bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence of Secondary Surgery after Modified Furlow Palatoplasty: A 20‐Year Single‐Surgeon Case Series
Authors: Chorney Stephen R. , Commesso Emily , Tatum Sherard
Published: June 2017

Objective

To determine the occurrence of velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) requiring surgery and fistula repair after primary palatoplasty using a “modified” Furlow technique.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Academic multidisciplinary cleft and craniofacial center.

Subjects and Methods

Children younger than 18 years at presentation, with unrepaired cleft palate, with or without cleft lip, including submucous clefts, who underwent palatoplasty were included. No cleft patients having primary repair were excluded. All operations were conducted by a single surgeon from March 1994 through December 2013. Charts were reviewed for demographics, cleft type, genetic syndrome, operations performed, and complications, including VPI and oronasal fistula.

Results

In total, 312 consecutive patients underwent primary palatoplasty (160 [51.3%] male) with a median age of repair of 0.95 (range, 0.47‐17.6) years and followed for 6.49 (range, 4.0‐20.2) years. Robin sequence was diagnosed in 109 (34.9%), 104 (33.4%) had alveolar clefts, and 27 (8.7%) had concomitant gingivoperiosteoplasty. A modified Furlow was performed in 289 (92.6%). Overall, 16 (5.1%) required subsequent pharyngeal flap for VPI, and 48 (15.4%) required oronasal fistula repair. Veau class II had higher pharyngeal flap rates (P =. 033). Fistula repair was lower in Veau I (P <. 001) but higher in Veau II (P <. 001) and IV (P =. 002). Older age (P =. 034) and Robin sequence (P =. 017) were associated with higher rates of oronasal fistula repair.

Conclusions

The modified Furlow palatoplasty yields acceptable rates of secondary surgery for VPI without selection based on cleft width. While our oronasal fistula repair rate is high, it is concordant with previous reports and is likely related to our rare use of lateral relaxing incisions.
Usher’s Syndrome Type II: A Comparative Study of Genetic Mutations and Vestibular System Evaluation
Authors: Magliulo Giuseppe , Iannella Giannicola , Gagliardi Silvia , Iozzo Nicola , Plateroti Rocco , Mariottini Alessandro , Torricelli Francesca
Published: June 2017

Objective

Usher’s syndrome type II (USH2) is characterized by moderate to profound congenital hearing loss, later onset of retinitis pigmentosa, and normal vestibular function. Recently, a study investigating the vestibular function of USH2 patients demonstrated a pathologic response to vestibular tests. In this cross‐sectional study we performed vestibular tests of a group patients with genetic diagnosis of USH2 syndrome to demonstrate if vestibular damage is present in USH2 patients.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

Mutated genes of 7 patients with a clinical diagnosis of USH2 were evaluated. Vestibular function was investigated by audiometry, Fitzgerald‐Hallpike caloric vestibular testing, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (C‐VEMPs), ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (O‐VEMPs), and video head impulse test (v‐HIT).

Results

Genetic tests confirmed the USH2 diagnosis in 5 of 7 patients examined, with 1 patient reporting a unique mutation on genetic tests. Four (80%) of the 5 patients with a genetic diagnosis of USH2 showed pathological O‐VEMPs. Two patients (40%) reported bilateral absent or abnormal values of C‐VEMPs. The superior semicircular canal presented a significant deficit in 2 (40%) patients. The same 2 cases showed a pathologic response of the v‐HIT of the horizontal semicircular canal. Finally, the posterior semicircular canal presented a significant deficit in 4 (40.0%) patients.

Conclusion

A vestibular evaluation with vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and v‐HIT seems to identify latent damage to the vestibular receptors of USH2 patients.
Competitive Success of Italian Industrial Districts: A Network-based Approach
Authors: Carbonara Nunzia
Published: June 2017

The article conducts an explorative research on the competitive success of industrial districts (IDs) based on their capacity to adapt and evolve in response to the environmental changes. The aim is to identify the ID structural features supporting adaptation by using the complexity theory. Thus, IDs are considered as complex adaptive systems (CASs) and the ID features that foster adaptation are identified based on the main CAS properties, namely inter-connectivity, heterogeneity and control. To formulate the theory linking the values of the ID structural features with the ID competitive success, a multiple case study is carried out. Finally, three theoretical propositions are derived.

JEL: P13, P17, P48, R10
Responses to intimate partners’ attempts to change health behavior
Authors: Sullivan Kieran T. , Pasch Lauri A. , Schreier Meredith , Healy Melissa
Published: June 2017

Intimate partners seeking to influence one another’s health may do so by providing support for positive health behavior and attempting to change negative health behavior (social control). Research findings examining the effectiveness of intimate partners’ attempts to influence health behavior are mixed however, and the purpose of the present research is to examine individuals’ responses to hypothetical health behavior influence attempts by an intimate partner. Specifically, we examine the role of readiness to change, cognitive appraisals, and affective responses to partner change attempts. Undergraduate students ( n = 185) who reported infrequent exercise or unhealthy eating habits were asked to respond to a variety of tactics an intimate partner might use to try to change their health behavior. In the first phase of the study, we examine a model wherein individuals’ readiness to change influences their perceptions of, and affective reactions to, attempts to influence health behavior and the subsequent likelihood of making a behavioral change. In Phase 2, we use a within-subjects experimental design to simulate changes in readiness and assess resulting changes to affective and perceptual responses to a variety of hypothetical support and control attempts by an intimate partner. The findings indicate that a comprehensive model that includes readiness to change more fully accounts for variance in how individuals respond to partners’ change attempts. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Cognitive processes underlying the self–other perspective in women’s judgments of sexual victimization risk
Authors: Rinehart Jenny K. , Yeater Elizabeth A. , Treat Teresa A. , Viken Richard J.
Published: June 2017

This study examined the cognitive processes underlying self–other differences in women’s judgments of sexual victimization risk, as well as individual difference factors associated with those processes. Participants were 518 undergraduate women between the ages of 18 and 24. The majority of the women were either White (47.5%) or Hispanic (31.9%). Stimuli were 81 vignettes depicting social situations varying in degree of sexual victimization risk and potential impact on the woman’s popularity. Participants imagined either themselves (Self condition) or an anonymous undergraduate woman (Other condition) in the situations and classified each as high or low risk. Participants also completed the Sexual Experiences Survey, Sociosexuality Scale, and Rape Myth Acceptance Scale. Participants’ risk judgments were modeled using two-level, logistic regression, which provided participant-specific estimates of sensitivity and threshold parameters. Women in the Other condition, relative to the Self condition, showed lower thresholds for judging situations as risky and greater sensitivity to risk-relevant information when judging risk. Women higher in sociosexuality showed higher thresholds and reduced sensitivity to both risk and popularity impact information when judging risk, while women higher in rape myth acceptance were more sensitive to popularity impact information when judging risk. These findings suggest that self–other differences in sexual victimization risk judgments are due to differences in both sensitivity and threshold. Sexual assault prevention interventions for college women may be improved by addressing these cognitive processes.
The role of simulation to support donation after circulatory death with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (DCD-ECMO)
Authors: Puślecki Mateusz , Ligowski Marcin , Dąbrowski Marek , Sip Maciej , Stefaniak Sebastian , Kłosiewicz Tomasz , Gąsiorowski Łukasz , Karczewski Marek , Małkiewicz Tomasz , Ładzińska Małgorzata , Zieliński Marcin , Pawlak Aleksander , Perek Bartłomiej , Czekajlo Michael , Jemielity Marek
Published: June 2017

Maintaining the viability of organs from donors after circulatory death (DCD) for transplantation is a complicated procedure, from a time perspective in the absence of appropriate organizational capabilities, that makes such transplantation cases difficult and not yet widespread in Poland. We present the procedural preparation for Poland’s first case of organ (kidney) transplantation from a DCD donor in which perfusion was supported by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Because this organizational model is complex and expensive, we used advanced high-fidelity medical simulation to prepare for the real-life implementation. The real time scenario included all crucial steps: prehospital identification, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), advanced life support (ALS); perfusion therapy (CPR-ECMO or DCD-ECMO); inclusion and exclusion criteria matching, suitability for automated chest compression; DCD confirmation and donor authorization, ECMO organs recovery; kidney harvesting. The success of our first simulated DCD-ECMO procedure in Poland is reassuring. Soon after this simulation, Maastricht category II DCD procedures were performed, involving real patients and resulting in two successful double kidney transplantations. During debriefing, it was found that the previous simulation-based training provided the experience to build a successful procedural chain, to eliminate errors at the stage of identification, notification, transportation, donor qualifications and ECMO organ perfusion to create DCD-ECMO algorithm architecture.
Anti-inflammatory treatment for major depressive disorder: implications for patients with an elevated immune profile and non-responders to standard antidepressant therapy
Authors: Kopschina Feltes Paula , Doorduin Janine , Klein Hans C , Juárez-Orozco Luis Eduardo , Dierckx Rudi AJO , Moriguchi-Jeckel Cristina M , de Vries Erik FJ
Published: June 2017

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and disabling psychiatric disease with rates of non-responsiveness to antidepressants ranging from 30–50%. Historically, the monoamine depletion hypothesis has dominated the view on the pathophysiology of depression. However, the lack of responsiveness to antidepressants and treatment resistance suggests that additional mechanisms might play a role. Evidence has shown that a subgroup of depressive patients may have an underlying immune deregulation that could explain the lack of therapeutic benefit from antidepressants. Stimuli like inflammation and infection can trigger the activation of microglia to release pro-inflammatory cytokines, acting on two main pathways: (1) activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary adrenal axis, generating an imbalance in the serotonergic and noradrenergic circuits; (2) increased activity of the enzyme indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, resulting in depletion of serotonin levels and the production of quinolinic acid. If this hypothesis is proven true, the subgroup of MDD patients with increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, mainly IL-6, TNF-α and IL-1β, might benefit from an anti-inflammatory intervention. Here, we discuss the pre-clinical and clinical studies that have provided support for treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in depressed patients with inflammatory comorbidities or an elevated immune profile, as well as evidences for anti-inflammatory properties of standard antidepressants.
Novel treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: combination of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and modified method with portal vein occlusion for cases with arterioportal shunt: a preliminary study
Authors: Yasui Daisuke , Murata Satoru , Ueda Tatsuo , Sugihara Fumie , Onozawa Shiro , Kawamoto Chiaki , Kumita Shinichiro
Published: June 2017

Background

A novel strategy to combine conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and TACE during portal vein occlusion (TACE-PVO) in the presence of high-flow arterioportal shunt (APS) has been developed to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal invasion.

Purpose

To evaluate the efficacy of this strategy.

Material and Methods

Twenty-five cases of HCC with portal invasion, treated between April 2006 and December 2015, were evaluated. Balloon occlusion of the portal venous outlet was performed in eight cases of high-flow APS when performing TACE. Conventional TACE was performed in the other 17 cases. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Adverse events and deterioration of liver function were also evaluated.

Results

The median survival time (MST) was 12 months. One-, two-, and three-year survival rates were 48.0%, 39.3%, and 26.2%, respectively. Subgroup analysis and multivariate analysis revealed the CLIP score as prognostic factor. MST was 2.5 months in the subgroup with CLIP score ≥4 and 26.0 months in the subgroup with CLIP score ≤3 (hazard ratio = 7.7, 95% confidence interval = 2.3–25.8). Transient elevations of the levels of transaminase and bilirubin were observed; however, deterioration of liver function was infrequent; upgrading of Child-Pugh class in 9.1% of cases.

Conclusion

A novel strategy, combining conventional TACE and TACE-PVO, is effective for HCC with portal invasion. The CLIP score may be useful for considering treatment indication.
Metallosis in a Dog as a Long-Term Complication Following Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: DiVincenzo Mallory J. , Frydman Galit H. , Kowaleski Michael P. , Vanderburg Charles R. , Lai Barry , Oura Trisha J. , Jennings Samuel H.
Published: June 2017

Metallosis is the accumulation of metallic debris in soft tissues resulting from wear following total joint replacement. A dog was evaluated for lameness 4 years after total hip arthroplasty using a titanium alloy and cobalt chromium total hip system. Radiographs revealed severe acetabular component wear, implant-bone interface deterioration, and peri-acetabular osteolysis. During surgical revision, black periarticular tissue surrounded the implants. Histologically, there was fibrosis and granulomatous inflammation with abundant, intra- and extracellular, black, granular material and smaller amounts of clear punctate to acicular material. Laser capture microdissection followed by x-ray fluorescence microscopy indicated the material contained large amounts of titanium with smaller amounts of vanadium, cobalt, and chromium, confirming the diagnosis of metallosis. The clear material was birefringent under cross-polarized light, stained positive with Oil-Red-O, and thus was consistent with polyethylene. Metallosis exhibits characteristic gross and histologic lesions and is a differential diagnosis for aseptic loosening of hip implants.
The politics of conceptualizing the carceral
Authors: Hamlin Madeleine , Speer Jessie
Published: June 2017

This article responds to the call for debate opened by Moran et al.’s ‘Conceptualizing the Carceral in Carceral Geography,’ arguing that how geographers define the carceral has political implications for the work produced in this growing sub-field. While Moran et al. propose detriment, intent, and spatiality as three conditions of carcerality, this commentary instead suggests that geographers adopt Foucault’s metaphor of the carceral continuum as one way to conceptualize how carcerality is enacted across a range of intensities and sites, while avoiding strict typological categorizations of particular spaces. In advocating this more flexible approach, this article emphasizes that geographers must always attend to who is imprisoned, by whom, and to what ends. Failing to consider such structural factors risks de-politicizing geographical analyses of incarceration.
A Traffic Light Grading System of Hip Dysplasia to Predict the Success of Arthroscopic Hip Surgery
Authors: Grammatopoulos George , Davies Owain L.I. , El-Bakoury Ahmed , Gill Harinderjit S. , Pollard Tom C.B. , Andrade Antonio J.
Published: June 2017

Background:

The role of hip arthroscopic surgery in dysplasia is controversial.

Purpose:

To determine the 7-year joint preservation rate after hip arthroscopic surgery in hip dysplasia and identify anatomic and intraoperative features that predict the success of hip preservation with arthroscopic surgery, allowing the formulation of an evidence-based classification system.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Between 2008 and 2013, 111 hips with dysplastic features (acetabular index [AI] >10° and/or lateral center-edge angle [LCEA] <25°) that underwent arthroscopic surgery were identified. Clinical, radiological, and operative findings and the type of procedure performed were reviewed. Radiographic evaluations of the operated hip (AI, LCEA, extrusion index) were performed. Outcome measures included whether the hip was preserved (ie, did not require arthroplasty) at follow-up and the preoperative and postoperative Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS) and Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS). The AI and LCEA were calculated, factored by a measure of articular wear (AIf and LCEAf, respectively), according to the University College Hospital, London (UCL) grading system as follows: AIf = AI × (number of UCL wear zones + 1), and LCEAf = LCEA / (number of UCL wear zones + 1). A contour plot of the resulting probability value of failure for every combination of AIf and LCEAf allowed for the determination of the zones with the lowest and highest incidences of failure to preserve the hip.

Results:

The mean AI and LCEA were 9.8° and 18.0°, respectively. At a mean follow-up of 4.5 years (range, 0.4-8.3 years), 33 hips had failed, requiring hip arthroplasty. The 7-year joint survival rate was 68%. The mean improvements in the NAHS and HOOS were 11 ( P = .001) and 22.8 ( P < .001) points, respectively. The zone with the greatest chance of joint preservation (odds ratio, 10; P < .001) was the green zone, with an AIf of 0° to 15° and an LCEAf of 15° to 25°; in contrast, the zone with the greatest chance of failure (odds ratio, 10; P < .001) was the red zone, with an AIf of 20° to 100° and an LCEAf of 0° to 10°.

Conclusion:

Overall, the 7-year hip survival rate in hip dysplasia appears inferior compared with that reported in femoroacetabular impingement (78%). Hip arthroscopic surgery is associated with an excellent chance of hip preservation in mild dysplasia (green zone: AI = 0°-15°, LCEA = 15°-25°) and no articular wear. The authors advise that the greatest caution should be used when considering arthroscopic options in cases of severe dysplasia (red zone: AI >20° and/or LCEA <10°).
Trends in Cigarette Smoking Among Older Male Adults in China: An Urban–Rural Comparison
Authors: Zhi Kuiyun , Wang Lan , Han Yangdi , Vaughn Michael G. , Qian Zhengmin , Chen Yongjin , Xie Lili , Huang Jin
Published: June 2017

This study compared urban/rural trends in cigarette smoking rates among older male adults in China. Data were derived from the China Health and Nutrition Survey ( N = 5,147). Logistic models were computed to assess the occurrence of cigarette smoking between 1991 and 2011 across urban/rural administrative districts. Cigarette smoking rates remained consistent (about 50%) in rural villages over the last two decades but decreased by about 1.1 percentage points annually in urban neighborhoods. After adjusting for individual and community characteristics, divergent urban/rural trends in cigarette smoking rates did not vary statistically. Trends in cigarette smoking may be associated with unbalanced social and economic development in urban and rural China, and are an indicator of social determinants of health inequalities. Results suggest tobacco control policies and interventions should specifically focus on older adults vulnerable to economic inequality. Findings have implications for health and economic inequality among older adults in general.
Epidemiology and Changes in Mortality of Sepsis After the Implementation of Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines
Authors: Herrán-Monge Rubén , Muriel-Bombín Arturo , García-García Marta M. , Merino-García Pedro A. , Martínez-Barrios Miguel , Andaluz David , Ballesteros Juan Carlos , Domínguez-Berrot Ana María , Moradillo-Gonzalez Susana , Macías Santiago , Álvarez-Martínez Braulio , Fernández-Calavia M. José , Tarancón Concepción , Villar Jesús , Blanco Jesús
Published: June 2017

Purpose:

To determine the epidemiology and outcome of severe sepsis and septic shock after 9 years of the implementation of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) and to build a mortality prediction model.

Methods:

This is a prospective, multicenter, observational study performed during a 5-month period in 2011 in a network of 11 intensive care units (ICUs). We compared our findings with those obtained in the same ICUs in a study conducted in 2002.

Results:

The current cohort included 262 episodes of severe sepsis and/or septic shock, and the 2002 cohort included 324. The prevalence was 14% (95% confidence interval: 12.5-15.7) with no differences to 2002. The population-based incidence was 31 cases/100 000 inhabitants/year. Patients in 2011 had a significantly lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II; 21.9 ± 6.6 vs 25.5 ± 7.07), Logistic Organ Dysfunction Score (5.6 ± 3.2 vs 6.3 ± 3.6), and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores on day 1 (8 ± 3.5 vs 9.6 ± 3.7; P < .01). The main source of infection was intraabdominal (32.5%) although microbiologic isolation was possible in 56.7% of cases. The 2011 cohort had a marked reduction in 48-hour (7% vs 14.8%), ICU (27.2% vs 48.2%), and in-hospital (36.7% vs 54.3%) mortalities. Most relevant factors associated with death were APACHE II score, age, previous immunosuppression and liver insufficiency, alcoholism, nosocomial infection, and Delta SOFA score.

Conclusion:

Although the incidence of sepsis/septic shock remained unchanged during a 10-year period, the implementation of the SSC guidelines resulted in a marked decrease in the overall mortality. The lower severity of patients on ICU admission and the reduced early mortality suggest an improvement in early diagnosis, better initial management, and earlier antibiotic treatment.
Working for Redemption: Formerly Incarcerated Black Women and Punishment in the Labor Market
Authors: Gurusami Susila
Published: June 2017

This article uses 18 months of ethnographic observations with formerly incarcerated black women to contend that they are subjected to what I term rehabilitation labor—a series of unwritten state practices that seek to govern the transformation of formerly incarcerated people from criminals to workers. I reveal that employment is subjectively policed by state agents and must meet three conditions to count as work: reliable, recognizable, and redemptive. I find that women who are unable to meet these employment conditions are framed by state agents as failing to demonstrate an appropriate commitment to their moral—and therefore criminal—rehabilitation, and consequently experience perceived threats of reincarceration. Building a theory of intersectional capitalism, I argue that rehabilitation labor is situated within a broader historical project of making black women legible to the state through the labor market.
Engaging Diverse Men: An Intersectional Analysis of Men’s Pathways to Antiviolence Activism
Authors: Peretz Tal
Published: June 2017

Despite the demonstrated utility of intersectionality, research on men allied with women’s rights movements has largely focused on white, heterosexual, middle-class, young men. This study illustrates the importance of attending to men’s intersecting identities by evaluating the applicability of existing knowledge about men’s engagement pathways to the predominantly African American members of a Muslim men’s anti–domestic violence group and a gay/queer men’s gender justice group. Findings from a year-long qualitative study highlight how these men’s experiences differ from those in the literature. While the Muslim men’s experiences add dimension to the existing knowledge—especially regarding age and parenthood, online interactions, and formal learning opportunities—the gay/queer men’s experiences are not accurately represented within it. Their pathways begin earlier, do not rely on women’s input, do not create a shift in gendered worldview, and lack a pathway narrative because they connect to gender justice through their own intersecting identities and experiences. This suggests that a marginalized identity is not in itself sufficient to alter engagement pathways; the particular type of marginalization matters.
The Institutionalised Undervaluation of Women’s Work: The Case of Local Government Sector Collective Agreements
Authors: Koskinen Sandberg Paula , Törnroos Maria , Kohvakka Roosa
Published: June 2017

This article analyses the role of collective agreements in institutionalising and legitimising the undervaluation of work conducted by women. The undervaluation of women’s work has been identified as one of the main causes of the gender pay gap. Despite this, it continues to escape many of the policy measures on gender pay equity that focus on establishing wage discrimination. The Finnish local government sector provides an interesting case for research on undervaluation, as it has several collective agreements and several wage determination systems for different employee groups. However, a local authority is a single employer, and is obliged by law to treat all employees equally. Although the processes of wage determination vary across different national contexts, institutionalised undervaluation is very likely among highly feminised jobs and occupations worldwide. This article sees wages as social practices that reflect and are shaped by institutional, societal and historical contexts.
Three-dimensional characterization of passive flow control devices over an aircraft carrier ski-jump ramp
Authors: Bardera R , Rodríguez-Sevillano A , León-Calero M , Nova-Trigueros J
Published: June 2017

The aircraft carrier is a key element in modern navies. On-board operations at sea take place under very severe conditions, which affect the aerodynamic flow on the flight deck. The ski-jump ramp is a curved runway that enables the aircraft to take-off using shorter runway distance. However, this geometry generates strong flow disturbances, mainly characterized by a recirculation bubble at the forward end of the ramp. This phenomenon reduces the aircraft performances and increases the pilot’s workload due to the unsteady forces which appear on the control surfaces. Passive flow control appears as a solution to this problem. Wind tunnel experimental research was developed in this study to mitigate the adverse aerodynamic effects of the ski-jump ramp presence. Different devices were tested using particle image velocimetry. Geometrical parameters of the devices were varied to study the effectiveness and select the best solution. Interesting results were found for the columnar vortex generator configurations. The optimum configuration could be applied shortly to the full-scale problem to reduce the adverse aerodynamic effects during take-off maneuvers.
Stability assessment of an airflow distorted military engine’s FAN
Authors: Triantafyllou T , Nikolaidis T , Diakostefanis M , Pilidis P
Published: June 2017

Military aircraft are often subjected to severe flight maneuvers with high angles of attack and angles of sideslip. These flight attitudes induce non-uniformity in flow conditions to their gas turbine engines, which may include distortion of inlet total pressure and total temperature at the aerodynamic interface plane. Operation of the downstream engine’s compression system may suffer reduced aerodynamic performance and stall margin, and increased blade stress levels. The present study presents a methodology of evaluating the effect of inlet flow distortion on the engine’s fan stability. The flow distortion examined was induced to the aerodynamic interface plane by means of changing the aircraft’s flight attitude. The study is based on the steady-state flow results from 27 different flight scenarios that have been simulated in computational fluid dynamics. As a baseline model geometry, an airframe inspired by the General Dynamics/LMAERO F-16 aircraft was chosen, which has been exposed to subsonic incoming airflow with varying direction resembling thus different aircraft flight attitudes. The results are focused on the total pressure distribution on the engine’s (aerodynamic interface plane) face and how this is manifested at the operation of the fan. Based on the results, it was concluded that the distorted conditions cause a shift of the surge line on the fan map, with the amount of shift to be directly related to the severity of these distorted conditions. The most severe flight attitude in terms of total pressure distortion, among the tested ones, caused about 7% surge margin depletion comparing to the undistorted value.
Sirtuin 6 plays an oncogenic role and induces cell autophagy in esophageal cancer cells
Authors: Huang Nan , Liu Zhiwei , Zhu Jiabei , Cui Zhongqi , Li Yuguang , Yu Yongchun , Sun Fenyong , Pan Qiuhui , Yang Qingyuan
Published: June 2017

Sirtuin 6, a member of sirtuin family, is generally regarded as a tumor suppressor as it participates in suppressing hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and MYC transcription activity by deacetylating H3K9 (histone H3 lysine 9) and H3K56 (histone H3 lysine) at promoters of target genes, leading to the aerobic glycolysis inhibition and cell growth suppression. However, its expression has recently been reported to be highly elevated in a series of tumors, including prostate cancer, breast cancer, and non–small cell lung cancer, indicating that sirtuin 6 plays dual roles in tumorigenicity in a cell/tumor type–specific manner. To our knowledge, the biological roles of sirtuin 6 in esophageal cancer cells have still been underestimated. In the study, data from quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction–based assays and immunohistochemical assays revealed that sirtuin 6 was remarkably overexpressed in esophageal squamous tumor tissues. Moreover, its upregulation was closely related with clinical features, such as gender, pathology, tumor–node–metastasis, and cell differentiation. Subsequently, the biological tests showed that it promoted cell proliferation and induced the expression of Bcl2, a key anti-apoptotic factor, in esophageal carcinoma cells. Moreover, using the ratio of LC3II/I, a widely recognized autophagy biomarker, we showed that it apparently induced cell autophagy, which was further confirmed by the autophagy flux assays. In addition, results from western blotting assays and immunoprecipitation assays displayed that sirtuin 6 specifically interacted with ULK1 and positively regulated its activity by inhibiting its upstream factor mammalian target of rapamycin activity. In summary, our studies shed insights into the crucial functions of sirtuin 6 in esophageal carcinoma cells and provide evidence supporting sirtuin 6–based personalized therapies in esophageal carcinoma cell patients.
Invalidation of mitophagy by FBP1-mediated repression promotes apoptosis in breast cancer
Authors: Liu Yifeng , Jiang Yulin , Wang Nian , Jin Qianni , Ji Feihu , Zhong Changli , Zhang Zhiqiang , Yang Junhong , Ye Xiangsen , Chen Tingmei
Published: June 2017

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1, a rate-limiting enzyme in gluconeogenesis, was recently shown to be a tumor suppressor. However, the functions of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 in the regulation of mitophagy and apoptosis remain unknown. Here, we investigated the effects of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 on mitophagy and apoptosis as well as their underlying mechanisms in breast cancer cells. In this work, the messenger RNA and protein expression of various molecules were determined by quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. Gene-expression correlations were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Cancer database and analyzed using cBioPortal. The levels of cellular reactive oxygen species and apoptotic index were detected by flow cytometry. The mitochondrial membrane potentials were assessed with a JC-1 fluorescent sensor. Subcellular structures were observed under a transmission electron microscope. The intracellular distribution of translocase of outer membrane 20 was detected by immunofluorescence staining. Protein–protein interactions were analyzed by immunoprecipitation. Our results indicated that fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 expression was negatively correlated with autophagy level in breast cancer. Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 restrained autophagy activity by increasing the level of p62 and decreasing the levels of LC3 and Beclin 1. Additionally, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 promoted cell apoptosis by upregulating the levels of intracellular ROS and expression of pro-apoptotic proteins such as cleaved PARP, cleaved Caspase 3, and Bax and downregulating the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins such as PARP, Caspase 3, and Bcl-2. Finally, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 limited the efficient removal of diseased mitochondria and reduced the messenger RNA and protein expressions of HIF-1α, BNIP3L/NIX, and BNIP3. More importantly, fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1 facilitated co-action between Bcl-2 and Beclin 1, which may be important in the mechanism of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1–mediated mitophagy inhibition. In summary, loss of mitophagy by fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1–mediated repression promotes apoptosis in breast cancer.
The gendering of coaching from an athlete perspective: The case of Norwegian boxing
Authors: Hovden Jorid , Tjønndal Anne
Published: June 2017

Coaching is a male dominated area of sport. Globally, women coaches represent a small minority and only a few women coach male athletes. In Norway it is estimated that only about 19% of all coaches are women. In this article we engage in issues regarding the gendering of coaching from an athlete perspective. The concerns are how meanings of gender mirror the athletes’ perceptions and experiences of coaching practices. The theoretical framework develops our understanding of gender and how leadership ideals and practices are structured by and through gender. The data material consists of qualitative interviews with Norwegian boxers. The analysis demonstrates that male coaches earn the respect of their boxers more easily than female coaches do. Furthermore, female boxers experience a more open and socially supportive coach–athlete relationship with female coaches. The coach–athlete relationship with male coaches is often shaped by paternalism, which particularly seems to represent a challenge for young female athletes. The interviewees describe sound coaching as consisting of leadership forms associated with both masculine and feminine skills.
Utilizing the PPET Mnemonic to Guide Classroom-Level PBIS for Students With or at Risk for EBD Across Classroom Settings
Authors: Hunter William C. , Barton-Arwood Sally , Jasper Andrea , Murley Renee , Clements Tarol
Published: June 2017

In this article, the authors discuss how the emphasis on classroom-level Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports strategies can establish a foundation for an efficient classroom management program and be utilized as a resource. The strategies described are physical classroom, procedures and rules, explicit timing, and transition (PETT mnemonic). Each strategy can be particularly useful in assisting novice and veteran teachers provide instruction to students with emotional and behavioral disorders within inclusive or self-contained classrooms.
Analysis of the vibration of axially moving viscoelastic plate with free edges using differential quadrature method
Authors: Armand Robinson Mouafo Teifouet
Published: June 2017

The two-dimensional viscoelastic differential constitutive relation is employed in this paper, in order to establish the equation of motion of axially moving viscoelastic rectangular plate. Two boundary conditions are investigated, namely the clamped free and two opposite edges simply supported and two others free. The differential quadrature method is used to solve the resulting complex eigenvalues equation. The influence of boundary conditions on the instability of a moving viscoelastic plate is analyzed firstly, and secondly the effects of system parameters such as plate's viscosity and aspect ratio on the vibration frequencies are presented.
Numerical analysis of stationary variational-hemivariational inequalities with applications in contact mechanics
Authors: Han Weimin
Published: June 2017

This paper is devoted to numerical analysis of general finite element approximations to stationary variational-hemivariational inequalities with or without constraints. The focus is on convergence under minimal solution regularity and error estimation under suitable solution regularity assumptions that cover both internal and external approximations of the stationary variational-hemivariational inequalities. A framework is developed for general variational-hemivariational inequalities, including a convergence result and a Céa type inequality. It is illustrated how to derive optimal order error estimates for linear finite element solutions of sample problems from contact mechanics.
Patients with paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis are at higher risk of cognitive impairment in adulthood: An Italian collaborative study
Authors: Ruano Luis , Branco Mariana , Portaccio Emilio , Goretti Benedetta , Niccolai Claudia , Patti Francesco , Chisari Clara , Gallo Paolo , Grossi Paola , Ghezzi Angelo , Roscio Marco , Mattioli Flavia , Stampatori Chiara , Simone Marta , Viterbo Rosa Gemma , Amato Maria Pia
Published: June 2017

Background:

Patients with paediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (POMS) could be at an increased risk for cognitive impairment (CI), given the potential harmful effects of disease activity in neurodevelopment. However, there is scarce information on their long-term cognitive outcomes.

Objective:

To compare the prevalence and profile of CI between adults with a history of POMS and those with classic, adult-onset multiple sclerosis (AOMS).

Methods:

Cognitive performance was assessed through the Brief Repeatable Battery (BRB) and the Stroop Test in consecutive patients referred to six Italian MS centres. CI was defined as impairment in ⩾2 cognitive domains.

Results:

In all, 119 patients with POMS and 712 with AOMS were included in this analysis. The prevalence of CI was 48.0% in AOMS, 44.5% in POMS; with similar neuropsychological profile between the two groups. However, when adjusting for current age, we found a significantly increased risk for CI (odds ratio (OR) = 1.71; p = 0.02) and for impairment in information processing speed (OR = 1.86; p < 0.01) in patients with POMS. A higher Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) was also identified in POMS ( p = 0.03) compared with AOMS patients.

Conclusion:

Patients with a history of POMS appear to be at higher risk of physical and cognitive disability than AOMS patients, after correcting for age effects, with particular involvement of information processing speed.
Standard German vowel productions by monolingual and trilingual speakers
Authors: Schoormann Heike E , Heeringa Wilbert , Peters Jörg
Published: June 2017

Aims and Objectives:

Studies on vowel productions of speakers from bilingual communities report not only interactions between the first and second language, but also monolingual-like realizations. The present study expands a prior acoustic investigation of Saterland trilinguals by studying the substrate effect of Saterland Frisian and Low German on the trilinguals’ standard language Northern Standard German. The research aim is to test whether the Northern Standard German vowel productions of the Saterland trilinguals approach the productions of monolingual speakers in terms of durational and spectral features.

Design:

We elicited three repetitions per speaker of the complete inventory of stressed Northern Standard German monophthongs in /hVt/ context to compare the realizations of Northern Standard German vowels in trilingual speakers from Saterland and in monolingual speakers from Hanover, whose variety of Northern Standard German is representative of the larger speech community.

Data and analysis:

In an acoustic analysis, we compared the durational and spectral features using linear mixed effects models. The findings are interpreted with reference to the cross-linguistic vowel productions of the trilingual speakers.

Findings:

For the larger part, the Northern Standard German vowel productions of the trilinguals approach the productions of the monolingual speakers in terms of both durational and spectral features. In addition, the vowel productions of the trilingual speakers suggest a bidirectional interaction between the vowel systems of the trilinguals’ three languages.

Originality:

This investigation is the first to study phonetic interference in vowel production in a situation of long-term language contact involving regional trilingualism and an endangered minority language.

Implications:

Our findings show an orientation towards the larger speech community in the realization of vowel categories in the trilinguals’ standard language. Our study also suggests that the complete inventory needs to be studied to understand the functional constraints by which the multilingual vowel space is organized. It further suggests that a comparison of multilingual with monolingual speakers is necessary to draw conclusions on the mutual subphonemic influence of the individual vowel systems.
Flutter performance of long-span suspension bridges under non-uniform inflow
Authors: Tang Haojun , Li Yongle , Shum KM
Published: June 2017

This study takes an ideal thin flat plate as a bridge deck section and derives its flutter derivatives at different angles of attack as well as different wind directions using computational fluid dynamics simulations. The effects of wind velocity distribution, angle of attack, and wind direction on flutter performance of a long-span suspension bridge under non-uniform inflow are then analyzed by the finite element program ANSYS. The results show that the adverse effects of higher wind velocities or larger angles of attack on the flutter performance of bridge are more remarkable than the beneficial effects of lower components when the inflow is non-uniform, leading to the reduction of flutter stability, and the decreasing range increases with the increase in non-uniformity of inflow. Moreover, the flutter critical state of bridge could be even controlled by the antisymmetric torsional modal branch if the inflow with a larger angle of attack at which the streamlined plate presents the characteristics of a bluff body acts on the two ends of bridge simultaneously. For skew wind, increasing yaw angle is favorable to the improvement of the flutter critical wind speed of bridge, but the flutter performance is mainly governed by lower yaw angles when the inflow is non-uniform.
The agency of patients and carers in medical care and self-care technologies for interacting with doctors
Authors: Nunes Francisco , Andersen Tariq , Fitzpatrick Geraldine
Published: June 2017

People living with Parkinson’s disease engage in self-care for most of the time but, two or three times a year, they meet with doctors to re-evaluate the condition and adjust treatment. Patients and (informal) carers participate actively in these encounters, but their engagement might change as new patient-centred technologies are integrated into healthcare infrastructures. Drawing on a qualitative study that used observations and interviews to investigate consultations, and digital ethnography to understand interactions in an online community, we describe how patients and carers living with Parkinson’s participate in the diagnosis and treatment decisions, engage in discussions to learn about certain topics, and address inappropriate medication. We contrast their engagement with a review of self-care technologies that support interactions with doctors, to investigate how these artefacts may influence the agency of patients and carers. Finally, we discuss design ideas for improving the participation of patients and carers in technology-mediated scenarios.
Re-energising the role of vitalism theory in child development, nature orientation and research
Authors: Carlyle Donna
Published: June 2017

This article discusses the merits of vitalism theory in practice. It suggests a more creative and ecological approach to vitalism theory in the field of child health and development as a way of unlocking childhood potential and research innovation. By using an example from the author’s doctoral research concept (based on Deleuzian ideas) for children, viewing children socially, culturally and philosophically as ‘vectors of entanglements’, the author seeks to demonstrate and encourage the application of vitalism across health, education and participatory research.
Assessing the climate of public opinion in the user comments era: A new epistemology
Authors: Soffer Oren
Published: June 2017

This article examines the role of user comments in evaluating the climate of public opinion. It aims to evaluate the relevance of quasi-statistical assessment of public opinion – which was tailored to traditional media – to the digital era. The article, based on 21 interviews with Israeli users of news websites, argues that comments-browsing on the Internet gives a new meaning to the notion of a quasi-statistical assessment of public opinion. The aggregation of different comments, each of which contains an implicit cue for the climate of public opinion, transforms them together into a direct cue. The effect of the merging of journalistic contents with user-generated contents side-by-side on the same website is also evaluated through the perspectives of persuasive press inference and exemplification theories.
Nepali private schools and tolerated illegality: A Foucauldian analysis of privatisation of education in Nepal
Authors: Sharma Poudyal Chandra
Published: June 2017

The Education Act 1971 is the main policy document under which schools in Nepal are operated. With the change in political regime, this policy has been amended as per the ideology of the incoming regime. Although private schools started to show their influence in Nepal in the late 1980s, excessive growth of private schools began with the neoliberal policy adopted by the incoming political parties soon after Nepal became a multiparty democratic country in the early 1990s. However, with the Maoists becoming a dominant political force in the country in the late 1990s, several challenges in the operation of private schools began. Issues such as closing down or monitoring of private schools are now common mass media headlines. This paper analyses such a situation in the operation of private schools in Nepal. It uses primary sources of data collected via semi-structured interviews with teachers, administrators and principals of two private schools located in the capital city of Nepal, Kathmandu. It also uses secondary sources that include mass media output and other documentary sources such as documents from private schools’ associations and government policy related to private schools. This study found that operation of private schools in Nepal is comparable to what Michel Foucault calls tolerated illegality.