bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New and little known earthworm species from the Mt. Nimba, Guinea (Oligochaeta, Acanthodrilidae: Benhamiinae)
Authors: CSUZDI CSABA , GUEI MARTINEZ ARNAUTH , TONDOH JÉRÔME EBAGNERIN
Published: July 2019

A recent survey in the main habitat types of Mt. Nimba, Guinea (upland prairie, Serengbara forest and piedmont savannah) resulted in recording of 13 earthworm species of which 9 are first reported after the original description and three, Dichogaster (Dichogaster) cornuta sp. n., Guineoscolex geminatus sp. n. and Guineoscolex ungulatus sp. n., proved to be new to science. On the basis of the new material collected Benhamia inaequalis f. nimbai Omodeo is redescribed and resurrected from synonymy of Guineoscolex inaequalis (Michaelsen) as an independent species Guineoscolex nimbai (Omodeo). With 17 original figures.
Revision of the South American species of Hagenulopsis Ulmer and Askola Peters (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) with description of six new species
Authors: DOMÍNGUEZ EDUARDO , MOLINERI CARLOS , MARIANO RODOLFO
Published: July 2019

The South American species of the genera Askola and Hagenulopsis are revised. Three new species of Askola from Brazil are described based on male imagos. Askola emmerichi sp. nov. and A. paprockii sp. nov. present spotted wings, but differ in general coloration and details of genitalia; Askola cipoensis sp. nov. is easily distinguished because the male eyes being widely separated on meson of head. Three new species of Hagenulopsis are also described: H. lipeo (from Argentina and Bolivia) and H. zunigae (from Colombia), both described from imagos and nymphs, can be recognized by details of coloration and male genitalia. H. esmeralda sp. nov. from Ecuador, described from imagos, shows a distinct male genitalia and translucent male abdomen. A key to species for the the male and female imagos of Askola and Hagenulopsis species is provided.
A review of the cellar spider genus Psilochorus Simon 1893 in America north of Mexico (Araneae: Pholcidae)
Authors: SLOWIK JOZEF
Published: July 2019

The genus Psilochorus Simon, 1893 is reviewed for America north of Mexico. Nineteen species, five of which are new, are described, illustrated, mapped, and a key is provided for identification. Species included are: P. acantus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942; P. apicalis Banks, 1921 (=P. gertschi Schenkel, 1950, new synonym); P. bantus Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942; P. californiae Chamberlin, 1919; P. coloradensis new species; P. concolor new species; P. hesperus Gertsch and Ivie, 1936; P. hooki new species; P. imitatus Gertsch and Mulaik, 1940; P. inyo new species; P. pallidulus Gertsch, 1935 (= P. coahuilanus Gertsch and Davis, 1937, new synonym); P. papago Gertsch and Davis, 1942; P. pullulus (Hentz, 1850); P. redemptus Gertsch and Mulaik, 1940; P. rockefelleri Gertsch, 1935; P. simoni (Berland, 1911) (= P. simplicior Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942, new synonym); P. topanga Chamberlin and Ivie, 1942; P. texanus new species; P. utahensis Chamberlin, 1919. Information on P. cornutus (Keyserling, 1887) is examined and the species is declared nomen dubium.
Oukuriella pesae, a new species of sponge-dwelling chironomid (Insecta: Diptera) from Amazonia, Brazil
Authors: FUSARI LÍVIA MARIA , ROQUE FABIO O. , HAMADA NEUSA
Published: July 2019

The larva, pupa, male and female of a new Neotropical chironomid species, Oukuriella pesae, are described and illustrated. The larvae were found in freshwater sponge colonies of Oncosclera navicella (Carter, 1881) in Amazonian streams. The morphological characteristics of the larval head and the presence of fine particles in the larval gut contents suggest that the larvae probably feed on the sponge tissue or on other animals that live inside the sponges. Oukuriella Epler, 1986 is currently divided into three species groups, but Oukuriella pesae does not fit any of them.
The genus Acledra Signoret, 1864 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Chile
Authors: FAÚNDEZ EDUARDO I. , VERDEJO LEYLA M.
Published: July 2019

The Chilean species of the genus Acledra Signoret, 1864 are listed, an identification key is provided, and new distributional records are recorded. A. gregalis Berg, 1878 is for the first time cited for Chile, and the biology, taxonomy, and nomenclature of the genus are commented upon.
A new species of hynobiid salamander (Urodela: Hynobiidae: Pseudohynobius) from Southwestern China
Authors: WEI GANG , XIONG JIAN-LI , HOU MIAN , ZENG XIAO-MAO
Published: July 2019

A new species of hynobiid salamander, Pseudohynobius jinfo, is described from Mt. Jinfo, Nanchuan County, Chongqing Municipality, southwestern China. The new species is unique in having a longer tail than in the other species of the genus. Other diagnostic characters include 8–9 vomerine teeth on each side, which distinguishes the new species from P. flavomaculatus and P. kuankuoshuiensis, and the presence of small yellow dorsal spots, and the fore and hind limbs merely meeting when adpressed, which distinguish the new species from P. shuichengensis. A species identification key for the genus Pseudohynobius is also provided.
Discovery of leaf-mining Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera) in Colombia and their distribution in the Neotropics
Authors: STONIS JONAS R. , DIŠKUS ARŪNAS , VARGAS SERGIO A.
Published: July 2019

This is the first report of the family Tischeriidae in Colombia. We describe two new species recently discovered in the department of Valle del Cauca in southwestern Colombia: Astrotischeria ochrimaculosa Diškus, Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov., and A. colombiana Stonis & Vargas, sp. nov. The latter is a leaf miner of Asteraceae, while A. ochrimaculosa is trophically associated with Malvaceae. Astrotischeria colombiana is known only from Colombia, but A. ochrimaculosa is more widely distributed from Colombia to Peru. The new species are illustrated with photographs of their habitats, adults, male and female genitalia, and leaf mines. We comment on the rarity of tischeriids in collections and their current known distribution in the Neotropics.
First report of the spider genus Symphytognatha from Asia (Araneae, Symphytognathidae)
Authors: LIN YUCHENG
Published: July 2019

Symphytognatha Hickman, 1931 was originally erected by Hickman (1931) as the type genus of the spider family Symphytognathidae. Forster and Platnick (1977) reviewed the family and proposed a diagnosis for Symphytognatha: almost completely fused chelicerae with a visible suture line and multidentate superior claws on legs I and II (but not on legs III and IV). Currently this genus contains 14 species (World Spider Catalog 2019), mainly widespread in South Africa (Griswold 1987), Oceania (Hickman 1931, Forster & Platnick 1977, Platnick 1979, Harvey 1992, 2001), and Central and South America (Balogh & Loksa 1968, Forster & Platnick 1977, Georgescu 1988, Brescovit, Álvares & Lopes 2004, Dupérré & Tapia 2017).
Make-Up Therapy for Patients With Facial Nerve Palsy
Authors: Fujiwara Keishi , Furuta Yasushi , Aoki Wakae , Nakamaru Yuji , Morita Shinya , Hoshino Kimiko , Fukuda Atsushi , Homma Akihiro
Published: July 2019

Objectives:

To investigate the effectiveness of make-up therapy for patients with facial nerve palsy.

Methods:

Seven female patients with facial nerve palsy who received specialist make-up therapy were enrolled. The objective of the make-up therapy was to obtain a symmetrical facial appearance.

Results:

Overall score for the Facial Clinimetric Evaluation (FaCE) scale was significantly improved after make-up therapy. There was a tendency for symptoms of depression to be improved among patients after make-up therapy.

Conclusion:

Make-up therapy to improve the symmetry of facial appearance could afford a noninvasive and low-cost treatment for patients with facial nerve palsy, especially in terms of patient quality of life and psychological condition.
A Closer Look at the Limits of Consociationalism
Authors: Wilson Matthew Charles
Published: July 2019

Although scholars agree that ethnically divided societies are generally more prone to political violence, critics of consociationalism suggest that proportional representation and parliamentarism provide poor solutions for ethnically heterogeneous settings. I argue that extant findings about the impacts of powersharing institutions on conflict likelihood assume that institutions have a linear relationship with ethnic diversity, whereas in reality, the relationship is more complex. I demonstrate that proportional representation and parliamentarism are associated with an increased likelihood of civil conflict at mid-range levels of diversity but are associated with a decreased risk of conflict in more extremely divided settings, while federalism is independently associated with greater conflict risk at higher levels of ethnic heterogeneity. The results underscore that the peace-promoting effects of institutions may depend on how polarized societies are, encouraging scholars to think more seriously about the effectiveness of consociationalism for mitigating violence where there is greater ethnic diversity.
The Purposes of Refugee Education: Policy and Practice of Including Refugees in National Education Systems
Authors: Dryden-Peterson Sarah , Adelman Elizabeth , Bellino Michelle J. , Chopra Vidur
Published: July 2019

This article explores the understood purposes of refugee education at global, national, and school levels. To do so, we focus on a radical shift in global policy to integrate refugees into national education systems and the processes of vernacularization accompanying its widespread implementation. We use a comparative case study approach; our dataset comprises global policy documents and original interviews ( n = 147) and observations in 14 refugee-hosting nation-states. We analyze how the purposes of refugee education are understood and acted upon by actors occupying diverse positions across these nation-states and over time. We demonstrate that the articulated purposes of refugee education are oriented toward possible futures for refugees, and they presuppose refugees’ access to quality education, social belonging, and economic opportunities. Yet we find that across nation-states of exile, refugees’ access to these resources is tenuous. Our findings suggest reconceptualizing refugee education to reflect how refugees are simultaneously embedded within multiple national contexts and to address the exclusions they face within each one. This study of refugee education has implications for understanding the purposes of education in other ever-more-common contexts of uncertainty, including the rapid economic and social changes brought about by migration, globalization, and technology. Empirically, understanding the purposes of refugee education is critical in a time of unprecedented forced migration.
The ‘reverse bamboo network’: Sociocultural dialectics of China’s FDI in housing (FDIH) in Iskandar Malaysia
Authors: Hamzah Hasniyati
Published: July 2019

The ‘bamboo network’ is used to conceptualise the investment flow into China from the Chinese diaspora, particularly those who resided in South-east Asia. However, global economic events have decimated the wealth of overseas Chinese whilst mainland Chinese businesses prospered, resulting in what is now reimagined as the ‘reverse bamboo network’. In Iskandar Malaysia (IM), which is a transnational economic region bordering Singapore, the foreign direct investment in housing (FDIH) from China has surpassed that of IM’s more prosperous neighbour Singapore, yet the interscalar interactions between market and actors in FDIH have yet to be unpacked. The aim of this paper is to examine how mainland Chinese developers operate within a bamboo network country by arguing that the similar socioculture helps in moderating institutionalised barriers, such as the unfamiliar legal framework and local personnel management. Framed by the ‘reverse bamboo network’ argument and underpinned by the sociocultural explanation, this paper explains the spatial and business transformations caused by FDIH from China. Data and information from desk research and fieldwork are used to construct macro-, meso- and micro-level dialectics in the paper. Ultimately, this paper argues that the sociocultural dialectic provides a complementary explanation of transnational shapers of the urban space in IM, and having political and cultural allies in the host country could tremendously improve business operations of international developers.
The HCCH Judgments Convention in Australian Law
Authors: Douglas Michael , Keyes Mary , McKibbin Sarah , Mortensen Reid
Published: July 2019

In May 2018, the Hague Conference on Private International Law (‘HCCH’) produced a draft convention for the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. A Diplomatic Session of the HCCH is expected to take place in 2019 at which this draft ‘Judgments Convention’ will be presented. If a multilateral convention emerges from the Diplomatic Session, Australia is likely to be an early adopter: the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department conducted a public consultation on the draft Judgments Convention in 2018. Against that background, this article considers the impact of implementation of the Judgments Convention in Australia. It is argued that domestic legislation that emerges from the Judgments Convention will deliver an overdue refurbishment of the Australian law relating to the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments. Australia’s adoption of the Judgments Convention ought to be welcomed.
Managing the Growth of Peer Review at the Royal Society Journals, 1865-1965
Authors: Fyfe Aileen , Squazzoni Flaminio , Torny Didier , Dondio Pierpaolo
Published: July 2019

This article examines the evolution of peer review and the modern editorial processes of scholarly journals by analyzing a novel data set derived from the Royal Society’s archives and covering 1865-1965, that is, the historical period in which refereeing (not yet known as peer review) became firmly established. Our analysis reveals how the Royal Society’s editorial processes coped with both an increasing reliance on refereeing and a growth in submissions, while maintaining collective responsibility and minimizing research waste. By engaging more of its fellows in editorial activity, the society was able to establish an equilibrium of number of submissions per reviewer that was relatively stable over time. Nevertheless, our analysis shows that the distribution of editorial work was significantly uneven. Our findings reveal interesting parallels with current concerns about the scale and distribution of peer review work and suggest the strategic importance of the management of the editorial process to achieve a creative mix of community commitment and professional responsibility that is essential in contemporary journals.
Putting Problematization to the Test of Our Present
Authors: Stengers Isabelle
Published: July 2019

At the end of his life, Michel Foucault wrote of ‘problematization’ as what he had done all along. Yet some commentators see a ‘new’ Foucault emerging together with this term. This essay accepts the last hypothesis and connects it with the French scene, where problematization was already familiar, and its use under tension. Starting with Bachelard, problematization was related with a polemic epistemological stance, but its reprise by Gilles Deleuze turned it into an affirmative theme dramatizing the creation of problems. Situating Foucault’s problematization in this philosophical line permits us to develop the relation he proposed between problematization and the test of contemporary reality on the thinker. This paper will put problematization itself to the test of our present, that is, to the prospect of the social-ecological devastation associated with climate disorder. Both following and betraying Foucault with the help of Whitehead and Haraway, problematization will then be related to the power of sensible events, a power which requires allowing oneself to be touched, and allowing what touches us the power to modify the relation we entertain to our own reasons.
Practitioner-Implemented Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions: Systematic Review of Social Validity Practices
Authors: D’Agostino Sophia R. , Douglas Sarah N. , Dueñas Ana D.
Published: July 2019

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) are evidence-based interventions implemented by the adults in a child’s natural environment (e.g., by practitioners in classrooms). The social validity of this body of research may have an impact on the maintenance of practitioner implementation of NDBIs. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the components (i.e., goals, procedures, and outcomes) and features of social validation assessment practices within studies where researchers trained practitioners to implement an NDBI with young children with disabilities in early childhood classroom contexts. Results of the systematic review indicated that social validity assessment within practitioner-implemented NDBI studies is lacking. Of the 23 studies identified, only 12 studies reported social validity assessment(s). Findings also highlight a lack of comprehensive social validity assessment and frequent use of biased respondents. An in-depth analysis of social validity assessment methods and features, as well as recommendations for the field, is provided.
Social Validity Assessment in Behavior Interventions for Young Children: A Systematic Review
Authors: Park Eun-Young , Blair Kwang-Sun Cho
Published: July 2019

We sought to identify, examine, and summarize empirical literature focused on early childhood behavior interventions examined using a single case research designs (SCD) and published between 2001 and 2018. Using systematic procedures, 28 studies that met established inclusion criteria were identified, reviewed, and compared with respect to general and social validity assessment characteristics of SCD studies on behavior interventions for young children with problem behavior. The findings of the current review suggest: (a) promoting implementation fidelity through implementation support to improve social validity outcomes, (b) providing guidelines for timing and frequency of social validity assessment, and (c) development of social validity assessment tools designed to assess each of the social validity dimensions (i.e., goals, procedures, and outcomes).
MRI evaluation of cerebrovascular reactivity in obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Wu Pei-Hsin , Rodríguez-Soto Ana E , Rodgers Zachary B , Englund Erin K , Wiemken Andrew , Langham Michael C , Detre John A , Schwab Richard J , Guo Wensheng , Wehrli Felix W
Published: July 2019

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by intermittent obstruction of the airways during sleep. Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is an index of cerebral vessels' ability to respond to a vasoactive stimulus, such as increased CO2. We hypothesized that OSA alters CVR, expressed as a breath-hold index (BHI) defined as the rate of change in CBF or BOLD signal during a controlled breath-hold stimulus mimicking spontaneous apneas by being both hypercapnic and hypoxic. In 37 OSA and 23 matched non sleep apnea (NSA) subjects, we obtained high temporal resolution CBF and BOLD MRI data before, during, and between five consecutive BH stimuli of 24 s, each averaged to yield a single BHI value. Greater BHI was observed in OSA relative to NSA as derived from whole-brain CBF (78.6 ± 29.6 vs. 60.0 ± 20.0 mL/min2/100 g, P = 0.010) as well as from flow velocity in the superior sagittal sinus (0.48 ± 0.18 vs. 0.36 ± 0.10 cm/s2, P = 0.014). Similarly, BOLD-based BHI was greater in OSA in whole brain (0.19 ± 0.08 vs. 0.15 ± 0.03%/s, P = 0.009), gray matter (0.22 ± 0.09 vs. 0.17 ± 0.03%/s, P = 0.011), and white matter (0.14 ± 0.06 vs. 0.10 ± 0.02%/s, P = 0.010). The greater CVR is not currently understood but may represent a compensatory mechanism of the brain to maintain oxygen supply during intermittent apneas.
Comparing 2% lidocaine gel (Dispogel and Cathejell) in cystoscopy
Authors: Ucar Muharrem , Oguz Fatih , Gecit Ilhan , Aydogan Mustafa Said
Published: July 2019

Objective

Cystoscopy is a common urologic procedure. Analgesics are often used to reduce any pain associated with this procedure. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy in reducing pain and the cost-effectiveness of two forms of lidocaine gel in patients undergoing cystoscopy.

Methods

In this double-blind, randomized clinical trial, 77 male patients who were referred for double J removal, urethral dilatation, or cystoscopy were enrolled. The patients were divided into two groups: Dispogel and Cathejell. All patients received 20 mL of intraurethral lidocaine gel 2% and cystoscopy was performed 5 minutes thereafter. The primary outcome was the pain score (visual analogue scale, VAS) during and 5 minutes after cystoscopy.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences between the VAS scores, blood pressure, and pulse rate in the groups in either observation period. No patient required additional anesthetic agents or sedatives for insufficient pain relief.

Conclusion

The results of this study show that the analgesic efficacy of Dispogel and Cathejell in the treatment of pain during and after elective cystoscopy was the same, but Dispogel was more cost-effective.
A low-cost, high-speed, multi-channel Arduino-based data acquisition system for wind turbine systems
Authors: Bradney David , Evans Samuel , Chu Mu , Clausen Philip
Published: July 2019

Commercially available high-speed multi-channel data acquisition systems can be expensive to purchase and are generally difficult to tailor to specific applications. Arduino is an open-source prototyping platform that facilitates the design and build of computer controlled systems for a wide variety of uses. This article describes in detail several separate high-speed data acquisition systems that have been integrated to simultaneously acquire data from sensors on the rotor, platform and tower of an operating 5 kW horizontal-axis wind turbine along with wind speed and direction data. Due to the presence of strong magnetic fields at the turbine site, turbine direction and yaw rate were measured using high-definition visual footage from a GoPro® and analysed in a MATLAB script. The processed data from the GoPro system was time-aligned with data from the Arduino-based systems allowing the response of the turbine to be analysed in detail.
Role of the Th1 and Th17 Pathway in Subacute Sclerosing Panencephalitis
Authors: Uygun Dilara F. Kocacık , Uygun Vedat , Burgucu Durmuş , Ekinci Nilüfer Çiçek , Sallakçı Nilgün , Filiz Serkan , Köksoy Sadi , Haspolat Şenay , Yeğin Olcay
Published: July 2019

Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a progressive and fatal disease caused by reactivation of a mutated measles virus in brain tissue. The process of reactivation is yet to be elucidated. In this study, the possible roles of the Th1 (interleukin [IL]-12, interferon [IFN]-γ) and the Th17 axis (IL-23, IL-17, IL-22), particularly of IL-17, in the pathogenesis of SSPE were investigated. Briefly, mononuclear cells from SSPE patients were stimulated using measles virus peptide, and the release of IL-12, IL-23, IL-22, IFN-γ, and IL-17 cytokines was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and/or enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISpot). We found that in comparison to the mononuclear cells obtained from healthy donors, cells from SSPE patients exhibited increased levels of IL-12, IL-23, IL-17, IL-22, and IFN-γ cytokines in response to measles virus stimulation. However, the same result was not obtained with cytomegalovirus and phytohemagglutinin. Using flow cytometry, mononuclear cells obtained from SSPE patients and healthy controls were also analyzed for the presence of intracellular IL-17 in response to measles virus stimulation. On stimulation, the number of IL-17-positive cells were found to be higher among mononuclear cells obtained from the patients. In addition, the numbers of IL-17- and IFN-γ-positive cells were significantly increased in SSPE patients. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that both the IL-12/IFN-γ and the IL-23/IL-17/IL-22 pathways are functionally abnormal in SSPE pathogenesis. Targeting these pathways and their specific pro-inflammatory mediator production may provide a new strategy to suppress SSPE development.
Finding a Common Ground: Therapist Responsiveness to Male Clients Who Have Acted Violently Against Their Female Partner
Authors: Lømo Bente , Haavind Hanne , Tjersland Odd Arne
Published: July 2019

Men in treatment for intimate partner violence (IPV) do often present with problem formulations that do not fit the therapeutic endeavor of personal change and may, therefore, challenge therapists in their effort to build an alliance. However, the therapist’s initial contributions are also likely to influence whether the client finds it worthwhile to become involved in a working alliance. In a qualitative study of the in-session interactions between experienced therapists and men in IPV individual therapy, we looked for variations in therapist responsiveness to the client’s initial invitations to identify whether and, eventually, how the two parties were able to reach common ground for working together. We studied therapist–client interactions in 20 therapy cases, including 10 completed cases with good outcomes and 10 dropout cases. Two sessions during the early phase of the therapy and the final session were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The transcriptions were analyzed following the guidelines of constructivist grounded theory. The analysis revealed three interactional patterns: co-creative exploration, pull-avoid repetitions, and tiptoeing softly around, each of which was associated with a distinctive set of therapist strategies. Clients participating in the co-creative pattern appeared to experience the most successful treatment. Our findings suggest that a model of therapist responses to client invitations is valuable for the conceptualization of the therapeutic alliance during the early sessions of psychotherapy. The findings also highlight the importance of clarifying and expanding upon the client’s personal experience with his abuse to form a viable working alliance.
Attorney–Client Communication in Public Defense: A Qualitative Examination
Authors: Moore Janet , Plano Clark Vicki L. , Foote Lori A. , Dariotis Jacinda K.
Published: July 2019

This article presents a qualitative research approach to exploring attorney–client communication in an urban public defense system. The study drew upon procedural justice theory (PJT), which emphasizes relationships between satisfaction with system procedures and compliance with system demands. Interpretive analysis of interview data from 22 public defense clients revealed four major themes. PJT accounted well for three themes of communication time, type, and content, highlighting relationships between prompt, iterative, complete communication, and client satisfaction. The fourth theme involved clients exercising agency, often due to dissatisfaction with attorney communication. This theme was better accommodated by legal consciousness theory, which emphasizes that diverse experiences with law include manipulation and opposition alongside compliance. Implications for policy and research are discussed.
A numerical study on the flame characteristics and pollutant emissions in a premixed burner: Comparison between porous and solid bluff bodies
Authors: Mollamahdi Mahdi , Hashemi Seyed Abdolmehdi
Published: July 2019

The effects of porous and solid bluff bodies in the combustion chamber on flame stability limits, gas and solid temperature distributions, pressure drop, methane conversion rate, and CO and NO emissions are examined numerically. The porous and solid bluff bodies are made of SiC with the inner diameter of 50 mm, the outer diameter of 90 mm, and the length of 22 mm. In this study, Renormalization Group k–ε is used for modeling of turbulence. Eddy dissipation concept is selected for modeling of the interaction between turbulence and chemistry. A reduced mechanism based on GRI 3.0 consisting of 16 species and 41 reactions is employed to model methane combustion. The results indicate that the upper flame stability limit can be diminished by adding porous bluff body in the combustion chamber instead of the solid bluff body. Besides, the pressure drop, CO and NO emissions in the combustion chamber with solid bluff body are higher than those of porous bluff body, while the methane conversion rate increases by replacing porous bluff body instead of solid bluff body in the combustion chamber.
Differentiated roles of mean climate and climate stability on post-glacial birch distributions in northern China
Authors: Qian Hao , Hongyan Liu , Shilei Yang , Weihua Yang , Zhaoliang Song
Published: July 2019

Past changes in the distribution of tree species are critical to predict future vegetation dynamics under changing climate conditions. In this study, pollen-based reconstruction with 60 pollen records from mid-latitude region was performed in China. Betula emerged after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), when the climate ameliorated gradually. The distribution range was small but increased significantly during the early Holocene. However, when the climate was wet and warm during the mid-Holocene, the distribution range did not continue to expand. The relationships between the percentages of Betula pollen and the strength of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) or its variability were positively correlated, while those of Betula and Pinus had opposite trends in the study region. Besides, the post-glacial distribution dynamics of Betula platyphylla and Betula dahurica were influenced by climate change which were simulated by species distribution models (SDMs). We conclude that birch distribution in mid-latitudinal northern China was mainly driven by the EASM or its variability, especially during the LGM and early Holocene when the climate was unstable, while the replacement by Pinus and Quercus occurred during the mid-Holocene when the climate remained stable. The future unstable climate may benefit birch development.
Prolonged clinical remission and low disease activity statuses are associated with better quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Poomsalood N , Narongroeknawin P , Chaiamnuay S , Asavatanabodee P , Pakchotanon R
Published: July 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine the association between disease activity status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients.

Methods

SLE patients in an out-patient clinic during the previous 12 months were included in the study. The Systemic Lupus Erythematosus-specific Quality-of-Life questionnaire (SLEQoL) was administered at the last visit. Disease activity status was determined retrospectively during the previous year. The categories of disease activity status were defined as: clinical remission (CR): clinical quiescent disease according to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000, prednisolone ≤ 5 mg/day; low disease activity (LDA): SLEDAI-2K (without serological domain) ≤ 2, prednisolone ≤ 7.5 mg/day; and non-optimally controlled status: for those who were not in CR/LDA. Immunosuppressive drugs (maintenance dose) and antimalarials were allowed. Prolonged CR or LDA was defined as those with sustained CR or LDA for at least one year. The association between disease activity status and HRQoL was assessed by using regression analysis adjusting for other covariates.

Results

Of 237 SLE patients, 100 patients (42.2%) achieved prolonged CR, 46 patients (19.4%) achieved prolonged LDA and 91 patients (38.4%) were not in CR/LDA. Non-CR/LDA patients had significantly higher total SLEQoL score and in all domains compared to CR/LDA patients. No significant difference in SLEQoL domain scores was found between CR and LDA groups. Multivariable analysis revealed that non-CR/LDA was positively associated with SLEQoL score compared with CR/LDA (β 20.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.81–33.23, p < 0.003). Moreover, non-CR/LDA was at a higher risk of impaired QoL (SLEQoL score > 80) compared with CR (hazard ratio 3.8; 95% CI 1.82–7.95; p < 0.001). However, there was no significant difference between CR and LDA in terms of SLEQoL score or impaired QoL. Other factors associated with higher SLEQoL score were damage index (β 9.51, 95% CI 3.52–15.49, p = 0.002) and anemia (β 24.99, 95% CI 5.71–44.27, p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Prolonged CR and LDA are associated with better HRQoL in SLE patients and have a comparable effect. Prolonged CR or optional LDA may be used as the treatment goal of a treat to target approach in SLE.
Social Support, Health Literacy, and Health Care Utilization Among Older Adults
Authors: Liu Yong-Bing , Hou Ping , Xue Hui-Ping , Mao Xin-E , Li Yong-Nan
Published: July 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between social support, health literacy, and health care utilization in older Chinese adults. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 32 nursing homes from Urumqi in Xinjiang of China. A total of 1486 respondents completed a pack of questionnaires. The average health literacy level of older adults in nursing homes was relatively low, only 73.68 ± 29.42 points; the average social support level was also relatively low, only 31.42 ± 7.12 points (lower than domestic norm of Chinese residents, P < .001). Both values were below the midpoint for the overall population, indicating a sample with below-average levels of healthy literacy and social support. Low social support levels are associated with poor health literacy and greater likelihood of hospital admission ( P < .05). Social support was significantly associated with health literacy. Improving the quantity and quality of social support may be an effective means to obtain better health literacy and lower hospital admissions.
Consensus Recommendations From the Children’s Oncology Group Nursing Discipline’s State of the Science Symposium: Symptom Assessment During Childhood Cancer Treatment
Authors: Withycombe Janice S. , Haugen Maureen , Zupanec Sue , Macpherson Catherine F. , Landier Wendy
Published: July 2019

Background: Recognizing and addressing illness-related distress has long been a priority for pediatric oncology nurses and the Children’s Oncology Group. Although symptoms are known to be highly prevalent during treatment for childhood cancer, there is currently no guidance for how often symptoms should be assessed, which symptoms should be prioritized for assessment, and how the data should be collected. Methods: The Nursing Discipline, within Children’s Oncology Group, hosted a one-day Interprofessional seminar titled “Symptom Assessment During Childhood Cancer Treatment: State of the Science Symposium.” Following the symposium, an expert panel was assembled to review all available evidence, including information presented and collected during the symposium. Consensus-building discussions were held to identify common themes and to produce recommendations for clinical practice. Results: Four recommendations emerged including (1) the identification of priority “core” symptoms for assessment; (2) inclusion of the child’s voice through self-report, when possible; (3) consistent documentation and communication of symptom assessment results; and (4) implementation of patient/family education related to symptoms. Discussion: Symptom recognition, through appropriate assessment, is the first step in symptom management. The goal for developing and sharing these recommendations is to promote consistent and comparable clinical practice across institutions in regard to symptom assessment during childhood cancer therapy. Integration of these recommendations will set the stage for future studies related to the frequency of symptoms across disease groups, projection of anticipated symptom trajectories, development of evidence-based teaching tools for common symptoms, and evaluation of patient outcomes with enhanced symptom assessment and management.
The Contribution of a Charitable Organization to Regional Cleft Lip and Palate Services in England and Scotland
Authors: Stock Nicola Marie , Guest Ella , Stoneman Kate , Ridley Matthew , Evans Claire , LeRoy Cherry , Anwar Hamza , McCarthy Gillian , Cunniffe Claire , Rumsey Nichola
Published: July 2019

Background:

From diagnosis through to adulthood, a cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) poses a number of challenges for those affected. Alongside the care provided by clinical teams, complementary information and support is offered by charitable organizations. In 2011, the Cleft Lip and Palate Association received funding to implement a new regional service across England and Scotland, with the aim of increasing support at a local level. The Centre for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England were commissioned to conduct an independent evaluation of the service over 7 years.

Methods:

A pragmatic, mixed-methods approach was utilized to assess the impact of the service from the perspective of charity volunteers; children, young people, and adults with CL/P; caregivers; and clinicians. Feedback forms were distributed to stakeholders at a variety of events, and qualitative feedback was collected via focus groups and an online survey.

Results:

The majority of participants indicated they had gained access to a local support network, felt more able to cope with CL/P-related challenges, and felt more confident in themselves. Qualitative investigation provided further support for these findings and highlighted additional benefits of the regional service for clinical teams.

Conclusions:

The evaluation provides encouraging evidence toward the contribution of a relatively small charitable organization in the context of cleft care. The importance of a pragmatic approach to community-based evaluation and the benefits of collaborative working between researchers and the charitable sector were also highlighted.
Application of St Gallen Categories in Predicting Survival for Patients With Breast Cancer in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Van Chu , Nguyen Tien Quang , Vu Thi Ngoc Ha , Phung Thi Huyen , Nguyen Thi Phuong Hoa , Nguyen Ngoc Duong , Le Dinh Roanh
Published: July 2019

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different tumor subtypes. Identifying risk categories will help make better treatment decisions. Hence, this study aimed to predict the survival outcomes of invasive breast cancer in Vietnam, using St Gallen 2007 classification. This study was conducted on 501 patients with breast cancer who had surgical operations, but had not received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, from 2011 to 2013. The clinicopathological characteristics were recorded. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed on ER, PR, HER2/neu, and Ki67 markers. For HER2/neu(2+), fluorescence in situ hybridization was used as the test. All patients with breast cancer were stratified according to 2007 St Gallen categories. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank models were used to analyze survival rates. There were 3.8% cases classified as low risk (LR), 72.1% as intermediate risk (IR1: 60.1% and IR2: 12.0%), and 24.1% as high risk (HR1: 11.8% and HR2: 12.3%). Patients who were LR had the best prognosis, with a 5-year overall survival (OS) rate of 100%. Intermediate-risk patients were at 92.3%. High-risk patients had the worst prognosis, with a 5-year OS proportion of 69.3% ( P < .05). For disease-free survival (DFS), risk categories were categorized as LR: 100%, IR: 90.3%, and HR: 69.3% ( P < .05). Three main risk categories of breast cancer had a distinct OS and DFS. These findings suggest that the 2007 St Gallen risk category could be used to stratify patients with breast cancer into different risk groups in Vietnam.
Exploring the Relationship Between Stigma, Stigma Challenges, and Disclosure Among Slum-Dwelling Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in Kenya
Authors: Maticka-Tyndale Eleanor , Barnett Jessica Penwell , Trocaire
Published: July 2019

This article uses survey data from 131 women living in urban slums in Kenya to explore associations between stigma, stigma challenges, empowerment, and disclosure of intimate partner violence (IPV). A total of 81.7% of women reported informal or formal disclosure of IPV. A bystander offering help and experiencing stigma were associated with significant increases in the odds of informal and formal disclosure. There were also significant positive associations between participating in financial decision-making, membership in survivor support groups, and formal disclosure. Results suggest that interpersonal, community, and structural challenges to stigma interfere with stigma as a barrier to disclosure.
Rhetoric, Reality, and Politics: The Neoliberal Cul-de-Sac in Education
Authors: Stone Clarence N.
Published: July 2019

In Barbara Ferman’s collection, The Fight for America’s Schools, grassroots resistance to neoliberal education reform holds the spotlight. Her geographic lens is the Pennsylvania/New Jersey region. In this article, the geographic focus shifts to Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. Experiences in these two cities show how the neoliberal agenda is protected in the face of disappointing results. The Memphis case centers on a state takeover driven by a market ideology. Its experience underscores that reducing local representation to an inconsequential advisory role also diminishes what education policy leaders believe they need to consider. D.C. offers a more complex narrative, one haunted by the corrupted metrics of Campbell’s Law. In both cities, the neoliberal toolbox proved unable to deliver in practice what the drawing board had promised.
Latent structure of gestures in orchestra conducting students under self-observation conditions
Authors: Lorenzo de Reizábal Margarita , Benito Gómez Manuel
Published: July 2019

Self-observation has proven to be a powerful medium for personal and professional growth and development. This research makes use of self-observation through video to determine the latent structure that underlies the gestures to be learned and mastered by orchestra conducting students. Exploratory Factorial Analysis (EFA) techniques have been applied to the assessments of the performances of the orchestra conducting students who participated in the experimental group of this study ( N = 13, males: 38.5%, females: 61.5%) before and after a self-observation experience. The results show a better integration of the gestures performed, and an improvement in the awareness of gestural details that go unnoticed if they are not visualized from outside; an improvement in gestural learning and in the self-regulation of learning; gestural maturation and a more selective focus on the gestures that must be corrected, as well as propitiating a vision of the body as a whole.
Discourses of diversity in music education: The curriculum framework of the Norwegian Schools of Music and Performing Arts as a case
Authors: Ellefsen Live Weider , Karlsen Sidsel
Published: July 2019

In this article, we enquire into the language of diversity as it is currently in use in the field of music education, by way of exploring the social and educational ambitions of the Norwegian system of extra-curricular, Schools of Music and Performing Arts. We take as our case the recently launched governing document of this particular educational system, named Curriculum framework for schools of music and performing arts: Diversity and deeper understanding. Analysing this document as a discursive statement, and through a Foucauldian theoretical lens, we investigate the meanings of “diversity” enacted within and across the various textual-discursive contexts of the curriculum framework, identifying and exploring four nodal points of signification, namely: 1) diversity understood as difference in students’ ethno-cultural backgrounds; 2) diversity of educational opportunities and modes of expression; 3) diversity and/or/as deeper understanding; and 4) diversity of learning arenas and contexts: entrepreneurial expectations. The discussion of the findings is conducted in dialogue with a historical understanding of the Norwegian Schools of Music and Performing Arts’ societal mandate and approach to diversity as well as various understandings of diversity within the international field of music education research. We conclude by pointing out that the macro-level institutional strategy and aim of emphasising and encouraging diversity cannot be understood as fulfilled before it has been sufficiently operationalised and has trickled down into the everyday actions of teachers and students. Only then is it implemented as a tool accessible on the micro-level and with the potential to enhance students’ participation and agency.
Telerehabilitation benefits patients with multiple sclerosis in an urban setting
Authors: Shaw Michael T , Best Pamela , Frontario Ariana , Charvet Leigh E
Published: July 2019

Introduction

People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) often require rehabilitation to manage their symptoms. Telerehabilitation offers improved access to treatment options by reducing travel time and cost. Our telerehabilitation program pairs training exercises simultaneously with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique. In the current study, we characterized the benefits of our remotely supervised tDCS (RS-tDCS) at-home telerehabilitation protocol in an urban sample of MS participants.

Methods

Participants with MS were recruited to complete a telerehabilitation trial using tDCS paired with cognitive rehabilitation at-home using remote supervision (RS-tDCS). Participant time and travel costs for study visits to our clinic in midtown New York City were calculated.

Results

Forty-four patients with MS (aged 18 to 71) with mild to severe neurologic disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale score median = 3.5, range: 0.0 to 8.0) completed the survey. Round-trip clinic attendance required 2.3 ± 2.3 h and US $27.04 ± 38.13 for out-of-pocket expenses. Participants rated difficulty of clinic attendance as moderately to significantly difficult (2.5 ± 1.3). Severity of neurologic disability accounted for the greatest variance in difficulty attending clinic (30%, p < 0.001). RS-tDCS had 95% treatment compliance and 93% of participants reported satisfaction with the at-home treatment.

Discussion

Attending clinic is associated with significant costs for patients with neurologic disorders, even in urban settings. Rehabilitation can be delivered at home and supervised in real-time via videoconference.
The eroticization of biopower: Masochistic relationality and resistance in Deleuze and Agamben
Authors: Richter Hannah
Published: July 2019

This article examines Gilles Deleuze’s and Giorgio Agamben’s thoughts on the immanent creativity emergent from formal, impersonal life as a pathway for resistance to biopolitics. In Coldness and Cruelty, Deleuze explores masochism as the inversion of the sadistic, biopolitical use of the body which can bring forth genuinely new expressions. Agamben dismisses masochistic creativity because it leaves the dialectical ontology of biopower intact to conceptualize his form-of-life as a space of indiscernibility between ontological essence and legal-political actualization. For Agamben, the form-of-life escapes biopolitical capture because it is absolutely detached from its relations. This article argues that the radicalness of this detachment calls into question the political capacity offered by the form-of-life to actively change the relations of biopower. Against this background, Deleuze’s masochistic eroticization of power offers an alternative conceptualization of relationality as external to its terms and productive of expressions which are both thoroughly immanent and genuinely creative.