bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From IIRIRA to Trump: Connecting the Dots to the Current US Immigration Policy Crisis
Authors: Kerwin Donald
Published: July 2018

When signing into law the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA, or “the Act”), 1 President William J. Clinton asserted that the legislation strengthened “the rule of law by cracking down on illegal immigration at the border, in the workplace, and in the criminal justice system — without punishing those living in the United States legally” ( Clinton 1996 ). In fact, the Act has severely punished US citizens and noncitizens of all statuses. It has also eroded the rule of law by eliminating due process from the overwhelming majority of removal cases, curtailing equitable relief from removal, mandating detention (without individualized custody determinations) for broad swaths of those facing deportation, and erecting insurmountable, technical roadblocks to asylum. In addition, it created new immigration-related crimes and established “the concept of ‘criminal alienhood,’” which has “slowly, but purposefully” conflated criminality and lack of immigration status ( Abrego et al. 2017 , 695). It also conditioned family reunification on income, divided mixed-status families, and consigned other families to marginal and insecure lives in the United States ( Lopez 2017 , 246). Finally, it created the 287(g) program that enlists state and local law enforcement agencies in immigration enforcement and drives a wedge between police and immigrant communities.

The trend of “cracking down” on immigrants did not begin with IIRIRA. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, and the 1990 Immigration Act, for example, expanded deportable offenses ( Abrego et al. 2017 , 697; Macías-Rojas 2018 , 3–4). IIRIRA, however, significantly “ratchet[ed] up” the “punitive aspects of US immigration law already in place” ( Abrego et al. 2017 , 702), and erected much of the legal and operational infrastructure that underlies the Trump administration’s plan to remove millions of undocumented residents and their families, to terrify others into leaving “voluntarily,” and to slash legal immigration.

In 2016, the Center for Migration Studies of New York (CMS) issued a call for papers to examine IIRIRA’s multifaceted consequences. 2 Between March 2017 and January 2018, CMS published eight papers from this collection in its Journal on Migration and Human Security ( JMHS). The papers cover the political conditions that gave rise to IIRIRA, and the Act’s impact on immigrants, families, communities, and the US immigration system. This article draws on these papers — as well as sources closer to IIRIRA’s passage and implementation — to describe how the Act transformed US immigration policies and laid the groundwork for the Trump administration’s policies. 3 After a brief discussion of IIRIRA’s origins, the article discusses the law's effects and subsequent policies related to the growth of the US immigration enforcement apparatus, removal, asylum, detention, the criminal prosecution of immigrants, the treatment of immigrant families, and joint federal-state enforcement activities.
CALGB 50604: risk-adapted treatment of nonbulky early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma based on interim PET
Authors: Straus David J. , Jung Sin-Ho , Pitcher Brandelyn , Kostakoglu Lale , Grecula John C. , Hsi Eric D. , Schöder Heiko , Popplewell Leslie L. , Chang Julie E. , Moskowitz Craig H. , Wagner-Johnston Nina , Leonard John P. , Friedberg Jonathan W. , Kahl Brad S. , Cheson Bruce D. , Bartlett Nancy L.
Published: July 2018

Key Points

Interim PET− nonbulky stage I/II patients had 3-year PFS of 91% with 4 ABVD cycles and no RT. Too few patients were interim PET+ to draw firm conclusions about efficacy of escalated BEACOPP plus involved-field RT.
Targeted therapy for fusion-driven high-risk acute leukemia
Authors: Pikman Yana , Stegmaier Kimberly
Published: July 2018

Despite continued progress in drug development for acute leukemias, outcomes for patients with some subtypes have not changed significantly in the last decade. Recurrent chromosomal translocations have long been recognized as driver events in leukemia, and many of these oncogenic fusions portend high-risk disease. Improved understanding of the molecular underpinnings of these fusions, coupled with novel chemistry approaches, now provide new opportunity for therapeutic inroads into the treatment of leukemia driven by these fusions.
MBD4 guards against methylation damage and germ line deficiency predisposes to clonal hematopoiesis and early-onset AML
Authors: Sanders Mathijs A. , Chew Edward , Flensburg Christoffer , Zeilemaker Annelieke , Miller Sarah E. , al Hinai Adil S. , Bajel Ashish , Luiken Bram , Rijken Melissa , Mclennan Tamara , Hoogenboezem Remco M. , Kavelaars François G. , Fröhling Stefan , Blewitt Marnie E. , Bindels Eric M. , Alexander Warren S. , Löwenberg Bob , Roberts Andrew W. , Valk Peter J. M. , Majewski Ian J.
Published: July 2018

Key Points

The DNA glycosylase MBD4 acts as a safeguard against damage from 5mC deamination. Germ line MBD4 deficiency stimulates clonal hematopoiesis and guides the development of leukemia via recurrent mutations in DNMT3A.
Missed opportunity? Worsening breathlessness as a harbinger of death: a cohort study
Authors: Currow David C. , Smith Joanna M. , Chansriwong Phichai , Noble Simon I.R. , Nikolaidou Theodora , Ferreira Diana , Johnson Miriam J. , Ekström Magnus
Published: July 2018

The aim of the study was to explore trajectories of breathlessness intensity by function and life-limiting illness diagnosis in the last 3 weeks of life in palliative care patients.

A prospective, consecutive cohort study obtained point-of-care data of patients of Silver Chain Hospice Care Service (Perth, Australia) over the period 2011–2014 (n=6801; 51 494 data-points). Breathlessness intensity (0–10 numerical rating scale) and physical function (Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Status (AKPS)) were measured at each visit. Time was anchored at death. Breathlessness trajectory was analysed by physical function and diagnosis using mixed effects regression.

Mean±sdage was 71.5±15.1 years and 55.2% were male, most with cancer. The last recorded AKPS was >40 for 26.8%. Breathlessness was worst in people with cardiorespiratory disease and AKPS >40, and breathlessness in the last week of life increased most in this group (adjusted mean 2.92versusall others 1.51; p=0.0001). The only significant interaction was with diagnosis and function in the last week of life (p<0.0001).

Breathlessness is more intense and increases more in people with better function and cardiorespiratory disease immediately before death. Whether there are reversible causes for these people should be explored prospectively. Omitting function from previous population estimates may have overestimated breathlessness intensity for many patients in the days preceding death.
Negative effects in psychotherapy: commentary and recommendations for future research and clinical practice
Authors: Rozental Alexander , Castonguay Louis , Dimidjian Sona , Lambert Michael , Shafran Roz , Andersson Gerhard , Carlbring Per
Published: July 2018

Background

Psychotherapy can alleviate mental distress and improve quality of life, but little is known about its potential negative effects and how to determine their frequency.

Aims

To present a commentary on the current understanding and future research directions of negative effects in psychotherapy.

Method

An anonymous survey was distributed to a select group of researchers, using an analytical framework known as strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Results

The researchers perceive an increased awareness of negative effects in psychotherapy in recent years, but also discuss some of the unresolved issues in relation to their definition, assessment and reporting. Qualitative methods and naturalistic designs are regarded as important to pursue, although a number of obstacles to using such methods are identified.

Conclusion

Negative effects of psychotherapy are multifaceted, warranting careful considerations in order for them to be monitored and reported in research settings and routine care.

Declaration of interest

None.
An online survey of young adolescent girls' use of the internet and smartphone apps for mental health support
Authors: Grist Rebecca , Cliffe Bethany , Denne Megan , Croker Abigail , Stallard Paul
Published: July 2018

Background

Adolescents are digital natives, with the majority now owning their own smartphones and having internet access. Although the internet and smartphone applications (apps) can provide mental health support, little is known about how young adolescents use digital technology for mental health purposes. There are many digital health resources available for young people, but the assumption that they will be open to use them has been largely untested.

Aims

We aimed to explore how adolescents with and without raised symptoms of anxiety, depression and problematic eating use the internet on smartphones/tablets and mental health apps.

Method

The Bristol Online Survey tool was used to deliver an online survey to 775 girls aged 11–16 years, attending a state-funded secondary school in the south-west of England. The survey was completed in class during the winter term of 2017.

Results

A total of 98.7 and 97.4% used the internet and apps, respectively, although only 6% had used any mental health apps. Of those with raised mental health symptoms, 15–17% used or were using a mental health app, with 48.5% reporting that they would not use a mental health app.

Conclusions

Young female adolescents are avid users of the internet and apps but are not using digital technology for mental health purposes. Addressing concerns about digital technology are necessary to maximise the effect it can have on child and adolescent mental health.

Declaration of interest

None.
Does Managed Care Widen Infant Health Disparities? Evidence from Texas Medicaid
Authors: Kuziemko Ilyana , Meckel Katherine , Rossin-Slater Maya
Published: July 2018

Medicaid programs increasingly finance competing, capitated managed care plans rather than administering fee-for-service (FFS) programs. We study how the transition from FFS to managed care affects high- and low-cost infants (blacks and Hispanics, respectively). We find that black-Hispanic disparities widen—e.g., black mortality and preterm birth rates increase by 15 percent and 7 percent, respectively, while Hispanic mortality and preterm birth rates decrease by 22 percent and 7 percent, respectively. Our results are consistent with a risk-selection model whereby capitation incentivizes competing plans to offer better (worse) care to low- (high-) cost clients to retain (avoid) them in the future. (JEL H75, I12, I18, I38, J13, J15)
The Impact of Financial Education on Adolescents’ Intertemporal Choices
Authors: Lührmann Melanie , Serra-Garcia Marta , Winter Joachim
Published: July 2018

We study the impact of financial education on intertemporal choice in adolescence. The educational program was randomly assigned among high school students, and choices were measured using an incentivized experiment. Students who participated in the program make more time-consistent choices; are more likely to allocate payments to a single payment date, as opposed to spreading payment across two dates; and display increased consistency of choice with the law of demand. These findings suggest that financial education increases the quality of intertemporal decision-making and decreases narrow bracketing. (JEL C93, D14, D15, I21, J13)
Projections and Uncertainties about Climate Change in an Era of Minimal Climate Policies
Authors: Nordhaus William
Published: July 2018

Climate change remains one of the major international environmental challenges facing nations. Up to now, nations have adopted minimal policies to slow climate change. Moreover, there has been no major improvement in emissions trends as of the latest data. The current study uses the updated DICE model to develop new projections of trends and impacts of alternative climate policies. It also presents a new set of estimates of the uncertainties about future climate change and compares the results with those of other integrated assessment models. The study confirms past estimates of likely rapid climate change over the next century if major climate-change policies are not taken. It suggests that it is unlikely that nations can achieve the 2°C target of international agreements, even if ambitious policies are introduced in the near term. The required carbon price needed to achieve current targets has risen over time as policies have been delayed. (JEL Q54, Q58)
CT angiography for depiction of complications after the Bentall procedure
Authors: Boccalini Sara , Swart Laurens E , Bekkers Jos A , Nieman Koen , Krestin Gabriel P , Bogers Ad JJC , Budde Ricardo PJ
Published: July 2018

Following a Bentall procedure, which comprises a composite replacement of both the aortic valve and the ascending aorta, the imaging modality of choice to depict known or suspected complications is CT angiography. An update and extension of the literature regarding complications after the Bentall procedure is provided. The wider availability of ECG-gating has allowed for a clearer depiction of the aortic valve and ascending aorta. This resulted not only in the identification of previously undetectable complications, but also in a more precise assessment of the pathophysiology and morphology of known ones, reducing the need for additional imaging modalities. Moreover, the possibility to combine positron emission tomography images with CT angiography offers new insights in case of suspected infection. Due to the complexity of the operation itself and concomitant or subsequent additional procedures, as well as the wide spectrum of underlying pathology, new scenarios with multiple complications can be expected.
PausePred and Rfeet: webtools for inferring ribosome pauses and visualizing footprint density from ribosome profiling data
Authors: Kumari Romika , Michel Audrey M. , Baranov Pavel V.
Published: July 2018

The process of translation is characterized by irregularities in the local decoding rates of specific mRNA codons. This includes the occurrences of long pauses that can take place when ribosomes decode certain peptide sequences, encounter strong RNA secondary structures, or decode “hungry” codons. Examples are known where such pausing or stalling is used for regulating protein synthesis. This can be achieved at the level of translation via direct alteration of ribosome progression through mRNA or by altering mRNA stability via NoGo decay. Ribosome pausing has also been implicated in the cotranslational folding of proteins. Ribosome profiling data often are used for inferring the locations of ribosome pauses. However, no dedicated online software is available for this purpose. Here we present PausePred (https://pausepred.ucc.ie/), which can be used to infer ribosome pauses from ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) data. Peaks of ribosome footprint density are scored based on their magnitude relative to the background density within the surrounding area. The scoring allows the comparison of peaks across the transcriptome or genome. In addition to the score, PausePred reports the coordinates of the pause, the footprint density at the pause site, and the surrounding nucleotide sequence. The pauses can be visualized in the context of Ribo-seq and RNA-seq density plots generated for specific transcripts or genomic regions with the Rfeet tool. PausePred does not require input on the location of protein coding ORFs (although gene annotations can be optionally supplied). As a result, it can be used universally and its output does not depend on ever evolving annotations.
QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS OF DEFORMATION ALONG THE FAULT DAMAGE ZONE OF THE KLIMATIA THRUST (NW GREECE, IONIAN ZONE)
Authors: Kostakioti A. , Xypolias P. , Kokkalas S. , Doutsos T.
Published: July 2018

In this study, we present structural, fracture orientation and fracture density (FD) data in order toquantify the deformation pattern of a damage zone that form around the slip plane of a large scalethrust fault which is located on the Ionian zone (External Hellenides) in northwestern Greece. Structuralanalysis showed at least two major deformation stages as indicated by the presence of refolding,backthrusting and break-back faulting. The fracture orientation analysis revealed three mainfracture systems, a dominant conjugate fracture system which is perpendicular to the transport direction(NW-to NNW trending sets), a conjugate fracture system trending parallel to the transport direction(ENE-trending conjugate sets) and a third diagonal conjugate fracture system (WNW andNNE trending sets). Resulting fracture density-distance diagrams display a decrease of total fracturedensity away from the studied fault, which is largely heterogeneous and irregular on both footwalland hanging wall. The conjugate fracture system trending perpendicular to the transport directionhas the dominant contribution to the accumulation of total fracture density. Based on theseresults we suggest that the observed heterogeneous and irregular distribution of fracture densityfashioned during the second deformation stage and is attributed to the formation of backthrusts andbreak-back thrust faults.
A reconnaissance marine geophysical survey in Alexandria, Egypt, for the detection of ancient shipwrecks and other traces of human activity
Authors: ΠΑΠΑΘΕΟΔΩΡΟΥ Γ. , ΣΤΕΦΑΤΟΣ Α. , ΓΕΡΑΓΑ Μ. , ΧΑΛΑΡΗ Α. , ΧΡΙΣΤΟΔΟΥΛΟΥ Δ. , ΦΕΡΕΝΤΙΝΟΣ Γ. , ΠΑΛΑΙΟΚΡΑΣΑΣ Α. , ΤΖΑΛΑΣ Χ. , FAHMY Μ. Ε. , OMER S. A.
Published: July 2018

A detailed marine geophysical survey was planned and carried out in the coastal zone of Alexandria (Egypt), by the Laboratory of Marine Geology and Physical Oceanography of the University of Patras in co-operation with the Hellenic Institute of Ancient and Medieval Alexandrian Studies. The survey aimed to the detailed mapping of the geomorphological and textural features of the seafloor and the detection and recognition of targets, which may to represent wrecks or man-made structures. The following equipment were used: (i) an EG&G260 corrected image side scan sonar, (ii) a Remote Operated Vehicle (R.O.V) Benthos MKII and (iii) a Trimble 4000 Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS). The study of the sonar data has shown that the seafloor is covered by rocky outcrops and loose sediments. The rocky outcrops are layered and cover about 75% of the surveyed zone. The rest of the seafloor is covered by sandy sediments. The sonar survey identified a large number of potentially interesting targets (e.g. shipwrecks) on the sandy seafloor. These targets are located in four isolated areas. The detection and the recognition of the targets is complicated by the presence of cohesionless organic mud of anthropogenic origin The sonar survey has shown the presence of elongated features, which are perpendicular to the Alexandria's shoreline and parallel to the Cape Lochias. These elongated features are detected on sandy seafloor in water depth of about 5 to 8 m, have a maximum depth of about 135 m and a width ranging from 5 to 20 m. At least at one site, two of these features cross each other at a water depth of about 6 m. The visual inspection of the elongated features reveals that consist of well-shaped limestone blocks. The areal extension, the size and the geometrical shape of the elongated features, support the suggestion that some of them may be related to manmade structures.
Geophysical prospecting for buried antiquities by means of the G.P.R. method in a parking construction area in Lamia
Authors: ΤΣΟΚΑΣ Γ. Ν. , ΒΑΡΓΕΜΕΖΗΣ Γ. , ΣΟΥΛΙΟΣ Γ. , ΜΕΡΤΖΑΝΙΔΗΣ1 Ι. , ΤΣΟΥΡΛΟΣ Π.
Published: July 2018

Geophysical exploration by means of the Ground probing Radar (G.P.R.) method was carried out in an area where a parking will be erected in the center of the city of Lamia. The exploration aimed to detect and map concealed ancient foundation remains and thus aid the following excavation. The presence of ancient remains was indicated by the revealed ones in the neighboring grounds and there obvious continuation towards the target area. Prospecting was conducted along profiles spaced normally at 1 m separation from the other. Traces were taken stepwise at 0.1 or 0.2 m intervals using antennae of 225 MHz central frequency. Nine profiles of about 40 m long were measured in this fashion. All traces were subjected to dewow filtering, i.e. removal of the slow changing near field inductive component. Also, they were subjected to low pass filtering with the cut off threshold set at 600 Mhz. The particular processing sequence was fixed after several tests run on the traces using various filtering processes. The resulting sections show intense diffraction hyperbolas indicative of the presence of near surface heterogeneities. The so detected subsurface structures were correlated with the visible ruins in the near by grounds. It seems that they have the same direction and thus they all belong to the same urban complex. The positions along the profiles where the hyperbolae occur were marked on a sketch of the area. Thus, the exact map of the concealed foundations was obtained. Slicing, was also attempted, by integrating the amplitudes for several time intervals along the profiles. The obtained pictures confirmed the initial result of the sketch. This case study shows the potential and the benefits of the whole operation. The concealed antiquities were mapped with a non destructive, inexpensive, swift and safe manner. The excavations which followed the geophysical search, confirm the findings. For the shake of interest, the investment proceeded by modifying the initial plans such that big pillars were planted and the antiquities remain intact below a multistore building.
Geophysical prospection for mapping of the qanat systems: apllication to the qanat system of Agia Paraskevi - Choartiati of Thessaloniki (Ν. Greece)
Authors: TSOURLOS P. , VARGEMEZIS G. , TSOKAS G. , ALEXANDROU K. , TZELI P.
Published: July 2018

In this paper the application of the 2-D electrical and ground penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical techniques for locating subsurface water collective systems (qanats) is demonstrated. Qanats can be found in many Greek regions and despite the fact that most of them are inactive, in some areas qanats are still being used as water providing systems. For both environmental and historical reasons there is a need that existing qanats are protected, fully mapped and studied in view of their geological and hydrogeological environment. Geophysics can play a significant role in this procedure. Synthetic modeling and inversion examples presented in this work support the above claim. Further, in this paper the electrical and GPR techniques are used to map a well-known and already studied Qanat system at the area of Agia Paraskevi at the outskirts of the Chortiatis village 20 kilometers away from the city of Thessaloniki. The interpreted features delineated by the geophysical techniques are in very good agreement with the known qanat structure. Overall, it is shown that geophysical techniques can be used to aid qanat mapping as well as to provide useful information about their general setting.
Quantitative evaluation of the seismicity in seismogenic sources of the Circum Pacific Rim
Authors: KORAVOS G. CH. , TSAPANOS T. M. , HATZIDIMITRIOU P. M. , PAPAIOANNOU C. A.
Published: July 2018

A quantitative measurement of the seismicity is undertaken along the seismogenic sources of the south and central America, as well as of Japan, Taiwan and Philippine islands. The mean return period, Τ , is considered as measure of seismicity. For this purpose the whole process (method of mean value) and the part process (first asymptotic distribution of Gumbel's extreme values) techniques are adopted. The seismicity is evaluated for both shallow and intermediate focal depth shocks which occurred in the examined sources. The a and b values of the magnitude-frequency relationship are estimated for each source. The obtained results show that large welldefine zones of the mean return periods are dominated in the central and south America, while this is not so strong in the areas of Japan, Taiwan and Philippine islands, which probably due to the different tectonic setting of the areas (Tsapanos, 1990).
A revised catalogue of earthquaqes in the broader area of Greece for the period 1950-2000
Authors: PAPANASTASSIOU D. , LATOUSSAKIS J. , STAVRAKAKIS G.
Published: July 2018

An earthquake catalogue for Greece and the surrounding areas for the time period 1950 - 2000, is presented. This catalogue contains more than 59,000 earthquakes recorded and located by the seismological network of the Institute of Geodynamics, National Observatory of Athens. The accuracy of the determinations of the source parameters as well as the completeness of the catalogue have been improved significantly, but they vary according to the period of observation as both depend on the number and quality of the seismological stations consisting the network. This revised catalogue is listed on the Worldwide Web Page http//www.gein.noa.gr, of the Institute of Geodynamics
Recent micro-earthquake activity at Northern Evoikos gulf, Central Greece
Authors: PAPANASTASSIOU D. , STAVRAKAKIS G. , MAKARIS D.
Published: July 2018

During the last 4 months of 1999, the Institute of Geodynamics, of the National Observatory of Athens, deployed in the area of north Evoikos gulf, a local seismic network of 5 digital stations equipped with sensitive 3-components seismometers. The recorded micro-earthquakes, located in the upper part of the crust, show that there is significant seismic activity in the area of northern Evoikos gulf. This activity could be correlated not only with the main faults of the area, which are the Atalanti fault and the fault running parallel to the coasts of Evia island but also with other faults which are assumed to be, till now, less active or not so important.
Seismotectonic characteristics of the area of Western Attica derived from the study of the September 7, 1999 Athens earthquake aftershock sequence
Authors: VOULGARIS N. , PIRLI M. , PAPADIMITRIOU P. , KASSARAS J. , MAKROPOULOS K.
Published: July 2018

A detailed analysis of the aftershock sequence of the September 7, 1999 Athens earthquake was performed in order to define the fault planes activated during this sequence and study the tectonic regime of the area. Calculated fault plane solutions were verified by the composite solutions and the application of the principal parameters method. The combined results indicate a uniform tectonic status in the western part of the aftershock area, with normal faulting of WNW-ESE trend and an average dip of 60Ί and a more complex one in the eastern part, where the azimuths of the activated fault planes vary and a transverse antithetic fault is also active. This variation could possibly imply a variation of the local stress field.
A systematic performance evaluation of clustering methods for single-cell RNA-seq data
Authors: Duò Angelo , Robinson Mark D. , Soneson Charlotte
Published: July 2018

Subpopulation identification, usually via some form of unsupervised clustering, is a fundamental step in the analysis of many single-cell RNA-seq data sets. This has motivated the development and application of a broad range of clustering methods, based on various underlying algorithms. Here, we provide a systematic and extensible performance evaluation of 12 clustering algorithms, including both methods developed explicitly for scRNA-seq data and more general-purpose methods. The methods were evaluated using 9 publicly available scRNA-seq data sets as well as three simulations with varying degree of cluster separability. The same feature selection approaches were used for all methods, allowing us to focus on the investigation of the performance of the clustering algorithms themselves. We evaluated the ability of recovering known subpopulations, the stability and the run time of the methods. Additionally, we investigated whether the performance could be improved by generating consensus partitions from multiple individual clustering methods. We found substantial differences in the performance, run time and stability between the methods, with SC3 and Seurat showing the most favorable results. Additionally, we found that consensus clustering typically did not improve the performance compared to the best of the combined methods, but that several of the top-performing methods already perform some type of consensus clustering. The R scripts providing an extensible framework for the evaluation of new methods and data sets are available on GitHub (https://github.com/markrobinsonuzh/scRNAseq_clustering_comparison).
Protocol and rationale for the first South Asian 5-year prospective longitudinal observational cohort study and biomarker evaluation investigating the clinical course and risk profile of IgA nephropathy: GRACE IgANI cohort
Authors: Alexander Suceena , John George T. , Korula Anila , Vijayakumar T. S. , David Vinoi George , Mohapatra Anjali , Valson Anna T. , Jacob Shibu , Koshy Pradeep Mathew , Rajan Gautam , John Elenjickal Elias , Matthai Smita Mary , Jeyaseelan L. , Ponnusamy Babu , Cook Terence , Pusey Charles , Daha Mohamed R. , Feehally John , Barratt Jonathan , Varughese Santosh
Published: July 2018

Background:IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common primary glomerulonephritis and an important cause of end-stage kidney disease. Unlike the slowly progressive course seen among Caucasian and East Asian subjects (actuarial survival 80-85% over 10 years), in India about 30-40% of patients have nephrotic syndrome and renal dysfunction at presentation and a 10-year renal survival of 35%, as reported from a retrospective registry. These observations cannot be entirely attributed to a lack of uniform screening protocols or late referral and attest to the probability that IgAN may not be the same disease in different parts of the world.

Methods:We will prospectively recruit 200 patients with IgAN (the GRACE IgANI—GlomerularResearchAndClinicalExperiments-IgANephropathy inIndians—cohort) and stratify them into low and high risk of progression based on published absolute renal risk scores. We will test the validity of this risk score in an unselected Indian IgAN population over a 5-year follow-up period. In parallel, we will undertake extensive exploratory serum, urine, renal and microbiome biomarker studies, firstly, to determine if the underlying pathogenic pathways are the same in Indian IgAN compared to those reported in Caucasian and East Asian IgAN. Secondly, we will systematically assess the value of measuring selected biomarkers and adding this data to traditional measures of risk in IgAN to predict kidney failure. We ultimately hope to generate a composite IgAN risk score specific for the Indian population.

Ethics and data dissemination:Approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (Silver, Research and Ethics Committee) of the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India (Ref. No. IRB Min. No. 8962 [Other] dated 23.07.2014 and IRB Min. No. 9481 [Other] dated 24.06.2015). It is anticipated that results of this study will be presented at national and international meetings, with reports being published from late 2018.
Communist Party of Turkey and Soviet Foreign Policy
Authors: Bulent Gokay
Published: July 2018

The 1920s were the heyday of anti-imperialist struggle for the Bolsheviks. The relationship between anti-imperialist nationalist movements and communism was articulated and generally supported by Moscow. In 1919, the Communist International (Komintern) was established in Moscow to coordinate the activities of the foreign communist parties around the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. For better or worse, the communist parties thus emerged in foreign lands as the ideological allies and foreign policy instruments of the Soviet Union. Komintern, the Third International, in a radical departure from the precedents set by both the First and Second Internationals, was no longer to be a series of national parties, but more like a single communist party with branches in different countries. Between congresses, the highest authority was to be the Executive Committee, which would have powers parallel to and superseding the powers of the Central Committees of the individual parties. It was to be a directive center of the world revolution. Turkish nationalists and Russian Bolsheviks found themselves threatened by the Western imperial powers. Common struggle against the Western imperial powers threatening both sides led to a mutually advantageous collusion between Moscow and Ankara. In the encouraging atmosphere of friendship between the Bolsheviks and Turkish national movement, left-wing activities gained momentum with the emergence of a number of left-socialist organizations in Turkey. The most important socialist movement was the Communist Party of Turkey.
PENGARUH SUMBER PUPUK ORGANIK TERHADAP PENAMPILAN TEBU (Saccharum officinarum L.) PADA TATA TANAM BARIS GANDA BENIH GANDA
Authors: Busro Djumali , Mulyaningsih Sri , Basuki Teger
Published: July 2018

Increased productivity of sugarcane in upland area can be done through the implementation of the integration of manure with a high dose of inorganic fertilizer in the double rows and twice plant populations of single row (“double rows double seeds”) planting arrangement. Limited availability of manure and inorganic fertilizer entails the replacement of manure with green manure fertilizer. The research was aimed to obtain a green manure as replacement manure that can be intercropped in the double rows double seeds planting arrangement. The experiment was done in the Asembagus Experimental Station, Situbondo, East Java on January to December 2014 for plant cane (PC) and from January to December 2015 for ratoon cane (RC). Treatments were arranged in a Randomized Block Design time for replication. The treatment includes (1) the four rows of Crotalaria juncea, (2) two rows of Crotalaria juncea, (3) four rows of peanuts in width between rows of sugar cane, (4) manure, and (5) no organic fertilizer. The results showed that the integration of organic fertilizer with a low dose of inorganic fertilizers increases productivity and sugar yield 5.20 to 41.78% and 33.33 to 69.90%, respectively in PC and 7.33 to 32.67% and 5.74 to 29.61%, respectively in RC from no organic fertilizer. Four rows of Crotalaria juncea could replace the role of manure in improving the productivity and sugar yield for PC and two rows of Crotalaria juncea for RC.
Psychometric analysis of Epworth Sleepiness Scale and its correlation with Pittsburgh sleep quality index in poor sleepers among Indian university students
Authors: Veqar Zubia , Hussain M. Ejaz
Published: July 2018

Background

The Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) is an 8-item scale to detect excessive daytime sleepiness. Although its psychometric properties are well established on a number of populations the same has not been done for an Indian population, hence this study was designed to cover this knowledge gap.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to establish the test-retest reliability, validity and internal consistency of the ESS and its correlation with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in poor sleepers in India.

Materials and methods

Twenty-five poor sleepers were randomly chosen from a university population. All the subjects were administered the two scales on the test day and the same was repeated after 1 week, which was the retest.

Statistical analysis

Intraclass coefficient (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM) were calculated for the reliability which was further supported by the Bland-Altman graph and a scatterplot. Cronbach’s alpha and Pearson’s coefficient were calculated for internal consistency and correlation, respectively.

Results

Twenty-five poor sleepers with mean age 25.24 ± 7.04 years were recruited. The test-retest reliability for ESS displayed good reliability (ICC2,1: 0.86) which was supported by the Bland-Altman graph and the scatterplot. Cronbach’s alpha was reported as 0.86 and Pearson’s coefficient was r: 0.62, p-value: 0.001.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the ESS has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability for a university population of poor sleepers in India.
Removal of hazardous trace elements from green liquor dregs by mechanical separation methods
Authors: Kinnarinen Teemu , Golmaei Mohammad , Jernström Eeva , Häkkinen Antti
Published: July 2018

Green liquor dregs represent the most important inorganic residue of chemical pulp mills. The dregs are usually settled in thickeners, washed and deliquored with lime mud precoat filters, and transported to the landfill. The utilization of dregs is challenging, due to the high concentration of hazardous trace elements (HTE) in their solid phase. There are basically two potential strategies for the reduction of the HTE content of dregs: mechanical classification according to differences in the size and density of particles, and removal of HTE by various chemical treatments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of straightforward mechanical separation methods for the purification of dregs from HTE. The evaluated separation methods included particle size–based classification by sieving, and classification on the basis of differences in the settling properties of particles in gravitational and centrifugal separation. It can be concluded that all the evaluated separation methods could be used to reduce the HTE content of dregs, although the separation efficiency was not very high in most cases. Centrifugation had clearly the best performance of the investigated techniques. The fractions consisting of large particles contained consistently lower concentrations of HTE, compared to fractions containing a lot of fines.
The Effect of Sociodemographic Factors on the Patient Satisfaction with Health Care System
Authors: Djordjevic Ivana Mitrovic , Vasiljevic Dragan
Published: July 2018

The goal of this paper is to determine the level of patient satisfaction with health care among adults in the Republic of Serbia and to analyze the correlation between the satisfaction and socio-demographic characteristics of the interviewees. The paper is based on the data provided by the National health survey of the Republic of Serbia. For the purposes of this paper, we used data on age and household of the people aged 19 and more. By eliminating the interviewees who were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the health care services, we obtained the sample containing 18.206 interviewees. Demographic characteristics and well-being index represented independent variables in the research. Dependent variable of the patient satisfaction was transformed into a binary variable by categorizing satisfied and very satisfied interviewees into one group and by placing dissatisfied and very dissatisfied interviewees into group of dissatisfied patients. The connection between satisfaction and predictors was examined using Chi-Square test and logistic regression. The percentage of the satisfied patients with health care was 72.9%. The satisfaction level was directly connected to age, gender, marital status, employment, region the interviewee comes from and well-being index. Patients who were more satisfied included older people, women, as well as married people, the unemployed and those living in the cities. The analysis of the financial situation shows that the poorest interviewees were the most satisfied with health care.
Appropriate Method of Determination of Coefficient of Consolidation for Municipal Solid Waste
Authors: Naveen B. P. , Sivapullaiah P. V. , Sitharam T. G.
Published: July 2018

To predict the rate of settlement of municipal solid waste specimens (MSW), it is essential to estimate the value of the coefficient of consolidation (Cv) using laboratory consolidation test results. Literature suggests that the various empirical curve-fitting methods used for assessing Cv are Casagrande’s logarithm of time fitting method and Taylor’s square root of time fitting method for the same test data. Both methods are derived from the time factor and degree of consolidation (T–U) relationship and corresponding laboratory time–compression (T–δ) relationship. For different types of wastes and loading conditions, the shapes of curves vary considerably, and the validity of these approaches is not established. In all these cases, the estimation of the Cv poses a serious problem. To overcome the above difficulties, the rectangular hyperbola method is used, in this article, to determine the Cv by U–T or t versus δ relationship. Earlier, this method was used for different coefficient of consolidation values of time for completion of different percentages of consolidation. It is found that the calculated values of Cv are found to be more reliable when the time for 60 % of consolidation is taken. The estimated Cv values from the rectangular hyperbola method lie between the existing standard methods of Casagrande’s and Taylor’s. The rectangular hyperbola method is simple and can be used for all shapes of time–compression curves, and the specific advantage of this method is that the initial compression need not be known and is devised to separate the initial, primary, and secondary compression for any load increment.
An Underwater Plate Load Testing for the Sand Compaction Pile Ground at Island-Tunnel Conversion Area
Authors: Wang Yan-ning , Zhang Qiang , Jiang Bin-song
Published: July 2018

The sand compaction pile (SCP) method is a widely used ground improvement technique, especially in offshore engineering. The thick, soft marine clay in Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge was reinforced using this method at its island-tunnel conversion area. A large-scale plate loading test was conducted to evaluate the bearing capacity and deformability of the SCP composite ground. An improved settlement result was obtained by utilizing a high-sensitivity liquid level sensor system underwater. The research results showed that the stress concentration ratio of the SCP composite ground was closely related to the load level, which decreased when the load level increased. When the stress stayed constant, the ratio was found to reduce gradually to a certain value. Three computing theories were discussed in the bearing capacity calculation of the SCP composite ground. The results calculated by the Hughes and Withers method were more consistent with the field experimental results. For the settlement calculation, it was found that the results were closer to the experiment results calculated by Aboshi’s first empirical formula. The experiment results differed greatly when calculated by Aboshi’s second empirical formula and the modified method proposed by Ahn and Kim. The study may provide some useful data for marine SCP composite ground designs and underwater field testing techniques.
Examining Stress Relaxation in a Dissimilar Metal Weld Subjected to Postweld Heat Treatment
Authors: Abburi Venkata K. , Khayatzadeh S. , Achouri A. , de Oliveira J. Araujo , Forsey A. N. , Gungor S. , Bouchard P. J. , Truman C. E.
Published: July 2018

Dissimilar metal welds are often required in nuclear power plants to join components made from austenitic steels to those from ferritic steels, particularly in fast breeder reactor plants, in order to join the intermediate heat exchanger to the steam generator. The process of welding alters the microstructure of the base materials and causes residual stresses to form, both because of the change in the microstructure and the differing thermal histories in various regions. Postweld heat treatment (PWHT) is required to relieve the residual stresses and achieve preferable microstructural gradients across the weld joint. Therefore, in order to arrive at the optimal PWHT process, it is necessary to investigate the effects of heat treatment on the joint integrity, microstructure, and residual stress relaxation in the welds. To investigate the effect of PWHT on the residual stress relaxation and corresponding alteration of microstructure across a welded joint, a dissimilar weld between modified 9Cr-1Mo steel and austenitic stainless steel AISI 316LN was made using autogenous electron beam welding. To achieve this, the welding process was first modeled numerically using finite element analysis, and the residual stress predictions were validated by experimental investigation using neutron diffraction. The validated model was then used to study the residual stress relaxation through the simulation of PWHT. The predicted stress relaxation was compared with contour method measurement of residual stresses in the actual welded plate subjected to PWHT. The results indicate that, although some relaxation of residual stresses occurred during PWHT, there is still a significant portion of highly localized residual stresses left in the specimen.
EVOLUÇÃO E DIFERENCIAÇÃO DOS SISTEMAS AGRÁRIOS NA SERRA DOS TAPES, RIO GRANDE DO SUL / EVOLUTION AND DIFFERENTIATION OF AGRARIAN SYSTEMS IN SERRA DOS TAPES, RIO GRANDE DO SUL
Authors: Gois Gabriela Rodrigues
Published: July 2018

Este artigo tem como objetivo reconstituir a evolução e diferenciação dos sistemas agrários identificados na Serra dos Tapes, Rio Grande do Sul. Para tanto, apoia-se no referencial teórico e metodológico de sistemas agrários, o qual proporcionou as ferramentas adequadas para compreender as transformações históricas e geográficas nas formas de ocupação e exploração agrícola no recorte espacial estudado, desde os seus primeiros habitantes até o contexto atual. Os procedimentos metodológicos da presente pesquisa consistiram em trabalhos de campo realizados na Serra dos Tapes, entrevistas com os moradores antigos e revisões bibliográficas sobre a referida região. Foram identificados, em totalidade, cincos sistemas agrários: Sistema Agrário Indígena (até 1780); Sistema Agrário Quilombola (1780 – 1858); Sistema Agrário Colonial (1858 – 1900); Sistema Agrário Contemporâneo I (1900 – 1960) e Sistema Agrário Contemporâneo II (1960 – até os dias atuais). Entre os eventos que marcaram a transição entre um sistema agrário e outro, destacam-se a ingerência portuguesa sobre a região sul do estado, durante os séculos XVIII e XIX, os processos de urbanização e industrialização dos municípios de Pelotas e Rio Grande, assim como processo de modernização da agricultura, marcada pela Revolução Verde.ABSTRACT:This paper aims to reconstitute the evolution and differentiation of the agrarian systems identified in Serra dos Tapes, Rio Grande do Sul. Therefore, laid on the theoretical and methodological reference of agrarian systems, which provided the adequate tools to grasping the historical and the geographical transformations in the forms of occupation and agricultural exploitation in the studied area, since its first inhabitants until the current time. The present research methodological procedures consist of field works executed in Serra dos Tapes, interviews with ancient residents and bibliographical review about mentioned region. Were identified five agrarian systems: Indigenous Agrarian System (until 1780); Quilombola Agrarian System (1780-1858); Colonial Agrarian System (1858 - 1900); Contemporary Agrarian System I (1900 - 1960) and Contemporary Agrarian System II (1960 - until nowadays). Among the events that defined the transition between one agrarian system and another, highlights the portuguese interference on state's south region, during XVIII and XIX centuries, Pelotas and Rio Grande's urbanization and industrialization processes, as well as agriculture modernization process, highlited by Green Revolution.Keywords: Serra dos Tapes; Agrarian Systems Theory; Evolution and Differentiation of Agrarian Systems.