bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mare Nostrum: Italy and the Mediterranean of Ancient Rome in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries
Authors: Agbamu Samuel
Published: December 2019

The Mediterranean has occupied a prominent role in the political imaginary of Italian Fascisms, past and present. In the 1920s to the early 1940s, Fascist Italy’s imperial project used the concept of mare nostrum – our sea – taken from the vocabulary of Roman antiquity, to anchor modern Italian imperialism within the authority of the classical past. In the postwar years, following decolonization in Africa, mare nostrum receded from popular discourse, previous claims to the Mediterranean suppressed. However, in the context of the so-called refugee crisis, Italy resurrected mare nostrum, in the naming of its military-humanitarian operation, a move rejected by the contemporary Italian far right. This article argues that configurations of the Mediterranean of ancient Rome have served to yoke Africa to Italy when articulated into a Fascist, imperial ideology, as well as to reify the boundaries between Europe and the non-European other, in the xenophobic discourse of the contemporary Italian far right.
Dreaming of a National Socialist World: The World Union of National Socialists (wuns) and the Recurring Vision of Transnational Neo-Nazism
Authors: Jackson Paul
Published: December 2019

This article will survey the transnational dynamics of the World Union of National Socialists (wuns), from its foundation in 1962 to the present day. It will examine a wide range of materials generated by the organisation, including its foundational document, the Cotswolds Declaration, as well as membership application details, wuns bulletins, related magazines such as Stormtrooper, and its intellectual journals, National Socialist World and The National Socialist. By analysing material from affiliated organisations, it will also consider how the network was able to foster contrasting relationships with sympathetic groups in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, allowing other leading neo-Nazis, such as Colin Jordan, to develop a wider role internationally. The author argues that the neo-Nazi network reached its height in the mid to late 1960s, and also highlights how, in more recent times, the wuns has taken on a new role as an evocative ‘story’ in neo-Nazi history. This process of ‘accumulative extremism’, inventing a new tradition within the neo-Nazi movement, is important to recognise, as it helps us understand the self-mythologizing nature of neo-Nazi and wider neo-fascist cultures. Therefore, despite failing in its ambitions of creating a Nazi-inspired new global order, the lasting significance of the wuns has been its ability to inspire newer transnational aspirations among neo-Nazis and neo-fascists.
‘Stones do not Speak for Themselves’: Disentangling Berlin’s Palimpsest
Authors: Copley Clare
Published: December 2019

At the time of German unification, politicians, historians and academics expressed concerns that the material legacies of National Socialism had become too integrated into Berlin’s urban fabric. Unification disrupted the status quo of several such buildings and campaigners sought to use this as an opportunity to facilitate increased engagement with their National Socialist layers. Through exploring the contests that surrounded three high-profile examples, the Aviation Ministry, Olympic Stadium and Tempelhof Airport, this article will reveal the contingent nature of post-unification responses to Berlin’s National Socialist layer. Firstly, it will analyse the debates that surrounded the buildings and demonstrate that the problematisation of heritage is a process, one shaped and mediated by myriad factors not necessarily relating to the trace itself. Secondly, it will show that the attempts to bring about increased engagement with each of the sites’ histories have been informed by a common rationale, namely, the development of a ‘palimpsestic’ approach to each building’s layers.
Formations of Secularity in Ancient Japan?
Authors: Kleine Christoph
Published: December 2019

Starting from the premise that the diversity of forms for distinguishing between ‘the religious’ and ‘the secular’ (i.e., multiple secularities) in global modernity is the result of different cultural preconditions in the appropriation of Western normative concepts of secularism, I would like to offer a modest contribution to the understanding of the corresponding cultural preconditions in Japan. I will try to show that the specific—and at first glance, relatively unproblematic—appropriation of secularity as a regulatory principle in modern Japan is to some extent path dependent on relatively stable and durable epistemic and social structures that have emerged in the course of ‘critical junctures’ in history. In this context, I would like to put up for discussion my hypothesis that some decisions taken in the period between the sixth and eighth centuries CE regarding the organisation of the relationship between ‘the religious’ and ‘the secular’ generated path dependencies that were effective well into the nineteenth century.
A new species of Micrepimera Matile (Diptera: Keroplatidae) from Baltic Amber

Authors: BLAGODEROV VLADIMIR , KRZEMIŃSKI WIESŁAW , SKIBIŃSKA KORNELIA
Published: December 2019

A new species of Micrepimera Matile, 1990 (Diptera: Keroplatidae) from Baltic amber is described. Known species of Macrocera from Baltic amber are reviewed. Macrocera elegantissima Meunier, 1904 is transferred to Micrepimera; a lectotype is designated for this species.
Two new genera of insectivorous biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber
Authors: SZADZIEWSKI RYSZARD , SONTAG ELŻBIETA , KRZEMIŃSKI WIESŁAW , SZWEDO JACEK
Published: December 2019

Two new fossil genera and two new species of biting midges from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber are described and illustrated: Burmahelea neli Szadziewski & Sontag gen. et sp. nov. (Atriculicoidini) and Nelohelea neli Szadziewski & Sontag gen. et sp. nov. (Ceratopogonini). This is the oldest record (99 Ma) of a predatory biting midge in the extant tribe Ceratopogonini and the subfamily Ceratopogoninae.
A new genus and two new species of sea stars (Family Asterinidae) from Indonesian marine lakes, with notes on habitat and feeding ecology
Authors: SETIADI ANARGHA
Published: December 2019

A new genus of asterinid asteroid, Limnasterias gen. nov. and two new species, Limnasterias oinops sp. nov. and L. estradivariae sp. nov. are described from two East Kalimantan marine lakes, Indonesia. Limnasterias is differentiated from other asterinid genera by a combination of features: high aspect body with thick tissue covering; extensive papulate area; numerous single papulae in up to five rows at ray sides; boot-shaped inferomarginal plates; appressed superactinal plates and absence of superambulacral plates. The ecology and conservation of these species and their unique habitat are discussed.
Three new species of Chromatonotus Hebard, 1920 and new combination for Chromatonotus elegantula R.S. Albuquerque, 1974 (Blattaria: Ectobiidae)
Authors: LOPES SONIA MARIA , DE OLIVEIRA EDIVAR HEEREN
Published: December 2019

Three new species of Chromatonotus Hebard (C. bahiaensis, C. dextrodigitatus, C. diminutivus) are described from Mato Grosso, Bahia and Pernambuco states, Brazil, and Chromatonotus elegantula R.S. Albuquerque, 1974 is transferred to Ischnoptera Burmeister, 1838 as I. elegantula (R.S. Albuquerque, 1974) comb. nov. The material studied in this paper were stored in the Entomological Collection of Department of the Entomology, Museu Nacional, but was lost in the fire that took place in the Museu Nacional on September 2, 2018.
Evaluation of an E–ε and Three Other Boundary Layer Parameterization Schemes in the WRF Model over the Southeast Pacific and the Southern Great Plains
Authors: Zhang Chunxi , Wang Yuqing , Xue Ming
Published: December 2019

To accurately simulate the atmospheric state within the planetary boundary layer (PBL) by PBL parameterization scheme in different regions with their dominant weather/climate regimes is important for global/regional atmospheric models. In this study, we introduce the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) and TKE dissipation rate (ε) based 1.5-order closure PBL parameterization (E–ε, EEPS) in the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model. The performances of the newly implemented EEPS scheme and the existing Yonsei University (YSU) scheme, the University of Washington (UW) scheme, and Mellor–Yamada–Nakanishi–Niino (MYNN) scheme are evaluated over the stratocumulus dominated southeast Pacific (SEP) and over the Southern Great Plains (SGP) where strong PBL diurnal variation is common. The simulations by these PBL parameterizations are compared with various observations from two field campaigns: the Variability of American Monsoon Systems Project (VAMOS) Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Study (VOCALS) in 2008 over the SEP and the Land–Atmosphere Feedback Experiment (LAFE) in 2017 over the SGP. Results show that the EEPS and YSU schemes perform comparably over both regions, while the MYNN scheme performs differently in many aspects, especially over the SEP. The EEPS (MYNN) scheme slightly (significantly) underestimates liquid water path over the SEP. Compared with observations, the UW scheme produces the best PBL height over the SEP. The MYNN produces too high PBL height over the western part of the SEP while both the YSU and EEPS schemes produce too low PBL and cloud-top heights. The differences among the PBL schemes in simulating the PBL features over the SGP are relatively small.
When It Is Not So Funny: Prevalence of Friendly Sexist Teasing and Consequences to Gender Self-Esteem
Authors: Hack Tay , Garcia Amber L. , Goodfriend Wind , Habashi Meara M. , Hoover Ann E.
Published: December 2019

This research investigates the phenomenon of “friendly” sexist teases (FSTs), which we define as playful intergroup teases that are based on the negative gender stereotypes that devalue one’s gender group. We first employed a diary study to explore the prevalence of FSTs in college students’ everyday life and found that this type of teasing tends to occur in social situations and often between close others. In a second study, we experimentally manipulated perceived closeness with the teaser. We predicted that individuals teased by someone with whom they shared a perceived closeness would interpret FSTs as playful fun; therefore, the tease would not have a negative psychological effect. We further predicted that those teased by someone less close would likely focus on the literal content of the sexist tease, resulting in negative consequences to gender self-esteem. Results supported these predictions and provided insight into the phenomenon of FSTs.
Response to Luke A. Powery
Authors: Brown Sally A.
Published: December 2019

This is a response by Dr. Sally A. Brown to Luke Powery’s lecture on the PTS and Slavery Report.
Response to Luke A. Powery
Authors: Barreto Eric D.
Published: December 2019

This response first contends for the theological challenges the audit lays before theological educators and then narrates some important tensions to which theological education attuned to repair will have to pay attention. Last is some reflection on the persuasive metaphor of a “wound.”
Incarcerated complete rectal prolapse managed by Altemeier’s procedure
Authors: Pandit Narendra , Yadav Tek Narayan , Awale Laligen
Published: December 2019

Rectal prolapse is a complete protrusion of the rectum through the anal canal, which usually occurs in elderly women. Incarceration is a rare event and can be the first presentation of a rectal prolapse. We present the case of a 54-year-old male patient who presented with incarceration and was managed successfully with Altemeier’s procedure.
Anti-immigration and racist discourse in social media
Authors: Ekman Mattias
Published: December 2019

This article assesses the strategies of anti-immigration actors on social media and the discursive construction of immigrants and refugees in user interaction on Facebook. It emphasizes the particular role of emotions in racist discourse and analyses how an open Facebook group generates and circulates anti-immigration and racist sentiments to a large audience. By analysing the general communicative features of the group, including user interaction, it demonstrates how anti-immigration and racist sentiments are moulded through interactivity between actors in an open digital space. Moreover, the article emphasizes that anti-immigration groups online can be understood as affective publics, in which racial expressions and overt racism are becoming increasingly normalized. It also argues that these publics must be taken into consideration when addressing the causes of anti-immigration and racist sentiments in contemporary societies.
Risk factors of in-hospital mortality in adult postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Xie Haixiu , Yang Feng , Hou Dengbang , Wang Xiaomeng , Wang Liangshan , Wang Hong , Hou Xiaotong
Published: December 2019

Objective:

Mortality of adult postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients after successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation remains high. The objective of this study is to identify the risk factors associated with mortality after successfully weaning from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in adult postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients.

Methods:

All consecutive patients who were successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation between January 2011 and December 2016 at the Beijing Anzhen Hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality after successfully weaning from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Results:

In total, 212 (58.4%) of 363 postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients were successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The non-survivors had a longer duration of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation than the survivors (120.0 (98.0, 160.50) vs. 100.0 (77.0, 126.0), p = 0.000). Variables associated with mortality of patients successfully weaned from extracorporeal membrane oxygenation by univariable analysis were age, diabetes, vasoactive inotropic score pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, vasoactive inotropic score at weaning, left ventricular ejection fraction at weaning, central venous pressure at weaning, sequential organ failure assessment score pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, sequential organ failure assessment at weaning, survival after venoarterial ECMO pre-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and survival after venoarterial ECMO at weaning. In the multivariate analysis, sequential organ failure assessment score at weaning (odds ratio = 1.889, 95% confidence interval = 1.460-2.455, p < 0.001) was an independent risk factor for in-hospital mortality of patients successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The cumulative 30-day survival rate in patients with a sequential organ failure assessment score < 7 was significantly ( p < 0.001) higher than in patients with a sequential organ failure assessment score ⩾ 7 (87% vs. 56.7%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Vasoactive inotropic score, left ventricular ejection fraction, central venous pressure, and sequential organ failure assessment score at weaning were associated with in-hospital mortality for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock patients successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Sequential organ failure assessment score might help clinicians to predict in-hospital mortality for patients successfully weaned from venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Promoting student enterprise: Reflections on a university start-up programme
Authors: Mason Colin , Anderson Marion , Kessl Tomáš , Hruskova Michaela
Published: December 2019

Universities now see the promotion of student and graduate start-ups as a key part of their role. This has two strands: (i) incorporating entrepreneurship education into the curriculum, and (ii) activities and infrastructure to support and accelerate the start-up process. There is now a substantial literature on the design, content, delivery and impact of entrepreneurship education. In contrast, little attention has been given to these issues in the context of student business start-up programmes. This paper describes and reflects on the outcomes of an ongoing small-scale start-up programme – the Santander Summer Company Programme at the University of Glasgow and offers a number of observations on the objectives, design and evaluation of such programmes. A key conclusion is that such programmes require to be part of a broader university entrepreneurial ecosystem and embedded within the wider local, regional and national entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Association between serum iron levels and the risk of cervical cancer in Chinese: a meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Shu , Shen Liyuan , Luo Shujuan , Lan Xia , Wang Lan
Published: December 2019

Objectives

To evaluate the association between serum iron levels and cervical cancer risk in Chinese populations.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using the PubMed, WanFang, and SinoMed databases up to April 30, 2019. Pooled standard mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were analyzed using R software with a random-effects model.

Results

Data from nine studies comprising 454 cervical cancer patients and 880 controls were used in the analysis. Our results demonstrated that serum iron levels in cervical cancer patients were significantly lower than those in controls in Chinese populations (summary SMD = −1.24, 95%CI = −1.37 to −1.10; I2 = 93.4%). No publications bias was detected. Sensitivity analysis indicated that no single study had a significant effect on the overall SMD.

Conclusions

Our findings show that serum iron levels are lower in patients with cervical cancer than in control individuals. However, further high-quality studies are necessary to clarify the role of serum iron levels in cervical cancer risk.
Diagnostic value of alpha-fetoprotein, Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein, and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Song Ting , Wang Lili , Su Bin , Zeng Weiping , Jiang Taiyi , Zhang Tong , Sun Guizhen , Wu Hao
Published: December 2019

Objective

This study aimed to explore the use of different combinations of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive AFP (AFP-L3), and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) for the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated liver cirrhosis (LC).

Methods

There were 167 subjects, including 100 with HCC and 67 with LC, who were enrolled into this study. Serum AFP, AFP-L3, and DCP levels were detected by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay and analyzed using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) method.

Results

The sensitivity and specificity of AFP and DCP for differentiating between early HCC and HBV-associated LC were 51.5% and 92.5%, and 60.0% and 84.7%, respectively. Comparative analysis of ROC curves showed no significant difference in the area under the curve (AUC) for AFP and DCP. Moreover, the combination of AFP and DCP showed the largest AUC value with a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 67% and 83.1%, respectively.

Conclusion

These results suggest that AFP is the best single biomarker for distinguishing between HBV-associated LC and early HCC induced by HBV. However, the combination of AFP and DCP can enhance the diagnostic value of AFP for differentiating between these diseases.
Epidemiology of electrical burns: a 10-year retrospective analysis of 376 cases at a burn centre in South China
Authors: Ding Huarong , Huang Meimei , Li Dehui , Lin Yuan , Qian Wei
Published: December 2019

Objective

To investigate the epidemiological profile and associated outcomes of electrical injuries at a major burn centre in southern China.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled consecutive electrical burn patients admitted to the burn centre of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University between 2008 and 2017. Demographic and clinical data and outcomes were recorded. Mann–Whitney U tests/Pearson’s chi-squared tests were used to examine the differences between low-voltage and high-voltage injuries.

Results

There were 217 high-voltage injuries and 159 low-voltage injuries. High-voltage burns were frequently observed between March and August, and low-voltage burns peaked between June and September. Burn patients were mainly men. Most burns occurred in participants aged 21 to 50 years and in industrial workers and electricians at work or householders at home. Only one person with high-voltage burns died (a mortality rate of 0.46%). Amputation rates were 37.33% for high-voltage burns and 22.01% for low-voltage burns. High-voltage injuries were associated with more extensive burns, longer hospital stays, and more complications and amputations.

Conclusions

More attention should be paid to prevention of electrical burns in male adults. Particular focus is needed on industrial workers, incidents in the spring and summer, and high-voltage injuries.
Ultra-rapid brain uptake of subcutaneous sumatriptan in the rat: Implication for cluster headache treatment
Authors: Muzzi Mirko , Zecchi Riccardo , Ranieri Giuseppe , Urru Matteo , Tofani Lorenzo , De Cesaris Francesco , Panconesi Alessandro , Chiarugi Alberto
Published: December 2019

Background

In spite of the substantial therapeutic efficacy of triptans, their site of action is still debated. Subcutaneous sumatriptan is the most efficacious symptomatic treatment for cluster headache (CH) patients, showing therapeutic onset within a few minutes after injection even in migraine patients. However, whether subcutaneous sumatriptan is able to reach the CNS within this short time frame is currently unknown.

Methods

Here, by means of liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, we investigated peripheral and brain distribution of subcutaneous sumatriptan soon after injection in rats at a dose equivalent to that used in patients. Tissue sumatriptan contents were compared to those of oxazepam, a prototypical lipophilic, neuroactive drug.

Results

We report that sumatriptan accumulated within brain regions of relevance to migraine and CH pathogenesis such as the hypothalamus and the brainstem as soon as 1 and 5 minutes after injection. Notably, sumatriptan brain distribution was faster than that of oxazepam, reaching concentrations exceeding its reported binding affinity for 5HT1B/Dreceptors, and in the range of those able to inhibit neurotransmitter release in vivo.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that sumatriptan distributes within the CNS soon after injection, and are in line with prompt pain relief by parenteral sumatriptan in CH patients.
Survey of information literacy instructional practices in academic libraries
Authors: Aharony Noa , Julien Heidi , Nadel-Kritz Noa
Published: December 2019

This paper reports a study of information literacy instructional practices in Israeli academic libraries, conducted to understand the methods and approaches used by academic librarians in their instructional work, and to explore whether their practices have been influenced by the ACRL Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education. The study used an online survey to gather data, an instrument based on one used successfully in similar surveys in Canada and the United States. The survey was completed by Israeli academic librarians with instructional responsibilities. Findings show that respondents believe that information literacy instruction is a shared responsibility, and that one-on-one instruction is the most-used approach. Results reveal multiple challenges faced by respondents, as well as opportunities for improvement in their instruction.
Detection of aflatoxin B1 on corn kernel surfaces using visible-near infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Tao Feifei , Yao Haibo , Hruska Zuzana , Liu Yongliang , Rajasekaran Kanniah , Bhatnagar Deepak
Published: December 2019

In this study, visible-near infrared spectroscopy over the spectral range of 400–2500 nm was utilized to detect surface contamination of corn kernels with aflatoxin B1. The artificially contaminated samples were prepared by dropping known amounts of aflatoxin B1 standard dissolved in 50:50 ( v/ v) methanol/water solution, onto corn kernel surface to achieve different contamination levels of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500, and 1000 ppb. Both endosperm and germ sides of corn kernels were used for artificial contamination, and a total of 210 contaminated and control kernels were scanned with the visible-near infrared spectroscopy in reflectance mode. Spectral preprocessing methods including standard normal variate, first derivative, second derivative, first derivative + standard normal variate, and second derivative + standard normal variate were applied on the original absorbance spectra. Using the original and preprocessed spectra, the 3-class and 7-class discriminant models were established by the chemometric methods of principal component analysis-linear discriminant analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis separately. The results showed that in discriminating the aflatoxin B1 contamination levels, the spectral range II (1120–2470 nm) generally performed better than using the corresponding spectra type over range I (410–1070 nm). Compared to using the original spectra, the first derivative and second derivative spectra generally improved the performance of the classification models. For classification thresholds of 20 and 100 ppb in aflatoxin B1, the best 3-class models achieved the same overall accuracy of 98.6% for prediction over both ranges I and II. For the 7-class discriminant models, the best overall accuracies obtained over ranges I and II are 91.4 and 97.1% for prediction.
Productivity Growth in Food Manufacturing Industry: Empirical Evidence from Post-reform Sri Lanka
Authors: Swarnathilake Chanuka , Weerahewa Jeevika , Bandara Yapa M. W. Y.
Published: December 2019

The objective of this article is to measure productivity growth in Sri Lanka’s food manufacturing industry during the 1978–2014 period and briefly review the policy measures adopted over time aiming to improve productivity in the industry. Total Factor Productivity (TFP) growth trends were measured adopting the Cobb–Douglas production function framework using the data extracted from the Annual Surveys of Industries conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. TFP growth was computed for the entire industry as well as for its sub-divisions with emphasis on the scale of operation, type of industry, and policy regimes. Even though the average TFP growth in Sri Lanka’s food manufacturing industries was found to be negative (−0.61%) for the entire period (1978–2014), it is noteworthy that average TFP growth improved over time from −2 per cent during the 1978–1994 sub-period to 0.7 per cent over the 1994–2014 sub-period. Furthermore, large-scale food manufacturing industries achieved higher TFP growth compared to that of their small-scale counterparts. Distilling, rectifying spirits, manufacture of grain mill products and prepared animal feeds industries showed positive and higher TFP growth while cocoa, chocolate and confectionery industries demonstrated a lower TFP growth. Food safety management systems and investments in infrastructure through Public-Private Partnerships were some policy measures that led the productivity growth in Sri Lanka’s food manufacturing industries.
Dana Gas: The Sukuk Dispute
Authors: Haroon Omair , Meenai Sameen Fatima , Rizvi Aun Raza
Published: December 2019

In its announcement dated 13 June 2017, Dana Gas called for a restructuring of the Sukuk maturing in October worth US$700 million. This demand was based upon the claim that the evolution of Islamic finance and jurisprudence since the original structuring of the mudarabah sukuk had rendered it, in its present form, Shariah non-compliant and hence unlawful and unenforceable under the UAE law. This case analyzes the impact of the events leading up to this decision on the work of financial analysts following such firms and products. In response to the principles laid down by the management for a restructuring deal, the ad hoc committee representing sukuk holders refused to exchange the existing instruments with the new ones. Dana Gas secured a series of injunctions around the globe preventing enforcement by creditors after it ended up in a legal battle with its sukuk holders in courts both in the UK and the UAE. In November 2017, the English court ruled in favour of Dana’s creditors, dismissing the grounds of the company’s claims as unfounded under contractual obligations. Despite this, the legal battle was far from over as a verdict from the UAE court on the validity of the sukuk was still awaited. Although this was not the first sukuk dispute faced by the US$2 trillion Islamic finance industry, it was certainly a distressing and potentially destabilizing development for the international sukuk market.
Fashion Libraries as a Means for Sustainability Education—An Exploratory Case Study of Adolescents’ Consumer Culture
Authors: Becker-Leifhold Carolin , Hirscher Anja-Lisa
Published: December 2019

Adolescents often do not consider sustainability in their consumption behaviours. Sustainability issues are challenging to communicate through course content alone. Against this background, the concept of fashion libraries (FLs) was introduced to adolescents at a non-denominational school in a small German city. The purpose was to explore whether the students’ attitudes would change over time in response to distinct interventions and project-based learning, such as the foundation of an FL, upcycling workshops and lectures on sustainability. The sample comprised 10 female adolescents in the age between 13 and 16 years, who volunteered to participate in the clothing library project. An exploratory mixed-methods approach, including a questionnaire, two interventions and pre-and post-intervention in-depth interviews, was utilized.

The findings hint at an incremental change in the students’ attitudes towards an appreciation of garments and a change in behaviour. They started to reflect their behaviour and consequently reduced the frequency and quantity of their clothing purchases. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first article in which an FL was founded to investigate the consumption behaviour of adolescents.
Association Between Serum Uric Acid and Prediabetes in the Korean General Population
Authors: Park Ryoung Jin , Kang Min Gu
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the relation of serum uric acid with prediabetes in Korea. We conducted a cross-sectional study in 4633 individuals aged 20 to 81 years who participated in the 2016 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants are considered to have prediabetes if they have one or more of the following: impaired fasting glucose (fasting blood glucose levels between 5.6 and 6.9 mmol/L); impaired hemoglobin A1c (hemoglobin A1c ranges of 5.7% to 6.4% [39-46 mmol/mol]). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to compute odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Prediabetes was more prevalent in the hyperuricemia group compared with the normal-range group among men (OR = 1.51; 95% CI = 1.11-2.05; P < .01) and women (OR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.01-3.37; P = .04) after adjustment for age, body mass index, abdominal obesity, blood pressure, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, renal function, alcohol consumption, smoking, and physical activity level. For a standard deviation increment in uric acid, the odds of having prediabetes as compared with that of not having prediabetes increased about 114% in men ( P = .05) and 116% in women ( P = .01). Higher levels of uric acid were associated with an increased risk of prediabetes among the general Korean population.
Role of Maternal Education and Vaccination Coverage: Evidence From Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey
Authors: Asif Atta Muhammad , Akbar Muhammad , Tahir Muhammad Ramzan , Arshad Irshad Ahmad
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of maternal education on child immunization uptake in Pakistan, both at individual and community levels. Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey data were used for analysis. Multilevel logistic regression was used to access the individual- and community-level factors associated with childhood immunization coverage. Out of 6765 children 2659 (39.3%) were fully immunized. Parents education, access to media, and wealth status have positive while ethnicity and working status of mother have a negative impact on the immunization uptake. In the community with a high percentage of educated mothers, the odds of immunized children were high (odds ratio = 1.43, 95% confidence interval = 1.14-1.80) as compared with communities with lower percentage of educated mothers. Moreover, significant variation was found in the likelihood of full immunization across communities. Both community- and individual-level factors have substantial impact on children immunization status. There is a need of improvement in maternal education, poverty alleviation, and removal of rural-urban disparities.
Estimating the Cutoff Points of Time-Dependent Risk Factors by Using Joint Modeling of Longitudinal and Time-to-Event Data: A 14-Year Follow-up Study—Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Shakeri Nezhat , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: December 2019

Diagnostic accuracy and optimal cutoff points of risk factors is one of the important issues in medical decisions. In order to reassess the cutoff points of markers, longitudinal and time-to-event data of elderly individuals were collected repeatedly through 3 follow-up stages in the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study. Time-dependent area under the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves (AUCs) based on the joint modeling of longitudinal and time-to-event data technique were measured. AUCs were considered to evaluate the discriminative potential of the models. The joint model produced higher AUC values than the Cox model; therefore, accuracy was improved although it is computationally complicated. The results had some differences with the thresholds reported in guidelines due to specificity to the population and/or the means of estimation methods. The estimated cutoff points with regard to sex can be used as a guideline for the Iranian elderly population.
Justification of supranational criminal law – Analysis of collective securitization in the EU-level harmonization of money laundering provisions
Authors: Hyttinen Tatu , Heinikoski Saila
Published: December 2019

Tackling terrorism was the prime justification in the European Commission’s proposal for the recently adopted anti-money laundering Directive 2018/1673, the first directive on money laundering focused on criminal law rather than administrative measures. We utilize the theory of collective securitization to illustrate how the EU seeks to connect the criminalization of money laundering to the fight against terrorism, requiring, for example, the extension of the criminalization of self-laundering. As an example of how the securitizing rhetoric has not convinced the Member States, we discuss the case of Finland, which is willing to extend its criminalization of self-laundering, even though the legal economy rather than protection from terrorism is considered to constitute the object of legal protection. We demonstrate that the use of terrorism-focused securitization is problematic especially in the context of criminal law, because it challenges the traditional understanding of the objects of legal protection as the basis of criminalization.
Analytical investigation of the behavior of a new smart recentering shear damper under cyclic loading
Authors: Mirzai Nadia M , Attarnejad Reza , Hu Jong Wan
Published: December 2019

Shear recentering polyurethane friction damper is a type of passive control device, including the shape memory alloy plates, polyurethane springs, and friction devices. This damper can be employed in the shear link of an inverted Y-shaped braced frame. As the failure mode is a shear failure, in this study, the shear recentering polyurethane friction damper is proposed to remove the residual deformation of the structure that remains after a strong earthquake and causes considerable damage to the structure. The shear recentering polyurethane friction damper can help the structure to return to the initial position. Furthermore, as compared to many other dampers, this new damper is of low cost, and its assembling requires a simple technology. In order to evaluate the performance of the damper, four different cases are considered. Furthermore, the effect of each component is investigated in each case, and a finite element analysis is performed under cyclic loading using the ABAQUS platform. In addition, for the sake of comparison, the shape memory alloy plates are replaced by steel ones, and a comparison for the results demonstrates that the recentering shear dampers can significantly decrease residual deformation, while there is a large amount of residual deformation in the steel damper. Due to using the polyurethane springs, the ultimate capacity of the shear shape memory alloy polyurethane friction damper is 500 kN; however, in the shear steel polyurethane friction damper, it is only about 300 kN. Furthermore, the energy dissipation by the shear shape memory alloy polyurethane friction damper is larger than the shear steel polyurethane friction damper. The results show that the steel plates cannot effectively increase energy dissipation.
The Effect of 20-Minute Mindful Breathing on the Perception of Suffering and Changes in Bispectral Index Score (BIS) in Palliative Care Informal Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Tan Seng Beng , Ching Hui Chi , Chia Yuik Ling , Yee Anne , Ng Chong Guan , Hasan Mohd Shahnaz bin , Lim Kheng Seang , Ahmad Sherrini Bazir , Capelle David Paul , Loh Ee Chin , Lam Chee Loong
Published: December 2019

Informal caregivers are at risk of being overwhelmed by various sources of suffering while caring for their significant others. It is, therefore, important for caregivers to take care of themselves. In the self-care context, mindfulness has the potential to reduce caregiver suffering. We studied the effect of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing on the perceived level of suffering, together with the changes in bispectral index score (BIS) among palliative care informal caregivers. This was a randomized controlled study conducted at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. Forty adult palliative care informal caregivers were recruited and randomly assigned to either 20-minute mindful breathing or 20-minute supportive listening. The changes in perceived suffering and BIS were measured preintervention and postintervention. The reduction in suffering score in the intervention group was significantly more than the control group at minute 20 ( U = 124.0, n1 = n2 = 20, mean rank1 = 24.30, mean rank2 = 16.70, z = −2.095, P = .036). The reduction in BIS in the intervention group was also significantly greater than the control group at minute 20 ( U = 19.5, n1 = n2 = 20, mean rank1 = 29.52, mean rank2 = 11.48, z = −4.900, P < .0001). Twenty minutes of mindful breathing was more efficacious than 20 minutes of supportive listening in the reduction in suffering among palliative care informal caregivers.
Which Bad News to Choose? The Influence of Race and Social Identity on Story Selections Within Negative News Contexts
Authors: Holt Lanier Frush , Carnahan Dustin
Published: December 2019

This study provides a clearer understanding of how audience members’ race influences their media choices. It finds that in today’s overwhelmingly negative media environment, people prefer reading negative stories about persons in their own racial group over stories about racial out-group members. This suggests social movements seeking to change the attitudes of people of different races using media (e.g., Black Lives Matter) might not be as successful as those in the past (e.g., Civil Rights Movement). Today, people tend to ignore such news when there is other bad news that affects people in their own racial group.
Oncology pharmacist-led medication reconciliation among cancer patients initiating chemotherapy
Authors: Chun Danielle S , Faso Aimee , Muss Hyman B , Sanoff Hanna K , Valgus John , Lund Jennifer L
Published: December 2019

Background

Pharmacist-led medication reconciliation (PMR) ensures adequate recording and use of medications by patients. PMR may be important for cancer patients initiating new therapies, as they have a high burden of medication use and are more susceptible to inadvertent medication discrepancies. To describe medication changes (additions, discontinuations, and modifications) made to the electronic health record during a PMR among cancer patients initiating chemotherapy.

Methods

From October 2011 to March 2012, 397 cancer patients initiating chemotherapy underwent a PMR at the University of North Carolina Cancer Hospital. Self-reported medications and those in the patients’ electronic health record were reviewed. Log-binomial regression models were used to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the associations between patient characteristics and medication changes made to the electronic health record.

Results

Mean age at time of the PMR was 58. Median number of medications taken prior to the PMR was 10 and median time to PMR completion was 11 min. Vitamins and herbal supplements accounted for the largest proportion of medication additions (38%) and modifications (20%). Antimicrobials accounted for the largest share of discontinuations (15%). After adjustment for all other covariates, patients aged 60–69 years were more likely to have additions than those aged 50 and under (aPR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.10–1.97). Patients 70 years and over were more likely to have modifications (aPR = 1.74, 95%CI: 1.07–2.82).

Conclusion

Our results show that most cancer patients had a medication change in the electronic health record. A brief oncology PMR can accurately capture and improve medication safety by preventing prescribing and administration errors.
Early cannulation of percutaneously created arteriovenous hemodialysis fistulae
Authors: Mallios Alexandros , Beathard Gerald A , Jennings William C
Published: December 2019

Introduction:

The optimal vascular access for most dialysis patients is an arteriovenous fistula and the recognized appropriate process of care for the chronic kidney disease patient is to have the access in place ready for use when renal replacement therapy is required. Unfortunately, as a result of multiple barriers, most patients start dialysis with a catheter and many experience multiple interventions. The recent advent of the percutaneous arteriovenous fistula may offer at least a partial solution to these problems. The purpose of this study was to report of the results of early cannulation of the percutaneous arteriovenous fistula.

Materials and Methods:

Early cannulation, less than 14 days post creation, was performed in 14 cases in order to avoid an initial catheter or continued use of a problematic catheter for dialysis. Immediately post access creation, blood flow ranged from 491 to 1169 mL/min (mean = 790 mL/min). Ultrasound was used to map potential cannulation sites prior to use. Cannulation was performed using plastic fistula cannulas.

Results:

Early cannulation was successful in this cohort of cases except for one cannulation complication. Dialysis treatments were otherwise uncomplicated. Primary patency at 3, 6, and 12 months was 76%, 76%, and 66%, respectively. Assisted primary patency for the same intervals was 100%, 100%, and 91%, respectively. Cumulative patency was 100% at all three-time intervals.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that the possibility of successful early cannulation with a percutaneous arteriovenous fistula can be considered as an additional factor in making this access a reasonable alternative for a surgically created arteriovenous fistula in appropriate patients.
PrEP talk: Media narratives and the terrifying sublime
Authors: Niedt Greg
Published: December 2019

Despite the clinical success of Truvada-as-PrEP in preventing HIV transmission for several years, it has still not yet been widely adopted by the MSM community. Clinicians insist that the drug is safe, and there are avenues to pay for the drug even for the uninsured—and yet, there is hesitation. Since the 1980s, HIV/AIDS narratives have been linked to what Susan Sontag (1989) calls an “imputation of guilt,” and more broadly, the creation of a connection between queer sexuality and social stigma whose inertia is difficult to escape. How is the way people talk about PrEP framed by this discursive history? Can the community’s reluctance be understood in those terms, and addressed by deeper understandings of how the disease and its treatment are conceived?

This article takes a discourse analysis approach to examine the narratives surrounding PrEP, in particular those that have circulated in online and print media in the USA. These are contextualized by the evolution of conversations surrounding the disease and its treatment, from “death sentence” to chronic illness to medical condition. Following Kover (1998), HIV/AIDS is positioned here as an object of the terrifying sublime, that can only be dealt with indirectly, while PrEP represents a (possible) shift in strategies for coping with the disease, from avoidance to confrontation, with all that that entails.
Strengthening of deficient reinforced concrete columns subjected to concentric and eccentric loads
Authors: El-Kashif Khaled Farouk Omar , Hazem Abdel-Rahman , Rozik Mohamed Ahmed , Abdalla Hany Ahmed
Published: December 2019

In this research, different techniques of repair of deficient reinforced concrete columns are compared. These include carbon fiber–reinforced polymer sheets, steel jackets, and reinforced concrete jackets. The experimental investigation includes testing of 16 deficient columns of dimensions 150 × 150 × 800 mm subjected to concentric and eccentric loading up to failure. Two main variables are considered: the load eccentricity and the strengthening technique. The experimental results showed that the three strengthening techniques used in this research significantly improved the ultimate load carrying capacity in all cases of loading. Also, in the two cases of concentric loading and big eccentricity of 150 mm, carbon fiber–reinforced polymer wrapping achieved the highest ductility and absorbed energy capacity. In addition, strengthening with reinforced concrete jacket improved the initial stiffness and toughness. The cracking load, ultimate load, and ductility of the deficient columns after strengthening were experimentally recorded and compared. The results can help the structural engineer to consider the most efficient method of repair for such columns.