bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Status of water birds in Haripura-Baur Reservoir, western Terai-Arc landscape, Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Ahmed Tanveer , Bargali Harendra Singh , Bisht Deepa , Mehra Gajendra Singh , Khan Afifullah
Published: July 2019

We surveyed water birds in Haripura-Baur Reservoir using total count method between 2013 and 2015.  A total of 65 species were recorded representing eight orders and 14 families.  Numerically Anatidae was the dominant family followed by Ardeidae and Scolopacidae.  Common Coot Fulica atra, Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Gadwall Anas strepera, and Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula were dominant species in the reservoir.  The Shannon diversity of water birds was more or less consistent over the years and ranged between 2.56 (2013–14) and 2.23 (2015–16).  The reservoir supports water birds having declining population trends globally (41% of species), including three Vulnerable (Asian Woollyneck Ciconia episcopus, Lesser Adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus, and Sarus Crane Grus antigone and four Near Threatened species (Oriental Darter Anhinga melanogaster, Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, and River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii).  Bird species belong to four feeding guilds with the domination of the carnivore group.  The current information is expected to serve as preliminary database of water birds for further research and monitoring.
Pollination ecology of Brownlowia tersa (Malvaceae), a Near Threatened non-viviparous true mangrove shrub
Authors: Raju Aluri Jacob Solomon
Published: July 2019

Brownlowia tersa is a low-ground semi-evergreen shrub species.  The phenological events occur sequentially—leaf fall, leaf flushing, flowering and fruiting from April to November.  It is hermaphroditic, protandrous, self-compatible, facultative xenogamous, and melittophilous involving worker honey bees, small male and female carpenter bees and male and female cuckoo bees.  Of these, worker honey bees and female carpenter bees forage for both pollen and nectar while male carpenter bees and both sexes of cuckoo bees forage exclusively for nectar.  Cuckoo bees are very important for cross-pollination because they are swift fliers and visit many flowers from different plants in the shortest time.  Carpenter bees and honey bees are largely important for self-pollination as they are not fast fliers and tend to spend more time at each flower for forage collection.  The flowers have a specialized pollination mechanism to resort to autonomous autogamy if not pollinated but this mode of pollination is subject to the availability of pollen in its own anthers.  Fruit is a 1-seeded follicle produced from a single carpel of the flower.  It is indehiscent and floats in tidal water when detached from the plant.  When settled in muddy substratum, it breaks open to expose the seed which germinates and produces a new plant in quick succession.  The study reports that the plant is highly threatened due to different human economic activities taking place in the area and hence immediate in situ conservation measures are required for its protection and propagation.
Comparison Between Contact Force Monitoring and Unipolar Signal Modification as a Guide for Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Ejima Koichiro , Kato Ken , Okada Ayako , Wakisaka Osamu , Kimura Ryusuke , Ishizawa Makoto , Imai Taku , Toyama Yuko , Shoda Morio , Hagiwara Nobuhisa
Published: July 2019

Background:

Both contact force monitoring (CFM) and unipolar signal modification (USM) are guides for ablation, which improve the efficacy of pulmonary vein isolation of atrial fibrillation. We sought to compare the outcomes of atrial fibrillation ablation guided by CFM or USM.

Methods:

A total of 136 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation underwent a circumferential pulmonary vein isolation using CF sensing ablation catheters and were randomly assigned to undergo catheter ablation guided by either CFM (CFM-guided group: n=70) or USM (USM-guided group: n=66). In the USM-guided group, each radiofrequency application lasted until the development of completely positive unipolar electrograms. In the CFM-guided group, a CF of 20 g (range, 10–30 g) and minimum force-time integral of 400 g were the targets for each radiofrequency application. The primary end point was freedom from any atrial tachyarrhythmia recurrence without antiarrhythmic drugs at 12-months of follow-up.

Results:

The cumulative freedom from recurrences at 12-months was 85% in the USM-guided group and 70% in the CFM-guided group (
P
=0.031). The incidence of time-dependent and ATP-provoked early electrical reconnections between the left atrium and PVs, procedural time, fluoroscopic time, and average force-time integral, did not significantly differ between the 2 groups. The radiofrequency time for the pulmonary vein isolation was shorter in the USM-guided group than CFM-guided group but was not statistically significant (
P
=0.077).

Conclusions:

USM was superior to CFM as an end point for radiofrequency energy deliveries during the pulmonary vein isolation in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in terms of the 12-month recurrence-free rate.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm
. Unique identifier: UMIN000021127.
Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents
Authors: Shlofmitz Evan , Iantorno Micaela , Waksman Ron
Published: July 2019

Despite on-going evolution and iteration of drug-eluting stent (DES) technology, the prevalence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) remains relatively unchanged, encompassing ≈10% of percutaneous coronary interventions. The mechanism of ISR is multifactorial, including biological, mechanical, patient, and operator-related factors. The main mechanical contributors are stent underexpansion or fracture, while biological factors include local inflammation leading to aggressive neointimal proliferation and late neoatherosclerosis. Intracoronary imaging is critical to identify the mechanism of ISR and tailor therapy accordingly. The presentation of DES-ISR is not benign and is challenging for optimal treatment. Among the proposed treatment modalities are scoring and high-pressure balloons, percutaneous coronary intervention with additional DES, atheroablative therapies by laser or mechanical atherectomy, drug-coated balloons, vascular brachytherapy, and surgical revascularization. We propose a new classification for ISR that differentiates among mechanical, biological, and mixed etiologies. Stratifying ISR by mechanism guides individualized treatment of DES-ISR to improve clinical outcomes. An algorithmic approach, guided by intracoronary imaging, for the treatment of DES-ISR, is recommended based on the specific cause of restenosis.
Acute Aspirin Plus Cilostazol Dual Therapy for Noncardioembolic Stroke Patients Within 48 Hours of Symptom Onset
Authors: Aoki Junya , Iguchi Yasuyuki , Urabe Takao , Yamagami Hiroshi , Todo Kenichi , Fujimoto Shigeru , Idomari Koji , Kaneko Nobuyuki , Iwanaga Takeshi , Terasaki Tadashi , Tanaka Ryota , Yamamoto Nobuaki , Tsujino Akira , Nomura Koichi , Abe Koji , Uno Masaaki , Okada Yasushi , Matsuoka Hideki , Yamagata Sen , Yamamoto Yasumasa , Yonehara Toshiro , Inoue Takeshi , Yagita Yoshiki , Kimura Kazumi , Mitsumura Hidetaka , Ueno Yuji , Watanabe Masao , Sakamoto Yuki , Arakawa Shuji , Nagakane Yoshinari , Ishibashi Ryota , Terasawa Yuka , Fujita Koji , Kashihara Kenichi , Mitomi Mutsumi , Nakano Tatsu , Shibazaki Kensaku , Takao Yoshiki , Tateishi Yohei , Goto Seiji , Manabe Yasuhiro , Kanda Naoaki , Ohashi Toshihiko , Itabashi Ryo , Furui Eisuke , Takizawa Takaaki , Minami Masahiro , Noguchi Yasuhiro , Kondo Yoshiyuki , Izumi Tesseki , Sakima Hirokuni , Ueno Yasushi , Kasuya Junji , Oba Naoki
Published: July 2019

Background

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of antiplatelet (aspirin plus cilostazol) dual therapy for patients with noncardioembolic stroke within 48 hours of symptom onset.

Methods and Results

The
ADS
(Acute Aspirin Plus Cilostazol Dual Therapy for Non‐Cardiogenic Stroke Patients Within 48 Hours of Symptom Onset ) study is an investigator‐initiated, prospective, multicenter (34 hospitals in Japan), randomized, open‐label, and aspirin‐controlled trial. Acute stroke patients with noncardioembolic stroke within 48 hours of onset were studied. The subjects were randomly allocated to combination therapy with aspirin 81 to 200 mg plus cilostazol 200 mg (dual group) and single therapy with aspirin 81 to 200 mg (aspirin group) for 14 days. After the 14 days, all patients took the cilostazol 200 mg for 3 months. A primary efficacy outcome was defined as any one of the following occurring (neurological deterioration, symptomatic stroke recurrence, or transient ischemic attack) within 14 days. A primary safety outcome included intracerebral hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Between May 2011 and June 2017, 1201 patients (796 [66%] men; median age, 69 [61–77] years) randomized 1:1 to either the dual group or the aspirin group were analyzed. Initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 2 (1–4) in both groups (
P
=0.830). A primary efficacy outcome was observed in 11% in the dual group and 11% in the aspirin group (
P
=0.853). A primary safety outcome occurred in 2 (0.3%) in the dual group and in 1 (0.2%) in the aspirin group (
P
=0.624).

Conclusions

Dual antiplatelet therapy using cilostazol and aspirin was safe but did not reduce the rate of short‐term neurological worsening.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
: umin.ac.jp/ctr/index/htm. Unique identifier:
UMIN
000004950.
Soluble Neprilysin in the General Population: Clinical Determinants and Its Relationship to Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Reddy Yogesh N. V. , Iyer Seethalakshmi R. , Scott Christopher G. , Rodeheffer Richard J. , Bailey Kent , Jenkins Gregory , Batzler Anthony , Redfield Margaret M. , Burnett John C. , Pereira Naveen L.
Published: July 2019

Background

Neprilysin is a metalloprotease involved in proteolysis of numerous peptides, including natriuretic peptides, and is of prognostic and therapeutic importance in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. No studies have investigated circulating neprilysin in the community, its clinical correlates, or its relationship to cardiovascular disease in the general population.

Methods and Results

Plasma neprilysin was measured in 1536 participants from Olmsted County, Minnesota, using a commercially available sandwich
ELISA
assay. Clinical and echocardiographic correlates and subsequent outcomes were determined. Soluble neprilysin is non‐normally distributed in the community (median: 3.9 ng/mL; interquartile range: 1.0–43.0 ng/mL). There was no relationship between plasma neprilysin and age (Spearman correlation: −0.04,
P
=0.16); body mass index (Spearman correlation: −0.04,
P
=0.16); glomerular filtration rate (Spearman correlation: −0.007,
P
=0.8); or A‐, B‐, or C‐type natriuretic peptides (Spearman correlation: 0.03,
P
=0.22; −0.001,
P
=0.96; 0.01,
P
=0.67, respectively). Among tertiles of neprilysin, the lowest tertile group had the highest prevalence of smokers (
P
<0.001), hypertension (
P
=0.04), dyslipidemia (
P
=0.03), and diastolic dysfunction (
P
=0.02). Soluble neprilysin was not prospectively associated with death or heart failure over a median of 10.7 years.

Conclusions

In a large community‐based cohort, for the first time, we described the distribution of circulating neprilysin in the general community. We observed that neprilysin does not correlate with natriuretic peptide levels and is not independently associated with adverse outcomes. The novel associations observed between low soluble neprilysin levels and an adverse cardiometabolic and smoking profile requires further investigation.
Multiattentive Recurrent Neural Network Architecture for Multilingual Readability Assessment
Authors: Azpiazu Ion Madrazo , Pera Maria Soledad
Published: July 2019

We present a multiattentive recurrent neural network architecture for automatic multilingual readability assessment. This architecture considers raw words as its main input, but internally captures text structure and informs its word attention process using other syntax- and morphology-related datapoints, known to be of great importance to readability. This is achieved by a multiattentive strategy that allows the neural network to focus on specific parts of a text for predicting its reading level. We conducted an exhaustive evaluation using data sets targeting multiple languages and prediction task types, to compare the proposed model with traditional, state-of-the-art, and other neural network strategies.
Penetration of Fire into Iron
Authors: Biriukov Dmitry
Published: July 2019

I consider the ways whereby the Stoic natural philosophical paradigm of total blending, through the example of penetration of fire into iron, was naturalized by the Early Christian and Byzantine theologians who intended to display the penetration of the divine into the created and the conjunction of the created with the divine, with the condition that the created does not dissolve in divine but remains within its own nature being penetrated by the properties of deity.
Studies into the Folk Hagiography of the Russian North: Judas Koneschelsky
Authors: Moroz Andrey B. , Pigin Alexander V.
Published: July 2019

The article deals with the problems of studying folk hagiography, a complex of peasants’ written and oral texts, which contain information about saints or revered non-canonized devotees and express the very specifics of the popular understanding of holiness. The first half of the article discusses the phenomenon of folk hagiography, defines the range of folklore genres, reflecting folk beliefs about saints, and investigates the mechanisms of interaction between the written and oral traditions. The second half analyzes texts and religious practices related to the folk worship of the non-canonized elder Judas Koneschelsky (Archangelsk North). There are following sources for the study of this cult: judicial documents of the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, a peasant’s diary of the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, local priests’ notes from that time, and field data, collected by folklorists at the beginning of the 21th century. On the basis of these sources, the authors, considering a specific case, make an attempt to study the mechanisms of functioning of folk hagiography. A large time span between the early and late data records and various texts about Judas make it possible to trace evolution of this cult.
ʿAbdīšōʿ of Gāzartā, Patriarch of the Chaldean Church as a Scribe
Authors: Pritula Anton
Published: July 2019

ʿAbdīšōʿ of Gāzartā, the second patriarch (1555-1570) of the East Syriac Uniate (Chaldean) Church, is known as a founder of its literary tradition, and an author of numerous liturgical and non-liturgical poems. He was also active as a scribe, of whose production several manuscripts survive that were never studied before. The present paper discusses them, in particular the historical and autobiographical information that is found in the scribe’s colophons and notes. This information is of a large importance for the history of the Christian communities in early Ottoman time.
Doddifoenus wallacei, a new giant parasitoid wasp of the subfamily Leptofoeninae (Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae), with a description of its mesosomal skeletal anatomy and a molecular characterization
Authors: KROGMANN LARS , BURKS ROGER A.
Published: July 2019

A third species of Doddifoenus Bouček (Pteromalidae: Leptofoeninae), is described from Laos and Thailand. Doddifoenus wallacei sp. n. is the first species of the genus occurring west of Wallace’s Line, and with a body length of up to 4.2 cm it is among the longest known of any chalcidoid wasp. A differential key and distribution map for the world species of Doddifoenus are given. A detailed description of the mesosoma, including external and internal features, and molecular data (D2-D5 fragments of the 28S gene) are provided to facilitate future phylogenetic analyses. The phylogenetic placement of Leptofoeninae is briefly discussed, especially with respect to the pteromalid subfamilies Pteromalinae and Cleonyminae.
The oribatid mite genus Topalia in Australia (Oribatida: Nosybeidae) and the taxonomic status of related families and genera
Authors: COLLOFF MATTHEW J.
Published: July 2019

Five new species of Topalia (Nosybeidae) are described from Australia: Topalia caliginosa sp. nov. from Victoria, T. corinnensis sp. nov. from Tasmania, T. dunlopi sp. nov. and T. katyae sp. nov. from Norfolk Island and T. royi sp. nov. from New South Wales. The genus was known previously from Australia from unidentified specimens only. I revise the generic definition, provide a key to species and clarify the family placement and taxonomic status of Topalia, Nosybea, Lamellocepheus and Charassobates. From a phylogenetic analysis and identification of synapomorphies, I consider Topalia, Nosybea and Lamellocepheus are valid, morphologically related and included in the Nosybeidae. The superfamily Charassobatoidea is valid, and contains Charassobatidae, Nosybeidae and Microtegeidae. These families have synapomorphies of a narrow, elongate subcapitulum, minute notogastral setae with at least one pair in the d series retained in the adults (dm in Nosybeidae, dp or dm in Microtegeidae, full complement in Charassobates). Immatures of Nosybeidae and Microtegeidae are undescribed, but in Charassobates are eupheredermous, plicate, and the tritonymph has the full complement of setae in the d series. Charassobates and Topalia have the synapomorphy of a ventral plate tectum, providing strong evidence for their relatedness. By way of contrast, the Cepheoidea, in which Nosybeidae and Microtegeidae have been placed by various authors, have a broad subcapitulum, well-developed setiform notogastral setae positioned marginally and lacking the d series, and no ventral plate tectum. The immatures are eupheredermous but non-plicate and the tritonymph lacks setae in the d series. Based on these differences, Nosybeidae, Microtegeidae and Charassobatidae cannot be included in the Cepheoidea.
Systematic Comparison of Convection-Allowing Models during the 2017 NOAA HWT Spring Forecasting Experiment
Authors: Potvin Corey K. , Carley Jacob R. , Clark Adam J. , Wicker Louis J. , Skinner Patrick S. , Reinhart Anthony E. , Gallo Burkely T. , Kain John S. , Romine Glen S. , Aligo Eric A. , Brewster Keith A. , Dowell David C. , Harris Lucas M. , Jirak Israel L. , Kong Fanyou , Supinie Timothy A. , Thomas Kevin W. , Wang Xuguang , Wang Yongming , Xue Ming
Published: July 2019

The 2016–18 NOAA Hazardous Weather Testbed (HWT) Spring Forecasting Experiments (SFE) featured the Community Leveraged Unified Ensemble (CLUE), a coordinated convection-allowing model (CAM) ensemble framework designed to provide empirical guidance for development of operational CAM systems. The 2017 CLUE included 81 members that all used 3-km horizontal grid spacing over the CONUS, enabling direct comparison of forecasts generated using different dynamical cores, physics schemes, and initialization procedures. This study uses forecasts from several of the 2017 CLUE members and one operational model to evaluate and compare CAM representation and next-day prediction of thunderstorms. The analysis utilizes existing techniques and novel, object-based techniques that distill important information about modeled and observed storms from many cases. The National Severe Storms Laboratory Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor product suite is used to verify model forecasts and climatologies of observed variables. Unobserved model fields are also examined to further illuminate important intermodel differences in storms and near-storm environments. No single model performed better than the others in all respects. However, there were many systematic intermodel and intercore differences in specific forecast metrics and model fields. Some of these differences can be confidently attributed to particular differences in model design. Model intercomparison studies similar to the one presented here are important to better understand the impacts of model and ensemble configurations on storm forecasts and to help optimize future operational CAM systems.
NCAA Amateurism as an Anticompetitive Tying Restraint
Authors: Tatos Ted
Published: July 2019

Antitrust litigation against the NCAA has focused on its members’ collusive restraint on athlete compensation at levels below marginal revenue product. The recent O’Bannon v. NCAA and In Re NCAA Grant-in-Aid Cap Antitrust Litigation have both prescribed a relevant market for “college education” where schools compete for athlete labor by offering tuition and fee or cost-of-attendance offsets. This article argues that this unitary definition conflates two separate products, academic education and athletic participation, that NCAA members offer as a bundled tie. The NCAA has mandated purchase of the tied product, academic education, as a pre-requisite for access to intercollegiate athletics participation, the tying product. Paradoxically, the NCAA has then argued that this bundled tie, which this article argues violates the Supreme Court’s three-pronged ‘quasi’ per-se rule prohibiting tying arrangements, represents a claimed ‘pro-competitive justification’ by integrating athletics and academics. This article offers evidence that this tying arrangement serves no legitimate pro-competitive purpose under the NCAA model of amateurism. Rather, it extracts consumer surplus, enhances dominant cartel members' market power, and forecloses competition not only from non-members but also from smaller NCAA member-schools. As such, the NCAA model of amateurism violates antitrust law governing tying arrangements and should be enjoined.
Is there a role for antibodies targeting muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia?
Authors: Ryan Alexander E , Mowry Bryan J , Kesby James P , Scott James G , Greer Judith M
Published: July 2019

Objective:

Muscarinic receptor dysfunction has been suggested to play an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Recently, it has also become clear that immune reactivity directed against neurotransmitter receptors may play a pathogenic role in some cases of schizophrenia. The aim of this review is to summarize the case for muscarinic receptor dysfunction in schizophrenia and the evidence supporting the hypothesis that this dysfunction is related to the development of muscarinic receptor–targeting antibodies.

Method:

The article reviews studies of muscarinic receptors and the presence and potential role(s) of anti-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies in people with schizophrenia.

Results:

There is accumulating evidence that altered or deficient muscarinic signalling underlies some of the key clinical features of schizophrenia. Although the number of studies investigating anti-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies in schizophrenia is relatively small, they consistently demonstrate that such antibodies are present in a proportion of patients. This evidence suggests that these antibodies could have pathogenic effects or exist as a biomarker to an unknown pathophysiological process in schizophrenia.

Conclusion:

The presence of elevated levels of anti-muscarinic acetylcholine receptor antibodies may identify a subgroup of people with schizophrenia, potentially informing aetiopathogenesis, clinical presentation and treatment. To date, all studies have examined antibodies in participants with chronic schizophrenia, who have likely received antipsychotic medication for many years. As these medications modulate immune functions and regulate receptor densities, it is recommended that future studies screen for the presence of anti-muscarinic antibodies in people experiencing their first episode of psychosis.
Natural Disasters Management and the Challenge of Governability in Indonesia
Authors: Efendi David , Agustiyara  , Putra Husni Amriyanto
Published: July 2019

Since 1998, Indonesia has experienced a major transformation in the relationship between the rulers and the ruled. State–society relationships were previously subject-object, military-civilian, or superior-inferior. In other words, the state played a central role in all matters, while civil society ‘Muhammadiyah’ was limited to political and social activities. This tended to negatively impact community involvement in prevention and risk-reduction for natural disasters. This paper examines the role of civil society in disaster management in Indonesia. It does so in relation to the particular example of Yogyakarta, a special province where local values traditionally have more inherent authority than government-imposed law. The paper further discusses how there are important lessons for the future to be drawn from a Yogyakarta case study of how the national government has generally failed to build a private–public partnership and state–society relationship to deal with natural disasters based on local community needs.
Policies to Promote Research and Innovation in Developing Countries’ Universities: The Case of Thailand
Authors: Tantanee Sarintip , Apichayakul Phisut , Buranajarukorn Panu , Pardthaisong Liwa , Suwanprasit Chanida , Charoenpanyanet Arisara , Sin-Ampol Phaothai
Published: July 2019

Research and Innovation (R&I) has played an important role in constructing new knowledge in higher education institutions (HEIs) worldwide. There are both enabler and barrier factors on R&I capabilities in HEIs; therefore, this paper aims to investigate the importance, current contexts and gaps in R&I capacity building of Thai HEIs and the possibilities for improvement. Thirteen policymakers from HEI’s Authorities and Research Funding Agencies were interviewed in-depth. In addition, an online survey has been conducted with 172 university academic staff, who have been involved in R&I. The results show that the majority of respondents agree that R&I is very important; however, these activities have not been clearly supported by national policies. From the suggestions for improvement, the whole R&I supporting system, from the national to the HEIs levels, should be developed and improved through policy, skill acquisition and job opportunities, research grants and enhancing national and international collaborations.
Simultaneous effects of strain rate and temperature on mechanical response of fabricated Mg–SiC nanocomposite
Authors: Rahmani K , Majzoobi GH , Atrian A
Published: July 2019

Mg–SiC nanocomposite samples were fabricated using split Hopkinson pressure bar for different SiC volume fractions and under different temperature conditions. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the samples including microhardness and stress–strain curves were captured from quasi-static and dynamic tests carried out using Instron and split Hopkinson pressure bar, respectively. Nanocomposites were produced by hot and high-rate compaction method using split Hopkinson pressure bar. Temperature also significantly affects relative density and can lead to 2.5% increase in density. Adding SiC-reinforcing particles to samples increased their Vickers microhardness from 46 VH to 68 VH (45% increase) depending on the compaction temperature. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that by increasing temperature from 25℃ to 450℃, the Mg crystallite size increases from 37 nm to 72 nm and decreases the lattice strain from 45% to 30%. In quasi-static tests, the ultimate compressive strength for the compaction temperature of 450℃ was improved from 123% for Mg–0 vol.% SiC to 200% for the Mg–10 vol.% SiC samples compared with those of the compaction at room temperature. In dynamic tests, the ultimate strength for Mg–10 vol.% SiC sample compacted at high strain rate increased remarkably by 110% compared with that for Mg–0 vol.% SiC sample compacted at low strain rate.
Spuriously raised serum amylase in a five-year-old girl: a note of caution in paediatric blood sampling
Authors: Cull Frith , Cullis Paul S , Bradnock Timothy J , Sabharwal Atul J
Published: July 2019

Introduction

Capillary (finger prick) blood sampling is commonplace in paediatric practice but this method is prone to produce spurious laboratory results.

Case presentation

A five-year-old girl presented with abdominal pain, epigastric tenderness, tachycardia and reduced oxygen saturation. A venous blood sample haemolysed, and serum amylase on a finger prick sample was reported as 2831 units/L. The working diagnosis was acute pancreatitis and respiratory tract infection. A repeat amylase 9 h later was within the normal range. The patient was known to bite her fingers and the possibility of salivary contamination was considered. Serum isoenzyme analysis confirmed presence of high salivary amylase levels with no pancreatic amylase detected. A viral respiratory tract infection and buried gastrostomy bumper were eventually thought to account for the patient’s presentation.

Conclusion

Increased awareness of the potential for salivary contamination of serum amylase in finger prick samples may prevent misdiagnoses of pancreatitis.
An Incomplete Death
Authors: Conn Marie A.
Published: July 2019

The 2004 statement of the late Pope John Paul II, “Care for Patients in a ‘Permanent’ Vegetative State,” highlighted the need to review the Catholic moral tradition concerning artificial hydration and nutrition (AHN). This article will begin with a brief look at the two broad strains of natural law theory as they are reflected in papal and episcopal documents. Other concerns raised by the pope’s statement include the traditional distinction between ordinary and extraordinary means; the neurological evaluation of patients in the persistent vegetative state (PVS); the pope’s insistence on AHN as a natural and not a medical act; and a more precise evaluation of euthanasia.
Following Trump
Authors: Myers William R.
Published: July 2019

This article traces how premillennial theology replaced postmillennialism and prepared the way for evangelical identification with Trump’s negative worldview. It suggests, following The Altars Where We Worship, multiple ways postmodern humans meet basic human impulses. It details how such “altars” end up serving in markedly religious ways. Using Ninian Smart’s seven categories, it suggests how Trump and those who follow him fit what might be a “new” religion. Finally, the article relates how Moltmann’s understanding of resurrection gives Christians a place to stand in this Trumpian era.
Nonlinear stochastic synchronization of complex dynamical networks with delays
Authors: Tan Fei , Zhou Lili
Published: July 2019

This paper investigates the problem of synchronization for complex networks with time delays and stochastic uncertainties. Based on Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional theory, some sufficient conditions are derived. To deal with random uncertainties in networks, some suitable nonlinear adaptive controllers are designed, and some updating laws are used to deal with the feedback factor. The designed nonlinear adaptive controller can be used not only for synchronization of networks with delayed nodes, but also for the synchronization of networks with delayed random noises and delayed nodes. Finally, numerical examples illustrating the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical results are provided.
A Systematic Review of Interventions to Promote Varied Social-Communication Behavior in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Wolfe Katie , Pound Sara , McCammon Meka N. , Chezan Laura C. , Drasgow Erik
Published: July 2019

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may engage in repetitive social-communication behaviors that can limit their skill acquisition, access to reinforcement, and access to less restrictive settings. Basic and applied research indicates that variability, or the extent to which responses are topographically different from one another, is influenced by antecedent and consequence interventions. Our purpose in this study is to systematically review the literature on interventions to increase variable social-communication behaviors in individuals with ASD. We identified 32 studies through a database search and screened them using the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) Single-Case Design Standards. Eighteen studies containing 55 cases met WWC Design Standards. We coded the descriptive characteristics and strength of evidence based on visual analysis from each of these 18 studies and calculated effect sizes using Tau-U. Our results indicate that most cases (65%) provide strong evidence of a functional relation between the interventions and varied social-communication behaviors, and the median Tau-U was .82. We discuss the implications of our results for practice and for future research on interventions designed to increase variability with this population.
“Medical Cannabis” as a Contested Medicine: Fighting Over Epistemology and Morality
Authors: Zarhin Dana , Negev Maya , Vulfsons Simon , Sznitman Sharon R.
Published: July 2019

Few empirical studies have explored how different types of knowledge are associated with diverse objectivities and moral economies. Here, we examine these associations through an empirical investigation of the public policy debate in Israel around medical cannabis (MC), which may be termed a contested medicine because its therapeutic effects, while subjectively felt by users, are not generally recognized by the medical profession. Our findings indicate that beneath the MC debate lie deep-seated issues of epistemology, which are entwined with questions of ethics and morality. Whereas some stakeholder groups viewed evidence-based medicine and mechanical objectivity as the only valid knowledge base, others called for recognition of a particular experience-based knowledge, championing regulatory, administrative, or strong objectivity. Stakeholders’ interpretations of what should be considered as ethical courses of (in)action corresponded to their epistemological views, with most criticizing the regulators for relying on regulatory subjectivity instead of objectivity. Our in-depth mapping of this arena allowed us not only to shed light on the emergence of the new entity called “medical cannabis” but also to reexamine the link between epistemology, ethics, and action and to elucidate how heterogeneous groups view the validity and objectivity of knowledge and the interface between medicine, science, and policy.
Usable and Useful: On the Origins of Transparent Design in Personal Computing
Authors: Black Michael L.
Published: July 2019

It is often taken for granted that personal computers today are designed to hide technical information in order to make software seem easier. While “transparency of interaction” has influenced popular understandings of computer systems, it also shapes our engagement with software as critics. This essay examines the origins of transparent design in different models of usability proposed by IBM and Apple in response to popular concerns over the inaccessibility of personal computers in the early 1980s. By tracing how and why transparency emerged from this period of crisis, we can better interrogate its justifications and imagine alternative relationships to computing.
Looking hot in selfies: Narcissistic beginnings, aggressive outcomes?
Authors: Stuart Jaimee , Kurek Anna
Published: July 2019

An emerging literature suggests that females are more likely than males to take and post selfies and that such selfies tend to both conform to and legitimize the sexualization of femininity. It has been found that key predictors of selfie behaviors are narcissistic personality traits and that taking a higher number of selfies may, in turn, put young people at risk of engaging in negative social interactions online. No studies to date have investigated the mediating effects of selfies and, moreover, selfies that are taken with the intention of to appear physically attractive (i.e., sexualized selfies), on the relationship between narcissism and cyber behaviors. The following study examined selfie taking among a group of 262 adolescent girls (aged 13–16). Results of a path model found a serial mediation effect, indicating that exploitativeness was associated with increased selfie taking, which increased sexualized selfie taking and in turn increased cyber aggression and victimization. In contrast, contingent self-esteem was associated with taking sexualized selfies (with indirect positive effects on cyber behaviors). Results of this model also show that the effect of taking selfies on cyber behaviors is fully mediated by taking sexualized selfies. These findings are discussed in relation to the characteristics of the online environment and the risks of young women’s sexualized online self-presentations.
Tracking snacking in real time: Time to look at individualised patterns of behaviour
Authors: Allan Julia , McMinn David , Powell Daniel
Published: July 2019

Background:

Identifying when and where people overeat is important for intervention design, yet little is known about how unhealthy behaviours unfold in real life.

Aim:

To track the activities, social contexts and locations that co-occur with unhealthy snacking.

Methods:

Sixty-four adults (49F, mean age = 38.6 years) used electronic diaries to record snacking, location, social context and current activity every waking hour over 7 days. The proportion of snacking episodes that co-occurred with each location/activity/context was calculated by group and individual.

Results:

Over the group, snacking was most frequent whilst socialising (19.9% of hours spent socialising) or using the TV/computer (19.7%), when with friends (16.7%) and when at home (15.3%). All intra-class correlation statistics for cued behaviour were low, indicating the importance of within-person variability. There were marked individual differences between people in what constituted a ‘typical’ context for snacking.

Conclusions:

People show substantial differences in the contexts in which they snack. Tailoring interventions to these individual patterns of behaviour may improve intervention efficacy.
Exploring the munchies: An online survey of users’ experiences of cannabis effects on appetite and the development of a Cannabinoid Eating Experience Questionnaire
Authors: Roberts Carl A , Jager Gerry , Christiansen Paul , Kirkham Tim C
Published: July 2019

Background:

Cannabis intoxication is commonly reported to increase appetite and enhance appreciation of food (the ‘munchies’). These effects are attributed to activation of the endocannabinoid system. However, the psychological changes that underlie these phenomena are under-researched. We report here the results of an extensive online survey of cannabis users with an exploratory Cannabinoid Eating Experience Questionnaire (CEEQ).

Method:

Frequent cannabis users completed a 46-item questionnaire about their eating behaviour under the influence of cannabis. An English-speaking sample ( n=591) provided data for the initial exploratory validation of the scale. A second Dutch-language survey ( n=163) was used for confirmatory factor analysis. Test-retest reliability was based on a third English-speaking sample ( n=40) who completed the revised, 28-item CEEQ twice across 2 weeks.

Results:

Principal components analysis provided a two-factor solution. Factor 1 (hedonic) comprised 14 items that related primarily to the enjoyment and altered sensory aspects of eating. Factor 2 (appetitive) comprised a further 14 items related to motivational factors that instigate or promote eating. The two-factor structure was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Both the hedonic and appetitive subscales had good internal reliability (α=0.92 for each subscale, in two independent samples). Good test-retest reliability was obtained for the revised 28-item questionnaire ( ps<.01 for Total CEEQ and each subscale).

Conclusion:

The Cannabinoid Eating Experience Questionnaire provided a valid, reliable assessment of the psychological features of cannabis-induced alterations to appetite. Our data confirm that cannabis principally influences the motivational factors that lead to the initiation of eating and the hedonic factors implicated in maintaining eating.
When Inner Speech and Imagined Interactions Meet
Authors: Morin Alain
Published: July 2019

Imagined interactions (IIs) occur when individuals recall past conversations with others as well as anticipate future ones. IIs intersect with the concept of inner speech, yet little is known about what elements IIs and inner speech share as well as how they differ. Information is offered about both Imagined Interaction Theory and inner speech, followed by a discussion pertaining to how they interact with other inner experiences. Results based on self-reported inner speech using a Thought Listing procedure are also presented. Two main conclusions are reached: (a) IIs constitute mental activities that do include one type of inner speech but which recruit additional components absent in the latter. (b) Inner speech includes IIs, but also encompasses many other topics and functions not present in, or served by, IIs. Consequently, inner speech and IIs ought not to be equated.
The Dr Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture 2019: Shifting our focus. Fostering the potential of occupation and occupational therapy in a complex world
Authors: Kantartzis Sarah
Published: July 2019

The Dr Elizabeth Casson Memorial Lecture 2019, given on 18 June 2019 at the 43rd Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, held at the International Conference Centre, Birmingham.

Challenges to health-promoting occupation are experienced by many people in the United Kingdom today. It is suggested that the way we currently think about and so organise our practice may make it difficult to address some of these occupational needs. An alternative lens is proposed, drawing on the work of P. Cilliers and his discussions of the implications of thinking in terms of complex systems. Taking on an ‘attitude of complexity’ allows us to reconsider our work within the systems we are part of and encourages us not only to acknowledge but also to embrace the richness and diversity of our complex world. The discussion will focus on how occupational therapists can become part of, or strengthen their existing part in, change within these systems, developing their contribution as experts in occupation. This lecture is about ‘shifting our focus’, about fostering the potential of occupational therapy and contributing to individual and social transformation through occupation that will support the health of the population.
One-sided or two-sided love? Visualizing connections between metro station pairs in Beijing
Authors: Yang Yuling , Ma Hanxi , Zhou Jiangping
Published: July 2019

As more and more metro lines and stations have started serving our metropolises, they have (re)shaped our travels and lives, creating (new) venues and (additional) opportunities for serendipitous contacts. To know the odds and locales of serendipitous contacts among millions of metro riders, we employ the smartcard data of the metro riders in Beijing to visualize metro riders’ identifical trip trajectories and to visualize/disclose connections between metro station pairs because of these trajectories. We find that the pairs that produce the largest and smallest numbers of identifical trip trajectories are not randomly distributed in the city. Rather, they concentrate in the northwest and in the central, respectively.
On the relationship of Judah and Samaria in post-exilic times: A farewell to the conflict paradigm
Authors: Hensel Benedikt
Published: July 2019

The relationship of Judah and Samaria in the period from the 6th to the 2nd century B.C.E is currently still being described as an uninterrupted period of ongoing conflicts between Samarian and Judean YHWH-worshippers. This article examines evidence which offers an entirely different picture of Samarian–Judean relations in the post-exilic period: in the Levant in post-exilic times, there were two homologous Yahwisms in Judah and Samaria which existed side by side. It is for this reason that, when studying this formative period, scholars should give due consideration not only to Judah, but also to the North as well.
Correlation of Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation Score for Sport and Activities of Daily Living to Modified Harris Hip Score and Hip Outcome Score in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Hip Surgery
Authors: Lau Brian C. , Scribani Melissa , Lassiter Tally , Wittstein Jocelyn
Published: July 2019

Background:

The Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation (SANE) is a single-question outcome score that has been shown to be a reliable measure of outcomes for shoulder and knee injuries but has not been compared with other validated outcome scores in hip pathology managed arthroscopically.

Purpose:

To correlate SANE Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Sport subscales with the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Hip Outcome Score (HOS) ADL and Sport subscales before and after arthroscopic hip surgery.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A retrospective review of a prospectively filled database of patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery by a single surgeon was conducted. Inclusion criteria included patients scheduled for arthroscopic hip surgery for femoroacetabular impingement, labral tear, or gluteus medius tear. Exclusion criteria included previous surgery to the hip. Outcome scores, including the mHHS, HOS ADL and Sport, and SANE ADL and Sport, were measured preoperatively and postoperatively at 3 months, 1 year, and then annually. Pearson correlation coefficients between preoperative SANE ADL and Sport and the mHHS, HOS ADL, and HOS Sport were calculated. Pearson correlation coefficients between postoperative SANE ADL and Sport and the mHHS, HOS ADL, and HOS Sport were also calculated.

Results:

Eighty-five patients (mean age, 37.9 years; range, 14-66 years; 57 females, 28 males) underwent arthroscopic hip surgery for assorted pathology. Mean follow-up was 8 months (range, 3-64 months). Based on the Pearson correlation coefficient, preoperative SANE ADL and Sport had a moderate correlation with the mHHS ( r = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.47-0.79; P < .0001; r = 0.54; 95% CI, 0.31-0.71; P < .0001, respectively). Preoperative SANE ADL and Sport had a moderate correlation with HOS ADL ( r = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39-0.75; P < .0001) and HOS Sport ( r = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.45-0.79; P < .0001). Postoperative SANE ADL and Sport had a strong correlation with the mHHS ( r = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.82; P < .0001; r = 0.78; 95% CI, 0.61-0.88; P < .0001). Postoperative SANE ADL and Sport had a strong correlation with HOS ADL ( r = 0.79; 95% CI, 0.65-0.88; P < .0001) and HOS Sport ( r = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78-0.94; P < .0001).

Conclusion:

This study showed a significant correlation between SANE and mHHS in patients undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery both pre- and postoperatively. SANE ADL and Sport had a strong correlation with HOS ADL and Sport preoperatively and short-term postoperatively. SANE scores are more highly correlated with traditional subjective outcome measures during the short-term postoperative period than they are preoperatively. The SANE score provides an efficient method of assessing outcomes after hip arthroscopy.
Dialogue Education: A Learning-Centered Pedagogy
Authors: Haase Dan
Published: July 2019

When implemented, Dialogue Education™ offers a system of teaching and learning that moves beyond lecture into interactive engagement. This article highlights some of the principles and practices within this dialogical approach to teaching while also demonstrating the methodological techniques within this system of learning. Attention will be given to the nature of transformational education in light of the following elements: the learner, the community, the content, the context, and the role of the Holy Spirit.