bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease following Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Hematopoietic Malignancies
Authors: Sakaguchi Masahiro , Nakayama Kazutaka , Yamaguchi Hiroki , Mii Akiko , Shimizu Akira , Inai Kazuki , Onai Daishi , Marumo Atsushi , Omori Ikuko , Yamanaka Satoshi , Fujiwara Yusuke , Fukunaga Keiko , Ryotokuji Tsuyoshi , Hirakawa Tsuneaki , Okabe Masahiro , Tamai Hayato , Okamoto Muneo , Wakita Satoshi , Yui Shunsuke , Tsuruoka Shuichi , Inokuchi Koiti
Published: December 2019

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are considered common complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Objectives and Method: In this study, 114 patients who had undergone allo-HSCT were retrospectively analyzed to investigate the risk factors for onset of posttransplant AKI and CKD as defined by the new Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes criteria. Results: Seventy-four patients (64.9%) developed AKI and 25 (21.9%) developed CKD. The multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for developing stage 1 or higher AKI were age ≥46 years at the time of transplant (p = 0.001) and use of ≥3 nephrotoxic drugs (p = 0.036). For CKD, the associated risk factors were disease status other than complete remission at the time of transplantation (p = 0.018) and onset of AKI after transplant (p = 0.035). The 5-year overall survival (OS) was significantly reduced by development of AKI (p < 0.001), but not CKD. Posttransplant AKI significantly increased the 5-year nonrelapse mortality (p < 0.001), whereas posttransplant CKD showed an increasing tendency, but the difference was not significant. Conclusions: Posttransplant AKI impacts OS, significantly increases the risk of CKD, and is significantly associated with disseminated intravascular coagulation and use of ˃3 nephrotoxic drugs.
Pru p 7 Predicts Severe Reactions after Ingestion of Peach in Japanese Children and Adolescents
Authors: Ando Yusuke , Miyamoto Manabu , Kato Masaya , Nakayama Motoko , Fukuda Hironobu , Yoshihara Shigemi
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Component-resolved diagnostics is used to diagnose food allergies. However, few reports have evaluated the severity of peach fruit allergy using peach allergen components, including Pru p 7. Objective: This study aimed to predict peach fruit allergy severity based on the presence of specific IgE (sIgE) antibodies (Abs) to peach allergenic components. Methods: Twenty-seven patients with peach fruit allergy were enrolled and classified into two groups: the local reaction (LR) group, including 12 patients with only oral or throat mucosal symptoms, and the systemic reaction (SR) group, including 15 patients, 10 of whom experienced anaphylaxis. Serum sIgE Abs against crude peach extract – Pru p 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 – and tree pollen were measured. Results: sIgE Ab titers of Pru p 1 and 4 and alder pollen in the LR group were significantly higher than those in the SR group. sIgE against Pru p 7 was significantly higher in the SR group than in the LR group. The frequencies of sIgE Abs against Pru p 1, 4, and 7 in the LR group were 91.7, 66.7, and 16.7%, respectively, while in the SR group these were 80, 20, and 60%. Sensitization to Pru p 2 and 3 was detected but limited in all patients. Conclusions: These findings suggest that sensitization to Pru p 1 and Pru p 4 is associated with local symptoms, and sensitization to Pru p 7 is associated with SR and anaphylaxis. To predict the severity of peach fruit allergy, it is useful to assess sIgE Ab reactions combining Pru p 1, 4, and 7.
The Suppressive Role of Streptococcus pneumoniae Colonization in Acute Exacerbations of Childhood Bronchial Asthma
Authors: Kama Yuichi , Kato Masahiko , Yamada Yoshiyuki , Koike Takashi , Suzuki Kazuo , Enseki Mayumi , Tabata Hideyuki , Hirai Kota , Mochizuki Hiroyuki
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Little is known about the association between bacterial infections and exacerbations of bronchial asthma. Objective: To elucidate the effect of bacterial infections on bronchial asthma, we examined pharyngeal bacterial colonization, duration of wheezing, and serum levels of cytokines and chemokines during acute exacerbations of asthma in children. Methods: Potential bacterial pathogens were investigated in pharyngeal samples and viruses obtained from nasal secretions of 111 children who were outpatients and/or in patients with acute exacerbations of asthma (mean/median age: 2.8/2.6, respectively). We also measured serum levels of 27 different cytokines/chemokines. Results: Pharyngeal bacterial cultures were positive in 110 of 111 children. The 3 major bacterial pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (29.7%), Moraxella catarrhalis (11.7%), and Haemophilus influenzae (10.8%). M. catarrhalis was detected more frequently in patients with pneumonia. Furthermore, patients with S. pneumoniae colonization had significantly shorter wheezing episodes than those without it. In contrast, the duration of wheezing did not differ significantly among cases with other bacteria such as M. catarrhalis and H. influenzae. Furthermore, the length of wheezing episode in patients with S. pneumoniae colonization showed significant inverse correlation with peripheral white blood cell count, neutrophil count, and C-reactive protein, while there was no significant correlation between duration of wheezing and these 3 parameters among patients with M. catarrhalis or H. influenza. Among the 27 cytokines/chemokines, only serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α was significantly lower in patients with S. pneumoniae colonization than in those without it. Conclusions: These results suggested that pharyngeal S. pneumoniae colonization plays a suppressive role on the pathophysiology during acute exacerbations of asthma.
Effectiveness of L-Menthol Spray Application on Lesions for the Endoscopic Clarification of Early Gastric Cancer: Evaluation by the Color Difference
Authors: Kikuchi Hitomi , Hikichi Takuto , Watanabe Ko , Nakamura Jun , Hashimoto Minami , Kato Tsunetaka , Obara Katsutoshi , Ohira Hiromasa
Published: December 2019

Introduction: Although L-menthol spray application on lesions has been shown to be effective for the endoscopic clarification of early gastric cancer (EGC), the currently available data are all based on subjective evaluations. Objectives: This study was aimed to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of L-menthol spray for the endoscopic classification of EGC. Methods: Patients with EGC treated by endoscopic submucosal dissection were included. Images taken by white light imaging (WLI) and narrow band imaging (NBI) before and after spraying L-menthol directly on a lesion were saved. The primary endpoint was a change in the color difference between the EGC lesion and surrounding mucosa (ΔExy) before and after L-menthol spray application. The secondary endpoints were patient factors related to the change in ΔExy after L-menthol spray application and the pathological findings. Results: Fifty cases of EGC were included in the analysis. The median ΔExy was significantly larger after L-menthol spray application than before, as assessed by either WLI (p <0.001) or NBI (p < 0.001). An increased ΔExy after L-menthol spray application was noted in 76 and 92% of patients by WLI and NBI, respectively. The percentage of patients with a ΔExy ≥5 (a level distinguishable by human eyes) was significantly larger after L-menthol spray application either by WLI (p <0.001) or NBI (p < 0.001). Pathologically, mucosal vasodilatation and stromal edema were noted after L-menthol spray application in the evaluated 2 cases. Conclusions: These results objectively demonstrate that L-menthol provides benefits in the endoscopic clarification of EGC.
Effect of the Melhor em Casa program on hospital costs
Authors: Nishimura Fábio , Carrara Aniela Fagundes , Freitas Carlos Eduardo De
Published: December 2019

OBJECTIVE: To verify if the Melhor em Casa program can actually reduce hospitalization costs. METHODS: We use as an empirical strategy a Regression Discontinuity Design, which reduces endogeneity problems of our model. We also performed tests of heterogeneous responses and robustness. Data on the dependent variable, namely hospitalization costs, were collected in the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS), using the microdata set from the Hospital Admissions System of the Unified Health System (SUS) from 2010 to 2013, totaling 3,609,384 observations. The covariates or control variables used were age and costs with patients in the intensive care unit, also from DATASUS. RESULTS: The results point out that the Melhor em Casa program effectively reduced hospitalization costs by approximately 4.7% in 2011, 5.8% in 2012 and 10.2% in 2013. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the analyses, we observed that maintaining the program can effectively improve the management of public resources, since it reduced the hospitalization costs in the three years studied. The program reduced hospitalization costs of risk groups and also in situations that usually increase hospital costs such as lack of equipment and elective hospitalizations. Thus, it can be affirmed that the program can reduce hospitalization costs, especially in risk and more vulnerable groups, showing efficiency as a public policy.
Horizon scanning in Brazil: outputs and repercussions
Authors: Gomes Pollyanna Teresa Cirilo , Mata Verónica Elizabeth , Borges Thais Conceição , Galato Dayani
Published: December 2019

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To describe the four types of horizon scanning (HS) outputs developed by the National Committee for Health Technology Incorporation (CONITEC) and show their main repercussions on the decision-making processes of the Brazilian Ministry of Health (MH). METHODS: Descriptive study based on participant observation and document analysis of HS outputs (internal reports, alert reports, briefs and sections for CONITEC recommendation reports) developed between January 2014 and July 2018. RESULTS: Fifteen internal reports, six alert reports, two briefs and 57 HS sections were produced. Each output has a specific structure according to its purpose. The methodological approach adopted for developing HS outputs in Brazil is described by EuroScan International Network. The outputs had institutional and international repercussions. The activities resulted in the inclusion of HS as a tool for reducing health lawsuits in the legal framework of the MH. One of the internal reports on a high-cost drug not approved in Brazil for a rare disease was requested by the Health Technology Assessments Network for the Americas (RedETSA), showing the international relevance of the outputs. The HS sections in recommendation reports influenced discussions about incorporating technologies into the Unified Health System. CONCLUSIONS: The developed outputs have purposes ranging from helping build arguments for defense of the MH in cases of health judicialization to inform decision-making processes. In addition, HS sections in recommendation reports have grown in importance recently. CONITEC’s HS system has been structured, and its role as a tool to inform health managers has shown to be been relevant.
B Lymphocytes and Macrophages in the Perivascular Adipose Tissue Are Associated With Coronary Atherosclerosis: An Autopsy Study
Authors: Farias‐Itao Daniela Souza , Pasqualucci Carlos Augusto , Nishizawa Aline , da Silva Luiz Fernando Ferraz , Campos Fernanda Marinho , Bittencourt Márcio Sommer , da Silva Karen Cristina Souza , Leite Renata Elaine Paraízo , Grinberg Lea Tenenholz , Ferretti‐Rebustini Renata Eloah de Lucena , Jacob‐Filho Wilson , Suemoto Claudia Kimie
Published: December 2019

Background

Macrophages and T lymphocytes in the perivascular adipose tissue (Pv
AT
) were previously linked to coronary artery disease. However, the role of these cells and B lymphocytes in the human Pv
AT
adjacent to unstable atherosclerotic plaques has not been investigated. Moreover, previous studies were inconclusive on whether Pv
AT
inflammation was restricted to the surroundings of the atheroma plaque.

Methods and Results

Coronary arteries were freshly dissected with the surrounding Pv
AT
. Atherosclerotic plaques were classified according to the internationally accepted anatomopathological criteria. Immune cells in the Pv
AT
were detected using immunohistochemistry and then quantified. We used linear and logistic regressions with robust standard errors, adjusted for possible confounding factors. In 246 atherosclerotic plaques (205 stable and 41 unstable plaques) from 82 participants (mean age=69.0±14.4 years; 50% men), the percentage of arterial obstruction was positively correlated with the densities of
CD
68
+
macrophages (
P
=0.003) and
CD
20
+
B lymphocytes (
P
=0.03) in the periplaque Pv
AT
. The number of cells was greater in the periplaque Pv
AT
than in the distal Pv
AT
(macrophages,
P
<0.001; B lymphocytes,
P
=0.04). In addition, the density of macrophages in the periplaque Pv
AT
was greater in the presence of unstable plaques (
P
=0.03) and was also greater near unstable plaques than in the distal Pv
AT
(
P
=0.001).
CD
3
+
T lymphocytes were not associated with percentage of obstruction and stable/unstable plaque composition.

Conclusions

The density of
CD
20
+
B lymphocytes and
CD
68
+
macrophages in periplaque Pv
AT
was increased with plaque size, and the
CD
68
+
macrophages were greater near unstable atherosclerotic plaques than near stable lesions. This inflammation was more intense in the periplaque Pv
AT
than in the Pv
AT
distal to the atherosclerotic plaques.
Associations Between Features of Nonstenosing Carotid Plaque on Computed Tomographic Angiography and Ischemic Stroke Subtypes
Authors: Knight‐Greenfield Ashley , Quitlong Nario Joel Jose , Vora Amar , Baradaran Hediyeh , Merkler Alex , Navi Babak B. , Kamel Hooman , Gupta Ajay
Published: December 2019

Background

Thromboembolism from nonstenosing carotid plaques may be an underrecognized cause of embolic strokes of undetermined source (
ESUS
). We evaluated the association between features of nonstenosing atherosclerotic plaque on computed tomographic angiography and
ESUS
.

Methods and Results

We identified consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients from 2011 to 2015 who had unilateral anterior territory infarction on brain magnetic resonance imaging and a neck computed tomographic angiography. We included
ESUS
cases and as controls, cardioembolic strokes. Patients with ≥50% internal carotid artery atherosclerotic stenosis ipsilateral to the stroke were excluded from this analysis. Reviewers blinded to infarct location and stroke cause retrospectively evaluated computed tomographic angiography studies for specific plaque features including thickness of the total, soft, and calcified plaque; presence of ulceration; and perivascular fat attenuation. Paired
t
tests and McNemar's test for paired data were used to compare plaque features ipsilateral versus contralateral to the side of infarction. Ninety‐one patients with
ESUS
or cardioembolic stroke were included in this study. Total plaque thickness was greater on the infarcted side (2.1±2.0 mm) than the contralateral side (1.2±1.5 mm) (
P
=0.006) among
ESUS
cases, but not among cardioembolic cases (1.9±1.6 mm versus 1.8±1.6 mm) (
P
=0.32).

Conclusions

Among
ESUS
cases, total plaque thickness was greater ipsilateral to the side of infarction than on the contralateral, stroke‐free side. No such side‐to‐side differences were apparent in cardioembolic strokes. Our findings suggest that nonstenosing large‐artery atherosclerotic plaques represent one underlying mechanism of
ESUS
.
Reduction in Cerebrospinal Fluid Volume as an Early Quantitative Biomarker of Cerebral Edema After Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Dhar Rajat , Chen Yasheng , Hamzehloo Ali , Kumar Atul , Heitsch Laura , He June , Chen Ling , Slowik Agnieszka , Strbian Daniel , Lee Jin-Moo
Published: December 2019

Background and Purpose—

Cerebral edema (CED) develops in the hours to days after stroke; the resulting increase in brain volume may lead to midline shift (MLS) and neurological deterioration. The time course and implications of edema formation are not well characterized across the spectrum of stroke. We analyzed displacement of cerebrospinal fluid (ΔCSF) as a dynamic quantitative imaging biomarker of edema formation.

Methods—

We selected subjects enrolled in a stroke cohort study who presented within 6 hours of onset and had baseline and ≥1 follow-up brain computed tomography scans available. We applied a neural network-based algorithm to quantify hemispheric CSF volume at each imaging time point and modeled CSF trajectory over time (using a piecewise linear mixed-effects model). We evaluated ΔCSF within the first 24 hours as an early biomarker of CED (defined as developing MLS on computed tomography beyond 24 hours) and poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 3–6).

Results—

We had serial imaging in 738 subjects with stroke, of whom 91 (13%) developed CED with MLS. Age did not differ (69 versus 70 years), but baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale was higher (16 versus 7) and baseline CSF volume lower (132 versus 161 mL, both
P
<0.001) in those with CED. ΔCSF was faster in those developing MLS, with the majority seen by 24 hours (36% versus 11% or 2.4 versus 0.8 mL/h;
P
<0.0001). Risk of CED almost doubled for every 10% ΔCSF within 24 hours (odds ratio, 1.76 [95% CI, 1.46–2.14]), adjusting for age, glucose, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale. Risk of neurological deterioration (1.6-point increase in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at 24 hours) and poor outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 1.34 [95% CI, 1.15–1.56]) was also greater for every 10% increase in ΔCSF.

Conclusions—

CSF volumetrics provides quantitative evaluation of early edema formation. ΔCSF from baseline to 24-hour computed tomography is a promising early biomarker for the development of MLS and worse neurological outcome.
Content-based Dissociation of Hippocampal Involvement in Prediction
Authors: Kok Peter , Rait Lindsay I. , Turk-Browne Nicholas B.
Published: December 2019

Recent work suggests that a key function of the hippocampus is to predict the future. This is thought to depend on its ability to bind inputs over time and space and to retrieve upcoming or missing inputs based on partial cues. In line with this, previous research has revealed prediction-related signals in the hippocampus for complex visual objects, such as fractals and abstract shapes. Implicit in such accounts is that these computations in the hippocampus reflect domain-general processes that apply across different types and modalities of stimuli. An alternative is that the hippocampus plays a more domain-specific role in predictive processing, with the type of stimuli being predicted determining its involvement. To investigate this, we compared hippocampal responses to auditory cues predicting abstract shapes (Experiment 1) versus oriented gratings (Experiment 2). We measured brain activity in male and female human participants using high-resolution fMRI, in combination with inverted encoding models to reconstruct shape and orientation information. Our results revealed that expectations about shape and orientation evoked distinct representations in the hippocampus. For complex shapes, the hippocampus represented which shape was expected, potentially serving as a source of top–down predictions. In contrast, for simple gratings, the hippocampus represented only unexpected orientations, more reminiscent of a prediction error. We discuss several potential explanations for this content-based dissociation in hippocampal function, concluding that the computational role of the hippocampus in predictive processing may depend on the nature and complexity of stimuli.
Establishment of a primary culture of haemocytes from the Australian red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus
Authors: Li Jiajia , Chen Youming , Zhang Tongqing , Jiang Qichen , Peng Gang , Yang Jiaxin , Tang Jianqing , Si Qin
Published: December 2019

In this study, the conditions for establishment of a primary cell culture of haemocytes from the Australian red claw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus, were investigated. Five commercial media were assessed for haemocyte viability: Leibovitz L-15 medium (L-15), modified Leibovitz L-15 medium (ML-15, 2 × concentration), Grace’s insect medium, DMEM medium, and I-max medium. In addition, L-15 and Grace’s insect medium supplemented with 10%, 15%, and 20% charcoal-dextran-treated foetal bovine serum (FBS) were assessed for their effects on haemocyte growth. The optimal culture system was established as follows: L-15 basal medium with the addition of 0.4 g/l glucose, 2 g/l NaCl, 10% FBS, 100 U ml−1 penicillin, 100 μg ml−1 streptomycin, and pH 7.2-7.4. In addition, Giemsa staining of the cultured haemocyte monolayer revealed that two types of cell could be observed: semigranular cells (SGC) and granular cells (GC). Our study could enable further investigation of the immune function in this species.
A new species of Parandania (Amphipoda, Stegocephalidae, Parandaniinae) from the Okinawa Trough
Authors: Wang Yanrong , Zhu Chaodong , Sha Zhongli , Ren Xianqiu
Published: December 2019

A new species of Stegocephalidae, Parandania unicoxae sp. nov., is reported from hydrothermal vents in the Okinawa Trough. It is the fourth species described in the genus Parandania Stebbing, 1899. The new species is most similar to P. boecki (Stebbing, 1888), but it can be readily distinguished from P. boecki by the unilobate coxae 6-7.
Romans 2:13 and Future Justification
Authors: Leslie Andrew M.
Published: December 2019

Given that Paul’s letter to the Romans is a touchstone for the distinctively Protestant confessional teaching concerning justification by faith alone, Romans 2:13 poses a challenge. Following the pattern of Philip Melanchthon, Protestant expositors have typically met this challenge by interpreting it as a ‘legal’ justification that no sinner can attain. This article illustrates the dominant ‘Melanchthonian’ trajectory in early modern Protestant exegesis, while also drawing attention to a minority alternative that reads it as a future justification of Christians according to works (the ‘Bucerian’ alternative). Many modern Protestant exegetes now prefer something like the Bucerian alternative, begging the question as to how this squares coherently with any confessional commitment to a once-for-all justification that is by faith alone. Noting this, this article sets forth an early modern Protestant model of cogent dogmatic harmonization on this score. The chosen case study is Petrus van Mastricht and his magisterial Theoretico-Practica Theologia.
Arabic influence on metre in Somali Sufi religious poetry
Authors: Orwin Martin
Published: December 2019

It has generally been assumed that there has not been any direct influence on Somali poetic metre from the metrical forms of Arabic. For the most part, this certainly seems to hold, but this article presents a poem which is of a type on which, it is argued, Arabic influence can be seen. The poem, ‘Taaj Awliyo’ by Sheekh Caaqib Cabdullaahi Jaamac (ca. 1922-?) is presented in detail and, although it has been described as being in the jiifto metre, it is demonstrated that this description of the metre is incorrect. It actually follows a previously undocumented metrical pattern which is the equivalent of four maqalaay warlaay lines. The article also shows how the metrical pattern can be seen as a Somalized analogue of the Arabic kāmil metre in its majzūʾ or dimetric form. Evidence is given both from comparison of the line structure itself and from brief comments on reports of what the poet himself had said. The poem considered in detail is part of the Qaadiriya Sufi tradition in which poetry composed in Arabic plays an important role including poems in the kāmil metre.
The Verse Romance Homāy o Homāyūn of Ḫwājū Kermānī: a “Love and Adventure Story” or an Allegory of a Spiritual Quest?
Authors: Norozi Nahid
Published: December 2019

This study, after a summary of the verse romance Homāy o Homāyūn by the medieval Persian poet Ḫwājū Kermānī (14th c.), focuses on its rich semantic stratification and casts doubt on its usual classification as a mere “story of love and adventure”. In particular, this analysis attempts to highlight the numerous and consistent “signals” disseminated by Ḫwājū in his work that deliberately intend to direct the reader to a markedly spiritual perspective in which the hero’s journey in search of his beloved becomes an allegorical spiritual quest.
Shopper’s Paradise
Authors: Berger Arthur Asa
Published: December 2019

This book deals with an important aspect of everyday life and popular culture in which everyone engages, often more than once a week, which involves shopping in retail stores of one kind or another. We need to eat and continually replenish our supply of food, so we shop at supermarkets and farmers markets and we need to have clothes to wear and many other things, so we shop in department stores, big-box stores like Costco and Walmart, and various other kinds of stores. Much of our shopping is done online, on sites such as Amazon.com, the most important online retailer in America. Its popularity has challenged traditional brick and mortar stores, most of which now have an internet presence and many of which are going out of business—a phenomenon sometimes called “the retail apocalypse.” This term, let me point out, has religious implications. The subtext of Shopper’s Paradise involves the notion, only dimly perceived by most people, there is a paradisical element to shopping and that in curious ways, shopping represents an unrecognized attempt to return to the Garden of Eden, where all our wants were taken care of by God. We have replaced the talking snake in the Garden with advertising agencies and marketing experts. Now, depending on our incomes, we rely on stores ranging from Neiman Marcus to Dollar stores to help us take care of our needs. Shopper’s Paradise demonstrates how ubiquitous and varied retail stores, explains how they function, and suggests, by their very presence, that they play an important role in our lives.
1. Introduction
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

The introduction begins by providing the historical and cultural context for the creation of the Beowulf epic. Pettit accepts the early eighth century dating of the poem, and goes on to suggest that it likely existed in Mercia as early as the sixth century. Pettit then introduces his central argument: a prominent theme of Beowulf is the conversion from Germanic paganism to Christianity and that it was intended to provide comfort for and smooth the progress of such a monumental cultural change. Potential historical associations with the epic poem are suggested, such as the Mercian monastery of Repton, as are historical parallels, such as the life of Repton monk Saint Guthlac. Pettit outlines an Anglo-Saxon society where Germanic paganism still lingers on in remnant forms, such as when responding to disease epidemics. This continuing transition from still-lingering paganism to Christianity is, according to Pettit, referenced by the melting, or waning, of what he has dubbed ‘the giant sword’, the salvaged weapon with which Beowulf defeats his foes after his own sword fails at the task.
8. Lævateinn and the Maelstrom-Giantess
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

Chapter 8 concerns ‘The Lay of Svipdagr’, an obscure Old Norse poem that Pettit likens to both ‘Skírnir’s Journey’ and Beowulf. This poem contains a similar quest to claim a sun-like maiden, as well as a giantess apparently analogous to Grendel’s mother that likewise guards a weapon, this called Lævateinn. This weapon is protected in a similar manner to the giant sword, and consequently Pettit juxtaposes Lævateinn’s apparent origins—plucked, almost certainly illicitly, from a radiant branch of the world-tree by Loki—to those of the giant sword as another stolen solar weapon. Pettit concludes the chapter by citing comparable giantesses in other Old Norse sagas.
11. A Tale of Two Creatures
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

Chapter 11 continues the theme of moon-creatures as thieves of sunlight by analyzing an Old English riddle. Riddle 29 of the Exeter Book describes how a horned creature made off with sunlight and concealed this booty in its home, until another creature arrived on the scene and reclaimed its possession. Pettit identifies these as a crescent moon and the morning sun, arguing that they bear comparison to Grendel and Beowulf respectively.
13. The Solar Antler in Sólarljóð
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

Chapter 13 attempts to interpret two obscure stanzas concerning a buried, probably solar, antler in ‘The Song of the Sun’, an Old Norse poem which refers explicitly to a solar stag. Pettit endeavours to interpret them on two levels—Christian and heathen Germanic—and relate them to the mere-episode of Beowulf. The Christian interpretation sees the antler, which is recovered by God from a dwarf (probably), as a symbol of the Cross, or perhaps also of the souls of the righteous in Hell. From a Germanic perspective, Pettit suggests that these stanzas may represent another recreation of a heathen myth about a lunar creature’s illicit concealment of sunlight and its repossession by a sun-god or his emissaries. Pettit also draws links between the solar antler, the giant sword and the close relatives of the god Freyr.
14. Grendel, His Mother, and Other Moon-Monsters
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

Chapter 14 aims to demonstrate the widespread presence of lunar creatures in Germanic literatures, thereby supporting the likelihood that they may inhabit Beowulf too. Petitt gathers evidence to strengthen the suggestion that Grendel and his mother, as well as the poem’s climactic dragon, are, like analogous characters introduced earlier, creatures identified with the moon, especially during its waning or dark phase. Petitt levies evidence from a variety of differing texts to suggest the Old Norse revenant Glámr as an analogue of Grendel and various Old Norse lunar giantesses as comparable to his mother, as well as further general links between Grendel and his mother and traditions about the moon in world mythology. Petitt attaches the most importance to the direct comparisons he draws between Beowulf’s monsters and those of the Old Norse poem Vǫluspá.
Why Does Arakawa and Schubert’s Convective Quasi-Equilibrium Closure Not Work? Mathematical Analysis and Implications
Authors: Yano Jun-Ichi , Plant Robert S.
Published: December 2019

Arakawa and Schubert proposed convective quasi equilibrium as a guiding principle for the closure of convection parameterization. However, empirical experiences from operational implementation efforts suggest that its strict application does not work well. The purpose of the present paper is to explain mathematically why this closure does not work in practice, and to suggest that problems stem from physically unrealistic assumptions. For this purpose, the closure hypothesis is examined in its original form, and without imposing a condition of a positiveness to the convective mass fluxes. The Jordan sounding with idealized large-scale forcing is used for diagnosis purposes. The question is addressed from several perspectives including the completeness of the entraining-plume spectrum, and a singular vector decomposition of the interaction kernel matrix. The main problems with the quasi-equilibrium closure are traced to (i) the relatively slow response of shallower convective modes to large-scale forcing and (ii) detrainment at convection top producing strong cooling and moistening. A strict application of the convective quasi-equilibrium principle leads to a singular response of shallow convection. An explicit coupling of convection with stratiform clouds would be crucial for preventing this unrealistic behavior, recognizing that the reevaporation of detrained cloudy air is a relatively slow process.
Monsoon Low Pressure System–Like Variability in an Idealized Moist Model
Authors: Clark Spencer K. , Ming Yi , Adames Ángel F.
Published: December 2019

In this paper, it is shown that westward-propagating monsoon low pressure system–like disturbances in the South Asian monsoon region can be simulated in an idealized moist general circulation model through the addition of a simplified parameterization of land. Land is parameterized as having one-tenth the heat capacity of the surrounding slab ocean, with evaporation limited by a bucket hydrology model. In this model, the prominent topography of the Tibetan Plateau does not appear to be necessary for these storm systems to form or propagate; therefore, focus is placed on the simulation with land but no topography. The properties of the simulated storms are elucidated using regression analysis and compared to results from composites of storms from comprehensive GCMs in prior literature and reanalysis. The storms share a similar vertical profile in anomalous Ertel potential vorticity to those in reanalysis. Propagation, however, does not seem to be strongly dictated by beta drift. Rather, it seems to be more closely consistent with linear moisture vortex instability theory, with the exception of the importance of the vertical advection term in the Ertel potential vorticity budget toward the growth and maintenance of disturbances. The results presented here suggest that a simplified GCM configuration might be able to be used to gain a clearer understanding of the sensitivity of monsoon low pressure systems to changes in the mean state climate.
Dual-Polarization Radar Retrievals of Coastal Pacific Northwest Raindrop Size Distribution Parameters Using Random Forest Regression
Authors: Conrick Robert , Zagrodnik Joseph P. , Mass Clifford F.
Published: December 2019

Radar retrievals of drop size distribution (DSD) parameters are developed and evaluated over the mountainous Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. The observations used to develop retrievals were collected during the 2015/16 Olympic Mountain Experiment (OLYMPEX) and included the NASA S-band dual-polarimetric (NPOL) radar and a collection of second-generation Particle Size and Velocity (PARSIVEL2) disdrometers over the windward slopes of the barrier. Nonlinear and random forest regressions are applied to the PARSIVEL2 data to develop retrievals for median volume diameter, liquid water content, and rain rate. Improvement in DSD retrieval accuracy, defined by the mean error of the retrieval relative to PARSIVEL2 observations, was achieved when using the random forest model when compared with nonlinear regression. Evaluation of disdrometer observations and the retrievals from NPOL indicate that the radar retrievals can accurately reproduce observed DSDs in this region, including the common wintertime regime of small but numerous raindrops that is important there. NPOL retrievals during the OLYMPEX period are further evaluated using two-dimensional video disdrometers (2DVD) and vertically pointing Micro Rain Radars. Results indicate that radar retrievals using random forests may be skillful in capturing DSD characteristics in the lowest portions of the atmosphere.
Urban Concentration and Civil War
Authors: Nedal Dani , Stewart Megan , Weintraub Michael
Published: December 2019

The explosion of cities and megacities has increased scholars’ and policy markers’ attention to the effects such changes might have on conflict: increasingly, urban environments may alter the nature of warfare but not necessarily the incidence of intrastate war. We argue that high levels of urban concentration—the concentration of populations in one or relatively few urban centers—increases both the likelihood of civil wars and their intensity. Urban concentration limits the ability of the state to project power across space, exacerbating grievances in rural areas, easing rebel control of territory, and enhancing their military strength. At the same time, cities become high-value loci of contestation even as urban warfare constrains conventional state military strength. The result is more symmetrical fighting producing more battle deaths. Cross-national regressions show that urban concentration exerts a crucial effect on the likelihood, nature, and intensity of intrastate warfare.
Modeling of geometry and insertion force of a new lancet medical needle
Authors: Qi Yingchun , Jin Jingfu , Chen Tingkun , Cong Qian
Published: December 2019

Lancet needle is a typical medical treatment device. Its tip consists of two lancet planes and one bevel plane. When the lancet needle is inserted into soft organ tissue, the insertion force may influence the needle cutting direction and treatment effect and increase the pain. One of the main factors affecting this insertion force is the geometry of the needle tip. Based on the research on the shape and processing method of the conventional lancet needle, a new lancet needle tip geometry was obtained by adjusting the relative position of the grinding wheel to the needle. A mathematical model of this new lancet needle was established. The relationship between processing parameters and needle shape was analyzed, and the needle insertion force was predicted. Compared with the conventional lancet needle, the new lancet needle is sharper, and the insertion force on the cutting edge is smaller. However, this change in the grinding position of the needle lancet plane has a great influence on the shape of needle tip near the intersection of the bevel plane and the lancet plane. Some special second bevel angle and rotated angle will cause a large change in the specific force at the intersection place, which is not conducive to reducing the insertion force.
A numerical model of the open-width coupling drying process for cotton fabrics based on the theory of heat and mass transfer in porous media
Authors: Wang Shuangqing , Zhang Huile , Chen Huimin , Zhong Yi , Yue Xiaoli
Published: December 2019

In order to reveal the physical drying characteristics of various kinds of cotton fabrics and further provide theoretical guides for designing drying equipment and improving drying technologies, a finite element model is built that is able to describe coupling of the drying process between fabrics and environment. Specifically, three kinds of cotton fabrics mesoscopic structures parameters and mechanical properties are firstly measured and then these fabrics are equivalent to porous media, and the equivalent media can characterize the fabrics precisely. Then, the formulas for calculating the convection heat transfer and thermodynamic properties of fabrics are also improved and verified by corresponding experiments. The results shows that the improved formulas can calculate the properties more accurately. Next, we apply this model to analyze the regular change of surface temperature and water content with time during the drying process of three kinds of fabrics under different technologies. The results indicates that the coupled heat and mass transfer of drying processes are obviously affected by liquid phase transition. In addition, with higher wind temperature, the velocity of water evaporation inside fabrics is faster and, when water content inside fabric becomes lower in the drying process, the velocity of water evaporation decreases. The numerical values agrees well with the corresponding experimental values: The mean absolute error of water content inside fabric in the drying process is less than 1.51 g, while the average absolute error of fabric surface temperature is about 1.63℃, which means this model can precisely capture the coupling drying process of various kinds of cotton fabrics inside the oven. It is expected that the model can be applied for providing theoretical guidance for designing structures of drying equipment and improving drying technologies.
Labouring for Kashmir’sazadi: Ongoing violence and resistance in Maisuma, Srinagar
Authors: Sharma Sarbani
Published: December 2019

While much has been said about the historicity of the Kashmir conflict or about how individuals and communities have resisted occupation and demanded the right to self-determination, much less has been said about nature of everyday life under these conditions. This article offers a glimpse of life in the working-class neighbourhood of Maisuma, located in the central area of the city of Srinagar, and its engagement with the political movement for azadi (freedom). I argue that the predicament of ‘double interminability’ characterises life in Maisuma—the interminable violence by the state on the one hand and simultaneously the constant call of labouring for azadi by the movement on the other, since the terms of peace are unacceptable.
Group trip planning and information seeking behaviours by mobile social media users: A study of tourists in Australia, Bangladesh and China
Authors: Fardous Jannatul , Du Jia Tina , Hansen Preben , Choo Kim-Kwang Raymond , Huang Songshan (Sam)
Published: December 2019

Social media plays an increasingly important role in travel information seeking and decision-making. However, there is limited understanding of how a group of tourists use social media to plan trips collaboratively and the different practices between countries. In this study, we investigated the collaborative information seeking (CIS) and sharing behaviours of mobile social media users from Australia, Bangladesh and China. Specifically, we surveyed a total of 219 participants to explore the differences in CIS behaviours when people were planning a group trip. The findings suggest significant differences among three countries in terms of the motivations of using social media, CIS activities and social interactions outside the group. Key findings include Bangladeshi and Chinese travellers preferred known contacts on social media, while Australian tourists intended to use both known contacts and user-generated contents for seeking information. The findings also show that social interactions employed by individuals are considered as an important complement of and are interwoven with in-group CIS; both contribute to tourism information seeking. Finally, we propose a framework for CIS research in the tourism domain.
How Assemblages Change When Theories Become Performative: The case of the Blue Ocean Strategy
Authors: Carton Guillaume
Published: December 2019

Assemblages are the actors, artefacts or practices that are intertwined with and co-produce theories. Despite being at the core of the performativity process, assemblages have been overlooked in recent performativity studies. Thus, this study examines how assemblages are changed by theories during performativity. It builds on the case of the historical development of the Blue Ocean Strategy: a management theory that proposes the creation of new market spaces, rather than competing within existing ones. The study shows a process model in which the theory changes the assemblages that change reality and enlarges its scope in turn. It offers implications both for performativity and for practice.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation Scale for Pediatric Patients
Authors: Din Hena , Bundogji Nour , Leuin Shelby C.
Published: December 2019

Objective

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the nasal obstruction symptom scale within a sample of pediatric patients undergoing septoplasty or functional septorhinoplasty.

Study Design

This was a prospective study with nasal obstruction symptom scale evaluations conducted pre‐ and postoperatively.

Setting

A tertiary care pediatric hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Pediatric patients underwent septoplasty or functional septorhinoplasty (FSR) from January 2013 to January 2017. Reliability of the scale was assessed through measures of internal consistency. In addition, item response models of each item were evaluated to assess how well each item captured individuals with varying levels of nasal obstruction. Study authors assessed face validity, and construct validity was assessed by correlation measures between items and exploratory factor analysis.

Results

A total of 136 patients, ages 8 to 18 years with a mean age of 15.7 ± 2.1 years, completed pre‐ and postoperative evaluations. Internal consistency of the scale was high (Cronbach’s α = 0.83). Predominantly a unidimensional scale resulted from exploratory factor analyses. Item response models indicate questions capture low to moderate levels of nasal obstruction within this population. Additional analyses show the scale functions similarly between septoplasty and FSR patients.

Conclusion

The Nasal Obstruction Symptom Evaluation scale is a robust tool that may be incorporated as a subjective evaluation of severity of nasal obstruction among pediatric patients undergoing a septoplasty or functional septorhinoplasty.
Adenotonsillectomy for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Children with Prader‐Willi Syndrome: A Meta‐analysis
Authors: Lee Chia‐Hsuan , Hsu Wei‐Chung , Ko Jenq‐Yuh , Yeh Te‐Huei , Lin Ming‐Tzer , Kang Kun‐Tai
Published: December 2019

Objective

Adenotonsillectomy outcomes in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment among children with Prader‐Willi syndrome (PWS) remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the effectiveness of adenotonsillectomy in OSA treatment among children with PWS.

Data Source

PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Review up to February 2019.

Review Methods

The registry number of the protocol published on PROSPERO was CRD42015027053. Two authors independently searched the relevant database. Polysomnography outcomes in these children were examined, including net postoperative changes in the apnea‐hypopnea index (AHI), net postoperative changes in the minimum and mean oxygen saturation, the overall success rate for a postoperative AHI <1, and the overall success rate for a postoperative AHI <5.

Results

Six studies with 41 patients were analyzed (mean age, 5.0 years; 55% boys; mean sample size, 6.8 patients). All children had PWS and received adenotonsillectomy for the treatment of OSA. The AHI was 13.1 events per hour (95% CI, 11.0‐15.1) before surgery and 4.6 events per hour (95% CI, 4.1‐5.1) after surgery. The mean change in the AHI was a significant reduction of 8.0 events per hour (95% CI, −10.8 to −5.1). The overall success rate was 21% (95% CI, 11%‐38%) for a postoperative AHI <1 and 71% (95% CI, 54%‐83%) for a postoperative AHI <5. Some patients developed velopharyngeal insufficiency postoperatively.

Conclusion

Adenotonsillectomy was associated with OSA improvement among children with PWS. However, residual OSA was frequently observed postoperatively in these patients.
The influence of temperature on methane adsorption in coal: A review and statistical analysis
Authors: Wang Zhijun , Wang Xiaojuan , Zuo Weiqin , Ma Xiaotong , Li Ning
Published: December 2019

The capacity of coal to adsorb methane is greatly affected by temperature and, in recent years, temperature-dependent adsorption has been studied by many researchers. Even so, comprehensive conclusions have not been reached and conflicting experimental results are common. This paper reviews the current state of research regarding the temperature-dependent adsorption of methane in coal and catalogs the conclusions from experiments conducted on that subject by 28 researchers, as published between 1995 and 2017. Probability theory and statistics are used to show that the conclusion generally accepted by most researchers is that the amount of methane adsorbed by coal decreases with increasing temperature. It is highly likely that the Langmuir volume decreases as the temperature rises, and it is also probable that the Langmuir pressure increases at higher temperatures. Equations are presented that express the relationships between methane adsorption, Langmuir volume, Langmuir pressure, and temperature. Future research should be directed toward determining the relationship between Langmuir pressure and temperature. The results of the study presented herein provide a theoretical basis for predicting the gas content in coal seams and improving the efficiency of coalbed methane development.