bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Audre Lorde’s Anti-Imperial Consciousness
Authors: Turner Jack
Published: September 2020

Providing the first extended analysis of Audre Lorde’s critique of the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, this essay argues that Lorde’s critique models a form of anti-imperial consciousness that is still morally and politically instructive. Anti-imperial consciousness entails examining oneself for complicities with empire’s ravages, on the one hand, and solidarities with empire’s subjects, on the other. Lorde aims to generate in her readers (1) a sense of horror at the ways they may be morally implicated in U.S. imperial injustice and (2) a more intense identification with empire’s non-U.S. victims. Lorde’s goal is to free her audience from what she calls the “mistaken mirage of patriotism” and propel them to anti-imperial action. Illuminating Lorde’s economic socialism and anti-imperialist internationalism—two subjects still overshadowed by her more famous work on anger, the erotic, and the master’s tools—the essay contributes to the ongoing elaboration of the Afro-modern tradition of political thought.
Environmental Violence and the Socio-environmental (de)Evolution of a Landscape in the San Quintín Valley
Authors: Narchi Nemer E. , Vanderplank Sula E. , Medina-Rodríguez Jesús , Alfaro-Mercado Enrique
Published: September 2020

The social and environmental effects of industrial agriculture in the San Quintín Valley of Baja California are closely related. An environmental history of the valley from European contact to the present demonstrates that modern schemes of globalized agricultural production erode biological diversity while fostering labor exploitation. A critical model drawing on the concept of environmental violence— historically structured asymmetrical power relations that are reproduced and maintained to foster capital accumulation—describes how neoliberalism shapes and exploits agro-industrial landscapes and livelihoods in San Quintín to produce a crisis of underproduction.

Los efectos sociales y ambientales de la agricultura industrial en el Valle de San Quintín de Baja California están estrechamente relacionados. Una historia ambiental del valle, desde el contacto europeo hasta el presente demuestra que los esquemas modernos de producción agrícola globalizada erosionan la diversidad biológica al mismo tiempo que fomentan la explotación laboral. Un modelo crítico basado en el concepto de violencia ambiental (relaciones de poder asimétricas históricamente estructuradas que se reproducen y mantienen para fomentar la acumulación de capital) describe cómo el neoliberalismo da forma a y explota los paisajes agroindustriales y los medios de vida en San Quintín, augurando hacia una crisis de subproducción.
Identification of switched linear systems based on expectation-maximization and Bayesian algorithms
Authors: Chai Xiujun , Wang Hongwei , Ji Xinru , Wang Lin
Published: September 2020

This study aims to determine how to deal with the identification from input and output data of switched linear systems (SLSs) with Box and Jenkins models. The identification difficulties of this system are that there exist unknown switched signal, unknown middle variables, and colored noise terms in the identification process. To address these issues, the proposed identification method proceeds in two stages, including the estimation of the switched signal of SLSs and the identification of the parameters of all subsystems. First, the Gaussian mixture model is established to represent the distribution of the input and output data of SLSs. Then, the posterior probability is calculated by the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm and the naive Bayes classifier, and the switched signal is estimated according to the maximum probability criterion. Next, the auxiliary model based multi-innovation generalized extended least square (AM-MI-GELS) algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of all subsystems. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through the simulation example.
The Politics of Reactivity: Ambivalence in corporate responses to corporate social responsibility ratings
Authors: Slager Rieneke , Gond Jean-Pascal
Published: September 2020

Organizational ratings exude anxiety and allure, but relatively little is known about how managers balance resisting and mobilizing ratings. We explore this duality with a qualitative study on managerial responses to corporate social responsibility (CSR) ratings. Based on interviews focused on CSR ratings with managers of 60 companies, we induce four responses to ratings: grumbling, contestation, cherry-picking and microstatactivism. We further show how managers combine resistance and mobilization in two ambivalent engagement modes. Our analysis contributes to the literature by developing a more nuanced theory of corporate responses to organizational ratings, which demonstrates the importance of ambivalence in managing institutional pressure.
Professional Fluidity: Reconceptualising the Professional Status of Self-Employed Neo-professionals
Authors: Cross David , Swart Juani
Published: September 2020

Current debates and definitions of professionalism are primarily grounded in organisations, either as employing bureaucracies or service firms, that control and structure expert labour. This is problematic as it neglects the many neo-professionals that are self-employed. We draw on interviews with 50 independent consultants and find that, outside of organisational boundaries, they pursue a strategy of professional fluidity. This is a relational and market-driven approach that requires a multiplicity of roles and chameleon-like tactics. As opposed to notions of collegial, organisational and corporate professionalisation, professional fluidity is a co-constructed and agentic approach where validity and legitimacy are achieved primarily through relations with clients and collaborators rather than institutions or employing organisations. Through professional fluidity we contribute to a more holistic understanding of professionalism that is sensitive to the employment mode rather than knowledge domain and develops existing notions of who is a professional. This is important for wider debates on the current and future state of professions.
Technology Acceptance Model and Moodle: A systematic mapping study
Authors: Murillo Gabriel García , Novoa-Hernández Pavel , Rodríguez Rocío Serrano
Published: September 2020

Moodle is one of the most widely used learning management systems currently and has traditionally been studied through the Technology Acceptance Model. Existing literature is scattered and does not allow us to clearly conclude what characteristics this technological acceptance has as well as its main progress. The study aimed to provide an overview of the scientific literature on the application of TAM in the study of the acceptance and technological use of Moodle through a Systematic Mapping Study (SMS). Results from 24 selected studies indicate that the topic is of increasing interest and that the literature is characterized by studies that 1) use extended versions of TAM; 2) are based on university students from different programs; 3) take place in Europe or Asia; 4) are published in journals with different impact factors; and 5) have focused on testing mainly the original TAM hypotheses. Although a lot of hypotheses have been studied (271), only 16 have been accepted more times than rejected by 2 or more studies, with Perceived Ease of Use being the most commonly present construct in the hypotheses. Results imply that although TAM remains as a robust model for studying Moodle there are still important gaps to be addressed.
Performance characteristics of an instrument-free point-of-care CD4 test (VISITECT®CD4) for use in resource-limited settings
Authors: Vidhyavathi Vairamohan , Iqbal Hussain Syed , Kanthamani Kannaiyan , Solomon Sunil Suhas , Nandagopal Paneerselvam , Luchters Stanley , Pham Minh D. , Forbes James , Crowe Suzanne M. , McMurran Christopher , Anderson David A. , Balakrishnan Pachamuthu
Published: September 2020

Objective

CD4+ T lymphocyte count remains the most common biomarker of immune status and disease progression in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive individuals. VISITECT®CD4 is an instrument-free, low-cost point-of-care CD4 test with a cut-off of 350 CD4 cells/μL. This study aimed to evaluate VISITECT®CD4 test's diagnostic accuracy.

Methods

Two hundred HIV-positive patients attending a tertiary HIV centre in South India were recruited. Patients provided venous blood for reference and VISITECT®CD4 tests. An additional finger-prick blood sample was obtained for VISITECT®CD4. VISITECT®CD4's diagnostic performance in identifying individuals with CD4 counts ≤350 cells/μL was assessed by calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) taking flow cytometry as the reference.

Results

The overall agreement between VISITECT®CD4 and flow cytometry was 89.5% using venous blood and 81.5% using finger-prick blood. VISITECT®CD4 showed better performance using venous blood [sensitivity: 96.6% (95% confidence interval: 92.1%–98.9%), specificity: 70.9% (57.1%–82.4%), PPV: 89.7% (83.9%–94.0%) and NPV: 88.6% (75.4%–96.2%)] than using finger-prick blood [sensitivity: 84.8% (77.9%–90.2%), specificity: 72.7% (59.0%–83.9%), PPV: 89.1% (82.7%–93.8%) and NPV: 64.5% (51.3%–76.3%)].

Conclusion

VISITECT®CD4 performed well using venous blood, demonstrating its potential utility in decentralization of CD4 testing services in resource-constrained settings.
Imaging features of neonatal systemic juvenile xanthogranuloma: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: He Siping , Jin Ke , Deng Xicheng , Zhou Zhengzhen , McKinstry Robert C , Wang Yong
Published: September 2020

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is the most common non-Langerhans cell histiocytic disorder in children. This report describes the case of a 28-day-old boy that presented with multiple subcutaneous nodular lesions on the trunk and extremities, and multiple red nodular lesions on the scrotum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a well-demarcated extra-axial dura-based mass that appeared isointense or slightly hyperintense on T1-weighted images, hypointense on T2-weighted images and had intense enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Computed tomography (CT) or MRI scans of the chest and abdomen revealed multiple scattered nodular or patchy lesions of varying sizes in the lungs, liver and left kidney. Histological analysis of a subcutaneous mass suggested JXG. The patient was diagnosed with neonatal systemic JXG with involvement of the central nervous system, lungs, liver, kidneys, subcutaneous soft tissue and skin. CT and MRI after 3 months of treatment with methylprednisolone sodium succinate demonstrated that the lesions were obviously diminished. This report discusses the imaging findings in this current case of multi-organ JXG and reviews the imaging literature on this condition to improve awareness of the lesions in order to help radiologists establish an accurate differential diagnosis when confronted with similar cases.
Determinants of Vehicle Ownership in the Greater Tamale Area, Ghana
Authors: Abdul Muhsin Zambang Mohammed , Jiang Haobin , Wahab Lukuman
Published: September 2020

Existing models of vehicle ownership in most developing countries, such as Ghana, are aggregate models which explain the factors that contribute to the rise in individual vehicle ownership. In fact, disaggregate models would be a better approach than aggregate models, but the latter is often adopted as a result of inadequate data on individual vehicle ownership. This study attempts to fill this gap by developing a disaggregate model to analyze the factors influencing the rise of private vehicle ownership (motorcycles and cars) in Ghana using the Greater Tamale Area (GTA) as the case study. We approach this by using recently collected data on a cross-section of workers within the city with average monthly incomes, distances to work, perceptions of the provision of non-motorized infrastructure, and sociodemographic factors as the explanatory variables. The findings show that a higher average monthly income, a greater traveling distance to work, a perception that the provision of non-motorized infrastructure is inadequate, increasing age, being married, and being male correlate with a higher likelihood of owning a car or a motorcycle, while living within 2 km of the Central Business District (CBD) correlates with a lower likelihood of car ownership but a higher likelihood of motorcycle ownership. The determination of these factors will help the government to develop policies that will improve mobility but reduce private vehicle dependency.
Development of Breakdown Probability Models and Heavy Vehicle Passenger Car Equivalents for Rural Freeway Work Zones
Authors: Jehn Nicholas L. , Turochy Rod E.
Published: September 2020

With nearly nine million lane-miles of public roadway and an economy driven by the automobile, interruptions to normal traffic operations for construction and maintenance are inevitable in the U.S.A., but the substantial safety and mobility impacts associated with queueing at freeway lane closures are mitigable. The current freeway work zone capacity methodology in the 6th edition of the Highway Capacity Manual is a vast improvement over historical guidance but still approaches the issue differently than research suggests agencies and practitioners should. Namely, a capacity defined by the mean queue discharge rate is deterministic and fails to account for the stochastic nature of traffic flow and breakdown. These core issues were addressed in this research by developing a methodology for obtaining probabilistic estimates of rural freeway work zone capacity from simulated data in PTV Vissim. Results for a two-to-one lane closure were presented as a series of breakdown probability distributions to demonstrate the viability of this methodology. The data indicated that the impact of trucks on freeway capacity is exacerbated in the presence of lane closures and led to the development of work zone capacity-based passenger car equivalents. Such a procedure may be extended to freeway facilities exhibiting different geometric, traffic, and environmental characteristics and utilized by agencies to make data-driven, risk tolerance-based planning, design, and operations decisions at freeway work zones.
Object Detection-Based License Plate Localization and Recognition in Complex Environments
Authors: Tao Ting , Dong Decun , Huang Shize , Chen Wei , Yang Lingyu
Published: September 2020

Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) has made great progress, yet is still challenged by various factors in the real world, such as blurred or occluded plates, skewed camera angles, bad weather, and so on. Therefore, we propose a method that uses a cascade of object detection algorithms to accurately and speedily recognize plates’ contents. In our method, YOLOv3-Tiny, an end-to-end object detection network, is used to locate license plate areas, and YOLOv3 to recognize license plate characters. According to the type and position of the recognized characters, a logical judgment is made to obtain the license plate number. We applied our method to a truck weighing system and constructed a dataset called SM-ALPR, encapsulating pictures captured by this system. It is demonstrated by experiment and by comparison with two other methods applied to this dataset that our method can locate 99.51% of license plate areas in the images and recognize 99.02% of the characters on the plates while maintaining a higher running speed. Specifically, our method exhibits a better performance on challenging images that contain blurred plates, skewed angles, or accidental occlusion, or have been captured in bad weather or poor light, which implies its potential in more diversified practice scenarios.
The end of high culture and the Anthropocene
Authors: Johnson Harriet
Published: September 2020

Theories of a new phase of earth history, the Anthropocene, position human world-making activity as a bio-geological force. Social interventions into earth systems have been extensive and malignant, altering the earth’s surface, atmosphere, oceans, and systems of nutrient cycling. To adapt and respond to emerging planetary dangers requires the collaboration of scholars from many different disciplines. In this paper, I argue that a coalition of the arts and sciences might draw upon György Márkus’s extensive studies of the topography of ‘high’ culture. I reconstruct Márkus’s conceptual map of the arts and sciences as regions of ‘high’ cultural activity, each with their own criteria of value yet subject to an integral unity and shared ambition. Both regions of ‘high’ culture aim to create original works of significance for an engaged public. I then examine the implications of Márkus’s claim that the classical vocation of robust, public-oriented culture has run aground. The field of problems that this paper traverses are not the ecological crises of the Anthropocene per se. I attend rather to Márkus’s account of the neoliberal erosion of cultural infrastructure where democratic publics might engage with such problems.
How Are Cultural Industries Associated with Regional Innovation Systems?
Authors: Yum Seungil
Published: September 2020

This study highlights the interaction between cultural industries and regional innovation systems in the U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) in 2014–2015. This study finds that California plays an important role in cultural industries. Second, this study highlights that three MSAs (Los Angeles, CA; Providence, RI; and New York, NY) exhibit the most advanced cultural type, whereas thirty-three MSAs, such as Battle Creek, MI; Rome, GA; and Wenatchee, WA, show the most underdeveloped cultural type. Third, this study shows that cultural industries and patents interact positively with each other. The findings suggest that urban planners should consider their mutual relationships to develop cultural industries and regional innovation systems.
Ministry and Worship with Children among Churches of Christ in the United States: A Quantitative and Qualitative Investigation
Authors: Rains Shannon Clarkson , Schroeder Jennifer Reinsch , Bruner Ron
Published: September 2020

Why do congregations have separate children’s worship instead of intergenerational worship? What connections do such practices have with the presence and work of a children’s minister? Is separate worship with children more common in certain kinds of congregations within Churches of Christ? In a mixed-methods study, we found trends between congregational demographics and worship practices. Our qualitative research revealed that children’s ministers often consider worship choices to be rooted in pragmatic decisions and not theological imperatives.
The influence of titanate coupling agent on the performance of barium titanate/PMMA denture base nanocomposites after SBF storage
Authors: Elshereksi Nidal Wanis , Muchtar Andanastuti , Azhari Che Husna
Published: September 2020

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/nanobarium titanate (NBT) composite has potential application in denture base materials. The denture base materials should be stable in the wet environment and exhibit good mechanical properties. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of titanate coupling agent (TCA) on NBT behavior after soaking in the simulated body fluid (SBF) and to determine the effect of SBF exposure on fracture toughness of the PMMA nanocomposites. Silanated (Si-NBT), titanated (Ti-NBT), and pure NBT (Un-NBT) at 5% concentration (by mass) were incorporated in the PMMA matrix. NBT was sonicated in MMA prior to mixing with PMMA. SBF absorption, solubility, and leaching were measured, and fracture toughness of the PMMA nanocomposites was evaluated after soaking. The results showed that Titanated samples displayed lower SBF absorption capability and solubility values than the silanated ones. Moreover, the leachability of filler elements (Ba and Ti) was substantially reduced by titanation (54% and 61%, respectively), whereas the Si-NBT/PMMA revealed values of 12.3% and 7% respectively. Significant differences in fracture toughness were observed among the tested samples after 6 weeks of aging in SBF ( p < 0.05). Although no notable changes in the KIC of pure PMMA and Un-NBT/PMMA samples were detected, KIC was improved by 20% after titanation. In addition, the fracture toughness of the titanated samples was higher than that of the silanated ones by 26%. In conclusion, TCA exhibited better stability in moisture than silane. Degradation resistance to moisture obtained with titanated NBT could lead to the promotion of clinical longevity of the composites.
Finite-time bounded control design for one-sided Lipschitz differential inclusions
Authors: Zhou Chenglai , He Ping , Li Heng , Li Zuxin , Wei Zhouchao , Mi Haoyang , Wei Wei , Li Yangmin
Published: September 2020

This article considers finite-time bounded controller design for one-sided Lipschitz nonlinear differential inclusions. Sufficient conditions of finite-time bounded criterion are given employing convex hull Lyapunov function approach. An algorithm is designed to calculate the finite-time bounded controller. Moreover, a system initial state selection method is presented to find the domain of system initial state aid for transforming quasi-linear matrix inequality–based conditions to linear matrix inequality-based conditions. Finally, a numerical example and a comparison experiment example are given to illustrate the effectiveness of this proposed design method.
A nonlinear robust optimal controller for an active transfemoral prosthesis: An estimator-based state-dependent Riccati equation approach
Authors: Bavarsad Anna , Fakharian Ahmad , Menhaj Mohammad Bagher
Published: September 2020

This article presents an estimator-based nonlinear robust optimal controller for an active prosthetic leg for transfemoral amputees. The proposed controller is derived from a combination of the state-dependent Riccati equation technique to optimize the energy consumption of the robot/prosthesis system and the sliding mode control to reduce the effects of the model parametric uncertainties and ground reaction forces as nonparametric uncertainties. In addition, the integral state control technique is employed to improve tracking; also, to have a compromise between tracking performance and control signal chattering, the boundary layer is then used. In this study, the performance of both the controller and estimator in the presence of noise and disturbance is assessed for nominal system while ±40% parametric uncertainty with respect to saturation bounds of control signals is considered. The results of the simulation in this research with ±40% parametric uncertainty compared to a robust adaptive impedance control approach with the only variation of ±30% on the system parameters, show high performance of the proposed controllers in reducing energy consumption, good robustness, improved position tracking performance, and good performance in estimating state variables, even in the presence of large initial errors compared to the extended Kalman filter.
(Per)forming identity in the mind-sport bridge: Self, partnership and community
Authors: Punch Samantha , Russell Zoe , Cairns Beth
Published: September 2020

Mind-sports are a relatively under-explored area within the sociology of sport, especially the internationally played game of bridge. In this qualitative sociological study of tournament bridge, we examine the formation and performance of elite bridge player identities through interviews with 52 US and European players. Drawing on symbolic interactionism and Goffman specifically, the paper explores elite players’ social interaction across frontstage and backstage contexts, considering the performativity of self, impression management and values of character. The paper advances the sociology of mind-sport, contributing new insights into how identity is (per)formed by elite players as embodied social interaction within the bridge interaction order. We propose a recursive and layered model of identities across the self, partnership and community. The partnership element is particularly unique to the bridge sports world, which represents an interesting case for the sociological study of international mind-sports.
Is There a Bias in the Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Patients?
Authors: Rodriguez-Seijas Craig , Morgan Theresa A. , Zimmerman Mark
Published: September 2020

High prevalence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) diagnosis is observed among sexual minority samples. It is unclear if sexual minority individuals are systematically diagnosed with BPD at higher rates than heterosexual individuals, and if potential diagnostic disparity can be explained by differences in maladaptive personality domains. Utilizing data from partial hospital patients ( N = 1,099) the current study explored (a) differences in the frequency of diagnosis of BPD based on sexual orientation, (b) whether disparities explained differences in psychopathology across groups, and (c) the congruence between traditional methods of BPD diagnosis (i.e., clinical assessment) versus diagnosis based on elevations in self-reported maladaptive personality domains consistent with the alternative model for personality disorders. Sexual minority individuals were more likely to be diagnosed with BPD than heterosexual individuals (odds ratio [ OR] = 2.43, p < .001), even after controlling for differences in clinical correlates of BPD diagnosis (age, gender, comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder, maladaptive personality domains; OR = 1.59, p < .05). Diagnostic disparity was highest for bisexual compared with heterosexual patients. These results suggest that clinicians may be predisposed to provide a BPD diagnosis to sexual minority patients that is independent of presenting psychopathology and bear important implications for future research aimed at discerning whether such predisposition is due to measure or clinician bias.
Thinking, Knowing, or Thinking You Know: The Relationship Between Multiscreening and Political Learning
Authors: Kanihan Stacey Frank , Meirick Patrick C. , Segijn Claire M.
Published: September 2020

Multiscreening (using a device like a smartphone while watching TV) is pervasive and may have beneficial and detrimental consequences for informed citizenship. This national survey ( N = 847) examines how multiscreening during debates and TV news during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign was related to political learning. Multiscreening was associated with higher levels of thinking about politics (elaboration) and greater confidence about knowledge (information efficacy) but lower actual knowledge. The positive relationship with efficacy yet negative relationship with knowledge raises the possibility that multiscreening contributes to overconfidence. Implications for cognitive resource theories are discussed.
A generalized mechanical model using stress–strain duality at large strain for amorphous polymers
Authors: Bernard CA , George D , Ahzi S , Rémond Y
Published: September 2020

Numerous models have been developed in the literature to simulate the thermomechanical behavior of amorphous polymers at large strain. These models generally show a good agreement with experimental results when the material is submitted to uniaxial loadings (tension or compression) or in the case of shear loadings. However, this agreement is highly degraded when they are used in the case of combined load cases. A generalization of these models to more complex loads is scarce. In particular, models that are identified in tension or compression often overestimate the response in shear. One difficulty lies in the fact that 3D models must aggregate different physical modeling, described with different kinematics. This requires the use of transport operators complex to manipulate. In this paper, we propose a mechanical model for large strains, generalized in 3D, and precisely introducing the adequate transport operators in order to obtain an exact kinematic. The stress–strain duality is validated in the writing of the power of internal forces. This generalized model is applied in the case of a polycarbonate amorphous polymer. The simulation results in tension/compression and shear are compared with the classical modeling and experimental results from the literature. The results greatly improve the numerical predictions of the mechanical response of amorphous polymers submitted to any load case.
Evaluation Use Theory, Practice, and Future Research: Reflections on the Alkin and King AJE Series
Authors: Patton Michael Quinn
Published: September 2020

Marvin Alkin and Jean King published three AJE articles on evaluation use over four years, a coherent and comprehensive series covering the historical development of evaluation use, definitions and factors associated with use and misuse, and theories of evaluation use and influence, concluding with assessment of the first 50 years of use research. They conclude with recommendations for future theory development and research on evaluation. I draw a different set of conclusions and pathway forward. Where they seek a common universal operational definition of evaluation use, I propose treating use as a thick sensitizing concept that invites diversity of context-specific meanings. Where they find evaluation use theory inadequate, I argue that it is sufficient for its purpose. Where they seek more development of evaluation-specific utilization theory, I propose drawing on more established and validated theories from social sciences to explain and illuminate evaluation use as occurring in complex dynamic systems.
Cutaneous nerve-conscious surgical repair of vascular access-related aneurysm assisted by anatomical ultrasonography in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Matsuda Hiroaki , Oka Yoshinari , Yoshida Ryuichi , Takatsu Shigeko , Miyazaki Masashi
Published: September 2020

Background:

The superficial runoff veins anatomically run alongside the cutaneous nerves in the volar forearm. Consequently, the surgical repair of vascular access (VA)-associated venous aneurysms attached to the cutaneous nerves could cause intraoperative nerve injury. Therefore, we proposed a cutaneous nerve-conscious VA-related aneurysmal repair assisted by nerve ultrasonography. This ultrasonography aids in the preoperative examination of the courses of the nerves neighboring the aneurysm.

Methods:

Sixteen consecutive patients who underwent surgical revisions of VA-related aneurysms (14 venous aneurysms and two arterial pseudoaneurysms) were enrolled. The locations of aneurysms derived from preexisting arteriovenous fistulas included 11 radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas in the wrist or distally, three radiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas at the antecubital fossa, and two brachiocephalic arteriovenous fistulas at the antecubital fossa or in the distal upper arm. A preoperative ultrasonographic scan of the cutaneous nerve trunks that ran peripherally toward and along the aneurysms was attempted to avoid nerve injuries during operations. Basically, the aneurysms were resected from the proximal to the distal ends after being separated from the preserved adjacent nerves.

Results:

The cutaneous nerve trunks that coursed toward and along the aneurysm could be identified by preoperative ultrasonography and could be preserved intraoperatively based on ultrasonographic findings in all patients. In four patients, the cutaneous nerve branch was unexpectedly or intentionally severed for a seamless surgical process because the nerve branch that divided from the cutaneous nerve trunk was strongly attached to the aneurysm. They subsequently suffered from hypoesthesia, but did not experience neuropathic pain.

Conclusion:

Preoperative ultrasonographic examination of the cutaneous nerve facilitated the intraoperative prevention of cutaneous nerve injury in VA-related aneurysmectomy. Nerve-sparing VA surgery assisted by preoperative nerve ultrasonography based on the understanding of topological anatomy might contribute to the reduction in postoperative neuropathy and enhance comfort in the daily life of hemodialysis patients.
Colonialism, genocide and International Relations: the Namibian–German case and struggles for restorative relations
Authors: Weber Heloise , Weber Martin
Published: September 2020

The case of the first genocide of the 20th century, committed by German colonial troops against Ovaherero and Nama peoples in what is today Namibia, poses a significant ethical and political challenge not only in practice but also for International Relations theory and theorising. We develop our critical analysis by building on postcolonial critiques of eurocentrism in IR and world politics, and on critical historiographies of the discipline. In particular, we show how the bedrock of dominant international institutional arrangements in the early 20th century rests on a normative inversion, which can be explicated clearly in the context of the Ovaherero and Nama experiences. The normative inversion is manifested in the claims to supreme moral authority for continued European colonial rule in the aftermath of genocidal violence. While the League of Nations (LoN), and the legacies of imperialism have increasingly been addressed in historiographies of IR, neither this normative inversion, nor its political implications have been explicated in the way we pursue this here. Through the lens of our case, we argue that how IR and IR theory conventionally conceive of the international political order is not plausible or justifiable in light of the normative inversion. The struggles for justice and restorative relations by Ovaherero and Nama peoples draw attention to necessary shifts in political practices. The case signals the need for a more fundamental rethinking of premises in international political theory, and of global public political history. This can be meaningfully addressed by acknowledging and explicitly processing the implications of the normative inversion, its antecedent conditions, and its continuing presence in world ordering.
Introduction: Interdisciplinarity and the International Relations event horizon
Authors: Daxecker Ursula , Freyberg-Inan Annette , Glasius Marlies , Underhill Geoffrey , Vigneswaran Darshan
Published: September 2020

This Introduction contextualises this special anniversary issue of the journal. The Editors of a previous 2013 special issue of the EJIR (The End of International Relations Theory?) asked if the paradigmatic “theoretical cacophony” in IR was deep and irresolvable. We argue that there is still very much a conversation going on across ‘generalist’ and specialised IR journals, and that renewal and broadening is more important than boundaries per se. Meanwhile the field of International Relations has continued to broaden, absorbing much from other social science disciplines in the process. Yet IR has a problematic relationship with interdisciplinarity, often discovering as ‘new’ what other fields have long debated and in turn ‘domesticating’ these insights from other fields by fitting them into existing IR paradigms. This special issue is thus aimed above all at what ‘we’ in IR are not seeing from other disciplines, and we go on to argue how IR scholars might best employ ‘transdisciplinary’ insights to ensure the future dynamism and innovation of the field. We argue that in this context, a special effort of critical and open engagement with work that makes us uncomfortable is required and that the very notion of inter-disciplinarity takes on a new form.
Blockchain: Is it the future for the tourism and hospitality industry?
Authors: Önder Irem , Gunter Ulrich
Published: September 2020

Recently, blockchain and cryptocurrencies have become topics of discussion in both research and industry. Iansiti and Lakhani perceive blockchain as a foundational technology rather than a disruptive one, since potentially new economic and social systems can be based on blockchain. Therefore, understanding blockchain and contemplating its impact on the tourism and hospitality industry is essential. The tourism and hospitality industry has to focus not on the technology itself but on how it can be used for the benefit of consumers and suppliers, while at the same time creating new tourism products or systems. The purpose of this study is to explore and identify use cases for blockchain for the tourism and hospitality industry. In addition, an outlook on potential future blockchain applications given the current COVID-19 pandemic is provided.
Inside the Matrix: Immersive Live Coding for Architectural Design
Authors: Castelo-Branco Renata , Brás Catarina , Leitão António Menezes
Published: September 2020

Algorithmic Design (AD) uses computer programs to describe architectural models. These models are visual by nature and, thus, greatly benefit from immersive visualization. To allow architects to benefit from the advantages of Virtual Reality (VR) within an AD workflow, we propose a new design approach: Live Coding in Virtual Reality (LCVR). LCVR means that the architect programs the design while immersed in it, receiving immediate feedback on the changes applied to the program. In this paper, we discuss the benefits and impacts of such an approach, as well as the most pressing implementation issues, namely the projection of the programming environment onto VR, and the input mechanisms to change the program or parts of it. For each, we offer a critical analysis and comparison of the various solutions available in the context of two different programming paradigms: visual and textual.
Wild and willful pedagogies: Education policy and practice to embrace the spirits of a more-than-human world
Authors: Quay John
Published: September 2020

Education faces a dilemma: policy and practice are primarily humanist in orientation, and yet the environmental challenges education hopes to confront require moving beyond humanist perspectives – to posthumanist awareness. Recent policy advances in Victoria, Australia, highlight the empowerment of students. Yet widening the scope of education policy to embrace posthumanist ideas and the more-than-human world is a challenge not yet conceived by most policy-makers and teachers. In this paper the relevance of posthumanist ideas to education is taken seriously, and arguments presented which connect policy and wildness, two words not often considered co-supportive. Wildness and policy come together in habits, in practices, where self-will and social civility are bonded together. I introduce anthropomorphism, in its connection with irreducible anthropocentrism, as a means to understand human engagement with the wills, spirits, habits, of nonhumans, in a more-than-human world. Anthropomorphism is one way to enable moral consideration to be extended beyond humans, offering a way to shift education policy and practices, thereby supporting understanding of wild pedagogies.
Short-Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score is associated with postoperative pulmonary complications in elderly patients undergoing lung resection surgery: A prospective multicenter cohort study
Authors: Hanada Masatoshi , Yamauchi Kota , Miyazaki Shinjiro , Oyama Yohei , Yanagita Yorihide , Sato Shuntaro , Miyazaki Takuro , Nagayasu Takeshi , Kozu Ryo
Published: September 2020

Elderly patients awaiting lung resection surgery often have poor physical function, which puts them at a high risk of postoperative pulmonary complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of preoperative physical performance on postoperative pulmonary complications in patients awaiting lung resection surgery. In this prospective multicenter cohort study, the characteristics of patients and postoperative pulmonary complications were compared between subjects with low (<10) and high (≥10) Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) scores. Postoperative pulmonary complications were defined as over grade II in Clavien-Dindo classification system. We estimated the effects of physical performance on postoperative pulmonary complications using multivariable hierarchical logistic regression. The postoperative pulmonary complications were compared between 331 patients in the high and 33 patients in the low SPPB group. Patients in the low SPPB score group had a significantly higher rate of postoperative pulmonary complications (p < 0.001). Low SPPB score was associated with a higher risk of postoperative pulmonary complications (odds ratio, 8.80; p < 0.001). The SPPB is a clinically useful evaluation tool to assess surgical patients’ physical performance. The low physical performance indicated by the SPPB may be predictive of postoperative pulmonary complications after lung resection surgery.

Trial registration: Clinical Trials. University hospital Medical Information Network Center (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000021875.
Chamomile Gel versus Urea Cream to Prevent Acute Radiation Dermatitis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Results from a Preliminary Clinical Trial
Authors: Ferreira Elaine B. , Ciol Marcia A. , de Meneses Amanda G. , Bontempo Priscila de S. M. , Hoffman Jeanne M. , Reis Paula E. D. dos
Published: September 2020

We assessed safety and potential efficacy of a chamomile gel compared with urea cream to prevent acute radiation dermatitis in head and neck cancer patients. We assessed safety and potential efficacy of the chamomile gel in escalating concentrations of 2.50%, 5.00% and 8.35% of chamomile. Concentration of 8.35% was chosen for a randomized trial comparing chamomile gel (8.35%) with urea cream (n = 24 per group), for potential efficacy to delay or prevent radiation dermatitis in these patients. Preliminary results demonstrate a delayed onset of dermatitis, with onset of Grade 2 dermatitis at 5.1 (1.3) weeks in the chamomile group and 4.5 (1.3) weeks in the urea group (effect size of 0.46). Itching, burning and hyperpigmentation were more frequently reported in the urea group. Results indicates a potential efficacy of the chamomile gel. Further studies are needed to confirm the effect of the chamomile gel in reducing or delaying the occurrence of radiation dermatitis.
Slower, Fewer Hippocampal Ripples in Loss-of-Function Model of Dravet Syndrome
Authors: Ahmed Omar J.
Published: September 2020

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Community-Led Research Priority Setting for Highly Vulnerable Communities: Adaptation of the Research Prioritization by Affected Communities Protocol
Authors: Altman Molly R. , Kim Jane , Busse Morgan , Kantrowitz-Gordon Ira
Published: September 2020

While community engagement can occur at all levels of research development, implementation, and dissemination, there is a great need for participation from those with lived experience in the development of research priorities to be used by stakeholders in research, funding, and policy. The Research Prioritization by Affected Communities (RPAC) protocol has successfully developed community-driven priorities for those at risk for preterm birth, but the 2-day focus group methodology may not be suitable for all vulnerable communities. For the purposes of a larger study supporting pregnant and parenting individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in research prioritization, we adapted the RPAC protocol to meet the needs of this highly stigmatized community. This adaptation made it possible for those who may not have been able to attend two separate sessions to successfully engage in this participatory process and produce a completed set of priorities by the end of 1 day. The objective of this article is to validate the adapted protocol for prioritizing research and service delivery needs with vulnerable and stigmatized communities.
Real-time on-board pedestrian detection using generic single-stage algorithms and on-road databases
Authors: Ortiz Castelló Vicent , del Tejo Catalá Omar , Salvador Igual Ismael , Perez-Cortes Juan-Carlos
Published: September 2020

Pedestrian detection is a particular case of object detection that helps to reduce accidents in advanced driver-assistance systems and autonomous vehicles. It is not an easy task because of the variability of the objects and the time constraints. A performance comparison of object detection methods, including both GPU and non-GPU implementations over a variety of on-road specific databases, is provided. Computer vision multi-class object detection can be integrated on sensor fusion modules where recall is preferred over precision. For this reason, ad hoc training with a single class for pedestrians has been performed and we achieved a significant increase in recall. Experiments have been carried out on several architectures and a special effort has been devoted to achieve a feasible computational time for a real-time system. Finally, an analysis of the input image size allows to fine-tune the model and get better results with practical costs.
Depression and polypharmacy are risk factors for activity limitation in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Klinedinst Tara C , Nelson Tracy L , Gloeckner Gene W , Malcolm Matt P
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at risk for deficits in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL: e.g., managing medication, preparing healthy meals). Understanding which demographic and health factors contribute to decreased frequency of IADL performance is especially important to prevent age-related functional decline in type 2 diabetes. This study examined the relationships among demographic and health variables and frequency of IADL performance in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

For this cross-sectional study, we collected health, demographic, and activity information via self-report and electronic health record review from safety-net primary care patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 93). We used regression models to determine which factors were associated with IADL performance in three subscales (domestic, leisure/work, outdoor) and the overall score.

Results

Depression was associated with decreased frequency of IADL performance for domestic, leisure/work, and outdoor activities. Each additional daily medication was associated with decreased frequency of domestic and outdoor IADL performance.

Discussion

Depression and taking more daily medication were predictors of decreased IADL performance for adults with type 2 diabetes. Our findings suggest regular screening for depression and polypharmacy is important in the primary care of diabetes; especially as these are potentially modifiable risk factors.