bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiplexed Detection of Mutant Circulating Tumor DNA Using Peptide Nucleic Acid Clamping Asymmetric Polymerase Chain Reaction and Liquidchip
Authors: Chen Xiaomin , Zhang Ding Sheng-Zi , Wang Lin , Guo Qiaomei , Xu Hong , Lou Jiatao , Gu Hongchen
Published: June 2019

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in blood has been investigated as a feasible substitute for genetic alterations in tumor tissues to predict and assess drug responses, but current techniques of screening clinical relevant mutations still have great limitations in sensitivity, specificity,
or multiplexed detection because of highly fragmented ctDNA and its low concentration in a high background of normal DNA. In this study, we developed PNA-aPCR-Liquidchip (PAPL), a novel method that aims to detect multiple mutant ctDNA. In order to demonstrate its utility, we analyzed three
high frequent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (exon 19 deletion, L858R, and T790M) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Multiplexed analyses indicated that this method has high specificity and sensitivity which could detect down to 2∼5 copies of mutant EGFR
in a background of 10,000 copies of wild-type genomic DNA, achieving the mutant abundance of 0.02%∼0.05%. Furthermore, PAPL had no significant differences with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) detection. Thus, PAPL can be used to detect EGFR mutations
in NSCLC patients' plasma, indicating that this method has great potential for application in the context of precision medicine based on mutant ctDNA detection.
Intercomparison of Gravity Waves in Global Convection-Permitting Models
Authors: Stephan Claudia Christine , Strube Cornelia , Klocke Daniel , Ern Manfred , Hoffmann Lars , Preusse Peter , Schmidt Hauke
Published: June 2019

Large uncertainties remain with respect to the representation of atmospheric gravity waves (GWs) in general circulation models (GCMs) with coarse grids. Insufficient parameterizations result from a lack of observational constraints on the parameters used in GW parameterizations as well as from physical inconsistencies between parameterizations and reality. For instance, parameterizations make oversimplifying assumptions about the generation and propagation of GWs. Increasing computational capabilities now allow GCMs to run at grid spacings that are sufficiently fine to resolve a major fraction of the GW spectrum. This study presents the first intercomparison of resolved GW pseudomomentum fluxes (GWMFs) in global convection-permitting simulations and those derived from satellite observations. Six simulations of three different GCMs are analyzed over the period of one month of August to assess the sensitivity of GWMF to model formulation and horizontal grid spacing. The simulations reproduce detailed observed features of the global GWMF distribution, which can be attributed to realistic GWs from convection, orography, and storm tracks. Yet the GWMF magnitudes differ substantially between simulations. Differences in the strength of convection may help explain differences in the GWMF between simulations of the same model in the summer low latitudes where convection is the primary source. Across models, there is no evidence for a systematic change with resolution. Instead, GWMF is strongly affected by model formulation. The results imply that validating the realism of simulated GWs across the entire resolved spectrum will remain a difficult challenge not least because of a lack of appropriate observational data.
Observing Polar Regions from Space: Comparison between Highly Elliptical Orbit and Medium Earth Orbit Constellations
Authors: Trishchenko Alexander P. , Garand Louis , Trichtchenko Larisa D.
Published: June 2019

Continuous observation of polar regions from space remains an important unsolved technical challenge of great interest for the international meteorological community. This capacity would allow achieving global continuous coverage once combined with the geostationary (GEO) satellite network. From a practical point of view, continuous coverage of polar regions with a small number of spacecraft can be obtained from a constellation of satellites either in highly elliptical orbits (HEO) or in medium Earth orbits (MEO). The study compares HEO and MEO satellite constellations for their capacity to provide continuous imaging of polar regions as function of the viewing zenith angle (VZA) and evaluates the corresponding latitude limits that ensure sufficient overlap with GEO imagery. Earlier studies assumed the latitude boundary of 60° and the VZA range 70°–85° depending on the space mission focus: meteorological purposes or communications. From the detailed analysis of meteorological retrieval requirements, this study suggests that the overlap of the GEO and polar observing systems (HEO or MEO) should occur down to the latitude band 45°–50° with a maximum VZA ranging between 60° and 64°. This coverage requirement can be met with two sets of three-satellite HEO constellations (one for each polar area) or a six-satellite MEO constellation. The 12-h Molniya and 14-, 15-, and 16-h HEO systems have been analyzed and determined to meet these revised requirements. The study demonstrates that the six-satellite 24-h MEO system can provide a suitable solution, which is also beneficial from the point of view of ionizing radiation and image acquisition geometry. Among the HEO systems, the 16-h HEO has some advantages relative to other HEO systems from the point of view of spatial coverage and space radiation.
Using a Nonlinear Forcing Singular Vector Approach to Reduce Model Error Effects in ENSO Forecasting
Authors: Lingjiang Tao , Wansuo Duan
Published: June 2019

Nonlinear forcing singular vector (NFSV)-based assimilation is adopted to determine the model tendency errors that represent the combined effect of different kinds of model errors; then, an NFSV-tendency error forecast model is formulated. This error forecast model is coupled with an intermediate complex model (ICM) and makes the ICM output closer to the observations; finally, an NFSV-ICM forecast model for ENSO is constructed. The competing aspect of the NFSV-ICM is to consider not only model errors but also the interaction between model errors and initial errors because of the mathematical nature of the NFSV-tendency errors. Based on the prediction experiments for tropical SSTAs during either the training period (1960–96; i.e., when the NFSV-ICM is formulated) or the cross-validation period (1997–2016), the NFSV-ICM is determined to have a much higher forecast skill in predicting ENSO that, specifically, extends the skillful predictions of ENSO from a lead time of 6 months in the original ICM to a lead time of 12 months. The higher skill of the NFSV-ICM is especially reflected in the predictions of SSTAs in the central and western Pacific. For the well-known spring predictability barrier (SPB) phenomenon that greatly limits ENSO forecasting skill, the NFSV-ICM also shows great abilities in suppressing its negative effect on ENSO predictions. Although the NFSV-ICM is presently only involved with the NFSV-related assimilation of SSTs, it has shown its usefulness in predicting ENSO. It is clear that the NFSV-based assimilation approach is effective in dealing with the effect of model errors on ENSO forecasts.
God’s Gifts: Destiny, Poverty, and Temporality in the Mines of Sierra Leone
Authors: D’Angelo Lorenzo
Published: June 2019

In Sierra Leone, many artisanal miners share the view that every human act and every event is the realisation of an inscrutable divine plan. Even though notions of fate and destiny are part of the vocabulary of Krio, the country’s lingua franca, miners prefer to use expressions that evoke God and stress His immanent presence and influence in their everyday lives. In order to understand the religious vocabulary of contingency and the cosmology underlying the ways in which miners interpret, reproduce, and imaginatively prepare the conditions to change their lives, this article focuses on the ritual practices connected to artisanal diamond mining. It considers these rituals as attempts to resolve the ever-present temporal and moral tensions between actual conditions of suffering and poverty, and the realisation of the well-being that miners associate with their desired futures.
Sustainable mineral coating of alkali-resistant glass fibres in textile-reinforced mortar composites for structural purposes
Authors: Signorini Cesare , Nobili Andrea , Siligardi Cristina
Published: June 2019

The mechanical performance of a silica-based mineral nano-coating applied to alkali-resistant glass textile-reinforced composite materials aimed at structural strengthening is investigated experimentally. The silica nano-film is directly applied to the alkali-resistant glass fabric by sol–gel deposition. Two lime mortars are adopted as embedding matrix, which differ by the ultimate compressive strength and elongation. Uni-axial tensile tests of prismatic coupons are carried out according to the ICC AC434 guidelines. Remarkable strength and ductility enhancements could be observed in the silica-coated group, as compared to the uncoated group, for both mortar types. Digital image correlation, electron scanning and optical microscopy provide evidence of improved interphase strength. X-ray diffraction of the anhydrous mortars brings out the role of the mineralogical composition of the embedding media on the overall bonding properties of the composites. Consideration of design limits and energy dissipation capabilities reveals the crucial role of matrix ductility in bringing the contribution of interphase enhancement to full effect. We conclude that best performance requires optimizing the pairing between fabric-to-matrix adhesion and matrix ductility.
One for two: A novel and highly sensitive virulence factor-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for the simultaneous detection of Rodentibacter pneumotropicus and Rodentibacter heylii in environmental sample material
Authors: Buchheister Stephanie , Roegener Florian , Zschemisch Nils-Holger , Talbot Steven R. , Christensen Henrik , Bleich André
Published: June 2019

Hygienic monitoring of laboratory rodents has focused more and more on the analysis of environmental sample material by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. This approach requires profound knowledge of specific genetic sequences of the agents to be monitored and the assays need to be permanently adapted to take the latest research into account. [ Pasteurella] pneumotropica was recently reclassified into the new genus Rodentibacter, with Rodentibacter (R.) pneumotropicus and R. heylii as the most commonly detected species in laboratory mouse colonies. This study aimed at the development of a specific qPCR assay for the simultaneous detection of both agents.

A novel primer probe set, based on detection of the specific virulence factor‚ ‘inclusion body protein A’ gene ( ibpA), was confirmed by testing the assay on currently described Rodentibacter type species and other Pasteurellaceae. Furthermore, it was validated within four different barrier units and results were compared with the cultural analysis of sentinel mice.

The assay was suitable to specifically detect R. pneumotropicus and R. heylii and discriminate them from other murine Rodentibacter spp. In addition, it revealed high sensitivity for the detection of both agents in environmental sampling material including exhaust air dust in individually ventilated cage systems. Altogether, higher pathogen prevalence was detected via qPCR of environmental samples compared with cultural diagnostics of sentinel mice.

This study describes a qPCR assay for the simultaneous detection of R. pneumotropicus and R. heylii. This assay was demonstrated to be beneficial during routine health monitoring, especially with regard to environmental sampling strategies.
Great illusions or great transformations? Human rights and international relations a hundred years on
Authors: Dunne Tim , Wheeler Nicholas J
Published: June 2019

Human rights have been in the practice of international relations, but they have not been central to academic thinking on International Relations (IR) for most of the century since the discipline became institutionalized in 1919. We suggest two related reasons for this relative neglect by the IR community. First, the US heartland of IR prioritized other institutions of international order during the 1950s and 1960s, primarily the balance of power, diplomacy, and arms control. Second, human rights were treated with suspicion by realists in particular given their view that morality in foreign policy was potentially disruptive of international order. If the emergent discipline of IR largely ignored the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, so did the rest of the world according to the revisionist history of human rights offered by Samuel Moyn. He challenges the idea that the birth of the regime was the culmination of a 150-year struggle that began in the minds of Enlightenment thinkers and ended with a new globalized framework of rights for all. While IR was slow to come to human rights, the pace in the last three decades has quickened considerably; the area of protecting the basic right of security from violence being a case in point, where several IR scholars have been pivotal in the development of action-guiding theory. Developing a critical theme in Carr’s The Twenty Years’ Crisis 1919-1939, we consider whether these institutional developments represent great illusions or great transformations in international relations in Carr’s terms.
International Relations: The Story So Far
Authors: Booth Ken
Published: June 2019

‘The Story So Far’ is the conclusion of the first centenary Special Issue of the journal International Relations. The issue marks 100 years since the birth of the academic discipline of International Relations (IR), whose institutional moment was the endowment establishing the Department of International Politics at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, at the end of 1918, and its subsequent opening in April 1919. The collection of articles marking this unique event consists of reflections by a group of leading scholars on themes of continuity and change at the international level of world politics in that century. The present article considers these reflections in the context of problematising our attempts to understand the long history and complex dynamics of international relations.
New Approaches and Debates on Top-Down Perceptual Processing
Authors: Riener Cedar
Published: June 2019

When people perceive the world, what they see is based on the physics of light reflecting off surfaces and entering their eyes. Their brain then processes the raw data so that photoreceptor activity becomes perceptual awareness. Most textbooks and chapters on sensation and perception follow this formula, building student understanding of perception as progressing from the raw data of light to the biological response of photoreceptors to more complex processing of edges and objects in the brain. This approach is often called bottom-up processing. Top-down processing, in contrast, occurs when people’s expectations, emotions, and bodies affect how they see the world. In this article, I review diverse evidence suggesting that perception is not solely a result of bottom-up processing. I also suggest ways that we should inform students of this complexity.
Exploring the lived experience of acquiring life skills with congenital total blindness: An interpretative phenomenological analysis
Authors: Ingram Errol , Dorsett Pat , Macfarlane Kym
Published: June 2019

This phenomenological study explored how individual young adults understood their lived experience of acquiring life skills with congenital total blindness (CTB). Four young adults with CTB, and five parents of the young adults, participated in the study. In depth, semi-structured interviews were used to gather information from the research participants. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Five superordinate themes emerged from the IPA: (1) life skills acquisition as ‘a means to an end’, (2) appraising life skills acquisition, (3) acquiring disability-specific skills, (4) reaching adulthood with life skill gaps, and (5) making sense of independence. The findings revealed that the young adults had reached adulthood with significant gaps in their acquisition of basic life skills. This indicates that more needs to be done, to improve the efficacy and meaning of life skill acquisition programmes provided in childhood and adolescence, to young people living with CTB.
Trinity of change agency, regional development paths and opportunity spaces
Authors: Grillitsch Markus , Sotarauta Markku
Published: June 2019

The study of regional growth paths is a key theme in economic geography and of elemental interest for regional development. This paper addresses the interplay between path-dependent, structural forces and the construction and utilization of opportunities through agentic processes. Extending the evolutionary framework, it is argued that not only history but also perceived futures influence agentic processes in the present and thus shape regional development paths. The paper discusses the relevance and interdependencies of three types of agency with distinct theoretical roots, namely Schumpeterian innovative entrepreneurship, institutional entrepreneurship and place-based leadership, as main drivers of regional structural change.
How Might Wet Retroreflective Pavement Markings Enable More Robust Machine Vision?
Authors: Pike Adam M. , Whitney Jordan , Hedblom Thomas , Clear Susannah
Published: June 2019

This study is a preliminary investigation of the effects of levels of wet retroreflectivity of pavement markings on factors that determine robust feature detection in machine vision and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems in continuously wet road conditions. Luminance and Weber contrast of a range of pavement markings were characterized as functions of wet retroreflectivity and distance based on calibrated charge-coupled device (CCD) camera measurements. Both were found to trend with wet retroflectivity over the range of distances considered in this study. Artifacts arising from glare sources in wet conditions and their intensities relative to pavement markings of different wet retroreflectivity levels were demonstrated. Image data suggests that markings with high wet retroreflectivity may help to mitigate identification of these artifacts as false positives in lane awareness/lane detection algorithms. As LiDAR presents a viable sensor fusion approach to identifying and avoiding these false positives and artifacts in both nighttime wet and daytime wet road conditions, LiDAR return was characterized on pavement markings comprising both optics designed only for dry retroreflectivity and optics designed to be retroreflective in both dry and wet conditions. Preliminary results suggest that for common pavement marking constructions based on exposed beaded optics that might be completely immersed by a rainstorm or puddling, incorporation of high index (n~2.4) wet retroreflective beaded optics is likely to be advantageous to both visible machine vision systems and LiDAR for detection of those retroreflective markings in both night and day.
Simulation Study of the Efficiency of Unmarked On-Street Parking and Vehicle Downsizing
Authors: Xu Tongxin
Published: June 2019

Does unmarked on-street parking accommodate more cars—because smaller cars take less space? Or is unmarked spacing actually less efficient, because of the mismatch effect of very small cars? Should we charge shorter cars less for parking based on their space saving contribution? With many factors in effect, the judgement is not easy. For the first time this study uses computer simulation to assign queues of randomly generated vehicles to marked and unmarked spaces using a parallel world method, to directly test which method is more efficient and can accommodate more cars. Simulation results show that unmarked spacing is more efficient only when the curb is shorter, or not close to any integer times of the optimal length of one marked space, and when drivers are all considerate when choosing the parking location. Under other situations, marked spacing accommodates more cars. This simulation study also found that vehicle downsizing only significantly improves parking efficiency if the vehicle is downsized to two-seaters that can vertically park. In other cases, vehicle downsizing only helps the owners of the downsized vehicles themselves, and making it more difficult for all other people to find parking. To better benefit from vehicle downsizing, a new type of “block-based” spacing is proposed, which achieves some of the flexibility of unmarked spacing and keeping the mismatch-effect relatively low.
Mechanical properties of natural fibre-reinforced hybrid composites
Authors: Dong Chensong
Published: June 2019

A study on the hybrid composites reinforced by two types of short natural fibres is presented. The material properties of short natural fibre composites were obtained by Mori–Tanaka method. Three-point bend test was simulated by the classical beam theory and finite element analysis. Both asymmetric and sandwich hybrid composites were studied. From the results, the following conclusions can be drawn:

1. A general rule is that one lamina of higher stiffness should be placed on the tensile face of a hybrid composite in order to obtain improved flexural strength.

2. For the sandwich-type hybrid composites, the higher stiffness material should be placed in the core, and the lower stiffness material should be the skin.
Performance of newly employed trainee accountants in Gauteng, South Africa, versus the skills expectations of employers: How big is the gap?
Authors: Kunz Rolien , de Jager Herman
Published: June 2019

The objective of this article is to determine whether the professional skills demonstrated by newly employed first-year trainee accountants (i.e. their performance) meet the expectations of audit managers and, if they do not, to determine the size of the expectation–performance gap. A questionnaire was used to determine the expectations and the perceptions of the actual capabilities of trainee accountants among South African audit managers at large audit firms in Gauteng. The findings revealed that newly employed first-year trainee accountants did not meet audit managers’ expectations, with their expectations always exceeding their perceptions of performance. The professional skill with the largest expectation–performance gap was the ability to take responsibility for one’s own development (37.9%) and that with the smallest gap was the ability to display honesty and integrity (9.4%).
A Nationwide Study of Myopia in Taiwanese School Children: Family, Activity, and School-Related Factors
Authors: Holton Valerie , Hinterlong James E. , Tsai Ching-Yao , Tsai Jen-Chen , Wu Jia Shan , Liou Yiing Mei
Published: June 2019

The purpose of the study was to explore how fixed and modifiable family, activity, and school factors affect a student’s myopia risk and severity. We used national cross-sectional data from Taiwanese children in Grades 4–6. Bivariate and multivariate analyses, including logistic and ordinary least squares regression, examined factors related to children’s myopia status and severity. Age, parent myopia, and school district were associated with risk of myopia. One hour or more per day of near work ( OR = 1.26) increased the odds of myopia. The same amount of time in outdoor activities ( OR = 0.85) or moderate or vigorous physical activities ( OR = 0.82) was associated with lower risk. Near work (β = 0.06), outdoor activity (β = −0.04), and outdoor recess (β = −0.03) predicted myopia severity. To promote healthy vision, nurses should advocate for and implement interventions that increase school children’s time outdoors and in physical activities and reduce their time on near work.
Early Outcomes and Complications of Synthetic Cartilage Implant for Treatment of Hallux Rigidus in the United States
Authors: Cassinelli Spenser J. , Chen Stephanie , Charlton Timothy P. , Thordarson David B.
Published: June 2019

Background:

The aim of this study was to determine the early outcomes and complications following the implantation of a hydrogel synthetic cartilage implant (SCI, Cartiva) for the treatment of hallux rigidus by a single surgeon.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review was performed of consecutive patients who underwent treatment for hallux rigidus with an SCI between August 2016 and April 2018 by a single surgeon. Demographic information, radiographic assessment, and concomitant operative procedures performed were evaluated for all patients. Postoperatively, PROMIS physical function (PF) and pain interference (PI) scores, patient satisfaction, reoperation, conversion to arthrodesis, and need for further clinical treatment were collected. Sixty-four SCIs were implanted in 60 patients. Follow-up averaged 18.5 months (range 12-30 months).

Results:

14% (9/64) of patients were very satisfied, 28% (18/64) satisfied, 20% (13/64) neutral, 11% (7/64) unsatisfied, and 27% (17/64) very unsatisfied with their outcome. In addition, 45% of patients underwent additional procedures at the time of SCI, and 23% had a history of surgery on the hallux before implantation. PROMIS PF scores averaged 42 and PROMIS PI scores averaged 60. Overall, 63% completed PROMIS PI, 66% completed PROMIS PF, and 100% completed a satisfaction survey. In addition, 30% (19/64) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) postoperatively due to pain. There was a 20% reoperation rate, which included an 8% rate of conversion to arthrodesis.

Conclusion:

Synthetic cartilage implantation yielded neutral patient satisfaction, mild pain, and physical dysfunction at early follow-up. We believe patient selection and counseling regarding early postoperative limitations are important before proceeding with SCI.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
Time to Recovery of Feeding After Alveolar Bone Graft Is Associated With Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting Within 2 Hours in Children
Authors: Yamashita Kaoru , Kibe Toshiro , Ohno Sachi , Uchino Minako , Higa Yurina , Niiro Ayako , Nakamura Norifumi , Sugimura Mitsutaka
Published: June 2019

Objective:

To examine the relationship between the method of anesthesia for alveolar bone graft surgery and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) based on the difference in surgical timing and to assess factors related to the postoperative quality of life.

Design:

Retrospective observational study.

Setting:

Hospital.

Participants:

Patients with cleft lip and palate who underwent alveolar bone graft surgery under general anesthesia. The subjects were divided into two groups based on surgical timing: secondary bone graft (SBG) and late secondary bone graft (LSBG) groups.

Main Outcome Measures:

Relationship between time to recovery of feeding and the types of anesthesia, PONV, and postoperative pain period.

Results:

The mean patient age was 9.97 ± 1.33 years in the SBG group and 15.39 ± 0.31 years in the LSBG group. In the SBG group, patients who were administered fentanyl or remifentanil had significantly higher incidence of PONV than those who were not administered these drugs. In the SBG group, the time to recovery of feeding was significantly longer in patients experiencing PONV within 2 hours or that lasted for 24 hours than in those without PONV. In the LSBG group, there was no significant difference regarding any of the above factors.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that the occurrence of PONV within 2 hours or lasting for 24 hours postoperatively in school-age children prolonged the time to recovery of feeding. This indicates that the time to recovery of feeding can be predicted based on the occurrence of PONV within the first 2 hours.
Structural Racism and Severe Maternal Morbidity in New York State
Authors: Liu Sze Yan , Fiorentini Christina , Bailey Zinzi , Huynh Mary , McVeigh Katharine , Kaplan Deborah
Published: June 2019

Objective:

We examined the association between county-level structural racism indicators and the odds of severe maternal morbidity (SMM) in New York State.

Design:

We merged individual-level hospitalization data from the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) with county-level data from the American Community Survey and the Vera Institute of Justice from 2011 to 2013 (n = 244 854). Structural racism in each county included in our sample was constructed as the racial inequity (ratio of black to white population) in female educational attainment, female employment, and incarceration.

Results:

Multilevel logistic regression analysis estimated the association between each of these structural racism indicators and SMM, accounting for individual- and hospital-level characteristics and clustering in facilities. In the models adjusted for individual- and hospital-level factors, county-level racial inequity in female educational attainment was associated with small but statistically significant higher odds of SMM (odds ratio [OR] = 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.47, 1.85). County-level structural racism indicators of female employment inequity and incarceration inequity were not statistically significant. Interaction terms examining potential effect measure modification by race with each structural racism indicator also indicated no statistical difference.

Conclusions:

Studies of maternal disparities should consider multiple dimensions of structural racism as a contributing cause to SMM and as an additional area for potential intervention.
The female memory factory: How the gendered labour of memory creates mnemonic capital
Authors: Reading Anna
Published: June 2019

Within feminist memory studies the economy has largely been overlooked, despite the fact that the economic analysis of culture and society has long featured in research on women and gender. This article addresses that gap, arguing that the global economy matters in understanding the gender of memory and memories of gender. It models the conceptual basis for the consideration of a feminist economic analysis of memory that can reveal the dimensions of mnemonic transformation, accumulation and exchange through gendered mnemonic labour, gendered mnemonic value and gendered mnemonic capital. The article then applies the concepts of mnemonic labour and mnemonic capital in more detail through a case study of memory activism examining the work of the Parragirls and the Parramatta Female Factory Precinct Memory Project (PFFP) in Sydney, Australia. The campaigns have worked to recognize the memory and history of the longest continuous site of female containment in Australia built to support the British invasion. The site in Parramatta, which dates from the 1820s, was a female factory for transported convicts, a female prison, an asylum for women and girls, an orphanage and then Parramatta Girls Home. The Burramattagal People of Darug Clan are the Traditional Owners of the land and the site is of practical and spiritual importance to indigenous women. This local struggle is representative of a global economic system of gendered institutionalized violence and forgetting, The analysis shows how the mnemonic labour of women survivors accumulates as mnemonic value that is then transformed into institutional mnemonic capital. Focusing on how mnemonic labour creates lasting mnemonic capital reveals the gendered dimensions of memory which are critical for ongoing memory work.
Carotid artery displacement and cardiovascular disease risk in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Gepner Adam D , McClelland Robyn L , Korcarz Claudia E , Young Rebekah , Kaufman Joel D , Mitchell Carol C , Stein James H
Published: June 2019

Novel technology permits quantification of common carotid artery (CCA) displacement, which is traditionally ignored. We evaluated associations with CCA displacement and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and events in a large, multi-ethnic cohort. Right CCA longitudinal displacement (LD), transverse displacement (TD), and grayscale median (GSM) were evaluated using ultrasound speckle-tracking and texture analysis software in 2050 participants. Regression analyses were used to define relationships between CCA LD, TD, GSM, and CVD risk factors. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess relationships between LD, TD, and incident CVD events. Participants were mean (SD) 64 (10) years old. There were 791 cases with a CVD event over a 12-year median follow-up. The mean LD was 0.29 (0.20) mm. In multivariable models including age, sex, race/ethnicity, heart rate, and CVD risk factors, LD was associated positively with active smoking (β = 0.08, p < 0.001) and inversely with black (β = −0.08, p < 0.001), Chinese (β = −0.05, p < 0.001), and Hispanic (β = −0.04, p < 0.05) race/ethnicities relative to white individuals, heart rate (β = −0.03/10 beats/min, p < 0.001), and diastolic blood pressure (β = −0.01/5 mmHg, p < 0.05). In fully adjusted models, LD and TD were associated with GSM ( p < 0.01), but neither predicted incident CVD events (LD: hazard ratio (HR) 0.77 [0.48 to 1.24], p = 0.3; TD: HR 1.12 [0.8 to 1.57], p = 0.5). CCA LD and TD are associated with race/ethnicity and CVD risk factors but not incident CVD events. LD and TD are not measures of arterial stiffness but their association with GSM suggests that lower LD and TD may be related to structural changes within the carotid arterial wall.
Loss to follow-up 1 year after lower extremity peripheral vascular intervention is associated with worse survival
Authors: Wang Grace J , Judelson Dejah R , Goodney Philip P , Bertges Daniel J
Published: June 2019

Loss to follow-up (LTF) has been associated with worse outcomes after procedures. We sought to identify differences in lower extremity peripheral vascular intervention (PVI) patients with and without LTF, and to determine if LTF impacted survival. Patients in the PVI registry of the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) were included ( n = 39,342), where t-test and chi-squared analysis were used to compare those with and without LTF. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with LTF while Cox regression analysis was applied to compare survival among those with and without LTF. The overall 1-year follow-up rate was 91.6%. LTF patients were more often male, Hispanic, of black race, and had a higher rate of diabetes, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and dialysis. LTF patients had a higher prevalence of critical limb ischemia, underwent popliteal or distal intervention, and were intervened upon urgently. There was also a higher rate of postoperative complications, and a lower rate of technical success for LTF patients. After controlling for center effects, the independent variables associated with LTF included male sex, age, diabetes, dialysis dependence, ASA class 3 or greater, as well as complications requiring admission. Preoperative aspirin, preadmission home living status, prior carotid intervention, and discharge aspirin were protective against LTF. Adjusted survival analysis showed decreased survival in LTF, with those returning face-to-face surviving longer than those with phone follow-up. Efforts should be focused on understanding these differences to improve follow-up rates and help improve overall survival.
Calorie counting smart phone apps: Effectiveness in nutritional awareness, lifestyle modification and weight management among young Indian adults
Authors: Banerjee Paromita , Mendu Vishnu Vardhana Rao , Korrapati Damayanthi , Gavaravarapu SubbaRao M
Published: June 2019

Calorie counting mobile apps claim to assist in weight management by helping users monitor their diets and track activity. This study assessed quality and effectiveness of popular calorie counting apps in weight management and behaviour change. Top 20 apps were selected from Google Play store and their quality was assessed using a 55-point scoring scale on attributes like standards used, content accuracy, user interface and sources of database. The mean (±SD (standard deviation)) quality score was 36.95 (±5.65). The calorie and activity recommendations were compared with standards and over 65 per cent apps over/underestimated calorie intake. To assess effectiveness, 60 young volunteers were recruited and divided into two groups. The intervention group (n = 30) was asked to use one of the top 3 apps for 8 weeks. Pre- and post-comparisons were made with the control group (n = 28). No significant difference was noted in anthropometry or food consumption. There was increasing trend (13.33%) in physical activity in the intervention group.
Patterns of Alcohol Abstinence in Mexican Women Residing in the United States: Effects of Nativity and Duration in the United States
Authors: Hardie Thomas L. , Polek Carolee , Garcia Victor , Leader Amy , Gonzalez Laura
Published: June 2019

Objectives:

Explore changes in abstinence rates in Mexican women (MW) residing in the United States based on nativity and time in the United States as an indicator risks for future alcohol-related disorders.

Design:

A secondary analysis of data from the National Health Interview Survey evaluated rates of abstinence between 2000 and 2017. A logistic regression was completed to address the impact of age, years in the United States, sample years.

Sample:

A total of 29,860 MW surveyed over an 18-year period that included those born in and outside the United States.

Primary Research Variables:

Dependent variable was abstinence status; independent variables included nativity, year of survey, age, years in the United States (if immigrant).

Results:

Immigrant MW showed higher rates of alcohol abstinence than U.S.-born MW across all years, but regardless of place of birth, fewer MW are abstaining over time. Among immigrant MW, those only in the United States greater than 15 years had a greater risk of becoming a drinker than those in the United States less than 5 years.

Conclusion:

There are declining rates of alcohol abstinence among MW regardless of immigration status. The lower rate of abstinent MW increases their risk for alcohol-related disorders. Assessing MW’s use of alcohol and providing targeted education is essential.
Archives and/as battlefields: Political aspects of historiographic revision
Authors: Barak On
Published: June 2019

For a short window of time between the deposition of Hosni Mubarak and the resumption of authoritarianism, Egyptian archives have become turbulent arenas in the struggle for governmental transparency and for democratic politics. This essay examines how attempting to access historical records pertaining to the Arab-Israeli 1973 war—arguably the most significant event reinforcing the reign of the Free Officers and their acolytes and a moment that encapsulates for many Egyptians “history” in a broader sense—became an important frontier in this struggle. After the war, various arenas in Egypt became lieus of war commemoration: not milieus that allowed a meaningful and agentive engagement with history, but sites that affixed a rigid, impoverished, and impoverishing understanding thereof. In postbellum Egypt, and much more so after 2011, contention revolved around transforming such sites into more open-ended environments.
Submerged memories: Memory, history, and displacement around Lake Asad, Syria
Authors: Lange Katharina
Published: June 2019

Temporalizing frameworks promoted under Syria’s dominant Baʿth Party have significantly shaped representations of temporality and historicity of, and in, the inhabitants of northern Syria until the early twenty-first century. In particular, the construction of the Euphrates Dam, Baʿthist Syria’s showcase modernization project, between 1968 and 1973, provided a symbolically highly loaded pivotal point for a progressivist discourse about the national historical trajectory which incorporated assumptions of internal temporal heterogeneity in its very core: while it promoted the image of a progressive, modern Syrian nation, it simultaneously removed the inhabitants of this part of the country to the realm of the backward and obsolete recent past and present, thus devaluing their actual lifestyles and aspirations and legitimizing their physical displacement following the submersion of their villages and fields under the emergent lake. Before this background, this article draws on literature research and intermittent ethnographic fieldwork in Syria between 2001 and 2011 to ask how the submerged memories of these people were articulated 40 years after the flooding. By including written, oral, as well as embodied expressions, the article argues that diverse facets of remembering the past in the Euphrates valley were valued very unevenly and that the relations between them were gendered and political.
Quantitative Studies of Diabetic Foot Ulcer Evolution Under Treatment by Digital Stereotactic Photography
Authors: Cabal Mirabal Carlos Alberto , Berlanga Acosta Jorge , Fernández Montequín José , Oramas Díaz Leonardo , González Dalmau Evelio , Herrera Martínez Luis , Sauri José Esteban , Baldomero Hernández Julio , Savigne Gutiérrez Wiliam , Valdés Jorge Luis , Tabio Reyes Ana Ledia , Pérez Pérez Salome Carmen , Valdés Pérez Calixto , Armstrong Alexandria A. , Armstrong David G.
Published: June 2019

Background:

Imaging the lower extremity reproducibly and accurately remains an elusive goal. This is particularly true in the high risk diabetic foot, where tissue loss, edema, and color changes are often concomitant. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of a novel and inexpensive stereotaxic frame in assessment of wound healing.

Methods:

The main idea is to keep constant and reproducible the relative position of extremities related to the sensor used for the examination during a serial studies by stereotaxic digital photographic sequence. Ten healthy volunteers were evaluated at 10 different time moments to estimate the foot position variations in the stereotaxic frame. The evolution of 40 of DFU patients under treatment was evaluated before and during the epidemical grow factor intralesional treatment.

Results:

The wound closing and granulation speeds, the relative contribution of the contraction and tissue restauration mechanism were evaluated by stereotaxic digital photography.

Conclusions:

The results of this study suggest that the stereotaxic frame is a robust platform for serial study of the evolution of wound healing which allow to obtain consistent information from a variety of visible and hyperspectral measurement technologies. New stereotaxic digital photography evidences related to the diabetic foot ulcer healing process under treatment has been presented.
Effects of a Standardized Extract of Asparagus officinalis Stem on Photoaging in the Epidermal Layer of the Skin Using Cultured Keratinocytes
Authors: Koda Tomoko , Shirato Ken , Takanari Jun , Imai Hideki
Published: June 2019

A standardized extract of Asparagus officinalis stem (EAS) is prepared from the lower residual parts of the plant. It is known to have antioxidative and neuroprotective activities. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of EAS on photoaging in the epidermal layer of the skin using cultured keratinocytes. Normal human epidermal keratinocytes were irradiated or unirradiated with UV-B (10 mJ/cm2) and incubated with EAS (0.5 or 2 mg/mL) or vehicle. After 3 or 13 hours, molecular examinations were performed, and after 24 or 48 hours, cell viabilities were determined by a CCK-8 assay. EAS treatment upregulated the mRNA level of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in cultured keratinocytes 13 hours after UV-B irradiation. On the other hand, EAS downregulated caspase-9 and endothelin-1 mRNA levels in UV-treated keratinocytes. EAS also increased cell viability on keratinocytes 24 hours after UV-B irradiation. These results suggested that EAS might accelerate the migration of keratinocytes and protect the cells against damage induced by UV-B irradiation. Furthermore, EAS might inhibit melanocyte proliferation and UV-induced hyperpigmentation.
Difficult Discharges to Skilled Nursing Facilities Attributed to Multiple Sclerosis Medications: An Observational Study
Authors: Munger Kathleen C. , George Benjamin P. , Samkoff Lawrence M. , Robb Jessica F.
Published: June 2019

Background:

The costs of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and certain symptomatic treatments (ie, dalfampridine [DFP]) are high. Consolidated billing models require that medication costs be covered by skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) after hospitalization. As a result, patients may experience suboptimal discharge, off of medication or without rehabilitation.

Methods:

To characterize the frequency with which MS pharmaceutical costs lead to suboptimal discharge, we performed a retrospective chart review of admissions to a large academic medical center from January 2013 to December 2017 among patients with MS on DMT and/or DFP with SNF rehabilitation recommendations. We quantified the burden of suboptimal discharge due to medication discontinuation, limited medication supplies, or forgone rehabilitation.

Results:

Among 169 admissions of patients with MS with discharge recommendations for SNF rehabilitation, there were 57 (33.7%) admissions across 49 patients with MS on DMT/DFP. Overall, 39 (68%) of 57 admissions (71% of patients) experienced a suboptimal discharge. Overall, 29 (65%) discontinued DMT/DFP, 9 (16%) took their remaining home supply of medications during rehabilitation (including 5 admissions also affected by a discontinuation), and 6 (11%) were discharged home to remain on DMT. Among those discharged to rehabilitation, discharge to a hospital-owned SNF was associated with a routine discharge with no lapse in medication (n = 11/15 vs 7/36, P < .001).

Conclusions:

High costs of MS medications in conjunction with SNF consolidated payment models result in misaligned incentives and often lead to medication discontinuation or other suboptimal discharge for patients with MS.
Prognostic factors and the role of pelvic lymphadenectomy in uterine leiomyosarcomas
Authors: Nesrine Tounsi , Ines Zemni , Abdelwahed Nawel , Ali Ayadi Mohamed , Nadia Boujelbene , Monia Hechiche , Hatem Bouzaine , Maher Slimane , Khaled Rahel
Published: June 2019

Objectives:

Leiomyosarcomas are relatively rare uterine smooth muscle tumors. Surgery is the most common therapy choice for uterine leiomyosarcomas. However, controversy exists over the appropriate initial surgical management, especially about the role of lymph node sampling. The aim of our study is to analyze the prognostic factors and the role of lymphadenectomy in overall survival and in disease-free survival.

Methods:

We analyzed retrospectively 31 patients suffering from uterine leiomyosarcomas at Institute of Salah Azaiez during 2000–2014. Demographic and clinical features such as age, menopausal status, stage, tumor size, and management options were examined, and pathological characteristics such as mitotic count, lymphovascular space invasion, and tumor necrosis were evaluated.

Results:

Out of 31 patients treated for uterine leiomyosarcomas, pelvic lymphadenectomy was done for 18 patients. No para-aortic lymphadenectomy was performed. Median number of resected lymph nodes was 13 ± 7 (range: 3–27). Lymphatic metastasis was observed in 2 out of 18 patients with clinical stage IA and IIIB. The distribution of different variables (age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage, tumor size, mitotic count, and adjuvant treatment) between the group of patients, who had or had not lymphadenectomy done, had no significant difference. The 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival were 61% and 50%, respectively. Clinical stage, presence of lymphovascular space invasion, and lymph nodal dissection were found to be relevant for disease-free survival on univariate analysis. Only age and menopausal status were found to be a prognostic factor for overall survival.

Conclusion:

Hence, routine lymph node dissection was not generally recommended. Our study demonstrates that lymphadenectomy has a statistically significant effect on disease-free survival but not on overall survival.