bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can Normic Laws Save Hempel’s Model of Historical Explanation? a Critique of Schurz’ Approach
Authors: Schumann Gunnar
Published: August 2019

I critically discuss Gerhard Schurz’ improved version of Hempel’s covering law model as the model appropriate for human action explanation in the historical sciences. Schurz takes so-called “normic laws” as the best means to save Hempel’s covering law model from the objection that there are no strict laws in historiography. I criticize Schurz approach in two respects: 1) Schurz falsely takes Dray’s account of historical explanations to be a normic law account. 2) Human action explanation in terms of goals and means-ends-beliefs are not based on normic laws at all, for the explanandum (the action) in an explanation follows from the volitional and doxastic premises (the explanans) alone. To show this, I argue that there is a conceptual connection between volition and action, rooted in our actual usage of volitional concepts. Ultimately, a difference in principle between the methods of explanation in science and historiography has to be acknowledged.
Three new species of the spider family Pholcidae (Arachnida: Araneae) from Taita-Taveta, Kenya
Authors: YAO ZHIYUAN , KIOKO GRACE M. , KIOKO ESTHER N. , LI SHUQIANG
Published: August 2019

Only nine species of the spider family Pholcidae C.L. Koch, 1850 are endemic in Kenya. In this study, three new species from Taita-Taveta County, southern Kenya are reported. They belong to two genera of the pholcid spiders: Buitinga qingyuani Yao & Li sp. nov. (male, female), B. wamitii Yao & Li sp. nov. (male), and Smeringopus voi Yao & Li sp. nov. (male, female). All material studied is deposited in the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in Nairobi, Kenya.
Aerodynamic Resistance Parameterization for Heterogeneous Surfaces Using a Covariance Function Approach in Spectral Space
Authors: Kröniger Konstantin , Katul Gabriel G. , De Roo Frederik , Brugger Peter , Mauder Matthias
Published: August 2019

Simulating the influence of heterogeneous surfaces on atmospheric flow using mesoscale models (MSM) remains a challenging task, as the resolution of these models usually prohibits resolving important scales of surface heterogeneity. However, surface heterogeneity impacts fluxes of momentum, heat, or moisture, which act as lower boundary conditions for MSM. Even though several approaches for representing subgrid-scale heterogeneities in MSM exist, many of these approaches rely on Monin–Obukhov similarity theory, preventing those models from resolving all scales of surface heterogeneity. To improve upon these residual heterogeneity scales, a novel heterogeneity parameterization is derived by linking the heterogeneous covariance function in spectral space to an associated homogeneous one. This covariance function approach is subsequently used to derive a parameterization of the aerodynamic resistance to heat transfer of the surface layer. Here, the effect of surface heterogeneity enters as a factor applied to the stability correction functions of the bulk similarity approach. To perform a first comparison of the covariance function approach against the conventional bulk similarity and tile approaches, large-eddy simulations (LESs) of distinct surface heterogeneities are conducted. The aerodynamic resistances from these three parameterizations are subsequently tested against the LES reference by resolving the surface heterogeneities with six different test-MSM grids of varying cell dimension. The results of these comparisons show that the covariance function approach proposed here yields the smallest deviations from the LES reference. In addition, the smallest deviation of the covariance function approach to the reference is observed for the LES with the largest surface heterogeneity, which illustrates the advantage of this novel parameterization.
Retrospective analysis of repeated dexamethasone suppression tests – the added value of measuring dexamethasone
Authors: de Graaf Albert J , Mulder AH Leontine , Krabbe Johannes G
Published: August 2019

Background

In the evaluation for hypercortisolism (Cushing’s syndrome), the 1 mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test has an important role, but false-positive results can occur due to low serum dexamethasone. Given the high intraindividual reproducibility of post-dexamethasone suppression test serum cortisol concentrations, we investigated the chance of success of repeating a non-suppressed dexamethasone suppression test if serum dexamethasone is low.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed the results of 1901 consecutive dexamethasone suppression tests performed in our laboratory from February 2011 to November 2018. Serum dexamethasone and cortisol were measured by LC-MS/MS, and both were reported. The 2.5 and 5th percentiles of serum dexamethasone in suppressed dexamethasone suppression tests were investigated as cut-off value. Then, we retrospectively determined the success rate of repeating an initial, non-suppressed dexamethasone suppression test in 131 patients, stratified by initial serum dexamethasone.

Results

At serum dexamethasone concentrations between the 2.5 and 5th percentiles (3.2–3.9 nmol/L), significantly more non-suppressed dexamethasone suppression tests were observed (27/67) than in the control group of 1357 tests having serum dexamethasone ⩾6 nmol/L (40% vs. 30%, P = 0.047), indicating that 3.9 nmol/L is the better cut-off. Overall, 40% of non-suppressed dexamethasone suppression tests were repeated, but repeat testing was performed more often when serum dexamethasone was low. In patients who had initial serum dexamethasone below the cut-off of 3.9 nmol/L, a significantly higher chance of having a suppressed repeat dexamethasone suppression test was observed compared to the control group: 57% (31/54) vs. 26% (15/57), P = 0.001.

Conclusions

Measuring and reporting serum dexamethasone in dexamethasone suppression tests have added value for the selection of patients who might benefit from a repeat dexamethasone suppression test. We suggest a cut-off for serum dexamethasone of ⩾3.9 nmol/L.
Infusing Positive Psychological Interventions Into Career Counseling for Diverse Populations
Authors: Owens Rhea L. , Flores Lisa Y. , Kopperson Caitlin , Allan Blake A.
Published: August 2019

Using the strengths-based inclusive theory of work as a framework, this paper describes how positive psychological interventions (PPIs) can be infused within career and work counseling for diverse populations. Exemplar constructs targeted in the interventions include hope, strengths, adaptability, and empowerment. First, we discuss research related to hope, strengths, adaptability, and empowerment interventions, particularly studies related to career counseling. Second, we describe considerations and recommendations related to adapting PPIs for diverse groups. Finally, a case vignette is shared to demonstrate how PPIs and adapted PPIs might be infused when working with a client seeking career counseling.
Epigenetics, education, and the plastic body: Changing concepts and new engagements
Authors: Pickersgill Martyn
Published: August 2019

Epigenetic processes, and the investigative practices that take these as their focus, are of increasing interest to a range of professionals beyond biomedicine. This has been piqued by, especially, the belief that bioscientific research is demonstrating new molecular mechanisms through which the social and physical environment impact upon the bodies of humans and other animals. Beyond the laboratory, epigenetic notions are entangled with wider ideas about the malleability of the soma (e.g., relating to neuroscience). In many contexts (including, to an extent, education), this intertwinement has contributed to producing and valourising a conception of a particularly plastic body. In this paper, I draw on a range of biomedical and education-related texts in order to outline and reflect upon the notions of ‘education’ and ‘epigenetics’ that are supported through and propelled by an array of writings that, to greater or lesser extents, bring these spheres of praxis into conversation. Discussions of epigenetics and stress, for instance, are framing certain kinds of educational work (e.g., with new parents) as a means of intervening in soma and society. In so doing, they implicitly extend ideas about what education is and what it can do. On the other hand, writings from educational researchers, for example, are enrolling epigenetic findings and ideas to support various positions or approaches. Many education researchers will be sceptical of some of the more hyperbolic assertations made about the significance of epigenetics. However, the fact that a nascent discourse connecting education and epigenetics is emerging is suggestive of a need for reciprocal, thoughtful, and critical exchange with bioscientists who seek to address educational issues, or whose work is being enrolled by others to do so.
Development of auxetic warp knitted fabrics based on reentrant geometry
Authors: Zhao Shuaiquan , Hu Hong , Kamrul Hasan , Chang Yuping , Zhang Minglonghai
Published: August 2019

This paper reports a novel method to fabricate auxetic warp knitted fabrics on a tricot warp knitting machine based on a special structure design and knitting process. Three auxetic warp knitted structures were successfully developed and all of them were designed to form a reentrant hexagonal geometry to acquire an auxetic effect. To provide the fabrics with reentrant frames, elastomeric yarns and stiff yarns were used to form the elastic underlaps and stiff underlaps, respectively. While the elastic underlaps can keep the reentrant structures stable, the stiff underlaps can support the reentrant structures to keep their reentrant frames. To alleviate the transfer of yarns in the loops under tension, an additional front yarn guide bar was used to feed binding yarns to basic reentrant structures. After knitting, all the fabrics were subjected to a heat setting process to keep their shape and a tensile test to assess their auxetic behavior. The experimental results showed that all the fabrics exhibited an obvious auxetic behavior within a wide range of strain. In particular, the fabrics retained auxetic behavior until breaking when stretched in the wale direction, and the Poisson’s ratio of the fabrics could be as low as –0.5. On the other hand, the fabrics exhibited a large tensile elongation when stretched in the course direction and their Poisson’s ratios changed from negative to positive after the tensile strain exceeded a certain value.
Enhancing the spreading dynamics of oil drops over nanofiber substrates
Authors: El Messiry Magdi , Fadel Nermin
Published: August 2019

The spreading dynamics of small oil drops over nanofiber layers has been investigated to improve the oil spill management process. Although liquid transport studies have been used to compare different substrates, the actual effect of the fibrous substrate structure has not been precisely investigated. Nanofiber substrate structures consist of micro- and nanocapillaries that vary in diameter and length and are interconnected in a complex manner. Migration of a liquid from one layer to another as well as on the same layer is an important part of the sorption process in nanofiber substrate structures. In this work, the problem under investigation provides spreading small oil drops over a thin porous layer nanofiber until saturation. An experimental evolution describing the drop spreading has been deduced, which shows the speed of spread of the oil drop is significantly affected by the substrate areal weight. The oil drop area over a dry porous layer seems to be caused by the interchange of two spreading velocities, one over the layers and the other penetration of the oil drop through the pores of the substrate. The higher the oil spreading speed, the lower the permeation of the oil into the porous nanofiber substrate and vice versa. To increase the absorption of the nanofiber substrate, adding a nonwoven thin film to cover the nanofiber layers was studied. It was revealed that the presence of such film significantly accelerates the oil-drop spreading speed by up to 300% and reduces the overall time of the oil drop's life.
The Feasibility of Utilizing Smartphone Flashlights as an Alternative Endoscopic Light Source in Emergency Situations
Authors: Butler Jennifer Johanna , White Stephen Franklin , Myint Calvin Wint Maung , Groves Michael William
Published: August 2019

Although the image quality from modern distal chip endoscopes is superior, limited mobility of the endoscopic tower prevents this technology from being used in inpatient and emergency departments. In these settings, otolaryngologists commonly use older flexible laryngoscopes with portable light sources. However, these light sources could malfunction. Smartphones are ubiquitous nowadays, and the smartphone’s flashlight may be used alternatively to provide illumination when primary light malfunctions. This study compares the ability of flashlights from various smartphone models in providing adequate illumination for flexible laryngoscopy when compared to a commercially available portable light source. White wall and mucosal images were captured using Olympus P4 flexible scope and lights from the Stryker X8000 endoscopy tower light source, Storz 11301D3 portable light source (control), iPhone 4, iPhone 6, iPhone 8, iPhone X, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S7. ImageJ was used to quantify pixel intensities with white and black standardized as 250 and 0, respectively. Student 2-tailed t test was used for analysis. The endoscopic tower outperformed all other light sources in all categories. The iPhone 4 and iPhone 6 consistently underperformed in comparison to the Storz 11301D3 portable light source ( P < .05). Galaxy S6, Galaxy S7, and newer generation iPhone 8 and iPhone X provide comparable pixel intensities to Storz 11301D3 portable light. Smartphones incorporate different types of light-emitting diodes. Newer Galaxy and iPhone provide adequate illumination for the endoscopic assessment of the airway when compared to commercially available portable light source. However, one should always utilize the best commercially available light source in nonemergent cases.
The politics of non-domination: Populism, contestation and neo-republican democracy
Authors: Farrell Liam
Published: August 2019

This article is concerned with the antagonistic character of democratic politics, specifically in relation to the neo-republican conceptualisation of politics, as outlined by Philip Pettit. I take up a problem not addressed in the neo-republican scholarship, namely, the broader dispute over the practice of contestation and the scope of its reach in relation to the activity of politics. This article proceeds through an examination of what I call Pettit’s method of political theory in order to approach sideways the concept of ‘contestation’ as a marker for a sublimated antagonistic dimension of neo-republican politics. Drawing on the work of Rancière and the insights of post-Nietzschean critical theory (Derrida, Laclau and Arendt), I examine the relationship between populism, democratic contestation and non-domination in neo-republican discourse. As such, this article exerts pressure on Pettit’s privileging of a status concept of freedom as the supreme political ideal of republican politics. This article explores the political possibilities opened up through a re-politicisation of non-domination, and the radical potential that resides in a politics that does not foreclose on democracy, understood in terms of popular power and not popular control.
Self-Management as a Mediator of the Relationship between Social Support Dimensions and Health Outcomes of African American Adults with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Al-Dwaikat Tariq N. , Chlebowy Diane Orr , Hall Lynne A. , Crawford Timothy N. , Yankeelov Pamela A.
Published: August 2019

Social support promotes behavior change and self-management that leads to improved health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of self-management in mediating the relationship between social support dimensions and health outcomes of African Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Cross-sectional data were collected from 102 African Americans with T2D at an outpatient clinic. The majority of the participants were female, single, unemployed, and having low income. Functional support, the quality of the primary intimate relationship, and the number of support persons were negatively correlated with depression. Functional support and satisfaction with support explained a significant small amount of the variance in self-management. However, self-management did not mediate the relationships between social support dimensions and the health outcomes. The results of this study shed the light on the unique relationships of social support dimensions with health outcomes of African Americans with T2D.
Farmers’ use of mobile phone-based farm advisory services in Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Nasir Abbas , Qijie Gao , Sertse Selamawit Fantahun , Nabi Md Nur , Khan Palwasha
Published: August 2019

The agriculture sector in Pakistan faces enormous challenges of lack of farm knowledge adoption due to the farmers’ lack of access to the latest information. Recently various mobile phone-based farm advisory services (FAS) have been introduced as an alternative to the conventional extension methods. Despite many ICT initiatives, the performance of these projects remains unsatisfactory. The current study was designed to identify these FAS, farmers’ extent of use, and factors associated with their adoption. Two hundred and forty farmers were surveyed in the rural areas of district Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed with SPSS software. Findings revealed that 77.08% of the sampled farmers were using mobile-based FAS. Telecom and private sector FAS were reported to have the highest share of users (37.08% and 25.83% respectively). Results of the logistic regression showed that farmers’ educational level, mobile use skills, mobile possession duration and the number of mobile phones in a family were found positively significant, while farmers’ age and contact with extension agents were negatively significant. The findings conclude that education and digital literacy are essential for the use of mobile-based alternatives and emphasize the need for training and educating the farmers.
Healing physiology following delayed surgery for femoral midshaft fracture caused by high-energy injury: an in vivo study in dogs
Authors: Pan Zhijun , Pan Jingxin , Wang Hanli , Yu Zhou , Li Zhong , Yang Wenxue , Li Jing , Zhu Qingsheng , Luo Zhuojing
Published: August 2019

Objective

An experimental model of severe soft tissue damage was designed to simulate high-energy fracture and observe the fracture healing process following early surgery and surgery delayed by 1 week.

Methods

Forty dogs were randomized to Group A (immediate surgery) and B (delayed surgery). The femur was broken, and the two ends were forcefully stabbed to damage the surrounding soft tissues. The fracture was repaired using a custom six-hole steel plate. Four dogs were killed on day 3 and weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8 following bone fracture. Soft tissue and bone were examined by light and electron microscopy.

Results

In Group A, no callus was present at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks following fracture, resulting in atrophic nonunion. In Group B, visible weak external callus was present 1 week following fracture, and good external callus growth was present at 2, 4, and 8 weeks, leading to callus healing.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that the first week is critical for fracture healing. Absence of callus in the early stage is indicative of absence of callus growth throughout the entire healing process, while the presence of callus in the early stage is indicative of vigorous callus growth thereafter.
Lived experiences of return to paid work following a brain injury
Authors: Beaulieu Karen
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Due to resulting psychosocial, cognitive, psychological, communication and/or physical difficulties following a brain injury, it is often difficult to return to paid work. Being in paid work is generally good for individuals’ health; however, currently only one third of the brain injury population manage to achieve this return.

Method

A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to collect and analyse data from 10 male and six female individuals who had sustained either a moderate or severe traumatic or acquired brain injury. Unstructured interviews explored their experiences of return to paid work. Data analysis resulted in synthesised descriptions of their return to paid work lived experiences following a brain injury.

Findings

Sixty-one meaning units were established from the data, and six themes emerged: coping with ongoing difficulties; expectation and timing of return to work; workplace colleague reactions; things that help; change and return to work options; and feelings of success.

Conclusion

Findings can be used to develop a more consistent approach to return to paid work, and will inform future occupational therapy practice and return to paid work rehabilitation. Occupational therapists need to support these individuals to cope with the ongoing difficulties facing them, especially in relation to fatigue, memory and transportation difficulties.
Feasibility of Reusing Marine Dredged Clay Stabilized by a Combination of By-Products in Coastal Road Construction
Authors: Tran Thien Quoc , Kim Young-sang , Kang Gyeong-o , Dinh Ba Huu , Do Tan Manh
Published: August 2019

Road construction work on poor subgrade in coastal, port, and reclamation sites is a traditional challenge for geotechnical engineers because of the typically very weak clayey soil in these domains. This research investigates the effects of adding a new green binder (Fa-RmLG), in different proportions and initial water contents, on the engineering properties of marine dredged clay (MDC) collected from Yeosu port, South Korea. The new green binder used is a combination of fly ash (Fa), phosphogypsum (G), lime (L), and red mud (Rm). In this study, five binder mixtures using different proportions of Fa, G, L, and Rm were blended into MDC with different water contents varying in a range of 1.2 to 2.0 times the liquid limit (LL) value. Tests of unconfined compressive strength, California bearing ratio, swelling, and shrinkage were performed on the stabilized MDC mixtures. As a result, large increases in the strength and bearing capacity as well as significant reductions of the swelling and shrinkage values of the stabilized MDC mixtures were recorded compared with unstabilized MDC. Scanning electric microscope and X-ray diffraction analyses were performed to observe the formation and presence of gels inside the stabilized MDC mixtures. Regarding environmental impact, the pH of the stabilized MDC mixtures did not increase above the corrosive limit (pH = 12.5) by the measured pH value. These results indicate that the new green binder can be used as an effective stabilizer for the stabilization of MDC in coastal road construction.
Critical Participatory Action Research: A Feminist Project for Validity and Solidarity
Authors: Fine Michelle , Torre María Elena
Published: August 2019

We present critical participatory action research as an enactment of feminist research praxis in psychology. We discuss the key elements of critical participatory action research through the story of a single, national participatory project. The project was designed by and for LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, plus) and gender-expansive youth; it was called What’s Your Issue? We provide details of the research project, the dreams, desires, experiences, and structural precarity of queer and trans youth. We write this article hoping readers will appreciate the complexities of identities, attend to the relentless commitment to recognition and solidarities, learn the ethical and epistemological principles of critical participatory action research as a feminist and intersectional praxis, and appreciate the provocative blend of research and action toward social justice. Online slides for instructors who want to use this article for teaching are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/page/pwq/suppl/index
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition Ancillary and Complementary Index Critical Values and Base Rates for the Normative Sample
Authors: Puttaswamy Ash , Barone Anjelica , Viezel Kathleen D. , Willis John O. , Dumont Ron
Published: August 2019

An area of particular importance when examining index scores on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fifth Edition (WISC-V) is the utilization and interpretation of critical values and base rates associated with differences between an individual’s subtest scaled score and the individual’s mean scaled score for an index. For the WISC-V, critical value and base rate information is provided for the core subtests contained within each of the primary indices. However, critical value and base rate information is not provided by the test publisher for subtests within the Quantitative Reasoning Index (QRI), Auditory Working Memory Index (AWMI), Nonverbal Index (NVI), General Ability Index (GAI), Cognitive Proficiency Index (CPI), Naming Speed Index (NSI), Symbol Translation Index (STI), and Storage and Retrieval Index (SRI). This study investigates and provides critical values and base rates for performance on the QRI, AWMI, NVI, GAI, CPI, NSI, STI, and SRI.
When personal health data is no longer “personal”
Authors: Ceccato Natalie , Price Courtney
Published: August 2019

Enacted in 2000, the Canadian Personal Health Information Protection and Electronics Documents Act is an important piece of legislation aimed at safeguarding an individual’s right to control their personal health information. Since this time, the world of data and analytics has shifted in terms of our potential to collect, integrate, and analyze both structured and unstructured data. The implications for these data advancements are endless for our healthcare system; however, challenges influenced by our approach to collecting, accessing, and analyzing data as well as patient consent to share personal health information mean public entities lag behind commercial players in harnessing these potential benefits. While there are examples of data analytics application successes, Canadian healthcare continues to lag behind other countries and commercial sectors. We are at a pivot point for system improvements requiring a collective approach to collection, storage, linkage, and application of personal healthcare data. In the chasm of this rests how we address patient consent. All health leaders can play a central role in advancing our application of data for system improvements. Strategies to support health leaders in achieving this potential are outlined in this article.
Learning to Be Employable or Being Employable to Learn: The Reciprocal Relation Between Perceived Employability and Work-Related Learning
Authors: Houben Ellen , De Cuyper Nele , Kyndt Eva , Forrier Anneleen
Published: August 2019

Learning to become employable is a catch phrase often used to highlight the importance of upskilling in today’s knowledge-based labor market. Yet, evidence on the relationship between work-related learning and employability is limited and does not account for potential reciprocity. This is important though: if employability also promotes work-related learning, labor market segmentation could be enhanced. Accordingly, this study investigates the reciprocal relationship between (formal and informal) work-related learning and perceived (internal and external) employability. Hypotheses are based on the attribution-based theory of intrapersonal motivation, which has not yet figured in employability research. Structural equation modeling was performed on three-wave survey data of Belgian employees. The pattern of results showed a reciprocal, albeit weak, relationship between formal work-related learning and perceived internal employability. No other significant relationships were established. Hence, the relationship between work-related learning and perceived employability might not be as straightforward as generally assumed.
The ‘disabilitization’ of medicine: The emergence of Quality of Life as a space to interrogate the concept of the medical model
Authors: Dokumacı Arseli
Published: August 2019

This article presents an archaeological inquiry into the early histories of Quality of Life (QoL) measures, and takes this as an occasion to rethink the concept of the ‘medical model of disability’. Focusing on three instruments that set the ground for the emergence of QoL measures, namely, the Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS, 1948), and the classification of functional capacity as a diagnostic criterion for heart diseases (Bainton, 1928) and as a supplementary aid to therapeutic criteria in rheumatoid arthritis ( Steinbrocker, Traeger, and Batterman, 1949 ) – I discuss how medicine, throughout the emergence of QoL, began to expand its gaze beyond the confines of the body to what that body does in daily life. Building upon Armstrong et al.’s notion of ‘distal symptoms’ (2007) and Wahlberg’s idea of ‘knowledge of living’ (2018), I propose the notion of disabilitization to encapsulate this expansion of the clinical gaze, through which medicine has come to articulate diseases and their treatments in new ways, and in so doing, has inadvertently created disability as a new kind of knowledge category in itself – a category that is defined not through its reduction to mere pathology, but through its dispersal into everyday life. I present this concept not as a periodization, but as a provocative discontinuity with the totalizing history assumed within the medical model of disability, and in so doing, ask what, in fact, holds ‘the medical model’ together, and whether there might be other ways of understanding medicine’s complex relationship to disability than what the concept of the medical model allows us to envisage.
Quantification of wake unsteadiness for low-Re flow across two staggered cylinders
Authors: Zhang Wei , Li Xiaojun , Zhu Zuchao
Published: August 2019

This work performs a numerical investigation on the two-dimensional flow across two circular cylinders in staggered arrangement at Re = 100. The seaparting distances between the centers of the cylinders are D/ d = 4–10 with Δ D/ d = 2 and T/ d = 0.0–2.0 with Δ T/ d = 0.5 in the streamwise and transverse directions, respectively, in which d is the cylinder diameter. Although the low- Re flow across staggered cylinders has been studied in a number of works, the authors mainly concerned about the identification and transition of various flow patterns. In this work, our objective is to quantitatively reveal the characteristics of flow unsteadiness as affected by the two separating distances. The flow unsteadiness is assessed from several aspects, including the spatial distributions and temporal variations of instantaneous flow patterns, fluctuating characteristic quantities, and fluctuating flow in the gap and in the near- and far-wake regions. To investigate the inherent instability of the flow, the global linear stability and sensitivity analysis is further carried out to demonstrate the unstable mode of perturbation growth and the critical flow patterns that destabilize the flow. The numerical results reveal that the wake flow between the two centerlines and beside the upstream cylinder is the most intensely perturbed. The flow around the downstream cylinder exhibits great fluctuation as perturbed by the destabilized shear layer of the upstream cylinder. The flow downstream of both cylinders shows multiple peak fluctuation of velocity because of the complex interactions between the destabilized shear layer and the wake vortices, resulting in the bidirectional transverse propagation of fluctuation. The stability analysis demonstrates that the unstable mode of perturbation growth is more significant in the far-wake region as the two cylinders are placed in proximity; the sensitivity analysis shows that the gap flow is crucial for the flow destabilization at small D, while the wake flow of cylinder- B is more significant for large D.
Survival Rates of Various Autologous Chondrocyte Grafts and Concomitant Procedures. A Prospective Single-Center Study over 18 Years
Authors: Martinčič David , Mekač Jakob , Drobnič Matej
Published: August 2019

Seven different autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) grafts were used consecutively over a period of 18 years for the treatment of cartilage lesions in the knees. The aim was to evaluate this entire ACI patient series for graft-related or unrelated serious adverse events (SAE), graft failures, and to reveal potential risk factors for these incidents. The study group comprised 151 operated patients: classical periosteum-ACI ( n = 45); ACI-seeded fibrin-collagen patch, fixed by either periosteum ( n = 59), collagen membrane ( n = 15), or fibrin glue ( n = 6); ACI seeded alginate-agarose hydrogel ( n = 14); and biomimetic collagen-hydroxyapatite scaffold injected with the ACI suspension ( n = 12). The covariates analyzed as possible predicting factors were: age, gender, BMI, lesion depth, lesion size, lesion location, previous surgeries, and concomitant procedures. The Kaplan–Meier method for estimating survival curves, and Cox’s proportional hazards model to test for covariates, were used in the statistical analysis. The patients in this series, follow-up 10.1 (2.1–18.3) years, encountered 11% of graft-related SAE (risk factors: previous cartilage surgery, age over 40 years, BMI over 25 kg/m2, and meniscus surgery) and 10% of graft unrelated SAE (risk factors: meniscus surgery and osteotomy). None of these factors was a risk for definitive graft failure. The 10-year graft survival rate was 86%. Females had 2.8 times higher incidence of graft failures than males. There was a tendency toward higher graft failures after a previous cartilage surgery. Different ACI graft types offered safe and durable cartilage repair. Female gender, age over 40 years, increased weight, previous cartilage surgery, and meniscus loss showed increased risk for revision surgery or graft failures.
The Neuroprotective Effects of Necrostatin-1 on Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats Are Possibly Mediated by Preventing Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption and RIP3-Mediated Necroptosis
Authors: Chen Jingsen , Jin Hanghuang , Xu Hangzhe , Peng Yucong , Jie Liyong , Xu Demin , Chen Lili , Li Tao , Fan Linfeng , He Pingyou , Ying Guangyu , Gu Chi , Wang Chun , Wang Lin , Chen Gao
Published: August 2019

Despite the substantial efforts to elucidate the role of early brain injury in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), an effective pharmaceutical therapy for patients with SAH continues to be unavailable. This study aims to reveal the role of necroptosis after SAH, and explore whether the disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and RIP3-mediated necroptosis following SAH in a rat SAH model are altered by necrostatin-1 via its selective inhibition of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1). Sixty-five rats were used in the experiments. The SAH model was established using endovascular perforation. Necrostatin-1 was intracerebroventricularly injected 1 h before SAH induction. The neuroprotective effects of necrostatin-1 were evaluated with multiple methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, immunohistochemistry, propidium iodide (PI) labeling, and western blotting. Pretreatment with necrostatin-1 attenuated brain swelling and reduced the lesion volume on T2 sequence and ventricular volume on MRI 72 h after SAH induction. Albumin leakage and the degradation of tight junction proteins were also ameliorated by necrostatin-1 administration. In addition, necrostatin-1 decreased the number of PI-positive cells in the basal cortex, reduced the levels of the RIP3 and MLKL proteins, and inhibited the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α. Based on the findings from the present study, the selective RIP1 inhibitor necrostatin-1 functioned as a neuroprotective agent after SAH by attenuating brain swelling and BBB disruption. Moreover, the necrostatin-1 pretreatment prevented SAH-induced necroptosis by suppressing the activity of the RIP3/MLKL signaling pathway. These results will provide insights into new drugs and pharmacological targets to manage SAH, which are worth further study.
Characterization and determination of thermal and radioluminescence properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-(nanozeolite + Y2O3) composite
Authors: Çanlı Murat , Keskin İlker Çetin , Türemiş Murat , Sirin Kamil , Katı Mehmet İsmail
Published: August 2019

Nanotechnology has become one of the most popular areas of interdisciplinary research. In the vast majority of nanotechnology applications, polymer-based matrices were used as the dispersing medium of nanoparticles. The combination of polymer–zeolite nanocomposite has the potential to come out with the advantages of polymers and zeolites while coping with the deficiencies of both materials. In this study, the synthesis and properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) composites with nanozeolite + Y2O3 are investigated. Polyethylene nanocomposite fibers containing nanozeolite + Y2O3 at 5% by mass using a melt extrusion method were composed in a laboratory type twin screw extruder. The thermal properties of the composite fibers were determined by analysis of both thermal gravimetric and differential thermal spectra. Their structural properties were enlightened by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and ultraviolet absorption. According to the results of X-ray diffraction tests, the samples contain crystals in semicrystalline and α form. The mechanical properties of LDPE matrices increased with the addition of nanoparticles. In addition, radioluminescence properties of the polymer were also improved after composing with nanozeolite and Y2O3.
Evolving Efficiency of Exchange Rate Movement: An Evidence from Indian Foreign Exchange Market
Authors: Khuntia Sashikanta , Pattanayak J. K.
Published: August 2019

This study empirically verifies the evolving and time-varying efficiency of Indian foreign exchange market using the framework of adaptive market hypothesis (AMH). Whether market efficiency is time varying or static, and if time varying, identification of possible events causing such time-varying efficiency are the two major agenda of this study. We employ a set of recent methods which are robust and possess stronger power properties. Moreover, we follow a fixed-length rolling window approach to explore time-varying nature of market efficiency and to avoid data-snooping bias. Our overall findings suggest that market efficiency is not an all-or-nothing condition; it varies over time. We also find that episodes of efficiency coincide with emergence of major events and market microstructure issues. Particularly, changes in exchange rate regime, financial turbulence, major central bank interventions and trade volume are the prominent causes for time-varying efficiency in INR–USD exchange rate. The evidence of swing between efficiency and inefficiency can prompt currency traders to exploit arbitrage opportunities that emerge with different market conditions.
Family Perspectives on Social-Cognitive Impairment in Verbal Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: MacKenzie Kristen T. , Mazefsky Carla A. , Minshew Nancy J. , Eack Shaun M.
Published: August 2019

Social-cognitive challenges in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often assessed using caregiver report or performance-based instruments. This study compared caregiver report and performance-based measures of social cognition to examine convergence. A total of 128 verbal individuals with ASD were administered performance-based tests of social cognition assessing theory of mind, and one family member completed a measure of social cognition. Caregiver reports of social cognition were weakly and not significantly correlated with performance-based test scores. Caregiver- and performance-based measures converged for children compared with adults and for participants with lower intellectual ability. More research is needed to develop social-cognitive measures that incorporate caregiver perspectives and are robust across individuals with ASD of all ages and levels of intellectual functioning.
Managing Palliative Patients in Inpatient Rehabilitation Through a Short Stay Family Training Program
Authors: Smith Suzette , Wilson Christopher M. , Lipple Christine , Avromov Meghan , Maltese John , Siwa Eliezer , Colombo Reyna , Seidell Janet Wiechec
Published: August 2019

Study Design:

Retrospective Analysis of a Quality Improvement Program.

Purpose:

To describe the development, implementation, and outcomes of an inpatient rehabilitation-based Short Stay Family Training (SSFT) program for patients with life-limiting conditions.

Background:

Patients with terminal illnesses often have functional limitations that prohibit discharge home after hospitalization, but their condition limits their ability to participate in rehabilitation in an inpatient setting.

Methods and Measures:

After a needs assessment, an interdisciplinary team developed an SSFT program to empower patients, caregivers, and family members by giving them the tools to be independent in caring for a patient with a life-limiting condition. Patients qualifying for the program were tracked in terms of acute care physical therapy and occupational therapy discharge recommendations, diagnosis, inpatient rehabilitation unit length of stay (LoS), caregiver involvement, and discharge location. Data were retrospectively analyzed from patients over the first 16 months.

Results:

Since program implementation, 30 patients and their family members participated in the program. Overall, these patients experienced decreased LoS, increased discharge to home, and increased palliative care involvement in the plan of care.

Conclusion:

Short Stay Family Training is a viable alternative to traditional inpatient rehabilitation to allow patients with life-limiting conditions to discharge home safely with caregiver support.
Fulfillment of Expectations After Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgery
Authors: Henry Jensen K. , Roney Andrew , Cody Elizabeth A. , Hummel Amelia , Mancuso Carol A. , Ellis Scott
Published: August 2019

Background:

To date, no study has assessed fulfillment of patients’ expectations after foot and ankle surgery. This study aimed to validate a method of assessing expectation fulfillment in foot/ankle patients postoperatively.

Methods:

Preoperatively, patients completed the expectations survey, consisting of 23 questions for domains including pain, ambulation, daily function, exercise, and shoe wear. At 2 years postoperatively, patients answered how much improvement they received for each item cited preoperatively. A fulfillment proportion (FP) was calculated as the amount of improvement received versus the amount of improvement expected. The FP ranges from 0 (no expectations fulfilled), to between 0 and 1 (expectations partially fulfilled), to 1 (expectations met), to greater than 1 (expectations surpassed). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under the curve (AUCs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compare the expectations survey to other outcome surveys, including Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, improvement, overall fulfillment, Delighted-Terrible scale, and satisfaction.

Results:

Of the 271 patients (mean age 55.4 years, mean BMI 27.5, 65% female), 34% had expectations surpassed (FP >1), 4% had expectations met, 58% had expectations partially fulfilled (FP between 0 and 1), and 5% had no expectations met. The mean FP was 0.84 ± 0.41 (range 0-3.13), indicating partially fulfilled expectations. FP correlated significantly with all outcome measures ( P ≤ .007). FP was associated most closely with satisfaction ( r = 0.66 [95% CI 0.57-0.75]; AUC = 0.92 [95% CI 0.88-0.96]; P < .001) and improvement ( r = 0.73 [95% CI 0.64-0.81]; AUC = 0.94 [95% CI 0.91-0.96]; P < .001). Based on the associations with satisfaction and improvement outcomes, a clinically important proportion of expectations fulfilled is 0.68, with sensitivity 0.85-0.90 and specificity 0.84-0.86.

Conclusion:

The proportion of expectations fulfilled is a novel patient-centered outcome that correlated with validated outcome measures. The expectations survey may be used by surgeons to counsel patients preoperatively and also to assess patients’ results postoperatively.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative series.
Comparison between two premedication regimens of dexamethasone before a pemetrexed-based chemotherapy: A single-center experience study
Authors: Groleau Andréanne , Côté Jimmy
Published: August 2019

Pemetrexed, frequently used for the treatment of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, may cause cutaneous reactions that can be reduced with three oral doses of dexamethasone starting the day before treatment, and continuing after chemotherapy for a number of doses which varies according to the emetogenic potential of the protocol. Dexamethasone may induce side effects and no guideline suggests the conduct to favor when dexamethasone doses are omitted before treatment with pemetrexed. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of a simplified regimen of dexamethasone administered before a pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in preventing cutaneous toxicities. A prospective study was conducted with patients starting a pemetrexed-based treatment between February 2016 and August 2017 at the ambulatory oncology clinic of an academic hospital. Patients were divided into two groups, one receiving the usual oral premedication and the other receiving a 20-mg intravenous dose of dexamethasone prior to chemotherapy. Among the 70 patients included, 39 received the alternative regimen prior to a total of 114 chemotherapy cycles, while the other 31 patients received the usual premedication before a total of 154 cycles. The cutaneous toxicity incidence was of 10 events in the simplified treatment group compared to 9 events in the standard group ( p = 0.35). These events occurred in nine patients within the experimental group and five patients within the control group ( p = 0.56). A single intravenous dexamethasone regimen represents a valid alternative to the usual prophylaxis in preventing cutaneous reactions.