bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Modeling and Coupling Characteristic Analysis of Two-Axis Rate Gyro Seeker
Authors: Liu Shixiang , Lu Tianyu , Shang Teng , Xia Qunli
Published: October 2018

A dynamic model of a two-axis rate gyro-stabilized platform-based seeker with cross-coupling, mass imbalance, and disturbance torque is developed on the basis of the working principle of seeker two-loop steady tracking theory; coordinate transformations are used to analyze the effects of seeker servo control mode on missile guidance and control systems. Frequency domain is used to identify the servo motor transfer function. Furthermore, a block diagram of the two-gimbal-coupled system is developed, and the coupling characteristics of gimbal angle are analyzed with different missile body inputs. Simulation results show that the analysis conforms with the actual movement rule of seeker gimbal and optical axis, and cross-coupling exists between the two gimbals. The lag compensation network can increase the open loop gain and increase the capacity for disturbance rate rejection. Simulations validate the theory and technology support for developing the seeker servo control model in engineering.
A Rule-Based Energy Management Strategy Based on Dynamic Programming for Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles
Authors: Zhou Haicheng , Xu Zhaoping , Liu Liang , Liu Dong , Zhang Lingling
Published: October 2018

Energy management strategy is very important for hydraulic hybrid vehicles to improve fuel economy. The rule-based energy management strategies are widely used in engineering practice due to their simplicity and practicality. However, their performances differ a lot from different parameters and control actions. A rule-based energy management strategy is designed in this paper to realize real-time control of a novel hydraulic hybrid vehicle, and a control parameter selection method based on dynamic programming is proposed to optimize its performance. Firstly, the simulation model of the hydraulic hybrid vehicle is built and validated by the data tested from prototype experimental platform. Based on the simulation model, the optimization method of dynamic programming is used to find the global optimal solution of the engine control for the UDDS drive cycle. Then, the engine control parameters of the rule-based energy management strategy are selected according to the engine control trajectory of the global optimal solution. The simulation results show that the 100 km fuel consumption of the proposed rule-based energy management strategy is 12.7L, which is very close to the global optimal value of 12.4L and is suboptimal.
A Novel Germline Variant in CSF3R Reduces N-Glycosylation and Exerts Potent Oncogenic Effects in Leukemia
Authors: Spiciarich David R. , Oh Stephen T. , Foley Amy , Hughes Seamus B. , Mauro Michael J. , Abdel-Wahab Omar , Press Richard D. , Viner Rosa , Thompson Sarah L. , Chen Qiushi , Azadi Parastoo , Bertozzi Carolyn R. , Maxson Julia E.
Published: October 2018

Mutations in the colony-stimulating factor 3 receptor (CSF3R) have been identified in the vast majority of patients with chronic neutrophilic leukemia and are present in other kinds of leukemia, such as acute myeloid leukemia. Here, we studied the function of novel germline variants in CSF3R at amino acid N610. These N610 substitutions were potently oncogenic and activated the receptor independently of its ligand GCSF. These mutations activated the JAK–STAT signaling pathway and conferred sensitivity to JAK inhibitors. Mass spectrometry revealed that the N610 residue is part of a consensus N-linked glycosylation motif in the receptor, usually linked to complex glycans. N610 was also the primary site of sialylation of the receptor. Membrane-proximal N-linked glycosylation was critical for maintaining the ligand dependence of the receptor. Mutation of the N610 site prevented membrane-proximal N-glycosylation of CSF3R, which then drove ligand-independent cellular expansion. Kinase inhibitors blocked growth of cells with an N610 mutation. This study expands the repertoire of oncogenic mutations in CSF3R that are therapeutically targetable and provides insight into the function of glycans in receptor regulation.

Significance:

This study reveals the critical importance of membrane-proximal N-linked glycosylation of CSF3R for the maintenance of ligand dependency in leukemia
Analysis of Circulating Tumor DNA and Clinical Correlates in Patients with Esophageal, Gastroesophageal Junction, and Gastric Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kato Shumei , Okamura Ryosuke , Baumgartner Joel M. , Patel Hitendra , Leichman Lawrence , Kelly Kaitlyn , Sicklick Jason K. , Fanta Paul T. , Lippman Scott M. , Kurzrock Razelle
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

Esophageal, gastroesophageal junction, and gastric adenocarcinoma (herein gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas) are associated with poor prognosis and limited systemic treatment options. To further understand the genomic landscape of gastroesophageal cancers and its clinical correlations, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from patients’ plasma was evaluated using next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Experimental Design:

We analyzed genomic alterations of 55 patients (mostly advanced disease; 9, surgically resectable) with gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas using clinical-grade NGS performed on plasma-derived ctDNA (54–73 gene panel). The test detects single-nucleotide variants, as well as copy number amplifications, fusions, and indels in selected genes.

Results:

Seventy-six percent of patients (42/55) had ≥1 genomic alteration [including variants of unknown significance (VUS)] and 69.1% (38/55) had ≥1 characterized alteration (excluding VUSs). The median number of alterations per patient was 2 (range, 0–15). TP53 (50.9%, 28/55), PIK3CA (16.4%, 9/55), ERBB2 (14.5%, 8/55), and KRAS (14.5%, 8/55) genes were most frequently affected characterized alterations. Thirty-one patients also had tissue NGS. Concordance between tissue and ctDNA ranged from 61.3% (TP53 alterations) to 87.1% (KRAS alterations). ERBB2 alterations were significantly associated with poor overall survival (HR, 14.06; 95% confidence interval, 2.44–81.03; P = 0.003 multivariate analysis). Among patients with ≥1 alteration, no 2 patients had identical molecular portfolios. All patients with ≥1 characterized alteration had theoretically targetable alterations by an FDA-approved agent (on- or off-label). Illustrative case treated with cognate agent is presented.

Conclusions:

Evaluation of ctDNA by NGS among patients with gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is feasible. Patients harbored heterogeneous patterns of genomics, with most having alterations that are potentially pharmacologically tractable.
A Longitudinal Study of Peripheral and Central Auditory Function in Alzheimer’s Disease and in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Häggström Jenny , Rosenhall Ulf , Hederstierna Christina , Östberg Per , Idrizbegovic Esma
Published: October 2018

Background/Aim: Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD) might precede the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A method of evaluating CAPD is the dichotic digits test (DDT). The aim was to address this in a longitudinal setting. Methods: A total of 136 individuals were assessed with peripheral and central hearing tests at baseline and at 5-year follow-up. Results: Subjects with AD showed a significant decline in DDT scores of the right ear from baseline to follow-up. The other groups retained high DDT scores. Peripheral auditory function declined as expected according to age. Conclusions: Our study indicates that DDT performance reflects an ongoing process resulting in dementia.
Peritonitis: Episode Sequence, Microbiological Variation, Risk Factors and Clinical Outcomes in a North China Peritoneal Dialysis Center
Authors: Hu Shouci , Ming Pei , Qureshi Abdul Rashid  , Lindholm Bengt , Bo Yang , Yang Hongtao
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims: This study investigated peritonitis episodes with regard to time sequence, microbiological variation, factors associated with peritonitis and clinical outcomes in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Methods: This single-center cohort study enrolled all incident patients who met the inclusion criteria at our center from June 1, 2012 to June 30, 2015 and who were followed until June, 2017. Clinical, biochemical characteristics and detailed data on peritonitis episodes, and hospitalizations were recorded. Results: A total of 218 episodes of peritonitis corresponding to a rate of 0.27 episode per patient-year were recorded. Gram positive bacteria, identified in 115 (52.8%) episodes, were the most common pathogens. The occurrence of enterococcus peritonitis increased from 15.1% of the first to 27.3% of the later episodes. Multivariate logistic regression showed that the presence of cardiovascular disease (CVD, odds ratio [OR] 2.177, 95% confidence interval [95%CI] 1.214–3.903, P=0.009), age≤ 55 (OR 2.282, 95%CI 1.062–4.906, P=0.035), non-independent operator (OR 0.440, 95%CI 0.206–0.938, P=0.034), lower values of potassium (OR=0.671,95%CI 0.472–0.954, P=0.026) and higher values of calcium-phosphate product (OR 1.410, 95%CI 1.065–1.868, P=0.017) were associated with peritonitis. Besides CVD (risk ratio [RR] 2.591, 95%CI 1.893–3.543, P< 0.001) and non-independent operator (RR 0.583, 95%CI 0.439–0.776, P< 0.001), a lower level of education (RR 0.641, 95%CI 0.487–0.842, P=0.001) was associated with higher peritonitis rates in log-linear analysis. Spearman analyses indicated that the time to the 1st episode was negatively related to the peritonitis rate (r=-0.291, P=0.001). Time-dependent Cox regression showed no association between the time to the 1st episode and patient survival (P=0.151). Patients with a high peritonitis rate (HPR) demonstrated worse technique survival (P< 0.001). Conclusion: The present study has revealed several center-based features and modifiable risk factors for peritonitis. The presence of CVD and the need for assistance with PD operation not only increased the odds of peritonitis but were also associated with more peritonitis episodes. Time to first peritonitis was related to the peritonitis rate but not associated with patient survival. Patients with HPR had worse technique survival.
Fetal But Not Maternal Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE)-2 Gene Rs2074192 Polymorphism is Associated with Increased Risk of Being a Small For Gestational Age (SGA) Newborn
Authors: He Jing , Lu Yong-Ping , Li Jian , Li Tao-Yuan , Chen Xin , Liang Xu-Jing , Chen Wen-Jing , Pi Sai-Nan , Hocher Berthold , Chen You-Peng
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims: The maternal and fetal Renin-Angiotensin-System is involved in the control of pregnancy outcomes such as blood pressure control and gestational age. However, very little is known about the impact of the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on pregnancy outcome. We thus performed a prospective clinical observational study analyzing the association of maternal and fetal ACE2 gene rs2074192 polymorphism with fetal growth during pregnancy. Methods: 898 singleton pregnant women were prospectively recruited. 739 pregnant women finally participated in the study and were genotyped. 474 women also donated umbilical cord blood for gene analysis of their offspring. All data such as basic demographic information, data from birth records, biochemical and immunological parameters, as well as Doppler ultrasonographic findings during pregnancy were collected. Fetal and maternal ACE2 gene rs2074192 polymorphism was genotyped by DNA sequencing. Results: Our analysis showed that the maternal ACE2 gene rs2074192 polymorphism was not associated with gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes mellitus, anemia, postpartum hemorrhage and fetal growth. However, neonates having rs2074192 T allele were more likely to be born as small for gestational age (SGA) babies. After multivariable logistic regression considering known confounding, we could demonstrate that the neonatal rs2074192 T allele was an independent risk factor for SGA (OR: 22.93, 95%CI: 1.26∼418.77, P< 0.05). Conclusion: This is the first study showing that the babies but not their mothers with ACE2 gene rs2074192 T allele had a high risk for SGA, which contributes to metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in later life.
The Protective Effect of Propofol Against Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in the Interlobar Arteries: Reduction of Abnormal Cx43 Expression as a Possible Mechanism
Authors: Chang Yue-Chen , Xue Wen-Jing , Ji Wei , Wang Yang , Wang Yan-Ping , Shi Wen-Yan , Shan Li-Ya , Zhang Liang , Tan Chao-Yang , Ma Ke-Tao , Li Li , Si Jun-Qiang
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims: This experimental study aims to observe whether the protective effect of propofol against renal ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) in the rat interlobar artery occurs through altered expression of the gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43). Methods: This study randomly divided male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats into an untreated control group, a sham-operated control group (sham group), an ischemia–reperfusion group (IR group), a propofol group (propofol+IR group) and a fat emulsion group (Intralipid group). The ischemia/reperfusion model was prepared through resection of the right kidney and noninvasive arterial occlusion of the left kidney. Forty-five minutes after renal ischemia–reperfusion, an automatic biochemical analyzer was employed to measure blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr); changes in renal tissue pathology were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, and the vasomotor activity of the interlobar artery was detected using a pressure mechanogram technique. The protein expression of Cx43 in renal artery cross-sections was determined through western blotting. Results: The experimental study confirmed that the BUN and SCr of rats markedly increased after ischemia–reperfusion injury; additionally, we observed some coagulation necrosis and shedding of cells, some solidification of nuclear chromatin, degeneration of cytoplasmic vacuoles, high renal interstitial vascular congestion and obvious inflammatory cell infiltration, characterized by focal hemorrhages. Furthermore, the contraction activity of the renal interlobar artery greatly decreased, and the tension of the arteries in the renal lobe increased remarkably. After the gap junction blocking agents 2-APB and Gap27 were applied, the systolic velocity of blood vessels and the vascular contraction rate both decreased. In addition, the expression of Cx43 in kidney tissues increased markedly. The damage was more severe after 24 h of ischemic reperfusion than after only 4 h. However, after pretreatment with propofol, regardless of whether ischemia–reperfusion was applied for 4 h or 24 h, the previously increased expression of Cx43 decreased obviously, and all forms of renal damage were reversed. Conclusion: Our research suggests new ways for propofol to relieve ischemia–reperfusion injury by decreasing the abnormal expression of the gap junction protein Cx43. This study reveals a novel mechanism for the action of propofol against IRI, and we hope this finding will lead to new treatments for IRI.
Fractional Flow Reserve and Quality-of-Life Improvement After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Stable Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Nishi Takeshi , Piroth Zsolt , De Bruyne Bernard , Jagic Nikola , Möbius-Winkler Sven , Kobayashi Yuhei , Derimay François , Fournier Stephane , Barbato Emanuele , Tonino Pim , Jüni Peter , Pijls Nico H.J. , Fearon William F.
Published: October 2018

Background:

Whether the benefit in quality of life (QOL) after percutaneous coronary intervention depends on the severity of the stenosis as determined by fractional flow reserve (FFR) remains unknown. This study sought to investigate the relationship between FFR values and improvement in QOL.

Methods:

From the FAME 1 and 2 trials (Fractional Flow Reserve Versus Angiography for Multivessel Evaluation), we identified 706 stable patients with coronary artery disease who had at least 1 lesion with an FFR≤0.80 that was treated with percutaneous coronary intervention and 185 patients with coronary artery disease who had no lesion with an FFR≤0.80 and were treated medically who served as a reference group. QOL was assessed by the European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions index at baseline, 1 month, and 1 year. We assessed the relationship between QOL improvement (defined as the change in European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions index from baseline) and FFR as a continuous value and according to abnormal FFR tertile.

Results:

QOL improved significantly after percutaneous coronary intervention in each abnormal FFR tertile, whereas it did not change in the reference group. The lowest abnormal FFR subgroup had the greatest improvement in QOL at 1 month (
P
<0.001). In mixed-effects models for repeated measures, lower FFR (
P
=0.002 for 1 month and 0.049 for 1 year), greater delta FFR (
P
=0.021 for 1 month and 0.025 for 1 year), and higher angina class (
P
=0.001 for 1 month and <0.001 for 1 year) were associated with the greatest magnitude of QOL improvement at both 1 month and 1 year.

Conclusions:

Among patients with stable coronary artery disease, FFR and angina severity predict QOL improvement after percutaneous coronary intervention.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifiers: NCT00267774 and NCT01132495.
Modernized Classification of Cardiac Antiarrhythmic Drugs
Authors: Lei Ming , Wu Lin , Terrar Derek A. , Huang Christopher L.-H.
Published: October 2018

Background:

Among his major cardiac electrophysiological contributions, Miles Vaughan Williams (1918–2016) provided a classification of antiarrhythmic drugs that remains central to their clinical use.

Methods:

We survey implications of subsequent discoveries concerning sarcolemmal, sarcoplasmic reticular, and cytosolic biomolecules, developing an expanded but pragmatic classification that encompasses approved and potential antiarrhythmic drugs on this centenary of his birth.

Results:

We first consider the range of pharmacological targets, tracking these through to cellular electrophysiological effects. We retain the original Vaughan Williams Classes I through IV but subcategorize these divisions in light of more recent developments, including the existence of Na
+
current components (for Class I), advances in autonomic (often G protein–mediated) signaling (for Class II), K
+
channel subspecies (for Class III), and novel molecular targets related to Ca
2+
homeostasis (for Class IV). We introduce new classes based on additional targets, including channels involved in automaticity, mechanically sensitive ion channels, connexins controlling electrotonic cell coupling, and molecules underlying longer-term signaling processes affecting structural remodeling. Inclusion of this widened range of targets and their physiological sequelae provides a framework for a modernized classification of established antiarrhythmic drugs based on their pharmacological targets. The revised classification allows for the existence of multiple drug targets/actions and for adverse, sometimes actually proarrhythmic, effects. The new scheme also aids classification of novel drugs under investigation.

Conclusions:

We emerge with a modernized classification preserving the simplicity of the original Vaughan Williams framework while aiding our understanding and clinical management of cardiac arrhythmic events and facilitating future developments in this area.
Mesoscale Circulations and Organized Convection in African Easterly Waves
Authors: Tomassini Lorenzo
Published: October 2018

Global convection-permitting model simulations and remote sensing observations are used to investigate the interaction between organized convection, both moist and dry, and the atmospheric circulation in the case of an African easterly wave (AEW). The wave disturbance is associated with a quadrupole structure of divergence, with two convergence centers slightly ahead of the trough. Moisture transport from southeast of the trough to the area in front and lower midtropospheric moisture convergence precondition and organize convection. The main inflow into the squall-line cluster is from behind. The moisture-abundant inflow collides at the low level with monsoon air with high moist static energy and establishes a frontal line of updrafts at the leading edge of the propagating mesoscale convective system. A mantle of moisture surrounds the convective core. A potential vorticity budget analysis reveals that convective latent heating is driving the evolution of the wave but not in a quasi-steady way. The wave propagation includes a succession of convective bursts and subsequent dynamic adjustment processes. Dry convection associated with the Saharan air layer (SAL) and SAL intrusions into the wave trough together with vorticity advection can play a role in intensifying AEWs dynamically as they move from the West African coast across the Atlantic Ocean. Our analysis demonstrates that the synoptic-scale wave and convection are interlinked through mesoscale circulations on a continuum of scales. This implies that the relation between organized convection and the atmospheric circulation is intrinsically dynamic, which poses a particular challenge to subgrid convection parameterizations in numerical models.
A Statistical Assessment of Southern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclone Tracks in Climate Models
Authors: Ramsay Hamish A. , Chand Savin S. , Camargo Suzana J.
Published: October 2018

Reliable projections of future changes in tropical cyclone (TC) characteristics are highly dependent on the ability of global climate models (GCMs) to simulate the observed characteristics of TCs (i.e., their frequency, genesis locations, movement, and intensity). Here, we investigate the performance of a suite of GCMs from the U.S. CLIVAR Working Group on Hurricanes in simulating observed climatological features of TCs in the Southern Hemisphere. A subset of these GCMs is also explored under three idealized warming scenarios. Two types of simulated TC tracks are evaluated on the basis of a commonly applied cluster analysis: 1) explicitly simulated tracks, and 2) downscaled tracks, derived from a statistical–dynamical technique that depends on the models’ large-scale environmental fields. Climatological TC properties such as genesis locations, annual frequency, lifetime maximum intensity (LMI), and seasonality are evaluated for both track types. Future changes to annual frequency, LMI, and the latitude of LMI are evaluated using the downscaled tracks where large sample sizes allow for statistically robust results. An ensemble approach is used to assess future changes of explicit tracks owing to their small number of realizations. We show that the downscaled tracks generally outperform the explicit tracks in relation to many of the climatological features of Southern Hemisphere TCs, despite a few notable biases. Future changes to the frequency and intensity of TCs in the downscaled simulations are found to be highly dependent on the warming scenario and model, with the most robust result being an increase in the LMI under a uniform 2°C surface warming.
Optimal Revascularization Threshold of Fractional Flow Reserve and its Effect on Outcomes: Perspectives From a High-Volume Center in China
Authors: Du Yu , Yang Bangguo , Zhang Jianwei , Liu Wei , Wang Zhijian , Ji Qingwei , Ma Xiaoteng , Han Hongya , Guo Yonghe , Liu Xiaoli , Zhao Yingxin , Zhou Yujie
Published: October 2018

This study aimed to investigate the favorable revascularization threshold for fractional flow reserve (FFR) in daily practice. Between March 2013 and March 2017 in a high-volume center in China, 903 patients with 1210 lesions underwent coronary intervention with adjunctive FFR and were consecutively enrolled. The mean FFR was 0.80 ± 0.11, revascularization was deferred for 68% of lesions, and the median follow-up period was 21 months. For lesions with an FFR > 0.80, deferral of revascularization appeared safe. In contrast, for lesions with an FFR ≤ 0.80, deferral of revascularization was associated with a greater risk of target lesion failure (TLF) than revascularization (hazard ratio [HR] 4.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.02-10.06, P < .001). For lesions with an FFR value in the gray-zone (0.76-0.80), medical treatment alone was less effective than revascularization ( P = .020). For deferred lesions, FFR was an independent predictor for the future risk of TLF, when data were categorized (HR [FFR ≤ 0.75 vs FFR ≥ 0.86] 3.35, 95% CI 1.13-9.97, P = .030; HR [FFR 0.76-0.80 vs FFR ≥ 0.86] 4.01, 95% CI 1.73-9.31, P = .001) or continuous (HR 0.004, 95% CI 0.00-0.13, P = .002). Thus, an FFR value of 0.80 appears to be the optimal threshold for decision-making regarding revascularization and risk stratification.
Leaders, Advisers, and the Political Origins of Elite Support for War
Authors: Saunders Elizabeth N.
Published: October 2018

As research on leaders matures, a next step is a better understanding of the advisers who surround them. This article explores the often-hidden politics of leader–adviser interactions, focusing on how leaders strategically manage elite cues from within their own circle that could engage otherwise dormant or permissive public opinion. Advisers can serve as cue givers when leaders contemplate the use of force, but leaders can shape which cues reach the public by accommodating advisers. This article explores this argument by combining a survey experiment with a case study of the 2009 escalation in Afghanistan, illustrating how the dynamics identified in the experiment motivate the president to bargain with advisers whose support or opposition would most influence public opinion. An important implication is that in the real world, damaging cues found in survey experiments may be diminished in volume or may not reach the public, whereas helpful cues could be magnified.
Preparation for capable citizenship
Authors: Rebell Michael A.
Published: October 2018

The 2016 presidential campaign and its aftermath have underscored the extreme polarization of the electorate, the dismissal of people with opposing views, and the widespread acceptance and circulation of one-sided and factually erroneous information. In addition, only a small proportion of those who are eligible actually vote, and a declining number of citizens actively participate in local community activities. Michael A. Rebell argues that these developments stem directly from the failure of America’s schools to carry out their historic responsibility to prepare young people to be capable citizens. He describes the causes of this failure and explains what schools need to do to prepare students for productive citizenship.
Supporting the needs of students with undiagnosed disabilities
Authors: Schechter Julia Silverman
Published: October 2018

Students with disabilities, especially those with non-apparent conditions, are entering universities in growing numbers. Yet more and more students are going off to college unprepared to manage their disabilities, in part because their high schools are overburdened, understaffed, and uninformed to identify and support them. A recent survey of students receiving disability supports at one public university revealed that the majority of these undergraduates with disabilities did not receive special education services in high school, instead waiting until college to seek help. Respondents reflected on what could have been improved about their high school experience, and they offered advice to school practitioners as to how to support these underserved students for postsecondary success.
How our word choices can empower our students
Authors: Porosoff Lauren
Published: October 2018

What teachers write about students has enormous potential to affect their lives. Lauren Porosoff encourages teachers to use their words to empower students to take an active role in their own learning. When teachers use adjectives to describe students, they may be attaching certain fixed characteristics to those students. Verbs, on the other hand, put the focus on behavior, and adverbs bring attention to how students execute certain behaviors. Nouns can give a clear picture of what students are doing, and deliberate use of conjunctions can put the emphasis on the correct pieces of information. And avoiding overuse of the pronoun I can help teachers keep the focus off themselves, while using students’ preferred pronouns conveys respect for student identities.
Leadership
Authors: Starr Joshua P.
Published: October 2018

Although most parents favor posting armed school resource officers at schools, district and school leaders must be aware of the pitfalls of police presence. These include a lack of clarity over which officers should take these positions and who is in charge of establishing work guidelines. In addition, officers may become involved in disciplinary actions in ways that go against the school culture.
Under the Law
Authors: Underwood Julie
Published: October 2018

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment, meaning the environment that is as close as possible to that of a regular education classroom. However, the nation’s various circuit courts have used different standards to determine whether a particular placement meets this requirement. Julie Underwood summarizes a recent Sixth Circuit case, L.H. v. Hamilton County Department of Education, in which the court ruled that it was inappropriate for a district to remove a child with Down syndrome from a regular classroom, where he was making academic progress but not achieving the grade-level standard.
When rhetoric does not translate to reality: Hardship, empowerment and the third sector in austerity localism
Authors: Dagdeviren Hulya , Donoghue Matthew , Wearmouth Alexis
Published: October 2018

Austerity localism powerfully explains dynamics of (dis)empowerment at the local level, especially regarding the autonomy and accountability of local authorities and third sector organisations (TSOs) in the UK. Yet these dynamics at institutional level have also a clear impact on individuals, especially the socio-economically vulnerable. This is especially true in a time of cost-containment and welfare retrenchment. This article addresses a gap in the literature by focusing not only on TSOs but also on the experiences of vulnerable individuals under austerity localism. The discussion is centred on two types of TSOs: foodbanks and advice/advocacy organisations. Drawing upon primary qualitative data from three locations in England and Wales, the article argues that the emphatic rhetoric of empowerment within austerity localism, which others have shown to be problematic at the institutional level, does not translate into real-world empowerment for service users and other vulnerable individuals. In making the argument the article contributes to work on expanding the analytical scope of austerity localism, as well as further exploring the roles and prospects of TSOs in the current long period of austerity in the UK.
‘Does anybody really care what a racist says?’ Anti-racism in ‘post-racial’ times
Authors: Joseph-Salisbury Remi
Published: October 2018

In September 2016 a new five-pound note entered circulation. In an online article, I offered a counter-hegemonic reading of Winston Churchill’s life in order to critique his depiction on the note. The article sparked a wave of online criticism. Drawing upon comments on the piece I wrote, in this article I show how, in the face of the threat posed by anti-racist counter-narratives, states of white amnesia lead commenters to draw upon alternative explanatory discourses that are consistent with ‘post-racial’ white supremacy. Particularly, I focus on those comments that pathologise me as the author of the article. These comments construct me as ‘a racist’, as ‘confused’ and as ‘lacking intelligence’. In each case, this framing allows the commenters to reconcile the cognitive dissonance that counter-hegemonic anti-racist work threatens to produce.
African Indigenous Christianity of Pentecostal Type in South Africa in the Twentieth Century and Beyond
Authors: Müller Retief
Published: October 2018

Movements of reform and reformation have been highly significant in the history of Christianity for various reasons. Yet is it fair or appropriate to ascribe the term reformation to churches or groups not obviously belonging to the sixteenth-century series of events and movements usually associated with that term? This article engages with this question, especially in reference to the phenomenon of twentieth-century African Indigenous Christianity (AIC), which is often associated with terms such as African Initiated Christianity, and African Pentecostalism. I focus on South Africa as my context of reference. From this perspective I will more generally make the case that if the historical construct of reformation as a concept beyond sixteenth-century Northern and Western Europe could be useful at all, it will be in the ways in which one is able, or not, to draw parallels with some of the social consequences of those original movements. I am particularly interested in the relation between reformation and democracy. Therefore, my analysis of AIC history in South Africa is informed by the works of Witte, Woodberry, and McGrath.
Care drain and substitute mothering in women’s documentary film: Towards a transnational family model?
Authors: Alexandru Maria-Sabina Draga
Published: October 2018

This article reads Teodora Ana Mihai’s documentary Waiting for August in the light of recent documentaries focusing on migration, such as Maid in America (2004) and Children in No Man’s Land (2008) by Anayansi Prado, as an approach to a particular form of social violence whose victims are children or teenagers who grow up without immediate adult care across the contemporary global world. I analyse these documentaries by women filmmakers, focusing on the transfer of care from mothers to elder sisters as a result of women’s economic transnational migration. I argue that they promote a model of self-sustaining, responsible motherhood based on women’s strong claim to a life of dignity and self-determination, as opposed to compromising solutions that have long been tolerated and even encouraged by patriarchal societal and political structures.
Performing Values Practices and Grassroots Organizing: The Case of Solidarity Economy Initiatives in Greece
Authors: Daskalaki Maria , Fotaki Marianna , Sotiropoulou Irene
Published: October 2018

This article discusses solidarity economy initiatives as instances of grassroots organizing, and explores how ‘values practices’ are performed collectively during times of crisis. In focusing on how power, discourse and subjectivities are negotiated in the everyday practices of grassroots exchange networks (GENs) in crisis-stricken Greece, the study unveils and discusses three performances of values practices, namely mobilization of values, re-articulation of social relations, and sustainable living. Based on these findings, and informed by theoretical analyses of performativity, we propose a framework for studying the production and reproduction of values in the context of GENs, and the role of values in organizing alternatives.
The Effect of Diet-induced Obesity on Toxicological Parameters in the Polygenic Sprague-Dawley Rat Model
Authors: Rojas Jennifer M. , Bolze Florian , Thorup Inger , Nowak Jette , Dalsgaard Charlotte M. , Skydsgaard Mikala , Berthelsen Line O. , Keane Kevin A. , Søeborg Henrik , Sjögren Ingrid , Jensen Jes T. , Fels Johannes J. , Offenberg Hanne K. , Andersen Lærke W. , Dalgaard Majken
Published: October 2018

The obese rodent serves as an indispensable tool for proof-of-concept efficacy and mode-of-action pharmacology studies. Yet the utility of this disease model as an adjunct to the conventional healthy animal in the nonclinical safety evaluation of anti-obesity pharmacotherapies has not been elucidated. Regulatory authorities have recommended employing disease models in toxicology studies when necessary. Our study investigated standard and exploratory toxicology parameters in the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese, polygenic Sprague-Dawley rat model in comparison to chow diet (CD)-fed controls. We sought to establish feasibility of the model for safety testing and relevance to human obesity pathophysiology. We report that both sexes fed a 45% kcal HFD for 29 weeks developed obesity and metabolic derangements that mimics to a certain extent, common human obesity. Minor clinical pathologies were observed in both sexes and considered related to CD versus HFD differences. Histopathologically, both sexes exhibited mild obesity-associated findings in brown and subcutaneous white fat, bone, kidneys, liver, lung, pancreas, salivary parotid glands, and skeletal muscle. We conclude that chronic HFD feeding in both sexes led to the development of an obese but otherwise healthy rat. Therefore, the diet-induced obese Sprague-Dawley rat may serve as a suitable model for evaluating toxicity findings encountered with anti-obesity compounds.
Interpersonal touch as a resource to facilitate positive personal and relational outcomes during stress discussions
Authors: Jakubiak Brett K. , Feeney Brooke C.
Published: October 2018

This investigation examined the extent to which receiving touch during discussions of stressors predicts subsequent personal and relational well-being. Married couples were unobtrusively videotaped as couple-members took turns discussing their personal stressors with one another. We assessed the degree to which couple-members received touch from their spouses during the discussions and investigated whether touch receipt predicted beneficial personal and relational outcomes after the discussions. Results indicated that disclosers who received greater (higher frequency and higher intensity) touch while they discussed their stressors perceived that they were more able to overcome their stressors, experienced greater decreases in self-reported stress, reported greater increases in self-esteem, and viewed their partners more positively than disclosers who received less touch. Additionally, helpers (spouses in the listening role) who received greater touch during their partner’s stressor discussion also viewed their partners more positively than helpers who received less touch. Implications and potential future directions are discussed.
Conscience and convenience: American victim work in organizational context
Authors: Globokar Julie , Erez Edna
Published: October 2018

Recent years have witnessed the proliferation of victim-focused positions inside and outside the criminal justice system, yet little is known about the occupational characteristics and organizational context of this field in the United States. In this article, we draw on 42 semi-structured interviews with victim workers from a variety of settings and organizational affiliations in the midwestern USA to describe their pathways, activities, and challenges. The data reveal key differences among the experiences of those who were publicly employed, affiliated with the nonprofit sector and working independently. The findings underscore the significance of organizational affiliation in understanding victim work, the value of strong public/private partnerships, and the necessity of reforms to the organizational culture of criminal justice agencies to optimize victim experiences.
Inflammatory responses after intracerebral hemorrhage: From cellular function to therapeutic targets
Authors: Lan Xi , Han Xiaoning , Liu Xi , Wang Jian
Published: October 2018

Inflammatory responses occur rapidly after intracerebral hemorrhage and participate in both short-term toxicity and long-term recovery. Microglia/macrophages react to hemorrhagic injury and exhibit dynamic phenotypes and phagocytic capability. Astrocytes secrete cytokines, chemokines, and gliotransmitters that can regulate neuroinflammation. In addition, infiltrating neutrophils and T-lymphocytes modulate immunoreactions, which further cross-talk with microglia/macrophages. Thus, the search for effective immunotherapy to target specific cell type-mediated inflammation might represent a new direction for intracerebral hemorrhage treatment, separate from traditional anti-inflammatory drug discovery.
Effect of electrosurgery in the operating room on surgeons’ blood indices: a simulation model and experiment on rabbits
Authors: Hui Yu , Yan Jin
Published: October 2018

Objective

This study aimed to examine the content of surgical smoke in the operating room, and the health effects of exposure to surgical smoke on surgeons.

Methods

We measured the content of surgical smoke in the operating room. The effect of exposure to surgical smoke on surgeons was examined using rabbits. Surgical smoke distribution was simulated to study the route of spread of surgical smoke. The effect of an evacuator was also evaluated.

Results

In the operating room during electrosurgery, there was a high-content zone of surgical smoke (1.5 × 10−2%, carbon monoxide; 3.0 × 10−2%, carbon dioxide). In rabbit experiments, all groups that were exposed to surgical smoke showed significantly higher carboxyhemoglobin levels than did controls. Exposure to a high content of surgical smoke had a greater effect on blood indices than working continuously in the operating room.

Conclusions

During electro-laparotomy, carbon monoxide in the high-content and low-content zones is higher than the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s limit. Carboxyhemoglobin levels may be > 10% with continuous operations over a week in the high-content zone in the operating room. Even with an evacuator, surgeons’ blood indices can still be affected by surgical smoke.
Couette shearing device for the investigation of shear-induced damage of the primary hemostasis by left ventricular assist devices
Authors: Lommel Michael Achim , Goubergrits Leonid , Affeld Klaus , Kertzscher Ulrich
Published: October 2018

Introduction:

Continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices have evolved from short-time therapy into permanent or so-called destination therapy. One complication in long-term usage is bleeding, which is presumably attributed to shear-induced interference of left ventricular assist devices with the coagulation system.

Methods:

The influence of dynamic shear stresses on primary hemostasis by single or multiple passes through left ventricular assist devices was investigated. A novel Couette-type shearing device, especially fitted to simulate left ventricular assist devices with highly dynamic and repetitive stresses, was developed. To evaluate the clotting ability of the blood and thus the bleeding tendency, the closure time of the platelet function analyzer (PFA-100®, Dade Behring, Marburg, Germany) was used. The relationship of the PFA-100 closure time was fitted to measurement points with shear stress and exposure time as parameters.

Results:

76 samples of human blood collected from four different healthy donors in sodium-citrate anticoagulant solution were tested, including 20 control samples. A damage model according to the power law approach could be developed. A linear correlation of shear stress and exposure time to the PFA-100 closure time could be determined. In addition, a model was developed to calculate the increase in the PFA closure time on the basis of shear stress over time curves.

Discussion:

With the shearing device, half-sine-wave-shaped shear stress patterns relevant to rotary blood pumps can be achieved with very good repeatability. The proposed damage model could be used to compare and optimize left ventricular assist devices under development. The tests showed a significant decrease in coagulability after only a few repetitions.
Moving to Improve?: A Qualitative Meta-analysis of Neighborhood Violence and Residential Decision-making among Housing Voucher Holders
Authors: Graves Erin
Published: October 2018

Many people poised to move through housing choice voucher programs cite violence as a primary factor in their decision-making. This study synthesizes a body of qualitative data to explore how participants recount their experiences with neighborhood violence and analyzes its relationship to residential decision-making. We find that while participants expressed a desire to move to improve their circumstances, they also recounted how neighborhood violence constrained choice by influencing a multitude of factors in the decision-making process. This shows the stress neighborhood violence places on households and how neighborhood factors constrain housing choice.
The new urban agenda and human rights cities: Interconnections between the global and the local
Authors: da Silva Karina Gomes
Published: October 2018

As the level of governance closest to the city dwellers, local authorities have been called to play a protagonist role as implementers of global standards on human rights and sustainable development. The New Urban Agenda, a political declaration signed by all UN Member States, sets a human rights-based approach to policy-making and service delivery as a path towards inclusive and sustainable urban development. Remarkably, the document acknowledges that local authorities are responsible for protecting, respecting, fulfilling, and promoting the human rights of the inhabitants. However, gaps between the aspiring language of international commitments and their concrete impact on the ground have limited its potential to transform people’s lives. Nevertheless, all over the world human rights cities have pro-actively set the implementation of human rights as a core task in the municipality. By establishing practical links and synergies between human rights cities and the NUA, this paper suggests ways of filling implementation gaps, drawing a promising scenario for the realisation of both global and local agendas.
Integrating battery degradation in a cost of ownership framework for hybrid electric vehicle design optimization
Authors: Vora Ashish P , Jin Xing , Hoshing Vaidehi , Shaver Gregory , Varigonda Subbarao , Tyner Wallace E
Published: October 2018

Prior design optimization efforts do not capture the impact of battery degradation and replacement on the total cost of ownership, even though the battery is the most expensive and least robust powertrain component. A novel, comprehensive framework is presented for model-based parametric optimization of hybrid electric vehicle powertrains, while accounting for the degradation of the electric battery and its impact on fuel consumption and battery replacement. This is achieved by integrating a powertrain simulation model, an electrochemical battery model capable of predicting degradation, and a lifecycle economic analysis (including net present value, payback period, and internal rate of return). An example design study is presented here to optimize the sizing of the electric motor and battery pack for the North American transit bus application. The results show that the optimal design parameters depend on the metric of interest (i.e. net present value, payback period, etc.). Finally, it is also observed that the fuel consumption increases by up to 10% from “day 1” to the end of battery life. These results highlight the utility of the proposed framework in enabling better design decisions as compared to methods that do not capture the evolution of vehicle performance and fuel consumption as the battery degrades.
Passivity-based control of a pulse-width mode operated digital hydraulic drive
Authors: Kogler Helmut , Schöberl Markus , Scheidl Rudolf
Published: October 2018

Digital hydraulics offers a cost-effective and robust opportunity to replace expensive and sensitive hydraulic servo valves for cylinder drives. If the digital directional valves are operated in pulse-width mode at a constant switching frequency, the mean flow rate through the valves into the actuator is controlled by the duty ratio of the pulse-width-mode signal. However, for a proper implementation of digital hydraulic linear drives, some adaptions must be made compared to common cylinder drives. In this article, a gas-loaded accumulator is used in order to tune the dynamics of the system for a smooth behavior of the drive, which is generally nonlinear. An energy-based controller according to the passivity concept in combination with a load observer is presented. Simulations show the achievable performance.