bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crossmodal Association Between Linguistic Sounds and Motion Imagery: Voicing in Obstruents Connects With Different Strengths of Motor Execution
Authors: Yamauchi Naoto , Shinohara Kazuko , Tanaka Hideyuki
Published: May 2019

The present study investigates whether obstruent voicing may or may not affect the imagery of different strengths of motor execution. In a modified version of the implicit association test, participants responded to discrimination tasks that include viewing static pictures of athletes in motion and hearing mono-syllabic linguistic sounds. The results suggest that voiced obstruents are compatible with the motion imagery that implies stronger motor executions, whereas voiceless obstruents are compatible with the imagery that implies weaker motor executions. These results provide experimental support for crossmodal associations between the auditory perception of linguistic sounds, namely, the voicing of obstruents, and the visually induced imagery of different levels of strength in motor actions.
Inquiry-based learning: Development of an introductory manufacturing processes course based on a mobile inverted pendulum robot
Authors: Ma Junkun , Coogler Keith , Suh Minjae
Published: May 2019

This paper describes the development of an innovative introductory manufacturing processes course designed to expose students to a broad overview of fundamental concepts, methods, procedures, tools, and equipment used in the manufacturing industry. Based on an educational mobile inverted pendulum robot, students are introduced to product design and prototyping by identifying an existing problem with a component in the robot, redesigning the component using computer aided design software, and then building a prototype using additive manufacturing methods. Subsequently, a set of hypothetical design requirement changes is imposed, and various design methods and manufacturing processes that can be used to make components to satisfy these new requirements are discussed. Topics covered include integrated product design, additive manufacturing prototyping based on different technologies, plastic injection molding, sand casting, and fundamentals of both computer aided manufacturing and computer numerical control machining. Tools, fixtures, and accessories required in these processes, as well as associated challenges, are also discussed. This course adapts the inquiry-based learning active learning pedagogical approach and focuses on the development of students’ ability to conduct analytical analysis and to apply a knowledge of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology to solve practical engineering technology problems. As an introductory course designed to be offered to freshman level students, this course engages students in engineering technology related topics and stimulates their interest in manufacturing related subjects. It helps with improving the engineering student retention rate and serves as a pathway connecting students to more advanced specialized manufacturing courses such as computer numerical control machining technology. This paper presents course materials developed and student feedback as well as their evaluation of the course effectiveness based on a summative questionnaire-style survey from the first cohort of students.
Adherence to the 2008 IHS guidelines for controlled trials of drugs for the preventive treatment of chronic migraine in adults
Authors: Deen Marie , Martinelli Daniele , Pijpers Judith , Diener Hans-Christoph , Silberstein Stephen , Ferrari Michel D , Ashina Messoud , Tassorelli Cristina , Yuan Hsiangkuo
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Since the definition of chronic migraine as a new disease entity in 2004, numerous clinical trials have examined the efficacy of preventive treatments in chronic migraine. Our aim was to assess the adherence of these trials to the Guidelines of the International Headache Society published in 2008.

Methods

We searched PubMed for controlled clinical trials investigating preventive treatment for chronic migraine in adults designed after the release of the Guidelines and published until December 2017. Trial quality was evaluated with a 13-item scoring system enlisting essential recommendations adapted from the Guidelines.

Results

Out of 3352 retrieved records, we included 16 papers in the analysis dealing with pharmacological treatment of chronic migraine. The median score was 6.5 (range 2–13). All trials were randomized, the large majority (81.25%) were placebo-controlled and double-blinded (87.5%). Adherence was lowest on i) a priori definition of outcomes (31.25%), ii) primary endpoint definition (37.5%%) and iii) trial registration (37.5%).

Discussion

Most clinical trials adhered to the recommendations of the IHS, whereas adherence to migraine-specific recommendations was lower. Greater awareness and adherence to the guidelines are essential to improve the quality of clinical trials, validity of publications and the generalizability of the results.
Comparison of Structural Integrity and Functional Outcome Between Delaminated and Nondelaminated Rotator Cuff Tears After En Masse Arthroscopic Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study With Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Kim Young-Kyu , Jung Kyu-Hak , Kwon Hyuk-Min
Published: May 2019

Background:

Arthroscopic repair of delaminated rotator cuff tears (RCTs) has shown poor prognoses. Despite the importance of delaminated tears, only a few studies have compared delaminated and nondelaminated tears.

Purpose:

This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and structural integrity after en masse arthroscopic rotator cuff repair between delaminated and nondelaminated RCTs and to evaluate whether infraspinatus tendon involvement affects the prognosis for delaminated tears after arthroscopic cuff repair, through use of propensity score matching for precise comparison.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This study included 180 consecutive patients with medium- or large-sized RCTs who had an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with a minimum 2-year follow-up, of whom 57 and 123 had delaminated tears (group 1) and nondelaminated tears (group 2), respectively. The en masse repair technique using a single-row or transosseous-equivalent double-row suture-bridge technique was used for of all the delaminated cases. Preoperative and postoperative visual analog scale pain scores, shoulder active range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores, and Constant scores were assessed. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at least 24 months postoperatively to identify retear of the repaired rotator cuffs. After propensity score matching, 32 cases in both groups were successfully matched, and the clinical and radiological results were analyzed.

Results:

Before propensity score matching, postoperative clinical outcomes were improved, showing no significant differences between the groups, excluding forward elevation ( P = .011). Groups 1 and 2 had 17 (29.8%) and 11 retear cases (8.9%), respectively ( P < .001). After propensity score matching, only the ASES score (72.5 vs 77.1) showed a significant superiority in group 2 ( P = .038). Propensity-matched groups 1 and 2 had 8 (25.0%) and 2 (6.3%) retear cases, respectively ( P = .034). No significant difference was found in structural integrity depending on whether the RCT included the infraspinatus tendon (IST). The odds ratio for retear of the delaminated tears, including IST, was 5.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.0-30.0, P = .038).

Conclusion:

Delaminated RCT was a negative prognostic factor of structural integrity after repair and could affect the functional outcome. However, whether IST tear was involved had no effect on the prognosis after repair.
Arthroscopic Repair of the Isolated Subscapularis Full-Thickness Tear: Single- Versus Double-Row Suture-Bridge Technique
Authors: Yoon Ji-Sang , Kim Sung-Jae , Choi Yun-Rak , Kim Sang-Ho , Chun Yong-Min
Published: May 2019

Background:

No clinical comparative study has addressed isolated subscapularis tears after arthroscopic repair with either single-row or double-row suture-bridge technique.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study is to compare clinical outcomes and structural integrity after arthroscopic repair of an isolated subscapularis full-thickness tear with either the single-row technique or the double-row suture-bridge technique. The authors hypothesized that there would be no significant differences in clinical outcomes and structural integrity between approaches.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

This study included 56 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of an isolated subscapularis full-thickness tear with grade II or less fatty infiltration in the subscapularis muscle with either a single-row technique (n = 31) or a double-row suture-bridge technique (n = 25). Functional outcomes were assessed with the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, and active range of motion. Magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) or computed tomographic arthrography (CTA) was performed 6 months after surgery to assess the structural integrity of the repaired tendon.

Results:

At the 2-year follow-up, all scoring parameters applied (VAS, SSV, ASES, and UCLA), subscapularis strength, and active range of motion improved significantly in both groups as compared with preoperative values ( P < .001). However, there were no significant differences between groups in any of these clinical outcome measurements (VAS, 1.2 vs 1.1; SSV, 91.3 vs 91.8; ASES, 91.0 vs 91.4; UCLA, 31.9 vs 32.1). On follow-up MRA or CTA, the overall retear rate did not differ significantly between the single-row group (13%, 4 of 31) and the double-row group (12%, 3 of 25).

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic single-row repair and double-row suture-bridge repair of isolated full-thickness subscapularis tears both yielded satisfactory clinical outcomes and structural integrity with no significant differences among patients with good muscle quality.
Prepreg aging effects on its properties, curing process and final composite behavior characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis
Authors: Raponi Olivia de Andrade , Baldo Junior José Everardo , Leite Paloma de Souza , Ancelotti Junior Antonio Carlos , Guimarães Alessandro
Published: May 2019

Prepregs used in composite manufacturing are subjected to cure advancement due to their exposition to processing environment conditions. Even though some studies have focused on characterizing prepreg aging and its consequences, there is still field for developing unconventional uses for some conventional techniques, such as dynamic mechanical analysis, to achieve the same goal. This study presents the full characterization of the prepreg aging, the curing process and the short- and long-term mechanical behavior at high temperature of the composite, this latter being the most innovative contribution of this paper. Dynamic mechanical analyses were performed in prepreg and composite specimens, to which a master curve was constructed based on the Williams–Landel–Ferry model. Results point to the use of dynamic mechanical analysis as a single technique for characterizing the prepreg and the composite and to the possibility of extending the prepreg out-time, leading to waste reduction by means of quality control.
How Clinician–Family Interactions Potentially Impact Clinicians’ Conceptualization and Discussions Regarding Prognostic Uncertainties
Authors: Peoples Hayley A. , Boone Blair , Blumenthal-Barby Jennifer S. , Bruce Courtenay R.
Published: May 2019

Objectives:

Little is known about how clinicians perceive prognostic uncertainty. Our study objective was to identify factors that influence how prognostic uncertainty is viewed by physicians, as it relates to their communications with families.

Design:

Thirty semi-structured interviews with qualitative content analysis (9 surgeons, 16 intensivists, 3 nurse practitioners, and 2 “other” clinicians). We analyzed interviews using qualitative description with constant comparative techniques.

Setting:

Open medical, surgical, neurosurgical, and cardiovascular intensive care units (ICUs) in a 900-bed academic, tertiary Houston hospital.

Interventions:

None

Main Results:

We identified 2 main factors that influence how clinicians perceive prognostic uncertainty and their perceptions about whether and why they communicate prognostic uncertainties to families: (1) Communicating Uncertainty to “Soften the Blow”; and (2) Communicating Uncertainty in Response to Clinicians’ Interpretations of Surrogate Decision Makers’ Perceptions of Prognostic Uncertainty. We also identified several subthemes.

Conclusions:

Clinician–family interactions influence how clinicians perceive prognostic uncertainty in their communications with patients or families. We discuss ethical and clinical implications of our findings.
Switched H2-state-feedback control with application to a fighter aircraft
Authors: Kemer Emre , Başak Hasan , Prempain Emmanuel
Published: May 2019

This paper proposes two different [Formula: see text]-state-feedback controller synthesis algorithms for uncertain linear, time-varying, switched systems. The synthesis algorithms are based on a dwell-time approach, which makes use of time-varying parameter-dependent Lyapunov functions. The control laws consist of state-feedback controllers that are switched according to external signals. The proposed synthesis algorithms are then employed to design switched [Formula: see text]-state-feedback control laws for the longitudinal dynamics of the ADMIRE fighter benchmark model. The results obtained in simulation show the merits of the proposed approach.
Combined active flow and flight control systems design for morphing unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Kanat Öztürk Özdemir , Karatay Ertuğrul , Köse Oğuz , Oktay Tuğrul
Published: May 2019

In this article, combined active flow control system and flight control system design for morphing unmanned aerial vehicles is applied for the first time for autonomous flight performance maximization. For this purpose, longitudinal and lateral dynamics modeling of morphing unmanned aerial vehicle having active flow control manufactured in Erciyes University, Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Model Aircraft Laboratory is considered in order to obtain simulation environments. Our produced morphing unmanned aerial vehicle is called as ZANKA-II, which has a mass of 6.5 kg, range of 30 km, endurance of 0.5 h, and ceiling altitude of 6000 m. von Karman turbulence modeling is used in order to model atmospheric turbulence during flight in both longitudinal and lateral simulation environments. A stochastic optimization method called as simultaneous perturbation stochastic approximation is also applied for the first time in order to obtain optimum dimensions of morphing parameters (i.e. extension ratios of wingspan and tail span), optimum positions of blowers, and optimum magnitudes of longitudinal and lateral controllers' gains (i.e. P, I, and D gains) while minimizing cost index capturing terms for both longitudinal and lateral autonomous flight performances and there exist lower and upper constraints on all optimization variables in the literature.
A systemic lupus erythematosus patient with thunderclap headache: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
Authors: Chung S W , Lee K M , Heo S H , Ra R , Hong S -J , Yang H -I , Lee S -H , Song R , Lee Y -A
Published: May 2019

Headaches are common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). It is important to identify the exact cause of headaches in SLE to avoid unnecessary steroid or immunosuppressive therapy like in neuropsychiatric SLE. A 35-year-old woman with SLE suddenly developed severe headache. Magnetic resonance angiography showed multifocal segmental narrowing of cerebral arteries, suggestive of central nervous system vasculitis. However, lack of abnormal enhancement in vessel wall imaging indicated reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) rather than central nervous system vasculitis. The patient was treated with oral nimodipine and she recovered over a period of two months. Following magnetic resonance angiography on day 90 was normal. Herein we report a case of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome in an SLE patient with literature review.
Evaluation of the self-directed format of Walk With Ease in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the Walk-SLE Pilot Study
Authors: Sheikh S Z , Kaufman K , Gordon B -B , Hicks S , Love A , Walker J , Callahan L F , Cleveland R J
Published: May 2019

Objective

To conduct a proof-of-concept pilot evaluation of the self-directed format of Walk With Ease (WWE), a 6-week walking program developed for adults with arthritis, in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

This was a single arm, 6-week pre- and post-evaluation of the self-directed WWE program to assess feasibility, tolerability, safety, acceptability, and effectiveness. Adult patients with physician-diagnosed SLE were recruited to participate during regularly scheduled visits to an academic rheumatology clinic. Self-reported outcomes of pain, stiffness, and fatigue were assessed by visual analog scales (VAS) and the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-fatigue) scale at baseline and at completion of the 6-week program. Patients also completed a satisfaction survey at the end of the program. Multivariate linear regression models were used to calculate mean changes between baseline and 6-week follow-up scores, adjusting for covariates. Mean change scores were used to estimate effect sizes (ES).

Results

At 6 weeks, 48 of the 75 recruited participants completed the WWE program. Participants experienced modest improvements in stiffness and fatigue (ES = 0.12 and ES = 0.23, respectively, for VAS scores; ES = 0.16 for FACIT-fatigue score) following the intervention. The majority of participants reported satisfaction with the program (98%) and benefitted from the workbook (96%).

Conclusions

The self-directed format of WWE appears to reduce stiffness and fatigue in patients with SLE. It also seems to be a feasible and acceptable exercise program to patients with SLE. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
A review of the evidence and cost of therapies for cutaneous lupus erythematosus
Authors: Rosen J D , Paul S , Maderal A
Published: May 2019

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE)—a common presentation of lupus erythematosus—may exist independently or as a part of the systemic manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. The effects of living with and treating a chronic condition such as CLE can be debilitating to a patient's health and finances. The management of patients with CLE is made particularly challenging by poor compliance, limited therapeutic options, scarcity of evidence supporting their use, and significant differences in costs of medications. Effective management of CLE should center on prevention, individualized treatment regimens, and a mutual understanding of the challenges that patients with CLE face. This article seeks to provide an overview of the efficacy, safety, and cost of therapeutic options for CLE.
Outcomes Associated With Adapting a Research-Supported Treatment for Children With Behavior Disorders
Authors: Acri Mary C. , Bornheimer Lindsay A. , Hamovitch Emily K. , Lambert Kate
Published: May 2019

Purpose:

The aims of this study are to describe an adaptation process of a research-supported treatment (RST) for children with oppositional defiant disorder and to examine provider attitudes toward RSTs prior to and following this process.

Method:

Providers from 14 agencies in New York State delivered the adapted RST, following training. Attitudes toward RSTs were measured by the Evidence-Based Practice Attitude Scale at baseline and posttest.

Results:

Openness toward RSTs decreased from baseline to posttest. The majority of providers reported modifications to the structure and process of the intervention.

Discussion:

To improve the uptake and usability of RSTs in practice, future research must further address adaptation processes and their relationships to attitudes toward RSTs.
A Multifocal Pattern of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms Along the Appendix: A Series of Six Cases
Authors: Mahajan Hema , Gosselink Martijn Pieter , Di Re Angelina M. , Larcos George , P’ng Chow Heok , Ctercteko Grahame
Published: May 2019

We present 6 cases with multifocal appendiceal neuroendocrine tumors, including their clinical and histopathological findings. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a multifocal pattern of a neuroendocrine neoplasm arising in the appendix. All patients presented in a setting requiring an acute appendectomy. The number of tumors ranged from 2 to 5. Histopathological examination revealed WHO (World Health Organization) grade 1 tumor in 3 patients and WHO grade 2 in the other 3 patients. The median duration of follow-up in these patients was 70 months (range = 6-192 months). No metastatic disease was observed. According to these findings, a multifocal pattern of neuroendocrine neoplasms along the appendix seems not to be a predictor for local advanced or metastatic disease.
The effects of structural and aerodynamic nonlinearities on the energy harvesting from airfoil stall-induced oscillations
Authors: dos Santos Carlos R. , Marques Flávio D. , Hajj Muhammad R.
Published: May 2019

An airfoil may undergo stall-induced oscillations beyond the critical flutter speed with amplitudes determined by aerodynamic nonlinearities due to the dynamic stall. Stall-induced oscillations yield intense periodical motions that can be used to convert the airflow energy into electrical power. The inclusion of structural nonlinearities contributes to the complexity of the aeroelastic response. In this sense, the present work models and analyzes for the first time the effects of structural and aerodynamic nonlinearities in the potential of extracting energy from pitching and plunging motions of an airfoil during stall-induced oscillations. A computational model is employed, based on the electro-aeroelastic differential equations modeling a typical aeroelastic section with two degrees of freedom with an electrical generator connected to the pitching motion and a piezoelectric element connected to the plunging motion. The Beddoes–Leishman semi-empirical model is used to represent the unsteady aerodynamic loading. Concentrated structural nonlinearities, such as the hardening effect and free-play, are also considered. Bifurcation diagrams and harvested power calculations are used to analyze the performance of each energy harvesting scheme. The results show that nonlinear pitching stiffness reduces the average harvested power from this degree of freedom in a range of wind speeds. However, the presence of a free-play spring reduces the flutter velocity and initiates the harvesting at lower wind speeds. In conclusion, the present electro-aeroelastic model can be used to find optimal parameters of a harvester from airfoil stall-induced oscillations for a specific application.
What patient assessment skills are required by pharmacists prescribing systemic anti-cancer therapy? A consensus study
Authors: Allison Jennifer , Fisher Julie , Souter Caroline , Bennie Marion
Published: May 2019

Background

In the UK, pharmacist independent prescribers can prescribe for any condition within their clinical competence including systemic anti-cancer therapy. Competency frameworks have been developed but contain little detail on the patient assessment skills pharmacist independent prescribers require to prescribe systemic anti-cancer therapy with concern in the literature over current training on these skills.

Aim

To gain consensus on the patient assessment skills required by pharmacist independent prescribers prescribing systemic anti-cancer therapy for genitourinary cancer (prostate and renal) and lung cancer across National Health Service Scotland.

Method

Two phases were performed to generate patient assessment skill consensus. Initially, the Nominal Group Technique was performed within a local cancer network by discussion and participant ranking within genitourinary and lung cancer multi-disciplinary teams. Where consensus was achieved, patient assessment skills were carried forward to try to achieve national (National Health Service Scotland) consensus using a two-round Delphi questionnaire.

Results

Of the 27 patient assessment skills, consensus was gained for 21 and 23 patient assessment skills in the genitourinary and lung Nominal Group Technique groups, respectively. Within the genitourinary and lung national groups, 13/21 and 18/23 patient assessment skills were agreed as required for a pharmacist independent prescriber to prescribe systemic anti-cancer therapy in genitourinary and lung cancer, respectively. Eight common patient assessment skills were identified as core skills. Reasons for not reaching consensus included pharmacist independent prescriber competence, knowledge, skills and the roles and responsibilities of pharmacist independent prescribers within the multi-disciplinary team.

Conclusion

We identified the core and specific patient assessment skills required to prescribe systemic anti-cancer therapy within two tumour groups. Further work is necessary to develop patient assessment skill competency frameworks, training and assessment methods and to redefine the roles of pharmacist independent prescribers within the multi-disciplinary team.
Long-term disease control in a metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity treated with maintenance metronomic capecitabine
Authors: Muratori Leonardo , Salvia Anna La , Gorzegno Gabriella , Sperone Paola , Scagliotti Giorgio V
Published: May 2019

Recurrent or metastatic disease occurs in two-thirds of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas and it is associated with poor prognosis. Systemic treatment with platinum-based chemotherapy in combination with the epidermal growth factor receptor-targeting monoclonal antibody cetuximab represents a preferred option for these patients. Upon the achievement of tumor response by combined treatment, maintenance with single-agent cetuximab is usually administered with the aim of prolonging disease control at the price of reasonable toxicity. Although rarely, however, cetuximab needs to be discontinued in the absence of disease progression because of intolerable side effects. Here we describe the case of a 66-year-old man with a metastatic cancer of oral cavity, who had to discontinue maintenance cetuximab and who achieved prolonged disease control with metronomic capecitabine. We suggest that capecitabine could be an effective and safe maintenance option in case of cetuximab intolerance.
Formulation and characterization of an optimized functional beverage from hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) and green tea (Camellia sinensis L.)
Authors: Preciado-Saldaña Alejandra M , Abraham Domínguez-Avila J , Fernando Ayala-Zavala J , Villegas-Ochoa Mónica A , Sáyago-Ayerdi Sonia G , Wall-Medrano Abraham , González-Córdova AF , González-Aguilar Gustavo A
Published: May 2019

Hibiscus sabdariffa and Camellia sinensis are traditionally consumed as beverages and are good sources of health-promoting phenolic compounds. The objective of this work was to use response surface methodology to develop an optimized functional beverage with high total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and acceptable for potential consumers. Optimum infusion conditions were 4.9 g of hibiscus calyces or C. sinensis leaves/100 ml of water at 26 ℃ for 291 min. These conditions yielded a total phenolic content of 14.80 ± 1.4 and 33.02 ± 0.34 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 ml for hibiscus and green tea, respectively. The optimized beverages were combined in a 7:3 (hibiscus:green tea, v/v) ratio; a consumer preference test showed that this combination had an acceptable taste according to untrained panelists. A chromatographic analysis showed that this formulation contained flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanins as its main components. Our data suggested that hibiscus and green tea phenolic compounds were efficiently extracted using near-ambient temperature water for prolonged times, contrary to routine methods (high temperature, short time). Our method also preserved antioxidant capacity, possibly by avoiding chemical changes/degradation due to high temperatures. This process can be used to produce organoleptically acceptable functional beverages that deliver a varied phenolic compound profile to the consumer.
Mechanical properties of a novel dactyl-inspired green-composite sandwich structures with basalt fiber
Authors: Han Qigang , Qin Hanlin , Han Zhiwu , Li Lin , Zhang Wenqiang , Sun Yanbiao , Shi Shaoqian
Published: May 2019

The laminated structural dactyl club of mantis shrimp consisting of the impact and periodic region has been studied, but most researchers only focus on the excellent impact resistance and strength of periodic region through the thickness direction. In this paper, a novel dactyl-inspired basalt fiber-reinforced sandwich-structural composite (BFSC) was manufactured based on two regions of the dactyl club by compression molding process. The BFSC was compared with discontinuous basalt fiber-reinforced composite (DBFC) in mechanical tests of tensile, flexural, compression, hardness and impact. As a result, the strength of tensile, compression, flexural and impact of BFSC were 104 MPa, 112 MPa, 135 MPa and 116 MPa, respectively, which increased to 65.4%, 9.8%, 11.6% and 30.3% than that of DBFC (63.3 MPa, 102 MPa, 121 MPa and 89 MPa). The modulus of tensile and compression of BFSC were 3740 MPa and 971 MPa, respectively, which increased to 58.3% and 38.7% compared with that of DBFC (2362 MPa and 700 MPa). The excellent mechanical properties of BFSC can be attributed to the damage of special sandwich structure, which has failure mechanisms at the microscopic scale, including the crack of resin matrix, fiber breakage, fiber/matrix debonding and delamination. This work presents a novel dactyl-inspired green-composite sandwich structures with basalt fiber. As a lightweight material, it has a wide application in the field of aerospace, high-speed railways and automotive.
Investigating the Subcortical Route to the Amygdala Across Species and in Disordered Fear Responses
Authors: McFadyen Jessica
Published: May 2019

Over the past few decades, evidence has come to light that there is a rapid subcortical shortcut that transmits visual information to the amygdala, effectively bypassing the visual cortex. This pathway purportedly runs from the superior colliculus to the amygdala via the pulvinar, and thus presents a methodological challenge to study noninvasively in the human brain. Here, we present our recent work where we reliably reconstructed the white matter structure and directional flow of neural signal along this pathway in over 600 healthy young adults. Critically, we found structure-function relationships for the pulvinar-amygdala connection, where people with greater fibre density had stronger functional neural coupling and were also better at recognising fearful facial expressions. These results tie together recent anatomical evidence from other visual primates with very recent optogenetic research on rodents demonstrating a functional role of this pathway in producing fear responses. Here, we discuss how this pathway might operate alongside other thalamo-cortical circuits (such as pulvinar to middle temporal area) and how its structure and function may change according to the sensory input it receives. This newly established circuit might play a potentially important role in autism and/or anxiety disorders.
Evaluating the effectiveness of tourist advertising to improve the competitiveness of destinations
Authors: de Souza Jackson , Mendes-Filho Luiz , Buhalis Dimitrios
Published: May 2019

This study focuses on the evaluation of the tourist destination advertising effectiveness. The destination advertising response DAR model was used to analyze data on the effectiveness of destination promotional campaigns on visitor expenditure, in six trip facets: destination, accommodations, attractions, restaurants, events, and shopping. Independent sample t-tests were conducted to identify any differences in total destination spending among the groups of those visitors influenced for each trip facet. A multiple regression analysis was performed to discriminate the performance of the travel facets expenditures in the estimation of total expenditures. Significant results indicate that the “destination,” “accommodations,” and “restaurants” facets directly influence the total expenditures. Self-planners had the highest variance, explaining in total visitor expenditure compared to the regression analysis results of the other two groups (i.e. travel agencies and online travel agencies). The study also explores how destinations can improve their competitiveness on tourist advertising by using technologies.
Telemedicine and multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive literature review
Authors: Yeroushalmi Samuel , Maloni Heidi , Costello Kathleen , Wallin Mitchell T
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) face barriers accessing specialty care for evaluation and treatment. Telemedicine, the practice of clinical care at a distance with the aid of technology, may be a potential bridge to close the access gap for pwMS separated by distance or disability. The objective of this review was to investigate the types of telemedicine being utilized and overall outcomes for pwMS and their providers.

Methods

A Boolean search of the medical literature was conducted between January 2000 and January 31, 2018. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO and the Cochrane databases, were used to identify all relevant citations. Two reviewers independently appraised the articles for meeting study criteria and for study quality using the CASP system. Financial costs of the telemedicine applications were assessed.

Results

A total of 28 studies involving 3252 participants met criteria for inclusion. Telemedicine interventions were classified, and outcomes were assessed systematically by the following categories: general MS care; rehabilitation and exercise; and neuropsychology/mental health. Studies showed a range of outcomes with variable quality. Overall, remote clinical examinations, long-term telemedicine management interventions and telerehabilitation were shown to be beneficial, cost-effective and satisfactory for patients and providers.

Discussion

Telemedicine is a viable platform for delivering specialty MS care. Remote neurological assessments and several forms of therapy have been shown to be technically feasible. Optimal implementation and barriers to the use of telemedicine in the current healthcare system should be explored.
Precarity, Biography, and Event: Work and Time in the Cultural Industries
Authors: Banks Mark
Published: May 2019

This article explores the temporality of work and employment in the cultural, creative, and media industries (‘cultural work’). Building on recent sociological writing on ‘event-time’, I explore the ways in which owner-managers of small creative firms navigate the contingent workplace in a world of allegedly advanced ‘precarity’, yet seek also to maintain their own stable anchorage to a linear ‘biographical’ time marked by continuity and a control of material privilege. It is argued that understanding the political economy of time in cultural work requires theorization of temporal continuity as well as change, not only to avoid making undue epochal judgements but also to ensure continued recognition of social differences in the ways time is being encountered and experienced at work.
Building interventions when distress is under debate: a case study from Appalachia
Authors: Snell-Rood Claire , Jenkins Ryan , Hudson Keisha , Frazier Carole , Noble Wayne , Feltner Frances
Published: May 2019

Scholarship on idioms of distress has emphasized cross-cultural variation, but devoted less attention to intra-cultural variation—specifically, how the legitimacy of distress may vary according to the context in which it is expressed, social position, and interaction with medical categories of distress. This variation can pose challenges for interventionists seeking to establish culturally acceptable ways of identifying distress and creating relevant resources for recovery. We describe efforts over three years (2014–2016) to identify and adapt a culturally appropriate evidence-based intervention for depressed rural Appalachian women. Though the prevalence of depression among rural women is high, limited services and social barriers restrict treatment access. Formative research revealed varied understandings of distress. Depression was (a) medicalized as a treatable condition, (b) stigmatized as mental illness, (c) accepted as a non-pathological reaction to regional poverty and gendered caregiving responsibilities, (d) rejected as a worthy justification for seeking individual care, and (e) less represented in comparison to other competing forms of distress (i.e., multiple morbidities, family members’ distress). In a small pilot trial, we applied an implementation science perspective to identify and implement appropriate evidence-based programming for the context. We outline how we reached Appalachian women despite these diverse understandings of depression and established a flexible medicalization of depression that enabled us to legitimize care-seeking, work with varied rural healthcare professionals, and engender culturally relevant support. Our adaptation and implementation of the concept of “mental health recovery” enabled the development of programming that furthered non-pathological communicative distress while resisting the normalization that silences women in the context of deep health disparities.
Traumatic anterior dislocation of the crystalline lens in a quite eye
Authors: Gurnani Bharat , Kaur Kirandeep , Gireesh Prasanth
Published: May 2019

Blunt ocular trauma is the one of the commonest cause of anterior dislocation of the crystalline lens. We present a case who presented with anterior dislocation of the crystalline lens, vitreous prolapse, and acute painful vision loss in left eye following blunt trauma. The patient was managed with antiglaucoma medications, automated anterior vitrectomy, and surgical extraction of dislocated lens with a delayed pars plana vitrectomy and transcleral fixation of crystalline lens.
Analytical study of thermal variation impact on dynamics of a spindle bearing system
Authors: Alfares Mohammed , Saleem Omar , Majeed Majed
Published: May 2019

Changes in the thermal status of machine tools spindle-bearing system can have a noticeable effect on the performance of the machine itself, and therefore studying the thermal effect on the performance ball bearing during service is important. For this purpose, a study was carried out where a simple rotating shaft system supported by two angular contact ball bearings was taken into consideration. Heat was generated due to the contact between the balls and rings of the bearing. This thermal effect on the dynamics of the system was studied using a transient thermal model. The system was divided into nodes; each was assumed to be a uniform temperature. Thermal energy balance was used on each node to obtain a set of differential equations. ODE solver in MATLAB was used to solve the resulting system of differential equations. The thermal model considered an initial preload as well as the thermal preload that is caused by the uneven expansion of bearing components. In this research, a 5 DOF nonlinear dynamical system model is integrated with a spindle-bearing thermal model and then utilized to study the impact of preload variations on the spindle-bearing system of a grinding machine. The effect of different system parameters such as speed of rotation, type of bearing, ambient temperature, type of oil, initial preload on temperature output and thermal growth within the system was studied. The study shows that the heat generation rate is directly proportional to the rotational speed of the shaft and higher thermally induced preload is reached at higher speeds. It is also noticed that initial preload has a small effect on the heat generation, thermally induced preload, and temperature of the bearing. Also, the dominant frequency values of the spindle system generally increase with changing thermally induced preload values. This study is useful in predicting the thermal profile as well as preload value resulting in the bearing assembly, which in turn will be used to predict variation in the dynamics of the system.
The Ohaka (Grave) Project: Post-secular social service delivery and resistant necropolitics in San’ya, Tokyo
Authors: Marr Matthew D.
Published: May 2019

This is an ethnography of a Buddhist, Catholic, and secular collaboration tending to the souls of marginalized men in San’ya, Tokyo’s former day labor ghetto. How does this post-secular project focused on death and the afterlife reshape relationships that bond the living and the dead? How does it relate to neoliberal biopolitics of urban poverty management? This paper demonstrates how the project subverts traditional Japanese patrilineal necrosociality in ways that enhance ontological security and social ties among participants. Additionally, project developers’ post-secular notion of rapprochement through acknowledging and accepting differences between communities bridged long-time rifts among faith, social service, and activist groups. While in some ways the project enables neoliberal privatization of social services, it is also a potent form of resistant necropolitics from below that reconfigures social relations around death to connect diverse groups, highlighting and addressing the limitations of a familial model of welfare amid neoliberal capitalism.
Vocational education, transitions, marginalisation and social justice in the Nordic countries: Reflections on the special issue
Authors: Avis James
Published: May 2019

This paper engages with and reflects on the arguments developed by contributors to the special issue. These papers serve to provide a corrective to English and, on occasion, European perceptions, which often view the Nordic countries as being all of a piece and beacons of progressivism. The contributors provide analyses that not only point to the impact of neo-liberalism upon vocational education and training but also the different ways in which it is delivered across the Nordic countries. They alert us to vocational education and training’s complexity and varied forms. Nevertheless, it appears there are a set of repertoires that can be mobilised to address the relationship between vocational education and training and youth transitions to work and vocational study, which seem to circulate across time and place. The circulation of these models suggests they fail to address the deeper issues facing vocational education and training, namely the relation of it in particular and ‘academic’ education in general to capitalism, and, importantly, the salience of these processes in the current conjuncture. These relations raise questions about the reproduction of class relations and the specificity of the socio-economic contexts. This leads to a consideration of notions of social justice and an interrogation of vocational education and training with this particular question in mind. An important issue that needs to be explored is the way in which the curriculum opens up or closes down access to powerful knowledge. Whilst education, in Bernstein’s words, ‘cannot compensate for society’, can it nevertheless be a resource in the transformative struggle for a just society?
Strategic Anticipation and En Banc Oversight Procedures in the U.S. Courts of Appeals
Authors: Strayhorn Joshua A.
Published: May 2019

The U.S. Courts of Appeals must ordinarily convene en banc to overturn circuit law. However, roughly half of the circuit courts have adopted an alternative, less costly procedure, the informal en banc, where three-judge panels may overturn precedent with approval of the full circuit. This article leverages variation in adoption and implementation of this institution to analyze the implications of ex post oversight mechanisms for ex ante panel decision making. The evidence suggests that the informal en banc substantially reduces the impact of ideology on panel decision making, providing new evidence that lower court judges strategically alter their behavior in anticipation of potential override by circuit colleagues.
P2RX7 functions as a putative biomarker of gastric cancer and contributes to worse prognosis
Authors: Lili Wang , Yun Li , Tingran Wei , Xia Wu , Yanlei Sun
Published: May 2019

P2RX7 has a vital role in promoting proliferation and metastasis and is relevant to worse prognosis in multiple tumors. Nevertheless, P2RX7’s prognostic value and unambiguous effect in gastric cancer remain to be further explored. Our study showed that the expression of P2RX7 in human gastric tumor tissue ( n = 80) was significantly higher than that in normal human gastric tissue ( n = 20, different cohort). Abnormally high expression of P2RX7 was related to larger tumor size ( P = 0.0473), higher T stage ( P = 0.0367), and lymphatic metastasis ( P = 0.0056). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that higher expression of P2RX7 was associated with worse overall survival and disease-free survival in gastric cancer patients. Additionally, downregulation of P2RX7 by a specific shRNA suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer cells, while ectopic overexpression P2RX7 had opposite effects. P2RX7 modulated ERK1/2 and Akt pathways and epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers such as E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, and snail. All in all, our results suggest that P2RX7 represents a prognostic biomarker of patients with gastric cancer and show the importance of P2RX7 as a putative biomarker in gastric cancer.

Impact statement

The mechanism of gastric cancer is highly complex, accompanied by a variety of genetic abnormalities. It is of great significance to elucidate the pathogenesis of gastric cancer, find its markers and therapeutic targets in the fight against this fatal disease. In this study, we identified P2RX7 as a putative target of gastric cancer, which was overexpressed in gastric cancer tissues and had relationship with worse prognosis. We also elucidated the roles of P2RX7 on the growth and metastasis of gastric cancer cells, and explored the relationship between it and ERK1/2 pathway, Akt pathway, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Our findings begin to offer useful insights into the mechanism of gastric cancer progression and provide clues to novel therapy strategies.