bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Construção da Autoridade Literária na Tradição Cronográfica Cristã da Antiguidade Tardia
Authors: Benedetti Pedro
Published: May 2018

Neste artigo, pretendemos explorar as formas com as quais se constrói a autoridade literária na tradição cronográfica cristã da Antiguidade Tardia. A pergunta que guia nossa investigação é: na qualidade de um gênero historiográfico novo, de que maneira as crônicas cristãs se colocam diante das tradições historiográficas mais antigas? É possível que os autores se utilizem das mesmas estratégias que os historiadores do período clássico, ou há também novas formas? Para isso, revisitaremos brevemente a questão da autoridade nos autores clássicos, traçando a permanência desses princípios em obras historiográficas tardias consideradas herdeiras dessa tradição. Depois analisaremos os prefácios e introduções da crônica de Eusébio e das continuações de Jerônimo e Idácio de Límia em busca de elementos de afirmação da autoridade literária.
Health Economic Analysis of Access Site Practice in England During Changes in Practice
Authors: Mamas Mamas A. , Tosh Jon , Hulme Will , Hoskins Nicki , Bungey George , Ludman Peter , de Belder Mark , Kwok Chun Shing , Verin Nathalie , Kinnaird Tim , Bennett Ewan , Curzen Nick , Nolan James , Kontopantelis Evangelos
Published: May 2018

Background:

Transradial access (TRA) for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with a reduced risk of mortality compared with transfemoral access, access site–related bleeding complications, and shorter length of stay. The budget impact from a healthcare system that has largely transitioned to TRA for PCI has not been previously published.

Methods and Results:

Data from 323 656 patients undergoing PCI between 2010 and 2014 were obtained from the British Cardiovascular Intervention Society database. Costs for TRA and transfemoral access PCI were estimated based on procedure cost, length of stay, and differences in the rates of complications (major bleeding and vascular complications). In the base case, a propensity-matched data set between transfemoral access and TRA was used to directly compare the cost per PCI, whereas in the real-world analysis, the full data set was used. Across all indications and all years, TRA offered an average cost saving of £250.59 per procedure (22% reduction) versus transfemoral access with the majority of cost saving derived from reduced length of stay (£190.43) rather than direct costs of complications (£3.71). In the real-world analysis, adoption of TRA was estimated to have provided cost savings of £13.31 million across England between 2010 and 2014; however, if operators in all regions had adopted TRA at the rate of the region with the highest utilization, cost savings of £33.40 million could have been achieved.

Conclusions:

The transition to TRA in England has been associated with significant cost savings across the national healthcare system, in addition to the well-established clinical benefits.
National History as a History of Compacts
Authors: Sorescu Andrei Dan
Published: May 2018

This article aims to show that concepts originating in the vocabulary of international relations were crucial to the rhetoric of nation-building in mid-nineteenth-century Europe. A close examination of the Romanian context elucidates in a more general way historical actors’ reflections and critiques of this conceptual vocabulary as well as the permeable nature of the (inter)national in the given historical context. The article explores two conceptual pairs:jus Gentiumversusjus publicum Europaeum, and sovereignty versus suzerainty. In the process, it shows how Romanian nation- and state-builders became scholars of international relations. This they did in an effort to demonstrate the historically grounded sovereignty of the Romanian Principalities, in a manner compatible with the prevailing norms of the law of nations. The emphasis on a contractual relationship with the Ottoman Empire allowed for the assertion of national agency, both in the past and in the present. Increasingly focused on the imperfect translatability of concepts forged by the Western historical experience, pamphleteers of all stripes ultimately came to jettison the supposedly feudal, anachronistic vocabulary of suzerainty, militating for the inclusion of the Principalities as full parties in European public law. Thus, the article elucidates some significant conceptual tensions in the development of mid-nineteenth-century nationalism, simultaneously contributing to a growing body of scholarship on the intellectual history of international relations.
The Many Faces of the Collective: Poruka, Responsibility, and Requirement in the Soviet Society
Authors: Rasmussen Svetlana
Published: May 2018

From 1970 to 1984 Ann Kleimola and Horace William Dewey wrote a series of articles exploring the concept of poruka (suretyship) in pre-Petrine Russia. Kleimola and Dewey called the variety of communities where poruka applied the collectives. The present article argues that the Soviet state used the collectives, borrowed as a concept from French utopian socialists, as vehicles for bonding its subjects with poruka and thus extending state control down to the smallest social groups and organizations. The article examines in detail the original Soviet theory and practice of using poruka bonds in the educational collectives of Anton Makarenko’s youth delinquent colonies. Makarenko’s experience, proliferated in fictionalized accounts, articles and lectures, became the foundation of the Soviet suretyship-based collectives.
Nomenclatural remarks on Carex sect. Sylvaticae (Cyperaceae): C. laxula and related names
Authors: Troia Angelo , SANTANGELO ANNALISA , GIANGUZZI LORENZO
Published: May 2018

Our taxonomic and nomenclatural research reveals that the name ‘Carex laxula Tineo ex Boott’ (section Sylvaticae) has not been validly published. Consequently, the oldest available name for the species is Carex paui Sennen. A lectotype for the valid name Carex sylvatica var. laxula Tineo ex Guss. is here designated.
Characterization of Dry Conditions across the U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands during Near-Neutral ENSO Phases
Authors: Ludert Alejandro , Wang Bin , Merrifield Mark A.
Published: May 2018

The U.S.-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPIs), located in the tropical western Pacific, are very susceptible to severe drought. Dry season (December–May) rainfall anomalies have different relationships to ENSO for USAPIs north and south of 7°N. South of 7°N, rainfall exhibits a canonical negative correlation with the Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) (i.e., dry conditions during warm periods). To the north, the dry season falls into either “canonical” or “noncanonical” (positively correlated with ONI) regimes. Noncanonical years pose an important forecasting challenge as severe droughts have occurred during cool ONI conditions (referred to here as “cool dry” cases). Composite analysis of the two regimes shows that for noncanonical cool dry years, anticyclonic circulation anomalies over the tropical western North Pacific (TWNP), with a band of anomalous dry conditions extending from the central Pacific toward Micronesia, result in unexpected droughts. In contrast, canonical “cool wet” events show cyclonic TWNP circulation and increased rainfall over the northern USAPIs. Maximum SST anomalies are located near the date line during noncanonical years, and farther east during canonical years. While both regimes show negative rainfall and TWNP anticyclonic circulation anomalies before the onset of the December–May dry season, during the dry season these anomalies persist during noncanonical events but rapidly reverse sign during canonical events. SST anomalies in the noncanonical regime extend eastward from the central Pacific rather than intensify in place over the eastern Pacific in the canonical regime. Differences in the evolution of circulation, precipitation, and SST anomalies suggest distinct physical mechanisms governing the two ENSO regimes, with possible ramifications for seasonal forecasts.
Precipitation Sensitivity to the Uncertainty of Terrestrial Water Flow in WRF-Hydro: An Ensemble Analysis for Central Europe
Authors: Arnault Joël , Rummler Thomas , Baur Florian , Lerch Sebastian , Wagner Sven , Fersch Benjamin , Zhang Zhenyu , Kerandi Noah , Keil Christian , Kunstmann Harald
Published: May 2018

Precipitation is affected by soil moisture spatial variability. However, this variability is not well represented in atmospheric models that do not consider soil moisture transport as a three-dimensional process. This study investigates the sensitivity of precipitation to the uncertainty in the representation of terrestrial water flow. The tools used for this investigation are the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model and its hydrologically enhanced version, WRF-Hydro, applied over central Europe during April–October 2008. The model grid is convection permitting, with a horizontal spacing of 2.8 km. The WRF-Hydro subgrid employs a 280-m resolution to resolve lateral terrestrial water flow. A WRF/WRF-Hydro ensemble is constructed by modifying the parameter controlling the partitioning between surface runoff and infiltration and by varying the planetary boundary layer (PBL) scheme. This ensemble represents terrestrial water flow uncertainty originating from the consideration of resolved lateral flow, terrestrial water flow uncertainty in the vertical direction, and turbulence parameterization uncertainty. The uncertainty of terrestrial water flow noticeably increases the normalized ensemble spread of daily precipitation where topography is moderate, surface flux spatial variability is high, and the weather regime is dominated by local processes. The adjusted continuous ranked probability score shows that the PBL uncertainty improves the skill of an ensemble subset in reproducing daily precipitation from the E-OBS observational product by 16%–20%. In comparison to WRF, WRF-Hydro improves this skill by 0.4%–0.7%. The reproduction of observed daily discharge with Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficients generally above 0.3 demonstrates the potential of WRF-Hydro in hydrological science.
Evaluation of the Chemical Composition of Synthetic Leather Using Spectroscopy Techniques
Authors: Neiva Ariane Maciel , Pereira-Filho Edenir Rodrigues
Published: May 2018

Synthetic leather samples from Brazil and Paraguay were evaluated in this study using three spectroscopy techniques: inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF). The obtained information from each technique was separately inspected with principal component analysis (PCA). The concentrations of the elements determined in the synthetic leathers using ICP-OES decreased in the following order: Ca > Cr > Mg > Ba > Pb > Al > Fe > Zn > Sb > Ni with a concentration range below the limit of quantification (<LOQ, case of Ni) to 112 233 mg kg−1 (case of Ca). Additionally, Cu, As, Sr, Ti, Cd, Mn, Co, and Ni were present in only few samples in a concentration range from <LOQ to 163 mg kg−1. Principal component analysis was the tool used to evaluate the samples from their chemical content obtained quantitatively using ICP-OES and qualitatively using LIBS or WDXRF spectra. The results showed that the association of PCA with spectroscopic techniques was satisfactory for data inspection of synthetic leathers according to the chemical composition. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and WDXRF were able to identify the presence of toxic elements like Cr (LIBS and WDXRF) and Pb (WDXRF).
Embodied spatial practices and everyday organization: The work of tour guides and their audiences
Authors: Best Katie , Hindmarsh Jon
Published: May 2018

This article introduces an interactional perspective to the analysis of organizational space. The study is based on the analysis of over 100 hours of video recordings of guided tours undertaken within two sites (an historic house and a world-famous museum), coupled with interviews and field observations. The analysis is informed by ethnomethodology and conversation analysis in order to focus on the everyday organization of these tours, and the lived experience of inhabiting museum spaces. We use an interactional lens to unpack the ‘embodied spatial practices’ critical to the work of tour guides and their audiences, which reveals how the sense and significance of the workspace emerges moment to moment, and in relation to the ongoing work at hand. As a result, for those with an interest in organizational space, the article introduces a novel perspective, and methods, to highlight the dynamic and interactional production of workspaces. Additionally, for those with an interest in practice, the article demonstrates the fundamental import of taking spatial arrangements seriously when analysing the organization of work.
SEITI RMLab: A costless and effective remote measurement laboratory in electrical engineering
Authors: Zine Othmane , Errouha Mustapha , Zamzoum Othmane , Derouich Aziz , Talbi Abdennebi
Published: May 2018

e-Learning emerged as a way for enhancing the quality of education and providing accessible distance learning to allow learners to study beyond regular class time, transcending the mandatory presence of teachers and the availability of classrooms by providing the necessary resources and services. One of the main issues of e-learning, especially in engineering education, is the lack of online educational laboratories. Practical work remains a considerable burden as engineering educational programs focus on handling real equipment. These last are only accessible within a restrictive schedule and might be unaffordable for low budget institutions. The need is clear for interactive platforms that enhance the motivation and controls the regulation of workload for each student. In this paper, an overview about online laboratories is given and a simple approach of remote lab is suggested. The proposal of our research team (Team SEITI) can be used for carrying-out experiments that require neither assembly nor physical changes until the results are obtained unless a technician, that must be present in the laboratory, acts on equipment. The idea is to set up a real-time measurement retrieval laboratory that requires the involvement of a technician to act on instruments and will grant access to a large scale of students.
Relapsed/refractory thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura treated with N-acetylcysteine: a case report
Authors: Demircioğlu Sinan , Ekinci Ömer , Doğan Ali , Demir Cengiz
Published: May 2018

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura is a rare condition that presents with microangiopathic haemolytic anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, fever, renal impairment and neurological symptoms. Plasma exchange is a lifesaving treatment for this condition. However, some cases may be non-responsive to plasma exchange, or loss of response may occur. Treatment options for refractory cases include high-dose corticosteroids, rituximab, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, splenectomy, bortezomib and N-acetylcysteine. We present a refractory case of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura responding to the last of these therapies.
A novel force-velocity field for object manipulation with a model-free cooperative controller
Authors: Muñoz–Vázquez Aldo-Jonathan , Parra–Vega Vicente , Sánchez–Orta Anand , Ruiz–Sánchez Francisco
Published: May 2018

When robots grasp a rigid object, homogeneous holonomic constraints give rise to stiff nonlinear constrained dynamics. As a result, a smooth motion is preferred when grasping an object in a tight but gentle manner, making it a difficult control problem that increases when uncertainties and unmodelled dynamics exist. In this paper, a fuzzy design is proposed by exploiting a physics-based orthogonalization of contact mechanics to produce desired velocity and force fields. The proposed scheme enables the regulation of the velocity component in order to navigate smoothly, while the force field enforces grasp at contact in the normal direction of the cooperative joint-velocity field. Then, the robust model-free controller is designed to track such orthogonal fields while enforcing cooperation among all robots, even under uncertainties and unknown dynamics. A representative simulation study is discussed to show the feasibility of the proposal.
Neural network inverse system decoupling control strategy of BLIM considering stator current dynamics
Authors: Bu Wenshao , He Fangzhou , Li Ziyuan , Zhang Haitao , Shi Jingzhuo
Published: May 2018

The bearingless induction motor (BLIM) is a multi-variable, non-linear, strong coupling system. To achieve higher performance control, a novel neural network inverse system decoupling control strategy considering stator current dynamics is proposed. Taking the stator current dynamics of the torque windings into account, the state equations of the BLIM system is established first. Then, the inverse system model of the BLIM is identified by a three-layer neural network; by means of the neural network inverse system method, the BLIM system is decoupled into four independent second-order linear subsystems, include a rotor flux subsystem, a motor speed subsystem and two radial displacement component subsystems. On this basis, the neural network inverse decoupling control system is constructed, the simulation verification and analyses are performed. From the simulation results, it is clear that when the proposed decoupling control strategy is adopted, not only can the dynamic decoupling control between relevant variables be achieved, but the control system has a stronger anti-load disturbance ability, smaller overshoot and better tracking performance.
Computationally efficient image reconstruction algorithm for electrical capacitance tomography
Authors: Tong Guowei , Liu Shi , Liu Sha
Published: May 2018

The electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is a visualization measurement method and can reconstruct the spatial permittivity distribution information in a measurement domain based on given capacitance values, in which the effectiveness of the image reconstruction algorithm plays a vital role in real-world engineering applications. Unlike common imaging methods, within the framework of the Tikhonov regularization methodology and the transform-domain sparsity method, a new cost function encapsulating the wavelet-based sparsity constraint is proposed to model the ECT imaging problem. An iteration scheme that integrates the superiorities of the alternating direction method of multipliers algorithm and splits a complicated optimization problem into several simpler sub-problems is developed to seek for the optimal solution of the proposed cost function. Numerical experiments validate that the proposed imaging algorithm is practicable and effective, and can improve the reconstruction accuracy and robustness.
Analysis, design and implementation of analog circuitry-based maximum power point tracking for photovoltaic boost DC/DC converter
Authors: Shaw Priyabrata , Garanayak Priyabrat
Published: May 2018

Currently, research is being devoted towards the development of fast and precise maximum power point tracking (MPPT) methods for various photovoltaic (PV) applications. Due to rapidly varying solar irradiation and cell temperature, traditional MPPT algorithms are unable to track the optimum power from PV modules. In this paper, an analog circuitry-based fast and robust MPPT method utilizing a boost DC/DC converter is presented to improve the tracking capability. The mathematical model of a PV module and design expressions for converter elements are presented. To trace the desired maximum power point (MPP), a control law is derived by synthesizing the PV characteristic curves. The steady-state and transient responses of the PV-integrated boost converter are demonstrated under various conditions of source and load using the MATLAB/Simulink platform. Furthermore, a laboratory prototype is developed to validate the proposed control strategy in the real-time application. A satisfactory agreement has been exhibited among simulation and experimental results. The superiority of the proposed MPP tracker over different existing methods is investigated. Additionally, the proposed controller distributes the energy spectrum over a wider range of frequencies and simultaneously reduces the energy concentration at the clock frequency and its multiples, so that the effect of electromagnetic interference (EMI) is reduced for certain range of loads.
Are Liberals and Conservatives Equally Motivated to Feel Empathy Toward Others?
Authors: Hasson Yossi , Tamir Maya , Brahms Kea S. , Cohrs J. Christopher , Halperin Eran
Published: May 2018

Do liberals and conservatives differ in their empathy toward others? This question has been difficult to resolve due to methodological constraints and common use of ideologically biased targets. To more adequately address this question, we examined how much empathy liberals and conservatives want to feel, how much empathy they actually feel, and how willing they are to help others. We used targets that are equivalent in the degree to which liberals and conservatives identify with, by setting either liberals, conservatives, or ideologically neutral members as social targets. To support the generalizability of our findings, we conducted the study in the United States, Israel, and Germany. We found that, on average and across samples, liberals wanted to feel more empathy and experienced more empathy than conservatives did. Liberals were also more willing to help others than conservatives were, in the United States and Germany, but not in Israel. In addition, across samples, both liberals and conservatives wanted to feel less empathy toward outgroup members than toward ingroup members or members of a nonpolitical group.
Performance Evaluation of Adaptive Imaging Based on Multiphase Apodization with Cross-correlation: A Pilot Study in Abdominal Ultrasound
Authors: Shin Junseob , Chen Yu , Malhi Harshawn , Chen Frank , Yen Jesse
Published: May 2018

Degradation of image contrast caused by phase aberration, off-axis clutter, and reverberation clutter remains one of the most important problems in abdominal ultrasound imaging. Multiphase apodization with cross-correlation (MPAX) is a novel beamforming technique that enhances ultrasound image contrast by adaptively suppressing unwanted acoustic clutter. MPAX employs multiple pairs of complementary sinusoidal phase apodizations to intentionally introduce grating lobes that can be used to derive a weighting matrix, which mostly preserves the on-axis signals from tissue but reduces acoustic clutter contributions when multiplied with the beamformed radio-frequency (RF) signals. In this paper, in vivo performance of the MPAX technique was evaluated in abdominal ultrasound using data sets obtained from 10 human subjects referred for abdominal ultrasound at the USC Keck School of Medicine. Improvement in image contrast was quantified, first, by the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and, second, by the rating of two experienced radiologists. The MPAX technique was evaluated for longitudinal and transverse views of the abdominal aorta, the inferior vena cava, the gallbladder, and the portal vein. Our in vivo results and analyses demonstrate the feasibility of the MPAX technique in enhancing image contrast in abdominal ultrasound and show potential for creating high contrast ultrasound images with improved target detectability and diagnostic confidence.
Reflections on three populisms
Authors: Bilgrami Akeel
Published: May 2018

Akeel Bilgrami’s paper considers the populist surges of our times in three countries: Trump’s America, Brexit Britain, and Modi’s India, distinguishing the special features of each, and philosophically and politically analyzing the relations that populism bears to both liberalism and the capitalist political economies of liberal-democratic societies.
Populism and the crisis of liberalism
Authors: Kaul Volker
Published: May 2018

The article addresses the following question: if an extensive period of globalization and also democratization after the fall of the Berlin Wall has been followed by populism (protectionist nationalism in the West and authoritarian nationalism in the Global South), does this mean that there is something wrong with liberalism itself? Must liberalism be substituted by alternative economic and political concepts? The article presents three alternatives to liberalism that are supposed to counter populism: a new communitarianism, a renewal of the democratic project as much as novel conceptions of social justice. However, it takes also into account positions that address the current crisis from within the liberal framework itself.
Exacerbated brain edema in a rat streptozotocin model of hyperglycemic ischemic stroke: Evidence for involvement of blood–brain barrier Na–K–Cl cotransport and Na/H exchange
Authors: Yuen Natalie Y , Chechneva Olga V , Chen Yi-Je , Tsai Yi-Chen , Little Logan K , Dang James , Tancredi Daniel J , Conston Jacob , Anderson Steven E , O’Donnell Martha E
Published: May 2018

Cerebral edema is exacerbated in diabetic ischemic stroke through poorly understood mechanisms. We showed previously that blood–brain barrier (BBB) Na–K–Cl cotransport (NKCC) and Na/H exchange (NHE) are major contributors to edema formation in normoglycemic ischemic stroke. Here, we investigated whether hyperglycemia-exacerbated edema involves changes in BBB NKCC and NHE expression and/or activity and whether inhibition of NKCC or NHE effectively reduces edema and injury in a type I diabetic model of hyperglycemic stroke. Cerebral microvascular endothelial cell (CMEC) NKCC and NHE abundances and activities were determined by Western blot, radioisotopic flux and microspectrofluorometric methods. Cerebral edema and Na in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance methods. Hyperglycemia exposures of 1-7d significantly increased CMEC NKCC and NHE abundance and activity. Subsequent exposure to ischemic factors caused more robust increases in NKCC and NHE activities than in normoglycemic CMEC. MCAO-induced edema and brain Na uptake were greater in hyperglycemic rats. Intravenous bumetanide and HOE-642 significantly attenuated edema, brain Na uptake and ischemic injury. Our findings provide evidence that BBB NKCC and NHE contribute to increased edema in hyperglycemic stroke, suggesting that these Na transporters are promising therapeutic targets for reducing damage in diabetic stroke.
Anterolateral Ligament Reconstruction Protects the Repaired Medial Meniscus: A Comparative Study of 383 Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions From the SANTI Study Group With a Minimum Follow-up of 2 Years
Authors: Sonnery-Cottet Bertrand , Saithna Adnan , Blakeney William G. , Ouanezar Herve , Borade Amrut , Daggett Matt , Thaunat Mathieu , Fayard Jean-Marie , Delaloye Jean-Romain
Published: May 2018

Background:

The prevalence of osteoarthritis after successful meniscal repair is significantly less than that after failed meniscal repair.

Purpose:

To determine whether the addition of anterolateral ligament reconstruction (ALLR) confers a protective effect on medial meniscal repair performed at the time of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR).

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed to include all patients who had undergone primary ACLR with concomitant posterior horn medial meniscal repair through a posteromedial portal between January 2013 and August 2015. ACLR autograft choice was bone–patellar tendon–bone, hamstring tendons (or quadrupled hamstring tendons), or quadrupled semitendinosus tendon graft with or without ALLR. At the end of the study period, all patients were contacted to determine if they had undergone reoperation. A Kaplan-Meier survival curve was plotted, and a Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to perform multivariate analysis.

Results:

A total of 383 patients (mean ± SD age, 27.4 ± 9.2 years) were included with a mean follow-up of 37.4 months (range, 24-54.9 months): 194 patients underwent an isolated ACLR, and 189 underwent a combined ACLR + ALLR. At final follow-up, there was no significant difference between groups in postoperative side-to-side laxity (isolated ACLR group, 0.9 ± 0.9 mm [min to max, –1 to 3]; ACLR + ALLR group, 0.8 ± 1.0 mm [min to max, –2 to 3]; P = .2120) or Lysholm score (isolated ACLR group, 93.0 [95% CI, 91.3-94.7]; ACLR + ALLR group, 93.7 [95% CI, 92.3-95.1]; P = .556). Forty-three patients (11.2%) underwent reoperation for failure of the medial meniscal repair or a new tear. The survival rates of meniscal repair at 36 months were 91.2% (95% CI, 85.4%-94.8) in the ACLR + ALLR group and 83.8% (95% CI, 77.1%-88.7%; P = .033) in the ACLR group. The probability of failure of medial meniscal repair was >2 times lower in patients with ACLR + ALLR as compared with patients with isolated ACLR (hazard ratio, 0.443; 95% CI, 0.218-0.866). No other prognosticators of meniscal repair failure were identified.

Conclusion:

Combined ACLR and ALLR is associated with a significantly lower rate of failure of medial meniscal repairs when compared with those performed at the time of isolated ACLR.
Long-term Comparison of Semitendinosus and Gracilis Tendon Versus Patellar Tendon Autografts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A 17-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Sajovic Matjaz , Stropnik Domen , Skaza Katja
Published: May 2018

Background:

Short-term and mid-term differences between hamstring and patellar tendon autografts for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction are well documented. Systematic reviews highlight the lack of long-term results between the two grafts.

Hypothesis:

Seventeen years after ACL reconstruction, no difference will be found in functional outcome, quality of life, and graft failure between patients with patellar tendon (PT) or semitendinosus and gracilis tendon (STG) autografts; however, a significant difference will be seen in the prevalence of osteoarthritis.

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Sixty-four patients were included in this prospective study (32 in each group). A single surgeon performed primary ACL reconstruction in alternating sequence. Forty-eight patients (24 in each group) were evaluated 17 years after ACL reconstruction: A clinical assessment was made based on the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) form, instrumented laxity was measured with KT-1000 arthrometer, and radiography of the operated knee was conducted and assessed for degenerative disease. The Lysholm questionnaire and the Short Form–36 version 2 questionnaire were filled out by the patients.

Results:

At the 17-year follow-up, no statistically significant differences were seen with respect to graft failure (2 reruptures in the semitendinosus and gracilis tendon [STG] group [6.3%] and 3 reruptures in the PT group [9.4%]) and functional outcome. Increased instrumented laxity (>3 mm) measured with KT-1000 arthrometer was seen in significantly more patients in the STG group (8 in the STG group compared with 2 in the PT group; P = .03) with a mean side-to-side difference of 2.17 ± 1.86 mm in the STG group compared with 1.33 ± 1.93 mm in the PT group. A significant difference was found in frequency of knee osteoarthritis (OA)—100% in the PT group compared with 71% in the STG group ( P = .004). Patients in the PT group tended to have higher grade OA according to the IKDC grading system, with an average grade of 1.46 in the PT group compared with 1 in the STG group ( P = .055). The degenerative changes in the PT group were more common in the medial and patellofemoral compartments ( P = .003 and P = .04, respectively).

Conclusion:

Both autografts provided good to excellent subjective outcomes. No significant differences were noted in graft failure and clinical instability. However, significantly more patients in the STG group had increased instrumented anteroposterior translation measured with KT-1000 arthrometer, and there was a greater prevalence of knee OA at 17 years after surgery in the PT group.
Effects of Proud Large Osteochondral Plugs on Contact Forces and Knee Kinematics: A Robotic Study
Authors: Du Peter Z. , Markolf Keith L. , Boguszewski Daniel V. , Yamaguchi Kent T. , Lama Christopher J. , McAllister David R. , Jones Kristofer J.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation is used to treat large focal femoral condylar articular cartilage defects. A proud plug could affect graft survival by altering contact forces (CFs) and knee kinematics.

Hypothesis:

A proud OCA plug will significantly increase CF and significantly alter knee kinematics throughout controlled knee flexion.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Human cadaver knees had miniature load cells, each with a 20-mm-diameter cylinder of native bone/cartilage attached at its exact anatomic position, installed in both femoral condyles at standardized locations representative of clinical defects. Spacers were inserted to create proud plug conditions of +0.5, +1.0, and +1.5 mm. CFs and knee kinematics were recorded as a robot flexed the knee continuously from 0° to 50° under 1000 N of tibiofemoral compression.

Results:

CFs were increased significantly (vs flush) for all proudness conditions between 0° and 45° of flexion (medial) and 0° to 50° of flexion (lateral). At 20°, the average increases in medial CF for +0.5-mm, +1-mm, and +1.5-mm proudness were +80 N (+36%), +155 N (+70%), and +193 N (+87%), respectively. Corresponding increases with proud lateral plugs were +44 N (+14%), +90 N (+29%), and +118 N (+38%). CF increases for medial plugs at 20° of flexion were significantly greater than those for lateral plugs at all proudness conditions. At 50°, a 1-mm proud lateral plug significantly decreased internal tibial rotation by 15.4° and decreased valgus rotation by 2.5°.

Conclusion:

A proud medial or lateral plug significantly increased CF between 0° and 45° of flexion. Our results suggest that a medial plug at 20° may be more sensitive to graft incongruity than a lateral plug. The changes in rotational kinematics with proud lateral plugs were attributed to earlier contact between the proud plug’s surface and the lateral meniscus, leading to rim impingement with decreased tibial rotation.

Clinical Relevance:

Increased CF and altered knee kinematics from a proud femoral plug could affect graft viability. Plug proudness of only 0.5 mm produced significant changes in CF and knee kinematics, and the clinically accepted 1-mm tolerance may need to be reexamined in view of our findings.
Using experimental sprinkler actuation times to assess the performance of Fire Dynamics Simulator
Authors: Hopkin Charlie , Spearpoint Michael , Bittern Adam
Published: May 2018

This article considers the predictive capabilities of Fire Dynamics Simulator for sprinkler actuation time when benchmarked against data from a series of 22 enclosure experiments. Sensitivity analyses have been undertaken for grid size, conductivity factor, radiative fraction and enclosure leakage areas. ‘Goodness of fit’ calculations indicate that Fire Dynamics Simulator is able to provide an average prediction of sprinkler actuation time within a Euclidean relative difference of 0.18. Comparisons to results determined in previous studies, using different modelling methods and Fire Dynamics Simulator versions, have also been made. The sensitivity analyses and comparisons indicate the importance of the decisions made by the modeller in representing fire scenarios, even when modelling ‘simple’ experiments where data for inputs such as the heat release rate, geometry and sprinkler characteristics are available. The comparisons therefore indicate that with the reduced degrees of freedom compared to other modelling studies, there is still potential for a range of assumptions and simulation results.
Sexual Health Consequences of Forced Sexual Debut Among Ugandan Women in HIV Serodiscordant Partnerships: Results From the HAARP Study
Authors: Muldoon Katherine A. , King Rachel , Zhang Wendy , Birungi Josephine , Nanfuka Mastula , Tibengana Samuel , Afolabi Omoboade , Moore David M.
Published: May 2018

Sexual coercion, especially forced sexual debut, is associated with lifelong adverse health consequences. This is compounded in regions, such as Uganda, where the dual impact of HIV and violence critically shapes women’s sexual health risks. Among a sample of women in HIV serodiscordant relationships, we investigated the prevalence and consequences of forced sexual debut. Data for this analysis come from the Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment as Prevention (HAARP) Study, a cohort of HIV serodiscordant couples in Jinja, Eastern Uganda, and investigates the role of forced sexual debut on two outcomes: age of sexual debut and having more than three lifetime sexual partners. Bivariate and multivariate linear regressions were used to model age at sexual debut using β and adjusted (A) β and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to model having more than three lifetime sexual partners and used odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted OR (AOR) and 95% CI. A total of 574 women were included in this analysis, median age 35 years, and 241 (41.99%) were living with HIV. A quarter (24.21%) of women experienced forced sexual debut at the median age of 16 years. Forced sexual debut was significantly associated with earlier age of sexual debut (β = –1.17, 95% CI: [–1.64, –0.68]). Forced sexual debut was significantly associated with having more than three sexual partners (AOR: 1.99, 95% CI: [1.33, 2.99]), in addition to older age (AOR: 1.02, 95% CI: [1.01, 1.05]). Speaking Lusoga, the primary language in Jinja (the study site) was associated with lower odds of having more than three sexual partners (AOR: 0.63, 95% CI: [0.43, 0.92]). Forced sexual debut was a common experience significantly associated with younger age of sexual debut and higher number of lifetime sexual partners. Safe and consensual first sexual experiences for young women play an important role in reducing HIV risk and lay the foundation for healthy and safe sexual health.
Statute and Implementation: How Phantom Policies Affect Tenure Value and Support
Authors: DeFeo Dayna Jean , Berman Matthew , Hirshberg Diane
Published: May 2018

Using survey responses from public school teachers and principals in Alaska, this article describes their understanding of tenure statute, and how that understanding affected support, perceived effectiveness, and valuation of tenure. Teachers and principals who inflated tenure protections were more likely to support it; the more teachers inflated tenure protections, the higher dollar value they placed on it. The article discusses the fiscal and policy implications of tenure inflation, noting that this garners the most criticism from education reformers, but concomitantly constitutes cost savings for taxpayers.
Deterministic robust control design for an iron core linear drive including second-order electrical dynamics
Authors: Villegas Fernando , Hecker Rogelio , Peña Miguel
Published: May 2018

This work proposes a deterministic robust controller to improve tracking performance for a linear motor, taking into account the electrical dynamics imposed by a commercial current controller. The design is split in two parts by means of the backstepping technique, in which the first part corresponds to a typical deterministic robust controller, neglecting the electrical dynamics. In the second part, a second-order electrical dynamics is considered using a particular state transformation. There, the proposed control law is composed of a term to compensate the known part of the model and a robust control term to impose a bound on the effect of uncertainties on tracking error. Stability and boundedness results for the complete controller are given. To this effect, a general result on boundedness and stability of nonlinear systems with conditionally bounded state variables is derived first. Finally, experimental results for the complete controller show an improvement on tracking error of up to 31.7% when compared with the results from the typical controller that neglects the electrical dynamics.
Job search information behaviours: An ego-net study of networking amongst young job-seekers
Authors: Mowbray John , Hall Hazel , Raeside Robert , Robertson Peter J.
Published: May 2018

Networking is considered an integral feature of job search, yet its behavioural manifestation has received little attention in the extant literature. Here this is addressed in a study of young job-seekers that adopted an egocentric network approach underpinned by Information Behaviour theory, with specific reference to Wilson’s model of information needs and seeking. The analysis of data from semi-structured interviews reveals that job-seekers acquire a broad range of job search information from contacts in their networks, and that the contributions of such contacts extend beyond the sharing of job vacancy alerts. In addition, in cases where social media platforms are accessed by job-seekers, these facilitate crucial ties to industry contacts, and provide valuable informational opportunities to those who adopt them. These findings contribute to a widened understanding of the information behaviours that support the effective mobilisation of contacts within social networks during job search, and are of particular interest to policy-makers whose remit includes the employability of the youth labour force.
Profiling Customers Based on Their Social Risk Perception: A Cluster Analysis Approach
Authors: Ghuman Mandeep Kaur , Mann Bikram Jit Singh
Published: May 2018

Past research asserts that social risk is an important determinant of consumer purchase behaviour; however, the characteristics of consumers who perceive high/low social risk in a purchase decision have been largely neglected. This study examines consumer social risk perception from a sample of Indian consumers of automobiles. The study segments the consumers using a cluster analysis, and explores differences between clusters based on consumers’ social risk perception and their psychological, cultural, and socio-demographic variables. Need for cognition (NFC) and risk-taking tendency are the two psychological variables focused in the study. The three cultural dimensions considered include collectivism, power distance, and masculinity. The cluster analysis yielded three clusters: high social risk perceivers, medium social risk perceivers, and low social risk perceivers. High social risk perceivers are found to be the individuals with high NFC, low risk-taking tendency, high collectivism, low power distance, and high masculinity. Medium social risk perceivers are the individuals with medium level of NFC, risk taking tendency and collectivism, and are low on power distance and masculinity. Low social risk perceivers are the consumers low in NFC, high in risk-taking tendency, low on collectivism, high on power distance, and low on masculinity. Further, each cluster was cross tabulated with consumer demographics.
Can Social Case Work be Interpreted to a Community as a Basic Approach to Human Problems?
Authors: Reynolds Bertha C.
Published: May 2018

The Milford Conference whose report on Generic Social Case Work was published by the A.A.S.W. in 1929 has reconvened this winter to study and discuss some of the matters of immediate importance to the field of social case work.

At its sessions on December 9–11, 1932, the Conference appointed two committees: one to consider the interpretation of social case work skills as a basic approach to human needs; the other to consider the integration of social case work services in the total community program so that they may fulfil their purposes both effectively and economically. It was suggested to both committees that they think in terms of social case work as a whole rather than of functional responsibilities of agencies. The report of the first committee was presented for discussion at the meeting of the Conference on January 13, 1933. We are privileged to present the report herewith as expressing the thinking of the committee and as a preliminary statement of discussions which will, it is hoped, later be incorporated in a report which will carry some of the implications of this discussion into the practical field of agency planning and equipment.—Editor's Note.
The Philosophy of Personnel Practices
Authors: Hill Ruth , White Helen C.
Published: May 2018

[There is probably no subject more vitally important to the field of social case work at the present time than that of building up and maintaining a staff of professionally and personally equipped case workers. On this depends the whole future of social case work, a method which most of us believe has been forged from the raw material of human misery and of human helpfulness in the furnace of social change. The Committee on Personnel of the Family Welfare Association of America has therefore taken its assignment very seriously. Rightly considered, each question of personnel policy involves our whole philosophy of social case work organization and its place in modern society. The question of salaries and vacation, for example, depends in a final analysis on the extent to which the board and the community believe in trained service as against mere kindly and economical relief of suffering, and this in turn depends upon the social philosophy of its members.

Fascinating as the pursuit of such a line of thought is, however, the Committee on Personnel decided that, in view of the pressing nature of the problems confronting boards of directors, executives, staff members, and clients–who are inevitably vitally affected–it should spend its available time in considering aspects of personnel policies and practices which might be of immediate assistance to those in the field who are struggling to uphold fundamental principles.

It plans to present, therefore, in successive articles (The Family and the commitments of the Committee members willing) the results of its deliberations while they are still in the tentative stage. The Committee hopes that in this way it may be of more immediate assistance to the field on the one hand, and on the other that it may have the benefit of the criticisms and suggestions of staff and board groups– which will in turn stimulate further thinking on the part of the Committee and will be incorporated in its final report. Four of the subjects considered by the divisions of the Committee are: philosophy, agency policies, participation, and evaluation of workers.

The Committee has met and faced the objection that situations are changing with such rapidity in these days that anything it may say may be out of date by the time it gets into print. On the other hand it expresses its firm belief that principles which are basic are worth stating, even though they may need re-interpretation or re-application within a very short space of time. The worst criticism that could possibly be made of any group's thinking in 1934 is that it considers it to be final. But only slightly less damning is the suggestion that because of the present uncertainties it is impossible or not worth while to think at all or, while thinking, to present the results to others.

Mary S. Brisley, Chairman, Committee on Personnel.]