bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlations among brain and spinal MRI findings in spontaneous intracranial hypotension
Authors: Wu Jr-Wei , Wang Yen-Feng , Fuh Jong-Ling , Lirng Jiing-Feng , Chen Shih-Pin , Hseu Shu-Shya , Wang Shuu-Jiun
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Several brain and spinal magnetic resonance imaging signs have been described in spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Their correlations are not fully studied. This study aimed to explore potential mechanisms underlying cerebral neuroimaging findings and to examine associations among spinal and brain magnetic resonance imaging signs.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of magnetic resonance myelography and brain magnetic resonance imaging records of patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Categorical principal component analysis was employed to cluster brain neuroimaging findings. Spearman correlation was employed to analyze associations among different brain neuroimaging findings and between brain and spinal neuroimaging findings.

Results

In patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (n = 148), categorical principal component analysis of brain neuroimaging signs revealed two clusters: Cerebral venous dilation and brain descent. Among all brain magnetic resonance imaging signs examined, only midbrain-pons angle associated with anterior epidural cerebrospinal fluid collection length (surrogate spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak severity) (n = 148, Spearman’s ρ = −0.38, p < .001). Subgroup analyses showed that the association between midbrain-pons angle (within brain descent cluster) and spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak severity was presented in patients with convex margins of the transverse sinuses (n = 122, Spearman’s ρ = −0.43, p < .001), but not in patients without convex margins (n = 26, Spearman’s ρ = −0.19, p = .348). The association between severity of transverse sinus distension and spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak severity was only presented in patients without convex margins (n = 26, Spearman’s ρ = 0.52, p = .006).

Conclusion

This study indicates that there are two factors behind the brain neuroimaging findings in spontaneous intracranial hypotension: Cerebral venous dilation and brain descent. Certain brain neuroimaging signs correlate with spinal cerebrospinal fluid leakage severity, depending on different circumstances.
Flexural Performance Evaluation of Fiber-Reinforced Concrete Incorporating Multiple Macro-Synthetic Fibers
Authors: Dopko Michael , Najimi Meysam , Shafei Behrouz , Wang Xuhao , Taylor Peter , Phares Brent M.
Published: October 2018

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is a promising construction material mainly because of the crack-controlling mechanisms that discrete fibers can impart to inherently brittle concrete. Macrofibers, in particular, have been proven effective for providing post-crack ductility and toughness, while synthetic fibers are a promising solution to avoid corrosion-related durability issues. To assess the performance enhancement provided by macro-synthetic concrete fibers, this study performs flexural tests on FRC beams containing three different types of macro-synthetic fibers. The selected fibers include polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and alkali-resistant glass (ARG) macrofibers mixed at volume fractions of 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%. Static and dynamic fresh properties are monitored using the vibrating Kelly ball (VKelly) test. Beam specimens are then placed under a third point bending configuration, as per ASTM C1609 Standard, to measure load versus mid-span deflection. Strength and toughness parameters are derived from the load–deflection data to assess the flexural performance of the FRC composite systems under consideration. The parameters of interest include first peak strength (pre-crack flexural strength) and post-crack residual strength and toughness provided by fiber addition. Of the mixtures tested, ARG fiber mixtures show the highest residual strength and toughness values, followed by PP and PVA fiber mixtures. ARG fibers produce the most workable mixtures at all fiber volumes, while PVA fibers show a tendency to encounter dispersion issues at higher volume doses. The outcome of this study is expected to facilitate the selection of fibers by giving insight into their relative contribution to fresh and hardened flexural properties of FRC.
Revisiting Bergmann’s Occupational Crowding Model
Authors: Holder Michelle
Published: October 2018

In 1971, economist Barbara Bergmann developed the “occupational crowding model,” which posited that black men are “crowded into” low-wage occupations and “crowded out” of high-wage occupations due to employer discrimination. In quantitative analyses I have conducted for the years 2010 through 2011, the results have yielded a different picture from what Bergmann’s model predicts: although African American men are underrepresented in high-wage occupations, consistent with her model, this group does not appear to be overrepresented in low-wage occupational categories when the level of analysis is between major low-wage occupational categories instead of within categories. I attribute this to demographic changes in the US labor force, and conclude by suggesting that the model now requires further specification.

JEL Codes: J15, J62, J71
On the Margins of Death: A Scoping Review on Palliative Care and Schizophrenia
Authors: Relyea Erin , MacDonald Brooke , Cattaruzza Christina , Marshall Denise
Published: October 2018

Schizophrenia is a serious chronic mental illness that results in marginalization and stigma for sufferers. It is the seventh leading cause for disability worldwide. The symptoms of the illness, including hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior, may also introduce barriers to accessing treatment, education, housing, and employment. Little is known about end-of-life care for individuals with schizophrenia. To address this gap, a scoping review was conducted to enhance understanding of hospice and palliative care for patients with schizophrenia. From this scoping review, 342 unique titles and abstracts were identified through a search of 20 databases, including 11 social science databases, 6 medical databases, and 3 gray literature databases. A total of 32 articles met the inclusion criteria and the following 4 themes were identified: Stigma affecting quality of care and access to care; Issues related to consent and capacity for the patient’s end-of-life care decisions and to appoint substitute decision makers; Best practices for psychosocial interventions, pharmacology, family and health-care collaborations, goals of care, setting, and smoking; and Barriers to care, including setting, communication, provider education, and access to care.

The review suggests the importance of mandatory interdisciplinary training practices and policy standards outlining cooperative communication across health-care providers. It highlights gaps in evidence-based research on psychosocial interventions and collaborative frameworks to enable the provision of quality end-of-life care for individuals with schizophrenia.
“I Thought It Was Normal”: Adolescents’ Attempts to Make Sense of Their Experiences of Domestic Violence in Their Families
Authors: Chester Jo , Joscelyne Trish
Published: October 2018

This article describes the experience and impact of domestic violence on adolescents using qualitative methodology. It explores the meanings that adolescents give to their experiences and how this may relate to the impact of those experiences. Five adolescents who were receiving interventions within child and adolescent mental health services were interviewed about their experiences of domestic violence and the interviews were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The results suggest that adolescents had a range of thoughts and feelings connected to their experiences, and that the impact of the domestic violence may be related to the different meanings that the adolescents gave to their experiences and how they made sense of those experiences. The results are explored using theories such as Grych and Fincham’s Cognitive-Contextual Model; Watkin’s elaborated Control Theory; and the work on posttraumatic growth. Research and clinical implications are discussed in the light of the results.
Opportunity Hoarding in School Choice Contexts: The Role of Policy Design in Promoting Middle-Class Parents’ Exclusionary Behaviors
Authors: Sattin-Bajaj Carolyn , Roda Allison
Published: October 2018

Multiple studies have shown the potential for school choice policies to benefit middle-class families, often to the detriment of lower income students in the same district. Yet, there is limited research examining the role of policies in promoting inequality by encouraging exclusionary behaviors. In this article, we utilize the concept of opportunity hoarding to analyze the specific policy provisions built into New York City’s elementary and high school choice plans that prompt middle-class parents to act in ways that secure advantages for their children. We find that parents’ anxiety about scarcity of high-quality educational options combined with the design of the choice policies facilitated pervasive opportunity hoarding that functioned as a collective strategy of class preservation.
Israel's First Physician and Apothecary: Noah and the Origins of Medicine in the Book of Jubilees
Authors: Syfox Chontel
Published: October 2018

The book of Jubilees paints Noah as the first physician and apothecary, who received knowledge of natural medicine from the angels of God so that he could save his offspring from the ailments being inflicted upon them by evil spirits. This article examines this aspect of the Noah tradition in the book of Jubilees and attempts to identify its origins. The study considers the potential textual and ideological impetuses behind this tradition, and proposes that attributing the beginning of medical knowledge to Noah may have served to create a licit category of medicine for the author of Jubilees’ intended audience.
Terrestrial Paradise in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve
Authors: Levison John R. (Jack)
Published: October 2018

The Greek Life of Adam and Eve is dense with more than three dozen references to παράδεισος, yet paradise in the Greek Life has received scant attention. This article, which comprises the first sustained study of paradise in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve, brings to light a distinctive ancient portrait of terrestrial paradise encircled by a wall with openings and a door, flourishing with deciduous trees and fragrant plants, centered around two trees—but not the trees of Eden—and skirted by regions along its outer edge. In short, paradise, conceived in the Greek Life of Adam and Eve primarily as a terrestrial παράδεισος, is not the heavenly paradise that much of modern scholarship would have it be.
Influence of rotational speed on mechanical features of thermally drilled holes in dual-phase steel
Authors: Kumar R , Hynes N Rajesh Jesudoss
Published: October 2018

Thermal drilling is a novel chipless sheet metal drilling process that uses a rotating thermal drill tool to pierce and form a bushing shape hole. In this work, thermal drilling process is successfully employed to drill the DP 600 grade–type galvanized steel with a thickness of 2 mm. The influence of different spindle rotational speeds such as 1600, 2000 and 2400 r/min on the formation of bushing height, surface roughness, microhardness and microstructure of the thermal-drilled holes are investigated in detail. Process parameters such as feed rate, thermal drill angle and workpiece thickness were held constant in order to explore the influence of rotational speed on the quality characteristics of the thermal drilling process. It has been found that the bushing height was improved with increasing of rotational speed, but the petal formation at the outer edge of the bush is decreased. Surface roughness tests indicate that the better surface quality drilled hole could be obtained at the highest rotational speed of 2400 r/min. The microstructural investigation confirmed that a new result of Lüders band marks was formed inside the thermal-drilled holes because high thermal stress and yielding of galvanized steel material.
Relative motion relation in the external return spherical bearing pair of a balanced double-row axial piston pump
Authors: Deng Haishun , Wang Qingchun , Wang Haifeng , Wang Chuanli
Published: October 2018

Based on the external compaction return mechanism of a balanced double-row axial piston pump and the vector coordinate transformation principle, a mathematical model of the relative motion relation within the external return spherical bearing pair was built. The influence of slant inclination of the external swash plate and of pump shaft rotating speed and eccentricity on the relative motion trail, movement speed and acceleration was analysed. The relative motion velocity and acceleration between external retainer plate and external spherical hinge, at top and bottom dead centres, were discussed. By increasing the slant inclination of the external swash plate, the relative motion trail increased correspondingly, leading to a larger size of the pump integral structure. The relative speed and acceleration increased with the pump shaft speed and the slant inclination of the external swash plate, leading to a larger fluctuation of the slipper pair oil film. The increase of eccentricity slightly influenced the relative velocity and acceleration along the x-axis, without significantly increasing the fluctuation of the slipper pair oil film. Increasing the pump shaft speed, the external swash plate slant inclination and the eccentricity all caused fluctuations in the relative velocity and acceleration along the y- and z-axes, deepening the grinding crack on the compaction surface of the external retainer plate. In case of eccentricity and a 0° rotation angle of the principal axis, the related acceleration of the radial friction surface of the retainer plate showed the largest fluctuation amplitude, and a scratch could easily occur.
Longitudinal vibration analysis and suppression of electric wheel system driven by in-wheel motor considering unbalanced magnetic pull
Authors: Zuo Shuguang , Li Duoqiang , Mao Yu , Deng Wenzhe
Published: October 2018

With the blowout of electric vehicles recently, the key parts of the electric vehicles driven by in-wheel motors named the electric wheel system become the core of development research. The torque ripple of the in-wheel motor mainly results in the longitudinal dynamics of the electric wheel system. The excitation sources are first analyzed through the finite element method, including the torque ripple induced by the in-wheel motor and the unbalanced magnetic pull produced by the relative motion between the stator and rotor. The accuracy of the finite element model is verified by the back electromotive force test of the in-wheel motor. Second, the longitudinal-torsional coupled dynamic model is established. The proposed model can take into account the unbalanced magnetic pull. Based on the model, the modal characteristics and the longitudinal dynamics of the electric wheel system are analyzed. The coupled dynamic model is verified by the vibration test of the electric wheel system. Two indexes, namely, the root mean square of longitudinal vibration of the stator and the signal-to-noise ratio of the tire slip rate, are proposed to evaluate the electric wheel longitudinal performance. The influence of unbalanced magnetic pull on the evaluation indexes of the longitudinal dynamics is analyzed. Finally, the influence of motor’s structural parameters on the average torque, torque ripple, and equivalent electromagnetic stiffness are analyzed through the orthogonal test. A surrogate model between the structural parameters of the in-wheel motor and the average torque, torque ripple, and equivalent electromagnetic stiffness is established based on the Bp neural network. The torque ripple and the equivalent electromagnetic stiffness are then reduced through optimizing the structural parameters of the in-wheel motor. It turns out that the proposed Bp neural network–based method is effective to suppress the longitudinal vibration of the electric wheel system.
Improved nonlinear model of a yaw damper for simulating the dynamics of a high-speed train
Authors: Teng Wanxiu , Shi Huailong , Luo Ren , Zeng Jing , Huang Caihong
Published: October 2018

The aim of this paper is to establish a simple and accurate nonlinear model of a yaw damper for the dynamic numerical simulation of high-speed trains. An improved nonlinear yaw damper model is proposed based on the traditional Maxwell model. It comprises a piecewise linear force–displacement spring and a piecewise linear force–velocity damper in series. These nonlinear inputs for the model are retrieved from the dynamic performance tests of the damper, and the force–displacement and force–velocity curves are further modified to improve the modelling accuracy according to the test results. The proposed model can accurately simulate the damper's dynamic stiffness and dynamic damping characteristics with respect to the excitation frequency or displacement, which cannot be reproduced when using the traditional Maxwell model. Both the traditional Maxwell model and the improved nonlinear model presented in this work are integrated into a multibody dynamics railway vehicle model to simulate the typical dynamic problems of a high-speed train operating at 250 km/h in northeast China. Through comparative analysis, it was found that the numerical simulations are consistent with the field measurements. It can be concluded that the proposed nonlinear damper model is more suitable for studying railway vehicle system dynamics under various operating cases. By contrast, the input parameters of the traditional Maxwell model must be modified artificially according to the vehicle responses and the dynamic characteristics of the yaw damper.
Feminism, psychology, and the gendering of neoliberal subjectivity: From critique to disruption
Authors: Rutherford Alexandra
Published: October 2018

Numerous feminist scholars have argued that women, especially young women, have been constructed as ideal neoliberal subjects. Informed by Foucauldian approaches that extend neoliberalism beyond a set of free market principles to a dynamic that creates new forms of subjectivity, these scholars have demonstrated the elisions between “postfeminism” and neoliberalism in the positioning of young women as consumers, self-helpers, and “empowered” agents par excellence. The psy-disciplines have actively participated in the gendering of neoliberal subjectivity and I selectively review feminist critiques of this complicity. These critiques problematize discourses of empowerment, agency, and choice, even as they have seeped into feminist psychology itself. I then consider the theoretical resources that are available within and beyond feminist psychology to disrupt and even displace neoliberal forms of subjectivity. Building on insights from psychosocial studies, intersectional and decolonial approaches, and critical history and conjunctural thinking, I brainstorm some alternatives that feminist psychologists could offer.
Urinary B-cell-activating factor of the tumour necrosis factor family (BAFF) in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Vincent F B , Kandane-Rathnayake R , Hoi A Y , Slavin L , Godsell J D , Kitching A R , Harris J , Nelson C L , Jenkins A J , Chrysostomou A , Hibbs M L , Kerr P G , Rischmueller M , Mackay F , Morand E F
Published: October 2018

Introduction

We examined the clinical relevance of urinary concentrations of B-cell–activating factor of the tumour necrosis factor family (BAFF) and a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

We quantified urinary BAFF (uBAFF) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 85 SLE, 28 primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS), 40 immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) patients and 36 healthy controls (HCs). Urinary APRIL (uAPRIL) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (uMCP-1) were also quantified. Overall and renal SLE disease activity were assessed using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000.

Results

uBAFF was detected in 12% (10/85) of SLE patients, but was undetectable in HCs, IgAN and pSS patients. uBAFF was detectable in 28% (5/18) of SLE patients with active nephritis vs 5/67 (7%) of those without ( p = 0.03), and uBAFF was significantly higher in active renal patients ( p = 0.02) and more likely to be detected in patients with persistently active renal disease. In comparison, uAPRIL and uMCP-1 were detected in 32% (25/77) and 46% (22/48) of SLE patients, respectively. While no difference in proportion of samples with detectable uAPRIL was observed between SLE, HCs and IgAN patients, both uAPRIL and uMCP-1 were significantly detectable in higher proportions of patients with active renal disease.

Conclusions

uBAFF was detectable in a small but a significant proportion of SLE patients but not in other groups tested, and was higher in SLE patients with active renal disease.
Total Pancreatectomy and Islet Autotransplantation Following Treated Hepatitis C Infection
Authors: Rajab Amer , Buss Jill , Hart Phil A. , Conwell Darwin , Lara Luis , Meng Shumei , Kuntz Kristin , Black Sylvester , Washburn Ken
Published: October 2018

Hepatic parenchymal disease, including chronic viral hepatitis, has traditionally been considered a relative contraindication to islet transplantation as the islets are infused into the recipient’s liver. We present a case study of a patient with treated chronic hepatitis C infection (HCV) who safely received an autologous islet transplant following total pancreatectomy with excellent clinical outcomes. The patient was a 60-year-old woman diagnosed with debilitating abdominal pain secondary to chronic pancreatitis and with preserved islet function. She had previously been treated >10 years prior to surgical evaluation with interferon monotherapy for 1 year that led to sustained virologic response, including at the time of surgical evaluation for total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation (TPIAT). She underwent comprehensive preoperative evaluation of the liver, including liver biopsy, which showed no significant portal inflammation or fibrosis. Following a multidisciplinary meeting and discussion of the potential risks for the patient, the decision was made to proceed with TPIAT. The patient underwent a standard total pancreatectomy, and an autologous islet dose of 6638 islet equivalents/kg body weight was infused into the liver via the portal vein. Portal vein pressure was monitored throughout the infusion with a transient peak pressure of 27 cm H2O (basal pressure of 14 cm H2O) and final pressure of 23 cm H20 at 10 min post-infusion. Aside from a transient transaminitis, liver enzymes were normal at the time of hospital discharge. At greater than 1 year of follow-up, the patient has improved quality of life, with reduction in narcotic analgesia, remains insulin independent (with normal islet function), and has normal liver function. This case illustrates that islet autotransplant into the liver can be safely performed and suggests that carefully selected patients with liver disease may be eligible for TPIAT.
Development of a Novel Pre-Vascularized Three-Dimensional Skin Substitute Using Blood Plasma Gel
Authors: Dai Niann-Tzyy , Huang Wen-Shyan , Chang Fang-Wei , Wei Lin-Gwei , Huang Tai-Chun , Li Jhen-Kai , Fu Keng-Yen , Dai Lien-Guo , Hsieh Pai-Shan , Huang Nien-Chi , Wang Yi-Wen , Chang Hsin-I , Parungao Roxanne , Wang Yiwei
Published: October 2018

Skin substitutes with existing vascularization are in great demand for the repair of full-thickness skin defects. In the present study, we hypothesized that a pre-vascularized skin substitute can potentially promote wound healing. Novel three-dimensional (3D) skin substitutes were prepared by seeding a mixture of human endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and fibroblasts into a human plasma/calcium chloride formed gel scaffold, and seeding keratinocytes onto the surface of the plasma gel. The capacity of the EPCs to differentiate into a vascular-like tubular structure was evaluated using immunohistochemistry analysis and WST-8 assay. Experimental studies in mouse full-thickness skin wound models showed that the pre-vascularized gel scaffold significantly accelerated wound healing 7 days after surgery, and resembled normal skin structures after 14 days post-surgery. Histological analysis revealed that pre-vascularized gel scaffolds were well integrated in the host skin, resulting in the vascularization of both the epidermis and dermis in the wound area. Moreover, mechanical strength analysis demonstrated that the healed wound following the implantation of the pre-vascularized gel scaffolds exhibited good tensile strength. Taken together, this novel pre-vascularized human plasma gel scaffold has great potential in skin tissue engineering.
Catering to the Whole Spectrum of Dividends: Evidence from the Taiwan Stock Market
Authors: Teng Chia-Chen, , Liu Victor W.
Published: October 2018

This study examines the presence of catering for various dividend policies in Taiwanese firms, including cash, stock and dual dividends. Different from prior results in the literature, we find that the catering phenomenon exists for these three types of dividend decisions. When one type of dividend premium (i.e., cash dividend) is high, managers are more likely to issue the same type of dividend and less likely to issue the other type of dividend (i.e., stock dividend). Catering persists even after controlling for the effects of a firm’s characteristics, risk and external policy, as well as macroeconomic situations.

JEL Classification: G35, C23
Home Hospice Caregivers’ Perceived Information Needs
Authors: Shalev Ariel , Phongtankuel Veerawat , Reid M. Carrington , Czaja Sara J. , Dignam Ritchell , Baughn Rosemary , Newmark Matthew , Prigerson Holly G. , Teresi Jeanne , Adelman Ronald D.
Published: October 2018

Background:

Although home hospice organizations provide essential care for and support to terminally ill patients, many day-to-day caregiving responsibilities fall to informal (ie, unpaid) caregivers. Studies have shown that caregivers value receiving clear information about end-of-life (EoL) care. Meeting the information needs of this group is critical in improving their experience in hospice.

Objectives:

To identify the information needs of informal home hospice caregivers.

Design:

One hundred five semi-structured phone interviews with informal caregivers were conducted. Study data were analyzed using a standard qualitative method (ie, content analysis).

Participants:

Informal home hospice caregivers whose loved ones have been discharged (death or live discharge) from an urban, nonprofit hospice organization.

Measured:

Participants’ information needs were ascertained by assessing whether information regarding hospice was or was not fully explained or whether there was information they wished they knew prior to the hospice transition.

Results:

Among study participants, 48.6% had unmet information needs related to (1) general information about hospice (n = 17, 16.2%), (2) what to expect at the EoL (n = 19, 18.1%), and (3) support provided by hospice (n = 30, 28.6%). Specifically, caregivers expressed the need for more information on what hospice is, caring for a dying patient, and the day-to-day care hospice provides.

Conclusion:

Our study indicates that approximately half of the informal caregivers had unmet information needs. Further research is needed to identify efficacious strategies to best meet the information needs of this group. Specific topics that need emphasis include what hospice care is, what to expect at the EoL, and what level of support hospice offers.
Becoming Music Teachers in a Supportive String Project Community
Authors: Pellegrino Kristen
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this descriptive case study was to examine two music education students’ experiences as String Project teachers (SPTs). Research questions were as follows: What connections were made between coursework and the authentic-context learning (ACL) experience? and What was the impact of ACL experiences on music teacher identity? Data were an open-ended questionnaire, journal entries, observations, videotaped teaching segments, and two semistructured interviews. These SPTs used terms and concepts explored in coursework in their goal-setting for themselves and their students, and also referenced concepts while reflecting on their teaching. The SPTs developed their music teacher identities as they learned in a supportive community, and they made connections between personal, musician, and teacher identities. Through ACL experience situated within a supportive String Project community, ideas initially explored during coursework became internalized as part of the SPTs’ thinking, practices, philosophies, and identities.
A Prospective Longitudinal Study of Family From Generation to Generation
Authors: Bell Linda G.
Published: October 2018

This study explores the effects of family system characteristics on the children’s families when they grow up and become parents themselves. Family systems have profound effects for individual family members. The study addresses the question of whether or not these effects continue into the next generation by influencing the families created by adult children. Also evaluated is the extent to which parental intentions to make specific changes can be successful. Families in two generations participated in home interviews during the midlife/adolescent family life cycle stage. During home interviews at both waves, family members completed a questionnaire describing their family. They then discussed differences of opinion about the family and jointly created a projective “picture” of their family. Both family members’ reports and coded measures from the family interaction process supported a continuity between family of origin (FoO) characteristics and the next generation’s families. Evidence was also found for the ability of both mothers and fathers to purposely change particular family characteristics, such as connection, individuation, or conflict, in their second generation families. These results support the usefulness of exploring connections between FoOs and families of procreation. They also suggest that helping parents focus on particular characteristics they wish to change from their FoOs may enhance their success in making those changes.
Expression of TLE1 in Malignant Melanoma With Spindle Cell Morphology: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall
Authors: Morrell Travis J. , Xiong Yiqin , Deng April , Dresser Karen , O’Donnell Patrick , Cornejo Kristine M.
Published: October 2018

Objectives. Transducer-like enhancer of split 1 (TLE1) immunohistochemistry is widely used as a biomarker of synovial sarcoma. Spindle cell or desmoplastic melanoma can morphologically mimic synovial sarcoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of TLE1 in melanomas with a spindle cell morphology. Methods. A search of the surgical pathology files resulted in 57 cases of melanomas diagnosed with a spindle cell or desmoplastic component. After review, 8 cases had no definitive dermal spindle cell component and 7 cases had insufficient tissue remaining and were excluded from the study. A total of 42 melanomas were examined for TLE1 immunohistochemistry using a mouse monoclonal antibody (Cell Marque, clone 1F5). Strength and percentage of nuclear TLE1 positivity was graded on a scale from 0 to 3+. Staining for TLE1 was considered positive for 2 to 3+ and negative for 0 to 1+. Results. Nuclear TLE1 expression was identified in 24 (57%) of the 42 melanoma cases with spindle cell morphology (2+, n = 14; 3+, n = 10). TLE1 was considered negative in 18 cases (43%), of which most contained weak staining (1+, n = 14 [33%]) and only a small subset did not show any staining (0, n = 4 [10%]). Conclusion. TLE1 frequently highlights melanomas with spindle cell morphology and is a potential diagnostic pitfall. Therefore, when evaluating spindle cell tumors in which the differential may include both a melanoma and synovial sarcoma, TLE1 expression should be interpreted with caution and in conjunction with an immunohistochemical panel.
All Aboard: Using Positive Behavior Supports on the School Bus
Authors: Kennedy Krystal J. , King Seth A.
Published: October 2018

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) provides effective behavior management in many schools, yet such systematic approaches to behavior management are generally not implemented aboard school buses. This article describes guidance for the expansion of PBIS onto school buses. Research supporting the use of PBIS in school and transportation settings is described. Steps for implementing PBIS on school buses are provided in relation to an example of the practice in a small school district.
Reducing Group Alignment in Factual Disputes? The Limited Effects of Social Identity Interventions
Authors: Lyons Benjamin
Published: October 2018

Public divisions over contested science often arise due to individuals’ motivation to hold beliefs in line with others with whom they share a common social identity. To reduce the influence of threatened group identities, this research tests two potential interventions at the point of exposure to new information: self-affirmation and multiple identity salience manipulation. Experiments across dispute contexts—a toxic mining spill, a biofuels mandate, and gene editing technology—show limited support for either intervention reducing group alignment. Together, these results contribute to a growing body of work illuminating the limits of social identity interventions.
Propagation characteristics of vibrations induced by heavy-haul trains in a loess area of the North China Plains
Authors: Dong Jie , Yang Yue , Wu Zhi-Hui
Published: October 2018

To study heavy train-related vibration, this paper examines the world's largest heavy-freight railway – the Daqin Railway – to study the impacts of the seasonally frozen soil layer on vibrational acceleration. With increasing axle weight, the peak and mean values of the acceleration increased. Vibration acceleration attenuated the most from the shoulder to the embankment footing (51%–71%), while the vibrations at 70 m were attenuated by more than 90%. Certain measures must be taken by those living within 70 m of the railway shoulder. In addition, the acceleration peak caused by trains running in parallel after meeting amplified the vibration by 10%–39%. Moreover, the overall vibrations attenuate with increasing distance, whereas the local vibrations fluctuate. During the freezing period, the acceleration is 13%–26% greater than that of the unfrozen period. The vibration acceleration spectrum is comparatively wider, and is dominated by high-frequency components. Finally, using a three-dimensional model verified by field measurements, the vibrational features were analyzed at different embankment and foundation depths.
Social Underpinnings of Ecological Knowledge: Business Perceptions of Biodiversity as Social Learning
Authors: Smith Thomas , Holmes George , Paavola Jouni
Published: October 2018

Biodiversity loss presents a serious business risk, particularly for natural resource–based sectors. Improved ecological knowledge has been identified as a means to change perceptions and motivate operational reform regarding biodiversity, but the processes by which businesses gain such knowledge remain unclear. One possible process is to use social learning. Social learning describes processes of ecological knowledge transfer and identifies essential components of successful learning processes. Social learning is applied to forestry and salmon farming in Chile. The role of the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) as a “bridging organisation,” prompting learning by forestry firms, contrasts with the absence of such an organisation in salmon farming. This article demonstrates how even with improved ecological knowledge firms may not fully transform operations, instead seeking to protect core activities from substantive reform. The article reflects on potential applications of social learning to other socioecological contexts, and areas for future research regarding business and biodiversity.
How Can Consumer Trust in Energy Utilities be Increased? The Effectiveness of Prosocial, Proenvironmental, and Service-Oriented Investments as Signals of Trustworthiness
Authors: Przepiorka Wojtek , Horne Christine
Published: October 2018

The transformation of the electricity infrastructure into the smart grid requires energy utilities to increase consumer involvement. However, in the United States, consumers’ trust in utilities is low, which impedes consumer involvement. Drawing on the literature on corporate social responsibility and signaling theory, we examine possible strategies for increasing trust. We hypothesize that utility prosocial, proenvironmental, and service-oriented investments increase consumer trust, and that this increase, in turn, is positively associated with consumers’ willingness to participate in utility programs. We test our hypotheses through online vignette experiments in the context of smart meter apps for household energy management. Our results show that utility proenvironmental investments have the strongest and most consistent effect on consumer trust, and the effect of utility behavior on consumer willingness to use the app is mediated by trust. Our findings contribute to the organizational trust literature and have practical implications for utilities seeking to increase consumer involvement.
Histological Features of Shallow Placental Implantation Unify Early-Onset and Late-Onset Preeclampsia
Authors: Stanek Jerzy
Published: October 2018

Preeclampsia is distinguishable from other hypertensive conditions of pregnancy by its high rates of decidual arteriopathy, the uterine type of chronic hypoxic placental injury, the occurrence of villous infarctions, and clusters of multinucleate trophoblasts in the maternal floor. To retrospectively study the clinical and placental phenotypes of 230 women with early-onset preeclampsia, 261 women with late-onset preeclampsia, and 5059 women without hypertension in pregnancy (comparative group), 24 clinical and 46 placental phenotypes were statistically compared (analysis of variance, χ2 with Bonferroni correction). The frequency of decidual arteriopathy (both hypertrophic and atherosis), patterns of chronic hypoxic placental injury, villous infarction, membrane laminar necrosis, membrane microscopic chorionic pseudocysts, clusters of maternal floor multinucleated trophoblasts, excessive number of extravillous trophoblasts, and intervillous thrombi was strikingly higher in both late-onset preeclampsia and early-onset preeclampsia than in the comparative group without hypertension in pregnancy. All 3 patterns of chronic hypoxic placental injury were 2- to 3-fold more common in preeclampsia. Although the preuterine pattern was as common in early-onset preeclampsia as it was in late-onset preeclampsia, the postuterine pattern was 2-fold more common in early-onset preeclampsia, and chronic villitis of unknown etiology was more common in late-onset preeclampsia than in the other 2 groups. Features of shallow placental implantation occurred at the same frequency in early-onset preeclampsia as in late-onset preeclampsia, which reflects an underlying common pathological mechanism in both subgroups of preeclampsia, while hypoxic lesions and patterns of placental injury were more common in early-onset preeclampsia than in late-onset preeclampsia, which correlates with more severe clinical outcomes of the former.
Optical coherence tomography angiography findings in a case with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy
Authors: Türkcü Fatih Mehmet , Karaalp Ümit , Şahin Muhammed , Şahin Alparslan , Keklikçi Uğur
Published: October 2018

Twenty-six-year-old male patient admitted to the outpatient clinic with a complaint of decreased vision in both eyes. Visual acuity was 2/10 in the right and 7/10 in the left eye. Fundus examination revealed bilateral yellow-white subretinal lesions involving the macula. Fluorescein angiography showed hypofluorescent lesions in early and hyperflourescent lesions in the late phase. Optical coherence tomography angiography performed in the acute phase showed bilateral hypofluorescency at the choriocapillary level. A diagnosis of acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy was given. After steroid treatment, visual acuity was improved to 10/10 and earlier lesions in optical coherence tomography angiography were found to be reduced. In conclusion, optical coherence tomography angiography is a noninvasive imaging technique that can be used in the diagnosis and follow-up of acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy.
Objective ocular surface tolerance in patients with glaucoma treated with topical preserved or unpreserved prostaglandin analogues
Authors: El Ameen Ammar , Vandermeer Guillaume , Khanna Raoul K , Pisella Pierre-Jean
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

Preservatives in glaucoma medications have been associated with ocular toxicity. We compared ocular signs and symptoms in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension treated in monotherapy with preserved or preservative-free prostaglandin analogues.

Methods:

Observational cross-sectional clinical study in real life. 82 patients treated for at least 6 months with prostaglandin analogue were assessed for intraocular pressure, ocular symptoms and ocular signs including conjunctival hyperaemia, tear break-up time and tear meniscus height measured using objective and non-invasive methods (OCULUS Keratograph 5M). Patients presenting with symptoms of ocular toxicity with preserved prostaglandin analogues were switched to preservative-free latanoprost, and a second assessment was processed 6 months after.

Results:

At inclusion, 30 (36.6%) patients were treated with preservative-free latanoprost, 25 (30.5%) with preserved latanoprost, 16 (19.5%) with preserved travoprost and 11 (13.4%) with preserved bimatoprost. Patients treated with preservative-free latanoprost reported significantly less ocular symptoms upon instillation (mainly burning) and between instillations than patients treated with preserved prostaglandin analogues. The mean conjunctival hyperaemia (limbal + bulbar) was significantly lower with preservative-free latanoprost (2.08 ± 0.55) compared to preserved latanoprost (2.50 ± 0.7, p = 0.0085), preserved travoprost (2.67 ± 0.82, p = 0.0083) and preserved bimatoprost (2.68 ± 0.67, p = 0.0041). There were no relevant between-group differences in mean tear meniscus height and break-up time. Ocular symptoms and conjunctival hyperaemia improved when preserved prostaglandin analogues were switched to preservative-free latanoprost for 6 months while intraocular pressure reduction was maintained.

Conclusion:

Overall, this study suggests a better subjective and objective ocular tolerance when patients were treated with preservative-free latanoprost than with other preserved prostaglandin analogues monotherapy. Switching to preservative-free latanoprost maintained intraocular pressure at the same level as preservative prostaglandin analogue, but improved ocular surface tolerance.
The Return of Ideology to China’s Journalism Education: The ‘Joint Model’ Campaign Between Propaganda Departments and Journalism Schools
Authors: Xu Jian
Published: October 2018

In December 2013, the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Ministry of Education jointly announced a nationwide ‘joint model’ between state propaganda departments and journalism schools in higher education institutions, signalling a new era for China’s journalism education. The ‘joint model’ campaign aims to enhance the party’s ideological control over journalism education in China’s highly globalized, commercialized and digitized media environment. This essay examines the political context, concrete measures, expected benefits, debate and problems of the new era of China’s journalism education.
Impact of trial design and patient heterogeneity on the identification of clinically effective therapies for progressive MS
Authors: Mills Elizabeth A , Begay Joel A , Fisher Caitlyn , Mao-Draayer Yang
Published: October 2018

Clinically effective immunomodulatory therapies have been developed for relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), but they have generally not translated to a corresponding slowing of disability accumulation in progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). Since disability is multifaceted, progressive patients are heterogeneous, and the drivers of disease progression are still unclear, it has been difficult to identify the most informative outcome measures for progressive trials. Historically, secondary outcome measures have focused on inflammatory measures, which contributed to the recent identification of immunomodulatory therapies benefiting younger patients with more inflammatory progressive MS. Meanwhile, agents capable of treating late-stage disease have remained elusive. Consequently, measures of neurodegeneration are becoming common. Here, we review completed clinical trials testing immunomodulatory therapies in primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) or secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) and discuss the features contributing to trial design variability in relation to trial outcomes, and how efforts toward better patient stratification and inclusion of reliable progression markers could improve outcomes.
Narrative Assessment: A new approach to evaluation of advocacy for development
Authors: van Wessel Margit
Published: October 2018

This article proposes an approach to monitoring and evaluating advocacy that integrates theory of change and storytelling. This approach, called Narrative Assessment, addresses the feasibility of objectivity and evidence in the complex context of advocacy and proposes an evaluation methodology rooted in alternative conceptualizations of rigour and of evaluator roles. The approach centres on practical judgment and the construction and examination of stories through interaction between advocates and monitoring and evaluation specialists. The article discusses how Narrative Assessment can be useful in the evaluation of advocacy in terms of (1) monitoring and evaluation specialists’ orientation toward programmes; (2) the interpretation of outcomes; (3) the assessment of outcome relevance; (4) reflection and learning and (5) the communication of programme results. The approach builds on lessons drawn from evaluation of eight advocacy programmes in international development.
Understanding geometrical features of Nuaulu shield design
Authors: Ellen Roy
Published: October 2018

This article seeks to elucidate the form and function of decorative designs on Nuaulu parrying shields from Seram, Indonesia. It builds on earlier work focusing on the shield as a sacred anthropomorphized entity with its own life-cycle, the reproduction of which mirrors the reproduction of sacred houses. It has previously been suggested that diversity in design elements is deliberately cultivated as part of a general aesthetic, connecting individuality, personhood and effervescence as features of living entities. Here the author examines the materiality of shields, documenting variation in design – especially patterns of ceramic and shell discs – and asks what significance should be attached to these. He concludes that the attribution of specific meanings to individual elements is of limited application, while the impact of the shields lies in variation itself, the perceptual affects shields have on viewers, and in abstract geometric characteristics that make them fit for ritual purpose.