bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monascus Adlay and Monacolin K Attenuates Arterial Thrombosis in Rats through the Inhibition of ICAM-1 and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Tien An-Jan , Chueh Tsung-Hung , Hsia Chih-Ping , Chien Chiang-Ting
Published: November 2016

Background/Aims: Monascus Adlay (MA) prepared from fungal fermentation of Monascus purpureus inoculating with cooked adlay contains high content of monakolin K (MK) and phenolic compounds. We explored whether MA and MK improve FeCl3-induced arterial thrombosis in rats. Methods: The rats were divided into control, FeCl3-treated rat carotid artery occlusion (TTO), TTO determined with one-week MA, and TTO determined with one-week MK. We compared MA or MK effects on oxidative stress by chemiluminescence amplification and immunohistochemistry, TTO by a transonic system, NFκB, ICAM-1, endoplasmic reticulum stress CHOP and Nrf2 signaling by western blotting. Results: MA or MK efficiently depressed O2-, H2O2 and HOCl levels, platelet activation and aggregation and H2O2-enhanced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression in the endothelial cells. FeCl3 significantly increased NFκB p65, 3-nitrotyrosine, CHOP and ICAM-1 expression, and decreased nuclear Nrf2 translocation and induces arterial thrombus formation. MA or MK pretreatment significantly elongated the level of FeCl3-induced TTO compared to TTO group, significantly decreased proinflammatory NF-κB/ICAM-1 signaling, endoplasmic reticulum stress CHOP expression and decreased thrombotic area. MA or MK significantly preserved nuclear Nrf2 translocation. MA and MK exerted a similar protective effect in attenuating thrombus formation. Conclusions: We suggest MA is better than MK to improve FeCl3-induced arterial thrombosis.
Initial stage of cross-cultural adaptation to Portuguese of Brazil of the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (HIV-K-Q)
Authors: Teixeira Lisiane O. , Figueiredo Vera L. M. , Mendoza-Sassi Raúl A.
Published: November 2016

Study design: cross-sectional. Objective: to adapt the HIV Knowledge Questionnaire (HIV-KQ) from English to Portuguese of Brazil. Methodology: the Cross-Cultural Adaptation followed the methodological steps defined by Reichenheim and consisted of the following steps: conceptual and items equivalence, semantic equivalence and operational equivalence. The apparent validity and content validity was assessed by six judges. The content validity was calculated by Content Validity coefficient for each item (CVCc) and for all questionnaire (CVCt). The dialogued application was carried out by focus groups with 15 college students and 15 users of community centers. Results: Of the 45 items of the original instrument, four present lower content validity (CVCc <0.80), being that two items (25 and 31) were removed. The CVCt was 0.82 to clarity of language, 0.93 to practice relevance and 0.90 theoretical relevance. For amplitude and balance criteria were equal to 0.90. Items that showed understanding problems were corrected according to suggestions of judges and focal groups. Conclusion: The proposed version presents satisfactory items and suitable for use in psychometric assessments in the future, which will demonstrate data about the applicability of the questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge about HIV/AIDS
Mentoring: concepts, faculty development and erspectives
Authors: Pazin-Filho Antonio , Soriano Leonardo Araujo , Paula Jayter Silva de
Published: November 2016

The mentoring approach had its origins related to the learning processes of industrial functions in the 1970’s and was introduced in medical training by the end of 1990’s. Initially, its inclusion in medical schools was incipient and not a part of the formal curriculum or institutional educational guidelines. These facts have prompted several adjustments and led to a gap from its original aims, being often considered as either scientific initiation or emotional supporting activities. This article discusses the problems related to both the mentoring identity and establishment in the medical teaching environment and proposes a concept related to its former sources. We also emphasized the difficulties in assessing the process efficiency and training of tutors, consequent to the lack of patterns to determine the skills expected in this function. Mentoring needs and magnitude in the medical field are also discussed
History of the FMRP-USP Tutorial Education Program
Authors: Torina Helen Furlan , Almeida Larissa Oliveira , Paula Jayter Silva de
Published: November 2016

Design: Experience report. Relevance: This study was aimed to report the historical landmarks of major activities of the Program of Tutorial Education, from the Ribeirão Preto Medical School (PET-FMRP) during the past 24 years, based on its digital and written documents. Comments: The PET-FMRP group has presented a consistent and increasing development of its teaching-research-extension activities, with repercussions to academy and society
From health to university extention: cursinho popular do PET-medicina, a successful project in the Ribeirão Preto Medical School
Authors: Soriano Leonardo Araujo , Diniz Alex Luís Araujo , Baseio Maria Clara , Paula Jayter Silva de
Published: November 2016

Design: Experience report. Relevance: Brazilian governments have promoted programs and actions to increase the access of students to the University. However, actions aimed to develop basic school levels has not grown accordingly, contributing to the maintanance of gaps in the students’ education and imposes obstacles to their admission in the universities. In this context, many free community preuniversity preparatory courses have been created as an alternative to overcome economic difficulties of people that cannot afford a private pre-university preparatory course. Medical students of the Program of Tutorial Education, from the Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo (PET-FMRP-USP), have managed such a free preparatory course called Cursinho Popular do PET-Medicina (CPM) since 2008. CPM has included, over the past seven years, more than 500 students, and 183 of them have been successfully accepted in public universities or in private ones with scholarships. Comments: Considering the university goals of teaching-research-extension, CPM has guaranteed benefits not only for poor students, but for everyone taking part of this project, including teachers and assistants, since they have improved skills related to inter-personal relationship and practiced citizenship
Eschatological Failure as God’s Mystery: Reassessing Prophecy and Reality at Qumran and in Nascent Christianity
Authors: Ruzer Serge
Published: November 2016

The article discerns in both Qumranic sources and in those coming from the nascent Jesus movement responses to their shared experience of disappointment vis-à-vis postponement of the expected redemption. The discussion, focusing on 1QpHab and a number of New Testament epistles, highlights the usage in this context of the language of God’s mystery, standing for reinterpretation of redemption-centered prophecies and their adjustment to a new timetable. While no clear direct links can be posited, the comparative study of the texts independently penned within the two eschatological groups allows to single out an underlying more general late Second Temple religious pattern of coping with delay in the anticipated end-of-days deliverance.
Beliefs about Future Curriculum
Authors: Wagler Amy , Wagler Ron
Published: November 2016

This article investigates how emotions of avoidance affect curriculum choice in a science classroom and also evaluates a research-based social form of learning for changing emotions of avoidance towards a specific science topic (arachnids) for a population of preservice teachers. It was found that there is a strong invariant structural relationship between emotions of avoidance and beliefs about incorporation of science concepts about arachnids. However, participation in the arachnid learning activities decreased emotions of avoidance and increased beliefs about incorporation into a science classroom. The implications of these findings are that social forms of learning can change avoidance emotions and beliefs of teachers and may even be effective for addressing other classroom topics that are socially sensitive, such as biological evolution or climate change.
From Ravensbrück to Berlin: Will Lammert’s Monument to the Deported Jews 1957/1985
Authors: Goldman Natasha
Published: November 2016

In 1985 one of the earliest memorials dedicated to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust was installed in East Berlin. The Monument to the Deported Jews was an arrangement of thirteen bronze figures in expressionist style. Will Lammert, the artist, originally designed the figures for the base of his monument for Ravensbrück in 1957. The artist died in 1957, however, before finalizing his design for the monument. Only two figures on a pylon were installed at the concentration camp in 1959. The figures meant for the base of the Ravensbrück memorial were unfinished, but were nonetheless cast in bronze by the artist’s family. Thirteen of those figures were installed on the Große Hamburger Straße in 1985 by the artist’s grandson, Mark Lammert.

This essay analyzes the Große Hamburger Straße monument in three ways: first, it returns to the literature on the Ravensbrück memorial in order to better understand the role that the unfinished figures would have played, had they been installed. I argue that they originally were most likely meant to depict “Strafestehen”—or torture by standing—at Ravensbrück. Secondly, it aims to explain why and how Lammert’s seemingly expressionist memorial would have been acceptable to East Germany in 1959. While Western art historical attitudes toward East Germany up until the 1990s assumed that Soviet socialist realism was the de facto art style of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR), some elements of expressionism were being theorized in the late 1950s, at precisely the time when Lammert designed the Ravensbrück monument. Finally, I analyze the role that a monument for Ravensbrück plays in this particular neighborhood of Mitte, Berlin: standing silently, they are no longer legible as women being tortured by standing. Instead, the sculptures signify, at the same time, the deported Jews of Berlin and the harrowing aftermath of their deportations, the improbable return of the deported Jews, and the changing attitudes toward the history of the neighborhood in which the sculptural group is located.
A taxonomic revision of the kalshoveni species-group of the genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg (Lepidoptera, Adelidae), with descriptions of six new species from Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
Authors: KOZLOV MIKHAIL V.
Published: November 2016

A monophyletic group of seven externally similar, grey to light brown species of the genus Nemophora Hoffmannsegg from the islands of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, recognised as the new kalshoveni species-group, is revised. All species of this group possess an oblique light stripe, which arises from the costal margin of the forewing at 0.7–0.8 of its length towards the middle of an external wing margin. The proboscis of these species is unusually thick due to a dense cover of raised dark brown and black scales. A key to the species based on external characters and on male genitalia is provided; new species are described from the Sangir (N. humerella sp. nov.) and New Guinea (N. agassizi sp. nov., N. bistrigata sp. nov., N. dohertyi sp. nov., N. toxopeusi sp. nov. and N. stenopterella sp. nov.).
Review of the Ulopella leafhopper genus group (Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae, Ulopinae) with description of a new genus and species collected from pitfall traps in Zambia
Authors: SMITH LYDIA R. J. , WEBB MICHAEL D.
Published: November 2016

A new ulopine leafhopper genus and species, Kafulopa bicolor gen. nov., sp. n. from Zambia, is described and illustrated and placed in the Ulopella genus group (Ulopini). A checklist and key to the genera of the group are provided together with images of representatives of each genus. Most species of the group are flightless with elytra-like forewings and some, including the new species described here, were collected from baited pitfall traps, suggesting at least a partial association with the soil surface. Aethiopulopa hovana (Lallemand) is re-examined and transferred from the Ulopella group to the Ulopa group (Ulopini), genus Kivulopa comb. nov. and figures of its external features and male genitalia are provided for the first time.
Two new species of Halictophagidae (Insecta: Strepsiptera) including the first record of genus Coriophagus Kinzelbach from India
Authors: ROY SUKHENDU , HAZRA NILADRI
Published: November 2016

Coriophagus calcaneus n. sp. (Coriophaginae) and Halictophagus prominens n. sp. (Halictophaginae) are described from India. Coriophagus calcaneus is the first record of the genus Coriophagus Kinzelbach from India. The genus Coriophagus is restricted in the Gondwanaland, while Halictophagus Curtis has a cosmopolitan distribution.
The larva of Lepidostoma doehleri Malicky 1976 (Trichoptera: Lepidostomatidae) with notes on ecology and a key to larvae for species of the genus in Greece
Authors: KARAOUZAS IOANNIS , WARINGER JOHANN
Published: November 2016

The hitherto unknown larva of Lepidostoma doehleri Malicky 1976 is described. The diagnostic features of the species are listed and illustrated, and some information on its ecology is included. In addition, diagnostic characters for the larvae of the known Lepidostoma species occurring in Greece are provided.
Estimation of Near-Real-Time Outgoing Longwave Radiation from Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) Radiance Measurements
Authors: Zhang Kexin , Goldberg Mitchell D. , Sun Fengying , Zhou Lihang , Wolf Walter W. , Tan Changyi , Nalli Nicholas R. , Liu Quanhua
Published: November 2016

This study describes the algorithm for deriving near-real-time outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) hyperspectral infrared sounder radiance measurements. The estimation of OLR on a near-real-time basis provides a unique perspective for studying the variability of Earth’s current atmospheric radiation budget. CrIS-derived OLR values are estimated as a weighted linear combination of CrIS-adjusted “pseudochannel” radiances. The algorithm uses the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) as the transfer instrument, and a least squares regression algorithm is applied to generate two sets of regression coefficients. The first set of regression coefficients is derived from collocated Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) OLR on Aqua and pseudochannel radiances calculated from AIRS radiances. The second set of coefficients is derived to adjust the CrIS pseudochannel radiance to account for the differences in pseudochannel radiances between AIRS and CrIS. The CrIS-derived OLR is then validated by using a limited set of available CERES SNPP OLR observations over 1° × 1° global grids, as well as monthly OLR mean and interannual differences against CERES OLR datasets from SNPP and Aqua. The results show that the bias of global CrIS OLR estimation is within ±2 W m−2 and that the standard deviation is within 5 W m−2 for all conditions, and ±1 and 3 W m−2 for homogeneous scenes. The interannual CrIS-derived OLR differences agree well with Aqua CERES interannual OLR differences on a 1° × 1° spatial scale, with only a small drift of the global mean of these two datasets of around 0.004 W m−2.
Economic Inequality, Food Insecurity, and the Erosion of Equality of Capabilities in the United States
Authors: Elmes Michael B.
Published: November 2016

This article explores how economic inequality in the United States has led to growing levels of poverty, food insecurity, and obesity for the bottom segments of the economy. It takes the position that access to nutritious food is a requirement for living and for participating fully in the workplace and society. Because of increasing economic inequality in the United States, growing segments of the U.S. economy have become more food insecure and obese, eating unhealthy food for survival and suffering an erosion of “equality of capabilities” that undermines their ability to play a “full and active part in the functioning of (their) community.” Unequal access to nutritious foods in the United States is attributable in part to an industrial food system that is designed to produce short-term profits for industrial food producers, processors, and distributors that extract surplus labor value through market concentration and opportunistic behavior at the expense of the long-term benefits for consumers, food workers (including farmers), and ecosystems. Economic inequality, food insecurity, and the erosion of equality of capabilities in the United States have given rise to protest movements, social movements, social innovations, and some modest strengthening of regulations to make access to and consumption of healthy food a right for every person. Implications for business and society research are explored.
A Critical Conversation on Religious Diversity in China, Canada and India
Authors: Bramadat Paul
Published: November 2016

An introduction to this special issue of SR, outlining the main issues addressed in the articles and in the conference at which earlier versions of each article were presented.
Curve of Factors Model: A Latent Growth Modeling Approach for Educational Research
Authors: Isiordia Marilu , Ferrer Emilio
Published: November 2016

A first-order latent growth model assesses change in an unobserved construct from a single score and is commonly used across different domains of educational research. However, examining change using a set of multiple response scores (e.g., scale items) affords researchers several methodological benefits not possible when using a single score. A curve of factors (CUFFS) model assesses change in a construct from multiple response scores but its use in the social sciences has been limited. In this article, we advocate the CUFFS for analyzing a construct’s latent trajectory over time, with an emphasis on applying this model to educational research. First, we present a review of longitudinal factorial invariance, a condition necessary for ensuring that the measured construct is the same across time points. Next, we introduce the CUFFS model, followed by an illustration of testing factorial invariance and specifying a univariate and a bivariate CUFFS model to longitudinal data. To facilitate implementation, we include syntax for specifying these statistical methods using the free statistical software R.
Emotional Solidarity with Destination Security Forces
Authors: Simpson Joseph J. , Simpson Penny M.
Published: November 2016

Immigration crises are of increasing concern around the globe. Although most of these immigrants are fleeing violence and seeking a better life, residents and tourists to these destinations in crisis are concerned about crime and violence associated with an increase in such migration. Consistent with this increase, recent scholarly attention has begun to focus on the dynamics of group relations in the context of immigration crises. Using multigroup partial least squares to examine differences between residents and tourists to the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, we examined the relationships between the perceived effectiveness of the security forces deployed to handle the crisis on emotional solidarity, emotional solidarity on perceived safety, and the relationship between perceived safety on likelihood to recommend the destination. We find a complex relationship for our proposed model where most relationships are significant for destination residents and for migrant tourists.
The Community College Penalty? Examining the Bachelor’s Completion Rates of Community College Transfer Students as a Function of Time
Authors: Lichtenberger Eric , Dietrich Cecile
Published: November 2016

Objective: Recent studies have shown that community college transfer students are just as likely to graduate with a bachelor’s degree as students who directly enroll in a 4-year institution. However, these studies do not typically examine whether there is a penalty for community college students in terms of the length of time it takes to complete a bachelor’s degree. In this study, we seek to determine whether there are differences between community college transfer students and direct 4-year college entrants regarding the likelihood of bachelor’s degree completion as a function of time. Method: Propensity score matching with a posttreatment adjustment was used to create observationally equivalent groups of community college transfer students and rising 4-year college juniors. Propensity scores were calculated using a multilevel model with students nested within high schools to account for pretreatment contextual differences. Descriptive survival analysis was applied to ascertain whether differences existed in the cumulative rate of bachelor’s degree completion throughout a 7-year tracking period. Results: Several significant prematch differences between the two groups—community college transfers and 4-year college juniors—were established. It was then demonstrated how the matching process created adequate balance between the two groups on all observed covariates. Although community college students experienced an initial penalty with respect to degree completion until 125% of normal time, the penalty was no longer evident 6 years after initial enrollment in college. Contributions: Given this finding, we discuss the need for policies that help community college transfer students achieve timely bachelor’s degree completion.
From Sword to Shield to Myth: Facing the Facts of De Facto School Segregation
Authors: Glass Michael R.
Published: November 2016

During the legal battles that followed the 1954 Brown decision, the de jure-de facto binary became the key legal distinction used to define the limits of school desegregation. In recent years, historians have labeled de facto segregation as an evasive and misleading “myth.” However, the concept had a long political career before it became a subterfuge. In fact, civil rights activists first invented the concept in an attempt to force legal recognition of segregated schools outside of the South. But in an ironic turn of events, school officials, judges, lawmakers, journalists, and ordinary citizens later appropriated the phrase to deny responsibility for the color line. Thus, what began as an allegation of racial discrimination ultimately became an impenetrable defense of legal innocence. This article recovers the decade of fierce public debates surrounding northern school desegregation by tracing the evolution of de facto segregation from allegation to defense to myth.
New, Immunomodulatory, Oral Nutrition Formula for Use Prior to Surgery in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Palma‐Milla Samara , López‐Plaza Bricia , Santamaría Beatriz , de Arriba‐Sánchez Álvaro , Bermejo Laura M. , Gómez‐Candela Carmen
Published: November 2016

Background: The perioperative use of immunomodulatory nutrition formulas in patients with head and neck cancer reduces the number of postoperative infections and the length of hospital stay. Objective: An exploratory, randomized, controlled, blind, clinical trial was designed to examine the effect of the preoperative consumption of a new, immunomodulatory, oral nutrition formula in patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: Thirty‐eight patients were randomized to receive either 400 mL/d of either the new immunomodulatory formula (IF) or that commonly used in clinical practice (CF) over 10 days prior to surgery. Thirty‐three patients completed the study. Compliance, tolerance, the length of hospital stay, the incidence of infections and noninfectious complications before discharge, and the same up to 15 and 30 days after discharge were recorded. Results: The percentage of patients who developed infections before discharge was significantly lower in the IF than in the CF group (P = .013), as was the number of infections/100 patients/d (P = .035). The length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the IF group (P = .001). Both formulas were safe and well tolerated. No other differences were detected. These results suggest preoperative consumption of the new formula to be beneficial for patients with neck and head cancer. Further trials are needed to confirm these results and to test the efficacy of the formula in patients with other conditions. Conclusion: The new formula can be safely prescribed as part of the preoperative treatment of patients with head and neck cancer and might reduce the problem of postoperative infection.
Demographic Decline, Population Aging, and Modern Financial Approaches to Urban Policy
Authors: Carbonaro Gianni , Leanza Eugenio , McCann Philip , Medda Francesca
Published: November 2016

This article discusses the interaction between demographic aging, population decline, and various aspects of the local development challenges facing public authorities. In particular, this article examines some of the financial issues arising from population aging and decline and the ways in which new approaches to public finance are being used in support of European Union regional and urban policy. In this context, it is argued that a comprehensive portfolio investment approach has the potential to significantly improve policy effectiveness.
Color Blind or Color Conscious? White American Mothers’ Approaches to Racial Socialization
Authors: Vittrup Brigitte
Published: November 2016

This study investigated the extent to which White American mothers discuss race with their children, which topics they are willing to discuss, and why some choose not to discuss it. Data were gathered from 107 mothers of children aged 4 to 7 years. Most mothers indicated the topic was important to discuss, especially for the purpose of elimination of bias and discrimination. However, many reported having no or only vague discussions. Only 30% were categorized as having a color conscious approach, whereas 70% indicated a color blind or color mute approach. The latter seemed to presume their silence would lead children to not notice differences and thus remain unbiased. Many also indicated that they would only approach it if an issue came up or the child asked questions. Almost all mothers perceived their children to have no racial biases, but their diagnostic tools for discovering biases may be inadequate. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Naphthoquine-induced Central Nervous System and Hepatic Vasculocentric Toxicity in the Beagle Dog
Authors: Galarneau Jean-Rene , Meseck Emily K. , Hall Robert L. , Li Wenkui , Weaver Margaret L.
Published: November 2016

Naphthoquine phosphate (NP) was considered as a partner drug with a promising antimalarial drug candidate. Here we report unexpected adverse clinical signs and microscopic findings in a canine pilot toxicology study with NP. Male and female dogs were dosed daily by oral gavage with NP at 2, 10, or 50 mg/kg/day for a maximum of 14 days. NP was not tolerated at ≥10 mg/kg/day; several animals were sacrificed in moribund condition and marked neurological clinical signs were noted at 50 mg/kg/day. The main microscopic observation was central nervous system vasculocentric inflammation (mainly lymphocytes and macrophages) in the white and gray matter of various regions of the brain at ≥2 mg/kg/day and at lower incidence in the spinal cord at ≥10 mg/kg/day. Vasculocentric microscopic changes predominantly centered on the centrilobular vein were also observed in the liver at ≥2 mg/kg/day. Females were more sensitive than males with comparable NP plasma exposure. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, the administration of NP to dogs via daily oral gavage for up to 2 weeks was not tolerated causing moribundity, marked neurological clinical signs, and vasculocentric microscopic changes in the central nervous system and the liver.
Dalit Activism in Telugu Country, 1917–30
Authors: Gundimeda Sambaiah
Published: November 2016

This article argues that the politics of lower castes and their struggles for social equality and political representation cannot be effectively subsumed under a homogenous non-Brahmin category. Contesting the argument that the mobilisation of the lower castes/non-Brahmins in southern India was organised around the ideology of Dravidianism, this research examines what is today called Dalit activism in the Telugu country, related to the ideology of Adi-Dravida/Adi-Hindu. It also identifies discrimination of Dalits as well as between Dalits, in times before Gandhi and Ambedkar appeared on the scene.
Dalits in Punjab
Authors: Singh Surinder
Published: November 2016

Rising cultural consciousness among Dalits in Punjab underpins recent endeavours to construct a distinct identity and cultural heritage. The article examines how this renovation of identity and culture, centred on claiming and gaining social esteem and self-respect, is visibly expressed in heritage construction, with important support through transnational diasporic connections. This article shows specifically how monetary and ideational inputs for construction of two Ad Dharmi jathera shrines have created an impressive monumental heritage that promotes and reflects rising cultural confidence among the Dalits in Punjab and generates enthusiasm in the whole community. This provides them assurances of a more respectable life, both at home and abroad, yet also introduces new divisions and diversities.
Lift Irrigation Schemes in Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Kalle Jacob , Kasi Eswarappa
Published: November 2016

Despite efforts by the Indian state to develop and maintain various irrigation strategies, many projects have not achieved the desired results, often due to systemic problems inherent in these initiatives. Meanwhile, the growing scarcity of water in South Asia propels new thinking about remedies. Based on detailed fieldwork, this article, which seems at first completely unrelated to matters of caste discrimination, assesses the sustainability of lift irrigation schemes (LIS) in Andhra Pradesh (AP). Asking critical questions about the management of such schemes, it also addresses the impact of new technologies on rural development, arguing that continuing technology-savvy engagement of the state in the irrigation sector is needed. While it is found that apart from issues of better management, increased use of solar energy could be a real boon for strengthening economic viability and environmental sustainability, the research identifies additional reasons, of a socio-political nature, which may explain why state support for marginal farmers in the area under examination is being withheld.
Data justice for development
Authors: Heeks Richard , Renken Jaco
Published: November 2016

This paper looks at the intersection of two growing trends in international development – use of justice in development theory, and use of data in development practice – and asks what data-justice-for-development would mean. The rationale for this can be the presence of current data injustices in developing countries, and different framings for data injustice point to three different mainstream perspectives on data justice: instrumental, procedural, and distributive/rights-based. These three perspectives are explained but they are also subject to small data, sustainability, Senian, and structural critiques. A full understanding of the mainstream perspectives and conceptualisation of the critiques is largely the task of a future research agenda. However, the paper does particularly argue that a structural approach should be the foundation for understanding data justice in a development context. It offers three potential ways to conceptualise structural data justice – through the ideas of Iris Marion Young, of political economy, and of the capability approach – and ends with some thoughts on the practical agenda when seeking to deliver structural data justice for development.
Postoperative changes in high mobility group box 1 levels after colorectal cancer surgery
Authors: Satoh Masaaki , Kotani Kazuhiko , Yamada Shingo , Koinuma Koji , Horie Hisanaga , Takeuchi Mamoru
Published: November 2016

Objective

To investigate the potential use of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) as a marker for the surgical course following surgery for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods

Patients with advanced CRC undergoing open colorectal surgery who did not develop postsurgical complications were enrolled in the study. Blood samples were taken preoperatively and at 1 day, 1 week and 3 weeks after surgery for the measurement of the white blood cell count, serum C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A and HMGB1.

Results

Data from 21 patients were analysed. HMGB1 levels changed significantly during the surgical course, increasing from a preoperative median of 6.8 ng/ml to 12.1 ng/ml at 1 day postoperatively, and then decreasing to 8.1 ng/ml at 1 week postoperatively and 4.0 ng/ml at 3 weeks postoperatively. These changes were similar to but were not completely correlated with the changes seen in the other markers.

Conclusion

Serum HMGB1 may be a potential marker to monitor the surgical course in patients undergoing surgery for CRC, although further studies are warranted before it can be introduced into routine clinical practice.
Thrombus aspirated from patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction: Clinical and angiographic outcomes
Authors: Yang Yapan , Li Jingchao , Xu Wenke , Dong Shujuan , Yu Haijia , Song Huihui , Chu Yingjie
Published: November 2016

Objective

To investigate differences in clinical and angiographic outcomes between patients with acute myocardial infarction with red and white thrombi.

Methods

A total of 137 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary interventions were included. Thrombus material was classified as white or red based on its pathology. Information on characteristics of thrombi was available for 97 (70.8%) patients.

Results

The total ischaemic time was significantly longer in the red thrombus group compared with the white thrombus group. The incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in hospital was higher in the red thrombus group than in the white thrombus group (15.6% vs 0%). Multivariable logistic analysis showed that the total ischaemic time was the only predictor of thrombus composition (odds ratio 1.353; 95% confidence interval 1.003, 1.826).

Conclusion

Red thrombi were present in nearly two-thirds of cases, and were associated with a longer ischaemic time and higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events in hospital.
The SURMetaGIT study: Design and rationale for a prospective pan-omics examination of the gastrointestinal response to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery
Authors: Sala Priscila , Belarmino Giliane , Machado Natasha Mendonça , Cardinelli Camila Siqueira , Al Assal Karina , Silva Mariane Marques , Fonseca Danielle Cristina , Ishida Robson Kiyoshi , Santo Marco Aurélio , de Moura Eduardo Guimarães Hourneaux , Sakai Paulo , Guarda Ismael Francisco Mota Siqueira , da Silva Ismael Dale Cotrim Guerreiro , Rodrigues Agatha Sacramento , Pereira Carlos Alberto de Bragança , Heymsfield Steven , Doré Joel , Torrinhas Raquel Susana Matos de Miranda , Giannella-Neto Daniel , Waitzberg Dan Linetzky
Published: November 2016

Objective

To describe the protocol of the SURgically induced Metabolic effects on the Human GastroIntestinal Tract (SURMetaGIT) study, a clinical pan-omics study exploring the gastrointestinal tract as a central organ driving remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The main points considered in the study’s design and challenges faced in its application are detailed.

Methods

This observational, longitudinal, prospective study involved collection of gastrointestinal biopsy specimens, faeces, urine, and blood from 25 obese women with T2DM who were candidates for RYGB (20 patients for omics assessment and 5 for omics validation). These collections were performed preoperatively and 3 and 24 months postoperatively. Gastrointestinal transcriptomics; faecal metagenomics and metabolomics; plasma proteomics, lipidomics, and metabolomics; and biochemical, nutritional, and metabolic data were assessed to identify their short- and long-term correlations with T2DM remission.

Results

Data were collected from 20 patients before and 3 months after RYGB. These patients have nearly completed the 2-year follow-up assessments. The five additional patients are currently being selected for omics data validation.

Conclusion

The multi-integrated pan-omics approach of the SURMetaGIT study enables integrated analysis of data that will contribute to the understanding of molecular mechanisms involved in T2DM remission after RYGB.
A Biomechanical Comparison of Allograft Tendons for Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Palmer Jeremiah E. , Russell Joseph P. , Grieshober Jason , Iacangelo Abigail , Ellison Benjamin A. , Lease T. Dylan , Kim Hyunchul , Henn R. Frank , Hsieh Adam H.
Published: November 2016

Background:

Allograft tendons are frequently used for ligament reconstruction about the knee, but they entail availability and cost challenges. The identification of other tissues that demonstrate equivalent performance to preferred tendons would improve limitations.

Hypothesis/Purpose:

We compared the biomechanical properties of 4 soft tissue allograft tendons: tibialis anterior (TA), tibialis posterior (TP), peroneus longus (PL), and semitendinosus (ST). We hypothesized that allograft properties would be similar when standardized by the looped diameter.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

This study consisted of 2 arms evaluating large and small looped-diameter grafts: experiment A consisted of TA, TP, and PL tendons (n = 47 each) with larger looped diameters of 9.0 to 9.5 mm, and experiment B consisted of TA, TP, PL, and ST tendons (n = 53 each) with smaller looped diameters of 7.0 to 7.5 mm. Each specimen underwent mechanical testing to measure the modulus of elasticity (E), ultimate tensile force (UTF), maximal elongation at failure, ultimate tensile stress (UTS), and ultimate tensile strain (UTε).

Results:

Experiment A: No significant differences were noted among tendons for UTF, maximal elongation at failure, and UTϵ. UTS was significantly higher for the PL (54 MPa) compared with the TA (44 MPa) and TP (43 MPa) tendons. E was significantly higher for the PL (501 MPa) compared with the TP (416 MPa) tendons. Equivalence testing showed that the TP and PL tendon properties were equivalent or superior to those of the TA tendons for all outcomes. Experiment B: All groups exhibited a similar E. UTF was again highest in the PL tendons (2294 N) but was significantly different from only the ST tendons (1915 N). UTϵ was significantly higher for the ST (0.22) compared with the TA (0.19) and TP (0.19) tendons. Equivalence testing showed that the TA, TP, and PL tendon properties were equivalent or superior to those of the ST tendons.

Conclusion:

Compared with TA tendons, TP and PL tendons of a given looped diameter exhibited noninferior initial biomechanical strength and stiffness characteristics. ST tendons were mostly similar to TA tendons but exhibited a significantly higher elongation/UTϵ and smaller cross-sectional area. For smaller looped-diameter grafts, all tissues were noninferior to ST tendons. In contrast to previous findings, PL tendons proved to be equally strong.

Clinical Relevance:

The results of this study should encourage surgeons to use these soft tissue allografts interchangeably, which is important as the number of ligament reconstructions performed with allografts continues to rise.
Early Ambulation in Patients With External Ventricular Drains
Authors: Shah Syed Omar , Kraft Jacqueline , Ankam Nethra , Bu Paula , Stout Kristen , Melnyk Sara , Rincon Fred , Athar M. Kamran
Published: November 2016

Introduction:

Prolonged immobility in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) can lead to muscle wasting and weakness, longer hospital stays, increased number of days in restraints, and hospital-acquired infections. Increasing evidence demonstrates the safety and feasibility of early mobilization in the ICU. However, there is a lack of evidence in the safety and feasibility of mobilizing patients with external ventricular drains (EVDs). The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and feasibility of early mobility in this patient population.

Methods:

We conducted a prospective, observational study. All patients in the study were managed with standard protocols and procedures practiced in our ICU including early mobility. Patients with an EVD who received early mobilization were awake and following commands, had a Lindegaard ratio <3.0 or middle cerebral artery (MCA) mean flow velocity <120 cm/s, a Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) > 80 mm Hg, and an intracranial pressure consistently <20 mm Hg. Data were collected by physical therapists at the time of encounter.

Results:

Ninety patients with a total of 185 patient encounters were recorded over a 12-month period. The average time between EVD placement and physical therapy (PT) session was 8.3 ± 5.5 days. In 149 (81%) encounters, patients were at least standing or better. Patients were walking with assistance or better in 99 (54%) encounters. There were 4 (2.2%) adverse events recorded during the entire study.

Conclusion:

This observational study suggests that PT is feasible in patients with EVDs and can be safely tolerated. Further research is warranted in a larger patient population conducted prospectively to assess the potential benefit of early mobility in this patient population.
The Effect of Listening to Music on Postoperative Pain in Adult Orthopedic Patients
Authors: Schneider Melissa A.
Published: November 2016

Purpose: Pain is a common occurrence after orthopedic surgery. Patients need additional resources to manage their pain. The purpose of this study was to determine if listening to music has a positive effect on pain scores and satisfaction in the postoperative adult orthopedic patient. There are limited studies demonstrating statistically significant decreases in postoperative pain in this group. A secondary purpose was to expose nurses on a standard medical-surgical unit to an intervention, supported by the holistic nursing model that they could use in their care. Design and Method: This study was a descriptive, comparative, quasi-experimental design. Patients listened to prerecorded music on individual CD players and recorded pre–post pain scores with the intervention. A satisfactory survey was completed at discharge. Findings: Results demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in patients’ pain scores after listening to music. Length of listening time had no effect. Patients expressed overall satisfaction, and 100% of participants would recommend this intervention to others. Conclusions: Listening to music is beneficial as an adjunct to pain medication and contributes to increased patient satisfaction. It is hoped that the information gained from this study will lead to an enhancement in the standard of care for postoperative patients.
Inequitable access to the knowledge market in Nigeria
Authors: Akinyemi Samuel , Potokri Onoride Collins
Published: November 2016

In a knowledge market, the knowledge, skills and expertise needed for the economic and sociopolitical transformation of a nation and its citizens are transacted at different prices. Inequitable access to this market poses a serious threat to the economic welfare of the country and its citizens. The authors assess the extent of this threat with reference to university education in Nigeria and its implications for national development. Questionnaires were used to obtain data and, since this is a quantitative research study, the factors serving as the basis for analysis are as follows: the official minimum wage, poverty rates and the prices (fees) charged at the sampled universities. The findings reveal that more than 70% of the total population live on between US$3.70 and US$7.39 per day. In addition, the lowest fees charged at the public and private universities are Nigeria Naira N75,000 (US$477.71) and N400,000 (US$2547.77), respectively. Thus, there is not only a substantial difference in the prices charged, but university fees are also beyond the means of the majority of Nigerians. Identifying these university fees as the main cause of inequitable access to the knowledge market, the authors propose that the prices should be reduced to accommodate the impoverished majority and argue that the government should facilitate access to university education through student loans and public funding.
Suction port design for a synchronal rotary multiphase pump
Authors: Yang Xu , Qu Zongchang
Published: November 2016

The synchronal rotary multiphase pump is a new type of positive-displacement pump for multiphase boosting. Given that the discharge valve is eliminated in the synchronal rotary multiphase pump, the radial suction port as used in traditional rotary compressors is no longer suitable for the gas–liquid working condition. Thus, a special design for the axial suction port is presented to ensure the synchronal rotary multiphase pump’s flexibility in handling work fluids with any inlet gas volume fraction. The design concept and working principle of the axial suction port of the synchronal rotary multiphase pump are introduced herein, and a geometrical model of the suction port is established to calculate the critical dimensions for the synchronal rotary multiphase pump manufacture. The results show that the axial suction port’s design avoids the inner compression of work fluids and the back flow from the outlet to the inlet of the synchronal rotary multiphase pump during operation, which meets the requirements for operating under the gas–liquid working condition. The matching between the variation in the sectional area of the suction port and the varying trend of suction volume results in an acceptable sectional velocity of suction flow. Although the designed axial suction port reduces the suction angle range in a revolution, the decrease in the volumetric efficiency is negligible.
A new direct simulation Monte Carlo implementation for more efficient simulation of hypersonic flow over arbitrarily shaped bodies using dynamic cells
Authors: Reji RV , Lal S Anil
Published: November 2016

Methods are reported for less computationally expensive and more accurate implementations of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for the simulation of high speed gas flows over arbitrarily shaped bodies. A new particle-tracking algorithm with a saving of computational time of up to 10% is reported in which tracking of particles is done with the help of big triangles having vertices lying on the boundary curves. An algorithm has been developed to generate DSMC cells for collision and sampling that contain a prescribed number of molecules. This algorithm is able to generate over 90% cells having the optimum number of seven or eight molecules for simulating collisions. Sampling for macroscopic properties is done on dynamic cells that contain a number of particles varying spatially as a function of the local number density. A criterion for finding the number of particles in sampling cells is presented. This criterion has been found to result in accurate and fast simulation of two-dimensional hypersonic flows of argon over a wedge, and argon and nitrogen over a circular cylinder.
In vivo fracture of a reverse total shoulder replacement humeral tray: A case report
Authors: MacDonald Peter B , Petrak Martin J , Gascoyne Trevor C , Bohm Eric Richard
Published: November 2016

Failure analysis was performed for two humeral tray components which fractured in vivo after only 6 and 9 months. Implant retrieval analysis indicated that the components failed due to fatigue failure initiating from a small radius fillet at the interface of the trunnion and tray regions. Finite element simulations revealed the small radius fillet to have resulted in a large stress concentration and confirmed the possibility for fatigue failure in 6 months. The stress concentration caused by both the small radius fillet and the insufficient tray thickness contributed to the premature fatigue failure of the humeral trays.