bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute inhalation toxicity study of n-heneicosane and its combination with diflubenzuron: An attracticide of Aedes aegypti
Authors: Gautam Anshoo , Singh Deeksha , Shrivastava Peeyush , Vijayaraghavan R
Published: July 2018

Objective:

Combination of an oviposition pheromone and an insect growth regulator for the control of vectors is an effective approach. There is a need for toxicological evaluation before its introduction. The present study evaluates the acute inhalation toxicity of n-heneicosane and its combination with diflubenzuron in a head-only inhalation exposure chamber made of glass.

Materials and methods:

A head-only inhalation exposure chamber made of glass (volume: 3.5 l) was used for exposing four rats at a time. A glass nebulizer was used for aerosolization of n-heneicosane and its combination with diflubenzuron (1:10 w/w). Nebulization pressure was 10 and 15 psi and the air flow of exposure the chamber was adjusted to 30 lpm. Male Wistar rats were acclimatized in whole body plethysmographs that were connected to volumetric flow pressure transducers by silicon tubes. The transducers were connected to an amplifier and a digitized response was recorded through an oscillograph and personal computers. Respiratory variables were recorded online. After inhalation exposure, various other parameters like survival, body weight, organ body weight index and biochemical changes were recorded for analysis.

Results and discussion:

Particle size determination proved that the aerosol particles were within the respirable range. LC50 of n-heneicosane and its combination with diflubenzuron was found to be more than 5 g/m3. There were minimal changes observed during exposure to n-heneicosane and also its combination with diflubenzuron on the respiratory variables. The changes were not consistent with the dose.

Conclusion:

n-Heneicosane and its combination with diflubenzuron showed low mammalian toxicity.
Caffeine Delays Light-entrained Activity and Potentiates Circadian Photic Phase-resetting in Mice
Authors: Ruby Christina L. , Verbanes Natalie M. , Palmer Kaitlyn N. , Zisk Catherine F. , Bunion David J. , Marinos Laura N.
Published: July 2018

Caffeine is widely used to reduce sedation and increase alertness. However, long-term caffeine use may disrupt circadian (daily, 24-h) rhythms and thereby negatively affect health. Here, we examined the effect of caffeine on photic regulation of circadian activity rhythms in mice. We found that entrainment to a standard 12-h light, 12-h dark (LD) photocycle was delayed during oral self-administration of caffeine. Both acute, high-dose caffeine and chronic, oral caffeine exposure potentiated photic phase-delays in mice, suggesting a possible mechanism by which entrainment to LD was delayed. The effect of caffeine on photic phase-resetting was mimicked by administration of adenosine A1, but not A2A, receptor antagonist in mice. Our results support the hypothesis that caffeine interferes with the ability of the circadian clock to respond normally to light.
School-Based Violent Victimization in Turkey: Are Correlates Gender-Specific?
Authors: Deryol Rustu , Wilcox Pamela , Dolu Osman
Published: July 2018

The present study builds upon limited recent work suggesting that the correlates of adolescent school-based victimization are gendered in important ways. In particular, it broadens the international scope of such research by exploring the potentially gendered nature of predictors of school-based violent victimization in Turkey. Like much of the previous U.S.-based research, the focus here is on the potentially gender-specific effects of variables derived from lifestyle-routine activities and low self-control theories. For this article, the data are based on a subsample from The National High School Offending and Victimization Survey in Turkey. The subsample included 461 male and 452 female students from 15 high schools within Turkey’s Mersin province. Binary regression coefficients were estimated for 20 datasets generated through a multivariate sequential imputation technique, with results then pooled. Binary logistic regression models showed that many of the propositions of lifestyle-routine activities theory were generally supported for both genders. However, some results were suggestive of the notion of “gendered opportunity”—that indicators of opportunity for victimization vary across males and females. Gender-specific findings imply that there are some important differences in terms of the impact of low self-control and lifestyle, which might require gender-specific interventions. In addition, regardless of gender, students who reported that school administration was effective in controlling weapons at school were less likely to be victimized, and students who reported there being unsupervised areas at their schools had higher odds of victimization. As such, supervisory practices and target hardening strategies seem important for curbing all students’ victimization risk in Turkey.
Psychopathological Factors and Perpetration of Intimate Partner Aggression: A Multivariate Model
Authors: Jose Anita , Graña Jose Luis , O’Leary K. Daniel , Redondo Natalia , Jose Rupa
Published: July 2018

Using a sample of 1,190 married Spanish community couples in opposite-sex relationships, this study evaluated a path analytic model exploring the associations between individual and dyadic factors and partner aggression for both males and females. Specifically, the perpetrator’s report of their individual mental health symptomatology (borderline and antisocial traits, alcohol use), their report of relationship quality, and their report of perpetration were modeled to predict their partner’s victimization. The resultant model exhibited good fit as measured by multiple indices for both male-to-female and female-to-male perpetration. Furthermore, results demonstrated that antisocial and borderline traits were associated with each other, that alcohol use was associated with perpetration, and that one partner’s perpetration was associated with his or her partner’s victimization for both males and females. However, the pattern of significant pathways between individual pathology and relationship violence differed somewhat for male-to-female and female-to-male aggression. Given the results, policy makers concerned about prevention of partner aggression may consider interventions aimed at symptoms associated with antisocial and borderline traits and substance use, and may identify differential targets for intervention based on the perpetrator’s gender.
Connecting EU Jurisdictions: Exploring How to Open Justice Across Member States Through ICT
Authors: Velicogna Marco , Steigenga Ernst , Taal Sandra , Schmidt Aernout
Published: July 2018

This article explores the concept of open justice in the context of European Union (EU) cross-border litigation and focusing on the e-justice dimension. It does it looking both at the open justice principle coming from the legal tradition and at the new ideas coming from the open government discourse. More in detail, the article investigates the attempt to create an open area of justice in Europe through the development and implementation of an European Justice Digital Service Infrastructure and the opening of such infrastructure to users and service providers. It is a development and implementation effort, which builds on the EU’s multilevel legal frameworks, which uses available technological innovations, which responds to the economic needs and challenges of an EU without internal borders, and which result should be capable of being embedded in the existing cultural communities. EU Member States (MSs) have developed such infrastructure and tested it successfully. Currently, EU institutions are faced with the serious and unavoidable challenge to open up such infrastructure and to ensure its use. In a dynamic environment in which EU and MSs laws, technologies, economies, and cultures coevolve, this is not an easy task.
From Silence to Primary Definer: The Emergence of an Intelligence Lobby in the Public Sphere
Authors: Lashmar Paul
Published: July 2018

Until the end of the Cold War the UK intelligence services were not officially acknowledged, and their personnel were banned from entering the public sphere. From 1989 the UK government began to put the intelligence services on a legal footing and to release the identity of the heads of the intelligence agencies. Since then, public engagement by the intelligence agencies has gathered pace. What this article hypothesises is that there is now, in the UK, an effective intelligence lobby of former insiders who engage in the public sphere – using on the record briefings – to counter criticism of the intelligence community and to promote a narrative and vision of what UK intelligence should do, how it is supported and how oversight is conducted. Content analysis and framing models of non-broadcast coverage of intelligence debates, focusing on the 36 months after the Snowden revelations, confirm an active and rolling lobby of current and former intelligence officials. The paper concludes that the extent of the lobby’s interventions in the public sphere is a matter for debate and possible concern.
Restorative justice as a tool to address the role of policing and incarceration in the lives of youth in the United States
Authors: Austin Jeanie
Published: July 2018

Disciplinary practices utilized in public libraries in the United States carry echoes of the ways in which youth of color and/or LGBTQ and gender non- conforming youth are policed and incarcerated. This research includes interviews with librarians and staff engaging in relational disciplinary practices, namely restorative justice, to gain understanding of how altering approaches to discipline may create cultural shifts that lead to more culturally conscious services to youth made vulnerable by the state. Individual, open-ended interviews with librarians and staff at an urban library system in California addressed the implementation of restorative justice practices, individuals’ approaches and understandings of restorative justice, and the process of institutionalizing restorative justice throughout the library system. This research reveals that restorative justice offers one approach to creating social change through increased access to library services and resources.
Glocalising the theory of generations: The case of Spain
Authors: Caballero Manuela , Baigorri Artemio
Published: July 2018

This work poses difficulties in the use of the generation concept as a social research instrument, due to its complex and multidimensional nature. A complexity by which is not a concept widely used in a current Sociology that focuses more on the mathematisation. But some social processes cannot be reduced to algorithms. For the theoretical review we have used contributions from Sociology, Philosophy and History, because it is of a transversal disciplinary nature, and we have applied it to the identification of Spanish generations in the 20th century. Inspired by Ortega’s theses and Strauss and Howe empirical development implemented for American society, the resulting model presents six generations with different collective identities that reflect the social changes in the history of Spain during the last century. A model that, after being tested in sectorial investigations, may constitute a useful new tool for the analysis of social change.
A framework for meta-analysis of prediction model studies with binary and time-to-event outcomes
Authors: Debray Thomas PA , Damen Johanna AAG , Riley Richard D , Snell Kym , Reitsma Johannes B , Hooft Lotty , Collins Gary S , Moons Karel GM
Published: July 2018

It is widely recommended that any developed—diagnostic or prognostic—prediction model is externally validated in terms of its predictive performance measured by calibration and discrimination. When multiple validations have been performed, a systematic review followed by a formal meta-analysis helps to summarize overall performance across multiple settings, and reveals under which circumstances the model performs suboptimal (alternative poorer) and may need adjustment. We discuss how to undertake meta-analysis of the performance of prediction models with either a binary or a time-to-event outcome. We address how to deal with incomplete availability of study-specific results (performance estimates and their precision), and how to produce summary estimates of the c-statistic, the observed:expected ratio and the calibration slope. Furthermore, we discuss the implementation of frequentist and Bayesian meta-analysis methods, and propose novel empirically-based prior distributions to improve estimation of between-study heterogeneity in small samples. Finally, we illustrate all methods using two examples: meta-analysis of the predictive performance of EuroSCORE II and of the Framingham Risk Score. All examples and meta-analysis models have been implemented in our newly developed R package “metamisc”.
Gender, Power and Conflict of Identities
Authors: Das Sikha
Published: July 2018

The article intends to understand the phenomenon of witch hunting among the Rabha community of Goalpara district in Assam. It attempts to map the changes which Rabha society has undergone in the process of the construction from matrilineal to a patriarchal society. The shift from matrilineal to patriarchal is an outcome of the emergence of ‘identity formation’ among the male members of the Rabhas. Therefore, the construction of the identity has become a major issue regarding the establishment of the patriarchal setup in their society. As a result, the women those were considered as powerful are now seen as a threat to the patriarchy. In this regard, particularly, the women healers or midwives, who hold the expertise in the area of gynaecology, have become a threat to the patriarchal setup. In the name of identity creation, the patriarchal society started to brand the powerful women as the practitioners of evil powers. The popular term used by the Rabhas for a woman who is known as a keeper of evil power is tikkar. In the article, I have reflected on my ethnographic study as an outsider from the community.
jAVANT-GARDE: A Cross-Platform Serious Game for an Introduction to Programming With Java
Authors: Galgouranas Stefanos , Xinogalos Stelios
Published: July 2018

Background. Programming is widely known to be a cognitively demanding field. Learning programming can be a strenuous task without the proper guidance and methodology. Students often face difficulties in understanding even the most basic and fundamental concepts of programming, leading to their confusion and disappointment. Serious games for programming have the potential to alleviate students’ difficulties with programming.

Aim. This article introduces a new serious game named jAVANT-GARDE which aims to educate the player on the basic concepts of programming and object-oriented programming through Java. By design, the game is suitable for everyone, even for players with no previous knowledge of programming. This article aims to present important information regarding the design, implementation and pilot evaluation of jAVANT-GARDE.

Method. The game was evaluated by 42 high school students (age 16-17) in terms of perceived player experience and short-term learning. The participants played the game for one hour in the school lab and then answered a questionnaire based on the MEEGA+ framework.

Results. Students evaluated positively the game in terms of its usability, confidence in playing the game, challenge, satisfaction, fun, focused attention and relevance. Moreover, the majority of students stated that would prefer learning programming with this game to learning through other teaching methods.

Conclusions. The results of the pilot study and students’ replies in the questionnaire are rather positive. This gives us the initiative to proceed with studying the effect of the game in long-term learning of programming concepts.
Understanding Parents’ Perceptions of School-Based BMI Screening and BMI Report Cards Using Perceptual Mapping: Implications for School Nurses
Authors: Ruggieri Dominique G. , Bass Sarah Bauerle , Alhajji Mohammed , Gordon Thomas F.
Published: July 2018

Half of U.S. states measure students’ body mass index (BMI), with many communicating that information to parents through a “BMI report card” or notification letter. School nurses are usually responsible for implementing these programs and communicating results to parents. The purpose of this study was to understand parents’ perceptions of BMI screening programs to help inform school nurses about messages that are most helpful to use in report cards to motivate parents to follow-up with a health-care provider or to make behavioral changes for their child. Using a cluster analysis and perceptual mapping methods, a commercial marketing technique that creates three-dimensional graphic maps, we identified four unique clusters of parents based on their core attitudes and beliefs related to BMI screenings and report cards. Based on vector modeling techniques, key message strategies were developed that can be used by school nurses to enhance parent response to a BMI report card.
Age- and Gender-Specific Normative Values for the Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score (SEFAS)
Authors: Cöster Maria C. , Rosengren Björn E. , Karlsson Magnus K. , Carlsson Åke
Published: July 2018

Background:

The Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score (SEFAS) is a foot- and ankle-specific patient-reported outcome measurement (PROM) score that has been validated with good results for a variety of foot and ankle disorders. SEFAS is sensitive detecting improvement or deterioration after surgery. However, normative values, required to put a specific patient’s summary score into perspective, are lacking.

Methods:

In this report, we included 396 population-based men and 383 women (43% of the invited individuals), age 20-89 years, who had completed the SEFAS questionnaire and questions regarding anthropometrics and health. We used Mann-Whitney U test to test gender differences and Spearman correlation coefficients to determine any association between SEFAS score and age. We present gender-specific median SEFAS scores with range and 5th to 95th percentiles and mean with standard deviation.

Results:

The SEFAS normative values were median 48 in men (range 11-48), 5th to 95th percentiles 31 to 48 and mean 45 ± 6, and in women, median 47 (range 6-48), 5th to 95th percentiles 23 to 48 and mean 43 ± 8 (gender comparison P < .001). SEFAS normative values correlated inversely with age (r = −0.12, P < .001).

Conclusion:

In the general population, older age was associated with lower SEFAS value, and men had higher values than women. The population-based normative SEFAS values provided in this study can facilitate quantification of disability related to foot and ankle with and without surgery in the foot and ankle.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative study.
Low Vitamin D Levels Are Associated With the Development of Deep Venous Thromboembolic Events in Patients With Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Wu Wen-Xiu , He Dong-Rui
Published: July 2018

The objective is to determine whether a low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level is associated with an increased incidence of deep venous thromboembolic events in patients with ischemic stroke. One hundred eighty persons admitted consecutively for inpatient rehabilitation at the Department of Rehabilitation of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. The following demographic data were collected: age, sex, body mass index, and history of risk factors. The levels of 25(OH)D and the presence of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) by routine duplex imaging were also recorded. The value of 25(OH)D needed to predict DVT was analyzed using logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for the possible confounders. We found that 80% of patients admitted to the acute inpatient rehabilitation unit had low levels of vitamin D. Forty-seven patients had DVT, and the incidence of DVT was 26.1% within 3 weeks after the stroke event. With all patients taken together, DVT occurrence as a dependent variable with the sufficient group as the reference used for vitamin D levels in the logistic analysis, deficiency of vitamin D was independently associated with the development of DVT (odds ratio = 4.683, 95% confidence interval: 1.396-15.703, P = .012). In conclusion, low serum 25(OH)D levels were independent predictors of DVT in patients with ischemic stroke during inpatient rehabilitation stay in China. This finding reveals the critical role played by 25(OH)D in the pathogenesis of DVT.
P-Selectin Level at First and Third Day After Portal Hypertensive Splenectomy for Early Prediction of Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients With Cirrhosis
Authors: Wei Yunhai , Chen Xuedong , Shen Huaping , Wu Wanbo , Cao Guoliang , Chen Wenxian , Wang Yan , Shen Hua , Yu Sheng , Zhang Jinyu
Published: July 2018

We aimed to investigate the changes in p-selectin (p-sel), thrombus precursor protein, and D-dimer (D-D) in patients with cirrhosis after portal hypertensive splenectomy and explore its values on the prediction of postoperative portal vein thrombosis (PVT) formation. A total of 144 patients with cirrhosis with portal hypertension who underwent portal hypertensive splenectomy from January 2009 to December 2016 were enrolled in this study and divided into the thrombus and nonthrombus groups. The levels of p-sel, thrombus precursor protein (TpP), and D-D were measured by flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunoturbidimetry, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, and other values for p-sel, TpP, and D-D were calculated. The linear discriminant, logistic regression, and decision tree methods were used to analyze the p-sel value on the prediction of PVT formation. Seventy-nine patients were confirmed having postoperative PVT, with the incidence rate of 54.86%. No significant differences were observed in the p-sel, TpP, and D-D between the thrombus and nonthrombus groups before surgery, but these 3 indexes were obviously elevated in the thrombus group after operation ( P < .01). P-selectin level on first day showed the highest positive predictive value (91.0%) and diagnostic coincidence rate (83.3%), while negative expected value (76.6%) was lower than those of TpP and D-D. Multiple analyses showed the prediction accuracy of PVT was 61.1% ( P = .023), 97.2% ( P < .001), and 97.2% ( P < .001), respectively. P-selectin has a significant value in predicting PVT. P-selectin level on first and third day is valuable and feasible for the early prediction of PVT.
The Presence of Grief: Research-Based Art and Arts-Based Research on Grief
Authors: Brinkmann Svend , Brescó Ignacio , Kofod Ester Holte , Køster Allan , Overvad Anna Therese , Petersen Anders , Suhr Anne , Tateo Luca , Wagoner Brady , Winther-Lindqvist Ditte
Published: July 2018

The authors involved in the creation of this text collaborate on a research project called The Culture of Grief, which explores the current conditions and implications of grief. The authors mostly employ conventional forms of qualitative inquiry, but the present text represents an attempt to reach a level of understanding not easily obtained through conventional methods. The group of authors participated as members of the audience in an avant-garde theatrical performance about grief, created by a group called CoreAct. The artists of CoreAct create their art through systematic research, in this case on grief, and we as researchers decided to study both the development of the play and its performance, and to report our impressions in fragments in a way that hopefully represents the nature of grief as an experienced phenomenon. We use Hans Ulrich Gumbrecht’s concept of presence to look for understanding beyond meaning in grief and its theatrical enactment.
Kossuth County, Iowa
Authors: Gloviczki Peter Joseph
Published: July 2018

In this autoethnographic postcard, I consider the realities of a disabled body alongside the potential of self-driving cars. Placing these two considerations into dialogue with one another, I hope to embrace a certain vulnerability associated with laying bare a body for the sake of more fully understanding its role in a cultural, technological, and social context.
Silencing State-Sponsored Rape in and beyond a Transnational Guatemalan Community
Authors: Hastings Julie A.
Published: July 2018

Although rape by soldiers occurred frequently during the recent civil war in Guatemala, rape survivors’ own accounts have been excluded from public testimonials of state violence. It is commonly assumed that cultural ideologies that blame and stigmatize rape victims are responsible for the underreporting of rape in war. Based on ethnographic research in a transnational Guatemalan community, this article challenges the claim that local culture silences survivors of state-sponsored rape. Rather, it demonstrates the ways national and international forces collude in the depoliticization of rape and the silencing of rape survivors.
Effect of heat treatments on the structure and emulsifying properties of protein isolates from cumin seeds (Cuminum cyminum)
Authors: Chen Jingwang , Mu Taihua , Zhang Miao , Goffin Dorothée
Published: July 2018

The effect of heat treatments (65, 75, 85, and 95 ℃, 30 min) on the structure and the emulsifying properties of cumin protein isolates were investigated. The fluorescence spectra analysis showed that the conformations were remarkably influenced by heat treatments. An increase in the ratio of α-helix in the secondary structure of heated cumin protein isolates was observed from the result of circular dichroism. Thermal treatments at different temperatures led to an increase in the surface hydrophobicity ( Ho) and a decrease in zeta potential ( ζ) of cumin protein isolates. Emulsifying activity index and emulsion stability index of heated cumin protein isolates were reduced at different protein concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0%), while the protein absorption in emulsions stabilized by heated cumin protein isolates gradually increased with heating temperature increasing. Moreover, both emulsions stabilized by native and heated cumin protein isolates showed pseudo-plastic fluid behavior and exhibited a decrease in their viscosities with proteins concentration increasing. But thermal treatments produced different effects on the flow behavior of emulsions formed by various protein concentrations, the flow index for heated cumin protein isolates emulsions increased at protein concentrations of 0.5 and 1.0%, but decreased at a concentration of 0.1%. These results might provide reference for the cumin protein processing and its application in food industry.
Gait analysis following release of the short external rotators during an anterior approach for total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Petis Stephen M , Vasarhelyi Edward M , Howard James L , Lanting Brent A
Published: July 2018

Background:

Cadaveric and clinical studies suggest surgical release of the short external rotators is sometimes necessary to improve exposure during total hip arthroplasty (THA) using an anterior approach. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of those surgical releases on gait following THA.

Methods:

15 patients undergoing THA using an anterior approach, anterior approach with surgical releases, or posterior approach underwent 3-D gait analysis preoperatively, and at 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively. At each time point, temporal parameters, kinematics, and kinetics were compared. The anterior approach was compared to the anterior approach cohort with surgical releases, and the surgical release cohort was compared to a posterior approach cohort. The mean change score between preoperative and 6 weeks, and 6-week to 12-week analyses were analysed.

Results:

There were no demographic differences between the groups. There were no significant differences between the groups for the temporal parameters and kinematic analyses at either time point comparison. The surgical release cohort had a lower hip internal rotation moment compared to the anterior approach cohort for the 6- to 12-week comparison ( p = 0.05), and compared to the posterior approach cohort for the preoperative to 6-week ( p = 0.03) and 6- to 12-week comparison ( p = 0.02).

Conclusion:

Releasing the short external rotators during an anterior approach did not cause significant temporal and kinematic changes after THA. However, small changes in hip internal rotation moments can be expected. These findings should be correlated with patient-reported outcome measures to determine if these gait anomalies predict poor outcome following THA.
Healing bruises: Identity tensions in a beginning teacher’s use of formal and informal music learning
Authors: Kastner Julie Derges
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this narrative case study was to describe the developing teacher identity of Nicole Downing, a first-year teacher in the US, in her use of both formal and informal learning processes. As music education continues embracing approaches like informal music learning, it should also reflect on the voices of teachers in the field. Data collection included interviews, observations, and participant writings. Findings revealed that Nicole (a) questioned and eventually accepted her music teacher identity, (b) exhibited a dualism between her use of formal and informal music learning processes, and (c) broadened her community’s definition of school music. Nicole used the metaphor of a bruise to describe how she believed some in her undergraduate studies would judge her interest in popular music and creative musicianship, but as she became a music teacher she had agency to incorporate the informal learning she valued. Nicole exhibited a duality in her use of formal and informal learning processes, which were not integrated in her teaching. Ultimately, she developed a broadened definition of school music that she believed was beneficial for students but perceived negatively by other music teachers. Music teacher education should support teachers’ diverse identities and continue to explore the teaching strategies used in facilitating informal music learning experiences.
Multivariate calibration with robust signal regression
Authors: Li Bin , Marx Brian D , Chakraborty Somsubhra , Weindorf David C
Published: July 2018

Motivated by a multivariate calibration problem from a soil characterization study, we proposed tractable and robust variants of penalized signal regression (PSR) using a class of non-convex Huber-like criteria as the loss function. Standard methods may fail to produce a reliable estimator, especially when there are heavy-tailed errors. We present a computationally efficient algorithm to solve this non-convex problem. Simulation and empirical examples are extremely promising and show that the proposed algorithm substantially improves the PSR performance under heavy-tailed errors.
Against Lottocracy
Authors: Umbers Lachlan Montgomery
Published: July 2018

Dissatisfaction with democratic institutions has run high in recent years. Perhaps as a result, political theorists have begun to turn their attention to possible alternative modes of political decision-making. Many of the most interesting among these involve reliance on lotteries in one way or another – as a means of distributing the franchise, selecting representatives, or making social choices. Advocates of these ‘lottocratic’ systems contend that they retain the egalitarian appeal of democracy, while promising improved political outcomes. The aim of this article is to defend democracy (or, at least, universal suffrage and majority rule) against the challenge posed by these proposals. I argue, firstly, that lottocratic systems necessarily involve the establishment of objectionable social and political inequalities in a way that democracies do not. Secondly, I raise a number of doubts with respect to the purported instrumental benefits of these proposals.
A Community-Based Approach to Biospecimen Collection Among Pacific Islanders
Authors: Kwan Patchareeya Pumpuang , Sabado-Liwag Melanie , Tan Nasya , Pike James Russell , Custodio Harold , LaBreche Amanda , Fex Cleo , May Tui’one Vanessa , Pang Jane Ka’ala , Pang Victor Kaiwi , Sablan-Santos Lola , Toilolo Tupou , Tulua Allisi , Schmidt-Vaivao Dorothy , Xie Bin , Tanjasiri Sora Park , Palmer Paula
Published: July 2018

This study tested the feasibility of collecting saliva samples from Pacific Islanders (PIs) via a community-based participatory research approach. Collection of saliva samples were conducted by trained and trusted PI community leaders at various partner sites. A total of 214 saliva samples were donated by PIs living in Southern California, more than half of whom were females between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Donors indicated that they donated because they wanted to help science and their community. A majority of donors reported a very positive experience with the donation process and were willing to donate saliva and hair samples in the future. The positive findings of this article highlight the importance of community input and participation.
Physician-Modified Fenestrated Endografts for Managing the Ruptured or Symptomatic Aortic Aneurysm: Technique Overview and Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Singh Aminder , Mafeld Sebastian , Williams Robin , McCaslin James
Published: July 2018

Purpose:

Fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (FEVAR) grafts have a 10- to 12-week manufacturing time and are generally not available for emergency cases of symptomatic or ruptured aortic aneurysm. In the absence of other alternatives, conventional off-the-shelf stent grafts can be modified by trained operators to treat these complex cases. The aim of this study is to present a single-center experience of physician-modified FEVAR.

Methods:

A retrospective review was performed of all physician-modified FEVAR identified from the hospital endovascular database at a single tertiary referral center between September 1996 and September 2017.

Results:

Eight cases of urgent or emergency endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with physician-modified grafts were identified. Mean follow-up was 44 weeks (range: 5-106 weeks). Outcomes for all implanted grafts (7/8 cases) included 100% technical success, 14% rate of endoleak, no procedure-related complications, no adverse visceral events, 0% 30-day mortality and 100% 1-year target vessel patency, and freedom from aneurysm-related death. There was a 14% (1/7 cases) per patient reintervention rate.

Conclusion:

Modifying EVAR grafts is a highly technical process requiring meticulous planning and extensive elective experience with FEVAR. The current series demonstrates that physician modification of endografts for urgent or emergency abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is feasible and a safe alternative to open surgical aneurysm repair.
Innovation in Surgery: Qualitative Analysis of the Decision-Making Process and Ethical Concerns
Authors: Zarzavadjian Le Bian Alban , Fuks David , Costi Renato , Cesaretti Manuela , Bruderer Audrey , Wind Philippe , Smadja Claude , Hervé Christian
Published: July 2018

Background. Surgical innovation from surgeon’s standpoint has never been scrutinized as it may lead to understand and improve surgical innovation, potentially to refine the IDEAL (Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, Long-term Follow-up) recommendations. Methods. A qualitative analysis was designed. A purposive expert sampling was then performed in organ transplant as it was chosen as the ideal model of surgical innovation. Interviews were designed, and main themes included the following: definition of surgical innovation, the decision-making process of surgical innovation, and ethical dilemmas. A semistructured design was designed to analyze the decision-making process, using the Forces Interaction Model. An in-depth design with open-ended questions was chosen to define surgical innovation and ethical dilemmas. Results. Interviews were performed in 2014. Participants were 7 professors of surgery: 3 in liver transplant, 2 in heart transplant, and 2 in face transplant. Saturation was reached. They demonstrated an intuitive understanding of surgical innovation. Using the Forces Interaction Model, decision leading to contemporary innovation results mainly from collegiality, when the surgeon was previously the main factor. The patient is seemingly lesser in the decision. A perfect innovative surgeon was described (with resiliency, legitimacy, and no technical restriction). Ethical conflicts were related to risk assessment and doubts regarding methodology when most participants (4/7) described ethical dilemma as being irrelevant. Conclusions. Innovation in surgery is teamwork. Therefore, it should be performed in specific specialized centers. Those centers should include Ethics and Laws department in order to integrate these concepts to innovative process. This study enables to improve the IDEAL recommendations and is a major asset in surgery.
Acoustic energy harvesting using piezoelectric generator for railway environmental noise
Authors: Noh Hee-Min
Published: July 2018

High-speed trains have a sustained high-noise level for long periods during operation. Although such high-noise levels are effective for acoustic energy harvesting, a practical design for an acoustic energy harvesting system from a high-speed train is lacking. In this study, the design of an energy harvesting system was implemented utilizing noise from a high-speed train during practical operation. We investigated the noise generated from a high-speed train and derived the characteristics of the main noise sources. The results confirmed that low-frequency noise of 50–200 Hz was generated in the passenger, cab, and between car sections. Results from this investigation were used to design a Helmholtz resonator for a target noise of 174 Hz based on a theoretical model. Moreover, numerical simulation was conducted using sound source speakers to investigate vibrations in the walls of the resonator. Finally, energy harvesting experiments were conducted using various types of piezoelectric elements such as rectangular and circular plates. Experimental results indicate that approximately 0.7 V was generated for an incident sound pressure level of 100 dB using a large rectangular plate. Such power level is sufficient to power a variety of low-power electric devices.
Research on colorized physical terrain modeling for intelligent vehicle navigation
Authors: Hao Jingbin , Ji Hansong , Liu Hao , Li Zhongkai , Yang Haifeng
Published: July 2018

Colorized physical terrain models are needed in many applications, such as intelligent navigation, military strategy planning, landscape architecting, and land-use planning. However, current terrain elevation information is stored as digital elevation model file format, and terrain color information is generally stored in aerial images. A method is presented to directly convert the digital elevation model file and aerial images of a given terrain to the colorized virtual three-dimensional terrain model, which can be processed and fabricated by color three-dimensional printers. First, the elevation data and color data were registered and fused. Second, the colorized terrain surface model was created by using the virtual reality makeup language file format. Third, the colorized three-dimensional terrain model was built by adding a base and four walls. Finally, the colorized terrain physical model was fabricated by using a color three-dimensional printer. A terrain sample with typical topographic features was selected for analysis, and the results demonstrated that the colorized virtual three-dimensional terrain model can be constructed efficiently and the colorized physical terrain model can be fabricated precisely, which makes it easier for users to understand and make full use of the given terrain.
Delivering McJustice? The probation factory at the Magistrates’ court
Authors: Robinson Gwen
Published: July 2018

Despite playing a pivotal role in thousands of defendants’ experiences of criminal justice every year, the role of probation workers in the English and Welsh Magistrates’ courts has been neglected by researchers for several decades. This article presents the findings of an ethnographic study of the work of probation staff in two such courts. The study suggests that probation work in this context is being squeezed into an operating model which bears all the hallmarks of a process described by Ritzer as ‘McDonaldization’. It is argued that the proximate causes of McDonaldization in this sub-field of probation work lie at the intersection of parallel Government-led reform programmes – Transforming Rehabilitation and Transforming Justice – which have respectively focused on creating a market for probation services and enhancing the administrative efficiency of criminal proceedings. Until now, almost no attention has been paid, either by researchers or policy-makers, to the intersection of these programmes of reform in the probation suites at the Magistrates’ courts.
Perioperative risk factors for postoperative respiratory failure
Authors: Attaallah Ahmed F. , Vallejo Manuel C. , Elzamzamy Osama M. , Mueller Michael G. , Eller Warren S.
Published: July 2018

The study aimed to identify the risk factors for respiratory failure after surgery. Postoperative respiratory failure (PRF) was defined as prolonged intubation after surgery or reintubation after unsuccessful extubation. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the following risk factors: age, obesity as reflected by body mass index (BMI), gender, patient admitted to hospital (in-patient status) vs. outpatient surgery, smoking, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, abnormal liver function, anaemia, respiratory infection, physical condition as reflected by ASA class, case type (elective or emergency), anaesthesia type, and surgical duration. The incidence of PRF was found to be 2.4%. Independent risk factors were older age, inpatient status, hypertension, COPD, elective procedure, surgical duration >2 hours, and ASA class ≥3. The study concludes that PRF results in significant postoperative complications. Minimising these risks is essential in improving PRF and subsequently surgical outcomes.
Retroperitoneal extramedullary hematopoietic pseudotumor in ataxia–telangiectasia
Authors: Judge Sean James , Plescia Trevor A , Bateni Cyrus P , Darrow Morgan A , Evans Christopher P , Canter Robert J
Published: July 2018

Ataxia–telangiectasia confers a significant increase in the development of several cancer types, most commonly leukemia and lymphoma. However, as the natural history for these patients is evolving and their lifespan is increasing, there is the potential for the development of additional uncommon tumors in an already rare patient population. We report the first case, to our knowledge, of an incidental retroperitoneal tumor in a 26-year-old woman undergoing evaluation for hepatic dysfunction. The mass was suspicious for retroperitoneal sarcoma, but proved to be an extramedullary hematopoietic pseudotumor after extensive pathologic evaluation. The changing landscape of neoplasms associated with ataxia–telangiectasia is discussed with emphasis on previously underreported benign and malignant tumors.
Cigarette smoke alters lung vascular permeability and endothelial barrier function (2017 Grover Conference Series)
Authors: Rounds Sharon , Lu Qing
Published: July 2018

Smoking of tobacco products continues to be widespread, despite recent progress in decreasing use. Both in the United States and worldwide, cigarette smoking is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Growing evidence indicates that acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is among the consequences of cigarette smoking. Based on the topic from the 2017 Grover Conference, we review evidence that cigarette smoking increases lung vascular permeability using both acute and longer exposures of mice to cigarette smoke (CS). We also review studies indicating that CS extract disrupts cultured lung endothelial cell barrier function through effects on focal adhesion contacts, adherens junctions, actin cytoskeleton, and microtubules. Among the potentially injurious components of CS, the reactive aldehyde, acrolein, similarly increases lung vascular permeability and disrupts barrier function. We speculate that inhibition of aldehyde‐induced lung vascular permeability may prevent CS‐induced lung injury.
Association between cytokines and functional, hemodynamic parameters, and clinical outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Joshi Aditya A. , Davey Ryan , Rao Youlan , Shen Kai , Benza Raymond L. , Raina Amresh
Published: July 2018

To assess the relationship of cytokines with functional and clinical outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Endothelial dysfunction and vascular inflammation are characteristic of PAH. We investigated whether markers of angiogenesis and inflammation associated with functional, hemodynamic parameters, and clinical outcomes in PAH. PAH patients (n = 206) were pooled from two clinical trials: TRUST‐1 and FREEDOM‐C2. Baseline and post‐treatment cytokine levels were correlated to baseline clinical and hemodynamic parameters, were assessed in clinical subgroups, and were associated with clinical outcomes. In 206 patients (mean age = 48 years; 74% women) with WHO group‐1 PAH, most cytokine levels were higher in those with 6‐min walking distance (6MWD) < median (335 m) vs. those above median, including Ang‐1 (11.9 ± 10.1 vs. 5.9 ± 6.0 ng/mL), Ang‐2 (14.3 ± 11.8 vs. 12.2 ± 11.2 ng/mL), and MMP‐9 (221 ± 262.3 vs. 119 ± 171 ng/mL). Baseline 6MWD inversely correlated with Ang‐1 (r = −0.27, P < 0.0001), Ang‐2 (r = −0.20, P = 0.004), and MMP‐9 (r = −0.27, P < 0.0001). MMP‐9 levels differed significantly by NYHA functional class (P = 0.001) suggesting an association between MMP‐9 and subjective PAH severity. Mean Ang‐2 levels were higher in those with baseline right atrial pressure (RAP) > 15 mmHg compared to those with RAP < 15 mmHg (23,841 vs. 11,020 pg/mL). Baseline RAP was associated with change in MMP‐9 levels (r = −0.53, P = 0.03). Finally, baseline Ang‐1, VEGF and MMP‐9 levels were associated with risk of death and hospitalization at 16‐week follow‐up. Inflammatory cytokines and vascular angiogenesis markers are associated with baseline functional, hemodynamic parameters in PAH, and predict death and hospitalization. Larger prospective studies are needed to confirm the utility of cytokines in PAH.
Editor’s Choice-Prospective registry of cardiac critical illness in a modern tertiary care Cardiac Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Watson Ryan A , Bohula Erin A , Gilliland Thomas C , Sanchez Pablo A , Berg David D , Morrow David A
Published: July 2018

Background:

The changing landscape of care in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) has prompted efforts to redesign the structure and organization of advanced CICUs. Few studies have quantitatively characterized current demographics, diagnoses, and outcomes in the contemporary CICU.

Methods:

We evaluated patients in a prospective observational database, created to support quality improvement and clinical care redesign in an AHA Level 1 (advanced) CICU at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. All consecutive patients ( N=2193) admitted from 1 January 2015 to 31 December 2017 were included at the time of admission to the CICU.

Results:

The median age was 65 years (43% >70 years) and 44% of patients were women. Non-cardiovascular comorbidities were common, including chronic kidney disease (27%), pulmonary disease (22%), and active cancer (13%). Only 7% of CICU admissions were primarily for an acute coronary syndrome, which was the seventh most common individual diagnosis. The top three reasons for admission to the CICU were shock/hypotension (26%), cardiopulmonary arrest (11%), or primary arrhythmia without arrest (9%). Respiratory failure was a primary or major secondary reason for triage to the CICU in 17%. In-hospital mortality was 17.6%.

Conclusions:

In a tertiary, academic, advanced CICU, patients are elderly with a high burden of non-cardiovascular comorbid conditions. Care has shifted from ACS toward predominantly shock and cardiac arrest, as well as non-ischemic conditions, and the mortality of these conditions is high. These data may be useful to guide cardiac critical care redesign.