bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Implant Success in Patients with Dental Aplasia
Authors: Attia Sameh , Schaper Ella , Schaaf Heidrun , Pons-Kühnemann Jörn , Schlenz Maximiliane Amelie , Streckbein Philipp , Böttger Sebastian , Howaldt Hans-Peter , Wilbrand Jan-Falco
Published: June 2019

Introduction. Dental aplasia is an anomaly in which the number of teeth is reduced. It is the most commonly occurring dental anomaly during tooth development. Treatment management of patients with dental aplasia is challenging.Objectives.The aim of this retrospective clinical study was to analyze the survival and success rates of dental implants placed in hypodontic patients, rated with different criteria.Methods.Forty-three patients were diagnosed with dental aplasia and treated with dental implants between November 2000 and February 2016. The variables assessed included the plaque level, bleeding on probing, probing depth, implant mobility, implant stability, and implant loss. To analyze the peri-implant bone level, a panoramic X-ray of each patient was taken. The results were compared with X-rays taken immediately after implantation.Results. Thirty-seven patients (16 males; 21 females) participated in this study. In total, 155 implants (86 maxillary; 69 mandibular) were inserted. Two of the 155 implants failed; thein situsurvival rate was 98.7%. The success rate according to the criteria of Buser et al. was 96.8%, and that according to the criteria of Albrektsson et al. was 88.4%.Conclusion.The survival and success rates of dental implants in patients with congenitally absent teeth were very high and did not differ significantly from results achieved in an unaffected population. Dental implants are a reliable therapy for patients with dental aplasia.
Targeted Transforaminal Epidural Blood Patch for Postdural Puncture Headache in Patients with Postlaminectomy Syndrome
Authors: Choi Yu Na , Kang Sang Ji , Joo Jin Deok , Kim Yu Mi , In Jang Hyeok , Park Yoo Jung
Published: June 2019

Postdural puncture headache is a leak of cerebrospinal fluid that lowers intracranial pressure and usually presents as a positional headache. If conservative treatments are not successful, the epidural blood patch is the gold standard of the treatment for dural puncture. The interlaminar approach is the most commonly used technique for an epidural blood patch. This case report describes a patient who was treated with a transforaminal epidural blood patch for postdural puncture headache following an acupuncture procedure on his lower back after two epidural blood patches using an interlaminar approach had failed. The patient underwent an acupuncture therapy for management of chronic low back pain due to postlaminectomy syndrome. After the procedure, the patient had a severe headache and the conservative treatment was not effective. The two interlaminar epidural blood patches at the L2–3 level and at the L3–4 level were failed. We performed transforaminal epidural blood patch at the L3–4 and L4–5 levels on the left side, the site of leakage in the MRI myelogram. His symptoms finally subsided without complication. This case demonstrates that targeted transforaminal epidural blood patch is a therapeutic option for the treatment of postdural puncture headache when epidural blood patch using an interlaminar approach is ineffective.
Ventilation-Like Mechanical Strain Modulates the Inflammatory Response of BEAS2B Epithelial Cells
Authors: Spassov Sashko G. , Kessler Christoph , Jost Rebecca , Schumann Stefan
Published: June 2019

Protective mechanical ventilation is aimed at preventing ventilator-induced lung injury while ensuring sufficient gas exchange. A new approach focuses on the temporal profile of the mechanical ventilation. We hypothesized that the temporal mechanical strain profile modulates inflammatory signalling. We applied cyclic strain with various temporal profiles to human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS2B) and assessed proinflammatory response. The cells were subjected to sinusoidal, rectangular, or triangular strain profile and rectangular strain profile with prestrain set to 0, 25, 50, or 75% of the maximum stain, static strain, and strain resembling a mechanical ventilation-like profile with or without flow-controlled expiration. The BEAS2B response to mechanical load included altered mitochondrial activity, increased superoxide radical levels, NF-kappaB translocation, and release of interleukin-8. The response to strain was substantially modulated by the dynamics of the stimulation pattern. The rate of dynamic changes of the strain profile correlates with the degree of mechanical stress-induced cell response.
DNA Repair Deficiency in Breast Cancer: Opportunities for Immunotherapy
Authors: Gilmore Elaine , McCabe Nuala , Kennedy Richard D. , Parkes Eileen E.
Published: June 2019

Historically the development of anticancer treatments has been focused on their effect on tumor cells alone. However, newer treatments have shifted attention to targets on immune cells, resulting in dramatic responses. The effect of DNA repair deficiency on the microenvironment remains an area of key interest. Moreover, established therapies such as DNA damaging treatments such as chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors further modify the tumor microenvironment. Here we describe DNA repair pathways in breast cancer and activation of innate immune pathways in DNA repair deficiency, in particular, the STING (STimulator of INterferon Genes) pathway. Breast tumors with DNA repair deficiency are associated with upregulation of immune checkpoints including PD-L1 (Programmed Death Ligand-1) and may represent a target population for single agent or combination immunotherapy treatment.
A Geostatistical Approach to Spatial Quality Assessment of Coarse Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing Products
Authors: Park No-Wook , Kyriakidis Phaedon C.
Published: June 2019

A geostatistical framework for spatial quality assessment framework of coarse resolution remote sensing products is presented that can account for either the scale difference or the uncertainty of reference value prediction at coarse resolutions. A set of multiple reference field realizations is first generated at a fine spatial resolution using geostatistical simulation to explore the uncertainty in the true unknown reference field. The upscaling of multiple reference field realizations to coarse resolution is then followed to match the spatial resolution of the target remote sensing product and create coarse resolution reference fields. The simulated reference values at each coarse pixel are compared to the corresponding reported value from the coarse resolution remote sensing product, yielding alternative error values, from which several location-dependent statistics such as mean error, mean absolute error, and probability of overestimation can be computed. An experiment involving monthly Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation products and point-level rain gauge data over South Korea illustrates the applicability of the proposed approach. The spatially distributed error statistics are useful to identify areas with larger errors and the degree of overestimation in the study area, leading to the identification of areas with unreliable estimates within the TRMM precipitation products. Therefore, it is expected that the geostatistical assessment framework presented in this paper can be effectively used to evaluate the spatial quality of coarse resolution remote sensing products.
ROCK Inhibitor-Induced Promotion of Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Motility during Wound Healing
Authors: Kamao Hiroyuki , Miki Atsushi , Kiryu Junichi
Published: June 2019

Purpose. No standard therapy for RPE tear, a complication of neovascular age-related macular degeneration, exists even though RPE tears cause severe vision loss, and promotion of cell proliferation and/or migration could be a candidate RPE tear therapy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Rho-associated coiled-coil containing kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y27632 on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell motility during wound healing. Methods. Human RPE cells were cultured in media with and without 10 μM Y27632. A luminescent cell viability assay and vinculin immunocytochemistry were used to test the Y27632 effect on RPE cell adhesion. The mean size of vinculin puncta was quantified from immunofluorescence images. RPE cell motility during wound healing was evaluated using time-lapse imaging and measuring cell migration distances and cell coverage rate in wound fields. Results. The number of adhered RPE and mean size of vinculin puncta were, respectively, 20519 cells and 3.65 μm2 under nontreatment and 23569 cells and 0.66 μm2 under Y27632 treatment. Cell migration distance and cell coverage percentage for untreated and Y27632-treated cells were 98.9 and 59.4% and 203.4 and 92.5%, respectively. Conclusions. Inhibition of ROCK signaling by using 10 μM Y27632 promoted RPE cell motility during wound healing by reducing RPE cell adhesion strength.
Numerical Simulation on Thermodynamics Performance in the Fireproof Sealing by Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Gao Shuai , Zhu Guoqing , Gao Yunji , Chai Guoqiang , Zhou Jinju
Published: June 2019

In this paper, the finite element analysis was firstly employed to investigate the thermal analysis on two fireproof sealing models with ANSYS software under HC standard temperature‐time condition. The main thermal parameters were analyzed and obtained, including temperature field, thermal flux, and thermal gradient. After comparing the two fireproof sealing models, the major conclusions are summarized as follows: In terms of temperature field, the temperature on the left side of the first model ranges from 60 to 524°C in. In contrast, the highest temperature on the left side of the second model eventually reaches below 151°C. Moreover, the vectors of thermal gradient in the first model are compared with the second model, and the temperature gradient disturbance is more obvious in the second fireproof sealing model, which is better to slow down temperature spreading. The accelerated speed of E1 and G1 is 0.0096°C/s and 0.0619°C/s partly, which are far more than C2 and F2 with values of 0.0028°C/s and 0.0078°C/s, respectively. In a word, the performance of the first fireproof sealing model is inferior to the second fireproof sealing model. The conclusions of the study are meaningful to improve the thermodynamic performance of the fireproof sealing in the converter station.
Soluble NKG2D Ligands Are Potential Biomarkers and Sentinels of Immune-Mediated Bone Marrow Injury in Bone Marrow Failure Syndromes
Authors: Murata Shogo , Mushino Toshiki , Hosoi Hiroki , Kuriyama Kodai , Nishikawa Akinori , Nagakura Shoichi , Horikawa Kentaro , Yonemura Yuji , Nakakuma Hideki , Sonoki Takashi , Hanaoka Nobuyoshi
Published: June 2019

Immune-mediated processes are considered important in the pathogenesis of bone marrow failure syndromes (BFS). We previously reported that natural killer group 2D (NKG2D) ligands were expressed on pathological blood cells of patients with BFS and that NKG2D immunity may be involved in bone marrow failure. In addition to membranous NKG2D ligands on the cell surface, soluble NKG2D ligands can exist in plasma. We therefore examined the relationship between soluble NKG2D ligands and blood cell counts in 86 patients with BFS, including aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome with single lineage dysplasia, and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Approximately half of the BFS patients were positive for soluble NKG2D ligands in the plasma by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and soluble NKG2D ligand-positive BFS patients exhibited severe cytopenia regardless of membranous NKG2D ligand expression. In vitroanalyses demonstrated that soluble ULBP1, an NKG2D ligand, down-regulated NKG2D receptors on CD2-positive cells in peripheral blood. Moreover, soluble ULBP1 attenuated the cytotoxic effects of peripheral blood mononuclear cells on K562, which express membranous ULBP1. Our results suggest that soluble NKG2D ligands can be easy-to-measure biomarkers for the prediction of activity of immune-meditated bone marrow injury in BFS and that soluble NKG2D ligands suppress redundant immune-mediated bone marrow injury.
ФАКТОРИ РИЗИКУ ГIПЕРТОНIЧНОЇ ХВОРОБИ
Authors: Zhavrichenko K. V.
Published: June 2019

У статті проаналізовано фактори ризику виникнення гіпертонічної хвороби в Україні та за її межами, а також фактори, що спричиняють виникнення цього захворювання.
Salvador e os sentidos: estratégias de comunicação na web para a construção da marca-cidade
Authors: Sampaio Adriano de Oliveira , Silva Lea Maria Botelho da , Fontes Lorena Maria Caliman
Published: June 2019

En este artículo analizamos el fenómeno de la marca-lugar en la web. Para ello, examinamos dos videos de propaganda elaborados por el Ayuntamiento de la ciudad de Salvador de Bahía, como una estrategia para atraer a los turistas. En este estudio, buscamos identificar los atributos y valores de la “marca-lugar” de la ciudad de Salvador por intermedio de sus estrategias de comunicación y marketing elaboradas por el órgano de turismo municipal llamado Saltur, en el ambiente propuesto por las redes sociales online, en particular su canal de YouTube.
Marketing, empoderamento e interatividade: o ethos discursivo da marca Lola Cosmetics na Ecologia virtual
Authors: Silva Marcelo Pereira da , Rossi Jéssica de Cássia , Trindade Ana Carolina
Published: June 2019

A ecologia da comunicação estimula a multiplicidade de vozes na relação organização-público, alargando a negociação de interesses em relação ao engajamento social das marcas como empoderamento feminino. Analisamos o ethos da Lola Cosmetics no Facebook quanto aos lançamentos “Boa noite, Cinderela” e “Abusa de mim” em 2015. Apesar de a marca proporcionar modos amistosos de aproximação com suas consumidoras e assumir publicamente seus erros, ainda carece (re)pensar suas estratégias comunicativas para minimizar conflitualidades e eliminar a dessincronia entre discurso e prática organizacional.
A contação de histórias de vida pelas organizações: a presença da diversidade nas narrativas institucionais
Authors: Oliveira Ivone de Lourdes , Moreira Jeane
Published: June 2019

Este artigo propõe entender como as organizações estão contando histórias de vida que abordam temas sobre diversidade de gênero, raça e LGBT+. As transformações da sociedade e o cenário midiatizado as levam a investir em narrativas que valorizam temas da agenda social no sentido de construir um conceito mais adequado às demandas contemporâneas. Para essa reflexão foi feita uma pesquisa no YouTube, revisão bibliográfica sobre a temática e análise de conteúdo da websérie Eu sou bonita? (2018), da Avon.
Novos sentidos para a comunicação estratégica no contexto das organizações: diálogo e produção de sentido
Authors: Oliveira Rosângela Florczak de
Published: June 2019

Os princípios da complexidade de Morin possibilitam (re)conhecer um mundo em transformação, no qual a racionalidade instrumental perde força e passa a conviver com abordagens que situam as organizações, os vínculos e as relações entre sujeitos em ambientes marcados pela complexidade e pela incerteza. Nesse contexto, passamos a compreender a comunicação estratégica que acontece no contexto das organizações a partir do diálogo – baseado na alteridade – proporcionado pelas interações, que podem ser espontâneas ou estrategicamente geridas.
Kiyozawa Manshi and the Spirit of the Meiji
Authors: Curley Melissa Anne-Marie
Published: June 2019

Seishinshugi 精神主義, a term associated with the work of Meiji Buddhist reformer Kiyozawa Manshi 清沢満之 (1863–1903), is often read as exemplifying a spiritual turn in mid-Meiji Japan, centering an inner realm of private experience in a reaction against the rationalization of the early Meiji period. This paper considers the use of the term seishin in Kiyozawa’s early work. It finds him treating seishin in two distinct but connected contexts: as a psychological term, influenced particularly by his reading of English physician William Benjamin Carpenter (1813–1885), and as a philosophical term, in conversation with Hegel’s philosophy of spirit. It suggests that an understanding of seishin as developing progressively toward more and more complex forms of consciousness or self-awareness found in both Kiyozawa’s psychological and philosophical writing sheds new light on other aspects of Kiyozawa’s early career.
Azerbaijan’s Russia Conundrum: Towards the Rise of an Unlikely Alliance
Authors: Ismayilov Murad
Published: June 2019

Since Heydar Aliyev, the father of the incumbent president Ilham Aliyev, became the country’s president in 1993, Azerbaijan has been known for its staunch pursuit of a so-called “balanced” policy in its relations with the outside world, particularly Russia and the West. Whereas in the past this policy tended to be “balanced” more in favor of the West as far as Azerbaijan’s strategic interests were concerned, Baku’s political disposition has shifted decidedly towards Russia in recent years. Over the past decade, several developments on the national, regional, and global levels have worked to gradually alter the long-established regional dynamic and alignment patterns, bringing Azerbaijan back into the Russian fold. This article’s objective is to critically examine those developments to shed more light on the nature of Azerbaijani-Russian relations today and their prospects for the future.
On the Issue of Regional Political Parties in Russia
Authors: Zalyaev Rustem
Published: June 2019

The article deals with issues relating to the establishment of regional political parties in Russia. We assess the requirements imposed by the Political Parties Act (Federal Law 95-FZ of 11 July 2001) on the number of regional branches of a political party and analyze whether those requirements, which set an indirect ban on the creation and the activities of regional political parties, comply with the right of individuals to freedom of association. One of the conclusions made in the article is that the legislative restriction on the right to freedom of association introduced by the Political Parties Act as an indirect ban on the creation and the activities of regional political parties in Russia is excessive, it is disproportionate to the objective sought to be achieved by the measure in question and hinders the exercise of the right to freedom of association at the regional territorial level.
Two new combinations and a new synonym in the genus Odontarrhena (Brassicaceae)
Authors: ŠPANIEL STANISLAV
Published: June 2019

In the recent treatment of the tribe Alysseae (Španiel et al. 2015), many taxa of the genus Alyssum Linnaeus (1753: 650) were transferred to Odontarrhena C.A.Mey. ex Ledebour (1830: 15). Odontarrhena clearly differs from Alyssum in molecular markers and morphological characters such as a predominantly compound inflorescence and monospermous locules of silicles (versus a usually simple raceme and silicles with two seeds in each locule). A list of accepted species and numerous new combinations of Odontarrhena were recently published (Španiel et al. 2015). However, two species names, Alyssum mozaffarianii Kavousi (2001: 48) and A. baldaccii Vierhapper ex Nyárády (1928: 123), were previously overlooked or misinterpreted and their respective combinations within Odontarrhena were not established. The new combinations are presented here together with taxonomic notes, a new synonym and newly designated lectotypes of four names of Odontarrhena taxa.
Morphology and DNA barcoding reveal three cryptic species within the Xylophanes neoptolemus and loelia species-groups (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae)
Authors: VAGLIA THIERRY , HAXAIRE JEAN , KITCHING IAN J. , MEUSNIER ISABELLE , ROUGERIE RODOLPHE
Published: June 2019

Two species complexes within the genus Xylophanes are addressed using a combination of morphological study and analysis of DNA barcode sequences. The existence of two and three cryptic species respectively within the X. loelia and X. neoptolemus complexes is revealed following consideration of both adult habitus and genital morphology, and the results of a phylogenetic analysis of partial COI sequences—DNA barcodes—for 38 specimens. The taxonomic status of the available names is discussed and to clarify and stabilize the confused nomenclature of this group, a neotype for Sphinx neoptolemus Cramer, 1780, and lectotypes for Choerocampa loelia Druce, 1878 and Chaerocampa trilineata Walker, [1865], are designated. We describe three new species: X. lolita n. sp. Vaglia and Haxaire; X. balcazari n. sp. Haxaire and Vaglia; and X. cthulhu n. sp. Haxaire and Vaglia. The first is endemic to southeastern Brazil and closely allied to X. loelia; the second two are relatives of X. neoptolemus, of which the first is known only from Guerrero and Michoacán states in Mexico while the second is widely distributed in lowland forests of Central America.
Aphelocheirus (Aphelocheirus) narmadaensis sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Nepomorpha: Aphelocheiridae) from Madhya Pradesh, India
Authors: THIRUMALAI G.
Published: June 2019

Aphelocheirus (Aphelocheirus) narmadaensis sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Aphelocheiridae) is described and illustrated from Central India (Madhya Pradesh). A list of congeners so far known from India and their distributional records are provided.
A new species of the genus Philautus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Truong Son Range, Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam
Authors: TRUONG NGUYEN QUANG , HENDRIX RALF , BÖHME WOLFGANG , THANH VU NGOC , ZIEGLER THOMAS
Published: June 2019

We describe a new species of the rhacophorid genus Philautus from the Truong Son, based on two voucher specimens from montane evergreen and karst forests within Quang Binh Province, central Vietnam. Philautus quyeti sp. n. is distinguished from all other small-sized rhacophorid treefrogs with reduced finger webbing by the combination of the following characters: size relatively small; head longer than wide; vomerine teeth absent; tympanum distinct, rounded, wider than disc of finger III; supratympanic fold indistinct; dermal fringe along outer side of forearm, tibia, tarsus and toe IV absent; skin not lumpy or spinulous, dorsal head, back and upper part of flank rough with small sharp tubercles; dark brown pattern forming an inverse Y, notably a triangular spot between eyes that is separated into two bands that continue posteriorly on the back; throat and margin of throat and chest yellow white with brown marbling.
Gecko on the rocks: an enigmatic new species of Gonatodes (Sphaerodactylidae) from Inselbergs of the Venezuelan Guayana
Authors: RIVAS GILSON A. , SCHARGEL WALTER E.
Published: June 2019

A new species of diurnal gecko of the genus Gonatodes is described from Inselbergs (granite outcrops) on the western peripheral lowlands of the Guiana Shield, Venezuela. The new species can be distinguished from all congeners by the following characters: large size (the new species is the largest known sphaerodactyl gecko), supraciliary spine absent, females with immaculate brown dorsal coloration, and a subcaudal scale pattern found in only one other species in the genus. The new species is also unique in the genus in being restricted to rock outcrops and shows potential adaptations to this type of habitat.
The status of the genus Hokkaidocephala Tenora, Gulyaev & Kamiya, 1999 (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae), parasites of the endemic Japanese field mice (Apodemus spp.)
Authors: HAUKISALMI VOITTO , ASAKAWA MITSUHIKO , GUBÁNYI ANDRÁS
Published: June 2019

The present study reconsiders the status of the genus Hokkaidocephala Tenora, Gulyaev & Kamiya, 1999 by examining available specimens of the type species H. apodemi (Iwaki, Tenora, Abe, Oku & Kamiya, 1994) (syn. Andrya apodemi) and comparing them with related anoplocephaline cestodes. It is shown that Hokkaidocephala apodemi does not differ fundamentally from related genera in the development of the reproductive organs, contrary to the argument of Tenora et al. (1999). In Hokkaidocephala and related genera (Anoplocephaloides Baer, 1923 s. str. and Microcephaloides Haukisalmi, Hardman, Hardman, Rausch & Henttonen, 2008), sperm appears in the seminal receptacle (female organ) simultaneously or slightly earlier than in the seminal vesicles (male organs) and the ovary and vitellarium are absent in postmature proglottides where testes still persist and usually reach their maximum size. However, Hokkaidocephala is considered here a valid genus differentiated from the related genera by its unique uterine structure and development. Presently, Hokkaidocephala includes two host-specific species [H. apodemi and H. baeri (Rausch, 1976) n. comb. (= Anoplocephaloides baeri Rausch, 1976)] parasitizing endemic Japanese field mice (primarily Apodemus argenteus).
Cave water walker: an extremely troglomorphic Troglaphorura gladiator gen. et sp. nov. (Collembola, Onychiuridae) from Snezhnaya Cave in the Caucasus
Authors: VARGOVITSH ROBERT S.
Published: June 2019

A new springtail genus and species of the family Onychiuridae, Troglaphorura gladiator gen. et sp. nov., is described from deep Snezhnaya (Snow) Cave System (-1760 m) in the West Caucasus. Postantennal organ with only a single unlobed vesicle, sense organ of third antennal segment with sensory rods of complex structure, foot complex with missing empodia and extremely long thin claws as well as relatively long appendages, primitive dorsal chaetotaxy and presence of 1+1 pseudocelli on the head posterior part are extraordinary characters within the family but diagnostic for new genus and species. Extreme troglomorphy of new species is discussed. It was sampled in epineustonic habitats in bottom part of the cave and represents a genuine example of troglomorphic neustonic and hygropetric collembolan life form—a cave water walker.
Review of leaf beetles from the genus Entomoscelis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in Kazakhstan and Central Asia
Authors: MIKHAILOV YURI E.
Published: June 2019

From the leaf beetle genus Entomoscelis only E. adonidis (Pallas) has been reliably recorded for Kazakhstan and major parts of Central Asia so far. Distribution of E. adonidis is first mapped in Kazakhstan in connection to natural zonation. Besides, the records of this species in Central Asia are summarized, southern and south-eastern borders of its distribution area are first clearly demonstrated. E. pilula Lopatin described from Azerbaijan and hitherto known only from the Caucasus is first recorded from Western Kazakhstan. E. sacra is recorded from South Kazakhstan and for the first time from South Urals in Russia and Ukraine. The identity of E. sacra is discussed. A key is provided for the Entomoscelis species from Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Trans-Caspian type of distribution of E. pilula is discussed from a zoogeographical point of view.
Impacts of Dust–Radiation versus Dust–Cloud Interactions on the Development of a Modeled Mesoscale Convective System over North Africa
Authors: Huang Chu-Chun , Chen Shu-Hua , Lin Yi-Chiu , Earl Kenneth , Matsui Toshihisa , Lee Hsiang-He , Tsai I-Chun , Chen Jen-Ping , Cheng Chao-Tzuen
Published: June 2019

This study evaluates the impact of dust–radiation–cloud interactions on the development of a mesoscale convective system (MCS) by comparing numerical experiments run with and without dust–radiation and/or dust–cloud interactions. An MCS that developed over North Africa on 4–6 July 2010 is used as a case study. The CloudSat and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellites passed over the center of the MCS after it reached maturity, providing valuable profiles of aerosol backscatter and cloud information for model verification. The model best reproduces the MCS’s observed cloud structure and morphology when both dust–radiation and dust–cloud interactions are included. Our results indicate that the dust–radiation effect has a far greater influence on the MCS’s development than the dust-cloud effect. Results show that the dust-radiative effect, both with and without the dust–cloud interaction, briefly delays the MCS’s formation but ultimately produces a stronger storm with a more extensive anvil cloud. This is caused by dust–radiation-induced changes to the MCS’s environment. The impact of the dust–cloud effect on the MCS, on the other hand, is greatly affected by the presence of the dust–radiation interaction. The dust–cloud effect alone slows initial cloud development but enhances heterogeneous ice nucleation and extends cloud lifetime. When the dust–radiation interaction is added, increased transport of dust into the upper portions of the storm—due to a dust–radiation-driven increase in convective intensity—allows dust–cloud processes to more significantly enhance heterogeneous freezing activity earlier in the storm’s development, increasing updraft strength, hydrometeor growth (particularly for ice particles), and rainfall.
Management of Vocal Fold Paralysis and Dysphagia for Neurologic Malignancies in Children
Authors: Nagy Peter , Beckmann Nicholas , Cox Steven , Sheyn Anthony
Published: June 2019

Objectives:

To evaluate our experience with a significant number of brain malignancy–related vocal fold paralysis patients and their response to vocal cord–related therapies.

Background:

Vocal fold paralysis is a potentially devastating complication of various types of pediatric diseases and surgeries that can lead to significant vocal and swallowing difficulties. While there is significant data in the literature on outcomes of children treated for vocal fold paralysis following cardiac or thyroid surgery, there is a scarcity of such information on children following the treatment of neurologic malignancy.

Methods:

Records of 19 patients at a tertiary center who were treated for neurologic malignancies and developed either unilateral or bilateral vocal fold paralysis were reviewed for vocal fold pathology and vocal fold paralysis treatment-related variables, including initial diagnosis, management with observation or speech therapy, duration of therapy, pre- and postintervention swallow studies, and surgical intervention.

Results:

Bilateral vocal fold paralysis was noted in 26% (5/19) patients. Eighty-four percent (16/19) of patients had stable or improved ability to vocalize and swallow following therapy. There was no statistically significant difference in speech or swallowing improvement after speech therapy alone or speech therapy in combination with injection laryngoplasty ( P = .25). No complications were noted with surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

Patients with vocal fold paralysis secondary to neurologic malignancy can have an improvement in speech and swallowing after a variety of treatments, including speech therapy or early injection laryngoplasty. There was no statistically significant difference in improvement based on the type of intervention utilized. A larger sample size is needed to conclude whether surgical intervention combined with speech therapy leads to more rapid and significant functional improvement than speech therapy alone.
Critical realism: A better way to think about middle powers
Authors: Jeong Monica S
Published: June 2019

The fundamental problem in middle power scholarship lies in the research design that inadvertently permits bias, tautology, and circularity in the process of realizing the final outcome. Most researchers begin with a presumption that middle powers are countries in the middle range of the world order, capable and willing to play some constructive roles beyond their borders. Thus, they tend to select methods and data compatible with the given presumption, and reach predictable outcomes that determine middle power status by middle power behaviours, or middle power behaviours by middle power status. This is an epistemic fallacy where the ontic category of middle powers is defined by the epistemic knowledge of middle powers. Eventually, any countries with comparable characteristics/behaviours to the given presumption can be classified as “middle powers” conducting middle power behaviours. This article offers critical realism as a much-needed remedy to the stagnant middle power scholarship. It examines a group of countries already categorized as middle powers—Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, and Australia (MIKTA)—under a critical realist framework, and finds that those countries and their activities cannot be generalized by the conventional middle power conception. In fact, the middle power rhetoric itself holds both a positive and negative ideological implication that requires further scrutiny. Yet, what makes the critical realist research design and its findings invaluable is the commitment to ontological realism, epistemological relativism, and judgmental rationalism that addresses the recurring epistemic fallacy. Therefore, the research findings are not merely new insights about “middle power” countries; they are a valid clue that can help uncover the “real” world that causes the so-called “middle power” categorization.
A surprising spat: The causes and consequences of the Saudi–Canadian dispute
Authors: Juneau Thomas
Published: June 2019

In August 2018, Saudi Arabia expelled the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh, recalled its own ambassador in Ottawa, and imposed sanctions on Canada. This overreaction to tweets by the Canadian foreign ministry demanding the release of jailed activists was consistent with the pattern of foreign policy assertiveness that has accompanied the rise of Mohammed bin Salman (MbS). The Saudi–Canadian spat is not very important: bilateral ties were never essential for either country. But the dispute carries lessons for Canada and its allies as they reflect on future ties to the Kingdom. This partnership was always necessary but costly. MbS, however, has amplified and exposed these costs. By bringing unprecedented scrutiny to Saudi actions, recent events have opened a window of opportunity for Canada and its allies to re-evaluate relations. They should increase pressure on Riyadh to change the costliest aspects of its policies. Should this fail, they should downgrade the partnership.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat as an orchestrator in global climate policymaking
Authors: Hickmann Thomas , Widerberg Oscar , Lederer Markus , Pattberg Philipp
Published: June 2019

Scholars have recently devoted increasing attention to the role and function of international bureaucracies in global policymaking. Some of them contend that international public officials have gained significant political influence in various policy fields. Compared to other international bureaucracies, the political leeway of the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has been considered rather limited. Due to the specific problem structure of the policy domain of climate change, national governments endowed this intergovernmental treaty secretariat with a relatively narrow mandate. However, this article argues that in the past few years, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat has gradually loosened its straitjacket and expanded its original spectrum of activity by engaging different sub-national and non-state actors into a policy dialogue using facilitative orchestration as a mode of governance. The present article explores the recent evolution of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat and investigates the way in which it initiates, guides, broadens and strengthens sub-national and non-state climate actions to achieve progress in the international climate negotiations.

Points for practitioners

The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change has lately adopted new roles and functions in global climate policymaking. While previously seen as a rather technocratic body that, first and foremost, serves national governments, the Climate Secretariat increasingly interacts with sub-national governments, civil society organizations and private companies to push the global response to climate change forward. We contend that the Climate Secretariat can contribute to global climate policymaking by coordinating and steering the initiatives of non-nation-state actors towards coherence and good practice.
Understanding the influence of laminate stacking sequence on strain/stress concentrations in thin laminates at repair holes with large scarf angles
Authors: Damghani Mahdi , Bakunowicz Jerzy , Murphy Adrian
Published: June 2019

Scarf repair is widely used in the restoration of structural performance of damaged aircraft secondary structures. Such repairs result in reduced thickness sections which are significantly larger than those associated with typical fastener holes. Significant literature exists on the distribution of strain/stress concentration in fastener hole geometries, both straight sided and countersunk, but is lacking for the geometries associated with shallow scarf angles and thin laminates. Hence, herein three-dimensional finite element models are developed to understand the influence of stacking sequence and scarf angle on strain/stress concentrations. The results demonstrate and quantify for the first time that strain concentrations are not only dependant on the laminate membrane stiffness but also on laminate bending stiffness, due to the anisotropy created as a result of scarfing angle, hole geometry and laminate thickness. Scarfing is demonstrated, for typical repair geometry associated with foreign object damage (hole diameter 20 mm, scarf angles 3° to 7°), to elevate strains by up to 2.5 times when compared to equivalent diameter straight-sided holes in laminates of thickness ≈1 mm.
Performance of FRP confined and unconfined engineered cementitious composite exposed to seawater
Authors: Mohammedameen Alaa , Çevik Abdulkadir , Alzeebaree Radhwan , Niş Anıl , Gülşan Mehmet Eren
Published: June 2019

Conventional concrete suffers from brittle failures under mechanical behaviour, and lack of ductility results in the loss of human life and property in earthquake zones. Therefore, the degree of ductility becomes significant in seismic regions. This paper investigates the influence of poly-vinyl alcohol fibers, basalt fiber-reinforced polymer (BFRP) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) fabrics on the ductility and mechanical performance of low (LCFA) and high (HCFA) calcium fly ash-based engineered cementitious composite concrete. The study also focuses on the mechanical behaviour of the CFRP and BFRP materials using different matrix types exposed to 3.5% seawater environment. Cyclic loading and scanning electron microscopy observations were also performed to see the effect of chloride attack on mechanical performance and ductility of the specimens. In addition, utilization of CFRP and BFRP fabrics as a retrofit material is also evaluated. Results indicated that the degree of ductility and mechanical performance were found to be superior for the CFRP-engineered cementitious composite hybrid specimens under ambient environment, while LCFA-CFRP hybrid specimens showed better performance under seawater environment. The effect of matrix type was also found significant when engineered cementitious composite is used together with fiber-reinforced polymer materials. In addition, both fiber-reinforced polymer materials can be used as a retrofit material under seawater environment.
“Institutions Don’t Hug People:” A Roadmap for Building Trust, Connectedness, and Purpose Through Photovoice Collaboration
Authors: True Gala , Davidson Lawrence , Facundo Ray , Meyer David V. , Urbina Sharon , Ono Sarah S.
Published: June 2019

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently increased support for inclusion of Veterans and family caregivers as collaborators on the research that affects them. In this article, the authors—two VA investigators, two Veterans, and two caregivers—draw from nearly a decade of participatory action research to highlight the methods we have employed to build and sustain collaboration. These methods include the following: using ethnographic approaches to engender trust, treating informed consent as an ongoing process, and sustaining engagement through shared dissemination of findings. We also consider impacts of engaged research that lie outside the parameters of what traditionally “count” as outcomes and that have helped us maintain our collaborative relationships even during periods between funding. We provide examples of how community engagement has bridged Veteran communities and VA, and how the use of visual and narrative methods of dissemination has led to social connectedness and repurposing of Veterans’ and caregivers’ mission as advocates. Our goal is to inform those who wish to conduct this type of research, to further pull research efforts in this direction, and to demonstrate the value of collaborative research from the point of view of those who have been engaged in it.
The Chronic Sick Role: Its Time Has Come
Authors: Schipke Timothy
Published: June 2019

The concept of roles has been crucial to the theoretical understanding of the construction of the dying process and the subjective experience of dying. Talcott Parsons first outlined the sick role in 1951. Beginning in the early 1960s, the academic literature recognized that those with chronic illness do not fit the criteria for the sick role as Parsons defined it. Since the introduction of hospice and palliative care, a new intermediate role has been constructed by the medical system. This role has been designated the chronic sick role. Formally defining the intermediate role between the sick and dying roles will help alleviate the issue of role confusion and serves to define what is now a gray and liminal phase between sickness and dying.
Who Does What Work in a Ministerial Office: Politically Appointed Staff and the Descriptive Representation of Women in Australian Political Offices, 1979–2010
Authors: Taflaga Marija , Kerby Matthew
Published: June 2019

Women are underrepresented within political institutions, which can (negatively) impact policy outcomes. We examine women’s descriptive representation as politically appointed staff within ministerial offices. Politically appointed staff are now institutionalised into the policy process, so who they are is important. To date, collecting systematic data on political staff has proved impossible. However, for the first time we demonstrate how to build a systematic data set of this previously unobservable population. We use Australian Ministerial Directories (telephone records) from 1979 to 2010 (a method that can notionally be replicated in advanced democratic jurisdictions), to examine political advising careers in a similar manner as elected political elites. We find that work in political offices is divided on gender lines: men undertake more policy work, begin and end their careers in higher status roles and experience greater career progression than women. We find evidence that this negatively impacts women’s representation and their later career paths into parliament.
Embracing Urbanity: Child Care Arrangements and Motherhood Anxiety in China’s Urban Transition
Authors: Dai Haijing
Published: June 2019

“Urbanization of places” in China has produced a large group of landless farmers, who have never left their home villages but are compelled to adjust to an urban way of life. Using ethnographic data collected in three transitional communities, this study examines the transformation of child care arrangement patterns in the families of landless farmers during this transition. Generation-based child care arrangements, in which both paternal grandparents become primary caregivers of children, while their parents take up full employment in the city, have replaced the previous gender-based pattern. Although the new arrangements create challenges for the newly urbanized families, they are largely accepted by all family members because they are in line with the “urban” values of efficiency and survival. But these values still conflict with the ideals of urban motherhood, and this contradiction often leaves the mothers of young children feeling guilty and anxious. This study enriches the literature on family child care construction under structural changes and reflects on the meaning of urbanization in China.
Histological analysis of failed submucosa patches in congenital cardiac surgery
Authors: Heinisch Paul Philipp , Banz Yara , Langhammer Bettina , Stocker Evelyn , Erdoes Gabor , Hutter Damian , Carrel Thierry , Kadner Alexander
Published: June 2019

Objective

Porcine small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix is a biological substitute used in cardiovascular surgery to correct congenital heart defects. Previous studies with this material have shown satisfactory results. In contrast, there are singular reports of patch-associated complications with CorMatrix small intestinal submucosa extracellular matrix. We report the histopathological findings of explanted extracellular matrix patches that were removed because of early failure in patients with congenital heart defects.

Methods

Explanted patch materials from 4 patients (aged 9 months to 41 years), who underwent reoperation due to early patch failure, were analyzed. Initial surgery comprised one aortic valve reconstruction, one pulmonary valve reconstruction, one atrioventricular septal defect repair, and one aortic arch enlargement. The interval between operations ranged from 69 to 553 days.

Results

Residual extracellular matrix patch material was evident at explantation in all cases and presented as a structured eosinophilic and anucleate specimen. In two cases, a local focus of scarring and pseudocartilaginous transformation with evidence of calcification was found. There was no evidence of absorption of patch material in any case, nor repopulation by organized tissue formation.

Conclusions

Histologic examination of explanted extracellular matrix patches showed no evidence of resorption or relevant repopulation with resident cells nor formation of functional tissue structures. In contrast, a mixed chronic inflammatory infiltration, early signs of calcification, and scarring as well as focal pseudocartilaginous transformation were found. Considering recent reports, close follow-up of patients with extracellular matrix patches is recommended to evaluate the performance of this novel material and detect potential problems.
Framework for Rigorous Analysis of Moisture-Related Structural Damage in Flexible Pavements
Authors: Asadi Mojtaba , Kottayi Nivedya Madankara , Tirado Cesar , Mallick Rajib Basu , Mirchi Ali , Nazarian Soheil
Published: June 2019

The infiltration of water from precipitation through the hot mix asphalt layers in flexible pavements can lead to significant decrease in the moduli of the underlying layers, especially the base layer. As a result, the weakened pavement structure can suffer more damage and deteriorate faster compared with the same pavement under its normal condition. The objective of this study is to develop a framework that can lead to public-domain software that highway agencies can use on a regular basis to conduct a rigorous analysis of the moisture-related structural damage in flexible pavements. A framework of a numerical analysis that integrates the unsaturated hydraulic analysis with finite element structural performance has been developed using two open-source software packages. The framework has been applied to different pavement structures with different drainage systems. Analyses show a significantly longer period of time when the base layer experiences high degrees of saturation in a pavement with poor drainage compared with that for a pavement with proper drainage. Consequently, it is demonstrated that the pavements weakened because of moisture infiltration suffer a significantly higher amount of damage for a longer period of time under traffic, and thus experience shorter service lives. The proposed framework can be potentially used to evaluate and improve the resilience of pavement networks against extreme events that cause heavy precipitation, as well as to evaluate the impact of drainage structures and conditions on life during structural analysis and design of pavements.