bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coordinated Upper-Troposphere-to-Stratosphere Balloon Experiment in Biak
Authors: Hasebe F. , Aoki S. , Morimoto S. , Inai Y. , Nakazawa T. , Sugawara S. , Ikeda C. , Honda H. , Yamazaki H. , Halimurrahman  , Komala N. , Putri F. A. , Budiyono A. , Soedjarwo M. , Ishidoya S. , Toyoda S. , Shibata T. , Hayashi M. , Eguchi N. , Nishi N. , Fujiwara M. , Ogino S.-Y. , Shiotani M. , Sugidachi T.
Published: January 2018

The stratospheric response to climate forcing, such as an increase in greenhouse gases, is often unpredictable because of interactions between radiation, dynamics, and chemistry. Climate models are unsuccessful in simulating the realistic distribution of stratospheric water vapor. The long-term trend of the stratospheric age of air (AoA), a measure that characterizes the stratospheric turnover time, remains inconsistent between diagnoses in climate models and estimates from tracer observations. For these reasons, observations designed specifically to distinguish the effects of individual contributing processes are required. Here, we report on the Coordinated Upper-Troposphere-to-Stratosphere Balloon Experiment in Biak (CUBE/Biak), an observation campaign organized in Indonesia. Being inside the “tropical pipe” makes it possible to study the dehydration in the tropical tropopause layer and the gradual ascent in the stratosphere while minimizing the effects of multiple circulation pathways and wave mixing. Cryogenic sampling of minor constituents and major isotopes was conducted simultaneously with radiosonde observations of water vapor, ozone, aerosols, and cloud particles. The water vapor “tape recorder,” gravitational separation, and isotopocules are being studied in conjunction with tracers that are accumulated in the atmosphere as dynamical and chemical measures of elapsed time since stratospheric air entry. The observational estimates concerning the AoA and water vapor tape recorder are compared with those derived from trajectory calculations.
Variations in Snow Crystal Riming and ZDR: A Case Analysis
Authors: Kennedy Patrick , Thurai Merhala , Praz Christophe , Bringi V. N. , Berne Alexis , Notaroš Branislav M.
Published: January 2018

A case study in terms of variations in differential reflectivity ZDR observed at X band and snow crystal riming is presented for a light-snow event that occurred near Greeley, Colorado, on 26–27 November 2015. In the early portion of the event, ZDR values at near-surface levels were low (0–0.25 dB). During a second time period approximately 8 h later, ZDR values became distinctly positive (+2–3 dB). Digital photographs of the snow particles were obtained by a Multi-Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC) installed at a range of 13 km from the radar. Image-processing and machine-learning techniques applied to the MASC data showed that the snow particles were more heavily rimed during the low-ZDR time period. The aerodynamic effects of these rime deposits promoted a wider distribution of hydrometeor canting angles. The shift toward more random particle orientations underlies the observed reduction in ZDR during the period when more heavily rimed particles were observed in the MASC data.
Heating and Moistening of the MJO during DYNAMO in ECMWF Reforecasts
Authors: Kim Ji-Eun , Zhang Chidong , Kiladis George N. , Bechtold Peter
Published: January 2018

Reforecasts produced by the ECMWF Integrated Forecast System (IFS) were used to study heating and moistening processes associated with three MJO events over the equatorial Indian Ocean during the Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) field campaign. Variables produced by and derived from the IFS reforecast (IFS-RF) agree reasonably well with observations over the DYNAMO sounding arrays, and they vary smoothly from the western to eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. This lends confidence toward using IFS-RF as a surrogate of observations over the equatorial Indian Ocean outside the DYNAMO arrays. The apparent heat source Q1 and apparent moisture sink Q2 produced by IFS are primarily generated by parameterized cumulus convection, followed by microphysics and radiation. The vertical growth of positive Q1 and Q2 associated with the progression of MJO convection can be gradual, stepwise, or rapid depending on the event and its location over the broader equatorial Indian Ocean. The time for convective heating and drying to progress from shallow (800 hPa) to deep (400 hPa) can be <1 to 6 days. This growth time of heating and drying is usually short for convective processes alone but becomes longer when additional microphysical processes, such as evaporative moistening below convective and stratiform clouds, are in play. Three ratios are calculated to measure the possible role of radiative feedback in the MJO events: amplitudes of radiative versus convective heating rates, changes in radiative versus convective heating rates, and diabatic (with and without the radiative component) versus adiabatic heating rates. None of them unambiguously distinguishes the MJO from non-MJO convective events.
Single Precision in the Dynamical Core of a Nonhydrostatic Global Atmospheric Model: Evaluation Using a Baroclinic Wave Test Case
Authors: Nakano Masuo , Yashiro Hisashi , Kodama Chihiro , Tomita Hirofumi
Published: January 2018

Reducing the computational cost of weather and climate simulations would lower electric energy consumption. From the standpoint of reducing costs, the use of reduced precision arithmetic has become an active area of research. Here the impact of using single-precision arithmetic on simulation accuracy is examined by conducting Jablonowski and Williamson’s baroclinic wave tests using the dynamical core of a global fully compressible nonhydrostatic model. The model employs a finite-volume method discretized on an icosahedral grid system and its mesh size is set to 220, 56, 14, and 3.5 km. When double-precision arithmetic is fully replaced by single-precision arithmetic, a spurious wavenumber-5 structure becomes dominant in both hemispheres, rather than the expected baroclinic wave growth only in the Northern Hemisphere. It was found that this spurious wave growth comes from errors in the calculation of gridcell geometrics. Therefore, an additional simulation was conducted using double precision for calculations that only need to be performed for model setup, including calculation of gridcell geometrics, and single precision everywhere else, meaning that all calculations performed each time step used single precision. In this case, the model successfully simulated the growth of the baroclinic wave with only small errors and a 46% reduction in runtime. These results suggest that the use of single-precision arithmetic will allow significant reduction of computational costs in next-generation weather and climate simulations using a fully compressible nonhydrostatic global model with the finite-volume method.
Intersecting Social Inequalities and Body Mass Index Trajectories from Adolescence to Early Adulthood
Authors: Hargrove Taylor W.
Published: January 2018

This study combines multiple-hierarchy stratification and life course perspectives to address two research questions critical to understanding U.S. young adult health. First, to what extent are racial-ethnic inequalities in body mass index (BMI) gendered and/or classed? Second, do racial-ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities in BMI widen or persist between adolescence and early adulthood? Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort and growth curve models, results suggest that among white, black, and Hispanic American men and women ages 13 to 31, racial-ethnic inequality in BMI is greatest among women. Black women experience the highest adolescent BMI and the greatest increases in BMI with age. Furthermore, socioeconomic resources are less protective against weight gain for blacks and Hispanics, with the nature of these relationships varying by gender. Findings present a more nuanced picture of health inequality that renders visible the disproportionate burden of poor health experienced by marginalized groups.
The legislature as a gendered workplace: Exploring members of parliament’s experiences of working in the Swedish parliament
Authors: Erikson Josefina , Josefsson Cecilia
Published: January 2018

Do men and women legislators have equal opportunities to carry out their parliamentary duties? An important first step to uncover the parliament’s inner life is to evaluate members of parliament’s (MPs) experiences of their work environment. In this article, we explore the Swedish parliament where women have held over 40% of the seats for two decades to test the persistence of gendered norms and practices. Using a new survey dataset of 279 Swedish MPs (82% response rate), we find that female MPs experience greater pressure, higher levels of anxiety, and are subject to more negative treatment than male MPs. Yet, while men and women report participating in debates and influencing their political party’s agenda to the same degree, we conclude that the Parliament’s working environment remains gendered in that women pay a higher personal cost for their political engagement.
Perceived cultural acceptability and comfort with affectionate touch: Differences between Mexican Americans and European Americans
Authors: Burleson Mary H. , Roberts Nicole A. , Coon David W. , Soto José A.
Published: January 2018

Ethnographic descriptions suggest that cultures differ in the extent to which they value physical touch and its acceptability in different kinds of social relationships. For example, compared to European American (EA) culture, Mexican culture is described as placing greater emphasis on warm interpersonal interactions, in which touch may play an important part. We tested this notion empirically by assessing attitudes about touch among 271 Mexican American (MA; 208 female) and 578 EA (434 female) college students. Specifically, we examined potential ethnic group differences in (1) participants’ perception of the acceptability of affectionate touch (AT) within their cultures, depending on the relationship (close others vs. acquaintances) and setting (private vs. public) in which the touch occurs; and (2) participants’ own personal comfort with AT. Among MAs, we examined associations between touch attitudes and acculturation. As predicted, MAs reported greater cultural acceptability of AT with acquaintances (but not close others) and in public (but not private) settings than did EAs. Participants’ own comfort with AT was greater for both MA men and EA women than for EA men. Further, higher perceived cultural acceptability of AT predicted greater personal comfort with AT in both ethnic groups. Finally, among MAs, greater acculturation predicted less comfort with AT. Together, these results lend support to the notion that MA ethnocultural norms encourage AT in nonintimate contexts to a greater degree than EA norms, particularly for men, and that personal attitudes about AT are largely congruent with these norms. They also call attention to cross-cultural similarities in attitudes about touch in more intimate contexts.
Late medieval philosophical and theological discussions of mental disorders: Witelo, Oresme, Gerson
Authors: Hirvonen Vesa
Published: January 2018

No matter from which perspective Witelo, Oresme and Gerson approach mental disorders, they think that madness usually has a bodily, such as a humoral or organic, origin. They do, however, consider divine or demonic causes as possibly being behind immediate causes. According to Witelo and the Parisians, because of a change in the body, madmen’s sensory fantasy is disturbed and in this situation their intellect does not act normally, and their will lacks freedom. It is important to realize that, according to the medieval writers, mentally-disordered people have not lost any parts of their soul or their basic potencies. If this were the case, they would not be human beings by definition.
Optical coherence tomography angiography indicates associations of the retinal vascular network and disease activity in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Feucht Nikolaus , Maier Mathias , Lepennetier Gildas , Pettenkofer Moritz , Wetzlmair Carmen , Daltrozzo Tanja , Scherm Pauline , Zimmer Claus , Hoshi Muna-Miriam , Hemmer Bernhard , Korn Thomas , Knier Benjamin
Published: January 2018

Background:

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) may show alterations of retinal layer architecture as measured by optical coherence tomography. Little is known about changes in the retinal vascular network during MS.

Objective:

To characterize retinal vessel structures in patients with MS and CIS and to test for associations with MS disease activity.

Method:

In all, 42 patients with MS or CIS and 50 healthy controls underwent retinal optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) with analysis of the superficial and deep vascular plexuses and the choriocapillaries. We tested OCT-A parameters for associations with retinal layer volumes, history of optic neuritis (ON), and the retrospective disease activity.

Results:

Inner retinal layer volumes correlated positively with the density of both the superficial and deep vascular plexuses. Eyes of MS/CIS patients with a history of ON revealed reduced vessel densities of the superficial and deep vascular plexuses as compared to healthy controls. Higher choriocapillary vessel densities were associated with ongoing inflammatory disease activity during 24 months prior to OCT-A examination in MS and CIS patients.

Conclusion:

Optic neuritis is associated with rarefaction of the superficial and deep retinal vessels. Alterations of the choriocapillaries might be linked to disease activity in MS.
The role of emotion, space and place in police custody in England: Towards a geography of police custody
Authors: Wooff Andrew , Skinns Layla
Published: January 2018

Police custody is a complex environment, where police officers, detainees and other staff interact in a number of different emotional, spatial and transformative ways. Utilising ethnographic and interview data collected as part of a five-year study which aims to rigorously examine ‘good’ police custody, this paper analyses the ways that liminality and temporality impact on emotion in police custody. Architecture has previously been noted as an important consideration in relation to social control, with literature linking the built environment with people’s emotional ‘readings’ of space. No work, however, has examined the links between temporality, liminality and emotional performativity in a police custody context. In this environment, power dynamics are linked to past experiences of the police, with emotions being intrinsically embodied, relational, liminal and temporal. Emotion management is therefore an important way of conceptualising the dynamic relationships in custody. The paper concludes by arguing that emotional aftershocks symbolise the liminal experience of detainees’ understanding of the police custody process once released, noting that it is important to understand the microscale, lived experience of police custody in order to develop broader understanding of broader social and policing policy in a police custody context.
The demographic divide: Population dynamics, race and the rise of mass incarceration in the United States
Authors: Campbell Michael C , Vogel Matt
Published: January 2018

This manuscript examines whether certain fundamental demographic changes in age structures across racial groups might help explain incarceration rates in the United States. We argue that a “demographic divide”—a growing divergence in the age structures of blacks and whites—was an important factor that contributed to the nation’s rising incarceration rates. Where age disparities between blacks and whites were higher ideological conservatism and religious fundamentalism increased, as did incarceration rates. We contend that historical forces shape how groups respond to subsequent social problems and proposed solutions to them and explore how “generational effects” may shape law and policy. Specifically, we suggest that states with older white and younger black populations created fertile conditions for a more punitive brand of politics and penal policy. We analyze decennial state-level data from 1970 to 2010 and examine whether differences in the median ages of blacks and whites contributed to changing incarceration rates within states over time. We situate our findings within the broader scholarship that has engaged the complex links between race, religion, political conservatism, and punishment. Our findings illustrate the importance of accounting for long-term shifts in social structure in understanding more proximate changes in law and policy.
“Yes, I can still parent. Until I die, he will always be my son”: Parental responsibility in the wake of child incarceration
Authors: McCarthy Daniel , Adams Maria
Published: January 2018

This paper examines what parental responsibility means when an adolescent child is sent to prison, where the traditional parenting relationship seemingly ends and parens patriae or penal control comes into full force. Paradoxically, we argue that even in these restricted spaces of contact, parenting continues, albeit in a form which runs into frequent tension with the care/control modalities of the prison itself. Our data further demonstrate the importance of addressing a constellation of social adversities experienced by caregivers, in conjunction with the collateral consequences of offending and incarceration. Data are drawn from interviews with primary caregivers with young men in prison (n = 61).
Photographic and cinematic appropriation of atrocity images from Cambodia: auto-genocide in Western museum culture and The Missing Picture
Authors: Wagner Keith B , Unger Michael A
Published: January 2018

As a harrowing sub-discipline of English and Comparative Literature, Trauma Studies is in need of geographical expansion beyond its moorings in European genocides of the 20th century. In this article, the authors chart the institutional and cinematic appropriation of atrocity images in relation to the Khmer Rouge’s auto-genocide from 1975–1979 in Cambodia. They analyse the cultural and scholarly value of these images in conjunction with genocide studies to reveal principles often overlooked, taken for granted, or pushed to the periphery in photography studies and film studies. Through grim appropriations of archival or news footage to more experimental approaches in documentary, such as the use of dioramas, the authors examine the commercial and artistic articulations of trauma, reconciliation and testimony in two case studies: The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) exhibition Photographs from S-21: 1975–1979 (1997) and Pithy Panh’s documentary The Missing Picture (2013). The authors first focus on the relatively obscure scholarship devoted to contextualizing images from international genocides outside the Euro-American canon for genocide study in order to build their critical formulations; they go on to explore whether these atrocity-themed still and moving images are capable of defying aspects of commodification and sensationalism to instead convey positive notions of commemoration and memory. Finally, their contribution to this debate regarding the merit of appropriating atrocity imagery is viewed from two perspectives: ‘commodified witnessing’ (a negative descriptor for the MoMA exhibition) and ‘commemorative witnessing’ (a positive term for the Cambodian film).
Integrating police-recorded crime data and DNA data to study serial co-offending behaviour
Authors: De Moor Sabine , Vandeviver Christophe , Vander Beken Tom
Published: January 2018

When studying offending behaviour, researchers primarily rely on police-recorded crime data, even though such data contain only detected crimes and known offenders. Using DNA data, which also contain information on unknown offenders, enables researchers to link offenders by identifying their presence at shared crime scenes. In this paper we combine police-recorded crime data with DNA data to study serial co-offending behaviour. We focus on the changes the networks of crimes obtained from police-recorded crime data undergo when integrated with data from unknown offenders in the DNA database. We demonstrate that an integrated dataset reveals more and larger networks of crimes with a larger spatiotemporal spread compared with the police-recorded crime data only.
Focus Groups as Social Arenas for the Negotiation of Normativity
Authors: Kristiansen Tine Mechlenborg , Grønkjær Mette
Published: January 2018

Aim:

This article aims to demonstrate how focus group discussions act as a social arena for the negotiation of social norms and normativity and to discuss the implications for the analysis of focus group discussions.

Participants and methods:

We have used sequences of group interactions from a focus group study on everyday life and chronic illness to demonstrate how methodological tools from conversation analysis and discursive psychology can be used to facilitate a systematic analysis of the negotiation and legitimization of social norms and normativity in focus groups. The empirical data consisted of six focus groups with a total of 32 participants.

Results:

The analysis demonstrated negotiations on normativity concerning four central aspects related to living with chronic illness: negotiating normativity about adjustment to the disease, negotiating normativity about being a dutiful employee, negotiating normativity about responsibility for the illness, and negotiating normativity about carrying on.

Conclusion:

Although the role of interaction in focus group data analysis and its impact on the content of the data should always be viewed in relation to the specific study and study focus, based on the analyses, we argue that adding different epistemological and analytical lenses to a data set may produce different, additional, and more complex insights into the research field.
International Perspectives on Identity and Acculturation in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Landberg Monique , Dimitrova Radosveta , Syed Moin
Published: January 2018

This article introduces the special issue, International Perspectives on Identity and Acculturation in Emerging Adulthood. The idea for this issue was put forward by emerging scholars at the 7th Biennial Conference of the Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood in Miami, FL, in October 2015. This special issue gathers qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies from North America, Europe, and South Africa on identity and acculturation in diverse samples. The five papers seek to shed light on the interplay of ethnicity, identity, and acculturation processes in underresearched contexts, in terms of either country or subpopulations within a country.
Current clinical, radiological and treatment perspectives of patellofemoral pain syndrome
Authors: Gulati Aishwarya , McElrath Christopher , Wadhwa Vibhor , Shah Jay P , Chhabra Avneesh
Published: January 2018

Anterior knee pain in active young adults is commonly related to patellofemoral pain syndrome, which can be broadly classified into patellar malalignment and patellar maltracking. Imaging is performed to further elucidate the exact malalignment and maltracking abnormalities and exclude other differentials. This article details the role of the stabilizers of the patellofemoral joint, findings on conventional and multimodality imaging aiding in patellofemoral pain syndrome diagnosis and characterization, and current perspectives of various treatment approaches.
The Microbe Directory: An annotated, searchable inventory of microbes’ characteristics
Authors: Shaaban Heba , Westfall David A. , Mohammad Rawhi , Danko David , Bezdan Daniela , Afshinnekoo Ebrahim , Segata Nicola , Mason Christopher E.
Published: January 2018

The Microbe Directory is a collective research effort to profile and annotate more than 7,500 unique microbial species from the MetaPhlAn2 database that includes bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, and protozoa. By collecting and summarizing data on various microbes’ characteristics, the project comprises a database that can be used downstream of large-scale metagenomic taxonomic analyses, allowing one to interpret and explore their taxonomic classifications to have a deeper understanding of the microbial ecosystem they are studying. Such characteristics include, but are not limited to: optimal pH, optimal temperature, Gram stain, biofilm-formation, spore-formation, antimicrobial resistance, and COGEM class risk rating. The database has been manually curated by trained student-researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and CUNY—Hunter College, and its analysis remains an ongoing effort with open-source capabilities so others can contribute. Available in SQL, JSON, and CSV (i.e. Excel) formats, the Microbe Directory can be queried for the aforementioned parameters by a microorganism’s taxonomy. In addition to the raw database, The Microbe Directory has an online counterpart (https://microbe.directory/) that provides a user-friendly interface for storage, retrieval, and analysis into which other microbial database projects could be incorporated. The Microbe Directory was primarily designed to serve as a resource for researchers conducting metagenomic analyses, but its online web interface should also prove useful to any individual who wishes to learn more about any particular microbe.
Fin-de-Siècle Yeats: Artistry and affect in “The Cap and Bells”
Authors: Jackson MacDonald P.
Published: January 2018

There have been various interpretations of W. B. Yeats’s “The Cap and Bells”, but little attention has been paid to those elements of its organization which make it effective as poetry. This article is concerned less with what the poem means than with how it means, through the choice and placement of words, phrases, and images in a sequence that not only tells a story but shapes it so as to engage our feelings. The essence of this verbal artefact lies in the emotional progression, conveyed with consummate skill, from frustrated longing to fulfilment. Comparison between the version that Yeats first published in The National Observer in 1894 and the revised version included in The Wind Among the Reeds (1899) reveals Yeats’s increased technical skill.
Phylogeny of the popcorn flowers: Use of genome skimming to evaluate monophyly and interrelationships in subtribe Amsinckiinae (Boraginaceae)
Authors: Simpson Michael G. , Guilliams C. Matt , Hasenstab-Lehman Kristen E. , Mabry Makenzie E. , Ripma Lee
Published: January 2018

Subtribe Amsinckiinae, currently containing 13 genera and approximately 287 species, is a species‐rich group of the family Boraginaceae. Past studies assessing relationships had a limited sample size and generally weak support. Here we study phylogenetic relationships of Amsinckiinae using a large sample size and considerably more sequence data in order to evaluate the interrelationships of genera and clades within this group. Using high‐throughput, genome skimming sequencing of 139 samples of Amsinckiinae and four outgroup taxa, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of separate plastome, cistron, and mitochondrial datasets are presented. In almost all analyses the common ancestor of the Amsinckiinae gives rise to an Andersonglossum or to an Andersonglossum + Adelinia clade. Most genera, including Amsinckia, Eremocarya, Greeneocharis, Harpagonella, Oreocarya, and Pectocarya, are consistently monophyletic with strong support. Plagiobothrys is confirmed to be non‐monophyletic, composed of three clades conforming to generic sections. Cryptantha is also non‐monophyletic, with most species within a strongly supported Cryptantha s.str. clade, but some nesting within Johnstonella or our Maritimae clade, all with strong support. Although genome skimming verifies the monophyly of many genera and clades of Amsinckiinae, relationships among those clades and along the backbone of the trees remain uncertain, their elucidation possibly a factor of short branch lengths and likely requiring different types of molecular data. Our study may serve as a baseline for future work on the morphology, reproductive biology, and biogeography of the Amsinckiinae.
Midwives should welcome government initiatives
Authors: Allen M Rose
Published: January 2018

Initiatives such as The Patient’s Charter (1992), Health of The Nation (1992) and the Winterton Report (1992) are designed to enhance choice and quality in health care in the UK: some say they are long overdue. However, many midwives fear the changes that these will bring about and for some, they represent a serious threat.
International Confederation of Midwives: promoting midwifery worldwide
Authors: Thompson Anne , Walker Joan
Published: January 2018

The International Confederation of Midwives seems a remote and shadowy presence in the midwifery world to many, unless they have witnessed the excitement of colleagues who have attended Congress, or have had the privilege of personal attendance at one. A description of how it works and what it does should serve to demystify midwifery’s international forum and illustrate its role and value in promoting women’s and children’s health around the globe.
Publisher responds to Castledine critics
Authors: Allen Mark
Published: January 2018

The sun shone in Vancouver last month. This event in itself is somewhat unusual at this time of year, charming and captivating as this Canadian west coast city undoubtedly is. Gazing across the waters, with skyscraper buildings glistening in the background, it was difficult not to conclude that the untypical seasonal warmth that engulfed the city was a metaphor for a bright new beginning.
Antenatal classes: has midwifery lost interest?
Authors: Rees Colin
Published: January 2018

Antenatal classes have become such an accepted part of midwifery services that they run the risk of lacking stimulation both for those who attend and for the midwives involved in them. Now is the time to challenge our views on the purpose of classes and the skills required of those who run them.
Life and death decisions
Authors: Milan Pamela
Published: January 2018

Midwives working in environments where life and death decisions have to be made, such as the neonatal intensive care unit, have a responsibility to think through the difficult issues involved, and to formulate a personal ethic with which they can work.
Rallying midwife researchers: how to increase output
Authors: Hicks Carolyn
Published: January 2018

It is widely recognized that midwifery research is critical in enhancing the quality of care, yet there is a limited research output. What are the reasons for this, and how can research initiatives be encouraged?
Screening for Down’s syndrome
Authors: Whittle Martin J
Published: January 2018

Major fetal abnormalities occur with a frequency of about 1-2% at birth. One such abnormality is Down’s syndrome, or mongolism, which has an incidence of about 1 in 650 births. Although the syndrome is likely to occur more often in the babies of older women, the majority of babies with Down’s syndrome (numerically) are born to younger women with no obvious risk factors, therefore some form of screening procedure is required for their detection.
Assessment of uterine contractions: midwife or monitor?
Authors: Oláh Karl S , Henderson Christine , Birkbeck Jackie
Published: January 2018

The application of technology to clinical situations does not always produce a better outcome, as the randomized trials of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring have shown. There are various methods of uterine contraction assessment, and the results of clinical trials do not support the view that electronic assessment is superior; therefore, palpation should not be regarded as an obsolete form of monitoring.
Book review supplement
Authors: Henderson Christine , Dover Sue , Farr Ann , Gammon Ruth , Milan Pamela
Published: January 2018

The Pregnancy Book

Life will Never be the Same Again. Learning to be a First-time Parent

Homebirth and Other Alternatives to Hospital

ChildBirth Unmasked

Comprehensive Neonatal Nursing: A Physiologic Perspective
Prophylactic benefits of antenatal screening: helpful or harmful?
Authors: Akker Olga van den
Published: January 2018

Antenatal care is designed to screen pregnant women and provide prophylaxis and health education for them. Its major objective is probably to intervene or start treatment and to prepare parents for the care of an affected child, if a problem is found. Another objective of selective screening and testing is to allay anxiety if no problem is found. But are these objectives always achieved in practice?
Facing the future
Authors: Tucker Christine A
Published: January 2018

As midwifery strengthens and indeed, in some cases, integrates its links with higher education, many conflicting issues have come to bear on midwifery education in rapid succession. This article puts forward an educationalist's view on the Expert Maternity Group's report Changing Childbirth.
Epidural analgesia 1: recent history
Authors: Mander Rosemary
Published: January 2018

This is the first of two articles on epidural anaesthesia. It examines the recent history of events that allowed epidural analgesia to become established practice in maternity care. The second article will consider the research basis of these developments, providing valuable insight into the debate on the control of childbirth.
Midwifery degree programmes: who benefits?
Authors: Jackson Kate
Published: January 2018

There are times when I wonder where midwifery education is heading. I have heard much from midwife lecturers about the need to achieve an all-graduate profession. They have expressed relief as colleges of midwifery education align themselves to colleges of further and higher education and, on occasion, they rejoice when a college of midwifery is fully incorporated into a university or polytechnic.
The Cambodian way of birth
Authors: Fleming Jenny
Published: January 2018

The Cambodian word for childbirth literally means ‘crossing the river’; it is the most dangerous and auspicious event in the lives of Cambodian women (Hansen, 1988). As much a religious event as a physiological one, childbirth needs to be approached and handled with understanding. In a Cambodian refugee camp, the ‘yiey’, or granny midwife, best knows the appropriate behaviour rituals, and how to appease the threatening spirits.
Midwife empowerment through education
Authors: Jamieson Lea
Published: January 2018

Cobb (1984) has said that ‘power is the capacity to change the behaviour or attitudes of another in a desired manner’. In the National Health Service we are all experiencing the legitimate power of the Government to influence our lives and change our working experience. Reports such as Winterton's (House of Commons Health Committee, 1992) and Changing Childbirth (Department of Health, 1993) form part of our everyday language and are already contributing to the way that midwifery care is given. Taking the classic framework of power developed by French and Raven (1959), I wonder how our profession stands? Do midwives control the organizational rewards and resources relating to maternity care? Do we have the power of experts, through our knowledge and skills? Do we have legitimate power invested in us that gives us recognition within our organizations? Do we have referent power, i.e. are we held in regard by our bosses and other influential people? Do we have the power to reward effective midwives and punish non-effective ones?
Scanning in late pregnancy
Authors: Kenyon Sara
Published: January 2018

This article explains the importance of ultrasound scanning in late pregnancy for assessing fetal growth and wellbeing. It differentiates between normal, symmetrical and asymmetrical growth retardation and discusses the use of the biophysical profile. The role of the midwife in the ultrasound unit and the use of Doppler ultrasound to assess fetal wellbeing in high-risk pregnancies are also covered.
The management of shoulder dystocia
Authors: Glynn Maureen , Oláh Karl S
Published: January 2018

Shoulder dystocia creates an unpredictable situation that requires rapid, effective action. This article reviews the literature on shoulder dystocia and discusses the recommendations for management of this infrequent but potentially devastating obstetric emergency.
IVF: society must make up its mind
Authors: Webster John
Published: January 2018

In-vitro fertilization (IVF), which was regarded with some scepticism only 10 years ago, has proved to be an essential weapon in the armamentarium of the infertility specialist. The technique has brought happiness to thousands of couples throughout the world and vital hope to many others.
Triplets and higher order births: too high a price?
Authors: Bryan Elizabeth , Denton Jane
Published: January 2018

The number of triplets and higher order births in the UK has trebled over the last 10 years (OPCS, 1992). These children are at risk of neonatal and long-term problems and their families often face severe physical, emotional and financial stress.
Should midwives carry out routine ultrasound scans?
Authors: Morrall Dawn
Published: January 2018

A growing number of midwives are carrying out ultrasound scans in an attempt to provide total antenatal care. This article examines the fundamental issues of safety, prescan counselling and training, which surround the question of routine ultrasound scanning in pregnancy.
Physical examination of the full-term baby
Authors: Rose Stephen J
Published: January 2018

Careful and compassionate examination of the full-term infant is the first postnatal expression of preventive medicine, enabling the detection of subtle abnormalities. It can also serve to reassure the family that the baby is normal. Although historically undertaken by medical staff, the examination may in future become the domain of the midwife.
The maternity road show
Authors: Davidson Anne
Published: January 2018

The maternity road show was devised to deal with a perceived failure in basic communication. Its purpose is to increase the awareness of the general public and health care professionals about the options available to women during childbirth within the Consultant Obstetric Unit at the William Smellie Maternity Unit.
How average is normality?
Authors: Downe Soo
Published: January 2018

Midwives are trained to be experts in normal childbirth. We are also, as we are all very well aware, expected to refer any deviations from the norm to a medical practitioner. This is all very straightforward, apparently. However, as new ways of working and new responsibilities develop for midwives, e.g. the introduction of the lead professional, there must surely be some serious discussion on this topic — for the question ‘what is normality?’ has yet to be posed and debated.
Protecting the perineum in childbirth 3: perineal care today
Authors: Floud Esther
Published: January 2018

Recent evidence that a slow physiological birth does not negatively affect maternal or fetal wellbeing, and that the routine use of episiotomy is not justified, has led to a revival of traditional methods of protecting the perineum. This article examines some of the theories underpinning current practice.
Modular programmes for midwifery education
Authors: Walton Irene
Published: January 2018

This article discusses the issues surrounding the provision of pre-and postregistration midwifery programmes within a totally flexible framework of modular delivery which can be used to enhance the student experience while being very cost and resource effective.
Opiate dependency in pregnancy
Authors: Siney Catherine , Kidd Mervyn , Walkinshaw Stephen , Morrison Clive , Manasse Paul
Published: January 2018

A retrospective study of 103 opiate-dependent women in Liverpool compared their outcomes of pregnancy with those of non-drug-misusing controls matched by age, parity and postal code. The study group were all on a methadone programme and received regular antenatal care.
Hormones and postnatal depression
Authors: Gregoire Alain
Published: January 2018

Postnatal depression is the most common complication of the postnatal period. In recent years it has attracted close attention from researchers examining the psychosocial and biological factors involved. This article summarises the current state of knowledge about postnatal psychiatric disorders and their psychosocial correlates and discusses the role of hormones in the genesis and treatment of postnatal depression.
Is the rate of revision of 36 mm metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties with Pinnacle acetabular components related to the year of the initial operation?
Authors: Matharu G. S. , Hunt L. P. , Murray D. W. , Howard P. , Pandit H. G. , Blom A. W. , Bolland B. , Judge A.
Published: January 2018

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine whether the rates of revision for metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasties (THAs) with Pinnacle components varied according to the year of the initial operation, and compare these with the rates of revision for other designs of MoM THA.

Patients and Methods

Data from the National Joint Registry for England and Wales included 36 mm MoM THAs with Pinnacle acetabular components which were undertaken between 2003 and 2012 with follow-up for at least five years (n = 10 776) and a control group of other MoM THAs (n = 13 817). The effect of the year of the primary operation on all-cause rates of revision was assessed using Cox regression and interrupted time-series analysis.

Results

For MoM THAs involving Pinnacle components, those undertaken between 2007 and 2012 had higher rates of revision compared with those undertaken between 2004 and 2006 (hazard ratio (HR) 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.57 to 2.57; p < 0.001). For THAs undertaken during and after 2007, the number of revisions per 1000 implant-years at risk significantly increased by 5.20 (95% CI 0.52 to 9.89; p = 0.033) compared with those undertaken before this time. In the control group, THAs undertaken between 2007 and 2012 also had higher rates of revision (HR 1.77; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.10; p < 0.001), with revisions per 1000 implant-years for those undertaken during and after 2007 significantly increasing by 6.13 (95% CI 1.42 to 10.83; p = 0.016).

Conclusion

The five-year revision rates were significantly increased for all primary MoM THAs undertaken from 2007 onwards. Contrary to recent reports, this finding was not specific to those involving Pinnacle acetabular components and may be explained by increased surveillance and recent lowering of the threshold for revision. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:33–41.
Evaluation of Viral Genome Copies Within Viral Factories on Different DNA Viruses
Authors: Karalyan Zaven A. , Izmailyan Roza A. , Abroyan Liana O. , Avetisyan Aida S. , Hakobyan Lina A. , Zakaryan Hovakim S. , Karalova Elena M.
Published: January 2018

Summary

This article describes a simple method of measuring the number of viral genomes within viral factories. For this purpose, we use three DNA viruses replicating in the cytoplasm of the infected cells: wild-type African swine fever virus (ASFV)-Georgia 2007, culture-adapted type ASFV-BA71V, and Vaccinia virus (VV). The measurements are conducted in three steps. In the first step, after DNA staining, we evaluate Integrated Optical Density (IOD) of total DNA for each viral factory. The second step involves the calculations of the mass of DNA in the viral factories in picograms (pg). And, in the third step, by dividing the mass of DNA within viral factory by the weight of a single viral genome, we obtain the number of viral genomes within the factory.
Experiences with long acting injectable ART: A qualitative study among PLHIV participating in a Phase II study of cabotegravir + rilpivirine (LATTE-2) in the United States and Spain
Authors: Kerrigan Deanna , Mantsios Andrea , Gorgolas Miguel , Montes Maria-Luisa , Pulido Federico , Brinson Cynthia , deVente Jerome , Richmond Gary J. , Beckham S. Wilson , Hammond Paige , Margolis David , Murray Miranda
Published: January 2018

Challenges with adherence to daily oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people living with HIV (PLHIV) have stimulated development of injectable long-acting (LA) regimens. We conducted 39 in-depth interviews with participants and providers in a Phase IIb study (LATTE-2) evaluating an injectable LA regimen in the U.S. and Spain. Interviews exploring participant and provider attitudes and experiences with LA versus oral ART were audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed using thematic content analysis. Participants described the convenience of LA injections versus daily pills and emotional benefits such as minimized potential for HIV disclosure and eliminating the “daily reminder of living with HIV.” Providers recognized benefits but cautioned that LA candidates still need to adhere to clinic visits for injections and raised questions around ongoing clinical management. LA was seen as preferable to daily oral ART among PLHIV. Further research is needed regarding appropriate candidates, including with women and “non-adherent” populations across settings.
Latin Letters Recognition Using Optical Character Recognition to Convert Printed Media Into Digital Format
Authors: Anugrah Rio , Bintoro Ketut Bayu Yogha
Published: January 2018

Printed media is still popular now days society. Unfortunately, such media encountered several drawbacks. For example, this type of media consumes large storage that impact in high maintenance cost. To keep printed information more efficient and long-lasting, people usually convert it into digital format. In this paper, we built Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system to enable automatic conversion the image containing the sentence in Latin characters into digital text-shaped information. This system consists of several interrelated stages including preprocessing, segmentation, feature extraction, classifier, model and recognition. In preprocessing, the median filter is used to clarify the image from noise and the Otsu’s function is used to binarize the image. It followed by character segmentation using connected component labeling. Artificial neural network (ANN) is used for feature extraction to recognize the character. The result shows that this system enable to recognize the characters in the image whose success rate is influenced by the training of the system.
Prevalence of hepatitis and its correlation with serum ferritin and aminotransferase levels among thalassemia major patients in Indonesia
Authors: Wahidiyat Pustika Amalia , Liauw Felix , Adnani Nitish Basant , Putriasih Siti Ayu
Published: January 2018

Background Thalassemia major patients who undergo routine transfusion have an increased risk of acquiring transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI), including hepatitis B and C. These diseases have serious implications and may affect the serum ferritin and aminotransferase levels of thalassemia major patients.Objectives To identify the prevalence of hepatitis B and/or C infections among thalassemia major patients and to evaluate its correlation with serum ferritin and aminotransferase levels.Methods This was across-sectional study conducted at the Thalassemia Center of Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. The subjects were screened for hepatitis B and C infections, and their serum ferritin and aminotransferase levels were also measured.Results In total, 621 subjects were included in the study, among which 5 subjects tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) (0.8%), 111 subjects tested positive for anti-HCV (17.8%), and 5 subjects tested positive for both HBsAg and anti-HCV (0.8%). The subjects who tested positive for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or both showed significantly higher values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and serum ferritin compared to their negative counterparts. Moreover, serum ferritin showed a positive, moderate correlation with both AST and ALT.Conclusion This study shows a significant association between hepatitis and serum ferritin as well as aminotransferase levels. Early detection and early management of hepatitis B and C infections is warranted to minimize the occurrence of liver damage in thalassemia major patients.