bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical and experimental study of the impact of conical chimney angle on the thermodynamic characteristics of a solar chimney power plant
Authors: Nasraoui Haythem , Driss Zied , Ayadi Ahmed , Bouabidi Abdallah , Kchaou Hedi
Published: June 2019

The goal of this paper is to study and optimize the conical chimney angle (α) of a divergent solar chimney power plant (DSCPP) by using CFD technique. The local airflow characteristics were analyzed in four configurations with different conical angles α = 0°, α = 3°, α = 6° and α = 9°. The first design is validated experimentally by using a pilot prototype build at the National School of Engineers of Sfax, Tunisia. In addition, some experimental results of the temperature, the velocity and the power output were presented during a typical day. A novel mathematical correlation was developed to prove the effect of the conical angle and the DSCPP scale on the power output. In fact, the relationship between the optimum conical angle and the system scale was performed based on both quadratic and cubic regressions. The computational results ensure that the conical chimney angle presents a parabolic tendency with the turbulence airflow characteristics and the power output. The performance of the DSCCP was degraded since the conical angle is greater than α = 3°. Furthermore, the optimum angle decreases with an increasing system scale. A commercial solar chimney with a conical angle around α = 1° presents an efficient system.
The protective effect of ligustrazine on rats with cerebral ischemia–reperfusion injury via activating PI3K/Akt pathway
Authors: Ding Y , Du J , Cui F , Chen L , Li K
Published: June 2019

The study was to investigate the effects of ligustrazine on rats with cerebral ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury and to explore the potential mechanism. Transient focal cerebral ischemia Wistar rat model was established through middle cerebral artery occlusion. The cerebral I/R injury rats were treated with intraperitoneal injection of ligustrazine (1, 3, and 10 mg/kg). Human amniotic epithelial cells (HAECs) were treated with ligustrazine (1, 10, 100 μM) and PI3K inhibitor wortmannin (100 μM), following oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) treatment. The expression levels of protein kinase B (PKB or AKT), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and phosphor-eNOS (p-eNOS) in HAECs and brains of rats were measured by Western blot. The levels of nitric oxide (NO) in HAECs were measured by Griess method using NO2−/NO3− Assay Kit. Infarct volume and neurological deficits were evaluated 24 h after reperfusion. The levels of NO, p-Akt/Akt, and p-eNOS/eNOS in HAECs were significantly reduced after OGD, but ligustrazine treatment increased the levels of those factors in a dose-dependent manner, while those increases were reversed by PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. Similarly, p-Akt/Akt and p-eNOS/eNOS in brain tissue of rats with I/R were significantly reduced compared with control group ( p < 0.05), but ligustrazine treatment increased the levels of p-Akt and p-eNOS in a dose-dependent manner ( p < 0.05), while those increases were also reversed by using wortmannin. Ligustrazine also improved the damage of rat brain tissue caused by I/R, but wortmannin reversed the improvement. Ligustrazine plays a neuroprotective role in rats with cerebral I/R injury through the activation of PI3K/Akt pathway.
Book review: Ravi Chaudhry. Quest for Exceptional Leadership—Mirage to Reality (2E)
Authors: Kumar Sushil
Published: June 2019

Ravi Chaudhry. Quest for Exceptional Leadership—Mirage to Reality (2E). SAGE Publications.
Sexual Harassment as Courtship: Performing Hegemonic Masculinity in Contemporary Telugu Cinema
Authors: Mallam Sasi Kiran Reddy
Published: June 2019

This article analyses the courtship portrayals from six different Telugu films within the conceptual framework of masculinities, feminism and rape culture. The continuum of behaviours that define sexual harassment of woman is a key point of departure for this study. This article’s conclusion is based on the analysis of scenes and songs portraying courtship, which often borders on sexual harassment. The article also argues that these courtship behaviours are often influenced by the need to perform hegemonic masculinities and perpetuate a rape culture, denying agency to the woman’s characters in these films and in the society at large.
Experiencing Sustainability Education: Insights from a Living and Learning Programme
Authors: Lewis Robin A. , Kenerson Mollie J. , Sorrentino Carmen , Rowse Tarah H.
Published: June 2019

This article reports findings from the preliminary assessment of the Sustainable Living and Learning Community (SLLC) Programme, a yearlong and sustainability-focused living and learning programme. Using a multimethod approach that triangulates its findings based on quantitative and qualitative analysis of surveys, pre- and post-programme questionnaires and reflective journals, we found that a majority of students in the SLLC programme not only developed more nuanced understandings of the terms sustainability and consumption but also acknowledged their own roles in perpetuating unsustainable forms of consumption. Furthermore, 75 per cent of SLLC students modified their habits and behaviours with sustainability in mind and developed a deeper sense of agency that led some students to view sustainability as a form of activism.
Corporate Governance and Firm’s Profitability: An Emerging Economy-based Investigation
Authors: Meah Mohammad Rajon , Chaudhory Nasir Uddin
Published: June 2019

This article aims to investigate the impact of corporate governance through board size, female directors, family duality and director ownership on firm’s profitability in Bangladesh. It’s a quantitative study on 110 manufacturing firms listed in Dhaka Stock Exchange. Multivariate pooled Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regressions are applied on 512 sample-year observations from the year 2013 to 2017 to test the hypotheses in the study. On one side, the results reveal that larger board size and female directors on board are positively associated with firm’s profitability, which in turns helps to enhance firm’s profitability. On the other side, it is also found in the results that percentage of shares held by the directors and family duality are negatively related to firm’s profitability and thus reduces firm performance. The outcomes of this study advocate the policymakers to formulate a policy by addressing the percentage of shares held by the directors to be kept at a certain level.
Stability in the Xi Era: Trends in Ethnic Policy in Xinjiang and Tibet Since 2012
Authors: Godbole Avinash
Published: June 2019

This article looks at major trends in China’s minority policy under Xi Jinping. It studies various methods implemented in order to control the unrest including the usage of technology for the purpose of monitoring people’s digital and geographic footprints. It studies development versus stability debate and takes a cursory look at how BRI intersects the identity question. It also looks at various debates underway among the Chinese intelligentsia on the proper handling of the minority issue. Trend shows that under Xi, China’s ethnicity policy has hardenened is based on ensuring that the ethnic minority groups identify themselves as Chinese first before being Uighurs or Tibetans.
Chinese Nationalism Under Xi Jinping Revisited
Authors: Bhattacharya Abanti
Published: June 2019

In China, nationalism that took root in the era of globalization under the third-generation leadership of Jiang Zemin is principally meant to address the internal threats challenging party legitimacy and stability and not to resist the foreign enemies, as was the goal in the twentieth century. This is because internal stability is considered prerequisite to harness the potentials of globalization. Paradoxically therefore, nationalism and globalization, that are antithetical forces, go hand in hand in China. Under the current leadership, both the forces of nationalism and globalization are underscored in Xi Jinping’s dream project- the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Notably, the success of BRI is contingent on the persistence of globalization externally. But the rising trends of de-globalization in the West do not augur well for the BRI that has been envisaged to not only meet the demands of a slowing economy but to expand China’s global footprints, and thereby, fulfil the China Dream. Therefore, a sense of insecurity pervades Chinese nationalism. This ‘insecure’ nationalism under Xi Jinping is engendering a belligerent turn to Chinese foreign policy.
Utility of G protein-coupled receptor 35 expression for predicting outcome in colon cancer
Authors: Ali Haytham , AbdelMageed Manar , Olsson Lina , Israelsson Anne , Lindmark Gudrun , Hammarström Marie-Louise , Hammarström Sten , Sitohy Basel
Published: June 2019

The utility of mRNA and protein determinations of G protein-coupled receptor 35, that is, GPR35a (GPR35 V1) and GPR35b (GPR35 V2/3), as indicators of outcome for colon cancer patients after curative surgery was investigated. Expression levels of V1 and V2/3 GPR35, carcinoembryonic antigen and CXCL17 mRNAs were assessed in primary tumours and regional lymph nodes of 121 colon cancer patients (stage I–IV), colon cancer cell lines and control colon epithelial cells using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Expression of G protein-coupled receptor 35 was investigated by two-colour immunohistochemistry and immunomorphometry. GPR35 V2/3 mRNA, but not V1 mRNA, was expressed in colon cancer cell lines, primary colon tumours and control colon epithelial cells. Haematoxylin and eosin positive (H&E(+)), but not H&E(–), lymph nodes expressed high levels of GPR35 V2/3 mRNA ( P<0.0001). GPR35b and carcinoembryonic antigen proteins were simultaneously expressed in many colon cancer tumour cells. Kaplan–Meier and hazard ratio analysis revealed that patients with lymph nodes expressing high levels of GPR35 V2/3 mRNA and, in particular, in the group of patients with lymph nodes also expressing carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA, had a short disease-free survival time, 67 months versus 122 months at 12-year follow-up (difference: 55 months, P = 0.001; hazard ratio: 3.6, P = 0.002). In conclusion, high level expression of G protein-coupled receptor 35 V2/3 mRNA in regional lymph nodes of colon cancer patients is a sign of poor prognosis.
The shearing performance of a beam-column joint in a reinforced concrete frame subjected to bidirectional loading
Authors: Li Zhenbao , Cui Yanwei , Song Kun , Ma Hua , Tang Zhenyun
Published: June 2019

The anti-seismic capability of beam-column joints in reinforced concrete frame structures undergoing bidirectional loading may be lower than the designed capability for unidirectional earthquake action. To date, detailed calculation methods for the shear capability and shearing performance for joints in reinforced concrete frames subjected to bidirectional loading have not been reported. In this work, the shear mechanism of the beam-column joint in a reinforced concrete frame under bidirectional loading is analyzed. The study shows that when a synthetic shear force is imposed on the joint, the oblique compression zone comes into being at the corner of the joint, and the oblique compression strut is formed in the core area of the joint, which is different from the shear mechanism of the joint under unidirectional loading. A shear capacity calculation model is established based on the strut-and-tie model. Through the testing of reinforced concrete frame joints under bidirectional monotonous loading, the combined shear and deformation in the joint are obtained, the mechanical properties in each principal plane and in the combined shear action plane are analyzed, the shearing performance of the joints in a reinforced concrete frame under bidirectional loading is defined, and the shear contributions of hoop and column reinforcement are verified. The predicted values of the shear capability in this work are in good agreement with the reported experimental results.
Identification of external forces via truncated response sparse decomposition under unknown initial conditions
Authors: Pan Chudong , Yu Ling
Published: June 2019

When structural dynamic design for smart control and health monitoring is executed, imposed excitations on structures are one of most important issues in structural engineering. Identification of structural excitations, such as force reconstruction, moving force identification, and so on, has drawn increasing attentions in the last decades. Assumption of known initial conditions is a precondition for existing deterministic force reconstruction methods. However, initial conditions are often unknown and hard to be estimated. To address this problem, a novel truncated response sparse decomposition method is proposed for calculating the external forces under unknown initial conditions. The truncated response sparse decomposition involves two basic steps, that is, response sparse decomposition and force estimation. First, a collection of basis vectors is defined for expressing unknown forces. Unknown initial conditions are represented in modal space. Structural responses induced by both external forces and initial conditions are then normalized as potential response features to form an image dictionary, which is adapted to decompose the measured responses via sparse regularization. Second, the response features with lower decomposed amplitudes and small scaling factors are eliminated from the decomposed results. The remaining features are used for estimating the external forces. In order to assess the accuracy and the feasibility of the proposed force reconstruction method, some numerical simulations on a planar truss structure and a series of experimental studies are carried out. The illustrated results show the robustness and the applicability of the proposed method for addressing the force reconstruction problem under unknown initial conditions. Some related issues are discussed as well.
Netnography as a marketing research tool in the fashion industry in Southeast Europe
Authors: Xharavina Natyra , Kapoulas Alexandros , Miaoulis George
Published: June 2019

In the past decades, marketing has been revolutionized by digital sources, which provide marketers with rich information on potential consumers. Consequently, this article explores the evolving opportunities that online communities present to marketers in collecting consumer insights. It advances Southeast Europe’s marketing researchers’ understanding of netnography by introducing them to its concept, procedures, and implications. This study triangulates the data through utilizing seven one-to-one in-depth interviews with fashion designers, employing two focus groups with fashion consumers who actively congregate in online communities, and through conducting netnography on a fashion-related online community. This article demonstrates netnography practices, and experiences with the goal of having fashion designers and marketers understand its potential as an efficient method for providing effective qualitative market intelligence. It shows that netnography is a relatively easy, cost-effective and time-efficient approach, and it supports brand development through achieving a better understanding of consumer perceptions. Overall, netnography has great potential as a marketing research tool. Online fashion community members’ views support it as most of them prefer to participate in netnographic research. Nevertheless, the majority of fashion designers in Southeast Europe are not fully aware of the method and its exact procedures and, hence, avoid using it.
Experimental validation of colour rendition specification criteria based on ANSI/IES TM-30-18
Authors: Royer MP , Wei M , Wilkerson A , Safranek S
Published: June 2019

An experiment was conducted to examine colour rendition specification criteria. Twenty-five participants each evaluated 90 lighting scenes in a room filled with objects. The lighting scenes included nine chromaticity groups, each with 10 systematically-varied colour rendition conditions designed to meet or not meet previously proposed colour preference specification criteria using the ANSI/IES TM-30-18 measures: Fidelity Index ( Rf), Gamut Index ( Rg) and red Local Chroma Shift ( Rcs,h1). The colour rendition conditions did not meet the criterion for none, one, two or all three of these measures. Participants, who chromatically adapted to each chromaticity group, rated the objects' colour appearance on eight-point scales for saturated–dull, normal–shifted and like-dislike (preference), as well as a binary for acceptable or unacceptable. The findings corroborate past work, but also indicate that colour preference criteria could be adjusted slightly to improve performance, with Tier A having Rf ≥ 78, Rg ≥ 95 and −1% ≤  Rcs,h1 ≤ 15%, Tier B having Rf ≥ 74, Rg ≥ 92 and −7% ≤  Rcs,h1 ≤ 19%, and Tier C having Rf ≥ 70, Rg ≥ 89 and −12% ≤  Rcs,h1 ≤ 23%. A companion regression analysis shows models based on Rf, Rg and Rcs,h1 were superior in predicting colour preference compared to those using other measures of colour rendition.
Reprehensible, Laughable: The Role of Contempt in Negative Campaigning
Authors: Roseman Ira J. , Mattes Kyle , Redlawsk David P. , Katz Steven
Published: June 2019

Negativity is common in political rhetoric and advertising, but its effects are variable. One important moderator may be the specific emotions communicated by the messages and potentially in recipients. Contempt may be the emotion often conveyed by uncivil ads, which have attracted considerable interest, particularly in light of increased partisan polarization. Using data from web-based surveys in New Jersey and Iowa, we examine the role contempt played in two U.S. Senate races in 2014. We find respondents perceived contempt—more than anxiety or anger—in four televised negative campaign ads and in candidates’ statements about opponents. Moreover, respondents’ feelings of contempt toward candidates, though less intense than feelings of anger, were of equal or greater significance than anger or anxiety in predicting voting intentions regarding three of the four Senate candidates across the two elections.
Examining High School Student Engagement and Critical Factors in Dropout Prevention
Authors: Stevenson Nathan A. , Swain-Bradway Jessica , LeBeau Brandon C.
Published: June 2019

There is a well-known positive relation between student engagement and a host of school outcomes. The following article describes a study that explores a commonly used tool for measuring engagement in high schools. Specifically, this study examined internal validity, factor structure, and the relation between factors of engagement (e.g., social, emotional, and academic) and outcomes of school attendance and suspension rates. Data were collected for 7,718 students in ninth through 12th grade. Engagement was measured using the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). Analyses raise concern over the degree to which the structure of HSSSE fits with established constructs of engagement. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Equity-Oriented Data Use: Identifying and Addressing Food Insecurity at Copper Springs Middle School
Authors: Atwood Erin D. , Jimerson Jo Beth , Holt Briana
Published: June 2019

Using data is foundational to school leadership; however, when “data” are narrowly construed as academic outcomes, important data perceived as tangential to academics can be backgrounded, ignored, or unused. Today’s school leaders must also attend to data around chronic absenteeism, discipline, learning climate, and social, emotional, and physical well-being—all of which factor into students’ ability and readiness to learn. In this case, educators at Copper Springs Middle School move from frustrations with “poor student choices” to a better understanding of student needs and issues related to food insecurity through the collection and analysis of broader data through an equity lens.
Determination of Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase 2 Acetylation Genotype by PCR and Phenotyping Using Dapsone Through High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography Assay: A Gender Wise Study
Authors: Akhter Naheed , Iqbal Tahira , Jamil Amer , Akram Muhammad , Tahir Imtiaz Mehmood , Munir Naveed
Published: June 2019

The main aim of the study was to establish the acetylation status of local population of Pakistan by N-acetyltransferase 2 (NAT2) enzyme and to find out the concordance between phenotypic and genotypic methods for the determination of NAT2 acetylation. Gender-wise comparison of selected healthy male and female volunteers aged greater than 18 years was also conducted to see the effect of sex on NAT2 acetylation. Phenotypically, the rate of acetylation was determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography with dapsone (DDS) probe drug, while genotypically, NAT2 acetylation was determined by using specific primers for NAT2 variant alleles (M1, M2, and M3) amplified in separate polymerase chain reactions. High-pressure liquid chromatography results indicated 64% of the male volunteers to be fast acetylators while 36% were slow acetylators, while ratio of fast and slow acetylators for female was found to be 66% and 34%, respectively. Genotypically, the ratio of fast and slow for male was 60% and 40% and for female was 66% and 34%, respectively. The distribution of 3 NAT2 variant alleles was found in invariable number. For male volunteers, the highest frequency distribution showed by M2 allele was 56%, while for M1 and M3 the frequency was 32% and 12%, respectively, and for female volunteers highest frequency (51%) was shown by the M2 variant allele while lowest frequency (18%) was shown by M3 allele. There was the 94% concordance between the DDS phenotype and genotype. Gender effect on the acetylation was found to be nonsignificant ( P > .05). Therefore, it is concluded that NAT2 acetylation rate can be used to check in vivo acetylation status with dapsone as probe drug. It is concluded that NAT2 acetylation rate was unaffected by gender and can be used to check in vivo acetylation status with dapsone as probe drug, which is inexpensive and less time-consuming.
Arterial collateral circulation pathways in patients with aortoiliac occlusive disease
Authors: Katsaros Ioannis , Georgakarakos Efstratios , Frigkas Konstantinos , Tasopoulou Kalliopi-Maria , Souftas Vasileios , Fiska Aliki
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Aortoiliac occlusive disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients typically present with intermittent claudication or critical limb ischemia but the majority of them remain asymptomatic. Collateral arterial pathways restore the arterial blood supply distal to the lesions. The objective of this study is the description of collateral pathways’ patterns of aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Methods

Records from the Department of Vascular Surgery of University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis were retrospectively searched from March 2016 to August 2018 for patients suffering from aortoiliac occlusive disease.

Results

Thirty-three patients (24 males, 9 females) with a mean age of 64.2 ± 11.8 years were included in this study. Twenty-two patients had diabetes mellitus, 25 hypertension, and 16 dyslipidemia. Twenty-two were active smokers. Seventeen patients suffered from intermittent claudication and 16 patients presented with critical limb ischemia. Seven patients had TASC-II B lesions, 10 TASC-II C lesions, and 16 patients had TASC-II D lesions. Systemic collateral pathways were dominant in 17 patients, whereas visceral pathways were prominent in 16 patients. While 62.5% of patients having lesions in the abdominal aorta presented systemic pathways, the lesions located only in the iliac arteries followed visceral patterns or systematic patterns equally.

Conclusions

Collateral anastomotic networks provide blood supply to regions distal to aortoiliac occlusive lesions. Their pattern is defined mainly by the location of the lesion and does not seem to associate with comorbid factors or the extent of the lesion. Failure to recognize these networks during surgery could lead to limb threatening situations.
Role-based collaborative task planning of heterogeneous multi-autonomous underwater vehicles
Authors: Zhang Lanyong , Zhang Lei , Liu Sheng
Published: June 2019

The multi-autonomous underwater vehicles (Multi-AUVs) cluster is an important means to solve the marine tasks effectively. The heterogeneous Multi-AUVs are constrained by cooperative relationship, and a model of multi-autonomous underwater vehicles role-based collaborative task planning is proposed. The Multi-AUVs are set to different roles depending on the functional properties. To analyze the accountability of each role, and to ensure the reliability, the desired behavior and the estimate state of each role are described in the model. Task allocation needs to be implemented dynamically in path planning, for the existing of the cooperative relationships and the demand of tasks changes. Role-based task assessment and allocation methods are proposed to achieve dynamic adjustment of roles according to task requirements. Due to poor underwater communication conditions, the implicit coordination framework is implied to the coordinate information interaction to compensate the large delays in underwater communications and the reliance between Multi-AUVs. To adapt to the implicit collaborative framework and poor communication conditions, a variable communication radius (contract network) is proposed. The simulation result shows that the proposed method has well performance.
Online news coverage of female perpetrators during the October 2015 wave of violence of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict
Authors: Lavie-Dinur Amit , Yarchi Moran , Karniel Yuval
Published: June 2019

Based on the authors’ understanding regarding the effect of ethnocentric coverage, on one hand, and the tendency of the media to cover female perpetrators differently, on the other, the current study aimed to examine how leading Israeli news websites ( N = 1,832) covered female versus male perpetrators during the October 2015 wave of violence. Their goal was to examine if differences between the coverage of female and male perpetrators exist, or if all perpetrators are grouped together and depicted as a single common enemy. In other words, they sought to understand the intersection of two journalistic tendencies: (1) does the ethnocentric frame hold consistently, or (2) do gender considerations overpower the consistent ethnocentric frame? Findings indicate that there were significant differences in how male and female perpetrators were covered by the media. Articles regarding female perpetrators included more information about their personal, familial and mental states than for males. Moreover, more information was given regarding female perpetrators’ motives, which were mostly ideological. Unlike in previous studies, the authors failed to find an emphasis on female perpetrators’ physical appearance. A possible explanation may come from the dominance of the ethnic framing exemplified by the Israeli media.
Enhanced circulating levels of CD3 cells‐derived extracellular vesicles in different forms of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Kosanovic Djuro , Deo Ujjwal , Gall Henning , Selvakumar Balachandar , Herold Susanne , Weiss Astrid , Petrovic Aleksandar , Sydykov Akylbek , Ghofrani Hossein Ardeschir , Schermuly Ralph Theo
Published: June 2019

It has been shown previously that increased circulating endothelial cells‐derived extracellular vesicles represent an important pathological attribute of pulmonary hypertension. Although it is a well‐known fact that inflammatory cells may also release extracellular vesicles, and pulmonary hypertension is a disease associated with abnormal inflammation, there is no profound knowledge with regard to the role of inflammatory cells‐derived extracellular vesicles. Therefore, our study demonstrated that circulating levels of extracellular vesicles derived from T‐cells are enhanced in various pulmonary hypertension forms and that endothelial cells‐derived extracellular vesicles may have distinctive profiles in different clinical subgroups of pulmonary hypertension, which still remains as a poorly treatable and life‐threatening disorder.
Pervasive game design to evaluate social interaction effects on levels of physical activity among older adults
Authors: Santos Luciano HO , Okamoto Kazuya , Hiragi Shusuke , Yamamoto Goshiro , Sugiyama Osamu , Aoyama Tomoki , Kuroda Tomohiro
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Promoting active lifestyles among older adults can bring drastic benefits for their quality of life. The innovative mechanics of pervasive games – that mix real and virtual worlds – can further engage and motivate elderly people into that goal. Using social interaction as a study case, we designed and evaluated the feasibility of a pervasive game to investigate how game design elements can affect the levels of physical activity of older adults.

Methods

A mobile, location-based pervasive game was developed, and a study with community dwelling elderly volunteers from Kyoto, Japan was performed to evaluate its feasibility as an experiment system.

Results

Participants reported that the theme and visual style of the game was adequate, and that game rules and goals could be easily understood. The game was considered enjoyably challenging and engaging. Further analysis showed that next iterations of the system must pay special attention to the level of complexity of controls, and that new ways to connect players when there are few people playing or when they are too far apart are necessary.

Conclusions

The design allowed to test for variations on pervasive mechanics and was effective to engage elderly people, encouraging further investigation.
Phase 1b study of the MDM2 inhibitor AMG 232 with or without trametinib in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Erba Harry P. , Becker Pamela S. , Shami Paul J. , Grunwald Michael R. , Flesher Donna L. , Zhu Min , Rasmussen Erik , Henary Haby A. , Anderson Abraham A. , Wang Eunice S.
Published: June 2019

This open-label, phase 1 study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and maximum tolerated dose of AMG 232, an investigational oral, selective mouse double minute 2 homolog inhibitor in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AMG 232 was administered orally once daily for 7 days every 2 weeks (7 on/off) at 60, 120, 240, 360, 480, or 960 mg as monotherapy (arm 1) or at 60 mg with trametinib 2 mg (arm 2). Dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), adverse events (AEs), pharmacokinetics, clinical and pharmacodynamic response, and expression of p53 target genes were assessed. All 36 patients received AMG 232. No DLTs occurred in arm 1, and 360 mg was the highest test dose; dose escalation was halted due to gastrointestinal AEs at higher doses. One of ten patients in arm 2 had a DLT (grade 3 fatigue); 60 mg was the highest dose tested with trametinib. Common treatment-related AEs (any grade) included nausea (58%), diarrhea (56%), vomiting (33%), and decreased appetite (25%). AMG 232 exhibited linear pharmacokinetics unaffected by coadministration with trametinib. Serum macrophage inhibitor cytokine-1 and bone marrow expression of BAX, PUMA, P21, and MDM2 increased during treatment. Of 30 evaluable patients, 1 achieved complete remission, 4 had morphologic leukemia-free state, and 1 had partial remission. Four of 13 (31%) TP53-wild-type patients and 0 of 3 (0%) TP53-mutant patients were responders. AMG 232 was associated with gastrointestinal AEs at higher doses but had acceptable pharmacokinetics, on-target effects, and promising clinical activity warranting further investigation in patients with relapsed/refractory AML. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02016729.
Odilon Redon’s noir drawings: characterization of materials and methods using noninvasive imaging and spectroscopies
Authors: Daly Nathan S. , Sullivan Michelle , Lee Lynn , Delaney John K. , Trentelman Karen
Published: June 2019

The artist Odilon Redon (1840–1916) was a French symbolist known for both the dark, surreal prints and drawings he created in the first half of his career, as well as the colorful pastel works that characterized the second half of his career. This study examines two drawings by Redon in the J. Paul Getty Museum collection—Apparition (ca. 1880–1890) and Head within an Aureole (ca. 1894–1895)—executed during the period in his career in which he was transitioning between these two modes. In order to better understand the materials the artist chose and the methods by which he applied them, two noninvasive, macroscopic characterization techniques—macro X-ray fluorescence (MA-XRF) scanning and reflectance imaging spectroscopy (RIS)—were employed. These techniques allowed the materials present to be distinguished and the relationship between their applications visualized. Coupled with fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) and Raman microspectroscopy with principal component analysis (PCA), these results give new insight into the materials and methods used by Redon. Six distinct black drawing materials and a yellow pastel were identified in Apparition, underscoring the complexity of Redon’s noir drawings. As he began using color pastel more frequently he seemed to use a simplified black palette; in Head within an Aureole the artist used only two black drawing materials and three color pastels (two pink and one blue). This research provides a framework for future noninvasive technical analysis of works by Redon in other collections as well as mixed media drawings more generally.
Organizing Online Health Content: Developing Hashtag Collections for Healthier Internet-Based People and Communities
Authors: Katz Matthew S. , Anderson Patricia F. , Thompson Michael A. , Salmi Liz , Freeman-Daily Janet , Utengen Audun , Dizon Don S. , Blotner Charlie , Cooke David T. , Sparacio Dee , Staley Alicia C. , Fisch Michael J. , Young Colleen , Attai Deanna J.
Published: June 2019

Twitter use has increased among patients with cancer, advocates, and oncology professionals. Hashtags, a form of metadata, can be used to share content, organize health information, and create virtual communities of interest. Cancer-specific hashtags modeled on a breast cancer community, #bcsm, led to the development of a structured set of hashtags called the cancer tag ontology. In this article, we review how these hashtags have worked with the aim of describing our experience from 2011 to 2017. We discuss useful guidelines for the development and maintenance of health-oriented communities on Twitter, including possible challenges to community sustainability and opportunities for future improvement and research.
Cost Effectiveness of Interval Cytoreductive Surgery With Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy in Stage III Ovarian Cancer on the Basis of a Randomized Phase III Trial
Authors: Koole Simone N. , van Lieshout Christiaan , van Driel Willemien J. , van Schagen Evi , Sikorska Karolina , Kieffer Jacobien M. , Schagen van Leeuwen Jules H. , Schreuder Henk W.R. , Hermans Ralph H. , de Hingh Ignace H. , van der Velden Jacobus , Arts Henriette J. , Massuger Leon F.A.G. , Aalbers Arend G. , Verwaal Victor J. , Van de Vijver Koen K. , Aaronson Neil K. , van Tinteren Harm , Sonke Gabe S. , van Harten Wim H. , Retèl Valesca P.
Published: June 2019

PURPOSE

In the randomized open-label phase III OVHIPEC trial, the addition of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) to interval cytoreductive surgery (CRS) improved recurrence-free and overall survival in patients with stage III ovarian cancer. We studied the cost effectiveness of the addition of HIPEC to interval CRS in patients with ovarian cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We constructed a Markov health-state transition model to measure costs and clinical outcomes. Transition probabilities were derived from the OVHIPEC trial by fitting survival distributions. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), expressed as euros per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY), was calculated from a Dutch societal perspective, with a time horizon of 10 years. Univariable and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate the decision uncertainty.

RESULTS

Total health care costs were €70,046 (95% credibility interval [CrI], €64,016 to €76,661) for interval CRS compared with €85,791 (95% CrI, €78,766 to €93,935) for interval CRS plus HIPEC. The mean QALY in the interval CRS group was 2.12 (95% CrI, 1.66 to 2.64 QALYs) and 2.68 (95% CrI, 2.11 to 3.28 QALYs) in the interval CRS plus HIPEC group. The ICER amounted to €28,299/QALY. In univariable sensitivity analysis, the utility of recurrence-free survival and the number of days in the hospital affected the calculated ICER most.

CONCLUSION

On the basis of the trial data, treatment with interval CRS and HIPEC in patients with stage III ovarian cancer was accompanied by a substantial gain in QALYs. The ICER is below the willingness-to-pay threshold in the Netherlands, indicating interval CRS and HIPEC is cost effective for this patient population. These results lend additional support for reimbursing the costs of treating these patients with interval CRS and HIPEC in countries with comparable health care systems.
Is Government Spending at the Zero Lower Bound Desirable?
Authors: Bilbiie Florin O. , Monacelli Tommaso , Perotti Roberto
Published: June 2019

We build a medium-scale DSGE model and calibrate it to fit the main macroeconomic variables during the US Great Recession. Using it to evaluate the welfare effects of increasing government consumption at the zero lower bound beyond what was actually observed in the data, we reach three main results. First, the increase in government consumption after 2008, albeit small in present value terms, was close to optimal. Second, frontloading the same stimulus would have been welfare-improving. Third, larger welfare effects occur in our model for parameter values implying either large welfare costs of modest recessions (e.g., high consumption curvature), or outright large recessions. (JEL E12, E32, E43, E62, H50)
Assessing the impact of Argo floats temperature measurements on the numerical weather prediction forecast skill
Authors: VARLAS GEORGE , KATSAFADOS PETROS , KORRES GERASIMOS , PAPADOPOULOS ANASTASIOS
Published: June 2019

The forecast skill of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models relies, among other factors such as the prediction itself and the assimilation scheme, on the accuracy of the observations utilized in the assimilation systems for the production of initial and boundary conditions. One of the most crucial parameters in weather forecasting is the sea surface temperature (SST). In the majority of NWP models, the initial and lower boundary conditions involve gridded (SST) analyses which consist of data obtained by buoys, ships and satellites. The main aim of this study is to integrate Argo temperature measurements in gridded SST analyses and to assess their impact on the forecast skill of a limited area atmospheric model. Argo floats are “state-of-the-art” oceanographic instruments producing high-quality temperature profiles for the ice-free ocean. In this study, Argo temperatures are incorporated into gridded SST fields without applying any smoothing method in order to directly assess the impact of Argo temperatures on numerical weather prediction. Their impact is assessed under intense weather cyclonic conditions at the Mediterranean Sea by performing two sensitivity simulations either incorporating or not Argo temperatures into gridded SST fields used in the generation of the initial and lower boundary conditions. The results indicate that the inclusion of Argo-measured near-surface temperatures in the lower boundary condition modifies the surface heat fluxes, thus affecting mean sea level pressure and precipitation. In particular, an overall improvement of the precipitation forecast skill up to 3% has been demonstrated. Moreover, the incorporation of Argo temperatures affects the simulated track and intensity of the cyclone over the Balkan Peninsula.
Spatial and temporal variations of tintinnids (Ciliata: Protozoa) in the Bay of Mersin, Northeastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: POLAT SEVIM , TERBIYIK KURT TUBA , TUĞRUL SÜLEYMAN
Published: June 2019

Seasonal variations in species composition and abundance of tintinnids were investigated in the eutrophic coastal and offshore waters of Mersin Bay. Twelve sampling cruises were performed from September 2008 to February 2011. A total of 85 tintinnid taxa were identified. Among the recorded genera, agglutinated Tintinnopsis had the largest number of species (12 species), followed by hyaline loricated Eutintinnius (9 species), and Proplectella (7 species). Stenosemella ventricosa, Tintinnopsis beroidea, T. compressa, Favella azorica, and Helicostemella subulata were the dominant species during the study period. There were clear seasonal variations in species composition and abundance of tintinnids. The highest number of tintinnid species occurred in January 2009 and November 2010 in the entire study area, while the lowest species number occurred in March 2009. Morever, species numbers were higher in offshore stations than coastal stations. Some species were present in the coastal area of the bay, and other species were present offshore. The highest tintinnid abundance values were found in September 2008 (820 ind L-1) and August 2009 (749 ind L-1) at coastal stations. The high abundance values in the coastal stations indicates that an increase of tintinnids is closely related to trophic status of the marine environment. In connection with these results, correlation analysis revealed that chlorophyll-a had an important effect on tintinnid abundance. Tintinnid communities may be used as a potential bio-indicator for assessing the trophic state of the coastal seas and bays.
British sharks in Sicily: records of long distance migration of tope shark (Galeorhinus galeus) from North-eastern Atlantic to Mediterranean Sea.
Authors: COLLOCA FRANCESCO , SCANNELLA DANILO , GERACI MICHELE LUCA , FALSONE FABIO , BATISTA GIUSTO , VITALE SERGIO , DI LORENZO MANFREDI , ΒΟΝΟ GIOACCHINO
Published: June 2019

The study reports information about the recapture of two tagged adult females of tope shark, Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus 1758), in the central Mediterranean Sea (south coasts of Sicily) in 2014 and 2017. The two females were tagged in North-East Atlantic, respectively in Scotland in 2009 and Ireland in 2015. The Scottish specimen was a 175 cm female increasing of about 10 kg in body weight and 37 cm in total length during its 1967 days at liberty (5.39 years). The Irish one, was a pregnant female of an estimated age of 15-17 year which spent 248 days at liberty increasing 14 cm during this period. The growth rate of the two specimens was therefore between 6.8 and 7.8 cm year-1, faster than the annual increments of adults suggested in previous studies. Previous tope recapture records in the Mediterranean Sea were limited to the Alboran Sea, coast of Valencia and the Algerian coasts. The two tope females recaptured in the Strait of Sicily provided the first evidence of long distance entrance of NE Atlantic tope in the Mediterranean Sea. The well known occurrence of mature females and juveniles in this area of the Mediterranean suggest the hypothesis of a migration of adults female from their feeding grounds in north eastern Atlantic to lower latitudes up to the Mediterranean Sea for parturition.
First report of the scavenging isopod Natatolana neglecta (Crustacea: Isopoda: Cirolanidae) feeding on a sea turtle
Authors: REVUELTA OHIANA , DOMÈNECH FRANCESC , KEABLE STEPHEN , MÍGUEZ-LOZANO RAÚL
Published: June 2019

A juvenile male loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) was found dead in April 2015, entangled in a trammel net on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. Post-mortem examination revealed the presence of ninety-five isopods dispersed in the coelomic cavity, and inside the oesophagus and skull. All individuals found scavenging on the sea turtle were identified as Natatolana neglecta (Hansen, 1890) (Isopoda: Cirolanidae). Genetic analysis of the isopod gut contents showed that they were feeding on turtle tissue, confirming that N. neglecta can also attack dead sea turtles. This study shows the value of cirolanids as potential indicators of the cause of death in stranded sea turtles.
Emerging Hand Foot Mouth Disease in Bangladeshi Children- First Report of Rapid Appraisal on Pocket Outbreak: Clinico-epidemiological Perspective Implicating Public Health Emergency
Authors: Hossain Khan Md. Azraf , Anwar Kazi Selim , Muraduzzaman A. K. M. , Hossain Mollah Md. Abid , Akhter-ul-Alam S. M. , Munisul Islam Kazi , Hoque Sheikh Ariful , Nazrul Islam Md. , Ali Md. Ahasan
Published: June 2019

Background: Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is a common contagious disease among children under 5 years, particularly in the Asia-Pacific-region. We report a localized outbreak of childhood HFMD for the first time from Bangladesh, diagnosed only based on clinical features due to lack in laboratory-diagnostic facilities.

Methods: Following the World Health Organization’s case-definition, we conducted a rapid-appraisal of HFMD among all of the 143 children attending Pabna Medical College and General Hospital with fever, mouth ulcers and extremity rash. Data were collected between September and November 2017 using a preset syndromic approach and stringent differential diagnostic-protocols.

Results: The mean age of children was 2.9±2.3 years. There was a significant difference among the age and sex of children (P=0.98), first sibling being more belonging to middle-income families (62%). Younger children (<5 years) were more likely to suffer with moderate-to-high (38.5°C) fever (P<0.04), painful oral ulcers (P<0.03) and painful/itchy rash (P<0.01). Sex did not differ with other symptoms, but boys had less painful oral ulcers than girls (P<0.04). Fever (63%) and chicken-pox-like-rash (62%) was observed more in mid-October to mid-November than September to mid-October (P<0.01 and P<0.03, respectively). No differences in symptoms (fever, oral ulcers and extremity rash) were observed with precipitation, nor with ambient temperature. Children <5 years (85%) had quicker recovery (within 5 days) than those ≥5 years (69%), (P<0.04), with marginal differences in sex (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Our findings highlight potential usefulness in diagnosing HFMD based on clinical parameters, although stringent differential diagnosis remains indispensable, which is particularly applicable for resource-constrained countries lacking appropriate virology/essential laboratories. Since no specific treatment or effective vaccination is available for HFMD, supportive therapy and preventive measures remain the primary methods to circumvent disease-transmission augmented by climate-related factors. Standardized virology laboratory warrants appropriate diagnosis and globally representative multivalent-vaccine deem essential towards preventing HFMD.
The neurobiological mechanism underlying hypothalamic GnRH pulse generation: the role of kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus
Authors: Plant Tony M.
Published: June 2019

This review recounts the origins and development of the concept of the hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generator. It starts in the late 1960s when striking rhythmic episodes of luteinizing hormone secretion, as reflected by circulating concentrations of this gonadotropin, were first observed in monkeys and ends in the present day. It is currently an exciting time witnessing the application, primarily to the mouse, of contemporary neurobiological approaches to delineate the mechanisms whereby Kiss1/NKB/Dyn (KNDy) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus generate and time the pulsatile output of kisspeptin from their terminals in the median eminence that in turn dictates intermittent GnRH release and entry of this decapeptide into the primary plexus of the hypophysial portal circulation. The review concludes with an examination of questions that remain to be addressed.