bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What Fueled the Far-Reaching Impact of the Windhoek Declaration and Namibia Plan of Action as a Milestone for Gender Mainstreaming in UN Peace Support Operations and Where Is Implementation 20 Years Later?
Authors: Lahoud Nina J.
Published: July 2020

Acknowledging that progress in gender mainstreaming was woefully deficient, the United Nations (UN) Department of Peacekeeping Operations organized a May 2000 Seminar in Windhoek on “Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective in Multidimensional Peace Support Operations”, hosted by the Namibian Government, which produced two ground-breaking outcome documents that had an enormous impact on the adoption of landmark UN Security Council resolution 1325 on “Women and peace and security” five months later. Through the lens of the author’s first-hand account, the article unpacks and scrutinizes the ways in which the Seminar’s visionary Windhoek Declaration and the more operational Namibia Plan of Action came into being and had such a critical impact on that milestone resolution, and what specific factors ignited this exceptional outcome, including the role played by the host country. Through this prism, three key factors and the infectious effect of each are described, providing insights into the evolving Seminar dynamics and the interplay of inspiring speakers, Working Group deliberations, and strategic plenary sessions. The article also highlights, however, that the promises of the Windhoek Declaration, Namibia Plan of Action, and resolution 1325 have still not been fulfilled twenty years later, even though the hopes of conflict-affected women had been re-ignited in 2015 with Security Council resolution 2242’s sweeping calls for action and a stark Global Study on the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 presenting robust recommendations for action to fill the many gaps. As the 20th anniversary of resolution 1325 approaches, a rallying cry of hope is directed to all those who believe in the need for women to be fully involved as equal partners in all peace and security processes that this struggle can still be accelerated to achieve the results envisaged if top UN leadership spearheads a bold time-bound initiative to steer the course forward. But will this rallying cry be embraced?
Book Reviews
Authors: Nagelkerke G.A. , Telkamp Gerard J. , Graaf H.J. , Coolhaas W.Ph. , Grijns C.D. , Wolff John H. , Ploeg A. , Barth Fredrik , Teeuw A. , Aveling H. , Dijk C. , Smit C. , Claessen H.J.M. , Husin Ali S. , Romkes J.J. , Needham Rodney , Avé J.B. , Jensen Erik
Published: July 2020

- G.A. Nagelkerke, Gerard J. Telkamp, Bouwstoffen voor de sociaal-economische geschiedenis van Indonesië van ca. 1900 tot 1940; een beschrijvende bibliografie; Koloniale studiën, 1916-1941; Koloniaal tijdschrift, 1912-1941. Amsterdam, Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen, 1977. 89 pp. - H.J. de Graaf, W.Ph. Coolhaas, Generale Missiven van Gouverneur-Generaal en Raden aan Heren XVII der Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie. Deel VI: 1698-1713. Uitgegeven door Dr. W.Ph. Coolhaas. Martinus Nijhoff, ‘s-Gravenhage 1976. XVI & 1000 blzn. Rijks Geschiedkundige Publicatiën. Grote Serie no. 159. - C.D. Grijns, John H. Wolff, Beginning Indonesian. Two parts, Southeast Asia Program, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 1971, 534 + 556 pp. tapes. - A. Ploeg, Fredrik Barth, Ritual and knowledge among the Baktaman of New Guinea. Universitetsforlaget, Oslo / Yale University Press, New Haven, 1975, 292 pp., maps, plates, figures, appendices, index. - A. Teeuw, Harry Aveling, Contemporary Indonesian poetry. Poems in Bahasa Indonesia and English by W.S. Rendra, Ajip Rosidi, Subagio Sastrowardojo, Toeti Heraty, Taufiq Ismail, Goenawan Mohamad, Sapardi Djoko Damono. Edited and translated by Harry Aveling. University of Queensland Press, Asian and Pacific Writing 5, St Lucia, Queensland 1975. 261 pp. - C. van Dijk, C. Smit, De dekolonisatie van Indonesië. H.D. Tjeenk (edition), Oxford University Press, 176 pp. - H.J.M. Claessen, S. Husin Ali, Malay peasant society and leadership. Kuala Lumpur: Oxford University Press, 1975. 192 pp. Bibliography, register, maps, tables, figures. - J.J. Romkes, Rodney Needham, Belief, language and experience. Basil Blackwell, Oxford 1972. XVII, 269 p. - J.B. Avé, Erik Jensen, The Iban and their Religion. Oxford Monographs on social anthropology. Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1974, VIII, 242 pp.
Book Reviews
Authors: KITLV Redactie
Published: July 2020

- C. von Fürer-Haimendorf, Bernard Pignède, Les Gurungs. Une population himalayenne du Népal. École pratique des hautes études-Sorbonne. Le monde d’outre-mer passé et présent. Études XXI. Mouton & Co. Paris - La Haye 1966. 414 pp., illustrated.- C. von Fürer-Haimendorf, Matthias Hermanns, Die religiös-magische Weltan-schauung der Primtivstamme Indiens. Band II. Die Bhilala, Korku, Gond, Baiga. Franz Steiner Verlag. Wiesbaden 1966. 571 pages, 70 illustrations, 1 map.- J. Gonda, Vidyanand “Videh”, The exposition of the Vedas, vol. I (translated from Hindi), Veda-Samsthana, Ajmer, India, 1964. 133 p.- J. Gonda, Vidyanand “Videh”, The Vedic prayers, translated from Hindi by B. Bhushan Hajela, Veda-Samsthana, Ajmer, India, 1964. 108 p.- Edmund R. Leach, M. Nash et al., Anthropological Studies in Theravada Buddhism. Yale University: South East Asia Studies. Cultural Report Series No. 13 (1966). xiv, 236 pp., with maps, charts, glossary.- Frank M. le Bar, L.M. Hanks, Ethnographic notes on Northern Thailand. Cornell University Southeast Asia Program. Data Paper No. 58. Ithaca, 1965. xi, 94 pp., maps, tables., J.R. Hanks, Lauriston Sharp (eds.)- Lorenz G. Löffler, Lucien Bernot, Les paysans arakanais du Pakistan oriental; l’histoire, le monde végétal et l’organisation sociale des réfugiés Marma (Mog). Le Monde d’Outre-Mer Passé et Présent, lère série: Études XVI, Mouton & Co, Paris-La Haye 1967, 793 pp. (en deux volumes).- C.H.M. Nooy-Palm, Donn V. Hart, Southeast Asian birth customs, three studies in human reproduction. Behavior Science Monographs, Human Relations Area Files Press. New Haven, Connecticut 1965. 303 pp., Phya Anuman Rajadhon, Richard J. Coughlin (eds.)- J.W. Minderhout, Charles F. Keyes, Isan: Regionalism in northeastern Thailand. Data Paper: nr. 65, Southeast Asia Program, Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, March 1967. 86 pp.- J.M. Pluvier, Truong Buu Lam, Patterns of Vietnamese response to foreign intervention: 1858-1900. Monograph Series No. 11 Southeast Asia Studies, Yale University, 1967. 151 blz.- P. Zoetmulder, C. Hooykaas, Surya-Sevana, the way to God of a Balinese Siva priest. Amsterdam, N.V. Noord-Hollandsche Uitgevers Maatschappij, 1966. 225 pp.- Ch. J. Grader, Clifford Geertz, Person, time and conduct in Bali: An essay in cultural analysis. Cultural Report Series no. 14, Southeast Asia Studies, Yale University, New Haven 1966. 85 pp.- ,
Jesuit Cardinals: An Introduction
Authors: Maryks Robert A.
Published: July 2020

The strong resistance of Ignatius of Loyola (c.1491–1556), first superior general of the Society of Jesus (1541–56), to the promotion of his confrères to ecclesiastical offices of (arch)bishops and cardinals because such posts were contrary to the spirit of religious life, requires a brief explanation. Ignatius’s opposition was codified in the Jesuit Constitutions with a requirement that each professed Jesuit promise not to accept such dignities. Nonetheless, Loyola and his successors were occasionally pressured to acquiesce to possible papal appointments of different Jesuits to such offices. This issue of the Journal of Jesuit Studies focuses on six of approximately forty-nine cardinals (the definition of Jesuit cardinal can be sometimes tricky for the early modern period). These six represent different historical periods from the late sixteenth until the early twenty-first centuries and different geographical areas, both of origin and of operation (they did not always coincide): Péter Pázmány (1570–1637), Johann Nidhard (1607–81), Giovanni Battista Tolomei (1653–1726), Johann Baptist Franzelin (1816–86), Pietro Boetto (1871–1946), and Adam Kozłowiecki (1911–2007).
Green product awareness has the potential to promote green consumer behaviour: Evidence from Kuala-Lumpur
Authors: Ogiemwonyi Osarodion , Harun Amran Bin
Published: July 2020

Awareness can influence consumer judgment while making a decision, and thus can help to restore a positive image in the marketplace. The present study was based on 262 green consumer samples, considering awareness as a direct antecedent for green consumer behaviour, and treating the role of attitude as an intermediary construct. Notably, empirical findings for this link are inconsistent. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLSv3.0 was applied to analyze the data, while examining nine hypotheses. Despite discrepancies reported in past studies and although awareness was constantly essential but not sufficient for green behaviour, both green product awareness and green consumer behaviour were empirically significant. The study also confirmed the Attitude-Behaviour-Context (ABC) theory developed to interpret green behaviour on contextual variables, which were all empirically significant. Green attitude mediated the relationship between awareness and green behaviour. But it showed no path to the relationship between green value, green trust and green behaviour when examining indirect effects. This study provides new insights into the potential strategy that could be used to improve positive green behaviour. These findings can help policymaker formulate strategies to promote green behaviour in a circular economy like Malaysia.
Transcriptome analysis of genes related to cadmium absorption and transportation in pepper
Authors: Wang Riyong , Dai Xiongze , Lv Junheng , Zhang Zhuqing , Ou Lijun
Published: July 2020

Heavy metal pollution has become a serious global problem in soil contamination. Cadmium (Cd) is a ubiquitous environmental toxic pollutant to plants, which can greatly affect their growth and development, or even lead to their death. In the present study, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis to identify the regulators and pathways that were involved in Cd absorption and transportation in the roots, leaves and fruits of wild-type and mutant pepper plants. A total of 883,591,943 million reads were mapped to the reference genome, and 33,927 genes were identified. Sample reads and the reference genome alignment efficiency were between 78.99% to 84.57%. Finally, 798 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the roots, leaves and fruits of the mutant and wild-type plants, including 80 up-regulated DEGs and 718 down-regulated DEGs. The DGEs were mostly related to the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. In addition, some vital DEGs were identified in absorption/transportation-related pathways, such as ABC transporter and P-type ATPase. The results revealed that several genes were related to the regulation of Cd absorption and transportation. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of Cd absorption and transportation in pepper.
Tiny but “strong”: the European Leaf-toed gecko, Euleptes europaea, a terrestrial vertebrate able to survive on tiny islets
Authors: Delaugerre Michel Jean , Corti Claudia
Published: July 2020

The present paper focuses on the ability of the European Leaf-toed gecko, Euleptes europaea, an endemic species of the western Mediterranean, to live in low-nutrient habitats. Its distribution is mainly insular and particularly noteworthy is its ability to live on islets and rocks. This work includes data originating from surveys carried out on 111 islands surrounding the island of Corsica (France) in search of herpetofauna. E. europaea is able to survive on the smallest islets, with low habitat complexity, suggesting a pre-adaptation of this species to island life. Moreover, high population densities associated with a low biomass seem to facilitate survival on island.
The importance of the Brazilian Subtropical Highland Grasslands evidenced by a taxonomically verified endemic species list. Phytotaxa 452 (4): 250-267 (ERRATUM)

Authors: PLÁ C. , KÜLKAMP J. , HEIDEN G. , NIC LUGHADHA E. , IGANCI J.
Published: July 2020

ERRATUM
Review of Oculogaster Kluge 2016 (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae, Procloeon Bengtsson 1915)
Authors: KLUGE NIKITA J.
Published: July 2020

The subgenus Oculogaster Kluge 2016 is divided into two species groups: the «African group» includes Procloeon (Oculogaster) cylindroculum Kimmins 1956, P. (O.) barnardi sp. n., P. (O.) niger sp. n., unnamed species P. (O.) sp. «Wolfkloof» and presumably P. (O.) silvicola Gillies 1997; the «Asian group» includes P. (O.) album Kluge 2016, P. (O.) regularum Müller-Liebenau & Hubbard 1985, P. (O.) malabarensis sp. n., presumably Procloeon julia (Gillies 1949) comb. n. and unnamed species P. sp. «Thailand-3», P. sp. «Sulawesi» and P. sp. «Philippines». New South African species P. (O.) barnardi sp. n. and P. (O.) niger sp. n. are described from South Africa based on larvae, subimagines and imagines of both sexes associated by rearing; among them, P. (O.) barnardi sp. n. was formerly described by Barnard (1932) under the name «Austrocloeon africanum», being wrongly regarded to be the species originally described as Cloeon africanum Esben-Petersen 1913. Characters of larva and female subimago of another South African species, P. (O.) sp. «Wolfkloof» are described based on a single specimen. Two closely related species, P. (O.) regularum Müller-Liebenau & Hubbard 1985 from Sri Lanka and P. (O.) malabarensis sp. n. from India are described based on larvae, subimagines and imagines of both sexes associated by rearing; these two species have 2 (rarely 1 or 3) cross veins in pterostigma, in contrast to other species of Oculogaster which normally have one vein (rarely two veins). Procloeon julia is presumptively placed in Oculogaster based on the presence of one vein in pterostigma. Unnamed species P. sp. «Thailand-3», P. sp. «Sulawesi» and P. sp. «Philippines» are presumably placed in Oculogaster; each is briefly described based on a single larva.
A new species of Marsipococcus Cockerell & Bueker (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) infesting Piper nigrum L. in India
Authors: JOSHI SUNIL
Published: July 2020

The adult female and first instar nymph of a new species of Marsipococcus Cockerell & Bueker (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from India, M. christopheri Joshi sp. n. are described and illustrated. A key to separate the three species in this genus is provided.
Review of freshwater Bryozoa (Phylactolaemata) of Central Africa with descriptions of two new species
Authors: WOOD TIMOTHY S.
Published: July 2020

The Royal Museum of Central Africa at Tervuren, Belgium, includes a small collection of freshwater bryozoans from Congo and Rwanda. Included are: Plumatella philippinensis with both statoblast types, as well as holotypes of Plumatella ruandensis Wiebach, 1964, Plumatella marlieri Wiebach, 1970, and Plumatella pseudostolonata Borg, 1940. There are also two new species which had been previously misidentified: specimens designated as Plumatella javanica are now recognized as P. wiebachi n. sp.; and specimens labeled Stolella indica now recognized as Plumatella kisalensis n. sp. This paper includes full descriptions of the new species as well as fresh descriptions and illustrations of other species in the collection.
A new fossil Eurypinae genus and sexual dimorphism in the representatives of Omineus (Coleoptera: Mycteridae) from Tertiary amber of Europe
Authors: ALEKSEEV VITALII IGOREVICH , BUKEJS ANDRIS , POLLOCK DARREN ANDREW
Published: July 2020

Europoeurypus inglaeso gen. et sp. nov. is described from Eocene Baltic amber found on the Sambian Peninsula, Kaliningrad Region, Russia. Four additional specimens of mycterid beetles from collections of Baltic amber are reported. The secondary sexual characters and sexual dimorphism in the Eocene representatives of the genus Omineus Lewis, 1895 are documented for the first time and examined using X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). The studied Omineus male specimens were attributed to the fossil species Omineus febribilis Alekseev, Pollock & Bukejs, 2019. A key to fossil species of Eurypinae from Eocene ambers is provided and several aspects of the biogeography of the subfamily Eurypinae are discussed.
Optimization and Testing of a 1H/3He Double-Nuclear Quadrature Transmit Coil, Applying the Analytical Method at 0.06T
Authors: Dou Yan , Xu Jinzhang , Hu Yuxia , Hu Liangliang , Wang Yi , Zhang Xun , Zhang Rui , Huang Meichu
Published: July 2020

Application of polarized noble gas technology in lung functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has garnered attention for its unique advantages, such as high resolution and a lack of radiation exposure. This paper presents a 4-channel radio frequency (RF) coil design method for
applications of an 1H/3He MRI system at the ultra-low field of 0.06T. For the complex model of the double-nuclear 1H/3He coil, the analytical optimization method (based on the theories of Biot-Savart law and PSO algorithm) and the electromagnetic
(EM) field and radio frequency (RF) circuit co-simulation method was implemented to optimize the analysis, resulting in an effective evaluation. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed model has the potential for imaging of the lung with the 1H/3He MRI system
at an ultra-low field.
A Deep Learning Method for Limited-View Intravascular Photoacoustic Image Reconstruction
Authors: Sun Zheng , Yan Xiangyang
Published: July 2020

Intravascular photoacoustic tomography (IVPAT) is a newly developed imaging modality in the interventional diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery diseases. Incomplete acoustic measurement caused by limitedview scanning of the detector in the vascular lumen results in under-sampling
artifacts and distortion in the images reconstructed by using the standard reconstruction methods. A method for limited-view IVPAT image reconstruction based on deep learning is presented in this paper. A convolutional neural network (CNN) is constructed and trained with computer-simulated
image data set. Then, the trained CNN is used to optimize the cross-sectional images of the vessel which are recovered from the incomplete photoacoustic measurements by using the standard time-reversal (TR) algorithm to obtain the images with the improved quality. Results of numerical demonstration
indicate that the method can effectively reduce the image distortion and artifacts caused by the limited-view detection. Furthermore, it is superior to the compressed sensing (CS) method in recovering the unmeasured information of the imaging target with the structural similarity around 10%
higher than CS reconstruction.
A Novel Hybrid Discrete Cosine Transform Speeded Up Robust Feature-Based Secure Medical Image Watermarking Algorithm
Authors: Nawaz Saqib Ali , Li Jingbing , Bhatti Uzair Aslam , Mehmood Anum , Ahmed Raza , Zeeshan  , Ul Ain Qurat
Published: July 2020

With the advancement of networks and multimedia, digital watermarking technology has received worldwide attention as an effective method of copyright protection. Improving the anti-geometric attack ability of digital watermarking algorithms using image feature-based algorithms have
received extensive attention. This paper proposes a novel robust watermarking algorithm based on SURF-DCT perceptual hashing (Speeded Up Robust Features and Discrete Cosine Transform), namely blind watermarking. We design and implement a meaningful binary watermark embedding and extraction
algorithm based on the SURF feature descriptor and discrete-cosine transform domain digital image watermarking algorithm. The algorithm firstly uses the affine transformation with a feature matrix and chaotic encryption technology to preprocess the watermark image, enhance the confidentiality
of the watermark, and perform block and DCT coefficients extraction on the carrier image, and then uses the positive and negative quantization rules to modify the DCT coefficients. The embedding of the watermark is completed, and the blind extraction of the watermark realized. Correlation
values are more than 90% in most of the attacks. It provides better results against different noise attacks and also better performance against rotation. Transparency and high computational efficiency, coupled with dual functions of copyright protection and content authentication, is the advantage
of the proposed algorithm.
Medical Imaging Fusion Techniques: A Survey Benchmark Analysis, Open Challenges and Recommendations
Authors: Khan Sajid Ali , Khan Muhammad Attique , Song Oh-Young , Nazir Muhammad
Published: July 2020

Background—Recent improvements in image processing along with active collaborations of health experts have started an era of inventions in medical imaging. From the last two decades, computer vision empowers computers to analyze the data in bulk using machine learning methods
in developing intelligent models. Several techniques are already available in the literature that is capable of learning intricate patterns to generate meaningful output. A set of areas, which researchers have preferably covered are related to contrast stretching, segmentation, feature extraction/fusion,
and classification. In the medical domain, feature fusion is an active area, which plays a vital role in the final classification step. Objective—In this review article, our primary objective is to discuss and validate the advantages of feature fusion and present its roles in
this domain. The fusion of two images or multiple features gives better results in the form of either detection or classification of infected areas. For this purpose, we discuss a set of techniques used by several researchers in the medical domain. Method—A detailed and comprehensive
review of the fusion techniques are presenting. The key challenges and shortcomings of existing image and feature fusion methods are presenting along with the possible future directions. Conclusion—At the end of this review, we conclude that fusion techniques improves the image
quality, as well as for salient (infected) regions detection. Moreover, the fusion of medical images increases the overall segmentation accuracy, and feature fusion shows its effects in the final stage of classification.
Using Artificial Intelligence Methods for Dental Image Analysis: State-of-the-Art Reviews
Authors: Ahn Junho , Ho Thi Kieu Khanh , Kang Jaeyong , Gwak Jeonghwan
Published: July 2020

A large number of studies that use artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies to analyze medical imaging and support computer-aided diagnosis have been conducted in the biomedical engineering domain. Owing to the advances in dental diagnostic X-ray systems such as panoramic radiographs,
periapical radiographs, and dental computed tomography (CT), especially, dual-energy cone beam CT (CBCT), dental image analysis now presents more opportunities to discover new results and findings. Recent researches on dental image analysis have been increasingly incorporating analytics that
utilize AI methodologies that can be divided into conventional machine learning and deep learning approaches. This review first covers the theory on dual-energy CBCT and its applications in dentistry. Then, analytical methods for dental image analysis using conventional machine learning and
deep learning methods are described. We conclude by discussing the issues and suggesting directions for research in future.
Deep Data Source Fusion with Bias-Undoing for Lung Adenocarcinoma Classification
Authors: Feng Yuanli , Hao Pengyi , Chen Wei , Liu Xinguo
Published: July 2020

Computer-aided diagnosis of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma based on deep learning is prospective for assisting the prevention and treatment of the deathly disease of lung cancer, however, relevant works face the problem of limited training data. The technique of data source fusion
with the training of deep models on multiple relevant datasets is promising to resolve the lack of training data, while the bias of data distribution from different data sources exists as a universal issue to affect the learning performance. In this paper, we propose a deep learning framework
based on bias-undoing data source fusion to classify early stages of lung adenocarcinoma in computed tomography (CT) images. The framework conducts learning on the integrated datasets for respectively natural image, lung nodule CT and lung adenocarcinoma CT, as designed with an organization
of base parameters and bias parameters to adapt to the data distribution with bias. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed bias-undoing framework is effective to improve the performance of deep learning for lung adenocarcinoma classification, and is with great superiority to those
general fusion frameworks on alleviating the effect of dataset bias.
An Efficient Coding Network Based Feature Extraction with Support Vector Machine Based Classification Model for CT Lung Images
Authors: Oliver A. Sheryl , Anuradha M. , Justus J. Jean , Bellam Kiranmai , Jayasankar T.
Published: July 2020

Lung cancer is a serious illness affects people all over the globe. To increase the survival rate of patients affected by lung cancer, in advance recognition of lung cancer with effective treatments is important. This study introduces a new deep learning (DL) based feature extraction
and classification technique for CT lung images. A DL model using Coding Network (CN) is presented for the extraction of high-level features and classical features. Initially, the convolution neural network is trained as a coding network and the actual pixels are coded into feature vectors
for representing the high-level concepts for classification. Next, an extraction of chosen classical features takes place depending upon background knowledge of lung CT images. In addition, an automatic feature fusion takes place to avoid annoying parameter choice. Besides, support vector
machine (SVM) model is employed for classify CT lung images in an effective way. For experimentation, a benchmark dataset is utilized to appraise the outcome of the presented CN-SVM model and is validated under several dimensions.
Progressive Surface Reconstruction of Cardiac Anatomy from Sparse and Scattered Points for Heart Mapping Procedure
Authors: Fu Yifan , Fu Rao , Wang Jing , Liu Yirong , Wu Jian
Published: July 2020

In computer aided radiofrequency catheter ablation of the heart, intraoperative three-dimensional reconstruction of the intracardiac cavity is a very important step. In this paper, we propose a point-by-point surface reconstruction algorithm based on scattered points and guarantee the
properties of local reconstruction and surface smoothing. The algorithm firstly builds a generic self-adapted grid model to enclose and approximate to the initial sampled points (at least four points) captured from endocardial surface. Then, the grid model is deformed when adding a newly sampled
point. To avoid the linear increase of computation with the increasing of the number of points and unbalanced neighborhood, we propose a local region search criterion based on orthogonal least squares and a neighborhood partition method. Such criterion can guarantee selecting the minimum local
balanced points to complete each step of grid deformation. Four normal and six abnormal cardiac computed tomography angiography models specific to the left atrium are used to verify our method. The results show that the surface reconstruction errors as well as the reconstruction time per update
are smaller than the state-of-theart methods applied to progressive reconstruction using sparse and scattered points. Furthermore, a cardiac phantom of right ventricle is used to verify the 3D surface reconstruction by our method. The experimental results confirm the feasibility of the proposed
algorithm in practical operation.
Early Chemoprophylaxis in Severely Injured Trauma Patients Reduces Risk of Venous Thromboembolism
Authors: Hecht Jason P. , Han Emily J. , Brandt Mary-Margaret , Wahl Wendy L.
Published: July 2020

Background

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a serious complication for trauma patients. While early VTE prophylaxis has gained traction, the timing of prophylaxis remains uncertain. We hypothesized that VTE prophylaxis within 24 hours of admission would have lower VTE rates and similar rates of adverse events in seriously injured patients.

Methods

Trauma patients were included from 32 American College of Surgeons verified Level 1 and 2 trauma centers over a 10-year period. Patients with injury severity score (ISS) <15, death or discharge within 48 hours of arrival, or who received no prophylaxis were excluded.

Results

14 096 patients received VTE prophylaxis with an ISS of ≥15. Patients given prophylaxis at <24 hours had fewer VTE events and trended toward fewer serious in-hospital complications. Mortality and return to the operating room were similar across groups. Hospital and intensive care unit length of stay in the <24 hours prophylaxis group was significantly shorter when VTE prophylaxis was initiated earlier.

Conclusions

In severely injured trauma patients with ISS >15, early VTE prophylaxis within 24 hours significantly reduced the risk of VTE as compared with delayed prophylaxis. Early chemoprophylaxis was found to be efficacious in reducing the incidence of VTE; however, the safety of this practice should be evaluated by future prospective studies.
Ergonomics of work space: Changing dynamics on OCRA evaluation and work aids
Authors: Rana Kamaljit Singh , Randhawa Jagjit Singh , Kalra Parveen
Published: July 2020

The work space is the sancto sanctorum of the world’s economy. It has become increasingly clear that a functional, efficient work space is conducive to optimum output. Therefore the engineering concepts of comfort and ease of working for long durations have become the mainstay of industries the world over. These concepts are complemented by the inputs of safety, hygiene and worker friendliness especially in the global garment manufacturing industry. They need to be evaluated scientifically. One of these means is the evaluation by using OCRA. The basic concept of OCRA, therefore, is to determine and measure a defined technical action. It examines the series of complex movements necessary to complete a work task, involving the upper limb joints at the shoulder, elbow, wrist and finger level. Various scholars have documented the root causes of musculoskeletal discomfort among the seated workers and have delineated them as the constrained work posture and repetitive tasks. Currently, the researcher is working on three work aid prototypes by incorporating workstation design principles for modifications to improve working posture.
Increasing the cost of participation: red tape and public officials’ attitudes toward public participation
Authors: Migchelbrink Koen , Van de Walle Steven
Published: July 2020

Red tape is seen as a destructive organizational force that reduces public officials’ motivation and curtails organizational performance. By increasing the time, cost, and effort required to inform the public and coordinate participation, red tape has also been said to reduce public officials’ positive attitudes toward public participation. However, research on the effects of red tape on public officials’ attitudes toward public participation remains inconclusive. This study examines how the lack of functionality and compliance burden of rules affect public officials’ attitudes toward public participation. Using cross-sectional survey data of n = 862 municipal public officials and a structural equation modeling approach, this study finds that public officials’ perceptions of the lack of functionality of rules are positively associated with attitudes toward public participation, and that perceptions of the compliance burden of rules are negatively associated with attitudes toward public participation.

Points for practitioners

• Red tape affects public officials’ attitudes toward public participation. • The compliance burden of rules is negatively associated with public officials’ attitudes toward public participation. • The perceived lack of functionality of rules is positively associated with public officials’ attitudes toward public participation. • The effects of red tape are multifaceted and should be examined from a multidimensional point of view.
Burning the Archive, Building the State? Politics, Paper, and US Power in Postwar Mexico
Authors: Rath Thomas
Published: July 2020

This article explores how the Mexican state gathered, archived and destroyed information. It focuses on the US–Mexico campaign against foot-and-mouth disease between 1947 and 1952, whose paper archive Mexican officials burned near the successful conclusion of the campaign. This article argues that several factors shaped the context for this documentary bonfire and made the 1940s a key point of inflection in Mexico’s history of official information-gathering: the dominant party’s system of elite power-sharing, the growth of a reading public and the regime’s drift rightward. At the same time, the nature of the foot-and-mouth disease campaign itself ensured that, despite its possible uses, the archive was particularly sensitive, providing evidence of the embarrassing gaps that began to yawn between the state’s language of revolutionary nationalism and its political practise. Indeed, the bonfire represented the culmination of practises Mexican officials had already developed throughout the campaign to reconcile the demands of legibility and deniability, hemispheric integration and nationalism, political stability and state capacity. More broadly, the case illustrates the uneven effects of US assistance on the development of state capacity, the authoritarian but institutionally weak character of the early PRIísta state, and the role of archives in maintaining a coherent image of state sovereignty.
Heterogeneity in Migrant Health Selection: The Role of Immigrant Visas
Authors: Morey Brittany N. , Bacong Adrian Matias , Hing Anna K. , de Castro A. B. , Gee Gilbert C.
Published: July 2020

This study proposes that visa status is an important construct that is central to understanding how health selection occurs among immigrants. We used the 2017 baseline survey data of the Health of Philippine Emigrants Study ( n = 1,632) to compare the health of nonmigrants remaining in the Philippines and migrants surveyed prior to migration to the United States. Furthermore, we compared migrant health by visa type: limited family reunification, unlimited family reunification, fiancé(e)/marriage, and employment. Migrants reported fewer health conditions than nonmigrants overall. However, health varied among migrants by visa type. Migrants with fiancé(e)/marriage visas were the healthiest, reporting significantly fewer health conditions than the other groups. Limited family reunification migrants reported more health conditions than nonmigrants and unlimited family reunification migrants. We discuss how the immigration visa process reflects broader forms of social and political stratification that cause heterogeneity in immigrant health selection.
Validation of a Portable Force Plate for Evaluating Postural Sway
Authors: Walsh Mark , Church Caroline , Hoffmeister Audrey , Smith Dean , Haworth Joshua
Published: July 2020

Measurements of postural sway are used to assess physiological changes due to therapy or sport training, or to describe group differences based on activity history or disease status. Portable force plates have been widely adopted for this purpose, leading us in this study to validate with linear and nonlinear metrics the posturographic data derived from both a portable plate (Natus) when compared to an in-ground plate (Bertec). Twenty participants stood on each plate for two trials each, with and without a foam perturbation and with and without eyes open on each surface. We calculated measures of path length, range, root mean squares, sample entropy, and correlation dimensions from center of pressure traces on each plate. An intraclass correlation coefficient across trials from each plate in each condition indicated satisfactory overall reliability (ICC consistency), supporting the use of either plate for postural sway research and interventions. Additionally, our results generally supported common validity (ICC absolute agreement), though, the specific degree of similarity differed for each of the tested metrics of postural sway, especially when considering whether or not data was filtered. For situations in which participants cannot visit a laboratory (e.g. performing athletes, community dwelling clinical patients, and virus risk concerns) an in-home portable force plate is a trusted and valuable data collection tool.
Relocating queer: Comparing suburban LGBTQ2S activisms on Vancouver’s periphery
Authors: Bain Alison L , Podmore Julie A
Published: July 2020

Scholarly understandings of LGBTQ2S activist geographies are largely informed by a metronormative analytical lens that inadequately captures the shifting landscapes of sexual diversity in Canadian city-regions. The gap between the available services in peripheral municipalities and the rising demand from their growing LGBTQ2S populations has mobilised fractured groups of activists to lobby for policy, programming and service changes. This paper examines sexual politics in suburban civil society, focusing on the grassroots organising of not-for-profit activist groups as they interact with local government outside of the electoral process. It compares LGBTQ2S activist practices in two neighbouring, although differently sized and demographically divergent, peripheral municipalities in the Vancouver city-region: Surrey and New Westminster. A comparative case study approach reveals how LGBTQ2S activists work through variations in suburban political opportunity structures, resource landscapes and inter-organisational relations resulting in differential practices of mobilisation and collective action. In contrast with an urban legacy of insurgent practices of LGBTQ2S resistance, suburban LGBTQ2S activisms primarily centre on enactments of local resourcefulness, community resilience and institutional reworking within more dispersed resource landscapes.
Effects of acrylonitrile content on thermal characteristics and thermal aging properties of carbon black-filled NBR composite
Authors: Lee Young Seok , Ha KiRyong
Published: July 2020

In seal applications, thermal characteristics and thermal aging properties of rubber are essential factors in determining the applicable temperature range and lifetime of the seal. In this study, thermal characteristics and thermal aging properties of the acrylonitrile butadiene rubber composite in response to the acrylonitrile (ACN) content were investigated. Thermal stability, glass transition temperature ( T g), and dynamic property were determined by thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and dynamic mechanical analysis, respectively. The results showed that T g, thermal decomposition temperature, and tan δ were increased as the ACN content increased. To investigate the thermal aging properties of the composite, the composite was subjected to an accelerated thermal-oxidative and thermal aging process at 100°C for 168 h. The aged composites were evaluated by investigating the change in cross-link density, mechanical properties, and elastic recovery. The change in the chemical functional group was also studied using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate that subjecting the composite to thermal-oxidative and thermal aging process decreased the elongation at break and elastic recovery, while the cross-link density, Shore A hardness, and 100% modulus were increased. All of the properties were also dependent on the ACN content as well as the aging conditions.
Bioarchaeology of Idaho in perspective: A Late Archaic Burial (10MO84) from the Upper Snake River Plain
Authors: Blatt Samantha H , Miller Susanne J , Reid Kenneth C
Published: July 2020

The fortuitous discovery of an isolated Late Archaic burial (10MO84) in southeastern Idaho is a rare contribution to bioarchaeology of the region. This study describes the osteobiography of this skeleton and contextualizes results to published accounts of bioarchaeology within Idaho, the Great Basin, and the Intermountain West. Analysis suggests that there is much potential variability in burial styles and goods in the region through time, dental attrition is consistently severe, and arthritis of the upper limb is common. More systematic and collaborative bioarchaeology will continue to improve a bio-cultural synthesis of prehistoric Idaho and surrounding regions.
Standardized loop technique for mitral valve repair offers good midterm results
Authors: Hysi Ilir , Gautier Laurence , Rebet Olivier , Carjaliu Ionut , Radutoiu Mihai , Fabre Olivier
Published: July 2020

Background

We reviewed the midterm results of our approach for mitral valve repair with the use of standardized loops.

Methods

In a retrospective single-center study, mitral repairs performed between November 2015 and December 2019 with the standardized loop technique were included. Predefined loops of 15 and 25 mm (Gore-Tex) were implanted for posterior or anterior mitral prolapses, respectively. Isolated or concomitant mitral repairs were performed by either a sternotomy or minithoracotomy. Mean follow-up was 25.3 ± 14.7 months.

Results

Among 92 patients operated on for mitral repair during this period, 65 had repair with the standardized loop technique. They were mostly men (73.8%) and the mean age was 65.1 ± 9.7 years. Valve prolapse was mainly posterior (87.7%), and cordal rupture was seen in 81.5% of cases. The procedures were carried out by a minithoracotomy in 49.2% of patients. Isolated mitral repairs represented 63.1% of cases. Crossclamp and bypass times were 102 ± 22.8 min and 144.7 ± 34.9 min, respectively. The mean number of loops implanted was 2.7 ± 0.9. No patient left the operating room with moderate or severe mitral regurgitation. Postoperative morbidity was 18.4% (12 patients) and 30-day mortality was 3.1% (2 patients). Overall 4-year survival and freedom from reoperation for mitral repair failure were 84.4% and 91.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

The standardized loop technique for mitral repair showed good midterm results. This technique can be valuable in the armamentarium of mitral repairs. Further evaluation is needed for long-term follow-up.
Plantar vein thrombosis
Authors: Edwards Steven R. , Wood Omar D.
Published: July 2020

Plantar vein thrombosis is an uncommon and under-diagnosed cause of plantar foot pain. It is characterized by the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) within one of the plantar veins. Factors leading to this condition are unclear and multiple potential causes have been proposed. Plantar vein thrombosis presents as non-specific unilateral plantar foot pain, swelling, and a heavy feeling in the affected foot. There is no current diagnostic guideline for this condition however compression ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging appear suitable. Treatments range from rest and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to six months of anticoagulant therapy. Herein, we aim to consolidate the current literature on plantar vein thrombosis to guide clinicians and future researchers.
Exactly sparse Gaussian variational inference with application to derivative-free batch nonlinear state estimation
Authors: Barfoot Timothy D , Forbes James R , Yoon David J
Published: July 2020

We present a Gaussian variational inference (GVI) technique that can be applied to large-scale nonlinear batch state estimation problems. The main contribution is to show how to fit both the mean and (inverse) covariance of a Gaussian to the posterior efficiently, by exploiting factorization of the joint likelihood of the state and data, as is common in practical problems. This is different than maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimation, which seeks the point estimate for the state that maximizes the posterior (i.e., the mode). The proposed exactly sparse Gaussian variational inference (ESGVI) technique stores the inverse covariance matrix, which is typically very sparse (e.g., block-tridiagonal for classic state estimation). We show that the only blocks of the (dense) covariance matrix that are required during the calculations correspond to the non-zero blocks of the inverse covariance matrix, and further show how to calculate these blocks efficiently in the general GVI problem. ESGVI operates iteratively, and while we can use analytical derivatives at each iteration, Gaussian cubature can be substituted, thereby producing an efficient derivative-free batch formulation. ESGVI simplifies to precisely the Rauch–Tung–Striebel (RTS) smoother in the batch linear estimation case, but goes beyond the ‘extended’ RTS smoother in the nonlinear case because it finds the best-fit Gaussian (mean and covariance), not the MAP point estimate. We demonstrate the technique on controlled simulation problems and a batch nonlinear simultaneous localization and mapping problem with an experimental dataset.
Impact of nonsurgical spinal decompression on paraspinal muscle morphology and mechanical properties in young adults with low back pain
Authors: Lo Wai Leung Ambrose , Lei Di , Leng Yan , Huang Huanjie , Wang Biru , Yu Qiuhua , Li Le
Published: July 2020

Objective

The mechanism underlying the benefit of nonsurgical spinal decompression (NSSD) on low back pain is unclear. This study was performed to investigate the immediate impact of NSSD on the mechanical properties and morphology of the paraspinal muscles.

Methods

Participants with low back pain were recruited. NSSD therapy was provided on one occasion. A myotonometer was placed perpendicularly on the skin surface over the paraspinal muscle at the level of L3/L4 to measure the mechanical muscle properties. The multifidus thickness was measured using B-mode ultrasound and defined as the distance between the transverse process and subcutaneous tissue fascia. The difference between before and after NSSD was analyzed by a paired t-test.

Results

Thirty participants (mean age, 20.9 ± 0.8 years; 9 male, 21 female) were recruited. No significant difference was observed in the muscle mechanical properties or morphology between before and after the intervention.

Conclusions

NSSD intervention did not induce immediate changes in the paraspinal muscle mechanical properties or multifidus thickness in young adults with low back pain. NSSD might produce benefits by stimulating mechanical receptors rather than inducing morphological changes or mechanical property alterations of the muscle fibers. These parameters may not be suitable outcome measures for NSSD intervention.
A meta-analysis of the local application of vancomycin powder to prevent surgical site infection after spinal surgeries
Authors: Shan Shuo , Tu Laiyong , Gu Wenfei , Aikenmu Kahaer , Zhao Jiang
Published: July 2020

Objective

This study aimed to systematically analyze the effectiveness and safety of the local application of vancomycin powder to prevent surgical site infection (SSI) after spinal surgeries and provide guidance for clinical practice.

Methods

Two researchers independently searched PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure using the MeSH terms “spinal surgery,” “vancomycin,” “local,” “topical,” “prophylactic,” “surgical site infection,” and “SSI” to identify studies published between January 2010 and January 2020 on the local application of vancomycin powder for preventing SSI after spinal surgeries. The outcome assessment indicators were analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software.

Results

Three randomized controlled trials, two prospective studies, and 26 retrospective studies were included in the current research. The results of the meta-analysis revealed significant differences between the vancomycin and control groups (non-vancomycin group) concerning the incidence of SSI (risk ratio = 0.39, 95% confidence interval = 0.28–0.55, Z = 5.46), indicating that local application of vancomycin powder can significantly reduce the incidence of SSI.

Conclusion

Local application of vancomycin powder is an effective and safe method to prevent SSI after spinal surgeries.