bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microscopic examination of Gram-stained smears for anogenital gonorrhoea in men who have sex with men is cost-effective: evidence from a modelling study
Authors: Zwart Jolijn M , Mangen Marie-Josee J , Bartelsman Menne , van Rooijen Martijn S , de Vries Henry J C , Xiridou Maria
Published: September 2018

Objective

To assess the cost-effectiveness of three testing strategies with or without light microscopic Gram-stained smear (GSS) evaluation for the detection of anogenital gonorrhoea among men who have sex with men (MSM) at the Amsterdam STI clinic using a healthcare payer perspective.

Methods

Three testing strategies for MSM were compared: (1) GSS in symptomatic MSM only (currently practised strategy), (2) no GSS and (3) GSS in symptomatic and asymptomatic MSM. The three testing protocols include testing with nucleic acid amplification test to verify the GSS results in (1) and (3), or as the only test in (2). A transmission model was employed to calculate the influence of the testing strategies on the prevalence of anogenital gonorrhoea over 10 years. An economic model combined cost data on medical consultations, tests and treatment and utility data to estimate the number of epididymitis cases and quality-adjusted life years (QALY) associated with gonorrhoea. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) for the testing scenarios were estimated. Uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results

No GSS testing compared with GSS in symptomatic MSM only (current strategy) resulted in nine extra epididymitis cases (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 2–22), 72 QALYs lost (95% UI: 59–187) and €7300 additional costs (95% UI: −€185 000 (i.e.cost-saving) to €407 000) over 10 years. GSS testing in both symptomatic and asymptomatic MSM compared with GSS in symptomatic MSM only resulted in one prevented epididymitis case (95% UI: 0–2), 1.1 QALY gained (95% UI: 0.1–3.3), €148 000 additional costs (95% UI: €86 000 to–€217 000) and an ICER of €177 000 (95% UI: €67 000–to €705 000) per QALY gained over 10 years. The results were robust in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

GSS for symptomatic MSM only is cost-effective compared with no GSS for MSM and with GSS for both symptomatic and asymptomatic MSM.
Structure of floral nectaries and comparison of reproductive and vestigial organs in the staminate and pistillate flowers of dioeciousSilene latifolia(Caryophyllaceae)
Authors: Anderson Jay F. , Duddu Hema S.N. , Shirtliffe Steven J. , Davis Arthur R.
Published: September 2018

Silene latifolia Poiret of Eurasia has established in North America, prompting this structural study of its mature unisexual buds and flowers. Floral nectaries, anther and stigma changes, and vestigial reproductive structures were studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. In staminate flowers, anthers dehisced before anthesis and >90% of their pollen was liberated within 36 h. Accumulated in the tubular calyx, nectar descended an anthophore from the stomatal-bearing nectary at the stamen bases. Nectary tissue surrounded the pistillode, a central filamentous organ lacking ovules but tipped by hairs resembling stigmatic papillae. In pistillate flowers, nectar flowed into an inflated calyx. The annular nectary had 10 regularly spaced, stomatal-lined craters and was continuous with the adaxial surfaces of the infertile antisepalous and epipetalous staminodes. Key elements of entomophilous pollination leading to successful sexual reproduction of this invasive species include secondary nectar presentation from disparate floral nectaries that, for pistillate flowers, also incorporate the staminodes; rapid pollen release from anthers; and elongation of papillae by tip growth that enhances each stigma’s receptive surface. Context is also provided for future studies of floral nectary development in this model dioecious species.
Emergence of novel phenomena on the border of low dimensional spin and charge order
Authors: Haines Charles R. S. , Saxena Siddharth S.
Published: September 2018

Proximity to magnetic order as well as low dimensionality are both beneficial to superconductivity at elevated temperatures. Materials on the border of magnetism display a wide range of novel and potentially useful phenomena: highTcs, heavy fermions, coexistence of magnetism and superconductivity and giant magnetoresistance. Low dimensionality is linked to enhanced fluctuations and, in the case of heavy fermions, has been experimentally shown to be beneficial for the fluctuations that are responsible for the rich abundance of novel emergent phases. This experimental strategy motivated us to explore 2D insulating magnets with a view to investigate phase evolution across metal-insulator and magnetic-non-magnetic boundaries. This has been a fruitful venture with totally novel results different to our expectations. We present results from 2 distinct systems. The MPS3family are highly anisotropic in both their crystal and magnetic structures. FePS3in particular is a model insulating honeycomb antiferromagnet. We find that the application of pressure to FePS3induces an insulator to metal transition. The second system, Cs2CuCl4, is a highly-frustrated quantum spin liquid at low temperature. The competition of the 3 relevant exchange couplings is delicately balanced. It has been shown to become antiferromagnetic at very low temperatures (~1 K). We have found that the application of pressure for 3 days or more followed by a return to ambient pressure stabilises a totally distinct magnetic ground state.
Detection of Microbial Infections Through Innate Immune Sensing of Nucleic Acids
Authors: Tan Xiaojun , Sun Lijun , Chen Jueqi , Chen Zhijian J.
Published: September 2018

Microbial infections are recognized by the innate immune system through germline-encoded pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). As most microbial pathogens contain DNA and/or RNA during their life cycle, nucleic acid sensing has evolved as an essential strategy for host innate immune defense. Pathogen-derived nucleic acids with distinct features are recognized by specific host PRRs localized in endolysosomes and the cytosol. Activation of these PRRs triggers signaling cascades that culminate in the production of type I interferons and proinflammatory cytokines, leading to induction of an antimicrobial state, activation of adaptive immunity, and eventual clearance of the infection. Here, we review recent progress in innate immune recognition of nucleic acids upon microbial infection, including pathways involving endosomal Toll-like receptors, cytosolic RNA sensors, and cytosolic DNA sensors. We also discuss the mechanisms by which infectious microbes counteract host nucleic acid sensing to evade immune surveillance.
Clues to the Pathophysiology of Sudden Cardiac Death in Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors: Brodovskaya Tatyana Olegovna , Grishina Irina Fedorovna , Peretolchina Tatiana Fedorovna , Solenskaia Olga Georgievna , Kovtun Olga Petrovna , Teplyakova Olga Vyacheslavovna , Chernjadev Sergey Aleksandrovich , Popov Artem Anatolievich , Kurmin Viacheslav Valentinovich
Published: September 2018

Background: Risk assessment of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is multifactorial and complex, especially among individuals without established cardiovascular disease. There are insufficiently investigated conditions that can affect arrhythmogenesis. One such condition is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome, which is not on the list of risk factors of the Russian National Society of Arrhythmology. Objective: The aim of this review article is to discuss clues to the pathophysiology of SCD in OSA subjects. Methods: We searched the literature for data reporting the impact of apnea on arrhythmogenesis. The preferred languages were English and Russian. The most important clinical reports, as well as biochemistry and pathophysiology guides, were selected for inclusion in the review. Results: It was clearly observed in the searched literature that OSA is the crucial aspect of arrhythmogenesis. Among the clues are intermittent nocturnal hypoxia, reactive oxygen species, cardiomyocyte metabolism disturbances, myocardial electric heterogeneity, and intrathoracic pressure changes. Conclusion: This review emphasizes the importance of the inclusion of OSA in the list of risk factors of the Russian National Society of Arrhythmology.
Is a Surgical Approach Justified in Metachronous Krukenberg Tumor from Gastric Cancer? A Systematic Review
Authors: Aurello Paolo , Berardi Giammauro , Antolino Laura , Antonelli Giulio , Rampini Alessia , Moschetta Giovanni , Ramacciato Giovanni
Published: September 2018

Background: The treatment of metachronous Krukenberg tumor (mKT) from gastric cancer remains unexplored. We performed a literature review to evaluate whether or not surgical treatment improves survival. Methods: A systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was performed. Studies reporting on patients who underwent surgical treatment for mKT from gastric cancer were selected. Metachronous disease was divided as follows: confined to the ovaries, confined to the pelvis, or beyond the pelvis. Outcomes evaluated included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), resection rate (R0), and factors predicting survival. Results: 13 retrospective reports fulfilled the selection criteria (512 patients). Most of the patients presented at a premenopausal age. The median presentation interval from gastrectomy ranged from 16 to 21.4 months. Median OS ranged between 9 and 36 months. 1-year OS ranged between 52.5 and 59%, and 3-years OS between 9.8 and 36.5%. Resection margin, peritoneal seeding, and chemotherapy regimen and cycles influenced survival. Conclusion: Surgical treatment and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with mKT from gastric cancer seems to be associated with improved survival and is justified especially in young patients. Disease location and R0 resection should be considered when selecting patients.
Effect of Provisioning on the Temporal Variation in the Activity Budget of Urban Long-Tailed Macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in West Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: Ilham Kurnia , Rizaldi  , Nurdin Jabang , Tsuji Yamato
Published: September 2018

We studied the behavioral ecology of provisioned long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis) in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, to examine how temporal changes in food provisioning within a day affect macaque activity. We conducted a field survey from October 2015 to January 2016 at two different sites: Gunung Meru (GM) and Gunung Padang (GP), where macaques receive high and low provisioning, respectively. The time budgets of macaques significantly differed between study groups. At GM, macaques spent more time resting, feeding, acting out agonistic behaviors, and less time moving and searching for food, than the macaques at GP. Diurnal activity patterns significantly changed within a day. The short-term change in activity of the macaques was closely related to the number of tourists: they spent a greater time feeding and searching when more tourists came to feed the monkeys, while time for grooming decreased. Our result showed that the ability of the macaques to adjust their activity in response to the number of tourists (that is, provisioning patterns) indicated their behavioral flexibility. Our result may aid the management strategies to reduce human-macaque conflicts, which has become a major problem in Padang.
Epidemiological and Clinical Patterns of Kaposi Sarcoma: A 16-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study from Yaoundé, Cameroon
Authors: Tounouga Dahlia Noëlle , Kouotou Emmanuel Armand , Nansseu Jobert Richie , Zoung-Kanyi Bissek Anne-Cécile
Published: September 2018

Background: The burden of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is increasing fast among HIV-infected populations, but the disease remains desperately underexplored in Cameroon, where the burden of HIV is high. Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out over a period of 16 years (January 2001 to December 2016) at the HIV day care unit of the Central Hospital of Yaoundé, Cameroon. The diagnosis was based on clinical aspects and histological confirmation, and we used a preconstructed questionnaire for data collection through patients’ electronic and physical files. Results: Among 14,220 files reviewed, 316 cases of KS were identified, yielding a cumulative incidence of 2.2%. In the end, 266 patients (55% male) were included in this study. The patients’ age ranged from 17 to 72 years, with a mean of 37.8 ± 9.5 years. KS was the presenting manifestation of HIV in 89.8% of the cases. Cutaneous lesions occurred more often (81.6%), mainly located on the lower limbs (47.7%); mucous lesions were found in 15.8% of the patients, while 8 patients (3.0%) had associated visceral lesions. The lesions predominantly were lymphedemas (28.6%) and papulonodules (21.1%). At the diagnosis of KS, the median CD4 count was 175 cells/mm3 (interquartile range 80.5–288.5), and 150 patients (56.6%) had CD4 counts < 200 cells/mm3. Conclusions: KS is frequent among our HIV-infected patients; it seems to occur most often at a younger adult age and represents one of the presenting manifestations of HIV/AIDS in our context. It seems to equally affect men and women, occurring more often when CD4 counts are < 200 cells/mm3.
Conservative Treatment versus Surgery for Laryngeal Contact Granuloma: A Prospective Study
Authors: Chen Min , Chen Jian , Yang Yue , Li Chang-Jiang , Wu Hai-Tao , Chen Lei
Published: September 2018

Aims: To confirm the efficacy of conservative treatment for laryngeal contact granuloma and identify factors influencing treatment outcome. Methods: In this prospective study, patients with laryngeal contact granuloma were divided into a group receiving conservative treatment and a group undergoing surgery. Efficacy was assessed by analyzing the complete response after a 48-week follow-up. The association of treatment outcome with clinical factors was then evaluated. Results: In total, 61 patients, 43 in the group receiving conservative treatment and 18 in the group undergoing surgery, were analyzed, and the complete response rate was 72.1% and 38.9%, respectively. Both univariate analysis and multivariate analysis revealed that treatment modality (p1 = 0.015, p2 = 0.043), voice abuse (p1 = 0.010, p2 = 0.010), and the size of the granuloma (p1 = 0.031, p2 = 0.020) were significantly associated with the complete response of laryngeal contact granuloma. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that alcohol consumption (p = 0.031), voice abuse (p < 0.001), and granuloma size (p = 0.025) were significantly related to the complete response of conservative treatment. Conclusions: This prospective study strengthens the argument for conservative treatment (instead of surgery) as the first choice for laryngeal contact granuloma. The results also suggest that voice abuse, alcohol consumption, and the size of the granuloma may predict treatment outcome.
The Ladies Vanish?
Authors: Luo Wei , Adams Julia , Brueckner Hannah
Published: September 2018

Many notable female sociologists have vanished from the canonical history of American sociology. As the most influential crowd-sourced encyclopedia, Wikipedia promises – but does not necessarily deliver – a democratic corrective to the generation of knowledge, including academic knowledge. This article explores multiple mechanisms by which women either enter or disappear from the disciplinary record by analyzing the unfolding interaction between the canonical disciplinary history of sociology and Wikipedia. We argue that the uneven representation of women sociologists as (1) remembered, (2) neglected, (3) erased or, finally, (4) recovered is shaped by the emerging interactional space of knowledge production.
Stakeholder Theory at the Crossroads
Authors: Barney Jay B. , Harrison Jeffrey S.
Published: September 2018

The stakeholder perspective has provided a rich forum for a variety of debates at the intersection of business and society. Scholars gathered for two consecutive years, first in North America, and then in Europe, to discuss the major issues surrounding what has come to be known as stakeholder theory, to attempt to find common ground, and to uncover areas in need of further inquiry. Those meetings led to a list of “tensions” and a call for papers for this special issue to help address them. In this article, we introduce the resulting articles and provide some brief commentary on their importance. We end with a few of our own observations about the stakeholder perspective and stakeholder research.
Adapting team-based learning for application in telecommunications engineering using software-defined radio
Authors: Diniz PCA , Veiga ACP , Rocha GN
Published: September 2018

One of the great challenges of engineering education is bringing theory closer to practical applications. The team-based learning methodology, which uses the flipped classroom concept, is actively centred on the student. The students study a conceptual material independently before it is covered in the classroom. After that, they spend a considerable amount of time working in groups in the classroom solving problems with conceptual application of the material studied. The last stage of team-based learning is the application of course concepts. However, in the telecommunications field, the high cost of equipment for practical development in educational institutions is a big barrier. Moreover, the equipment used is traditionally dedicated to a single activity. In order to solve this problem and apply all the team-based learning stages in telecommunications engineering teaching, this paper presents a proposal of an adaptation of this methodology using a software-defined radio set using the universal software radio peripheral hardware and the GNU Radio software. This set offers flexible functionalities and low cost. Finally, we show the proposal for each team-based learning stage in the learning process of the amplitude modulator and demodulator – double sideband suppressed carrier relating concepts to practical applications.
Effect of Gaze on Personal Space: A Japanese–German Cross-Cultural Study
Authors: Sicorello Maurizio , Stevanov Jasmina , Ashida Hiroshi , Hecht Heiko
Published: September 2018

In East Asian cultures, people maintain larger interpersonal distances than in European or American cultures. We investigated whether a preference for averted gaze might be responsible for this difference. Typically, when measuring interpersonal distance, participants are asked to maintain eye contact. This request might bias findings due to cultural differences in the interpretation of direct gaze. We had Japanese and German participants adjust preferred interpersonal distance in a standardized laboratory task, using averaged faces with straight-ahead or averted gaze direction. In line with previous findings, Japanese participants preferred overall larger interpersonal distances, and female–female dyads preferred the smallest distances. In contrast, there was no pervasive effect of gaze on interpersonal distance, as confirmed with Bayesian statistics. Thus, differences in the reactions to mutual gaze cannot explain the cultural preferences for interpersonal distance.
Media and mobility: Two fields, one subject
Authors: Miller James
Published: September 2018

This article advocates greater collaboration between media studies and mobility studies. After exploring the ways that media can be immobile, mobile and ambient, it examines how each field has incorporated the other. The article then presents two US case studies, the portable radio and in-car media, to demonstrate that modern electronic media have long possessed a mobile capacity. This leads to a final discussion about the role of media in fostering relations between people and built environments with their varying degrees of mobility.
The Effects of Knee Joint Angle and Contractor Intensity on Perceived Exertion
Authors: Pincivero Danny M. , Thomas Staci M.
Published: September 2018

This study examined knee joint angle and knee muscle contraction intensity effects on perceived exertion during isometric contractions. Fourteen healthy young adults participated in five experimental exercise sessions in which knee angles varied randomly (10°, 30°, 50°, 70°, and 90°), each separated by one week. During each session, subjects performed five isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of knee extension, followed by nine, randomly ordered submaximal contractions (10%–90% MVC, 10% increments). The participants repeated the identical procedure for the knee flexor muscles. Immediately following each submaximal contraction, participants rated their perceived exertion using a modified Borg category-ratio scale. We found that the participants’ overall ratings of perceived exertion were significantly ( p < .05) greater at the 90° than at the 70° and 10° positions during the knee extensor contractions. There were also several significant angle by contraction intensity interactions in that perceived exertion was significantly greater across 60% to 70% MVC at 30° than at 50° ( p < .01), while the opposite pattern was observed across 70% to 80% MVC ( p < .01). During knee flexor contractions, perceived exertion was significantly greater ( p < .05) at 90°, when compared with all other knee angles. There were also significant ( p < .05) angle by contraction intensity interactions between the 50° and 70° knee positions across contraction intensities of 30–40%, 40–50%, 50–60%, and 60–70% MVC. We conclude that the higher perceived exertion rating at 90° during knee extension and flexion contractions suggests different peripheral and central contributors between both muscle groups, due to differences in muscle length.
Effect of yarn characteristics on surface properties of knitted fabrics
Authors: Balci Kilic Gonca , Okur Ayşe
Published: September 2018

Fabric surface properties are significant in terms of fabric handle, sensorial comfort, aesthetic and performance properties. Yarn properties are among the most important parameters that affect fabric surface properties. Besides, fiber type, fiber properties and spinning technology etc. directly affect the physical, mechanical and performance properties of yarns as well as fabric surface properties. In the scope of this study, effects of fiber type (raw material), fiber fineness and fiber length on the surface properties of fabrics were investigated. Also, properties of yarns were measured and their effects on fabric surface properties were analyzed. For this purpose, unevenness, optical unevenness, imperfections, structural properties (diameter, density, roughness and shape), hairiness and frictional properties of yarns were measured, and relationships between abrasion resistance, pilling and frictional properties of knitted fabrics were examined. Regression models were developed in order to predict fabric surface properties from yarn characteristics. Based on comprehensive data analysis, it was concluded that variation in yarn friction and yarn hairiness explains approximately 80–85% of fabric-to-fabric and fabric-to-skin (gazelle skin) friction coefficients. Furthermore, positive correlations between yarn hairiness and weight loss, and yarn hairiness and thickness change after abrasion test, were observed. Additionally, a new parameter, the optical contact index (OCI), based on an image analysis method, was suggested to determine the surface properties and roughness of fabrics. Relationships between the OCI and other tested fabric surface properties were statistically analyzed. Statistical analyses showed that high correlations exist between the new parameter and fabric friction and abrasion resistance at the 0.05 significance level.
Failure of Dyneema® SK76 single fiber under multiaxial transverse loading
Authors: Sockalingam Subramani , Thomas Frank D , Casem Daniel , Gillespie John W , Weerasooriya Tusit
Published: September 2018

This article investigates the failure of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene Dyneema® SK76 single fibers widely used in protective armor applications. Indenter geometry and the associated stress concentration are known to have a significant effect on the average axial tensile failure strain of Dyneema® SK76 fibers subjected to quasi-static transverse loading experiments by three indenter geometries. In this study, a 3D finite element model is developed to predict the degree of multiaxial loading at the location of fiber failure in these experiments. A failure criterion based on maximum axial tensile strain considering the statistical strength distribution and multiaxial loading (transverse compression and transverse shear) induced degradation effects is applied to predict the fiber failure. The influence of transverse compression on the tensile strength of single fibers is experimentally determined. The average failure strains predicted by the model are found to agree well with the experimental results indicating fiber failure may be initiated based on a gage length dependent maximum axial tensile strain in the fiber.
Correlation between nozzle structural parameters and breaking strength of jet vortex spun yarn
Authors: Han Chenchen , Gao Weidong , Cheng Longdi
Published: September 2018

Based on the mechanical analysis of the forming process and tensile fracture of jet vortex spun yarn, this article establishes the theoretical calculating system of the breaking tenacity of jet vortex spun yarn. The relationship between the twist length of the fiber and the breaking strength of jet vortex spun yarn is proposed. Using both simulation and experiments, key structural parameters of the components which impact on the twist length of the fiber more obviously were analyzed, such as the angle between the nozzle hole axis and the horizontal, the distance between the nozzle hole and the nozzle axis, and the inner diameter of the nozzle. By optimizing the combination of these nozzle structural parameters, the twist length of the fiber is increased to achieve better wrapping effect, and larger yarn breaking strength. This research lays a theoretical foundation for enhancing the strength of jet vortex spun yarn that can be helpful in guiding production.
Evaluating contextually adapted reading interventions with third-grade, Costa Rican students experiencing significant reading difficulties
Authors: Begeny John C.
Published: September 2018

Scholarship in school psychology has continued to document the need and importance of contextually relevant intervention and prevention research, but this type of research remains relatively scarce. Also problematic, this type of research is even more limited in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) compared to high-income countries. This situation within school psychology scholarship not only has negative implications for research and practice, it also limits internationalization within the discipline. The geographical context for the present study was in Costa Rica, currently a Latin American LMIC. Given the global importance of literacy, this article describes an experimental evaluation comparing two time- and resource-efficient reading interventions that differed only by instructional grouping: A one-on-one intervention, and an even more resource-efficient small-group intervention. Participants included third-graders experiencing significant reading difficulties. Analyses showed that all students benefitted from intervention, but some students responded somewhat more favorably to one intervention versus the other. Limitations, implications, and future research directions are discussed, particularly within the context of international school psychology and how professionals in the discipline can benefit from more intervention research in otherwise underrepresented global regions.
Sleep in Teens With Type 1 Diabetes: Perspectives From Adolescents and Their Caregivers
Authors: Bergner Erin M. , Williams Rodayne , Hamburger Emily R. , Lyttle Morgan , Davis Angelia C. , Malow Beth , Simmons Jill H. , Lybarger Cindy , Capin Rose , Jaser Sarah S.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify barriers, facilitators, and consequences of obtaining sufficient sleep in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Methods

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 25 adolescents (52% female, mean age = 15.6 years) and 25 caregivers. Interviews were transcribed and coded using Atlas.ti. A thematic analytic approach was used to identify and organize significant patterns of meaning (themes) and interpret themes across the data.

Results

Several barriers were identified, with the most common being the use of electronics before bed and sleep disturbances related to diabetes management. Caregivers described strategies for helping adolescents achieve sufficient sleep, such as enforcing bedtimes and limiting distractions, but many adolescents could not identify facilitators of sleep. Weekday/weekend discrepancies in sleep timing were commonly disclosed.

Conclusions

This study is the first to examine the perceptions of barriers and facilitators to obtaining sufficient sleep in adolescents with T1D and their caregivers. Results have the potential to inform providers’ recommendations regarding sleep, including possible interventions to promote sleep in this high-risk population.
Explaining variation in the implementation of global norms: Gender mainstreaming of security in the OSCE and the EU
Authors: Jenichen Anne , Joachim Jutta , Schneiker Andrea
Published: September 2018

Why do regional security organizations choose different approaches to implementing global gender norms? To address this question, we examine how the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) integrated requirements derived from UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325) on women, peace and security into their security policies. We identify differences in scope and dynamics between the change processes in the two organizations. The OSCE simply adapted its existing gender policy and has not changed it since, whereas the EU introduced a new, more extensive and specific policy, which it has already amended several times. Drawing on historical institutionalism and feminist institutionalism, we found that, first, reform coalitions prepared the ground for gender mainstreaming in the organizations’ respective security policies; and that, second, embedded policy structures, including rules and norms about external interaction as well as existing policy legacies, were responsible for the different approaches of the EU and OSCE with respect to UNSCR 1325.
One more method for arterial cannulation in aortic arch surgery (“Penza cannulation”)
Authors: Rosseykin Evgeny , Kobzev Evgeny , Bazylev Vladlen
Published: September 2018

Here we propose a new method of aortic cannulation in type A aortic dissection and aortic arch aneurysms. Aortic cannulation is performed through any of the ostia of brachiocephalic arteries and has been successfully used in 77 patients. This procedure is simple, safe, effective, and might be used as one of the alternatives to the classic methods of arterial cannulation.
Communication and the elemental: Capacities, force and excess in emergencyinformation sharing
Authors: O’Grady Nathaniel
Published: September 2018

Recently debates have emerged concerning how atmospheric objects referred to collectively as ‘elemental’ become entangled in the operation of communication infrastructure. The paper extends these debates through research into UK emergency responders’ information sharing during emergencies. Harnessing textual analysis and an interview, the paper unpacks the protocols established to organise information sharing and explores how such protocols interweave an assemblage of technologies to share information as emergencies unfold. The evidence presented demonstrates different ways that the elemental forces physically constitutive of emergencies are incorporated into information sharing. However, it also details cases wherein these elemental forces disrupt the information sharing practices they otherwise enable and outlines the effects this disruption has on emergency response provision. Considering the case, I make three arguments to establish a distinctive approach for conceptualising the entanglement of the elements within information sharing. First, I extend understandings of the capacities that elements actualise to enable information sharing. Second, I elaborate on the notion of excess to explain how elemental forces disrupt information sharing. Accounting for its political ramifications, I demonstrate thirdly, how, by disrupting information sharing, elemental forces obstruct government attempts to comprehend the emergencies they attend and, in turn, provide resources to ensure adequate response.
Cheapness and (labor-)power: The role of early modern Brazilian sugar plantations in the racializing Capitalocene
Authors: Eichen Joshua R
Published: September 2018

This essay looks at the historical geography of sugar plantations in Northeast Brazil during the 16th- and 17th-centuries to critique the spatio-temporality of the discourse of the Anthropocene. I argue that sugar plantations were key places in early systemic cycles of capital accumulation with their grim calculus of cheap labor-power and acceptable deaths. Sugar plantations were simultaneously prototypical racializing state actors and part of the emergent relations of capital changing the climate. With their rationalized, time-disciplined labor for processing cane into sugar, plantations were not only fundamentally proto-industrial sites, but also one of capital’s laboratories of modernity. They were primordial sites of proletarianization, of spatio-temporal patterns that repopulated the Americas and central in the production not of the Anthropocene but of the racializing Capitalocene.
Disaggregating Between- and Within-Classroom Variation in Student Behavior: A Multilevel Factor Analysis of Teacher Ratings of Student Prosociality and Aggression
Authors: Murray Aja Louise , Obsuth Ingrid , Eisner Manuel , Ribeaud Denis
Published: September 2018

Teacher ratings of student behaviors vary systematically both at the student and teacher/classroom level. Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (ML-CFA) can disaggregate between- and within-teacher/classroom variance, identify an optimal psychometric model at each level, and test correlates of the resulting dimensions. In this study, 250 teachers (37% males) rated an average of 4.02 students (51% males; aged 10 years at Time 1 and 11 years at Time 2) from a normative sample of Swiss youth. Substantial and unidimensional between-teacher variation in ratings of both prosociality and aggression were identified, and this was stable across time. These dimensions were not associated at the between-teacher/classroom level with teacher gender or teacher–student relationships, although they were associated with teacher-student relationships at the within-teacher/classroom level. There was little between-teacher/classroom variation observed in student self-reports of prosocial and aggressive behavior, and multilevel CFA was not possible for these ratings. Future research should aim to identify sources of between-teacher/classroom variation. This should include factors that influence negative and positive teacher perceptions of and response biases related to student behavior as well as those that influence student behavior itself.
Associations Between Effortful Control, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Depressive Problems in Latino Preadolescents
Authors: Taylor Zoe E. , Evich Carly D. , Marceau Kristine , Nair Nayantara , Jones Blake L.
Published: September 2018

The present study examined associations between effortful control, a trait marker of self-regulation, adaptive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system functioning (as reflected by the cortisol awakening response [CAR]), and concurrent and longitudinal depressive problems, in a sample of preadolescent Latino youth ( N = 119, mean age = 11.53 years, 59% girls). We hypothesized that trait readiness for self-regulation (specifically effortful control) could be related to physiological state readiness for self-regulation (as measured using the Cortisol Awakening Response or CAR), and that both may counter depressive problems. We found that youth’s CAR was positively associated with effortful control, and negatively with youth depressive problems. Effortful control and youth depressive problems were also negatively associated. Longitudinal relations of CAR and effortful control on depressive problems at T2 were not significant in the structural equation model after controlling for T1 depressive problems, although these variables were significant in the bivariate correlations. Results suggest that both trait regulation and physiological regulation may counter depressive problems in Latino youth.
The growth and decline of urban agglomerations in Germany
Authors: Hennig Benjamin D.
Published: September 2018

Half the population of Europe’s largest economy by population and economic output lives in 30 main urban agglomerations. This paper presents a series of cartogram visualisations of population changes in Germany for these areas that happened in the period 2008–2013. Most of the areas have seen an urban renaissance by regaining growth. After a long period of suburbanisation, growth started returning to city centres. Among the few declining major urban agglomerations, the old industrial Ruhr area stands out, with an overall decline that is larger than any decline in all other major urban agglomerations put together. Population decline in the analysed period almost exclusively took place in suburban areas. Both trends mark an important change in the population dynamics of these major urban regions in the country.
Unequal Exchange in the Age of Globalization
Authors: Ricci Andrea
Published: September 2018

Unequal exchange arises when spatial production of value is disjointed from its geographical distribution. A disaggregated monetary model of the world economy is presented on the grounds of Marx’s labor theory of value. All the forms of unequal exchange in international trade are explained, on the basis of a coherent definition of the forms of international value of traded commodities. Estimates of value transfers for recent years show the ongoing relevance of the unequal exchange in the modern capitalist world economy.

JEL classifications: B51, D46, F63
The effect of microstructure of unidirectional fibre-reinforced composites on mechanical properties under transverse loading: A review
Authors: Cai Rui , Jin Tan
Published: September 2018

Unidirectional fibre-reinforced composites are increasingly used in the sectors of aerospace, automotive, construction, marine and other technical applications over the decades due to their low weight, high mechanical, thermal properties and high corrosion resistance. As a result, the understanding of mechanisms of their fracture and failure under different loads especially under transverse loading are very important in order to take full advantage of their excellent performance, to optimise production procedures and to develop new materials with higher performance. This paper reviewed the effects of the microstructure of a composite material (including fibre volume, fibre distribution, bonding quality between fibres and matrix and characteristics of matrix) on the performance of fibre-reinforced plastic composites according to mechanics theories and finite element method for microstructure analysis.
Dynamic mechanical properties and characterization of chemically treated sisal fiber-reinforced polypropylene biocomposites
Authors: Bassyouni M
Published: September 2018

The incorporation of sisal fiber as reinforcement materials for polymers will be advantageous if it is synthesized and manufactured perfectly. In this study, surface modification using polymeric diphenylmethane di-isocyanate and gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane was applied for further amelioration of polypropylene–sisal bonding. Surface morphology, thermomechanical properties, thermal stability, and chemical bonding were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. A number of mathematical models were studied for predicting the effect of untreated and modified sisal fiber loadings on the mechanical properties of biocomposites. Polymeric diphenylmethane di-isocyanate showed a significant improvement on the thermal and mechanical properties of polypropylene biocomposites. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of polypropylene–sisal biocomposite showed the formation of urethane group at 3333 cm−1 in the presence of polymeric diphenylmethane di-isocyanate. Glass transition temperature of polypropylene–sisal was slightly increased to 6.8°C by chemical modification with polymeric diphenylmethane di-isocyanate. Yield strength of polypropylene–sisal (30 wt%) was enhanced by more than 50% with polymeric diphenylmethane di-isocyanate chemical treatment. Halpin–Tsai and Nielsen theoretical mathematical models showed a good agreement with experimental results of polypropylene–untreated sisal and polypropylene–treated sisal, respectively.
Adaptation and Validation of a Measure of Students’ Adaptive and Maladaptive Ways of Coping With Academic Problems
Authors: Gonçalves Teresa , Lemos Marina S. , Canário Catarina
Published: September 2018

Little research has, to date, explored students’ coping in the academic domain. Yet, children and adolescents frequently refer daily academic difficulties as a common source of stress. The ways children respond to academic demands have the potential to make a difference in their learning and achievement. Therefore, the availability of a measure of academic coping is of critical importance to expand educational research and practice in this area. The current study adapted and validated the Portuguese language version of the Multidimensional Measure of Coping (MMC). Cognitive interviewing, confirmatory factor analysis, and measurement invariance testing using calibration and validation samples provided sound support for the validity of the MMC to measure academic coping among Portuguese elementary and middle school students. Furthermore, the external and discriminant validity of the scale was established based on the relations found between adaptive and maladaptive coping and their differential functionality for academic performance.
Leaving the Barrio and Entering the Culture of College: Padilla Testimonios
Authors: Farrington Deborah
Published: September 2018

This study uses a testimonios research methodology to explore the familial origins of educational resilience and to report on the entering into the culture of college by four brothers in a Latin@ family, all of whom earned advanced degrees and pursued careers in psychology, medicine, literature, and law. In addition, LatCrit, a theoretical framework that derives from critical theory and critical race theory with added dimensions of language, immigration, ethnicity, and culture, offered an analytical lens. The matriarch of the family is highlighted to show the positive impact on the brothers’ educational trajectory as a result of her advocacy for their education and her strong sense of ethnic pride. His working-class background, which created the essential family stability and which provided the economic support for a Catholic school education for his sons, characterizes the patriarch. The family testimonios address the value of education, tenacity despite an absence of college counseling or role models, the importance of strong family structure, and the role of a clear and strong sense of Latin@ culture and ethnicity in the lives of the brothers.
Bridging the Theoretical Gap: Using Sexual Script Theory to Explain the Relationship Between Pornography Use and Sexual Coercion
Authors: Marshall Ethan A. , Miller Holly A. , Bouffard Jeffrey A.
Published: September 2018

Research has consistently shown a relationship between pornography use and sexually coercive behaviors, but this inquiry has yet to fully examine the theoretical mechanisms through which this relationship works. The current study will use a theory that has gained support and attention as a way to understand the relationship pornography use has with general sexual behaviors, but has not been widely used to explain its relationship with sexually coercive behaviors: the sexual script theory. In this theory, scripts are attitudes and ideas about what behavior is acceptable, desirable, and pleasurable, which exist at the societal, personal, and interpersonal levels. Using items that assess all three levels of sexual scripts, a path analysis was used to examine whether sexual scripts mediate the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion likelihood in a sample of 463 college males. Results of the study provide further support for the theory as a way to explain the relationship between pornography use and sexual behavior, and, in particular, sexually coercive behavior. Findings from the analysis also indicate that the various levels of scripts interact with each other and work together to influence likelihood of sexual coercion, providing further insight into how sexual scripts are manifested in behavior. Finally, the results suggest that pornography use is a multidimensional construct comprised of variables extending beyond frequency of use, such as number of modalities used to view pornography. Future research should continue this line of inquiry, expanding on the operationalization of sexual scripts and pornography use, to strengthen these findings and better illuminate the theoretical understanding of the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion.
Differentiating Characteristics of Intimate Partner Violence: Do Relationship Status, State, and Duration Matter?
Authors: Sutton Danielle , Dawson Myrna
Published: September 2018

A growing body of literature has been devoted to analyzing the relationship status and state between victim and perpetrator to understand the dynamics of intimate partner violence (IPV). Prior research revealed that IPV was more frequent and severe in cohabiting and estranged relationships relative to marital/dating and intact relationships, respectively. Violence in cohabiting unions, however, has declined in recent years potentially due to the increasing popularity of such unions and their growing similarity to legal marriages. The use of relationship duration as a focal variable in analyzing the characteristics of IPV incidents, however, has received inadequate attention within the field. This study addresses this gap and builds upon existing research by exploring whether characteristics of IPV differ depending on the status, state, and duration of relationship by examining IPV cases documented in Crown Attorney files in one Ontario jurisdiction between 2003 and 2009. Through bivariate and multivariate analyses, current findings reveal that IPV involving marital, compared with dating, unions is more severe because of weapon use. Contradictory to previous research, IPV occurring among estranged intimate partners, compared with those in intact unions, is less likely to involve physical injury or weapon use. Finally, situational, in comparison with demographic, characteristics are affected less by the relationship duration between the perpetrator and victim. Several explanations for these findings are discussed along with study limitations and practical implications in terms of preventive measures, and it concludes with areas for future research.