bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the Gathering of Nations Powwow and a NCCA Division I basketball game
Authors: Aicinena Steven , Ziyanak Sebahattin
Published: September 2019

Powwows are ceremonial gatherings of North America’s indigenous peoples that deliver ritual focus, solidarity, collective identity, cohesion, and cultural persistence through song, dance, and social interaction. Powwows underwent significant transformations after indigenous peoples’ contact with European colonialists. The Gathering of Nations Powwow is a large intertribal contest powwow (LICP) that attracts over 3,500 dancers who compete for prize money in front of more than 15,000 spectators. This paper examines the construction of a large intertribal contest powwow and an NCAA Division I basketball game. The purpose of this study is to determine in what ways the structure of the Gathering of Nations Powwow and a New Mexico Lobo (NCAA Division I Institution) basketball game are similar and different in promotional and staging activities. This study focused on two questions “Are both LICPs and NCAA Division I basketball games rightfully considered spectacles?” And, “If LICPs are, indeed, spectacles, to what extent do they share the structural characteristics of sports spectacles such as NCAA Division I basketball games?” The participant observation method is utilized to make comparisons between the two events. All field ethnographic observations were conducted during the 2018 Gathering of Nations Powwow and a University of New Mexico men’s basketball game held during the 2018-19 season. We determined that the Gathering of Nations Powwow is a spectacle and that it is highly similar to an NCAA Division I basketball game in terms of its structure.
Do academics and university administrators really know better? The ethics of positioning student perspectives in learning analytics
Authors: West Deborah , Luzeckyj Ann , Toohey Danny , Vanderlelie Jessica , Searle Bill
Published: September 2019

Increasingly learning analytics (LA) has begun utilising staff- and student-facing dashboards capturing visualisations to present data to support student success and improve learning and teaching. The use of LA is complex, multifaceted and raises many issues for consideration, including ethical and legal challenges, competing stakeholder views and implementation decisions. It is widely acknowledged that LA development requires input from various stakeholders. This conceptual article explores the LA literature to determine how student perspectives are positioned as dashboards and visualisations are developed. While the sector acknowledges the central role of students, as demonstrated here, much of the literature reflects an academic, teacher-centric or institutional view. This view reflects some of the key ethical concerns related to informed consent and the role of power translating to a somewhat paternalistic approach to students. We suggest that as students are the primary stakeholders – they should be consulted in the development and application of LA. An ethical approach to LA requires that we engage with our students in their learning and the systems and information that support that process rather than assuming we know we know what students want, what their concerns are or how they would like data presented.
Social co-configuration in online language learning
Authors: Sun Susan Y. H. , Goodyear Peter
Published: September 2019

University students involved in online courses play an active role in adapting the tasks they are set and the environment(s) in which they work. They also make adjustments to their working relationships with other people in an effort to improve their learning and/or fit study demands into wider life. The term co-configuration refers to the ways in which students customise what has been designed for them. Co-configuration is important but often invisible to the teachers and designers responsible for the courses. In this study, we focused on students’ co-configuration where it has a strong social character. We drew on concepts from realist evaluation and the activity-centred analysis and design framework to examine students’ social co-configuration. Twenty-six online language learning students were interviewed. Two main areas of social co-configuration emerged. Firstly, students co-configured working methods and relationships, roles, and divisions of labour in order to tackle group tasks. Secondly, students purposefully wove learning activity into their wider social environment, creating a social fabric that further enhanced and enriched their learning opportunities. The findings provide insights into students’ social co-configuration. We argue that this is important for educational designers who aim to understand the mechanisms that connect educational designs to learning outcomes.
Laser-based imaging applications in turbid waters
Authors: Scholz Thomas , Laurenzis Martin , Christnacher Frank
Published: September 2019

Underwater laser-based imaging systems and data-processing techniques matured during the past decade. Active imaging systems can, nowadays, be integrated into platforms like remote-operated vehicles (ROV) or autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). This article gives an overview of different civil and naval applications in underwater imaging with respect to underwater laser scanning (ULS) and laser gated viewing (LGV). Special emphasis has to be given to the environmental conditions, for example, the influence of the local and seasonal dependence of the turbidity with regard to the optical underwater channel. On the basis of tank and sea experiments, advanced techniques for 3D laser oblique scanning (LOS) and possibilities of contrast enhancements for gated viewing are presented.
Minimum Wages and Nascent Entrepreneurship in the US
Authors: Kwapisz Agnieszka
Published: September 2019

The effect of minimum wages on employment is one of the most widely studied and most controversial topics in labor economics and public policy but its impact on early startups is poorly understood and under-researched. In this manuscript, we investigate whether minimum wage rates correlate with the probability that a nascent startup hires employees and achieves profitability, a topic that has never been addressed before. We found negative but not significant correlation between the minimum wage rates and a nascent venture’s probability of hiring employees. However, female entrepreneurs were significantly less likely than male entrepreneurs to hire when faced with higher minimum wage rates. For ventures with employees, higher minimum wage rates were correlated with lower probability of achieving profitability vs. quitting the startup process.
Just End Poverty Now: The Case for a Global Minimum Income
Authors: Wells Thomas R.
Published: September 2019

Global GDP is more than 100 trillion dollars, yet 10 % of the world’s population still live in extreme poverty on less than $1.90 per day. No one should have to live like that: alleviating poverty is a minimal moral obligation implied by nearly every secular and religious moral system. Unfortunately, neither economic growth nor conventional international aid can be relied upon to fulfil this obligation. A global basic income programme that transferred $1 per day from the rich world to each poor person would eliminate extreme poverty directly and at negligible cost. It is the least we should do.
Morphological awareness of separable words among Chinese L2 learners
Authors: Shen Helen H.
Published: September 2019

This study investigated English-speaking Chinese L2 learners’ familiarity with, awareness, and conditional production of 12 high-frequency separable words in six commonly employed separable-use structures (AXB) at an American university. The participants included 60 students from first- to third-year Chinese classes. The results showed that students were exposed to the six high-frequency AXB structures from the beginning stage of their study and that this exposure increased linearly across three instructional levels. However, a significant increase in awareness and comprehension of the six AXB structures was not observed until students had completed 20 credit hours of Chinese study. Judging from the rewriting of erroneous sentences, the development of the accurate production of the six AXB structures was slow. The accuracy rate only reached 41% for students who had completed 26 credit hours of Chinese study. The major error that the first- and second-year students committed in rewriting the six AXB structures was to correct irrelevant components in the sentence. For the third-year students, the major error type was avoiding the use of AXB structures. Regression analysis showed that successful comprehension of AXB structures is the strongest predictor for their accurate production. Based on the study results, pedagogical interventions for improving the learning efficiency of separable words are recommended.
The effectiveness of a wiki-enhanced TBLT approach implemented at the syllabus level in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language
Authors: Zhang Shenglan
Published: September 2019

This study examines the effectiveness of an approach for improving Chinese as a foreign language learners’ language proficiency, especially their speaking ability. Built upon the Educational Engineering Research Theory and its Distributed Design Model, this study used a wiki-enhanced Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach implemented at the syllabus level, taking into consideration various learning contexts. Different aspects of the design, such as how the wiki was used to extend the students’ learning beyond classroom, how the topics of the tasks were chosen and sequenced, and what strategies were adopted to motivate learners to interact with their co-learners and native speakers are discussed to provide insights on the use of TBLT in a more detailed way for practitioners. Findings show that the implementation of the TBLT syllabus with the support of the wiki significantly improved learners’ language proficiency as well as the fluency, accuracy, and speed of their story narration and the fluency of their problem-solving conversation.
Alignment effects of the continuation task on L2 Chinese writing
Authors: Zhang Li
Published: September 2019

This study aims to investigate the alignment effects of the continuation task on L2 Chinese writing. 60 participants were divided into a continuation group and a summary writing group. The former was required to continue a text with its ending removed, while the latter was required to summarize the text. The effect of the tasks was measured by examining the CSL (Chinese as a second language) learners’ correct use of vocabulary and the key grammar structure: the ba construction (“把” 字句). The study found that the continuation group made significant improvement from the pretest to the posttest, while the summary writing group did not. Moreover, learners in the continuation writing group produced more sophisticated words than those in the summary writing group and used key grammar structures with a greater degree of creativity than those in the summary writing group. These findings provide evidence for the language learning potential of the continuation task, which shows a better effect than the summary writing task.
情感形容词的对外汉语教学: 认知隐喻理论视角
Authors: 毅 孙 , 彩云 贾
Published: September 2019

提要

本文尝试将认知隐喻理论引入对外汉语词汇教学，探讨隐喻能力教学对汉语学习者情感形容词的学习效果。通过情感形容词的界定和特征描述，基于对 HSK 动态作文语料库的考察，笔者发现汉语学习者情感形容词的习得存在各类偏误。在 20 类情感形容词中有 10 类出现了一半或过半的偏误词汇数，偏误词汇用例大于 2 的情感类形容词高达 15 类。在认知隐喻理论的视域下，情感形容词概念隐喻有实体隐喻、方位隐喻和通感隐喻三种类型。情感形容词的隐喻性为我们从认知隐喻理论视角开展教学活动提供了契机。通过隐喻能力教学对比实验，并对测试结果进行详细分析与比较，发现实施认知隐喻教学的实验组测试成绩优于对比组。该实验结果表明：通过实施隐喻能力教学，培养学生的隐喻意识，能够有效提高情感形容词的学习效果，即隐喻能力教学对对外汉语学习者的情感形容词习得具有较大影响。基于此，本文从教学大纲、教材编写及教学实践三个方面，针对汉语学习者的情感形容词偏误，为对外汉语情感形容词教学提供切实可行的建议：首先，教学大纲制定者应扩充大纲中隐喻词汇的比例，并开设培养隐喻能力的相关课程。其次，教材编写者在编写词汇时要以培养汉语学习者的隐喻意识为宗旨，循序渐进，由浅入深，让汉语学习者能在大脑中自动建立两个概念域间的联系。最后，教师要将概念隐喻理论巧妙地融入对外汉语教学，强化学生的原型范畴意识，培养词汇扩展能力；通过建立意象图式提高学生的隐喻理解能力；鼓励学生将词汇释义与中国文化相联系，启发其自主分析能力。
述宾及述宾倒序结构直接作定语的语义制约
Authors: 学凤 应 , 丽萍 张
Published: September 2019

提要

述宾黏合 VO 结构和倒序 OV 结构在陈述和指称语义的对立，导致了述宾黏合结构一般要倒序后才能直接作定语，构成 OVN 复合词，述宾倒序结构指称性更强。少数结构以 VON 为常态，如 “征求意见稿”，这是语用制约的结果，而且部分遵循了指称性的语义要求。单单式 VON 的生成，如 “碎纸机”，是韵律制约的结果，作为一个最小韵律词的 “单单式 VO” 的功能相当于一个词，具有较强指称性。修饰成分指称性越强，述宾及述宾倒序结构直接作定语构成的定中结构越稳定，指称性越弱，构成的定中结构越不稳定。指称性强弱是决定述宾及述宾倒序结构能否直接作定语的重要原因之一。
试论对外汉语阅读教学中的若干偏差: 以内容理解为核心的视角
Authors: 陶 炼
Published: September 2019

提要

在阅读教学中，依据教学目的和教学对象等的不同，教学内容有所选择与侧重，是很自然、也是可以接受的；但是，无论如何选择或侧重，最终都应该、也必须围绕着并且服务于对阅读内容的理解。但由于这一阅读教学根本理念的缺失，在当下的对外汉语阅读教学中，存在着程度不一的多种教学偏差。本文分析了以下七种偏差现象：（一）偏重语言要素教学；（二）偏重扩大词汇量；（三）偏重孤立的阅读技巧教学；（四）片面追求阅读速度；（五）片面讲求不同的阅读方式；（六）以理解检测替代阅读教学；（七）以离散的、低认知层次的练习引导阅读理解。
Loved and feared in fortress Europe: Framing the European refugee crisis
Authors: Daalmans Serena , Schaap Gabi , Rovers Maureen
Published: September 2019

The European refugee crisis is an important topic on media, political, and public agendas. Due to its scope and impact, its continuing prevalence on the media-agenda and the divisiveness of public debate, new research is needed to understand the media’s framing of the issue. This study inductively analyzes framing of the refugee crisis of 2015–2016 by two Dutch newspapers. Portrayal of the refugee crisis consists of ten different frames and counter frames. The frames are communicated on the level of the refugee, on the level of the crisis as an event, and on a societal level. Results show that recent reporting on the refugee crisis is relatively nuanced and portrays the crisis from a variety of perspectives. Framing changes following certain transitory events, but only slight differences were found between popular and quality papers.
Sensitizing the concept of mediatization for the study of social movements
Authors: Pajnik Mojca , Ribać Marko , Sekloča Peter
Published: September 2019

We suggest the “sensitizing concept of mediatization” as an analytical tool to analyze public communication of social movements in times of social, economic and political crisis, and we apply the tool to explore the case of the Slovenian uprisings of 2012–13. First, theoretically, we couple Tilly’s understanding of social movements’ practices with Hjarvard’s distinction between “direct” and “indirect” forms of mediatization. Second, in the empirical part, we categorize and classify movement organizations, activist initiatives and political groups into two distinct groups and observe how they respond to the media logic of newsworthiness and the political logic of office-seeking during the contentious actions of mass mobilization. We observe asymmetrical responses to processes of mediatization, which vary according to organizational structure, practices and movements’ vision of social transformation. The article shows how different protest groups respond to the three media logic techniques: a) personalization of political actors, b) decontextualization and simplification of transformative potential that are inherent to protest cycles, and how the two mobilized groups interact with the journalistic focus on c) spectacle and images of violence. We argue that the more the specific movement/group expresses criticism over the interplay of the media and the political logic, marked by the three discursive modes mentioned, the less it adopts the dominant media logic and the more it seeks for alternative and innovative media action.
Being media literate about media policy, a bridge too far in Flanders/Belgium
Authors: Donders Karen , Livémont Eline , Vanhaeght Anne-Sofie , Mariën Ilse , Audenhove Leo Van
Published: September 2019

Media use can empower people, provided that this is accompanied by a deeper understanding of the actors, processes and structures in the media sector – including media policy. It is, however, to be expected that media users’ literacy of media policy is rather limited. This is problematic as the absence of such understanding makes it impossible for citizens to hold the politicians they elected accountable for the media policy they develop. This article explores what media users know about media policy, what they expect to know, and whether they care. We adopted a case-study approach, researching this question for the region of Flanders based on a combination of quantitative (representative survey) and qualitative (49 in-depth interviews) data. While the article focuses on the case of Flanders, its theoretical basis as well as conclusion section are relevant beyond that specific context.
Comprehensive antenatal to postpartum care of patient with bipolar disorder: a case report
Authors: Jain Shreyance , Singhai Kartik , Pareek Vrinda , Nebhinani Naresh
Published: September 2019

Background

The management of women with bipolar disorder during the pregnancy period is a challenging task, as such patients are at a higher risk of relapse during the pregnancy and the early postpartum period. No approach is without risk and clinicians are faced with difficult choices at every turn.

Case presentation

We present a case of a female with bipolar disorder, who presented with mania during the second trimester and we faced several challenges in her treatment during pregnancy, post-partum and the subsequent follow-up period.

Conclusion

For a favourable outcome to both mother and child, prenatal care providers can have individualised discussions regarding mental health issues in addition to neonatal risks from bipolar disorder and/or medications side effects and facilitating liaisons with health professionals to manage the complications and associated risks.
Unlocking the Relationship between Corporate Entrepreneurship and Firm Performance
Authors: Fis Ahmet M. , Cetindamar Dilek
Published: September 2019

This paper explores the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and performance by developing a comprehensive theoretical model based on Schumpeterian understanding of entrepreneurship supported with the Theory of Planned Behavior from social psychology. The model shows how organizational culture (value) triggers a chain effect through its influence on entrepreneurial orientation (attitude) and managerial support (intentions) that ultimately generate impact on corporate entrepreneurship (behavior). We test our model in an emerging economy context and present our results with implications to theory and practice.
Factors affecting cerebrovascular reactivity to CO2 in premature infants
Authors: Aly Safwat , El-Dib Mohamed , Lu Zhigang , El Tatawy Sarah , Mohamed Mohamed , Aly Hany
Published: September 2019

Background

Hypercarbia increases cerebral blood flow secondary to cerebral vasodilatation, while hypocarbia can lead to vasoconstriction with a subsequent decrease in cerebral blood flow. The aim of this study was to examine CO2cerebral vasoreactivity in a cohort of premature infants and to identify factors which influence this reactivity.

Methods

We prospectively studied a cohort of hemodynamically stable premature infants [birth weight (BW) <1500 g and gestational age (GA) ≤34 weeks]. Subjects underwent two studies, one in the first 72 h and the second after 1 week of life. Infants were continuously monitored via a physiology station that included transcutaneous CO2(tcPCO2) monitor, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), arterial pulse oximetry and heart rate. The total hemoglobin (Hb-T) signal of NIRS was used as an indicator of cerebral blood volume (CBV). Correlation between tcPCO2and Hb-T was performed in each 1-h period using Pearson’s correlation. Factors affecting the CO2cerebrovascular reactivity were examined using bivariate and linear regression analyses.

Results

A total of 3847 1-h epochs were obtained from 140 studies of 72 premature infants. tcPCO2correlated positively with Hb-T in 42% of epochs. In regression analysis, factors associated with increased percentage of positive correlation epochs were male sex and younger postmenstrual age (PMA; β = 0.176, 0.169 and P-value = 0.036, 0.047 respectively). Factors associated with increased strength of positive correlation were mechanical ventilation and increased average tcPCO2(β = 0.198, 0.220 and P-value = 0.024, 0.011 respectively).

Conclusion

Increased prematurity, male sex, mechanical ventilation and hypercarbia are associated with stronger PCO2cerebrovascular reactivity in premature infants. This association may explain their role in the pathogenesis of brain injury.
Fetal adrenal gland size in gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Hetkamp Tim , Hammer Kerstin , Möllers Mareike , Köster Helen A. , Falkenberg Maria K. , Kerschke Laura , Braun Janina , Oelmeier de Murcia Kathrin , Klockenbusch Walter , Schmitz Ralf
Published: September 2019

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the adrenal gland size of fetuses of women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with that of healthy control fetuses.

Methods

This prospective cross-sectional study included measurements of the adrenal gland size of 62 GDM fetuses (GDM group) and 370 normal controls (control group) between the 19th and 41st week of gestation. A standardized transversal plane was used to measure the total width and the medulla width. The cortex width and an adrenal gland ratio (total width/medulla width) were calculated from these data. Adrenal gland size measurements were adjusted to the week of gestation and compared between the two groups in a multivariable linear regression analysis. A variance decomposition metric was used to compare the relative importance of predictors of the different adrenal gland size measurements.

Results

For all the investigated parameters of the adrenal gland size, increased values were found in the case of GDM (P < 0.05), while adjusting for the week of gestation. GDM seems to have a greater impact on the size of the cortex than on the size of the medulla.

Conclusion

The fetal adrenal gland is enlarged in pregnancy complicated by GDM. The width of the cortex seems to be particularly affected.
Autonomous Vehicles, Technological Progress, and the Scope Problem in Products Liability
Authors: Lemann Alexander B.
Published: September 2019

Autonomous vehicles are widely expected to save tens of thousands of lives each year by making car crashes attributable to human error – currently the overwhelming majority of fatal crashes – a thing of the past. How the legal system should attribute responsibility for the (hopefully few) crashes autonomous vehicles cause is an open and hotly debated question.

Most tort scholars approach this question by asking what liability rule is most likely to achieve the desired policy outcome: promoting the adoption of this lifesaving technology without destroying manufacturers’ incentives to optimize it. This approach has led to a wide range of proposals, many of which suggest replacing standard rules of products liability with some new system crafted specifically for autonomous vehicles and creating immunity or absolute liability or something in between.

But, I argue, the relative safety of autonomous vehicles should not be relevant in determining whether and in what ways manufacturers are held liable for their crashes. The history of products liability litigation over motor vehicle design shows that the tort system has been hesitant to indulge in such comparisons, as it generally declines both to impose liability on older, more dangerous cars simply because they lack the latest safety features and to grant immunity to newer, safer cars simply because of their superior aggregate performance. These are instances in which products liability law fails to promote efficient outcomes and instead provides redress for those who have been wronged by defective products.

Applying these ideas to the four fatalities that have so far been caused by autonomous vehicles suggests that just as conventional vehicles should not be considered defective in relying on a human driver, autonomous vehicles should not be immune when their defects cause injury.
Deliberating about Climate Change: The Case for ‘Thinking and Nudging’
Authors: Lenzi Dominic
Published: September 2019

Proponents of deliberative democracy believe deliberation provides the best chance of finding effective and legitimate climate policies. However, in many societies there is substantial evidence of biased cognition and polarisation about climate change. Further, many appear unable to distinguish reliable scientific information from false claims or misinformation. While deliberation significantly reduces polarisation about climate change, and can even increase the provision of reliable beliefs, these benefits are difficult to scale up, and are slow to affect whole societies. In response, I propose a combined strategy of ‘thinking and nudging’. While deliberative theorists tend to view nudging askance, combining deliberation with nudges promises to be a timelier and more effective response to climate change than deliberation alone. I outline several proposals to improve societal deliberative capacity while reducing climate risks, including media reform, strategic communication and framing of debates, incentivising pro-climate behaviour change, and better education about science.
Fluorescence imaging with tailored light
Authors: Tang Jialei , Ren Jinhan , Han Kyu Young
Published: September 2019

Fluorescence microscopy has long been a valuable tool for biological and medical imaging. Control of optical parameters such as the amplitude, phase, polarization, and propagation angle of light gives fluorescence imaging great capabilities ranging from super-resolution imaging to long-term real-time observation of living organisms. In this review, we discuss current fluorescence imaging techniques in terms of the use of tailored or structured light for the sample illumination and fluorescence detection, providing a clear overview of their working principles and capabilities.
Crystal structure of 3-(3-(4-carboxyphenyl)ureido)pyridin-1-ium perchlorate, C26H24Cl2N6O14
Authors: Zhang Qi-Long , Yu Qing , Xie Hai-Fang , Yang Xiao-Sheng
Published: September 2019

C26H24Cl2N6O14, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 15.7471(18) Å, b = 14.1486(15) Å, c = 13.7894(15) Å, β = 109.588(3)°, V = 2894.5(6) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0744, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.2246, T = 293(2) K.
“Good” and “Bad” Actors in Digital Space: The Un/Making of a Digital Citizen
Authors: Kalantzis-Cope Phillip
Published: September 2019

There has been a firestorm of moral outrage regarding the collection and misuse of personal information by data-informed digital companies. In framing their actions we often make a distinction between “good” and “bad” actors. I investigate the hidden presupposition that informs this dichotomy, by using the figure of the citizen to reveal an underlying structural transformation in the fog of our times. I ask, what can we reverse engineer from this historical phenomenon to derive a meaning of the political project defining the making of “digital space,” which shares meaning with the supposed inherent characteristics of the age, and its relationship to the production, validation, and dissemination of information? I’ll present a case for how an atomization of affinity and failure maps and draws energy from a broader historical agenda of social, political, and economic deregulation. On this basis I ask, what are the implications for understanding the figure of the digital citizen?
Fully Softened Shear Strength Measurement and Correlations
Authors: Stark Timothy D. , Fernandez Rodrigo
Published: September 2019

The fully softened strength (FSS) is usually the controlling shear strength for cut slopes in stiff-fissured fine-grained soils, shales, and claystones, engineered fill slopes, and compacted embankments with no prior slope movement. The FSS is used to model the shear strength of shallow slope soils because it represents the shear strength remaining after the effects of overconsolidation, compaction, desiccation, or other strengthening processes have been removed because of wet–dry cycles, applied shear stresses, stress relief, progressive deformation or failure, swelling, freeze–thaw cycles, weathering, or all of these. An empirical correlation is frequently desired for such slopes because the slopes can be long, such as a levee system, and the borrow material is not completely defined, which makes comprehensive testing difficult. This article presents the mode of shear for the FSS condition, a comparison of existing FSS correlations, power function coefficients to estimate the FSS envelope, and recommendations for modeling the stress-dependent FSS envelope in stability analyses.
Utilizing Detector Filters for Noise Reduction in X-Ray Computer Tomography Scanning for the Inspection of the Structural Integrity of Additive Manufactured Metal Parts
Authors: Tawfik Ahmed , Nicholson Samuel Otto , Racasan Radu , Blunt Liam , Bills Paul
Published: September 2019

The recent development of industrial computer tomography (CT) has enabled inspection of the integrity of mechanical parts without physical sectioning. Using X-ray CT (XCT) presents many challenges prohibiting industry from widely implementing the technology. The existence of several variables such as filament current, filter material, and filter thickness is directly related to the presence of noise and influences the accuracy of the inspection process. Noise in the resultant reconstructed image is the result of low-energy X rays being absorbed by the detector causing large variations of brightness on the computer image; other noise sources such as detector variations and electronic noise are further sources of error. Additionally, the reconstruction method, which also has a response to the noise scatter, can contribute to the resulting image noise. The presence of noise can skew the resulting image and create the illusion of pores/defects that are not actually present, thus vastly compromising the results of the analysis. Noise reduction is vital in improving the reliability of CT imaging of additive manufactured components. This article investigates the possibility of reducing noise by using detector filters. The study will investigate the impact of source and detector filters (shown in fig. 1) on image quality. Two filter types of 100-μm-thick aluminum and 100-um-thick copper filters were used, and the results were compared to a conventional tube filter. The workpiece used in this study consisted of a 6-mm Ti6Al4V round bar with designed internal features ranging from 50 to 1,400 μm containing a mixture of voids, two filled with unfused powder and two unfilled. The diameter and depth of defects were characterized using focus variation microscopy and then scanned with a Nikon XTH225 industrial CT to compare the measured internal features. The analysis was carried out using VGStudio Max 3.0 (Volume Graphics, Germany) software package to evaluate surface determination and defects/porosity. Preliminary results indicate that using the aluminum detector filter can reduce the noise by 20 % when scanning the part under certain conditions. Also, for a low-magnification scan using the aluminum detector filter, no difference in noise was evident, but it was noted that the filament current could be reduced, potentially further reducing noise.
Mecp2Deletion from Cholinergic Neurons Selectively Impairs Recognition Memory and Disrupts Cholinergic Modulation of the Perirhinal Cortex
Authors: Ballinger Elizabeth C. , Schaaf Christian P. , Patel Akash J. , de Maio Antonia , Tao Huifang , Talmage David A. , Zoghbi Huda Y. , Role Lorna W.
Published: September 2019

Rett Syndrome is a neurological disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and characterized by severe intellectual disability. The cholinergic system is a critical modulator of cognitive ability and is affected in patients with Rett Syndrome. To better understand the importance of MeCP2 function in cholinergic neurons, we studied the effect of selectiveMecp2deletion from cholinergic neurons in mice. Mice withMecp2deletion from cholinergic neurons were selectively impaired in assays of recognition memory, a cognitive task largely mediated by the perirhinal cortex (PRH). Deletion ofMecp2from cholinergic neurons resulted in profound alterations in baseline firing of L5/6 neurons and eliminated the responses of these neurons to optogenetic stimulation of cholinergic input to PRH. Both the behavioral and the electrophysiological deficits of cholinergicMecp2deletion were rescued by inhibiting ACh breakdown with donepezil treatment.
Genomic Structure of Hstx2 Modifier of Prdm9-Dependent Hybrid Male Sterility in Mice
Authors: Lustyk Diana , Kinský Slavomír , Ullrich Kristian Karsten , Yancoskie Michelle , Kašíková Lenka , Gergelits Vaclav , Sedlacek Radislav , Chan Yingguang Frank , Odenthal-Hesse Linda , Forejt Jiri , Jansa Petr
Published: September 2019

F1 hybrids between mouse inbred strains PWD and C57BL/6 represent the most thoroughly genetically defined model of hybrid sterility in vertebrates. Hybrid male sterility can be fully reconstituted from three components of this model, the Prdm9 gene, intersubspecific homeology of Mus musculus musculus and Mus musculus domesticus autosomes, and the X-linked Hstx2 locus. Hstx2 modulates the extent of Prdm9-dependent meiotic arrest and harbors two additional factors responsible for intersubspecific introgression-induced oligospermia (Hstx1) and meiotic recombination rate (Meir1). To facilitate positional cloning and to overcome the recombination suppression within the 4.3 Mb encompassing the Hstx2 locus, we designed Hstx2-CRISPR and SPO11/Cas9 transgenes aimed to induce DNA double-strand breaks specifically within the Hstx2 locus. The resulting recombinant reduced the Hstx2 locus to 2.70 Mb (chromosome X: 66.51–69.21 Mb). The newly defined Hstx2 locus still operates as the major X-linked factor of the F1 hybrid sterility, and controls meiotic chromosome synapsis and meiotic recombination rate. Despite extensive further crosses, the 2.70 Mb Hstx2 interval behaved as a recombination cold spot with reduced PRDM9-mediated H3K4me3 hotspots and absence of DMC1-defined DNA double-strand-break hotspots. To search for structural anomalies as a possible cause of recombination suppression, we used optical mapping and observed high incidence of subspecies-specific structural variants along the X chromosome, with a striking copy number polymorphism of the microRNA Mir465 cluster. This observation together with the absence of a strong sterility phenotype in Fmr1 neighbor (Fmr1nb) null mutants support the role of microRNA as a likely candidate for Hstx2.
Left Ventricular Assist Device Support Complicates the Exercise Physiology of Oxygen Transport and Uptake in Heart Failure
Authors: Van Iterson Erik H
Published: September 2019

Low-output forward flow and impaired maximal exercise oxygen uptake (VO2 max) are hallmarks of patients in advanced heart failure. The continuous-flow left ventricular assist device is a cutting-edge therapy proven to increase forward flow, yet this therapy does not yield consistent improvements in VO2 max. The science of how adjustable artificial forward flow impacts the exercise physiology of heart failure and physical O2 transport between the central and peripheral systems is unclear. This review focuses on the exercise physiology of axial continuous-flow left ventricular assist device support and the impact that pump speed has on the interactive convective and diffusive components of whole-body physical O2 transport and VO2.
Right Ventricular Failure: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Arrigo Mattia , Huber Lars Christian , Winnik Stephan , Mikulicic Fran , Guidetti Federica , Frank Michelle , Flammer Andreas J , Ruschitzka Frank
Published: September 2019

The prognostic significance of the right ventricle (RV) has recently been recognised in several conditions, primarily those involving the left ventricle, the lungs and their vascular bed, or the right-sided chambers. Recent advances in imaging techniques have created new opportunities to study RV anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology, and contemporary research efforts have opened the doors to new treatment possibilities. Nevertheless, the treatment of RV failure remains challenging. Optimal management should consider the anatomical and physiological particularities of the RV and include appropriate imaging techniques to understand the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Treatment should include rapid optimisation of volume status, restoration of perfusion pressure and improvement of myocardial contractility and rhythm, and, in case of refractory RV failure, mechanical circulatory support.
Hyperkalemia and Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System Inhibitors Dose Therapy in Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction
Authors: Rosano Giuseppe MC , Spoletini Ilaria , Vitale Cristiana , Agewall Stefan
Published: September 2019

Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors (RAASi) are known to improve outcomes in patients who have heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). To reduce mortality in these patients, RAASi should be uptitrated to the maximally tolerated dose. However, RAASi may also cause hyperkalemia. As a result of this side-effect, doses of RAASi are reduced, discontinued and seldom reinstated. Thus, the therapeutic target needed in these patients is often not reached because of hyperkalemia. Also, submaximal dosing of RAASi may be a result of symptomatic hypotension, syncope, hypoperfusion, reduced kidney function and other factors. The reduction of RAASi dose leads to adverse outcomes, such as an increased risk of mortality. Management of these side-effects is pivotal to maximise the use of RAASi in HFrEF, particularly in high-risk patients.
Current Controversies and Challenges in Brugada Syndrome
Authors: Snir Afik D , Raju Hariharan
Published: September 2019

More than three decades since its initial description in 1993, Brugada syndrome remains engulfed in controversy. This review aims to shed light on the main challenges surrounding the diagnostic pathway and criteria, risk stratification of asymptomatic patients, pharmacological and interventional risk modification strategies as well as our current pathophysiological understanding of the disease.
Técnica de template customizável para remoção de enxerto ósseo de crista ilíaca para reconstruções de defeitos mandibulares.
Authors: Brasileiro Bernardo Ferreira , Trento Cleverson Luciano , Sickels Joseph Edward Van
Published: September 2019

RESUMO A remoção de enxerto da crista ilíaca anterior é uma boa opção para a reconstrução de defeitos mandibulares após ressecções por trauma ou outras doenças. Para obtenção de resultados clínicos de excelência em cirurgias reconstrutivas com enxertos ósseos, um planejamento pré-operatório preciso e uma refinada técnica cirúrgica são essenciais. Portanto, este artigo descreve o uso de um template customizável, que é indicado para obter bloco de osso ilíaco livre para reconstruções mandibulares imediatas ou tardias após defeitos marginais ou segmentares. O template é baseado em um fragmento de metal maleável obtido de uma lata de bebida de alumínio. Ele é utilizado no transoperatório para demarcar o sítio doador do enxerto ósseo e é especialmente útil devido ao acesso limitado à cortical interna da crista ilíaca. O template customizável tem se mostrado uma ferramenta de fácil aplicação para determinar o tamanho do bloco de enxerto a ser coletado da região ilíaca, otimizando o tempo cirúrgico e evitando a remoção insuficiente de enxerto ósseo.
Reações adversas ao benzonidazol no tratamento da Doença de Chagas: revisão sistemática de ensaios clínicos randomizados e controlados
Authors: Ferreira Ariela Mota , Damasceno Renata Fiúza , Monteiro-Junior Renato Sobral , Oliveira Igor Antônio Costa de , Prates Thalita Emily Cezário , Nunes Maria Carmo Pereira , Haikal Desirée Sant’Ana
Published: September 2019

Resumo Introdução No Brasil, a única droga disponível para o tratamento específico do Trypanosoma cruzi, causador da Doença de Chagas (DC) é o Benzonidazol (BZN), cujas reações adversas podem propiciar a interrupção do tratamento. Objetivo O objetivo desse trabalho é quantificar a proporção de ocorrência de efeitos adversos, descrevê-los e identificar os fatores de risco associados à essa ocorrência. Método Revisão sistemática conduzida de acordo com os padrões estabelecidos pelo Preferred Reporting Items is Systematic Reviews and Metanalyses (PRISMA). Incluíram-se somente ensaios clínicos randomizados controlados. Resultados Dos 134 estudos identificados, cinco foram incluídos. O tamanho da amostra variou de 77 a 2854 pessoas, e a faixa etária dos participantes, variou de zero a 75 anos. Todos os estudos incluídos apontaram reações adversas ao uso do BZN. A frequência de reação adversa chegou a 38% e a mais comum foi o rash cutâneo. O abandono do tratamento devido à reação foi citado em três estudos, variando de 6,4% a 13,4%. Conclusão As reações adversas ao uso do BZN variaram de acordo com a idade do paciente e esquema terapêutico de dose e tempo adotado, sendo o conhecimento médico acerca dessas reações imprescindível para seu uso seguro e adesão ao tratamento.
Diagnosis of Brachyspira pilosicoli, Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and Brachyspira intermedia in hens and laying hens in the western region of Paraná through bacterial isolation and identification in qPCR
Authors: Goulart Thiago , Gruchouskei Leonardo , Gonçalves Jessica , Cavasin João Pedro , Matos Monica R. , Faccin Mayane , Viott Aline de M.
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACT: Bacteria of the genus Brachyspira can cause enteric diseases in poultry causing a decrease in productivity. The occurrence of this disease in chickens has already been verified in countries such as Australia, Italy, and the United States, but in Brazil, until now, epidemiological studies about Brachyspira sp. frequency were only carried out on pig farms. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of bacteria of the genus Brachyspira sp. through isolation and confirmation of the species Brachyspira pilosicoli, Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and Brachyspira intermedia using the qPCR technique. Samples from 110 hens aged from 35 to 82 weeks were collected, 40 were from commercial egg farms and 70 were from laying hens matrices. For the first evaluation, bacterial isolation was performed from the feces. Positive samples were submitted to qPCR to identify the three species proposed. Cecum fragments of the birds were collected and fixed in formaldehyde for histological evaluation and counting of goblet cells. Of the 110 samples, 48 characteristic isolates of Brachyspira (43.6%) were obtained and of these in qPCR 13 identified as B. hyodysenteriae (11.8%) and 5 all from the same farm as Brachyspira intermedia (4.5%), 2 samples were positive for both agents (1.8%) and 28 were not characterized by qPCR (25.5%). None histopathological lesions were observed in the chicken cecum and no significant statistical difference was noticed in the count of goblet cells of the positive hens. It can be evidenced by the occurrence of Brachyspira sp. in laying farms and hens in Brazil, with special relevance to Brachyspira intermedia that can be potentially pathogenic for these animals.
Spontaneous and experimental poisoning by Merremia macrocalyx (Convolvulaceae) in cattle
Authors: Brito Luiz B. , Filho Givaldo B. Silva , Chaves Hisadora A.S. , Nascimento Ana L.O. , Braga Thaiza C. , Pfister James , Correa Franklin Riet , Mendonça Fábio S.
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACT: The aim of this work was to describe the epidemiological, clinical and pathological aspects of spontaneous poisoning by Merremia macrocalyx in cattle in the Pernambuco state, northeastern Brazil, and to experimentally replicate the poisoning by this plant. To determine the occurrence of poisonings, 30 farms were visited in six municipalities at the Forest Zone of Pernambuco. The plant was found in nine farms, in which history of plant poisoning in cattle, and occasionally in sheep were also reported. Three outbreaks of spontaneous poisonings in cattle were studied. To replicate the disease experimentally, two steers received a single dose of 60g/kg and two steers received 80g/kg of the fresh leaves of M. macrocalyx in the trough for spontaneous ingestion. Two steers were also used as a control group. The main clinical signs observed in spontaneous cases consisted of restlessness, bloat, polyuria, diarrhea, and death within 48 to 72 hours after the onset of clinical signs. Cattle experimentally poisoned presented similar clinical signs to those observed in spontaneous cases. Gross lesions consisted of dryness and impaction of the rumen, omasum and reticulum contents. Abomasal content was fluid, the mucosa was hyperemic, with swollen folds and multiple ulcers. Similar lesions were observed in duodenum mucosae. Histologically, lesions observed in the abomasum and duodenum mucosa consisted of necrosis, hemorrhage and inflammatory infiltration of neutrophils and lymphocytes. The wide distribution and palatability of this plant, associated with the high sensitivity of the bovine species verified in this experiment, highlight the importance of this plant in spontaneous cases of poisoning in cattle.
Epidemiological study of rabies in cattle in southern Brazil: spatial and temporal distribution from 2008 to 2017
Authors: Santos Bianca L. , Bruhn Fábio Raphael P. , Coelho Ana Carolina B. , Estima-Silva Pablo , Echenique Joanna V. , Sallis Eliza Simone V. , Schild Ana Lucia
Published: September 2019

ABSTRACT: Rabies affects several domestic species, causing significant economic losses due to the death of animals in characteristic areas of the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul. In this context, this work aimed to study the epidemiology of rabies outbreaks observed in cattle from January 2008 to December 2017, through its space and time distribution in the southern region of Rio Grande do Sul. We performed an observational and ecological retrospective through the analysis of data recorded in necropsy protocols performed in cattle at the “Laboratório Regional de Diagnóstico” of the “Universidade Federal de Pelotas” (LRD-UFPel). A descriptive data analysis aimed at evaluating the distribution of cases over time. The statistical analysis was performed with Gretl statistical software 1.9.12 (GNU Regression, Econometric, and Time-series Library). To the existence of stationarity was verified with the Dickey-Fuller test, considering a value of p<0.05. From January 2008 to December 2017, 1418 bovine diagnostic materials were received at the LRD-UFPel, and 160 outbreaks of rabies were confirmed in 160 farms located in the 24 municipalities of the LRD-UFPel area of influence. We observed 591 cattle out of a total of 25,886 infected with the virus. We conclude that rabies does not exhibit seasonality in the study region, with a tendency to decrease in frequency in the next years. The disease has an epidemic characteristic in most of the analyzed months (2012-2014), remaining endemic in the remaining period (2011, 2015 and 2016) with sporadic episodes of epidemics in these years. We also observed that as the incidence of the disease increased in the animals and in the properties, there was a geographical spread of the virus for the majority (54.16%) of the municipalities in the area of influence of the LRD-UFPel.