bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Ventricular Assist Devices and Heart Transplantation for Advanced Heart Failure
Authors: Miller Leslie , Birks Emma , Guglin Maya , Lamba Harveen , Frazier O.H.
Published: May 2019

There are only 2 treatments for the thousands of patients who progress to the most advanced form of heart failure despite the application of guideline-based medical therapy, use of ventricular assist devices and heart transplantation. There has been a great deal of progress in both of these therapies that have led to improved outcomes including significant improvement in survival and functional capacity. Heart transplantation offers the best short- and long-term survival for patients with end-stage heart failure, and the majority of these recipients achieve relatively limitless functional capacity for their age. However, the chronic shortage of available donors limits the number of recipients in the United States to an only 2500 patients/y or only a fraction of potential candidates. The significant improvement in outcomes now possible with durable ventricular assist devices has led to a significant increase in their use, which now exceeds the volume of heart transplants in the United States, with the greatest growth in use for those not considered to be candidates for heart transplantation, previously referred to as destination therapy. This article will review the substantial progress that has taken place for both of these life-saving treatment options, as well as the future directions.
Virtual Knowledge Graphs: An Overview of Systems and Use Cases
Authors: Xiao Guohui , Ding Linfang , Cogrel Benjamin , Calvanese Diego
Published: May 2019

In this paper, we present the virtual knowledge graph (VKG) paradigm for data integration and access, also known in the literature as Ontology-based Data Access. Instead of structuring the integration layer as a collection of relational tables, the VKG paradigm replaces the rigid structure of tables with the flexibility of graphs that are kept virtual and embed domain knowledge. We explain the main notions of this paradigm, its tooling ecosystem and significant use cases in a wide range of applications. Finally, we discuss future research directions.
Constructing a Scene-Based Knowledge System for E-Commerce Industries: Business Analysis and Challenges
Authors: Fu Min , Chen Qiang , Lin Wei , Wang Pei , Zhang Wei
Published: May 2019

Online marketers make efforts to sell more products to their customers to increase turnover. One way to sell more products is to ensure that products belonging to the same scene are offered together. As such, it is beneficial to categorize products into different groups and tag them to particular, defined scenes. The mechanism of building relationships between products and scenes is called “scene-based knowledge system construction”. The construction of a scene-based knowledge system is usually based on business operators’ expert knowledge and past experiences, which often causes product categorization to be inaccurate. Hence, in this paper, we discuss the importance and necessity of constructing a scene-based knowledge system, analyze it from a business perspective, and discuss its challenges.
Death by the Lake: Mortality Crisis in Early Fourteenth-Century Central Asia
Authors: Slavin Philip
Published: May 2019

Our information about the fourteenth-century plague in Central Asia, or indeed anywhere east of the Crimea/Caspian, derives from a close analysis of the epigraphical evidence from three East Syriac (Nestorian) cemeteries not far from Issyk-Kul’ lake in northern Kyrgyzstan. The absence of palaeogenetic data to confirm it could be partially rectified by both textual and palaeoclimatological data. The ratio of mortality rates between “normal” and plague years in the Issyk-Kul’ communities is not unlike that in Europe during the plague years 1348 to 1350. A proper appreciation of the pandemic outbreak requires setting its timing in a climatic context. After two pluvial episodes in the 1310s and 1320s, precipitation levels in Issyk-Kul’ during the 1330s underwent a sharp decline, thereby depriving sylvatic rodents of sufficient grass to sustain their high population density. Hence, the plague pathogen and its vectors needed an alternative host to maintain their activity. Anthropogenic factors, including international trade and military campaigns along Central Asian trade routes, may also have contributed to the outbreak and spread of the plague. The Issyk-Kul’ mortality crisis ties into wider questions about the origins and initial spread of plague after the “big bang” of the thirteenth century, whereby four new plague branches emerged (possibly in Central Asia).
Epistemic Uncertainty, Subjective Probability, and Ancient History
Authors: Lavan Myles
Published: May 2019

The subjective interpretation of probability—increasingly influential in other fields—makes probability a useful tool of historical analysis. It provides a framework that can accommodate the significant epistemic uncertainty involved in estimating historical quantities, especially (but not only) regarding periods for which we have limited data. Conceptualizing uncertainty in terms of probability distributions is a useful discipline because it forces historians to consider the degree of uncertainty as well as to identify a most-likely value. It becomes even more useful when multiple uncertain quantities are combined in a single analysis, a common occurrence in ancient history. Though it may appear a radical departure from current practice, it builds upon a probabilism that is already latent in historical reasoning. Most estimates of quantities in ancient history are implicit expressions of probability distributions, insofar as they represent the value judged to be most likely, given the available evidence. But the traditional point-estimate approach leaves historians’ beliefs about the likelihood of other possible values unclear or unexamined.
Eight new species of the fern genus Polystichum (subg. Haplopolystichum; Dryopteridaceae) from limestone caves in Guizhou, China
Authors: ZHANG LI-BING , DUAN YI-FAN , KROPF MATTHIAS
Published: May 2019

Eight new fern species of Polystichum subg. Haplopolystichum sect. Haplopolystichum (Dryopteridaceae) are described and illustrated from Guizhou Province, southwestern China. These eight species include P. anshunense, P. asperrimum, P. confusum, P. kropfii, P. libingii, P. macrodon, P. perditum, and P. yifanii. Each of these eight species was discovered from only 1–2 limestone caves showing extremely narrow distributions. Therefore, all are classified as Critically Endangered (CR) following IUCN Red List criteria.
A new species of gecko of the genus Lygodactylus (Sauria: Gekkonidae) from southeastern Kenya
Authors: MALONZA PATRICK K. , BAUER AARON M. , GRANTHON CAROLINA , WILLIAMS DEAN A. , WOJNOWSKI DAVID
Published: May 2019

A new species of gecko, Lygodactylus tsavoensis sp. nov., is described from Tsavo Conservation Area in southeastern Kenya. It is a member of the Lygodactylus picturatus group and is distinguished from other closely related species by its small size (maximum 35 mm SVL), five postpostmental scales, seven precloacal pores, and a distinctive color pattern. A pale Y-shaped mark on the crown continues along the vertebral midline to the tail base and is flanked by a pair of dark stripes. In addition to its morphological differences, the new species is genetically divergent from its most closely related congeners, L. keniensis and L. wojnowskii. The new species is widespread in the southern and southeastern arid lands within the Tsavo Conservation Area, mainly in Taita-Taveta, Kitui, Makueni, Kajiado, Kilifi, Kwale and Tana River Counties. It is chiefly associated with bushland with short trees, including areas of anthropogenic influence.
Symptom Profile of Chronic Rhinosinusitis Versus Obstructive Sleep Apnea in a Tertiary Rhinology Clinic
Authors: Ji Keven , Risoli Thomas J. , Kuchibhatla Maragatha , Chan Lyndon , Hachem Ralph Abi , Jang David W.
Published: May 2019

Objectives:

Patients with undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often present to an otolaryngologist with symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). This study analyzes symptom profiles of such patients to help identify those who may benefit from polysomnography.

Methods:

This is a 2-year retrospective analysis of adult patients at an academic practice with a rhinologic chief complaint. Results of the 22-Item Sinonasal Outcomes Test (SNOT-22) were compared between patients with untreated OSA without CRS (OSA group) and a control group of CRS patients (CRS group). Univariate analysis with Bonferroni correction and multiple logistic regression were used.

Results:

Forty-one patients were included in the OSA group (mean apnea-hypopnea index = 28.8, SD = 21.0) and 124 patients in the CRS group. CRS group demonstrated higher scores in nasal, extra-nasal, and ear/facial symptom domains ( P < .001), while OSA group displayed higher psychological ( P = .020) and sleep domain scores ( P = .048). Nasal discharge ( P < .001) and loss of smell/taste ( P = .004) scores were higher in CRS group, whereas facial pain ( P = .285) and nasal obstruction ( P = .822) were not significantly different. On logistic regression, thick nasal discharge, loss of smell/taste, and ear pain were predictive of CRS, while waking up tired was predictive of OSA. Finally, OSA group was more likely to choose a sleep-related issue as a most important symptom (MIS) ( P < .001).

Conclusions:

OSA and CRS have significant overlap in symptom profiles. The SNOT-22 can help identify those with undiagnosed OSA. OSA should be suspected in patients who report a sleep-related item as a MIS and display higher psychological and sleep domain scores.
Associations of lifetime prevalence of homelessness with risky sex, sexual victimization, depressive symptoms, and suicidality among youth in Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Lyons Matthew , Swahn Monica Haavisto , Whitaker Daniel , Brown Jessica Rogers , Kasper Jim , Culbreth Rachel
Published: May 2019

Homelessness poses serious health risks, and those risks may be exacerbated among slum-dwelling youth in the developing world. We administered a cross-sectional survey to youth receiving services from a community organization in Kampala, Uganda. This secondary analysis explores the relationships between homelessness and various health outcomes. We also explored possible moderating relationships between neighborhood support, homelessness, and health. Logistic regression and t-tests were used to model these relationships. Homelessness was associated with all outcomes analyzed, with youth who reported having been homeless having higher odds of reporting poor health (odds ratio [OR] = 12.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.43, 23.92), higher odds of HIV infection (OR = 1.941; 95% CI = 1.274, 2.958), and higher odds of experiencing rape (OR = 3.459; 95% CI = 2.4, 4.987). No moderation by neighborhood support was observed, though this may be due to low variability. Homelessness warrants specific investigative attention due to its strong association with a broad range of negative health outcomes among slum-dwelling youth. Interventions targeting the specific health risks faced by homeless youth in the developing world may improve social welfare service delivery.
The Parisian Police and the Holocaust: Control, Round-ups, Hunt, 1940–4
Authors: Joly Laurent
Published: May 2019

Slightly more than half of the 74,150 Jews deported from France between 1942 and 1944 were arrested in Paris and its close suburbs. For the large majority of these 38,500 men, women, and children, their arrest was carried out by ordinary policemen belonging to the Paris Police Prefecture. The objective of this article is to propose a complete and synthetic analysis of the role of this institution and its agents in the Holocaust. In Paris, unlike anywhere else in Europe, the implementation of the ‘final solution’ was entrusted to the traditional administration. These police officers were competent and knew perfectly the environment of the persecution. But, generally speaking, they were not anti-Semite activists, they did not like the Germans, and, more importantly, they acted according to their own institutional logic. So, the French's repressive system did not automatically feed the Nazi machine of destruction. It is this complexity of the machine of persecution in occupied France which explains, in many respects, the toll of the Holocaust in France, and, more specifically, in the Paris region.
Ruling the Interregnum: Politics and Ideology in Nonhegemonic Times
Authors: Stahl Rune Møller
Published: May 2019

This article offers reinterpretation of the current economic and political crisis through the lens of Gramsci’s concept of “interregnum,” departing from the model of “punctured equilibrium” to analyze the specific political dynamics of nonhegemonic periods between the breakdown of one ideological order and the emergence of a new one. Although political science has a range theories about periods of hegemony and paradigmatic stability, the periods between stable hegemonies remain distinctly undertheorized. A theoretical concept describing periods of interregnum is offered and applied to the changes in economic ideology and political alignments that followed the breakdown of the liberal order in the interwar period and the postwar Keynesian consensus of the 1970s. The concept is then applied to the current juncture, in which the hegemony of neoliberalism has been shaken by the 2008 financial crisis but no clear successor has emerged.
Pediatric Asthma Among Small Racial/Ethnic Minority Groups: An Analysis of the 2006-2015 National Health Interview Survey
Authors: Wen Chi , Liu Shelley H. , Li Yan , Sheffield Perry , Liu Bian
Published: May 2019

Few studies have examined the asthma burden among small racial/ethnic minority groups such as Asian children. We examined asthma disparities among children aged 4-17 in 6 small non-Hispanic racial/ethnic minority groups (American Indian/Alaska Native [AI/AN], Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, other Asian, and multiple race) by using the 2006-2015 National Health Interview Survey. These small minority groups represented a weighted 6.1% of the study population (6770 of 88 049). The prevalence of current asthma ranged from 5.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.5%-7.5%) among Chinese children to 13.8% (95% CI, 10.4%-17.2%) among multiple-race children and 14.6% (95% CI, 10.8%-18.4%) among AI/AN children. Compared with non-Hispanic white children, AI/AN (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.2-2.2) and multiple-race (aOR = 1.4; 95% CI, 1.0-2.0) children had higher odds for current asthma. Several small racial/ethnic minority groups are at heightened risk of asthma-associated outcomes, highlighting the need for further research on these populations.
The need for a fundamental shift in the Saudi education system: Implementing the Saudi Arabian economic vision 2030
Authors: Allmnakrah Alhasan , Evers Colin
Published: May 2019

To put Saudi's Economic Vision 2030 (or Vision 2030) into practice, Saudi Arabia has to reform its education system. To this end, King Abdullah's Education Development Project (hereafter the Tatweer project (Note: Tatweer, as it is known in Arabic)) of 2007–2013 has mandated an educational reform package, which focuses on a broad range of improvements, including enhancing schools' teaching methods and strategies. Hence, this paper argues that to diversify its economy and income away from a strictly oil-producing export country, Saudi Arabia requires an educated citizenry, trained in several disciplines, and students who have the necessary skills for progressing toward a knowledge-based economy. To achieve this, in-service and preservice teachers need to be trained in innovative ways, including listening to their voices and assessing what Saudi teachers require in order to play a positive role in contributing to the achievement the goals outlined in the Vision 2030. This research paper, hence, aims to shed some light into the implantation of Saudi 2030 vision and its direct link to in-service and preservice teachers who must be equipped with the right necessary critical teaching tools. The paper sees teacher voices, teacher training, and the development of strategies such as critical thinking as being essential for future success toward a shift in the Saudi education system vis-à-vis Saudi 2030 vision.
Trigeminal Trophic Syndrome—A Unique Clinical Presentation of a Rare Condition
Authors: Bradburn Kathryn H. , Elston Dirk , Murphey Alexander W. , Patel Krishna G.
Published: May 2019

This study describes a unique clinical presentation of trigeminal trophic syndrome (TTS), which is not well described within the otolaryngology literature. Trigeminal trophic syndrome classically presents with a triad of symptoms: trigeminal anesthesia, facial paresthesias, and crescent-shaped ulceration of the lateral nasal ala. The patient discussed in this report had a self-induced, waxing and waning ulceration of the frontal scalp for 7 years and was evaluated and treated ineffectively by multiple physicians, including otolaryngologists, before TTS was diagnosed and a targeted treatment was initiated. Although extranasal presentation is uncommon, this condition must be considered when ulcers are encountered in the trigeminal dermatome. This case highlights the variability in presentation and the importance of awareness of this rare syndrome. We aim to facilitate more prompt diagnosis and expedite the initiation of appropriate treatment for TTS in the field of otolaryngology.
Parents’ Valuation of Approving a Child’s Spouse in a Context of Marital Change
Authors: Allendorf Keera
Published: May 2019

Previous research on arranged marriage focuses on young people getting married. In this article, the author turns the focus toward parents, examining whether Nepali parents value approving their child’s future spouse. A fifth of parents did not value approving their child’s spouse. They then investigated which parents value such approval less than others and how these connections differ by gender. Parents who had low-quality relationships with their children and believed it is better, in general, for children to choose their own spouses were less likely to value approval. Parents of children with salaried work experience, especially mothers of daughters, were also less likely to value approval. By contrast, children’s education, parents’ marital experience, and valuation of parental respect were not important. Believing arranged marriage and respect for parents will decrease in the future and that parents relinquish spouse approval in exchange for old age support were also unimportant.
Case Report: Canine Strain– and Study Condition–Dependent Formation of Renaut Bodies in Sciatic Nerves of Beagle Dogs
Authors: Weber Klaus , Weber Felix , Longo Monica , Okazaki Yoshimasa , Warfving Nils , Pardo Ingrid D. , Bolon Brad , Krinke Georg J.
Published: May 2019

Two beagle dog strains were used in a 14-day intrathecal infusion study for a small molecule test article. A moderate number of Renaut bodies (RBs) were observed in the sciatic nerves of control and test article–treated adult animals as early as 1 day after test article infusion (ie, 5 days after catheter implantation in the lumbar cistern). In most cases, the sciatic nerve was affected unilaterally, apparently in association with extended lateral recumbency on one side. The lighter beagle strain (Marshall), and especially the females (which weighed less than age-matched Marshall males), developed more RBs. In contrast, neither females nor males of the larger strain (Harlan) developed any nerve lesions. These data support the hypothesis that RBs develop following mechanical stress to sciatic nerves, suggest that this change may develop fairly quickly following an insult, and demonstrate that different dog strains exhibit strain-specific nerve changes.
Long-Term Study on the Effects of Housing C57BL/6NCrl Mice in Cages Equipped With Wireless Technology Generating Extremely Low-Intensity Electromagnetic Fields
Authors: Recordati Camilla , De Maglie Marcella , Marsella Gerardo , Milite Gianpaolo , Rigamonti Alessandro , Paltrinieri Saverio , Scanziani Eugenio
Published: May 2019

The recent development of mouse cages equipped with monitoring wireless technology raised questions on the potential effects on animals induced by electromagnetic fields (EMFs) generated by electronic boards positioned underneath the cages. The aims of this study were to characterize the EMF produced by digitally ventilated cages (DVC) and perform a clinicopathological study on mice maintained in DVC for up to 1 year. The EMFs were measured in empty individually ventilated cages (IVC) and DVC. Male (n = 160) and female (n = 160) C57BL/6NCrl mice were randomly housed in IVC and DVC in a single rack, 4 mice per cage. Body weight and food and water consumption were recorded at 14-day intervals. At sacrifice (days 60, 120, 180, and 365), body and testes weight was measured, and necropsy, hematology, bone marrow cytology, histology, and immunohistochemistry for cleaved-caspase 3 on the testes were performed. Digitally ventilated cages produced extremely low-intensity electric fields ranging from 5 Hz to 3 GHz. No exposure-related clinical signs and mortality occurred. Occasional statistical differences in body weight, food and water consumption, hematology, bone marrow, and histopathology were recorded, but considered without biological or clinical relevance. In conclusion, long-term maintenance in DVC had no definite effects on C57BL/6NCrl mice.
Accuracy and bias in perceptions of relationship authenticity
Authors: Wickham Robert E. , Bond Melissa H.
Published: May 2019

Impressions regarding the attributes of romantic partners play an important role in shaping attributions for relationship-relevant behaviors, but these perceptions are a mix of fact and fiction. In the light of recent work demonstrating the importance of authenticity in relationships, the present study examined these accuracy and bias in perceptions of authenticity among dating and married couples. Ratings of self- and perceived-partner authenticity were obtained from 107 heterosexual couples and subjected to Truth-and-Bias analysis using Bayesian Structural Equations Modeling (SEM). Analyses revealed that perceptions of partners’ willingness to increase intimacy were both accurate and subject to assumed-similarity bias, whereas perceptions of partners’ aversion to deception showed no evidence of accuracy but were strongly influenced by assumed-similarity.
Relationship between coronary artery calcification and calcium deposition in the myocardium
Authors: Wang Yue , Hu Yu-cai , Zhou Yuan , Zhao Lei , Chen Dong , Li Lin-ling , Jiang Le , Zhang Zi-chuan , Li Song-nan , Wen Song-nan , Ruan Yan-fei , Liu Nian , Qiao Yan , Lv Qiang , Hu Rong , Du Xin , Liu Xiao-hui , Ma Chang-sheng , Dong Jian-zeng , Bai Rong
Published: May 2019

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between coronary artery calcification and calcium deposition in cardiomyocytes.

Methods

Patients who underwent valve replacement plus surgical ablation for atrial fibrillation, together with left atrial appendage resection, were included. Coronary artery calcification (CAC) score was evaluated prior to surgery using dual-source computed tomography. Samples of left atrial appendage tissue were collected to analyse the following indicators: calcium deposition, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium content, protein levels of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), osteopontin and β-catenin, and mRNA levels of osteopontin, endothelin and ghrelin. Relationships between CAC score and various indicators were analysed by univariate logistic or linear regression.

Results

Out of tissue from eight patients, CAC score was not correlated with cardiomyocyte calcification (odds ratio [OR] 0.984 and OR 0.983; von Kossa or alizarin red staining, respectively). CAC score showed an inverse linear correlation with Runx2 protein (β = –0.75), but was not correlated with osteopontin (β = –0.52) or β-catenin protein (β = –0.56), mRNA levels of osteopontin, endothelin and ghrelin (β = 0.13, 0.02, and 0.02, respectively), alkaline phosphatase activity (β = 0.56), or calcium content (β = –0.22).

Conclusions

Coronary artery calcification was not correlated with calcium deposition in cardiomyocytes.
Sequential one-stage combined procedure for treating bilateral developmental hip dysplasia after walking age
Authors: Li Haibing , Ye Wensong , Xu Lujie , Li Li , Zhu Weiwei , Zheng Zefeng
Published: May 2019

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate outcomes of the sequential one-stage combined procedure for treating bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) that was diagnosed after walking age.

Methods

Thirty-five patients (70 hips) with late-presenting bilateral DDH were treated with the sequential one-stage combined procedure. Hips were reclassified according to the operative time and divided into the first and the second operated hips. The outcomes were compared clinically and radiographically between the two sides preoperatively and postoperatively.

Results

The mean interval time between the two procedures was 5.9 months (range: 2–9 months). The first operated hip achieved better results than did the second operated hip. A total of 68.6% (24/35) of the patients in our series had an asymmetric outcome.

Conclusions

The sequential one-stage combined procedure is a challenge, but a reasonable alternative surgery for bilateral DDH in children after walking age. An asymmetric outcome is a special complication of this procedure.
Pituitrin use is associated with an increased risk of inguinal hematomas and pseudoaneurysms in patients undergoing femoral artery puncture
Authors: Wang Fang , Su Hua , Wang Xiaoxia , Wu Qionghui , Zhou Yong , Xu Hangdi , Zhang Ruifeng
Published: May 2019

Objective

Femoral artery puncture (FAP) is an effective method for interventional percutaneous vascular procedures. However, FAP leads to complications including hematomas and pseudoaneurysms. This study was performed to determine whether pituitrin infusion or vascular closure devices (VCDs) increase the risk of complications after FAP.

Methods

This single-center retrospective study included 3641 patients who underwent FAP. The patients were divided into two groups: a groin complication group (including hematomas and pseudoaneurysms) and a no-groin complication group.

Results

In the multivariate analysis, perioperative pituitrin infusion and the use of VCDs were strongly associated with inguinal hematomas and pseudoaneurysms. The complication rate was obviously higher in patients who underwent bronchial artery embolization (BAE). Because high dosages of pituitrin and VCDs were used in patients undergoing BAE, postoperative hematoma development occurred significantly earlier in these patients. Hematomas occurred within 14 days of the operation in all patients who underwent BAE.

Conclusion

Perioperative pituitrin infusion and the use of VCDs are associated with an increased risk of complications after FAP, including hematomas and pseudoaneurysms. Notably, patients who underwent BAE, who are subject to higher pituitrin and VCD use, showed a higher complication rate. The incidence of complications was highest within 2 weeks postoperatively.
A decentralized model of Wind turbine optimization
Authors: Dhunny AZ , Allam Z , Lollchund MR , Dookhitram K , Rughooputh SDDV
Published: May 2019

The decoupling of energy prices from fossil fuel is slowly making its way as investment is poured into renewable energy sources. Small Island Developing States are gaining in both stability and cost from this momentum but face threat from the same unsustainable centralization practices. A decentralized framework is proposed for Small Island Developing States aimed at achieving grid stability and in attracting independent financing mechanisms. This framework is applied from a Wind perspective and to ensure replicability on all types of terrains, and the model is analysed through three case studies: high-rise buildings, flat terrains and Gaussian terrains. This study provides a novel framework and a general solution for Wind farming over different terrain layouts including forbidden regions and complex topography.
Real-time classification of shoulder girdle motions for multifunctional prosthetic hand control: A preliminary study
Authors: Sharba Ghaith Kadhim , Wali Mousa Kadhim , AI-Timemy Ali Hussein
Published: May 2019

In every country in the world, there are a number of amputees who have been exposed to some accidents that led to the loss of their upper limbs. The aim of this study is to suggest a system for real-time classification of five classes of shoulder girdle motions for high-level upper limb amputees using a pattern recognition system. In the suggested system, the wavelet transform was utilized for feature extraction, and the extreme learning machine was used as a classifier. The system was tested on four intact-limbed subjects and one amputee, with eight channels involving five electromyography channels and three-axis accelerometer sensor. The study shows that the suggested pattern recognition system has the ability to classify the shoulder girdle motions for high-level upper limb motions with 88.4% average classification accuracy for four intact-limbed subjects and 92.8% classification accuracy for one amputee by combining electromyography and accelerometer channels. The outcomes of this study may suggest that the proposed pattern recognition system can help to provide control signals to drive a prosthetic arm for high-level upper limb amputees.
Ethical dimensions of quantification
Authors: Espeland Wendy , Yung Vincent
Published: May 2019

The ethical dimensions of quantification are seldom analysed. We examine three ethical features that are characteristic of quantification – its capacity to express or mediate power, focus attention, and shape opportunity structures. We do so in the context of three recent examples of new types of quantification : university rankings, the racial classification of Asians in the US, and facial recognition algorithms. Our examples highlight the importance of understanding the varied and complex ways that quantification creates and organizes social relations, and the effect of this on multiple forms of inequality.
The Effects of Work Hours on Physical and Mental Health of Late Prime Age Men and Women
Authors: Ricketts Comfort F. , Campbell Randall C. , Rezek Jon P.
Published: May 2019

Our results show that negative returns to health outcomes set in at around 50 work hours per week, and that the negative effects of working long hours manifest earlier for women than men. Increased work hours are associated with higher incomes and better access to medical care. However, increased work hours also generate greater physical and mental stress, which may cause health problems. We examine these questions empirically with data from the 2006 wave of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), using two-stage least squares to account for endogeneity of work hours and income in the health outcomes model.

JEL Classifications: I10, J22, C36
Social Media-Specific Epistemological Beliefs: A Scale Development Study
Authors: Celik Ismail
Published: May 2019

Social media users should have a critical approach and look at any of knowledge in social media environments through a rational lens outside of their personal beliefs. In the era of posttruth, the rational lens concerns the epistemological beliefs that are about questioning the source of knowledge and perceive knowledge with criticism. The purpose of this study was to develop the social media-specific epistemological beliefs scale. The dimensions for the scale to be developed in the study were determined on the basis of a theoretical structure earlier proposed in the literature. The development of the social media-specific epistemological beliefs scale consisted of five stages: creating item pool, content and face validity analysis, construct validity analysis, reliability analysis, and language validity analysis. The study group created to analyze the construct validity of the scale consists of 432 preservice teachers who are studying in the education faculty of a large state university in Turkey. As a result of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the social media-specific epistemological beliefs scale was found to be composed of 15 items as a five-point Likert-type, which was fallen under three factors. Findings on the social media-specific epistemological beliefs scale showed that the scale was valid and reliable.
The Recognition of Emotional Abuse: Adolescents’ Responses to Warning Signs in Romantic Relationships
Authors: Francis Lauren , Pearson Dominic
Published: May 2019

Emotional abuse in relationships is widespread and can have serious detrimental effects on subsequent functioning. Despite this, and despite the knowledge that adolescents aged 16 to 19 years are most likely to fall victim to abuse in romantic relationships when compared with older age groups, research surrounding warning signs of abuse and adolescents’ responses to them has been lacking. This study explored adolescents’ attitudes toward, and responses to, warning signs of emotional abuse. Males and females aged 16 to 19 years ( N = 171) from two high schools and one University completed a purpose-designed questionnaire containing 20 statements of warning sign behaviors. They then answered questions measuring perceived acceptability of these behaviors and proposed responses to them. Warning signs were separated into four domains: denigration, personal degradation, public degradation, and verbal aggression. As expected participants on average proposed passive or vague responses to warning signs in all four domains. Warning sign behaviors that involved personal degradation were perceived to be the least acceptable of all behaviors, but even “risk-aware” individuals still lacked knowledge of effective responses to warning signs. Females perceived warning sign behaviors to be the least acceptable and proposed the most assertive responses. However, the response protectiveness effect was reversed in those aged 19 years, with females proposing the least assertive responses. Although adolescents are aware of what constitutes unacceptable relationship behaviors, they still lack knowledge of the appropriate ways to respond to warning signs to discourage future abusive relationship behaviors. The implications of these findings for interventions and practical training for adolescents to prevent abuse are discussed.
#MeToo: Disclosure and Response to Sexual Victimization on Twitter
Authors: Bogen Katherine W. , Bleiweiss Kaitlyn K. , Leach Nykia R. , Orchowski Lindsay M.
Published: May 2019

Communication on Twitter surrounding violence against women often occurs through the use of “hashtags” that allow users to engage in shared discourse. The present study examined utilization of the Twitter hashtag #MeToo, which emerged in 2017 as a method for disclosing personal experiences of sexual victimization. Specifically, the present study sought to clarify how Twitter users utilized the #MeToo tag to disclose and respond to sexual violence by conducting a qualitative analysis of a random sample of tweets using #MeToo ( N = 1,660). Survivors frequently prioritized the “who,” “what,” “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how” of personal trauma experiences when disclosing using #MeToo. Twitter users also reflected on the prevalence of violence in society, acted as advocates to highlight the problem of violence against women, called attention to the experiences of other survivors of violence, or utilized the forum in a manner that distracted from survivors’ experiences. The present data highlight the utility of Twitter for raising awareness regarding the prevalence of sexual violence, and providing a space where users can share personal trauma, connect to others with similar experiences, and provide support to others.
Governance and accounting practices in the Fugger family firm at the beginning of the sixteenth century
Authors: Baker Charles Richard , Quéré Bertrand P
Published: May 2019

This article discusses the governance and accounting practices of the Fugger family firm in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century under the leadership of Jakob Fugger II (1459–1525; hereafter Jakob Fugger). The Fugger family firm engaged in numerous enterprises, primarily centered on textile trading, banking, and mining of silver and copper. The management of the firm required sophisticated governance and accounting practices, knowledge of which Jakob Fugger appears to have acquired during his residence in the Venetian Republic in the years 1473 through 1487. At that time, Venice was the most important trading and financial center in Europe. When Jakob Fugger returned to Augsburg, Germany in 1487, he modeled the governance and accounting practices of his firm after those of the Italian city-states and eventually expanded the operations of his firm into one of the most important banking houses in sixteenth-century Europe, with more than a dozen branches and a multinational presence.
Factors Influencing Marital Violence Among Vietnamese Women in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Fang-Hsin
Published: May 2019

Introduction: Marital violence is a global women’s health issue. This study aimed to examine the factors influencing marital violence among Vietnamese immigrant women in Taiwan. Method: A cross-sectional research design was used. Snowball sampling was applied to recruit 250 Vietnamese women in southeast Taiwan. Data were collected through a survey from August 2015 to January 2016. The data were analyzed using a regression analysis. Results: This study found that 70.4% of Vietnamese women had experienced marital violence in the past year. Participants who did not depend on their husband’s income and held stronger views objecting to marital violence experienced a higher frequency of violence inflicted by their spouses. Conclusions/Implications: The study findings provide preliminary insight for nurses and a better understanding of the situation. They can be used not only to address the factors of marital violence affecting Vietnamese women in Taiwan but also to design marital violence–related interventions within a male-dominated culture.
School Leadership of a One-to-One Laptop Initiative
Authors: Milman Natalie B.
Published: May 2019

This qualitative case study examined school leaders’ roles, perceptions, and challenges leading a one-to-one (1:1) laptop initiative in a coeducational, independent middle, and high school in the United States. The findings revealed how the school leaders led the school’s 1:1 laptop initiative through collaborative, yet differentiated roles and responsibilities. Together, they established the school’s vision, planned and implemented the initiative, supported teachers and students, reflected on their practice, and made changes as needed. Generally, the school leaders regarded the 1:1 laptop initiative as having a positive impact on teaching and learning by increasing student collaboration and access to information, as well as fostering teachers’ reconceptualization of their practice. However, the impact on student achievement was inconclusive; they explained it was too early to gauge its impact. Challenges the school leaders experienced involved limited bandwidth, printing problems and students’ off-task behaviors. They addressed them as they would any nontechnology challenge through problem-solving, shared decision-making, and fidelity to the school’s mission and goals.
Velopharyngeal Structural and Muscle Variations in Children With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: An Unsedated MRI Study
Authors: Kollara Lakshmi , Baylis Adriane L. , Kirschner Richard E. , Bates D. Gregory , Smith Mark , Fang Xiangming , Perry Jamie L.
Published: May 2019

Objective:

The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is the most common genetic cause of velopharyngeal dysfunction; however, limited information exists regarding variations in velopharyngeal anatomy in this clinically challenging population. The purpose of this study was to examine velopharyngeal characteristics among young children with 22q11.2DS in comparison to a normative cohort using an innovative, nonsedated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning protocol.

Methods:

Fifteen children with 22q11.2DS and 15 age- and gender-matched controls with normal velopharyngeal anatomy (ages 4-12) successfully completed the MRI protocol. Eighteen velopharyngeal and 2 related craniofacial measures were examined. Analysis of covariance was used to compare differences between the experimental and the control groups.

Results:

The 22q11.2DS group demonstrated a significantly thinner velum ( P < .0005) and a larger pharyngeal depth ( P = .007) compared to the matched control group. Findings in the current study also demonstrated that the levator veli palatini muscle is significantly shorter ( P = .037) and thinner ( P = .025) in the 22q11.2DS cohort, with a significantly shorter origin-to-origin distance ( P < .0005) and a greater angle of origin ( P = .001) compared to healthy peers.

Conclusion:

Children with 22q11.2DS demonstrated multiple variations that may contribute to velopharyngeal dysfunction by altering the anatomic characteristics of the velopharyngeal port, the levator muscle, and associated structures. This investigation represents the first and largest attempt to characterize velopharyngeal anatomy in children with 22q11.2DS using a nonsedated MRI protocol.
Can the Antisecretory Factor Be Considered a New Therapy for the Short Bowel Syndrome?
Authors: Viggiani Maria Teresa , Di Leo Alfredo , Barone Michele
Published: May 2019

Background and objective:

The antisecretory factor (AF) exerts antisecretory and anti-inflammatory properties in the bowel. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of exogenous AF (Salovum) or cereals stimulating the endogenous AF (SPC-Flakes), given alone or in combination, in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS).

Methods:

Patients received Salovum alone at T0 -T1, Salovum plus SPC-Flakes at T1 -T2, and SPC-Flakes alone at T2 -T3. At T0 and T3, water balance, weight, lean mass (FFM), total body water (TBW), extracellular water (ECW), and nutritional and inflammatory biochemical parameters were evaluated. The water balance was also measured at T1, T2, and 30 days (TS) from the end of treatment.

Results:

Among the 7 patients enrolled, 2 discontinued treatment due to side effects and 1 was excluded after a cancer was diagnosed. Salovum alone or with SPC-Flakes did not improve the intestinal absorption in patients with SBS, while the administration of SPC-Flakes alone lead towards a trend of increased faecal volume. Weight, FFM, TBW, and ECW, as well as nutritional and inflammatory status, did not statistically change at the end of treatment (T3) as compared with T0. At TS water balance was restored.

Conclusion:

The administration of exogenous AF or the stimulation of endogenous AF seems to be unable to offer an effective therapy in patients with SBS. On the contrary, their administration appears to aggravate fluid loss and induce side effects.
Female Fertility Preservation through Stem Cell-based Ovarian Tissue Reconstitution In Vitro and Ovarian Regeneration In Vivo
Authors: Akahori Taichi , Woods Dori C , Tilly Jonathan L
Published: May 2019

Historically, approaches designed to offer women diagnosed with cancer the prospects of having a genetically matched child after completion of their cytotoxic treatments focused on the existing oocyte population as the sole resource available for clinical management of infertility. In this regard, elective oocyte and embryo cryopreservation, as well as autologous ovarian cortical tissue grafting posttreatment, have gained widespread support as options for young girls and reproductive-age women who are faced with cancer to consider. In addition, the use of ovarian protective therapies, including gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists and sphingosine-1-phosphate analogs, has been put forth as an alternative way to preserve fertility by shielding existing oocytes in the ovaries in vivo from the side-effect damage caused by radiotherapy and many chemotherapeutic regimens. This viewpoint changed with the publication of now numerous reports that adult ovaries of many mammalian species, including humans, contain a rare population of oocyte-producing germ cells—referred to as female germline or oogonial stem cells (OSCs). This new line of study has fueled research into the prospects of generating new oocytes, rather than working with existing oocytes, as a novel approach to sustain or restore fertility in female cancer survivors. Here, we overview the history of work from laboratories around the world focused on improving our understanding of the biology of OSCs and how these cells may be used to reconstitute “artificial” ovarian tissue in vitro or to regenerate damaged ovarian tissue in vivo as future fertility-preservation options.
‘I gave someone a good death’: Anonymity in a community of Reddit’s medical professionals
Authors: Henninger Nicole M
Published: May 2019

Anonymity is often regarded as a negative influence on the quality of online communication, but can anonymity serve to bridge communication gaps under specific conditions? This study explores this question by examining key affordances of Reddit using a quasi-ethnographic method. Here, anonymity is combined with active norm enforcement by self-appointed moderators of subReddits. This study develops the concept of actively moderated anonymity and assesses its ability to mend gaps in communication through an online ethnography of Medicine, a Reddit community of self-identified medical professionals to answer the following: How does anonymity work as an affordance in shaping online discussions, such as those in r/medicine, and what types of exchanges are occurring between medical professionals in the r/medicine community that may not occur elsewhere? r/medicine’s community provided a place for comfort and a place to freely exchange ideas including sensitive topics and opposing viewpoints. Findings conclude that medical professionals often sought to validate decisions they had made in the workplace and attempted to resolve concerns about particular institutional or systemic issues, suggesting actively moderated anonymity may afford an additional level of support that medical professionals may not find in the workplace or within an identifiable setting that could potentially be invaluable to the services provided to patients.
Psychedelic science as cosmic play, psychedelic humanities as perennial polemics? Or why we are still fighting over Max Weber’s Science as a Vocation
Authors: Langlitz Nicolas
Published: May 2019

If it was indeed the fate of scientific work to become obsolete within 10–15 years, as Max Weber contended in Science as a Vocation, why does the Journal of Classical Sociology publish this article a century after publication of his famous lecture? Departing from anthropological fieldwork on the revival of psychedelic science since the 1990s, the author gives two answers. First, Weber provided a historically and culturally situated ideal type of vocational science with which we can compare and contrast the ethos of early twenty-first century scientists. The Swiss neuroscientist Franz X. Vollenweider, for example, defied the stern Protestantism of Weber’s vocational humanity and inferred from an amalgamation of psychedelic experiences and Hindu philosophemes a conception of science as play. Second, Weber not only contributed to the historical sociology of science an empirical description and conceptual analysis of turn-of-the-century scientific life in Germany and the United States but also unleashed a polemic against the confusion of facts and values. At a time when science studies and cognate fields of social research have formed a widespread consensus regarding the inseparability of description and prescription, Science as a Vocation has become a classic that offers orientation to opponents and supporters of value freedom alike. The article concludes with a plea to scholars in the nascent psychedelic humanities, which could easily be extended to anyone working between the two cultures of the sciences and the humanities, to cultivate value freedom as part of an epistemic virtue ethics.