bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boycotting Neo-Ottoman Cool
Authors: Kraidy Marwan M.
Published: September 2019

In the 2000s, Turkish-Arab relations warmed up, and the rising popularity of Turkish television dramas in the Arab world was part of an overall ‘zero-problem with neighbors’ realignment initiated by Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP). However, Turkey’s involvement in the Arab uprisings complicated this rapprochement. The Turkish government, given their doctrinal proximity, supported the Muslim Brotherhood governments that were elected in Tunisia and Egypt, and then entered the fray of the Syrian uprising against the regime of Bashar al-Assad. After the Egyptian military deposed the elected president and Muslim Brotherhood leader Muhammad Morsi in a June 2013 coup, Egypt-Turkish relations deteriorated, as manifest in the Egyptian media industry boycott of Turkish television dramas. In this paper, by examining Arabic-language, mostly Egyptian primary sources, I analyze the geopolitical, economic and media dimensions of the Egyptian boycott of Turkish productions from Egypt’s perspective, and cast a new light on state-media relations in the Arab world and the interaction between media industries and shifting geopolitics.
Religion on Air
Authors: Özçetin Burak
Published: September 2019

In this article, I discuss the emergence and transformation of Islamic television broadcasting in Turkey. In the 1990s, Islamic channels were launched as a challenge to the so-called moral degeneracy of infotainment channels and claimed to represent an alternative form and content. However, far from presenting an alternative broadcasting style, Islamic channels rapidly succumbed to the logic of capital and the imperatives of commercial broadcasting. I argue that the transformation of Islamic broadcasting is related to the overall transformation of Islamism in Turkey.
A systematic review of the genus Dila Fischer von Waldheim, 1844 (= Caenoblaps König, 1906, syn.n.) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from the Caucasus, Turkey and boundary territories of Iran
Authors: Chigray Ivan , Nabozhenko Maxim , Abdurakhmanov Gayirbeg , Keskin Bekir
Published: September 2019

The taxonomic history, composition, morphology, distribution, and bionomics of the genus Dila Fischer von Waldheim, 1844 are discussed. The following new generic synonymy is established: Dila Fischer von Waldheim, 1844 = Caenoblaps
König, 1906, syn.n. As a result, four species are transferred from Caenoblaps to the genus Dila: Dila difformis (König, 1906), comb.n., Dila nitida (Schuster, 1920), comb.n., Dila baeckmanni (Schuster, 1928), comb.n., Dila kulzeri (Schuster, 1928), comb.n. A new synonymy is established: Blaps kulzeri
Pierre, 1964 = Caenoblaps kulzeriana
Pierre, 1964, syn.n. A taxonomic review of the eight known Caucasian, Turkish and Iranian species is given. Lectotypes of Caenoblaps nitida and Caenoblaps difformis are designated. Three new species are described: Dila hakkarica
sp.n. and Dila svetlanae
sp.n. from the Hakkary Province of Turkey and Dila crenatopunctata
sp.n. from West Azerbaijan Province of Iran. The position of the genus Dila within the tribe Blaptini and subtribal classification are discussed.
Dashtakī (d. 1498) and Dawānī (d. 1502) on the Analysis of Existential Propositions
Authors: El-Rouayheb Khaled
Published: September 2019

The present article is a reconstruction of a logical dispute concerning the analysis of existential propositions between the two rivals from Shiraz, Jalāl al-Dīn al-Dawānī (d. 1502) and Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Dashtakī (d. 1498), a dispute that continued to echo down to the nineteenth century, especially in Iran and the Indian subcontinent. The controversy was elicited by a passage from a discussion in the commentary by Qūshjī (d. 1474) on Ṭūsī’s Tajrīd in which Qūshjī had briefly suggested that perhaps the predicates “existent” (mawjūd) and “nonexistent” (maʿdūm) are unusual in not needing a copula to link them to the subject. Dashtakī thought that a copula is needed in both existential and non-existential predications, but that in existential predications the copula is simply the union of subject and predicate, whereas in non-existential predications there is an additional copula that signifies the existence or nonexistence of the predicate for the subject. Dawānī’s position was that existential and non-existential predications are exactly on a par and should both be analyzed into subject, copula and predicate.
Subcontractors’ Dilemma: the Expansion of Taiwanese Firms 2002–2015
Authors: Lin Thung-Hong , Hu Bowei
Published: September 2019

Since the 1970s development studies have conveyed an impression of Taiwanese firms as being active small and medium-sized enterprises (smes) with flexibility to successfully survive in a competitive global market. On the contrary, we use the unbalanced panel data of 2,969 top manufacturers during 2002–2015 to explore why and how Taiwanese firms expanded their scale and scope of operations in the new century. Our findings indicate that Taiwanese subcontractors are caught in a dilemma between the expansion of operational scale in China and industrial upgrading in Taiwan. Scale expansion can exploit the large cheap labour pool in China with minimal effort for most smes but significantly reduces the firms’ profit rates. Industrial upgrading is capital-intensive and profitable for a few Taiwanese firms but challenging for most smes to attract long-term investment in research and development. The ‘subcontractors’ dilemma’ explains Taiwanese firms’ struggles for survive in the US–China trade conflicts.
Human Rights and Democracy in Taiwan’s Foreign Policy and Cross-Strait Relations
Authors: Krumbein Frédéric
Published: September 2019

Since the 1990s, Taiwan has achieved an impressive democratisation that has made it one of the most vibrant democratic societies in Asia. Most of the existing research about Taiwan’s foreign policy and cross-strait relations neglects how Taiwan’s identity and role as a democratic and pluralistic state influences the island’s external relations. This article analyses how Taiwan’s achievements in the field of democracy and human rights affect Taiwan’s foreign policy and its identity in world politics, and why democracy and human rights are important for it and its external relations. The analysis uses role theory and the three roles of normative power, civilian power, and Global Good Samaritan.
Explaining Support for Same-Sex Marriage: Evidence from Taiwan
Authors: Rich Timothy S. , Dahmer Andi , Eliassen Isabel
Published: September 2019

What explains Taiwan’s vacillating support for same-sex marriage? Despite earlier favourable public opinion and a Constitutional Court decision in 2017 in favour of legalisation, anti-lgbt referendums in 2018 found overwhelming support. We argue that the framing of same-sex marriage as undermining traditional family structures allowed opponents to shift the national discussion on legalisation. Our results suggest that supporters and the Tsai administration may have overestimated the extent to which opinions on legalisation were firm.
The Influence of Christianity on the Indigenous Languages of Taiwan: a Bunun Case Study
Authors: De Busser Rik
Published: September 2019

This paper discusses two major ways in which the introduction of Christianity exerted an important influence on the Bunun language. In the second half of the twentieth century, Christian churches were instrumental in the protection of indigenous languages, including Bunun, against the cultural and linguistic unification policies of the Taiwanese government. In a different way, work on Bible translation in Bunun has resulted in the creation of a pan-dialectal religious vocabulary and led to the creation of a de facto standard variant of the language based on the Isbukun dialect. Today, a complex relationship exists between this written standard and other Bunun dialects.
The Rise of the Dutch Empire: the Broader Context of the Dutch Colonisation of Taiwan
Authors: Jacobs J. Bruce
Published: September 2019

Unlike other European countries, Holland grew as perhaps the world’s first democracy with great wealth and relative egalitarianism, meritocracy rather than an aristocracy, and an absence of true monarchy. Holland’s great wealth also led to a worldwide colonial empire that competed with the other great European colonial empires. It was the Dutch who conquered Taiwan and brought the island under the first of six foreign colonial rulers. Like other colonial rulers around the world, the Dutch were racist, abused human rights, and indulged in slavery. Thus, although atypical at home, the Dutch in ruling their colonies, including Taiwan, were typical of colonial governments around the world.
Atypical Laryngeal Infections: Localized Lesions from Unusual Organisms May Simulate Malignancy
Authors: Yan Kenneth , Taxy Jerome B. , Paintal Ajit , Friedman Aaron D.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

The identification of rare sources of laryngeal infection in immunocompetent patients. Recovered organisms were Mycobacterium tuberculosis (laryngeal tuberculosis [LTB]), Mycobacterium fortuitum (laryngeal Mycobacterium fortuitum [LMF]), and Blastomyces dermatiditis (laryngeal blastomycosis [LB]).

Method:

Single institution retrospective case series of three patients over a 2.5-year period and review of the literature on laryngeal infections by three atypical organisms.

Results:

Three patients presented with hoarseness and cough; one additionally had throat pain (LTB). Indirect laryngoscopy demonstrated diffuse laryngeal ulceration (LTB, LMF) and an exophytic, contiguous glottic mass (LB). Direct microlaryngoscopic biopsies and cultures established the diagnoses, including a frozen section in one case (LB), which prevented a simultaneously planned surgical resection. Appropriate antimicrobial therapy yielded dramatic laryngeal and corresponding vocal improvement, for which we provide unique photo and audio documentation. In the last 10 years, fewer than 500 cases of LTB have been reported in the English language medical literature, principally outside the United States. To date, there have been reports of only 34 LB and no cases of LMF.

Conclusion:

Atypical infections of the larynx may be localized and mimic laryngeal cancer on endoscopy. Tissue examination as well as microbiologic samples are diagnostic and complementary.
Foot Length Growth as a Novel Marker of Early Puberty
Authors: Balzer Ben W. R. , Cheng Hoi Lun , Garden Frances , Luscombe Georgina M. , Paxton Karen T. , Hawke Catherine I. , Handelsman David J. , Steinbeck Katharine S.
Published: September 2019

Foot growth is part of overall pubertal growth but its relation to other anthropometric and hormonal changes is unclear. Our objective was to determine how foot length changes relate to changes in other growth parameters (height and weight), Tanner stage, and serum hormones. Adolescents (n = 342) were recruited to a 3-year longitudinal cohort study, underwent annual anthropometric assessments (height, weight, and foot length), and provided self-rated Tanner staging. They also provided blood samples that were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for serum testosterone and estradiol and classified as pre-pubertal or pubertal based on circulating hormone levels. Average annual percent increase in foot length was greater for pre-pubertal adolescents compared with pubertal. Increased foot length was associated with increases in height, weight, Tanner stage, and serum hormones in males and pre-menarcheal females but not post-menarcheal females. Foot length offers a novel, noninvasive, cost-effective, and easily demonstrable marker of early pubertal changes.
Peculiarities of health literacy in people with mental disorders: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Mantell Pauline Katharina , Baumeister Annika , Christ Hildegard , Ruhrmann Stephan , Woopen Christiane
Published: September 2019

Background:

Health literacy (HL) is considered a key concept to positively address relevant decisions concerning physical and mental health. According to an integrated model of a European Consortium, the process to access, understand, appraise and apply health information is at the centre of practising HL.

Aim:

In this study, we examine HL in a population with an early onset of a mental disorder (MD).

Methods:

Results are based on a cross-sectional survey among people with MD ( n = 310) who sought help at an early detection centre for MD in Cologne, Dresden or Munich. Help-seekers filled out the European Health Literacy Survey questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q) on perception-based HL, socio-demographic data and general health status. Psychopathology was assessed separately by trained specialists. Data are compared with a representative sample of the German population.

Results:

Overall, HL was lower in a sample with MD compared with the general population. Disease-specific limitations were present in accessing, appraising and applying health information, whereas understanding was perceived fairly easy. Statistical analysis of limited HL revealed correlations with the diagnosis of affective disorders and anxiety disorders, an increase of depressive symptoms as well as the presence of more than one MD. In line with these findings, low levels of HL were associated with a worse general health status.

Conclusion:

In a population with MD, accessing, appraising and applying health information seemed to be particularly challenging. Therefore, educational programmes that mainly focus on increasing knowledge might not be sufficient for improving the HL in people with MD. Further research should concentrate on context-specific HL to foster behavioural change and improve overall health.
What type of nonprofit organization is preferred in government contracting in China?
Authors: Dong Qiang , Lu Jiahuan
Published: September 2019

Government contracting with nonprofit organizations in service delivery has become a widespread practice in the public administration landscape. This research explores what kinds of nonprofits are more likely to receive government funding for service delivery. Viewing nonprofits’ pursuit of government funding as an interorganizational effort, we examine the contextual and organizational factors that influence nonprofits’ receipt of government funding. Using the data collected from a nationwide survey of Chinese nonprofits, we find a close contractual relationship between government and nonprofits. Further analysis suggests that policy advocacy, board co-optation, external competition, and organizational formalization have positive impacts on leveraging government funding, while interorganizational collaboration and organizational professionalization do not appear to play a significant role. To our knowledge, this study represents the first nationwide survey research on government–nonprofit contracting in China. The findings expand the literature by adding new empirical evidence from an authoritarian context.

Points for practitioners

This study examines the contextual and organizational factors affecting Chinese nonprofit organizations’ receipt of purchase-of-service contracts from government. The results indicate that nonprofit organizations engaging in more policy advocacy activities, having more people with government working experience on governing boards, facing stronger competition in resource acquisition and service delivery from operating environments, and embracing more formal structures and procedures in organizational operations would receive more government contracts.
Memorialization Practices Are Changing: An Industry Perspective on Improving Service Outcomes for the Bereaved
Authors: Lowe Jennifer , Rumbold Bruce , Aoun Samar M.
Published: September 2019

Although considerable research efforts have focused on bereavement outcomes following loss, there are few studies which address the role of memorialization, particularly as it relates to formal service provision. Currently the funeral, cemetery, and crematorium industries are observing a steady decline in traditional and formal memorialization practices. This study aims to identify current memorialization practices and emerging trends, highlight key priorities for improving service outcomes for the bereaved, and understand the implications of changing consumer preferences for service provision. The study’s qualitative research design incorporates two phases, a scoping literature review followed by in-depth interviews with eight service providers from the funeral, cemetery, and crematorium industries. A key finding is that the trend toward contemporary and informal memorialization practices blurs the lines between the role of consumers and service providers. There is a clear opportunity for service providers to engage in community education as a means of building supportive relationships with and improving service outcomes for the bereaved.
Associations in Social Contract Theory: Toward a Pluralist Contractarianism
Authors: Vallier Kevin
Published: September 2019

Liberals can be distinguished from one another in a number of ways, including by what they regard as the greatest threats to liberty. According to Jacob T. Levy, “rationalist” liberals think that nonpolitical institutions are the chief threats to freedom and that democratic governance can free people from these private tyrannies. By contrast, “pluralist” liberals think that governments are the chief threats to liberty, and civil associations are a bulwark against encroaching state power. Levy has recently argued that the rationalist and pluralist strands of the liberal tradition cannot be combined into a single political theory. In this essay, I disagree. My strategy is to develop a version of contractarian political theory that treats associations as sources of legitimacy. This pluralist contractarianism solves two problems. It shows that the social contract theory can survive the pluralist critique. And since the social contract theory is often understood as rationalist liberalism par excellence, it shows that we can combine rationalist and pluralist insights into a single theory, contra Levy.
Revolutionary Attitudes in Democratic Regimes
Authors: François Abel , Magni-Berton Raul , Varaine Simon
Published: September 2019

Contrary to a classic prediction of democratic theory, empirical studies do not find that democratic systems produce internal peace. This absence of relationship does not mean that democratic theory is entirely wrong. Indeed, democratic systems may have a negative effect on the support for revolution, as predicted by democratic theory, but a positive effect on opportunities for revolutions on the other part. Focusing on the support for revolution in 15 European democracies, this article re-examines the classic prediction that democratic systems reduce political grievances. This rests on three arguments: that (1) majority rule guarantees that the number of dissatisfied people is relatively low, (2) periodic elections allow dissatisfied people to hope for a change in the leadership within a reasonable period of time, and (3) power-sharing institutions diminish the negative impact of an unwanted government on people. We find empirical support for all arguments. In addition to shedding light on the reasons why democracy weakens revolutionary attitudes, our analysis provides some clues to understand the recent increase in the support for revolution in democratic countries.
The Learning Management System Matters in Face-to-Face Higher Education Courses
Authors: Washington Gloria Y.
Published: September 2019

A learning management system (LMS) is a critical technology platform for teaching and learning for nearly all institutions of higher education. Although an LMS is a driving force in online courses, it is not given in traditional face-to-face environments. The problem is an underutilization of an LMS in face-to-face higher education courses. This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored experiences of 20 instructors utilizing Blackboard Learn in traditional face-to-face courses. One overarching research question guided this study: What are the experiences of faculty and adjunct instructors concerning the use of LMSs in traditional face-to-face courses in higher education? The results identified the features and tools in the LMS used most frequently and how they were used in the LMS. Based on this study, it is possible to better understand the educational potential of the LMS to enhance traditional face-to-face courses.
Thrombolysis and surgery for mitral prosthetic valve thrombosis: 11-year outcomes
Authors: Raman Karthik , Mohanraj Anbarasu , Palanisamy Vijayanand , Ganesh Jai , Rawal Sumit , Kurian Valikapathalil Mathew , Sethuratnam Rajan
Published: September 2019

Background

Mechanical mitral valve obstruction is a serious and life-threatening complication. Treatment is either thrombolysis or reoperation, with both interventions having its own merits and drawbacks. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of both interventions at a single tertiary referral center.

Methods

From January 2005 to December 2010, 127 patients with mechanical mitral valve obstruction were retrospectively analyzed and divided into a thrombolysis group ( n = 66) and a reoperation group ( n = 61), based on our institute’s inclusion and exclusion criteria. A heart valve team comprising a cardiologist, a surgeon, and the patient was involved in the decision-making, based on the criteria for thrombolysis and reoperation in our institute. The patients had a maximum follow-up period of 14 years (mean 11.2 years). The analysis was divided into in hospital (within 30 days) and follow-up outcomes.

Results

At the end of 10 years, the reoperation group had significantly greater freedom from embolism (100% vs. 95.4% ± 0.7%), bleeding events (94.5% ± 0.8% vs. 89.2% ± 0.4%), and reintervention (96.4% ± 0.5% vs. 92.3% ± 2.3%) as well as better actuarial survival (97.4% ± 1.2% vs. 92.3% ± 0.4%) compared to the thrombolysis group. The complete failure rate of thrombolysis was 12%. The thrombolysis group had shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays.

Conclusion

Reoperation has significant advantages over thrombolysis in terms of embolic and bleeding complications and reintervention. Hence one should consider surgery for stuck mechanical mitral valves, with thrombolysis being useful in a specific subset of patients.
Optimizing functional outcome endpoints for stroke recovery studies
Authors: Balkaya Mustafa , Cho Sunghee
Published: September 2019

Novel therapeutic intervention that aims to enhance the endogenous recovery potential of the brain during the subacute phase of stroke has produced promising results. The paradigm shift in treatment approaches presents new challenges to preclinical and clinical researchers alike, especially in the functional endpoints domain. Shortcomings of the “neuroprotection” era of stroke research are yet to be fully addressed. Proportional recovery observed in clinics, and potentially in animal models, requires a thorough reevaluation of the methods used to assess recovery. To this end, this review aims to give a detailed evaluation of functional outcome measures used in clinics and preclinical studies. Impairments observed in clinics and animal models will be discussed from a functional testing perspective. Approaches needed to bridge the gap between clinical and preclinical research, along with potential means to measure the moving target recovery, will be discussed. Concepts such as true recovery of function and compensation and methods that are suitable for distinguishing the two are examined. Often-neglected outcomes of stroke, such as emotional disturbances, are discussed to draw attention to the need for further research in this area.
Contextual and Social Factors Influencing Male Fertility in Nigeria
Authors: Adewole Ololade G. , Omotoso Kehinde O. , Asa Sola S.
Published: September 2019

Objectives

Fertility level remains relatively high in Nigeria. Currently, it peaks at about six children per woman. Many studies have suggested targeting men in family planning programs to reduce fertility levels, particularly in patriarchal societies. Nigeria, being a patriarchal and multiethnic society, males’ influence on fertility behavior remains indisputable. Thus, this study explores contextual factors, such as sociocultural norms, beliefs, preferences, and perceptions, that influence male fertility behavior across different ethnic groups in Nigeria.

Design

The study uses qualitative data that involved focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interview (IDI) from three geopolitical zones in Nigeria, with each zone representing the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Six IDIs and four FGDs were conducted in each of the three selected regions among men making a total of 18 IDIs and 12 FGDs, respectively. The data were transcribed and exported to Atlas.ti software for analyses.

Results

Some of the beliefs and perceptions mentioned include influence of religion, polygamy, socioeconomic status, government policy, peer pressure, culture, and sex preference. These factors were found to vary considerably across tribes/ethnic groups.

Conclusions

Findings from this article show that there are other factors beyond individual factors that affect fertility behavior among men. Thus, there is a need to take into consideration the unique community structures in subsequent population-oriented social policy reviews and implementation to tackle high fertility behavior in Nigeria.
Synthetic MRI of the lumbar spine at 3.0 T: feasibility and image quality comparison with conventional MRI
Authors: Zhang Weilan , Zhu Jingyi , Xu Xiaohan , Fan Guoguang
Published: September 2019

Background

Synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can generate multiple morphologic MR images as well as quantitative maps from a single sequence, is not widely used in the spine at 3.0 T.

Purpose

To investigate the feasibility of synthetic MRI of the lumbar spine in clinical practice at 3.0 T.

Material and Methods

Eighty-four patients with lumbar diseases underwent conventional T1-weighted images, T2-weighted images, short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images, and synthetic MRI of the lumbar spine at 3.0 T. The quantitative and qualitative image quality and agreement for detection of spinal lesions between conventional and synthetic MRI were compared by two radiologists.

Results

The signal-to-noise ratios of synthetic MRI showed an inferior image quality in the vertebrae and disc, whereas were higher for spinal canal and fat on the synthetic T1-weighted, T2-weighted, and STIR images. The contrast-to-noise ratios of the synthetic MRI was superior to conventional sequences, except for the vertebrae–disc contrast-to-noise ratio on T1-weighted imaging ( P =  0.005). Image quality assessments showed that synthetic MRI had greater STIR fat suppression ( P <  0.001) and fluid brightness ( P =  0.014), as well as higher degree of artifacts ( P <  0.001) and worse spatial resolution ( P =  0.002). The inter-method agreements for detection of spinal lesions were substantial to perfect (kappa, 0.614–0.925).

Conclusion

Synthetic MRI is a feasible method for lumbar spine imaging in a clinical setting at 3.0-T MR. It provides morphologic sequences with acceptable image quality, good agreement with conventional MRI for detection of spinal lesions and quantitative image maps with a slightly shorter acquisition time compared with conventional MRI.
Differentiating hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma based on CT texture analysis
Authors: Wang Zhonglan , Chen Xiao , Wang Jianhua , Cui Wenjing , Ren Shuai , Wang Zhongqiu
Published: September 2019

Background

Hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor is usually misdiagnosed as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Purpose

To investigate the value of texture analysis in differentiating hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images.

Material and Methods

Twenty-one patients with hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and 63 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas were included in this study. All patients underwent preoperative unenhanced and dynamic contrast-enhanced CT examinations. Two radiologists independently and manually contoured the region of interest of each lesion using texture analysis software on pancreatic parenchymal and portal phase CT images. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant features to differentiate hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to ascertain diagnostic ability.

Results

The following CT texture features were obtained to differentiate hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas: RMS (root mean square) (odds ratio [OR] = 0.50, P<0.001), Quantile50 (OR = 1.83, P<0.001), and sumAverage (OR = 0.92, P=0.007) in parenchymal images and “contrast” in portal phase images (OR = 6.08, P<0.001). The areas under the curves were 0.76 for RMS (sensitivity = 0.75, specificity = 0.67), 0.73 for Quantile50 (sensitivity = 0.60, specificity = 0.77), 0.70 for sumAverage (sensitivity = 0.65, specificity = 0.82), 0.85 for the combined texture features (sensitivity = 0.77, specificity = 0.85).

Conclusion

CT texture analysis may be helpful to differentiate hypovascular pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. The three combined texture features showed acceptable diagnostic performance.
Fictional German governesses in Edwardian popular culture: English responses to German militarism and modernity
Authors: Bayley Susan
Published: September 2019

Historians have tended to focus on propaganda when assessing Edwardian attitudes towards Germans, but a shift of focus to fiction reveals a rather different picture. Whereas propaganda created the cliché of ‘the Hun’, fiction produced non- and even counter-stereotypical figures of Germans. An analysis of German governess characters in a selection of short stories, performances, novels, and cartoons indicates that the Edwardian image of Germans was not purely negative but ambivalent and multifarious. Imagined German governesses appeared as patriots and spies, pacifists and warmongers, spinsters and seducers, victims and evil-doers. A close look at characterisations by Saki [H. H. Munro], M. E. Francis [Margaret Blundell], Dorothy Richardson, D. H. Lawrence, Radclyffe Hall, Frank Hart and others reveals not only their variety but also their metaphorical use as responses to Germany’s aggressive militarism and avant-garde modernity. Each governess figure conveyed a positive, negative or ambivalent message about the potential impact of German militarism and modernity on England and Englishness. The aggregate image of German governesses, and by inference Germans, was therefore equivocal and demonstrates the mixed feelings of Edwardians toward their ‘cousin’ country.
The fourth ‘R’ is rooted belief: Rex Warner and the politics of revisionist classicism
Authors: Faragher M.
Published: September 2019

This article traces the historical devaluation of classicism within British academic and intellectual circles in the interwar years. I argue that the political tensions of the 1930s contributed to the movement away from a traditional classical approach and towards one informed by political and civic responsibility. In his novels and essays, Rex Warner’s focus on pedagogy repeatedly suggests that Latin or Greek tutelage, without the necessary focus on the liberal democratic values, can inadvertently bolster right-wing fascistic thought. Concern about classicism’s value within modern democracies is mirrored in interwar debates amongst contemporaneous educational reformers, whose concerns about classicism’s exclusivity would lead to the post-war dissolution of classical entrance exams and the complete reformation of the classics.
‘Live. And remember’: History, memory and storytelling in young adult holocaust fiction
Authors: Saxena Vandana
Published: September 2019

Young adult fiction has emerged as a crucial pedagogical tool for Holocaust education. According to scholars and writers, it promotes empathy and also encourages the readers to become a part of the process of remembering. However, this field of storytelling also grapples with the dilemma of traumatic subject matter and its suitability for young readers. The humanist conventions of young adult fiction are often in conflict with the bleak and horrifying core of Holocaust literature. Young adult novelists have tried to deal with these problematic aspects by using multiple narrative strategies to integrate the memories of genocide and human rights abuse with the project of growth and socialisation that lies at the heart of young adult literature. This paper examines the narrative strategies that make young adult fiction an apt bearer and preserver of the traumatic past. Specifically, these strategies involve fantastical modes of storytelling, liminality and witness testimonies told to the second- and third-generation listeners. These strategies modify the humanist resolution of young adult narratives by integrating growth with collective responsibility.
Virginia Woolf’s The Waves and hero-worship: Identity, masculinity and education
Authors: Periyan Natasha
Published: September 2019

This article argues that Woolf’s depiction of masculinity in the school scenes of The Waves is informed by her critical relationship to educational discourses surrounding public-school hero-worship that encourages an abandonment of individual identity in favour of a form of masculinity sanctioned by the public-school system. It considers criticisms of the public school’s hierarchical, moralistic pedagogy on behalf of both Woolf’s family, including her father, Leslie Stephen and uncle, Fitzjames Stephen; and members of her Bloomsbury circle, notably Lytton Strachey and Bertrand Russell, to illuminate a reading of Dr Crane and Percival. It argues that the novel’s formal innovation is integral to its political critique, pointing to previously unconsidered literary allusions to Tom Brown’s School Days in Woolf’s portrayal of Dr Crane to suggest Woolf’s ironic relationship to the educational ethos of the public school. It further notes that Woolf’s narrative devices render Percival, the novel’s public-school hero, an ambivalent figure that exposes the gulf between heroic identity and true individuality.
Lead recovery from spent lead acid battery paste by hydrometallurgical conversion and thermal degradation
Authors: Liu Wenke , Qin Qingwei , Li Dengqi , Li Guangqiang , Cen Yinjie , Liang Jianyu
Published: September 2019

Spent lead paste is the main component in lead-acid batteries reaching end of life. It contains about 55% lead sulphate and 35% lead dioxide, as well as minor amounts of lead oxide. It is necessary to recycle spent lead paste with minimal pollution and low energy consumption instead of the conventional smelting method. In this study, a novel approach involving hydrometallurgical desulphurisation and thermal degradation is developed to recover lead as PbO products from spent lead acid batteries. First, the desulphurisation effects and phase compositions of products with different transforming agents were compared, and the optimum conditions using (NH4)2CO3 as a transforming agent were determined. And then, the thermal degradation processes of both precursors lead carbonate and lead dioxide were investigated to prepare α-PbO, Pb3O4, and β-PbO products in argon and air atmospheres, respectively. Both the desulphurisation precursors and the calcination products were characterised by thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the lead oxide products were prepared, including α-PbO at 450°C in argon, Pb3O4 and β-PbO at 480°C and 620°C in air, respectively.
Does urbanization make emergence of zoonosis more likely? Evidence, myths and gaps
Authors: Ahmed Sohel , Dávila Julio D , Allen Adriana , Haklay Mordechai (MUKI) , Tacoli Cecilia , Fèvre Eric M
Published: September 2019

Rapid urbanization in the global South is adding epidemiological and nutritional challenges and increasing disease and health burdens for citizens. Greater movement of people, animals, food and trade often provides favourable grounds for the emergence of infectious diseases, including zoonoses. We conduct a rapid evidence scan to explore what is known and hypothesized about the links between urbanization and zoonosis emergence. This points to rapid demographic growth, migration and density, increased movement of people and animals, and changes in land uses as the main processes linked to the prevalence of zoonosis in the urban global South. We argue that this emerging global health challenge is also deeply connected with the urbanization of poverty and inequalities within cities. Tackling the micro-level causal relationships between urbanization and zoonosis requires urgent attention to living conditions, as well as the wider socioenvironmental transitions and structural drivers that produce and reproduce risk accumulation in urban settings.
Holocene dust in East Antarctica: Provenance and variability in time and space
Authors: Delmonte Barbara , Winton Holly , Baroni Mélanie , Baccolo Giovanni , Hansson Margareta , Andersson Per , Baroni Carlo , Salvatore Maria Cristina , Lanci Luca , Maggi Valter
Published: September 2019

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-knowledge of dust flux and variability in time and space in different sectors of East Antarctica during the Holocene. By integrating the literature data with new evidences, we discuss the dust flux and grain-size variability during the current interglacial and its provenance in the innermost part of the East Antarctic plateau as well as in peripheral regions located close to the Transantarctic Mountains. The local importance of aeolian mineral dust aerosol deflated from low-elevation areas of peripheral East Antarctica is also discussed in the light of new data from several coastal, low-elevation sites.
Validity and sensitivity to change of laser Doppler imaging as a novel objective outcome measure for cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Authors: Md Yusof MY , Britton J , Edward S , Hensor E M A , Goodfield M J , Laws P M , Emery P , Wittmann M , Vital E M
Published: September 2019

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to assess the reliability of a novel objective outcome measure, laser Doppler imaging (LDI), its validity against skin biopsy histology and other clinical instruments, including localized cutaneous lupus disease area and severity index (L-CLASI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) score of photographs, and its responsiveness to clinical change with therapy.

Methods

A prospective observational cohort study was conducted in 30 patients with active cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). At baseline and 3 months, disease activity was assessed using L-CLASI and a high resolution LDI system by two assessors. Skin biopsy was scored as 0 = non-active, 1 = mild activity and 2 = active. Photographs were assessed by two clinicians using 100 mm VAS. Inter-rater reliability was analyzed using Bland–Altman limits of agreement. Correlation between histology and LDI, L-CLASI and VAS and sensitivity to change of LDI with physician subjective assessment of change (PSAC) at 3 months were analyzed using Kendall’s tau-a.

Results

Of 30 patients with CLE, 28 (93%) were female, mean (SD) age 48.4 (11.5) y, 25 (83%) were Caucasians, 25 (83%) had concurrent systemic lupus erythematosus and 16 (53%) were smokers. CLE subtypes were acute = 9, subacute = 8 and chronic = 13. Inter-rater agreement for LDI was fair but for VAS score of photographs was poor. In 20 patients with biopsy, correlation with histology was better for LDI (tau-a = 0.53) than L-CLASI (tau-a = 0.26) (difference = 0.27; 90% CI 0.05–0.49) or VAS score of photographs (tau-a = 0.17) (difference = 0.36; 90% CI 0.04–0.68). There was a moderate correlation between PSAC score and change in LDI (tau-a = 0.56; 90% CI 0.38–0.74; p < 0.001, n = 15).

Conclusion

LDI provides a reliable, valid and responsive quantitative measure of inflammation in CLE. It has a better correlation with histology compared to clinical instruments. LDI provides an objective outcome measure for clinical trials.
Impact of Housing Provision Package on Treatment Outcome Among Homeless Tuberculosis Patients in South Korea
Authors: Kim Hyunwoo , Choi Hongjo , Yu Sarah , Lee An-Yeol , Kim Hye-Ok , Joh Joon-Sung , Heo Eun Young , Oh Kyung-Hyun , Kim Hee Jin , Chung Haejoo
Published: September 2019

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a housing provision package on treatment outcomes among homeless South Korean tuberculosis (TB) patients. We conducted a prospective, single-arm, community-based study with historical controls as follows: community-based intervention group (COM), who were provided housing, nutrition, and case management, and received directly observed therapy services; a first historical control that was treated as usual (TAU); and a second historical control that comprised homeless TB patients residing in long-term TB-care facility (FAC). A multivariable logistic regression model was constructed to identify predictors associated with treatment success among homeless TB patients. Treatment was successful in 86.0%, 58.3%, and 96.1% of patients in the COM, TAU, and FAC groups, respectively. Interventions, including those found in the COM and FAC groups, were the only predictors of treatment success. Therefore, we determined that housing provision package positively influenced the treatment outcomes of homeless TB patients.
Third-Generation Minimally Invasive Chevron Akin Osteotomy for Hallux Valgus
Authors: Holme Thomas J. , Sivaloganathan Sivan S. , Patel Beejal , Kunasingam Kumar
Published: September 2019

Background:

Multiple operative techniques have been developed for hallux valgus with varying success. The most recent developments in minimally invasive surgery have evolved into the third-generation minimally invasive chevron Akin (MICA) osteotomy. Good results have been shown from originator centers, but this is one of the first series from a nonoriginator center, and the first to use a validated patient-reported outcome measure.

Methods:

Forty consecutive patients undergoing third-generation MICA for hallux valgus were included. Primary outcome measures included Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores and Coughlin satisfaction rates at 12 months. Secondary outcome measures included radiographic parameters, complications, and recurrence rates.

Results:

At 12 months, the MOXFQ score improved from 58 to 10 and the AOFAS score improved from 48 to 93, with 70% of patients reporting excellent outcomes and 30% good ones. Two cases started as mild, 29 cases as moderate, and 9 cases as severe as defined by radiographic criteria. Hallux valgus angles improved from 32 degrees to 12 degrees, and intermetatarsal angles improved from 13 degrees to 7 degrees. There were 4 cases of Akin screw removal for soft tissue irritation. There were no other complications, including recurrence.

Conclusion:

The third-generation MICA technique was a safe and effective approach to treating hallux valgus. Further research should focus on long-term outcomes and comparative data with other commonly performed operative techniques.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
Knot of Henry Variation and the Effect on Plantar Flexion Strength
Authors: Thomas Danielle , Thordarson David , Nelson Trevor J. , Charlton Timothy P. , Eberlein Samuel , Metzger Melodie F.
Published: September 2019

Background:

The flexor hallucis longus (FHL) and flexor digitorum longus (FDL) tendons are commonly used for tendon transfer in reconstructive foot and ankle procedures. Some patients experience great toe weakness and loss of push-off strength. The objective of this biomechanical study was to quantify plantarflexion force after FHL and FDL harvest and correlate it to variations in tendon crossover patterns at the knot of Henry to determine if specific patterns have an increased tendency toward forefoot weakness.

Methods:

Simulated loads through the Achilles, FHL, and FDL were applied to cadaveric specimens while plantarflexion force was measured using a pressure mapping system. Force was recorded with the FDL and FHL unloaded to simulate tendon transfer. Afterward, specimens were dissected to classify the tendinous slips between the FHL and FDL based on a previously determined system. Functional and anatomical relationships between the classification type and loading patterns were analyzed.

Results:

There were no statistical differences between the tendon crossover patterns in forefoot force reduction after FHL or FDL harvest. Average decrease in great toe and total forefoot pressure after FHL harvest was 31% and 22%, respectively. Average decrease in lesser toe and total forefoot push-off force after FDL harvest was 23% and 9%, respectively.

Conclusion:

This study quantified loss of plantarflexion force after simulated FHL and FDL harvest and correlated these losses to variations in anatomic crossover patterns at the knot of Henry. Variations at the knot of Henry do not contribute to differences in forefoot weakness.

Clinical Relevance:

The decrease in forefoot pressure seen here would help explain the clinical scenario where a patient does note a loss of great toe strength after FHL transfer.
Experimental characterization and performance improvement evaluation of an electromagnetic transducer utilizing a tuned inerter
Authors: Sugiura Keita , Watanabe Yuta , Asai Takehiko , Araki Yoshikazu , Ikago Kohju
Published: September 2019

This research reports on the experimental verification of an enhanced energy conversion device utilizing a tuned inerter called a tuned inertial mass electromagnetic transducer (TIMET). The TIMET consists of a motor, a rotational mass, and a tuning spring. The motor and the rotational mass are connected to a ball screw and the tuning spring interfaced to the ball screw is connected to the vibrating structure. Thus, vibration energy of the structure is absorbed as electrical energy by the motor. Moreover, the amplified inertial mass can be realized by rotating relatively small physical masses. Therefore, by designing the tuning spring stiffness and the inertial mass appropriately, the motor can rotate more effectively due to the resonance effect, leading to more effective energy generation. The authors designed a prototype of the TIMET and conducted tests to validate the effectiveness of the tuned inerter for electromagnetic transducers. Through excitation tests, the property of the hysteresis loops produced by the TIMET is investigated. Then a reliable analytical model is developed employing a curve fitting technique to simulate the behavior of the TIMET and to assess the power generation accurately. In addition, numerical simulation studies on a structure subjected to a seismic loading employing the developed model are conducted to show the advantages of the TIMET over a traditional electromagnetic transducer in both vibration suppression capability and energy harvesting efficiency.