bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preventing violence against refugee adolescent girls: findings from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Ethiopia
Authors: Stark Lindsay , Asghar Khudejha , Seff Ilana , Yu Gary , Tesfay Gessesse Teame , Ward Leora , Assazenew Baysa Asham , Neiman Amy , Falb Kathryn L
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Interpersonal violence is a critical public health concern in humanitarian contexts, but evidence of effective violence prevention programmes targeting adolescent girls is lacking. We investigated the efficacy of a life skills and safe spaces programme to reduce adolescent girls’ experiences of interpersonal violence in a refugee setting.

Methods

In this two-arm, single-blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial, we recruited 919 Sudanese and South Sudanese girls ages 13–19 years residing in refugee camps in Ethiopia. Girls were divided into 31 clusters, with 457 and 462 participants assigned to the intervention and control arms, respectively. Intervention clusters received 30 life skills sessions delivered in safe spaces and 8 complementary sessions for caregivers. The primary outcome was exposure to sexual violence in the previous 12 months. Secondary outcomes included disaggregated forms of sexual violence, physical violence, emotional violence, transactional sex, child marriage, feelings of safety, attitudes around rites of passage and perceptions of social support. Intent-to-treat analysis was used.

Results

At 12-month follow-up, the intervention was not significantly associated with reduction in exposure to sexual violence (adjusted OR =0.96, 95%  CI 0.59 to 1.57), other forms of violence, transactional sex or feelings of safety. The intervention was associated with improvements in attitudes around rites of passage and identified social supports. Additionally, the intervention showed a decrease in reported child marriage among girls who were married at baseline.

Conclusion

While the intervention impacted key markers along the causal pathway to violence reduction, further research and programmatic adaptations are needed to prevent violence towards adolescents in humanitarian contexts.

Trial registration

NCT02506543.
Emerging implications of policies on malaria treatment: genetic changes in thePfmdr-1gene affecting susceptibility to artemether–lumefantrine and artesunate–amodiaquine in Africa
Authors: Okell Lucy C , Reiter Lisa Malene , Ebbe Lene Sandø , Baraka Vito , Bisanzio Donal , Watson Oliver J , Bennett Adam , Verity Robert , Gething Peter , Roper Cally , Alifrangis Michael
Published: October 2018

Artemether–lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate–amodiaquine (AS-AQ) are the most commonly used artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) for treatment ofPlasmodium falciparumin Africa. Both treatments remain efficacious, but single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in thePlasmodiumfalciparummultidrug resistance 1 (Pfmdr1) gene may compromise sensitivity. AL and AS-AQ exert opposing selective pressures: parasites with genotype 86Y, Y184 and 1246Y are partially resistant to AS-AQ treatment, while N86, 184 F and D1246 are favoured by AL treatment. Through a systematic review, we identified 397 surveys measuring the prevalence ofPfmdr1polymorphisms at positions 86 184 or 1246 in 30 countries in Africa. Temporal trends in SNP frequencies after introduction of AL or AS-AQ as first-line treatment were analysed in 32 locations, and selection coefficients estimated. We examined associations between antimalarial policies, consumption, transmission intensity and rate of SNP selection. 1246Y frequency decreased on average more rapidly in locations where national policy recommended AL (median selection coefficient(s) of −0.083), compared with policies of AS-AQ or both AL and AS-AQ (medians=−0.035 and 0.021, p<0.001 respectively). 86Y frequency declined markedly after ACT policy introduction, with a borderline significant trend for a more rapid decline in countries with AL policies (p=0.055). However, these trends could also be explained by a difference in initial SNP frequencies at the time of ACT introduction. There were non-significant trends for faster selection of N86 and D1246 in areas with higher AL consumption and no trend with transmission intensity. Recorded consumption of AS-AQ was low in the locations and timesPfmdr1data were collected. SNP trends in countries with AL policies suggest a broad increase in sensitivity of parasites to AS-AQ, by 7–10 years after AL introduction. Observed rates of selection have implications for planning strategies to cycle drugs or use multiple first-line therapies to maintain drug efficacy.
Trends and drivers of change in the prevalence of anaemia among 1 million women and children in India, 2006 to 2016
Authors: Nguyen Phuong Hong , Scott Samuel , Avula Rasmi , Tran Lan Mai , Menon Purnima
Published: October 2018

Introduction

India carries the largest burden of anaemia globally. Progress to reduce anaemia has been slow despite substantial economic growth and 50 years of programmatic efforts. Identification of the factors that contribute to anaemia reductions is needed to accelerate progress. We examined changes in haemoglobin (Hb) and anaemia among women and children in India from 2006 to 2016 and identified drivers of changes in these outcomes over time.

Methods

We used two rounds of National Family Health Survey data collected in 2005–2006 and 2015–2016 (n=245 346 children 6–59 months; 37 165 pregnant women (PW) 15–49 years; 760 460 non-pregnant women (NPW) 15–49 years). We first examined trends in Hb and anaemia, and changes in 30 selected variables (including immediate and underlying determinants, and nutrition and health interventions (NHIs)). We identified drivers of Hb and anaemia using multivariate regression and estimated their contribution to changes in these outcomes over time using regression-based decomposition.

Results

Hb and anaemia improved significantly between 2006 and 2016 in children (4.5  g/L and 11 percentage points (pp), respectively) and PW (3.2  g/L and 7.6 pp), but not in NPW. Despite these changes, anaemia is still very high (>50%) and progress varied considerably by state (−33 pp to +16 pp). Most immediate and underlying determinants, and NHIs improved significantly over time. Changes among a set of drivers common to children and PW accounted for the changes in Hb; these included maternal schooling (children, 10%; PW, 24%), coverage of NHIs (children, 18%; PW, 7%), socioeconomic status (children, 7%; PW, 17%), sanitation (children, 3%; PW, 9%), and meat and fish consumption (children, 3%; PW, 1%). The decomposition models moderately explained Hb changes over time (children, 49%; PW, 66%).

Conclusions

Multiple common drivers have contributed to the anaemia changes among children and pregnant women in India. Further improvements in these drivers can have population-level effects by simultaneously influencing both maternal and child anaemia.
Prognostic impact of peak mitral inflow velocity in asymptomatic degenerative mitral regurgitation
Authors: Okamoto Chisato , Okada Atsushi , Kanzaki Hideaki , Nishimura Kunihiro , Hamatani Yasuhiro , Amano Masashi , Takahama Hiroyuki , Amaki Makoto , Hasegawa Takuya , Fujita Tomoyuki , Kobayashi Junjiro , Yasuda Satoshi , Izumi Chisato
Published: October 2018

Objective

Appropriate timing of mitral valve surgery in asymptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) remains controversial. Peak mitral inflow velocity (peak E wave velocity) has been reported as a simple and easy predictor of quantitative MR severity; however, its prognostic significance in asymptomatic MR remains unclear. Therefore, we sought to investigate the prognostic impact of peak E wave velocity in asymptomatic MR.

Methods

Among 529 consecutive patients with degenerative MR of grade 3+ (moderate to severe) or 4+ (severe), 188 asymptomatic patients in sinus rhythm without left ventricular (LV) dysfunction (end-systolic dimension ≥40 mm or ejection fraction <60%) or pulmonary hypertension were studied. Cardiovascular events were defined as a composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or events that indicated mitral surgery including congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, LV dysfunction or pulmonary hypertension.

Results

Average peak E wave velocity was 1.05±0.26 m/s, and was significantly higher in grade 4+ than grade 3+ (1.20±0.28 vs 0.98±0.21 m/s, p<0.001). Peak E wave velocity was associated with quantitative MR severity, as well as clinical characteristics of advanced MR (higher brain natriuretic peptide, larger LV and left atrium, higher tricuspid regurgitation pressure gradient and dilated inferior vena cava). During a median follow-up of 4.3 years, 66 (35%) patients developed cardiovascular events. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis showed that peak E wave velocity was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events (adjusted HR 1.245 (95% CI 1.126 to 1.378) per 0.1 m/s, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Peak E wave velocity was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in asymptomatic degenerative MR with preserved LV function.
Medical consequences of pathogenic CNVs in adults: analysis of the UK Biobank
Authors: Crawford Karen , Bracher-Smith Matthew , Owen David , Kendall Kimberley M , Rees Elliott , Pardiñas Antonio F , Einon Mark , Escott-Price Valentina , Walters James T R , O’Donovan Michael C , Owen Michael J , Kirov George
Published: October 2018

Background

Genomic CNVs increase the risk for early-onset neurodevelopmental disorders, but their impact on medical outcomes in later life is still poorly understood. The UK Biobank allows us to study the medical consequences of CNVs in middle and old age in half a million well-phenotyped adults.

Methods

We analysed all Biobank participants for the presence of 54 CNVs associated with genomic disorders or clinical phenotypes, including their reciprocal deletions or duplications. After array quality control and exclusion of first-degree relatives, we compared 381 452 participants of white British or Irish origin who carried no CNVs with carriers of each of the 54 CNVs (ranging from 5 to 2843 persons). We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the risk of developing 58 common medical phenotypes (3132 comparisons).

Results and conclusions

Many of the CNVs have profound effects on medical health and mortality, even in people who have largely escaped early neurodevelopmental outcomes. Forty-six CNV–phenotype associations were significant at a false discovery rate threshold of 0.1, all in the direction of increased risk. Known medical consequences of CNVs were confirmed, but most identified associations are novel. Deletions at 16p11.2 and 16p12.1 had the largest numbers of significantly associated phenotypes (seven each). Diabetes, hypertension, obesity and renal failure were affected by the highest numbers of CNVs. Our work should inform clinicians in planning and managing the medical care of CNV carriers.
Who are ‘we’ to speak of benefits and harms? And to whom do we speak? A (sympathetic) response to Woollard on breast feeding and language
Authors: Saunders Ben
Published: October 2018

In a recent article, Fiona Woollard draws attention to a number of problems, both theoretical and pragmatic, with current discourse around infant feeding. References both to the ‘benefits of breastfeeding’ and ‘harms of formula’ are problematic, since there is no obvious baseline of comparison against which to make these evaluations. Further, she highlights the pragmatic consequences of these linguistic choices. Saying that formula feeding harms babies, for instance, is likely to exacerbate feelings of guilt and shame felt by many mothers who use formula, for various reasons. Since I agree with much that Woollard says, this response is mostly sympathetic, but I wish to draw attention to one point that is largely missing from her analysis. The pragmatic effect of an utterance depends significantly on who is speaking, to whom, and in what context. Thus, we might differentiate between what it is appropriate to say in a professional context, such as an academic journal, from what one might say in a policy document or to a new mother. While we should always be careful about the language that we use, we need not assume that the same language is appropriate in all contexts nor that equal care is always required.
Numerical study of single bubble rising dynamics using the phase field lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Su Ting , Li Yang , Liang Hong , Xu Jiangrong
Published: October 2018

In this paper, the rising dynamics of a two-dimensional single bubble in the duct is systematically studied by using an improved phase field lattice Boltzmann (LB) multiphase model. This model enables to handle multiphase flows with mass conservation and high density ratio, up to the order of [Formula: see text], which are unavailable in the LB community. The model is first validated by simulating bubble rising problem with the density ratio of 1000 and numerical solutions for bubble shape and position agree well with the previous literature data. Then, it is used to study single bubble rising through a quiescent liquid. The dynamic behavior of the bubble and rising velocity are shown, and the influences of several important physical quantities, including the Eotvos number, Reynolds number, density ratio, viscosity ratio, bubble size and initial bubble shape, are investigated in detail. The numerical results show that the bubble undergoes a great deformation with the increase of the Eotvos number or Reynolds number, and even could break up into multiple satellite bubbles at a sufficiently large value of Eotvos number or Reynolds number. Several classic terminal bubble shapes are also successfully produced in the system. The terminal rising velocity of bubble at equilibrium shows to present an initial increase with the Eotvos number and finally decreases with it, while increasing the Reynolds number could enhance the bubble rising velocity. Both the density ratio and viscosity ratio have less influence on the terminal shape of the bubble, while a greater influence on the rising velocity is reported for the density ratio smaller than 20 and it seems to be independent of the viscosity ratio. At last, we discuss the effects of the bubble size and initial bubble shape. It is found that bubble size has little influence on terminal bubble shape, but decreasing the bubble size can improve the bubble terminal velocity. On the other hand, both the deformation and terminal velocity of the bubble are found to no longer change much with its initial shape.
Analytical Buckling Loads of Columns Weakened Simultaneously with Transverse Cracks and Partial Delamination
Authors: Planinc Igor , Schnabl Simon
Published: October 2018

This paper focuses on development of a new mathematical model and its analytical solution for buckling analysis of elastic columns weakened simultaneously with transverse open cracks and partial longitudinal delamination. Consequently, the analytical solution for buckling loads is derived for the first time. The critical buckling loads are calculated using the proposed analytical model. A parametric study is performed to investigate the effects of transverse crack location and magnitude, length and degree of partial longitudinal delamination, and different boundary conditions on critical buckling loads of weakened columns. It is shown that the critical buckling loads of weakened columns can be greatly affected by all the analyzed parameters. Finally, the presented results can be used as a benchmark solution.
Effects of Detwinning on the Inelasticity of AZ31B Sheets During Cyclic Loading and Unloading
Authors: Wang H. , Tang D. , Li D. Y. , Peng Y. H. , Wu P. D.
Published: October 2018

Magnesium alloys exhibit significant inelastic behavior during unloading, especially when twinning and detwinning are involved. It is commonly accepted that noteworthy inelastic behavior will be observed during unloading if twinning occurs during previous loading. However, this phenomenon is not always observed for Mg sheets with strong rolled texture. Therefore, the inelasticity of AZ31B rolled sheets with different rolled textures during cyclic loading-unloading are investigated by elastic viscoplastic self-consistent polycrystal plasticity model. The incorporation of the twinning and detwinning model enables the treatment of detwinning, which plays an important role for inelastic behavior during unloading. The effects of texture, deformation history, and especially twinning and detwinning on the inelastic behaviors are carefully investigated and found to be remarkable. The simulated results are in agreement with the available experimental observations, which reveals that the inelastic behavior for strongly rolled sheets is very different than the extruded bars.
Threat Analysis in Systems-of-Systems
Authors: Ceccarelli Andrea , Zoppi Tommaso , Vasenev Alexandr , Mori Marco , Ionita Dan , Montoya Lorena , Bondavalli Andrea
Published: October 2018

Cyber-physical Systems of Systems (SoSs) are large-scale systems made of independent and autonomous cyber-physical Constituent Systems (CSs) which may interoperate to achieve high-level goals also with the intervention of humans. Providing security in such SoSs means, among other features, forecasting and anticipating evolving SoS functionalities, ultimately identifying possible detrimental phenomena that may result from the interactions of CSs and humans. Such phenomena, usually called
emergent phenomena
, are often complex and difficult to capture: the first appearance of an emergent phenomenon in a cyber-physical SoS is often a surprise to the observers. Adequate support to understand emergent phenomena will assist in reducing both the likelihood of design or operational flaws, and the time needed to analyze the relations amongst the CSs, which always has a key economic significance. This article presents a threat analysis methodology and a supporting tool aimed at (i) identifying (emerging) threats in evolving SoSs, (ii) reducing the cognitive load required to understand an SoS and the relations among CSs, and (iii) facilitating SoS risk management by proposing mitigation strategies for SoS administrators. The proposed methodology, as well as the tool, is empirically validated on Smart Grid case studies by submitting questionnaires to a user base composed of 3 stakeholders and 18 BSc and MSc students.
AI education matters
Authors: Guerzhoy Michael
Published: October 2018

In this article, we demonstrate an assignment
1
in which students use TensorFlow to build a face recognition system. Students build shallow and deep neural networks for face recognition in TensorFlow and use transfer learning to obtain near-perfect performance on a simple face recognition task. Visualizing neural networks in order to explain how they work is central to the assignment.
Successful Liver Transplantation Case Report from a Deceased Donor with Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Nacif Lucas Souto , Mello Estrella Bianca de , Pinheiro Rafael Soares , Lima Fabiana Roberto , Martino Rodrigo Bronze de , Andraus Wellington , D’Albuquerque Luiz Carneiro
Published: October 2018

There is a worldwide problem of waiting time and mortality rate associated with remaining on the waiting list for a liver transplant. However, some situations have been encouraging in terms of determining appropriate recipients and expanding the donor criteria. We herein report a case of useful liver donor with sickle cell anemia for liver transplantation. Here we described a case of liver transplantation from a donor with sickle cell anemia to a recipient with hepatocellular carcinoma who was deemed to be at risk of tumor growth and at risk of being dropped from the waiting list. The literature reveals the importance of using safe donors, and we describe the benefits of using a safe, deceased liver donor with sickle cell anemia who was an adequate option for liver transplantation.
Design of an Automatic Defect Identification Method Based ECPT for Pneumatic Pressure Equipment
Authors: Zhang Bo , Cheng YuHua , Yin Chun , Huang Xuegang , Dadras Sara , Malek Hadi
Published: October 2018

In this paper, in order to achieve automatic defect identification for pneumatic pressure equipment, an improved feature extraction algorithm eddy current pulsed thermography (ECPT) is presented. The presented feature extraction algorithm contains four elements: data block selection; variable step search; relation value classification; and between‐class distance decision function. The data block selection and variable step search are integrated to decrease the redundant computations in the automatic defect identification. The goal of the classification and between‐class distance calculation is to select the typical features of thermographic sequence. The main image information can be extracted by the method precisely and efficiently. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the capabilities and benefits (i.e., reducing the processing time) of the proposed algorithm in automatic defect identification.
Characterization of Road Condition with Data Mining Based on Measured Kinematic Vehicle Parameters
Authors: Masino Johannes , Thumm Jakob , Levasseur Guillaume , Frey Michael , Gauterin Frank , Mikut Ralf , Reischl Markus
Published: October 2018

This work aims at classifying the road condition with data mining methods using simple acceleration sensors and gyroscopes installed in vehicles. Two classifiers are developed with a support vector machine (SVM) to distinguish between different types of road surfaces, such as asphalt and concrete, and obstacles, such as potholes or railway crossings. From the sensor signals, frequency-based features are extracted, evaluated automatically with MANOVA. The selected features and their meaning to predict the classes are discussed. The best features are used for designing the classifiers. Finally, the methods, which are developed and applied in this work, are implemented in a Matlab toolbox with a graphical user interface. The toolbox visualizes the classification results on maps, thus enabling manual verification of the results. The accuracy of the cross-validation of classifying obstacles yields 81.0% on average and of classifying road material 96.1% on average. The results are discussed on a comprehensive exemplary data set.
A Local Design Method for Pile Foundations
Authors: Letizia Nunzia , Iodice Chiara , Mandolini Alessandro
Published: October 2018

The work at hand attempts to propose a local pile design method based on pile load test results for a reference site. Such LPDM is simply based on the identification of three dimensionless quantities, such as the capacity ratio CR, the stiffness ratio SR, and the group settlement ratio Rs. To prove the LPDM reliability, experimental data collected during years in the Neapolitan area (Italy) have been used to obtain the abovementioned coefficients. Then, LPDM has been applied, as a preliminary design method, to three well‐documented case histories applying capacity and settlement‐based design (CBD and SBD) approaches. The satisfactory agreement between the geometry in the original design of piles and the one obtained by applying the LPDM proves that the proposed methodology may be very helpful for preliminary design, allowing for reasonable accuracy while requiring few hand calculations.
Impact of Motor-Evoked Potential Monitoring on Facial Nerve Outcomes after Vestibular Schwannoma Resection
Authors: Tawfik Kareem O. , Walters Zoe A. , Kohlberg Gavriel D. , Lipschitz Noga , Breen Joseph T. , O’Neal Kelly , Zuccarello Mario , Samy Ravi N.
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

Assess the utility of intraoperative transcranial facial motor-evoked potential (FMEP) monitoring in predicting and improving facial function after vestibular schwannoma (VS) resection.

Study Design:

Retrospective chart review.

Methods:

Data were obtained from 82 consecutive VS resections meeting inclusion criteria. Sixty-two cases were performed without FMEP and 20 with FMEP. Degradation of FMEP response was defined as a final-to-baseline amplitude ratio of 0.5 or less. House-Brackmann (HB) grade was assessed preoperatively, postoperatively, at follow-up assessments, and it was compared between pre- and post-FMEP cohorts. Positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV), sensitivity, and specificity of FMEP degradation in predicting facial weakness were calculated.

Results:

In the pre-FMEP group, at length of follow-up (LOF) ⩾9 months, 83.9% (52/62) of patients exhibited HB 1-2 outcome. In the post-FMEP cohort, 75.0% (15/20) exhibited HB 1-2 function at LOF ⩾9 months. There was no difference in rates of HB 1-2 outcomes between groups in the immediate postoperative period ( P = .35) or at long-term follow-up ( P = 1.0). With respect to predicting immediate postoperative facial function, FMEP demonstrated high specificity (88.9%) and moderate sensitivity (54.5%). The PPV and NPV for immediate postoperative facial function were 85.7% and 61.5%, respectively. With respect to long-term (⩾9 months LOF) facial function, intraoperative FMEP was moderately sensitive (71.4%) and highly specific (84.6%); PPV was moderate (71.4%), and NPV was high (84.6%).

Conclusions:

Intraoperative FMEP is highly specific and moderately sensitive in predicting postoperative facial function for patients undergoing VS resection, but its use may not be associated with improved facial nerve outcomes.

Level of Evidence:

4
Pilot Study Assessing the Feasibility and Clinical Outcomes of Office-Based Ossiculoplasty
Authors: Shoman Nael
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of ossiculoplasty under local anesthesia in an office setting without sedation.

Methods:

Between May 2017 and November 2017, patients who presented with conductive hearing loss and known isolated ossicular discontinuities were offered ossiculoplasty under local anesthesia. Inclusion criteria included age ⩾ 18 years, adequate transcanal access, and the ability to lie supine for up to 45 minutes. Exclusion criteria included associated tympanic membrane perforation and the presence of middleear or mastoid cholesteatoma or infection.

Results:

Fourteen patients underwent the procedure. The mean age was 48.3 years (range, 19-74 years). Six were primary and 8 revision cases. There were 8 partial and 6 total prosthesis placements. The mean operative time was 34 minutes (range, 26-43 minutes). All patients tolerated the procedure to completion. There were no intraoperative complications. The mean air conduction pure-tone average was 76.6 dB and the mean bone conduction pure-tone average was 27.2 dB, with a preoperative air-bone gap of 49.9 dB. Air conduction pure-tone average significantly improved to 45.2 dB ( P < .0001). Air-bone gap significantly improved to 17.8 dB ( P < .0001).

Conclusions:

Ossiculoplasty using partial or total prostheses can be safely performed in the office setting under local anesthesia without sedation in carefully selected patients. This has potentially significant patient and system benefits.
Vocal Fold Motion Recovery in Patients With Iatrogenic Unilateral Immobility: Cervical Versus Thoracic Injury
Authors: Tracy Lauren F. , Kwak Paul E. , Bayan Semirra L. , Van Stan Jarrad H. , Burns James A.
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

Prognostic information about the return of vocal fold mobility in patients with iatrogenic unilateral vocal fold immobility (UVFI) can help with informed decisions about temporary and permanent treatment options. Although many variables can influence the likelihood of recovery, clinical experience suggests that cervical versus thoracic injury is a determining factor. The purpose of this study was to compare recovery rates from UVFI between cervical and thoracic injuries.

Methods:

A retrospective review of the medical record was performed on all adult patients diagnosed with complete iatrogenic UVFI from 2005 to 2015 (n = 923). Patients with incomplete data and etiologies of idiopathic, malignancy, or stenosis were excluded, leaving a study cohort of 502 patients who were categorized as having UVFI after cervical (n = 329) or thoracic (n = 173) injury. Data regarding site of iatrogenic injury (cervical vs thoracic), mobility status, and time interval to recovery or surgical intervention were recorded and compared using χ2 analyses.

Results:

Overall, 15% of patients recovered vocal fold mobility at a median of 4.1 months. Patients with cervical injury (65 of 329 [20%]) were significantly more likely to recover mobility than patients with thoracic injury (11 of 173 [6.4%]) (odds ratio, 3.63). The cervical cohort contained more women (68% vs 31%) and was younger (mean age, 60.4 ± 13.8 vs 64.1 ± 16.1 years; Cohen’s D = 0.25).

Conclusions:

Patients with cervical injuries resulting in UVFI are 4 times more likely to recover mobility than patients with thoracic injuries. This information can be valuable in counseling patients with UVFI and may affect clinical decision making.
Correlation of Trace Silicone Contamination Analyses on Epoxy Composites Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS)
Authors: Ledesma Rodolfo , Palmieri Frank , Campbell Brooke , Yost William , Fitz-Gerald James , Dillingham Giles , Connell John
Published: October 2018

Surface treatment and surface characterization techniques are critical to ensure that adherends are chemically activated and free of contaminants before adhesive bonding. Silicone contamination from mold release agents and other sources can interfere with interfacial bonding, decreasing the durability and performance of bonded composite structures. It is necessary to have tools and methods that can be used in a production environment to reliably detect low levels of contaminants in a rapid, simple, and cost-effective manner to improve bond reliability. In this work, surface characterization of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with epoxy matrix was performed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and the results were compared with those obtained from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy offers many advantages over XPS in terms of ease of use, sample preparation, and real-time results. The objective of the comparison was to study the sensitivity of LIBS and to investigate the quantification of the surface species measured by LIBS. Another objective was to assess the reliability of each technique for surface contaminant characterization. The as-processed CFRP panels had trace surface silicone contamination from the fabrication process, the source of which was not investigated. The composites were laser treated at select average laser power levels, resulting in varying levels of contamination reduction. The Si atomic percentage measurements using XPS were conducted on both control and laser-ablated surfaces. The results showed an excellent correlation in Si concentration between the two techniques.
Detecting Temporal Changes of Self-Absorption in a Laser-Induced Copper Plasma from Time-Resolved Photomultiplier Signal Emission Profiles
Authors: Fu Yangting , Warren Richard A. , Jones Willis B. , Smith Benjamin W. , Omenetto Nicoló
Published: October 2018

This work reports an investigation on the feasibility of using a photomultiplier tube (PMT) to follow the time evolution of self-absorption of copper resonance transitions at 324.7 nm and 327.4 nm. The plasma was obtained by focusing a Nd:YAG laser, operated at 1064 nm, on a series of aluminum alloy standard disks containing different copper concentrations. The results described have been obtained at different times and with different set-ups. These set-ups consisted of a Paschen–Runge polychromator, a LIBS 2000 spectrometer, and a spectrometer equipped with both an intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) and PMT. Both PMT signals and time-resolved spectra were obtained and the ratio of the two Cu resonant lines was calculated, compared, and discussed. By selecting different delay times and integration gates of the PMT signals, the self-absorption effect of the Cu resonant lines was found to be changing, implying that, by careful selection of the integration window of PMT signals, the self-absorption may be minimized, thus improving the calibration linearity of the technique.
Sizing Up the Adversary
Authors: Horowitz Michael C. , Potter Philip , Sechser Todd S. , Stam Allan
Published: October 2018

Leaders negotiate, not states. Yet the extensive body of work on coercive diplomacy in international relations pays little attention to variation among leaders. In contrast, we argue that individual-level attributes directly influence leaders’ beliefs about their own military capabilities and, by extension, their selection of disputes. Specifically, leaders with combat experience and careers in national militaries are relatively better judges of their own military power. As a consequence, targets tend to take their threats more seriously. In contrast, leaders who have military careers but lack combat experience tend to be less selective in their demands and correspondingly less successful when they make threats. Similar patterns hold for those with rebel experience. Drawing on new data on leader attributes, we find strong evidence that these leader-level attributes influence both dispute and compellent threat reciprocation. This leader-level approach provides a new explanation for why some countries initiate disputes against determined adversaries who are likely to escalate rather than back down.
Parents, Television, and Children’s Emotional Expressions: A Cross-Cultural Multilevel Model
Authors: Scherr Sebastian , Mares Marie-Louise , Bartsch Anne , Goetz Maya
Published: October 2018

Parents and media both play an important role in the socialization of children’s emotions, yet it remains unclear whether these socializing influences vary by culture. We studied the joint influences of parents and television on children’s expression of four basic emotions (happiness, anger, sadness, and fear) using self-report survey data from 3570 six- to 15-year-olds from 13 Asian, European, Middle Eastern, and South American countries. Perceived parental approval positively predicted self-reported expression of all four emotions. In addition, children’s approval of TV characters’ expression of happiness and anger (but not sadness and fear) positively predicted self-reported expressions of these emotions. A multilevel model combining cultural indicators (individualism, indulgence, assertiveness, humane orientation) and sociopolitical variables (Human Development Index, Gender Inequality Index, Grade Point Average) at the country level with individual-level variables (age, gender, media use) suggested that parental socialization of sadness, and media socialization of anger, varied as a function of some cultural indicators (assertiveness and humane orientation). Overall, though, despite theorizing about cultural differences, parental approval and (to a lesser extent) children’s approval of media models tended to predict children’s emotion displays rather consistently across a wide array of countries.
Association of War and Other Factors with Substance Use in a Lebanese Male Sample
Authors: Yaacoub Hiba , Hallit Souheil , Haddad Chadia , Zoghbi Marouan , Dib Tania , Kazour Francois
Published: October 2018

Lebanon has been a conflict zone for a long period of time, with no sufficient data associating war to substance use disorder (SUD). The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with substance use among Lebanese patients who were exposed to war, either by participating in or witnessing it. A cross-sectional study, performed between June and December 2016, included 77 males. Thirty-five patients were taking substances, 22 of them had participated in war, 34 of them were member of an official organization, and 100% were males. No significant difference was found between war participation and SUD ( p = .611) either with the subtype of substances. This study showed that depression was associated with a higher substance use in persons exposed to war. Health care professionals should communicate more with patients to decrease substance use and decrease the risk factors associated with it.
Exceeding Expectations: Teachers’ Decision Making Regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students
Authors: Riley Tasha
Published: October 2018

Although Indigenous and non-Indigenous teachers, administrators, and educational policy makers have made efforts to improve Indigenous educational outcomes, slow progress limits the opportunities available to Indigenous learners and perpetuates social and economic disadvantage. Prior Canadian studies demonstrate that some teachers attribute low ability and adverse life circumstances to Indigenous students, possibly influencing classroom placement. These findings were the catalyst for an Australian-based study assessing the influence students’ Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status had upon teachers’ placement decisions. Teachers allocated fictional students to supplementary, regular, or advanced programs. Study findings revealed that teachers’ decisions were based upon assumptions regarding the perceived ability, family background, and/or life circumstances of Indigenous learners. The research tool designed for this study provides a way for teachers to identify the implications of biases on decision making, making it a valuable resource for teacher educators engaging in equity work with preservice teachers.
The Perception of Mandarin Lexical Tones by Native Speakers of Burmese
Authors: Tsukada Kimiko , Kondo Mariko
Published: October 2018

This study examines the perception of Mandarin lexical tones by native speakers of Burmese who use lexical tones in their first language (L1) but are naïve to Mandarin. Unlike Mandarin tones, which are primarily cued by pitch, Burmese tones are cued by phonation type as well as pitch. The question of interest is whether Burmese listeners can utilize their L1 experience in processing unfamiliar Mandarin tones. Burmese listeners’ discrimination accuracy was compared with that of Mandarin listeners and Australian English listeners. The Australian English group was included as a control group with a non-tonal background. Accuracy of perception of six tone pairs (T1-T2, T1-T3, T1-T4, T2-T3, T2-T4, T3-T4) was assessed in a discrimination test. Our main findings are 1) Mandarin listeners were more accurate than non-native listeners in discriminating all tone pairs, 2) Australian English listeners naïve to Mandarin were more accurate than similarly naïve Burmese listeners in discriminating all tone pairs except for T2-T4, and 3) Burmese listeners had the greatest trouble discriminating T2-T3 and T1-T2. Taken together, the results suggest that merely possessing lexical tones in L1 may not necessarily facilitate the perception of non-native tones, and that the active use of phonation type in encoding L1 tones may have played a role in Burmese listeners’ less than optimal perception of Mandarin tones.
The Editor’s Note
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: October 2018

Public schools and public broadcasting and both make it their mission to educate and inform, and both are committed to serving the public good. But public broadcasting has a valuable unifying voice in the form of muppets. Would that we could say the same of public schools.
Public schools, public goods, and public work
Authors: Abowitz Kathleen Knight , Stitzlein Sarah M.
Published: October 2018

When determining whether public schools constitute a public good, it’s important to understand what we mean by a public good. An economic definition, common among school choice advocates, focuses on the individual benefits of getting a good education. Within such a definition, selecting a school may be compared to selecting a box of cereal at the supermarket. Kathleen Knight Abowitz and Sarah M. Stitzlein argue for a more civic-minded vision that focuses on how public schools both promote and benefit from a vision of shared liberties, shared governance, and a shared future. This vision requires looking beyond individual choices to highlight the many practices within schools that bear considerable social and political benefits.
Hunger and Fullness: How High-Poverty Urban Students Experience School Food Policy
Authors: Cassar Erin McCrossan
Published: October 2018

The issue of school food and its role in the learning environment has been overlooked by educators, education researchers, and policy makers. This study uses observations and interviews in three high-poverty, urban schools to investigate how participants experience school food policy in their daily lives. Participants at all three schools believed that addressing hunger and malnutrition by offering fresh and healthy foods helped to improve student engagement in class. This research contributes an ethnographic understanding of student experiences with food in schools and builds on various literatures regarding whole child reforms, childhood food insecurity, student engagement, and school food environments.
New Juan Crow Education as a Context for Institutional Microaggressions: Latina/o/x Students Maintaining College Aspirations
Authors: Acevedo-Gil Nancy
Published: October 2018

Latina/o/x students aspire to earn a college degree but given that they likely attend urban high schools with inadequate educational opportunities and high-discipline environments, more research is needed to examine the influence of institutional racism on aspirations. This case study was guided by the frameworks of New Juan Crow in Education and racial microaggressions. Using ethnographic data from observations, semi-structured interviews with educators, and oral history interviews with Latina/o/x students, this study examined the experiences of student participants with institutional microaggressions and the influence on college-going aspirations. Implications address the cumulative effects of microaggressions and inform asset-based research, policies, and practices.
Youth Inclusion in American and Egyptian Political Party Management
Authors: Ashmawy Iman Karam I. M.
Published: October 2018

The Arab Spring revealed that when the youth are marginalized, they can resort to informal political movements that may be characterized by extremism and criminality. However, when they join formal groupings, such as political parties, and are well utilized within them, they can become an active political force. This article explores the extent to which American and Egyptian political parties offer opportunities for youth inclusion in their structure and decision‐making processes. By conducting semi‐structured interviews with young members of the largest two Egyptian parties and the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States, the study argues that when young people develop a long‐term interest in politics, they join political parties. Moreover, they are included in the party structures and decision‐making processes when they are included in party activities and positions, as well as trusted, heard, and supported within the party. The existence of a national plan and political will may even encourage cross‐party youth collaboration.
Mediating a loss of history in Doina Rusti’s The Ghost in the Mill
Authors: d’Anca Christene
Published: October 2018

In her novel Fantoma din moara, or The Ghost in the Mill, and in her other prolific output, Doina Rusti has helped in the process of preserving history, specifically that of communist Romania. A village in the Romanian countryside, populated by people whose stories had been discounted, or never even told, acts as the perfect microcosm to isolate the Romanian identity while examining its multifaceted elements from disparate perspectives that all reify within the frame narrator. Rusti synchronously experiences both past and present, negating a traditional trajectory along a temporal axis. This is indicative of the act of remembering that is intricately tied to the mechanism of forgetting. Memories are brought into question and Rusti uses her novels to join the chorus of those solidifying the Romanian past, even if not always harmoniously. Rusti’s dependence on previously documented events that serve as parameters for her novel challenge the power that gives authority to authorship. She cannot freely create her narratives, but can only carefully navigate the restrictions of their respective situations. Defining a culture and its people is no small task, but as the book closes, Rusti unapologetically paints an unromanticized picture producing a sophisticated understanding of an entire nation as it turns to spirituality during very tumultuous times.
Narrating the past: Cultural memory and Romanian identity in Aferim!
Authors: Popa Diana
Published: October 2018

In contrast to the internationally celebrated New Romanian Cinema, Aferim! (Radu Jude, 2015), set in the distant past, invokes the historical filmmaking tradition as represented by Sergiu Nicolaescu’s historical epics, including references to the literary adaptations of the socialist era La moara cu Noroc / The Mill of Good Luck (Victor Iliu, 1957) and Moromeții / The Moromete Family (Stere Gulea, 1987). The article identifies notions of Romanian identity in relation to changing ideas of nationalism to show how Aferim! uses representations of violence as a means of illuminating and interrogating romantic-heroic visions of the history of the nation and encouraging national self-knowledge.
“Pretenders of a Vile and Unmanly Disposition”: Thomas Hobbes on the Fiction of Constituent Power
Authors: Lindsay Adam
Published: October 2018

The prevailing interpretation of constituent power is taken to be the extra-institutional capacity of a group, typically “the people,” to establish or revise the basic constitutional conditions of a state. Among many contemporary democratic theorists, this is understood as a collective capacity for innovation. This paper excavates an alternative perspective from constituent power’s genealogy. I argue that constituent power is not a creative material power, but is a type of political claim that shapes the collective rights, responsibilities, and identity of “the people.” I do so by recovering Thomas Hobbes’s intervention into debates over constituent power among Scottish Presbyterians during the English Civil War. Though a materialist, Hobbes appreciated the centrality of the imagination to politics, and he argued that constituent power was one such phantasm of the mind. In Leviathan, he showed constituent power not to be a material power, but a world-making fiction that furnished political realities with ornamentation of the imagination, which might provide the beliefs and justifications to serve any number of political ends. More generally, the retrieval of a Hobbesian constituent power provides an important challenge to contemporary theories by demonstrating how partisan constructions of constituent power shape the political options available to groups.
Intra-party Deliberation and Reflexive Control within a Deliberative System
Authors: Biale Enrico , Ottonelli Valeria
Published: October 2018

From within a “systemic approach” to deliberative democracy, political parties can be seen as crucial actors in facilitating deliberation, by playing epistemic, motivational, and justificatory functions that are central to the deliberative ideal. However, we point out that if we assume a purely outcome-oriented conception of the role of parties within a deliberative system, we risk losing sight of a central tenet of deliberative democracy and of its distinctive principle of legitimacy, namely, that citizens must be able to exercise critical reflection on the grounds of democratic decisions. We argue that parties have a special responsibility in making a deliberative system meet this requirement, and that such special role can be fulfilled only if parties’ programs, values, and strategies are shaped through intra-party deliberation. On the grounds of this discussion, we define a model of intra-party deliberation that is based on the principles of mutual acceptability, pluralism, and publicity.