bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Varieties of Yin and Yang in the Han: Implicit Mode and Substance Divisions in Heshanggong's Commentary on the Daodejing
Authors: Tadd Misha
Published: January 2018

In the study of Chinese thought, the products of the Han dynasty have historically been identified as those most antithetical to Western rationalism. In many of these narratives, the commentarial tradition and systems of complementary yin and yang receive the most attention. The present work draws on Mawangdui texts (Guan, Cheng, and Cixiong jie), the writings of Dong Zhongshu, the Huainanzi, and ultimately Heshanggong's Commentary on the Daodejing to complexify this view. Within these examples one discovers divergent philosophies of opposites and yin and yang that confound the notion of a monolithic and solely holistic Han cosmology. Ultimately, this paper seeks to promote Heshanggong's Commentary as an exemplar of Eastern Han Daoist yin-yang theory that subdivides these two principles into mode and substance. Such an interpretive move explains the commentary's valorization of yin modes (non-action, weakness) but not yin substances (cold, corpses), and yang substances (spirit, essential qi, living beings) but not yang modes (action, aggression, violence). Furthermore, this approach unveils new insights about the relationship of the Dao and Heaven, the history of Daoism, and the varieties of correlative cosmologies in the Han.
Nested Contexts of Reception: Undocumented Students at the University of California, Central
Authors: Golash-Boza Tanya , Valdez Zulema
Published: January 2018

This article draws from five focus groups with 35 undocumented students who enrolled in the University of California–Central (UC Central), a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located in a Latino-majority, working-class community in the heart of the Central Valley, after the passage of the California Dream Act. We develop a framework of nested contexts of reception to argue that students encounter distinct contexts at the local, state, and federal levels that shape their educational incorporation. By considering nested contexts, we reveal how local, state, and federal policies and societal reception combine to help or hinder undocumented students’ success in higher education.
Placeability restricted by in-complete contact between laying roller and mould in an automated fiber placement process
Authors: Chu Qiyi , Li Yong , Xiao Jun , Huan Dajun , Zhang Xiangyang
Published: January 2018

In this study, the effect of a roller’s deformability on the placeability restricted by an incomplete contact between a laying roller and mould in an automated fiber placement process was analyzed. The incomplete contact phenomenon was defined theoretically through the differential geometry, and corresponding criteria of placeability were proposed by analyzing the mechanism of interlayer bonding. A finite element model was established to simulate the pressure distribution on the contact zone. The pressure measurement of laying on a curved mould was conducted and the infrared thermographic method was utilized to detect the layup defects. The results of the theoretical analysis showed that the criteria of placeability must satisfy complete contact and pressure’s uniformity simultaneously and be implemented in the condition of laying on a cylinder mould with a fixed angle trajectory. The deformability of the roller with different layup forces relates to its material module and its geometry. The finite element model of pressure distribution was verified by an experiment, and the quantitative relationship between the uniformity of pressure and roller’s module, mould’s radius and tows’ width was acquired by this model. With the increase of module and tows’ width, the uniformity decreases; while with the increase of mould’s radius, the uniformity increases. The thermographic results showed that optimized parameters can guarantee the interlaminar bonding to avoid delamination for laying on the curved mould with a restriction of the incomplete contact.
The Analysis of Poverty Spells
Authors: Nordholt Eric Schulte
Published: January 2018

The Analysis of Poverty Spells. In this paper data of the longitudinal database of the Dutch Socio-economic Panel survey (SEP) are used to analyse poverty spells. Net household incomes are standardized by means of the Statistics Netherlands equivalence scale. The half median method (a relative poverty measure) is used to determine which persons should be considered poor. Cox's proportional hazards model is used to test the dependence of the poverty spell on a number of demographic, geographic and labour variables. Equivalence Scales, Longitudinal Data, Poverty, Proportional Hazards Model
Computers/Ordinateurs
Authors: Moretti Sabrina
Published: January 2018

The LCA-1 is an integrated package made up of three programs useful in the data elaboration process through an extensive exploratory procedure. It permits the construction of hypotheses of association and causal relationships within the items of a questionnaire. Computer Program, Questionnaire Analysis, Hypothesis and Causal Testing.
Effects of Arm Cycling Exercise in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II Patients: A Pilot Study
Authors: Bora Gamze , Subaşı-Yıldız Şulenur , Yeşbek-Kaymaz Ayşe , Bulut Numan , Alemdaroğlu İpek , Tunca-Yılmaz Öznur , Topaloğlu Haluk , Karaduman Aynur Ayşe , Erdem-Yurter Hayat
Published: January 2018

Exercise studies in neuromuscular diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a devastating disease caused by survival of motor neuron 1 ( SMN1) gene mutations, are drawing attention due to its beneficial effects. In this study, we presented a constructed arm cycling exercise protocol and evaluated the benefits on SMA patients. Five SMA type II patients performed 12 weeks of supervised arm cycling exercise. The physical functions were evaluated together with the SMN2 copy numbers, SMN protein levels, insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF1) and binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) levels. The active cycling distance and duration of patients significantly improved. Significant changes could not have detected either SMN or IGF1 and IGFBP3 levels in response to exercise. The findings demonstrated that the patients tolerated the exercise protocol and gained a benefit from arm cycling but benefits could not be associated with SMN2 copy number, SMN protein level, IGF1, or IGFBP3 levels.
Thermoelastic stress analysis in composite cylindrical vessel with metallic liner using first-order shear deformation theory and differential quadrature method
Authors: Masumi Ali Asghar , Rahimi Gholam Hossein , Liaghat Gholam Hossein
Published: January 2018

In this study, thermoelastic stress analysis in composite metal cylindrical vessel is investigated with the help of two theories, first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and layerwise theory, using differential quadrature method (DQM). Hamilton principle and FSDT are employed for derivation of the principle differential equations. DQM and Newmark’s methods are used for stress analysis of a composite metal cylindrical vessel subjected to internal dynamic pressure and thermal load achieved from experimental test. In order to more accurately estimate the thickness effect, the layerwise theory is applied to approximate the temperature field. In this solution method, DQM is used to discretize the resulted governing equations while Newmark’s method is implemented to solve the problem in the time domain. It was observed that the fast convergence rate of the DQM method and its accuracy is confirmed by comparing the results with those obtained using ABAQUS software and also with the exact solutions. Furthermore, it was achieved significantly less computational efforts of the proposed approaches with respect to the finite element method.
How to “Live a Good Life”: Aging and HIV Testing in Rural South Africa
Authors: Schatz Enid , Houle Brian , Mojola Sanyu A. , Angotti Nicole , Williams Jill
Published: January 2018

Objective: The African HIV epidemic is aging, yet HIV testing behavior studies either exclude older persons or include too few to say much about age differences. Method: Strategically combining focus group interviews (participants in 40s/50s/60s-plus age groups) and survey data from rural South Africa (where HIV prevalence peaks in the late 30s, but continues to be over 10% into the late 60s), we examine gender and life course variation, motivations, and barriers in HIV testing. Results: We find significant gender differences—Women test at higher rates at younger ages, men at older ages. Our qualitative data not only highlight recognition of testing importance but also suggest gendered motivations and perceptions of testing. Men and women report similar barriers, however, including fear of finding out their (positive) HIV status, limited confidentiality, and partner nondisclosure. Discussion: We conclude with recommendations to increase HIV testing uptake among older adults including home testing, couples testing, and HIV testing concurrently with noncommunicable diseases.
Effect of slotted electrodes on improvement in machining performance of large-scale electrical discharge machining
Authors: Lo Jie Shing , Jiang Chang Tai , Wu Kun Ling
Published: January 2018

Under special conditions, electrical discharge machining is prone to experiencing poor machining removal rate. This creates debris deposits that lead to decreased machining efficiency and poorer machining quality in the machining workpieces during machining operations. Thus, the present study investigated the use of slotted electrodes to improve machining debris removal and compared the machining capability of such electrodes with that of cylindrical, nonslotted electrodes. Concurrently, oscilloscopes were used to measure the machining voltage and current signals during the machining process, in which waveforms were analyzed to gain insight into the electrical discharge condition of the electrical discharge machining. Compared with general cylindrical, nonslotted electrodes, the deep slotted electrodes improved the material removal rate on large-scale and hemisphere electrical discharge machining result by 91% and 116.7%, respectively. The experiment results also show that slotted electrodes are inapplicable to finishing operations. Therefore, during roughing operations, slotted electrodes should be used to lower machining time; during finishing operations, cylindrical, nonslotted electrodes should be used to adjust machining precision.
Reduced-order coherent structures in active flow separation control using a bio-inspired flapping actuator
Authors: Ma Xingyu , Schröder Andreas
Published: January 2018

An experimental study was conducted to investigate large-scale coherent structures induced by a bio-inspired flapping actuator in a turbulent backward-facing step flow. The flow field velocity dataset in the horizontal-vertical plane was obtained by planar particle image velocimetry. The flapping actuator was implemented over the step edge and it was driven to vertically oscillate, generating periodic small perturbations into the separated shear layer. As a result of active flow control, time-averaged reattachment length was reduced by 31% and Reynolds stresses as well as in-plane turbulent kinetic energy in the separated shear layer were considerably increased. In proper orthogonal decomposition analysis, the first two modes are found to be phase-correlated in the phase portrait of the coefficients. Therefore, reduced-order coherent structures are reconstructed by the first two modes, showing the phase evolution of the vortex shedding process. The extracted reduced-order coherent structures provide a better understanding of the underlying flow physics and are beneficial to effective flow separation control.
Modeling and performance analysis of a vehicle with kinetic dynamic suspension system
Authors: Yang Wu , Nong Zhang , Bangji Zhang , Jie Zhang
Published: January 2018

This paper presents a kinetic dynamic suspension (KDS) system to achieve enhanced cooperative control of the roll and warp motion modes for on-road and off-road sports utility vehicles (SUV). The proposed KDS system consists of two hydraulic circuits acting on two pairs of torsional rods and levers, which can be treated as novel anti-roll bars. Hence, these anti-roll bars do not work independently, but are coupled to merely respond to particular motion modes. To verify the handling and ride performance of the system, a 14-DOF model of a SUV and a “magic formula” tire model are developed. The dynamic responses of the vehicle model with KDS suspension are obtained through half-sine bump, asynchronous sine road, and fishhook maneuver simulations. The responses of the KDS equipped vehicle are compared to those of one with anti-roll bars to demonstrate its improved performance and also illustrate the side-effects. The results show that the KDS system considerably improves the vehicle’s anti-roll ability. Furthermore, the vehicle’s warp stiffness is significantly reduced by the KDS system, which enhances the vertical load distribution of each wheel when driving off-road.
Effects of polygonal wear of wheels on the dynamic performance of the gearbox housing of a high-speed train
Authors: Wang Zhiwei , Mei Guiming , Zhang Weihua , Cheng Yao , Zou Hangyu , Huang Guanhua , Li Fuzhong
Published: January 2018

This study investigates the effects of polygonal wear of wheels on the dynamic performance of the gearbox housing of high-speed trains. First, a dynamics model of the driving system is developed considering gear meshing and flexible deformation of the gearbox housing. Responses of the gearbox housing are calculated using the modal superposition method. Then, a multibody dynamics model of a railway motor car is established considering the driving system. Rig tests in the laboratory and field experiments on the Beijing–Shanghai high-speed rail line are, respectively, performed. Based on the simulation and experiments, the dynamic characteristics of the gearbox housing of the motor car are analysed. The results of the analysis show that polygonal wear can significantly influence the vibration of the gearbox housing, and the maximum amplitude of the acceleration of vibration is more than 200  g. In addition, resonance of the gearbox housing occurs due to the 20th-order polygonal wear. In the resonance region, the oil level sight glass of the gearbox housing vibrates severely, contributing immensely to its cracking.
A liminal staging of pan-Africanism: Shifts in messages on migration from Abasse Ndione’s Mbëkë mi to Moussa Touré’s La Pirogue
Authors: Hogarth Christopher
Published: January 2018

This article examines the adaptation from book to film of a recent Senegalese tale of clandestine migration by boat. Abasse Ndione’s Mbëkë mi (2008) foregrounds the motivations for migration for Senegalese youth and provokes readers’ sympathy for its migrating characters. It uses a heteroglossic lexicon which is nevertheless anchored in the French language on which the author must rely in order to publish his message. Moussa Touré’s film La Pirogue, by contrast, although sponsored by agents promoting francophonie, includes French and African languages in equal measure. This article examines the ethnic, religious and linguistic differences that the film points up as it represents contemporary migration.
Escaping the everyday: The Loi Évin’s paradoxical sanctioning of appeals to travel and intoxication
Authors: Robert Julie
Published: January 2018

Although designed to mitigate the normalising role that advertising can have on alcohol consumption, France’s Loi Évin (1991) has unwittingly channelled advertisers into reinforcing the link between their products and escapist pursuits. Where contemporary concerns about alcohol consumption in France have themselves been influenced by global trends in public health and alcohol studies, they revolve around the adoption of perceived ‘foreign’ drinking cultures, notably an embrace of drinking as a marker of leisure time and binge-drinking. Advertising strategies have accordingly countered by accentuating both leisure, in the form of travel, and intoxication. A visual semiotic analysis of recent French advertising campaigns for spirits and beer reveals layered signification of escapist themes, all in defiance of the spirit but not the letter of the Loi Évin.
Quasi-real-time confined environment path generation for mobile robotic manipulator arms
Authors: Wall David Galvão , Economou John , Knowles Kevin
Published: January 2018

Path generation for mobile robotic manipulator arms is challenging in dynamic environments because high-speed calculations are required to deal with fast-moving obstacles. A novel path-planning algorithm has been developed which solves in quasi-real time the problem of path generation in confined environments for interconnected multi-body systems, specifically a robotic manipulator arm with three links. The work presented in this article builds upon the previous work by reformulating the technique to increase the speed at which the algorithm is able to calculate a safe path. The complexity of the task space has increased substantially compared to previous work, and the algorithm has been reformulated to speed up the calculation in order to maintain or even improve its ability to plan a safe path in real time. The method is now able to calculate a safe path through environments significantly more quickly than the previous method, and the results presented in this article expand the complexity of the environment by a large amount and test the ability of the reformulated algorithm to still operate in real time, which the method achieves. It was found that the reformulated method reduces the calculation time for path generation exponentially when used to plan safe paths through test environments involving different numbers of obstacles. The new algorithm thus has the potential to facilitate path planning in challenging dynamic environments, such as those used in sensitive manufacturing and maintenance tasks as well as bomb disposal and similar applications.
The effect of nutritional intervention on the lipid profile and dietary intake of adolescents with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus: a randomized, controlled trial
Authors: da Silva S G L , Terreri M T , Abad T T O , Machado D , Fonseca F L A , Hix S , Suano-Souza F I , Sarni R O S , Len C A
Published: January 2018

Objective

This study sought to evaluate the effects of a nutritional intervention on the lipid metabolism biomarkers associated with cardiovascular risk, and their variation over time, in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) patients. This study also investigated the relationships between these biomarkers and dietary intake, nutritional status, disease variables, and medication used.

Methods

A total of 31 10- to 19-year-old female adolescents with JSLE for at least six months were analyzed. The participants were randomly allocated to two groups: nutritional intervention or control. The intervention group received verbal and printed nutritional instructions once per month over nine months. Before and after the intervention, the participants underwent assessments of anthropometry; dietary intake; physical activity; socioeconomic status; total cholesterol and fractions; triglycerides; apolipoprotein A (Apo A-I); apolipoprotein B (Apo B); paraoxonase (PON) activity (a) and amount (q); myeloperoxidase (MPO); and small, dense LDL-c (sdLDL) particles.

Results

After nine months, we found significant reductions in the calorie, carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat, and trans fat intakes in the intervention compared with the control group over time. The PONa/HDL-c ratio increased by 3.18 U/ml/mg/dl in the intervention group and by 0.63 U/ml/mg/dl in the control group ( p = 0.037). Unlike the intervention group, the sdLDL levels of the control group worsened over time ( p = 0.018).

Conclusion

The present study detected a reduction in calorie and fat intake, which indicates an improvement of HDL-c function and possible protection against cardiovascular risk for the intervention group.
Book Review: Ramachandra Guha, Democrats and Dissenters
Authors: Yadav Vivek Kumar , Kumar Bharath
Published: January 2018

Ramachandra Guha, Democrats and Dissenters. Gurugram: Penguin Random House India Private Limited, 2016, ₹699, 352 pp., ISBN 978-0-670-08936-9.
The Future of Globalization Under New Political Realities
Authors: Jara Alejandro
Published: January 2018

At a time when many state that globalization is stalled, if not suffering reversals, there are indications that international cooperation on trade issues is alive and can deliver results, provided adequate and timely leadership is exercised. Foreign investment continues to flow, capital markets continue to be global, and trade liberalization continues to take place (not always multilaterally but certainly on a bilateral or plurilateral basis). At the same time, processes of national integration—a sort of national globalization—continue to take place as measures such as the recent national sales tax reform in India, to say nothing of several policies applied in China and elsewhere, all reflect the robust growth of the middle class in emerging economies. Globalization is an endless process that has accelerated and deepened in the last decades and presumably will continue to do so. This implies that the forms and processes of globalization also change. It is therefore very important to have in mind what the drivers of these changes are in order to better understand the necessary adjustments and adaptions. The backlash against globalization is also strong and undeniable. One does not need to go too far to see the political consequences. Different surveys confirm a decline in the support of globalization.
Differential expression of TGFβ isoforms in breast cancer highlights different roles during breast cancer progression
Authors: Hachim Mahmood Y , Hachim Ibrahim Y , Dai Meiou , Ali Suhad , Lebrun Jean-Jacques
Published: January 2018

While TGFβ plays a critical role in tumor formation and progression, the role and contribution of its three different isoforms remain unclear. In this study, we aimed at elucidating the prognostic value of the TGFβ isoforms and assessed their expression levels in breast cancer patients at different stages of the disease. We found higher levels of TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 in cancer patients compared to normal tissues, with no significant changes in TGFβ2 expression. Similarly, TGFβ1 and TGFβ3, but not TGFβ2, showed higher expression levels in advanced lymph node–positive and metastatic tumors, suggesting different roles for the different isoforms in tumor progression and the metastatic process, while in the least aggressive molecular subtype (luminal A), expression of the three TGFβ isoforms significantly correlated with expression of both TGFβ receptors, such correlation only occurred between TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 and the TGFβ type II receptor (TβRII) in the highly aggressive basal-like subtype. Interestingly, a distinct and somehow opposite pattern was observed in HER-2 tumors, only showing significant association pattern between TGFβ2 and the TGFβ type I receptor (TβRI). Finally, the three TGFβ isoforms showed distinct association patterns with patient outcome depending on the different molecular subtype, highlighting context-dependent, differential prognostic values.
A Comparative Study of Entrepreneurship Incidence among Inventors in National Laboratories
Authors: Kassicieh Suleiman K. , Radosevich Raymond , Umbarger John
Published: January 2018

Although the commercialization of public-sector technology is a primary federal strategy for improving the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, the potential role of spin-off entrepreneurship in this strategy is poorly understood. Inventors from three large national laboratories are compared to each other and to spin-off entrepreneurs from the same laboratories. A 1992 survey gathered data on personal characteristics, attitudes, and perceptions of situational variables from 213 inventors and 24 spin-off entrepreneurs.

This paper identifies differences among the laboratories as well as differences between each of the laboratories and the entrepreneurs that have started ventures from inventions discovered at these laboratories. These differences should be used to identify areas of change that are needed to increase the number of inventions that are spun-off from the laboratories. These changes include affecting the inventors' entrepreneurial attitudes and perceptions of key situational variables.
Business Similarity as a Moderator of the Relationship between Pre-Ownership Experience and Venture Performance
Authors: Chandler Gaylen N.
Published: January 2018

This research focuses on the degree of similiarity between pre-ownership experience and the work requirements of the present venture as a moderator of the relationship between pre-ownership experience and venture performance. Multiple itme scales are developed to assess two dimensions of business similarity: (1) talk environment similarity, and (2) skills/abilities similarity. The results indicate a positive main effect for task enviroment similarity and a curvilinear moderation effect for skill/abilities similarity. Qualitative interviews are used to help better explain the results.
Harnessing the Power of Community Conversations to Improve Transition Outcomes for Youth With IDD
Authors: Molfenter Nancy , Hartman Ellie , Neugart Jenny , Swedeen Beth , Webb Shannon , Roskowski Matthew , Schlegelmilch Amanda
Published: January 2018

More than 20 Community Conversations were held with the goal of increasing inclusive school and employment opportunities for youth with disabilities between the spring of 2011 and spring of 2016. Approximately 700 citizens of a large Midwestern state participated, including teachers, parents, students, school administrators, adult service providers, vocational rehabilitation counselors, representatives from postsecondary education institutions, policy makers, and employers. Valuable stakeholder input, including ideas for increasing integrated employment outcomes, was generated. Data obtained, including sample questions, are summarized. The plethora of ideas and action steps developed at these events is described, along with perspectives shared by specific stakeholders. In addition, survey responses were obtained at a portion of the Community Conversations to determine level of belief among stakeholders that students with significant disabilities can work in the community and to gauge perceived values of the Community Conversation process itself. Raised employment expectations were seen, and numerous examples of rapid engagement of employers, students, teachers, and family members occurred. For multiple students, new employment opportunities were developed as a direct result of a Community Conversation.
New York State’s COSH Movement: A Brief History
Authors: Lax Michael
Published: January 2018

Unions, health and safety activists, and professionals came together to create Coalitions for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH groups) in a number of cities across the United States beginning in the 1970s. The COSHes have played an important and unique role in advocating worker health and safety since that time, through activities including technical assistance, training and education, and campaigns on workplace and public policies. In New York State, activist coalitions created eight COSH groups distributed around the state. This paper presents a history of New York’s COSHes based on interviews with key participants. The interviews shed light on the origins of the COSH movement in New York, the development and activities of the COSHes, and the organizational trajectory of individual New York COSHes in response to both extra and intraorganizational challenges. Participants’ accounts of these issues may be useful for those seeking to sustain the COSH movement.
Research Collaboration in a Communication Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned
Authors: Ryan Charlotte
Published: January 2018

In building public support for social change, activists in communities of color routinely approach broader audiences via news media. Communities of color, however, routinely face disparities that limit their access to media including local news media outlets. This lack of access mirrors inequalities in political, social, and economic arenas and can slow public awareness campaigns to address disparities in health, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues. I describe two community-based collaborative action research studies that documented and challenged how local television newscasts underrepresented and misrepresented three communities of color in Boston. The linkage between communication rights and campaigns to address quality-of-life issues is presented, as well as unresolved challenges in the collaborative research process. The study has implications for environmental health campaigns.
Mental Health–Ill Health Differences in Disease Severity and Its Sociodemographic Biobehavioral Predictors Among Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Rezakhani Moghaddam Hamed , Nadrian Haidar , Abbagolizadeh Nategh , Babazadeh Towhid , Aghemiri Mehran , Fathipour Asaad
Published: January 2018

Our aim in this cross-sectional study was to investigate mental health–ill health differences in disease severity and its sociodemographic biobehavioral predictors among patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Applying convenient sampling, 180 patients with knee OA in Tabriz, Iran, were recruited to participate in completing a three-section questionnaire (SF-12, Lequesne Algofunctional Index and Self-Management Behaviors Scale). Separate hierarchical multiple linear regressions were performed with OA severity as dependent variable: one for OA patients with positive mental health and other for OA patients with mental disorders symptoms. Among the patients with positive mental health, but not those with symptoms of mental disorder, pain management, duration of OA, physical activity management, living alone, and level of education were significant predictors of disease severity. Health care providers with a better understanding on the determinants of disease severity by mental health status may identify vulnerable patients and develop targeted interventions to foster disease management behaviors among OA patients.
Fundamental aspects for characterization in continuum damage mechanics
Authors: Voyiadjis George Z , Kattan Peter I
Published: January 2018

New issues, derivations, and remarks are presented for the subject of continuum damage mechanics. Emphasis is placed on the fundamental and basic aspects of damage mechanics. This work is a continuation of a previous work of the authors and provides for a complete analysis of the issues discussed previously. The topics discussed include: (1) the true nature of the damage–integrity angle, (2) modeling damaged solids as composite systems, (3) hypothesis of strain equivalence as a special case of the hypothesis of elastic energy equivalence, (4) mechanics of damaged beams, (5) a mean value theorem for damage mechanics, (6) partial damage mechanics characterization, (7) micro-damage or nano-damage, (8) crack and void mechanics, and (9) conceptual modeling of interfacial damage. It is hoped that these new and fundamental concepts will pave the way for new, consistent, and holistic avenues in research in damage mechanics and characterization of materials.
A Collaborative Approach to Improve Consistent Use of Procalcitonin in Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
Authors: Levine Alexander R. , Riggott Robyn , Vulaj Kristela , Falcetti Tera R. , Ali Syed , Singh Gagandeep
Published: January 2018

Background: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a biomarker that can help differentiate bacterial from viral infections and has been extensively studied in patients with sepsis and pneumonia to guide antibiotic therapy. However, there is poor adherence to prescribed algorithms when used to discontinue antibiotics in the real world. A quality improvement project was implemented to increase consistent use of PCT. Objective: To evaluate use of PCT and impact on antibiotic length of therapy (LOT) preimplementation and postimplementation of a quality improvement initiative. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study in patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). Results: In all, 330 patients were included in this study. Following implementation of the quality improvement initiative, ordering PCT in the first 24 hours increased from 59.6% to 75.5% ( P = 0.011). Documentation to discontinue antibiotics in patients with low initial PCT values increased from 13.2% to 28.6% ( P = 0.100). Increased PCT use correlated with an overall mean reduction of 1.05 antibiotic days between cohorts (6.82 ± 3.88 vs 5.77 ± 3.43, P = 0.028). There was no difference in incidence of antibiotic-associated adverse effects or 30-day hospital readmission rates attributed to pneumonia. Conclusions: Consistent use of PCT was achieved through a collaborative effort with the clinical pharmacy and hospitalist staff. Increased use of PCT was associated with a significant reduction in antibiotic LOT among patients with LRTIs. When controlling for other factors, low initial PCT values had the strongest influence on discontinuing antibiotics within 72 hours in the intervention group.
Minimally Invasive Distal Metatarsal Metaphyseal Osteotomy (DMMO) of the Fifth Metatarsal for Bunionette Correction
Authors: Teoh Kar Hao , Hariharan Kartik
Published: January 2018

Background:

Different osteotomies have been proposed for the treatment of bunionette deformity. Minimally invasive surgery is now increasingly popular for a variety of forefoot conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome following fifth minimally invasive distal metatarsal metaphyseal osteotomy (DMMO) for bunionette deformity.

Methods:

Nineteen patients (21 feet) who had symptomatic bunionette deformity and failed conservative treatment between 2014 and 2016 were included in this retrospective study. Clinical data were recorded, and pre- and postoperative Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ) scores and visual analog scale (VAS) pain score were collected. The mean follow-up was 28 months (range, 12-47).

Results:

The mean MOXFQ summary index score decreased from 71 (range, 59-81) preoperatively to 10 (range, 0-30) postoperatively. All 3 MOXFQ domains also improved. The average improvement in VAS score was 7. Forefoot swelling and some painful symptoms took an average of 3 months to settle. There were no wound or nerve complications. One patient required a dorsal cheilectomy for a symptomatic prominent dorsolateral callus formation.

Conclusion:

The minimally invasive fifth DMMO for bunionette deformity was a safe and effective technique. It had relatively few complications and led to good clinical results. We believe it is important to warn patients that the forefoot swelling will take months to settle compared to an osteotomy with fixation, and there is a 10% chance of a prominent callus over the osteotomy site.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, retrospective case series.
Modified Dorsal Approach in the Management of Lisfranc Injuries
Authors: Philpott Andrew , Lawford Callum , Lau Simon C. , Chambers Simon , Bozin Michael , Oppy Andrew
Published: January 2018

Background:

Open reduction and internal fixation of Lisfranc injuries has typically used multiple longitudinal incisions or a single transverse incision to approach the tarso-metatarsal joint (TMTJ). The incidence of wound-related complications is considerable. We describe a novel single-incision approach that utilizes subcutaneous windows to the medial TMTJ.

Methods:

A retrospective review identified 150 patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation for Lisfranc injuries, via the modified dorsal approach, at our center between January 2011 and June 2016. Removal of hardware (ROH) was routinely undertaken in 105 patients at a median of 210 days postoperatively. Medical records were reviewed to record patient demographics, mechanism of injury, and operative details. Outpatient notes were reviewed to identify wound-related complications, including delayed wound healing, superficial infection, wound dehiscence, deep infection, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), neuroma, and impaired sensation. Median age was 37 years (range, 19-78 years). Seventy-three percent of patients (110) were male. Most frequent mechanisms of injury were motor vehicle accident (MVA), 39%; motorbike accident (MBA), 19%; and fall, 18%. Sixteen percent (24) of injuries were open. Five patients required soft tissue reconstruction at the primary operation. Median follow-up was 144 (range, 27-306) weeks.

Results:

Following the primary procedure, 14% of patients experienced wound-related complications including delayed healing (3%), superficial infection (5%), dehiscence (3%), complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) (1%), and impaired sensation (1%). MBA injuries were at 15.1 times odds of superficial infection ( P =.01) than were MVA injuries. Following ROH, 13% of patients experienced wound-related complications, including delayed healing (2%), superficial infection (8%), dehiscence (1%), CRPS (2%), and neuroma (1%). Overall, 5 patients returned to surgery for soft tissue reconstruction for wound dehiscence.

Conclusion:

The modified dorsal approach using intervals to the midfoot offers a viable alternative with comparable wound complication rates to existing midfoot approaches.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, case series.
The Informal Norms of HIV Prevention: The Emergence and Erosion of the Condom Code
Authors: Carson Byron
Published: January 2018

The response many gay men took to the HIV epidemic in the United States was largely informal, especially given distant state and federal governments. The condom code, a set of informal norms that encouraged the use of condoms, is one instance of this informal response, which was wholly uncoordinated. Yet, it is not clear why these informal norms emerged or why they have since eroded. This paper explores how gay men in particular generated expectations and normative beliefs regarding condom usage, which helped to establish the condom code as an informal norm. Furthermore, the erosion of the condom code is viewed as a result of changing expectations, which change as bio-medical means of HIV treatment and prevention develop and as online and digital communities facilitate serosorting, all of which provide alternatives to condoms as a means of prevention and their associated informal norms. Future HIV prevention campaigns should recognize the extent to which informal norms coordinate and encourage preventative behavior, as well as how beliefs and expectations alter the informal norms people adopt.
Stigma and the Structure of Title IX Compliance
Authors: Beavers Jenelle M. , Halabi Sam F.
Published: January 2018

This article analyzes the relationship between the structure of federal Title IX investigations and the existing evidence addressing the emotional and mental health needs of sexual harassment and sexual assault victims. The article argues that federal requirements for investigating sexual harassment should be restructured so as to address the challenges stigma poses for the realization of Title IX's objectives.
FDA Transparency in an Inescapably Political World
Authors: Carpenter Daniel
Published: January 2018

Transparency requires more than disclosure of data. It requires a mechanism and policy for conveying information to the public. In order for the aims of the excellent report of the FDA Transparency Working Group to be realized, a publicity initiative will need to accompany the plan of action. The FDA will need to actively convey information about the evidence concerning benefit-risk profiles of drugs, sometimes pointing out misleading claims by manufacturers or sponsors. In other cases, the FDA will need to make available its procedures, including possible conflicts of interest, not only in drug approval, but also in guidance documents and in rulemaking. Transparency as a process of letting the public see into the agency should be accompanied by a proactive strategy of distributing information about the products regulated by the agency.
Disclose Data Publicly, without Restriction
Authors: Doshi Peter , Jefferson Tom
Published: January 2018

Ethical, evidence-informed decision making is undermined by the grave concerns that have emerged over the trustworthiness of clinical trials published in biomedical journals. The inescapable conclusion from this growing body of research is that what we see, even in the most highly regarded peer-reviewed journals, cannot be trusted at face value. Concerns of inaccurate, biased, and insufficient reporting of trials are impossible to resolve without access to underlying trial data. Access to such data, including things like clinical study reports—huge, unabridged, detailed reports of clinical trials—would minimise the risk of distortions and selective publication. But the FDA, the world’s greatest custodian of those data, just sits on them. We see no reason why FDA should not publicly release clinical study reports with minimal redactions. The European regulator is already doing this, but FDA’s holdings are far greater. Data transparency is not simply an “opportunity” FDA might consider, but rather an ethical imperative. The Blueprint is good but does not go far enough. We do not need gates, barriers and committees between us and access to aggregate reports on drugs and other interventions which we are prescribing or using daily. Let’s leave the nannies at home.
Transesophageal Echocardiography Use in Diagnosis and Management of Embolized Intravascular Foreign Bodies
Authors: Herbert James Taylor , Kertai Miklos David
Published: January 2018

The increasing use of endovascular interventions coupled with the large number of published case series detailing complications attest to the likelihood that anesthesiologists will encounter a case of intravascular foreign body embolization during their careers. Transesophageal echocardiography is essential to the diagnosis and management of traumatic and intravascular foreign bodies embolized to the heart because it can identify not only the foreign body but also hemodynamically significant lesions to radiolucent anatomic structures prior to and during surgical exploration. In this case presentation, we review how intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography facilitated the intraoperative assessment and management of a post–liver transplant patient who underwent open surgical removal of migrated inferior vena cava stent from the right ventricle with concomitant tricuspid valve annuloplasty.
Efficacy of Empirical Therapy With Combined Ciprofloxacin Versus Topical Drops Alone in Patients With Tubotympanic Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial
Authors: Onali Maisam Abbas , Bareeqa Syeda Beenish , Zia Sadaf , Ahmed Syed Ijlal , Owais Asneha , Ahmad Ahmad Nawaz
Published: January 2018

Background:

One of the prevailing otologic infections in our country is chronic suppurative otitis media, especially the tubotympanic type for which various treatment protocols are followed. Usually, oral and topical antibiotics (mainly quinolones) are given alone or in combination. There is a lack of consensus as to whether topical drops alone are effective or a combined oral and systemic therapy should be prescribed. In our study, we have attempted to observe the efficacy of empirical therapy with combined ciprofloxacin versus topical drops only in patients with tubotympanic chronic suppurative otitis media for control of infection.

Methodology:

A total of 100 patients visiting the outpatient ENT department at our tertiary care hospital with clinically diagnosed chronic suppurative otitis media (tubotympanic type) were enrolled in our study. The study was reviewed and accepted by the ethical review committee. A detailed proforma was filled for all patients. All patients after aural toilet were subjected randomly to one of the 2 treatment methods, ie, topical ciprofloxacin ear drops plus an oral placebo or combined oral and topical ciprofloxacin. These patients were reviewed after 1 week of treatment.

Results:

It was observed that 48 of 50 (96%) patients responded to treatment in the group receiving topical ciprofloxacin, whereas 49 of 50 (98%) patients responded in the group receiving combined therapy. This difference was not significant. Moreover, age, sex, and duration of discharge did not have any effect on treatment. There were minimal side effects in both groups, which were also not significant and disappeared after discontinuation of treatment.

Conclusions:

The results of this study show that topical ciprofloxacin drops were as effective as combined oral and topical ciprofloxacin and that the addition of oral drug did not have any beneficial effect and added only to the cost of treatment.
The Revitalization of the Old Harbor in Reykjavik by a Cultural Economy
Authors: Konior Agnieszka
Published: January 2018

This article concerns the revitalization of the Old Harbor in Reykjavik, Iceland. The research was conducted from May to July 2014 in Reykjavik. It was based on participant observations, document analyses, and interviews with people involved in the revitalization process. The case study of the Old Harbor in Reykjavik shows that the national heritage—fishing (in both material and intangible terms)——can be transformed in a creative way with regard to the past. This process shows that while preserving the original form of the place, it can be connected with the creation of a new value, helping generate tangible and intangible profits, for both its citizens and tourists, respectively.
Manifesto for filmmaking as organisational research
Authors: Wood Martin , Salovaara Perttu , Marti Laurent
Published: January 2018

This article is an effort to build a manifesto for the academic acceptability of filmmaking as organisational research. While a film does not offer an argument with premises to reach a conclusion, it does accomplish its own distinctive manifestation of research as a performance of thought. Drawing on experience of academic film projects, we promote the idea of using filmmaking not only to convey research ideas but also to communicate the full sensory variety of organisational life. Finally, we see film as a powerful and valid feature of academic research output, providing opportunities for scholars to convey understanding to a broader public than the academy alone.
Case study: The effect of an amorphous hydrogenated carbon-coated gear-wheel on a hydraulic orbital motor’s efficiency over time
Authors: Bates CA , Broe-Richter HW , Bendlin CR , Ennemark P
Published: January 2018

This case study examines how the application of an amorphous hydrogenated carbon coating to gear-wheels affects the volumetric and mechanical efficiencies of the hydraulic orbital motors into which the gear-wheels are assembled. The efficiencies over time of these orbital motors are compared with the efficiencies of orbital motors, which were assembled and tested with standard (uncoated) gear-wheels. Comparisons are based on experimental data, accumulated over 3000 h of steady-state tests, divided over six motors with a duration of 500 h each. The paper examines the surface roughness characteristics of amorphous hydrogenated carbon-coated gear-wheels before and after coating, the measured magnitudes and positions of wear on the contact surfaces of the coated and uncoated gear-wheels after testing, and the observed differences in said wear utilizing scanning electron microscopic analyses. Finally, changes in the measured efficiencies of the orbital motors are examined, over the duration of the experimental tests, in order to consider the potential energy savings associated with hydraulic orbital motors assembled with coated gear-wheels.