bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of the Hybrid Rule and the Concept of Justice: The Selection of Subjects in Biomedical Research
Authors: Nukaga Yoshio
Published: December 2019

As biomedical research with volunteers was expanded in the United States, the rule of subject selection, constituting scientific and ethical criteria, was generated in 1981 to resolve selection bias in research. Few historical studies, however, have investigated the role of this new hybrid rule in institutional review systems. This paper describes how bioethics commissions and federal agencies have created the subject selection rule based on the concept of justice. I argue that the standardization of this rule as temporal measures, linked with risk-benefit assessment, has reformed the review mechanism, specifically investigators’ modification of research plans, thereby developing justice as balancing.
Truncal impairment after stroke: clinical correlates, outcome and impact on ambulatory and functional outcomes after rehabilitation
Authors: Kong KH , Ratha Krishnan R
Published: December 2019

INTRODUCTION Good trunk performance is important for activities such as sitting and standing. In a cohort of patients with stroke, we sought to evaluate changes in trunk performance after stroke, establish factors correlated to trunk performance and assess the impact of trunk performance on discharge ambulatory and functional status. METHODS This was a retrospective review of the data of patients with stroke admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital rehabilitation centre, Singapore, over a two-year period. Data analysed included the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) of limb motor impairment and Functional Independence Measure-motor (FIM-motor) scores, which measures self-care ability. Trunk performance was assessed on the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS). RESULTS 577 patients with stroke (mean age 63.2 ± 11.8 years) were analysed. Truncal impairment was present in 96.4% of patients. Mean admission TIS score was 14.3 ± 6.1 and this improved to 17.2 ± 5.2 on discharge (p < 0.001). Admission TIS score was positively correlated with admission MOCA, FMA-upper limb and FMA-lower limb scores, and negatively correlated to NIHSS score and neglect. Admission TIS scores significantly predicted discharge FIM-motor scores (p < 0.001) and ambulatory status (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Truncal impairment was common and improvements in trunk performance were seen after rehabilitation. Trunk performance was significantly correlated to stroke severity, upper and lower limb motor power, cognition and neglect. As admission trunk performance predicted discharge functional and ambulatory status, it is recommended that trunk performance be evaluated for all patients with stroke.
Zoological nomina with typus or typicus as the specific epithet

Authors: MINELLI ALESSANDRO
Published: December 2019

More than one hundred nomina with typus as the specific epithet were introduced between 1810 and 1999. These nomina are discussed in respect to the different notions of typicality—morphological, taxonomic and nomenclatural—that may have motivated the use of this epithet by different authors in different times and the significance of these epithets in respect to the changing practice and regulation of zoological nomenclature since the time of the Strickland Report (1842). Traditions specific to particular higher taxa and shared usage of the typus epithet by zoologists in close contact with each other are suggested. Nomina with typicus (-a, -um) as the specific epithet are also briefly discussed.
A new species of Sibon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae) from Southwestern Colombia
Authors: VERA-PÉREZ LUIS ENRIQUE
Published: December 2019

A new species of the genus Sibon is described based on four specimens from Parque Nacional Natural Munchique, department of Cauca, Colombia. The new species differs from all members of the S. annulatus and S. nebulatus groups because it has an ocellate pattern, which places it into the S. argus species group. It differs from S. argus by having non-protuberant eyes, fewer ventrals, subcaudals, and total segmental counts; and it differs from S. longifrenis by having fewer segmental counts in males and females, only six supralabials and postmentals absent. Additionally, it differs from both species due to its smaller body size.
On a New Subspecies of Ussuriana fani Koiwaya (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Theclini) Discovered from northern China
Authors: GU YU , BI MING-LEI , LIN RUNG-JUEN , HSU YU-FENG
Published: December 2019

Ussuriana fani wangi, ssp. nov. is described and illustrated from Baihuashan of Taihangshan Mountain Range, Beijing. This new subspecies utilizes Fraxinus bungeana as the larval hostplant, representing the first record of U. fani in northern China. The immature biology, larval morphology, and data of COI barcode all indicate the population belonging to U. fani rather than superficially similar U. michaelis.
Vagus Associated Neurogenic Cough Occurring Due to Unilateral Vascular Encroachment of Its Root: A Case Report and Proof of Concept of VANCOUVER Syndrome
Authors: Honey Christopher R. , Krüger Marie T. , Morrison Murray D. , Dhaliwal Baljinder S. , Hu Amanda
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

A patient is presented with neurogenic cough due to a unilateral vascular compression of a vagus nerve rootlet at the brainstem with complete resolution of cough following microvascular decompression of that nerve. This etiology of a neurogenic cough has not been previously reported to our knowledge. The proportion of patients with neurogenic cough refractory to all current therapies and suffering with this treatable condition remains to be defined. We introduce the concept of Vagus Associated Neurogenic Cough Occurring due to Unilateral Vascular Encroachment of its Root (VANCOUVER syndrome) and present the salient features of this condition.

Methods:

A case review is presented with details of the patient’s history, examination, imaging, laryngoscopy, intraoperative findings, and long-term clinical outcome.

Results:

A 60-year-old man presented with a 15-year history of non-productive cough refractory to antibiotics, and anti-reflux medications. Investigations by an allergist, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, two pulmonologists, and an otolaryngologist were negative. MRI demonstrated a vascular compression of his left vagus nerve and microvascular decompression of that nerve resolved his symptoms. There were no surgical complications and the patient remains asymptomatic at 1 year.

Conclusions:

Neurogenic cough has been likened to a vagus nerve neuropathy in a similar way that trigeminal neuralgia is a trigeminal nerve neuropathy. Both cause intermittent sensory phenomena in their distribution and can be ameliorated with neuropathic medications. We demonstrate that neurogenic cough, like trigeminal neuralgia, may be caused by a vascular compression of its nerve root. A proposed mechanism of this type of neurogenic cough is presented along with a potential diagnostic paradigm for these patients.
Differential biomarker signatures in unipolar and bipolar depression: A machine learning approach
Authors: Wollenhaupt-Aguiar Bianca , Librenza-Garcia Diego , Bristot Giovana , Przybylski Laura , Stertz Laura , Kubiachi Burque Renan , Ceresér Keila Mendes , Spanemberg Lucas , Caldieraro Marco Antônio , Frey Benicio N , Fleck Marcelo P , Kauer-Sant’Anna Marcia , Passos Ives Cavalcante , Kapczinski Flavio
Published: December 2019

Objective:

This study used machine learning techniques combined with peripheral biomarker measurements to build signatures to help differentiating (1) patients with bipolar depression from patients with unipolar depression, and (2) patients with bipolar depression or unipolar depression from healthy controls.

Methods:

We assessed serum levels of interleukin-2, interleukin-4, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, tumor necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ, interleukin-17A, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, lipid peroxidation and oxidative protein damage in 54 outpatients with bipolar depression, 54 outpatients with unipolar depression and 54 healthy controls, matched by sex and age. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Variable selection was performed with recursive feature elimination with a linear support vector machine kernel, and the leave-one-out cross-validation method was used to test and validate our model.

Results:

Bipolar vs unipolar depression classification achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) of 0.69, with 0.62 sensitivity and 0.66 specificity using three selected biomarkers (interleukin-4, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and interleukin-10). For the comparison of bipolar depression vs healthy controls, the model retained five variables (interleukin-6, interleukin-4, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, carbonyl and interleukin-17A), with an AUC of 0.70, 0.62 sensitivity and 0.7 specificity. Finally, unipolar depression vs healthy controls comparison retained seven variables (interleukin-6, Carbonyl, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, interleukin-10, interleukin-17A, interleukin-4 and tumor necrosis factor-α), with an AUC of 0.74, a sensitivity of 0.68 and 0.70 specificity.

Conclusion:

Our findings show the potential of machine learning models to aid in clinical practice, leading to more objective assessment. Future studies will examine the possibility of combining peripheral blood biomarker data with other biological data to develop more accurate signatures.
Tracking organizations in the world: The Correlates of War IGO Version 3.0 datasets
Authors: Pevehouse Jon CW , Nordstrom Timothy , McManus Roseanne W , Jamison Anne Spencer
Published: December 2019

This article summarizes the Correlates of War Intergovernmental Organizations (IGO) Version 3.0 datasets. The new datasets include information about the population of IGOs in the international system and state participation in those formal international institutions from 1816 to 2014. Consistent with Versions 2.0 and 2.3, Version 3.0 of the IGO data comes in three forms: country-year, IGO-year, and joint dyadic membership. This article briefly describes the data collection process and identifies important changes to the dataset before moving to analyze fundamental patterns in the data. Most notable among the changes from earlier versions of the data is the inclusion of annual membership data for the 1815–1964 time period. In addition, we present information about the overall trends in the institutionalization of cooperation at both the global and regional levels, with the latter focusing on the interesting membership dynamics in Asia and Africa. We then track and discuss patterns in state memberships and examine how these changes manifest in the dyadic data. The article concludes with a discussion of how the COW IGO 3.0 data compare to other prominent datasets on state participation in international institutions and highlights some new areas of research that will benefit from the release of the updated IGO membership dataset.
Music Instruction at Selected State Normal Schools during the Nineteenth Century
Authors: Hash Phillip M.
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore music instruction in selected normal schools of the United States during the nineteenth century. The sample consisted of all eighteen state normal schools organized before the end of the U.S. Civil War and provided insight into the earliest period of music at these institutions. Research questions focused on normal school music (a) faculty, (b) curricula, and (c) diploma/degree programs, as well as (d) influence on the teaching profession, normal school students, and society at large. Normal schools prepared future classroom teachers and eventually specialists to teach music to K–12 students throughout the United States. They also helped professionalize the role of music teacher, solidify music’s place in K–12 curricula, and improve the efficacy of instruction among America’s youth. The preparation normal schools provided contributed to the national culture and the ability of average citizens to experience music as both listeners and performers. Although teacher education has evolved a great deal since the nineteenth century, practices related to music instruction in state normals during this time might hold implications for solving current problems in music education and preparing generalists and specialists today.
I Remember How We All Felt: Perceived Emotional Synchrony through Tourist Memory Sharing
Authors: Wood Emma H.
Published: December 2019

Durkheim’s theory of collective emotion and the concept of perceived emotional synchrony are used to explore tourism memories and to create a conceptual model explaining how and why we come to agree on how we felt when reliving past tourism experiences. This process is dependent on the malleability of memory, which allows emotional synchrony to happen in retrospect, regardless of actual feelings at the time. I argue that the innate motivations behind this post-consumption merging are a stronger sense of community and of belonging to a social group. For tourism practitioners, this highlights where the true value lies for the consumer, the belief in a shared emotional experience. This value develops through the synchronization of memories creating the basis for a shared memory economy. The implications for tourism marketers are discussed, and suggestions for further research into memory and travel experience are identified.
Refinement and Validation of a Multidimensional Destination Brand Equity Scale for Inbound and Outbound Chinese Travelers: A Cross-National Perspective
Authors: Hyun Martin Yongho , Kim Hyeon-Cheol
Published: December 2019

Destination brand equity (DBE) consists of five tourism dimensions and differs from generic customer-based brand equity, which theoretically comprises four dimensions. This study partially adopts Yoo and Donthu’s methodological approach to cross-validate a DBE scale between three groups of tourists: Korean (KJ) and Chinese visitors to Jeju Island (CJ) and Chinese visitors to Zhangjiajie (CZ). Accordingly, data were collected from 256 KJ, 217 CJ, and 257 CZ respondents. Two empirical studies incorporate a multigroup analysis to examine whether the five key dimensions of DBE can be identically applied to the three groups. The first study extracted 15 items from the original 23 in the DBE scale; the second identified the different measures commonly applicable to the three groups. External validity is achieved by testing nomological validity and cross-validation. The findings’ implications are subsequently discussed and suggestions for future research provided.
The Impact of SDG 3 on Health Priorities in Kenya
Authors: Kamau Esther , MacNaughton Gillian
Published: December 2019

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Like the previous Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs are global goals, which potentially risk shifting attention and resources away from national development priorities. This article is based on a qualitative study that examined whether the UN’s global health goal—SDG 3—is overriding local health priorities in Kenya. The study found that (a) SDG 3 aligns in many ways with Kenya’s development and health policies, and (b) Kenya is implementing SDG 3 targets selectively. This article, therefore, contends that SDG 3 is not overriding Kenya’s local health priorities.
Rebel governance: military boon or military bust? (Isard Award Article)
Authors: Stewart Megan A
Published: December 2019

What is the relationship between rebel governance and rebel military strength? Most existing research assumes that rebel governance enhances the military strength of the rebel group. I test this assumption with an original dataset of rebel governance services. The quantitative evidence presents a more complicated picture that belies a straightforward link between the two: governance appears to have either no relationship with rebel strength and sometimes even a negative and statistically significant relationship with rebel military capacity. To explain this surprising result, I generate a set of empirically grounded mechanisms using case vignettes that incorporate primary and secondary data. As a whole, the paper calls for greater theorizing and testing of the consequences of rebel governance, as well as the strategic motivations for its implementation.
Intimate Partner Violence and Depression in Women in China
Authors: Yuan Weiman , Hesketh Therese
Published: December 2019

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized as a major public health and social problem globally, with consequences for the individual, family, and society. But there is relatively little research on IPV in China. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of different types of violence among women and to determine the risk factors and the association with depression. A cross-sectional study among women who had ever been in a relationship was conducted in six provinces across the three regions of China from July to September 2018 using a self-completion questionnaire developed for the study. The provincial capital and one rural county were purposively selected in each province. Questionnaires were distributed in hospitals and public places. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) was used to measure depression. Data for 2,987 women were analyzed. The prevalence of psychological, physical, and sexual violence was 77.7%, 40.2%, and 11%, respectively: 52% had experienced two or three types of violence in their life. After adjustment, risk factors for all-type IPV were low occupational status, having one child or more, living in western provinces, having an income lower than partner’s, and economic pressure. The prevalence of depression was 65.8% in women who experienced psychological violence, 69.5% for physical violence, and 75.8% for sexual violence. For psychological, physical, and sexual violence, the odds ratio for depression were 2.57 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.15, 3.07]), 2.07 [1.76, 2.43], and 2.26 [1.73, 2.95], respectively, after controlling for age, occupation, education attainment, and residence. There is a clear need to raise awareness about IPV and to develop approaches for prevention and management. The new Domestic Violence Law represents a step in the right direction.
Cultivating New Movements and Circles of Meaning Generation: Upholding our World, Regenerating Our Earth and the Calling of a Planetary Lokasamgraha
Authors: Giri Ananta Kumar
Published: December 2019

Meaning is a key foundation of human life. We yearn to make our life meaningful and have a proper understanding of the meaning of words and worlds, which help us in blossoming of life rather than being trapped in labyrinths of confusion and annihilated in varieties of killing and destruction. But this fundamental yearning for meaning has always been under stress in different periods and epochs of human history. In our contemporary world, we are also going through stress, vis-à-vis the work of meanings in our lives, which is part of a global crisis of meaning. Our global crisis of meaning has multiple genealogies. Our contemporary crisis of meaning has its roots in both the way we relate to language and our worlds, which is discussed in this article. It also discusses how we can cultivate new movements and circles of meaning generation. This is linked to vision and practices of upholding our world and regenerating our earth. I then link processes of meaning generation to processes of coming together of people as well as soul, what is called Lokasamgraha in Indic tradition. I discuss how the global crisis of meaning calls for new cosmopolitan movements as well as building a planetary Lokasamgraha.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) With Micafungin: The Importance of Causality Assessment
Authors: Mullins Caitlin , Beaulac Kirthana , Sylvia Lynne
Published: December 2019

Background: Micafungin is increasingly used in the treatment and prevention of candidiasis in hospitalized patients. Limited data are available from which to assess the risk of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) with micafungin. No studies, to date, have applied a standardized causality assessment method to the study of micafungin-associated DILI. Objective: This study aimed to identify the frequency and clinical pattern of DILI in micafungin-treated patients as determined using 2 standardized causality assessment algorithms. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of micafungin-treated patients at a single center between May 15, 2017, and May 15, 2018. DILI was defined on the basis of liver test elevations and the presence of associated signs and symptoms. The Roussel UClaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM) and the Naranjo algorithm were applied to each case. Results: A total of 99 patients were assessed; 52 were excluded, with a final sample of 47 evaluable patients. The definition of DILI was met in 9 (19%) patients, with a clinical pattern consistent with cholestatic injury in 7 of 9 (78%) patients. No cases were associated with jaundice. Agreement between the 2 causality assessment methods occurred in 4 of 9 (44%) cases. Application of the RUCAM algorithm led to the exclusion of 4 cases, resulting in a final reported prevalence of micafungin-associated DILI of 10.6%. Conclusion and Relevance: Asymptomatic DILI was identified in 10.6% of micafungin-treated patients. The choice of a causality assessment nomogram substantially influenced the determination of DILI prevalence. Compared with the Naranjo algorithm, the RUCAM algorithm is recommended as a more precise tool of assessing the relationship between drug exposure and DILI.
Associations among parental and romantic attachment, personality disorder symptoms, and physical health
Authors: Rosario Margaret , Espinosa Adriana , Gagnon Gregory , Talhouk Leila , Neff Brian
Published: December 2019

The relations of parental and romantic attachment with physical health symptoms and the mediating role of personality disorder symptoms in those relations were examined in an online survey of US young adults. Latent class analysis identified two groups: occasionally sick and healthier. Insecure attachment was related to being occasionally sick and to personality disorder symptoms (poor reality testing, primitive defenses, and diffused identity). Primitive defenses/identity diffusion mediated relations between insecure parental attachment and physical symptoms. Maternal and paternal attachment each provided unique information about these relations. Romantic attachment was not associated with physical symptoms after adjusting for parental attachment and personality disorder symptoms.
Journalism’s extraordinary audience: The characteristics and circumstances of news media consumption among Islamists
Authors: Baugut Philip , Neumann Katharina
Published: December 2019

This study is the first to comprehensively explore Islamists’ consumption of news media and to describe the circumstances of their contact with different types of reports. Based on access to 34 Islamist prisoners and 9 former Islamists, the findings showed that cognitively radicalized individuals were typically exposed to stereotyped negative media coverage of Islam, the Salafi Politico scene, Islamophobia, and terrorist attacks – content that is perceived to portray Islam as a problem for mainstream society. Individuals characterized by violent radicalization typically consumed more violent content, such as media coverage of war in Muslim countries and terrorist attacks. The news media consumption was strongly influenced by leading propagandists who selected and forwarded ideologically exploitable media reports, thereby creating hybrid propaganda–media content. The findings highlight the need for journalists to recognize their responsibility when it comes to reporting on Muslims and Islamism.
Jews, Western sociology’s intimate others
Authors: Kurasawa Fuyuki
Published: December 2019

This article argues that Goldberg’s Modernity and the Jews in Western Social Thought fills an important gap: Jews are not only ‘good to think’ (Lévi-Strauss) but also essential for Western social theorists to critically interpret modernity and ambivalence towards it. In the article’s first part, devoted to the book’s epistemological and methodological underpinnings, I raise the following points: the book’s disciplinary focus prevents it from engaging more fully with broader intellectual and sociocultural currents, its national- cum-thematic structure precludes the exploration of transnational comparisons and nationally exogenous factors, the neglect of Jewish exile and cosmopolitan identity in the face of antisemitism and lack of clarity as to whether the book conforms to a realist epistemology or a symbolic one. In the article’s second part, I raise points about Goldberg’s rereading of the sociological canon, notably regarding Durkheim, Simmel and Weber.
How strategy comes to matter: Strategizing as the communicative materialization of matters of concern
Authors: Bencherki Nicolas , Sergi Viviane , Cooren François , Vásquez Consuelo
Published: December 2019

This article contributes to the discursive and interactional study of strategizing by drawing attention to the communicative practices through which strategy progressively materializes itself. Drawing on the interactions between the partners and members of a community-based organization participating in a strategic planning exercise, our study reveals that communication plays a key role in the initial formulation of strategy, that is, in deciding which issues matter most for the organization. We identify four communicative practices through which concerns gradually become strategic: presentifying, substantiating, attributing, and crystallizing matters of concern. The article contributes to the strategy-as-practice tradition by proposing that communication materializes strategic concerns and that strategizing takes place through that materializing process.
How Well Do Interviewers Record Responses to Numeric, Interviewer Field-code, and Open-ended Narrative Questions in Telephone Surveys?
Authors: Smyth Jolene D. , Olson Kristen
Published: December 2019

Telephone survey interviewers need to be able to accurately record answers to questions. While straightforward for closed questions, this task can be complicated for open questions. We examine interviewer recording accuracy rates from a national landline random digit dial telephone survey. We find that accuracy rates are over 90% for numeric response and interviewer-code, single-response items but are astonishingly low (49%) for a multiple-answer, nominal, interviewer-code item. Accuracy rates for narrative open questions were around 90% for themes but only about 70% for themes and elaborations. Interviewer behaviors (e.g., probing, feedback) are generally associated with lower accuracy rates. Implications for questionnaire design, interviewer training, and coding procedures are discussed.
Integrated Behavioral Intervention and Person-Centered Therapy Within Community-Based Treatment of an Adult With Acquired Brain Injury
Authors: Ricciardi Joseph N. , Bouchard Sonya Woelfel , Luiselli James K. , Dould Trudy
Published: December 2019

We present the case of a 30-year-old woman who had acquired brain injury (ABI) and demonstrated clinically challenging behaviors (verbally abusive outbursts toward care providers and elopement) within her community-based group home. Following a baseline phase of evaluation, she collaborated with clinicians and care providers in developing a treatment plan that included personal goal setting, differential token reinforcement, communication training, graphic performance feedback, and reinforcement fading. During 10 months of intervention, clinically challenging behaviors steadily decreased from baseline levels and low-frequency occurrence was maintained at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up assessments. As the result of treatment, the woman also avoided prior psychiatric hospitalizations, enjoyed more frequent access to pleasurable activities outside her residence, and enrolled in a college course. The study illustrates an effective person-centered therapy approach combined with behavioral intervention for persons who have ABI and experience community-living adjustment difficulties.
Ketogenic Dietary Therapy Controversies for Its Second Century
Authors: Kossoff Eric , Cervenka Mackenzie
Published: December 2019

As the ketogenic diet approaches 100 years of continuous use, we reflect on its successes and consider new avenues of research for the next century. One controversial question is regarding whether ketogenic dietary therapies could be successful first-line treatments for epilepsy. Second, is it possible to mimic the mechanisms of action of ketogenic dietary therapy with a drug (eg, a tablet formulation)? A third controversy worthy of future study involves its expanded usage in adults with refractory epilepsy and its role in treating women of childbearing age. Finally, as flexible, alternative diets have recently become widely available, is it feasible and safe to have families and patients start ketogenic dietary therapy successfully on their own with limited medical supervision?
Efficient contribution of partially tip cascaded horizontal-axis wind turbine
Authors: Elshebiny Deyaa Nabil , Hashem Ali AbdelFattah , Owis Farouk Mohammed
Published: December 2019

This article introduces novel blade tip geometric modification to improve the aerodynamic performance of horizontal-axis wind turbine by adding auxiliary cascading blades toward the tip region. This study focuses on the new turbine shape and how it enhances the turbine performance in comparison with the classical turbine. This study is performed numerically for National Renewable Energy Laboratory Phase II (non-optimized wind turbine) taking into consideration the effect of adding different cascade configurations on the turbine performance using ANSYS FLUENT program. The analysis of single-auxiliary and double-auxiliary cascade blades has shown an impact on increasing the turbine power of 28% and 76%, respectively, at 72 r/min and 12.85 m/s of wind speed. Knowing that the performance of cascaded wind turbine depends on the geometry, solidity and operating conditions of the original blade; therefore, these results are not authorized for other cases.
Bare Flesh and Sticky Milk: An Affective Conflict Over Public Breastfeeding
Authors: Lehto Mari
Published: December 2019

On New Year’s Day 2016, a photograph of a breastfeeding woman taken by a Finnish celebrity sparked a social media debate over mothers nursing in public. By analyzing Instagram posts and a discussion forum thread, this article explores the affective body politics involved in this short-lived yet intense social media debate. It examines the power of hashtags and images in mobilizing motherhood as a site of political agency. Concurrently, it investigates how social media users negotiated the appropriate public presentations of the female body and how the celebrity’s gayness became an object of negative affect. The analysis of the incident makes visible how social norms concerning motherhood and heteronormativity are articulated in social media. It also demonstrates how affect sticks to images, texts, and bodies and becomes a binding force in social media discussions concerning them. The article argues that Instagram’s hashtag practices facilitated affective engagement for those following #teriniitti. It further argues that the affective dynamics of the case demonstrate how affective intensities stick on gay bodies and lactating bodies as objects of disgust, fascination, and desire.
Baseline effects of non-flavored e-liquids in the in vitro micronucleus assay
Authors: Smart Daniel J , Helbling Fabian R , McHugh Damian , Vanscheeuwijck Patrick
Published: December 2019

Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDSs; e.g. e-cigarettes) are being developed as potentially reduced-risk alternatives to the continued use of conventional tobacco products. They typically comprise a device that heats an e-liquid to generate inhalable vapor. E-liquids and ENDS-derived vapor have been the focus of toxicological assessment; in particular, their DNA-damaging potential has been investigated with varying outcomes and conclusions. In vitro genetic toxicology assays have formed a part of these assessments. However, they are susceptible to producing misleading or false positive results, especially under extreme conditions. In the present study, we evaluated a series of six neat (non-vaporized) non-flavored e-liquids (NFEL-A to F) in a flow cytometry version of the in vitro micronucleus assay in order to characterize their baseline effects on Chinese hamster ovary cells under hazard identification conditions. The NFELs induced cytotoxicity universally despite differing in propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), and nicotine content. In addition, significant genotoxic responses were also detected with the PG-predominant e-liquids NFEL-A, D, and F but not with NFEL-B, C, or E, which contained higher proportions of VG. All six NFELs induced extreme cell culture conditions (i.e. increases in pH and osmolality) at the concentrations assessed. They also exhibited nonbiologically relevant effects on the mechanistic endpoints (i.e. cell cycle and phosphorylated histones H2AX and H3). In conclusion, although the PG component of the NFELs drove micronucleus formation in the assay, data on the complementary mechanistic endpoints suggest that this apparent DNA damage is potentially misleading and of negligible biological relevance as a risk for DNA integrity. In future assessments, any adverse changes (such as signatures of micronuclei induction, G2M arrest, and increases in γH2AX) relative to this reference data set might indicate a possible genotoxic hazard and would prompt further investigations for exploring the extent of risk.
Hot topics and current controversies in non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis
Authors: Severiche-Bueno Diego , Gamboa Enrique , Reyes Luis F. , Chotirmall Sanjay H.
Published: December 2019

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB) is a neglected and orphan disease with poor advances through the 20th century. However, its prevalence is rising and with this come new challenges for physicians. Few guidelines are available to guide clinicians on how to diagnose and manage patients with NCFB. Many areas of debate persist, and there is lack of consensus about research priorities most needed to advance patient care and improve clinical outcomes. In this review, we highlight the current hot topics in NCFB and present updated evidence to inform the critical areas of controversy.

Key points

Postural drainage, active cycle of breathing techniques and pulmonary rehabilitation are non-pharmacological treatment options that should be offered to all patients with non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis (NCFB).

Eradication ofPseudomonas aeruginosa(PA) colonisation in patients without an acute exacerbation remains debatable.

Sputum cultures are the leading and most readily available tool to detect patients with chronic colonisation by PA and should be performed in all patients with NCFB.

Antibacterial monoclonal antibodies and vaccine studies have shown promising results in the prevention of chronic colonisation with PA and should stimulate new studies in NCFB.

NCFB patients colonised with PA are at more risk of a rapid decline in lung function, worsening quality of life and more hospital admissions.

Dual therapy is a promising option for the management of patients with PA-related exacerbations.

Patients with PA-related exacerbations benefit from prolonged courses of antibiotics (i.e.14 days) but emerging and future studies, including dual therapy, may show promising results with shorter courses.

Endophenotyping bronchiectasis to address its inherent heterogeneity is a promising avenue for future investment and research.
Clinical utility of exhaled nitric oxide fraction in the management of asthma and COPD
Authors: Turner Steve W. , Chang Anne B. , Yang Ian A.
Published: December 2019

Exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FENO) values can be easily measured using portable analysers and are a surrogate marker of airway eosinophilia.FENOmay be useful in diagnosing and monitoring conditions characterised by airway eosinophilia,i.e.asthma and possibly COPD. Many factors other than asthma and COPD affectFENO, especially atopy, which is associated with elevatedFENO. One guideline recommends thatFENOshould be used as part of the diagnostic pathway for asthma diagnosis in adults and children aged >5 years. The role ofFENOin monitoring asthma is even less clear, and most guidelines do not recommend its use outside of specialist asthma clinics. Currently,FENOis not recommended for diagnosis or monitoring of COPD. AlthoughFENOis starting to find a place in the management of asthma in children and adults, considerably more research is required before the potential ofFENOas an objective measurement in asthma and COPD can be realised.

Key points

For individuals aged ≥12 years,FENOis not recommended by all guidelines as a test to diagnose asthma (recommended only by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline for asthma symptoms, which are likely to respond to corticosteroid treatment).

FENOmay be used in conjunction with other investigations to diagnose asthma in 5–16-year-olds where there is diagnostic uncertainty, but further evidence is required.

FENOis not recommended as a routine test to monitor all patients with asthma or to titrate asthma treatment.

FENOis not recommended for routine clinical testing in adults with COPD.

FENOmay be useful to identify patients with COPD who could benefit from the use of inhaled corticosteroids (asthma–COPD overlap).

Educational aims

To understand what factors other than asthma and COPD affectFENO

To understand the current controversies in the application ofFENOto diagnosis and management of asthma in children

To understand the current controversies in the application ofFENOto diagnosis and management of asthma and COPD in adults
Voltage-Polarity Dependent Programming Behaviors of Amorphous In–Ga–Zn–O Thin-Film Transistor Memory with an Atomic-Layer-Deposited ZnO Charge Trapping Layer
Authors: Liu Dan-Dan , Liu Wen-Jun , Pei Jun-Xiang , Xie Lin-Yan , Huo Jingyong , Wu Xiaohan , Ding Shi-Jin
Published: December 2019

Amorphous In–Ga–Zn-O (a-IGZO) thin-film transistor (TFT) memories are attracting many interests for future system-on-panel applications; however, they usually exhibit a poor erasing efficiency. In this article, we investigate voltage-polarity-dependent programming behaviors of an a-IGZO TFT memory with an atomic-layer-deposited ZnO charge trapping layer (CTL). The pristine devices demonstrate electrically programmable characteristics not only under positive gate biases but also under negative gate biases. In particular, the latter can generate a much higher programming efficiency than the former. Upon applying a gate bias pulse of +13 V/1 μs, the device shows a threshold voltage shift (ΔVth) of 2 V; and the ΔVth is as large as −6.5 V for a gate bias pulse of −13 V/1 μs. In the case of 12 V/1 ms programming (P) and −12 V/10 μs erasing (E), a memory window as large as 7.2 V can be achieved at 103 of P/E cycles. By comparing the ZnO CTLs annealed in O2 or N2 with the as-deposited one, it is concluded that the oxygen vacancy (VO)-related defects dominate the bipolar programming characteristics of the TFT memory devices. For programming at positive gate voltage, electrons are injected from the IGZO channel into the ZnO layer and preferentially trapped at deep levels of singly ionized oxygen vacancy (VO+) and doubly ionized oxygen vacancy (VO2+). Regarding programming at negative gate voltage, electrons are de-trapped easily from neutral oxygen vacancies because of shallow donors and tunnel back to the channel. This thus leads to highly efficient erasing by the formation of additional ionized oxygen vacancies with positive charges.
HTRgene: a computational method to perform the integrated analysis of multiple heterogeneous time-series data: case analysis of cold and heat stress response signaling genes in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ahn Hongryul , Jung Inuk , Chae Heejoon , Kang Dongwon , Jung Woosuk , Kim Sun
Published: December 2019

Background

Integrated analysis that uses multiple sample gene expression data measured under the same stress can detect stress response genes more accurately than analysis of individual sample data. However, the integrated analysis is challenging since experimental conditions (strength of stress and the number of time points) are heterogeneous across multiple samples.

Results

HTRgeneis a computational method to perform the integrated analysis of multiple heterogeneous time-series data measured under the same stress condition. The goal of HTRgene is to identify “response order preserving DEGs” that are defined as genes not only which are differentially expressed but also whose response order is preserved across multiple samples. The utility of HTRgene was demonstrated using 28 and 24 time-series sample gene expression data measured under cold and heat stress in Arabidopsis. HTRgene analysis successfully reproduced known biological mechanisms of cold and heat stress in Arabidopsis. Also, HTRgene showed higher accuracy in detecting the documented stress response genes than existing tools.

Conclusions

HTRgene, a method to find the ordering of response time of genes that are commonly observed among multiple time-series samples, successfully integrated multiple heterogeneous time-series gene expression datasets. It can be applied to many research problems related to the integration of time series data analysis.
Biomedical word sense disambiguation with bidirectional long short-term memory and attention-based neural networks
Authors: Zhang Canlin , Biś Daniel , Liu Xiuwen , He Zhe
Published: December 2019

Background

In recent years, deep learning methods have been applied to many natural language processing tasks to achieve state-of-the-art performance. However, in the biomedical domain, they have not out-performed supervised word sense disambiguation (WSD) methods based on support vector machines or random forests, possibly due to inherent similarities of medical word senses.

Results

In this paper, we propose two deep-learning-based models for supervised WSD: a model based on bi-directional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network, and an attention model based on self-attention architecture. Our result shows that the BiLSTM neural network model with a suitable upper layer structure performs even better than the existing state-of-the-art models on the MSH WSD dataset, while our attention model was 3 or 4 times faster than our BiLSTM model with good accuracy. In addition, we trained “universal” models in order to disambiguate all ambiguous words together. That is, we concatenate the embedding of the target ambiguous word to the max-pooled vector in the universal models, acting as a “hint”. The result shows that our universal BiLSTM neural network model yielded about 90 percent accuracy.

Conclusion

Deep contextual models based on sequential information processing methods are able to capture the relative contextual information from pre-trained input word embeddings, in order to provide state-of-the-art results for supervised biomedical WSD tasks.
To what degree do patients actively choose their healthcare provider at the point of referral by their GP? A video observation study
Authors: Potappel Amy J. C. , Meijers Maartje C. , Kloek Corelien , Victoor Aafke , Noordman Janneke , olde Hartman Tim , van Dulmen Sandra , de Jong Judith D.
Published: December 2019

Background

Many countries in Europe have implemented managed competition and patient choice during the last decade. With the introduction of managed competition, health insurers also became an important stakeholder. They purchase services on behalf of their customers and are allowed to contract healthcare providers selectively. It has, therefore, become increasingly important to take one’s insurance into account when choosing a provider. There is little evidence that patients make active choices in the way that policymakers assume they do. This research aims to investigate, firstly, the role of patients in choosing a healthcare provider at the point of referral, then the role of the GP and, finally, the influence of the health insurer/insurance policies within this process.

Methods

We videotaped a series of everyday consultations between Dutch GPs and their patients during 2015 and 2016. In 117 of these consultations, with 28 GPs, the patient was referred to another healthcare provider. These consultations were coded by three observers using an observation protocol which assessed the role of the patient, GP, and the influence of the health insurer during the referral.

Results

Patients were divided into three groups: patients with little or no input, patients with some input, and those with a lot of input. Just over half of the patients (56%) seemed to have some, or a lot of, input into the choice of a healthcare provider at the point of referral by their GP. In addition, in almost half of the consultations (47%), GPs inquired about their patients’ preferences regarding a healthcare provider. Topics regarding the health insurance or insurance policy of a patient were rarely (14%) discussed at the point of referral.

Conclusions

Just over half of the patients appear to have some, or a lot of, input into their choice of a healthcare provider at the point of referral by their GP. However, the remainder of the patients had little or no input. If more patient choice continues to be an important aim for policy makers, patients should be encouraged to actively choose the healthcare provider who best fits their needs and preferences.
Molecular and evolutionary characterization of norovirus GII.17 in the northern region of Brazil
Authors: das Neves Costa Larissa Cristina Prado , Teixeira Dielle Monteiro , Portela Ana Caroline Rodrigues , de Lima Ian Carlos Gomes , da Silva Bandeira Renato , Sousa Júnior Edivaldo Costa , Siqueira Jones Anderson Monteiro , Resque Hugo Reis , da Silva Luciana Damascena , Gabbay Yvone Benchimol
Published: December 2019

Background

Currently, norovirus (NoV) is associated with one-fifth of all acute gastroenteritis (AGE) cases worldwide. The NoV GII.17_2014 variant has been associated with gastroenteritis outbreaks in several Asian countries, replacing the previously dominant Sydney 2012 variant. There is limited data about circulation of this new strain in Brazil. This study aimed to describe the phylogenetic and evolutionary characteristics of the GII.17_2014 strains in the Northern region of Brazil.

Methods

NoV was detected by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in 645 stool samples of AGE cases that were reported in Pará and Amazonas states during 2015–2016. All positive samples were tested for NoV GI and GII by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and the amplicons were subjected to genome sequencing. The GII.17-positive samples were retested by PCR using different sets of designed primers, which target a highly conserved capsid gene region. Next, the amplicons were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed using Bayesian inferences.

Results

Of the 645 samples tested, 208 (32.2%) tested were positive for NoV by EIA, among which 95 (45.7%) were genotyped. Among the genotyped samples, 12 (12.6%) were characterized as GII.17_2014 with the first case detected in November 2015 (1/30, 3.3%) and the others in 2016 (11/65, 16.9%). All strains found in our study were clustered in clade D (epidemic strain). The uncorrelated log-normal model estimations calculated the rate of evolution for GII-17 strains as 1.95 × 10− 3 (1.28 × 10− 3–2.63 × 10− 3). In total, 36 nucleotide changes were observed after analyzing the VP1 sequence, among which 28 occurred in the P2 region.

Conclusions

These data demonstrate the evolutionary dynamics in NoV GII.17_2014 strains, which indicated high mutation rates with nucleotide substitutions and indels that are related to the elevated levels of antigenic diversity. This partly explains the increase in viral prevalence.