bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Un(der)employment in Bronze Age Egypt: Anachronism or Insight?
Authors: Warburton David A.
Published: December 2019

Based on the productivity of ancient Egyptian agriculture, a discussion of economic theory, per capita GDP, economic growth, and agrarian economies through history, this paper tries to isolate the relative roles of land, labor, and grain in the economy of Ancient Egypt. There is little room for full employment in an agrarian economy; in Bronze Age Egypt the labor of a small fraction of the population would have sufficed to nourish all. Aside from services, an agrarian economy cannot expand employment much. Increasing productivity is counter-productive and none of the wealthy agrarian economies grew organically into an industrial economy. Govert van Driel pointed out that in agrarian ancient Mesopotamia there was no place for the market or silver, although both were present (as is claimed for Egypt). Overcapacity, trade, underemployment, and finance allow an understanding of the ancient economies, economics and economic growth; the impact of using modern economic thought based on production (and not economic behavior and activity) results in a flawed theory that must be revised.
Gender switch in Sidaama
Authors: Kramer Ruth , Teferra Anbessa
Published: December 2019

In Sidaama, a Highland East Cushitic language spoken in Ethiopia, the majority of nouns are feminine in the plural, regardless of their gender in the singular. We refer to this as ‘gender switch’ and we investigate how best to analyze this puzzling change in morphosyntactic behavior. We compare gender switch in Sidaama to the well-studied gender switch in Somali, arguing that Sidaama is different in that it is a true morphological syncretism unrelated to the syntax of plurality. We develop an analysis of Sidaama gender switch in the framework of Distributed Morphology and show how this analysis correctly predicts that feminine is the default gender in Sidaama. Overall, the paper provides a better understanding of gender switch in Sidaama and of the relationship between gender and number generally, it contributes to the very small theoretical-linguistic literature on Sidaama, and it offers some empirical support for Distributed Morphology.
Temporal Personality of Psychology Students According to their Preference for a Theoretical Orientation
Authors: Roy Mei-Li , Fortin-Guichard Daniel , Tétreault Émie , Laflamme Vincent , Grondin Simon
Published: December 2019

The choice of a theoretical orientation often starts early during studies in psychology, and may guide the entire work of clinical psychologists. The aim of this study is to unveil associations between the temporal personality of university students in psychology, their personality traits and their preferences for each of the four main theoretical orientations recognized by the Ordre des Psychologues du Québec [Professional Order of Psychologists of Quebec]: psychodynamic-analytic, cognitive-behavioural, existential-humanistic and systemic-interactional. One hundred and twenty-nine students in psychology completed three online questionnaires assessing temporal personality, personality traits and theoretical orientation. Canonical correlations reveal that there are significant correlations between personality traits, temporal personality and preference for a theoretical orientation. More specifically, a preference for the existential-humanistic and systemic-interactional orientations is associated with weaker tendencies on the following temporal features: proximity of the results, consciousness of time on vacation and planning at home. Also, a preference for the cognitive-behavioural orientation is associated with stronger planning skills, time awareness and a propensity for conscientiousness. Those findings invite further investigations to better clarify the relations between time, theoretical orientation and personality.
Affecting Space: South Asian American Activism and the Visual Politics of Home
Authors: Bakrania Falu
Published: December 2019

Extending the archive of South Asian American visual culture to the kinds that community activists use in public spaces expands our understanding of how such cultures contest dominant discourses of home. In this article, I examine how the uses of theatre, photography, and clothing by the San Francisco Bay Area-based “Berkeley South Asian Radical History Walking Tour,” and the anti-domestic violence exhibit I Dare to Air created by Maitri, generate particular affective relationships to public and private space. These relationships in turn produce resistant knowledges of “home” that challenge the racist logics of the Trump administration and the violent logics of a rising Indian American capitalist class. The work of community activists thus demands that we invigorate space as an analytic through which we theorize the import of South Asian American visual culture.
“Republic of Southern Sinophone Literature” and Its Memorandum
Authors: Han Song (Abel) , Huang Yu (Heidi)
Published: December 2019

This essay reexamines two Sinophone literary uchronias, i.e. Malaysian Chinese (Mahua) author Ng Kim Chew’s dystopian account of the People’s Republic of Nanyang, and Hong Kong writer Dung Kai-cheung’s fabrication of the history of a disappeared street in Hong Kong. As representative pieces of Sinophone literature, these two literary uchronias not only rewrite the authors’ local histories but also bring together a critical examination of the geo-political conditions in the Sinophone sphere. Reflecting on the spatialized and materialist models of world literature studies, this essay aims to investigate the Hong Kong-Mahua link in terms of their world-making power.
“Trans-Asian Popular Aesthetics”
Authors: Jia Yan
Published: December 2019

From 1980 to 1991, seven titles of Gulshan Nanda’s Hindi popular fiction were translated into Chinese without Western involvement, and Kaṭī pataṅg alone spawned nearly twenty adaptations in both theatrical and picture-story book forms. This essay argues that Nanda’s popular fiction contributed to China’s cultural reconstruction in the 1980s by fulfilling the previously repressed need of Chinese readers for entertaining novels that conveyed a desired moral order, by enabling Chinese translators of Indian literature to engage with the literary debate about the re-evaluation of popular literature, and by helping revitalize Chinese theatre in a time of crisis. This paper shows the complexity of transnational flows of popular literature by presenting a Trans-Asian example that relies on the melodramatic appeal of the works, their relevance to local issues, and the scholarly engagement in the host culture, rather than the author’s global stardom or the marketing strategies of multinational publishing companies.
الحداثة وتحولات الخطاب المقاصدي: نحو فقه سائل؟
Authors: المراكبي محمد
Published: December 2019

الخلاصة

تناقش هذه الورقة التجديد الذي قام به المفكرون الإسلاميون في الخطاب المقاصدي المعاصر. وعلى الرغم من الاختلافات بينهم فإنه يمكننا رصد تطورين رئيسين: الأول: التوجه نحو عقلنة الشريعة وإقصاء الجانب التعبدي أو إلغائه، والثاني: إعادة تعيين المقاصد والتوسع في عددها وتفسيراتها. ويبين الباحث—من خلال عرض نماذج مختلفة من التفسيرات الجديدة للمقاصد—كيف أن الحداثة أثرت على الخطاب المقاصدي الجديد، لا من خلال تبنيه مفاهيم حداثية، بل من خلال اكتسابه طبيعة الحداثة السائلة، فالتحول الأهم كان في تحويل المقاصد إلى أداة مرنة وقابلة للتشكل؛ بحيث يمكن استخدامها للاقتراب من القيم الحداثية أو الابتعاد عنها على حد سواء، ومع هذه السيولة صارت المقاصد في أحيان كثيرة انعكاسًا لتحيزات الفقيه الأيدولوجية والاجتماعية والنفسية إما بصورة واعية أو غير واعية، وهو الأمر الذي يهدد البنية النسقية للفقه الإسلامي وقدرته على إحداث الضبط المجتمعي المطلوب.
1979: a Year of the Child, but Not of Children’s Human Rights
Authors: Lindkvist Linde
Published: December 2019

This article explores the diplomatic contestations over children’s rights in connection to the International Year of the Child (iyc) of 1979. At the time, the Year was celebrated as an outstanding success, an event which helped to heighten social and political awareness of the status of children in both developing and industrialized countries, and which brought to light a plethora of new global issues, including street children, children with disabilities and children in armed conflict. Today, the iyc is frequently reduced to a plotting point in histories charting the rise of an international discourse of children’s rights, a discourse that is intimately linked to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989. This article shows how the concept of children’s rights was of peripheral importance to the overarching purposes of the iyc, which instead revolved around a notion of child welfare as integral to wider projects of social and economic development, either in the form of economic sovereignty or basic needs. The article then revisits the 1978–1979 UN debates on a human rights treaty for children, showing how this project initially garnered minimal support among states, international agencies and non-state actors. The article thus takes issue with teleological accounts that see the iyc primarily as a first step toward the subsequent breakthrough of children’s human rights. It also showcases how historical case studies of UN observances can be fruitful for scholars interested in the clashes and amalgamations of competing concepts and projects at an international level.
Democratic Self-Cultivation
Authors: WAKS Leonard J.
Published: December 2019

In this paper I draw on the concept of Confucian self -cultivation to strengthen John Dewey’s democratic education project. For Dewey, democracy is primarily a form of associated living, marked by the broad sharing of interests and rich communication among social groups. In appealing to Confucian philosophy to bolster Dewey’s educational project I adopt the framework of global Intercultural philosophy, placing philosophical approaches from different cultural traditions together to augment intellectual resources and advance philosophical understanding. This approach initially dictates a comparative method: “setting into dialogue sources from across cultural, linguistic, and philosophical streams” (Littlejohn, n.d.). I draw particularly upon the Analects of Confucius, the collected works of John Dewey, and standard interpretive works. But I go beyond mere comparison, to argue for an enriched form of democratic education, bolstered by Confucian insights, and suitable for contemporary Western democracies.
New Confucian Liang Shuming’s Transformation of John Dewey’s Philosophy in Chinese Rural Education
Authors: Zhixiang YANG James
Published: December 2019

During the May Fourth period, the clash of ideas of democracy and science with Confucian tradition had a great impact on the Chinese intellectual community, consisting of modern intellectuals and traditional scholars. In response to the prevailing anti-traditionalism during the May Fourth period, Liang made great efforts to retain and reform Confucianism. This paper highlights the effects of Confucian tradition and John Dewey’s pragmatism on Chinese rural education during the Republican period by studying Liang Shuming’s educational thought and practice. By exploring a philosophical ‘dialogue’ between Liang Shuming and John Dewey, this paper demonstrates how the intersection of traditional and modern aspects shaped Chinese rural educational reform during the 1930s.
Taxonomic notes on the Ectoedemia suberis and angulifasciella species groups in Japan (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae)
Authors: YAGI SADAHISA , HIRANO NAGAO , HIROWATARI TOSHIYA
Published: December 2019

Diagnoses and notes on biology and distribution of Japanese species of the suberis and angulifasciella groups of the genus Ectoedemia Busck, 1907 are given. Two species, E. chasanella Puplesis, 1984 and E. ortiva Rocienė & Stonis, 2013, are reported for the first time from Japan and their morphology is redescribed. In addition, we provide molecular identification of the two species and their relatives based on COI barcode sequences and the nuclear gene (EF1-α) sequences. The female of E. chasanella is described for the first time. We confirm that E. chasanella utilizes Quercus species (Fagaceae) as its hostplant: Q. dentata, Q. serrata, Q. crispula, and Q. acutissima. Ectoedemia ortiva was formerly placed in the suberis group, and its host plant was unknown. We move this species to the angulifasciella group and provide evidence that it utilizes Ulmus sp. (Ulmaceae) as its host plant.
On the tribe Sarimini with two new genera from south of China (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha, Issidae)
Authors: WANG MENGLIN , ZHANG YALIN , BOURGOIN THIERRY
Published: December 2019

Two new genera of the tribe Sarimini are described from south of China. They are Sarimissus gen. nov. with a new species S. maculifrons sp. nov. from Hainan province and Duplexissus gen. nov. with a new species D. punctatulus sp. nov. from Yunnan province. The photos of habitus and the male genitalia of the new species are provided. The biology, distribution and origin of the tribe Sarimini are discussed.
Four new species of Myrmecium Latreille, 1824 and complementary description of M. machetero Candiani & Bonaldo, 2017 (Araneae: Corinnidae: Castianeirinae)
Authors: SILVA-JUNIOR CLAUDIO J. , BONALDO ALEXANDRE B.
Published: December 2019

Four new species of Myrmecium Latreille, 1824 are described: M. urcuchillay sp. nov. (based on males from Cusco, Peru), M. girafales sp. nov. (on a female from Huánuco, Peru), M. coutoi sp. nov. (on a female from Cusco, Peru) and M. quasimodo sp. nov. (on males and females from Pará, Brazil). The male form of M. machetero Candiani & Bonaldo, 2017 is described for the first time. The number of known species of the genus from Peru is increased from nine to 12 and maps of distribution of the Peruvian species and M. quasimodo sp. nov are provided.
Lebetus patzneri (Teleostei: Gobiidae), a new goby species from the Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean, with first records of Lebetus guilleti (Le Danois, 1913) from this area and Norway, and with notes on its biology
Authors: SCHLIEWEN ULRICH K. , KOVAČIĆ MARCELO , CERWENKA ALEXANDER F. , SVENSEN RUDOLF , ORDINES FRANCESC
Published: December 2019

A new goby species, Lebetus patzneri sp. nov. (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described based on two preserved and two photographed specimens collected from two circalittoral bottom locations off the Balearic Islands, western Mediterranean. It differs from the one or both other Lebetus species by each of following characters: P 15–16; D2 segmented fin rays 7–8; snout slightly larger than eye diameter; eyes small, 23.3–25.5% of head length; body height low, body depth at pelvic fin 14.9–16.4%; lips thick, giving mouth a broad, almost rectangular shape in dorsal and lateral view; minute black “pepper” spots on predorsal area, dorsum, flanks and caudal peduncle, visible in fresh and preserved specimens; the most of the caudal peduncle similarly colored as the lateral area below D2, reddish or brown. We further report first records of Lebetus guilleti (Le Danois, 1913) from Norway and the Balearic Islands, and observations of its conspicuous courtship behavior (“D1 waving”), and coloration including the first description of its red fluorescence pattern.
Scorpaena regina, a new scorpionfish (Teleostei: Scorpaenidae) from the east coast of Queensland, Australia
Authors: WIBOWO KUNTO , JOHNSON JEFFREY W. , MOTOMURA HIROYUKI
Published: December 2019

The new, small-sized scorpionfish, Scorpaena regina, is described on the basis of 59 specimens from the east coast of Queensland, Australia, from depths of 2–57 m. The new species is most similar to the southwestern Pacific species, S. bulacephala and the Hawaiian endemic S. colorata, all three species being distinguished from all other Indo-Pacific species of Scorpaena by the following combination of characters: exposed cycloid scales covering the anteroventral surface of the body and pectoral-fin base, the lateral surface and dorsal margin of the lacrimal without spines, and the lateral surface of the maxilla without longitudinal ridges. The new species differs from S. bulacephala and S. colorata in having lower numbers of pectoral-fin rays, scale rows below the lateral line, and total gill rakers [13–17 (mode 16), 11–14 (12), and 13–17 (14 or 15), respectively], a simple anterior lacrimal spine, posterior tip of the pectoral fin (seventh or eighth ray longest) not reaching to vertical through first anal-fin spine, smaller body size (maximum size 64.5 mm SL), and shallower habitat (2–57 m). Morphological ontogenetic changes in the relative lengths of some body proportions in the new species are also discussed.
Stingless bees of the genus Nannotrigona Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini) in Colombia
Authors: JARAMILLO JOANNA , OSPINA RODULFO , GONZALEZ VICTOR H.
Published: December 2019

Nannotrigona Cockerell is one of the few stingless bee genera widely distributed and commonly encountered throughout the Neotropical region. Some species are abundant and managed in meliponiculture. However, the identity and number of species occurring in some countries or areas is almost entirely unknown. Herein we reviewed the species of Nannotrigona in Colombia, a South American country with literature records indicating the presence of either one or five species of this genus. Appraisal of museum specimens revealed the existence of the following eight species, three of which we describe as new: N. camargoi Rasmussen & Gonzalez, N. gaboi n. sp., N. melanocera (Schwarz), N. mellaria (Smith), N. occidentalis n. sp., N. pilosa n. sp., N. schultzei (Friese), and N. tristella (Cockerell).We describe and figure the male of N. camargoi, N. gaboi, N. melanocera, and N. pilosa. In addition, we provide comparative diagnoses, a key to species, and new geographical records.
Two new and one newly recorded species of Anomala Samouelle, 1819 Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) from Yunnan, China
Authors: HUANG GUI-QIANG , WANG FA-LEI
Published: December 2019

Two new species, Anomala qiului Huang & Wang, new species and Anomala xuhaoi Huang & Wang, new species, are described and illustrated from Yunnan, China. Anomala trochanterica Arrow, 1917 is recorded from China for the first time, with the report of its intraspecific variation also discussed. Color plates (habitus and genitalia) of A. flavipunctuata Lin, 1999, A. flavoguttata Miyake, 2000, A. fuscicauda Lin, 1999 and A. trochanterica are provided for the first time.
Damage characteristics of polymer expansive jet based on the crater growth enhanced effect
Authors: Yi Jianya , Wang Zhijun
Published: December 2019

In this study, a polymer liner is applied to a shaped charge warhead, and the formed expansive jet exhibits a crater growth enhancement effect that can effectively damage the armored vehicle target. To examine the damage characteristics of polymer expansive jet, three polymer materials
with different properties were selected, namely polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), nylon (PA), and polycarbonate (PC). The penetration results of light aluminum target and heavy steel target are analyzed via the SPH method and AUTODYN finite element software and verified via experiments. The
results indicate that for light aluminum targets, the enlarged hole diameter of polymer expansive jet exceeds that of metal jets, and the penetration depth is lower than that of a metal jet. The results also suggest that the crater growth enhanced effect is more evident when the stand-off
is small. With respect to high strength steel targets, the penetration ability of polymer expansive jet is limited. However, for low strength aluminum targets, the crater growth enhancement of the polymer expansive jet is reflected.
Effects of chemical composition and heat treatment on wear properties of backup rolls steel
Authors: Li Yanlong , Wu Qiong , Liu Changsheng
Published: December 2019

In this study, friction and wear properties of backup roll steels with different chemical compositions subjected to various heat treatment processes were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and microindentation to figure out changes in microstructure during
wear testing. The results showed that wear of backup roll was mainly consisted of sliding wear with some contribution from abrasive wear. The surface of backup roll material depicted obvious ploughing characteristics and plastic deformation zones after wear processing. The wear scar width,
wear volume, hardened layer thickness and plastically deformed layer thickness of the backup roll material all decreased as substrate hardness increased. The wear resistance of the material enhanced with the matrix hardness. On the other hand, increasing contents of Mo, V, Nd and other elements
influenced dispersion and fine grain strengthening. By comparison, increasing contents of C, Si and Mn affected the solid solution strengthening. Both methods improved wear resistance of the backup roll. The working layer of the backup roll produced by the integral induction hardening process
was identified as mainly tempered martensite. In sum, the wear resistance of induction hardened backup roll significantly improved when compared to conventional differential temperature quenching.
Contrast-Induced Kidney Nephropathy in Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair: A 2-Year Retrospective Study in 470 Patients
Authors: Li Xin , Zhang Weichang , Liu Jia , Gonzalez Luis , Liu Dingxiao , Zhang Lei , Dardik Alan , Shu Chang
Published: December 2019

We identified changes in renal function in patients who underwent thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and the factors that may influence renal function. Information on 470 consecutive patients was collected. Kidney function and contrast volume were recorded. Unpaired t test, Spearman correlation, and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. A Kaplan-Meier curve helped clarify our follow-up findings. Mean contrast volume was 90.5 ± 21.2 mL. The change in serum creatinine was significantly correlated with (1) preexisting renal pathology ( P = .033) and (2) aortic dissection (AD) involving the renal arteries ( P = .019). The change in serum urea nitrogen (ΔBUN) was only significantly correlated with AD involving the renal arteries ( P = .0348). Contrast volume ( P = .036, odds ratio = 1.010, 95% confidence interval: 1.001-1.019) was a risk factor for contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) after TEVAR. Survival rates and renal failure rates among no CIN, CIN, and CIN–acute kidney injury groups at longest 27 months follow-up were significantly different. Creatinine and BUN were generally elevated post-TEVAR. Contrast-induced nephropathy post-TEVAR may correlate with renal comorbidities and renal artery involvement. Contrast volume is risk factor for CIN after TEVAR. More attention needs to be paid to patient renal function during follow-up.
DeepLink: A novel link prediction framework based on deep learning
Authors: Keikha Mohammad Mehdi , Rahgozar Maseud , Asadpour Masoud
Published: December 2019

Recently, link prediction has attracted more attention from various disciplines such as computer science, bioinformatics and economics. In link prediction, numerous information such as network topology, profile information and user-generated contents are considered to discover missing links between nodes. Whereas numerous previous researches had focused on the structural features of the networks for link prediction, recent studies have shown more interest in profile and content information, too. So, some of these researches combine structural and content information. However, some issues such as scalability and feature engineering need to be investigated to solve a few remaining problems. Moreover, most of the previous researches are presented only for undirected and unweighted networks. In this article, a novel link prediction framework named ‘DeepLink’ is presented, which is based on deep learning techniques. While deep learning has the advantage of extracting automatically the best features for link prediction, many other link prediction algorithms need manual feature engineering. Moreover, in the proposed framework, both structural and content information are employed. The framework is capable of using different structural feature vectors that are prepared by various link prediction methods. It learns all proximity orders that are presented on a network during the structural feature learning. We have evaluated the effectiveness of DeepLink on two real social network datasets, Telegram and irBlogs. On both datasets, the proposed framework outperforms several other structural and hybrid approaches for link prediction.
Rethinking Resistance as an Act of Improvisation: Lessons from the 1914 Christmas Truce
Authors: Wiedemann Nicolás J. B. , Pina e Cunha Miguel , Clegg Stewart R.
Published: December 2019

We examine the historical phenomenon of truces, as these occurred during a period of intense warfare during World War I, around Christmas 1914. These were processes of resistance that could not have been planned (otherwise they would obviously have been thwarted by authority) and that occurred in a setting with continuously changing conditions. Our purpose in making this analysis is to identify the micro-foundations and behaviours of enacting resistance and forming a truce under conditions where planning and executing cannot be assumed to be orderly and linear. We discuss the battlefield context of intense competition and mutual suffering as an organizational setting in order to provide a more precise explanation of how rules and structures can be (at least) temporarily suspended in the workplace. We rethink the construct of resistance as an act of improvisation; we do so by developing a framework that explains how resistance can emerge and be quashed in workplace settings that might appear at first sight to be immune. Therefore, we combine two themes that have largely been separated in theory: resistance and improvisation. Doing so opens new ground in three ways. First, we contribute to literature about resistance by explaining how it was constructed as action suspending rules and structures in hostile contexts. Second, we show the political-motivational dimension of improvisation. Third, we extend the notion of truce as not an end in itself (a temporary settlement) but as an avenue to achieve a real objective (e.g. to change the course of history for the better).
A critical review on security approaches to software-defined wireless sensor networking
Authors: Saqib Muhammad , Khan Farrukh Zeeshan , Ahmed Muneer , Mehmood Raja Majid
Published: December 2019

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are very prone to ongoing security threats due to its resource constraints and unprotected transmission medium. WSN contains hundreds and thousands of resource-constrained and self-organized sensor nodes. These sensor nodes are usually organized in a distributed manner; thus, it permits the creation of an ad hoc network without predefined infrastructure or centralized management. As WSNs are going to get control of real-time applications, where a malicious activity can cause serious damage, the inherent challenge is to fortify the security enforcement in these networks. As a solution, software-defined network (SDN) has come out and has been merged with WSN to form what is known as software-defined wireless sensor network (SDWSN). SDWSN has come into existence, and it legitimizes network operators with more flexibility and control over the network. SDWSN has more tightened the security enforcement based on the global view and centralized control of the network topology. Moreover, machine learning (ML)–based and deep learning (DL)–based network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) have been introduced to the SDN environment to protect the networks against anomaly threats. In this review article, we illustrated the SDN–based security approaches to WSN followed by its architectures, advantages, and possible security threats. Finally, ML/DL–based NIDS integrated with the SDN controller is proposed as a complete solution for the WSN environment to confront the ongoing anomaly threats and to sufficiently protect the network against both known and unknown attacks.
Towards creating inclusive environments for LGBTIQ-parented families in early childhood education and care settings: A review of the literature
Authors: Liang Xinyun (Meg) , Cohrssen Caroline
Published: December 2019

With Australia’s overwhelming ‘Yes’ vote on marriage equality in November 2017, the need for early childhood educators to ensure that understandings of ‘family’ reflected in early childhood education and care settings include lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) parents and their children, is further reinforced. Here, a review of recent literature is framed by an ecological systems approach in order to identify key influences on the lived experiences of LGBTIQ parents and their children in the context of early learning centres. Attention is drawn to the need for further research that identifies how best to equip early childhood educators to ensure that all children and their families feel a sense of belonging and representation in their early childhood education settings.
Circumferential constriction ischaemic syndrome (CCIS): A potentially reversible ischaemic condition of lower limb
Authors: Tang Chris Yuk Kwan , Ho Ng Ka , Ho Nicola , Kwok Yuki
Published: December 2019

Circumferential constriction in limb will lead to distal limb ischaemia. This is a potentially reversible condition but it has a drastic consequence if undiagnosed. We described a patient with underlying diabetes mellitus presented with persistent lower limb linear circumferential ulcer and developing subacute limb ischaemia distal to the ulcer. During further wound dressing, a rubber band was detected in the wound. Surgical exploration removed the rubber band and its circumferential constriction effect. As a result, the ulcer healed uneventfully and the distal limb perfusion improved clinically. A scoring index consisted of contributing risk factors was proposed to facilitate the diagnosis. A flow chart was proposed to serve as a treatment protocol to ensure logical and comprehensive management. We hope the proposal of the new term and flow chart can help improve the threshold of recognition and for salvage of potentially devastating limb ischaemia.
Research on the Structural Rigidity Characteristics of a Reconfigurable TBM Thrust Mechanism
Authors: Xu Younan , Liu Xinjun , Xu Jiyu
Published: December 2019

To improve the adaptability of TBMs in diverse geological environments, this paper proposes a reconfigurable Type-V thrust mechanism (V-TM) with rearrangeable working states, in which structural stiffness can be automatically altered during operation. Therefore, millions of configurations can be obtained, and thousands of instances of working status per configuration can be set respectively. Nonetheless, the complexity of configurations and diversity of working states contributes to further complications for the structural stiffness algorithm. This results in challenges such as difficulty calculating the payload compliance index and the environment adaptability index. To solve this problem, we use the configuration matrix to describe the relationship between propelling jacks under reconfiguration and adopt pattern vectors to describe the working state of each hydraulic cylinder. Then, both the dynamic compatible equation between propeller forces of the hydraulic cylinders and driving forces, and the kinematic harmonizing equation between the hydraulic cylinder displacements and their deformations are established. Next, we derive the stiffness analytical equation using Hooke’s law and the Jacobian Matrix. The proposed approach provides an effective algorithm to support structural rigidity analysis, and lays a solid theoretical foundation for calculating the performance indexes of the V-TM. We then analyze the rigidity characteristics of typical configurations under different working states, and obtain the main factors affecting structural stiffness of the V-TM. The results show the deviation degree of structural parameters in hydraulic cylinders within the same group, and the working status of propelling jacks. Finally, our constructive conclusions contribute valuable information for matching and optimization by drawing on the factors that affect the structural rigidity of the V-TM.
Transcriptome analysis of the almond moth, Cadra cautella, female abdominal tissues and identification of reproduction control genes
Authors: Husain Mureed , Tufail Muhammad , Mehmood Khalid , Rasool Khawaja Ghulam , Aldawood Abdulrahman Saad
Published: December 2019

Background

The almond moth,Cadra cautellais a destructive pest of stored food commodities including dates that causes severe economic losses for the farming community worldwide. To date, no genetic information related to the molecular mechanism/strategies of its reproduction is available. Thus, transcriptome analysis ofC.cautellafemale abdominal tissues was performed via next-generation sequencing (NGS) to recognize the genes responsible for reproduction.

Results

The NGS was performed with an Illumina Hiseq 2000 sequencer (Beijing Genomics Institute: BGI). From the transcriptome data, 9,804,804,120 nucleotides were generated and their assemblage resulted in 62,687 unigenes. The functional annotation analyses done by different databases, annotated, 27,836 unigenes in total. The transcriptome data ofC. cautellafemale abdominal tissue was submitted to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (accession no: PRJNA484692). The transcriptome analysis yielded several genes responsible forC. cautellareproduction including sixVggene transcripts. Among the sixVggene transcripts, only one was highly expressed with 3234.95 FPKM value (fragments per kilobase per million mapped reads) that was much higher than that of the other five transcripts. Higher differences in the expression level of the sixVgtranscripts were confirmed by running the RT-PCR using gene specific primers, where the expression was observed only in one transcript it was named as theCcVg.

Conclusions

This is the first study to exploreC. cautellareproduction control genes and it might be supportive to explore the reproduction mechanism in this pest at the molecular level. The NGS based transcriptome pool is valuable to study the functional genomics and will support to design biotech-based management strategies forC. cautella.
Genome sequence of the model rice variety KitaakeX
Authors: Jain Rashmi , Jenkins Jerry , Shu Shengqiang , Chern Mawsheng , Martin Joel A. , Copetti Dario , Duong Phat Q. , Pham Nikki T. , Kudrna David A. , Talag Jayson , Schackwitz Wendy S. , Lipzen Anna M. , Dilworth David , Bauer Diane , Grimwood Jane , Nelson Catherine R. , Xing Feng , Xie Weibo , Barry Kerrie W. , Wing Rod A. , Schmutz Jeremy , Li Guotian , Ronald Pamela C.
Published: December 2019

Background

The availability of thousands of complete rice genome sequences from diverse varieties and accessions has laid the foundation for in-depth exploration of the rice genome. One drawback to these collections is that most of these rice varieties have long life cycles, and/or low transformation efficiencies, which limits their usefulness as model organisms for functional genomics studies. In contrast, the rice variety Kitaake has a rapid life cycle (9 weeks seed to seed) and is easy to transform and propagate. For these reasons, Kitaake has emerged as a model for studies of diverse monocotyledonous species.

Results

Here, we report the de novo genome sequencing and analysis of Oryza sativa ssp. japonica variety KitaakeX, a Kitaake plant carrying the rice XA21 immune receptor. Our KitaakeX sequence assembly contains 377.6 Mb, consisting of 33 scaffolds (476 contigs) with a contig N50 of 1.4 Mb. Complementing the assembly are detailed gene annotations of 35,594 protein coding genes. We identified 331,335 genomic variations between KitaakeX and Nipponbare (ssp. japonica), and 2,785,991 variations between KitaakeX and Zhenshan97 (ssp. indica). We also compared Kitaake resequencing reads to the KitaakeX assembly and identified 219 small variations. The high-quality genome of the model rice plant KitaakeX will accelerate rice functional genomics.

Conclusions

The high quality, de novo assembly of the KitaakeX genome will serve as a useful reference genome for rice and will accelerate functional genomics studies of rice and other species.
Cerebrovascular events in hemodialysis patients; a retrospective observational study
Authors: Ozelsancak Ruya , Micozkadioglu Hasan , Torun Dilek , Tekkarismaz Nihan
Published: December 2019

Background

This study reports findings in subjects who underwent brain imaging for any reason, and examined factors influencing cerebrovascular events (CVEs) in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

We reviewed the files of patients on HD between January 2015 and January 2018. A total of 432 patients who underwent HD for at least 5 months by the January 2015 and who were older than 18 years were included in the study; 264 had been examined by cerebral computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging examination within the 3 years. Cerebrovascular pathology was detected in 139 of 264 patients.

Results

Of the 139 patients, 65 (24.62%) had ischemic lesions, 25 (9.47%) had hemorrhagic lesions, and 49 (18.56%) had cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). We compared recorded data and later clinical findings between patients with and those without CVEs. The cause of end-stage renal disease was diabetes in 58.5% of patients with ischemic lesions, 52% in those with hemorrhagic lesions, and 55% in those with CSVD (P < 0.05). Patients with cerebrovascular ischemia were older (P = 0.0001) and had lower serum creatinine (sCr) (P = 0.0001) and higher serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 0.002) levels than normal subjects. Hemorrhagic patients were older (P = 0.003) and had lower sCr (P = 0.003) and serum predialysis potassium (P = 0.003) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) (P = 0.004) levels than normal subjects. Patients with CSVD were older (P < 0.0001) and had lower sCr (P < 0.0001), phosphorus (P < 0.007), and PTH (P < 0.013) and higher CRP (P < 0.002) levels than normal subjects.

Conclusions

HD patients with CVEs are older and typically have diabetes mellitus and lower sCr levels.
Diagnostic performance of 3D-multi-Echo-data-image-combination (MEDIC) for evaluating SLAP lesions of the shoulder
Authors: Wuennemann Felix , Kintzelé Laurent , Zeifang Felix , Maier Michael W. , Burkholder Iris , Weber Marc-André , Kauczor Hans-Ulrich , Rehnitz Christoph
Published: December 2019

Background

Superior labral anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesions remain a clinical and diagnostic challenge in routine (non-arthrographic) MR examinations of the shoulder. This study prospectively evaluated the ability of 3D-Multi-Echo-Data-Image-Combination (MEDIC) compared to that of routine high resolution 2D-proton-density weighted fat-saturated (PD fs) sequence using 3 T-MRI to detect SLAP lesions using arthroscopy as gold standard.

Methods

Seventeen consecutive patients (mean age, 51.6 ± 14.8 years, 11 males) with shoulder pain underwent 3 T MRI including 3D-MEDIC and 2D-PD fs followed by arthroscopy. The presence or absence of SLAP lesions was evaluated using both sequences by two independent raters with 4 and 14 years of experience in musculoskeletal MRI, respectively. During arthroscopy, SLAP lesions were classified according to Snyder’s criteria by two certified orthopedic shoulder surgeons. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 3D-MEDIC and 2D-PD fs for detection of SLAP lesions were calculated with reference to arthroscopy as a gold standard. Interreader agreement and sequence correlation were analyzed using Cohen’s kappa coefficient.

Figure 1 demonstrates the excellent visibility of a proven SLAP lesion using the 3D-MEDIC and Fig. 2 demonstrates a false-positive case.

Results

Arthroscopy revealed SLAP lesions in 11/17 patients. Using 3D-MEDIC, SLAP lesions were diagnosed in 14/17 patients by reader 1 and in 13/17 patients by reader 2. Using 2D-PD fs, SLAP lesions were diagnosed in 11/17 patients by reader 1 and 12/17 patients for reader 2. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 3D-MEDIC were 100.0, 50.0, 78.6, and 100.0% for reader 1; and 100.0, 66.7, 84.6, and 100% for reader 2, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 2D-PD fs were 90.9, 83.3, 90.9, and 83.3% for reader 1 and 100.0, 83.3, 91.7, and 100.0% for reader 2. The combination of 2D-PD fs and 3D-MEDIC increased specificity from 50.0 to 83.3% for reader 1 and from 66.7 to 100.0% for reader 2. Interreader agreement was almost perfect with a Cohen’s kappa of 0.82 for 3D-MEDIC and 0.87 for PD fs.

Conclusions

With its high sensitivity and NPV, 3D-MEDIC is a valuable tool for the evaluation of SLAP lesions. As the combination with routine 2D-PD fs further increases specificity, we recommend incorporation of 3D-MEDIC as an additional sequence in conventional shoulder protocols in patients with non-specific shoulder pain.
Assessment of abduction motion in patients with rotator cuff tears: an analysis based on inertial sensors
Authors: Roldán-Jiménez Cristina , Cuadros-Romero Miguel , Bennett Paul , McPhail Steven , Kerr Graham K. , Cuesta-Vargas Antonio I. , Martin-Martin Jaime
Published: December 2019

Background

Reduced range of motion in the shoulder can be a source of functional limitation. The use of inertial sensors to quantify movement in addition to more common clinical assessments of the shoulder may allow clinicians to understand that they are potentially unnoticed by visual identification. The aim of this study was to generate an explanatory model for shoulder abduction based on data from inertial sensors.

Method

A cross-sectional study was carried out to generate an explanatory model of shoulder abduction based on data from inertial sensors. Shoulder abduction of thirteen older adults suffering from shoulder dysfunction was recorded with two inertial sensors placed on the humerus and scapula. Movement variables (maximum angular mobility, angular peak of velocity, peak of acceleration) were used to explain the functionality of the upper limb assessed using the Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI). The abduction movement of the shoulder was explained by six variables related to the mobility of the shoulder joint complex. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to explain the results obtained on the functionality of the upper limb.

Results

The MANOVA model based on angular mobility explained 69% of the variance of the ULFI value (r-squared = 0.69). The most relevant variables were the abduction-adduction of the humerus and the medial/lateral rotation of the scapula.

Conclusions

The method used in the present study reveals the potential importance of the analysis of the scapular and humeral movements for comprehensive evaluation of the upper limb. Further research should include a wider sample and may seek to use this assessment technique in a range of potential clinical applications.
hnRNPK promotes gastric tumorigenesis through regulating CD44E alternative splicing
Authors: Peng Wei-zhao , Liu Ji-xi , Li Chao-feng , Ma Ren , Jie Jian-zheng
Published: December 2019

Background

The high prevalence of alternative splicing among genes implies the importance of genomic complexity in regulating normal physiological processes and diseases such as gastric cancer (GC). The standard form of stem cell marker CD44 (CD44S) and its alternatives with additional exons are reported to play important roles in multiple types of tumors, but the regulation mechanism of CD44 alternative splicing is not fully understood.

Methods

Here the expression of hnRNPK was analyzed among the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort of GC. The function of hnRNPK in GC cells was analyzed and its downstream targeted gene was identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase report assay. Finally, effect of hnRNPK and its downstream splicing regulator on CD44 alternative splicing was investigated.

Results

The expression of hnRNPK was significantly increased in GC and its upregulation was associated with tumor stage and metastasis. Loss-of-function studies found that hnRNPK could promote GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The upregulation of hnRNPK activates the expression of the splicing regulator SRSF1 by binding to the first motif upstream the start codon (− 65 to − 77 site), thereby increasing splicing activity and expression of an oncogenic CD44 isoform, CD44E (has additional variant exons 8 to 10, CD44v8-v10).

Conclusion

These findings revealed the importance of the hnRNPK-SRSF1-CD44E axis in promoting gastric tumorigenesis.
Chondroblastoma of the patella with pathological fracture in an adolescent: a case report
Authors: Lang Yun , Yu Qing , Liu Yuehong , Yang Lejin
Published: December 2019

Background

Chondroblastoma is a rare primary bone tumor of young people that generally occurs in the epiphyseal plate of long bones. To date, only 13 cases of patella with pathological fracture in chondroblastoma have been previously published.

Case presentation

A 15-year-old male patient presented with acute pain in the left knee after an injury occurred while playing basketball. Plain radiographs and computed tomography showed a pathological fracture of the left patella with an osteolytic lesion (1.5 × 2 × 3 cm). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed an expansile lesion within the patella with a slightly high signal on the T1-weighted image, a high signal on the T2-weighted image and soft tissue swelling in front of the patella. A m99Tc bone scintigraphy revealed moderate uptake. The preoperative diagnosis was chondroblastoma. This patient underwent intralesional meticulous extended curettage, adjuvant high-speed burr, 95% alcohol and electrotome treatment, autogenous iliac crest bone grafting, and internal fixation. A postoperative pathological diagnosis was chondroblastoma. The patient’s function was satisfactory, and there was no sign of tumor recurrence. The internal fixator was good, with no loosening or migration observed at the last follow-up at 20 months after surgery.

Conclusions

Rarely, chondroblastoma of the patella can present with acute pain due to pathological fracture. We present the 14th such case in the literature to associate patellar chondroblastoma with pathological fracture. The patient was treated with curettage, inactivation, autogenous bone grafting, and internal fixation. A satisfactory therapeutic effect was obtained. This case may be beneficial to the diagnosis and treatment of chondroblastoma patella.