bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Religious Conversion to Christianity in Muslim Refugees in Europe
Authors: Kéri Szabolcs , Sleiman Christina
Published: November 2017

An increasing number of Muslim asylum seekers and refugees convert to Christianity in Europe. The conversion motifs in these individuals are unknown. In this study, we applied biographical interviews in 124 converts. There were two dominant patterns: intellectual (42.7%)—intellectual plus experimental motifs (10.5%), and mystical (16.1%)—mystical plus affectional motifs (21.0%). Pure experimental and affectional motifs were rare, and there were no revivalist and coercive motifs. Demographic parameters (age, gender, education, family status, country of origin, traumatic life events, and refugee status) did not predict conversion motifs. We found no evidence for social pressure. These results indicate that finding meaning and consolation in Christian religious teachings and mystical experiences with a high emotional content are the two leading religious conversion motifs.
Revision of the Anotylus sculpturatus group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) with descriptions of seven new species from China
Authors: WANG LIN-FEI , ZHOU HONG-ZHANG , LÜ LIANG
Published: November 2017

The Anotylus sculpturatus species group is one of the relatively well-defined assemblages within the very large genus Anotylus Thomson, 1859 of the subfamily Oxytelinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). This paper briefly examines the species group classification of the genus Anotylus and concentrates mainly on the taxonomy of Anotylus sculpturatus group. The paper reviews the Chinese fauna of 13 species, with seven new species described here: Anotylus benisculptilis sp. nov., A. nigelisculptilis sp. nov. and A. brevisculptilis sp. nov. from Sichuan, A. varisculptilis sp. nov. from Yunnan and Sichuan, A. nitelisculptilis sp. nov. from Sichuan, Ningxia, Gansu and Shaanxi, A. rectisculptilis sp. nov. from Zhejiang, and A. extrasculptilis sp. nov. from Yunnan. Lectotypes are designated for Anotylus chinkiangensis (Bernhauer, 1938) and A. subsericeus (Bernhauer, 1938). Color figures and line-drawings are provided for all the new species and most of the earlier known species from China. A preliminary key to the species groups of Anotylus and a key to the species of Anotylus sculpturatus group, mainly focused on Chinese fauna, are also included in the paper, so as to benefit the classification and identification in the future.
Doppler Radar Analysis of the Rapid Intensification of Typhoon Goni (2015) after Eyewall Replacement
Authors: Shimada Udai , Sawada Masahiro , Yamada Hiroyuki
Published: November 2017

A ground-based Doppler radar observed the rapid intensification (RI) of Typhoon Goni (2015) for 24 h immediately after it completed an eyewall replacement cycle. Goni’s RI processes were examined by using radar reflectivity and wind fields retrieved by the ground-based velocity track display (GBVTD) technique. The maximum wind at 2-km altitude increased by 30 m s−1 during the first 6 h of RI, and it further increased by 20 m s−1 during the subsequent 12 h. Around the onset of RI, relatively strong outflow (>2 m s−1) was present both inside and outside the radius of maximum wind (RMW) above the boundary layer (BL), suggesting the existence of supergradient flow in and just above the BL. Despite this outflow, angular momentum increased inside the RMW. The low-level RMW contracted rapidly from 50 to 33 km, causing the RMW to slope greatly outward with height. The radius of maximum reflectivity was a few kilometers inside the RMW. A budget analysis of absolute angular momentum showed that the outflow contributed to the contraction of the tangential wind field. During RI, eyewall convection was enhanced, and a well-defined eye appeared. The low-level outflow changed into inflow immediately outside the RMW. Then the tangential wind field and high inertial stability region expanded radially outward, followed by the formation of an outer reflectivity maximum at twice the RMW. The contraction speed of the low-level RMW slowed down.
Atmospheric Overturning across Multiple Scales of an MJO Event during the CINDY/DYNAMO Campaign
Authors: Chen Xingchao , Pauluis Olivier M. , Zhang Fuqing
Published: November 2017

This study investigates the atmospheric overturning of the October 2011 MJO event observed during the Cooperative Indian Ocean Experiment on Intraseasonal Variability in the Year 2011 (CINDY)/DYNAMO field experiment using a cloud-permitting numerical model. The isentropic analysis is used to sort the vertical mass transport in terms of the equivalent potential temperature of the air parcels, which naturally decomposes the atmospheric overturning between ascending air with high entropy and subsiding air with low entropy. The circulation is further decomposed into contributions of four main scales: basinwide ascent, meridional overturning, regional overturning, and convection. Results show that the convective scale dominates the upward mass transport while larger scales play an important role both by allowing a deeper overturning and by modulating convective activity. There are substantial changes in the atmospheric overturning during different phases of this MJO event. Increased convective activity at low levels precedes the onset of the MJO by several days. The initiation of the MJO itself is associated with a substantial increase in the atmospheric overturning over the Indian Ocean. The subsequent eastward propagation of the MJO event can be clearly captured by the evolutions of convective-scale vertical mass fluxes at different altitudes. The equivalent potential temperatures of the rising and subsiding air parcels in the convective-scale overturning are also increased in the troposphere during the active phase of the MJO.
Potential Large-Scale Forcing Mechanisms Driving Enhanced North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity since the Mid-1990s
Authors: Zhao Haikun , Duan Xingyi , Raga G. B. , Sun Fengpeng
Published: November 2017

A significant increase of tropical cyclone (TC) frequency is observed over the North Atlantic (NATL) basin during the recent decades (1995–2014). In this study, the changes in large-scale controls of the NATL TC activity are compared between two periods, one before and one since 1995, when a regime change is observed. The results herein suggest that the significantly enhanced NATL TC frequency is related mainly to the combined effect of changes in the magnitudes of large-scale atmospheric and oceanic factors and their association with TC frequency. Interdecadal changes in the role of vertical wind shear and local sea surface temperatures (SSTs) over the NATL appear to be two important contributors to the recent increase of NATL TC frequency. Low-level vorticity plays a relatively weak role in the recent increase of TC frequency. These changes in the role of large-scale factors largely depend on interdecadal changes of tropical SST anomalies (SSTAs). Enhanced low-level westerlies to the east of the positive SSTAs have been observed over the tropical Atlantic since 1995, with a pattern nearly opposite to that seen before 1995. Moreover, the large-scale contributors to the NATL TC frequency increase since 1995 are likely related to both local and remote SSTAs. Quantification of the impacts of local and remote SSTAs on the increase of TC frequency over the NATL basin and the physical mechanisms require numerical simulations and further observational analyses.
Influence of Global Warming on Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Intensities during 2015
Authors: Yang Se-Hwan , Kang Nam-Young , Elsner James B. , Chun Youngsin
Published: November 2017

The climate of 2015 was characterized by a strong El Niño, global warmth, and record-setting tropical cyclone (TC) intensity for western North Pacific typhoons. In this study, the highest TC intensity in 32 years (1984–2015) is shown to be a consequence of above normal TC activity—following natural internal variation—and greater efficiency of intensity. The efficiency of intensity (EINT) is termed the “blasting” effect and refers to typhoon intensification at the expense of occurrence. Statistical models show that the EINT is mostly due to the anomalous warmth in the environment indicated by global mean sea surface temperature. In comparison, the EINT due to El Niño is negligible. This implies that the record-setting intensity of 2015 might not have occurred without environmental warming and suggests that a year with even greater TC intensity is possible in the near future when above normal activity coincides with another record EINT due to continued multidecadal warming.
Evaluation of Downscaled CMIP5 Coupled with VIC Model for Flash Drought Simulation in a Humid Subtropical Basin, China
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , You Qinglong , Chen Changchun , Ge Jing , Adnan Muhammad
Published: November 2017

Compared to traditional drought events, flash droughts evolve rapidly during short-term extreme atmospheric conditions, with a lasting period of one pentad to several weeks. There are two main categories of flash droughts: the heat wave flash drought (HWFD), which is mainly caused by persistent high temperatures (heat waves), and the precipitation deficit flash drought (PDFD), which is mainly triggered by precipitation deficits. The authors’ previous research focused on the characteristics and causes of flash drought based on meteorological observations and Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model simulations in a humid subtropical basin (Gan River basin, China). In this study, the authors evaluated the downscaled phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) models’ simulations, coupled with the VIC model (CMIP5–VIC) in reproducing flash droughts in a humid subtropical basin in China. Most downscaled CMIP5–VIC simulations can reproduce the spatial patterns of flash droughts with respect to the benchmarks. The coupled models fail to readily replicate interannual variation (interannual pentad change), but most models can reflect the interannual variability (temporal standard deviation) and long-term average pentads of flash droughts. It is difficult to simultaneously depict both the spatial and temporal features of flash droughts within only one coupled model. The climatological patterns of the best multimodel ensemble mean are close to those of the all-model ensemble mean, but the best multimodel ensemble mean has a minimal bias range and relatively low computational burden.
Multiscale Variations of Precipitable Water over China Based on 1999–2015 Ground-Based GPS Observations and Evaluations of Reanalysis Products
Authors: Zhang Weixing , Lou Yidong , Huang Jinfang , Zheng Fu , Cao Yunchang , Liang Hong , Shi Chuang , Liu Jingnan
Published: November 2017

The dense ground-based GPS provides a good tool to study water vapor distribution and multiscale variations, especially for linear trends on the interannual scale and short-term variations on the diurnal scale. It can also serve as an independent data source to evaluate performances of reanalyses. In this study, the 6-hourly precipitable water (PW) products at more than 260 GPS stations over China from 1999 to 2015 were analyzed and eight commonly used reanalyses, including 20CR version 2 (20CRv2), CFSR, ERA-Interim, JRA-25, JRA-55, MERRA, NCEP–NCAR, and NCEP–DOE AMIP-II, were evaluated. The climatological annual mean GPS PW distribution over China roughly shows a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest, with the largest annual and semiannual amplitudes in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and mideastern China, respectively, and the smallest values in the Tibetan Plateau and southwestern China. All reanalyses (except for 20CRv2) can generally reproduce well the climatological annual mean PW (within 20%), annual amplitudes (within 20%), and semiannual amplitudes (within 20% except in the tropical monsoon region), but they all show wet biases in the Tibetan Plateau. Diurnal variation amplitudes reproduced by all reanalysis products are smaller than amplitudes estimated from GPS observations over China as a whole, and none of the reanalyses can capture the diurnal phases correctly. PW linear trends at most GPS stations in the recent 16 years are insignificant or with absolute values smaller than 0.10 mm yr−1. However, because of the assimilation of the unhomogenized radiosonde humidity data, most reanalyses show artificial decreasing PW trends (except in 20CRv2 and CFSR).
An Improved Winding-Angle Method to More Accurately Identify Mesoscale Eddies
Authors: Yan Danchen , Zhang Tianyu , Yu Shaomei , Li Yun , Wang YanQiang , Wang Bin
Published: November 2017

The winding-angle (WA) method is an automatic eddy detection method based on the geometric characteristics of instantaneous streamlines. The original WA method clusters closed streamlines using a predetermined threshold. It is difficult to obtain a common threshold for accurately clustering various mesoscale eddies with variable shapes and dimensions. Moreover, the original WA method is not suitable for detecting multicore structures. In this paper, an improved WA method was proposed to more accurately identify mesoscale eddies and to detect multicore structures. It does not depend on the previously used clustering threshold; rather, it is based on the spatial relationships of streamlines to detect mesoscale eddies of various types and dimensions. Streamlines are matched with possible eddy centers (PCs), which are then grouped into different “related groups” according to the containment relationships between them and the outermost streamlines of the groups. Each group represents a vortex structure, and the number of PCs in each group represents the number of eddy cores. The eddy boundaries and eddy cores of multicore structures represented by multi-PC groups are identified by topological relationships of the streamlines. The time requirement of the improved method is higher than that of the original algorithm, although it does not demand additional memory space and utilizes fewer CPU resources. More importantly, the improved method provides more accurate identification results and greatly refines the incorrect identifications from the original method induced by the predetermined threshold. Success metrics for the improved WA method are also more desirable relative to those for the original and other commonly used methods.
Early Opportunities to Strengthen Academic Readiness: Effects of Summer Learning on Mathematics Achievement
Authors: Little Catherine A. , Adelson Jill L. , Kearney Kelly L. , Cash Kathleen , O’Brien Rebecca
Published: November 2017

Students who come from low-income backgrounds tend to be underidentified and underserved in gifted education. Early interventions with learners of high potential from underserved groups, including exposure to challenging curriculum and summer opportunities, are important for nurturing these students’ talents and preparing them for advanced learning opportunities in later school years. Project SPARK, based on the Young Scholars model, focuses on recognizing and responding to high-potential learners from underserved populations in the early grades. In this study, we examined the effects on mathematics achievement of participation in a summer program as part of Project SPARK in schools with substantial populations of students in poverty, as demonstrated by percentage of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. We examined summer program effects on achievement for the sample overall and specifically for students from low-income backgrounds. Students who participated in the summer program made moderately larger mathematics achievement gains than students who did not participate, with Cohen’s d-type effect sizes of 0.92. Students who qualified for free or reduced lunch saw similar gains over the summer if they participated in the summer program, indicating that the summer program experience was supportive for students across a range of income backgrounds.
Making connections: A process model of organizational identification
Authors: Sillince John AA , Golant Ben D
Published: November 2017

Organizational identification is conventionally defined as a sense of oneness. Yet this is static and inhibits a process view of identification, in which organizational identity is continuously adjusted. Most studies of organizational identification are of members and not stakeholders, despite evidence that suggests that stakeholders have a significant role and that organizational identity and image are reciprocally connected. We ask the question: how is organizational identification discursively constructed? We suggest that stakeholders play a key role in organizational identification processes. The forward movement of the process, from Performative to Instrumental to Interactional to Reciprocal, is one of reinforcement in which soft power enrols a virtuous circle of willing support. The backward movement of the process, from Reciprocal to Interactional to Instrumental to Performative, is one of functional justification involving hard power as coercion by communicating the organization’s expectations to the individual.
Human rights and social work in China: Dilemmas and lessons from other countries and areas
Authors: Huang Yunong , Zheng Guanghuai
Published: November 2017

This article examines the current human rights situation and discusses the dilemmas of adhering and promoting the human rights principle in social work in China. Based on the development of human rights and social work in other countries and areas, it is argued that China’s social workers may strive with human rights activists, clients, and other stakeholders for human rights and be sensitive to the problems of illiberal democracy. It is also suggested that more research on human rights is critical in order to develop a better understanding of human rights and to promote the human rights principle in social work in China.
The Silent Majority? College Students’ Views, Conditions, and Reactions to Drunken Facebook Posts
Authors: Wolfer Loreen
Published: November 2017

College students’ definitions of inappropriate drunken posts, their reasoning, and what they do in response are generally absent in the literature. An online survey of 522 college students examined two drunken Facebook posts, one a general statement of drunkenness and a second which specifically mentioned vomiting and being underage. Findings suggest that students’ views of these posts are more complex and less accepting than previously thought. Most students considered both posts “a little” to “very” inappropriate, but the second post was more negatively viewed. A common reason was that the posts were socially unpopular, especially if the individual was underage. Findings also show that overwhelmingly students would ignore an inappropriate post or react in a way that is invisible to the poster. Thus, visible reactions may be falsely biased toward favorable feedback, even if many views are disapproving. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
A scheme for the simulation of networked agent systems modeled by timed hybrid Petri nets
Authors: Gudiño-Mendoza Berenice , López-Mellado Ernesto , Aguayo-Lara Enrique
Published: November 2017

A novel scheme for simulating networked agent systems is presented. In this approach, the system is composed of identical communicating agents, which have multi-role capabilities in such a manner that they can perform diverse tasks, according to a given execution context. The agent’s behavior is modeled using a timed hybrid Petri net ( THPN) whose evolution, valid for all the agents, is computed off-line using Matlab. The agents are interconnected and simulated in a Java platform using the JADE middle-ware.
The General’s Intuition
Authors: Vennesson Pascal , Huan Amanda
Published: November 2017

Can we trust the operational intuitions of generals? The proponents of the overconfidence model, one of the most influential perspectives in the psychology of judgment, commonly offer a skeptical answer. Generals’ operational intuitions are likely to be hampered by overconfidence and negatively affect military effectiveness. However, the successful operational outcome of General Douglas MacArthur’s decision to land at Inchon (June–September 1950) seemingly contradicts the model. We seek to complement and refine the overconfidence model by examining the Inchon landing decision through the analytical lens of the recognition-primed decision model. This model typically envisions that under specific circumstances—notably an experienced decision maker, an adequate environment regularity, and an opportunity to learn—generals are able to make quick and satisfactory decisions. We show that such a configuration was present in the Inchon landing case and helps explain both the decision process and its successful outcome.
State estimation for stochastic polynomial systems with switching in the state equation
Authors: Hernandez-Gonzalez Miguel , Basin Michael V
Published: November 2017

The problem of designing a mean-square filter has been studied for stochastic polynomial systems, where the state equation switches between two different nonlinear functions, over linear observations. A switching signal depends on a random variable modelled as a Bernoulli distributed sequence that takes the quantities of zero and one. The differential equations for the state estimate and the error covariance matrix are obtained in a closed form by expressing the conditional expectation of polynomial terms as functions of the estimate and covariance matrix. Finite-dimensional filtering equations are obtained for a particular case of a third-degree polynomial system. Numerical simulations are carried out in two cases of switching between different linear and second degree polynomial functions.
The Value Implications of Tax Avoidance Across Countries
Authors: Tang Tanya Y. H.
Published: November 2017

Motivated by two competing views on the value implications of tax avoidance, this study examines how investors perceive tax-avoidance behavior in an international setting. Using a sample of 42,107 firm-year observations from 46 countries over the 2001-2010 period, I find that the average relation between tax avoidance and firm value (as measured by Tobin’s Q) is positive and significant. This relation, however, is mitigated in countries with little control over self-dealing, weak corporate governance, and high levels of corruption. While tax avoidance is more value enhancing in developed and common law countries, I find no evidence that a country’s adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), book-tax conformity, or aggregate earnings quality is associated with investor perceptions of tax avoidance. Overall, the results suggest that tax avoidance creates value for shareholders, and that the value of tax avoidance is driven by the heterogeneous agency costs associated with different institutions.
Emergence of Mixed‐Oil Fat Emulsions for Use in Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Mundi Manpreet S. , Martindale Robert G. , Hurt Ryan T.
Published: November 2017

Since early work by Wretlind and Schuberth led to the development of a stable and safe intravenous fat emulsion (IFE) using soybean oil (SO) and egg phospholipid emulsifier, IFEs have become a crucial source of essential fatty acids and nonprotein energy in parenteral nutrition. However, largely due to their high ω‐6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and phytosterol content, SO IFEs have been associated with complications, including a proinflammatory profile and hypertriglyceridemia, as well as intestinal failure–associated liver disease. Subsequent generations of IFEs have used other sources of triglycerides, including medium‐chain triglycerides (MCTs), olive oil (OO), and fish oil (FO), to reduce the SO component. Although these IFEs showed some improvement in complications compared with SO IFE, the quest to develop an IFE with a better side effect profile and beneficial physiologic effects led to the development of a mixed‐oil (MO) IFE (Smoflipid; 30% SO, 30% MCTs, 25% OO, and 15% FO) that was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The use of a MO approach is theoretically and intuitively more physiologically similar to normal dietary human consumption. Although the data are from small, short‐term trials, MO IFE results thus far have been promising, with some studies showing improved liver function tests, improvement in triglycerides, higher ω‐3/ω‐6 PUFA ratio, and higher α‐tocopherol. Larger long‐term studies are needed to ensure these theoretical benefits lead to significant improvement in clinical outcomes.
Stop Yelling: Interparental Conflict and Adolescents’ Self-Representations as Mediated by Their Perceived Relationships With Parents
Authors: Silva Carla Sofia , Calheiros Maria Manuela
Published: November 2017

Adolescents’ perceptions of their relationship with both parents were examined as mediators linking interparental conflict to their self-representations (SR). Portuguese adolescents ( N = 214; 58.4% girls), aged 10-16 years old ( M = 13.39), attending public elementary and secondary schools, filled out self-report measures. Multi-mediator path analysis models revealed that interparental conflict predicted less favorable SR in most evaluated domains. This association was mediated by adolescents’ perceptions of (a) support in the mother–adolescent relationship, related to instrumental, social, emotional, physical appearance, and intelligence SR; (b) negative interactions in the mother–adolescent relationship, related to instrumental and physical appearance SR; (c) support in the father–adolescent relationship, related to social and physical appearance SR; and (d) negative interactions in the father–adolescent relationship, related to instrumental SR. This study emphasizes the relevance of interparental conflict and adolescents’ perceptions of their relationship with both parents in their SR construction. Practical implications point to promoting constructive conflict and improving parent–adolescent relationships.
Structural Fat Grafting to Improve Outcomes of Vocal Folds’ Fat Augmentation: Long‐term Results
Authors: Cantarella Giovanna , Mazzola Riccardo F. , Gaffuri Michele , Iofrida Elisabetta , Biondetti Pietro , Forzenigo Laura V. , Pignataro Lorenzo , Torretta Sara
Published: November 2017

Objective

Evaluating the long‐term outcomes of vocal fold structural fat grafting.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

University hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Seventy‐nine dysphonic patients (16‐82 years; 55 with unilateral laryngeal paralysis and 24 with vocal fold scarring) underwent vocal fold fat injection. Fat was harvested by low‐pressure liposuction and then processed by centrifugation. Refined fat aliquots were placed in the vocal fold and paraglottic space in multiple tunnels to enhance graft neovascularization. All patients were followed for 12 months, 15 for 3 years, and 5 for 10 years with videolaryngostroboscopy, maximal phonation time (MPT) measurement, Voice Handicap Index (VHI) questionnaire, and GRBAS (grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, strain) perceptual evaluation. Laryngeal computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were performed in 16 patients 3 to 28 months postoperatively; MRI was repeated in 5 cases 12 to 18 months after the first radiological study.

Results

The voice quality of all patients improved after surgery, and long‐term stability was confirmed by MPT, GRBAS, and VHI (P ranging between. 004 and <.001). The results achieved 1 year postoperatively remained stable at 3 and 10 years. Videolaryn‐gostroboscopy showed improved glottic closure in all patients despite a limited amount of fat resorption. CT and MRI demonstrated survival of the fat grafts in all of the 16 examined cases. Serial MRI scans showed no change in graft size over time.

Conclusions

The reported clinical and radiological data demonstrate that fat is an effective filler for permanent vocal fold augmentation if the refined micro‐aliquots are placed in multiple tunnels.
Staging Neck Dissection and Transoral Robotic Surgery Treatment Algorithm in Palatine Tonsil Cancer
Authors: Spellman Joseph , Sload Ryan , Kim Paul , Martin Peter , Calzada Gabriel
Published: November 2017

Objective

This study introduces a treatment algorithm based on staging neck dissection to identify patients with palatine tonsil squamous cell carcinoma who can be effectively treated with single‐modality transoral robotic surgery while maintaining quality of life.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Setting

Kaiser Permanente Southern California Medical Group from 2012 to 2017.

Subjects and Methods

Patients with early‐stage (T1/2) palatine tonsil squamous cell carcinoma with clinically and radiographically N0 necks underwent staging neck dissection. Those with pN2/3 disease or extracapsular extension on final pathology were triaged to definitive chemoradiation treatment. Patients with confirmed pN0/1 necks without extracapsular extension were treated definitively with transoral robotic surgery.

Results

Nineteen patients with cN0 disease underwent selective neck dissection. All were p16 positive. Of these, 14 had pathologically confirmed N0/1 necks without extracapsular extension and were treated with primary surgical resection via transoral robotic surgery. Clear margins were obtained on all patients. There were no significant intra‐ or postoperative complications. No patients required gastrostomy tube or tracheostomy placement. Mean and median follow‐up was 28 months with no recurrences to date.

Conclusion

Up‐front staging neck dissection accurately triages low‐risk patients, determining candidates for single‐modality definitive treatment with transoral robotic surgery. This approach provides excellent survival outcomes and minimal morbidity and maintains quality of life among appropriately selected patients with palatine tonsil cancer.
Patient Preferences in Subglottic Stenosis Treatment: A Discrete Choice Experiment
Authors: Naunheim Matthew R. , Naunheim Margaret L. , Rathi Vinay K. , Franco Ramon A. , Shrime Mark G. , Song Phillip C.
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Subglottic stenosis can be addressed with several different surgical techniques, but patient preferences for these treatment modalities are poorly understood. Economic methods are increasingly being used to understand how patients make decisions. The objective of this pilot study was to assess preferences in subglottic stenosis treatment using patient‐centric stated preference techniques.

Study Design

Discrete choice experiment (DCE).

Setting

Academic research facility.

Subjects and Methods

A computer‐based DCE was administered in a monitored setting to volunteers from the general population. Signs and symptoms of subglottic stenosis were described, and participants were asked to imagine they had subglottic stenosis. Hypothetical treatments were offered, with 5 systematically varied attributes: need for external incision, length of hospital stay, postoperative voice quality, likelihood of repeat procedures, and risk of complication. A conditional logistic model was used to assess the relative attribute importance.

Results

In total, 162 participants were included. Attributes with the greatest impact on decision making included potential need for repeat procedures (importance 30.2%; P <. 001), amount of operative risk (importance 28.1%; P <. 001), and postoperative voice quality (importance 27.7%; P <. 001), whereas presence of incision (importance 5.0%; P =. 001) was less important, and hospital stay was not (importance 9.0%; P =. 089). Based on aggregate responses for these attributes, the model demonstrated that most participants (80.4%) would prefer endoscopic surgery for subglottic stenosis as opposed to open tracheal resection (19.6%).

Conclusion

In this pilot population, most participants preferred voice‐sparing, low‐risk procedures as treatment for subglottic stenosis, consistent with an endoscopic approach, even if multiple procedures were required.
Intraoperative Ultrasound in Oral Tongue Cancer Resection: Feasibility Study and Early Outcomes
Authors: Tarabichi Osama , Kanumuri Vivek , Juliano Amy F. , Faquin William C. , Cunnane Mary E. , Varvares Mark A.
Published: November 2017

The current standard of care in oral tongue cancer surgery is complete resection with a target of 5‐mm microscopic clearance at all margins on final pathologic review. While current methods of resection are often successful at determining the mucosal margins of the lesion, they may be limited when attempting to achieve an adequate deep margin. A number of previous studies suggested that ultrasound is superior to manual palpation and other imaging modalities (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) at demarcating the margins of tongue lesions. Recent clinical reports of the intraoperative use of this modality have used an invasive method to mark the proposed deep resection margin. In this communication, we report our initial experience with the use of intraoperative ultrasound as an adjunct to oral tongue cancer surgery without the use of an invasive method to mark the deep resection margin.
Foreign policy and identity change: Analysing perceptions of Europe among the Turkish public
Authors: Aydın-Düzgit Senem
Published: November 2017

Foreign policy is a key area through which state officials’ role in the discursive construction of a state’s identity becomes possible and visible. From this viewpoint, Turkey presents an interesting case worthy of analysis due to the significant transformation of its foreign policies in the recent decades. This article first reviews the current literature, which points out that the shift in Turkish foreign policy and the souring of Turkey–European Union (EU) relations in the second half of the 2000s not only entailed a policy change but also a change in the crafted identity of the state at the elite level as distanced from Europe. This article then aims to undercover whether this crafted identity at the elite level is also visible across the changing perceptions of Europe among the Turkish public. Hence, it seeks to observe the ways in which public discourse does or does not follow elite discourse on representations of Europe, and, in turn, engages with the conceptual question of whether public constructions of state identity simply follow elite constructions. This is done through a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of texts produced by focus group interviews.
Rationalisation of the geometry for production of the 80-m glazed Sphere for the Expo 2017 in Astana
Authors: Sanchez-Alvarez Jaime
Published: November 2017

The emblematic entrance pavilion for the Expo 2017 in Astana is the so-called ‘Sphere’, which with its 80-m diameter is worldwide the largest closed sphere completely covered with glass. The continuous external surface of the Sphere was designed to be built with spherically curved glass panels of parallelogramic shape. The panels are fixed at their perimeter to a structural grid of bent round tubes of steel. This secondary grid is fixed in turn to a coarser primary structural grid at evenly spaced supports. The purpose of this article is to give insight into the constructive geometry design of the Sphere. One of the main targets of ‘geometric design for production’ is to specify the geometry of a construction in such a way that fabrication and installation procedures can be simplified and carried out with a minimum of effort, cost and time. The main measure for the Sphere was to simplify the basic grid by replacing all original three-dimensional free-form curves with series of interconnected circular arcs. Thus, a typical curved tubular segment could be bent on the plane with a constant radius. A further approach to get a simple and sound construction eliminating geometric torsion and minimising eccentricities among construction subsystems, for example, glazing, sealing, fixings and substructure, was the extensive usage of conical systems inherent in the geometry of the sphere for orienting and positioning the various subsystems components. These two geometric simplification measures were determinant for the practical and economic implementation of the construction, fabrication and installation of the Sphere.
Oral administration of a novel lipophilic PPARδ agonist is not neuroprotective after rodent cerebral ischemia
Authors: Knauss Samuel , Endres Matthias , Blaschke Florian , Hindinger Claudia , Kunz Alexander
Published: November 2017

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors are regulators of inflammatory signaling. This has fostered hope that PPAR agonists might have neuroprotective potential. We hypothesized that PPARδ activation by the novel orally administered lipophilic PPARδ agonist SAR145 may improve short- and long-term outcome after focal brain ischemia. We induced ischemia by transient filamentous middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in 227 C57BL/6 mice and administered SAR145 in varying doses and time windows post-injury. Outcome was assessed by three functional tests and histologically determining ischemic lesion sizes. In a second experiment, we tested SAR145 treatment in 40 PPARδ-knockout mice using the same procedures. Three independent groups treated with 10 mg/kg bodyweight SAR145 directly after filament removal showed a mean reduction in lesion sizes of 18 ± 10% compared to vehicle-treated groups. We did not observe a consistent improvement in the long-term functional outcome by SAR145-treatment. PPARδ-knockout mice showed a significantly higher mortality after MCAo. As expected, we did not find a reduction of lesion size by SAR145-treatment in PPARδ-knockout mice. In summary, we found no evidence of a long-term neuroprotective effect of post-injury SAR145 treatment in cerebral ischemia. However, PPARδ appears to play a pathophysiologic role in acute infarct development and overall mortality after brain ischemia.
Neuronal Vacuolization in Feline Panleukopenia Virus Infection
Authors: Pfankuche Vanessa M. , Jo Wendy K. , van der Vries Erhard , Jungwirth Nicole , Lorenzen Stephan , Osterhaus Albert D. M. E. , Baumgärtner Wolfgang , Puff Christina
Published: November 2017

Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) infections are typically associated with anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, neutropenia, and lymphopenia. In cases of late prenatal or early neonatal infections, cerebellar hypoplasia is reported in kittens. In addition, single cases of encephalitis are described. FPV replication was recently identified in neurons, although it is mainly found in cells with high mitotic activity. A female cat, 2 months old, was submitted to necropsy after it died with neurologic deficits. Besides typical FPV intestinal tract changes, multifocal, randomly distributed intracytoplasmic vacuoles within neurons of the thoracic spinal cord were found histologically. Next-generation sequencing identified FPV-specific sequences within the central nervous system. FPV antigen was detected within central nervous system cells, including the vacuolated neurons, via immunohistochemistry. In situ hybridization confirmed the presence of FPV DNA within the vacuolated neurons. Thus, FPV should be considered a cause for neuronal vacuolization in cats presenting with ataxia.
An Evaluation of Talent 4 . . . : A Programme to Identify Talent and Skills for Prisoners, Disadvantaged, Unemployed, and Vulnerable Groups
Authors: McGuire-Snieckus Rebecca , Caulfield Laura
Published: November 2017

Previous research suggests that the relationship between employment and recidivism is complex, with more support needed to facilitate employability motivation for sustained change. An arts-based programme designed to facilitate vocational self-determinism among prisoners with evidence of impact across three prisons in the United Kingdom was replicated and delivered to 234 prisoners and long-term unemployed participants from six European countries, to explore whether the findings from the previous evaluation would be replicated on a much larger scale. The research presented in this article found that supporting prisoners and the long-term unemployed to articulate employability goals had a positive effect on personal growth as well as understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses with respect to work, employment, problem solving, and thinking styles. Future research might explore the longer term impact on employment and recidivism.
Resection-Induced Leveling of Elevated Plug Cartilage in Osteochondral Autologous Transplantation of the Knee Achieves Acceptable Clinical Results
Authors: Nishitani Kohei , Nakagawa Yasuaki , Nakamura Shinichiro , Mukai Shogo , Kuriyama Shinichi , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: November 2017

Background:

Plug protuberance occasionally occurs in osteochondral autologous transplantation (OAT). The incongruity of plugs results in poor clinical outcomes, especially in cases of protuberance. However, a surgical procedure to deal with this problem has not been reported.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cartilage resection of elevated plugs, with the hypothesis that patients whose elevated plugs were resected and leveled would achieve clinical outcomes equivalent to those of patients with flush plugs.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Cases (group P) included 22 patients who underwent OAT of the knee and whose plugs showed protuberance greater than 1 mm that was resected with a scalpel to obtain smooth congruity, while controls (group C) included 22 background-matched patients who did not require plug resection. The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective score, IKDC objective grade, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association score for knee osteoarthritis (JOA knee score) were used preoperatively and at the final follow-up (mean ± SD, 49.3 ± 18.1 months). International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) Cartilage Repair Assessment was used to evaluate lesion healing during the second-look arthroscopy.

Results:

IKDC subjective scores of group C (82.5 ± 11.8) and group P (82.1± 15.1) showed no difference at the final follow-up. On postoperative IKDC objective grading, 86% of group C and 82% of group P patients were graded as “nearly normal” or better ( P = .639). The mean JOA knee scores of group C (90.9 ± 8.9) and group P (90.1 ± 9.5) did not differ significantly ( P = .647). Nine second-look arthroscopies were performed in group C versus 8 in group P, and all patients had plugs that were graded as “nearly normal” or better by the ICRS Cartilage Repair Assessment. Larger plugs tended to be used in those patients who required resection.

Conclusion:

Resection of the elevated plug surface did not negatively affect patient outcomes in the midterm follow-up period.
Autologous Matrix-Induced Chondrogenesis: A Systematic Review of the Clinical Evidence
Authors: Gao Liang , Orth Patrick , Cucchiarini Magali , Madry Henning
Published: November 2017

Background:

The addition of a type I/III collagen membrane in cartilage defects treated with microfracture has been advocated for cartilage repair, termed “autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis” (AMIC).

Purpose:

To examine the current clinical evidence regarding AMIC for focal chondral defects.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Methods:

A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases. Inclusion criteria were clinical studies of AMIC for articular cartilage repair, written in English. Relative data were extracted and critically analyzed. PRISMA guidelines were applied, the methodological quality of the included studies was assessed by the modified Coleman Methodology Score (CMS), and aggregate data were generated.

Results:

Twenty-eight clinical articles were included: 12 studies (245 patients) of knee cartilage defects, 12 studies (214 patients) of ankle cartilage defects, and 4 studies (308 patients) of hip cartilage defects. The CMS demonstrated a suboptimal study design in the majority of published studies (knee, 57.8; ankle, 55.3; hip, 57.7). For the knee, 1 study reported significant clinical improvements for AMIC compared with microfracture for medium-sized cartilage defects (mean defect size 3.6 cm2) after 5 years (level of evidence, 1). No study compared AMIC with matrix-assisted autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in the knee. For the ankle, no clinical trial was available comparing AMIC versus microfracture or ACI. In the hip, only one analysis (level of evidence, 3) compared AMIC with microfracture for acetabular lesions. For medium-sized acetabular defects, one study (level of evidence, 3) found no significant differences between AMIC and ACI at 5 years. Specific aspects not appropriately discussed in the currently available literature include patient-related factors, membrane fixation, and defect properties. No treatment-related adverse events were reported.

Conclusion:

This systematic review reveals a paucity of high-quality, randomized controlled studies testing the AMIC technique versus established procedures such as microfracture or ACI. Evidence is insufficient to recommend joint-specific indications for AMIC. Additional nonbiased, high-powered, randomized controlled clinical trials will provide better clinical and structural long-term evidence, thus helping to define possible indications for this technique.
Beyond “Home-Like” Design: Visitor Responses to an Immersive Creative Space in a Canadian Long-Term Care Facility
Authors: Graham Megan E. , Fabricius Andréa
Published: November 2017

This study examined the benefits of expanding upon the “home-like” design by introducing an immersive creative space for residents, staff, and visitors to explore in a long-term care facility in Eastern Ontario, Canada. Data were collected through guestbook comments ( N = 93) and coded for themes according to guidelines for thematic analysis. Selected themes included visitors’ enjoyment of the winter aesthetic, expressions of gratitude to the artists, time spent socializing with family and visitors in a creative milieu, and the experience of remembering in an evocative space. The results indicate that residents and visitors benefited from the experience of a creative space that was neither institutional, nor “home-like.” Implications for future research are discussed.
Injectable nanosilica–chitosan microparticles for bone regeneration applications
Authors: Gaihre Bipin , Lecka-Czernik Beata , Jayasuriya Ambalangodage C
Published: November 2017

This study was aimed at assessing the effects of silica nanopowder incorporation into chitosan-tripolyphosphate microparticles with the ultimate goal of improving their osteogenic properties. The microparticles were prepared by simple coacervation technique and silica nanopowder was added at 0% (C), 2.5% (S1), 5% (S2) and 10% (S3) (w/w) to chitosan. We observed that this simple incorporation of silica nanopowder improved the growth and proliferation of osteoblasts along the surface of the microparticles. In addition, the composite microparticles also showed the increased expression of alkaline phosphatase and osteoblast specific genes. We observed a significant increase ( p < 0.05) in the expression of alkaline phosphatase by the cells growing on all sample groups compared to the control (C) groups at day 14. The morphological characterization of these microparticles through scanning electron microscopy showed that these microparticles were well suited to be used as the injectable scaffolds with perfectly spherical shape and size. The incorporation of silica nanopowder altered the nano-roughness of the microparticles as observed through atomic force microscopy scans with roughness values going down from C to S3. The results in this study, taken together, show the potential of chitosan-tripolyphosphate-silica nanopowder microparticles for improved bone regeneration applications.