidism. Physical examination revealed a prominent, palpable thyroid. The Burch-Wartofsky-Score was 35. Management for thyroid storm included propylthiouracil (PTU), super saturated potassium iodide, intravenous hydrocortisone, and propranolol. However, a rare drug reaction to PTU on day 3 resulted in agranulocytosis. Propylthiouracil was withheld and a modified total thyroidectomy performed on day 8 without complications and the patient discharged on day 10 with levothyroxine. Undertreated hyperthyroidism may predispose patients to catecholamine-induced thyrotoxicosis due to catecholamine hypersensitivity. With known methamphetamine use, methamphetamine toxicity and a methamphetamine-exacerbated thyroid storm need to be included in the differential diagnosis in a patient presenting with signs of thyrotoxicosis. In addition, treating patients with agranulocytosis from PTU with a modified total thyroidectomy using ligation of the vascular supply as the initial surgical step limits release of thyroid hormone into the blood stream during thyroidectomy and decreases the possibility of intra operative thyroid storm.
For which clinical rules do doctors want decision support, and why? A survey of Dutch general practitioners
Authors: Medlock Stephanie , Eslami Saeid , Askari Marjan , Arts Derk L , van de Glind Esther M , Brouwer Henk J , van Weert Henk C , de Rooij Sophia E , Abu-Hanna Ameen
Published: November 2017

Despite the promise of decision support for improving care, alerts are often overridden or ignored. We evaluated Dutch general practitioners’ intention to accept decision support in a proposed implementation based on clinical rules regarding care for elderly patients, and their reasons for wanting or not wanting support. We developed a survey based on literature and structured interviews and distributed it to all doctors who would receive support in the proposed implementation (n = 43), of which 65 percent responded. The survey consisted of six questions for each of 20 clinical rules. Despite concerns about interruption, doctors tended to choose more interruptive forms of support. Doctors wanted support when they felt the rule represented minimal care, perceived a need to improve care, and felt responsible for the action and that they might forget to perform the action; doctors declined support due to feeling that it was unnecessary and due to concerns about interruption.
Local Development Effect of Sports Facilities and Sports Teams: Case Studies Using Synthetic Control Method
Authors: Islam Muhammad Q.
Published: November 2017

Studies of the economic benefit of sports franchises to local economies typically utilize panel regression procedures to estimate the effect on variables of interest. An alternative to regression-type estimation is to adopt a case study approach utilizing the synthetic control method. We utilize this approach to study the effect of the National Football League (NFL) expansion into three cities. Specifically, we ask, how the presence of an NFL team in selected cities affected the time path of employment growth in those cities. Results reinforce the dominant view that presence of a sports franchise does not significantly affect the time path of employment.
Micronutrients and Natural Compounds Status and Their Effects on Wound Healing in the Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Authors: Kulprachakarn Kanokwan , Ounjaijean Sakaewan , Wungrath Jukkrit , Mani Raj , Rerkasem Kittipan
Published: November 2017

The diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is an invariably common complication of diabetes mellitus, it is also a significant cause of amputation as well as extended hospitalization. As most patients with DFU suffer from malnutrition, which has been related to improper metabolic micronutrients status, alterations can affect impaired wound healing process. Micronutrients and herbal remedies applications present a wide range of health advantages to patients with DFU. The purpose of this review is to provide current evidence on the potential effect of dietary supplementations such as vitamins A, C, D, E, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, boron, and such naturally occurring compounds as Aloe vera, Naringin, and Radix Astragali (RA) and Radix Rehmanniae (RR) in the administration of lower extremity wounds, especially in DFU, and to present some insights for applications in the treatment of DFU patients in the future.
Higher Level of Chicken Consumption Associated With Less Severe Venous Disease
Authors: Kulprachakarn Kanokwan , Abkom Prakaydao , Pongtam Orapin , Ounjaijean Sakaewan , Thongkham Paweena , Saengyo Suwinai , Rerkasem Kittipan
Published: November 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of various food intake in patients with varicose veins. A cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2012 through November 2014. Patients at the outpatient department 101 at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand, who were older than > 18 years were invited to participate in this study. The severity of varicose veins was divided into 2 groups according to CEAP (clinical, etiological, anatomical, and pathophysiological) classification: mild type of venous disease (C0-C2) and severe type of venous disease (C3-C6). Patients were interviewed about their demographic data and frequency of meat consumption for varicose veins using Vein Consult Program (VCP). A total of 558 eligible outpatients were recruited for the study. Most patients were female (78.9%) and aged >50 years (47.1%). Seventeen out of 558 patients were diagnosed with high severity of venous disease (3.0%). Remarkably, significantly higher body weight (73.8 ± 13.9 vs 58.4 ± 11.2 kg, P = .000) and body mass index (28.8 ± 4.4 vs 23.3 ± 3.9 kg/m2, P = .000) was found in patients with severe types of venous disease compared with the mild group. Unexpectedly, only chicken intake demonstrated the different association with varicose veins ( P = .022). Patients with severe venous disease showed lower frequency of chicken consumption. The results suggested an association of chicken consumption with a reduced chance of developing varicose veins.
Researchers of Color, Fame, and Impact
Authors: Zárate Michael A. , Hall Gordon Nagayama , Plaut Victoria C.
Published: November 2017

Fame and eminence, as traditionally measured, limit the definition of impact to the publication world. We add two types of impact to the traditional measures of fame and eminence. Many of the traditional measures of fame or eminence are based on social-network connections, whereby individuals appoint other people to positions of eminence. Editorial boards are one specific example. Eminence is also limited to number of publications, for example, with little regard for the impact of those publications at the societal level. In addition to the dominant measures of eminence, societal impact broadens the definition of impact to reflect real-world changes. Two examples include mentoring, which is rarely mentioned as a criterion for eminence, and policy value, such as when research influences important public policy. These additions are discussed in reference to the general underrepresentation of researchers of color in academia.
Are Twitter and Blogs Important Tools for the Modern Psychological Scientist?
Authors: Weinstein Yana , Sumeracki Megan A.
Published: November 2017

Psychological scientists have many roles, one of which is, arguably, to communicate their research findings to a broader audience. Twitter and blogging offer relatively inexpensive options for this type of outreach. Engagement in these outreach efforts can lead to career enhancement, but also comes at a cost. We examined a sample of 327 psychological scientists to determine the prevalence of this type of outreach; while the use of Twitter appears to be on the rise, blogging remains very rare. In this piece, we explore the costs and benefits for psychological scientists of blogging and engaging with the general public on Twitter, and how tweeting and blogging might relate to academic merit and varieties of fame in psychology.