bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rome and the Total Solar Eclipse of BC 188 July 17
Authors: Morrison L.V. , Stephenson F.R. , Hohenkerk C.Y.
Published: August 2019

Using detailed knowledge of the Earth’s variable rotation, we conclude that the eclipse of BC 188 July 17 was total at Rome, and that Livy’s historical account of the darkness that befell the city in that year was due to this eclipse. This sets tight constraints on the value of ∆T at that epoch.
Nautical Tables for Vasco da Gama, 1497–1500?
Authors: van der Werf Siebren
Published: August 2019

It is believed that Vasco da Gama carried nautical tables on his first voyage to the Indies, 1497–1499, that had especially been produced for the years 1497–1500 by Abraham Zacut, then Royal Astronomer in the service of the Portuguese court. Maritime history writers have suggested two manuscripts as surviving copies of these da Gama tables. One of them is a set of declination tables in the 1519 edition of Suma de Geographia by Martín Fernández de Enciso. Analysis of all available data shows that these tables are indeed good candidates, though their production from the 1505–1508 astronomical tables of Regiomontanus and of Stöffler and Pflaum would be about equally likely. The other candidate is a set of solar ecliptic longitudes, found in the Livro de Marinharia, attributed to André Pires. It is shown that with certainty these have been taken from 1505 to 1508 of Regiomontanus/Stöffler-Pflaum and therefore cannot have served da Gama on his first voyage.
Evaluation of bisphenol A-based epoxy resin containing multiwalled carbon nanotubes to improve resistance to degradation
Authors: Awad Sameer A , Fellows Christopher M , Mahini Seyed S
Published: August 2019

The influence of exposure to UV light and moisture on the durability of a multiwalled carbon nanotube(MWCNT)/epoxy nanocomposite was investigated. Samples of epoxy resin based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) cured with 2,2,4-trimethylene-1,6-hexadiamine (TMDA), and epoxy nanocomposite containing 0.5% MWCNT were exposed to different accelerated weathering times between one and six months. Changes in surface chemistry, mechanical properties (tensile tests), thermal properties (thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry), and morphology were evaluated before and after exposure to accelerated weathering for a period of up to six months. Epoxy nanocomposite (DGEBA–TMDA/0.5%MWCNT) samples had improved thermal stability and resistance to degradation, compared to epoxy resin (DGEBA–TMDA). The effect of MWCNT at reducing degradation was more pronounced than previously found for resins prepared with hydrogenated DGEBA.
Longitudinal Effects of Reading and/or Mathematical Difficulties: The Role of Special Education in Graduation From Upper Secondary Education
Authors: Holopainen Leena , Hakkarainen Airi
Published: August 2019

This study explores the long-term effects of difficulties in reading and mathematical skills on educational achievement and successful graduation from secondary education as well as the role of special education in successful graduation. Study participants were all 16-year-old ninth graders from one Finnish city ( N = 595; 302 females, 293 males) who were followed for 5 years after completing compulsory education. Students’ reading and mathematical skills were measured at the end of compulsory education and their achieved grades in literacy and mathematics were received from their upper secondary schools. The overall results show that although part-time special education was available throughout both compulsory and upper secondary education, the negative longitudinal consequences of reading difficulties (RDs) and mathematical difficulties (MDs) on school achievement in literacy, mathematics, and rates of graduation can be seen. The regression path models were estimated separately for female and male students and show that among male students with RDs and MDs, the part-time special education that students received in Grades 7 to 9 was significantly related, but for Grades 10 to 11, this relationship is only significant among students with RDs. Moreover, low levels of school achievement in literacy among female students and in literacy and mathematics among male students significantly increased the likelihood of delayed graduation.
Effects of Pitch Source on Pitch-Matching and Intonation Accuracy of Collegiate Singers
Authors: Nápoles Jessica , Springer D. Gregory , Silvey Brian A. , Adams Kari
Published: August 2019

In this study, we examined the effects of multiple reference pitch sources on collegiate singers’ accuracy in pitch-matching and intonation tasks. We also investigated which reference pitch source participants preferred and for what reasons. Participants ( N = 99) sang a two-measure excerpt of Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine after listening to the starting pitch of A on a pitch pipe, the piano, a vocal hum, or a tuning fork in two conditions. For one tuning fork condition, participants’ starting pitch was an A, the same pitch as the tuning fork. For the other tuning fork condition, their starting pitch was a G, a different pitch than the tuning fork. We selected two pitches for analysis, each corresponding to the first syllable of the word Joseph. We then analyzed pitch deviation of the two target notes from the reference pitch in each condition. Participants were most accurate in response to the piano and least accurate in response to the tuning fork when their starting pitch was a G. Participants expressed preference for the piano (37.12%) as their pitch source, followed closely by the pitch pipe (33.33%).
I Scream for Ice Cream: Resolving Lexical Ambiguity with Sub-phonemic Information
Authors: Lee Yoonjeong , Kaiser Elsi , Goldstein Louis
Published: August 2019

This study uses a response mouse-tracking paradigm to examine the role of sub-phonemic information in online lexical ambiguity resolution of continuous speech. We examine listeners’ sensitivity to the sub-phonemic information that is specific to the ambiguous internal open juncture /s/-stop sequences in American English (e.g., “ place kin” vs. “ play skin”), that is, voice onset time (VOT) indicating different degrees of aspiration (e.g., long VOT for “ k in” vs. short VOT for “ s k in”) in connected speech contexts. A cross-splicing method was used to create two-word sequences (e.g., “ place kin” or “ play skin”) with matching VOTs (long for “ k in”; short for “ s k in”) or mismatching VOTs ( short for “ k in”; long for “ s k in”). Participants ( n = 20) heard the two-word sequences, while looking at computer displays with the second word in the left/right corner (“ KIN” and “ SKIN”). Then, listeners’ click responses and mouse movement trajectories were recorded. Click responses show significant effects of VOT manipulation, while mouse trajectories do not. Our results show that stop-release information, whether temporal or spectral, can (mis)guide listeners’ interpretation of the possible location of a word boundary between /s/ and a following stop, even when other aspects in the acoustic signal (e.g., duration of /s/) point to the alternative segmentation. Taken together, our results suggest that segmentation and lexical access are highly attuned to bottom-up phonetic information; our results have implications for a model of spoken language recognition with position-specific representations available at the prelexical level and also allude to the possibility that detailed phonetic information may be stored in the listeners’ lexicons.
Commentary: Don’t Further Privatize Medicare
Authors: Lipschutz David A.
Published: August 2019

The Medicare program is quietly becoming privatized through increasing enrollment in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, even though MA has not lived up to its promise of delivering better care at lower cost. Policymakers must reverse this trend and ensure parity between traditional Medicare and MA rather than encourage it through legislation that only benefits MA. Furthermore, as discussions of expanding health insurance coverage through Medicare intensify, policymakers should explore what version of Medicare they wish to expand.
The Relationship Between CAE Leadership and the IAF’s Involvement in Corporate Governance
Authors: Martino Pierluigi , D’Onza Giuseppe , Melville Robert
Published: August 2019

This article examines the importance of leadership in the context of the internal audit function (IAF). We investigate the influence of the Chief Audit Executive’s (CAE) leadership in enabling the IAF to become a strategic player in corporate governance (CG). Using the responses of 804 CAEs from the Anglosphere countries and South Africa, we find that strong CAE leadership skills and the existence of a leadership training program are significantly and positively associated with IAF involvement in CG processes. This provides support for the argument that CAEs with strong leadership skills help the IAF to move from a behind-the-scenes player to a key actor in the improvement of CG practices, increasing the IAF’s organizational relevance. We also find that the use of a risk-based audit plan, the existence of a quality assurance and improvement program (QAIP), activity type (consulting vs. assurance), and IAF size are also positively associated with IAF involvement in CG. These findings suggest that IAF activity characteristics also have significant implications for this function’s stronger involvement in the CG space.
Leaving Work at Work: A Meta-Analysis on Employee Recovery From Work
Authors: Steed Laurens Bujold , Swider Brian W. , Keem Sejin , Liu Joseph T.
Published: August 2019

After reviewing the various ways employee recovery from work has been conceptualized in existing literature as well as the predominant theoretical frameworks used to study recovery, we meta-analyze the relationships between employee recovery, demands, resources, well-being, and performance. We also quantitatively examine the conceptualizations of recovery as activities, experiences, or states in terms of both their intercorrelations and differing effects with demands, resources, well-being, and performance. Results of meta-analyses using a total of 198 empirical samples indicated general support for the hypothesized positive relationships between employee recovery and resources, well-being, and performance as well as a negative relationship with demands. However, the size and consistency of observed effects differed markedly based on the conceptualization utilized. Additionally, various conceptualizations of recovery were shown to be only modestly related, while recovery experiences and the state of being recovered were shown to have substantial temporal consistency. Implications of these findings for scholars studying recovery and practitioners are discussed.
When Interest Doesn’t Turn into Action: Discrimination, Group Identification, and Muslim Political Engagement in the Post-9/11 Era
Authors: Takyar Delaram
Published: August 2019

This article examines the effect of exposure to post-9/11 stigmatization on various types of Muslim political engagement, using a mixed-methods approach that combines propensity score matching analysis of data from the Muslims in the American Public Square (MAPS) survey administered immediately after 9/11 with experimental data of the U.S. Muslim population. I find that increased discrimination results in increased political interest but has a neutral or dampening effect on political participation. I use experimental data to argue that group identification acts as a partial mediator in this relationship, especially in accounting for the increase in political interest in response to discrimination.
Association of Midlife Hypertension with Late‐Life Hearing Loss
Authors: Reed Nicholas S. , Huddle Matthew G. , Betz Joshua , Power Melinda C. , Pankow James S. , Gottesman Rebecca , Richey Sharrett A. , Mosley Thomas H. , Lin Frank R. , Deal Jennifer A.
Published: August 2019

Objective

To investigate the association of midlife hypertension with late‐life hearing impairment.

Study Design

Data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study, an ongoing prospective longitudinal population‐based study (baseline, 1987‐1989).

Setting

Washington County, Maryland, research field site.

Subjects and Methods

Subjects included 248 community‐dwelling men and women aged 67 to 89 years in 2013. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure were measured at each of 5 study visits from 1987‐1989 to 2013. Hypertension was defined by elevated systolic or diastolic blood pressure or antihypertensive medication use. A 4‐frequency (0.5‐4 kHz) better‐hearing ear pure tone average in decibels hearing loss (dB HL) was calculated from pure tone audiometry measured in 2013. A cutoff of 40 dB HL was used to indicate clinically significant moderate to severe hearing impairment. Hearing thresholds at 5 frequencies (0.5‐8 kHz) were also considered separately.

Results

Forty‐seven participants (19%) had hypertension at baseline (1987‐1989), as opposed to 183 (74%) in 2013. The SBP association with late‐life pure tone average differed by the time of measurement, with SBP measured at earlier visits associated with poorer hearing; the difference in pure tone average per 10–mm Hg SBP measured was 1.43 dB HL (95% CI, 0.32‐2.53) at baseline versus −0.43 dB HL (95% CI, −1.41 to 0.55) in 2013. Baseline hypertension was associated with higher thresholds (poorer hearing) at 4 frequencies (1, 2, 4, 8 kHz).

Conclusion

Midlife SBP was associated with poorer hearing measured 25 years later. Further analysis into the longitudinal relationship between hypertension and hearing impairment is warranted.
Rhetorical Constellations and the Inventional/Intersectional Possibilities of #MeToo
Authors: Bloomfield Emma Frances
Published: August 2019

In this project, I analyze news coverage of the #MeToo movement to categorize how blame is assigned and what corrective actions are prescribed for the pervasive problem of sexual violence. Although it is tempting to scapegoat individuals, this practice often limits the scope of sexual violence to isolated cases. Transcendence is an alternative route to redemption that attributes blame to structural and societal forces. However, transcendence may erase intersectional differences and silence voices by overshadowing individual stories. I argue that the risks in focusing exclusively on either scapegoating or transcendence can be mediated through the lens of a rhetorical constellation. This approach calls for media and news coverage of #MeToo to attend to the specific circumstances of individual cases and to frame those unique people, voices, and stories as part of a series of interactions with other instances of sexual violence that constitute a call for societal change.
Normal variations in brain oxygen extraction fraction are partly attributed to differences in end-tidal CO2
Authors: Jiang Dengrong , Lin Zixuan , Liu Peiying , Sur Sandeepa , Xu Cuimei , Hazel Kaisha , Pottanat George , Yasar Sevil , Rosenberg Paul , Albert Marilyn , Lu Hanzhang
Published: August 2019

Cerebral oxygen extraction fraction is an important physiological index of the brain’s oxygen consumption and supply and has been suggested to be a potential biomarker for a number of diseases such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell disease, and metabolic disorders. However, in order for oxygen extraction fraction to be a sensitive biomarker for personalized disease diagnosis, inter-subject variations in normal subjects must be minimized or accounted for, which will otherwise obscure its interpretation. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the physiological underpinnings of normal differences in oxygen extraction fraction. This work used two studies, one discovery study and one verification study, to examine the extent to which an individual’s end-tidal CO2 can explain variations in oxygen extraction fraction. It was found that, across normal subjects, oxygen extraction fraction is inversely correlated with end-tidal CO2. Approximately 50% of the inter-subject variations in oxygen extraction fraction can be attributed to end-tidal CO2 differences. In addition, oxygen extraction fraction was found to be positively associated with age and systolic blood pressure. By accounting for end-tidal CO2, age, and systolic blood pressure of the subjects, normal variations in oxygen extraction fraction can be reduced by 73%, which is expected to substantially enhance the utility of oxygen extraction fraction as a disease biomarker.
Clostridium difficile Enterocolitis in a Captive Geoffroy’s Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) and Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Armstrong Alexandra R. , Wünschmann Arno , Rigatti Lora H. , Klein Edwin C.
Published: August 2019

Clostridium difficile is a well-documented cause of enterocolitis in several species, including humans, with limited documentation in New World nonhuman primates. We report several cases of C. difficile–associated pseudomembranous enterocolitis, including a case in a Geoffroy’s spider monkey ( Ateles geoffroyi) and several cases in common marmosets ( Callithrix jacchus). The histologic lesions included a spectrum of severity, with most cases characterized by the classic “volcano” lesions described in humans and several other animal species. C. difficile was isolated from the colon of the spider monkey, while the presence of toxin A or toxin B or of the genes of toxin A or B by polymerase chain reaction served as corroborative evidence in several affected marmosets. C. difficile should be considered a cause of enterocolitis in these species.
A Rare Example of Leather from Ancient Egypt
Authors: Marazzi Mary Ann
Published: August 2019

Leather apparel is not as well documented or understood as textiles in ancient Egypt, yet leather was part of the culture as far back as the Badarian Period. Two items in the collection of the International Museum of Leather Craft in Northampton are prime examples of what scholars can learn from the study of leather goods. This article looks closely at these two items.
Governance rescaling and neoliberalization of China’s water governance: The case of China’s South–North Water Transfer Project
Authors: Sheng Jichuan , Webber Michael
Published: August 2019

This paper explores the relationship between rescaling and the neoliberalization of water governance in the South–North Water Transfer Project. It demonstrates that the Chinese government has selectively adopted some neoliberal tools while rejecting others and dismissing the ideology of neoliberalism. These elements of neoliberalism are sometimes associated with the rescaling of water governance upward, downward, outward and inward. Rescaling has evolved expediently rather than through planned design, reflecting both the exigencies of practical problems and the legacies of bureaucratic power struggles. Market-friendly reforms enable more actors to bring environmental interests into state and market institutions, to form a closed network with policy-makers. The distinctive conflict between the actual existing selective neoliberalization and official discourses of anti-neoliberalization reflect the particularities of neoliberalization in China’s hydro-politics.
Remembering the future: The Topheth as dystopia in Jeremiah 7 and 19
Authors: Gilmour Rachelle
Published: August 2019

After investigating biblical and external evidence of the Topheth in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, this article argues that the vision of the Topheth’s future is a dystopia for Jerusalem in the rhetoric of Jeremiah 7 and 19. The memories of transgressions at the location are projected into the future to generate a vision of judgement, and these are paralleled with the transgressions and judgement of Jerusalem and Judah. This dystopia is remembered through its connections to the landscape and the future renaming of the place as the ‘valley of Slaughter’.
A Risk Assessment Framework for Airport Development Projects
Authors: Hopper Anna
Published: August 2019

This paper develops a risk assessment framework for airport development projects. It discusses the major types of inherent development risk, including political risk, environmental risk, financial risk, airline risk, forecast risk, and regulatory or operational risk, and it offers suggestions for risk mitigation strategies. Furthermore, it identifies and analyzes relative risk determinants, which affect the magnitude and type of risk that development projects will likely face. These include the presence of a dominant airline, the airport’s rate structure, the airport’s ownership and operating structure, local demand, and geopolitical events. These factors and their interconnected relationships are illustrated through case studies of relevant airport development projects.
Effect of Concussions on the Performance of Running Backs and Wide Receivers in the National Football League
Authors: Jildeh Toufic R. , Okoroha Kelechi R. , Taylor Kevin A. , Buckley Patrick , Mehta Samir , Mehran Nima , Moutzouros Vasilios
Published: August 2019

Background:

Concussion injuries are common in professional football players; however, their effect on player performance remains unclear.

Purpose:

To quantify the effect of concussions on the performance of running backs and wide receivers in professional football players.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Concussion data from the National Football League were collected for a period of 4 seasons (2012-2015) for running backs and wide receivers. Age, experience, position, time to return to play, yearly total yards, and touchdowns were recorded. A power rating (total yards divided by 10 plus touchdowns multiplied by 6) was calculated for each player’s injury season as well as for the 3 seasons before and after their respective injury. A control group of running backs and wide receivers without an identified concussion injury who competed in the 2012 season was assembled for comparison. Player performance up to 3 seasons before and after the injury season was examined to assess acute and longitudinal changes in player performance.

Results:

A total of 38 eligible running backs and wide receivers sustained a concussion during the study period. Thirty-four (89%) players were able to return to competition in the same season, missing an average of 1.5 ± 0.9 games; the remaining 4 players returned in the subsequent season. Power ratings for concussed players were similar to those of controls throughout the study period. Concussed players did not suffer an individual performance decline upon returning within the same season. Furthermore, no significant difference in change of power rating was observed in concussed players in the acute (±1 year from injury; −1.2 ± 4.8 vs –1.1 ± 3.9, P = .199) or chronic (±3 years from injury; –3.6 ± 8.0 vs –3.0 ± 4.5, P = .219) setting compared with controls. All concussed players successfully returned to competition in either the index or next season.

Conclusion:

A high rate of National Football League running backs and wide receivers are able to return to play after a concussion injury. These players were found to perform at a similar level in both the acute and long-term period after concussion.
The Polarization Myth: Occupational Upgrading in Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, 1992–2015
Authors: Oesch Daniel , Piccitto Giorgio
Published: August 2019

The consensus view in economics is that labor markets are polarizing as job creation takes place in high-skilled and low-skilled occupations, while jobs shrink in midskilled ones. The authors argue that, in theoretical terms, polarization runs counter to all the trends that shaped the job structure over the past decades: skill-biased technological change, the international division of labor, and educational expansion. The authors then show that the polarization thesis does not hold empirically. They use the European Labor Force Survey to analyze occupational change for Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2015 and define good and bad occupations with four alternative indicators of job quality: earnings, education, prestige, and job satisfaction. Job growth was by far strongest in occupations with high job quality and weakest in occupations with low job quality, regardless of the indicator used. The authors find clear-cut occupational upgrading for Germany, Spain, and Sweden. In the United Kingdom, the data support the polarization thesis when job quality is measured with earnings. If job quality is defined with education, prestige, or job satisfaction, the results show occupational upgrading. In all four countries, production workers and office clerks lost ground, whereas employment strongly expanded in the salaried (upper) middle class among managers and professionals.
Cyberloafing in Learning Environments Where Online Social Networking Sites Are Used as Learning Tools: Antecedents and Consequences
Authors: Durak Hatice Yildiz
Published: August 2019

The objective of this study is to construct a model which explains and predicts the relations of university students’ cyberloafing behaviors with demographic and academic variables at computing courses where online social networking sites are utilized for education and is to review whether there is longitudinal effect on these relations in terms of learning experience. This group of the study is composed of 171 university students. In this study, self-description form, two different success tests, and various scales are utilized as data collection tools. For the analysis of the data, structural equation modeling and multiple hierarchical regression analysis are utilized. The results of this study indicate that variables of information technologies usage status, online learning activities usage status, academic self-efficacy, motivation, and cognitive absorption are predictable of cyberloafing behaviors at Time 2 point, and cyberloafing behavior predicts academic success and academic procrastination at Time 2 point. Although the relations between various study variables and cyberloafing are not meaningful at Time 1 point, it is an interesting finding that these relations are statistically meaningful at Time 2 point.
Gender and Social Justice: An Examination of Attitudes and Behaviors Among Undergraduate Liberal Arts Students
Authors: Roberts Melinda R. , Turner Wendy , Howard Leigh Anne , Gilles Erin E. , Statham Anne
Published: August 2019

This study examines university student attitudes concerning social justice and their perceptions of inequality. In this article, we explore how gender shapes students’ understanding of issues of inequality, sexism, racism, classism, and their inclinations to act against these issues. This research seeks to explore how gender shapes students’ understanding of social justice. Moreover, it seeks to answer the following questions: Are women or men more willing to engage in social justice actions? Are women or men more likely to recognize and perceive inequality? Lastly, are women or men more determined to do something to achieve social justice? Results show that women students are far more likely to identify inequality and engage in actions to achieve social justice.
Religious Coping and Challenges Among Displaced Muslim Female Refugees
Authors: Shaw Stacey A. , Peacock Laurel , Ali Latifa Mahram , Pillai Veena , Husain Altaf
Published: August 2019

With millions of women experiencing forced displacement, attention is needed toward migrant women’s lived experiences. Religion is an understudied but central component of coping for many migrant women. Through the use of qualitative and quantitative methods, an exploratory study was conducted with 36 forced migrant Shia Muslim women residing in a predominantly Sunni Muslim country of first asylum. Using the brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality and drawing from feminist theory, intersectionality, and the ecological framework, we describe women’s experience with religion and spirituality across a variety of domains. Open-ended semistructured interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Participants were highly religious across all domains measured. Key themes emerged related to how religion helps women manage stress, including: (1) trusting God to solve problems and (2) relying on prayer and other religious practices to cope. Despite these strengths, women also described major challenges to religious practice, where the third identified theme emphasized that fear and persecution limit religious practice. This article builds understanding of forced migrant women’s experiences, with implications for social work practice and immigration policy. Service organizations can recognize and support religious coping, particularly among religious minority refugee women. Additionally, practitioners and policy makers can promote religious tolerance and understanding within diverse host communities.
Twitter, Incivility and “Everyday” Gendered Othering: An Analysis of Tweets Sent to UK Members of Parliament
Authors: Southern Rosalynd , Harmer Emily
Published: August 2019

Recently, widely reported studies assessed messages sent to UK female MPs online and concluded that they suffer high levels of abuse. However, these studies tended to focus on the most high-profile MPs and the worst instances of abuse or did not include male MPs in their study for comparison. This study aims to assess more subtle forms of incivility and othering and the experiences of less prominent MPs online. It takes a mixed-methods approach to analyzing 117,802 tweets sent to MPs over a 14-day period for evidence of incivility. Firstly, models assessing the factors associated with receiving incivility on Twitter are presented, and furthermore, an in-depth thematic analysis of gendered tweets is conducted. The findings suggest that for the receipt of certain types of incivility, there is little difference between female and male MPs. However, female MPs were more likely to receive generally uncivil tweets, tweets with stereotypes about their identity, and tweets questioning their position as politicians than male MPs. Qualitatively, in terms of gendered othering, we found several instances of tweets containing misogynistic abuse, tweets demonizing, and objectifying female MPs, as well as tweets feminizing male MPs.
Full life cycle assessment of two surge wave energy converters
Authors: Karan Hakan , Thomson R Camilla , Harrison Gareth P
Published: August 2019

Wave energy has the potential to play an important role in the UK's electricity mix in the coming years and it is important to understand the interactions of wave energy converters with the environment before considering them viable alternatives for other technologies. The aim of this study was to identify the environmental impacts of the deployment of the Oyster wave energy converter to the EMEC test site at Orkney, UK over its lifetime across three general categories: resource use, human health and ecological consequences. A full life cycle assessment was performed on two different models of the Oyster wave energy converter: Oyster 1 and Oyster 800. It was found that the latter is a fitting upgrade for its predecessor as it has lower environmental impacts in all categories; however, the high infrastructural needs of the Oyster technology makes its environmental performance worse than most other wave energy converters. Key sustainability indicators for energy converters include carbon footprint and energy payback period, and these were found to be 79 and 57 gCO2 eq/kWh and 45 and 42 months for the Oyster 1 and Oyster 800, respectively. Although these are significantly higher than most estimates for other types of renewable energy converter, the carbon impacts are still significantly lower than for conventional fossil-fuelled power generation.
Business, labour and the costs of welfare state development
Authors: Oude Nijhuis Dennie
Published: August 2019

This article presents a novel explanation for instances of business support for welfare state expansion. It emphasizes the importance of cost considerations in shaping business preferences and argues that their willingness to support and ability to oppose demands for increases in the generosity of social insurance programmes depends primarily on the extent to which labour unions accept that these increases are to be financed by workers themselves. Based on a comparative-historical analysis of postwar welfare state development in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the article shows that this willingness among others depended on the type of labour market risk, the margin for pay increases, and the extent to which social welfare initiatives were perceived as actual improvements to the social wage by labour unions.
Characteristics and safety of tattoos in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sabio J M , Betolaza S De , Vargas-Hitos J A
Published: August 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to determine the safety of tattoos in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Patients ( N = 147; ≤55 years; 92% women) were asked if they had tattoos. The characteristics of the tattoos and the immediate complications were investigated and compared with those of a matched control group. We examined retrospectively after the tattoo was completed whether there had been flare-ups or increased organ damage (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American Collage of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI)). Finally, we compared the SLE-related characteristics of patients with and without tattoos.

Results

Twenty-eight patients (19%, 26 women, median (interquartile range) age 33 (25–42) years, 65 tattoos in total) had ≥1 tattoo. At the time the tattoo was done the median (interquartile range) SLEDAI and SDI were 2 (0–2) and 0 (0–1), respectively. The characteristics of the tattoos were similar to those of controls. No patients experienced acute complications. After a median follow-up of 17 (12–20) months (3 (2–4) visits/year) four patients had five mild-to-moderate flare-ups. The median time between the tattoo and the flare-up was 9 (6–14) months. No increase in SDI was observed. The SLE-related characteristics of patients with and without tattoos were similar.

Conclusion

Tattoos seem to be safe in SLE patients with inactive or low active disease.
‘CEO equals man’: Gender and informal organisational practices in English sport governance
Authors: Piggott Lucy V , Pike Elizabeth CJ
Published: August 2019

Despite the benefits of diversity amongst sport leaders increasingly being argued by both researchers and practitioners, English sport governance remains gender-imbalanced at all levels of leadership. Within this article, we aim to explore how informal organisational practices within two established English national governing bodies impact upon gender equity and gender balance within their governance. This is important to raise awareness of the power of informal organisational practices to favour one gender over another. We present findings generated through a multi-method qualitative approach of semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Official documents from the two organisations were also drawn upon to add specific detail or fill information gaps during the collection, analysis and write-up of data. Throughout the article, we draw upon Bourdieu’s theory of practice to focus on the ways in which cultural resources, processes and institutions hold sport leaders within gendered hierarchies of dominance. We found that informal organisational practices contribute to the reinforcement of gendered structures of dominance which privilege (dominant) men and masculinity, and normalise and naturalise the positions of men as leaders. Some examples of resistance against inequitable informal practices were also evident. Drawing upon Bourdieu’s theorising, we highlight that alternative practices must be valued more highly by the organisation than current problematic practices in order for them to become legitimised, habitual and sustainable. We suggest that one way of achieving this is by linking gender-equitable governance to organisational values and performance to provide motivation for organisations to make genuine, sustainable change.
Decision-Making in Cleft-Related Surgery: A Qualitative Analysis of Patients and Caregivers
Authors: Bennett Katelyn G. , Patterson Annie K. , Schafer Kylie , Haase Madeleine , Ranganathan Kavitha , Carlozzi Noelle , Vercler Christian J. , Kasten Steven J. , Buchman Steven R. , Waljee Jennifer F.
Published: August 2019

Objective:

Preference-sensitive surgical decisions merit shared decision-making, as decision engagement can reduce decisional conflict and regret. Elective cleft-related procedures are often preference sensitive, and therefore, we sought to better understand decision-making in this population.

Design:

Semistructured interviews were conducted to elicit qualitative data. A hierarchical codebook was developed through an iterative process in preparation for thematic analysis. Thematic analysis was performed to examine differences between patients and caregivers.

Setting:

Multidisciplinary cleft clinic at a tertiary care center.

Participants:

Patients with cleft lip aged 8 and older (n = 31) and their caregivers (n = 31) were purposively sampled. Inability to converse in English, intellectual disability, or syndromic diagnoses resulted in exclusion.

Main Outcome Measures:

Preferences surrounding surgical decision-making identified during thematic analysis.

Results:

Mean patient age was 12.7 (standard deviation: 3.1). Most had unilateral cleft lip and palate (43.8%). Three themes emerged: Insufficient Understanding of Facial Difference and Treatment, Diversity of Surgical Indications, and Barriers to Patient Autonomy. Almost half of caregivers believed their children understood their clefts, but most of these children failed to provide information about their cleft. Although many patients and caregivers acknowledged that surgery addressed function and/or appearance, patients and caregivers exhibited differences regarding the necessity of surgery. Furthermore, a large proportion of patients believed their opinions mattered in decisions, but less than half of caregivers agreed.

Conclusions:

Patients with clefts desire to participate in surgical decisions but have limited understanding of their facial difference and surgical indications. Cleft surgeons must educate patients and facilitate shared decision-making.
A novel non-linear cumulative fatigue damage model based on the degradation of material memory
Authors: Zhou Jie , Huang Hong-Zhong , Barnhart Miles V , Huang Guoliang , Li Yan-Feng
Published: August 2019

Many fatigue damage models have been investigated based on the S– N curve or modified S– N curve; however, a number of them require additional efforts to determine the material parameters or do not consider the loading history (loading interactions, loading sequences, loading levels, etc.). These limitations can result in extreme deviations for estimating the fatigue life in real-world scenarios. To address these limitations, a new fatigue damage model is developed based on the material memory, which can be described as the degradation of mechanical properties under cyclic loadings. Comparisons with three models are used to demonstrate the validity of the proposed model. Furthermore, four sets of experimental data under two-stress and four-stress levels are carried out to verify the validation of the proposed model, which improves the residual life estimation over the three existing models used for comparison.
Lost in words
Authors: Beer Randall D
Published: August 2019

Villalobos and Razeto-Barry’s target article highlights a debate about the role of spatial boundaries in autopoiesis that has been simmering for some time. I argue that, ultimately, controversies such as this are best resolved not by verbal argument, but rather in the context of actual mathematically formulated theories of biological individuality. Finally, I briefly review some initial efforts in this direction as they relate to the question of boundaries.
Societal Ethics and Social Entrepreneurship: A Cross-Cultural Comparison
Authors: Pathak Saurav , Muralidharan Etayankara
Published: August 2019

Using multilevel modeling and data from 26 countries that include 93,439 individual-level responses on social entrepreneurship for the year 2015, we seek to understand how societal-level ethical orientations impact the likelihood of individuals engaging in social entrepreneurship. We develop a multidimensional representation of societal ethics, in that we draw close parallels between the three institutional pillars—normative, cognitive, and regulatory—with three forms of ethics and use this understanding to predict their effects on the demand for and supply of social entrepreneurs. We find that low behavioral ethics (normative ethics) at the societal level provides opportunities for individuals to become social entrepreneurs. Furthermore, while unselfishness (cognitive ethics) motivates individuals to become social entrepreneurs, high public-sector ethics (regulatory ethics) provides the institutional support for such entrepreneurs to thrive. We contribute to cross-cultural comparative entrepreneurship by providing ethical antecedents of social entrepreneurship through a deeper understanding of the influence of ethics as national-level institutions.
Acute coronary syndrome and recurrent colitis as immune-related adverse events in a lung cancer patient
Authors: Cancela-Díez Bárbara , Gómez-De Rueda Félix , Antolinos Pérez María J , Jiménez-Morales Alberto , López-Hidalgo Javier L
Published: August 2019

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have become a target for pharmacological research in lung cancer. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) such as pneumonitis, colitis, hepatitis and endocrinopathies have been well characterized in immune checkpoint inhibitors, but coronary toxicities, like acute coronary syndrome, are poorly described. Herein, we report a possible acute coronary syndrome as immune-related adverse event in a lung cancer patient.
Ovarian Tissue Transplantation: Experience From Germany and Worldwide Efficacy
Authors: Lotz Laura , Dittrich Ralf , Hoffmann Inge , Beckmann Matthias W
Published: August 2019

Extraction of ovarian tissue prior to oncologic therapy and subsequent transplantation is being performed increasingly often to preserve fertility in women. The procedure can be performed at any time of the cycle and, therefore, generally does not lead to any delay in oncological therapy. Success rates with transplantation of cryopreserved ovarian tissue have reached promising levels. More than 130 live births have been reported worldwide with the aid of cryopreserved ovarian tissue and the estimated birth rate is currently approximately 30%. In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the FertiPROTEKT consortium has successfully achieved 21 pregnancies and 17 deliveries generated after 95 ovarian tissue transplantations by 2015, one of the largest case series worldwide confirming that ovarian tissue cryopreservation and transplantation are successful. Approximately, more than 400 ovarian tissue cryopreservation procedures are performed each year in the FertiPROTEKT consortium, and the request and operations for ovarian tissue transplantation have increased in recent years. Therefore, recommendations for managing transplantation of ovarian tissue to German-speaking reproductive medicine centers were developed. In this overview, these recommendations and our experience in ovarian tissue transplantation are presented and discussed with international procedures.
Design and development of a new portable test setup to study friction and wear
Authors: Emami Anahita , Khaleghian Seyedmeysam , Bezek Tyler , Taheri Saied
Published: August 2019

In this paper, a novel portable sliding friction and wear test rig is introduced. Unlike other laboratory-based test setups, this setup can be used for both indoor and outdoor experiments. There is also no limitation on the size and type of the substrate surface that can be used for the friction and wear test in contrast to typical test rigs, which have some limitations for the size and type of substrate surface. A small six-wheel ground robot is developed to drag the sample on an arbitrary surface for a desired distance and velocity. A ground robot is an unmanned ground vehicle, capable of driving on the ground without humans on board. The speed of this robot can be measured and controlled precisely. The nominal normal load is adjusted using dead weights placed on the sample holder and the friction force is measured using a load cell. An adjustable sample holder was also designed and built to hold different-size specimens. The results of styrene–butadiene rubber block sliding on an asphalt track are presented to validate the test setup and illustrate the potential of the system for friction and wear testing. In addition, the effect of sliding velocity on the friction and wear is studied, and the correlation between the wear rate and the friction coefficient is investigated. These experimental results can be used to estimate the friction and life span of a tire tread compound on the real asphalt road. Finally, the formation of abrasion pattern observed on the rubber surface sliding on an asphalt track is discussed, which provides an insight into the understanding of dominant wear mechanism of tire tread compound on typical asphalt surfaces.
“Best invention, second to the dishwasher”: Vibrators and sexual pleasure
Authors: Waskul Dennis , Anklan Michelle
Published: August 2019

This study examines how people learn about vibrators, their attitudes toward them, fears or hesitations about acquiring and/or using one, and the significance of vibrators to participants’ sexualities. Based on 78–147 responses to an online open-ended survey, participants report: primarily learning about vibrators from media and peers; their interpretations of media representations of vibrators are juxtaposed as both a tool for great pleasure and a shameful taboo; that vibrators are often perceived as a “dick substitute” for women who are unsuccessful at satisfying partnered heterosex; their initial purchase of a vibrator was inhibited by cost, fears that others would discover that they owned one, and ignorance about the technology, how their body would respond, and what they knew about their body; the majority of participants use vibrators both alone and in partnered sex; and the vast majority of participants who do not own a vibrator report that they would like to and anticipate purchasing one in the future. These findings illustrate the increasing normativity of vibrators that is justified by post-feminist ideals, while also repeatedly illustrating the continued feelings of shame and embarrassment, and fears of stigmatization.
Cyclic performance of circular concrete-filled steel tubular members with initial gap between tube and concrete core
Authors: Liao Fei-Yu , Zhang Wei-Jie , Han Hao
Published: August 2019

It is common that initial gaps exist between the steel tube and the core concrete in concrete-filled steel tubular structural members, which might affect the performance of the structure. This article aims to study the effects of the gaps on the cyclic behaviour of circular concrete-filled steel tubular members. A total of 24 concrete-filled steel tubular specimens were tested under constant axial load and cyclically lateral loads, where the main testing parameters included the types of gap, the gap ratio, the axial load level and the steel ratio. The failure mode, lateral load versus lateral displacement hysteretic curve and load versus displacement envelope curve of concrete-filled steel tubular specimens with pre-designed gaps were experimentally investigated and compared with those of the reference ones without any gap. The effects of gaps on the ultimate strength, ductility and dissipated energy of the concrete-filled steel tubular members were quantitatively evaluated according to the test results. The influence of gaps on circular concrete-filled steel tubes under different loading conditions, such as axial compressive loading, pure bending, eccentrically compressive loading and cyclic lateral loading, was also compared and discussed.