bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Configuring LES Based on Dropsonde Data in Sparsely Sampled Areas in the Subtropical Atlantic
Authors: Reilly Stephanie , Gesso Sara Dal , Neggers Roel
Published: September 2019

This study explores the question of how field campaign data, gathered over a large area that is poorly sampled, can be used to make large-eddy simulation (LES) realizations more representative of the local conditions. To this purpose, dropsonde data recorded during the first Next-Generation Aircraft Remote Sensing for Validation Studies (NARVAL)-South campaign, in the marine subtropical North Atlantic, are blended into the forcing data. Control simulations are driven by time-dependent forcings derived from a combination of analyses and short-range weather forecasts, using weak nudging to prevent excessive model drift. A second set of simulations is driven by forcing data with dropsonde profiles included at the time points of their release. Metrics are designed to (i) quantify the impact on the boundary layer vertical profiles as a result of nudging toward the dropsondes and (ii) use a probabilistic method to allow a fair comparison of the inversion strengths in the simulations and observations. The simulations show strong time variation in the cloud-layer depth on relatively short time scales, which is commensurate with recent observational studies in the area. Nudging toward dropsondes improves the representation of the atmospheric profiles throughout the depth of the boundary layer in all simulations. However, the impact on the inversion strength is less pronounced. All impacts persist for some time after the dropsonde time point, depending on the intensity of the nudging and the nudging time window. The sensitivity of the results to nudging details and vertical resolution is assessed.
An Observational Study of a Coastal Barrier Jet Induced by a Landfalling Typhoon
Authors: Kao Yu-Cheng , Jong-Dao Jou Ben , Chan Johnny C. L. , Lee Wen-Chau
Published: September 2019

In this study, the structure and evolution of a coastal barrier jet (CBJ) along the east coast of Taiwan is documented using operational Doppler radars. The formation of the CBJ was controlled by the flow regime associated with the approaching Typhoon Haitang (2005). The CBJ persisted for 6 h and was approximately 140 km long and 25 km wide. The northern branch of the CBJ had stronger winds with maximum wind speed 49–52 m s−1, a greater vertical extent with jet core between 1.0 and 2.5 km in height, and a more persistent jet signal than the southern branch with maximum wind speed 43–46 m s−1 and jet core between 1.0 and 2.0 km. We investigated the terrain blocking effect leading to the CBJ formation using an idealized simulation. A vortex resembling Haitang is constructed based on circulation retrieved from generalized velocity track display (GVTD) technique. The result of a no-terrain simulation reveals wind speed 10–22 m s−1 lower than the observed Doppler velocity. The difference suggests the enhanced wind speed along the coast was most likely due to the terrain blocking effect.
Evaluating literacy levels of patient education materials for a sickle cell transition group education programme
Authors: Johnson Robin , Edwards Ronisha , Rivers Angela , Patil Crystal , Walsh Susan
Published: September 2019

Objective:

A multidisciplinary team from a US midwestern urban medical centre developed written patient education materials for a group education programme designed to prepare adolescents and emerging adults with sickle cell disease for transition to adult care. We evaluated the literacy levels of these materials and demonstrate how to revise the patient education materials to meet literacy standards.

Method:

Six tools were used to evaluate literacy levels of the patient education materials. Based on the literacy level scores of the materials, including readability, grade level, understandability and actionability, recommendations and revisions were made to improve literacy levels. The revised materials were again assessed using the same six tools.

Results:

Initial literacy levels of the patient education materials were higher than recommended standards. Adjustments were made to meet literacy standards. Not all standards were met.

Conclusion:

Patient education materials should conform as much as possible to recommended literacy standards for optimum understandability. However, not all patient education materials can fully meet all evidence-based literacy standards. Recommendations for evaluating literacy standards when creating or providing previously developed patient education materials are discussed. Extra efforts to achieve acceptable literacy standards are recommended when medically complex educational materials are necessary.
Perspectives of consumers in India on factors affecting recovery from schizophrenia
Authors: Gandhi Sailaxmi , Jose Diksy , Desai Geetha
Published: September 2019

Background:

Identifying patient perspectives about recovery may help the service providers to enhance active participation of patients in their recovery.

Aim:

This study aimed to explore patients’ perspectives about factors affecting recovery from schizophrenia.

Methods:

A semi-structured interview schedule was used to explore the perceptions of 18 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed. Codes were identified and similar codes were grouped together and main themes were identified.

Results:

Nine main themes on facilitators and barriers of recovery from schizophrenia were derived.

Conclusion:

Deeper understanding of patients’ perspectives of recovery from schizophrenia can help mental health professionals to plan appropriate recovery-oriented services.
Domestic Political Consequences of International Rivalry
Authors: Bak Daehee , Chávez Kerry , Rider Toby
Published: September 2019

Given the conventional claim that external threats increase internal cohesion and government capacity, cross-country studies have examined how interstate conflict events influence domestic politics. This article reevaluates the in-group and out-group mechanisms by examining how international strategic rivalry, which indicates the presence of persistent external threats even in the absence of military conflict, affects domestic political competition. An alternative explanation suggests that the effect of external threats on political incentives of domestic actors differs between regime supporters and oppositions. We posit that the presence of international threats from rival states inflames domestic unrest and oppositions’ antiregime challenges, while making governments rely more on repressive tactics given resource constraints and a high level of domestic political intolerance. In addition, we propose that the domestic consequences of international rivalry are heterogeneous depending on the characteristics of political systems and the level of threat perception. Empirical tests reveal robust evidence for the hypotheses.
Headteachers’ Management Styles and Teachers’ Role Performance in Secondary Schools in Tororo District, Uganda
Authors: Oketcho Emmanuel James , Ssempala Fredrick , Ujeyo Margaret Stella Suubi , Atibuni Dennis Zami
Published: September 2019

This mixed-methods study stems from the poor learner performance in secondary schools in Tororo District, Uganda, which connoted low teacher role performance and gaps in headteachers’ management styles. Management styles of 28 headteachers and role performance of 294 teachers were investigated. Headteachers mainly used democratic management style, 21 (75.0%); followed by balanced-oriented style, 6 (21.43%); and laissez-faire style, 1 (3.5%). Teachers’ role performance was moderate ( M = 64.75, SD = 10.80). Significant relationships existed between people-oriented ( r = .127, p = .029) and task-oriented ( r = .132, p = .024) management and teachers’ performance. Recommendations for improvement were advanced.
Under the Law: The education legacy of Justice John Paul Stevens
Authors: Underwood Julie
Published: September 2019

Julie Underwood reflects on the legacy of retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens after his death in July 2019. During his 35-year term, he served on the court through various ideological configurations — liberal, conservative, and split. As such, he may be remembered for both dissents and majority opinions in numerous areas related to education, particularly in the areas of separation of church and state, desegregation, sex discrimination, and student rights.
Au Pairs, Nannies and Babysitters: Paid Care as a Temporary Life Course Experience in Slovakia and in the UK
Authors: Búriková Zuzana Sekeráková
Published: September 2019

This article argues that intersectional analyses of care work also need to include a temporal aspect. Drawing on ethnographic research on Slovak au pairs working in the UK and on interviews with both providers and employers of paid childcare in Slovakia, I examine how the temporariness of care work is created within both migrant and non-migrant settings. In particular, I demonstrate that both employers and providers conceptualise paid childcare as a temporary period in their lives and show the consequences of this conceptualisation in their valuing of care work. In both examined cases, I focus on the role of care/welfare and migration regimes in the production of temporariness in care work and argue that both providers and employers of paid care construct their involvement in domestic work as a specific life course experience. While for au pairs, working stays in the UK represent a specific transition period from adolescence to adulthood, employers in Slovakia decide to employ particular types of domestic workers in relation to the particular developmental phases of their families and households.
Abortion and Reproduction in Ireland: Shame, Nation-building and the Affective Politics of Place
Authors: Fischer Clara
Published: September 2019

In 2018, Irish citizens voted overwhelmingly to repeal the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution to allow for the introduction of a more liberal abortion law. In this article, I develop a retrospective reading of the stubborn persistence of the denial of reproductive rights to women in Ireland over the decades. I argue that the ban’s severity and longevity is rooted in deep-seated, affective attachments that formed part of processes of postcolonial nation-building and relied on shame and the construction of the Irish nation as a particular, gendered place. The article develops the notion of ‘gendered displacement’ to conceptualise abortion travel in the context of the history of women’s coercive confinement, and provides an affective, feminist reading of the interlinkages between place and nationhood. It also draws on three cases—the X, Y and Z cases—to illustrate the centrality of place and women’s occupation of space to the analysis of Ireland’s abortion ban, which should be read in the wider context of the legacy of what I term the ‘affective politics of place’.
Sampled-data based asynchronous stabilization for switched systems with stochastic perturbations
Authors: Zhao Jianrong , Wang Wen , Zhang Dan
Published: September 2019

This paper studies the sampled-data based asynchronous control problem for switched nonlinear systems subject to stochastic perturbations. Applying the T-S fuzzy model, the sampled-data based asynchronous stabilization is studied for switched nonlinear systems subject to stochastic perturbations. Combining the sampled-data dependent Lyapunov functional with the mode-dependent average dwell-time technique, a fuzzy controller is obtained to stabilize switched nonlinear systems in the mean-square sense. No more than one switching and multiple switchings are both discussed in one sampling interval to achieve more common results. At last, a simulation example about nonlinear mass-spring mechanical systems subject to stochastic perturbations is given to illustrate the effectiveness of proposed results.
Study on mechanical characteristics and damage mechanism of the Longmaxi Formation shale in southern Sichuan Basin, China
Authors: Guo Wei , Shen Weijun , Li Xizhe , Wang Nan , Liu Xiaohua , Zhang Xiaowei , Zhou Shangwen
Published: September 2019

During the development of shale gas reservoirs, the mechanical parameters of shale rocks are greatly significant to guide reservoir drilling design, reservoir stimulation, scheme design, and wellbore stability evaluation. Compared with conventional gas reservoirs, the mechanical properties of shale gas reservoir are more complex and lack of the comprehensive understanding. In this study, the uniaxial and triaxial compression experiments of the Longmaxi shale in South China were conducted to understand the mechanical characteristics and damage mechanism of shale rocks. Combined with the characteristics of shale microstructure, the effects of the mechanical properties such as mineral composition, deformation, stress–strain, and fracture damage characteristics were analyzed and discussed. The results show that the stress–strain curves of shale are two main types of elastic deformation and elastic–plastic deformation. There is a significant difference in effective pressure of yield platform in different shale post-peak deformation. The effective pressure of rigid shale is 60 MPa while that of other shales is 30 MPa. With the increase of effective pressure, the increase of peak compressive strength decreases gradually, and the effect of effective pressure on compressive strength decreases gradually with the transition from the brittleness to the ductility. The higher the effective pressure of the brittleness to the ductility is, the greater the change of compressive strength with effective pressure is, and the smaller the compressive strength under low effective pressure is, the smaller the variation with pressure is. Shale rocks with relatively high brittleness under different effective pressures are mainly characterized by brittle split fracture dominated by tensile fracture, while other shales with low brittleness are dominated by single shear fracture plane.
Do State Corporate Tax Incentives Create Jobs? Quasi-experimental Evidence from the Entertainment Industry
Authors: Thom Michael
Published: September 2019

Policy makers allocate billions of dollars each year to tax incentives that increasingly favor creative industries. This study scrutinizes that approach by examining motion picture incentive programs used in over thirty states to encourage film and television production. It uses a quasi-experimental strategy to determine whether those programs have contributed to employment growth. Results mostly show no statistically significant effects. Results also indicate that domestic employment is unaffected by competing incentives offered outside the United States. These findings are robust to several alternative models and should lead policy makers to question the wisdom of targeted incentives conferred on creative industries.
Community Social Capital and Positive Caregiving Experiences Among Adult-Children Caregivers of Older Adults With Disabilities in Urban China
Authors: Lu Nan , Jiang Nan , Sun Qian , Lou Vivian W. Q.
Published: September 2019

The present study aimed to examine the association between community social capital and positive caregiving experiences among adult-children caregivers of disabled older adults in urban China. Data for this study were derived from the 2016 wave of the Longitudinal Study on Family Caregivers for Frail Older Adults Aged 75 or Above in Shanghai. The final analysis featured 440 disabled older adult and adult-children caregiver dyads. Multiple indicators and multiple causes modeling was used to test the proposed model from a structural equation modeling perspective. Provision of support to others was significantly associated with self-affirmation. Citizenship activity was significantly associated with life enrichment. Support of units (i.e., employers) was significantly associated with self-affirmation and life enrichment. The findings support the integration of the stress process model and social capital theory and highlight the important role of community social capital in enhancing the subdimensions of positive caregiving experiences. Policy and intervention implications are discussed.
School Teachers in Rural Bhutan: Quality of Work Life, Well-Being and the Risks of Resignation
Authors: Dorji Sherab , Sirasoonthorn Patcharin , Anusaksathien Kantabhat
Published: September 2019

In Bhutan, recent increases in annual teacher attrition rates, particularly in rural areas, pose significant challenges for the government and concerned agencies in terms of retaining qualified teachers and reducing teacher attrition rates and turnover. This article, partly based on a field study exploring the quality of work life (QWL) and well-being of school teachers in rural Bhutan, explores the possible reasons why such teachers might seek to resign. Using mixed methodology, the study reveals poor QWL and well-being of teachers, caused by a variety of factors. In view of such findings, the Ministry of Education and the government need to ensure better all-round protection for teachers to avoid the risk of large-scale resignations.
A small bifurcated self-expanding metallic stent for malignant bronchial fistula or severe stenosis around the upper left carina
Authors: Bi Yonghua , Li Jindong , Wu Gang , Yu Zepeng , Han Xinwei , Ren Jianzhuang
Published: September 2019

Background

Bifurcated self-expanding metallic stents have mainly been primarily used for the treatment of airway disease around the main carina, but few studies have reported the use of small bifurcated stents to treat malignant bronchial fistula or severe stenosis around the upper left carina.

Purpose

We aimed to determine the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of small metallic bifurcated stent placement in the upper left carina.

Material and Methods

Twenty-two patients with malignant bronchial disease were treated with small bifurcated stents. All bifurcated stents were custom-designed according to the measurement of CT measurements and placed under local anesthesia with fluoroscopic guidance. Clinical outcomes and CT imaging data were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

A total of 27 stents were used in 22 patients, with two stents removed immediately after placement due to stent insufficient dilation and failure of sealing fistula. Twenty patients underwent successful treatment, with a technical success of 90.9%. Thirteen complications were found in 9 (40.9%) patients. Five patients underwent successful stent removal due to failure of sealing fistula (n = 2) or because they were effectively cured (n = 3) during the follow-up period. Ten patients died of cancer, one patient died of chronic renal failure, and one died of myocardial infarction. The one-, three-, and five-year survival rates were 48.0%, 40.0%, and 32.0%, respectively. The median survival was 12.7 months.

Conclusion

Small bifurcated self-expanding metallic stents are a safe and effective treatment option for malignant bronchial fistula or severe stenosis around the upper left carina, but complications are relatively high. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate alternative treatment options.
Adaptive surface distortions for torque ripple control in vertical-axis wind turbines
Authors: Erfort Gareth , von Backström Theodor W , Venter Gerhard
Published: September 2019

Vertical-axis wind turbines have been confined to small-scale generation in urban environments where their omnidirectional capability offers them an advantage over the more ubiquitous horizontal-axis wind turbine. With a drive towards renewable energy, more opportunities exist for the implementation of wind turbines in a multitude of environments. Based on its inherent operational drawbacks, the vertical-axis wind turbine has not undergone extensive investigation. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in the technology. This article addresses the torque ripple, a variation in torque produced by the turbine, present during operation. The variation in torque generated by a vertical-axis wind turbine increases the likelihood of failure due to fatigue. Current treatment is symptomatic and addresses the result of the torque fluctuation and not the cause. A novel blade design, capable of altering the lift and drag response through shape alteration, is presented as a solution. The blade design and operation is achieved through genetic algorithm optimization and computational fluid dynamic simulations. Comparisons with previous work show the novel blade presented here surpasses the reduction seen with pitching solutions. A 25% reduction in torque ripple was demonstrated for a 17% reduction in performance coefficient using the surface distortion approach. This surpasses the foil pitching approach which achieved a 15% torque ripple reduction for the same loss in performance coefficient.
Proposed new diagnostic criteria for chronic migraine
Authors: Chalmer Mona Ameri , Hansen Thomas Folkmann , Lebedeva Elena R , Dodick David W , Lipton Richard B , Olesen Jes
Published: September 2019

Introduction

ICHD-3 criteria for chronic migraine (CM) include a mixture of migraine and tension-type-like headaches and do not account for patients who have a high frequency of migraine but no other headaches.

Materials and methods

Patients from the Danish Headache Center and their relatives with ICHD-3 defined CM were compared with patients with high frequency episodic migraine (HFEM). Danish registries were used to compare the socioeconomic impact in these two groups. A Russian student population was used to determine the generalizability of the number of patients fulfilling CM and the proposed diagnostic criteria for CM.

Results

There was no difference in the demographic profile between the two groups in the Danish cohort. The number of lifelong or annual attacks ( p > 0.3), comorbid diseases, or self-reported effect of triptans ( p = 1) did not differ. HFEM patients purchased more triptans than CM patients ( p = 0.01). CM patients received more early pension ( p = 0.00135) but did not differ from HFEM patients with regard to sickness benefit ( p = 0.207), cash assistance ( p = 0.139), or rehabilitation benefit ( p = 1).

Discussion

Patients with HFEM are comparable to CM patients with regard to chronicity and disability. We therefore suggest classifying CM as ≥ 8 migraine days per month (proposed CM), disregarding the need for ≥ 15 headache days per month. The proposed diagnostic criteria for CM approximately doubled the number of patients with CM in both the Danish and the Russian materials. Extending the definition of CM to include patients with HFEM will ensure that patients with significant disease burden and unmet treatment needs are identified and provided appropriate access to the range of treatment options and resources available to those with CM.

Conclusion

Patients with migraine on eight or more days but not 15 days with headache a month are as disabled as patients with ICHD-3 defined CM. They should be included in revised diagnostic criteria for chronic migraine.
Prostate cancer pathology: What has changed in the last 5 years
Authors: Cimadamore Alessia , Scarpelli Marina , Raspollini Maria Rosaria , Doria Andrea , Galosi Andrea Benedetto , Massari Francesco , Di Nunno Vincenzo , Cheng Liang , Lopez-Beltran Antonio , Montironi Rodolfo
Published: September 2019

Prostate cancer is the most frequent non-cutaneous malignancy in men in the United States. In the last few years, many recommendations have been made available from the 2014 International Society of Urologic Pathology consensus conference, 2016 World Health Organization blue book and 2018 8th edition of American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System. Here, we focus on four topics which are considered relevant on the basis of their common appearance in routine practice, clinical importance and ‘need to improve communication between pathology reports and clinicians’: prostate cancer classification, prostate cancer grading, prostate cancer staging, and current definition of clinically significant prostate cancer. Tissue biomarkers that can predict significant disease and/or upgrading and tissue-based genomics for the purpose of diagnosis and prognosis are mentioned briefly.
Tardiness Increases in Winter: Evidence for Annual Rhythms in Humans
Authors: Zerbini Giulia , van der Vinne Vincent , Otto Lana K. M. , Monecke Stefanie , Kantermann Thomas , Merrow Martha
Published: September 2019

Annual rhythms in humans have been described for a limited number of behavioral and physiological parameters. The aim of this study was to investigate time-of-year variations in late arrivals, sick leaves, dismissals from class (attendance), and grades (performance). Data were collected in Dutch high school students across 4 academic years (indicators of attendance in about 1700 students; grades in about 200 students). Absenteeism showed a seasonal variation, with a peak in winter, which was more strongly associated with photoperiod (number of hours of daylight) compared with other factors assessed (e.g., weather conditions). Grades also varied with time of year, albeit differently across the 4 years. The observed time-of-year variation in the number of sick leaves was in accordance with the literature on the seasonality of infectious diseases (e.g., influenza usually breaks out in winter). The winter peak in late arrivals was unexpected and requires more research. Our findings could be relevant for a seasonal adaptation of school schedules and working environments (e.g., later school and work hours in winter, especially at higher latitudes where seasonal differences in photoperiod are more pronounced).
European shipbuilding and ship repairs outside Europe: Problems, questions and some hypotheses
Authors: Antunes Cátia
Published: September 2019

This special issue explains how and why European maritime powers resorted to ship repair and shipbuilding overseas, and how these activities, in multiple ways, justify a re-evaluation of the global impact of shipbuilding worldwide and the influence it had in defining overseas empires. The explanation and further considerations in the core articles examining the Dutch experience of shipbuilding and ship repairs overseas, in both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, are based on original research, in which the Dutch experience is positioned in relation to what is known for the French, the English/British, the Portuguese and the Spanish empires. Rather, however, than aiming at a comparative approach to this subject, the goal of these articles is to produce a baseline of information that may lie at the core of future research in specific areas of the world, across different empires, or between regions in the same empire.
Crown, trade, church and indigenous societies: The functioning of the Spanish shipbuilding industry in the Philippines, 1571–1816
Authors: Valdez-Bubnov Ivan
Published: September 2019

The purpose of this study is to understand the political, social, economic and military factors that shaped the evolution of Spanish shipbuilding for the Acapulco-Manila trade route under the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties (1571–1815). It focuses on the main variables that affected the size of the trans-Pacific galleons, on the objectives of the Spanish crown’s shipbuilding legislation, and on the methods used by Spanish colonial administrators to mobilize human and material resources in the Philippines. It discusses the role of the religious orders in the functioning of this industry, particularly in opposing the negative social consequences of shipbuilding. It also details the administrative reforms that shaped the development of this industry during the eighteenth century, which sought to limit the exploitation of the local workforce by transferring executive powers from local government officials and encomenderos to the friars. Finally, it also discusses the measures implemented by the Bourbon regime to increase its control over the functioning of the shipyards, particularly during the late eighteenth century. Although this article focuses on the construction of the largest ships launched from the Philippine shipyards, its conclusions can be extended to other types of vessels built by the Spanish administration in the archipelago during this period.
Shipbuilding in Portuguese overseas settlements, 1500–1700
Authors: Polónia Amélia , Oliveira Liliana
Published: September 2019

Shipbuilding was an essential element in the creation of overseas empires during the early modern period. It generated demand for raw materials, technology and manpower, and in many cases received direct support from the state. The Portuguese shipbuilding industry enjoyed various incentives from the Crown, but was always a mix between state and private enterprise. With Portugal expanding overseas, building and repairing ships in the various Portuguese possessions became an option. Initially, it was viewed critically by the metropolitan authorities, as they feared losing control. Soon, however, the logistical needs of empire meant that public and private agencies began providing shipbuilding facilities in Portugal’s overseas territories. In Brazil, the abundance of high-quality wood militated in favour of the establishment of shipyards. Wood cut there or on the Atlantic coast of Africa was also transported to metropolitan Portugal. Shipbuilding specialists were sent out to Brazil to supervise the selection of suitable wood, and soon started to operate shipyards there. Little is known about shipbuilding in the Portuguese possessions in western Africa, while more can be said about the industry on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Shipyards in India, particularly in Goa and Cochin, were developed to meet the challenges and needs of formal and informal ‘empire’, particularly regarding ship repairs. The Ribeira de Goa replicated first the Ribeira das Naus of Lisbon, but soon individual shipyards took over specific functions. Crown control, initially tight and systematic, proved difficult to maintain. Indian woods were known for their hardness and durability and were shipped to Europe to build ships for the Indian Route. Expert labourers migrated from Portugal to overseas possessions, with specialists in metallurgy joining the shipbuilders. The scope of the operation also required the recruitment of local shipbuilders. In general, and for its financial resources, Portuguese colonial shipbuilding soon relied on a cooperation of state and private initiative, much as at home.
A visco-hyperelastic constitutive model of short- and long-term viscous effects on isotropic soft tissues
Authors: Matin Zahra , Moghimi Zand Mahdi , Salmani Tehrani Mehdi , Wendland Brianna Regina , Dargazany Roozbeh
Published: September 2019

Understanding and modeling the constitutive behavior of soft tissues represents an important challenge with significant relevance in medicine and biology. In this paper, we propose a new visco-hyperelastic model to describe the constitutive behavior of soft tissues as an isotropic and homogeneous material. The model is based on the nonlinear framework of continuum mechanics. A generalized Rivlin strain energy and a short-term viscous strain energy are used to describe the elastic part and time-dependence viscous part, respectively, while a long-term viscous function is derived through an integral framework of the applied stretch. To calibrate the material parameters, a set of self-designed uniaxial compression and relaxation tests are carried out on cylindrical samples of bovine liver. Moreover, the model is also validated against the experimental data of synthetic tissues reported by Khan et al. The good agreement between the predicted results and experimental data establishes the relevance of the proposed model. To investigate the model reliability, we have developed a “user-defined materials” subroutine to implement the constitutive behavior of the liver tissue in ABAQUS. By using the model, we simulate in vitro bovine liver behavior under compression and in relaxation and study the relative effects of the hyperelastic and viscous components on liver biomechanics.
Remapping Peripersonal Space by Using Foot-Sole Vibrations Without Any Body Movement
Authors: Amemiya Tomohiro , Ikei Yasushi , Kitazaki Michiteru
Published: September 2019

The limited space immediately surrounding our body, known as peripersonal space (PPS), has been investigated by focusing on changes in the multisensory processing of audio-tactile stimuli occurring within or outside the PPS. Some studies have reported that the PPS representation is extended by body actions such as walking. However, it is unclear whether the PPS changes when a walking-like sensation is induced but the body neither moves nor is forced to move. Here, we show that a rhythmic pattern consisting of walking-sound vibrations applied to the soles of the feet, but not the forearms, boosted tactile processing when looming sounds were located near the body. The findings suggest that an extension of the PPS representation can be triggered by stimulating the soles in the absence of body action, which may automatically drive a motor program for walking, leading to a change in spatial cognition around the body.
Quantile contours and allometric modelling for risk classification of abnormal ratios with an application to asymmetric growth-restriction in preterm infants
Authors: Geraci Marco , Boghossian Nansi S , Farcomeni Alessio , Horbar Jeffrey D
Published: September 2019

We develop an approach to risk classification based on quantile contours and allometric modelling of multivariate anthropometric measurements. We propose the definition of allometric direction tangent to the directional quantile envelope, which divides ratios of measurements into half-spaces. This in turn provides an operational definition of directional quantile that can be used as cutoff for risk assessment. We show the application of the proposed approach using a large dataset from the Vermont Oxford Network containing observations of birthweight (BW) and head circumference (HC) for more than 150,000 preterm infants. Our analysis suggests that disproportionately growth-restricted infants with a larger HC-to-BW ratio are at increased mortality risk as compared to proportionately growth-restricted infants. The role of maternal hypertension is also investigated.
Differential response to targeted acupuncture by gender in patients with gastrointestinal cancer cachexia: secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yoon Saunjoo L , Grundmann Oliver , Williams Joseph J , Wu Samuel S , Leeuwenburgh Christiaan , Huo Zhiguang , George Thomas J
Published: September 2019

Background:

Cancer cachexia (CC) is a significant contributor to mortality and morbidity in patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer. Treatment options to prevent or halt the progression of CC are limited. Targeted acupuncture (TA) was used in GI patients with CC to evaluate for a potential gender effect.

Patients and methods:

Participants ( n = 30) were recruited from two outpatient clinics in the northern central part of Florida. All participants were diagnosed with CC and GI cancers. A randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was used to compare TA to non-targeted acupuncture (NTA) over the course of 8 weeks. Primary endpoints were weight and body composition changes measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and biomarker analysis (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and leptin). Herein, gender differences across and within TA and NTA groups were examined as a secondary analysis.

Results:

A significant ( p = 0.026) interaction between weight and gender was noted, which manifested in a non-significant increase in the male intervention (MI) group, while TNF-α levels significantly increased by gender ( p = 0.028) and group ( p = 0.006) over the course of the study. All other groups either lost or did not change weight. The extracellular-to-intracellular water (ECW/ICW) ratio was significantly elevated for the TA group ( p = 0.02) and for males ( p = 0.009) at completion of the study. TNF-α and leptin levels were positively correlated within the MI group at the end of the study.

Conclusion:

A decrease in leptin in the MI group corresponded to higher appetite and weight gain. The elevated ECW/ICW ratio indicates an inflammatory response in the MI group. This gender-specific response may be based on hormone-specific regulation of food intake. Further studies with larger sample sizes are required to support the results.
Three-dimensional buckling of embedded multilayered magnetoelectroelastic nanoplates/graphene sheets with nonlocal effect
Authors: Guo Junhong , Sun Tuoya , Pan Ernian
Published: September 2019

This article presents an exact analysis for the three-dimensional buckling problem of embedded multilayered magnetoelectroelastic and simply supported nanoplates/graphene sheets with nonlocal effect. The interaction between the multilayered nanoplates/graphene sheets and their surrounding medium is simulated by a Pasternak-type foundation. The critical loads for embedded multilayered magnetoelectroelastic nanoplates/graphene sheets under uniaxial and biaxial compression at small scale are then derived by solving the linear eigensystem and making use of the propagator matrix method. A comparison between the present anisotropic three-dimensional model and previous results (an asymptotic nonlocal elasticity theory for single elastic graphene sheet and classical orthotropic plate theories) is made to show the effectiveness and correctness of the present anisotropic three-dimensional model. Numerical examples are then presented for the variation of the dimensionless critical buckling loads for the homogeneous elastic graphene sheet with nonlocal effect, the homogeneous orthotropic thick plate without nonlocal effect, and the sandwich magnetoelectroelastic nanoplates made of piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials with nonlocal effect. Furthermore, the effects of the thickness of nanoplates, nonlocal parameter, Winkler stiffness, and shear modulus of the elastic medium on the critical load of sandwich magnetoelectroelastic nanoplates/graphene sheets are demonstrated. These results should be very useful as benchmarks for the future development of approximate nanoplate/graphene sheet theories and numerical methods for modeling and simulation of multilayered nanoplates/graphene sheets with nonlocal effect.
A model for shape memory alloy beams accounting for tensile compressive asymmetry
Authors: Viet Nguyen Van , Zaki Wael , Moumni Ziad
Published: September 2019

A new analytical model is derived for cantilever beams made from superelastic shape memory alloy and subjected to tip load. The deformation of the beam is described based on Timoshenko beam theory using constitutive relations that account for asymmetric shape memory alloy response in tension and compression. Analytical moment and shear force equations are developed and the position of the neutral axis and the different solid phase regions in the beam are tracked throughout a full loading–unloading cycle. Validation of the proposed model is carried out against data from the literature and from the finite element analysis considering tensile–compressive asymmetry in shape memory alloy behavior.
Clinical Pharmacist–Led Impact on Inappropriate Albumin Use and Costs in the Critically Ill
Authors: Buckley Mitchell S. , Knutson Kristen D. , Agarwal Sumit K. , Lansburg Jake M. , Wicks Laura M. , Saggar Rajeev C. , Richards Emily C. , Kopp Brian J. , Erstad Brian L.
Published: September 2019

Background:Optimal albumin use in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains challenging with inappropriate use approaching 50%. No published reports have described clinical pharmacist impact aimed at mitigating inappropriate albumin use in the ICU. Objective: To evaluate the clinical and economic impact of a clinical pharmacist–led intervention strategy targeting inappropriate albumin in the ICU. Methods: A retrospective cohort study evaluated all adult (≥18 years) ICU patients administered albumin at an academic medical center over a 2-year period. Institutional guidelines were developed with clinical pharmacists targeting inappropriate albumin use. The primary end point was to compare inappropriate use of albumin administered before and after pharmacist intervention implementation. Secondary analyses compared the overall albumin use between study periods. In-hospital mortality, length of stay, and albumin-related costs between study periods were also compared. Results: A total of 4419 patients were identified, with 2448 (55.4%) critically ill patients included. The pharmacist-led strategy resulted in a 50.9% reduction of inappropriate albumin use ( P < 0.001). The rate of inappropriate albumin use was 44.3 ± 10.5 and 5.5 ± 2.9 g per patient-day in the preimplementation and postimplementation periods, respectively ( P < 0.001). Costs associated with overall and inappropriate albumin use in the ICU decreased by 34.8% and 87.1%, respectively. Total annual cost-savings was $355 393 in the ICUs. No differences in clinical outcomes were found. Conclusion and Relevance: Clinical pharmacist–led interventions reduced overall and inappropriate albumin use and costs without negatively affecting clinical outcomes.
Intimate Partner Violence and Body Shame: An Examination of the Associations Between Abuse Components and Body-Focused Processes
Authors: Weaver Terri L. , Elrod Noel M. , Kelton Katherine
Published: September 2019

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a stigmatizing, interpersonal violation with elements that confer risk for body shame. This study examined the role of body-focused processes (i.e., self-objectification and body surveillance) in the development of body shame within a sample of 61 primarily African American women, exposed to moderate to severe IPV. Severity of sexual coercion, physical assault, and psychological abuse were significantly associated with increased body shame and self-objectification. Mediation analyses revealed that self-objectification was a unique mediator of the relationship between psychological abuse, physical assault, sexual coercion, and body shame. Implications for women’s health care experiences are discussed.
Distinguishing Encephaloclastic Lesions Resulting From Primary or Secondary Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Deficiency From Other Neonatal or Infantile Cavitary Brain Lesions
Authors: Gilani Ahmed , Hove Johan LK Van , Thomas Janet A , Kleinschmidt-DeMasters Bette K
Published: September 2019

The central nervous system (CNS) is a highly complex and energy-dependent organ that is subject to a wide variety of metabolic, hypoxic-ischemic, and infectious insults that result in cystic changes. Diagnosis of metabolic defects causing extensive cystic changes is particularly challenging for the pediatric pathologist, due to the rarity of these conditions. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) deficiency is one of the most common etiologies of congenital lactic acidosis, caused by mutations in subunits of the large mitochondrial matrix complex, and characterized by periventricular cysts, although few detailed reports focusing on neuropathologic findings exist. In addition, rare defects in other mitochondrial enzymes such as short-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase (SCEH, encoded by ECHS1 gene) can cause secondary PDH deficiency and present with neonatal lactic acidosis, but neuropathological findings have never been reported. Nonmetabolic conditions can also produce CNS cystic lesions, primarily in newborns. The pathologist must therefore distinguish between these etiologically disparate conditions which can produce CNS cavitary lesions. Here, we compare and contrast the gross and microscopic findings of cysts associated with cases of PDH and SCEH deficiencies with other neonatal cystic brain diseases including periventricular leukomalacia, neonatal Alexander disease, Canavan disease, and a case of cysts associated with a vascular abnormality. Our studies show that PDH and SCEH deficiencies are not grossly or histologically distinguishable from each other and both are associated with smooth-walled cysts largely limited to the telencephalic germinal matrix. Both show an absence of prominent hemosiderin deposits, Rosenthal fibers, vacuolization of the white matter, and gliosis or axonal damage in the surrounding parenchyma. These features can help distinguish PDH/SCEH deficiency from other pediatric/neonatal cystic CNS disorders, especially those produced by hypoxic ischemic conditions. Cysts, usually bilateral, confined to the telencephalic germinal matrix should elicit metabolic and genetic testing to appropriately diagnose PDH and SCEH and distinguish them from each other.
Mobile Mammography Screening as an Opportunity to Increase Access of Rural Women to Breast Cancer Research Studies
Authors: McElfish Pearl A , Su L Joseph , Lee Jeanette Y , Runnells Gail , Henry-Tillman Ronda , Kadlubar Susan A
Published: September 2019

Objectives:

Rural women are underrepresented in cancer research. We hypothesized that providing access to a research study to rural, medically underserved women who were receiving their breast cancer screening using a mobile mammography unit would increase the representation of rural women in a cancer cohort study.

Design:

This study is a cross-sectional study using a cohort of women who have been recruited to a breast cancer study in Arkansas.

Setting:

Recruiters accompanied a mobile mammography unit, the MammoVan, to implement a novel method for reaching and recruiting underrepresented rural Arkansas women into the study. Participants include 5850 women recruited from 2010 through 2012 as part of the Arkansas Rural Community Health (ARCH) study.

Results:

Participants recruited during their mammography screening on the MammoVan tended to be more rural, less educated, and more likely to be non-Hispanic than those recruited in other venues. A significant difference was not noted for race or age.

Conclusion:

Collaboration with the MammoVan greatly aided the recruitment of rural participants. These strategies can facilitate the representation of this historically underserved and understudied rural population in future research studies.
Functional popliteal artery entrapment syndrome: A review of diagnostic and management approaches
Authors: Pandya Yash K , Lowenkamp Mikayla N , Chapman Scott C
Published: September 2019

Functional popliteal artery entrapment syndrome (FPAES) presents a challenge for clinicians in the field today. The relative rarity of the disease coupled with its affliction primarily in young, athletic individuals makes it a difficult condition to diagnose. Treatment modalities have been limited to surgical intervention, with more novel methods being developed over the last several years. We present a case report and review the diagnostic and management approaches for FPAES, shedding light on proposed future interventions.