bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COMPARATIVO DE USABILIDADE DA FERRAMENTA DE AVALIAÇÃO ERGONÔMICA REBA (RAPID ENTIRE BODY ASSESSMENT) NAS VERSÕES EM PAPEL E APLICATIVO PARA CELULAR
Authors: Sierra Isabella De Souza , Santos Flávio Anthero Nunes Vianna dos , Nickel Elton Moura
Published: November 2017

Ferramentas para auxílio de análise ergonômica são frequentemente utilizadas quando há a necessidade de avaliação de riscos musculoesqueléticos no trabalho. Dessas ferramentas, uma das mais conhecidas é a REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment). Seu amplo uso fez com que suas formas de distribuição e aplicação fossem alteradas por vários autores, de forma a tentar encontrar a melhor maneira de aplicação. Inclusive, com o advento de celulares e tablets, foram feitas diversas versões em aplicativo da ferramenta. Pouco pode ser encontrado sobre a usabilidade desse método, ainda mais em qual versão é mais apropriado, em termos de usabilidade. Objetivou-se neste artigo realizar uma avaliação de usabilidade da ferramenta REBA em duas diferentes versões para verificar a influência que a usabilidade da ferramenta tem nos seus resultados. Acredita-se que qualquer tipo de ferramenta para uma avaliação ergonômica deve, de forma intrínseca, ser usável, pois sua usabilidade tem influência direta em sua confiabilidade e replicabilidade. Sendo assim, fez-se uma análise comparativa de usabilidade com a ferramenta em versão papel e aplicativos para celular com oito sujeitos para a verificação de tal usabilidade. Encontrou-se melhor usabilidade para o aplicativo, mas confiabilidade equiparada para as duas versões. Assim, constata-se que as duas podem ser igualmente usadas para avaliação REBA.
Determinants of Informal Care, Burden, and Risk of Burnout in Caregivers of Stroke Survivors
Authors: Oliva-Moreno Juan , Peña-Longobardo Luz María , Mar Javier , Masjuan Jaime , Soulard Stéphane , Gonzalez-Rojas Nuria , Becerra Virginia , Casado Miguel Ángel , Torres Covadonga , Yebenes María , Quintana Manuel , Alvarez-Sabín Jose
Published: November 2017

Background and Purpose—

The aim of this article was to analyze the likelihood of receiving informal care after a stroke and to study the burden and risk of burnout of primary caregivers in Spain.

Methods—

The CONOCES study is an epidemiological, observational, prospective, multicenter study of patients diagnosed with stroke and admitted to a Stroke Unit in the Spanish healthcare system. At 3 and 12 months post-event, we estimated the time spent caring for the patient and the burden borne by primary caregivers. Several multivariate models were applied to estimate the likelihood of receiving informal caregiving, the burden, and the likelihood of caregivers being at a high risk of burnout.

Results—

Eighty percent of those still alive at 3 and 12 months poststroke were receiving informal care. More than 40% of those receiving care needed a secondary caregiver at 3 months poststroke. The likelihood of receiving informal care was associated with stroke severity and the individual’s health-related quality of life. When informal care was provided, both the burden borne by caregivers and the likelihood of caregivers being at a high risk of burnout was associated with (1) caregiving hours; (2) the patient’s health-related quality of life; (3) the severity of the stroke measured at discharge; (4) the patient having atrial fibrillation; and (5) the degree of dependence.

Conclusions—

This study reveals the heavy burden borne by the caregivers of stroke survivors. Our analysis also identifies explanatory and predictive variables for the likelihood of receiving informal care, caregiver burden, and high risk of burnout.
Lectotypification of three names in genus Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) from India
Authors: AGNIHOTRI PRIYANKA , HUSAIN DANISH , HUSAIN TARIQ
Published: November 2017

In their monumental work Flora Indica, Hooker and Thomson (1855) described two new species under the genus Delphinium Linnaeus (1753: 530), namely D. viscosum Hooker f. & Thomson (1855: 52) and D. glaciale Hooker f. & Thomson (1855: 53) from the Sikkim Himalaya. In due course of revisionary studies in the genus Delphinium from India, the taxonomic difficulties associated with D. viscosum were addressed and resolved as a complex (Agnihotri et al., 2016). A thorough search of various national and international herbaria (BM, BSI, CAL, E, GH, JE, K, MEL, MH, NY and S: acronyms according to Thiers 2017 onwards) and a detailed study of both D. glaciale and D. viscosum complex have revealed that three names remain surrounded by uncertainty in typification. Therefore, a lectotype for the names D. glaciale, D. viscosum subsp. viscosum and D. viscosum subsp. gigantobracteum is selected here from amongst the original material.
Actinodaphne notabilis, Berberis yingii, Diospyros communis, Rosa miopannonica, and Symplocos ecuadorica, new replacement names for the homonyms of fossils
Authors: DOWELD ALEXANDER B.
Published: November 2017

Five new names are proposed for taxa that were revealed to be later homonyms in course of generating the International Fossil Plant Names Index (IFPNI): Actinodaphne notabilis for A. cuspidata Gamble (extant) non A. cuspidata Friedrich (fossil), Diospyros communis for D. dubia Göppert (fossil) non D. dubia Wallich ex De Candolle (extant), Berberis yingii for B. longispina Ying (extant) non B. longispina Miki (fossil), Rosa miopannonica for R. styriaca Kovar-Eder & Krainer (fossil) non R. styriaca Sabransky (extant) and Symplocos ecuadorica for S. globosa Ståhl (extant) non S. globosa Ludwig (fossil). The name A. cuspidata Gamble is lectotypified.
Two new species of Xestia Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) from Bhutan and China
Authors: GYULAI PÉTER
Published: November 2017

Xestia Hübner, 1818 is a diverse and widespread Noctuinae genus, most of the known species occur in the Holarctic and the rest in Africa. Due to the expeditions to the hardly explored area of Asia, new species of Xestia have been recognized and described during the last years (Gyulai et al. 2011, 2013; Gyulai & Ronkay 2016). A German expedition (Ratzel, Hauenstein, M. Falkenberg & Trusch) led to the high altitude region of western Bhutan, collected a series of a rather small Perissandria Warren, 1909—like species, of which the genitalia show, surprisingly, the typical features of Xestia, displaying conspicuous external and genitalia differences, comparing with the Tibetan Xestia lithoplana Hreblay, Ronkay & Plante, 1998. The second new species described here below, has already been under discussion for a long time. The genitalia slide was provided by the late Márton Hreblay, from the author‘s material and suspected by him as Paramathes Boursin, 1954. After the revision of the genus Paramathes (Varga et al 2015), the detailed study led to the recognition that it cannot be a Paramathes, but a hitherto unknown Xestia.  Thus, the description of the two new species appears to be reliable and is presented below.
First report on the Olethreutini (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae) of Lao PDR with descriptions of two new species
Authors: PINKAEW NANTASAK , PHEWPHANH PHONEPADITH
Published: November 2017

We present the results of the first study of the tortricid moths of Lao PDR (Laos), with this report focusing on the tribe Oleuthreutini. We report 27 species from Laos for the first time, including two that are described as new: Diakonoffiana laosensis Phewphanh and Pinkaew, n.sp., and Lobesia acicula Phewphanh and Pinkaew, n.sp. As is typical of many inventories, over half of the species (i.e., 15) were documented by a single specimen.
Pseudoliparis swirei sp. nov.: A newly-discovered hadal snailfish (Scorpaeniformes: Liparidae) from the Mariana Trench
Authors: GERRINGER MACKENZIE E. , LINLEY THOMAS D. , JAMIESON ALAN J. , GOETZE ERICA , DRAZEN JEFFREY C.
Published: November 2017

Pseudoliparis swirei sp. nov. is described from 37 individuals collected in the Mariana Trench at depths 6898–7966 m. The collection of this new species is the deepest benthic capture of a vertebrate with corroborated depth data. Here, we describe P. swirei sp. nov. and discuss aspects of its morphology, biology, distribution, and phylogenetic relationships to other hadal liparids based on analysis of three mitochondrial genes. Pseudoliparis swirei sp. nov. is almost certainly endemic to the Mariana Trench, as other hadal liparids appear isolated to a single trench/ trench system in the Kermadec, Macquarie, South Sandwich, South Orkney, Peru-Chile, Kurile-Kamchatka and Japan trenches. The discovery of another hadal liparid species, apparently abundant at depths where other fish species are few and only found in low numbers, provides further evidence for the dominance of this family among the hadal fish fauna.
The Role of Oscillating Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds: Southern Ocean Coastal and Open-Ocean Polynyas
Authors: Cheon Woo Geun , Cho Chang-Bong , Gordon Arnold L. , Kim Young Ho , Park Young-Gyu
Published: November 2017

An oscillation in intensity of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds is a major characteristic of the southern annular mode. Its impact upon the sea ice–ocean interactions in the Weddell and Ross Seas is investigated by a sea ice–ocean general circulation model coupled to an energy balance model for three temporal scales and two amplitudes of intensity. It is found that the oscillating wind forcing over the Southern Ocean plays a significant role both in regulating coastal polynyas along the Antarctic margins and in triggering open-ocean polynyas. The formation of coastal polynya in the western Weddell and Ross Seas is enhanced with the intensifying winds, resulting in an increase in the salt flux into the ocean via sea ice formation. Under intensifying winds, an instantaneous spinup within the Weddell and Ross Sea cyclonic gyres causes the warm deep water to upwell, triggering open-ocean polynyas with accompanying deep ocean convection. In contrast to coastal polynyas, open-ocean polynyas in the Weddell and Ross Seas respond differently to the wind forcing and are dependent on its period. That is, the Weddell Sea open-ocean polynya occurs earlier and more frequently than the Ross Sea open-ocean polynya and, more importantly, does not occur when the period of oscillation is sufficiently short. The strong stratification of the Ross Sea and the contraction of the Ross gyre due to the southward shift of Antarctic Circumpolar Current fronts provide unfavorable conditions for the Ross Sea open-ocean polynya. The recovery time of deep ocean heat controls the occurrence frequency of the Weddell Sea open-ocean polynya.
Diurnal Variations of Rainfall in Surface and Satellite Observations at the Monsoon Coast (South China)
Authors: Chen Guixing , Lan Ruoyu , Zeng Wenxin , Pan He , Li Weibiao
Published: November 2017

The complex features of rainfall diurnal cycles at the south China coast are examined using hourly rain gauge data and satellite products (CMORPH and TRMM 3B42) during 1998–2014. It is shown that morning rainfall is pronounced near the coasts and windward mountains, with high rainfall in the summer monsoon season, while afternoon rainfall is dominant on land, and nocturnal rainfall occurs at northern inland sites. Both satellite products report less morning rainfall and more afternoon rainfall than the rain gauge data, and they also miss the midnight rainfall minimum. These errors are mainly attributable to an underestimation of morning moderate and intense rains at coasts and an overestimation of afternoon–evening light rains on land. With a correction of the systematic bias, satellite products faithfully resolve the spatial patterns of normalized rainfall diurnal cycles related to land–sea contrast and terrains, suggesting an improved data application for regional climate studies. In particular, they are comparable to the rain gauge data in showing the linear reduction of morning rainfall from coasts to inland regions. TRMM is marginally better than CMORPH in revealing the overall features of diurnal cycles, while higher-resolution CMORPH captures more local details. All three datasets also present that morning rainfall decreases from May–June to July–August, especially on land; it exhibits pronounced interannual variations and a decadal increase in 1998–2008 at coasts. Such long-term variations of morning rainfall are induced by the coastal convergence and mountain liftings of monsoon shear flow interacting with land breeze, which is mainly regulated by monsoon southwesterly winds in the northern part of the South China Sea.
Subrainband Structure and Dynamic Characteristics in the Principal Rainband of Typhoon Hagupit (2008)
Authors: Tang Xiaowen , Lee Wen-Chau , Bell Michael
Published: November 2017

The principal rainband in tropical cyclones is currently depicted as a solitary and continuous precipitation region. However, the airborne radar observations of the principal rainband in Typhoon Hagupit (2008) reveal multiple subrainband structures. These subbands possess many characteristics of the squall lines with trailing stratiform in the midlatitudes and are different from those documented in previous principal rainband studies. The updraft and reflectivity cores are upright and elevated. The updraft is fed by a low-level radial outflow from the inner side. The tangential wind speed shows a clear midlevel jet on the inner side of the reflectivity core. Except for the structural similarities, the dynamics of the subbands is also similar to the squall lines. The local environment near the subbands shows little convective inhibition, modest instability, and vertical wind shear. The temperature retrieval shows a cold pool structure in the stratiform precipitation region. The estimated vertical wind shear induced by the cold pool is close to that of the local environment. The structural and dynamic similarities to the squall lines imply that the variation of principal rainbands is subjected to convective-scale dynamics related to the local environment in addition to storm-scale dynamics. The subbands show positive impacts to the vortex intensity in terms of potential vorticity redistribution and absolute angular momentum advection. The positive impacts are closely related to specific structural characteristics of the subbands, which suggests the importance of understanding the convective-scale structure and dynamics of the principal rainband.
Responsibility in the Face of Adversity
Authors: Arndt Natasha , Naudé Luzelle
Published: November 2017

The aim of this study was to explore Black South African adolescents’ sense of self as it emerges through their direct and indirect environments. Black African adolescents ( N = 57; 52.63% male; 47.37% female) participated in eight focus groups, which were analyzed thematically. The emphasis fell on the interconnectedness and interdependency between individuals and social systems. The importance of family and peer relations, as well as the juxtaposed needs of belonging and separation, was also reiterated. This research highlighted adolescents’ awareness regarding the importance of reciprocity and interdependence in relationships. Not only was the need for having role models articulated, but also for being role models. They were acutely aware of the sacrifices made (especially by their parents) investing in their development, and were feeling responsible for “paying back” (to their family and community). Due to bearing this responsibility, education and scholarship were viewed as essential aspects of adolescents’ sense of self.
Improved Lung Function after Sinus Surgery in Cystic Fibrosis Patients with Moderate Obstruction
Authors: Khalfoun Sabrina , Tumin Dmitry , Ghossein Maroun , Lind Meredith , Hayes Don , Kirkby Stephen
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by infection and inflammation of the sinorespiratory tract. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is an option for patients with severe sinusitis. We sought to evaluate pulmonary function testing after FESS in pediatric and adult patients with CF.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review using data from all patients with CF who underwent FESS from January 2009 to July 2014.

Setting

Patients were from a single institution.

Subjects and Methods

Data were extracted for 181 patients and 320 surgeries. Lung function data, including the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and FEV1/FVC, were retrieved within 1 year before and after surgery. Mixed‐effects regression was used to compare FEV1 trajectories before and after surgery. The effect of surgery was stratified by presurgery FEV1 to compare patients with mild/no lung disease (FEV1 >80%) and moderate/severe lung disease (FEV1 <80%).

Results

Of the 181 patients reviewed, 131 with primary FESS had FEV1 data. Presurgery average age was 16 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 14.27‐17.73), and FEV1 mean was 85% (95% CI, 81.02‐88.98). There were 88 patients with FEV1 >80% and 43 patients with FEV1 <80%. For the entire cohort, lung function did not change related to FESS. Among patients with FEV1 <80%, FEV1 declined presurgery by 3.5% per year (95% CI, −6.1% to −0.8%; P =. 010), which halted after surgery with these patients, then showing no subsequent change in FEV1 (95% CI, 0.9%‐3.7%; P =. 240). No benefit was identified for patients with FEV1 >80%.

Conclusion

Pulmonary function testing improved in patients with moderate/severe lung disease 1 year following FESS. This suggests FESS may benefit pulmonary outcomes.
Diagnostic performances and interobserver agreement according to observer experience: a comparison study using three guidelines for management of thyroid nodules
Authors: Koh Jieun , Kim Soo-Yeon , Lee Hye Sun , Kim Eun-Kyung , Kwak Jin Young , Moon Hee Jung , Yoon Jung Hyun
Published: November 2017

Background

The differences regarding categorization of thyroid nodules among different guidelines may affect the diagnostic performances and agreement among observers.

Purpose

To compare the diagnostic performances and agreements between observers with various degree of experience when applying different guidelines for stratifying thyroid nodules using suspicious ultrasonography (US) features.

Material and Methods

This retrospective study included 370 thyroid nodules (≥10 mm). Four observers, grouped as experienced and inexperienced, evaluated the US features and made final assessments according to the Kim criteria, Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) by Kwak et al., and the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) guideline. Diagnostic performances and agreements among the two groups were compared.

Results

The Kim criteria shows higher specificity with significantly lower sensitivity when compared to TIRADS and the 2015 ATA guideline (all P < 0.001), regardless of the level of experience. The experienced group showed significantly higher specificity with the Kim criteria and the 2015 ATA guideline compared to the inexperienced group ( P < 0.001), and the inexperienced group showed significantly higher sensitivity using the Kim criteria ( P = 0.002). The experienced group showed significantly higher agreement than the inexperienced group when using TIRADS while higher agreement was seen when using the 2015 ATA guideline for the inexperienced group. Agreement was not significantly different for the Kim criteria according to observer experience.

Conclusion

The diagnostic performances and agreements show significant differences in risk stratification of thyroid nodules according to the three guidelines using suspicious US features and the level of experience of the observer.
Disproportionate fluid sign as an aid in diagnosing high-grade bursal-sided supraspinatus tendon tear
Authors: Jeong Seonji , Choi Ja-Young , Kang Yu Suhn , Yoo Hye Jin , Kim Sae Hoon , Hong Sung Hwan , Kang Heung Sik
Published: November 2017

Background

Deep, high-grade bursal-sided supraspinatus tendon tears are sometimes preoperatively misinterpreted as full-thickness tears on shoulder magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Purpose

To determine the usefulness of disproportionate fluid sign for differentiating high-grade bursal-sided partial-thickness tears from full-thickness tears on conventional MRI.

Material and Methods

Preoperative MRIs of 198 patients with arthroscopically confirmed high-grade bursal-sided partial-thickness tears and full-thickness tears were independently reviewed by two readers on two occasions. The presence of high-grade bursal-sided partial-thickness tears with a confidence level using a five-point grading scale was assessed based on tear depth alone and also in combination with disproportionate fluid sign, defined as a prominent subdeltoid or subacromial-subdeltoid bursal fluid distension with a relative paucity of effusion in the glenohumeral joint. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) were calculated, as well as inter-observer reliability.

Results

The disproportionate fluid sign was identified in 60/74 (81.2%) bursal-sided partial-thickness tears and 9/124 (7.5%) full-thickness tears. The sensitivity and accuracy of the diagnosis of bursal-sided tear were higher when disproportionate fluid sign was used in conjunction with the tear depth, compared with tear depth alone ( P < 0.001). There was excellent inter-observer agreement for disproportionate fluid sign and deep bursal-sided tear. The AUCs were significantly higher in combination with disproportionate fluid sign.

Conclusion

The disproportionate fluid sign indicates the presence of a deep, high-grade bursal-sided partial-thickness tear, which can be misinterpreted as a full-thickness tear. Thus, it can provide greater diagnostic assistance to less-experienced radiologists and clinicians.
Zechariah 1.11's Allusion to Isaiah and Jeremiah
Authors: Seufert Matthew
Published: November 2017

Al Wolters recently suggested that Zech. 1.11c, ‘all the earth is at rest and quiet’, alludes to Isa. 14.7. His interpretation, however, does not fit well with the context of Zechariah's vision and does not take into account canonical Zechariah's method of allusion. This article offers a reinterpretation of the allusion proposed by Wolters in light of these two things. Further, it seeks to establish two additional Jeremian texts to which Zechariah alludes, both of which fit the allusive mold cast by Zechariah's use of Isaiah.
What Makes an Israelite an Israelite? Judean Perspectives on the Samarians in the Persian Period
Authors: Weingart Kristin
Published: November 2017

Within Persian-period Yehud the boundaries of the collective entity Israel were a matter of dispute. The debate was triggered by the question of whether the population in the area of the former Northern Kingdom should be regarded as Israelite or not. But while there was no consensus regarding their status, the same underlying criterion for defining an Israelite is used either to include or exclude the Samarians in/from Israel—not the faith in YHWH or the adherence to the law but the social construction of a common descent which finds its expression in the system of the twelve tribes of Israel. Against the widespread view, post-exilic Israel is best described as an ethnos and not as a Kultgemeinde.
Ancient Israelite Population Economy: Ger, Toshav, Nakhri and Karat as Settler Colonial Categories
Authors: Pitkänen Pekka
Published: November 2017

This article looks in detail at the often-studied categories for aliens and foreigners, together with the karat (‘cutting off from his people’) command in the Pentateuchal legal materials from the perspective of ancient Israel as a settler society. In conversation with previous approaches to these categories, this study explores how relating them to concepts of population economy in settler colonial societies can help us better understand the text. Issues such as the tripartite division into settler community, indigenous population and exogenous others are considered, while comparisons with other corresponding societies are also made. This article then also looks at how these categories could fit in with various potential settings in ancient Israel, including pre-exilic and postexilic times.
When History Repeats Itself: The Theological Significance of the Abrahamic Covenant in Early Jewish Writings
Authors: Mermelstein Ari
Published: November 2017

Alongside ‘Mosaic discourse’, Second Temple period authors increasingly looked to Abraham as a source of instruction and authority. This article focuses on the growing importance of the Abrahamic covenant through the lens of five re-tellings of Israel's history that link the past with the present: the Damascus Document, the Apocalypse of Weeks, 4 Ezra, Nehemiah 9, and Galatians. This article argues that various authors placed themselves within a historical narrative that spotlighted the Abrahamic covenant in order to identify themselves as the elect and demarcate the boundaries separating them from the non-elect. The ideological orientation of each text can account for why the Abrahamic covenant, rather than the later Mosaic pact, became the basis for identity politics.
Feeling Safe in a Dangerous Place: Exploring the Neighborhood Safety Perceptions of Low-Income African American Youth
Authors: Zuberi Anita
Published: November 2017

Research shows that neighborhood safety is strongly associated with the health and well-being of adolescents. However, few studies examine what shapes these perceptions of safety, especially for adolescents who grow up in more dangerous neighborhoods. The present study explores what factors shape the neighborhood safety perceptions of a sample of low-income, African American adolescents aged 15 to 19 years ( n = 46) from Baltimore who lived in public housing as children. The study reveals the complexity in how adolescents perceive safety, especially among those living in dangerous neighborhoods. The results highlight the importance of the type of danger (e.g., drug activity vs. gun-related violence) and social connections in shaping neighborhood safety perceptions. Sample youth are more likely to report feeling safe when there is little perceived danger. In more dangerous neighborhoods, youth feel safe where there is low violence, they have protective social ties, and they can avoid perceived danger. However, social connections can also tie youth to violence and victimization, which threatens their perception of safety. This more nuanced understanding of youth perceptions of safety has implications for the ways in which neighborhoods affect adolescents and the role of housing policy in improving the well-being of low-income youth.
A Tug-of-War between Cryptochrome and the Visual System Allows the Adaptation of Evening Activity to Long Photoperiods in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Kistenpfennig Christa , Nakayama Mayumi , Nihara Ruri , Tomioka Kenji , Helfrich-Förster Charlotte , Yoshii Taishi
Published: November 2017

In many animals, the circadian clock plays a role in adapting to the coming season by measuring day length. The mechanism for measuring day length and its neuronal circuits remains elusive, however. Under laboratory conditions, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, displays 2 activity peaks: one in the morning and one in the evening. These peaks appear to be regulated by 2 separate circadian oscillators (the morning and evening oscillators) that reside in different subsets of pacemaker clock neurons in the brain. The morning and evening activity peaks can flexibly change their phases to adapt to different photoperiods by tracking dawn and dusk, respectively. In this study, we found that cryptochrome (CRY) in the evening oscillators (the fifth small ventral lateral neuron [5th s-LNv] and the dorsal lateral neurons [LNds]) limits the ability of the evening peak to track dusk during long days. In contrast, light signaling from the external photoreceptors (compound eyes, ocelli, and Hofbauer–Buchner eyelets) increases the ability of the evening peak to track dusk. At the molecular level, CRY signaling dampens the amplitude of PAR-domain protein 1 (PDP1) oscillations in most clock neurons during long days, whereas signaling from the visual system increases these amplitudes. Thus, our results suggest that light inputs from the two major circadian photoreceptors, CRY and the visual system, have opposite effects on day length adaptation. Their tug-of-war appears to determine the precise phase adjustment of evening activity.
Investigating mechanical, thermal, and flammability properties of thermoplastic polyurethane/carbon nanotube composites
Authors: Kanbur Yasin , Tayfun Umit
Published: November 2017

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites containing carbon nanotube (CNT) with the loading ratios from 0.5wt% to 2 wt% were prepared using melt-compounding process. Surfaces of the CNT particles were treated with sulfuric acid/nitric acid to purify CNT and to achieve compatible surface characteristics between TPU matrix and CNT. Mechanical, thermal, flame retardant, melt flow, and morphological properties of TPU/CNT composites were investigated. Addition of CNT to TPU matrix causes in a prominent increase in tensile strength, percentage of elongation at break, and tensile modulus values of TPU. The mechanical properties are improved for lower modified CNT loadings. CNT inclusions also improve the thermal stability of pristine TPU. Addition of CNT into TPU matrix causes increase in melting and decomposition temperatures of TPU and decrease in glass transition temperature. The flammability parameters of TPU also shift to higher values after CNT loadings to matrix. Modified CNT additions at higher concentrations exhibit better fire performance. Additions of modified CNT and pristine CNT show different trends in the case of melt flow rate values. Modified CNTs disperse more homogeneously relative to pristine ones into TPU matrix which is due to improvement in interfacial interactions between CNT and TPU.
New Evidence for the Surprisingly Significant Propaganda Role of the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense in the Screen Entertainment Industry
Authors: Secker Tom , Alford Matthew
Published: November 2017

This article reassesses the relationships of the Central Intelligence Agency and Department of Defense with the American entertainment industry. Both governmental institutions present their relationships as modest in scale, benign in nature, passive, and concerned with historical and technical accuracy rather than politics. The limited extant commentary reflects this reassuring assessment. However, we build on a patchy reassessment begun at the turn of the 21st century, using a significant new set of documents acquired through the Freedom of Information Act. We identify three key facets of the state-entertainment relationship that are under-emphasized or absent from the existing commentary and historical record: 1. The withholding of available data from the public; 2. The scale of the work; and 3. The level of politicization. As such, the article emphasizes a need to pay closer attention to the deliberate propaganda role played by state agencies in promoting the US national security state through entertainment media in western societies.
Recruitment of Britain’s Legion in the United States: The Case of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Authors: Bachrach Deborah Y
Published: November 2017

During World War I, Great Britain attempted to recruit troops not subject to British jurisdiction to participate in the imperial war effort. The most successful of these efforts was the enlistment of thousands of Jewish immigrants from the United States in several battalions, known collectively as the Jewish Legion, which fought along the Jordan River in Palestine in 1918. This paper is a case study (Minneapolis, Minnesota) illustrating the organizational mechanisms by which this recruitment campaign was executed successfully and in a remarkably short period of time.
Corporate Governance Disclosure for Complex Ownership Structure in India
Authors: Deb Shakti , Dube Indrajit
Published: November 2017

The transition of a national economy to global economy affected the corporate operation in a varied manner. The dichotomous models of corporate governance call for clarity in corporate objectives, strategies and responsibilities of the modern corporation. The dichotomous approaches towards corporate disclosure are influenced by ownership models, that is, concentrated (e.g., Germany and Japan) and dispersed (e.g., the United States [USA] and the United Kingdom [UK]). The dispersed ownership model implicates arm’s length relationships between shareholders and managers, whereas opposite trend demonstrates concentrated ownership. It implicates heavy reliance on large shareholders for bankrolling the firm. Post-reform market in India developed complex ownership structure which represents both concentrated and disperse trends. Consequently, learning curve for corporate governance disclosure in this type of ownership structure is yet to be consolidated. The present research article draws up a case for improvements in the corporate governance disclosure and attempts to indicate a smarter corporate governance disclosure framework for complex ownership structure in India from the learning of selected jurisdictions (the USA, the UK, Japan and Germany) and best practices. The research article also spotlights on the level of convergence of the corporate disclosure norms in India with the global standards. The scope of this article is limited to non-financial disclosure.
Delayed feedback control scheme for improved energy harvesting using piezoelectric networks
Authors: Kammer Ayhan S , Olgac Nejat
Published: November 2017

The delayed resonator concept uses time-delayed feedback control to convert an ordinary passive vibration absorber into an actively tuned resonator. Inspired by this idea, this study proposes to enhance energy harvesting capacity using a delayed resonator-like feedback control. Although the proposed control action consumes some power, the resulting increase in harvestable energy from the actively sensitized structure can be much larger, which makes the new operation feasible. Following the broad literature, we select piezoelectric components as the energy transduction elements and deploy the existing theory on a piezoelectric network setup. This study brings two scientific novelties: experimental validation of the feasibility of delayed feedback induced enhancement of energy harvesting and the stability declarations of the time-delayed control. This encouraging proof-of-concept study is expected to yield some broader future pathways in energy harvesting enhancements, and beyond the confines of piezoelectric transduction alone.
Association of FV G1691A Polymorphism but not A4070G With Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Amara Ahmed , Mrad Meriem , Sayeh Aicha , Haggui Abdeddayem , Lahideb Dhaker , Fekih-Mrissa Najiba , Haouala Habib , Nsiri Brahim
Published: November 2017

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the chief causes of death in the world. Several hypotheses have been promoted as for the origin of the disease, among which are genetic predispositions and/or environmental factors. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of factor V (FV) gene polymorphisms (Leiden, G1691A [FVL] and HR2 A4070G) and to analyze their association with traditional risk factors in assessing the risk of CAD. Our study population included 200 Tunisian patients with symptomatic CAD and a control group of 300 participants matched for age and sex. All participants were genotyped for the FVL and HR2 polymorphisms. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to analyze independent factors associated with the risk of CAD. Our analysis showed that the FVL A allele frequency ( P < 10–3, odds ratio [OR] = 2.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.6-4.9) and GA genotype ( P < 10–3, OR = 4.03, 95% CI = 2.1-7.6) are significantly more prevalent among patients with CAD compared to those controls and may be predisposing to CAD. We further found that the FVL mutation is an independent risk factor whose effect is not modified by other factors (smoking, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and a family history of CAD) in increasing the risk of the disease. However, analysis of FV HR2 variation does not show any statistically significant association with CAD. The FVL polymorphism may be an independent risk factor for CAD. However, further investigations on these polymorphisms and their possible synergisms with traditional risk factors for CAD could help to ascertain better predictability for CAD susceptibility.
Guest–Server Exchange Model and Performance: The Connection Between Service Climate and Unit-Level Sales in Multiunit Restaurants
Authors: Susskind Alex M. , Kacmar K. Michele , Borchgrevink Carl P.
Published: November 2017

Using a sample of 51 full-service restaurants from three competing full-service restaurant companies, we extended the research on service process management by connecting the reactions of service-based employees to guests’ satisfaction with their service experience and firm-level performance. We replicated and confirmed previous tests of the existing guest–server exchange model connecting frontline-level employees’ attitudes toward their work as service providers to guests’ satisfaction in the restaurants. Most notably, we extended the guest–server exchange model by including the relationship between guests’ reports of satisfaction with service and firm performance, bringing together three unique sources of data. The findings from the test of our structural equation model revealed that 26% of the variance in firm performance was accounted for by guest satisfaction, showing that organizational policies and support for employees, are connected to a positive service climate, guest satisfaction, and firm performance, measured as sales per available seat in each restaurant.
Intimacy, intercourse and adjustments: Experiences of sexual life of a group of people with physical disabilities in South Africa
Authors: Hunt Xanthe , Braathen Stine Hellum , Swartz Leslie , Carew Mark Thomas , Rohleder Poul
Published: November 2017

There is a growing recognition of the sexual and reproductive rights of people with disabilities, and since the World Health Organisation’s World Report on Disability, increased international attention has been given to these issues. Past research, however, suggests that this group encounter barriers to sexual and reproductive rights, which are both physical and attitudinal. Against this backdrop, this article employs a sequential mixed qualitative methodology to explore the practical and subjective experiences of 13 people with physical disabilities in South Africa, with regard to their sexual lives and experiences of sexuality. These experiences were marked by concerns about their ‘fitness’ as sexual beings and indicated that social forces were key in shaping their expectations for their own sexual life.
The professional identity of Czech journalists in an international perspective
Authors: Urbániková Marína , Volek Jaromír
Published: November 2017

This article, placed in the field of comparative journalism studies, explores the extent to which Czech journalists share their professional identity and compares the congruence of their professional identity with selected Western journalistic communities working in the liberal, democratic-corporatist, and polarized pluralism media model defined by Hallin and Mancini. The results show that the professional identity structure of Czech journalists does not, in principle, differ from that of foreign journalists. This implies that they have cut themselves from the Soviet journalistic model. Czech journalists do not significantly differ in the intensity of the selected professional values, and the measure of their professional identity split is comparable to that of their foreign counterparts.
An experimental and numerical study of softball to facemask impacts
Authors: Schwizer Patrick , Demierre Marc , Smith Lloyd V
Published: November 2017

Concussion awareness in sports-related injuries has increased over the past decade. This awareness has resulted in improvement in protective equipment and in our understanding of head injury. While contact sports such as ice hockey and football have been at the forefront of the discussions surrounding concussion, concussion also occurs in non-contact sports like softball and baseball. The aim of this project was to describe facemask response to ball impacts. The study involved one facemask design and two types of foam paddings. A method is presented that allows foam characterization at deformation rates and magnitudes representative of play conditions. The facemask/foam system was placed on a Hybrid III headform and impacted with softballs to measure its response experimentally. A numerical model of the facemask/foam system on a Hybrid III headform showed good agreement with experimental data. Facemask impacts with a stiffer foam showed superior attenuation at high speeds (above 30 m/s) while a softer foam attenuated impacts better at low speeds.
Effect of submucosal injection in endoscopic papillectomy of ampullary tumor: Propensity‐score matching analysis
Authors: Chung Kwang Hyun , Lee Sang Hyub , Choi Jin Ho , Kang Jinwoo , Paik Woo Hyun , Ahn Dong-Won , Ryu Ji Kon , Kim Yong-Tae
Published: November 2017

Background

The role of submucosal injection (SI) in endoscopic papillectomy (EP) is controversial.

Objective

This study investigated the effects of SI before EP of ampullary tumors.

Methods

All patients who underwent initial curative EP at our institution between March 2006 and March 2014 were retrospectively recruited. The presence of residual tumor after three months, recurrence‐free survival and post‐procedural adverse events were compared between the SI group and non‐injection (NI) group. Propensity‐score matching was performed between the two groups to reduce potential selection bias and confounding.

Results

A total of 122 patients were included (SI: 26, NI: 96). Following propensity‐score matching, 25 paired patients were selected. Residual tumor was not shown in the NI group, whereas seven (28.0%) patients in the SI group had residual tumor (p = 0.010). The recurrence‐free survival of the NI group was significantly longer than that of the SI group (p = 0.036). Upon multivariate analysis, pathologic grade (p = 0.026) and SI (p = 0.033) were significantly related to recurrence‐free survival. Post‐procedural adverse events were not significantly different between the two groups.

Conclusion

SI before EP of ampullary tumor was related to more frequent residual tumor and shorter recurrence‐free survival and did not reduce post‐procedural adverse events.
Improvement of renal function after human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell treatment on chronic renal failure and thoracic spinal cord entrapment: a case report
Authors: Rahyussalim Ahmad Jabir , Saleh Ifran , Kurniawati Tri , Luthfi Andi Praja Wira Yudha
Published: November 2017

Background

Chronic renal failure is an important clinical problem with significant socioeconomic impact worldwide. Thoracic spinal cord entrapment induced by a metabolic yield deposit in patients with renal failure results in intrusion of nervous tissue and consequently loss of motor and sensory function. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells are immune naïve and they are able to differentiate into other phenotypes, including the neural lineage. Over the past decade, advances in the field of regenerative medicine allowed development of cell therapies suitable for kidney repair. Mesenchymal stem cell studies in animal models of chronic renal failure have uncovered a unique potential of these cells for improving function and regenerating the damaged kidney.

Case presentation

We report a case of a 62-year-old ethnic Indonesian woman previously diagnosed as having thoracic spinal cord entrapment with paraplegic condition and chronic renal failure on hemodialysis. She had diabetes mellitus that affected her kidneys and had chronic renal failure for 2 years, with creatinine level of 11 mg/dl, and no urinating since then. She was treated with human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell implantation protocol. This protocol consists of implantation of 16 million human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells intrathecally and 16 million human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells intravenously. Three weeks after first intrathecal and intravenous implantation she could move her toes and her kidney improved. Her creatinine level decreased to 9 mg/dl. Now after 8 months she can raise her legs and her creatinine level is 2 mg/dl with normal urinating.

Conclusions

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell implantations led to significant improvement for spinal cord entrapment and kidney failure. The major histocompatibility in allogeneic implantation is an important issue to be addressed in the future.
Introduction to this special section: Geophysical applications of fiber-optic distributed sensing
Authors: Willis Mark , Ajo-Franklin Jonathan , Roy Baishali
Published: November 2017

This special section is dedicated to geophysical distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) and distributed temperature sensing (DTS) applications. Since the introduction of commercial DTS units in the 1980s and more recent deployment of DAS in this decade, distributed sensing is quietly revolutionizing sectors of geophysics, particularly those requiring permanent downhole measurements. The common component of distributed sensing technologies is the use of laser scattering measurements on fiber-optic cables (tens of kilometers long) to estimate the physical state of each fiber segment with measurands including temperature (DTS), static strain (DSS), and, most recently, dynamic strain and seismic waves (DAS) recorded either continuously or on an as-needed basis. The high spatial coverage, accuracy, and resolution of this technology make it a truly groundbreaking addition to our subsurface sensing toolbox.
Hydraulic-fracture geometry characterization using low-frequency DAS signal
Authors: Jin Ge , Roy Baishali
Published: November 2017

Monitoring and diagnosing completion during hydraulic-fracturing operations provides insight into the fracture geometry, interwell frac hits, and connectivity. Conventional monitoring methods (microseismic, pressure gauges, tracers, etc.) can provide a range of information about the stimulated rock volume but may often be limited in detail or clouded by uncertainty. Utilization of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) as a fracture monitoring tool is growing; however, most of the applications have been limited to acoustic frequency bands of the DAS recorded signal. In this paper, we demonstrate some examples of using the low-frequency band of DAS signal to constrain hydraulic-fracture geometry. DAS data were acquired in both offset horizontal and vertical monitor wells. In horizontal wells, DAS data record formation strain perturbation due to fracture propagation. Events like fracture opening and closing, stress shadow creation and relaxation, ball seat, and plug isolation can be clearly identified. In vertical wells, DAS response agrees well with colocated pressure and temperature gauges, and illuminates the vertical extent of hydraulic fractures. We show that DAS data in the low-frequency band is a powerful attribute to monitor small strain and temperature perturbation in or near the monitor wells. With different fibered monitor well design, we can measure the far-field fracture length, height, width, and density using crosswell DAS observations.