bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality of Care Provided by Family Caregivers of Older People With Dementia: Measurement and Interpretations
Authors: Hazzan Afeez
Published: December 2020

Family caregivers of older people living with dementia are relatives, friends, or neighbors who provide assistance related to this condition, but who are unpaid for the services they provide. Although caregiving could be personally rewarding, many caregivers report a high level of strain. Compared to caregivers of older adults who do not have dementia, family caregivers of older people living with dementia report lower quality-of-life (QoL). In a published systematic review examining the relationship between family caregiver QoL and the quality of care provided, only one study was found to be somewhat relevant. The study suggested that the primary reason for an absence of research into the link between family caregiver QoL and quality of care was the absence of a questionnaire for measuring quality of care in dementia. Therefore, any attempt to investigate the impact of caregiver QoL on the care provided to older people with dementia must first address the lack of an instrument to measure quality of care. To address this issue, we interviewed approximately 20 family caregivers in order to elicit feedback on measurements and interpretation of the quality of care provided by family caregivers of older people living with dementia. Content analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that the quality of relationships with family, caregiver availability to provide or supervise care, and availability of paid or volunteer help are important for the quality of care provided. These results have important implications, particularly for the development of an instrument to measure quality of care in dementia.
Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome Using 3-Items Recall Test and Its Association With Falls
Authors: Shim Hayoung , Kim Miji , Jung Heeeun , Seo Yuri , Lee Seoyoon Jane , Won Chang Won
Published: December 2020

Motoric cognitive risk (MCR) syndrome is defined by the presence of subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) and slow gait. Its components have synergistic effects to predict various adverse health outcomes. However, some studies reported SCCs might be influenced by cultural differences. Therefore, we devised another criterion to assess the cognitive aspect of MCR to enhance its utility irrespective of the cultural background of the subject by examining the association of MCR and its components with fall-related outcomes. This cross-sectional analysis included 2,641 community-dwelling older adults aged 70-84 years from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. These participants did not have dementia and had no difficulties in performing activities of daily living. The newly devised criterion for cognitive aspects of MCR is based on three items recall test on Mini-Mental State Examination. One-hundred-ninety participants (7.2%) met the criteria of MCR using three items recall test. Unlike MCR using SCCs, newly defined MCR showed synergistic effects with fall-related outcomes. Participants with MCR using three items recall test showed a higher risk for falls in the past 1-year (odds ratio [OR] 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-2.34), recurrent falls (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.10-3.13), fall with injury (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.10-2.34), fear of falling (OR 2.77, 95% CI 1.90-4.03), and low activities-specific balance confidence (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.78-4.60) compared to each component, except for fall with fracture. We found MCR with three items recall test helped predict fall-related outcomes in clinical settings regardless of the cultural context.
Should Caregivers Attempt to Assist Falling Patients?
Authors: Bulat Tatjana , Friedman Yvonne , Barrett Blake , Lind Jason , Chavez Margeaux , Cowan Linda , Martin Marie , Shaw Alicia
Published: December 2020

This quality improvement project seeks to provide guidance on whether caregivers should attempt to “assist” fallers, and if so, the safest way to minimize injury to themselves and the faller. Primary aims were to: 1) Identify common characteristics of documented assisted falls, 2) Identify cases where injuries to patients and/or staff occur, and 3) Provide guidance to the clinical field. Data sources for this project includes secondary databases of assisted falls events as well as primary data collection using computer simulation. Initial results for 2 VA quality tracking databases of assisted falls over a 9-year period are presented. Qualitative matrix analyses were conducted for both assisted falls datasets, which separately examined patient and employee injuries related to assisted falls. Two trained qualitative experts analyzed 195 fall narratives from the datasets to develop insights about the most common fall scenarios that result in injury. The most commonly reported assisted falls scenarios included 1) related to toileting, 2) while ambulating, and 3) while transferring from wheelchair. Findings of these analyses indicate current documentation does not capture the nuance of assisted falls. Additional variables such as 1) the direction of the fall; 2) the fall scenario; 3) how staff sought to assist; 4) staff injury description and 5) and other key variables (patient symptoms, environmental factors) that could improve fall documentation and understanding of assisted falls. Preliminary efforts are providing information for development of a computer simulation using a virtual environment to repeatedly test common fall scenarios and influences of caregiver assistance.
Dietary Diversity and Dietary Quality: Associations With Body Mass Index Change in Diverse Adults With Age
Authors: Kuczmarski Marie , Rawal Rita , Beydoun May , Cotugna Nancy , Brewer Benjamin , Hughes Virginia , Zonderman Alan , Evans Michele
Published: December 2020

Dietary Diversity (DD), a variety element of a healthful diet, can be measured by count, evenness and dissimilarity scores. This study explored the associations of DD, and dietary quality measured by Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) score, with annualized Body Mass Index (BMI) change in a diverse sample. Participants, 1,104 African American (57.9%) and White (42.1%) adults, were from the longitudinal Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study. Mean±SE age at baseline was 48.3±0.20 years. The DD and DASH scores were calculated using four 24-hr recalls from baseline (2004-2009) and 1st follow-up wave (2009-2013). Count was based on consumption of ≥50% of an equivalent from 21 food groups. Evenness was derived using the Berry-Index adjusted by the food’s health value; dissimilarity, by Mahalanobis Distance. The DASH score was computed using the Mellen formula. BMI was calculated from measured weight and height; change in BMI from 1st to 2nd follow-up waves (2009-2017). Linear regression results are expressed as β-coefficients □ standard error of means (β□SE). After adjusting for energy, age, sex, race, poverty status, education, and smoking, of the three DD measures, only mean count was associated with annualized change in BMI (8.166±3.575, p=0.023). Mean DASH score was inversely associated with BMI change (-6.599±2.690, p=0.014). Age and smoking were the only other significant predictors (-1.137±2.938, p<0.001), (-1.169±5.472, p=0.033), respectively. These findings provide evidence that high quality is associated with a decrease in BMI with age while high count scores are associated with a rise in BMI.
Association Between Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Blacks: A Pilot Study
Authors: Arnold Tomorrow , Polenick Courtney , Blow Frederic
Published: December 2020

Racial minority status may be a major source of both acute and chronic stress (e.g., racial discrimination) that contributes to depression among older adults. Indeed, older African Americans experience more psychological distress than their White counterparts largely due to chronic stressors including racism. Yet, little is known about particular aspects of racial discrimination that are most strongly associated with depressive symptoms in middle and later life. The present study is a part of an ongoing pilot project and sought to examine the associations between discrimination experienced in the past month [i.e., perceived ethnic/racial discrimination (PED), everyday discrimination (ED), and heightened vigilance to discrimination (HVD)] and past-month depressive symptoms among Black/African American adults aged 50 to 80 (N = 106). More frequent PED was associated with greater severity in overall depressive symptoms as well as affective and somatic symptoms individually. More frequent ED was associated with greater affect symptom severity only. Increased HVD was associated with greater overall depressive symptom severity, particularly affective symptoms. Discrimination was also differently correlated with specific depressive symptoms. PED was associated with back pain, anhedonia, loss of interest in sex, difficulty breathing, anxiousness, inability to concentrate, and suicidal ideation. Greater ED was associated with anhedonia, chest pain, and feelings of guilt/self-reproach. Higher HVD was associated with chest pain and feelings of guilt/self-reproach. These results suggest that experienced discrimination and attempts to prepare for these experiences may play a role in the presentation of depressive symptomatology and vary by type of symptoms experienced among older Blacks.
Age Differences in Stress, Life Changes, and Social Ties During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications for Psychological Well-Being
Authors: Birditt Kira S , Turkelson Angela , Fingerman Karen L , Polenick Courtney A , Oya Akari
Published: December 2020

Background and Objectives

Experiences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its implications for psychological well-being may vary widely across the adult life span. The present study examined age differences in pandemic-related stress and social ties, and links with psychological well-being.

Research Design and Methods

Participants included 645 adults (43% women) aged 18–97 (M = 50.8; SD = 17.7) from the May 2020 nationally representative Survey of Consumers. Participants reported the extent to which they felt stress related to the pandemic in the last month, the extent to which their lives had changed due to the pandemic, as well as social isolation, negative relationship quality, positive relationship quality, and frequency of depression, anxiety, and rumination in the past week.

Results

Results showed that older people reported less pandemic-related stress, less life change, less social isolation, and lower negative relationship quality than younger people. Greater pandemic-related stress, life change, social isolation, and negative relationship quality were associated with poorer psychological well-being. Poorer social ties (i.e., greater social isolation and negative quality) exacerbated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (stress, life change) on psychological well-being.

Discussion and Implications

Researchers have indicated that older adults may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and social isolation, but this study indicates that young adults may be relatively more vulnerable. Because isolation and negative relationship quality appear to exacerbate the deleterious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being, reducing social isolation and negative relations are potential targets for intervention.
Wrasse fishery on the Swedish West Coast: towards ecosystem-based management
Authors: Bourlat Sarah J , Faust Ellika , Wennhage Håkan , Wikström Andreas , Rigby Kristie , Vigo Maria , Kraly Paul , Selander Erik , André Carl
Published: December 2020

Fishing and translocation of marine species for use in aquaculture is widespread. Corkwing, goldsinny, and ballan wrasse (Symphodus melops, Ctenolabrus rupestris, and Labrus bergylta) are fished on the Swedish west coast for use as cleaner-fish in Norwegian salmon farms. Here, we aim to provide knowledge and recommendations to support ecosystem-based management for wrasse fisheries in Sweden. We compared fished and non-fished areas to test if current fishery levels have led to stock depletion. To gain insight on the role of wrasse in the algal belt trophic chain, we analysed the gut contents of goldsinny and corkwing using metabarcoding. Finally, we analysed the trophic interactions of wrasse and potential prey in a mesocosm study. We could not detect any signs of stock depletion or altered size structure in fished areas compared to the protected control area. Gut analyses confirmed both goldsinny and corkwing as non-specialized, omnivorous opportunists and revealed, with 189 prey taxa detected, a broader spectrum of prey than previously known. Common prey items included mesoherbivores such as small gastropods and crustaceans, but also insects and algae. We conclude that there are no visible signs of stock depletion at the current removal level of wrasses by the fishery. However, this emerging fishery should be closely monitored for potential cascading effects on the algal belt ecosystem, and our study could provide a baseline for future monitoring.
A posteriori error estimates with boundary correction for a cut finite element method
Authors: Burman Erik , He Cuiyu , Larson Mats G
Published: December 2020

In this work we introduce, analyze and implement a residual-based a posteriori error estimation for the CutFEM fictitious domain method applied to an elliptic model problem. We consider the problem with smooth (nonpolygonal) boundary and, therefore, the analysis takes into account both the geometry approximation error on the boundary and the numerical approximation error. Theoretically, we can prove that the error estimation is both reliable and efficient. Moreover, the error estimation is robust in the sense that both the reliability and efficiency constants are independent of the arbitrary boundary-mesh intersection.
Beyond Ipilimumab: a review of immunotherapeutic approaches in clinical trials in melanoma
Authors: Middleton Gary
Published: December 2020

In this first in a series of ‘Trials Watch’ articles, we briefly review a highly selected set of clinical trials that are currently recruiting or about to open to recruitment in melanoma, the disease first transformed by the introduction of immune checkpoint blockade inhibitors (ICI). We place equal emphasis on phase I/II studies investigating the activity of biologically compelling novel immunotherapeutics, and on randomised trials of ICI with and without novel agents, as these latter studies optimise the standard-of-care use of ICI, and determine whether novel agents become part of the approved therapeutic armamentarium. We do not consider here combination therapy with other checkpoint antagonists or agonists besides combination of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with anti-CTLA4 mAbs, as these will be reviewed in a subsequent article in this series. A glossary of agents to be discussed is found at the end of this article.
Structured physical therapy protocols following hip arthroscopy and their effect on patient-reported outcomes—a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Ankem Hari K , Yelton Mitchell J , Lall Ajay C , Bendersky Alex M , Rosinsky Philip J , Maldonado David R , Shapira Jacob , Meghpara Mitchell B , Domb Benjamin G
Published: December 2020

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of structured physical therapy protocols on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) following hip arthroscopy. A literature search was completed in October 2019 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines to identify articles reporting specific rehabilitation protocols following hip arthroscopy that document PROs. Studies meeting all inclusion and exclusion were reviewed and data were extracted. Six studies were included in analysis. The mean age was 34.7% and 56.6% were males. Five studies described rehabilitation protocols in phases with specific goals and progression criteria. All studies included range of motion (ROM) and weight-bearing (WB) precautions. Return to sport (RTS)/activity varied between 7 and 32 weeks. The studies used variations of 21 different PROs. Significant improvements in baseline and post-operative PROs noted across studies. Rehabilitation protocols following hip arthroscopy typically consist of 4–5 phase programs with set goals and progression criteria. Several commonalities existed between studies on WB, ROM precautions and gait normalization. However, timing and recommendations for RTS/return to work varied between studies and were dependent on the concomitant procedures performed as well as type of patient population. Clinically significant improvement in PROs from baseline noted in majority of the studies reviewed that involved a structured rehabilitation program following arthroscopic management of femoroacetabular impingement. As there is heterogeneity in patient-specific characteristics across the included studies, no determination can be made as to which protocol is most effective and further high-quality comparative studies are needed.

Clinical relevance

Adopting phase-based rehabilitation protocols following arthroscopic femoroacetabular impingement treatment help achieve improved outcomes that are predictable
The periodic response of a fractional oscillator with a spring-pot and an inerter-pot
Authors: Li Yu , Duan Jun-Sheng
Published: December 2020

The fractional oscillation system with two Weyl-type fractional derivative terms $_{ - \infty }D_t^\beta x$ (0 < β < 1) and $_{ - \infty }D_t^\alpha x$ (1 < α < 2), which portray a “spring-pot” and an “inerter-pot” and contribute to viscoelasticity and viscous inertia, respectively, was considered. At first, it was proved that the fractional system with constant coefficients under harmonic excitation is equivalent to a second-order differential system with frequency-dependent coefficients by applying the Fourier transform. The effect of the fractional orders β (0 < β < 1) and α (1 < α < 2) on inertia, stiffness and damping was investigated. Then, the harmonic response of the fractional oscillation system and the corresponding amplitude–frequency and phase–frequency characteristics were deduced. Finally, the steady-state response to a general periodic incentive was obtained by utilizing the Fourier series and the principle of superposition, and the numerical examples were exhibited to verify the method. The results show that the Weyl fractional operator is extremely applicable for researching the steady-state problem, and the fractional derivative is capable of describing viscoelasticity and portraying a “spring-pot”, and also describing viscous inertia and serving as an “inerter-pot”.
Changes in pulmonary function and their correlation with dose–volume parameters in patients undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy for lung cancer
Authors: Takemoto Shinya , Shibamoto Yuta , Hashizume Chisa , Miyakawa Akifumi , Murai Taro , Yanagi Takeshi , Sugie Chikao , Nagai Aiko
Published: December 2020

It is desirable to estimate the degree of the decrease in pulmonary function before lung stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) especially for patients with poor pulmonary function. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether decreases in pulmonary function after SBRT may be predicted from radiation dose–volume parameters.

A total of 70 patients undergoing SBRT were evaluated for changes in pulmonary function. Of these, 67 had primary lung cancer and 3 had lung metastasis. Twenty-six (37%) patients had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) were performed shortly before and at 18–24 months after SBRT. Radiation pneumonitis was Grade 2 in 10 patients and Grade 3 in 1. Mean forced vital capacity (FVC) decreased from 2.67 to 2.51 L (P < 0.01) and mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) decreased from 1.80 to 1.72 L (P < 0.01). Planning target volume (PTV) was correlated with changes in FVC. Changes in percent predicted FVC were correlated with %V5Gy (% of lung volume receiving > 5 Gy) and %V40Gy. Although the correlation was not significant, the %V20Gy value was the closest to the percent reduction in predicted FVC; %V20Gy of 10% tended to be associated with ~10% reduction in predicted FVC. Patients with poor pulmonary function did not necessarily show greater decreases in each PFT parameter. Decreases in FVC and FEV1 were within previously reported ranges. PTV was associated with decreases in FVC. The %V20Gy value was closest to the percentage decrease in predicted FVC.
“And our Mother from in Heaven”: Death and Love in a Mexican Courtship Diary, Guadalajara, 1864–69
Authors: French William E
Published: December 2020

Doña Carlota Yñiguez de Gil’s death and her resurrection in textual form in the courtship diary of Luciano Gallardo and Carlota Gil, a twelve-volume tome written in and around Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, between 1864 and 1869, offer a unique perspective on broad questions taken up in the literature on death and deathways in Mexico and elsewhere. Doña Yñiguez de Gil has much to say about ideologies of rule and understandings of piety at a point in time when, in Mexico, both death and marriage were shifting from ecclesiastical to civil control. Yet, her role as an active agent in history extends far beyond that of exemplary case in these paradigmatic shifts in politics and piety. A community of memory, one comprised of family, friends, neighbors, and others, grew up around her; through their ongoing relationship with her corpse, a social being, they found a powerful means to help them constitute identities of gender, family, class, community, and citizenship. Along with her grave and some of her possessions, she became a site of affect around whom a web of narratives, ideas, and values formed. Feelings accumulated around her as did a cluster of promises, including those of happiness, legitimacy, and acceptable family formation. The omnipresence of the deceased Doña Yñiguez de Gil in the diary, and her perceived role of intervening on the couple’s behalf from on high, was also central to structuring remembrance, commemoration, a particular sense of time, and even the values and meanings of romantic love.
Margins of Error: Performance, Text, and the Editing of Early Modern Sermons
Authors: Rhatigan Emma
Published: December 2020

This article explores the editing of early-modern sermons, with a particular focus on the challenge of recovering the sermon in performance. Taking as its starting point the fact that most sermons were not written out until after their delivery in the pulpit, it considers the ways in which sermons resist conventional editorial methods based on the identification of ‘error’ and the reconstruction of a holograph text. It argues for a new approach to editing and a new perspective on error which uses these moments of textual complexity in order to shed light on a sermons evolution from sermon notes and pulpit delivery to written text.
Knowledge graph-based metaphor representation for literature understanding
Authors: Peng Ciyuan , Vu Dang Thinh , Jung Jason J
Published: December 2020

Metaphor understanding is one of the most important and challenging tasks in language processing. In this study, we propose a knowledge graph-based metaphor embedding for understanding metaphor relations between words in literature. We consider that there is a metaphor relation between two objects involved in metaphorical rhetoric (e.g. in the metaphor ‘Time is money’, ‘time’, and ‘money’ have a metaphor relation). We first propose extracting metaphor relations between words based on part of speech (POS) tagging, then a knowledge graph-based metaphor representation method is presented. The proposed approach enables (i) metaphor interpretation in literature based on the proposal of extracting metaphor relations and (ii) representation of metaphor based on metaphor graph that consists of the nodes of words and the edges of their metaphor relations. Finally, we apply our metaphor embedding to Shakespeare’s sonnets for evaluating the performance of it. Experimental results of predicting metaphor relations and classifying metaphorical triples prove that our approach achieves creative results. Besides, the literary significance of our approach can be embodied by the analysis of metaphors in Shakespeare’s sonnets.
Acute Reconstruction of Periorbital Trauma Resulting in Eyelid Anterior Lamella Loss With Simultaneous Full-thickness Skin Grafting and Amniotic Membrane Grafting: A Case Report
Authors: Reed Donovan S , Giles Gregory B , Johnson Anthony , Santamaria Joseph A , Nelson Frederick , Appelo Benjamin , DeMartelaere Sheri , Davies Brett W
Published: December 2020

Complex facial lacerations are frequently encountered in the combat environment. Trauma with soft-tissue loss of the periorbital region offers particular challenges in terms of operative reconstruction. Cicatricial changes in the sub-acute phase can lead to eyelid malposition and lagophthalmos. The authors present a novel technique for acute reconstruction of periorbital trauma with eyelid soft-tissue loss with simultaneous full-thickness skin grafting and amniotic membrane grafting. The technique involves standard preparation of the surgical area of injury and infiltration with local anesthetic. Initially, the area of injury is copiously irrigated, and debridement of any necrotic tissue is accomplished. Amniotic membrane grafting is then performed over the defect. Approximately 2 mm × 2 mm full-thickness skin grafts are procured and distributed over the initial amniotic membrane graft. A second amniotic membrane graft is then secured over the skin graft-amniotic membrane graft complex with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive. A bolstered suture tarsorrhaphy is performed to minimize tissue trauma during the healing process. The operative and postsurgical outcomes were assessed. The graft site healed well without cicatricial changes or lagophthalmos. Peripheral small papillomatous lesions did develop requiring excision for cosmesis, but ultimately the graft site demonstrated appropriate coverage and healthy re-epithelialization over the previous defect. This case demonstrates the viability of simultaneous full-thickness skin grafting with concomitant amniotic membrane grafting for the acute reconstruction of periorbital trauma with eyelid anterior lamella tissue loss. An excellent cosmetic and functional outcome was attained. By providing acute reconstruction, the risk of damage secondary to cicatricial periorbital changes may be avoided.
Overweight and Obesity in the French Army
Authors: Quertier Delphine , Goudard Yvain , Goin Géraldine , Régis-Marigny Laure , Sockeel Philippe , Dutour Anne , Pauleau Ghislain , De La Villéon Bruno
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Today, the prevalence of overweight and obesity is, respectively, 49% and 17% among French adults. This research investigates their existence in the French Armed Forces, in terms of the impact on military operative response and military readiness. As no previous studies have evaluated the weight status of the whole French Armed Forces, this work assesses the situation for the first time in France.

Material and Methods

A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out between September 2016 and April 2017. A single anonymous questionnaire gathered the sociodemographic variables and usual care medical data. The source population was active duty members serving in units reporting to the South-Eastern French Regional Military Health Department.

Results

Among 1,589 respondents, prevalence of overweight and obesity was, respectively, 38.7% and 10%. Mean waist circumference was 78.2 ± 9.1 cm for women and 89.1 ± 10.5 cm for men. A third of female military and one-fifth of male military had a measure bigger than the standard International Diabetes Federation. Age, sex, weekly fitness activity, and rank were significant independent predictors of body weight excess. Less than 5% of the study population reported a diagnosis of comorbidity: diabetes 2%, high blood pressure 1%, and dyslipidemia 1.5%.

Conclusions

As all armies, the French Armed Forces are affected by obesity. Nevertheless, the prevalence of obesity seems lower than in other Western armies. In the French army, as in the general population, obesity is correlated with socioeconomic status and level of education. However, compared to the general French population, there is less obesity and overweight in the French Armed Forces. Moreover, overweight and obese military members have a lower cardiovascular risk than their civilian counterparts. Enlistment standards, military occupational activity, and a mandatory high level of physical fitness could explain these different proportions of overweight and obesity. This raises the question of the protective effect of regular physical activity. Is this a serious way to fight against the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity in Western countries? Indeed, this is a significant public health issue, which also affects the military’s quick response force capacity and strategic capabilities. Therefore, the identification of specific demographic characteristics should be considered in developing prevention programs.
Disseminated Gonococcal Infection Complicated by Prosthetic Joint Infection: Case Report and Genomic and Phylogenetic Analysis
Authors: Ogbebor Osakpolor , Mortimer Tatum D , Fryling Kyra , Zhang Jessica J , Bhanot Nitin , Grad Yonatan H
Published: December 2020

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections have been increasing globally, with prevalence rising across age groups. In this study, we report a case of disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) involving a prosthetic joint, and we use whole-genome sequencing to characterize resistance genes, putative virulence factors, and the phylogenetic lineage of the infecting isolate. We review the literature on sequence-based prediction of antibiotic resistance and factors that contribute to risk for DGI. We argue for routine sequencing and reporting of invasive gonococcal infections to aid in determining whether an invasive gonococcal infection is sporadic or part of an outbreak and to accelerate understanding of the genetic features of N gonorrhoeae that contribute to pathogenesis.
Competitive Agents in Certain and Uncertain Markets
Authors: Chambers Robert G.
Published: December 2020

This book uses concepts from optimization theory to develop an integrated analytic framework for treating consumer, producer, and market equilibrium analyses as special cases of a generic optimization problem. The same framework applies to both stochastic and non-stochastic decision settings, so that the latter is recognized as an (important) special case of the former. The analytic techniques are borrowed from convex analysis and variational analysis. Special emphasis is given to generalized notions of differentiability, conjugacy theory, and Fenchel's Duality Theorem. The book shows how virtually identical conjugate analyses form the basis for modeling economic behavior in each of the areas studied. The basic analytic concepts are borrowed from convex analysis. Special emphasis is given to generalized notions of differentiability, conjugacy theory, and Fenchel's Duality Theorem. It is demonstrated how virtually identical conjugate analyses form the basis for modelling economic behaviour in each of the areas studied.
The Consumer Problem
Authors: Chambers Robert G.
Published: December 2020

The theory of a rational consumer characterized by an incomplete preference order is developed using distance functions and the zero-minimum (zero-maximum) principle. The essential comparative-static properties of the associated quantity-dependent and price-dependent demand structures are characterized. Utility functions are derived from distance functions for preference structures satisfying a complete ordering assumption. The Marshall-Hicks demand theory that is based on a utility-maximizing consumer is derived as a special case of rational consumer behavior. The Hicks-Allen demand decomposition is reviewed and a conjugate profit function approach to utility maximization is developed and used to discuss Revealed Preference Theory. The Chapter closes by examining the structural consequences of the independence axiom for d(x,y;g).
Decision Making and Equilibrium under Uncertainty
Authors: Chambers Robert G.
Published: December 2020

Rational choice under uncertainty for individuals with incomplete preferences is examined for three choice environments: the standard financial portfolio model, producer choice in the absence of financial markets, and producer choice in the presence of financial markets. Each problem is analyzed using distance functions and the zero-maximum (zero-minimum) principle. General equilibrium is analyzed using the zero-maximum (zero-minimum) principle and related to equilibrium representation in a nonstochastic setting. Choice under uncertainty for individuals with complete preferences is examined
Alternative Conventions, Alternative Logics
Authors: Warren Jared
Published: December 2020

Logical conventionalism leads to logical pluralism. The chapter discusses various arguments for pluralism, based on more and less demanding principles of translation. The crucial problem case of a tonk language is discussed in detail and related to various philosophical points and distinctions from the previous chapters. The chapter also provides a general account of logical and conceptual pluralism in terms of structural inferential role or semantic counterparts. This machinery is then applied to give a conventionalist-friendly account of equivalence between logics. The chapter closes by distinguishing between different types of disagreements in the philosophy of logic – descriptive disputes, normative disputes, and metaphysical disputes. Together chapters 3, 4, and 5 constitute a full development of an inferentialist-conventionalist theory of logic.
From Logic to Mathematics
Authors: Warren Jared
Published: December 2020

Part II (chapters 3-7) of the book developed and defended an inferentialist/conventionalist theory of logic. In this, the opening chapter of part III, it is explained why the extension of part II’s approach from logic to mathematics faces significant philosophical challenges. The first major challenge concerns the ontological commitments of mathematics. It is received wisdom in philosophy that existence claims cannot be analytic or trivially true, making it difficult to see how a conventionalist account of mathematics could possibly be viable. The second major challenge concerns mathematical truth. Unlike (first-order) logical truth, mathematical truth, even in basic arithmetic, is computationally rich. There are serious challenges for conventionalists in trying to capture our intuition that mathematical truth is fully determinate, in light of this feature.
The Facts of the Matter
Authors: Warren Jared
Published: December 2020

This chapter concerns the status of the conventionalist theory developed, argued for, and defended throughout the book. It begins by discussing the views that historical conventionalists had about their own conventionalist theories and addresses a recent controversy about whether Carnap was truly a conventionalist. The chapter then argues that conventionalism is the best explanation of the logical and mathematical facts, assessing it according to a number of different theoretical virtues. Then two metaobjections are considered, one based on philosophical progress, and the other based on peer disagreement. Despite the chapter’s defense of conventionalism, it ends by expressing some very personal doubts.
Invoking the Goddesses
Authors: Sengupta Saswati
Published: December 2020

Mutating Goddesses begins by examining the paradox of goddess worship in patriarchal societies. Hindu goddesses have been dominantly understood from a śāstrik perspective—deriving from Sanskrit scriptures authorized by the male Brahman—that exiles women. But there are religious practices under Hinduism that are governed by neither the Brahman nor Sanskrit. These laukika practices are held in a hierarchical relation to the śāstrik. Chapter 1 focuses from within that vibrant realm, the kathās/narratives appended to the propitiation of the goddesses known as bratas which allow direct participation of the women and the Dalit castes unlike the Brahmanical rituals. Briefly the Brahmannization of Bengal is traced and the Bengal caste system is sketched, since caste and gender are held together in the dominant construction and reception of goddesses. This Chapter concludes by showing how caste and gender define genres to categorize the construction and reception of goddesses and votives.
Lakṣmī
Authors: Sengupta Saswati
Published: December 2020

In Bengal, Lakṣmī bratakathās begin to appear from the middle of the eighteenth century and proliferate in a standardized format from the next century. This representation of the goddess, as a domestic deity, is a mark of the times—especially the debut of the ‘new woman’—as the Lakṣmī lore had long been in circulation. The moral centre of these bratakathās is the good wife of caste-patriarchal construction who is assumed to be a monolithic ideal for all gathered under the term Hindu. The by-product of the nascent discourse of nationalism in its search for the autonomous space of the subject body is better understanding of the importance of the domestic sphere, and the Hindu wife. However, this understanding clouds the fact that the goddess had several independent cults. This construction cannot be understood in exclusion to the popularity of Rādhā whose representation presents almost a counter-narrative to the golden conjugality of Lakṣmī.
Conclusion
Authors: Sengupta Saswati
Published: December 2020

The Conclusion addressees the question of the relevance of this study in the contemporary context: Do women still observe bratas? Are these kathās still in circulation? Does the arrival of the novel and later cinema and television reduce the mode of storytelling of the bratakathā to solemn but specious nonsense? Ironically, modern technology has also aided the propagation of caste-patriarchal stereotypes of women and generated new bratas. The laukika bratakathās of Manasā, Caṇḍī, Ṣaṣṭhī and Lakṣmī can also be used as a site from which the totalizing assumptions of caste-patriarchal societies may be challenged.
Info-metric Methods for the Estimation of Models with Group-Specific Moment Conditions
Authors: Andrews Martyn , Hall Alastair R. , Khatoon Rabeya , Lincoln James
Published: December 2020

Motivated by empirical analyses in economics using repeated cross-sectional data, we propose info-metric methods (IM) for estimation of the parameters of statistical models based on the information in population moment conditions that hold at group level. The info-metric estimation can be viewed as the primary approach to a constrained optimization. The estimators can also be obtained via the dual approach to this optimization, known as generalized empirical likelihood (GEL). In Andrews, Hall, Khatoon and Lincoln (2019), we provide a comprehensive framework for inference based on GEL with the grouped-specific moment conditions. In this chapter, we compare the computational requirements of the primary and dual approaches. We also describe the IM/GEL inference framework in the context of a linear regression model that is estimated using the information that the mean of the error is zero for each group. For the latter setting, we use analytical arguments and a small simulation study to compare the properties of IM/GEL-based inferences to those of inferences based on certain extant methods. The IM/GEL methods are illustrated through an application to estimation of the returns to education in which the groups are defined via information on family background.
Entropy-Based Model Averaging Estimation of Nonparametric Models
Authors: Tu Yundong
Published: December 2020

In this chapter, I propose a model averaging estimation of nonparametric models based on Shannon’s entropy measure. The choice of weights in the averaging estimator is implemented bya maximizing the Shannon’s entropy measure which aggregates both model uncertainty and data uncertainty. Finite sample simulation studies show that the proposed averaging estimator outperforms the local linear least square estimator in terms of mean-squared errors and outperforms the Mallows averaging estimator of Hansen (2007) when the signal-to-noise ratio is low. An empirical example to apply the proposed estimator is provided to study the wage equation and illustrates its superiority in out-of-sample forecasts.
Preambles: “But One Use”
Authors: Hefling Charles
Published: December 2020

This chapter examines the Prayer Book’s self-presentation in its preliminary, nonliturgical prose: the two Acts of Uniformity (1559 and 1662) that define the constitution of the text and regulate its use in the Church of England; and the three prefatory essays, two of which were written by Thomas Cranmer for the original, 1549 Book of Common Prayer, and have been retained ever since. These texts are themselves primary sources that provide a preliminary context in which to understand the origins and purpose of the liturgies they precede. They outline the successive revisions of the Prayer Book, and indicate both the political and the theological dimensions of its contents.
Protectors’ Accountability
Authors: Coverage Crime
Published: December 2020

The makeup of the press councils in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and their accountability systems, are described. News organizations in Protector countries earn trust, at least in part, by acknowledging that the public has the right to a voice in how news is produced and presented. The nature and effects of story frames are discussed. The coverage of the years-long trial in Germany of the National Socialist Underground (NSU) members accused of killing immigrants is explored for what it says about immigration and mainstream media’s handling of it. This chapter considers how globalization and immigration threaten both the posture of criminal justice systems and the protective press practices that reflect and reinforce those policies. Using the works of Emmanuel Levinas and James Carey, this chapter explores the ethical grounds for policy in these countries and consider the comparative work about prisons and attitudes toward crime by Michael Tondry and his colleagues.
Is There a Way Forward for Ambivalent Journalists?
Authors: Coverage Crime
Published: December 2020

An emergent journalism may blend the best practices of the Watchdog and Protector models and inspire a more mature journalistic approach. Ethical hierarchies are used to critique current practices and suggest better ways. Journalism, hampered by a relatively opaque legal system, is tempted to over-dramatize stories. History and politics help explain a system of clientelism in reporting; a partisan and competitive news media; weak professionalism; and a definition of public interest, which fails to fully embrace journalism’s mission in shaping an informed citizenry. News organizations bear the mark of a press once owned by political parties that weaponized them in ideological battles. This history prevents journalists from readily reaching common professional ground. Serious reforms that ground journalism in public service are developing. Elements of a morality of justice and a morality of care are nascent in current practices and reform movements
Conclusion
Authors: Coverage Crime
Published: December 2020

Comparison across national borders lifts the blinders that lead journalists to assume that their particular crime coverage practice is the right—or only—one. It shows differences and similarities and makes visible journalism’s shared mission: to provide citizens with the information they need for reasoned discussion and self-determination. In order to keep the public trust, the press must weigh the public’s need (not want) to know against the harm publicity can cause. That need is the information that will allow audiences to address what is unraveling the edges of the social fabric. The Internet now carries crime stories across geographic boundaries. Journalists are obliged to deal with diversity inside and outside their own countries. When a community loses control because others usurp its storytelling power, that community’s ability to conduct public business is jeopardized. Conversations across boundaries are needed to address what threatens the right to self-definition and self-determination.
Introduction
Authors: Roychowdhury Poulami
Published: December 2020

How do women claim rights against violence in India, and what happens to them when they do? How do law enforcement personnel respond to their claims and why? Chapter 1 introduces the reader to the key questions, major empirical findings, theoretical arguments, and research methods used to write the book. The author argues that women negotiate rights in India not by performing victimhood but by being “capable”: mobilizing organized support, threatening law enforcement and abusers, and taking the law into their hands. Capability is the main pathway toward a semblance of rights in India because law enforcement are simultaneously unwilling to enforce the law and susceptible to organized pressure.
Theological Stains
Authors: Shelleg Assaf
Published: December 2020

Theological Stains traces the growth of art music in Israel from the mid-twentieth century to the turn of the twenty-first. In a riveting and provocative account, Assaf Shelleg explores the theological grammar of Zionism and its impact on the art music written by emigrant and native composers grappling with biblical redemptive promises and diasporic patrimonies. Unveiling the network that bred territorial nationalism and Hebrew culture, Shelleg shows how this mechanism infiltrated composers’ work as much as it triggered less desirable responses from composers who sought to realize to the nonterritorial diasporic options Zionism has renounced. In the process, compositional aesthetics was stained by the state’s nationalization of the theological, by diasporism that refused redemption, and by Jewish musical traditions that permeated inaudibly into compositions written throughout the second half of the twentieth century. Accompanying this rich and dramatic story are equivalent developments in modern Hebrew literature and poetry alongside vast and previously unstudied archival sources. The book is also lavishly illuminated with 135 music examples that render it an incisive guide to fundamental chapters in modern and late modern art music.
Punctual time adverbials in Italian
Authors: Bianchi Valentina
Published: December 2020

In past and future perfect sentences, punctual time adverbials like at five o’clock can specify either the Event Time or the Reference Time. In Italian, their interpretation is affected by syntactic position: a clause-peripheral adverbial allows for both interpretations, while a clause-internal adverbial only has the E-interpretation. Moreover, for clause-peripheral adverbials the presence of the adverb già (already) blocks the E-interpretation. It is shown that this pattern can be accounted for under a smuggling analysis, in which (i) the adverbial is merged as a DP in a functional projection intervening between T and the subject in the edge of v/VP, thus blocking Agree between them; (ii) smuggling of v/VP past the adverbial solves the intervention effect; and (iii) an E-adverbial originates in a projection below già (already), while an R-adverbial originates in a projection above it. A compositional semantic analysis is provided for the proposed syntactic structure.