bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Antibiotic Utilization in an Emergency Department After Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist Culture Review Service
Authors: Giruzzi Megan E. , Tawwater John C. , Grelle Jennifer L.
Published: April 2019

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) have been widely implemented in hospitals to improve antimicrobial use and prevent resistance. However, the role of ASP in the emergency department (ED) setting is not well defined. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of an ASP pharmacist culture review service in an ED. Methods: This was a retrospective, quasi-experimental study of all patients discharged from the ED with a positive culture. Patients discharged from the ED from February 1, 2015 to October 31, 2015 were managed by ED providers (pre-ASP), and those discharged from February 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016 were managed by a pharmacist-driven ASP (post-ASP implementation). The primary outcome was median time to change of antibiotic(s) in patients with inadequate antimicrobial therapy based on culture results. Secondary outcomes included time to culture evaluation, appropriateness of antimicrobials, and 30-day readmissions. Results: A total of 790 patients were included in the analysis (398 in pre-ASP group vs 392 in post-ASP implementation group). Median time to modification of inadequate antibiotic therapy decreased from 6.79 days in the pre-ASP group to 1.99 days in the post-ASP implementation group ( P < .0001). Median time to culture review decreased in the post-ASP implementation group from 9.83 to 0.32 days ( P < .0001). Appropriateness of culture-guided therapy increased in the post-ASP implementation group from 85.7 to 91.8% ( P = .047). The rate of combined ED revisits and hospital readmissions was similar between groups ( P = .367). Conclusion: ASP pharmacist evaluation of positive cultures in the ED was associated with a significant decrease in the time to appropriate therapy in patients discharged with inadequate therapy and higher rates of appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
Tissue Clearing and Its Application to Bone and Dental Tissues
Authors: Jing D. , Yi Y. , Luo W. , Zhang S. , Yuan Q. , Wang J. , Lachika E. , Zhao Z. , Zhao H.
Published: April 2019

Opaqueness of animal tissue can be attributed mostly to light absorption and light scattering. In most noncleared tissue samples, confocal images can be acquired at no more than a 100-µm depth. Tissue-clearing techniques have emerged in recent years in the neuroscience field. Many tissue-clearing methods have been developed, and they all follow similar working principles. During the tissue-clearing process, chemical or physical treatments are applied to remove components blocking or scattering the light. Finally, samples are immersed in a designated clearing medium to achieve a uniform refractive index and to gain transparency. Once the transparency is reached, images can be acquired even at several millimeters of depth with high resolution. Tissue clearing has become an essential tool for neuroscientists to investigate the neural connectome or to analyze spatial information of various types of brain cells. Other than neural science research, tissue-clearing techniques also have applications for bone research. Several methods have been developed for clearing bones. Clearing treatment enables 3-dimensional imaging of bones without sectioning and provides important new insights that are difficult or impossible to acquire with conventional approaches. Application of tissue-clearing technique on dental research remains limited. This review will provide an overview of the recent literature related to the methods and application of various tissue-clearing methods. The following aspects will be covered: general principles for the tissue-clearing technique, current available methods for clearing bones and teeth, general principles of 3-dimensional imaging acquisition and data processing, applications of tissue clearing on studying biological processes within bones and teeth, and future directions for 3-dimensional imaging.
A modern rendering of Naboth’s vineyard
Authors: Vandagriff Matthew
Published: April 2019

The story of Naboth’s vineyard is a simple story to conceptualize for most readers. A king sees something he desires, and he devises a way to take it. In the case of Naboth, the king had him murdered. In the twenty-first century, imagining a king or other leader who wields this type of authority and influence can be difficult. This article outlines a different understanding for the story (1 Kgs 21:1–16), in which economic forces, not a singular person, drive the procurement of land through the use of fair and legal means. After a brief contextualization of the passage, the article moves to outline the relationship between Kirkwood, MO and the area of Meacham Park. The purpose of this article is help readers understand how fair and legal means can wield the same power as a monarchy, and that Christians must see the world through a lens other than economic issues.
Impossibility and gradualism in labor markets: Reflections on the ethics of a living wage
Authors: Butner D. Glenn
Published: April 2019

Ethicists and economists often raise two objections to the idea of a living wage. The “impossibility objection” claims that raising minimum wages will lead to unemployment. The “gradualism objection” claims that low wages in the present will allow for economic growth and higher wages in the future. This article explores the scriptural warrant for a living wage in light of the impossibility and gradualism objections, arguing that the objections challenge state intervention but not action by specific firms or churches. Paying particular attention to Acts 2:44–45 and 4:32–35, the article challenges churches to consider possible responses to workers’ making less than a living wage. Three axes guide Christian business owners and churches in considering responses: a state/local axis, a present/future axis, and a direct/indirect axis. The article concludes by offering concrete policies or ministry proposals along various configurations of the axes.
Enslaved imaginations: The [Pelagian] heresy of market fundamentalism and Christian moral discernment
Authors: Crane Richard
Published: April 2019

In many respects, the US economy bears little resemblance to a genuine free market system. The economic policy-making process has been captured by powerful interests, resulting in regressive arrangements that redistribute wealth upward. The inequality generated is sanctioned in popular discourse by a confusing of ideal free markets with real world markets. “Market fundamentalism” imagines the market as self-regulating, governed by economic laws inscribed into the natural order, and thus a free and fair system. This rhetoric disguises how the system’s structure favors some at the expense of others.

Evaluating market fundamentalism with a theological lens reveals resemblances to the ancient Pelagian heresy. The “Pelagianism” of market fundamentalism lies in: (i) the assumption the market is natural, untainted by original sin; and (ii) the notion that every market participant possesses unfettered freedom, along with equal opportunity, to succeed. A Christian account of humans as entangled in sin should lead us to recognize all human constructs, including economic systems, are flawed and corrupted. This conviction should render Christians alert for systemic injustices and distortions.

Market fundamentalism’s most insidious function is to prohibit moral evaluation of market outcomes on the grounds that free markets are fair. Christians bear a responsibility to expose the “heresy” of market fundamentalism as a “deceptive rhetoric” and to evaluate market outcomes in light of Jesus’ premium upon human well-being.
From Euphoria to Retreat: Formal Employment in Twenty-first-Century Brazil
Authors: Souen Jacqueline Aslan , de Souza Campos Guilherme Caldas
Published: April 2019

In the 1990s the Brazilian labor market underwent a destructuring process that had profound consequences for Brazilian society. This situation, characterized by high levels of unemployment and informality, began to be modified only with the rise of a government focused on reconciling workers’ interests with the interests of capital associated with the economic growth that began with the international commodity cycle in the early 2000s. The result was a new phenomenon for the labor market—the strong growth of formal employment and labor income and the decline of other types of occupation—that was one of the pillars of social transformation of the country in this period. In recent years, however, a deep economic, political, and institutional crisis has reversed the favorable conditions that allowed this advance, producing a change in the labor market structuring of the previous period. Analysis of the labor market regression of these years using information from the Monthly Employment Survey (PME) and the new continuous National Household Sample Survey (PNAD) helps clarify the determinants and consequences of the recent economic crisis.

Nos anos 1990, o mercado de trabalho brasileiro passou por um processo de desestruturação, com profundas consequências para a sociedade brasileira. Esta conjuntura, caracterizada pelos altos níveis de desemprego e de informalidade, só começou a ser modificada com a ascensão de um governo simpático aos interesses dos trabalhadores (conciliando-os com os interesses do capital) associada ao crescimento econômico que se iniciou no Brasil com o ciclo internacional das commodities no início dos anos 2000. Esta situação resultou em um fenômeno novo para o mercado de trabalho: o forte crescimento do emprego formal e da renda do trabalho, juntamente com retração das outras posições na ocupação, o que foi um dos pilares da transformação social ocorrida no país durante este período. Nos últimos anos, no entanto, uma profunda crise econômica, política e institucional reverteu as condições favoráveis que possibilitaram este avanço, apontando para a reversão da estruturação do mercado de trabalho que havia sido verificada no período anterior. Este artigo faz uma análise do retrocesso do mercado de trabalho nos últimos anos utilizando as informações da Pesquisa Mensal de Emprego e da nova Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios Contínua, elucidando os condicionantes e consequências da recente crise econômica.
Robust fuzzy tracking control for flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicles with measurement noises
Authors: Liu Yifan , Sun Jinlin , Pu Zhiqiang , Yi Jianqiang , Pu Shiliang
Published: April 2019

Measurement noise is an obstacle to the performance improvement of a flexible air-breathing hypersonic vehicle. This paper explores a robust fuzzy tracking control scheme for the longitudinal dynamics of the hypersonic vehicle, which is constructed by utilizing type-2 fuzzy adaptive technique and dynamic surface control (DSC) approach. The control scheme is comprised of two parts: the state estimators and tracking controllers of velocity and altitude. The state estimators are designed by using the type-2 fuzzy logic system-based approximators, which guarantees the estimation of real states from measurement signals with noises. Furthermore, on the basis of the designed state estimators, the velocity and altitude tracking controllers are constructed by using the adaptive fuzzy DSC approach. On one hand, DSC approach can filter the virtual control law and avoid the amplification of the measurement noise. On the other hand, since the antecedent of the type-2 fuzzy logic system is based on the type-2 fuzzy sets and the consequent parameters are adjusted by an integral calculation in the adaptive law, the type-2 fuzzy adaptive technique in the adaptive fuzzy DSC tracking controller has the ability to further reduce the impact of the measurement noises. A Lyapunov-based stability analysis shows the tracking ability of the proposed control scheme. Nominal and comparison simulation considering the measurement noises are carried out for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Foreign Investors, External Monitoring, and Stock Price Crash Risk
Authors: Kim Jeong-Bon , Li Xiaoxi , Luo Yan , Wang Kemin
Published: April 2019

We investigate whether foreign investors help to reduce local firms’ future stock price crash risk through their external monitoring. We find that the entrance of foreign investors is associated with a significant reduction in local firms’ future crash risk. Further investigation reveals that foreign investors help to improve local firms’ financial reporting quality from the perspectives of accrual quality, conservatism, and annual report tone management. The evidence is consistent with our conjecture that foreign investors play an important external monitoring role, which reduces managerial bad-news hoarding and thereby lowers local firms’ future crash risk. We also find that the crash risk–reducing role of foreign investors is more pronounced when foreign investors are more familiar with the institutional background of the host country, when they have stronger incentives to monitor local firms, and when local firms have higher governance efficacy. A variety of robustness checks reveals that our results are unlikely to be driven by potential endogeneity.
Spousal Relationship (E) Quality and Adjustment to Motherhood in Israel
Authors: Kestler-Peleg Miri , Lavenda Osnat , Keren-Leneman Shelli , Ginzburg Karni
Published: April 2019

Contemporary families experience the paradox of traditionalism/postmodernism especially in the postnatal period which presents many challenges to couples subsystem. One of them is the change in roles, which often leads to decreased relationships’ equality. This article tests the impact of change in perceived spousal equality after giving birth on relationships’ quality and the implications of the latter for mothers’ psychological adjustment. Participants included 349 Israeli pregnant women who completed self-reported questionnaires at the third trimester of pregnancy (T1) and 5 months postnatal (T2). The questionnaires dealt with perceived spousal equality, relationship’s quality and psychological adjustment (i.e., postpartum depression, negative and positive affect and life satisfaction). Results demonstrated that decrease in perceived equality from T1 to T2 reduced the levels of relationship’s quality, which in turn resulted in a decrease in mothers’ psychological adjustment, 5 months after giving birth. The centrality of spousal relationship for mothers’ psychological adjustment is discussed.
Nurses’ Fatigue, Job Stress, Organizational Culture, and Turnover Intention: A Culture–Work–Health Model
Authors: Lee Eunsook , Jang Insil
Published: April 2019

We examined the factors affecting clinical nurses’ turnover intention and constructed a structural equation model based on the Culture–Work–Health Model. This cross-sectional study utilized self-administered questionnaires. Registered nurses ( N = 252) from four tertiary hospitals participated. Factors affecting nurses’ turnover intention included the organizational culture, job stress, and fatigue (explanatory power = 56.7%), and the model showed acceptable goodness of fit. In the final turnover intention model, fatigue and job stress had direct effects and the organizational culture had indirect effects. The organizational culture also had indirect effects on turnover intention through job stress and fatigue. This model, therefore, effectively explained how nursing organizational culture, job stress, and fatigue affect their turnover intention. The results provide support for theory-driven interventions to address developing intention to stay at work among experienced nurses.
The benefit of adding a physiotherapy or occupational therapy intervention programme to a standardized group-based interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic widespread pain: a randomized active-controlled non-blinded trial
Authors: Amris Kirstine , Bülow Cecilie von , Christensen Robin , Bandak Elisabeth , Rasmussen Marianne Uggen , Danneskiold-Samsøe Bente , Wæhrens Eva E
Published: April 2019

Objective:

To evaluate the benefit of adding occupational therapy or physiotherapy interventions to a standard rehabilitation programme targeted for chronic widespread pain.

Design:

Randomized active-controlled non-blinded trial.

Subjects:

Women with chronic widespread pain recruited in a tertiary outpatient clinic.

Methods:

Participants were randomized to a two-week, group-based standard rehabilitation programme followed by 16 weeks of group-based occupational therapy (Group BOT, n = 43) or 16 weeks of group-based physiotherapy (Group BPT, n = 42). Group A only received the two-week rehabilitation programme acting as comparator ( n = 96).

Outcomes:

Primary outcomes were the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills and Short Form-36 (SF36) Mental Component Summary score.

Results:

Mean changes in motor and process ability measures were clinically and statistically insignificant and without differences across the three groups assessed 88 weeks from baseline. Motor ability measures: −0.006 (95% confidence interval (CI): −0.244 to 0.233) in Group BOT; −0.045 (95% CI: −0.291 to 0.202) in Group BPT; and −0.017 (95% CI: −0.248 to 0.213) in Group A, P = 0.903. Process ability measures: 0.087 (95% CI: −0.056 to 0.231) in Group BOT; 0.075 (95% CI: −0.075 to 0.226) in Group BPT; and 0.072 (95% CI: −0.067 to 0.211) in Group A, P = 0.924. Mean changes in patient-reported outcomes were likewise small; clinically and statistically insignificant; and independent of group allocation, except for the SF36 mental component summary score in the BPT group: 8.58 (95% CI: 1.75 to 15.41).

Conclusion:

Participants were on average stable in observation-based measures of functional ability and patient-reported outcomes, except in overall mental well-being, favouring the enhanced intervention. Efficacy of additional interventions on functional ability remains uncertain.
Therapeutic strategy of central vein perforation accompanied by a mediastinal lesion after catheterization
Authors: Li Chi-Chang , Zhang Wei , Wu Xing-Jie , Bu Yang , Zheng Zhi-Peng
Published: April 2019

Central vein perforation associated with a mediastinal lesion is a rare complication of catheterization. A 50-year-old woman was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and required hemodialysis treatment. The patient developed central vein injury during attempted placement of a double-channel catheter. A computed tomographic scan and venography showed that the catheter had punctured the mediastinum from the central vein. After comprehensive assessment and multidisciplinary consultation, percutaneous catheter thrombin injection with follow-up balloon dilatation under fluoroscopy guidance successfully fixed the perforation. We summarize the therapeutic strategy of this complication and other treatment options, and discuss the related literature of central vein injury.
The effect of peripheral blood eosinophilia on inflammatory markers in asthmatic patients with lower respiratory tract infections
Authors: Cag Yakup , Pacal Yakup , Gunduz Mehmet , Isik Sakine , Kertmen Birgul Altinsoy , Toprak Necmettin , Ozaydin Sadik Erhan , Ozcetin Mustafa , Kut Arif
Published: April 2019

Background

To investigate the behaviour of the inflammatory marker neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the presence of peripheral blood eosinophilia (PBE) in paediatric asthma patients with lower respiratory tract (LRT) infections.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients aged ≥5 years who were diagnosed with asthma and whose haemogram values were available. The patients were further subdivided based on the presence or absence of LRT infections and allergies. NLR and C-reactive protein (CRP) were evaluated in relation to the presence or absence of PBE (≥4% eosinophils).

Results

A total of 991 patients were enrolled in the study. Patients with LRT infections had significantly higher leucocyte and neutrophil counts, a greater NLR and a higher level of CRP compared with patients without LRT infections. Overall, patients with PBE had significantly lower NLRs and CRP regardless of the presence or absence of an LRT infection. The PBE percentage showed moderate inverse correlations with NLR ( r = −0.34) and CRP ( r = −0.20).

Conclusion

The presence of PBE was significantly associated with lower NLR and CRP regardless of the presence or absence of an infectious condition.
The Spillover Mechanisms Linking Family Conflicts and Juvenile Delinquency Among Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Liu Tzu-Hsuan , De Li Spencer , Zhang Xiaohua , Xia Yiwei
Published: April 2019

The mechanisms through which conflicting parental relationship and parenting practices influence adolescent antisocial behavior have not been adequately understood. To bring more understanding to the mechanisms, this study investigates how marital discord interrelates with interparental inconsistency in parenting practices, and how these family conditions influence juvenile delinquency through their spillover effects on mental health problems, parental attachment and delinquent peer association among Chinese adolescents. Findings obtained from a structural equation modeling analysis of survey data collected from a probability sample of 2,496 adolescents (mean age = 15.16 years) are generally consistent with the spillover effect hypothesis. The results demonstrate that mental health problems, parental attachment, and delinquent peer association operate as critical mediators linking marital discord and interparental inconsistency to juvenile delinquency.
Optimal Speed Advice for Cyclists using a Roadside Sign at Signalized Intersections with Uncertainty in Traffic Light Timing
Authors: Dabiri Azita , Hegyi Andreas , Goñi-Ros Bernat
Published: April 2019

Signalized intersections are one of the most common sources of inconvenience for cyclists. The aim of this paper is to develop an approach that helps cyclists to meet their cycling preferences (regarding, e.g., the energy they use and their preference to avoid unnecessary stopping) while crossing intersections. Uncertainty in traffic light timing is considered explicitly in the approach, which makes it applicable for intersections with traffic-responsive signals. The suggested approach provides cyclists with optimal and personalized speed advice. The advice is communicated to the cyclists through a roadside sign located upstream of the intersection. It is assumed that the roadside sign can measure the speed of the approaching bike and can also communicate with the traffic light to ascertain the traffic light’s state and give advice accordingly. To consider the behavior of cyclists when they disregard the advice as they get close to the intersection, the problem is separated in two parts and formulated as a Markov reward process combined with a Markov decision process and stochastic dynamic programming is used to solve the corresponding optimization problem. The approach is generic in relation to the underlying process model and the objective function. The results of an illustrative case study show how much improvement, in relation to the cyclist’s average number of stops, and average energy consumption, could be achieved by use of the suggested approach in a simulated intersection. We also investigate how the location of the sign may affect the performance of the approach.
Severe quetiapine voluntary overdose successfully treated with a new hemoperfusion sorbent
Authors: Giuntoli Lorenzo , Dalmastri Vittorio , Cilloni Nicola , Orsi Claudio , Stalteri Lucia , Demelas Valentina , Giuliani Giovanni , Gordini Giovanni , De Ponti Fabrizio , La Manna Gaetano
Published: April 2019

Quetiapine overdose, although rare, is mainly linked with tachycardia, QTc-interval prolongation, somnolence, coma, hyperglycemia, and eventually hepatotoxicity and myocarditis. Extracorporeal techniques for quetiapine removal might be helpful, but only a few cases are reported in the literature. We here describe the case of a 27-year-old healthy woman, admitted to our Intensive Care Unit after voluntary quetiapine intake and successfully treated with CytoSorb hemoperfusion in combination with continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), in order to accelerate quetiapine elimination. This is the first published experience about the potential application of hemoadsorption therapies, as CytoSorb sorbent, in large overdoses of quetiapine and this approach might be feasible to rapidly remove the substance from blood, stabilizing the patient condition.
Exploring Increasing Income Inequality in the United States: A Public Choice Approach
Authors: Ahlstrom Laura J. , Mixon Franklin G. , Upadhyaya Kamal P.
Published: April 2019

In this article, we present some exploratory analysis of a common measure of income inequality in the United States. That measure is the Gini coefficient, and we explore how, and why, it has increased over the 50-year period in the United States from 1967 to 2017. Our hypothesis in doing so is that rising U.S. income inequality is due, at least in part, to growth in efforts by individuals, groups and even large companies in the United States to use government, with its power to compel, to bend the income distribution in their favor—an activity that public choice economists refer to as rent-seeking. When compared with some simple measures that proxy rent-seeking activity, such as the number of licensed lawyers and the number of registered political action committees, our analysis suggests that the U.S. Gini coefficient rises, a move that indicates increasing income inequality, over time with similar cycles in rent-seeking activity.
A Facial-Action Imposter: How Head Tilt Influences Perceptions of Dominance From a Neutral Face
Authors: Witkower Zachary , Tracy Jessica L.
Published: April 2019

Research on face perception tends to focus on facial morphology and the activation of facial muscles while ignoring any impact of head position. We raise questions about this approach by demonstrating that head movements can dramatically shift the appearance of the face to shape social judgments without engaging facial musculature. In five studies (total N = 1,517), we found that when eye gaze was directed forward, tilting one’s head downward (compared with a neutral angle) increased perceptions of dominance, and this effect was due to the illusory appearance of lowered and V-shaped eyebrows caused by a downward head tilt. Tilting one’s head downward therefore functions as an action-unit imposter, creating the artificial appearance of a facial action unit that has a strong effect on social perception. Social judgments about faces are therefore driven not only by facial shape and musculature but also by movements in the face’s physical foundation: the head.
Empathizing and systemizing profiles of Brazilian and Portuguese nursing undergraduates
Authors: Souza Mirella Castelhano , Mendes Isabel Amélia Costa , Martins José Carlos Amado , de Godoy Simone , Souza-Junior Valtuir Duarte , Trevizan Maria Auxiliadora , Santos Sara Soares dos , de Oliveira Luís Miguel Nunes , Ventura Maria Clara Amado Apóstolo , Ventura Carla Aparecida Arena
Published: April 2019

Aim:

To analyze the empathizing and systemizing profiles of Brazilian and Portuguese nursing undergraduates.

Background:

Empathy is a fundamental skill for nursing practice and should be analyzed during the student’s education.

Methods:

Descriptive study with cross-sectional design. Participants were 968 undergraduate students, including 215 (22.2%) Brazilians from a university in the state of São Paulo and 753 (77.8%) Portuguese students from a higher education institution in central Portugal. The Portuguese and Brazilian versions of the Empathizing/Systemizing Quotient have good internal consistency and reliability.

Ethical considerations:

In Brazil, approval for the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing (protocol 191/2016) and in Portugal, from the Ethics Committee of the Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Coimbra Higher School of Nursing (protocol P362-09/2016).

Results:

Most (86%) participants were female and aged between 20 and 24 years. In the general profile analysis between both groups, the domains “Social Skills,” “Contents,” and “Processes” scored higher. Gender differences exist for the feeling of empathy and systemizing, as women scored better on the short version of the Empathy Quotient and men on the Systemizing Quotient.

Conclusion:

As demonstrated in the domain scores for “Social Skills,” “Contents,” and “Processes,” the undergraduate nursing students analyzed have the ability to deal intuitively and spontaneously with social situations; they are also characterized as methodical people, who like to follow rules, and experience practice better than theory, and the women have a higher empathetic level than men, who in turn are more systemizing.
FDI in India and Pakistan: Potential Sectors for Bilateral Investment
Authors: Choudhury Rahul Nath
Published: April 2019

Both India and Pakistan follow a liberal and open economic policy. Almost all the sectors of these two economies are open for foreign investment. Both of them have also been able to attract a substantial volume of foreign investment from various corners of the world in almost all the sectors of the economy. During the last decade, many companies from both nations have emerged that have successfully invested in foreign markets. But, to date, there exists no bilateral direct investment between these two developing neighbouring economies. In this connection, the present study tries to explore the trend of the foreign direct investment inflows and outflows from India and Pakistan. The study also tries to explore the potential sector in both economies where either side can invest. Applying a robust three-stage methodology, the study finds that sectors such as power generation, healthcare, pharmaceutical and e-commerce are some of the vital sectors in Pakistan where Indians can invest. Similarly, banking and insurance, cement, and textiles are the prominent sectors in India where Pakistani companies can invest and collaborate.
Parliament and Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh: Role of the MP
Authors: Ahmed Nizam
Published: April 2019

This article explores the role of Members of Parliament (MPs) in poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. Under the existing party-dominated parliamentary system, MPs do not have really much to do at the national level; their role is to play second fiddle to their party leaders. What most MPs now do is to try to get involved in different kinds of activities at the local level. The government often remains receptive to demands of the MPs for greater local level involvement for two reasons: first, it can be seen as a strategy to compensate the MPs for their lack of genuine involvement in national policymaking; second, it is used as a strategy to exert centralised political control over the locality, especially to discourage the emergence of any ‘autonomous’ local power. Using MPs for centralised control has negative implications for the development of local level representative institutions and democracy deepening in the country.
Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica: a rare tracheal lesion in a free-ranging grizzly bear
Authors: Rothenburger Jamie L.
Published: April 2019

A mature male grizzly bear ( Ursus arctos) that died of blunt-force trauma had numerous hard 1–3-mm nodules protruding from tracheal rings into the lumen of the distal trachea. Histologically, these were round aggregates of mature cartilage within the submucosa. Such lesions are consistent with tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica, a rare tracheal disease in humans and animals.
Characteristics of the Spanish Older People in the Use of Accidents and Emergency Unit Services (2014-2017)
Authors: López-Soto Pablo J. , Morales-Cané Ignacio , Fabbian Fabio , Manfredini Roberto , Dios-Guerra Caridad , Carmona-Torres Juan Manuel , Rodríguez-Borrego María Aurora
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study was to determine which factors are related to Accidents and Emergency Unit (AEU) use by the elderly Spanish population. Observational analysis of the 2014 European Survey of Health in Spain (ESHS-2014; N = 6,520) and the 2017 Spanish Health Survey (SHS-2017; N = 7,024) was employed. About one third (4,095, 30.2%) of the sample used the AEU, and they were primarily women (32.6%). Comorbidity ( p = .01), presence of physical limitation in the prior 6 months to the survey, and a history of several diseases ( p < .001)—as in diabetes ( p < .001), osteoarthritis ( p < .001), and chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( p < .001)—were associated with AEU visits in both surveys. Female sex and several cardiovascular diseases were only significant in the ESHS-2014. In the SHS-2017, depressive status was an independent risk factor. This epidemiological data allow a better understanding of the use of AEU, suggesting indications for the care process.
Switching to Clopidogrel in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Managed With Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Initially Treated With Prasugrel or Ticagrelor: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Hong Jenny , Turgeon Ricky D. , Pearson Glen J.
Published: April 2019

Objective: To evaluate the effects of switching from ticagrelor or prasugrel to clopidogrel in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients managed with percutaneous coronary intervention on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) and bleeding. Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, bibliographies of relevant articles, and clinicaltrials.gov for eligible articles published from inception to January 27, 2019. Study Selection and Data Extraction: We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort and case-control studies that reported on ≥1 outcome of interest. Primary outcomes were MACE and major bleeding, and the secondary outcome was any bleeding. Data Synthesis: From 483 articles, we included 7 relevant studies (2 RCTs, 5 cohort studies) at high/unclear risk of bias. Random-effects meta-analysis revealed inconclusive effects on MACE (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.59-1.68; I2 = 82%), major bleeding (HR = 0.51; 0.19-1.35; I2 = 91%), and any bleeding (HR = 0.64; 0.38-1.07; I2 = 85%). Similar nonsignificant results were obtained in secondary analyses evaluating risk ratios. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Ticagrelor and prasugrel, are now considered preferred therapy over clopidogrel in patients with ACS. Switching from these potent P2Y12 inhibitors to clopidogrel is commonly performed to reduce bleeding risk, other adverse effects, or costs. Current best-available evidence is inconclusive regarding the effects of switching to clopidogrel on the risk of MACE and bleeding. Overall, studies were underpowered to detect clinically important differences. Conclusions: Until adequately powered trials demonstrate an advantage to switching to clopidogrel from prasugrel or ticagrelor, clinicians may consider this approach as clinically indicated on an individual, case-by-case basis.
New Asian American Voters: Political Incorporation and Participation in 2016
Authors: Masuoka Natalie , Ramanathan Kumar , Junn Jane
Published: April 2019

In 2016, Asian Americans represented the fastest growing racial minority group in the United States largely due to the flow of new immigration. As a result, Asian Americans are poised to be the next major bloc of new voters in the electorate. Yet, as a largely new immigrant group, institutional barriers—in particular, naturalization and registration—are important factors which need to be more thoroughly taken into account when explaining Asian American participation patterns. In this article, we show how scholars can adopt a different strategy of analysis that recognizes both institutional barriers to political participation through immigrant status and variation across national origin group. We argue that structural impediments to participation and national origin differences have not been fully accounted for in previous explanations of Asian American political participation. Our analysis shows that when Asian Americans are disaggregated by incorporation status (being registered to vote, eligible but not registered to vote, or noncitizen), we gain new insights about the factors that predict political participation. The findings from an analysis of 2016 election data feature the unique behaviors of Filipinos, Asian Indians, and the Vietnamese and highlight that second-generation Asian Americans are not necessarily more participatory than their immigrant counterparts.
Does Hazardous Alcohol Use Impact Individual and Relational Functioning Among Couples Seeking Couples Therapy?
Authors: Patton Rikki , Goerke Jennifer , Fye Janelle , Katafiasz Heather
Published: April 2019

Objective:

The effects of alcohol use on the couple unit are largely under studied, especially among distressed couples. To address this gap, this study explored groups differences between couples presenting to couples therapy based on hazardous alcohol use in both individual and relational functioning.

Method:

Secondary data collected from 75 couples presenting for couple therapy were used to address the research question. Participants completed self-report measures to assess demographics, hazardous alcohol use, individual functioning, and relational functioning.

Results:

Two separate repeated measures ANOVAs were conducted to compare (1) the effect of male individual functioning on female individual functioning and (2) the effect of male relational functioning on female relational functioning in the alcohol use versus nonuse conditions. Findings indicated a statistically significant difference between the means of male and female relational functioning scores based on use versus nonuse groups: F(1, 73) = 5.512, p = .02. Differences between the means of male and female individual functioning scores between the use and nonuse groups were not statistically significant: F(1, 73) = 3.588, p = .06.

Conclusions:

There is a potential intersection between alcohol use, individual functioning, and relational functioning among distressed couples. Future research is needed to identify other factors that likely interact with alcohol use, as a better understanding of alcohol use within the couple context may lead to improved treatment protocols.
Hip Arthroscopy: extra-articular Procedures
Authors: Perets Itay , Rybalko Danil , Mu Brian H , Friedman Adi , Morgenstern David R , Domb Benjamin G
Published: April 2019

Hip preservation is one of the fastest growing fields in orthopaedics and indications of intra-articular procedures are well established. In the last decade, extra-articular procedures have gained momentum and arthroscopic solutions to peri-articular hip pathologies have been offered. It should be noted that many of these pathologies are well-treated conservatively and only those who fail conservative management should be treated operatively.

These indications can be divided into 5 categories: greater trochanteric pain syndrome; internal hip snapping; anterior inferior iliac spine/sub-spine impingement; sciatic nerve entrapment; and proximal hamstring injuries.

This article reviews the anatomy, patient history and physical examination, imaging, non-operative treatment, endoscopic operative treatment and outcomes of each category.

While indications for hip arthroscopy, specifically extra-articular procedures, are rising steadily, there is not enough data to support its superiority over open procedures. Current literature consists of case studies, case reports, and expert opinions and lacks large, randomised control studies.
The Delta of Correction: a novel, more reliable variable than limb-length discrepancy at predicting outcome after total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Reina Nicolas , Hourtal Jonathan , Salib Christopher G , Gracia Gauthier , Cavaignac Etienne , Chiron Philippe
Published: April 2019

Background:

Leg-length discrepancy (LLD) is a frequent and recurring issue after total hip arthroplasty (THA). It can lead to discomfort and litigation due to the patient’s perception of this inequality.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional impact of postoperative LLD and length correction in patients after primary THA. We hypothesised that clinical outcomes are inversely correlated to length correction and residual discrepancy.

Methods:

In a prospective cohort, we included 121 patients undergoing unilateral primary THA. Patients were categorised into 3 groups based on their residual LLD using routine EOS imaging; Shorter (<-5 mm); Equal (-5 mm to +5 mm); and Longer (>+5 mm). Delta of Correction (DC) was defined as the difference between pre- and postoperative discrepancy measured on EOS imaging. Functional scores (HHS, Postel Merle d’Aubigné, and WOMAC) were measured preoperatively and at last follow-up. The average follow-up was 24 months. We evaluated the clinical and radiographic outcomes regarding the residual LLD and DC.

Results:

All patients had improvement in their functional scores at last follow-up. There was no difference in clinical outcomes, regardless of preoperative or residual LLD. The highest scores were found in the population with the smallest variations (DC -5 to +5 mm, HHS 96). Conversely, poorer results were found in shortened patients (DC <-5 mm), HHS 86, and lengthened patients, corrected by > 15 mm, with HHS of 83, p < 0.005. Patient perception of postoperative LLD correlated with the DC ( p = 0.004).

Conclusion:

The DC measurement is a more effective assessment than arthroplasty.
The promise and peril of agency as motion: A feminist new materialist approach to sexual violence and sexual harassment
Authors: Harris Kate Lockwood , McFarlane Megan , Wieskamp Valerie
Published: April 2019

Organizational scholars have established that sexual harassment, the most studied kind of sexual violence, is an organizational problem. Extending this work, we analyze two critical events regarding sexual violence in the United States—one in the military and another at a university—in which discourse detracts from understanding the problem in this way. We draw upon feminist new materialism and its primary method—diffraction—to track ‘cuts’, the practices that simplify and pause agency’s complex, perpetual motions. Our analysis shows that agency moves in discussions about the aftermath of violence. That momentum highlights the organization’s capacity to respond to rape. Even so, during discussions about enacting violence, the perpetual motion of agency congeals around discrete humans, thereby maintaining assault as an individual act. These cuts, whereby agency pauses on individual perpetrators, obscure how organizational dynamics make sexual violence more or less likely to occur. We suggest that a focus on agency’s kinetic qualities can help feminist scholars continue to highlight how the systemic aspects of harassment and other forms of violence become hard to notice.
Tired and lack focus? Insomnia increases distractibility
Authors: Miller Christopher B , Robertson David J , Johnson Keith A , Lovato Nicole , Bartlett Delwyn J , Grunstein Ronald R , Gordon Christopher J
Published: April 2019

Chronic insomnia is associated with subjective daytime cognitive dysfunction, but objective corroborative data are often lacking. In this study, we use Perceptual Load Theory to objectively assess distractibility in participants with insomnia ( N = 23) compared with age- and sex-matched controls ( N = 23). Following overnight supervised sleep observation, all participants completed a selective attention task which varied in the level of perceptual load and distractor congruency. The insomnia group was found to be more distracted than controls, whereas their selective attention mechanism appeared to be intact, with reduced distractor processing under high load for both groups. Insomnia symptom severity was positively correlated with participant distractibility. These findings suggest that there are insomnia-related daytime cognitive impairments that are likely to arise from compromised cognitive control rather than an ineffective selective attention mechanism. This task may be clinically useful in assessing daytime impairments, and potentially treatment response, in those with insomnia.
‘My Kids Won’t Grow up Here’: Policing, Bordering and Belonging
Authors: Weber Leanne
Published: April 2019

Police researchers have long posited a connection between policing and belonging, or between policing and related concepts such as citizenship. However, much of this literature does not include empirical data demonstrating the actual impact of policing experiences on individuals and communities. Where it does, belonging is rarely located at the centre of analysis. In this article, I explore the role of policing in generating experiences and perceptions of belonging. I connect the theoretical literature on policing, borders and belonging by conceiving of everyday policing as a racialized process of social bordering, and present evidence from a qualitative study with migrant communities in southern-eastern Melbourne, Australia. I conclude that discriminatory policing reinforces social boundaries that are relevant to both ‘belonging’ and the ‘politics of belonging’, and identify police, in conjunction with other social actors and institutions, as potentially powerful agents of ‘governmental belonging’.
Stacked sparse autoencoder in cavitation noise signal data classification of hydro turbine based on power spectrum
Authors: Kang Ziyang , Feng Chi , Wan Xiaoqing , Liu Zhiliang , Chen Liwei
Published: April 2019

Cavitation is a phenomenon that occurs during the continuous operation of a hydro turbine that directly affects the efficiency and working capacity of the unit. This paper proposes an innovative classification paradigm that uses deep learning-based methodologies in order to identify both cavitation noise signal and non-cavitation noise signal that will help prevent the damage or breakage in the earliest possible time to avoid more irreversible and irreparable damage to the hydro turbine. The stacked sparse autoencoder (SSA) nuclear framework is utilized to learn more abstract and invariant high-level features from the multiple feature sets. Then, the method on minimum redundancy maximum relevance (mRMR) selection is used to evaluate and sort out all the characteristics found by the stacked sparse autoencoder. Finally, the random forest (RF) classifier algorithm is employed to perform supervised fine-tuning and classification. The traditional supervised learning models such as support vector machine, logistic regression, and sparse representation classification are chosen to be used as contrast algorithms. SSA-mRMR-RF generally produces a better performance than the support vector machine, logistic regression and sparse representation classification when used in the same set of features. The SSA-mRMR-RF produced the highest overall average accuracy since it reached 93.18%. The SSA-mRMR-RF offers a 3.85% higher overall accuracy than the support vector machine. It also offers a 2.44% higher overall accuracy than logistic regression. In addition, it also offers a 20.30% higher overall accuracy than the sparse representation classification on the average. When the signals are divided into three categories, the highest overall accuracy decreased to 71.88%, and the classification accuracy of incipient noise signals is very low. Therefore, this paper proposes the models of power spectral-SSA-mRMR-RF and fast Fourier transform-SSA-mRMR-RF to be used, and these discoveries are based on the frequency characteristics of the cavitation noise signal. The highest overall accuracy rebound went back to 88.97% based on the power spectrum, and 96.05% based on fast Fourier transform. The corresponding experimental results found on the four data sets of the different operating conditions demonstrate that the proposed methods for discovering the extent of cavitation outperforms these traditional alternatives.