bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental investigation of propeller slipstream effects on the wing aerodynamics and boundary layer treatment at low Reynolds number
Authors: Aminaei Hamzeh , Dehghan Manshadi Mojtaba , Mostofizadeh Ali Reza
Published: August 2018

In this research, an experimental investigation was conducted to predict the Laminar-turbulent transition over the wing surface. Furthermore, the effects of a tractor propeller slipstream on both wing aerodynamics and transition front were studied. For tests, a rectangular wing was used with a NACA 6-series airfoil section and with a total of 22 pressure orifices. Unsteady pressure measurements were performed over the upper and lower surfaces of the wing in different spanwise locations at different incidence angles. Existence of propeller slipstream changed pressure distribution over the wing surfaces, in both chordwise and spanwise directions and hence affected the wing loading distribution. Statistical analysis of pressure signals was used to predict the boundary layer transition over the wing by computing the root mean square and skewness of the pressure data. The results showed that the transition location moves toward the leading edge due to propeller slipstream. Increase in propeller rotational speed causes that the turbulent flow covers whole portion of the wing surface.
Bond graph modeling of a jet engine with electric starter
Authors: Montazeri-Gh Morteza , Fashandi Seyed Alireza Miran
Published: August 2018

Following the technological advances in recent decades, advanced electronic systems linked to the gas turbine industry are increasingly considered by the designers of this field. For this purpose, new airborne systems in conjunction with jet engines are developed, which are incorporated in many challenging design problems such as control law and configuration design. Thus, a comprehensive modeling structure is needed that can bolster the integrity of the system development such as the bond graph approach, which is known as an efficient method for modeling complicated mechatronic systems. In this paper, modeling and simulation of a jet engine dynamic performance and aircraft motion are achieved based on the bond graph approach. At first, the electric starter bond graph model is constructed and physical relationships governing each engine component are obtained. In the aftermath, the modulated energy fields are developed for the jet engine components. Subsequently, the bond graph model of the engine is numerically simulated and experimentally tested and verified for a small jet engine. Finally, bond graph modeling and simulation of integrated engine and aircraft system is presented. The test results indicate the acceptable accuracy of the modeling approach which can be applied for innovative diagnosis and control systems design.
The effect of cement mantle thickness on strain energy density distribution and prediction of bone density changes around cemented acetabular component
Authors: Sanjay Devismita , Mondal Subrata , Bhutani Richa , Ghosh Rajesh
Published: August 2018

Cement mantle thickness is known to be one of the important parameters to reduce the failure of the cemented acetabular component. The thickness of the cement mantle is also often influenced by the positioning of the acetabular cup. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of uniform and non-uniform cement mantle thickness on strain energy density distribution and prediction of the possibility of bone remodelling around the acetabular region. Furthermore, tensile stress distribution in the cement mantle due to non-uniform cement mantle thickness was also investigated. Three-dimensional finite element models of intact and 17 implanted pelvic bone were developed based on computed tomography data sets. Results indicate that implantation with non-uniform cement thickness variation in the anterior–posterior direction has a significant influence on strain energy density distribution around the acetabulum as compared to thickness variation in the superior–inferior direction. Increase in density is predicted at the anterior part of the acetabulum, whereas density decrease is predicted at the posterior, inferior and superior part of the acetabulum. The non-uniform cement mantle thickness affected the tensile stress distribution in the cement mantle, in particularly superiorly placed acetabular cup. This study concludes that uniform cement thickness is desired for the longer success of the cemented acetabular component.
Late diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infections in high-risk groups in Karachi, Pakistan
Authors: Hasan Zahra , Shah Sharaf , Hasan Rumina , Rao Shoaib , Ahmed Manzoor , Stone Mars , Busch Michael
Published: August 2018

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection prevalence in Pakistan has been increasing in high-risk groups, including people who inject drugs (PWID) and transgender hijra sex workers (TG-HSWs) nationwide. Effective control of HIV requires early diagnosis of the infection. We investigated recency of HIV infections in newly-diagnosed cases in PWID and TG-HSWs. This was an observational study with convenience sampling. Overall, 210 HIV-positive subjects comprising an equal number of PWID and TG-HSWs were included. Antibody avidity was tested using the Maxim HIV-1 Limiting Antigen Avidity (LAg) EIA (Maxim Biomedical, Inc. Rockville, Maryland, USA). The mean age of study subjects was 29.5 years: PWID, 28.5 years and TG-HSWs, 30.4 years. Study subjects were married, 27%, or unmarried. Eighteen percent of individuals had recently-acquired HIV infections: 19% of PWID and 17% of TG-HSWs. Eighty-two percent of individuals had long-term HIV infections: 81% of PWID and 83% of TG-HSWs. This is the first study identification of recent HIV-1 infections in Pakistan. We show that most newly-diagnosed HIV patients in the high-risk groups studied had long-term infections. There is an urgent need for intervention in these groups to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment of HIV infection to reduce transmission in Pakistan.
Corticosteroid dose and the risk of opportunistic infection in a national systemic lupus erythematosus cohort
Authors: Yang S-C , Lai Y-Y , Huang M-C , Tsai C-S , Wang J-L
Published: August 2018

Objective

This study investigated whether the incidence of opportunistic infection differed in systemic lupus erythematosus patients who received different doses of corticosteroids.

Methods

We included patients with diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus from 1997 to 2010 using Taiwan national health insurance data. The index day for systemic lupus erythematosus patients was 3 months after the systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis. A non-steroid cohort was matched 4:1 with the steroid cohort according to age, sex and index day. The end of the follow-up period was the day of opportunistic infection diagnosis, 1 year after the index day, or death.

Results

The overall cumulative incidence of opportunistic infection was 136-fold higher in the steroid cohort than in the non-steroid cohort. The adjusted hazard ratio for developing mycobacterium infection in the steroid cohort was 11, and the adjusted hazard ratio for developing herpes zoster was 43.6 compared to the non-steroid cohort after adjusting for immunosuppressive agents and comorbidities. The adjusted hazard ratio value for opportunistic infection was 1.40 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.78–2.51) for a daily prednisone-equivalent dose of 7.5–15 mg, 1.72 (95% CI 1.02–2.91) for 15–30 mg, 1.96 (95% CI 1.17–3.28) for 30–60 mg and 2.24 (95% CI 1.26–4.00) for over 60 mg compared with low-dose steroids (<7.5 mg).

Conclusion

This study confirmed that the risk of opportunistic infection is higher in systemic lupus erythematosus patients treated with steroids in the first 3 months after diagnosis versus those not treated with steroids. Medium and high doses were associated with a higher risk of opportunistic infection compared with low doses. However, there was no controlling for disease activity, making it hard to know if increases in infection were due to disease itself or corticosteroids.
Environmental Ministries as Climate Policy Drivers: Comparing Brazil and India
Authors: Aamodt Solveig
Published: August 2018

With the 2015 Paris Agreement, global climate governance increasingly depends on domestic climate policy ambitions, also in large developing countries such as Brazil and India, which are prominent representatives for developing countries in the international climate negotiations. Although the environmental policy literature expects ministries of environment to be important drivers of domestic climate policy, studies find that the climate policy ambitions of the Brazilian and Indian environmental ministries differ considerably. With a long-term analytical approach building on historical institutionalism, this article analyses and compares the climate policy roles of the Brazilian and Indian ministries of environment. The comparative analysis finds that three factors in particular influence the environmental ministries' climate policy ambitions: first, the historical view of environmental policy as a domestic or an international issue; second, the ministry's formal role in international climate negotiations; and third, the subsequent development of institutional climate logics.
Inspired by the Cosmos: Strategies for Public Engagement in Nonpolicy Contexts
Authors: DeVasto Danielle , Creighton Jean
Published: August 2018

Public engagement scholarship has explored science-policy settings at length. This work is being complemented by growing scholarly attention to engagement outside of policy spaces. As this expanding focus indicates, these spaces, where publics engage science with lower stakes and less confrontation, should be taken seriously. We explore what engagement in such contexts can look like, offering insights from one site, the planetarium. When coupled with a commitment to fostering public-science conversations, engagement strategies like dialogue, storytelling, analogy, and fostering agency can be instrumental for publics to be heard, which can enrich the efforts of nonpolicy venues. In turn, studying nonpolicy contexts can broaden our understanding of engagement.
Formation control of longitudinal vehicular platoons under generic network topology with heterogeneous time delays
Authors: Chehardoli Hossein , Ghasemi Ali
Published: August 2018

The problem of third-order consensus of homogeneous vehicular platoons in the presence of communication and parasitic delays is investigated. The communication topology of vehicular networks is assumed to be directed and generic. Therefore, a number of eigenvalues of the network’s matrix are complex, entangling the stability analysis of the closed-loop dynamics. By considering both communication and parasitic delays, a new linear centralized consensus protocol is designed for each vehicle. It will be shown that the closed-loop dynamics of vehicular networks with generic topology is in the form of linear systems with multiple delays. By presenting a new approach, the resultant linear time delay system is decoupled to individual third- and sixth-order dynamical equations. By performing the stability analysis of the new equations, it will be proven that the control parameters are independent of the network’s topology. Therefore, the control design and stability analysis will be significantly simplified compared with previous studies. To find the stable regions of time delay, the cluster treatment characteristic root method is employed. Simulation results are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Comparison of medical and/or surgical management of 23 cats with intracranial empyema or abscessation
Authors: Martin Sophie , Drees Randi , Szladovits Balazs , Beltran Elsa
Published: August 2018

Objectives

Feline intracranial abscessation or empyema is infrequently reported in the veterinary literature. To date, the largest study is based on a population of 19 cats with otogenic infection. The aim of this study was to review a larger population of cats with intracranial empyema from multiple aetiologies and document their signalment, imaging findings, treatment protocols (including medical and/or surgical management) and to compare outcomes.

Methods

Cases presenting to a single referral centre over a 10 year period with compatible history, neurological signs and imaging findings consistent with intracranial abscessation and empyema were reviewed retrospectively.

Results

Twenty-three cats met the inclusion criteria. Advanced imaging (CT and/or MRI) was performed in 22/23 cats; one case was diagnosed via ultrasound. Ten cases underwent medical and surgical management combined, 10 underwent solely medical management and three were euthanased at the time of diagnosis. Short-term outcome showed that 90% of surgically managed and 80% of medically managed cats were alive at 48 h post-diagnosis. Long-term survival showed that surgically managed cases and medically managed cases had a median survival time of 730 days (range 1–3802 days) and 183 days (range 1–1216 days), respectively. No statistical significance in short- or long-term survival ( P >0.05) was found between medically and surgically managed groups.

Conclusions and relevance

Feline intracranial abscessation and empyema are uncommon conditions that have historically been treated with combined surgical and medical management. This study documents that, in some cases, intracranial abscessation and empyema can also be successfully treated with medical management alone.
Mechanical performance of marine sandwich composites subjected to flatwise compression and flexural loading: Effect of resin pins
Authors: Balıkoğlu F , Demircioğlu TK , Yıldız M , Arslan N , Ataş A
Published: August 2018

Mechanical performance of marine sandwich panels comprising E-glass/vinyl ester face sheets and perforated poly-vinyl chloride foam core was evaluated and compared with conventional foam core sandwich panels. Circular holes through the foam core thickness were drilled with 12 different arrangements in square patterns and the holes were filled with the resin during the infusion process which created the through-the-thickness solid resin pins. The effect of each pattern on the flatwise compression and core shear properties of the sandwich panels were experimentally investigated. The three-point bending maximum failure load of perforated foam core sandwich panels was increased over 133.8% by increasing the diameter of the resin pins at the expense of increased panel weight up to 67%. The flatwise compression stress to induce core crushing was significantly increased by reinforcing the resin pins.
Relationship between preoperative patient-reported outcomes and hospital length of stay: a prospective cohort study of general surgery patients in Vancouver, Canada
Authors: Sutherland Jason , Liu Guiping , Crump Trafford , Bair Matthew , Karimuddin Ahmer
Published: August 2018

Objectives

As an aging population drives more demand for elective inpatient surgery, one approach to reducing length of stay is enhanced evaluation of patients’ preoperative health status. The objective of this research was to determine whether patient-reported outcome measures collected preoperatively can identify patients at risk for longer lengths of stay.

Methods

This study was based on a prospectively recruited cohort of patients who were scheduled for elective inpatient general surgery in Vancouver, Canada. All participants completed a number of patient-reported outcome measures preoperatively, including the EQ-5D for general health status, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression, and the pain intensity (P), interference with enjoyment of life (E), and interference with general activity (G), known as the PEG, for pain. Patient-reported outcome data were linked to hospital discharge summaries. Multivariate regression was performed to estimate risk of longer lengths of stay, adjusting for patient and clinical characteristics. The primary outcome was length of stay and its associated cost. Data collection took place between October 2012 and November 2016.

Results

Participation among the population of 2307 eligible patients was 50.5%, providing 1165 participants. Preoperative patient-reported outcomes were not concordant with hospital reported diagnoses of depression or pain. Patients’ preoperative depression and pain scores were independently positively associated with longer length of stay after adjusting for patient-level characteristics. Patients whose PHQ-9 score was 10, representing clinically significant depression, were estimated to have a 1.53 day longer hospitalization, which was associated with an estimated incremental hospital cost of $1667.

Conclusions

Preoperative self-reported assessment of depression and pain can assist with identifying patients at higher risk of longer lengths of stay. Patient’s self-reported preoperative measures of depression and pain should be incorporated into patient pathways. They provide opportunities for improving management of general surgery patients and possibly play a role in aligning hospital funding with patients’ needs.
Peripheral vascular manifestation in patients receiving an amphetamine analog: A case series
Authors: Tan GuangMing , Mintz Ari J , Mintz Bruce , Borges Jorge C , Hines Mary Deborah , Schainfeld Robert M , Jaff Michael R , Weinberg Ido
Published: August 2018

Amphetamine and its related derivatives and analogues (ADRA) are highly addictive central nervous system stimulants that are used commonly in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. These medications are associated with many side effects but reports of peripheral arterial manifestations associated with ADRA usage are scarce. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 16 patients (median age 37 years (IQR 31–47), 13 females) referred to a single tertiary referral service while receiving ADRA. Follow-up was available for a median of 3 years (IQR 3–4.5). The most common presentation (62.5%) was mild vasospastic symptoms involving the upper, lower or both extremities. Six patients developed severe manifestations including tissue loss and the need for lower extremity amputation. Most patients (75%) refused to stop the medication during follow-up. Underlying rheumatologic disorders were found in 25% of the patients, and the presence of rheumatologic disease seemed to be associated with more severe vascular manifestations. In conclusion, it is important to search for ADRA usage as part of the differential diagnosis of digital ischemia.
Drumming in excess and chaos: Music, literacy and sustainability in early years learning
Authors: Powell Sarah , Somerville Margaret
Published: August 2018

For children born in the 21st century, the enmeshing of natural and human forces in the survival of the planet requires conceptual and practical innovation. This paper comes from a project funded by the Australian Research Council investigating the integration of literacy and sustainability in early years learning. The methodology employed was ‘deep hanging out’, the purpose of which is to observe without bias or assumption. This paper focuses on a video from a preschool depicting children playing drums and percussion instruments outside, in the playground. We consider the nature of literacy differently, conceptualizing literacy+sustainability within the context of the more-than-human, intra-active world. In our example, the drumming ebbs and flows in intensity, children come and go, rhythms merge then diverge; a chaos of sound and vibration, a refrain of rhythm, movement and bodies, driven by the excess of the earth’s energy and musical force. We see children communicate a sense of the world – with drums, each other, earth – sustained by the vitality of place, the materiality of drums and sound, the energy of earth and the movement of bodies. In this example, we extend the conversation around what literacy and sustainability might look like, offering possibilities for producing new knowledge about literacy and new understandings of sustainability.
The Natural History of Rape
Authors: Azoulay Ariella
Published: August 2018

This article utilizes photographs taken in Berlin just after the end of World War II to reconstruct the history of mass rape that took place in the city during this period and to argue for this event as foundational to post-war democratic political regimes that inscribed imperialism’s ruling logic within a ‘new world order’. In arguing this point, the author refuses the positivist and evidentiary frameworks through which scholars typically work with photographic images, abjuring an over-emphasis on what is or is not seen within the photographic image, instead focusing on the photograph’s affective and sonic registers, as well as other types of inscriptions in the body of the camera and emissions that require another modality of re/coding. By rereading images historically interpreted as documenting Berlin’s destruction alongside and through textual evidence of the mass rape, this analysis challenges the imperial scopic regime that has classified these images as not being photographs of rape, and connects this act of photographic erasure to the Allies’ post-war efforts to present themselves as saviors, thus legitimizing their continued imperial dominance over the world’s populations.
The Cultural Politics of Aspiration: Family Photography’s Mixed Feelings
Authors: Phu Thy , Brown Elspeth H
Published: August 2018

This article describes the relationship between family photography, oral history, and feeling. The authors explore questions about affect and family photography in relationship to black, queer relationality and to Asian, diasporic subjectivities. They argue that the affective modality of family photography for marginalized subjects is that of ‘mixed feelings’, which they analyze through a focus on ‘aspiration’ as central to the visual and affective discourses of family photography, oral history, and diaspora. Working with recent work by Christina Sharpe and Tina Campt, the authors describe aspiration within family photography as indexing both the normative temporalities of capitalist futurity and, at the same time, a utopian technology of black futurity that enables the making of necessary futures outside of white supremacy and heteronormativity. The research is part of a larger photography and oral history project, The Family Camera Network, which the article describes.
Motivations for advance care and end-of-life planning among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults
Authors: Seelman Kristie L , Lewinson Terri , Engleman Lily , Allen Alex
Published: August 2018

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults are more likely than their heterosexual peers to experience health disparities, discrimination from healthcare providers based on sexual orientation, and rejection from their family of origin, all of which can complicate medical care and decision making, as well as end-of-life arrangements. Yet, relatively few studies of lesbian, gay, and bisexual seniors have looked at motivations for advance care and end-of-life planning, which are strategies that can help ensure that healthcare treatment and end-of-life wishes are enacted as desired. The present qualitative study investigated this topic with a purposive sample of nine lesbian, gay, and bisexual and same-gender-loving adults in a metropolitan region of the Southeastern United States. The study involved in-depth face-to-face interviews, followed by a brief pen-and-paper survey. Participants’ ages ranged from 65 to 77; the sample included five men and four women. Six individuals were white/Caucasian, while three were African American/Black. We identified three themes related to motivations for advance care and end-of-life planning: wanting a sense of agency, learning from others, and reducing conflict and confusion for loved ones. We discuss the importance of these findings for social work practice with lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults and for social work education, as well as implications for future research.
Introduction: ‘István Hont as political theorist’
Authors: Sagar Paul , Brooke Christopher
Published: August 2018

István Hont understood his work excavating the structure of 18th century debates as a contribution to contemporary political thinking. This special issue begins to explore some of the avenues he opened.
This is our home: Initiating participatory action housing research with refugee and immigrant communities in a time of unwelcome
Authors: Byrne Kara Ann , Kuttner Paul , Mohamed Abdulkhaliq , Magana Gilberto Rejon , Goldberg Ellen Elisabeth
Published: August 2018

Community Voices for Housing Equality is a participatory action research group made up of community leaders and social workers whose aim is to address inequality and unfairness in housing by centering the voices of tenants. In this article, the core Community Voices for Housing Equality research team narrates and presents findings from phase one of the project, focused on the experiences of tenants with refugee and immigrant background in Salt Lake County, UT. The authors explain how the project emerged and why, describe the process of facilitating critical community dialogues with tenants, share findings from the dialogues, and describe initial actions taken.
A multiple-data-based efficient global optimization algorithm and its parallel implementation for automotive body design
Authors: Xu Bing , Cai Yong
Published: August 2018

The purpose of this article is to improve the convergence efficiency of the traditional efficient global optimization method. Furthermore, we try a graphics processing unit–based parallel computing method to improve the computing efficiency of the efficient global optimization method for both mathematical and practical engineering problems. First, we propose a multiple-data-based efficient global optimization algorithm instead of the multiple-surrogates-based efficient global optimization algorithm. Second, a novel graphics processing unit–based general-purpose computing technology is adopted to accelerate the solution efficiency of our multiple-data-based efficient global optimization algorithm. Third, a hybrid parallel computing approach using the OpenMP and compute unified device architecture is adopted to further improve the solution efficiency of forward problems in practical application. This is accomplished by integrating the graphics processing unit–based finite element method numerical analysis system into the optimization software. The numerical results show that for the same problem, the optimal result of the multiple-data-based efficient global optimization algorithm is consistently better than the multiple-surrogates-based efficient global optimization algorithm with the same optimization iterations. In addition, the graphics processing unit–based parallel simulation system helps in the reduction of the calculation time for practical engineering problems. The multiple-data-based efficient global optimization method performs stably in both high-order mathematical functions and large-scale nonlinear practical engineering optimization problems. An added benefit is that the computational time and accuracy are no longer obstacles.
Workspace exploration and protection with multiple robots assisted by sensor networks
Authors: Kim Jonghoek
Published: August 2018

This article introduces multi-robot strategies making multiple robots explore an unknown environment in a cooperative manner. Our exploration strategies do not require global localization of a robot or a node. Multiple robots build a Voronoi diagram as a topological map of the environment, while deploying sensor nodes which can sense and communicate. As the sensor network built by one robot meets the network built by another robot, both robots can exchange data with each other. The robots then use the merged sensor network to protect the environment. We introduce an intruder capture algorithm assuming that a robot is able to access any intruder’s location utilizing the sensor network. This algorithm is robust to time delay in information sharing utilizing the sensor network. Utilizing the algorithm, we derive upper bounds on the number of robots needed to capture every intruder in the environment. This article proves that the minimum number of robots needed can be computed by finding proper edge covers of the dual graph of the Voronoi diagram.
Applying coordinate fixed Denavit–Hartenberg method to solve the workspace of drilling robot arm
Authors: Ding Feng , Liu Cong
Published: August 2018

Drilling robot is a piece of large rock drilling equipment that integrates mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic technique, and it is a significant device for drilling and blasting. The drilling robot arm is the core component of the robot. To get intuitive and accurate modeling method to overcome the problem of the classic Denavit–Hartenberg method, for instance, the model mismatches the entity. The coordinate system fixed on the entity of Denavit–Hartenberg notation that is named coordinate-fixed Denavit–Hartenberg is creatively presented. The coordinate-fixed Denavit–Hartenberg method not only improves the accuracy and operability of kinematic analysis but also solves the workspace of drilling robot arm effectively. The drilling robot from an intelligent technology company in China is taken as the research example in this article. The homogeneous coordinate transformation matrix of each link rod is established through reasonably simplifying drilling robot arm as a multijoint structure. The coordinate-fixed Denavit–Hartenberg method is utilized for the first time in determining and verifying the kinematics equation of drilling robot arm. The kinematics equation is employed to obtain the effective workspace of drilling robot arm. The analysis results demonstrate that the design of drilling robot arm reaches the need of workspace in the actual structure as well as meets the functional requirements of drilling robot.
Reproducibility, longitudinal validity and interpretability of the Disease Burden Morbidity Assessment in people with chronic disease
Authors: Tyack Zephanie , Kuys Suzanne , Cornwell Petrea , Frakes Kerrie-Anne , McPhail Steven M
Published: August 2018

Objective

To evaluate the reproducibility, longitudinal validity, and interpretability of the disease burden morbidity assessment in people with chronic conditions including multimorbidity.

Methods

The study was conducted using a longitudinal cohort design. A large consecutive sample of adult patients at an Australian community-based rehabilitation service was included with testing at baseline and three-month follow-up (testing longitudinal validity and interpretability). A smaller subsample of patients completed a one-week test–retest (testing reproducibility). Outcome measures included the Disease Burden Morbidity Assessment and 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Participants in the study received tailored, interdisciplinary intervention between baseline, and three-month follow-up but did not typically receive intervention between baseline and retest.

Results

The longitudinal validity and interpretability sample included 351 participants and the reproducibility sample included 56 participants. Longitudinal validity and interpretability were generally supported with hypotheses supported or partly supported and a small percentage of lowest total scores for impact on daily activities (0.6% at baseline, 1.3% at three-month follow-up). Reproducibility parameters were acceptable for the total score measuring impact on daily activities (e.g. ICC = 0.76).

Discussion

Reproducibility, longitudinal validity, and interpretability of the disease burden morbidity assessment were generally supported for community-based chronic disease patients.
Glycated LDL-C and glycated HDL-C in association with adiposity, blood and atherogenicity indices in metabolic syndrome patients with and without prediabetes
Authors: Al Saudi Rawan Mohammad , Kasabri Violet , Naffa Randa , Bulatova Nailya , Bustanji Yasser
Published: August 2018

Background:

The aim of the study was to compare and correlate glycated high-density lipoprotein (GHDL-C) and glycated low-density lipoprotein (GLDL-C) plasma levels with adiposity indices [weight/hip ratio (WHR) and body adiposity index (BAI)], lipid ratios and hematological indices [platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR)].

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional study of 30 nondiabetic metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients, 30 prediabetic or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and 30 normoglycemic controls.

Results:

Remarkably both GHDL-C and GLDL-C levels lacked any intergroup statistically significant discrepancy in either MetS or MetS-pre/T2DM versus control ( p > 0.05). Unlike GLDL-C/LDL-C ratios for either MetS groups; there were highly significant intergroup differences in the means of GHDL-C/HDL-C ratios when comparing both nondiabetic MetS and MetS-pre/T2DM groups versus controls ( p = 0.001). In MetS patients; GHDL-C and GLDL-C proportionally correlated with WHR ( p < 0.05). Also, MetS GHDL-C correlated inversely with MLR and monocytes ( p < 0.05). In MetS-pre/T2DM; GLDL-C directly correlated with BAI, platelet count and PLR ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

GLDL-C and GHDL-C are dysfunctional glucolipotoxicity lipoproteins and may present putatively surrogate biomarkers for prediction/prevention of metabolic disturbances.
The predictive factors of primary head and neck cancer stage at presentation and survival in a developing nation’s tertiary hospital
Authors: Adoga Adeyi A , Kokong Daniel D , Ma’an Nuhu D , Mugu Joyce G , Mgbachi Chukwunonso J , Dauda Ayuba M
Published: August 2018

Background:

Stage of head and neck cancers at presentation is a strong determinant of outcomes.

Objective:

To evaluate predictors of stage of head and neck cancers at presentation and survival in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Patients and methods:

Health records that met the inclusion criteria for head and neck cancers were retrieved using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision and analyzed with associations between variables modeled using logistic regression analysis.

Results:

From a record of 487 head and neck neoplasms, 129 (26.5%) were malignant of which 122 health records met the criteria for analysis consisting of 83 (68.0%) males and 39 (32.0%) females aged 13–85 years (mean = 51 years; standard deviation = ±16 years). Alcohol (odds ratio = 1.99; 95% confidence interval = 1.08–3.69; p = 0.02) and tobacco exposure (odds ratio = 3.07; 95% confidence interval = 1.32–7.16; p = 0.01) were associated with increased odds for advanced tumor stage at presentation. Stage IV cancer (hazard ratio = 1.44; 95% confidence interval = 1.80–2.59), alcohol (hazard ratio = 2.19; 95% confidence interval = 1.18–4.10) and tobacco use (hazard ratio = 3.40; 95% confidence interval = 1.22–8.74) were associated with increased hazards for death.

Conclusion:

Alcohol, tobacco use and smoke from cooking wood are predictive factors for advanced HNC stage at presentation. Stage IV cancer, alcohol and tobacco use were associated with an increased hazard for death.
Evidence for chronic mechanical irritation as a causative factor in oral cancer: application of Bradford Hill criteria
Authors: Piemonte Eduardo David , Lazos Jerónimo
Published: August 2018

Chronic mechanical irritation (CMI) of the oral mucosa has been proposed as a risk factor for oral cancer (OC), but the available evidence is limited and controversial. One of the main limitations is the lack of proper criteria to define and classify CMI. The objective of this narrative review is to apply the Bradford Hill causality criteria to assess such an association based on the published literature. The level of evidence is not conclusive, mainly due to methodological shortcomings. Hence, to systematize future CMI research, we recommend the following items should be included: a clear definition for CMI, ascertaining any temporal association, recording all types of CMI: dental, prosthetic, and functional. Finally, it is important to emphasize that studies dealing with risk factors for OC should not only be restricted to established factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and areca nut consumption but should also consider other factors including the patient’s dental condition. In this regard, CMI, tooth loss, periodontal disease, and many others could be included. The causality criteria set out by Bradford Hill could be used for studying different controversial risk factors for OC.
An Examination of the Relative Associations of Prototype Favorability, Similarity, and Their Interaction With Alcohol and Alcohol-Related Risky Sexual Cognitions and Behavior
Authors: Litt Dana M. , Lewis Melissa A. , Fairlie Anne M. , Head-Corliss Maya K.
Published: August 2018

Prototypes are defined as the image a person holds of the typical person who engages in risk behavior and are comprised of favorability toward the prototype and similarity to the prototype. Despite both being posited as important prototype dimensions, the findings regarding their predictive utility are mixed, and most research has focused on alcohol use and not other related risk behaviors. Thus, the present study examined whether both prototype dimensions (prototype favorability, prototype similarity) as well as their interaction predicted alcohol and alcohol-related sexual cognitions and behavior. Results from 294 emerging adults indicated that prototype similarity (but not prototype favorability or their interaction) predicted both behavioral and cognitive outcomes. Results suggest that researchers utilizing prototypes should be mindful of which prototype dimensions they include in their guiding theory and subsequent clinical applications.
Can the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic Shoulder and Elbow Score Be Reliably Administered Over the Phone? A Randomized Study
Authors: Erickson Brandon J. , Chalmers Peter N. , Newgren Jon , Malaret Marissa , O’Brien Michael , Nicholson Gregory P. , Romeo Anthony A.
Published: August 2018

Background:

The Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic (KJOC) shoulder and elbow outcome score is a functional assessment tool for the upper extremity of the overhead athlete, which is currently validated for administration in person.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to validate the KJOC score for administration over the phone. The hypothesis was that no difference will exist in KJOC scores for the same patient between administration in person versus over the phone.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Fifty patients were randomized to fill out the KJOC questionnaire either over the phone first (25 patients) or in person first (25 patients) based on an a priori power analysis. One week after the patients completed the initial KJOC on the phone or in person, they then filled out the score via the opposite method. Results were compared per question and for overall score.

Results:

There was a mean ± SD of 8 ± 5 days between when patients completed the first and second questionnaires. There were no significant differences in the overall KJOC score between the phone and paper groups ( P = .139). The intraclass correlation coefficient comparing paper and phone scores was 0.802 (95% CI, 0.767-0.883; P < .001), with a Cronbach alpha of 0.89. On comparison of individual questions, there were significant differences for questions 1, 3, and 8 ( P = .013, .023, and .042, respectively).

Conclusion:

The KJOC questionnaire can be administered over the phone with no significant difference in overall score as compared with that from in-person administration.
Racial Expropriation in Higher Education: Are Whiter Hispanic Serving Institutions More Likely to Receive Minority Serving Institution Funds?
Authors: Vargas Nicholas
Published: August 2018

Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) are colleges with 25 percent or higher Latinx student bodies. Categorization as HSI permits institutions to apply for restricted competitive federal grants that are meant to help alleviate Latinx educational inequalities. However, HSI designations have increased fivefold over recent decades, leading to greater competition between them for these racially designated resources. This is the first known study to investigate patterns of racialized resource allocation to this subset of colleges. Multivariate results indicate that HSIs with larger white and smaller black student bodies are more likely to receive competitive funds, whereas the proportion of Latinx and Asian students is unassociated with funding receipt. These findings point to important distinctions among racialized organizations. Despite their overarching categorical racial designations (e.g., Hispanic Serving Institutions), racialized organizations’ institutional proximities to whiteness and distance from blackness may still shape the distribution of opportunities and resources.
Reclaiming Glory of Shehr-i-Khas, Srinagar—Revitalization of Ali Kadal-Maharaj Ganj Area
Authors: Shah Purva Harish , Kaderi Ali Iqbal , Malani Nandan Somnath , Suryavanshi Amol Subhashchandra
Published: August 2018

The core areas of Indian cities present a unique case of survival and degradation co-existing. Once the pulse of Srinagar city, Ali Kadal-Maharaj Ganj area struggles for its existence today. Although the historic urban structure of the city prevails, almost in its authentic form; it lacks the pulse it must have had in medieval period, while it demonstrates potential for tourism with its heritage reserve.

This research derives traces from urban analytical studies of the area to re-invent them for effective modern use. The design effort is to intervene least while upgrading the area to its past glory. The finding of the whole process concludes to an understanding that it may not be restored to its original format; the urban life can revolve around tourism, promotion of local arts and crafts and heritage and suggests relevant design interventions. However, these need to be investigated for public and stakeholder’s opinions.
Understanding the Relationship between Component and Attribute of Cultural Landscapes: Case of Indian Music and Cultural Landscapes
Authors: Venkatachary Balaji , Kawathekar Vishakha
Published: August 2018

The widely recognized definition of ‘Cultural Landscape’ in current practice is borrowed from UNESCO as Combined works of Nature and of Man.1 They are complex entities consisting of multiple layering of built-unbuilt components including intangible cultural aspects. These components are interrelated and interdependent. The landscape evolves together through combined natural and cultural processes. In current discourse and practice of heritage management, value-based assessment is a widely accepted approach. Evaluation of cultural landscapes for its Significance and Value is a complex process that requires an understanding of interwoven layers of components and attributes.2

Systematic understanding of such relationships between components and attributes is still in its infancy. Amongst various such identified intangible agencies, this study chooses to explore music. A study of secondary sources was undertaken. Cultural landscapes nominated as World Heritage Sites and identified Indian sites were systematically examined to understand various components and attributes. Using the indicators from this study and the theoretical framework of sociomusicology, a research design was prepared. Recognizing the historical association of music with the sites on the Kaveri river basin in peninsular India, a reconnaissance study was undertaken for onsite validation. Musical associations were spatially mapped for analysis and the findings are presented.

Systematic understanding of the relationships between components of a cultural landscape and intangible cultural traditions is still in its infancy. The undertaken study is an exploratory work that focuses on understanding the relationship between components of a cultural landscape and ‘intangible attributes’, especially music. A study of secondary sources was undertaken in two parts. In the first part, concept of cultural landscape has been explored. Cultural landscapes nominated as World Heritage Sites were systematically examined to understand various components and attributes. The knowledge helped in formation of indicators for evaluation of cultural landscapes. In the second part of the study, selected case studies of Indian cultural landscapes were studies with the developed indicators. Musical traditions existing in these sites were theoretically reduced to basic components and mapped for analysis.
Malignant melanoma: Claims and controversies
Authors: Stone Christopher A
Published: August 2018

Malignant melanoma is a common cancer in young people and its incidence is rising in the UK. The management of the disease is evolving, with new approaches to the treatment of locally advanced and systemic disease in particular being rapidly developed. Sentinel node biopsy is a valuable treatment option for the staging of melanoma, and completion lymphadenectomy in node-positive patients improves local disease control. However, early clearance of occult microscopic nodal disease has not been proven to confer a melanoma-specific survival advantage. Delays in the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma lead to claims being brought in negligence, but establishing causation in such cases can be difficult.
Two robust imaging methodologies for challenging environments: Wave-equation dispersion inversion of surface waves and guided waves and supervirtual interferometry + tomography for far-offset refractions
Authors: Li Jing , Lu Kai , Hanafy Sherif , Schuster Gerard
Published: August 2018

Two robust imaging technologies are reviewed that provide subsurface geologic information in challenging environments. The first one is wave-equation dispersion (WD) inversion of surface waves and guided waves (GW) for the shear-velocity (S-wave) and compressional-velocity (P-wave) models, respectively. The other method is traveltime inversion for the velocity model, in which supervirtual refraction interferometry (SVI) is used to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of far-offset refractions. We have determined the benefits and liabilities of both methods with synthetic seismograms and field data. The benefits of WD are that (1) there is no layered-medium assumption, as there is in conventional inversion of dispersion curves. This means that 2D or 3D velocity models can be accurately estimated from data recorded by seismic surveys over rugged topography, and (2) WD mostly avoids getting stuck in local minima. The liability is that WD for surface waves is almost as expensive as full-waveform inversion (FWI) and, for Rayleigh waves, only recovers the S-velocity distribution to a depth no deeper than approximately 1/2 to 1/3 wavelength of the lowest-frequency surface wave. The limitation for GW is that, for now, it can estimate the P-velocity model by inverting the dispersion curves from GW propagating in near-surface low-velocity zones. Also, WD often requires user intervention to pick reliable dispersion curves. For SVI, the offset of usable refractions can be more than doubled, so that traveltime tomography can be used to estimate a much deeper model of the P-velocity distribution. This can provide a more effective starting velocity model for FWI. The liability is that SVI assumes head-wave first arrivals, not those from strong diving waves.