bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ficothrips, a new genus of Thripinae Thysanoptera from Iran
Authors: MINAEI KAMBIZ
Published: February 2020

A new genus, Ficothrips gen. n., with one new species, F. moundi sp. n., is described from Fars province in south of Iran. Thesystematic position of this genus is discussed and its relationships to Scolothrips and Parascolothrips, two genera of leaf-living and predatory species.
A new mud shrimp of the genus Pugnatrypaea from outer continental shelf waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico, commonly associated with hydrocarbon seeps (Crustacea: Decapoda: Callianassidae)
Authors: FELDER DARRYL L. , ROBLES RAFAEL
Published: February 2020

A new species of callianassid mud shrimp is described from outer continental shelf waters of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, where it appears to commonly live in close association with sediments on or near natural hydrocarbon seeps. Recent genus-level taxonomic revisions of the Callianassidae, based on gene sequence analyses and comparative morphological studies, included specimens representing this new species, assigning it with strong support to the genus Pugnatrypaea Poore et al., 2019. The other known species of this genus are also typically found in offshore waters of continental shelves, but are all restricted in distribution to the Indo-West Pacific and are known from relatively few specimens. Collections of this new Gulf of Mexico representative of the genus are all from slightly deeper waters than for other known congeners, and commonly occur near hydrocarbon seeps, on some occasions being directly associated with sulfidic substrates that include waxy crude oil globules.
Feature Selection Based on Gaussian Mixture Model Clustering for the Classification of Pulmonary Nodules Based on Computed Tomography
Authors: Duan Huihong , Wang Xu , He Xingyi , He Yonggang , Song Litao , Nie Shengdong
Published: February 2020

Background: In the pulmonary nodules computer aided diagnosis systems (CAD), feature selection plays an important role in reducing the false positive rate and improving the system accuracy. To solve the problem of feature selection techniques by which the diversity of features
was damaged in the process of distinguishing malignant pulmonary nodules from benign pulmonary nodules, this study developed a novel feature selection algorithm for improving the accuracy of traditional computer-aided differential diagnosis for benign and malignant classification of pulmonary
nodules. Method: Firstly, we divided the extracted features of nodules into several groups by using Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Secondly, we applied Relief and sequential forward selection (SFS) algorithm to find local optimum features dataset for each group. Afterwards, we used the
optimumpath forest (OPF) classifier with the found features dataset to obtain the classification results. Finally, the local optimum features dataset with the highest area under curve AUC in all groups were added into the final selected set. Results: According to collected pulmonary
nodules on computed tomography (CT) scans, tested with two set of samples, we achieved an average accuracy of 89.5%, sensitivity of 87.1% and specificity of 90.9% on the first set of samples, and 90.1%, 88.7% and 92.1% on the second set of samples. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic
(ROC) curves based on these two sample sets were 95.2%, and 96.3% respectively. Conclusions: This study shows that the proposed method was promising for improving the pulmonary nodules computer aided diagnosis systems performance of benign and malignant pulmonary nodules.
Classification Method of EEG Based on Evolutionary Algorithm and Random Forest for Detection of Epilepsy
Authors: Fang Yan , Zeng TaiSheng , Song Tianrong
Published: February 2020

Epilepsy is a difficult problem that has puzzled the medical profession for a long time. The complexity, randomness, non-stationarity and nonlinearity of EEG signal of epilepsy bring great challenge to the detection of epilepsy. The study of epilepsy is an important subject of neutral
system diseases. For automatic epilepsy detection system, the accuracy of identifying epilepsy and predicting epilepsy is of great significance to the treatment of doctors and the recovery of patients. This paper proposes the mixed feature extraction to extract the feature by mixture of time-domain
method and nonlinear analysis method, and the extracted feature is optimized using evolutionary optimization algorithm, and finally train the epilepsy classifier by utilizing the optimized features through the Random forest algorithm. In the experiment, the accuracies of two-classification
problems and three-classification problems respectively reach 99.2% and 98.1%. The results of cross-over experiment for many times show that, the method is of effectiveness in the classified feature extraction aiming at epilepsy brain wave.
The Design of Photoelectric Sensor Node Under Lithium Rich Cathode Battery and Its Power Consumption Analysis in Photoelectric Sensor Network
Authors: Su Yuxia
Published: February 2020

In the research, LixMnyNiz was obtained by co-precipitation method according to the capacity limitation characteristics of positive electrode material of lithium ion battery, and then Li-[LixMnyNiz]O2
was obtained with lithium containing compounds. By using the generated positive electrode material, the electrode plate is made and the battery is assembled. The battery is used on the photoelectric sensor node. In the design of photoelectric sensor node, the power supply adopts the battery
designed in this research. CC2530 chip was used for the controller module of the sensor, and the photoelectric sensor BH1750SVI and sfh3410-2 were included. After the sensor node is designed, the communication extension node, interference source module, mobile carrier module and data analysis
module were further elaborated, so as to realize the construction of photoelectric sensor network. In the experimental test, electrochemical test was conducted on the obtained lithium-rich anode material. The specific capacity of the material’s first discharge could reach 227 mAh/g,
and the capacity of the material after repeated cycles could be maintained at more than 80%, but the performance of the multiplying ratio needed to be further improved. In the node power test, the traditional battery sensor node was compared with the sensor node proposed in this research.
The energy consumption of the latter is 10% lower than that of the former, which indicated that the improved battery wireless sensor node proposed in this research can reduce the power consumption of the sensor network.
Raco Wind at the Exit of the Maipo Canyon in Central Chile: Climatology, Special Observations, and Possible Mechanisms
Authors: Muñoz Ricardo C. , Armi Laurence , Rutllant José A. , Falvey Mark , Whiteman C. David , Garreaud René , Arriagada Andrés , Flores Federico , Donoso Nicolás
Published: February 2020

Raco is the local name given to a strong (gusts up to 17 m s−1), warm, and dry down-valley wind observed at the exit of the Maipo River Canyon in central Chile. Its climatology is documented based on eight years of surface measurements near the canyon exit together with a more complete characterization of its structure during an intensive observational period (IOP) carried out in July 2018. Raco winds occur in the cold season under well-defined synoptic conditions, beginning abruptly at any time during the night, reaching maximum hourly averages around 10 m s−1, and terminating around noon with the onset of afternoon westerly up-valley winds. About 25% of the days in May–August have more than six raco hours between 0100 and 1200 LT, and raco episodes last typically 1–2 days. The sudden appearance of raco winds at the surface can be accompanied by conspicuous warming (up to 10°C) and drying (up to 3 g kg−1). Raco winds are associated with a strong along-canyon pressure gradient, a regional pressure fall, and clear skies. During the IOP, radiosondes launched from both extremes of the canyon exit corridor showed a nocturnal easterly jet at 700 m AGL that occasionally descended rapidly to the surface, producing the raco. Transects along the canyon performed with a mobile ceilometer revealed a sharp frontlike feature between the cold pool over the Santiago Valley and the raco-affected conditions in the Maipo Canyon. Possible factors producing the easterly jet aloft and its occasional descent toward the surface are discussed, and a gap-wind mechanism is postulated to be at work.
Stilling and Recovery of the Surface Wind Speed Based on Observation, Reanalysis, and Geostrophic Wind Theory over China from 1960 to 2017
Authors: Zhang Zhengtai , Wang Kaicun
Published: February 2020

Surface wind speed (SWS) from meteorological observation, global atmospheric reanalysis, and geostrophic wind speed (GWS) calculated from surface pressure were used to study the stilling and recovery of SWS over China from 1960 to 2017. China experienced anemometer changes and automatic observation transitions in approximately 1969 and 2004, resulting in SWS inhomogeneity. Therefore, we divided the entire period into three sections to study the SWS trend, and found a near-zero annual trend in the SWS in China from 1960 to 1969, a significant decrease of −0.24 m s−1 decade−1 from 1970 to 2004, and a weak recovery from 2005 to 2017. By defining the 95th and 5th percentiles of daily mean wind speeds as strong and weak winds, respectively, we found that the SWS decrease was primarily caused by a strong wind decrease of −8% decade−1 from 1960 to 2017, but weak wind showed an insignificant decreasing trend of −2% decade−1. GWS decreased with a significant trend of −3% decade−1 before the 1990s; during the 1990s, GWS increased with a trend of 3% decade−1 whereas SWS continued to decrease with a trend of 10% decade−1. Consistent with SWS, GWS demonstrated a weak increase after the 2000s. After detrending, both SWS and GWS showed synchronous decadal variability, which is related to the intensity of Aleutian low pressure over the North Pacific. However, current reanalyses cannot reproduce the decadal variability and cannot capture the decreasing trend of SWS either.
Death Narrative in 19th-Century China: How Did Newspapers Frame Death and Dying
Authors: Lou Yifan , Liu Jinyu
Published: February 2020

This study explored the death narrative in the late Qing dynasty as expressed in Chinese newspapers in the 19th century. Using textual analysis, this study identified three themes regarding death and dying during this period: euphemism of death, definition of “good death,” and Western influence on the death narrative. The study results of death narrative in the 19th century indicate the historical root of perception of death among the current Chinese people, which could help the development of a culturally sensitive hospice services for Chinese people in China and other countries by suggesting language use, patients approaching, and mental health intervention for the service providers and policy makers.
Age Differences and Similarities in Associated Stressors and Outcomes Among Young, Midlife, and Older Adult Family Caregivers
Authors: Koumoutzis Athena , Cichy Kelly E. , Dellmann-Jenkins Mary , Blankemeyer Maureen
Published: February 2020

Background and Objectives

Few studies have simultaneously compared caregivers in all stages of the adult life course. This study examined age differences in associations among primary stressors (caregiver burden which includes hours of provided care and number of activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living performed), secondary stressors (financial and employment strains), and caregiver outcomes (emotional strain and physical strain).

Research Design

Using Pearlin’s Stress Process Model (1990) and the Caregiving in the United States 2015 dataset, 1,156 caregivers were identified (including 278 young adults aged 18–39 years, 464 midlife adults aged 40–59 years, and 414 older adults aged 60–80 years).

Results

Post hoc analyses revealed that compared to older adults, young adults reported less caregiver burden, less physical strain, and greater financial strain. Linear regression analyses revealed associations between caregiver burden and financial strain with emotional and physical strain for all respondents.

Discussion and Implications

Findings emphasize the need for age-specific interventions.
Health technology assessment–based approach to flow cytometric immunophenotyping of acute leukemias: a literature classification
Authors: Gaipa Giuseppe , Erba Eugenio , Danova Marco , Mazzini Giuliano , Venditti Adriano , Buldini Barbara , Specchia Giorgina , Maglia Oscar , Kunkl Annalisa , Ciriello Maria Matilde , Arpinati Mario , Mannelli Francesco , Lanza Francesco , Riccioni Roberta , Pistotti Vanna , Apolone Giovanni ,   on behalf of the Società Italiana di Citometria (GIC)
Published: February 2020

Objective:

Acute leukemia (AL) is a broad, heterogeneous group of malignant diseases. The diagnostic workup of AL is based on several clinical and laboratory findings, including flow cytometric immunophenotyping. However, the role of this assay in the diagnosis of AL has not been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy and utility of flow cytometric immunophenotyping in the identification, characterization, and staging of AL.

Methods:

We performed a systematic selection and classification of the literature since 1980, focused on flow cytometric immunophenotyping of AL. We applied a 6-variables model to cover both the technical capabilities and the clinical value of flow cytometric immunophenotyping in the diagnosis of AL.

Results:

Using 3 key words (acute leukemia, immunophenotyping, flow cytometry), we screened the literature from January 1985 to April 2015 in PubMed and Embase databases and found 1010 articles. A total of 363 were selected and submitted to the expert panel, which selected a final data set of 248 articles to be analyzed. Of these, 160 were focused on clinical and biological issues, 55 were technical articles, and 31 were reviews. These 248 articles were then analyzed according to the 6-variables model and definitively classified.

Conclusions:

We assessed the literature on flow cytometric immunophenotyping of AL over 3 decades as the first step toward an evidence-based analysis of the impact of this technology on the clinical management of patients with AL.
Platform mobilities and the production of urban space: Toward a typology of platformization trajectories
Authors: Stehlin John , Hodson Michael , McMeekin Andrew
Published: February 2020

The past decade has seen an explosion in what is popularly known as the “sharing economy,” perhaps most visibly in the realm of transport. Digital “shared mobility” platforms like Uber, Car2Go, and Mobike, as well as emerging, more sophisticated “mobility-as-a-service” platforms which coordinate multiple discrete services into a single portal, have risen to prominence as modes of reworking everyday urban transport in cities of North America, Europe, and East Asia in particular. This paper aims to explore the driving forces and concrete expressions of this platformization of urban mobility, as a particularly diverse and volatile component of a broader platform urbanism. Based on the construction and analysis of a database consisting of 200 urban mobility platforms drawn from across the globe, we highlight five key trajectories of platform formation, focusing on the firms, institutions, and social interests that have fueled the growth of this sector, and the modes of infrastructural organization, spatial formation, and governance that they entail. We further highlight the fragility of this particular form of “spatial fix,” and the prospects for a more redistributive form of platform urbanism. We conclude by reflecting on implications for future research.
Problems of knowledge management practices in libraries and information centres of Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Md Nazmul , Islam Md Shariful , Razzak Abdur
Published: February 2020

The main goal of the study is to explore the shortcoming in existing knowledge management practices of some selected academic and special libraries and information centres in Bangladesh in terms of knowledge management activities, human resource management, knowledge innovation-based activities and use of ICT as a tool for knowledge management. Data were collected through review of existing literature on knowledge management, and a structured questionnaire designed for a total of 16 libraries including five public university libraries, four private university libraries, six special libraries and one information centre. This study depicts that a good number of the respondents (25%) never tried to promote knowledge exchange and sharing programmes among staff and users. Half of the total respondents (50%) were not interested in encouraging staff members in the talent competition in all categories. About 38% of the respondents never developed knowledge resources for increasing knowledge level and ability among staff and users. The essence of the study is that knowledge management practice in the libraries of Bangladesh has just been started. Finally, the study provides some suggestions for the development of knowledge management practices in the context of libraries and information centres in Bangladesh.
Silent and Lethal: Consequences of Sexual Violence Against Married Women in Ghana
Authors: Apatinga Gervin A. , Tenkorang Eric Y. , Issahaku Paul
Published: February 2020

Extant research, mostly in western countries, confirms the consequences of sexual violence against women, but academic scholarship on this topic remains scant for Ghana. This study built on existing research by exploring the consequences of sexual violence against married women in the Eastern Region of Ghana. Data were obtained from in-depth interviews purposely conducted with 15 survivors of sexual violence. The thematic analysis showed that sexual violence was accompanied by physical and emotional abuse. Following sexual violence and abuse, these women experienced physical injuries, psychological problems, sexual and reproductive health problems, and suicidal ideations. These health difficulties significantly undermined their economic activities and depleted their income. Sexual violence clearly affects women’s empowerment; campaigns against gender-based violence should make sexual violence a top priority in Ghana and elsewhere.
Participatory Water Resource Management in the Bhutan Himalayan Foothill Environment of Baksa District, Assam
Authors: Saha Sourav , Deka Nityananda , Bhagabati Abani Kumar
Published: February 2020

Participatory water resource management assumes great significance in the changing context of fresh water availability and use. The forces of market economy, in most cases, have transformed the rural social scenario in such a way that community participation in resource management has become almost a far cry. But the Himalayan foothill area in Assam sets a good example of management and sharing of water resources by the communities living in the area in eco-friendly and socially just ways. This study is an attempt to analyse the traditional management practices called dong-bandh system evolved by the local people to harvest and share the stream water for agricultural and domestic purposes.

Based on data collected from secondary sources and generated through primary survey, the study focuses on the organizational set-up of the community participation, water distribution policies, conflict resolution and perception of the people on dong–bandh governance. The challenges faced by this traditional system during the recent period have also been discussed.
An exact formulation for exponential-logarithmic transformation stretches in a multiphase phase field approach to martensitic transformations
Authors: Basak Anup , Levitas Valery I
Published: February 2020

A general theoretical and computational procedure for dealing with an exponential-logarithmic kinematic model for transformation stretch tensor in a multiphase phase field approach to stress- and temperature-induced martensitic transformations with N martensitic variants is developed for transformations between all possible crystal lattices. This kinematic model, where the natural logarithm of transformation stretch tensor is a linear combination of natural logarithm of the Bain tensors, yields isochoric variant–variant transformations for the entire transformation path. Such a condition is plausible and cannot be satisfied by the widely used kinematic model where the transformation stretch tensor is linear in Bain tensors. Earlier general multiphase phase field studies can handle commutative Bain tensors only. In the present treatment, the exact expressions for the first and second derivatives of the transformation stretch tensor with respect to the order parameters are obtained. Using these relations, the transformation work for austenite ↔ martensite and variant ↔ variant transformations is analyzed and the thermodynamic instability criteria for all homogeneous phases are expressed explicitly. The finite element procedure with an emphasis on the derivation of the tangent matrix for the phase field equations, which involves second derivatives of the transformation deformation gradients with respect to the order parameters, is developed. Change in anisotropic elastic properties during austenite–martensitic variants and variant–variant transformations is taken into account. The numerical results exhibiting twinned microstructures for cubic to orthorhombic and cubic to monoclinic-I transformations are presented.
Shake-table tests on frame built in crumb rubber concrete
Authors: Ullah Hanif , Ahmad Naveed , Rizwan Muhammad
Published: February 2020

This article presents experimental study performed on a first-of-its-kind frame fabricated using crumb rubber concrete, that is, concrete with waste rubbers (crumb) as a partial replacement of fine aggregate (sand). A 20% volume of sand was replaced by rubber crumb. Free vibration and shake-table tests were performed on 1:3 reduced scale frame models, both conventional reinforced concrete frame and crumb rubber concrete frame. The dynamic properties (i.e. frequency/time period, elastic viscous damping, and floor acceleration amplification) and seismic response parameters (i.e. ductility and response modification factors) were obtained. In addition, lateral displacement demand was correlated with peak base acceleration to derive seismic response curves. The seismic performance of crumb rubber concrete frame was compared with the conventional reinforced concrete frame in order to assess the feasibility of rubberized concrete for building constructions in areas of active seismicity. The following were concluded on the basis of experimental study: the elastic damping reduced by 12%, the initial time period increased by 6%, specific weight of concrete reduced by 6%, maximum lateral load reduced by 20%, lateral maximum story drift capacity increased by 30%, displacement ductility ratio increased by 2%, response modification factor reduced by 24%, maximum peak base acceleration resistance corresponding the incipient collapse state increased by 40%.
Inverse displacement analysis of a hyper-redundant bionic trunk-like robot
Authors: Zhao Yongjie , Zhang Yongxing , Li Jianyuan , Jin Lei , He Jun , Zhang Xingwei , Lu Xinjian
Published: February 2020

This article presents the inverse displacement analysis of a hyper-redundant bionic trunk-like robot. The hyper-redundant bionic trunk-like robot is constituted of some parallel mechanism modules in series. The mathematical model of the inverse displacement analysis of the hyper-redundant robot comprises a set of nonlinear consistent equations with a number of unknown variables that are more than given equations. It is impossible to find all solutions for the inverse displacement analysis since there are infinite solution possibilities. By planning the pose of distal moving platforms for robot modules, the problem of the inverse displacement analysis of the hyper-redundant robot is transformed into that of a parallel mechanism. The inverse velocity and acceleration computation are then implemented using a method of the numerical differentiation. A developed prototype of a hyper-redundant bionic trunk-like robot is presented. The approach can be applied to the hyper-redundant robot with man–machine interactive system in the unstructured environment.
What services are useful for patients with an intellectual disability?
Authors: Coughlan Barry , Duschinsky Robbie , Turner Melody , Schuengel Carlo , Woolgar Matt , Weisblatt Emma , Ryan Sara
Published: February 2020

It is well-known that people with an intellectual disability often face a host of health inequalities and co-morbidities. These include childhood obesity, mental health problems, and challenging behaviour. People with an intellectual disability also have reduced life expectancy. GPs are uniquely placed to advocate for and signpost these patients, ensuring they have access to appropriate support. However, it is often unclear what resources are, in reality, both available and beneficial. Here we aim to summarise some of the common inequalities and complexities when working with patients with an intellectual disability and provide an overview of some potentially helpful services.
Letters of Gold: Enabling Primitive Accumulation through Neoliberal Conservation
Authors: Büscher Bram
Published: February 2020

In Capital I, Marx wrote that the history of the separation of the producers from the means of production “is written in the annals of mankind in letters of blood and fire” (Marx, 1976: 875). This ‘so-called primitive accumulation’, or ‘accumulation by dispossession’ in David Harvey's words, continues unabated. Yet, its framing has changed considerably. Increasingly, capitalists have tried to avoid writing primitive accumulation in ‘letters of blood and fire’. Instead, they focus on creating the ‘enabling environment’ for accumulation by positing neoliberal capitalism as the ‘only alternative’. This short essay focuses on nature conservation in Southern Africa to illustrate that this seemingly ‘civilized’ or ‘inevitable’ accumulation is none other than the induced self-marginalisation of local people under the ‘golden letters’ of win-win neoliberal conservation.
Mapping in Epistemological Translation, Revising the Critique of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) as an Instrument of Cultural Assimilation
Authors: Forero Oscar
Published: February 2020

This paper examines some of the features that have made maps into an essential and traditional tool used by all those involved in the management of natural resources. A main competency of natural resource managers and geographers is map making, along with map reading and map usage, as it allows a vision to be constructed, aiding the understanding of bio-cultural ocean, riverine and landscapes and helping to put them into perspective. I argue that the prominence of mapping in natural resource management comes from a topokinetic quality of knowledge generation and a visual character of knowledge reproduction. I also argue that mapping is a pedagogical device not exclusive to western ontological tradition, and that these features have made mapping a favorite episte-mological translation tool.
From Streets and Squares to Radical Political Emancipation? Resistance Lessons from Athens during the Crisis
Authors: Hadjimichalis Costis
Published: February 2020

The current crisis with imposed austerity measures hit Greece in 2009. People in large cities such as Athens were the first victims. Resistance took various forms including mobilizations and fights in the streets and squares of Athens. Although to some extent spontaneous in the beginning, these mobilizations were not without political preparation (at least for some participants) and this partially explains both their intensity and stability and the violent police reaction. Resistance and anti-austerity mobilizations were outcomes of non-politicized people coming together with various more organized political forces, such as unions, non-unionized temporary workers, anti-racist and anti-global movements, members of the European Social Forum-Greek section, small leftist and anarchist groups, plus larger political parties of the left such as SYRIZA, which succeeded in forming a wider radical alliance.

In this alliance the role of radical social movements, including urban movements, has been decisive. During the past 10 to 15 years dozens of urban grass-roots movements emerged in the Athens metropolitan region. Partly as a response to projects related to the 2004 Olympic Games, and partly in response to chronic socio-spatial inequalities and injustices in various neighborhoods, these movements were radical in nature, multi-class in social base and quite militant in terms of tactics. And since 2009, the crisis acted as catalyst, and radical social movements made the crucial link between sectoral/local struggles and those arising from wider socio-spatial contradictions and injustices aiming at political change.

The paper critically evaluates these events, putting them in theoretical and comparative perspective, trying to understand the limits and the lessons-so-far from such an experience and asks whether they point to a wider radical political emancipation.
Born Again Urbanism: New Missionary Incursions, Aboriginal Resistance and Barriers to Rebuilding Relationships in Winnipeg's North End
Authors: Hugill David , Toews Owen
Published: February 2020

This paper examines the controversy that emerged as the City of Winnipeg debated committing public funds to an evangelical Christian group seeking to build a youth centre in an urban neighborhood with a large Aboriginal population. It traces the emergence of a coordinated opposition to the project and demonstrates why many felt that municipal and federal support was not only inappropriate but also worked to recapitulate longstanding patterns of disregard for the needs and aspirations of Aboriginal peoples. In an era where it has become common for Canadian governments to speak of “reconciliation” we demonstrate how such ambitions continue to be impeded by pervasive logics of governance that work against genuine processes of decolonization. We argue that events in Winnipeg reveal the persistence of longstanding colonial dynamics and demonstrate how such dynamics are exacerbated by the regressive tendencies of the city's neoliberal orientation. We insist that colonial practices and mentalities not only permeate the present but also that they interact with, and are shaped by, the exigencies of actually existing political economies. Ours is an attempt to show how insights about the form and content of urban neoliberalism can be productively engaged with insights about how colonial relations have been reproduced and transformed in the contemporary moment. It is also an effort to demonstrate how such mentalities and practices are being resisted and challenged in important ways in contemporary Canada. Our observations are based on a range of interviews with local activists, politicians and service providers as well as a close reading of a range of political documents available on the public record.
Ocotillo Wind: A Case Study of how Tribal-Federal Governmental Consultation is Failing Tribal Governments and their Spiritual Landscapes through Renewable Energy Development
Authors: Bathke John P.
Published: February 2020

In an effort to mitigate climate change, the federal government of the United States has recently opened public lands to the development of utility-scale renewable energy projects. The federal government is processing the applications for these projects arbitrarily fast, particularly in southern California and western Arizona. Pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), federal projects trigger government-to-government consultations between the federal government and Tribal governments. The Quechan Indian Nation, whose traditional lands encompass many of these projects, has been forced to defend its cultural resources from destruction by these projects. However, because the federal government has treated these applications in a “fast-track” manner, the tribal consultation process has become extremely rushed, thus not allowing Tribal governments enough time and/or resources to adequately protect their sacred sites on public lands from development. In particular, the Ocotillo Wind Express Facility, within a spiritual landscape important to the Quechan and other Indian Nations, highlights how Tribal governments may not be able to rely on Section 106 tribal consultation and the nomination of landscapes as Traditional Cultural Properties (TCP) to protect their spiritual heritage embedded in public land. The current tools of Section 106 consultation and TCP nomination have proven useless to preserve a cultural landscape, spiritually important to Quechan, from being devastated by a 112-turbine wind project. This article examines how the underlying nature of tribal consultation does not offer Tribal governments any reliable method of protecting their cultural resources on public lands. The federal government diminishes any benefit of tribal consulting when it arbitrarily accelerates the environmental review process on many current renewable energy projects.
Achieving a Right to the City in Practice: Reflections on Community Struggles in Dublin
Authors: Hearne Rory
Published: February 2020

The concept of the right city is strongly contested within urban theory and practice. Debate centres on what rights this entails, who the rights are for, and how the right to the city can be achieved in practice. Exploited and alienated urban inhabitants and social movements have drawn on the right to the city to challenge the impacts of financial crisis, austerity and deepening neoliberal urbanism. At the elite institutional level, UN agencies, development NGOs, and local and national governments have been critiqued for diluting and co-opting the emancipatory potential of the right to the city and using it to legitimise on-going processes of neoliberal governance. This paper draws on evidence gathered from struggles against austerity and neoliberal urbanism at a grassroots community level in Dublin, Ireland, to develop understandings of what it means to achieve the right to the city in practice. It makes the case for a greater focus on actually existing struggles (particularly of marginalised communities) rather than institutional frameworks. It also presents evidence of positive outcomes from human rights based approaches. This highlights the potential for community struggles to achieve the right to the city in practice. However the paper also shows that major challenges face marginalised communities in finding the resources and energy required to create and sustain city wide alliances.
Smart Cities: Contradictions Yet Opportunities for a Better Urban World
Authors: de Almeida Fagundes Cinthia , Matias Lindon Fonseca
Published: February 2020

This article presents a critical analysis of the “smart city” concept. The argument focuses on contradictions in the symbols of urban prosperity, unraveling of the social agents involved and their interests, and an investigation of the processes resulting from investments in technology and innovation selectively performed in a territory. We propose three approaches for understanding the smart city project, in the light of analytical resources provided by the Brazilian geographer Milton Santos. Through these analyses we point to the strengths and weaknesses of the concept.
The Evolution of Uneven Development in Dallas, TX
Authors: Krupala Katie
Published: February 2020

Dallas has a long history of uneven development. It is the product of excess capital, white planning, and a desire to shape the land into something it is not. Communities in Dallas broke sharply along racial and class lines, and as a result black and white Dallas developed separately. Forces of structural and physical violence largely determined where African American neighborhoods were, and are, located in Dallas. African American, Mexican American, and other low-income communities suffered not only from low housing availability and high rent prices, but also bombings, arson, and other physical threats. When alliances formed between poor whites and their neighbors of color, the construction of a highway or railroad was apt to split a neighborhood and fracture the community. The effects of segregation and discrimination have followed the African American communities in Dallas since their inception. Space for African Americans, who made up almost twenty percent of the population, within the Dallas city limits continued to shrink. In 1940, African American neighborhoods were squeezed into 3.5 square miles within the City and in small communities along the perimeter. Meanwhile, the wealthy sequestered themselves into enclaves within the city, avoiding both minorities and municipal taxes while benefitting from city services. In this paper I explore how this historical discrimination and segregation shaped geographic inequality across Dallas today. Much of the wealth in Dallas is clustered in the north around the Park Cities enclave as illustrated by viewing the property tax values over the city. Low-income, majority African American neighborhoods like Joppa, located in southern Dallas, illustrate the impacts that the flows of capital have on livelihoods. South Dallas experienced a sharp decrease in population as residents moved to the suburbs in the 1960s and has since been underdeveloped. Joppa, a small, historically neglected, neighborhood has remained isolated until recently. Developers are interested in Joppa for its cheap, empty lots, and valuable proximity to booming downtown Dallas and the Trinity River Corridor. Gentrification is a concern for the neighborhood; residents have a desire to revitalize their neighborhood on their own terms, not developers’. This research will help to visualize and amplify the continued material effects of a history Dallas is trying to make invisible.
Improvements in patients’ quality of life following treatment with intravesical hyaluronic acid (Cystistat 40 mg) for bladder pain syndrome and recurrent UTIs
Authors: Brophy Thomas D , Fowler Sue , Clarke Louise , Thompson Andy
Published: February 2020

Introduction:

Intravesical hyaluronic acid (Cystistat) is indicated for a variety of chronic cystitis conditions including bladder pain syndrome, recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections and radiation or chemical cystitis. Previously published studies have predominantly assessed the outcome in terms of bladder symptoms (frequency/urgency/nocturia/pain) or in the case of recurrent bacterial urinary tract infection, by microbiological response. The aim of this study was to assess improvement in patients’ quality of life following treatment with intravesical Cystistat.

Materials and methods:

Patients’ referred for treatment with intravesical Cystistat for either bladder pain syndrome or recurrent bacterial urinary tract infection completed the King’s health questionnaire. Patients were treated with a 6-week course of Cystistat by one of two specialist urology nurses. If treatment was effective further instillations were given every 2–4 weeks for up to 6 months. King’s health questionnaire scores were repeated after 6 weeks and 6 months and were analysed.

Results:

Twenty patients (18 women, 2 men) were included: 8 bladder pain syndrome, 12 recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections. There were four treatment failures within 6 weeks, of whom three were being treated for recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections. Of the 16 patients who continued with treatment beyond 6 weeks, 12 have 6-month scores available. The average initial King’s health questionnaire score was 500.8 (534.1 for the recurrent bacterial urinary tract infection group, 450.8 for the bladder pain syndrome group). After six treatments average King’s health questionnaire scores improved to 426.3 (457.7 for recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections, 372.4 for bladder pain syndrome). After 6 months, average scores significantly improved to 278 overall (303.2 ( P<0.05) for the recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections group, 252.8 ( P>0.05) for the bladder pain syndrome group).

Conclusion:

Intravesical Cystistat should be considered in all patients with bladder pain syndrome and recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections. We have shown a significant, clinically important, improvement in patients’ quality of life in refractory bladder pain syndrome and recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections. In future Cystistat could be considered as an alternative to long-term low-dose antibiotic prophylaxis.

Level of evidence:

4
An expert opinion survey on post-hazard restoration of roadways and bridges: Data and key insights
Authors: Misra Sushreyo , Padgett Jamie E , Barbosa Andre R , Webb Bret M
Published: February 2020

This article presents the data collected through an online survey of experts in the field of roadway and bridge inspection and repair, with an aim to understand and characterize post-hazard restoration timelines. Accurate characterization of natural hazard resilience of a community requires a thorough understanding of the restoration process. However, empirical data are lacking to systematically relate damage induced by multiple hazards to functionality for both roadways and bridges. Existing models, relying on survey data which are tailored for seismic damage to bridges, either fail to capture the entire restoration timeline or do not account for intermediate stages of restoration. To address these gaps, an online survey of experts eliciting recommended traffic closures and the estimated time required to remove traffic closures/partial restrictions is presented herein. This article contains a detailed description of the survey methodology with insights into the data collected from a total of 29 respondents to enable its use in the area of transportation infrastructure risk and resilience analysis under natural hazards.
SLC20A1 at the Interface between Macrophages and Red Blood Cells
Authors: Quattrone Federica , Gawish Riem , Martins Rui , Gorki Anna-Dorothea , Watzenboeck Martin , Hladik Anastasiya , Lakovits Karin , Rebsamen Manuele , Girardi Enrico , Superti-Furga Giulio , Knapp Sylvia
Published: February 2020

Red blood cells (RBCs) comprise 84% of our body's cells and have the essential function of transporting oxygen from the lungs to all organs. The daily production rate of RBCs is enormous and the pathways mediating this process are quite complex. One important aspect hereby is the synthesis of hemoglobin and heme, the iron-containing prosthetic group that enables hemoglobin to bind oxygen.RBCs differentiate within the erythropoietic niche, which consists of erythroid precursors and specialized macrophages. These so-called nursing macrophages provide nutrients and iron, a fundamental component of heme.

The precise mechanisms of heme transport within a cell and the potential of heme transfer between cells is not completely understood. To get insights into heme transport we took advantage of the cytotoxic capacity of heme and performed a CRISPR-Cas9 loss of function screen by focusing on SLC transporters. We identified SLC20A1 as an essential protein mediating heme toxicity and verified that intracellular heme levels as well as heme-induced downstream gene inductions were reduced in the absence of Slc20a1. Based on these evidences we hypothesized that SLC20A1 might be involved in the trafficking of heme, possibly important during erythropoiesis, since mice lacking Slc20a1 exhibit embryonic lethality due to liver apoptosis and anemia (Beck L. et al., PLoS One 2013).

To test the biological role of Slc20a1 in adult mice, we conditionally deleted Slc20a1 using tamoxifen in ERT2-Cre Slc20a1fl animals and observed the spontaneous development of severe anemia and splenomegaly within 2 weeks after tamoxifen administration. We further discovered that the anemia-related expansion of red pulp macrophages (RPM) consisted predominantly of non-recombined wild type cells, whereas successfully recombined (Slc20a1 deficient) cells seemed stuck in the monocytic stage. These data suggest that Slc20a1 might be involved in the differentiation and maturation of monocytes to RPMs. When we performed a specific Slc20a1 deletion in nursing macrophages (CD169 Cre), mice neither showed signs of anemia, nor experienced impaired recovery upon anemia induction following phlebotomy or induction of hemolysis. However, deleting Sc20a1 specifically in the erythroid compartment using Slc20a1fl mice crossed to erythropoietin receptor-cre (EpoR-Cre) animals, resulted in embryonic lethality. Mice died around E12.5 due to severe anemia. Analysis of E11.5 animals disclosed erythroid precursors to be arrested in the pro-erythroblast stage.These data suggest that SLC20A1 is a protein involved in heme-mediated toxicity and possibly in the trafficking of heme with strong impact on fetal and adult erythropoiesis.

Disclosures

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Efficacy of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome after Allogeneic HSCT: A Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Shan , Zhao Ke , Lin Ren , Wang Shunqing , Fan Zhiping , Huang Fen , Chen Xiaoyong , Nie Danian , Du Xin , Guo Ziwen , Lin Dongjun , Xuan Li , Xu Na , Sun Jing , Xiang Andy Peng , Liu Qifa
Published: February 2020

Background:

Bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a devastating complication with limited therapeutic options. We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in BOS after allo-HSCT.

Methods:

Eighty-one allo-HSCT recipients with BOS diagnosed within 6 months were enrolled in this multicenter prospective cohort study. The choice of prednisone and azithromycin combined with or without MSCs was based on patient preferences (MSC n=49, non-MSC n=32). The primary endpoint was response rate at 3 months, defined as the proportion of patients achieving FEV1 improvement or steroid sparing. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02543073.

Results:

Response rate was 35/49 patients (71%, 95% confidence intervals [CI] 59 to 84%) (FEV1 improvement n=10, steroid sparing n=25) and 14/32 (44%, 95% CI 27 to 61%) (FEV1 improvement n=3, steroid sparing n=11) in the MSC and non-MSC group, respectively (p=0.013). The adjusted odds ratio of response in the MSC group compared with the non-MSC group was 3.32 (95% CI 1.21-9.11; p=0.02). The addition of MSCs was associated with a better difference for change in FEV1 rate of decline, compared to non-MSC group (53 ml/months, 2 to 103; p=0.040). The 3-year overall survival post-diagnosis was 70.6% (95% CI 55.9 to 85.3%) and 58.2% (95% CI 36.1 to 78.5%) in the MSC and non-MSC group, respectively (p=0.21). Clinical improvement was accompanied by a significant increase of interleukin (IL)-10-producing CD5+ B cells. The incidences of infection and leukemia relapse were no significant difference between two groups. Multiple infusions of MSCs were well-tolerated with no serious adverse events.

Interpretation:

MSCs might be an effective and safe therapy for BOS patients after allo-HSCT. Our study strengthens evidence for clinical practice of MSC therapy in BOS. These data also offer insight into potential biological mechanisms of MSC treatment and support further investigation in larger randomized controlled trials.

Disclosures

No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.