bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peripheral vagal nerve stimulation modulates the nociceptive withdrawal reflex in healthy subjects: A randomized, cross-over, sham-controlled study
Authors: De Icco Roberto , Martinelli Daniele , Bitetto Vito , Fresia Mauro , Liebler Eric , Sandrini Giorgio , Tassorelli Cristina
Published: November 2017

Introduction

The mechanism of action of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation in the treatment of migraine is elusive. We studied its effect in a human model of pain, the nociceptive withdrawal reflex.

Methods

We enrolled 10 healthy subjects who underwent active non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation and sham treatment in a randomized, cross-over, sham-controlled study. Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation was delivered with gammaCore®. The assessment of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex was performed at baseline (T0) and at 5 (T5) and 30 (T30) minutes after stimulation.

Results

Non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation significantly increased the reflex threshold to single stimulus at both T5 and T30 and the temporal summation threshold at T30. Sham treatment did not modify any parameters.

Discussion

These findings are consistent with a modulation of central descending pathways for pain control. An altered spinal and supraspinal control of pain has been described in primary headache, so this effect may partially explain the therapeutic effect of non-invasive vagal nerve stimulation.
Data struggles: The life and times of a database in Historical Climatology
Authors: Decker Kris
Published: November 2017

Open access to research data has become an issue in many contemporary sciences. One of them is Historical Climatology, a discipline drawing on archival materials to study the climate’s past. Based on fieldwork, the article explores the construction of a shared database by a group of historical climatologists and describes the strategies and hopes built into that infrastructure. I examine how the possession and provision of data relate to issues of recognition and legitimacy, thereby turning database construction into a practice of social import. Further, I argue that taking into account the diversity of research materials from which climate data is constituted – historical documents, tree-rings, ice-cores, etc. – is crucial for apprehending both the status of distinct types of data and the status of distinct research groups in the scientific field under investigation here.
Social determinants of identity in communities: A social capital- and social categorization-based approach – findings from Latvia
Authors: Sechi Guido , Šķilters Jurģis
Published: November 2017

The article investigates the relations, in the light of new paradigms of economic development, between trust and economic wealth at the micro level in the Republic of Latvia, by means of a structural equation modelling-based approach and a framework combining social capital and social identity theory, in a rationale of cross-fertilization between social and cognitive science. Results are also tested against control dimensions reflecting relevant divides in Latvian society (residence place dimensions; ethno-linguistic belongings; educational differences). General results support the hypothesis of the existence of a causal path connecting personal wealth, institutional trust, social engagement and trust towards people. Results are found to be highly sensitive to the geographical and educational divide (but not to the ethno-linguistic one).
Development and characterization of high-performance kenaf fiber–HDPE composites
Authors: Wang Qiushi , Jones Joydan , Lu Na , Johnson Ralph , Ning Haibin , Pillay Selvum
Published: November 2017

Natural fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites have been increasingly used in automotive and other fields because of their good mechanical properties, low density, excellent damping properties and biodegradability. The objective of this work is to develop and characterize a high-performance lightweight kenaf fiber composite that is processed using unconventional processing methods, wet laid process followed with compression molding process. Kenaf fiber mats produced by wet laid process are stacked with high-density polyethylene films and compression molded into plates from which testing samples are prepared. The effects of fiber length, fiber content, and area density on the tensile properties are investigated. The composite samples with the best tensile properties are also evaluated in its flexural, compression, impact, and fire resistance performance. The processing–structure–property relations of the developed kenaf fiber high-density polyethylene composite are systematically studied, which can be broadly applied to other natural fiber composites.
Palliative Care Issues and Challenges in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Khraisat Omar Mohammad , Hamdan Mahmoud , Ghazzawwi Mohannad
Published: November 2017

Background:

Nurses are the heart of the palliative care team who provide high standards of care since they spend the longest time with patients. However, lack of adequate knowledge of palliative care is considered as one of the main obstacles to palliative care improvement.

Aim:

A survey was conducted to assess Saudi nursing students’ knowledge about palliative care.

Methods:

Using a descriptive design, 154 students who enrolled in first year and who will graduate within 1 year were surveyed in a nursing college located in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The Palliative Care Quiz for Nursing (PCQN) was used to assess students’ knowledge.

Results:

The sample mean age was 22.1 (standard deviation (SD): 2.2), and most of the students were predominately female (93; 60.4%) and the majority were senior students who will be graduated within the current academic year (105; 68.2%). The total mean score of palliative care knowledge was low at 7.30 (SD: 0.56; range: 0-13), and the number of correctly answered statements ranged from 16 (10.4%, statement no. 7) to 91 (59.1%, statement no. 18). Eleven misconceptions about palliative care among participants are conceptually categorized into 3categories: principle and philosophy of palliative care, pain and symptom management, and psychological and spiritual care.

Conclusion:

Integrating palliative care education within the nursing programs is the backbone to improve nursing students’ knowledge, namely, in principles of palliative care and symptom management.
Effects of linear acceleration in a harmonically excited proof mass MEMS rate gyroscope
Authors: Mohammadi Zohreh , Salarieh Hassan
Published: November 2017

MEMS rate gyroscopes are prone to different errors because of environmental conditions and manufacturing errors. These errors can result to mismatch between the fabricated gyros and the designed ones. Different environmental conditions and disturbances can change the parameters and specifications of a gyro, and its sensitivity may deteriorate, since the parameters are different from the optimal ones. External linear acceleration is one of the main environmental disturbances that may change the behavior of an MEMS rate gyro that its effect on the accuracy of an MEMS proof mass gyroscope is found here. This is done by finding the equations of motion of gyroscope in presence of acceleration and solving the equations analytically and numerically and then surveying changes of calibration diagram of a typically designed gyro after addition of acceleration to the equations. Also, the error in angular velocity sensing will be found. It is seen that linear external acceleration can make a constant bias in the drive and sense mode responses in different angular velocities. But, change of sense mode amplitude in different external linear accelerations is very low. Angular velocity can be calibrated according to the sense mode amplitude or the maximum value of the output. The error percent of angular velocity measurement is very different in these two methods.
Thermomechanical fatigue of grey cast iron brake discs for heavy vehicles
Authors: Gigan Gaël , Norman Viktor , Ahlström Johan , Vernersson Tore
Published: November 2017

The development of fatigue life assessment models for vehicle components exposed to thermomechanical fatigue supports the establishing of adequate maintenance intervals that neither cause unnecessary vehicle downtime, nor jeopardize the function of the components. In modern automotive applications, braking is closely related to safety and is commonly performed with disc brakes. Failure here may result in structural damage or even breakdown and loss of lives. In the present work, the cyclic response of grey cast iron is analysed and the fatigue life of brake discs made from this material is studied by use of four different fatigue life assessment models: the Smith–Watson–Topper model, the Coffin–Manson model and two mechanism-based damage models. Results from isothermal and thermomechanical experiments on uniaxially loaded specimens are used for calibration of the models. Finally, the models are used to assess the life of a brake disc for a simulated brake dynamometer experiment. It is found that the fatigue model parameters that are calibrated using different sets of isothermal uniaxial test data show a substantial spread. A comparison with results from full-scale brake rig experiments shows that predictions by any of the models that have been calibrated using data from a well-designed thermomechanical test are in reasonable agreement with the estimated crack initiation phase for actual brake disc lives. It can be concluded that it is not sufficient to calibrate the studied fatigue life models using isothermal uniaxial tests for predictions of thermomechanical fatigue lives.
Analytical investigation into the effects of nitrogen enriched air bubbles to improve aircraft fuel system water management
Authors: Terada Yuri , Lawson Craig P , Shahneh Amir Z
Published: November 2017

In the aircraft fuel system, water–ice contamination within fuel tanks has been one of the most serious challenges. This issue was highlighted in 2008 by an accident triggered by restricted fuel flow due to the ice formation within the system. The on-board inert gas generation system, which is already installed on some aircraft to prevent the outbreak of fire in the fuel tank, is a potentially feasible method to improve the water management. This paper focuses on the impact of bubbles from the on-board inert gas generation system system on water in the fuel tank. In order to explore the bubble effect, the relationship between orifice configuration and bubble parameter was investigated by means of mathematical models and existing experimental data. Moreover, by combining a MATLAB code and the introduced bubble model, the effect of bubble size and rising speed on the water contamination in the fuel tank was observed. For the water absorption process, a new model was introduced using a mass transfer coefficient. Finally, this article concludes that the amount of accumulated water is dependent on the bubble size and rising speed, and an optimal bubble size or speed is predictable once the coefficient has been obtained.
Uncovering the Power of Personality to Shape Income
Authors: Denissen Jaap J. A. , Bleidorn Wiebke , Hennecke Marie , Luhmann Maike , Orth Ulrich , Specht Jule , Zimmermann Julia
Published: November 2017

The notion of person-environment fit implies that personal and contextual factors interact in influencing important life outcomes. Using data from 8,458 employed individuals, we examined the combined effects of individuals’ actual personality traits and jobs’ expert-rated personality demands on earnings. Results from a response surface analysis indicated that the fit between individuals’ actual personality and the personality demands of their jobs is a predictor of income. Conclusions of this combined analysis were partly opposite to conclusions reached in previous studies using conventional regression methods. Individuals can earn additional income of more than their monthly salary per year if they hold a job that fits their personality. Thus, at least for some traits, economic success depends not only on having a “successful personality” but also, in part, on finding the best niche for one’s personality. We discuss the findings with regard to labor-market policies and individuals’ job-selection strategies.
How One Thing Leads to Another: Spillover Effects of Behavioral Mind-Sets
Authors: Xu Alison Jing , Schwarz Norbert
Published: November 2017

Cognitions involved in a goal-directed activity may influence people’s behaviors in unrelated domains. We review evidence for such spillover effects and discuss the underlying processes in terms of behavioral mind-sets.
‘Alarmist stories and defeatist views’: Censorship and morale in India during the Second World War
Authors: Sethi Devika
Published: November 2017

This article identifies three loci of the British colonial state’s anxiety about communication of news and views in India during the Second World War: its own officials (and their families); the press (both English language and vernacular); and the Indian public. It explores war-time dilemmas of the state with regard to censorship of both news and rumour, and it discusses the central paradox of censorship in colonial India during war-time.
Estimation of overdiagnosis in breast cancer screening using a non-homogeneous multi-state model: A simulation study
Authors: Wu Wendy Y-Y , Nyström Lennarth , Jonsson Håkan
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Overdiagnosis is regarded as a harm of screening. We aimed to develop a non-homogeneous multi-state model to consider the age-specific transition rates for estimation of overdiagnosis, to validate the model by a simulation study where the true frequency of overdiagnosis can be calculated, and to compare our estimate with the cumulative incidence method.

Methods

We constructed a four-state model to describe the natural history of breast cancer. The latent disease progression and the observed states for each individual were simulated in a trial with biennial screening of women aged 51–69 and a control group of the same size without screening. We performed 100 repetitions of the simulation with one million women to evaluate the performance of estimates. A sensitivity analysis with reduced number of controls was performed to imitate the data from the service screening programme.

Results

Based on the 100 repetitions, the mean value of the true frequency of overdiagnosis was 12.5% and the average estimates by the cumulative incidence method and the multi-state model were 12.9% (interquartile range: 2.46%) and 13.4% (interquartile range: 2.16%), respectively. The multi-state model had a greater bias of overdiagnosis than the cumulative incidence method, but the variation in the estimates was smaller. When the number of unscreened group was reduced, the variation of multi-state model estimates increased.

Conclusions

The multi-state model produces a proper estimate of overdiagnosis and the results are comparable with the cumulative incidence method. The multi-state model can be used in the estimation of overdiagnosis, and might be useful for the ongoing service screening programmes.
Evolution of the National Breast Screening Programme in Ireland: Two-year interval analysis (2004–2013) of BreastCheck
Authors: Fitzpatrick Patricia E , Greehy Gráinne , Mooney Marie T , Flanagan Fidelma , Larke Aideen , Connors Alissa , O’Doherty Ann
Published: November 2017

Objective

Monitoring breast screening programmes is essential to ensure quality. BreastCheck, the national breast screening programme in the Republic of Ireland, commenced screening in 2000, with full national expansion in 2007, and digital mammography introduced in 2008. We aimed to review the performance of BreastCheck from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2013.

Methods

Using the customised clinical and administrative database, performance indicator data were collected from BreastCheck and compared with programme and European guideline standards.

Results

Over the decade, 972,236 screening examinations were performed. Uptake initially rose following national expansion, but fell in the subsequent years to <70% in 2012–2013. Following the introduction of digital mammography, initial recall rates increased from 5.2% in 2004–2005 to 8.1% in 2012–2013. Subsequent recall rates remained within the target of <3%. On average, invasive cancer detection rates were 6.6/1000 for initial and 4.5/1000 for subsequent women. Small cancer detection rates were for <15 mm 43.4% (initial women) and 51.7% (subsequent) and for ≤10 mm 24.0% (initial) and 29.5% (subsequent). Ductal carcinoma in situ detection as a percentage of all cancers averaged 21.2% for initial and 20.0% for subsequent women. The majority were intermediate or high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ. The positive predictive value was 11.9% for initial and 21.8% for subsequent women. Standardized detection ratios remained above the programme target.

Conclusion

Revised indicators to reflect the digital mammography era are anticipated in revised European Guidelines on breast cancer screening.
Conflict between nursing student’s personal beliefs and professional nursing values
Authors: Pickles David , Lacey Sheryl de , King Lindy
Published: November 2017

Background:

Studies have established that negative perceptions of people living with HIV/AIDS exist among nursing students throughout the world, perceptions which can be detrimental to the delivery of high-quality nursing care.

Objectives:

The purpose of this research was to explore socio-cultural influences on the perceptions of nursing students towards caring for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Research design:

The study was guided by stigma theory, a qualitative descriptive research approach was adopted. Data collected via semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed.

Participants and research context:

Participants were 21 international and Australian undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing programme at an Australian university.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval was granted by the Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee at the study university. Participation was entirely voluntary; informed consent was obtained before the study commenced; confidentiality and anonymity were assured.

Findings:

Three major themes were found: blame, othering and values. Complex and interrelated factors constructed participant perceptions of people living with HIV/AIDS, perceptions underscored by the prevailing culturally construed blame and othering associated with HIV/AIDS. The study found discordance between the negative personal beliefs and perceptions some nursing students have towards people living with HIV/AIDS, and the professional values expected of them as Registered Nurses.

Discussion:

There was considerable commonality between this and previous studies on how homosexuality and illicit drug use were perceived and stigmatised, correlating with the blame directed towards people living with HIV/AIDS. These perceptions indicated some nursing students potentially risked not fulfilling the ethical and professional obligations the Registered Nurse.

Conclusion:

Nursing curriculum should be strengthened in relation to comprehending the meaning of being stigmatised by society. Educational institutions need to work towards enhancing strategies that assist nursing students to reconcile any incongruity between their personal beliefs and requisite professional nursing values.
A Thematic Analysis of the Challenges and Work-Life Balance of Women Entrepreneurs Working in Small-Scale Industries
Authors: Pareek Purvi , Bagrecha Chaya
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this research is to understand the various challenges and the work–life balance of women entrepreneurs working in small-scale industries (SSI), and to develop models for the same. The paper discusses the various viewpoints of women entrepreneurs of SSI given by them in personal interviews and explores in detail the difficulties and problems they face from generation to setting up of enterprise and making it run successfully. It also talks about the difficulties they face from society and the kind of anxiety and fear they have to overcome to reach this stage. This exploratory report is the result of a pilot study that has been conducted using thematic analysis to discover solutions for the same.

Qualitative research method is being used for the pilot study conducted using thematic analysis by gathering data from personal interviews.

The two most important challenges faced by women entrepreneurs managing small scale industries relate to socio-personal issues and managing relationships.

Identification of challenges and work–life balance issues faced by women entrepreneurs in SSI and development of models for the same, that can be used for further research by academicians & by various Government and academic institutions for training and development, contributing to the growth of women entrepreneurs in India.

The research is an honest attempt to realize the various challenges and work–life balance issues an Indian woman entrepreneur faces in SSI, so that models can be developed, leading to more woman participation and contributing to entrepreneurial growth.
An unusual presentation of pseudocowpox associated with an outbreak of pustular ulcerative vulvovaginitis in a Swedish dairy herd
Authors: Blomqvist Gunilla , Ullman Karin , Segall Thomas , Hauzenberger Elenor , Renström Lena , Persson-Waller Karin , Leijon Mikael , Valarcher Jean-Francois
Published: November 2017

Species Pseudocowpox virus (PCPV; family Poxviridae) is known to cause pustular cutaneous disease in cattle. We describe an outbreak of pseudocowpox with an unusual clinical picture in a free-stall dairy herd of ~80 cows. Approximately 90% of the cows had vesicles, erosions, papules, and scabs on the vulva and vaginal mucosa. Histologic analysis of biopsy tissues indicated a primary, although not specified, viral infection. Transmission electron microscopy revealed parapoxvirus particles in both tissue and vesicular materials. Deep sequencing analysis of extracted DNA from swabbed vesicle areas gave a contig of nearly 120,000 nucleotides, matching the PCPV strain VR 634 with 100% identity. Analyses confirmed the absence of other potential causes of pustular vulvovaginitis such as bovine herpesvirus 1 and Ureaplasma diversum. A rolling cow brush was suspected to be the fomite.
“Contract to Volunteer”: South African Community Health Worker Mobilization for Better Labor Protection
Authors: Trafford Zara , Swartz Alison , Colvin Christopher J.
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we explore the increasing activity around labor rights for South African community health workers (CHWs). Contextualizing this activity within broader policy and legal developments, we track the emergence of sporadic mobilizations for decent work (supported by local health activist organizations) and subsequently, the formation of a CHW union. The National Union of Care Workers of South Africa (NUCWOSA) was inaugurated in 2016, hoping to secure formal and secure employment through government and the consequent labor and occupational health protections. Various tensions were observed during fieldwork in the run up to NUCWOSA's formation and raise important questions about representation, legitimacy, and hierarchies of power. We close by offering suggestions for future research in this developing space.
Screening for Delirium: Development and Validation of the Buffalo Delirium Scale for Use in a Home-Based Hospice Setting
Authors: Breier Jennifer M. , Meier Scott T. , Kerr Christopher W. , Wright Scott T. , Grant Pei C. , Depner Rachel M.
Published: November 2017

Background:

Delirium is a challenging occurrence among people at end of life. It can be difficult to detect and treat because of its episodic nature. The Buffalo Delirium Scale (BDS) was designed to identify risk factors for hospice patients in the prodromal stage of delirium.

Objective:

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of items assessing delirium risk factors related to cognitive problems, psychological distress, and sleep problems.

Methods:

Hospice nursing staff assessed patients with the 11-item BDS over a 6-month period as part of standard weekly visits to monitor for emerging signs of delirium, for example, sleep patterns, cognition, and behavior.

Setting/Participants:

The rating period produced 4992 assessments from 817 hospice home care patients.

Results:

Factor analysis of nurses’ ratings identified 3 factors: (1) cognitive problems, (2) distress, and (3) sleep problems. Coefficient αs for these factors and total score were moderate to high (range = .66-.82). Nurses’ ratings of presence of delirium highly correlated with scores on distress ( r = .40, P < .01), while dementia highly correlated with cognitive problems ( r = .50, P < .01). Analysis of at-risk cases with high BDS total scores where no delirium was assessed indicated that quality sleep may mitigate delirium onset.

Conclusion:

Preliminary psychometric testing suggests BDS to be a valid and appropriate measure for hospice patients. Use of BDS may help differentiate individuals in prodromal stage of delirium versus dementia. Examination of BDS scores may help identify patients for whom sleep interventions may delay onset of or reduce the frequency of delirium.
Prevalence of Jones Fracture Repair and Impact on Short-Term NFL Participation
Authors: Tu Leigh-Anne , Knapik Derrick M. , Sheehan Joseph , Salata Michael J. , Voos James E.
Published: November 2017

Background:

Elite American football athletes are at high risk for Jones fractures. Fixation is recommended to minimize nonunion and allow early return to play. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the prevalence of Jones fracture repair in athletes invited to the National Football League (NFL) Combine and the impact of fracture repair on short-term NFL participation compared to athletes with no history of repair.

Methods:

A total of 1311 athletes participating in the Combine from 2012 to 2015 were evaluated. Athletes with history of Jones fracture repair were identified. Athlete demographic information was collected while physical examination findings were recorded. Radiographs were evaluated to determine fixation type and the presence of nonunion. Future participation in the NFL was evaluated based on draft status, games played, and games started in the athlete’s first season following the Combine.

Results:

Fixation was performed for 41 Jones fractures in 40 athletes (3.1%). The highest prevalence was in defensive linemen (n = 10 athletes), with the greatest rate in tight ends (5.1%, n = 4 of 79 athletes). Intramedullary screw fixation was used for all fractures. Incomplete bony union was present in 3 (8%) fractures. Athletes with a history of repair were not at significant risk for going undrafted ( P = .61), playing ( P = .23), or starting ( P = .76) fewer NFL games compared to athletes with no history of repair during athletes’ first NFL season.

Conclusion:

Athletes with a history of Jones fracture repair were not at significant risk of going undrafted or for diminished participation during their first season in the NFL.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
State feedback predictive control for nonlinear hydro-turbine governing system
Authors: Yi Yapeng , Zhang Zhiwang , Chen Diyi , Zhou Rui , Patelli Edoardo , Tolo Silvia
Published: November 2017

The present work introduces a novel predictive control strategy for the analysis of the dynamic performance of hydro-turbine governing systems based on fuzzy logic. Firstly, a six-dimensional nonlinear dynamic model of the system is defined. The defined model is applied to a realistic case-study, aiming to investigate the dynamic behavior of the system. In order to deal effectively with the nonlinearity of the system under study, the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy approach is adopted. The results demonstrated through the use of the discrete Lyapunov function and Schur complements of matrices suggest that the closed-cycle control system can achieve a global asymptotic stability state. The second part focuses on the quantification of the impact of sudden changes in operating conditions on the overall performance. The numerical results indicate that the proposed predictive control method can ensure the performance of the system to be reliable and robust to external inferences. In addition to this, the approach proposed has unquestionable advantages over the traditional proportional–integral–derivative and model predictive controllers with regard to nonlinear systems applications.
The Doing and Undoing of the “Autistic Child”: Cutting Together and Apart Interview-Based Empirical Materials
Authors: Frigerio Alessandra , Benozzo Angelo , Holmes Rachel , Runswick-Cole Katherine
Published: November 2017

This article discusses how posthuman and new materialist theories afford us opportunities to rethink the production of the “autistic child,” drawing on a qualitative research project on parenthood in the context of childhood disability in Italy. We will put some Baradian’s key concepts (intra-action, agential cut and cutting together-apart) to work in glancing at the complexities we keep encountering when a mother, Arianna, describes her relationship with her daughter Laura. The aim of this article is twofold: first, to methodologically re-turn the production of the “autistic child,” and second, to rethink and unsettle the dichotomies that constitute some children as “disabled human beings,” abnormal, and undesirable.
Defending Gentrification as a Valid Collective Conception: Utilizing the Metanarrative of “Suburbia” as a Common Axis for the Diversity of Middle-Class Reurbanization Projects
Authors: de Oliver Miguel
Published: November 2017

A long-standing problem in gentrification research is the increasingly diverse array of interests and agendas in the renewal of the inner city; their diversity has frustrated many scholars with respect to the collective characterization and comprehension of the phenomenon. Consequently, others have questioned the validity of the term “gentrification” itself. This article contends that gentrification is a phenomenon that merits being collectively identified. The relocation of the middle class to the urban core has been portrayed in terms of actors and agendas, places and processes. These criteria have long since been inadequate to collectively rationalize gentrification in anything other than strictly spatial terms. But when suburbia is perceived as a metanarrative, the collective character of gentrification becomes evident; for it is the process of the metanarrative’s systemic erosion in the postmodern era that serves the long-standing desire to find an operant commonality to gentrification’s apparent lack of coherence.
Variational formulations, model comparisons and numerical methods for Euler–Bernoulli micro- and nano-beam models
Authors: Niiranen J. , Balobanov V. , Kiendl J. , Hosseini SB
Published: November 2017

As a first step, variational formulations and governing equations with boundary conditions are derived for a pair of Euler–Bernoulli beam bending models following a simplified version of Mindlin’s strain gradient elasticity theory of form II. For both models, this leads to sixth-order boundary value problems with new types of boundary conditions that are given additional attributes singly and doubly, referring to a physically relevant distinguishing feature between free and prescribed curvature, respectively. Second, the variational formulations are analyzed with rigorous mathematical tools: the existence and uniqueness of weak solutions are established by proving continuity and ellipticity of the associated symmetric bilinear forms. This guarantees optimal convergence for conforming Galerkin discretization methods. Third, the variational analysis is extended to cover two other generalized beam models: another modification of the strain gradient elasticity theory and a modified version of the couple stress theory. A model comparison reveals essential differences and similarities in the physicality of these four closely related beam models: they demonstrate essentially two different kinds of parameter-dependent stiffening behavior, where one of these kinds (possessed by three models out of four) provides results in a very good agreement with the size effects of experimental tests. Finally, numerical results for isogeometric Galerkin discretizations with B-splines confirm the theoretical stability and convergence results. Influences of the gradient and thickness parameters connected to size effects, boundary layers and dispersion relations are studied thoroughly with a series of benchmark problems for statics and free vibrations. The size-dependency of the effective Young’s modulus is demonstrated for an auxetic cellular metamaterial ruled by bending-dominated deformation of cell struts.
Evaluation of the Carcinogenic Potential of Roxadustat (FG-4592), a Small Molecule Inhibitor of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Prolyl Hydroxylase in CD-1 Mice and Sprague Dawley Rats
Authors: Beck James , Henschel Carroll , Chou James , Lin Al , del Balzo Ughetta
Published: November 2017

The carcinogenic potential of roxadustat (FG-4592), a novel orally active, heterocyclic small molecule inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) enzymes in clinical development for treatment of anemia, was evaluated in CD-1 mice and Sprague Dawley rats. Inhibition of HIF-PH by roxadustat leads to a rapid increase in cytoplasmic HIF-α concentrations, followed by translocation of HIF-α to the nucleus and upregulation of HIF-responsive genes, including erythropoietin. Roxadustat was dosed by oral gavage 3 times weekly (TIW) for up to 104 weeks in mice at 0, 15, 30, and 60 mg/kg and in rats at 0, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg. Treatment-associated changes in hematology parameters were consistent with the pharmacologic activity of roxadustat and included elevations in hematocrit in mice at 30 and 60 mg/kg TIW and elevations in erythrocyte count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red cell distribution width in rats at 10 mg/kg TIW. No increase in mortality or neoplastic effects compared with vehicle controls was observed after roxadustat treatment in either species. No treatment-related nonneoplastic findings were observed in mice, whereas nonneoplastic microscopic findings in rats were limited to atrial/aortic thromboses at 10 mg/kg TIW males and bone marrow hypercellularity in all treated male and female groups, consistent with the pharmacology of roxadustat. In conclusion, roxadustat administered by oral gavage to mice and rats TIW for up to 104 weeks resulted in dose-dependent exposure and hematologic effects with no effect on survival or development of neoplastic lesions at up to 60 mg/kg in mice and up to 10 mg/kg in rats.
Association of Retroplacental Blood With Basal Plate Myofibers
Authors: Wyand Rachel , Cramer Stewart F , Oshri Assaf , Heller Debra S
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Diagnosed clinical abruption showing blood clot should be signed out in the pathology report as retroplacental hemorrhage with or without parenchymal indentation, and submitted clot separate from the placenta should be weighed. In our experience, some cases sent as clinical abruptions have been cases of morbid adherence. This study was undertaken to evaluate the association of retroplacental blood with basal plate myofibers (BPMF).

Methods

One hundred fifty-six placentas reviewed by a board-certified pediatric pathologist at a community hospital were evaluated for significant retroplacental blood. Basal plates were reviewed for deviations from normal.

Results

Of the 156 placentas, 33 (21%) had significant retroplacental blood; 21/156 (13%) had a separate clot, of which 11/21 (52%) had BPMF. Eleven BPMF-associated separate clots ranged from 10.5 to 60 g (average 23), while the clots of 10 cases with no demonstrated BPMF ranged from 19 to 440 g (average 82), tending to be larger ( p < .03). Basal plate damage prior to delivery was noted in both sets of placentas. BPMF placentas could have myometrial damage prior to delivery.

Conclusions

Since BPMF may confer a risk for accreta in a subsequent pregnancy, submission of a separate clot with the placenta should lead the pathologist to evaluate for basal plate myofibers on H&E and consider if there is an evidence-based indication to do an actin stain, before presuming a diagnosis of abruption.
What Works for Whom? A Bayesian Approach to Channeling Big Data Streams for Public Program Evaluation
Authors: Finucane Mariel McKenzie , Martinez Ignacio , Cody Scott
Published: November 2017

In the coming years, public programs will capture even more and richer data than they do now, including data from web-based tools used by participants in employment services, from tablet-based educational curricula, and from electronic health records for Medicaid beneficiaries. Program evaluators seeking to take full advantage of these data streams will require novel statistical methods, such as Bayesian approach. A Bayesian approach to randomized program evaluations efficiently identifies what works for whom. The Bayesian approach design adapts to accumulating evidence: Over the course of an evaluation, more study subjects are allocated to treatment arms that are more promising, given the specific subgroup from which each subject comes. We identify conditions under which there is more than a 90% chance that inference from the Bayesian adaptive design is superior to inference from a standard design, using less than one third the sample size.
Insulinoma and Chronic Kidney Disease: An Uncommon Conundrum Not to Be Overlooked
Authors: Foppiani Luca , Panarello Serena , Filauro Marco , Scirocco Maria Concetta , Cappato Stefano , Parodi Andrea , Sola Simona , Antonucci Giancarlo
Published: November 2017

A hypertensive man with chronic kidney disease (CKD) secondary to polycystic disease was hospitalized for symptoms related to hypoglycemia. Fasting test elicited symptomatic hypoglycemia after 12 hours, which was associated with inappropriately unsuppressed normal insulin and C-peptide levels. Neither ultrasonography (US) nor magnetic resonance imaging detected any pancreatic tumor. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) showed a small isoechogenic nodule suspect for neuroendocrine tumor in the pancreatic head. 68Gallium-DOTA-Tyr3-octreotide positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed intense uptake by a small region in the pancreatic head. Surgical exploration together with intraoperative US confirmed the nodule in the pancreatic head and evidenced another hypoechogenic one in the uncinate process. Both nodules were enucleated, but only the latter, which had not been previously detected by EUS, proved compatible with insulinoma on combined histology and immunohistochemistry. After nodule enucleation, hypoglycemia resolved and did not relapse. Insulinoma, as a major cause of unexplained hypoglycemia, requires careful hormonal and instrumental workup. In patients with CKD, the interpretation of biochemical criteria for the diagnosis of insulinoma can be challenging. Localization techniques may display pitfalls. Surgery is curative in most patients but long-term follow-up is required.
Clitoral reconstruction: Understanding changing gendered health care needs in a globalized Europe
Authors: Jordal Malin , Griffin Gabriele
Published: November 2017

The migratory flows of recent decades that have exercised Europe as a socio-political and economic entity have produced extensive responses and interventions from European gender scholars. One relatively recent phenomenon in this context is the question of reparative surgical interventions, specifically clitoral reconstruction, in cases where women who have migrated to Europe have experienced female genital cutting. Clitoral reconstruction, which this article begins to explore, is recent in part because the related surgery was only established in the 1990s and is to date only practised in a few European countries, and in part because the research with women who ask for and have undergone such surgery has also only recently begun. This article is therefore an initial attempt to map some of the related terrain and to suggest further work that needs to be done in this increasingly important area.
Livability: A politics for abnormative lives
Authors: Kallock Sara
Published: November 2017

This article introduces the concept of abnormativity as way of theorizing the realities of subjects who suffer from marginalization and/or erasure, specifically sex workers. It then develops livability as a playbook of political action which attends to the abnormative lives of sex workers by balancing resistance to institutionalized forms of marginalization with queer critical approaches to heteronormativity. It proposes this framework as suitable for frontline sex-worker support projects, outlining the limitations and benefits of three ethico-political models that aim to address the conditions of abnormativity: the politics of recognition, intersectional recognition, and critical intelligibility. It argues that each of these models is insufficient on its own, but that intersectional recognition and critical intelligibility can be mobilized productively together as the politics of livability.
Tending toward friendship: LGBTQ sexualities in US schools
Authors: Gilbert Jen , Fields Jessica , Mamo Laura , Lesko Nancy
Published: November 2017

In 2014, Beyond Bullying, a research project examining LGBTQ sexualities and lives at school, installed private storytelling booths in three US high schools. Students, teachers, and staff were invited to use the booths to share stories about LGBTQ sexualities—their stories often invoked the pleasures and disappointments of being and having a friend. This article analyzes narratives of friendship as told in the Beyond Bullying storytelling booths. Drawing on Foucault’s (1996) interview, ‘Friendship as a way of life,’ we explore participants’ stories of friendship as heralding ‘new relational modes’ that chart a liminal space between family and sexuality. These relational modes of friendship disrupt the familiar trope of the ‘ally’ in anti-bullying programs and complicate what empirical research on LGBTQ youth calls, ‘peer social support.’ Theorizing friendship allows LGBTQ sexuality in schools to reside in an ethics of discomfort, which accommodates complex social relations and varied forms of desire, intimacy, and yearning.
‘It’s just more, you know, natural’: The perceptions of men who buy sex in an emerging street sex market
Authors: Durant Ben , Couch Jen
Published: November 2017

Despite recognition that a greater understanding of men who buy sex in illicit street sex markets is required for a holistic view of street sex work, research focused on this group remains scarce. The authors of this article recognize buyers of illicit sex as key players in the socio-spatial construction of street sex markets, and consider their inclusion in research vital to a holistic understanding of a street sex market. The article discusses key findings from interviews conducted with nine men who buy sex from female street sex workers as part of a broader ethnography of street sex work in Dandenong, Victoria. Observations provide insight into the nature of these men’s connection to the women they buy sex from, their perceptions of their use of commercial sex, and their preference for buying sex in this street sex market instead of other types of commercial sex. These observations contribute to our understanding of the value of the sexual capital clients attach to this street sex market and the sex they buy within it.
Children’s language exposure and parental language attitudes in Russian-as-a-heritage-language acquisition by bilingual and multilingual children in Canada
Authors: Makarova Veronika , Terekhova Natalia , Mousavi Amin
Published: November 2017

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:

The research study presented in this paper aims to describe some aspects of the maintenance of Russian as a heritage language among bilingual/multilingual children in Saskatchewan, Canada. The study focuses on the relationship between parents’ language attitudes and children’s language exposure on the one hand and child language proficiency on the other hand. The research questions are as follows. What are the language attitudes of Russian-speaking parents in minority settings? Is there a connection between parents’ language attitudes and children’s language proficiency? What is the scope of Russian language exposure of bilingual/multilingual children within and outside of the family? Is there a connection between this exposure and children’s language proficiency?

Design/Methodology/Approach:

The study was conducted within a Variationist Sociolinguistics framework. The following methods were employed in the study: a questionnaire study of parents’ language attitudes and of language use within and outside the family; an assessment of children’s speech production based on narratives elicited from children with the help of pictures (language proficiency parameters).

Data and Analysis:

Thirty parents (aged 31–43) and children (aged 5–7) participated in the study. The questionnaire addressed to parents included 52 demographic and research questions. A statistical analysis of parents’ language attitudes and language use by parents and their children as measured against language proficiency parameters was conducted with the help of correlation analysis.

Findings/Conclusions:

Study results indicate that Russian-speaking parents in Saskatchewan are interested in passing Russian to their children. The study also suggests that language exposure parameters, as well as language attitudes held by parents, correlate with children’s heritage language fluency.

Originality:

The study indicates that even in environments unfavorable for heritage language maintenance, a child can still successfully acquire Russian as a heritage language.

Significance/Implications:

The study clarifies the set of parameters relevant for heritage language maintenance among bilingual/multilingual children. It also suggests the importance of bilingualism/multilingualism for some groups of the immigrant population in Canada.
Type of early bilingualism and its effect on the acoustic realization of allophonic variants: Early sequential and simultaneous bilinguals
Authors: Amengual Mark
Published: November 2017

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions:

This study examines the acoustic realization of phrase-initial voiced stops (/b, d, g/) and intervocalic voiced approximants ([β, ð, ɣ]) in Spanish by three groups of Spanish–English bilinguals: simultaneous bilinguals, early sequential bilinguals, and late second language (L2) Spanish learners to investigate if the type of early bilingualism has an effect on the acoustic realization of language-specific phonological processes.

Design/Methodology/Approach:

Early bilinguals were divided into two groups (simultaneous and sequential bilinguals), and together with late learners (L2 Spanish learners) they were recorded producing words eliciting phrase-initial and intervocalic voiced stops.

Data and Analysis:

The acoustic analyses examined the difference between the intensity minimum during the consonant and the intensity maximum of the following tautosyllabic vowel (intensity difference). The dataset comprised a total of 3,569 acoustic measurements.

Findings/Conclusions:

The group of early sequential bilinguals shows a significantly stronger tendency to produce a more lenited intervocalic segment than simultaneous bilinguals and L2 learners, who produce a more constricted realization. These data indicate that simultaneous bilinguals and L2 learners, who were exposed to English since birth, differ from early bilinguals who were exclusively exposed to Spanish for the first years of their life when applying the Spanish allophonic rule governing the distribution of voiced stops and spirants.

Originality:

This is one of the first studies that investigates the effects of the type of early bilingualism on bilingual phonetic performance in adulthood, especially in terms of bilingual phonetic production. These novel data examine the acoustic realization of Spanish heritage speakers, a largely understudied bilingual population.

Significance/Implications:

The findings suggest that the type of early bilingualism in language development, even at a very early age, still has consequences on the acoustic realization of allophonic variants in adulthood.