bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technology and Inuit identity: Facebook use by Inuit youth
Authors: Castleton Alexander
Published: June 2018

This article discusses the relationship between technology and Inuit identity. Using interviews, it explores how a group of students from the Arctic College located in the community of Iqaluit in the Canadian Arctic, use the social network Facebook. It was found that in addition to an expected use of the social network associated with the script promoted by the technology, Inuit youth used Facebook to access content related to their identity in various groups, discuss sociocultural issues, and remember traditions. This article argues that Inuit identity is an example of how indigenous cultures have to be understood as something dynamic, constantly changing, for which information and communication technologies are fundamental. Furthermore, this article claims that rather than understanding Facebook as a tool that is adopted by Indigenous people—as previous literature tends to hold—the use of digital media should be conceived as part and parcel of identity.
Early Clinical Outcomes, Patterns of Failure, and Acute Haematologic Toxicity of Image-Guided Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (IG-VMAT) in the Definitive Treatment of Locally Advanced Carcinoma Cervix
Authors: Ahmad Irfan , Chufal Kundan Singh , Bashir Irfan , Bhatt Chandi Prasad , Bajpai Ram , Sharma Lalit , Rathour Sandeep
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate clinical outcomes and failure patterns in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) treated definitively using image-guided volumetric-modulated arc therapy (IG-VMAT).

Methods and materials:

This retrospective review included 18 consecutively treated patients with LACC. Treatment consisted of IG-VMAT and concurrent chemotherapy followed by intracavitary radiotherapy. The primary end points were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Acute haematologic toxicity was evaluated using Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) criteria.

Results:

A total of 16 patients were either stage IIB or IIIB and the median follow-up was 30.5 months (interquartile range: 13-36.25 months). The 2-year DFS was 63.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 52.8%-72.4%) and 2-year OS was 72.2% (95% CI: 62.1%-80.5%). There were 7 treatment failures, predominantly in-field. Acute haematologic toxicity was low.

Conclusions:

IG-VMAT is associated with favourable outcomes for patients with LACC.
“Everybody has something”: One teacher’s beliefs about musical ability and their connection to teaching practice and classroom culture
Authors: Shouldice Heather Nelson
Published: June 2018

The purpose of this case study was to explore one elementary music teacher’s beliefs about the nature of musical ability and the ways in which these beliefs relate to actions and lived experiences in the classroom. Data included extensive classroom observations documented through fieldnotes and video footage, semi-structured interviews, teacher journal entries, teaching artifacts, and researcher memos. Three themes emerged from the data: (a) enabling success for all; (b) power of the learning environment; and (c) encouraging lifelong engagement with music. The findings of this study suggest that music educators’ beliefs about students’ musical abilities relate to their actions in the music classroom, their interactions with students, and their beliefs about the purpose of music education. Music educators should reflect on their beliefs, the ways in which they relate to teaching practice, and the impact they may have on students’ musical achievement and musical identity development. Additionally, music teacher educators should consider the role they might play in helping pre-service as well as in-service music teachers examine and possibly reshape their beliefs about music teaching and learning.
Two stories: the emergence of the Vietnamese social media
Authors: Le Viet T.
Published: June 2018

Should social media be constructed as a Trojan horse (as its detractors fear) or the Flame of Prometheus (as its proponents argue)? Social media take-up in Vietnam arouses both hope and scepticism, and becomes an innovative tool for critical matters. This article examines the blogosphere in Vietnam through a comparative study of the Vietnamese blogosphere and state media. The research found that while state media operate as a voice of the agents of the state, social media provide a means to capture the voice of the community and to participate in public discussion through commentary to posts, as well as a platform for those who want to speak out. As a result, there is a tension between the reporting of general information and the voice of state agencies in state media. The ‘two stories’ that emerge in some political and social issues are told through different approaches and perspectives.
Depressive symptoms prospectively predict cardiovascular disease among older adults: Findings from the Maine-Syracuse Longitudinal Study
Authors: Haigh Emily AP , Bogucki Olivia E , Dearborn Peter J , Robbins Michael A , Elias Merrill F
Published: June 2018

A recent meta-analysis identified a prospective association between depression and cardiovascular disease; however, there was no association for studies with long-term follow-up periods. The literature has primarily focused on baseline depression status or symptoms, which may not capture the chronic nature of depression. This study examined the prospective relationship between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular disease up to 15 years later in 274 cardiovascular disease–free older adults. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, mean arterial pressure, and cardiovascular disease status were assessed. Baseline and chronic depressive symptoms predicted increased risk of cardiovascular disease, underscoring the importance of assessing and treating depression in older adults.
Skin, paper, tiles: A cross-cultural history of Kadiwéu art
Authors: Martins Luciana
Published: June 2018

This article focuses on the global traffic in images relating to Kadiwéu culture in South America, analysing the extent to which they are entangled in the group’s continuing sense of presence. It begins with Kadiwéu designs as they appeared in the sketchbook of the artist–explorer Guido Boggiani in the late 19th century. It then explores the mapping of Kadiwéu territory and the practices and protocols informing a politics of land rights, cultural property and economic survival, looking in particular at the commissioning of Kadiwéu designs for a housing estate and an associated exhibition in Berlin early in the 21st century. By developing a cross-cultural history of Kadiwéu art that considers the transnational networks across different times and spaces, including the case of a transcultural history of copyright, the article seeks to contribute to the ongoing re-thinking of the colonial visual archive and its afterlife.
Douze point: Eurovisions and Euro-Divisions in the Eurovision Song Contest – Review of two decades of research
Authors: Yair Gad
Published: June 2018

The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual international competition held by the European Broadcasting Union. The present article provides an updated review of the academic literature devoted to the study of the Eurovision Song Contest which in the past two decades developed into a serious and rich academic field with four main areas: (1) studies of imagining a unified Europe – wherein I review research devoted to cosmopolitan European visions and nation branding; (2) studies focusing on gender and what is often referenced as gay or ‘camp’ features in the Eurovision Song Contest; (3) studies of Euro-Divisions which focus on political bloc voting and cultural alliances – exposing consistent and persistent rifts and coalitions in the celebration of European unity; and (4) studies making use of Eurovision data as a cultural seismograph for explaining external phenomenon like economic trade and political conflicts. Two decades of study of the Eurovision reveal that the ideal of unity is persistently challenged by national and cultural commitments. While commentators often deem the Eurovision Song Contest to be a silly kitsch show of musical mediocrity, this review proves it to be an appealing and productive area for the serious study of European civilization and its discontents.
Empirical model of corrosion rate for steel reinforced concrete structures in chloride-laden environments
Authors: Lu Zhao-Hui , Lun Pei-Yuan , Li Wengui , Luo Zhiyu , Li Yuelin , Liu Peng
Published: June 2018

The corrosion rate of reinforcing steel is an important factor to determine the corrosion propagation of reinforced concrete structures in the chloride-laden environments. Since the corrosion rate of reinforcing steel is affected by several coupled parameters, the efficient prediction of which remains challenging. In this study, a total of 156 experimental data on corrosion rate from the literature were collected and compared. Seven empirical models for predicting the corrosion rate were reviewed and investigated using the collected experimental data. Based on the investigations, a new empirical model is proposed for predicting the corrosion rate in corrosion-affected reinforced concrete structures considering parameters including concrete resistivity, temperature, relative humidity, corrosion duration and concrete chloride content. The comparison between the experimental data and those predicted using the new empirical model demonstrates that the new model gives a good prediction of the corrosion rate. Furthermore, the uncertainty and probability characteristics of these empirical models are also investigated. It is found that the probability distributions of the model errors can be described as lognormal, normal, Weibull or Gumbel distributions. As a result, the new empirical model can provide an efficient prediction of the corrosion rate of reinforcing steel, and the model error analysis results can be utilized for reliability-based service life prediction of reinforced concrete structures under chloride-laden environments.
Multibody simulation of a tracked vehicle with deformable ground contact model
Authors: Nicolini Andrea , Mocera Francesco , Somà Aurelio
Published: June 2018

In this paper, the realisation of a multibody model of a tracked machine is described. A new compact modelling of the tracks–soil interaction is presented and soil mechanics laws for terrain response are implemented. Tracked vehicles can be used in different fields such as agriculture, military and construction. The conditions of the terrain on which they operate may vary a lot, in terms of soil composition, slope and roughness. For this reason, performance of tracked vehicles is difficult to predict without a great number of field tests. The model is developed in a multibody code that makes it possible to investigate its dynamic and kinematic behaviour in several operating conditions. A specific routine is implemented in the multibody model in order to simulate the behaviour of the tracked vehicle on deformable terrains. The main hypothesis of this paper is that the terrain deformation could be in a narrow zone affected by the vehicle. Thus, the deformation of the soil is kinematically correlated to the vehicle. Soil mechanics equations are implemented on each track portion and solved only for track links in contact with the soil. The latter is modelled as a rigid body and terrain stress or deformation are not directly computed, thus simplifying solution and terrain modelling despite obtaining coherent results in terms of vehicle traction force, slip and sinkage. Results are reported pointing out performance of the tracked machine on different ground conditions.
Hull form optimization in the conceptual design stage considering operational efficiency in waves
Authors: Jung Yoo-Won , Kim Yonghwan
Published: June 2018

This study focuses on the optimization of ship dimensions by considering hydrodynamic performance in waves. In actual seaways, a ship experiences speed loss due to environmental loads by waves and wind. Therefore, along with calm water resistance, speed loss in waves should be considered in the hull form design in order to improve operational efficiency in waves. However, a trade-off may be needed between total resistance on the ship and the speed loss in waves. To address this problem, Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, which is a multi-objective optimization method, is used to minimize the total resistance on a ship in seaways and the speed loss by additional resistance. In the optimization process, added resistance is predicted using a numerical method based on slender-body theory, Maruo’s far-field formulation, and an empirical formula for added resistance in short waves. The speed loss in waves, which can be expressed by a weather factor ( fw), is estimated using power–speed curves. This article introduces some examples of the sensitivity analysis of added resistance and speed loss in waves to the variations of ship dimensions. Finally, the optimization solutions on a Pareto front set are compared to a basis ship in terms of hull form, and the corresponding hydrodynamic performances are evaluated.
Experimental and numerical study of a composite-to-steel joint under bending and torsion loads
Authors: Kharghani Navid , Alizadeh Fatemeh , Soares C Guedes , Tsouvalis Nicholas G
Published: June 2018

A composite-to-steel joint under bending and torsional loads is experimentally studied to determine their strength and stiffness and to calibrate numerical models with respect to the experimental measurements. The steel component is a channel type of structure made of two plates that serve as external supports of an inserted sandwich plate made of composite materials. The attachment of the steel joint to the structure is supported by a bracket. The results include load–deflection and load–strain curves, critical locations and failure loads, with the maximum value of the pure bending and combined torsion-bending moments. The good agreement between the numerical results obtained by finite element method and the experimental ones demonstrate that this kind of numerical analysis can estimate appropriately the behaviour of the structure.
The evaluation of the bouncing model of caliper pig’s detection arm in subsea gas pipelines
Authors: Li Xiaolong , He Renyang , Meng Tao , Zhang Shimin
Published: June 2018

Caliper pigs are widely used for measuring pipeline internal geometry and detecting anomalies, such as dents, wrinkles and flat spots. Due to its excellent transport capacity, caliper pig is more widely used in subsea gas pipelines than smart pig, such as Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) pig or Ultrasonic Test (UT) pig. In this article, the bouncing process of detection arm of caliper pig across convex defect is studied. And then, the influence of the collision between the detection arm and deformation defect, as well as the defect shape on the bounce, is discussed. Based on that, a bouncing theoretical model of the detection arm is developed for analyzing the bouncing phenomenon. Furthermore,the bouncing process that the detection arm moves across the convex defect with different velocities and different initial spring forces is studied by experimental method. The bouncing model calculation value is approximately equal with the experimental value, verifying the validity of the bouncing model. The bouncing model has a great significance for caliper pig evaluating the pipeline convex defect.
Faith schools and the cultivation of tolerance
Authors: Mason Andrew
Published: June 2018

Faith schools in England are often regarded as ill-suited to cultivating the abilities, attitudes, and dispositions required for living together harmoniously in an ethnically and religiously diverse society. These concerns might be formulated in terms of the thesis that faith schools in England are considerably sub-optimal for the cultivation of civic virtues compared to the feasible non-faith alternatives. Focusing on one particular civic virtue, namely, tolerance, this article aims to assess this sub-optimality thesis. It identifies a range of factors that might be thought to affect whether a faith school provides an environment that is conducive to the cultivation of tolerance, and then considers the available evidence, both direct and indirect, that bears upon what effect these factors actually have. It argues that the evidence that is available gives insufficient support to the sub-optimality thesis, but it does provide a powerful case for regulating faith schools in various ways.
The Impact of Payment and Respondents’ Participation on Interviewers’ Accuracy in Face-to-face Surveys
Authors: Menold Natalja , Landrock Uta , Winker Peter , Pellner Nathalie , Kemper Christoph J.
Published: June 2018

In face-to-face interviews, accurate work by interviewers is crucial for ensuring high-quality survey data. In a field experiment, payment of interviewers, legitimation of falsification behavior, and respondents’ willingness to participate were experimentally varied. The impact of these factors on interviewers’ accuracy during fieldwork was investigated. Low accuracy was operationalized, for instance, as noncompliance with the instructions concerning contacting and recruitment. In addition, falsifications by interviewers were investigated. There were fewer deviations from prescribed routines, and interviewers’ work was of higher quality if the interviewers were paid per hour and when respondents belonged to the cooperative group, compared to break-offs. We conclude that high task difficulty may lead to a decrease of interviewers’ accuracy. Payment per hour seems to ensure higher-quality data and should be preferred.
Estimating the Determinants of NCAA Athletic Department Intellectual Property (Trademark) Rights
Authors: Brook Stacey L.
Published: June 2018

Nike Inc. recently signed a trademark-licensing contract with the University of Michigan for nearly US$174 million over 11 years for the rights to be the supplier of athletic apparel and to use the university’s intellectual property (trademark) rights. The focus of this article is to empirically investigate the determinants for trademark-licensing contract values using athletic apparel contract data among NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
Structured-Induced Deference or Equal and Coordinate Actor: Congressional Influence on American Foreign Policy
Authors: Svensen Eric Paul
Published: June 2018

Perhaps no separation of powers issue receives as much scholarly attention as the near monopoly modern presidents exert over foreign policy. Yet, despite an extensive literature on the subject, scholars have drawn different conclusions as to the causes of this change, finding that lawmakers either defer to the president or are equal and coordinate actors on foreign policy. Using the separation of powers as a guide, I attempt to rectify these differences and demonstrate instances in the roll call record where examples of both explanations are most evident. Recovering ideal point estimates between the 87th and 112th Congress on votes highlighting competing governmental objectives, findings show that the chamber median frequently shifts toward the president on foreign policy votes in the final passage stage and during the treaty process. However, evidence also shows Congress is less likely to defer to the president on domestic legislation and appropriations.
Welcome at the University on Easy Street
Authors: Szwabowski Oskar
Published: June 2018

It is a song from the dead. Death is easy and it is everywhere. “Everybody turns.” We care about death inside us. Life is prec–ious-rity.
Disclosure of Same-Sex Behaviors to Health-care Providers and Uptake of HIV Testing for Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Systematic Review
Authors: Qiao Shan , Zhou Guangyu , Li Xiaoming
Published: June 2018

To promote HIV-testing and offer optimal care for men who have sex with men (MSM), health-care providers (HCPs) must first be aware of their patients’ sexual behaviors. Otherwise, HCPs may overlook MSM’s risks for HIV infection and their special health-care needs. For MSM, reporting their same-sex behaviors to HCPs (disclosure to HCPs) may promote their linkage to HIV prevention and treatment cascade and improve their health outcomes. No literature review has been conducted to examine the relationship between disclosure to HCPs and uptake of HIV-testing among MSM. The current study reviewed and synthesized findings from 29 empirical studies published in English by 2016. We summarized the rates of MSM’s disclosure to HCPs, investigated the association between disclosure and HIV-testing among MSM, identified potential facilitators and barriers for disclosure, and discussed the implications of our findings in research and clinical practices. The disclosure rates varied across subgroups and study settings, ranging from 16% to 90% with a median of 61%. Disclosure to HCPs was positively associated with uptake of HIV-testing. African American MSM were less likely to disclose to HCPs. MSM who lived in urban settings with higher education attainment and higher income were more likely to disclose. MSM tended to perceive younger or gay-friendly doctors as safer targets of disclosure. Clinics with LGBT-friendly signs were viewed as safer contexts for disclosure. Having previous communications about substance use, sex, and HIV with HCPs could also facilitate disclosure. The main reasons for nondisclosure included lack of probing from HCPs, concerns on confidentiality breach and stigma, and perceived irrelevance with services. Providing appropriate trainings for HCPs and creating gay-friendly clinical settings can be effective strategies to facilitate disclosures of same-sex behaviors among MSM and meet their specific medical needs. Interventions to promote disclosure should give priorities to MSM from the most marginalized subgroups (e.g., MSM in rural areas, MSM of ethnic minorities).
A non-linear multiaxial fatigue damage model for the cervical intervertebral disc annulus
Authors: Motiwale Shruti , Subramani Adhitya , Kraft Reuben H , Zhou Xianlian
Published: June 2018

A significant portion of the military population develops severe neck pain in the course of their duties. It has been hypothesized that neck pain is a consequence of accelerated degeneration of the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine, but more occupational and mechanistic-based tools and research are needed to positively confirm the link between neck pain and accelerated disc degeneration. Heavy head-supported mass including helmets and accessories worn by military personnel may subject the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine to complex cyclic loading profiles. In addition, some military operational travel which includes riding on high speed planing boats has also been reported to result in high magnitude cyclic loading on cervical spine discs. In this article, we present a methodology to computationally predict fatigue damage to cervical intervertebral discs over extended periods of time, by integrating kinematics-based biomechanical models with a continuum damage mechanics-based theory of disc degeneration. Through this computational approach, we can gain insights into the relationship between these military activities and possible accelerated fatigue degeneration of cervical intervertebral discs and provide a quantitative prediction tool for decade-long time ranges. The four significant improvements this computational framework adds to the area of modeling intervertebral disc degeneration are the following: (a) it addresses the non-linear nature of fatigue damage evolution, (b) it includes the effect of aging and damage recovery to accurately simulate biological phenomena, (c) it computes fatigue damage taking into account the multiaxial stress state in the disc, and (d) it correlates the computational damage parameter with established clinical grading systems for disc degeneration.
Frog-inspired jumping robot actuated by pneumatic muscle actuators
Authors: Zhong Jun , Luo Minzhou , Liu Xiaofeng , Fan Jizhuang , Zhao Jie
Published: June 2018

Jumping robots can be widely applied in archeology, interstellar probe, antiterrorism, and resource exploration. This article adopts the frog as the bionic object and briefly analyzes biological features and jumping movements in a complete jumping sequence of the frog. Then an equivalent six-bar mechanism model depicting frog jumping movement is built up, and the optimizing simulation of the six-bar mechanism model is performed. On the basis of the optimized results, the robot is designed and prototype is manufactured. An adaptive cascade controller is proposed to control the robot. Proportional–integral–derivative parameters of the controller are tuned online using radial basis function neural network to deal with nonlinearities of the robot. Jumping experiment demonstrates the jumping capacity of the robot and the ability of the proposed controller in tracking the desired trajectories.
Optimal design for outer rings of self-lubricating spherical plain bearings based on virtual orthogonal experiments
Authors: Gong Lingzhu , Yang Xiaoxiang , Kong Kaibin , Zhong Shuncong
Published: June 2018

To improve the product quality of self-lubricating spherical plain bearing, a new shape of the outer rings for spherical plain bearings was optimally designed based on virtual orthogonal experiments using finite element software ABAQUS. The depth inclined end wall, together with the length of annular wall, the depth of annular concavity, the outer ring thickness, and the edge radius were taken as the main structural parameters in the analysis. For the evaluation parameters, the maximum bearing clearance, the maximum contact pressure, the maximum extrusion load, and the maximum equivalent plastic strain were considered. The optimal structure parameter combination was identified based on the intuitive comprehensive balance analysis method. The simulation results demonstrated much improvement for the forming quality by using a new type of the outer ring, which was optimized by the virtual orthogonal experiments. The new type of the outer ring could be used to the forming process in assembling the spherical plain bearings.
Emotion–performance relationships in team sport: The role of personal and social identities
Authors: Campo Mickaël , Martinent Guillaume , Pellet Julien , Boulanger Jérémie , Louvet Benoit , Nicolas Michel
Published: June 2018

In the field of emotion–performance relationship in achievement situations, the social dimensions of emotions have been understudied. Thus, recent advances highlighted the need to explore identity processes to know whether group belonging may influence individuals’ emotions and performance when they are involved in a task-group. The current study introduced an innovative approach to continuously capture the variability of emotions (pleasant and unpleasant), identity levels (personal and social) and performances (individual and collective) experienced during volleyball games. Six elite players ( M = 20.14 years; SD = 1.25) volunteered to participate in this research. For the purpose of this study, a program based on the Mouse Paradigm methodological approach was elaborated. A total of 9461 momentary assessments ( M = 1576.83 ± 94.38 per participant) was gathered for each of the aforementioned variables. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed a partial independence between social and personal identity, as well as an effect of identity levels on unpleasant emotions. Results also highlighted that neither identity levels nor emotions influenced individual performances. Taken together, these results were discussed in terms of theoretical and methodological advances that allow to deepen the understanding of emotions–performance relationships in the context of team-sports.
Spinal infections
Authors: Panikkar Shrijit , Nair Chitra V
Published: June 2018

Spinal infection is a rare cause of back pain that can have devastating consequences if left untreated. Since back pain can be the only symptom in early spinal infection diagnosing it is a major challenge in primary care, where back pain accounts for 6–9% of consultations. Most episodes of back pain, which has an annual incidence of 2–5%, are mechanical in nature and are self-limiting. Only a small proportion of back pain is due to serious underlying causes such as infection, neoplasia and fractures. GPs need to be aware of the presenting symptoms of spinal infection and who is at risk, as a high index of suspicion is needed to avoid the significant morbidity and mortality associated with delayed diagnosis.
Early recognition and diagnosis of spondyloarthritis
Authors: Murphy Daniel
Published: June 2018

The management of the spondyloarthritis family of diseases has changed significantly over the last 10 years. Improved knowledge of disease pathogenesis, evidence about the effectiveness of early diagnosis, and the routine use of biologic agents, have all improved patient outcomes. This article aims to help GPs recognise spondyloarthritic diseases, improve confidence in primary care management and referral, and provide a summary of the 2017 National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidance.
Upper abdominal pain
Authors: Babakhanlou Rodrick
Published: June 2018

Abdominal pain is a frequent presentation to general practice; it comprises a wide range of different abdominal and extra-abdominal causes. Upper abdominal pain can be located in the epigastrium, the right and left upper quadrants, and renal angles. It may be associated with back or shoulder tip pain. Causes of abdominal pain can be benign or malignant, and may be life-threatening. Patients with upper abdominal pain may need urgent hospital admission, but many patients can be managed in the community. This article gives an overview of the important causes of upper abdominal pain, their assessment and management.
Instilling a culture of cleaning: Effectiveness of decontamination practices on non-disposable sphygmomanometer cuffs
Authors: Zimmerman Peta-Anne , Jacques Michael , Rowland Dale
Published: June 2018

Background:

Sphygmomanometers and their cuffs are non-critical items that can act as a fomite for transmission of pathogens which may cause healthcare-associated infection (HAI), leading to an argument that disposable equipment improves patient safety.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to demonstrate that decontamination decreased in microbial contamination of non-disposable sphygmomanometer cuffs, providing evidence to negate the need to purchase, and dispose of, single-patient-use cuffs, reducing cost and environmental impact.

Methods:

A pre–post intervention study of available sphygmomanometer cuffs and associated bedside patient monitors was conducted using a series of microbiological samples in a rural emergency department. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test analysed the effect of the decontamination intervention. To further examine the effect of the decontamination intervention, Mann–Whitney U-tests were conducted for each aspect.

Findings:

Contamination was significantly higher before decontamination than afterwards (Z = −5.14, U = 55.0, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.61 inner; Z = −5.05, U = 53.5, P < 0.001, η2 = 0.59 outer).

Discussion:

Decontamination of non-disposable sphygmomanometer cuffs decreases microbial load and risk of HAI, providing evidence to negate arguments for disposable cuffs while being environmentally sensitive and supportive of a culture of patient safety and infection control.
The Role of Endoscopic Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block on Nausea and Vomiting After Sinus Surgery
Authors: Abubaker Ahmad K. , Al-Qudah Mohannad A.
Published: June 2018

Background

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) are among the most common unpleasant and distressing adverse events following surgery under general anesthesia. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is a common otolaryngology procedure. Prevention of PONV and early recovery are cost-effective.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effect of bilateral endoscopic injection of lidocaine with epinephrine in the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) on PONV in patients undergoing FESS.

Methods

One hundred patients with chronic rhinosinusitis undergoing general anesthesia for FESS were enrolled in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were randomized to receive injection of 2 mL of 2% lidocaine with epinephrine or 2 mL of saline at the end of surgery. Postoperatively, patients were observed for 24 h. PONV was evaluated immediately, 6 h, and 24 h after surgery.

Results

The 2 groups were comparable in characteristic and intraoperative features. In general, the incidence of PONV after FESS was 36%. The average time that patients can tolerate oral feeding was 3.4 h after surgery. Endoscopic SPG injection with lidocaine significantly reduced the incidence of vomiting and PONV. In addition, SPG injection with lidocaine reduced the incidence of severe vomiting and decreased the number of vomiting episodes. No complications were encountered in either group.

Conclusion

SPG injection with lidocaine at the end of surgery is a safe, noninvasive, and an effective technique in reducing early PONV in endoscopic sinus surgery patients.
Visual Light Zones
Authors: Kartashova Tatiana , de Ridder Huib , te Pas Susan F. , Pont Sylvia C.
Published: June 2018

In this article, we studied perception of a particular case of light fields that is characterized by a difference in its consistent structure between parts of a scene. In architectural lighting design, such a consistent structure in a part of a light field is called a light zone. First, we explored whether human observers are sensitive to light zones, that is, zones determined primarily by light flow differences, for a natural-looking scene. We found that observers were able to distinguish the light conditions between the zones. The results suggested an effect of light zones’ orientation. Therefore, in Experiment 2, we systematically examined how the orientation of light zones (left-right or front-back) with respect to a viewer influences light inferences in symmetric scenes. We found that observers are quite sensitive to the difference in the light flow of the light zones. In addition, we found that participants showed idiosyncratic behavior, especially for front-back-oriented light zones. Our findings show that observers are sensitive to differences in light field structure between two parts of a scene, which we call visual light zones.
Amodal Volume Completion and the Thin Building Illusion
Authors: Ekroll Vebjørn , Mertens Kathleen , Wagemans Johan
Published: June 2018

We report results from an experiment showing that a tall pillar with a triangular base evokes radically different three-dimensional (3D) percepts depending on the vantage point from which it is observed. The base of the pillar is an isosceles right triangle, but the pillar is perceived as just a thin plane when viewed from some vantage points. Viewed from other vantage points, the perceived 3D shape of the pillar corresponds to a square or rectangular base. In general, our results suggest that the visual system uses a preference for rectangularity (or symmetry) to determine the 3D shape of objects. The amodal impressions of the invisible backside of the pillar are often quite compelling, and the corresponding illusions persist even when the observers know the true shape of the pillar. Interestingly, though, the compellingness and definiteness of the amodal impression of the pillar’s backside depends on the vantage point. This is reflected in corresponding differences in the interobserver variability of the 3D shape judgments. We also discuss how variants of this illusion are used as a powerful tool in the art of magic.
Political framing across disciplines: Evidence from 21st-century experiments
Authors: Brugman Britta C. , Burgers Christian
Published: June 2018

Twenty-five years after Entman (1993) argued that the framing paradigm was fractured, debates about the value of framing as a theoretical concept are still ongoing. In particular, discussions focus on the use of: (a) equivalence frames (i.e., frames with logical equivalence such as gain and loss frames) versus emphasis frames (i.e., frames that emphasize different dimensions of an issue); and (b) generic frames (frames that are applicable to multiple issues) versus issue-specific frames (frames that are applicable to one issue only). We conducted a systematic review on the use of these frame types in 21st-century political-framing experiments ( N = 372) to establish whether and how scholars’ positions in these debates have changed across disciplines and over time. Results demonstrate that emphasis frames are more popular than equivalence frames, and that a slight majority of frames are issue-specific rather than generic. Moreover, frame preferences differ across disciplines and have hardly changed over time. This study thus shows that debates about what types of frames should be studied have had little influence on scholars’ frame choices across disciplines in previous research on political framing.
The Dissonance of “Civil” Religion in Religious-Political Memetic Discourse During the 2016 Presidential Elections
Authors: Campbell Heidi A. , Arredondo Katherine , Dundas Katie , Wolf Cody
Published: June 2018

This article explores the interrelationship between religion and politics as presented through memetic discourse surrounding the 2016 presidential election. Based on a study of 150 Internet memes of political candidates and core issues framed by religious discourse, and a case study of memes focused on then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, we investigated the distinct understanding of what constitutes religion that arises. Overwhelmingly, these memes evoke what is known as “Civil Religion,” where religion becomes a tool to interpret politics, with roots in nationalist ideologies. This challenges previous research suggesting religious memetic discourse primarily promotes a view of “lived religion,” or personalized interpretations of traditional religious beliefs and practices. Drawing on previous research of the dominant genres of religious memes and ways they frame religion, we find religious-political memes enact distinct strategies of political God Talk where religious discourse is read through a political lens, and vice versa. This is highly problematic as it presents religion in broad brushstrokes that fail to acknowledge the diversity of religious communities and their responses to politics within American cultural discourse. Overall, we argue religious-political memes showcase the dissonance created by mixing religion and politics in public discourse online, especially when meme messages representing conservative Christianity suggest they speak for all of American religious culture.
Strengthening International Collaboration in Congenital Heart Surgery
Authors: Jonas Richard A.
Published: June 2018

This paper was presented by the author at the 2016 biannual scientific meeting in Abu dhabi of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery as his incoming presidential address. In addition to listing the accomplishments of the World Society including several successful international scientific meetings and regional meetings, the Society has established the only journal devoted to congenital heart surgery and is in the process of establishing the new World Society database. The mission statement of the World Society emphasizes equitable global management of patients with congenital heart disease and includes an emphasis on excellence in education, research and community service. The Society will promote international exchange of trainees in congenital heart surgery, the facilitation of international teaching and treatment missions as well as a system for global certification of congenital heart surgeons to facilitate international movement of surgeons to areas of greatest need.
Surgical Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Premature Neonates Weighing Less Than 1,000 grams: Contemporary Outcomes
Authors: Lehenbauer David G. , Fraser Charles D. , Crawford Todd C. , Hibino Naru , Aucott Susan , Grimm Joshua C. , Patel Nishant , Magruder J. Trent , Cameron Duke E. , Vricella Luca
Published: June 2018

Objective:

The safety of surgical closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in very low birth weight premature neonates has been questioned because of associated morbidities. However, these studies are vulnerable to significant bias as surgical ligation has historically been utilized as “rescue” therapy. The objective of this study was to review our institutions’ outcomes of surgical PDA ligation.

Methods:

All neonates with operative weight of ≤1.00 kg undergoing surgical PDA ligation from 2003 to 2015 were analyzed. Records were queried to identify surgical complications, perioperative morbidity, and mortality. Outcomes included pre- and postoperative ventilator requirements, pre- and postoperative inotropic support, acute kidney injury, surgical complications, and 30-day mortality.

Results:

One hundred sixty-six preterm neonates underwent surgical ligation. One hundred twenty-one (70.3%) had failed indomethacin closure. One hundred sixty-four (98.8%) patients required mechanical ventilation prior to surgery. At 17 postoperative days, freedom from the ventilator reached 50%. Of 109 (66.4%) patients requiring prolonged preoperative inotropic support, 59 (54.1%) were liberated from inotropes by postoperative day 1. Surgical morbidity was encountered in four neonates (2.4%): two (1.2%) patients had a postoperative pneumothorax requiring tube thoracostomy, one (0.6%) patient had a recurrent laryngeal nerve injury, and one (0.6%) patient had significant intraoperative bleeding. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 1.8% (n = 3); no deaths occurred intraoperatively.

Conclusion:

In this retrospective investigation, surgical PDA closure was associated with low 30-day mortality and minimal morbidity and resulted in rapid discontinuation of inotropic support and weaning from mechanical ventilation. Given the safety of this intervention, surgical PDA ligation merits consideration in the management strategy of the preterm neonate with a PDA.
Impact Evaluation of Integrated Child Development Services in Rural India: Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Dixit Priyanka , Gupta Amrita , Dwivedi Laxmi Kant , Coomar Dyuti
Published: June 2018

The objective of this study is to estimate the impact of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) on the institutional delivery and on the nutritional status of children in rural India. Propensity score matching is used to remove selection bias, and then compare the outcome of those who received the ICDS services with those who did not receive. A representative sample of 32,072 women age 15 to 49 years was obtained from the National Family Health Survey-3 (2005-2006). The units of analysis were women who had at least one birth during the 5 years period preceding the survey and the children who were born during this period. In this study, the treatment variable was taken as “during pregnancy, received any nutrition and health education from the ICDS.” The main outcome measures were institutional delivery and the prevalence of undernutrition. After matching, it was found that the among the rural women who received nutrition and health education specifically from the ICDS had 12.3% higher institutional delivery as compared with those who did not receive. However, no positive impact was observed on children’s nutritional status. Thus, for improving the scenario of child nutrition, it is suggested that emphasis be shifted from supplementary feeding to improving environmental hygiene and child feeding practices.
Textual Voices in Corporate Reporting: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Chinese, Italian, and American CSR Reports
Authors: Bondi Marina , Yu Danni
Published: June 2018

This article investigates direct quotations in a corpus of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports in Italian, Chinese, and English. The corpus is composed of 60 CSR reports published by Italian, Chinese, and American companies in the banking and energy sector. The study aims at exploring what types of textual voices are involved in the discourse of CSR reporting and how different sources of voices are represented, using the framework of social actor representation proposed by Van Leeuwen. The results show that the voices presented in direct quotations are often “orchestrated” by companies into “symphony” rather than “polyphony.” Most of the sources of direct quotations are represented as individuals with specified names. The comparative analysis shows that companies from different cultural backgrounds present different preferences in selecting and representing the various sources. The Italian and American CSR reports present more voices from managers, while the Chinese CSR reports show a clearer preference for voices from employees and clients.
Subinternal Limiting Membrane Hemorrhage Related to Laser Exposure in 2 Young Patients
Authors: Rizzo Stanislao , Tartaro Ruggero , Giorni Andrea , Savastano Alfonso
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

Lasers can be sight damaging, because they can produce severe and permanent retinal damage.

Methods:

This paper reports two cases of subinternal limiting membrane (sub-ILM) hemorrhage related to laser exposure.

Results:

The first patient was only observed for the reason that the retinal localization was extramacular; for the second patient, we decided to perform ultraspeed (7500 cuts per minute) 27-gauge pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) because of the foveal position of the hemorrhage and because of the nonimprovement of his clinical condition. The first patient recovered 20/20 Snellen after 10 days without intervention, whereas the second patient recovered 15/20 Snellen the day after surgery; 15 days later, his visual acuity was 20/20 Snellen.

Conclusions:

Sub-ILM hemorrhage after exposure to lasers can be treated using an ultraspeed 27-gauge PPV. This tool can be considered safe and effective on non–self-resolving sub-ILM hemorrhage.
The multifaceted roles of the matrikine Pro-Gly-Pro in pulmonary health and disease
Authors: Patel Dhiren F. , Snelgrove Robert J.
Published: June 2018

Matrikines are bioactive fragments of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that are fundamental in regulating a diverse array of physiological processes. The tripeptide Proline-Glycine-Proline (PGP) is a collagen-derived matrikine that has classically been described as a neutrophil chemoattractant. In this article, we describe our current understanding of the pathways that generate, degrade and modify PGP to dictate its bioavailability and stability. Additionally, we discuss our expanding appreciation of the capacity of PGP to regulate diverse cell types and biological processes, independent of its activity on neutrophils, including a putative role in wound repair. We argue that PGP functions as a primitive and conserved damage-associated molecular pattern, which is generated during infection or injury and subsequently acts to shape ensuing inflammatory and repair processes. As a fragment of the ECM that accumulates at the epicentre of the action, PGP is perfectly positioned to focus neutrophils to the exact site required and direct a localised repair response. However, it is essential that PGP is efficiently degraded, as if this matrikine is allowed to persist then pathology can ensue. Accordingly, we discuss how this pathway is subverted in chronic lung diseases giving rise to persistent inflammation and pathological tissue remodelling.