bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal Trends in Prevalence and Prognostic Implications of Comorbidities Among Patients With Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Authors: Pandey Ambarish , Vaduganathan Muthiah , Arora Sameer , Qamar Arman , Mentz Robert J. , Shah Sanjiv J. , Chang Patricia P. , Russell Stuart D. , Rosamond Wayne D. , Caughey Melissa C.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Patients with heart failure (HF) have multiple coexisting comorbidities. The temporal trends in the burden of comorbidities and associated risk of mortality among patients with HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are not well established.

Methods:

HF-related hospitalizations were sampled by stratified design from 4 US areas in 2005 to 2014 by the community surveillance component of the ARIC study (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities). Acute decompensated HF was classified by standardized physician review and a previously validated algorithm. An ejection fraction <50% was considered HFrEF. A total of 15 comorbidities were abstracted from the medical record. Mortality outcomes were ascertained for up to 1-year postadmission by linking hospital records with death files.

Results:

A total of 5460 hospitalizations (24 937 weighted hospitalizations) classified as acute decompensated HF had available ejection fraction data (53% female, 68% white, 53% HFrEF, 47% HFpEF). The average number of comorbidities was higher for patients with HFpEF versus HFrEF, both for women (5.53 versus 4.94;
P
<0.0001) and men (5.20 versus 4.82;
P
<0.0001). There was a significant temporal increase in the overall burden of comorbidities, both for patients with HFpEF (women: 5.17 in 2005–2009 to 5.87 in 2010–2013; men: 4.94 in 2005–2009 and 5.45 in 2010–2013) and HFrEF (women: 4.78 in 2005–2009 to 5.14 in 2010–2013; men: 4.62 in 2005–2009 and 5.06 in 2010–2013;
P
-trend<0.0001 for all). Higher comorbidity burden was significantly associated with higher adjusted risk of 1-year mortality, with a stronger association noted for HFpEF (hazard ratio [HR] per 1 higher comorbidity, 1.19 [95% CI, 1.14–1.25] versus HFrEF (HR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.05–1.14];
P
for interaction by HF type=0.02). The associated mortality risk per 1 higher comorbidity also increased significantly over time for patients with HFpEF and HFrEF, as well (
P
for interaction with time=0.002 and 0.02, respectively)

Conclusions:

The burden of comorbidities among hospitalized patients with acute decompensated HFpEF and HFrEF has increased over time, as has its associated mortality risk. Higher burden of comorbidities is associated with higher risk of mortality, with a stronger association noted among patients with HFpEF versus HFrEF.
Food source determines stable isotope discrimination factors ΔN and ΔC in tadpoles
Authors: Glos Julian , Ruthsatz Katharina , Schröder Dominik , Riemann Jana C.
Published: June 2020

Analyses of stable isotope ratios are widely applied in studies on a large variety of aspects in trophic ecology. Most studies rely on a precise estimation of the relevant discrimination factor Δ (also called the fractionation factor), that reflects the fractionation or differences in isotope ratios of a certain element (mainly nitrogen N and carbon C) between an animal’s diet and its tissue and is used to identify one step in the food web. We experimentally determined ΔN and ΔC of two species of widespread amphibians in Europe, Rana temporaria and Bufo bufo, and tested for the effect of food source (cyanobacteria Spirulina vs. zooplanktonic Daphnia) on Δ and for interspecific differences. Our study shows high variation in Δ in relation to the food source, but low interspecific differences. Tadpoles that were fed with Spirulina did have considerably lower ΔN than tadpoles fed with Daphnia in both species, and lower ΔC only in R. temporaria. The range of Δ obtained here can be a useful baseline for future trophic studies on tadpoles of Rana and Bufo. The strong diet-dependency of Δ, however, argues strongly against the use of a fixed discrimination factor in future isotope studies.
Resolving the energy restriction at high altitude: variation in the digestive system of Phrynocephalus vlangalii
Authors: Zhao Yang yang , Qi Yue , Wang Xiao ning , Zhao Wei
Published: June 2020

Hypothermic and hypoxic environments create strong selective pressure on native species by affecting, among other things, the relationship between energy intake and allocation. In order to detect the adaptation of Phrynocephalus vlangalii to such energy limitation, the morphological structure and argyrophil cells of the digestive tract of 80 individuals from two different altitudes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were compared using overall anatomy as well as paraffin sectioning of specific organs. Compared with the low-altitude population, the high-altitude individuals were found to have a significantly longer stomach and duodenum, longer and wider villus in the small intestine, larger surface area in duodenum and jejunum, and more argyrophilic cells in stomach and duodenum. Our results indicate that the morphological and histological change of the digestive tract may be conductive to the plateau adaptability of P. vlangalii by enhancing the efficiency of digestion and absorption. For a more general conclusion to be drawn, comparison of more populations at both altitudes is required in addition to verifying how phenotypically flexible these traits are.
Variation in reproductive output as a function of maternal age and weather conditions in the cultured Asian yellow pond turtle, Mauremys mutica
Authors: Wang Yakun , Zhao Jian , Liu Xiaoli , Shangguan Qing , Li Wei , Ouyang Shu , Zhu Xinping
Published: June 2020

Biotic factors (e.g., maternal age) and abiotic factors (e.g., weather) play vital roles in reproduction. However, there is little information about the combined effects of maternal age and weather on the reproductive output of cultured Asian yellow pond turtles, Mauremys mutica. To address this issue, we surveyed and compared the reproductive output of 13-year-old and 25-year-old female turtles on non-rainy and rainy days. The results showed that older females produced larger eggs than younger females regardless of the weather conditions. Females laid larger clutch sizes (number of eggs per nest) under non-rainy conditions compared with those under rainy conditions. However, the variation in clutch frequency (number of clutches per day) was independent of maternal age and weather. There was no effect of an interaction between maternal age and weather on egg mass, clutch size or clutch frequency. Our results suggest that maternal age and weather had significant effects on egg mass and clutch size, respectively. These results imply that maternal age, together with weather conditions (mainly conditions of rain), can affect the reproductive output of M. mutica. Our results provide useful information for the artificial breeding and stock management of M. mutica.
To Facilitate and Protect: State Obligations and the Right of Peaceful Assembly in International Human Rights Law
Authors: Hamilton Michael
Published: June 2020

This article distinguishes the obligation of States to ‘facilitate’ and ‘protect’ the right of peaceful assembly under Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (iccpr) from State practices that rather seek to ‘manage’ or ‘control’ its exercise. Focusing on the protection of public assemblies in the Asia-Pacific region and drawing principally on the UN Human Rights Committee’s assembly jurisprudence and its Concluding Observations on State reports, it emphasises the critical importance of the language in which State obligations are framed and understood. Many domestic laws over-regulate the right of assembly by creating broad discretionary powers, impermissible grounds of restriction, bureaucratic procedures and onerous liabilities. Such laws reinforce a police ego-image premised on the pernicious logic of ‘management’ and encourage preventive policing tactics that fundamentally undermine the right of peaceful assembly.
The Allegiance of White American Evangelicals to Donald Trump
Authors: Bieber Kenneth , Beyers Jaco
Published: June 2020

This article discusses why American evangelical Christians, particularly white evangelicals, have granted overwhelming support to Donald Trump, first as a presidential candidate in 2016, and then as president since his inauguration in January 2017. The loyalty afforded to him by this voting bloc results in an abandonment of the values and priorities of the greater Christian mission, exchanging faithful discipleship for political expediency. While this demographic of voters does not explicitly renounce the Christian faith or their belief in the authority of Scripture, the concerns exhibited in their fidelity to President Trump as a monarchical figure stand in contrast to both biblically-based evangelicalism and historic American political values.
The Emperor’s New Clothes – What If No Jus Cogens Claim Can Be Justified?
Authors: Linderfalk Ulf
Published: June 2020

This article deals with an important question of legal justification: What reasons serve to justify a claim that a norm has the status of jus cogens. This question can be approached from two fundamentally different perspectives – in this article referred to as legal positivism and legal idealism. As earlier research has demonstrated, legal positivists have great difficulty justifying their jus cogens claims. What this article argues is that legal idealists face a no less difficult task, and that this prompts an entirely new understanding of the jus cogens discourse. If there is no way for a lawyer to justify a jus cogens claim, then neither is there any way for him or her to refute propositions put forth by others. Jus cogens discourse becomes a safe haven for all kinds of arguments, of which, legally speaking, no one can ever be regarded as any more acceptable than any other.
TWAIL: a Paradox within a Paradox
Authors: al Attar Mohsen
Published: June 2020

What insight do critical perspectives bring to international legal theory? In the following article, I answer this question through an examination of Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL). Troubled by geopolitical imbalance in the enterprise of international law, a group of critically minded scholars sought to expand the scope of legal scholarship. They would do so by growing a scholarly community sensitive to Third World concerns in their engagement with international law. Movements are known to collapse just as quickly as they sprout and it is testament to TWAIL’s force that, twenty years on, it is still gaining momentum. Self-described as a theory, method, sensibility, movement, and, as per the moniker, approach, TWAIL’s place in legal theory remains ambiguous. Drawing on a range of TWAIL scholars as well as journeymen commentators, I investigate, first, how its scholars represent TWAIL’s theoretical credentials and, second, where its contribution fits in the field.
The Interpretation of the American Convention on Human Rights through the Prism of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Authors: Seatzu Francesco
Published: June 2020

This article considers the Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR)’s and Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (iachr)’s approach to interpreting and applying the American Convention on Human Rights (achr) provisions through the prism of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (crc) and ascertains the features of each convention that supports this approach. It concentrates on the IACtHR’s and iachr’s development and implementation of the principle of the best interest of the child, and on two specific areas of the IACtHR’s and iachr’s jurisprudence on children’s rights – children’s migration and trafficking of children – and concludes with some suggestions as to how this approach might be improved further in a manner that gives wider scope for the promotion of children’s rights and freedoms in the achr contracting states.
A new leafhopper genus Geelus and 12 new species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Deltocephalinae) from Southern Africa
Authors: STILLER MICHAEL
Published: June 2020

Twelve new species in a new genus, Geelus gen.n. are described, 10 species from a confined area in the north- and south-western parts of South Africa and two from Namibia. The genus has been recorded from 35 plant species in 18 families, with one species Geelus dundraad collected on Rooibos Tea, Aspalathus linearis (Fabaceae), which is indigenous to South Africa and cultivated commercially. The 12 new species are Geelus driehoekdraad sp.n., G. drietanddraad sp.n., G. dundraad sp.n., G. haakdraad sp.n., G. kinkeldraad sp.n., G. lemdraad sp.n., G. nektanddraad sp.n., G. platdraad sp.n., G. slangdraad sp.n., G. stompdraad sp.n., G. viertanddraad and G. vurkdraad sp.n. This new genus is allied to the Bonaspeiini, in the Deltocephalinae based on the broad lorum, apically expanded clypellus, dorsal side of the pygofer deeply and broadly incised, large sclerotized segment X, smooth merging of face and crown and Y-shaped connective with short stem. A MaxEnt distribution model based on 19 bioclimatic variables confirmed that the South African species occur within a confined region in the south-western parts of southern Africa.
Climatology of Orographic Precipitation Gradients in the Contiguous Western United States
Authors: Bohne Lucas , Strong Courtenay , Steenburgh W. James
Published: June 2020

Orographic precipitation gradients (OPG) relating to the increase or decrease in precipitation amount with elevation are not well studied or analyzed except for case examples. A quality controlled daily OPG dataset for the western United States that is based on a linear regression framework of gauge precipitation observations and elevation for a 39-yr time period was created and analyzed to identify spatial and temporal patterns and variability in OPG and some of the drivers of variability on seasonal, annual, interannual, and climatological time scales. Most locations in the western United States experience positive OPG during most of the year, exhibiting an annual cycle with the highest magnitude of OPG in the winter season and lowest magnitude of OPG in the summer season. Coastal locations tend to have OPG with higher magnitude and larger variability in OPG than do interior locations during cool seasons. Empirical orthogonal function analysis identifies two principal components that account for 33% of the variability in a subset of the OPG dataset, and these modes of variability are related to precipitation amount and atmospheric circulation over the Pacific Ocean. Comparison of daily OPG with similarly calculated 3-day and monthly OPG identifies that OPG magnitudes are sensitive to the choice of length of the precipitation accumulation period.
Generating Probabilistic Next-Day Severe Weather Forecasts from Convection-Allowing Ensembles Using Random Forests
Authors: Loken Eric D. , Clark Adam J. , Karstens Christopher D.
Published: June 2020

Extracting explicit severe weather forecast guidance from convection-allowing ensembles (CAEs) is challenging since CAEs cannot directly simulate individual severe weather hazards. Currently, CAE-based severe weather probabilities must be inferred from one or more storm-related variables, which may require extensive calibration and/or contain limited information. Machine learning (ML) offers a way to obtain severe weather forecast probabilities from CAEs by relating CAE forecast variables to observed severe weather reports. This paper develops and verifies a random forest (RF)-based ML method for creating day 1 (1200–1200 UTC) severe weather hazard probabilities and categorical outlooks based on 0000 UTC Storm-Scale Ensemble of Opportunity (SSEO) forecast data and observed Storm Prediction Center (SPC) storm reports. RF forecast probabilities are compared against severe weather forecasts from calibrated SSEO 2–5-km updraft helicity (UH) forecasts and SPC convective outlooks issued at 0600 UTC. Continuous RF probabilities routinely have the highest Brier skill scores (BSSs), regardless of whether the forecasts are evaluated over the full domain or regional/seasonal subsets. Even when RF probabilities are truncated at the probability levels issued by the SPC, the RF forecasts often have BSSs better than or comparable to corresponding UH and SPC forecasts. Relative to the UH and SPC forecasts, the RF approach performs best for severe wind and hail prediction during the spring and summer (i.e., March–August). Overall, it is concluded that the RF method presented here provides skillful, reliable CAE-derived severe weather probabilities that may be useful to severe weather forecasters and decision-makers.
The Changing Paradigm of Head and Neck Paragangliomas: What Every Otolaryngologist Needs to Know
Authors: Cass Nathan D. , Schopper Melissa A. , Lubin Jonathan A. , Fishbein Lauren , Gubbels Samuel P.
Published: June 2020

Background:

Recommendations regarding head and neck paragangliomas (HNPGL) have undergone a fundamental reorientation in the last decade as a result of increased understanding of the genetic and pathophysiologic basis of these disorders.

Objective:

We aim to provide an overview of HNPGL and recent discoveries regarding their molecular genetics, along with updated recommendations on workup, treatment, and surveillance, and their implications for otolaryngologists treating patients with these disorders.

Results:

SDHx susceptibility gene mutations, encoding subunits of the enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), give rise to the Hereditary Pheochromocytoma/Paraganglioma Syndromes. SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD, and SDHAF2 mutations each result in unique phenotypes with distinct penetrance and risk for variable tumor development as well as metastasis. Genetic and biochemical testing is recommended for every patient with HNPGL. Multifocal disease should be managed in multi-disciplinary fashion. Patients with SDHx mutations require frequent biochemical screening and whole-body imaging, as well as lifelong follow-up with an expert in hereditary pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma syndromes.

Conclusion:

Otolaryngologists are likely to encounter patients with HNPGL. Keeping abreast of the latest recommendations, especially regarding genetic testing, workup for additional tumors, multi-disciplinary approach to care, and need for lifelong surveillance, will help otolaryngologists appropriately care for these patients.
The “Public” Wrong of Cartels and the Article 101 TFEU “Object Box”
Authors: MacCulloch Angus
Published: June 2020

The criminalization of cartel behavior in the UK turned attention to the criminal wrong at the heart of cartels. An understanding of the true nature of the cartel problem can also be used to develop a better understanding of Art 101 TFEU. This article uses the literature on the wrongfulness of cartels to examine how cartel behavior has the “object” of restricting competition within the terms of Art 101 TFEU. It pays particular attention to cases at the periphery of cartel behavior. The literature focuses on the importance of free markets as public institutions. Cartels are perceived as being a species of “cheating” which deserves opprobrium as it goes against the legitimate expectations of market participants. A reexamination of the cartel periphery cases involving information exchange and cartel facilitation using this lens shows a novel understanding of how these cases fit within the Art 101 TFEU “object box.”
Estimating the extent and nature of offending by Sudanese-born individuals in Victoria
Authors: Shepherd Stephane M , Spivak Benjamin L
Published: June 2020

The involvement in crime of some young Sudanese-born Victorians has received sustained public attention in recent years. The media coverage of these occurrences has been extensive, with some outlets criticised for sensationalist reporting and prejudiced undertones. A range of views were held across the commentariat including, for example, the notion that Sudanese-Victorian criminal involvement has been overstated; that some level of justice over-representation was inevitable due to the demographics of Sudanese-born Victorians, which skew young and male (i.e. the demographic hypothesis); and that offending rates may be associated with heightened law enforcement responses following a high-profile criminal incident in March 2016 that received protracted media coverage and political commentary (i.e. the racial-profiling hypothesis). This paper sought to address these contentions by (i) examining the offending rates of both young and adult males across three cultural sub-groups (i.e. Sudanese-born, Indigenous Australian, Australian-born) across several offending categories between 2015 and 2018 and (ii) exploring the impact of a high-profile criminal incident in March 2016, on the offending rates of Sudanese-born Victorians. Offending rates were calculated using offender incident data from the Victorian Crime Statistics Agency and population estimates from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data. Findings indicate that Sudanese-born individuals figure prominently in both youth and adult offending categories relative to other major cultural sub-groups. Rates for ‘crimes against the person’ were especially pronounced for Sudanese-born youth and significantly higher than rates for crimes more subject to police discretion (i.e. public order offences). The ‘demographic hypothesis’ did not hold for the specified age range of 10 to 17 years. An increase in offending was observed post-March 2016 across two offending categories for Sudanese-born Victorians. Findings are contextualised within.
Feasibility analysis: Evaluating sites for possible renewable energy options and their implications to minimize the cost
Authors: Hossain Eklas , Shi Feng , Bayindir Ramazan , Hossain Jakir
Published: June 2020

Renewable energy sources are replacing other energy sources to minimize the cost of due to the conventional sources of energy. Solar and wind are readily available sources which will minimize the cost of electricity if implemented properly. Considering the weather and other relevant advantages, solar energy is a favorable option for a particular site. But it is extremely difficult for the implementation of the suggested renewable energy in a site which already has specific resources and existing infrastructure to replace. Several factors should be counted in for the selection and implementation of appropriate renewable source for fulfilling the demand. As a possible energy option, on-grid infrastructure is selected looking at its low necessity of development and hardware cost. This paper aims to impart the detailed designs of alternative energy options that will offset the annual irrigation costs of the Rainbow Youth Golf Education Program in Klamath County. Using simulator, a practical modeling of the system is performed to look at the cost associated with each case. After selecting a combination with the minimum cost, it is shown that the model decreases the irrigation cost compared to previous year. Other technological implications are also evaluated. Finally, worst case scenario is modeled using the simulator to show that even in the bad weather, the site’s energy supply model serves well both electrically and economically.
Feasibility study of grid-connected solar plant: An in-depth analysis of system modeling and proper technology selection
Authors: Stephens Greg , Dieterle Chris , Hossain Eklas , Bayindir Ramazan
Published: June 2020

One of the most significant issues arising from the intermittency of renewable sources is the discrepancy between the hours of peak generation and hours of peak load. This issue complicates the process of supply and demand balancing because the electrical energy generated by photovoltaic arrays cannot be directly stored. Energy storage systems provide a solution to this issue by storing the excess energy generated during peak generation time which will be delivered to the grid during peak load, increasing system energy efficiency. In this work, the possibility of utilizing a Megawatt scale energy storage system, such as a battery bank, to improve the efficiency of a proposed 10-MW Biglow Canyon solar array through solar peak shaving is discussed in detail. With an overview of the benefits of peak shaving and a comparative study of energy storage technologies, an assessment of the most suitable commercially available storage systems is broadly discussed in the paper. Three control algorithms based on battery storage, state of charge, and constant output are proposed to balance the difference between generation and usage using appropriate energy storage system. Simulations are performed with System Advisor Model software to gain an insight of the possible losses and to forecast the monthly energy production costs.
Otto von Guericke’s Cometary Theory in Stanisław Lubieniecki’s Correspondence
Authors: Jasiński Maciej
Published: June 2020

Drawing on the results of his experiments with vacuum, Otto von Guericke put forward his own theory of comets. He explained this theory in his letters to Stanisław Lubieniecki who later published Guericke’s and his own letters in his Theatrum cometicum (1666–1668). Guericke also wrote about comets in his Experimenta nova (1672), simply reprinting the correspondence from Lubieniecki’s book. All subsequent studies of Guericke’s theory were based exclusively on letters written by Guericke. And yet it is Lubieniecki’s letters to Guericke which include comments and requests for more detailed explanations and elaboration of the theory, thereby casting important light on the overall scope of theory. Moreover, Lubieniecki’s correspondence with other scholars, printed in Theatrum cometicum, testifies to his efforts to disseminate Guericke’s theory and describes the reception of the theory. The present article offers a detailed account of Guericke’s theory of comets and draws attention to Lubieniecki’s work as an understudied source of knowledge about contemporary astronomical debates.
From Mythology to Astronomy: Lists and Catalogues of Variable Stars
Authors: Zsoldos Endre
Published: June 2020

After the discovery of the new star of 1572, we find similar phenomena enumerated in the contemporary literature. The earliest of such lists, like that of Riccioli, looked like the cometary historiae of the time. They listed various kinds of objects, which could be put into three classes: mythological, astronomical, and astrological. These compilations were usually gathered from a perusal of the literature, either astronomical or historical. They also provided shorter or longer description of these stars, sometimes together with their effects on earthly affairs. Changes began to appear in the 17th century, when a few astronomers started to observe the stars, and when Bullialdus detected the first periodic one among them. The latter allowed for the first time the prediction of a celestial phenomenon different from the movement of the planets. The second half of the century saw numerous claims of discovery, among them such a famous variable as Algol. The demythologization of the study of variable stars continued until the work of Edward Pigott, whose work laid the foundations of modern variable star astronomy.
Permeability and compaction behaviour of air-texturised glass fibre rovings: A characterisation study
Authors: Sandberg Michael , Kabachi Ayyoub , Volk Maximilian , Bo Salling Filip , Ermanni Paolo , Hattel Jesper H , Spangenberg Jon
Published: June 2020

Air-texturisation is a process that adds bulkiness to bundles of fibres. In this study, the permeability and compaction behaviour of air-texturised glass fibre rovings are experimentally characterised and compared to conventional unidirectional rovings. Based on radial impregnation experiments and single-step compaction/decompaction tests, the following main findings are highlighted: Compared to conventional unidirectional-rovings, the normalised permeability of the air-texturised rovings was approximately three times higher along the fibre direction and 40 times higher transverse to the fibre direction. Accordingly, the degree of anisotropy was approximately one magnitude lower. At a compaction pressure of 1 and 5 bar, the air-texturised rovings were compacted to a volume fraction of [Formula: see text] and 0.43, respectively, which was approximately 30% lower than the volume fraction achieved for the conventional unidirectional-rovings. Finally, it was observed that the decompaction of air-texturised rovings exhibits a more distinct elastic response when unloaded.
Mercy Killing, Partial Defences and Charge Decisions: 50 Shades of Grey
Authors: Clough Amanda
Published: June 2020

The revolution of the partial defences to murder by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 may have had a catastrophic impact on cases of mercy killing.1 While previously shoehorned into the diminished responsibility plea, the medicalisation of this defence may prevent such a ploy. However, a recent case has offered insight into the circumstances which may still result in a manslaughter conviction for mercy killers through a new avenue previously thought impermissible. This article will discuss the case and those similar, alongside charging decisions and just results. Mercy killing remains a grey area in the criminal justice system, but is there light at the end of the tunnel?
The Sentencing Guidelines: Reflection and Reform
Authors: Samuels Alec
Published: June 2020

A consideration of the current sentencing principles, the Sentencing Guidelines, and the difficulties that have emerged. A discussion of the changing sentencing principles, and the need for reform. Readers are urged to respond to the consultation.
Marketing Excellence: Nature, Measurement, and Investor Valuations
Authors: Homburg Christian , Theel Marcus , Hohenberg Sebastian
Published: June 2020

Marketing excellence is a foundational principle for the discipline that is gaining increasing attention among managers and investors. Despite this, the nature of marketing excellence and its effectiveness remain unclear. This research offers insight by addressing two questions: (1) How do managers understand and exercise marketing excellence? and (2) How do investors evaluate marketing excellence? Study 1 merges insights from 39 in-depth interviews with senior executives and secondary data from 150 firm strategies to find that marketing excellence is a strategy type focused on achieving organic growth by executing priorities related to the marketing ecosystem, end user, and marketing agility. Study 2 quantifies the impact of marketing excellence on firm value by using a machine learning algorithm and text analysis through an original dictionary to classify the text from 8,317 letters to shareholders in 1,727 U.S. firm annual reports. Calendar-time portfolio models reveal abnormal one-year returns of up to 8.58% for marketing excellence—returns that outpace those associated with market orientation and marketing capabilities. Findings offer guidance to managers, educators, and investors regarding how marketing excellence manifests—paving the way for the allocation of firm resources to ensure that marketing drives organic growth.
Thromboinflammatory response in SARS-CoV-2 sepsis
Authors: Maiese Aniello , Passaro Giovanna , Matteis Alessandra DE , Fazio Valentina , Raffaele La Russa , Paolo Marco Di
Published: June 2020

Viral sepsis is rare, and its real incidence is not known. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes the release of a significant amount of pro-inflammatory cytokines that aggravates interstitial pneumonia and evolves in viral sepsis with prominent hypercoagulability. We believe it is useful and advisable to establish early immunomodulator therapy and the prophylaxis anticoagulant therapy should be rethought.
Telemedicine during Covid-19 pandemic: Advantage or critical issue?
Authors: Perrone Giulio , Zerbo Stefania , Bilotta Clio , Malta Ginevra , Argo Antonella
Published: June 2020

Telemedicine offers a support to traditional medicine, delivering clinical services when distance is a critical factor. Although this tool does not replace a medical examination, during Covid-19 pandemic, it reduces the spread of infection and avoids the need for a patient’s visit. It is useful in the management of chronic disorders or for patients undergoing palliative treatment. The University Hospital of Palermo has applied this in cases of chronic illness caring for patients who cannot stop their treatment, such as Department of Onco-Haematology, Internal Medicine, Dermatology, etc. The Department of Legal Medicine of Palermo, in particular, is also using telemedicine to manage medico-legal sudden natural death investigations and dealing with the Public Prosecutor’s office of Palermo. Even after the Covid-19 emergency, telemedicine will be essential to streamline outpatient visits, while at the same time limiting costs, with significant benefits for the Italian National Public Health Service budget. In conclusion, telemedicine can offer a valuable support to the doctor’s activity by streamlining and facilitating their work. In this sense, the Covid-19 pandemic represents a positive input for the acceleration and enhancement of these tools.
Psychological support and psychotherapy via digital devices in Covid-19 emergency time: Some critical issues
Authors: Tullio Valeria , Perrone Giulio , Bilotta Clio , Lanzarone Antonietta , Argo Antonina
Published: June 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting fear, quarantine and lockdown measures implemented in Italy and other countries to contain the risk of contagion have seriously impacted the mental health of a large number of people. The need to offer psychological and psychotherapeutic support to these people, while respecting the government’s pressing calls to “stay home”, have led many psychologists and psychotherapists, both in the public and private sectors, to provide their professional services via teleconference, telephone, smartphone, etc. The aim of this work is to highlight some critical issues related to the sudden switch from the traditional method of providing psychological services to the digital one in Italy.
Increased microvascular permeability and low level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol predict symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Yuan Tingting , Chen Naifei , Jin Hang , Yin Hongmei
Published: June 2020

Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage is a serious potential complication of recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke. We investigated the optimal imaging and clinical parameters to predict symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage in acute ischemic stroke patients after recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator therapy. We retrospectively reviewed 151 acute ischemic stroke patients with thrombolytic therapy, who were dichotomized into symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage group and non–symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage group. They underwent multimodal computed tomography, including the measurement of permeability surface. We compared the clinical and radiological characteristics between symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage group and non–symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage group, using univariate analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses were then used to determine symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage predictors. Of 151 patients, 14 patients (9.27%) developed symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage on follow-up imaging. Relative permeability surface (infarct permeability surface/contralateral normal permeability surface) ( p < 0.05) and baseline low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level ( p < 0.05) were both predictors of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Receiver operating characteristic analysis of relative permeability surface revealed an optimal relative permeability surface threshold of 2.239, with an area under the curve of 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.732–1.0). The relative permeability surface was 2.239, the sensitivity for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was 85.7%, the specificity was 94.9%, the positive predictive value was 70.6%, and the negative predictive value was 95.5%. For low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the optimal threshold was 2.45, with an area under the curve of 0.726 (95% confidence interval, 0.586–0.867), the sensitivity for symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage was 73.0%, the specificity was 64.3%, the positive predictive value was 67.16%, and the negative predictive value was 79.09%. Our study demonstrated that increased infarct permeability surface and low level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol can be two predictors of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. Detection of relative permeability surface and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol may help clinicians to identify acute ischemic stroke patients with the higher risk of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage; intravenous thrombolytic therapy should be carefully performed for patients with high relative permeability surface and low low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We may take relative permeability surface and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol into account to refine therapeutic decision-making in acute ischemic stroke.
Using simulation in the assessment of voting procedures: an epistemic instrumental approach
Authors: Jiménez-Rolland Marc , Macías-Ponce Julio César , Martínez-Álvarez Luis Fernando
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we argue that computer simulations can provide valuable insights into the performance of voting methods on different collective decision problems. This could improve institutional design, even when there is no general theoretical result to support the optimality of a voting method. To support our claim, we first describe a decision problem that has not received much theoretical attention in the literature. We outline different voting methods to address that collective decision problem. Under certain criteria of assessment akin to extensions of the Condorcet Jury Theorem, we run simulations for the methods using MATLAB, in order to compare their performance under various conditions. We consider and respond to concerns about the use of simulations in the assessment of voting procedures for policymaking.
Enclaving: Spatial detachment as an aesthetics of imagination in an urban sub-Saharan African context
Authors: Nielsen Morten , Sumich Jason , Bertelsen Bjørn Enge
Published: June 2020

While detachment and separation continue to be central to urban development across the globe, in several sub-Saharan African cities they have acquired a particular form of acute social and political efficacy. In many European and American cities, the making of fortified enclosures is considered to be an effect of an endemic fear of societal dissolution, and a growing number of sub-Saharan African cities are, seemingly, affected by a similar socio-political and economic dynamic. However, in sub-Saharan Africa the spatial lines of separation that isolate the affluent few from surrounding urban spaces follow both a much wider and less coordinated meshwork of social divisions and political fissures, and draw on a deeper socio-cultural, economic and historical repertoire. In this article, we trace the contours of enclaving as a critical urban driver, which is rapidly changing the social and physical fabric of cities across the sub-Saharan continent. Rather than considering enclaving simply as a physical manifestation of dominance and privilege, however, we consider it as an ‘aesthetics of imagination’ that migrates through the cities and thereby weaves together otherwise dissimilar and distinct social practices and spaces, political desires and economic aspirations.
Transnational gentrification, tourism and the formation of ‘foreign only’ enclaves in Barcelona
Authors: Cocola-Gant Agustin , Lopez-Gay Antonio
Published: June 2020

In a context of global-scale inequalities and increased middle-class transnational mobility, this paper explores how the arrival of Western European and North American migrants in Barcelona drives a process of gentrification that coexists and overlaps with the development of tourism in the city. Research has focused increasingly on the role of visitors and Airbnb in driving gentrification. However, our aim is to add another layer to the complexity of neighbourhood change in tourist cities by considering the role of migrants from advanced economies as gentrifiers in these neighbourhoods. We combined socio-demographic analysis with in-depth interviews and, from this, we found that: (1) lifestyle opportunities, rather than work, explain why transnational migrants are attracted to Barcelona, resulting in privileged consumers of housing that then displace long-term residents; (2) migrants have become spatially concentrated in tourist enclaves and interact predominantly with other transnational mobile populations; (3) the result is that centrally located neighbourhoods are appropriated by foreigners – both visitors and migrants – who are better positioned in the unequal division of labour, causing locals to feel increasingly excluded from the place. We illustrate that tourism and transnational gentrification spatially coexist and, accordingly, we provide an analysis that integrates both processes to understand how neighbourhood change occurs in areas impacted by tourism. By doing so, the paper offers a fresh reading of how gentrification takes place in a Southern European destination and, furthermore, it provides new insights into the conceptualisation of tourism and lifestyle migration as drivers of gentrification.
Data-driven model-free sliding mode learning control for a class of discrete-time nonlinear systems
Authors: Cao Lei , Gao Shouli , Zhao Dongya
Published: June 2020

This paper proposes a data-driven model-free sliding mode learning control (MFSMLC) for a class of discrete-time nonlinear systems. In this scheme, the control design does not depend on the mathematical model of the controlled system. The nonlinear system can be transformed into a dynamic linear data system by a novel dynamic linearization method. A recursive learning control algorithm is designed for the nonlinear system that can drive the sliding variable reach and remain on the sliding surface only by using output and input data. Moreover, the chattering is reduced because there is no non-smooth term in MFSMLC. After the strict stability analysis, the effectiveness of MFSMLC is validated by MATLAB simulations.
Correlation of intracranial and aortic aneurysms: current trends and evidence
Authors: Moughal Saad , Bashir Mohamad
Published: June 2020

The correlation between intracranial and aortic aneurysms remains elusive. Data in the literature are scattered, and outcome reporting is swamped with heterogeneity and single-center bias. This calamity is adding to confusion on decision-making and delays the instigation of appropriate clinical applications. This literature review delves into the abyss of the lack of clinically driven scientific input, and highlights the trends explored thus far.
A music literacy-based rationale for popular music ensembles and experiences in music education
Authors: May Brittany Nixon , Broomhead Paul , Tsugawa Samuel
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this article is to utilize new conceptions of music literacy to support and encourage popular music experiences in music education. A new definition of music literacy is presented and authentic popular music resources that function as (newly defined) texts to develop music literacy are identified and discussed. Finally, considerations will be given for music educators on how to select and utilize popular music texts to engage students in meaningful music interactions that promote music literacy development.
Urban borderwork: Ethnographies of policing
Authors: Christensen Maya Mynster , Albrecht Peter
Published: June 2020

This special issue introduces a conceptual framework for ethnographies of urban policing that foregrounds how defining features of the city produce police work, and in turn, how police work produces the city. To address how the mutually productive relationship of policing and the city shape current transformations in the ordering of urban space, the notions of borders and bordering are invoked. In contemporary cities across the global North and South, borders and bordering practices are reconfigured to address mobilities and flows deemed to threaten social order and have thus become manifestations of fear and anxiety linked to these mobilities and flows. At the core of our framework is the argument that urban policing is principally a practice of bordering. By approaching urban policing as a practice of bordering that is informed by material and imaginary manifestations, tensions between (de)territorializing and (de)stabilization are highlighted as both the vehicle and outcome of bordering practices. These tensions, we propose, can be captured through the concept of trembling. Trembling implies both a physical and emotional response to anxiety, excitement and frailty that is paradoxically built into borders and bordering practices.
Effects of spacing on contextual vocabulary learning: Spacing facilitates the acquisition of explicit, but not tacit, vocabulary knowledge
Authors: Nakata Tatsuya , Elgort Irina
Published: June 2020

Studies examining decontextualized associative vocabulary learning have shown that long spacing between encounters with an item facilitates learning more than short or no spacing, a phenomenon known as distributed practice effect. However, the effect of spacing on learning words in context is less researched and the results, so far, are inconsistent. In this study, we compared the effect of massed and spaced distributions on second language vocabulary learning from reading. Japanese speakers of English encountered 48 novel vocabulary items embedded in informative English sentences, inferred their meanings from contexts, and received feedback in the form of English synonyms and Japanese translation equivalents. To test the hypothesis that the effects of spacing might differentially affect the development of explicit or tacit word knowledge, spacing effects were measured using semantic priming as well as a meaning recall and a meaning–form matching posttest. Results showed an advantage of spaced over massed learning on the meaning recall and meaning–form matching posttests. However, a similar semantic priming effect was observed irrespective of whether an item was encountered in the massed or spaced distribution. These results suggest that the spacing effect holds in contextual word learning for the development of explicit vocabulary knowledge, but massing appears to be as effective as spacing for the acquisition of tacit semantic knowledge.