bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linear parameter variant modeling and parameter identification of a cable-driven micromanipulator for surgical robot
Authors: Wang Wenjie , Yu Lingtao , Yang Jing
Published: May 2018

This paper proposes a novel cable-driven micromanipulator for surgical robots. A single-joint principle prototype for surgical robot micromanipulator was manufactured to test the proposed design. Elasticity and friction were assessed to establish a joint angle estimator; estimator parameters were obtained by a combination of least square method and genetic algorithm. Angle closed-loop control was performed by considering the joint angle estimator output as the feedback signal. A nonlinear dynamic model was established in the state-space and described as a linear parameter variant model. The dynamic model parameters were determined via nonlinear modeling method, linear time invariant interpolator, and genetic algorithm. The angle estimator performs well and the linear parameter variant model efficiently estimates the micromanipulator’s behavior. The results presented here provide a workable foundation for surgical robot micromanipulator force estimation and control.
Optimization of multi-pass turning and multi-pass face milling using subpopulation firefly algorithm
Authors: Miodragović Goran R , Đorđević Violeta , Bulatović Radovan R , Petrović Aleksandra
Published: May 2018

In this paper, Subpopulation Firefly Algorithm is proposed for optimization of machining parameters in multi-pass turning and multi-pass face milling operations. Basic Firefly Algorithm is modified with the aim to avoid space of local minimum and to meet the operation constraints in each iteration step. For that purpose, the following modifications are made: one firefly population is divided into two, a crossover operator is introduced and the searching for new design variables is continued until constraint functions are fulfilled. For turning operation, optimization is carried out for one objective: minimization of production cost. For face milling operation, multi-objective optimization is used for minimizing production cost and machining time, and maximizing profit rate at the same time. In both cases of multi-pass machining operations, optimization process implies meeting all operation constraints. For multi-pass turning operation, the best results from literature are confirmed with good convergence and low value of standard deviation. For multi-pass milling operation, better results are achieved compared with existing results from literature. The proposed algorithm showed capability of achieving global optimum for complex optimization problems.
Fatigue behaviour of corrosion pits in X65 steel pipelines
Authors: Farhad Farnoosh , Zhang Xiang , Smyth-Boyle David
Published: May 2018

Corrosion pits are a form of geometrical discontinuity that lead to stress and strain concentration in engineering components, resulting in crack initiation under service loading conditions and ultimately fracture and failure. Initiation and propagation of cracks in offshore pipelines can lead to loss of containment and environmental and commercial impacts. In order to prevent such failures, tools to predict the structural integrity of pipelines need to be improved. This work investigates the fatigue behaviour of corrosion pits in API-5L X65 grade steel pipeline utilising numerical and analytical methods. Firstly, load-controlled fatigue tests were carried out on smooth X65 steel samples to establish S–N data. Secondly, local stress–strain behaviour at corrosion pits and its effect on fatigue crack initiation were investigated using elastic-plastic finite element analysis of samples containing a single corrosion pit under cyclic loading. Analysis of stabilised stress–strain hysteresis loops at corrosion pits showed that the local stress ratio at the pit changes from 0.1 to −0.4 while the applied stress amplitude increases with the same stress ratio of 0.1. Analytical methods were also used to predict the local maximum stress and strain at the pit, which showed a similar local stress ratio to the finite element analysis result but lower stress and strain ranges. Finally, fatigue crack initiation life was predicted using the combination of finite element stress and strain analysis and the Smith–Watson–Topper strain–life approach. An advantage of this method for life estimation is that this approach considers the local stress and strains at corrosion pits rather than applied stress.
The impact of climate change on electricity demand in Australia
Authors: Emodi Nnaemeka Vincent , Chaiechi Taha , Alam Beg ABM Rabiul
Published: May 2018

This study estimates the short- and long-term impacts of climate change on electricity demand in Australia. We used an autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model with monthly data from 1999 to 2014 for six Australian states and one territory. The results reveal significant variations in electricity demand. We then used long-term coefficients for climatic response to simulate future electricity demand using four scenarios based on the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Our results show a gradual increase in electricity consumption due to warmer temperatures with the possibility of peak demand in winter; however, demand tends to decrease in the middle of the twenty-first century across the RCPs, while the summer peak load increases by the end of the century. Finally, we simulated the impact of policy uncertainty through sensitivity analysis and confirmed the potential benefits of climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Toxicity of pristine and paint-embedded TiO2 nanomaterials
Authors: Saber AT , Mortensen A , Szarek J , Jacobsen NR , Levin M , Koponen IK , Jensen KA , Vogel U , Wallin H
Published: May 2018

Little is known on the toxicity of nanomaterials in the user phase. Inclusion of nanomaterials in paints is a common nanotechnology application. This study focuses on the toxicity of dusts from sanding of paints containing nanomaterials. We compared the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanomaterials (TiO2NMs) and dusts generated by sanding boards coated with paints with different amounts of two different types of uncoated TiO2NMs (diameters:10.5 nm and 38 nm). Mice were intratracheally instilled with a single dose of 18, 54 and 162 µg of TiO2NMs or 54, 162 and 486 µg of sanding dusts. At 1, 3 and 28 days post-instillation, we evaluated pulmonary inflammation, liver histology and DNA damage in lung and liver. Pulmonary exposure to both pristine TiO2NMs and sanding dusts with different types of TiO2NMs resulted in dose-dependently increased influx of neutrophils into the lung lumen. There was no difference between the sanding dusts from the two paints. For all exposures but not in vehicle controls, mild histological lesions were observed in the liver. Pulmonary exposure to pristine TiO2NMs and paint dusts with TiO2NMs caused similar type of histological lesions in the liver.
A Seat Around the Table: Participatory Data Analysis With People Living With Dementia
Authors: Clarke Charlotte L. , Wilkinson Heather , Watson Julie , Wilcockson Jane , Kinnaird Lindsay , Williamson Toby
Published: May 2018

The involvement of “people with experience” in research has developed considerably in the last decade. However, involvement as co-analysts at the point of data analysis and synthesis has received very little attention—in particular, there is very little work that involves people living with dementia as co-analysts. In this qualitative secondary data analysis project, we (a) analyzed data through two theoretical lenses: Douglas’s cultural theory of risk and Tronto’s Ethic of Care, and (b) analyzed data in workshops with people living with dementia. The design involved cycles of presenting, interpreting, representing and reinterpreting the data, and findings between multiple stakeholders. We explore ways of involving people with experience as co-analysts and explore the role of reflexivity, multiple voicing, literary styling, and performance in participatory data analysis.
Focusing on and Backgrounding Events Simultaneously: The Past–Present–Future Relationship of the Great East Japan Earthquake
Authors: Danner-Schröder Anja
Published: May 2018

This article examines how events from the past, present, and future form into event structures over time. This question is addressed by investigating the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 until the fifth anniversary in 2016. This allowed to analyze different events over time. The findings reveal that events can be used in two different ways. One process was meant to focus on events, whereas the other one backgrounded events. These different ways to use events revealed four different mechanisms of how event structures can be formed. Moreover, each mechanism has its own idiosyncratic temporal orientation toward either a nostalgic past, imagined future, “better” future or critical past. Second, the article contributes that the paradoxical ways of focusing on an event and backgrounding the very same event need to be embraced simultaneously to enable a greater sense of wholeness. Last, the article reveals multiple temporalities within and across temporal trajectories.
Parent Experiences and Preferences When Dysmelia Is Identified During the Prenatal and Perinatal Periods: A Qualitative Study Into Family Nursing Care for Rare Diseases
Authors: Johnson Judith , Johnson Olivia , Heyhoe Jane , Fielder Charlotte , Dunning Alice
Published: May 2018

Several rare diseases are regularly identified during the prenatal and perinatal periods, including dysmelia. How these are communicated to parents has a marked emotional impact, but minimal research has investigated this. The purpose of this study was to explore parent experiences and preferences when their baby was diagnosed with dysmelia. Mothers and fathers were interviewed. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The overriding emotion parents experienced was shock, but the extent of this was influenced by several factors including their previous experience of disability. Four key needs of parents were identified, including the need for signposting to peer support organizations, for information, for sensitive communication, and for a plan regarding their child’s care. Parents wanted immediate information provision and signposting to peer support, and for discussions regarding possible causes of the dysmelia or termination (in the case of prenatal identification) to be delayed until they had processed the news.
Mathematical Model for Small Size Time Series Data of Bacterial Secondary Metabolic Pathways
Authors: Tominaga Daisuke , Kawaguchi Hideo , Hori Yoshimi , Hasunuma Tomohisa , Ogino Chiaki , Aburatani Sachiyo
Published: May 2018

Measuring the concentrations of metabolites and estimating the reaction rates of each reaction step consisting of metabolic pathways are significant for an improvement in microorganisms used in maximizing the production of materials. Although the reaction pathway must be identified for such an improvement, doing so is not easy. Numerous reaction steps have been reported; however, the actual reaction steps activated vary or change according to the conditions. Furthermore, to build mathematical models for a dynamical analysis, the reaction mechanisms and parameter values must be known; however, to date, sufficient information has yet to be published for many cases. In addition, experimental observations are expensive. A new mathematical approach that is applicable to small sample data, and that requires no detailed reaction information, is strongly needed. S-system is one such model that can use smaller samples than other ordinary differential equation models. We propose a simplified S-system to apply minimal quantities of samples for a dynamic analysis of the metabolic pathways. We applied the model to the phenyl lactate production pathway of Escherichia coli. The model obtained suggests that actually activated reaction steps and feedback are inhibitions within the pathway.
Effectiveness of Hydrodilatation in Adhesive Capsulitis of Shoulder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Saltychev M. , Laimi K. , Virolainen P. , Fredericson M.
Published: May 2018

Background and Aims:

Even though hydrodilatation has been used for 50 years, the evidence on its effectiveness is not clear. Only one earlier review has strictly focused on this treatment method. The aims of this study are to evaluate the evidence on the effectiveness of hydrodilatation in treatment of adhesive capsulitis and, if appropriate, to assess the correlation between the effects of this procedure and the amount of fluid injected.

Materials and Methods:

A literature search on MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases was done; random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression were employed; and cost-effectiveness and safeness analyses were left outside the scope of the review.

Results:

Of the 270 records identified through search, 12 studies were included in qualitative and quantitative analysis and seven were included in a meta-analysis. The lower 95% confidence interval for the effect of hydrodilatation on pain severity was 0.12 indicating small effect size and mean number needed to treat 12. The pooled effect of hydrodilatation on disability level was insignificant 0.2 (95% confidence interval: −0.04 to 0.44). The lower 95% confidence interval for the effect of hydrodilatation on the range of shoulder motion was close to zero (0.07) indicating small effect size with mean number needed to treat 12. The amount of injected solution did not have a substantial effect on pain severity or range of shoulder motion. The heterogeneity level I2 was acceptable from 0% to 60%.

Conclusion:

According to current evidence, hydrodilatation has only a small, clinically insignificant effect when treating adhesive capsulitis.
Long-Term Complications of Appendectomy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rasmussen T. , Fonnes S. , Rosenberg J.
Published: May 2018

Background and Aims:

Appendectomy is a common surgical procedure, but no overview of the long-term consequences exists. Our aim was to systematically review the long-term complications of appendectomy for acute appendicitis.

Materials and Methods:

This systematic review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42017064662). The databases PubMed and EMBASE were searched for original reports on appendectomy with n ≥ 500 and follow-up >30 days. The surgical outcomes were ileus and incisional hernia; other outcomes were inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, fertility, and mortality.

Results:

We included 37 studies. The pooled estimate of the ileus prevalence was 1.0% over a follow-up period of 4.6 (range, 0.5–15) years. Regarding incisional hernia, we found a pooled estimate of 0.7% prevalence within a follow-up period of 6.5 (range, 1.9–10) years. Ulcerative colitis had a pooled estimate of 0.15% prevalence in the appendectomy group and 0.19% in controls. The opposite pattern was found regarding Crohn’s disease with a pooled estimate of 0.20% prevalence in the appendectomy group and 0.12% in controls. No clear pattern was found regarding most of the examined cancers in appendectomy groups compared with background populations. Pregnancy rates increased after appendicitis compared with controls in most studies. Mortality was low after appendectomy.

Conclusion:

Appendectomy had a low prevalence of long-term surgical complications. We did not find any significant other long-term complications, though the prevalence of Crohn’s disease was higher and the prevalence of ulcerative colitis was lower after appendectomy than in controls. Appendectomy did not impair fertility.
Platform development for primary blast injury studies
Authors: Nguyen Thuy-Tien N , Sory David R , Amin Harsh D , Rankin Sara M , Proud William G
Published: May 2018

Explosion-related injuries are currently the most commonly occurring wounds in modern conflicts. They are observed in both military and civilian theatres, with complex injury pathophysiologies. Primary blast injuries are the most frequently encountered critical injuries experienced by victims close to the explosion. They are caused by large and rapid pressure changes of the blast waves which produce a wide range of loading patterns resulting in varied injuries. Well-characterised experimental loading devices which can reproduce the real mechanical characteristics of blast loadings on biological specimens in in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models are essential in determining the injury mechanisms. This paper discusses the performance and application of platforms, including shock tubes, mechanical testing machines, drop-weight rigs, and split-Hopkinson pressure bar, with regards to the replication of primary blast.
Trusted strangers: Carework platforms’ cultural entrepreneurship in the on-demand economy
Authors: Ticona Julia , Mateescu Alexandra
Published: May 2018

On-demand labor platforms offer many in-person services, from ride-hailing to childcare. However, scholars have focused on ride-hailing, leading to a model of “Uberization” that entails the informalization of work. We argue that online carework platforms that match nannies and babysitters to families show the limits of this narrative. Based on a discourse analysis of carework platforms and interviews with workers using them, we illustrate that these platforms seek to formalize employment relationships through technologies that increase visibility. We argue that carework platforms are “cultural entrepreneurs” that create and maintain cultural distinctions between populations of workers, and institutionalize those distinctions into platform features. Ultimately, the visibility created by platforms does not realize the formalization of employment relationships, but does serve the interests of platform companies and clients and exacerbate existing inequalities for workers. As one of the first analyses of carework platforms, this study also points to gendered bias in the scholarly literature about the on-demand economy.
A monitoring and warning system for expressway slopes using FBG sensing technology
Authors: Hu Yongqiang , Hong Chengyu , Zhang Yifan , Li Guowei
Published: May 2018

This article presents a fiber Bragg grating–based monitoring and warning system for expressway slopes. A detailed architecture of the sensing system based on fiber Bragg grating sensors for safety analysis and pre-warning of slopes is described and interpreted. The whole warning and monitoring system was mainly realized based on two monitored parameters from fiber Bragg grating strain sensors: (1) the measured bend strain of inclinometers for the calculation of horizontal displacement and (2) axial strain distributions of soil nails. The maximum magnitudes of cumulative strain and displacement in the present monitored expressway slope were 198 με and 5.06 mm, respectively. Critical threshold values of different warning levels for expressway slopes have been proposed using statistical analysis method based on comparative analysis of history monitored data from slopes in the same region. A total of four warning levels characterized by different ranges of displacement rates and the related engineering measures to treat expressway slopes were proposed and discussed. This fiber Bragg grating–based monitoring system of soil nails and inclinometers forms a real-time sensing network, assisting engineers to adopt quick and essential measures to deal with potential landslide risk.
Excess stroke incidence in young Aboriginal people in South Australia: Pooled results from two population-based studies
Authors: Balabanski Anna H , Newbury Jonathan , Leyden James M , Arima Hisatomi , Anderson Craig S , Castle Sally , Cranefield Jennifer , Paterson Tracey , Thrift Amanda G , Katzenellenbogen Judith , Brown Alex , Kleinig Timothy J
Published: May 2018

Background

Retrospective data indicate increased stroke incidence in Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians, possibly with poorer outcomes. We present the first prospective population-based stroke incidence study in Indigenous Australians.

Methods

We pooled data from ASCEND and SEARCH, two prospective “ideal” South Australian stroke incidence studies, ASCEND conducted in urban Northwestern Adelaide (2009–2010) and SEARCH in five South Australian rural centers (2009–2011). We calculated age-standardized incidence for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

Results

The study population comprised 261,403 inhabitants. Among 432 first-ever strokes, 13 were in Aboriginal people (median age 51 vs. 78 years for non-Aboriginal people, p < 0.001). Age-standardized stroke incidence per 100,000 in Aboriginal patients (116, 95% CI: 95–137) was nearly two-fold that of non-Aboriginal patients (67, 95% CI: 51–84). Age-stratified excess incidence in Aboriginal people was restricted to those aged < 55 years (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 3.5, 95% CI: 2–7), particularly for intracerebral hemorrhage (IRR: 16, 95% CI: 4–61).

Conclusion

The excess stroke incidence in Aboriginal South Australians appears substantial, especially in those aged <55 years. Further work is required to delineate and address disparities.
Cultural otherness and disaster news: The influence of western discourses on Japan in US and UK news coverage of the 2011 Great East Japan Disaster
Authors: Matthews Jamie
Published: May 2018

The Great East Japan Disaster of 2011 provides an important case study to evaluate how western media cover Japan. Employing a critical discourse analysis of coverage in The New York Times, The Guardian and The Observer this article seeks to examine how Japan and the disaster-affected communities of Tohoku were represented through the context of this disaster. The analysis revealed the presence of a cultural framework, enacted during the response phase of the disaster news cycle to explain how people in Japan were coping in the aftermath of the disaster, which was premised on a discourse of cultural otherness. The textual elements that underwrote this discourse included a tendency to draw on stereotypes and in the way culture was employed to provide context to individual stories. The analysis also acknowledges how forms of bias circulated through other discourses, in particular when covering the nuclear crisis at Fukushima. The article argues that this discourse of cultural otherness is, in part, attributable to the features of disaster journalism, rather than a lack of familiarity on the part of journalists with the cultural context.
High Genetic Diversity and Connectivity Among Populations of Quercus candicans, Quercus crassifolia, and Quercus castanea in a Heterogeneous Landscape in Mexico
Authors: Oyama Ken , Ramírez-Toro Wilfrido , Peñaloza-Ramírez Juan Manuel , Pérez Pedraza Alberto Esteban , Torres-Miranda César Andrés , Ruiz-Sánchez Eduardo , González-Rodríguez Antonio
Published: May 2018

Oaxaca state is one of the main hotspots of biodiversity in Mexico, containing almost 40% of the Mexican vascular flora, due to its high variability in habitat and climatic conditions coupled with high elevations in mountains and low elevations in valleys. We studied the genetic diversity and population structure of Quercus candicans, Quercus crassifolia, and Quercus castanea across their geographical distribution in Oaxaca state to understand how the heterogeneous physiography had driven the genetic diversity and population differentiation in these three oak species. We found high levels of genetic diversity but ca. 40% of the populations had significant values of Wright’s inbreeding coefficient. The analysis of molecular variance indicated that most of the variation occurred within populations in the three oak species. Resistance analyses showed connectivity among almost all the populations but barrier analysis found genetic breaks that limited gene flow among some populations of the oak species. Even in a heterogeneous environment such as in Oaxaca state, the oak species still have high levels of genetic diversity and landscape connectivity. However, it is necessary to maintain the genetic connectivity through the preservation of natural corridors with forests in good condition, which is necessary to maintain the cohesiveness of the species in the long term. It is also important to protect the centers of species diversity in Oaxaca state located in the subprovinces of Western Oaxacan Mountains and Valleys, Sierra Madre de Oaxaca, and Sierra Madre del Sur because they harbor most of the population genetic diversity and oak species richness, as has been shown in previous studies.
Dart to the target: an alternative bull’s eye parametric display for European Society of Cardiology / European Respiratory Society goal‐orientated risk reduction strategy in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Kaymaz Cihangir , Akbal Ozgur Yasar , Hakgor Aykun , Tokgoz Hacer Ceren , Tanyeri Seda
Published: May 2018

Despite the significant mortality and mobidity benefits being obtained with the targeted therapies in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), mid‐ to long‐term survival of patients with this disease has remained unsatisfactory. For earlier and reliable risk stratification in PAH and tailoring the dynamic management strategies, various risk assessment models have been developed. Currently available risk reduction strategy recommended by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2015 Pulmonary Hypertension Guidelines has been utilized in three recent registries. In this review, we evaluated the risk prediction models and management algorithms in this setting and propose an alternative parametric display, a bull’s eye, dart table scheme for ESC/ERS goal‐orientated risk reduction strategy in patients with PAH.
What’s Wrong With the ‘War on Obesity?’ A Narrative Review of the Weight-Centered Health Paradigm and Development of the 3C Framework to Build Critical Competency for a Paradigm Shift
Authors: O’Hara Lily , Taylor Jane
Published: May 2018

Discourse about health that focuses predominantly on body weight is referred to as the weight-centered health paradigm (WCHP). In recent years, there has been a significant increase in critical analysis of the WCHP. This has resulted in arguments for a paradigm shift away from focusing on weight and focusing instead on health and well-being. The aim of this study was to identify, critique, and synthesize the values, claims, and assumptions of the WCHP and to develop a framework to be used as a heuristic for building competency to critique the WCHP. Qualitative content analysis of the literature was used to identify themes, relationships between themes, and structure of the framework. The resulting WCHP 3C Framework encompasses the context, critiques, and consequences of the WCHP. The context includes the promulgators and tenets of the WCHP. Critiques of the WCHP raise ideological, empirical, and technical concerns. Consequences of the WCHP include an enhanced adipophobicogenic environment, reduced health and well-being, and reduced quality of life. If used as a heuristic to enhance critical competence, the WCHP 3C Framework may help contribute to a paradigm shift in weight science.
Mediators and Mechanisms
Authors: Tryon Warren W.
Published: May 2018

Mediators are widely thought to be mechanisms. Mediation is to mechanism what correlation is to causation. Statistical evidence of mediation is necessary but not sufficient evidence of mechanism just as statistical evidence of correlation is necessary but not sufficient evidence of cause. Mechanisms also require evidence of causation and an explanation regarding how and why mediation works in terms of a series of causal steps in order to have explanatory value. Otgaar, Muris Howe, and Merckelbach made a case for an associative activation psychological mechanism. This article further advances the case for an associative activation mechanism by showing that it is an important parallel distributed processing mechanism in the connectionist neural network models introduced by Rumelhart and McClelland.
Responsiveness of the EQ-5D-3L in elective shoulder surgery: Does it adequately represent patient experience?
Authors: Evans J , Dattani Rupen , Ramasamy Vijayaraj , Patel Vipul
Published: May 2018

Aim:

Generic patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) allow comparison of health-related quality of life across populations and pathologies. For these comparisons to be valid, the PROM must be responsive; the score must change when the patient’s quality of life changes. This study aims to assess the responsiveness of the EQ-5D-three level (3L) in elective shoulder surgery.

Methods:

Pre- and post-operative EQ-5D-3L and Oxford Shoulder Scores (OSS) were prospectively collected across a range of 204 elective shoulder surgeries. Internal responsiveness was assessed through significance testing of mean change scores and standardized response means (SRMs). External responsiveness of the EQ-5D-3L was assessed against the minimal clinically important difference in OSS, using receiver operating characteristic curve and change score correlation.

Results:

Both EQ-5D-3L and OSS scores improved significantly over time ( p < 0.05). The SRM for the EQ-5D was 1.27 (95% CI 1.14–1.41) and for OSS 2.36 (2.22–2.52). Area under the curve for EQ-5D was 0.49. Only a weak correlation was found between EQ-5D and OSS change scores ( r = 0.21).

Discussion:

The EQ-5D-3L is adequately internally responsive to change following elective shoulder surgery but is unable to differentiate patients demonstrating minimal clinically important change. The EQ-5D therefore only partially reflects patient experience.
Panel Data Analysis of Financial Development, Trade Openness, and Economic Growth: Evidence from BRICS Countries
Authors: Rani Ritu , Kumar Naresh
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this article is to investigate the possible cointegration and direction of causality between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, trade openness, and economic growth in BRICS countries using panel data from 1993 to 2015. Besides these variables, money supply and domestic credit (DC) to private players are also added in the model to examine the impact of financial openness on economic growth. The Pedroni’s panel cointegration test is used to examine the existence of long-run relationship, and coefficients of cointegration are examined by fully modified ordinary least square (FMOLS) and dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS). Further panel Granger causality test is used to examine the direction of causality among the competing variables. The results of Pedroni’s panel cointegration test indicate that there exists a long-run relationship among the variables under considerations in BRICS countries. The coefficient of FMOLS and DOLS indicates that trade openness has a positive impact on economic growth in BRICS countries while FDI inflow has a negative impact in these nations. In addition, the results of panel Granger causality confirmed bidirectional causality between FDI inflow and economic growth in the short run. The study recommends that BRICS countries should liberalize trade openness as it strengthens the position of member countries in the world economy.
Search Engine, Inc.: Growth Versus Exit Strategy for a Mature Tech Start-Up
Authors: Holstein Adora D.
Published: May 2018

This case is about an information technology start-up that has grown into a global tech company in 10 years with revenue growth of 35.4% from 2008 to 2011. However, during that same period, four major competitors were acquired by integrated search providers like Microsoft and Oracle. These firms integrate enterprise search into broader information services like data mining, analytic, and predictive services. This case enables students to role-play as a consulting team hired by Search Engine, Inc.’s Board to assess the company’s strengths and weaknesses relative to its changing competitive environment and to evaluate whether industry consolidation should be viewed as a threat to its long-term viability or as an opportunity for further growth. If the team recommends selling the company, it needs to identify a potential buyer who would benefit the most from synergistic effects of acquiring their technology, talents, and clients. If the team recommends a growth strategy, it has to specify whether the company should grow within the specialized search market or compete in the integrated search market and whether to finance such growth with private equity or with an IPO. Whether a growth or exit strategy is recommended, the team needs to come up with a fair market valuation.
Improvement of Practice in Entrepreneurship Education Through Action Research: The Case of Coworking at a Nonresidential College
Authors: Winkler Christoph , Saltzman Ethlyn , Yang Shu
Published: May 2018

This study applies action research (AR)—defined as a cyclical process of continuous improvement of practical and real-life problems—to investigate the evolution of a voluntary, noncredit, collaborative coworking environment for student entrepreneurs at a nonresidential college. The goal of the article is to illustrate how entrepreneurship educators can use AR as a catalyst to continuously improve entrepreneurship education environments based on a deeper understanding of students’ needs and entrepreneurial development levels. We conclude with a general reflection about the AR project and the implications of AR to the larger entrepreneurship education context.
RhoA G17V is sufficient to induce autoimmunity and promotes T-cell lymphomagenesis in mice
Authors: Ng Samuel Y. , Brown Leon , Stevenson Kristen , deSouza Tiffany , Aster Jon C. , Louissaint Abner , Weinstock David M.
Published: May 2018

Key Points

Expression of RhoA G17V in CD4+ cells results in cellular and humoral autoimmunity. RhoA G17V expression with Tet2 loss induces T-cell lymphomas with features of AITL.
Indoor mould exposure, asthma and rhinitis: findings from systematic reviews and recent longitudinal studies
Authors: Caillaud Denis , Leynaert Benedicte , Keirsbulck Marion , Nadif Rachel
Published: May 2018

Starting from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and World Health Organization (WHO) reports, this review provides an overview of the literature published from 2006 to 2017 on the associations between indoor mould exposure and asthma and rhinitis separately in children and adults with a focus on longitudinal epidemiological studies.

A systematic search of peer-reviewed literature was performed, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, longitudinal, incident case–control and panel studies. 61 publications were identified reporting visible mould or mould odour or quantitative assessment of culturable fungi or mould species.

In children, visible mould and mould odour were associated with the development and exacerbations of asthma, providing sufficient evidence of a causal relationship. Results from population-based studies in adults were too few and divergent to conclude at more than a limited level of evidence. Exposure to mould in a work building was associated with the incidence and exacerbations of occupational asthma, and we concluded at a sufficient evidence for an association. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and longitudinal studies on the relationships between mould exposure and allergic rhinitis provide sufficient evidence of an association.

This review extended the conclusions of the IOM and WHO reports, and highlighted the need for further longitudinal studies on asthma in adults, and on rhinitis.
Treatment-Free Survival in Patients With Differentiated Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Banerjee Mousumi , Reyes-Gastelum David , Haymart Megan R
Published: May 2018

Objective

Cancer recurrence is a primary concern for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer; however, population-level data on recurrent or persistent disease do not currently exist. The objective of this study was to determine treated recurrent or persistent thyroid cancer by using a population-based registry, identify correlates of poor treatment-free survival, and define prognostic groups for treatment-free survival.

Methods

In this population-based study, we evaluated treatment-free survival in 9273 patients from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program–Medicare with a diagnosis of differentiated thyroid cancer between 1998 and 2012. Treated recurrence was defined by treatment of recurrent or persistent differentiated thyroid cancer with surgery, radioactive iodine, or radiation therapy at ≥1 year after diagnosis. Multivariable analysis was performed with Cox proportional hazards regression, survival trees, and random survival forests.

Results

In this cohort the median patient age at time of diagnosis was 69 years, and 75% of the patients were female. Using survival tree analyses, we identified five distinct prognostic groups (P < 0.001), with a prediction accuracy of 88.7%. The 5-year treatment-free survival rates of these prognostic groups were 96%, 91%, 85%, 72%, and 52%, respectively, and the 10-year treatment-free survival rates were 94%, 87%, 80%, 64%, and 39%. Based on survival forest analysis, the most important factors for predicting treatment-free survival were stage, tumor size, and receipt of radioactive iodine.

Conclusion

In this population-based cohort, five prognostic groups for treatment-free survival were identified. Understanding treatment-free survival has implications for the care and long-term surveillance of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.
Drama as a community engagement strategy for malaria in rural Cambodia
Authors: Lim Renly , Tripura Rupam , J Peto Thomas , Sareth Ma , Sanann Nou , Davoeung Chan , Nguon Chea , Cheah Phaik Yeong
Published: May 2018

Background: Countries in Southeast Asia are working to eliminate multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria, a major cause of mortality in tropical regions. Malaria is declining but transmission persists in many rural areas and among forest workers and isolated populations. In these remote communities, conventional health services and education are limited. Mobilising and educating these populations require new approaches as many people are illiterate and do not attend village meetings. This article describes a qualitative study to assess the feasibility of a drama project as a community engagement strategy.

Methods: A drama project was conducted in twenty villages in Cambodia with three key messages: to use insecticide-treated bednets and repellents, to get early diagnosis and treatment, and to learn about risks of forest-acquired malaria. Qualitative interviews were conducted with the drama team members, village malaria workers, local health staffs and villagers, to explore the feasibility of using drama to engage the community and the associated challenges.

Results: 29 people were interviewed, which included 18 semi-structured interviews and one focus group discussion. Analysis of the interviews resulted in development of the following seven themes: i) exposure to malaria and engagement activities, ii) readiness and barriers to participation, iii) understanding and learning about malaria using drama, iv) entertainment value and engagement method preferences, v) challenges to community engagement, vi) future participation and vii) sustainability. The event saw a very positive response, with an encouraging average participation rate of 66%. The project faced several challenges including logistic problems, rescheduling due to raining season, and time- and budget-constraints.

Conclusions: Our evaluation demonstrated that the drama project was feasible in promoting awareness and understanding of malaria prevention and control. Audience members perceived drama as entertaining and as the preferred choice of engagement activity. Participatory drama could be considered as part of the community engagement for malaria elimination.
PERSPECTIVES OF THE GEOINFORMATION SYSTEMS USAGE IN THE SUNFLOWER CULTIVATION TECHNOLOGY FOR OILSEEDS IN THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN
Authors: Низамов Рустам , Nizamov Rustam , Сулейманов Салават , Suleymanov Salavat , Сафиоллин Фаик , Safiollin Faik , Миннуллин Геннадий , Minnullin Gennadiy
Published: May 2018

In the Republic of Tatarstan sunflower is cultivated on an area of 100 or more thousands of hectares and tends to grow as a high-margin crop. Therefore, the introduction of resource-saving sunflower cultivation technology, which provides 25-30 centners per hectare of high-quality, environmentally safe oilseeds based on planning and operational management of crops, taking into account the results of geoinformation systems of intrafield variability of plant habitat, is an actual problem of the modern agro-industrial complex of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Russian Federation as a whole. In addition, the differentiated application of mineral fertilizers, soil cultivation to the optimum depth, precise sowing with respect to the parameters between the rows and the distance between the seeds in the rows, sealing the seeds to the same depth, optimizing plant care, predicting and harvesting losses without loss real under conditions of wide use of GIS-technologies in agriculture. In this regard, this article looks at promising areas of application of GIS technologies in the production of sunflower oilseeds.
MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF INTERACTION OF FREE ROLLING FLAT DISK WITH SOIL
Authors: Акимов Александр , Akimov Aleksandr , Константинов Юрий , Konstantinov Yuriy , Мазяров Владимир , Mazyarov Vladimir
Published: May 2018

When constructing a mathematical model for the interaction of a free-rotating plane disk with soil, it is necessary to take into account that the magnitude of its kinematic parameter, equal to the ratio of its circumferential velocity to the speed of translational movement of the disk, is not a given quantity, but a definite quantity. With uniform rotation of the disk and its translational movement at a constant speed, the kinematic parameter is determined from the equilibrium equation of external forces, applied to the disk. The generalized mathematical model of disk-soil interaction, proposed earlier, was taken into account, but in view of relative complexity it was not widely used. The aim of the study is to construct a simpler, but adequate mathematical model for the interaction of a free-spinning disc with soil. The model is constructed under the assumptions of the constancy of the translational velocity of the disk, the permanence of its penetration and the possibility of replacing the pressure on the disc’s lateral surfaces with its mean value and replacing the force per unit length of the blade with its mean value. Since the distribution of the elementary forces of soil reactions is ultimately determined by the distribution of the absolute velocities of the points of the disk in contact with the soil, the resultant reactions of the soil and their total moment are functions of the kinematic parameter of the disk and its relative burial. These functions are given by integrals, that are not expressed in terms of elementary functions by a finite number of operations. However, the proximity of the kinematic parameter of the free-spinning disk to unity makes it possible, with the help of an estimate of these integrals, to obtain approximate expressions in terms of elementary functions for the resultant reactions of the soil and their total angular momentum. It is shown that the accuracy of the approximations obtained is sufficient for engineering practice.
Evaluation Of Zinc-Bearing Palygorskite Effects on Growth Performance, Nutrient Retention, Meat Quality, and Zinc Accumulation in Blunt Snout Bream Megalobrama Amblycephala
Authors: Zhang Ruiqiang , Zhou Yanmin , Jiang Xueying , Chen Yueping , Wen Chao , Liu Wenbin , Jiang Ying
Published: May 2018

Zinc (Zn) is widely known as an essential trace element for fish and new ways to supply it to them are needed. Palygorskite (Pal) is a natural silicate clay mineral and the palygorskite structure contains nano-channels, which are filled with water and exchangeable ions. Zn-bearing palygorskites (Zn-Pal) prepared using ion exchange have attracted attention due to the durable antibacterial properties that limit pathogens and as a potential new Zn source for livestock. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Zn-Pal supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient retention, meat quality, Zn accumulation, and intestinal Zn transporter protein gene expression in blunt snout bream Megalobrama amblycephala. The fish were fed a basal diet without an exogenous Zn source and the basal diet was supplemented with 125 mg/kg Zn as Zn sulfate (ZnSO4) or 35, 80, or 125 mg/kg Zn as Zn-Pal. Each diet was tested using three replicates for 7 weeks. The results showed that dietary Zn-Pal supplementation quadratically (P<0.05) increased growth performance, nutrient retention, total and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase activity, Zn content in scales, and intestinal Zn transporter protein gene expression. The muscular cooking loss in blunt snout bream decreased with the optimum Zn-Pal Zn level of 35 mg/kg. Compared to the fish treated with ZnSO4, the fish supplemented with 35 mg/kg as Zn-Pal exhibited similar growth performance and nutrient retention (P>0.05), increased mRNA expression of the metal-response element-binding transcription factor-1 in the intestine (P<0.05), and decreased cooking loss of muscle (P<0.05).The results suggested that 35 mg/kg Zn supplementation as Zn-Pal could improve the growth performance and body composition, increase nutrient retention and tissue Zn concentrations, enhance the muscle water-holding capacity, and enhance antioxidant status in blunt snout bream. The Zn-Pal was more efficient and could be used as an alternative Zn source to ZnSO4 in the diet of blunt snout bream.
El pasado y sus enemigos. Sobre la inactualidad de lo contemporáneo
Authors: Hernández Domingo
Published: May 2018

Este artículo trata de examinar el significado actual de las heterocronías, los anacronismos y otras interrupciones del tiempo histórico. Se intenta con ello investigar qué sucede cuando el material de la historia, es decir, la memoria y el pasado, se convierten en pura actualidad al transmitirse mediante todo tipo de versiones y reciclajes culturales. El objetivo final es distinguir entre un pasado que sólo permite su recuerdo y otro en el que, peligrosamente, parece que se recuerda mientras se percibe.
Ultrasound-Assisted Ultra-Mild-Acid Hydrolisis of -Carrageenan
Authors: Ratnawati Ratnawati , Indriyani Nita
Published: May 2018

The low molecular weight fraction of κ-carrageenan is useful in biomedical applications. An ultrasound-assisted acid hydrolysis of κ-carrageenan has been studied. κ-carrageenan with an initial number-average molecular weight of 629 kDa was dispersed in distilled water to form a 5 g/l solution. The pH (3 and 6) of the solution was adjusted by adding HCl solution. The depolymerization reaction was carried out in an ultrasonic device at various temperatures (30, 40, 50, and 60°C) and times (8, 16, 24, and 32 min). The experimental results showed that ultrasound positively contributed to acid hydrolysis process. The number-average molecular weight of the treated k-carrageenan was lower or the percentage of reduction was higher at lower pH, longer reaction time, and higher temperature. The lowest number-average molecular weight (14 kDa) or the highest percent of molecular weight reduction reduction (97.7%) was achieved after ultrasonic irradiation at 60°C and pH 3 for 32 min. Keywords: depolymerization; midpoint scission; ultrasonication
A new proof of Kirchberg's 𝒪2-stable classification
Authors: Gabe James
Published: May 2018

I present a new proof of Kirchberg’s

𝒪
2

\mathcal{O}_{2}

-stable classification theorem: two separable, nuclear, stable/unital,

𝒪
2

\mathcal{O}_{2}

-stable

C
∗

C^{\ast}

-algebras are isomorphic if and only if their ideal lattices are order isomorphic, or equivalently, their primitive ideal spaces are homeomorphic.
Many intermediate results do not depend on pure infiniteness of any sort.