bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Violent Offending, Nonviolent Offending, and General Delinquency: Exploring the Criminogenic Risk Factors of Hong Kong Male and Female Adolescents
Authors: Chan Heng Choon (Oliver)
Published: October 2019

Limited information is known about the offending phenomenon of Hong Kong adolescents, specifically from a theoretical standpoint. Using a sample of 892 secondary school students, this study aims to explore the criminogenic risk factors of juvenile delinquency in Hong Kong adolescents. Grounded in the theoretical propositions of mainstream criminological theories (i.e., self-control, social control, social learning, general strain, and routine activity), the adolescents’ types of delinquent behavior (i.e., violent, nonviolent, and general delinquency) are examined. Findings indicate that male adolescents reported significantly higher levels of violent, nonviolent, and general delinquency than female adolescents. Relative to females, males are also reported significantly higher levels of pro-violence attitudes, deviant peer influence, alcohol and drug use, and perceived neighborhood disorganization. However, female adolescents are found to have higher levels of self-control, social bonding, and negative temperament than their male counterparts. Multivariate analyses demonstrate that deviant peer influence in addition to alcohol and drug use is found to be general risk factors for engaging in all sorts of delinquent activity. A high level of pro-violence attitudes is significantly associated with violent offending, while low self-control is a significant predictor of nonviolent offending and general delinquency. Social bonding, negative temperament, and perceived neighborhood disorganization are found to be important factors associated with general delinquency. Implications of the findings are offered to address the adolescents’ criminogenic risk factors and prevent their propensity to engage in violent, nonviolent, and general delinquency.
Impacts of climate change on the hydrology of northern midlatitude cold regions
Authors: Aygün Okan , Kinnard Christophe , Campeau Stéphane
Published: October 2019

Cold region hydrology is conditioned by distinct cryospheric and hydrological processes. While snowmelt is the main contributor to both surface and subsurface flows, seasonally frozen soil also influences the partition of meltwater and rain between these flows. Cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes have been shown to be sensitive to climate change. Assessing the impacts of climate change on the hydrology of this region is therefore crucial, as it supports a significant amount of population relying on hydrological services and subjected to changing hydrological risks. We present an exhaustive review of the literature on historical and projected future changes on cold region hydrology in response to climate change. Changes in snow, soil, and streamflow key metrics were investigated and summarized at the hemispheric scale, down to the basin scale. We found substantial evidence of both historical and projected changes in the reviewed hydrological metrics. These metrics were shown to display different sensitivities to climate change, depending on the cold season temperature regime of a given region. Given the historical and projected future warming during the 21st century, the most drastic changes were found to be occurring over regions with near-freezing air temperatures. Colder regions, on the other hand, were found to be comparatively less sensitive to climate change. The complex interactions between the snow and soil metrics resulted in either colder or warmer soils, which led to increasing or decreasing frost depths, influencing the partitioning rates between the surface and subsurface flows. The most consistent and salient hydrological responses to both historical and projected climate change were an earlier occurrence of snowmelt floods, an overall increase in water availability and streamflow during winter, and a decrease in water availability and streamflow during the warm season, which calls for renewed assessments of existing water supply and flood risk management strategies.
Can the FEAR Index Be Used to Predict Microinstability in Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopic Surgery?
Authors: Truntzer Jeremy N. , Hoppe Daniel J. , Shapiro Lauren M. , Safran Marc R.
Published: October 2019

Background:

Atraumatic hip instability, or microinstability, is a challenging diagnosis for clinicians to make. Several radiographic parameters have been proposed to help identify patients with instability as a means to direct treatment. The Femoro-epiphyseal Acetabular Roof (FEAR) index was recently offered as a parameter to predict instability in a borderline dysplastic population.

Purpose:

To evaluate the FEAR index in a series of predominantly nondysplastic patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery to determine if it can accurately predict patients with diagnosed microinstability at the time of surgery.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

A consecutive series of 200 patients undergoing hip arthroscopic surgery were evaluated for microinstability intraoperatively. Microinstability was diagnosed based on previously published criteria. Retrospectively, radiographic parameters were measured including the lateral center edge angle of Wiberg (LCEA), Tönnis angle, physeal scar angle, and FEAR index. Patients were excluded if they previously had any type of bony procedures performed, underwent prior open hip surgery or total hip arthroplasty of the ipsilateral hip, had osteoarthritis (Tönnis grade >1), or had any radiographic features of moderate-to-severe acetabular dysplasia including an LCEA <18°.

Results:

After applying exclusion criteria, 167 hips in 150 patients were analyzed. Based on an intraoperative assessment, 96 hips (57.5%) were considered stable, and 71 hips (42.5%) had signs of microinstability (unstable group). Patients in the unstable group had fewer radiographic findings of femoroacetabular impingement and higher rates of borderline dysplasia. All 4 measured angles were found to have excellent interobserver agreement. The FEAR index was significantly more positive in the unstable group compared with the stable group (−7.8° vs −11.3°, respectively; P = .004). A more positive FEAR index was also found in patients meeting intraoperative criteria for instability, with the exception of chondral wear pattern. Unstable nondysplastic patients (LCEA ≥25°, Tönnis angle ≤10°) also were found to have higher FEAR index values (−9.0° vs −12.0°, respectively; P = .012). A FEAR index cut-off of −5.0° was associated with a specificity of 92.4% and accuracy of 69.4% for predicting instability in a nondysplastic population.

Conclusion:

The FEAR index was validated to improve the recognition of unstable patients preoperatively across a population with both borderline dysplastic and nondysplastic features.
The Big Three Perfectionism Scale–Short Form (BTPS-SF): Development of a Brief Self-Report Measure of Multidimensional Perfectionism
Authors: Feher Anita , Smith Martin M. , Saklofske Donald H. , Plouffe Rachel A. , Wilson Claire A. , Sherry Simon B.
Published: October 2019

The Big Three Perfectionism Scale (BTPS) is a 45-item self-report measure of perfectionism with three overarching factors: rigid, self-critical, and narcissistic perfectionism. Our objective was to create a brief version of the BTPS, the Big Three Perfectionism Scale–Short Form (BTPS-SF). Sixteen items were selected, and confirmatory factor analysis using a large sample of Canadian university students ( N = 607) revealed the BTPS-SF had acceptable model fit. Moreover, the BTPS-SF displayed strong test–retest reliability. The relationships of the BTPS-SF factors with depression, anxiety, stress, emotional intelligence, personality, resiliency, and elements of subjective well-being also suggested adequate criterion validity. Overall, results suggest the BTPS-SF represents an efficient, easily administered, and novel means of assessing multidimensional perfectionism.
Quantitative Pupillometry in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Bower Matthew M. , Sweidan Alexander J. , Xu Jordan C. , Stern-Nezer Sara , Yu Wengui , Groysman Leonid I.
Published: October 2019

Quantitative pupillometry provides a noninvasive and objective assessment within the neurological examination. This review details the physiology of the pupillary light response, the clinical significance of changes in pupillary reactivity, and the variables that compose the Neurological Pupil index or NPi are discussed. This article reviews the most recent applications and advances in quantitative pupillometry for noninvasive intracranial pressure monitoring, postcardiac arrest prognostication, and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Also discussed are the limitations and confounders of quantitative pupillometry in the modern neurological intensive care unit.
Tax Increment Financing in Chicago: The Perplexing Relationship Between Blight, Race, and Property Values
Authors: Blackmond Larnell Twyla , Downey Davia Cox
Published: October 2019

Cities use tax increment financing (TIF) to trigger growth in blighted communities. Critics argue that Chicago’s broad conceptualization of “blight” facilitates the designation of TIF districts that do not resemble conventional notions of blight, bolstering their natural ability to generate capital, thereby exacerbating the gap between wealthy and poor minority spaces. This study examines Chicago’s TIF districts to determine whether blight levels and percentage of non-White residents interact to reduce the effectiveness of TIFs measured as the change in the equalized assessed valuation (EAV) of properties. Using composite indices to measure physical and economic blight, the results of a quantile regression analysis indicate that economically blighted TIFs with predominantly non-White populations outperform other districts. These findings run counter to expectations given that TIFs report high rates of growth in property values, yet they remain substantially blighted. This suggests a need to reconsider change in equalized assessed valuation as the measure of TIF effectiveness given that the “growth” in TIFs does not seem to reflect a higher quality of life for residents.
The importance of forming parameters on rolling process and the performances of component in forming long threads
Authors: Zhang Shuowen , Fan Shuqin , Dong Peng , Cao Yangfeng , Zhao Shengdun
Published: October 2019

The axial self-infeed rolling process is an advanced and efficient process to form long threads such as lead screw and thread shaft. The experiments of axial self-infeed rolling process for the stainless steel were conducted with three blank diameters, forming speeds and two lubrication conditions. The effects of forming speed, blank diameter and lubrication condition on forming torque, microhardness and tooth height of forming threads were analyzed by the design of experiment and analysis of variance. And the characteristics of forming torque, microhardness distribution and tooth height were investigated. The results revealed the forming torque was more influenced by the blank diameter and the forming speed than the lubrication condition. The tooth height was sensitive to all these factors and the microhardness only was affected by the blank diameter.
Predictive wheel–rail management in London Underground: Validation and verification
Authors: Vickerstaff Andy , Bevan Adam , Boyacioglu Pelin
Published: October 2019

London Underground is facing the challenge of increasing timetables against spending cuts across renewals and maintenance in all assets. In order to meet this challenge, it is reviewing all maintenance practices to make sure that they are appropriate for the current asset conditions. Management of the wheel–rail interface is critical to maximising the life of wheels and rails through preventative maintenance regimes that ensure all activities offer value for money and safe operation. Detailed monitoring of the asset condition using novel non-destructive techniques has allowed the identification of the problems which currently occur at the wheel–rail interface on the London Underground network. These problems are discussed in this paper along with some of the solutions proposed to manage them. Site observations from a range of rail rolling contact fatigue monitoring sites have also been compared to the outputs from vehicle dynamic simulations. These outputs were post-processed using a circle plotting technique, which illustrates the location, direction and severity of the forces, and the Whole Life Rail Model to predict the susceptibility to rail damage for two rail steel grades. The outputs from these comparisons have helped to illustrate the wheel–rail contact conditions and forces which are driving the observed damage and potential future enhancements to improve the accuracy of the models for predicting the observed rolling contact fatigue damage.
Survival by Technopreneurialism: Innovation, Imaginaries and the New Narrative of Nationhood in Singapore
Authors: Emily Chua Hui Ching
Published: October 2019

Through a consideration of the Singapore government’s moves to encourage citizens to create innovative, high-technology enterprises—or to become ‘technopreneurs’—this essay looks at how government efforts to promote innovation, can articulate with prevailing national and social imaginaries, in ways that reshape notions of citizenship and nationhood and that have potential ramifications for the kinds of risks and burdens that citizens can be asked to bear. I show, specifically, how the new value of innovation is being incorporated into Singapore’s older narrative of national survival in a way that changes this narrative’s mode of emplotment from one of comedy to one of satire. Through this shift, promises of collective prosperity and progress, which are integral to the nation’s founding era of industrial manufacturing-based development, are withdrawn, while new notions of individual and financial risk and reward are introduced. I argue that attending to modes of emplotment may be a useful way to identify the broader entailments of different governments’ innovation policies and programmes.
Performance of IPOs of Indian Companies Backed by Private Equity
Authors: Drebinger Till , Rai Shailendra Kumar , Hinrichs Heiko
Published: October 2019

We examine 616 Indian initial public offerings (IPOs), including 116 IPOs backed by private equity (PE), between 2000 and 2016, to test whether PE-backed IPOs perform better than non-PE-backed IPOs in the short run as well as in the long run in terms of cumulative abnormal returns (CARs). We also examine the impact of the PE firm nationality on post-IPO performance. Consistent with the existing literature, we find underperformance for all IPOs, on an average, within 1 year. However, PE-backed IPOs have lower degree of underperformance than non-PE-backed IPOs. We also find that size, liquidity and leverage have a positive impact on the post-IPO performance after the financial crisis, whereas issue amount and capital issue year are negatively correlated to CARs before and during the crisis. We also find significant effects of PE firm nationality on CAR development. IPOs backed by India-dedicated PE firms perform best, while those backed by foreign PE firms perform worst and even underperform non-PE-backed IPOs. IPOs by foreign PE firms perform better if they co-invest with India-dedicated PE firms.
Querying Patients With Cancer About Sexual Health and Sexual and Gender Minority Status: A Qualitative Study of Health-Care Providers
Authors: Cathcart-Rake Elizabeth , O’Connor Jennifer M. , Ridgeway Jennifer L. , Breitkopf Carmen Radecki , Guire Lois J. Mc , Olson Eric A. , Kaur Judith S. , Leventakos Konstantinos , Jatoi Aminah
Published: October 2019

Background:

Although national organizations advocate that health-care providers ask patients about sexual health and sexual and gender minority status—to learn, for example, about side effects of treatment and to understand patients’ social support—these conversations often do not occur. This study explored health-care providers’ reasons for having/not having these conversations.

Methods:

This single-institution study recruited health-care providers from medical oncology, hematology, radiation oncology, and gynecology. Face-to-face interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed qualitatively.

Results:

Three main themes emerged: (1) patient-centric reasons for discussing/not discussing sexual health and sexual and gender minority status (“So I think just the holistic viewpoint is important”); (2) health-care provider–centric reasons for discussing/not discussing these issues (“That’s going to take more time to talk about and to deal with…” or “I was raised orthodox, so this is not something we talk about…”; and (3) reasons that appeared to straddle both of the above themes (eg, acknowledgment of the sometimes taboo nature of these topics).

Conclusion:

Although many health-care providers favor talking with patients with cancer about sexual health and sexual and gender minority status, limited time, personal reluctance, and the taboo nature of these topics appear at times to hamper the initiation of these conversations.
Characterization of Spatial Learning and Sickness Responses in Aging Rats Following Recurrent Lipopolysaccharide Administration
Authors: Kupferschmid Barbara J. , Rowsey Pamela J. , Riviera Michael
Published: October 2019

Infections in older individuals can result in cognitive function decline, yet research is limited on how recurrent infections affect cognitive responses. Activation of the immune system results in sickness responses mediated by cytokines. This pilot study examined effects of a model of recurrent infection in aged, male Brown Norway rats on sickness responses, including spatial learning, and cytokine levels. To model initial and recurrent infection, 300 μg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline was administered 1/day for 2 consecutive days during 2 weeks separated by 16 days. Testing occurred for 6 days during each LPS injection week using the Morris water maze, a measure used to evaluate spatial learning. Directional heading error (DHE) and swim time latency served as spatial learning indices. Retention tests and probe trials assessed memory. Plasma cytokine levels were assessed 5 and 24 hr after each LPS injection during Week 2. While food intake and weight decreased significantly in LPS-injected rats compared to controls during Week 1, both displayed increased DHE. Despite exhibiting lessened sickness behaviors during Week 2, experimental animals still displayed spatial learning deficits. Probe trials revealed memory deficits in LPS-injected animals. Interleukin 6 level was higher in the experimental group 5 and 24 hr after LPS injection on Day 1 compared to Day 2 and higher in the experimental compared to the control group at 5 hr on Day 1. Cognitive effects were dissociated from metabolic effects in aged rats, with recurring LPS exposure resulting in persistent cognitive impairment despite decreased sickness responses. Further research with older individuals is warranted.
Cementation of a dual-mobility cup into a well-fixed cementless shell in patients with high risk of dislocation undergoing revision total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Moreta Jesús , Uriarte Iker , Foruria Xabier , Urra Ioar , Aguirre Urko , Martínez-de Los Mozos José L
Published: October 2019

Background:

Cementation of polyethylene liners into well-fixed cementless metal shells has become an option during revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). We report the results of cementing a dual-mobility (DM) component into a stable acetabular shell in high-risk patients undergoing revision THA.

Methods:

A single-centre series of 10 patients undergoing revision THA with a DM cup cemented into an existing well-fixed shell between 2012 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Failure due to aseptic loosening or instability and implant survival at last follow-up were analysed. The average age was 79.2 years and mean follow-up was 3.5 years. Indications were recurrent hip dislocation in 8 cases and intraoperative instability with moderate abductor insufficiency in 2 cases. In cases with recurrent dislocation, the aetiology of instability was classified by Wera type.

Results:

At the latest follow-up, Harris Hip Scores had improved from 49.3 preoperatively to 71.3 postoperatively ( p = 0.098). In the 8 patients with recurrent dislocation, 4 cases (50%) had an unclear aetiology (Wera type 6), 2 (25%) abductor deficiency (Wera type 3) and 2 (25%) late polyethylene wear (type 5). Postoperative recurrent dislocation occurred in 1 hip (10%). No cases of intraprosthetic dislocation, aseptic loosening of the previous shell or dissociation at the cement-cup interface were identified.

Conclusion:

Although the follow-up of this series is short, cementation of a DM cup into a previous well-fixed socket seems to be a viable option to treat and prevent instability after revision THA, without providing constraint at the cement-cup interface.
Dynamics and control of a 3-DOF planar parallel manipulator using visual servoing resolved acceleration control
Authors: Kuo Yong-Lin , Tang Shih-Chien
Published: October 2019

This paper proposes the visual servoing resolved acceleration control scheme applied to a 3-degree of freedom (DOF) planar manipulator, which aims to reduce computational loads of the feedback control loop and the tracking errors of the end-effector in the conventional resolved acceleration control scheme. The computation loads are increased due to the calculations of the direct kinematics and the velocity inversion in the feedback control loop. The tracking errors of the end-effector are increased due to low-accuracy encoders, gearbox backlashes, and manipulator flexibility, etc. The proposed scheme incorporates a visual system, which directly captures the position of the end-effector instead of calculating the direct kinematics and the velocity inversion. Due to the requirement of inverse dynamics in the proposed scheme, the transformation of the Jacobian matrices between the passive and active links is imposed to the Euler-Lagrange’s equation so as to derive dynamic equations. In order to show the control performances, three existing torque-based control schemes are also applied to the manipulator. This study investigates the numerical simulations and the experimental validations, and the results show that the proposed scheme can reduce the computation loads and the tracking errors of the end-effector to compare with the three existing schemes.
Rethinking resistance through and as affect
Authors: Laszczkowski Mateusz
Published: October 2019

This article draws on ethnographic fieldwork with No TAV activists in Valsusa, in Alpine Italy, protesting against the planned construction of a new high-speed railway. Focusing on activists’ experiences of vulnerability and police violence, the article contributes to the recent ‘subjective turn’ in the anthropology of resistance and contentious social movements, and responds to calls to ‘de-pathologize’ and ‘de-exoticize’ resistance. It explores ways to reconceptualize the subjective experience of resistance through a focus on affect, vulnerability and becoming. Combining neo-Spinozist theory of affects with Judith Butler’s feminist perspective on agency and subjectivity, the article seeks to point a way beyond the limitations of established approaches informed by the work of Michel Foucault. Further, the article also shows how affects experienced during direct action are embedded in activists’ longer biographical narratives and gradually structured, through remembering and narrativization, to provide ground for a coherent subjective sense of agency. Third, the article highlights the difference a focus on affect makes compared to the more conventional sociological focus on emotion. The notion of affect helps us to move beyond a rationalist and instrumentalist approach to emotion in social movements. The article stresses the heuristic potential of a focus on affect, but also considers methodological challenges posed by such a perspective. It suggests that the methodological toolkit available to the ethnographers of contentious politics can be enhanced by drawing on the affective capacities of researchers’ own bodies in order to register the visceral intensities vital to the experience of resistance and the ongoing formation of insubordinate subjects.
Evaluation of thermal barrier coatings and surface roughness in a single-cylinder light-duty diesel engine
Authors: Somhorst Joop , Oevermann Michael , Bovo Mirko , Denbratt Ingemar
Published: October 2019

The effect of two thermal barrier coatings and their surface roughness on heat transfer, combustion, and emissions has been investigated in a single-cylinder light-duty diesel engine. The evaluated thermal barrier coating materials were plasma-sprayed yttria-stabilized zirconia and hard anodized aluminum, which were applied on the piston top surface. The main tool for the investigation was cylinder pressure analysis of the high-pressure cycle, from which the apparent rate of heat release, indicated efficiency, and heat losses were derived. For verification of the calculated wall heat transfer, the heat flow to the piston cooling oil was measured as well. Application of thermal barrier coatings can influence engine operating conditions like charge temperature and ignition delay. Therefore, extra attention was paid to choosing stable and repeatable engine operating points. The experimental data were modeled using multiple linear regression to isolate the effects of the coatings and of the surface roughness. The results from this study show that high surface roughness leads to increased wall heat losses and a delayed combustion. However, these effects are less pronounced at lower engine loads and in the presence of soot deposits. Both thermal barrier coatings show a reduction of cycle-averaged wall heat losses, but no improvement in indicated efficiency. The surface roughness and thermal barrier coatings had a significant impact on the hydrocarbon emissions, especially for low-load engine operation, while their effect on the other exhaust emissions was relatively small.
Scenarios of countercultural representation: an analysis of inventory books’ visualities
Authors: Henrickson Leah
Published: October 2019

This article explores the social implications of the page layouts of ‘inventory books’, a series of non-fiction mass-market paperbacks published during the 1960s and 70s that employed eccentric printing strategies characterized primarily by a proliferation of imagery and nonlinear text layout and argumentation. Inventory books all use text and imagery in unique ways, appearing to include visual cultural references with connotative value that would have appealed to readers’ understandings of self and society. Drawing from scholarship from medieval, visual and literary studies, this article argues that inventory books’ visualities represented and affirmed the countercultural movements of 1960s/70s America. They did so by accentuating each individual reader’s power for meaning-making and by (figuratively and literally) turning conventional reader expectations upside-down. Not only do inventory books reflect their contexts of production, but they also serve to establish and perpetuate contemporary readers’ senses of connection with countercultural identities.
Structural biology of betaglycan and endoglin, membrane-bound co-receptors of the TGF-beta family
Authors: Kim Sun Kyung , Henen Morkos A , Hinck Andrew P
Published: October 2019

Betaglycan and endoglin, membrane-bound co-receptors of the TGF-β family, are required to mediate the signaling of a select subset of TGF-β family ligands, TGF-β2 and InhA, and BMP-9 and BMP-10, respectively. Previous biochemical and biophysical methods suggested alternative modes of ligand binding might be responsible for these co-receptors to selectively recognize and potentiate the functions of their ligands, yet the molecular details were lacking. Recent progress determining structures of betaglycan and endoglin, both alone and as bound to their cognate ligands, is presented herein. The structures reveal relatively minor, but very significant structural differences that lead to entirely different modes of ligand binding. The different modes of binding nonetheless share certain commonalities, such as multivalency, which imparts the co-receptors with very high affinity for their cognate ligands, but at the same time provides a mechanism for release by stepwise binding of the signaling receptors, both of which are essential for their functions.

Impact statement

The TGF-β family is one of the most highly diversified signaling families, with essential roles in nearly all aspects of metazoan biology. Though functionally diverse, all 33 human TGF-β family ligands signal through a much more limited number of receptors. Thus the signaling repertoire is limited and cannot account for the functional diversity of signaling ligands in vivo. This mini review covers recent advances in our understanding of the structural basis by which two co-receptors of the family, betaglycan and endoglin, selectively recognize a limited subset of TGF-β family ligands and enable their functions in the cells and tissues in which they are expressed. The advances described also highlight gaps in current understanding of how the co-receptors are displaced upon engagement by the signaling receptors and how they function in a physiological environment, and thus suggest new avenues for investigation that will further illuminate how these essential co-receptors function in vivo.
“Who Are These People and Why Are They Saying These Things?”: George Heller and the Growth of Historical Research in Music Education
Authors: Grady Melissa L.
Published: October 2019

This historical investigation explores the life of George N. Heller (1941–2004) and his influence on historical research in music education and music therapy. By means of primary source materials, including preserved presentation resources and outlines, publications, and interviews, this historical investigation explores Heller’s life and career and the influences that informed his work. This study argues that at a time when quantitative methods dominated music research journals, George Heller’s efforts coincided with the progress and acceptance of historical research in music education and music therapy. Through his historical research publications, his encouragement of student research, his mentoring of colleagues, and his position as founding editor of the Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education, George Heller championed historical research at a critical juncture in music education scholarship.
The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
Authors: Lacagnina Salvatore
Published: October 2019

For years many have believed that genetic heritage defined one’s destiny, if an individual would grow to be healthy, or if he or she would suffer from chronic illness or cancer. Recent scientific evidence and the field of epigenetics has proven this to be untrue. Certainly, the DNA sequence and the genetic code are fixed; but the field of epigenetics has shown how methylation and other chemical modifications of the genome directly influence the production of proteins that can alter the phenotype of an organism. This article will lay out the supporting research, the details on how the internal and external environments influence genetic function, and will allow the reader to develop an action plan necessary to influence the genetic code, with the goal of then moving the individual toward optimal health. These research details will enable health care professionals in every field of medicine to work with patients on positively influencing the genetic output in order to improve the quality of life and longevity.
Nonlinear vortex-induced vibration dynamics of a flexible pipe conveying two-phase flow
Authors: Yang Wenwu , Chang Xueping , Gou Ruyi
Published: October 2019

In this article, a vortex-induced vibration prediction model of a flexible riser conveying two-phase flow, including geometric and hydrodynamic nonlinearity, is established. A van der Pol wake oscillator is utilized to characterize the fluctuating lift forces. The finite element method is chosen to solve the coupled nonlinear fluid–structure interaction equations. The natural frequencies of the flexible riser are calculated to validate the method through comparisons with results from the literature. The modal analyses show that geometric nonlinearity has a significant effect on the natural frequency, and the critical internal velocity is reduced than those in linear analyses. The impacts of the gas volume fraction as functions of cross-flow velocity on the synchronization region, the displacement amplitudes, and the maximum stresses and frequency spectra have been investigated. The results show that an increase in the gas fraction results in the linear increase in natural frequencies and a wider synchronization region, and an increase in liquid flow rate led to the slight decrease in displacement amplitude and maximum stress within a small flow range.
The battle to end fake news: A qualitative content analysis of Facebook announcements on how it combats disinformation
Authors: Iosifidis Petros , Nicoli Nicholas
Published: October 2019

The recent spread of online disinformation has been profound and has played a central role in the growth of populist sentiments around the world. Facilitating its progression has been politically and economically motivated culprits who have ostensibly taken advantage of the digital freedoms available to them. At the heart of these freedoms lie social media organisations that only a few years earlier techno-optimists were identifying as catalysts of an enhanced digital democracy. In order to curtail the erosion of information, policy reform will no doubt be essential. The UK's Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Disinformation and ‘fake news’ Report and Cairncross Review, and the European Commission's Report on Disinformation are three recent examples seeking to investigate how precisely such reform policy might be implemented. Just as important is how social media organisations take on more responsibility and apply self-regulating mechanisms that stifle disinformation across their platforms (something the aforementioned reports identify). Doing so will go a long way in restoring legitimacy in these significant institutions. Facebook (which includes Instagram and Whatsapp), is the largest social media organisation in the world and must primarily bear the burden of this responsibility. The purpose of this article is to offer a descriptive account of Facebook's public announcements regarding how it tackles disinformation and fake news. Based on a qualitative content analysis covering the period November 16th 2016–March 4th 2019, this article will set out some groundwork on how to hold social media platforms more accountable for how they handle disinformation.
Validity of an inertial device for measuring linear and angular velocity in a leg extension exercise
Authors: Pino-Ortega José , Bastida-Castillo Alejandro , Hernández-Belmonte Alejandro , Gómez-Carmona Carlos D
Published: October 2019

Traditionally, linear transducers have been used to evaluate resistance exercise with linear displacement. The current problem is the assessment of exercises with curvilinear displacement. For this reason, new devices should be assessed during training sessions. The purpose was to evaluate (1) the concurrent validity of mean linear velocity and (2) the convergent validity of mean angular velocity measured by an inertial device during a leg extension exercise. Ten elite-level football players completed six series of five repetitions of a leg extension exercise. WIMU PRO™ inertial device and GymAware® linear transducers as criterion measure were used to register data. To assess concurrent validity, the bias of the inertial device measures of velocity was analyzed with Bland–Altman plots with limits of agreement set at 95%. Convergent validity of inertial device measures of velocity was assessed with Pearson’s correlation analysis. Concurrent analysis showed a nearly perfect validity between linear transducers and inertial device in linear ( Bias = –0.011 ± 0.006) and angular velocity (–0.34 ± 2.08). A nearly perfect Pearson’s product–moment correlation coefficient between an inertial device and linear transducers in linear velocity ( r = 0.999) and between an inertial device and linear transducers (calculated) in angular velocity ( r = 0.999) was found. In conclusion, WIMU PRO is valid for measuring linear and angular velocity during two-dimensional linear and rotational motions of exercise equipment. This device can be used as a useful tool to assess movement velocity in resistance training exercises, even in curvilinear movements when linear transducers have obvious limitations.
Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery: The Learning Curve of a Single Surgeon
Authors: Kimchi Gil , Orlev Alon , Hadanny Amir , Knoller Nachshon , Harel Ran
Published: October 2019

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives:

The learning curve associated with the implementation of minimally invasive spinal surgery (MIS) has been the center of attention in numerous publications. So far, these studies referred to a single MIS procedure. In our view, minimally invasive surgical skills are acquired simultaneously through a variety of procedures that share common features. The aim of this study was to analyze the skills progression of a single surgeon implementing diverse minimally invasive techniques.

Methods:

We retrospectively collected all patients who underwent spinal surgery for thoracic or lumbar pathology by a single surgeon between 2012 and 2015 at a single institute. Both minimally invasive as well as open surgical techniques were analyzed; these groups were compared on the basis of surgical indications and outcomes. Skills progression analysis in reference to minimally invasive technique was performed.

Results:

A total of 230 patients met the inclusion criteria for this study. MIS group included higher percentage of lumbar discectomy and the open-surgery group included higher percentage of tumor resection surgery. Learning curve evaluation demonstrated increased surgical complexity, evaluated by number of levels treated, over the 4-year period, which corresponded with decreased complication rates.

Discussion:

A gradual increase in surgical complexity over 4 years, together with careful patient selection, enables the surgeon to maintain the rate of complication within acceptable limits. The main challenge facing the MIS community is constructing an education program for MIS surgeons in order to reduce the learning curve–induced complications.

Conclusion:

Advancement of educational aids for MIS surgical skill improvement, including spine models, virtual and augmented reality aids and surgical simulators may reduce the learning curve of spine surgeons.
What Do We Know About Changing Economic Activity of Firms?
Authors: Pandey Radhika , Sapre Amey , Sinha Pramod
Published: October 2019

Identification of primary economic activity of firms is a prerequisite for compiling several macro aggregates. In this paper, we take a statistical approach to understand the extent of changes in primary economic activity of firms over time and across different industries. We use the history of economic activity of over 46,000 firms spread over 25 years from CMIE Prowess to identify the number of times firms change the nature of their business. Using the count of changes, we estimate Poisson and Negative Binomial regression models to gain predictability over changing economic activity across industry groups. We show that a Poisson model accurately characterizes the distribution of count of changes across industries and that firms with a long history are more likely to have changed their primary economic activity over the years. Findings show that classification can be a crucial problem in a large data set like the MCA21 and can even lead to distortions in value addition estimates at the industry level.

JEL Classifications: D22, E00, E01
Chinese Consensus on Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy
Authors:   Chinese Society of Sports Medicine, Xu Hanlin , Li Hongyun , Hua Yinghui , Bai Lu , Chang Fei , Chen Shiyi , Chen Wan , Fang Zhenhua , Gui Jianchao , Guo Qinhui , Hu Yuelin , Huang Haijing , Jiao Chen , Li Qi , Li Wencui , Liang Xiaojun , Lu Hao , Lu Liang , Miao Xudong , Qu Jiafu , Song Weidong , Xu Tao , Wang Zhijian , Wang Xuesong , Wei Min , Wei Shijun , Xiang Dayong , Xu Hailin , Yang Maowei , Zhan Junfeng , Zhang Fengqi , Zhao Feng , Zhu Yongzhan , Tang Kanglai
Published: October 2019

Background:

Insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) is a common finding in the clinic. However, consensus on its mechanism, pathological process, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation is lacking. Thus, the Chinese Society of Sports Medicine organized and invited experts representing the fields of ankle disease and tendinopathy to jointly develop an expert consensus on IAT.

Study Design:

A consensus statement of the Chinese Society of Sports Medicine.

Methods:

A total of 34 experts in the field of sports medicine and orthopaedics were invited to participate in the compilation of a consensus statement regarding IAT. Consensus was achieved according to the Delphi method. First, 10 working groups composed of 34 experts were established to compile draft statements about clinical problems related to IAT by reviewing and analyzing the available literature. An expert consensus meeting to discuss drafts was then arranged. Each statement was individually presented and discussed, followed by a secret vote. Consensus was reached when more than 50% of the experts voted in its favor. The strength of the proposed recommendation was classified based on the proportion of favorable votes: consensus, 51% to 74%; strong consensus, 75% to 99%; unanimity, 100%.

Results:

Of the 10 expert consensus statements on the clinical diagnosis and treatment of IAT, there was strong consensus for 8 statements and unanimity for 2 statements.

Conclusion:

This expert consensus focused on the concepts, causes, pathological process, clinical diagnosis, and treatment of IAT. Accepted recommendations in these areas which will assist clinicians in carrying out standardized management of related diseases.
Patient Participation in Nursing Care: Views From Ghanaian Nurses, Nursing Students, and Patients
Authors: Atakro Confidence A. , Armah Ernestina , Atakro Abigail , Ahenkora Kwaku , Addo Stella B. , Aboagye Janet S. , Blay Alice A. , Akuoko Cynthia P. , Gross Janet
Published: October 2019

Previous studies on patient participation reported inconclusive benefits of patient participation in health care. Consequently, the World Health Organization is actively highlighting the need for the participation of patients and their families in their care. The aim of this study was to explore the views of nurses, nursing students, and patients on patient participation in Ghanaian hospitals. Sixty-five participants made up of 15 patients, 25 registered general nurses, and 25 undergraduate nursing students were involved in the study. Data collection was done through interviews and focus group discussions. Content analysis was utilized in analyzing the data to generate four main categories. These categories were as follows: (a) meaning of patient participation in Ghana, (b) patient participation encouraged more during discharge education, (c) patient participation in nursing care higher in private and smaller hospitals, and (d) perceived facilitators and inhibitors of patient participation in nursing care. Participants in this study indicated that patient participation in nursing care meant involvement of patient in treatment decisions and nursing care procedures. Participants agreed that patient participation in nursing care was mostly encouraged during discharge education. Participation was perceived to be higher in private and smaller hospitals. Wealth and higher education were perceived as facilitators of patient participation while workload and high patient acuity were perceived as inhibitors.
EPCR: a novel marker of cultured cord blood HSCs
Authors: Martin Gaëlle H. , Park Christopher Y.
Published: October 2019

In this issue of Blood, Fares et al1 demonstrate that endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is a reliable marker of human cord blood (CB) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), both from uncultured cells and those expanded with UM171, a pyrimidoindole derivative previously shown to expand CB HSCs.2
Continuous Tissue Culture of Leukocytes from Human Leukemic Bloods by Application of "Gradient" Principles
Authors: OSGOOD EDWIN E. , BROOKE JOHN H.
Published: October 2019

Two methods of tissue culture based on gradient principles which have permitted continuous growth and multiplication of hemic cells for 6 months to 1 year are described. Three long-term cell strains were isolated from the bloods of patients with acute or chronic leukemias. Success with these methods depends on previous determination of the gradient factor for the particular cell type to be cultured. This can easily be accomplished by the gradient culture method, and these principles are in all probability applicable to all cell types grown in tissue culture.

The isolation of these cells from blood excludes a fixed tissue cell as the only type capable of long term multiplication. The development of cells resembling tissue histiocytes, Dorothy Reed cells, and Langhan’s giant cells from cells cultured from the blood of acute monocytic leukemia lends further support to the view that the monocytic series and the histiocytic series (reticuloendothelial cells) are one and the same and can give rise by polyploidy and endomitosis to many types of giant cells.
The clinical significance of tumor necrosis factor-α plasma level in patients having chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Ferrajoli Alessandra , Keating Michael J. , Manshouri Taghi , Giles Francis J. , Dey Amanda , Estrov Zeev , Koller Charles A. , Kurzrock Razelle , Thomas Deborah A. , Faderl Stefan , Lerner Susan , O'Brien Susan , Albitar Maher
Published: October 2019

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), a cytokine possessing pleiotropic biological activities, is produced by leukemic lymphocytes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and acts as an autocrine and paracrine growth factor in this disease. In this study, TNF-α levels were determined in 150 patients with CLL and correlated with disease characteristics, prognostic factors, and survival. The mean TNF-α plasma concentration in the patients with CLL was significantly higher than in the healthy control population (16.4 versus 8.7 pg/mL; P < .0001). Patients having an elevated TNF-α level had more advanced Rai and Binet stage disease, higher serum β2-microglobulin (β2M) levels, a greater percentage of cells expressing CD38, and lower hemoglobin and platelet levels. Patients having chromosomal abnormalities such as 11q deletion, trisomy 12, and chromosome 17 aberrations had a higher mean TNF-α level (27.5 pg/mL) than patients having a diploid karyotype or other miscellaneous cytogenetic abnormalities (14.2 pg/mL;P < .001). The TNF-α level was a predictor of survival when the Cox proportional hazards model was used with TNF-α entered as a continuous variable (P = .0001). Also, patients having a TNF-α level above the mean value of 14 pg/mL had significantly shorter survival duration (P = .00001). The TNF-α level remained predictive of survival in Cox multivariate analysis independent of Rai staging and β2M, hemoglobin, prior therapy, white cell count, and platelet level (P = .005). We conclude that the TNF-α level serves as a prognostic factor in patients with CLL and that inhibition of TNF-α in these patients could have therapeutic importance.