bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Speed and Distance on the Achievement of Austenitization Temperature in Low carbon Steel with Thickness Variations on the Flame Hardening Process
Authors: Iskandar N , Sulardjaka  , Munadi  , Hanasta R Y , Fitriyana D F , Dzulfikar M
Published: November 2019

Austenite temperature must be achieved in the surface hardening process. In the process of surface hardening by the method of flame hardening, failure is often encountered, for example, such as increasing the value of hardness that is not optimal, and the value of hardness that is less uniform The type of fire used, the distance of fire to the specimen, the speed of fire and the level of thickness of the material are factors that are very influential in the process of flame hardening. The purpose of this study is to measure and observe the profile or rate of the trend of increase and decrease in temperature in the flame hardening process in low carbon steel material. The experiment method that is carried out is by giving the variation of the rate. The measurement process uses several thermocouples mounted on the specimen and connected to a computer for the process of data recording and process monitoring. The conclusion of this study is the greater the value of the thickness of low carbon steel material that is processed by flame hardening, so to reach the temperature of austenitization by the method of flame hardening the speed of fire must be slowed. An improper combination between the distance of fire and specimens and the speed of fire can cause austenite temperature not to be reached. The heat reduction rate takes place more slowly than the rate of increase in heat the speed of fire and distance of fire to low carbon steel which has varying levels of thickness.
The effect of groove welding on mechanical properties and microstructure of wear resistance steel plate by Submerged Arc Welding
Authors: Mansjur Zuldesmi , Sumual Hendro M , Tamba I P
Published: November 2019

Aim of this research is to analyze the mechanical properties and microstructure of wear resistance steel plates joined by Submerged Arc Welding at different grooves welding. The welding current of 300 Ampere, voltage of 28 Volt and travel speed of 38 cm/min was applied. The microscopical examination methods were used for weld zones. Impact toughness and rockwell hardness test were obtained from the weld metal, heat affected zone and the base metal samples. The fracture surfaces were examined by using optical microscope. As results, there was no difference of hardness and microstructure among three grooves welding. The significant differences were detected at the weld zones. Base metal had the highest hardness value. Ferrite and pearlite phases were obtained at three weld zones, but the heat affected zone had coarser grain structure than the base metal. Weld metal volume and electrode length significantly affected the impact toughness of joint, where the larger of the weld metal volume and length of electrode fill in the groove welding, the higher of impact toughness. The lowest impact energy and toughness value were attained at V groove and the highest was at I groove. The fracture surfaces at all groove welds showed ductile fracture dominantly.
In-Service Welding Simulation of 28” Pipeline Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Tambunan Sahrudin , Yatim Ardiyansyah , Wira Sanjaya Putu , Michael Simon P H
Published: November 2019

To maintain the integrity of the gas pipeline, the repairing of pipeline system with common method such as cut and replaces method by conducting hot tap and bypass or clamp method is conducted. Both methods require in-service welding in the process. During in-service welding, the process affects the structure strength. The structure then needs to be analysed during the welding process. There are two common problems associated with in-service welding. Firstly, the high gas flow in pipe causes the weld rapidly to cool due to the convective transfer of heat. The other problem is burn-through during in-service welding. Pressurized natural gas imposes a significant stress on the pipe wall, and since the pipe strength is decreased during welding, this cause failure in pipe wall. Burn-through occurs when the region around the weld pool has insufficient strength to withstand the internal gas pressure. This paper shows the finite element analysis procedure of In-Service Welding Analysis to avoid burn-through failure. A thermal-mechanical based Finite Element model had been conducted to assess the risk. The model is simulated using three-dimension (3D) mechanical, thermos-elastic-plastic-metallurgical finite element computational procedure. The temperature, stress and strain parameters of inner surface were used to assess the model. The temperature and strain check are below the allowable value while the stress check with some applicable method which are based on either stress or strain based.
The Effect of Quench Delay on Structure and Corrosion Properties of Aluminum Lithium Alloy 2091
Authors: Ruth Fransisca Claudya , Soegijono Bambang
Published: November 2019

The aerospace industry is always trying to improve aircraft performance and reduce aircraft weight. Therefore aluminum lithium alloys are targeted as advanced materials for aerospace technology because of their low density, good corrosion resistance, high toughness and lightweight. This 2091 alloy is an aluminum-lithium alloy which has a composition 2.1 wt% Cu, 2.0 wt% Li dan 0.1 wt% Zr. This alloy has been subjected to quench delay heat treatment to enhance corrosion resistance. The experiments were carried out to determine the relationship between delay quenching and its corrosion properties. Aluminum-lithium 2091 had solutionized at 525°C for 6 hours and then has been quenched in water with a variation of delay quenching (30 second, 60 second, 90 second). Characterization using x-ray diffraction were used to investigate the phase of each sample. The results show different diffraction patterns from one sample to another due to delay quenching. While electrochemical testing using a 3.5% NaCl solution show different corrosion resistance due different quench delay.
Water absorption and tensile properties of the hybrid of fly ash-CaCO3/epoxy composites
Authors: Setyawan P D , Martadinata W , Sugiman S , Salman S , Catur A D , Zainuri A
Published: November 2019

The paper presents water absorption and its effect on the tensile properties of hybrid of fly ash-CaCO3-filled epoxy. The total filler content was 20wt%, with the fly ash to CaCO3 ratios were 20/0, 15/5, 10/10, 5/15 and 0/20. Adding fillers into epoxy decreased the water uptake in the ranges of 15 - 22%, where the lowest and the highest water uptake of the hybrid systems belonged to the fly ash/CaCO3 ratios of 15/5 and 20/0, respectively. The tensile strength and elastic modulus continued to decrease with aging time for all epoxy systems. At the saturation level, the tensile strength and elastic modulus of filled epoxies were improved compared to the unfilled epoxy, except for the hybrid of fly ash/CaCO3 of 15/5. The fracture strain as well as the tensile toughness were considerably increased at the equilibrium. A scanning electron microscopy revealed that in dry condition the fly ash was well bonded with the matrix, but not for the CaCO3 particles. In the semi equilibrium and equilibrium states, the fly ash and CaCO3 were mostly detached from the epoxy. The hybrid of fly ash/CaCO3 of 15/5 was not recommended as it decreased the tensile properties more than the other hybrid compositions.
Comparative study on stress analysis in human molar tooth between metallic and nonmetallic dental filling material
Authors: Soliheen M A M , Kadir A Z A , Kurniawan D , Nor F M
Published: November 2019

Dental filling is regarded as proven dental restoration method in dealing with partial missing of tooth crown due to caries or trauma. This study analyses the reliability and durability of materials for dental filling using finite element analysis. Specifically, it determines the stress induced at a dental filling due to occlusal load. Two filling depths were simulated: (a) filling depth in enamel and (b) filling depth in enamel/dentine on top of molar tooth. Dental filling made of glass ionomer cement (GIC), composite, and amalgam (as a reference material) which represented metallic and non-metallic filling materials were chosen as the materials for this study. A 100 MPa pressure was applied on the dental filling to represent an occlusal load. The results obtained were the stress (magnitude and distribution) for enamel/amalgam, enamel/GIC, enamel/composite, enamel/dentine/amalgam, enamel/dentine/GIC, and enamel/dentine/composite. It was found that the maximum induced stress was higher for enamel/dentine depth while there is no significant difference in stress magnitude for all dental filling materials.
Fe2O3/MWCNTs modified microdialysis electrode for dopamine detection
Authors: Sato Nicha , Haruta Makito , Ohta Yasumi , Sasagawa Kiyotaka , Ohta Jun , Pewnim Naray , Jongprateep Oratai
Published: November 2019

Dopamine (DA) is an essential neurotransmitter which plays important roles in human’s biological and cognitive processes, specifically learning, memory, emotions, and movements. Abnormality of dopamine level can signal the trace of neurological diseases. Dopamine detection, therefore, can be useful in detection of symptoms and diseases related to brain disorders such as Parkinson’s and depression. This study aimed at examining usage of hematite iron oxide (Fe2O3) as electrochemical sensors for dopamine detection. Nanoparticulate Fe2O3 was synthesized, microstructurally examined, and tested for its electrocatalytic activities. The synthesized powder showed a single phase with an average particle size of 93.9 nm. Electrocatalytic activities of the powder, measured in dopamine hydrochloride solutions with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 10 μM, were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry technique. At applied voltage of 0.33 V, peak currents corresponding to oxidation reactions between dopamine and Fe2O3 electrode were detected. With sensitivity of Fe2O3 electrode in the range between 0.021 and 0.033 μA μM−1, the Fe2O3 nanoparticles exhibited fair sensing ability.
1. American federalism in comparative perspective
Authors: Rozell Mark J. , Wilcox Clyde
Published: November 2019

“American federalism in comparative perspective” outlines how, in 1787, a new American constitution was drafted which replaced the confederation with a federal form of government. This chapter also explains how several key contemporary issues—such as same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control, and voting rights—illustrate the challenges posed by federalism. Cleavages between and among the subnational units often pose significant challenges for maintaining stable federal systems. For example, in many countries regional governments reflect different ethnic or linguistic groups, and the regions or states may have been independent countries in the past. The source and sharing of revenues also differ significantly in federal systems.
3. The evolution of federalism in law
Authors: Rozell Mark J. , Wilcox Clyde
Published: November 2019

Debates over the relative power of national and state governments have typically hinged on constitutional provisions. “The evolution of federalism in law” describes how, in the early years of the republic, the US Supreme Court played a key role in defining the nature and scope of the US federal system. It then outlines how judicial decisions of the twentieth century continued the expansion of federal authority. Although the national government has many tools to influence state policymaking and enact federal policy, US states retain important powers. For many Americans, the actions of state and local governments have a bigger impact on their lives than those of the national government.
5. “Make the world go away”
Authors: Carlin Richard
Published: November 2019

Rock ‘n’ roll shook Nashville and the rest of the popular music world. While some performers tried to wed country sounds with a rock beat in the new “rockabilly” style, Nashville’s music industry turned to popular stylings to reach a new audience. “Make the world go away” describes how leading producers like Owen Bradley, Chet Atkins, and Billy Sherrill wed light jazz and pop sounds to create the Nashville sound, embraced by key artists such as Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, George Jones, and Tammy Wynette. The Nashville Sound matured in the late 1960s into “countrypolitan,” blending elements of orchestral pop, adult contemporary, and light rock into a winning formula for country stars.
Introduction
Authors: Carlin Richard
Published: November 2019

The Introduction explains that like all popular music styles, the best country music balances the personal with the commercial; it is both nostalgic and progressive, reflecting earlier influences while rejecting their limitations; and ultimately it is expressive of our cultural values—both the laudable and the lamented. Country music is the most “popular” of all musical styles in terms of sheer numbers. While it rises to the surface of America’s consciousness occasionally, it is country’s deep-rooted, almost subterranean, nature that has made it in many ways America’s most profound indigenous pop music. It is a music of timeless themes, telling stories of love gone wrong and families torn asunder.
Human behaviour, mind, and culture
Authors: Okasha Samir
Published: November 2019

‘Human behaviour, mind, and culture’ examines the implications of biology for humans, asking whether human behaviour and culture can be explained in biological terms. The intelligence, language use, cultural inventions, technological prowess, and social institutions of our own species, Homo sapiens, seem to set us apart from other species. Can biology shed any light on humanity and its achievements? One way to tackle this question is to ask whether human behaviour can be understood in biological terms. The nature vs nurture debate is discussed, followed by the approaches of sociobiology and evolutionary psychology to the study of human behaviour. Finally, cultural evolution—or dual inheritance theory—is considered and how this relates to biological evolution.
5. Renewable energy systems
Authors: Jenkins Nick
Published: November 2019

‘Renewable energy systems’ describes the different ways of harnessing renewable energy and methods of converting it into electricity, gas, or liquid fuel, and their advantages and disadvantages. Renewable energy systems use a broad range of technologies to capture and convert energy from natural energy sources that are not diminished as they are utilized. Most renewable energy comes from the sun. Natural processes convert heat from the sun into movements of wind and water in the atmosphere that are then used to generate electricity. Solar radiation provides the energy to grow biomass and sunlight is used to generate electricity directly through the photovoltaic effect. Other significant sources of renewable energy are the tides, and geothermal heat.
The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction
Authors: Doyle William
Published: November 2019

There are many familiar images of the French Revolution garnered from Dickens, Baroness Orczy, and Tolstoy, as well as the legends of ‘let them eat cake’ and tricolours. The French Revolution: A Very Short Introduction chronicles the unfolding events of the French Revolution, from the quarrels of the first revolutionaries with the king, to the terror, to the rise of Napoleon, and explores why it happened, and what factors led to the initial outburst of violence. It discusses how and why the Revolution destroyed the age-old cultural, institutional, and social structures in France and beyond, and considers the legacy of the Revolution in the form of rationality in public affairs and responsible government.
Single Staged Mastopexy With Autologous Fat Grafting: An Alternative to Augmentation Mastopexy With Implants
Authors: Walters Jules , Bourn Lynn , Tessler Oren , Patterson Charles , Khoobehi Kamran
Published: November 2019

Background

Improving the ptotic breast with mastopexy and restoring upper pole fullness with augmentation continues to be a challenging issue for plastic surgeons. Autologous fat grating (AFG) for shaping and contouring of implant augmented breasts has shown positive outcomes with few complications.

Objectives

The objective of this study was to evaluate our experience with combined mastopexy and fat grafting for women with existing breast ptosis who prefer not to receive prosthetic breast implants but do desire volume enhancement.

Methods

A retrospective review of patients undergoing a single staged mastopexy with AFG, from 2006 to 2017, was performed. Inclusion criteria were women with breast ptosis or tuberous breasts desiring improved breast shape and volume. Patients were excluded if they were undergoing implant removal before the procedure. Clinical aesthetic outcomes were assessed by fellow plastic surgeons according to the Telemark Breast Scoring system.

Results

A total of 284 breasts, in 140 women, underwent a single staged mastopexy with AFG. The mean amount of fat grafted per breast was 299.4 mL (range, 50-710 mL). There were no surgical site infections, hematomas, or seromas. There were 3 major and 8 minor (0.06%) postoperative breast complications. A total of 13 plastic surgeons, of the 183 invited (7.1%), completed the breast outcomes survey. Regarding each category, there was significant improvement (P ≤ 0.0001) in upper pole fullness, ptosis, overall aesthetics, and symmetry postoperatively.

Conclusions

AFG combined with mastopexy is not associated with significant postoperative complications and results in excellent breast aesthetic outcomes.

Level of Evidence: 4
Preferences for and use of light microhabitats differ among and within populations of a polytypic poison frog
Authors: Dugas Matthew B , Yeager Justin , Karkos Aaron M
Published: November 2019

Anti-predator strategies can influence trade-offs governing other activities important to fitness. Crypsis, for example, might make conspicuous sexual display especially costly, whereas aposematism might reduce or remove such costs. We tested for correlates of anti-predator strategy in Oophaga pumilio, a polytypic poison frog with morphs spanning the crypsis–aposematism continuum. In the wild, males of visually conspicuous morphs display from conspicuous perches and behave as if they perceive predation risk to be low. We thus predicted that, given a choice of ambient light microhabitats, these males would use high ambient light conditions the most and be most likely to perch in high-light conditions. We found no evidence that differently colored male O. pumilio preferentially used bright microhabitats or that ambient light influenced perching in a morph-specific manner. Independent of light conditions, males from the most conspicuous population perched the least, but the most conspicuous individuals from a polymorphic population perched the most. These patterns suggest that preferences do not necessarily underlie among-morph differences observed in the wild. This could be explained, and remain consistent with theory, if risk aversion is shaped, in part, by experience.
On the Security Of A Certificateless Signcryption With Known Session-Specific Temporary Information Security In The Standard Model
Authors: Lin Xi-Jun , Sun Lin , Yan Zhen , Zhang Xiaoshuai , Qu Haipeng
Published: November 2019

Rastegari et al. recently proposed a certificateless signcryption (CL-SC) scheme. They claimed that their scheme is the first secure CL-SC scheme, which captures the known session-specific temporary information security (KSSTIS), in the standard model. In this paper, we point out that their scheme is insecure, which implies that how to construct a secure CL-SC scheme with KSSTIS in the standard model is still an open problem.
Rationale for catheter-based therapies in acute pulmonary embolism
Authors: de Winter M A , Vlachojannis G J , Ruigrok D , Nijkeuter M , Kraaijeveld A O
Published: November 2019

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common disease resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. High-risk features of PE are hypotension or shock, and early reperfusion is warranted to unload the strained right ventricle and improve clinical outcomes. Currently, systemic thrombolysis (ST) is the standard of care but is associated with bleeding complications. Catheter-based therapies (CDT) have emerged as a promising alternative having demonstrated to be equally effective while having a lower risk of bleeding. Several CDT are currently available, some combining mechanical properties with low-dose thrombolytics. Recent guidelines suggest that CDT may be considered in patients with high-risk PE who have high bleeding risk, after failed ST, or in patients with rapid haemodynamic deterioration as bail-out before ST can be effective, depending on local availability and expertise. In haemodynamically stable patients with right ventricular (RV) dysfunction (intermediate-risk PE), CDT may be considered if clinical deterioration occurs after starting anticoagulation and relative contraindications for ST due to bleeding risk exist. Decision on treatment modality should follow a risk-benefit analysis on a case by case base, weighing the risk of PE-related complications; i.e. haemodynamic deterioration vs. bleeding. As timely initiation of treatment is warranted to prevent early mortality, bleeding risk factors should be assessed at an early stage in all patients with acute PE and signs of RV dysfunction. To ensure optimal management of complex cases of PE and assess a potential CDT strategy, a multidisciplinary approach is recommended. A dedicated Pulmonary Embolism Response Team may optimize this process.
Expression and characterization of a thermostable citrate synthase from Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806
Authors: Ge Ya-Dong , Hou Shao-Lin , Jiang Lu-Lu , Su Feng-Zhi , Wang Peng
Published: November 2019

Citrate synthase (CS) is an important enzyme in energy conversion and material circulation, participating in many important biochemical processes. In the present study, CS from Microcystis aeruginosa PCC7806 (MaCS) was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3). The recombinant MaCS was purified and its enzymological properties were characterized. The results showed that MaCS formed dimers in native status. The optimum temperature and pH of MaCS was 30°C and 8.2, respectively. MaCS displayed relative high thermal stability. Treatment at 50°C for 20 min only decreased 11.30% activity of MaCS and the half-life of MaCS was approximately 35 min at 55°C. The kcat and Km of acetyl-CoA and oxaloacetic acid were 17.133 s−1 (kcat) and 11.62 μM (Km), 24.502 s−1 and 103.00 μM, respectively. MaCS activity was not drastically inhibited by monovalent ions and NADH but depressed by divalent ions and some small molecular compounds, especially Mg2+, Zn2+, Co2+ and DTT. Overall, these data contributed to further understanding of energy metabolism in cyanobacteria and also provided basic information for industrial application of CS.
Short Disease Duration Is Associated With Increased Risk of Treatment Failure in Biologic-Treated Patients With Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Nguyen Nghia H , Kurnool Soumya , Dulai Parambir S , Boland Brigid S , Sandborn William J , Singh Siddharth
Published: November 2019

Background

Longer disease duration is associated with inferior response to biologic therapy in Crohn’s disease. However, the effect of disease duration on response to biologic therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC) has not been well studied.

Methods

In a single-center retrospective cohort study of outpatients with UC starting a biologic agent, we evaluated treatment response by disease duration. The primary outcome was treatment failure (composite outcome of inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]–related surgery/hospitalization or treatment modification including dose escalation, treatment discontinuation, or addition of corticosteroids); secondary outcomes were risk of IBD-related surgery/hospitalization and endoscopic remission. We conducted multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses to evaluate the independent impact of disease duration on clinical outcomes.

Results

We included 160 biologic-treated UC patients (73% biologic-naïve) with a median age (interquartile range) of 36 (26–52) years and disease duration (range) of 4.5 (1–9) years. After adjusting for immunosuppressive medications, albumin, and body mass index, each 1-year increase in disease duration was associated with a 5% lower risk of treatment failure (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91–0.99) and a 9% higher risk of achieving endoscopic remission (adjusted odds ratio, 1.09; 95% CI, 1.01–1.18). This association of short disease duration with treatment failure was observed only in biologic-naïve patients, but not biologic-experienced patients. No significant association was seen between disease duration and risk of surgery or hospitalization.

Conclusion

Shorter disease duration is independently associated with increased risk of treatment failure in biologic-treated patients with UC. Requirement of biologic therapy early in the course of disease may be a negative prognostic marker in patients with UC.
miR-29a-5p/STAT3 Positive Feedback Loop Regulates TETs in Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Wang Aiping , Deng Song , Chen Xi , Yu Chang , Du Qun , Wu Yanli , Chen Gang , Hu Ling , Hu Chenxia , Li Yanwu
Published: November 2019

Background

Interleukin (IL)-6/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling plays an important role in the development of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). The mechanism of CAC formation remains unclear, and the relationship between miRNAs and the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in the development of CAC is not well understood. In this study, we investigated the relationship between miR-29a-5p and the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway in the development of CAC and alterations in 10-11 translocations (TETs) regulated by this network.

Methods

miR-29a-5p was screened in a CAC mouse model by high-throughput microarray analysis and investigated in human colorectal cancer tissue samples and colon cell lines by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (Q-RTPCR). The expression of miR-29a and TETs was detected by Q-RTPCR, and the expression of STAT3/P-STAT3 and TET3 was detected via Western blot assay. The expression of TET1 and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) was detected through immunofluorescence.

Results

Our results showed that miR-29a-5p was significantly upregulated and was accompanied by STAT3 activation in the colon tissues of CAC mouse and human colorectal cancer tissues, as compared with normal colon tissues. In contrast, the levels of TETs and 5hmC were decreased. In vitro, overexpression of miR-29a-5p in colonic cell lines (HCT-116 and IEC-6) and RAW264.7 cells increased STAT3 expression, but decreased that of TET3, TET1, and 5hmC. miR-29a-5p downregulation in HCT-116 and IEC-6 cell lines could rescue the expression of STAT3 and TET3. Notably, STAT3 activation induced by IL-6 upregulated miR-29a-5p expression and reduced TET expression in vitro, although STAT3 inhibitor treatment downregulated miR-29a-5p expression, which was induced by IL-6.

Conclusions

Our studies showed that tumor development occurred with inflammation. The miR-29a-5p/STAT3 signaling axis could play an important role in the development of CAC, and the miR-29a-5p/STAT3 positive feedback loop may amplify the effects of inflammation, lead to decreased levels of TET and 5hmC, and eventually lead to the development of CAC.
Prognostic value of mitral valve tenting area in patients with functional mitral regurgitation
Authors: von Stumm Maria , Dudde Florian , Gasser Simone , Sequeira-Gross Tatiana , Pausch Jonas , Sinning Christoph , Reichenspurner Hermann , Girdauskas Evaldas
Published: November 2019

OBJECTIVES

Mitral valve (MV) repair in functional mitral regurgitation is still associated with suboptimal outcomes. Our goal was to determine whether the clinical outcome following MV repair correlates with preoperative tenting parameters.

METHODS

We retrospectively identified consecutive patients with functional mitral regurgitation who underwent an isolated MV annuloplasty during a 7-year period (2010–2016) from our institutional database. Preoperative tenting parameters (i.e. tenting height, coaptation length, tenting area, posterior mitral leaflet and anterior mitral leaflet angles and interpapillary muscle distance) were systematically measured. The primary end point was the composite of survival and freedom from adverse cardiac events. The follow-up protocol consisted of a structured clinical questionnaire and an analysis of the echocardiographic data.

RESULTS

A total of 240 patients (mean age 67.8 ± 9.8 years, 57% of men) were analysed. The overall 5-year survival rate for the whole study cohort was 74.7 ± 4.2%, and freedom from adverse cardiac events was 84.8 ± 3.4%. A tenting area ≥2.4 cm2 was identified as a cut-off value, independently predicting the composite primary study end point (hazard ratio 2.0; P = 0.03). Furthermore, a Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a strong tendency towards worse 5-year outcomes in patients with a tenting area ≥2.4 cm2 (n = 153) versus patients with a tenting area <2.4 cm2 (n = 87) (65.3 ± 5.5% vs 77.1 ± 6.3%; P = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

MV annuloplasty is associated with acceptable clinical and echocardiographic outcomes in patients with functional mitral regurgitation 5 years postoperatively. A preoperative tenting area ≥2.4 cm2 showed a strong trend towards a worse 5-year survival rate and an increased risk of adverse cardiac events after an isolated MV annuloplasty.
Perverse Consequences of Well Intentioned Regulation: Evidence from India’s Child Labor Ban
Authors: Bharadwaj Prashant , Lakdawala Leah K , Li Nicholas
Published: November 2019

Although bans against child labor are a ubiquitous policy tool, there is very little empirical evidence on their effectiveness. In this paper, we examine the consequences of India’s landmark legislation against child labor, the Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act of 1986. Using data from employment surveys conducted before and after the ban, and using age restrictions that determined whom the ban applied to, we show that the relative probability of child employment increases and child wages (relative to adult wages) decrease after the ban. Our main specification relies on comparing changes in work probabilities over time for children of the same age but with siblings who are rendered either eligible or ineligible for legal work when the ban is implemented. The increases in the probability of economic activity are largest for children (i) in areas where the industries targeted by the ban play a larger role in local labor markets, (ii) in areas where the probability of employer inspections is higher, and (iii) in families that are poorer. These results are consistent with a theoretical model building on the seminal work of Basu and Van (1998) and Basu (2005), where families use child labor to reach subsistence constraints and where child wages decrease in response to bans, leading poor families to utilize more child labor. We also find decreases in child participation in schooling (for younger children only) and no economically meaningful change in household outcomes like assets or calorie intake.
Contrasting Responses of Wing Morphology of Three Blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Species to Competition
Authors: Macedo M P , Arantes L C , Tidon R
Published: November 2019

Competition influences the expression of morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits and also regulates ecological and evolutionary dynamics. This study aims to identify and characterize changes in wing morphology in response to intra- and interspecific competition in three necrophagous blowfly species. Using geometric morphometry, we analyzed 3,238 wings from Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826), Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, and C. vomitoria (Linnaeus, 1758) raised under cloistered and pairwise conditions. The three species reacted similarly to intraspecific competition—reducing wing size with increased competition—but displayed contrasting patterns of response to interspecific competition. Lucilia sericata displayed a directional change in wing shape in response to an interspecific competitor, while C. vicina increased the scattering of individuals across the morphospace, and C. vomitoria displayed no significant change in response to the same stimulus. Our results show that the same stimulus yields distinctive responses; thus, different competition-related strategies are expected to occur in the three species.
Paradoxes of Freedom
Authors: Stalnaker Aaron
Published: November 2019

This chapter examines modern Western objections to both authority and dependence, in both cases on the grounds that they threaten human autonomy, which implies that we should minimize both authority and dependence whenever possible. The chapter includes historical overviews of the modern Western “flight from authority” as well as the gradual fragmentation and transformation of notions of dependence on others. It examines Maine on status and contract, Berlin on liberty, and Mill and others on the dangers of paternalism. The chapter analyzes the concepts of authority and autonomy through an engagement with Raz’s “service conception of authority,” arguing that early Confucians have a generally similar approach to the nature and value of authority, albeit with some important differences, which avoid some common objections to Raz’s views. The chapter closes with an overview of the rest of the book.
Virtue, Skill, and Mastery
Authors: Stalnaker Aaron
Published: November 2019

This chapter examines the early Confucian conception of virtuous mastery or expertise. It develops an account of early Confucian virtue theory, bolstered by sustained studies of ritual propriety and wisdom. It argues that virtues should be understood as forms of mastery that combine both skill and virtue. The chapter analyzes competing interpretations of Aristotle’s influential discussion of skill and virtue. It supports Russell and Annas, who accent the way Aristotelian virtues are like skills, or involve skill, against MacIntyre and others who find deep differences between skill and virtue. Virtue does not appear automatically, but is rather something people must practice to develop, and like other forms of mastery produces a spectrum of achievement.
Dependence, Autonomy, and the Varieties of Relationship
Authors: Stalnaker Aaron
Published: November 2019

This chapter places master-student relations in the context of Confucian social theory, focusing on issues of obedience, remonstration, and respect for different sorts of authorities. It surveys Confucian accounts of the good society centered on role relations, personal development, and flourishing, both individual and communal. It then examines the question of autonomy within these relationships, looking closely at remonstration, obedience, and disobedience. It concludes with a broader discussion of human dependence, placing Confucian conceptions in dialogue with Kittay, Fineman, and MacIntyre. All three, like the Confucians, see dependency relations as central to human life and the problems of politics, in sharp contrast to most liberal views that imagine a social contract between autonomous, free, and equal individuals. Confucians view extreme dependence as a special case of the pervasive interdependence of all human beings on each other, with family relations serving in many respects as the model for other relations.
America Is Underachieving
Authors: Kenworthy Lane
Published: November 2019

Abstract: A good society will ensure a decent standard of living for its least well-off. It will reduce people’s vulnerability to large income declines and large unanticipated expenses. It will aggressively curtail inequality of opportunity. And it will ensure that economic growth is broadly shared among the population rather than confined to those at the top. The United States isn’t doing as well as it should in meeting these challenges. The incomes and living standards of Americans at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder are too low. Too many Americans experience significant income declines from year to year or month to month, and too many are vulnerable to a large unanticipated medical expense. Too few who grow up in disadvantaged circumstances are able to reach the middle class. And too few see their boat lifted when the economic tide rises. I detail the nature and extent of these problems.
A Theory of Islamic Peaceful Resolution of Disputes
Authors: Powell Emilia Justyna
Published: November 2019

The theory of Islamic Peaceful Resolution of Disputes discusses four distinct legal features that define Islamic law states’ most preferred form of social interaction: a unique logic of Islamic justice, nonconfrontational dispute settlement (sulh), collective embeddedness of the third party, and incorporation of Islamic religious principles into the resolution process. The chapter describes characteristics of negotiations, international non-binding (conciliation, mediation) and binding methods (arbitration, adjudication). Islamic law states engage in forum shopping because of uncertainty associated with dispute resolution. Their preferences toward international resolution methods are not constant across space and time, but depend on the balance between Islamic law and secular law in their domestic legal systems. ILS whose legal systems are deeply infused with tenets of Islamic law embrace international settlement venues that resemble traditional Islamic law: conciliation and mediation. States whose domestic legal systems embrace secular features are drawn to binding resolution methods: arbitration and adjudication.
Islamic Law States and Peaceful Resolution of Territorial Disputes
Authors: Powell Emilia Justyna
Published: November 2019

This chapter examines Islamic law states’ decisions to use international conflict management venues in the context of territorial disputes (1945–2012). The dissonance between Islamic law and international law is particularly apparent in the context of territorial claims, because Islamic notions of land ownership and territorial sovereignty are religious in nature. Not all ILS approach international conflict management in the same way. Secular—or rather shared—legal features, such as the presence of a secular court system and constitutional mentions of peaceful resolution of disputes, have the power to attract such ILS to legal approaches—arbitration and adjudication. In contrast, mediation and conciliation are most appealing to those ILS whose legal systems are deeply infused with traditional Islamic precepts. Such states are morally committed to these procedures. In an important way, there is a synergy between norms of traditional Islamic dispute resolution and international non-binding third-party mechanisms.
Yielding Peaches and Women with Whips
Authors: Hedenborg White Manon
Published: November 2019

This chapter analyzes how Aleister Crowley’s ideas about Babalon and the Scarlet Woman—a title Crowley bestowed upon his most important female lovers and magical partners, designating them earthly representatives of Babalon—developed after 1909, when Crowley increasingly systematized his magical teachings. In 1912, Crowley became British head of Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), an initiatory fraternity claiming to possess the secret of sexual magic, which subsequently became increasingly important to his magical practice. In 1920, Crowley cofounded a religious commune, the Abbey of Thelema, in Cefalù, Sicily, with his lover and disciple Leah Hirsig, who became Crowley’s Scarlet Woman. Later in life, Crowley developed Babalon’s function further in a number of texts. I argue that Crowley’s Babalon—by symbolizing assertive and transgressive feminine sexuality and the erotic threat to stable, bounded subjectivity—both reifies and challenges dominant perceptions of femininity and feminine sexuality in the early twentieth century.
Her Banner Is Unfolded
Authors: Hedenborg White Manon
Published: November 2019

The chapter introduces and discusses how Babalon was interpreted by the American rocket scientist and Thelemite John Whiteside “Jack” Parsons. In 1946, Parsons undertook a series of magical operations, aided by his lover Marjorie Cameron and L. Ron Hubbard, with the aim of manifesting Babalon on earth as a human woman. Likely influenced by libertarian socialist and feminist ideas, Parsons believed Babalon would incarnate as a messianic figure connected to female emancipation, religious freedom, and sexual liberation. A few years later, Parsons proclaimed himself the Antichrist and sought to promote a version of witchcraft that venerated Babalon alongside Lucifer. I argue that Parsons’s feminist vision of Babalon challenged hegemonic notions of femininity as passive and nurturing. Parsons emphasized Babalon and the Scarlet Woman as important figures in their own right rather than characters defined in relation to a male magician. However, Parsons also reproduced perceptions of femininity as intuitive and natural.
Intermezzo
Authors: Hedenborg White Manon
Published: November 2019

This chapter functions as a bridge between the previous chapters, which dealt with the historical esotericists who have described Babalon (primarily, Aleister Crowley, Jack Parsons, and Kenneth Grant), and my research on the contemporary Thelemic and esoteric milieu, outlined in the subsequent chapters. Based on existing research in the field done by other scholars, the chapter provides a brief outline of the landscape and development of contemporary esotericism, with some reflections on the demographic composition, values, and behavior of contemporary Thelemites and esotericists. Attention is paid to how feminist ideas—which have influenced the broader Neopagan and occult milieus from the 1970s onward—appear to have gained increasing influence within Thelema from at least the 1990s.
Possession and Dispossession
Authors: Hedenborg White Manon
Published: November 2019

This chapter analyzes how bodily technologies are used to materialize a “Babalonian” body in written descriptions of rituals centered around Babalon. In several rituals, female esotericists utilize “technologies of femininity” (e.g., high heels, lingerie, makeup) to embody Babalon, whereas one male esotericist succumbs to ritual scarification in devotion to the goddess, explicitly describing this as analogous to feminine technologies. While feminist theorization has frequently referred to investment in feminine adornment and physical modification as trivial, subordinating, and restrictive, I stress that technology is implicated in all materializations of gender as well as ritual. Thus, I contend that the esotericists’ use of feminine technologies should be acknowledged as ritual techniques used by agential religious practitioners, while also producing a feminine body that is open, vulnerable, and partly restrained. Thus, the rituals discussed produce femininities that are neither exclusively determined by, nor completely independent of, the (heterosexual) male gaze.
“Like Fire and Powder”
Authors: Hedenborg White Manon
Published: November 2019

This chapter reviews the initial questions of the study, including how interpretations of Babalon relate to hegemonic notions of gender; and whether Babalon has the potential to function according to what Rosi Braidotti denotes as a “feminist figuration,” which indicates alternate ways of envisioning and inhabiting femininity. I conclude that the Babalon discourse appears to function in this way, providing a feminine symbolic that especially women and LGBTQ esotericists can identify with and indicating the desirability of nonmonogamous, nonreproductive, and sometimes also nonheterosexual modalities. This symbolic may not be equally accessible to all feminine subjects, because the Babalon discourse is historically situated and contingent on the social positionality of many contemporary esotericists. In summarizing the findings of this study, I assert that the Babalon discourse—lauding the propensity for erotic undoing—nonetheless profoundly challenges Western notions of bourgeois, masculine, and bounded subjectivity.
Authority and aggression
Authors: Kahlos Maijastina
Published: November 2019

This chapter discusses the various standpoints that imperial and ecclesiastical authorities had towards the coercion of religious dissidents, especially violence towards people and their cult places. Periodic outbursts of aggression between religious groups were sometimes aggravated and even instigated by church leaders, while sometimes they were settled and even condemned by them. Imperial authorities sought to keep the mechanisms of coercive rule under their own control. Therefore, they needed to suppress and punish other forms of aggression than their officially sanctioned violence. This chapter shows the variety of attitudes held by the imperial and ecclesiastical authorities and the responses to them. In regard to pagan shrines, there is evidence of maintenance, destruction, abandonment, and transformation of temples in Late Antiquity.
Reactions
Authors: Kahlos Maijastina
Published: November 2019

This chapter analyses the various ways in which people responded to the altered social and religious circumstances in the Christianizing empire. Many accommodated the dominant form of Christianity. Bishops usually spoke about conversion in a favourable manner. Some reservations were shown when a few recent converts became more militant than their fellow Christians. Outward religious conformity and feigned conversions were despised by both Christian and pagan writers. However, not everyone accommodated the changing circumstances. We have appeals from dissidents, even though these have not been preserved in equal quantity as the mainstream Christian literature. Many of the non-conforming religious practices shifted to private spaces, beyond the control of the ecclesiastical and imperial authorities. There seems to have been self-segregation among several Christian sects as well as some pagan Neoplatonist circles. Resistance could also be aggressive, in the form of verbal violence and polemical attacks as well as violent confrontations.
Economics of practices
Authors: Kahlos Maijastina
Published: November 2019

This chapter explores the economic aspects of religious dissidence, such as the confiscation of temples and churches, as well as competing philanthropic practices, civic euergetism, and ecclesiastical charity. In many instances, economic issues carried more weight than the solemn proclamations of emperors and church councils. When the emperor chose a cult or a group as something to support, he recognized that cult or religious group as a receiver of privileges and donations. The emperors’ economic support of Christian communities strengthened the position of the churches. The withdrawal of imperial support hit pagan cults that had traditionally been endowed with land, property, and exemptions from duties. Furthermore, late Roman society saw another great transformation in the economics of practices. The philanthropy of the Christian churches gradually replaced the traditional Graeco-Roman form of civic philanthropy in the fourth and fifth centuries.
Sacred places and spaces
Authors: Kahlos Maijastina
Published: November 2019

This chapter discusses not only the rivalry between Christians, pagans, and Jews in regard to sacred places and spaces, but also how these were shared. Even though many groups maintained the separateness and uniqueness of their sacred sites, they could easily move into locations held by other groups. Late antique people commuted between spaces or between different interpretations of the same space. Attention is also drawn to the contradictions between the triumphalist declarations made by church leaders about the destruction of cult places in some regions and the archaeological evidence, which reveals a less dramatic picture, such as the continuity of cult practices or the natural abandonment and decay of shrines. Furthermore, emperors issued laws to protect temples from attacks and plundering. They were regarded not only as cult places, but also as civic monuments, and they were valued as aesthetic objects.