bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The pr-ḥḏ and the Early Dynastic State
Authors: Fritschy Wantje
Published: August 2019

Quantitative research in the available sources on the pr-ḥḏ in the Early Dynastic period shows that there are better arguments to translate the Early Dynastic term pr-ḥḏ as ‘House of Stoneware’ rather than ‘treasury’. This also helps in explaining the somewhat puzzling double dichotomy of pr-ḥḏ/ pr-dšr and pr-ḥḏ/ pr-nbw in this period. Moreover, from the results it could be argued that a theory seeing ‘spectacle’ as crucial for state formation in early states is more helpful for understanding the function of the Early Dynastic pr-ḥḏ than a theory seeing the treasury as the centre of the state.
Study of Factors Affecting Curing of Asphalt Emulsion Tack Coats
Authors: Abouelsaad Ahmed , Swiertz Daniel , Bahia Hussain U.
Published: August 2019

Asphalt emulsion is the most widely used tack (bond) coat material in the U.S. A critical aspect when using asphalt emulsion is the rate of curing, which can cause project delays and affect final performance of the tack coats. The main objective of this study is to investigate factors that may affect the curing time of asphalt emulsion tack coat. Six factors including emulsion type, humidity, curing temperature, type of substrate, residual rate of application, and dilution rate were varied in this study. Curing time is quantified using a mass loss test in which the mass of each sample was recorded at 30-minute intervals until a constant (terminal) mass is reached. A moisture loss rate is calculated in reference to the terminal mass as a function of time. Results show a significant effect of dilution rate, humidity, and temperature on the rate of curing, whereas the effects of emulsion type, rate of application, and substrate type are less significant. In general, the rate of curing is found to decrease with increased dilution rate, humidity, and lower temperature, particularly when factors are compounded (low temperature and high humidity). Findings indicate that from a practical perspective, limiting the practice or extent of dilution should be considered if rapid curing is desired. Although the type of emulsion is not shown to significantly affect curing rate, the residual properties of the residue may affect tracking propensity and bond strength independent of curing time.
Evaluation of industrial wastes management practices: Case study of the Savojbolagh industrial zone, Iran
Authors: Farzadkia Mahdi , Jorfi Sahand , Nikzad Mashaallah , Nazari Shahram
Published: August 2019

The main objective of this research was to investigate the waste characteristics and management activities in the Savojbolagh industrial zone, Iran, in order to rank the active industries from environmental perspectives using an innovative index. First, the industrial categories with over 50 employees were identified and classified according to their production process. Then, 54 industries were selected and all industrial processes, the types and quantities of products, per capita industrial waste generation, physical analysis and management activities in terms of minimisation, storage, processing, recycling and disposal were evaluated. The required data were obtained through questioners, interviews and field observations. A scoring system was prepared for evaluation of environmental status of waste management practices. Results indicated that the total industrial waste generation rate was 67,258 kg d-1, in which 4528 belonged to hazardous waste. Furthermore, the per capita waste generation rate was 5.51 kg d-1. Plastic, paper and cardboard and metals constituted the most fractions of wastes, respectively. Food and beverage, metallic and chemical/plastic industries were the biggest waste generators. Metallic industries with total score of 502.5 and non-metalic-mineral industries with the total score of 114 were categorised as the best and worst industries in terms of waste management practices.
Bringing Politics Back in Charitable Giving: Evidence From Donations After China’s Sichuan Earthquake
Authors: Li Ming , Tao Ran , Su Fubing
Published: August 2019

Do non-Westerners donate differently? Drawing on a unique survey after the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, this article reports some empirical findings about Chinese donation behavior. Our empirical analysis confirms the importance of various socioeconomic factors in charitable giving. What distinguishes the Chinese case from other societies is the role of politics. Political attitudes affect how people donate: Less trustful individuals and less dependent communities do not embrace state-centered charity enthusiastically. Our research expands the spatial coverage of the charity study that is dominated by experiences and practices from European and North American countries. To generate hypotheses about political attitudes, we develop a simple political model of charity. Placing politicians’ survival motivation at the center opens up new inquiries that are underexplored by current literature. It also inspires further research into comparative institutional designs of charity across national boundaries.
Performance evaluation of tapping processes using a 7075 aluminium alloy with different cooling systems and threading heads
Authors: Coelho Cinthia Cristina Fonseca , Pereira Robson Bruno Dutra , Lauro Carlos Henrique , Brandão Lincoln Cardoso
Published: August 2019

Modern industry faces a great challenge: the production of consumer goods based on a triangle comprising low costs, low production time and high quality. The optimisation of modern manufacturing processes should seek not only the reduction of manufacturing time but also the reduction of mineral resources and electric energy consumption. In the context of metalworking, considering tapping processes, studies on the use of minimum quantity of lubricant are minimal and scarce. Hence, this study deals with the application of minimum quantity of lubricant and emulsion to the processes of form and machine tapping. To this end, 7075-T651 aluminium alloy workpieces were threaded using both tapping processes at three cutting/forming speeds. M10 threads with a pitch of 1.5 mm were considered the standard profile. Torque and thrust force were monitored, and three threading heads were employed in the experimental tapping tests. According to the results, it can be concluded that the best option was to use minimum quantity of lubricant in order to reduce environmental impact, given its efficient disposal of fluids and compatibility with Softsynchro threading heads, which kept both torque and axial force close to the mean values. Furthermore, this threading head model was also the best for reducing the manufacturing time of the threads.
Markets, Regulation and Drug Law Reform: Towards a Constitutive Approach
Authors: Seddon Toby
Published: August 2019

After a century of international drug prohibition, and amidst growing consensus that it has been a costly policy failure, arguments for drug law reform are gathering momentum globally. Despite a large body of empirically oriented policy research, the area remains underdeveloped conceptually and theoretically. This article seeks to address this gap by assembling some intellectual resources for a critical socio-legal analysis of drug law reform, drawing on insights from regulation studies, economics, political economy and economic sociology. Reframing the problem as one of market regulation, and using Shearing’s constitutive approach, opens up some new ways of thinking about how drug laws function and the possibilities for reform. It also highlights the importance of taking normative thinking about drug policy futures seriously. In conclusion, it is suggested that a new concept of exchangespace may be key to further theoretical development in this field.
Occupational Health and Safety Challenges From Employment-Related Geographical Mobility Among Canadian Seafarers on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway
Authors: Shan Desai , Lippel Katherine
Published: August 2019

Seafaring involves multiple patterns of mobility. Ships are mobile workplaces that connect and disconnect from land. Many move within and between national boundaries. Maritime labor forces are recruited from multiple locations engaging in varying commutes to and from homeports—international commutes for international labor forces and internal commutes for national labor forces. Mobilities expose seafarers to a range of occupational health and safety hazards, which can be exacerbated by mobility-related constraints on regulatory protections. Based on legal analysis and twenty-five semi-structured interviews with Canadian seafarers, managers, and key informants, this exploratory study examines how employment-related geographical mobility may create occupational health and safety challenges for Canadian seafarers working on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Findings show that few legal instruments are available to protect seafarers from commuting-related occupational hazards and that occupational health and safety challenges are numerous. Seafarers’ occupational health and safety rights on board are restricted and they are systemically discouraged from raising safety concerns.
Contributions of Parenting Sense of Competence to Family Functioning in a Sample of Military-Connected Families Living in the Community
Authors: Makhija Nita J. , Ohye Bonnie Y. , Zakarian Rebecca J. , Jakubovic Rafaella J. , Bui Eric
Published: August 2019

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the potential contributions of parenting sense of competence and parental psychological symptoms to family functioning in a sample of military-connected families attending public elementary school. Fifty-six parents (61.8% female; 92.9% White; 5.3% Hispanic; mean age = 38.5, SD = 7.03) completed the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC), and the General Functioning Scale of the Family Assessment Device (GF-FAD). Participants’ GF-FAD scores negatively correlated with their PSOC scores ( r = −.48, p < .001). A negative trend between the PSOC scores and DASS scores is observed ( r = −.25 p < .06). A multiple regression analysis indicates that both scores on PSOC (β = −.46, p < .001) and DASS (β = 0.3, p = .01) were independently associated with the GF-FAD scores. These results suggest that among military families, a sense of efficacy as a parent may influence family functioning above and beyond the effect of parental distress and that interventions designed to promote sense of parenting competence may improve military family functioning through a process different than that of interventions to alleviate psychological distress.
Inbound Tourism, Hospitality Business, and Market Structure
Authors: Gu Xinhua , Sheng Li , Yuen Chun Yip
Published: August 2019

In this article, a standard model is used to examine the economic effect of market structure in travel destinations. We show that favorable changes in the push and pull factors are good for enhancing local hospitality business to the extent that they stimulate external tourism demand. We also find that rising competition in the hospitality industry, albeit boosting its sales, may have no effect on its revenue but can affect its profitability adversely due to resulting price drops that are desirable only to incoming visitors. Our policy implication is that there is no need to push for competitive industry structure, which is locally inefficient given that hospitality business catering to nonresident tourists is for profit and not for altruism.
On the Upper Bounds of the Real-Valued Predictions
Authors: Benevenuta Silvia , Fariselli Piero
Published: August 2019

Predictions are fundamental in science as they allow to test and falsify theories. Predictions are ubiquitous in bioinformatics and also help when no first principles are available. Predictions can be distinguished between classifications (when we associate a label to a given input) or regression (when a real value is assigned). Different scores are used to assess the performance of regression predictors; the most widely adopted include the mean square error, the Pearson correlation (ρ), and the coefficient of determination (or [Formula: see text]). The common conception related to the last 2 indices is that the theoretical upper bound is 1; however, their upper bounds depend both on the experimental uncertainty and the distribution of target variables. A narrow distribution of the target variable may induce a low upper bound. The knowledge of the theoretical upper bounds also has 2 practical applications: (1) comparing different predictors tested on different data sets may lead to wrong ranking and (2) performances higher than the theoretical upper bounds indicate overtraining and improper usage of the learning data sets. Here, we derive the upper bound for the coefficient of determination showing that it is lower than that of the square of the Pearson correlation. We provide analytical equations for both indices that can be used to evaluate the upper bound of the predictions when the experimental uncertainty and the target distribution are available. Our considerations are general and applicable to all regression predictors.
Investigation on backflow phenomenon in the aerostatic journal bearing
Authors: Chen Xinglong , Bao Gang , Mills James K
Published: August 2019

In this work, the backflow phenomenon exhibited in the gas journal bearings is investigated. The effect of operational parameters such as eccentricity ratio ɛ, axial velocity of the bearing vz, misalignment angles [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] on the backflow behavior, and load force and axial friction force of the bearing are studied numerically. The differential transformation method and finite difference method are utilized to solve the dimensionless Reynolds equations required in the analysis. The performance parameters such as pressure distribution, gas flow rate, load force, and axial friction force are examined in the numerical simulations. The investigation reveals that when the bearing is operated in normal working zone, the load force F increases significantly with an increase in eccentricity ɛ; however, F may only increase slightly when the bearing operates in the backflow zone. It is suggested that the pressure Ps should be set greater than 5.0, Pc smaller than or equal to 3.0 to avoid the backflow behavior. The axial friction force [Formula: see text] is largely determined by the pressure [Formula: see text], and increases as pressure Pc increases.
A comparison of wear behaviour of heat-resistant steel engine valves and TiAl engine valves
Authors: Lai Fuqiang , Qu Shengguan , Qin Haidi , Lewis Roger , Slatter Tom , Li Xiaoqiang , Luo Huahuan
Published: August 2019

The increasing demand for higher performance internal combustion engines has led to higher temperatures in the combustion chamber. As a result, TiAl valves have been investigated with a view to their use in a natural gas fuelled diesel internal combustion engine, taking advantage of their low density and good high-temperature resistance. In this work, comparison bench tests for traditional steel valves and TiAl valves were carried out through the use of specially designed wear testing apparatus. Compared to the traditional valves made from heat-resistant steel (X60, X85), the TiAl valves have 50% lower mass, leading to a decrease in the impact seating forces during the engine operation. With the reduction of the inertia of engine valve movement, the dynamic characteristics of the engine valve train system can be optimized. Each contact pair of valve and seat insert was tested for 3 million impact cycles. Compared to the austenitic exhaust valves (X60) tested at 700 ℃, the TiAl valve had better wear resistance and the wear loss decreased by 24.8 %. The predominant wear mechanism is considered to be a combination of oxidative wear and adhesive wear. However, for the intake valves tested at 400 ℃, the wear loss of the TiAl valve was three times higher than the martensitic intake valves (X85). The predominant wear mechanism can be identified as abrasive wear and adhesive wear. It is therefore concluded that the TiAl exhaust valve is a potential solution for a natural gas fuelled diesel.
More Than a Hostile Environment: Exploring the Impact of the Right to Rent Part of the Immigration Act 2016
Authors: Crawford Joe , McKee Kim , Leahy Sharon
Published: August 2019

This article is based on original data from a qualitative study on the impact of the Right to Rent part of the Immigration Act 2016 in Scotland. Our findings show that in addition to being an integral part of the government’s project of creating a ‘hostile environment for immigrants’, the process of extending the state’s ‘law and order’ functions to organisations responsible for providing welfare services and distributing public goods is of wider political importance. Here, we argue that this process, what Bourdieu calls the rightward tilting of the bureaucratic field, results in widespread discrimination as it entails a shift in focus of its criminalising gaze from ‘conduct’ to ‘status’. The effects of this rightward shift altered the categories through which welfare services were both conceived and delivered more widely. We found that the almost universal opposition of the housing sector to the unwanted imposition of duties previously confined to border control agencies shows the extent to which the state is not a unitary monolith but is, rather, a site of perpetual struggle and contestation. By locating the perspective of housing professionals in relation to the government’s attempts to redraw the boundaries of the state’s own responsibility, we can gain a valuable insight into the processes of state crafting, which have wider implications beyond merely the creation of a hostile environment for immigrants.
The influence of task repetition type on young EFL learners’ attention to form
Authors: Hidalgo María Ángeles , García Mayo María del Pilar
Published: August 2019

Task repetition (TR) is a valuable tool to direct learners’ attention from meaning to language form. The first time learners perform a task their focus is on conveying meaning, whereas during the second enactment they tend to focus on the form of their message. Collaborative writing also promotes learners’ focus on form, allowing extra time to pay attention to language use, and providing multiple opportunities for learners to pool their linguistic resources and co-construct meaning. Despite the increasing body of research on young learners’ (YLs) second language acquisition process, few studies have addressed the effect of the repetition of collaborative writing tasks on this population’s output. The present study aims to fill this gap by analysing the impact of TR on YLs’ (age 11–12) attention to form, operationalized as language-related episodes (LREs). Forty ( n = 40) beginner learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) worked with two types of TR: exact TR (ETR), where the participants repeated exactly the same task, and procedural TR (PTR), where the participants repeated task type but with different content. Contrary to most previous research, most LREs were form-focused, and resolved target-like in both groups. The results also revealed a statistically significant decrease in the number of LREs at time 3 in the ETR group, whereas the LREs in the PTR group remained stable. Pedagogical implications of these findings will be discussed.
Impact of Perioperative Hypnosedation on Postmastectomy Chronic Pain: Preliminary Results
Authors: Lacroix Camille , Duhoux Francois P. , Bettendorff Julie , Watremez Christine , Roelants Fabienne , Docquier Marie-Agnes , Potié Arnaud , Coyette Maude , Gerday Amandine , Samartzi Vasiliki , Piette Philippe , Piette Nathan , Berliere Martine
Published: August 2019

Objectives: The main aim of this prospective nonrandomized study was to evaluate if mastectomy performed with perioperative hypnosedation led to a lower incidence of chronic pain compared with mastectomy under general anesthesia. Methods: Forty-two breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy either under GA (GA group, n = 21) or HYP (HYP group, n = 21) associated with local and/or regional anesthesia were included. The type of adjuvant therapy as well as the number of reconstructive surgical procedures were well balanced between the 2 groups. The average age of the patients and the type of axillary surgery were also equivalent. Incidence of postmastectomy chronic pain, lymphedema, and shoulder range of motion (ROM) were evaluated after a mean 4-year follow-up. Results: The study shows a statistically significant lower incidence of postmastectomy chronic pain in HYP group (1/21, 1 patient out of 21 experiencing pain) compared with GA group (9/21) with 9 patients out of 21 experiencing pain ( P = .008). ROM for shoulder was also less frequently affected in the hypnosedation group, as only 1 patient had decreased ROM, instead of 7 in the other group ( P = .04). Conclusions: Our study is the first to hint at the potential benefits of hypnosedation on postmastectomy chronic pain. Despite the limitations of this study (nonrandomized, small sample), preliminary results merit further study of hypnosedation.
Pediatric Hand and Upper Extremity Injuries Presenting to Emergency Departments in the United States: Epidemiology and Health Care–Associated Costs
Authors: Lee Alfred , Colen David L. , Fox Justin P. , Chang Benjamin , Lin Ines C.
Published: August 2019

Background: Upper extremity injuries represent one of the most common pediatric conditions presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in the United States. We aim to describe the epidemiology, trends, and costs of pediatric patients who present to US EDs with upper extremity injuries. Methods: Using the National Emergency Department Sample, we identified all ED encounters by patients aged <18 years associated with a primary diagnosis involving the upper extremity from 2008 to 2012. Patients were divided into 4 groups by age (≤5 years, 6-9 years, 10-13 years, and 14-17 years) and a trauma subgroup. Primary outcomes were prevalence, etiology, and associated charges. Results: In total, 11.7 million ED encounters were identified, and 89.8% had a primary diagnosis involving the upper extremity. Fracture was the most common injury type (28.2%). Dislocations were common in the youngest group (17.7%) but rare in the other 3 (range = 0.8%-1.6%). There were 73.2% of trauma-related visits, most commonly due to falls (29.9%); 96.9% of trauma patients were discharged home from the ED. There were bimodal peaks of incidence in the spring and fall and a nadir in the winter. Emergency department charges of $21.2 billion were generated during the 4 years studied. While volume of visits decreased during the study, associated charges rose by 1.21%. Conclusions: Pediatric upper extremity injuries place burden on the economy of the US health care system. Types of injuries and anticipated payers vary among age groups, and while total yearly visits have decreased over the study period, the average cost of visits has risen.
Characterization of the aircraft bay/landing gear coupling noise at low subsonic speeds and its suppression using leading-edge chevron spoiler
Authors: Zhao Kun , Liang Yong , Yue Tingrui , Chen Zhengwu , Bennett Gareth J
Published: August 2019

When the aircraft opens the bay door to let the landing gear either drop or retract, the incoming flow will result in a significant amount of coupling noise from the bay and the landing gear. Here, an experimental study was reported to characterise the acoustic performance and flow field at low subsonic speeds. Also, we examined a passive control method leading-edge chevron spoiler to suppress the noise. The experiment was performed in a low-speed aeroacoustic wind, the bay was simplified as a rectangular cavity and the spoiler was mounted to the leading edge. Both acoustic and aerodynamic measurements were performed through two microphone arrays, pressure transducers and particle image velocimetry. It was found that installation of the landing gear model can attenuate cavity oscillation noise to some extent by disturbing the shear layer of the cavity leading edge. Moreover, acoustic measurement confirmed the noise control when the spoiler was used. In addition, a parametric study on the effects of chevron topology was performed, and an optimised value was found for each parameter. From the aerodynamic measurement, the noise reduction was explained from the perspective of fluid dynamics. It was observed that installation of the chevron can raise the leading-edge shear layer and break up the large-scale vortices, thereby controlling the Rossiter mode noise and the landing gear model noise at certain frequencies.
Separable reverse connected network for efficient multi-scale vehicle detection
Authors: Yang Enze , Huang Linlin , Hu Jian
Published: August 2019

Vehicle detection is involved in a wide range of intelligent transportation and smart city applications, and the demand of fast and accurate detection of vehicles is increasing. In this article, we propose a convolutional neural network-based framework, called separable reverse connected network, for multi-scale vehicles detection. In this network, reverse connected structure enriches the semantic context information of previous layers, while separable convolution is introduced for sparse representation of heavy feature maps generated from subnetworks. Further, we use multi-scale training scheme, online hard example mining, and model compression technique to accelerate the training process as well as reduce the parameters. Experimental results on Pascal Visual Object Classes (VOC) 2007 + 2012 and MicroSoft Common Objects in COntext (MS COCO) 2014 demonstrate the proposed method yields state-of-the-art performance. Moreover, by separable convolution and model compression, the network of two-stage detector is accelerated by about two times with little loss of detection accuracy.
6-minute walking test: a useful tool in the management of heart failure patients
Authors: Giannitsi Sophia , Bougiakli Mara , Bechlioulis Aris , Kotsia Anna , Michalis Lampros K. , Naka Katerina K.
Published: August 2019

Reduced functional ability and exercise tolerance in patients with heart failure (HF) are associated with poor quality of life and a worse prognosis. The 6-minute walking test (6MWT) is a widely available and well-tolerated test for the assessment of the functional capacity of patients with HF. Although the cardiopulmonary exercise test (a maximal exercise test) remains the gold standard for the evaluation of exercise capacity in patients with HF, the 6MWT (submaximal exercise test) may provide reliable information about the patient’s daily activity. The current review summarizes the value of 6MWT in patients with HF and identifies its usefulness and limitations in everyday clinical practice in populations of HF. We aimed to investigate potential associations of 6MWD with other measures of functional status and determinants of 6MWD in patients with HF as well as to review its prognostic role and changes to various interventions in these patients.
De-escalating chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer?
Authors: Fu Jianfei , Wu Lunpo , Ge Chenyang , Xu Tiantian , Li Dan , Fu Wei , Wang Liangjing , Du Jinlin
Published: August 2019

Background:

Although adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended for patients with stage II colon cancer characterized by poor prognostic features, its pros and cons remain a controversial issue. We aim to evaluate the real effectiveness of chemotherapy on stage II colon cancer as well as select suitable patients.

Methods:

Patients during 1988–2013 were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The competing risk regression model and propensity score matching method were used to evaluate colon-cancer-specific death (CCSD) and non-CCSD. Also, a competing-risk nomogram was constructed to identify risk of patients. Risk score (RS) was calculated according to nomogram.

Results:

A total of 58,133 patients were included, 25.66% received chemotherapy, and 74.34% were without chemotherapy. In total, 19.95% and 25.78% of patients died of CCSD and non-CCSD, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that receiving chemotherapy appears to be associated with more CCSD and less non-CCSD (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.18–1.28; HR 0.45, 95% CI 0.43–0.47, respectively), even after adjustment for covariates and propensity score weighting. A competing-risk nomogram was established; the model was relatively good with a C-index of 0.661. Based on the RS, risk stage could only predict prognosis but failed to predict the benefit from chemotherapy.

Conclusions:

The value of chemotherapy is much less than we thought. It is time to de-escalate chemotherapy for stage II colon cancer. CCSD, rather than overall survival, should be considered as an appropriate primary end point for future trials in stage II colon cancer.
Karonudib is a promising anticancer therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Hua Xiangwei , Sanjiv Kumar , Gad Helge , Pham Therese , Gokturk Camilla , Rasti Azita , Zhao Zhenjun , He Kang , Feng Mingxuan , Zang Yunjin , Zhang Jianjun , Xia Qiang , Helleday Thomas , Warpman Berglund Ulrika
Published: August 2019

Background:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer and is generally caused by viral infections or consumption of mutagens, such as alcohol. While liver transplantation and hepatectomy is curative for some patients, many relapse into disease with few treatment options such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, for example, sorafenib or lenvatinib. The need for novel systemic treatment approaches is urgent.

Methods:

MTH1 expression profile was first analyzed in a HCC database and MTH1 mRNA/protein level was determined in resected HCC and paired paracancerous tissues with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry. HCC cancer cell lines were exposed in vitro to MTH1 inhibitors or depleted of MTH1 by siRNA. 8-oxoG was measured by the modified comet assay. The effect of MTH1 inhibition on tumor growth was explored in HCC xenograft in vivo models.

Results:

MTH1 protein level is elevated in HCC tissue compared with paracancerous liver tissue and indicates poor prognosis. The MTH1 inhibitor Karonudib (TH1579) and siRNA effectively introduce toxic oxidized nucleotides into DNA, 8-oxoG, and kill HCC cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, we demonstrate that HCC growth in a xenograft mouse model in vivo is efficiently suppressed by Karonudib.

Conclusion:

Altogether, these data suggest HCC relies on MTH1 for survival, which can be targeted and may open up a novel treatment option for HCC in the future.
A Brief Up-to-Date Overview of Amaryllidaceae Alkaloids: Phytochemical Studies of Narcissus tazetta subsp. tazetta L., Collected in Turkey
Authors: Karakoyun Çiğdem , Masi Marco , Cimmino Alessio , Önür Mustafa Ali , Somer Nehir Unver , Kornienko Alexander , Evidente Antonio
Published: August 2019

A brief up-to-date overview on the isolation, and chemical and biological characterization of new and known alkaloids from different Amaryllidaceae species, including Brunsvigia, Crinum, Cyrtanthus, Narcissus, and Nerine genera, was reported. Furthermore, the isolation and chemical characterization of alkaloids extracted from bulbs of Narcissus tazetta subsp. tazetta L. collected from Muğla, Turkey were described.
Articular Cartilage Defects of the Glenohumeral Joint: A Systematic Review of Treatment Options and Outcomes
Authors: Fiegen Anthony , Leland Devin P. , Bernard Christopher D. , Krych Aaron J. , Barlow Jonathan D. , Dahm Diane L. , Camp Christopher L.
Published: August 2019

Objective

To report radiographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings, patient-reported outcomes, and complications and/or reoperations following nonarthroplasty surgical intervention for focal glenohumeral cartilage defects.

Design

A literature search was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Patients were included if they possessed a chondral defect of the humeral head, glenoid, or both, which had been treated with a joint preserving nonarthroplasty procedure. Risk of bias assessment was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies scoring system. Study demographics, surgical technique, imaging findings, patient-reported outcomes, complications, failures, and reoperations were collected.

Results

Fourteen studies with 98 patients (100 shoulders) met the inclusion criteria. Patient ages ranged from 7 to 74 years. The nonarthroplasty surgical techniques utilized included microfracture (67 shoulders), osteochondral transplantation (28 shoulders), chondrocyte transplantation (4 shoulders), and internal fixation (1 shoulder). The rates of radiographic union and progression of osteoarthritis ranged between 90% to 100% and 57% to 100%, respectively. Visual analog scores ranged from 0 to 1.9 at final follow-up. Mean postoperative ASES (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons) shoulder scores ranged from 75.8-100. Mean postoperative CSS (Constant Shoulder Score) scores ranged from 83.3-94. Mean postoperative SSV (Subjective Shoulder Value) ranged from 70% to 99%. Failure and reoperation rates ranged between 0% to 35% and 0% to 30%, respectively, with the most common reoperation being conversion to prosthetic arthroplasty.

Conclusions

In this systematic review, nonarthroplasty surgical techniques demonstrated acceptable rates of radiographic healing, improved patient reported outcomes, minimal complications, and low rates of failure or reoperation. Joint preserving techniques are likely viable options to prolong function of the native shoulder and provide short- to midterm pain relief in young and highly active patients.

Level of Evidence

Level IV.
Public relations as a complex decision-based practice
Authors: Osswald Anke
Published: August 2019

This article considers public relations through the prism of decision-making. Decisions can be regarded as a way of dealing with complexity. In the following, two approaches to decisions and complexity are discussed. The first is an actor-based prescriptive approach, which focuses on decision-making as a means of managing environmental complexity. There are different tools and techniques that support public relations managers in finding adequate responses. The second is a descriptive approach, which is more interested in the ways in which such tools and techniques contribute to the complex decision process itself. In accordance with Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory, public relations decisions are regarded as a specific form of communication that (a) emphasizes the selectivity of the process by specifying particular public relations options or choices, (b) attributes this selection to a ‘decision-maker’ (e.g. a public relations manager) while simultaneously presuming strategic intent with respect to public perception, and (c) engages the past and future in a specific way. A decision-based approach that builds on communication may thus contribute to a more detailed understanding of public relations practice. Such an approach raises, among others, questions concerning strategic public relations options or the participation of digital entities as ‘decision-makers’. With its focus on decisions as communications, it furthermore links the field of public relations research to schools of thought such as CCO (communicative constitution of organizations) and strategy as practice.
Long-term benefit of renal denervation on blood pressure control in a patient with hemorrhagic stroke
Authors: Versaci Francesco , Andò Giuseppe , Chiocchi Marcello , Romeo Francesco
Published: August 2019

A 49-year-old man with malignant hypertension had been admitted with hemorrhagic stroke. Refractory hypertension had been observed during hospitalization and the decision had been made to perform renal denervation. A significant blood pressure reduction was obtained immediately after renal denervation and persists at 2-year follow-up. This case demonstrates the long-term sustained efficacy of renal denervation performed in the acute phase of hemorrhagic stroke. In addition, it supports the notion that renal denervation–induced normalization of blood pressure may contribute to better outcomes in a challenging setting such as intracranial bleeding.
Hemobilia from a right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm due to chronic cholecystitis
Authors: Das Manjusha , Volmar Fritz-Henry , Walayat Saqib , Nolte Ryan
Published: August 2019

Splanchnic pseudoaneurysms are rare causes of hemobilia. Specifically, hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms from infectious or inflammatory etiology are even more rare. In this article, we describe our encounter with a 72-year-old female presenting with obstructive jaundice and acute blood loss anemia. Upper endoscopy indicated hemobilia and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was completed with stent in place. Post endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, computed tomography angiogram indicated a right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm which was the cause of her hemobilia. The patient was ultimately treated with selective coil embolization and interval cholecystectomy.
Low-Resource Digital Video: A Pedagogical Necessity for Modern Business Communication
Authors: Lind Stephen J.
Published: August 2019

Despite its ubiquity across business contexts, video creation is a rarity in business communication curricula. This article is intended to offer the field of business communication education both a rationale and mechanism by which to better align with modern business communication practice. Part 1 provides a comprehensive demonstration of the pervasive uses of video in business, including statistical evidence, genre examples, and analysis of the medium’s communicative value. Part 2 (and subsequent appendices) then empowers the business communication educator to implement the change suggested in Part 1 by way of a turnkey assignment easily adaptable across business courses.
Authoring Selves in School: Adolescent Writing Identity
Authors: Williamson Thea
Published: August 2019

This embedded case study investigates the nature of authorship in a secondary English Language Arts classroom by examining two adolescents’ writing identities and experiences writing across genres. Using rhetorical genre theory, the study illustrates how composition and notions of authorship in this context were strongly informed by conversations—both with peers and the teacher. An additional finding was that students wrote themselves into different genre identities as they composed poetry, editorials, and memoirs, drawing on different authorial stances and sources of knowledge. Finally, this analysis documents robust learning about the nature of writing, including transferring rhetorical strategies across contexts and purposes, skills often called for in education policy as well as career and college writing, not documented in secondary schools. Implications for teaching include valuing relationship-building conversations, offering students multiple genre positions across secondary writing experiences, and considering ways to build upon writers’ self-described and socially constructed identities as successful writers.
On the application of the IMA−CNMNC dominant-valency rule to complex mineral compositions
Authors: Bosi Ferdinando , Hatert Frédéric , Hålenius Ulf , Pasero Marco , Miyawaki Ritsuro , Mills Stuart J.
Published: August 2019

Mineral species should be identified by an end-member formula and by using the dominant-valency rule as recommended by the IMA–CNMNC. However, the dominant-end-member approach has also been used in the literature. These two approaches generally converge, but for some intermediate compositions, significant differences between the dominant-valency rule and the dominant end-member approach can be observed. As demonstrated for garnet-supergroup minerals, for example, the end-member approach is ambiguous, as end-member proportions strongly depend on the calculation sequence. For this reason, the IMA–CNMNC strongly recommends the use of the dominant-valency rule for mineral nomenclature, because it alone may lead to unambiguous mineral identification. Although the simple application of the dominant-valency rule is successful for the identification of many mineral compositions, sometimes it leads to unbalanced end-member formulae, due to the occurrence of a coupled heterovalent substitution at two sites along with a heterovalent substitution at a single site. In these cases, it may be useful to use the site-total-charge approach to identify the dominant root-charge arrangement on which to apply the dominant-constituent rule. The dominant-valency rule and the site-total-charge approach may be considered two procedures complementary to each other for mineral identification. Their critical point is to find the most appropriate root-charge and atomic arrangements consistent with the overriding condition dictated by the end-member formula. These procedures were approved by the IMA−CNMNC in May 2019.
A method for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of monogenic autosomal recessive disorders
Authors: Cutts Anthony , Vavoulis Dimitrios V. , Petrou Mary , Smith Frances , Clark Barnaby , Henderson Shirley , Schuh Anna
Published: August 2019

Using sickle cell disease as a model, Cutts et al describe a highly sensitive method for prenatal diagnosis of known single-gene defects using next-generation sequencing of maternal plasma cell-free DNA.
The impact on malaria of biannual treatment with azithromycin in children age less than 5 years: a prospective study
Authors: Bloch Evan M. , Munoz Beatriz , Mrango Zakayo , Weaver Jerusha , Mboera Leonard E. G. , Lietman Tom M. , Sullivan David J. , West Sheila K.
Published: August 2019

Background

The MORDOR study, a cluster randomized clinical trial, showed that single-dose azithromycin (20 mg/kg) administered biannually for 2 years to preschool children reduced mortality; a study was conducted to determine its effect on clinical symptomatic episodes of malaria as a potential mechanism for mortality benefit.

Methods

A randomized control trial (RCT) was conducted, whereby 30 randomly selected communities in Kilosa District, Tanzania were randomized to receive 6-monthly treatment of children ages 1–59 months with single-dose azithromycin (20 mg/kg) vs. placebo. A prospective cohort study was nested within the RCT: children, aged 1 to 35 months at baseline, were randomly selected in each community and evaluated at 6-monthly intervals for 2 years. At each visit, the children were assessed for recent or ongoing fever and anti-malarial treatment; a rapid diagnostic test (RDT) for malaria was performed. The two major outcomes of interest were prevalence of RDT positivity and clinical malaria. The latter was defined as RDT-positivity with fever at time of evaluation and/or reported fever in the 3 days prior to evaluation. Methods that account for correlations at community level and within individuals over time were used to evaluate associations.

Results

At baseline, the prevalence rates in the children in the azithromycin and placebo arms were 17.6% vs. 15.5% for RDT positivity (p = 0.76) and 6.1% vs. 4.3% (p = 0.56) for clinical malaria. There was a decline in both RDT-positivity and clinical malaria over time in both arms. The difference by treatment assignment was not significant for clinical malaria; it was significant for RDT-positivity with greater odds of decline in the placebo arm (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

Lack of evidence for a significant difference in the prevalence of clinical malaria in children at any visit following treatment suggests that the effect of single-dose azithromycin on malaria is at best transient and limited in scope. Chance overrepresentation of non-seasonal transmission in the communities in the azithromycin arm may account for higher rates of RDT-positivity and less decline over time.

Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT02047981
Local-crosscorrelation elastic full-waveform inversion
Authors: Zhang Zhen-dong , Alkhalifah Tariq
Published: August 2019

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) in its classic form is a method based on minimizing the [Formula: see text] norm of the difference between the observed and simulated seismic waveforms at the receiver locations. The objective is to find a subsurface model that reproduces the full waveform including the traveltimes and amplitudes of the observed seismic data. However, the widely used [Formula: see text]-norm-based FWI faces many issues in practice. The point-wise comparison of waveforms fails when the phase difference between the compared waveforms of the predicted and observed data is larger than a half-cycle. In addition, amplitude matching is impractical considering the simplified physics that we often use to describe the medium. To avoid these known problems, we have developed a novel elastic FWI algorithm using the local-similarity attribute. It compares two traces within a predefined local time extension; thus, is not limited by the half-cycle criterion. The algorithm strives to maximize the local similarities of the predicted and observed data by stretching/squeezing the observed data. Phases instead of amplitudes of the seismic data are used in the comparison. The algorithm compares two data sets locally; thus, it performs better than the global correlation in matching multiple arrivals. Instead of picking/calculating one stationary stretching/squeezing curve, we used a weighted integral to find all possible stationary curves. We also introduced a polynomial-type weighting function, which is determined only by the predefined maximum stretching/squeezing and is guaranteed to be smoothly varying within the extension range. Compared with the previously used Gaussian or linear weighting functions, our polynomial one has fewer parameters to play around with. A modified synthetic elastic Marmousi model and the North Sea field data are used to verify the effectiveness of the developed approach and also reveal some of its limitations.
Least-squares reverse time migration in the presence of velocity errors
Authors: Yang Jizhong , Elita Li Yunyue , Cheng Arthur , Liu Yuzhu , Dong Liangguo
Published: August 2019

Least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM), which aims to match the modeled data with the observed data in an iterative inversion procedure, is very sensitive to the accuracy of the migration velocity model. If the migration velocity model contains errors, the final migration image may be defocused and incoherent. We have used an LSRTM scheme based on the subsurface offset extended imaging condition, least-squares extended reverse time migration (LSERTM), to provide a better solution when large velocity errors exist. By introducing an extra dimension in the image space, LSERTM can fit the observed data even when significant errors are present in the migration velocity model. We further investigate this property and find that after stacking the extended migration images along the subsurface offset axis within the theoretical lateral resolution limit, we can obtain an image with better coherency and fewer migration artifacts. Using multiple numerical examples, we demonstrate that our method provides superior inversion results compared to conventional LSRTM when the bulk velocity errors are as large as 10%.