bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Challenging Ménage à Trois?
Authors: La Hovary Claire
Published: November 2015

This article explores one of the features of the International Labour Organization (‘ilo’) – tripartism, or in other words, the fact that it is an institution that brings together representatives of Governments, Employers and Workers – in the light of recent events that have threatened the Organization’s smooth functioning. Disagreement within the ilo supervisory bodies has revealed the changing balance of power between Employers and Workers, and potentially signals a need to rethink the basis of tripartism. At the same time, however, tripartism is a fundamental feature of the ilo, one that sets it apart from other international bodies, and is essential to both the organization’s mission and the generation of international labour law. This article re-visits the notion of tripartism, examines the problems that its practice within the ilo raises as well as the significance of the current crisis and its possible impact for the ilo and international labour law.
Semiterrestrial crabs of the genus Geosesarma De Man, 1892 (Crustacea, Brachyura, Sesarmidae) from western Borneo, Indonesia, with descriptions of three new species
Authors: NG PETER K. L.
Published: November 2015

The poorly known semiterrestrial sesarmid crab, Geosesarma amphinome (De Man, 1899), from Kalimantan Barat in western Borneo, is redescribed and figured. Three other species from areas surrounding the town of Pontianak, are here described as new. Geosesarma ambawang sp. nov., G. pontianak sp. nov., and G. pylaemenes sp. nov. can be distinguished from congeners on Borneo and adjacent areas by their colours in life, form of the carapaces and ambulatory legs, and the structures of the male abdomens and first gonopods.
Parameterization of Cloud Microphysics Based on the Prediction of Bulk Ice Particle Properties. Part III: Introduction of Multiple Free Categories
Authors: Milbrandt J. A. , Morrison H.
Published: November 2015

The predicted particle properties (P3) scheme introduced in Part I of this series represents all ice hydrometeors using a single “free” category, in which the bulk properties evolve smoothly through changes in the prognostic variables, allowing for the representation of any type of ice particle. In this study, P3 has been expanded to include multiple free ice-phase categories allowing particle populations with different sets of bulk properties to coexist, thereby reducing the detrimental effects of property dilution. The modified version of P3 is the first scheme to parameterize ice-phase microphysics using multiple free categories.

The multicategory P3 scheme is described and its overall behavior is illustrated. It is shown using an idealized 1D kinematic model that the overall simulation of total ice mass, reflectivity, and surface precipitation converges with additional categories. The correct treatment of the rime splintering process, which promotes multiple ice modes, is shown to require at least two categories in order to be included without introducing problems associated with property dilution. Squall-line simulations using a 3D dynamical model with one, two, and three ice categories produce reasonable reflectivity structures and precipitation rates compared to radar observations. In the multicategory simulations, ice hydrometeors from different categories and with different bulk properties are shown to coexist at the same points, with effects on reflectivity structure and precipitation. The new scheme thus appears to work reasonably in a full 3D model and is ready to be tested more widely for research and operational applications.
A Lagrangian View of Moisture Dynamics during DYNAMO
Authors: Hannah Walter M. , Mapes Brian E. , Elsaesser Gregory S.
Published: November 2015

Column water vapor (CWV) is studied using data from the Dynamics of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (DYNAMO) field experiment. A distinctive moist mode in tropical CWV probability distributions motivates the work. The Lagrangian CWV tendency (LCT) leaves together the compensating tendencies from phase change and vertical advection, quantities that cannot be measured accurately by themselves, to emphasize their small residual, which governs evolution. The slope of LCT versus CWV suggests that the combined effects of phase changes and vertical advection act as a robust positive feedback on CWV variations, while evaporation adds a broadscale positive tendency. Analyzed diabatic heating profiles become deeper and stronger as CWV increases. Stratiform heating is found to accompany Lagrangian drying at high CWV, but its association with deep convection makes the mean LCT positive at high CWV. Lower-tropospheric wind convergence is found in high-CWV air masses, acting to shrink their area in time. When ECMWF heating profile indices and S-Pol and TRMM radar data are binned jointly by CWV and LCT, bottom-heavy heating associated with shallow and congestus convection is found in columns transitioning through Lagrangian moistening into the humid, high-rain-rate mode of the CWV distribution near 50–55 mm, while nonraining columns and columns with widespread stratiform precipitation are preferentially associated with Lagrangian drying. Interpolated sounding-array data produce substantial errors in LCT budgets, because horizontal advection is inaccurate without satellite input to constrain horizontal gradients.
Dispersion Relation for Continental Shelf Waves When the Shallow Shelf Part Has an Arbitrary Width: Application to the Shelf West of Norway
Authors: Drivdal Magnus , Weber Jan Erik H. , Debernard Jens Boldingh
Published: November 2015

The dispersion relation for continental shelf waves (CSWs) in a shelf region with an unbounded flat outer ocean, a convex-upward exponential shelf, and an interior flat region of arbitrary width D is derived. The calculations allow for a nonzero divergence of the wave motion. Some consequences of these findings are discussed for the shelf west of Norway, where the shelf at mid-Norway is quite wide, while at Lofoten it is much narrower. Furthermore, north of Lofoten, along the opening to the Barents Sea, the shelf becomes extremely wide. In this region the conditions are nearly met for a double Kelvin wave. The paper discusses how CSWs generated along the common storm track outside southwest Norway modify as they travel along the shelf. The analytical results are compared with results from a numerical barotropic ocean model with realistic shelf topography.
Synthetic Modeling for an Acoustic Exploration System for Physical Oceanography
Authors: Biescas Berta , Ruddick Barry , Kormann Jean , Sallarès Valentí , Nedimović Mladen R. , Carniel Sandro
Published: November 2015

Marine multichannel seismic (MCS) data, used to obtain structural reflection images of the earth’s subsurface, can also be used in physical oceanography exploration. This method provides vertical and lateral resolutions of O(10–100) m, covering the existing observational gap in oceanic exploration. All MCS data used so far in physical oceanography studies have been acquired using conventional seismic instrumentation originally designed for geological exploration. This work presents the proof of concept of an alternative MCS system that is better adapted to physical oceanography and has two goals: 1) to have an environmentally low-impact acoustic source to minimize any potential disturbance to marine life and 2) to be light and portable, thus being installed on midsize oceanographic vessels. The synthetic experiments simulate the main variables of the source, shooting, and streamer involved in the MCS technique. The proposed system utilizes a 5-s-long exponential chirp source of 208 dB relative to 1 μPa at 1 m with a frequency content of 20–100 Hz and a relatively short 500-m-long streamer with 100 channels. This study exemplifies through numerical simulations that the 5-s-long chirp source can reduce the peak of the pressure signal by 26 dB with respect to equivalent air gun–based sources by spreading the energy in time, greatly reducing the impact to marine life. Additionally, the proposed system could be transported and installed in midsize oceanographic vessels, opening new horizons in acoustic oceanography research.
The Behavioral Scientist and International Relations
Authors: Fagen Richard R.
Published: November 2015

Mr. Fagen, an SSRC Fellow in Political Theory at Stanford, suggests on the basis of his own “identity crisis” some problems of the behaviorally-oriented international relationist growing out of his remoteness from his subject matter, and offers some possible solutions.
Scaling Judicial Cases: A Methodological Note
Authors: Ulmer S. Sidney
Published: November 2015

Another step forward in the burgeoning legal science of court decisions is represented in this article by Dr. Ulmer of Michigan State University's Department of Political Science. Using coefficients of reproducibility and scalability, he shows how highly consistent is the position of individual Supreme Court justices concerning deprivations of civil liberties. While this note deals specifically with the application of scaling techniques to judicial materials, the methods described may be generalized to other types of political data.
The Material Basis of Worker Subjectivity: Rock Drill Operators on the South African Platinum Mines in Historical Perspective
Authors: Stewart Paul
Published: November 2015

This article presents an historical overview of the occupation of rock drillers in South African mines. It is argued that the critical productive role this occupation plays in the underground production process must be central to understanding why the rock drill operators (RDOs) initiated a major strike wave on South African platinum mines in 2012, what transpired at Marikana in August of that year and the 2014 industry-wide strike. Long established as an elite within the mining industry, the RDOs negotiated directly with management over the past 30 years beyond the ambit of representational politics. However, the migrant labour status, deplorable living conditions and memories of past struggles intersect with the impact of their working conditions underground. This article suggests that the historically identifiable objective location of these workers in production serves as the material basis for their political subjectivity.
Thomas Szasz on Psychiatric Slavery Vis-à-Vis Restoring the African Personality
Authors: Azibo Daudi Ajani ya
Published: November 2015

Thomas Szasz was peerless in criticism of psychiatric establishmentarianism, particularly its embracing of “psychiatric slavery” (interventions imposed on persons by force). Selected from his matchless oeuvre, some fundamental points in his thinking—Szaszian thought—were scrutinized to evaluate whether they jibe with dictates from centered African Psychology which mandate setting afoot a new African descent person, particularly as depicted in Daudi Ajani ya Azibo’s leading works about African personality theory and practice. Results were mixed and suggest that Szaszians and African personality scholars may learn from each other.
Incorporating Assistive Technology for Students with Visual Impairments into the Music Classroom
Authors: Rush Toby W.
Published: November 2015

Although recent advances make it easier than ever before for students with severe visual impairments to be fully accommodated in the music classroom, one of the most significant current challenges in this area is most music educators’ unfamiliarity with current assistive technology. Fortunately, many of these tools are readily available and even free, and using them to provide a comfortable and inclusive environment in the classroom is fairly simple and requires only a small amount of additional preparation.
A Nation’s Right to Exclude and the Colonies
Authors: Amighetti Sara , Nuti Alasia
Published: November 2015

This essay contends that postcolonial migrants have a right to enter their former colonizing nations, and that these should accept them. Our novel argument challenges well-established justifications for restrictions in immigration-policies advanced in liberal nationalism, which links immigration controls to the nation’s self-determination and the legitimate preservation of national identity. To do so, we draw on postcolonial analyses of colonialism, in particular on Edward Said’s notion of “intertwined histories,” and we offer a more sophisticated account of national identity than that of liberal nationalists. In our view, the national identity of former colonizing nations cannot be understood in isolation from their ex-colonies. This entails that liberal nationalists cannot justify the restriction on the entrance of members of the nation’s former colonies by resorting to an argument about the preservation of national identity: the former colonized constitute an inseparable element of that national identity, because they are already historically part of it.
Proceedings of the 2015 ASPEN Research Workshop—Taste Signaling
Authors: Spector Alan C. , le Roux Carel W. , Munger Steven D. , Travers Susan P. , Sclafani Anthony , Mennella Julie A.
Published: November 2015

This article summarizes research findings from 6 experts in the field of taste and feeding that were presented at the 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition Research Workshop. The theme was focused on the interaction of taste signals with those of a postingestive origin and how this contributes to regulation of food intake through both physiological and learning processes. Gastric bypass results in exceptional loss of fat mass and increases in circulating levels of key gut peptides, some of which are also expressed along with their cognate receptors in taste buds. Changes in taste preference and food selection in both bariatric surgery patients and rodent models have been reported. Accordingly, the effects of this surgery on taste‐related behavior were examined. The conservation of receptor and peptide signaling mechanisms in gustatory and extraoral tissues was discussed in the context of taste responsiveness and the regulation of metabolism. New findings detailing the features of neural circuits between the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract (NST), receiving visceral input from the vagus nerve, and the rostral NST, receiving taste input, were discussed, as was how early life experience with taste stimuli and learned associations between flavor and postoral consequences of nutrients can exert potent and long‐lasting effects on feeding.
Eustachian Tube as a Landmark to the Internal Carotid Artery in Endoscopic Skull Base Surgery
Authors: Liu Juan , Sun Xicai , Liu Quan , Wang Dehui , Wang Huan , Ma Na
Published: November 2015

Objective

The purpose of this study was to probe the relationship between the eustachian tube and the internal carotid artery in skull base surgery by an intranasal endoscopic approach.

Study Design

Cadaver study and illustrative cases.

Setting

Minimally invasive surgery laboratory and operating room.

Subjects and Methods

A series of 5 cadaveric heads were dissected to elaborate on the relevant surgical anatomy about the eustachian tube and the internal carotid artery. Three cases were presented to illustrate the application of our laboratory findings.

Results

The bony‐cartilaginous junction of the eustachian tube was just anterior to the first genu of the internal carotid artery by an intranasal endoscopic approach. The 3 patients in our study tolerated the procedure well and experienced no serious complications after surgery.

Conclusions

The anatomic data and clinical cases in this study confirmed that the eustachian tube is a consistent and reliable landmark to the internal carotid artery to avoid its injury in skull base surgery through the endoscopic endonasal route.
Adhesion effect in sliding of a periodic surface and an individual indenter upon a viscoelastic base
Authors: Goryacheva Irina , Makhovskaya Yulia
Published: November 2015

Solutions of two three-dimensional contact problems for a linearly viscoelastic foundation in sliding contact with a separate indenter and a periodic wavy surface taking into account adhesion are presented. Based on these solutions, the influence of the complete surface geometry, that is, shape of both tips of asperities and valleys between them, on the contact characteristics and deformation friction force is analyzed for various values of the normal load, sliding velocity, and adhesion parameter.
Internship in LIS education
Authors: Bird Nora J. , Chu Clara M. , Oguz Fatih
Published: November 2015

The value of internship as a form of experiential learning in library and information science education has been debated for many years in North America. To gain a global perspective, the current research examines whether such an experience is required and for what reasons and whether placements can be done internationally or virtually. Participants include national libraries, associations, and academic library and information science programs from 69 different countries around the world. Results indicate that outside of American Library Association accredited institutions, internship is more often required and that when it is not, participation rates are low. Further, there was much stronger support for international experiences. Despite the increasing use of online tools to deliver library and information science education, there is a decided lack of institutional support for virtual internships. Suggestions for further research are proposed that address the interdisciplinary, intentional, interconnected, and international model for an internship in 21st-century library and information science education.
Library anxiety among university students
Authors: McPherson Marisa Alicia
Published: November 2015

Library anxiety has been identified as a contributory factor to poor academic performance among students, and libraries are being challenged to give serious consideration to this phenomenon in order to develop strategies for reducing the problem. This study sought to determine if there were any indicators of the presence of library anxiety among a sample of 150 undergraduates in the faculty of Humanities and Education at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus and some of the factors contributing to this condition. The findings indicated the presence of library anxiety of short-term duration among the students due to both personal and institutional factors. Some personal factors included a lack of the relevant information literacy skills, absence of previous library experience, ignorance of the capability and extent of the library information retrieval systems and confusion when trying to find their way around the library. Institutional factors included the relatively large size of the library, the layout and organization of floors and collection, unavailability of computers and lack of appropriate signage. Recommendations were made to help alleviate the problems that appear to have triggered library anxiety.
Exploring reading habits and academic success in rural Kenya
Authors: Mugambi Florence N.
Published: November 2015

This study explores the relationship between reading habits and reading materials, and academic success of primary school students in the Ontulili community of Kenya. The study revealed high levels of satisfaction and contentment among the participants with respect to the availability of resources, reading abilities, educational performance, and overall preparedness for further education; yet, the data pointed to severe scarcity of learning materials, low reading skills, poor infrastructure, below average educational performance, and low preparedness for further education. It was concluded that lack of exposure to relevant reading materials, educational resources, and opportunities leads to subtle contentment alongside individual inability to excel as manifested by low test scores in the national examinations. In order to realize academic success in the study area and other comparable communities, well-designed interventions such as promotion of reading across the school curriculum and establishment of fully equipped libraries consistent with the rigors of modern academic demands, must be created.
Influence of acoustic reflections on flutter stability of an embedded blade row
Authors: Zhao Fanzhou , Nipkau Jens , Vahdati Mehdi
Published: November 2015

The use of blisks is becoming more common in modern aero-engine designs. Such structures have very low mechanical damping and hence are more susceptible to flutter instability. Therefore, accurate prediction of blade aerodynamic damping in a multi-row environment becomes vital. The aim of this work is to understand the effects of acoustic reflections on flutter stability of an embedded rotor in a multi-stage compressor. To achieve this goal, flutter analysis of an embedded rotor blade in a high pressure compressor is undertaken using a validated 3D unsteady RANS solver with mesh movement. In the first part of this work, flutter computations are performed on the rotor with and without the presence of its adjacent blade rows and the influence of reflections on aerodynamic damping of the embedded row is studied. In the second part of this work, reflective boundary conditions are used to reflect pressure waves from known locations. A wave-splitting procedure is performed to split the unsteady pressure into an outgoing wave and a reflected wave. Using this technique a relationship between the phase of the reflected wave and the susceptibility to flutter is established.
Explaining public service broadcasting entrenched politicization: The case of South Africa’s SABC
Authors: Ciaglia Antonio
Published: November 2015

Public service broadcasting is the terrain par excellence within today’s media systems on which political power and media logic interact and overlap. This study will argue that public service broadcasting politicization arising in certain democratic regimes cannot be effectively explained if attention is uncritically paid to the same theoretical grounds upon which media scholars rely to study the corresponding phenomenon in the West. By relying on content and legal analysis of the proceedings concerning five terrestrial channels by the Broadcasting Complaint Commission of South Africa between 1994 and 2014, and on three interviews with civil society representatives, the article will discuss the concept of entrenched politicization as a more proper analytical tool to assess subtler forms of media politicization.
Show me the prison! The development of prison tourism in the UK
Authors: Barton Alana , Brown Alyson
Published: November 2015

This paper presents an analysis of the historical development and interpretation of prison tourism in the UK Britain and the influence of this on current representations of prison museums via prison museum websites. While there has been significant examination of various prison museums overseas there has been comparatively little published on these institutions in the UK Britain. In response to contending pressures, prison museums have endeavoured to present a balanced and objective depiction of past prison systems whilst their promotional websites, which serve to draw in customers, frequently rely on ‘popular’ depictions. These representations raise important questions as prisons cannot be seen as neutral or apolitical, neither those in the early 21st century nor those of the past. Despite these pressures, prison museums have great potential to increase public understanding of the prison; this paper promotes a more ethical, multi-perspective and politically diverse interpretation within prison museums.
Transforming the Central Park jogger into the Central Park Five: Shifting narratives of innocence and changing media discourse in the attack on the Central Park jogger, 1989–2014
Authors: Stratton Greg
Published: November 2015

Wrongful convictions threaten the norms of crime reporting by shifting the media focus away from crime toward notions of innocence and fallibility. The 1989 attack on a jogger in Central Park resulted in a well-publicized response from the New York criminal justice system that eventually led to the wrongful conviction of five innocent youths. This research investigates reporting surrounding the Central Park attack and how the media’s response altered over the past 25 years. It argues that the Central Park jogger case offers an insight into the development of narratives of wrongful conviction and offers a typology to better understand how cases of innocence develop in print media. By exploring this case in reference to concepts including public narrative, signal crime and mediated witness, this paper focuses on the reporting on the case within The New York Times. It argues the newspaper played an important role in the public’s perceptions of the five men as they evolve from the accused, the offenders, the punished, and finally, to become the wrongfully convicted. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the malleability of the media on public narratives, its readiness for violent crime and the lack of accountability in constructing public opinions that potentially damage the innocent.
The special case of disadvantaged young people in Germany: How stakeholder interests hinder reform proposals in favour of a training guarantee
Authors: Granato Mona , Krekel Elisabeth M. , Ulrich Joachim Gerd
Published: November 2015

Every year, tens of thousands of young people in Germany fail to find access to dual vocational education and training (VET), because they cannot find a company to hire them as apprentices. This particularly affects persons with poor school leaving qualifications, socially deprived persons or people with a migrant background. In order to improve their opportunities, there has been an increased discussion in recent times about a training guarantee. The central idea is that unsuccessful applicants undergo training at extra-company training institutions. This paper investigates the chances of realising such a reform proposal on the basis of organisational theories like agency theory and neo-institutionalism. The assumption is that particularly stakeholders from the employers’ and business associations will have reservations. Since their power within the state-corporatist governance system of dual VET seems to be higher than the power of the trade unions, the chances for this reform proposal should be relatively low. A survey of 300 stakeholders from different organisations that are involved with the governance, administration, implementation of and research into VET confirms this assumption. Apparently, disadvantaged young people are still expected to adapt to the less attractive residue of company-based training offers that are not taken up by better qualified applicants.
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap: asthmatic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or chronic obstructive asthma?
Authors: Slats Annelies , Taube Christian
Published: November 2015

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are different disease entities. They are both clinical diagnoses, with diagnostic tools to discriminate between one another. However, especially in older patients (>55 years) it seems more difficult to differentiate between asthma and COPD. This has led to the definition of a new phenotype called asthma COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS). However, our understanding of ACOS is at a very preliminary stage, as most research has involved subjects with existing diagnoses of asthma or COPD from studies with different definitions for ACOS. This has led to different and sometimes opposing results between studies on several features of ACOS, also depending on the comparison with COPD alone, asthma alone or both, which are summarized in this review.

We suggest not using the term ACOS for a patient with features of both asthma and COPD, but to describe a patient with chronic obstructive airway disease as completely as possible, with regard to characteristics that determine treatment response (e.g. eosinophilic inflammation) and prognosis (such as smoking status, exacerbation rate, fixed airflow limitation, hyperresponsiveness, comorbidities). This will provide a far more clinically relevant diagnosis, and would aid in research on treatment in more homogenous groups of patients with chronic airways obstruction. More research is certainly needed to develop more evidence-based definitions for this patient group and to evaluate biomarkers, which will help to further classify these patients, treat them more adequately and unravel the underlying pathophysiological mechanism.
The role of ferric carboxymaltose in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in patients with gastrointestinal disease
Authors: Koduru Pramoda , Abraham Bincy P.
Published: November 2015

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common form of nutritional anemia worldwide. Iron plays a pivotal role in vital functioning of almost every organ system. IDA affects both physical and psychological functioning of humans. Oral iron is considered as first-line therapy for the treatment of IDA due to low cost, good safety profile and ease of administration. However, the absorption of oral iron is affected by several factors and incidence of gastrointestinal side effects can lead to lack of adherence to therapy as well as poor efficacy. This has led to the emergence of intravenous iron therapy which is clearly superior to oral iron with higher increment of hemoglobin levels and rapid replenishment of iron stores. Ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) is a novel non-dextran intravenous iron form which has been approved for use in patients with iron deficiency who have had inadequate response to oral iron therapy, intolerance to oral iron, or nondialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease. The safety and efficacy of using FCM for the treatment of IDA has been demonstrated in several clinical trials. One dose can provide a large amount of iron and has a very short infusion time. It should be considered as first-line therapy in patients with active inflammation like inflammatory bowel disease when gastrointestinal absorption of oral iron may be compromised. It should also be given to patients who have inadequate response to oral iron therapy. It has been shown to be noninferior to other intravenous iron formulations with a good safety profile and produced fewer anaphylactic reactions.
Patient Perceptions of the Environment of Care in Which Their Healthcare is Delivered
Authors: LaVela Sherri L. , Etingen Bella , Hill Jennifer N. , Miskevics Scott
Published: November 2015

Objective:

To measure patients’ perceptions of the environment of care (EOC), with a focus on the physical environment, in which healthcare is delivered.

Background:

The EOC may impact patient experiences, care perceptions, and health outcomes. EOC may be improved through redesign of existing physical structures or spaces or by adding nurturing amenities.

Methods:

Demographics, health status, hospital use, and data on the environment (physical, comfort, orientation, and privacy) were collected via a mailed cross-sectional survey sent to patients seen at four hospital Centers of Innovation (COIs; that implemented many modifications to the healthcare environment to address physical, comfort, orientation, and privacy factors) and four matched controls, supplemented with checklist and VA administrative data. A modified Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators instrument was used to measure patients’ EOC perceptions.

Results:

Respondents (3,321/5,117; 65% response) rated, [mean ( SD)], exterior space highest, 3.09 (0.73), followed by interior space, 2.96 (0.74), and privacy, 2.44 (1.01). COIs had significantly higher ratings than controls on interior space (2.99 vs. 2.96, p = .02) and privacy (2.48 vs. 2.38, p = .005) but no differences for exterior space. Subscales with significantly higher ratings in COIs (vs. controls) in interior space were “spatial–physical comfort” and “orientation,” for example, clean, good signage, spacious rooms, and for privacy included “not too crowded” and “able to talk without being overheard.” Checklist findings confirmed the presence of EOC innovations rated highly by patients.

Conclusions:

Patients identified cleanliness, good signs/information points, adequate seating, nonovercrowding, and privacy for conversations as important. Hospital design modifications, with particular attention to the physical environment, can improve patient EOC perceptions.
A Sense of the Magical: Names in Lord Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter
Authors: Robinson Christopher L.
Published: November 2015

Contributing to the enchantment of the author’s celebrated prose, the names in Lord Dunsany’s best-known novel evoke a world of fairytale, myth, and song; ring true to the characters and places they designate; and fashion themselves into a constellation of correspondences in sound, form, and sense.
Treating chronic spontaneous urticaria using a brief ‘whole person’ treatment approach: a proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Lindsay Karen , Goulding Josie , Solomon Margot , Broom Brian
Published: November 2015

Background

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) poses problems with respect to high prevalence, reduced quality of life, lack of long term efficacy, and expense of current treatments for severe intractable symptoms. There have been many reports suggesting ‘stress’ factors may be implicated, but there are no studies that explore the efficacy of treatments including a psychological perspective. A whole person treatment approach (WPTA), which addresses psychological factors has been used, with effect, for 6 years in the Auckland City Hospital Immunology Department.

Findings

In a pilot study to demonstrate feasibility of recruitment and treatment of CSU patients in a time‐limited, whole person treatment approach, within a conventional immunology department, four patients (three CSU and one idiopathic angioedema) were recruited into a brief WPTA course based in non‐dualistic concepts of mind and body connectedness, and utilising psychotherapy‐derived listening skills for up to 10 h long sessions, once per week. Treatment efficacy rating, using Urticaria Activity Score and the Urticaria Severity Score, and reduction of drug usage, showed patients experienced long term resolution of urticaria and cessation of hospitalisation for angioedema and came off regular antihistamine medication.

Conclusions

A clinician treating chronic spontaneous urticaria in an Immunology department, using a whole person treatment paradigm, can safely explore unique meanings and emotional states, in a process acceptable to patients, resulting in a significant clinical benefit for symptoms. A much larger study comparing the outcome of WPTA versus standard treatment alone is warranted.
Oral administration of Lactobacillus paracasei NCC 2461 for the modulation of grass pollen allergic rhinitis: a randomized, placebo‐controlled study during the pollen season
Authors: Nembrini Chiara , Singh Anurag , De Castro Carlos Antonio , Mercenier Annick , Nutten Sophie
Published: November 2015

Background

The efficacy of Lactobacillus paracasei NCC 2461 in modulating allergic rhinitis was previously evaluated in two exploratory clinical studies. Oral administration with NCC 2461 reduced specific subjective symptoms following nasal provocation tests with controlled grass pollen allergen concentrations. Our aim was to confirm the anti‐allergic effect of NCC 2461 in grass pollen allergic subjects exposed to natural doses of allergens during the pollen season.

Findings

A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, parallel study was conducted with 131 grass pollen allergic subjects from May to July 2012 in concomitance with the pollen season in Berlin. NCC 2461 or placebo was administered daily for an 8‐week period to adult subjects with clinical history of allergic rhinitis to grass pollen, positive skin prick test and IgE to grass pollen. During the 8 weeks, symptoms and quality of life questionnaires were filled out, and plasma was collected for IgE analysis at screening and at the end of the intervention. All subjects were included within a 5‐day interval, ensuring exposure to similar air pollen counts for each individual during the trial period. The results obtained show that symptoms increased with pollen loads, confirming a natural exposure to the allergen and presence of pollen‐induced allergic rhinitis in the subjects. However, no significant differences were observed in allergic rhinitis symptoms scores, quality of life, or specific IgE levels between subjects receiving NCC 2461 as compared to placebo administration.

Conclusion

In contrast to previous findings, oral administration of NCC 2461 did not show a beneficial effect on allergic rhinitis in a field trial. The influence of study design, allergen exposure and intervention window on the efficacy of NCC 2461 in modulating respiratory allergy should be further evaluated.
Differential impact of high and low penetrance TNFRSF1A gene mutations on conventional and regulatory CD4+ T cell functions in TNFR1-associated periodic syndrome
Authors: Pucino Valentina , Lucherini Orso Maria , Perna Francesco , Obici Laura , Merlini Giampaolo , Cattalini Marco , La Torre Francesco , Maggio Maria Cristina , Lepore Maria Teresa , Magnotti Flora , Galgani Mario , Galeazzi Mauro , Marone Gianni , De Rosa Veronica , Talarico Rosaria , Cantarini Luca , Matarese Giuseppe
Published: November 2015

TNFR-associated periodic syndrome is an autoinflammatory disorder caused by autosomal-dominant mutations in TNFRSF1A, the gene encoding for TNFR superfamily 1A. The lack of knowledge in the field of TNFR-associated periodic syndrome biology is clear, particularly in the context of control of immune self-tolerance. We investigated how TNF-α/TNFR superfamily 1A signaling can affect T cell biology, focusing on conventional CD4+CD25− and regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cell functions in patients with TNFR-associated periodic syndrome carrying either high or low penetrance TNFRSF1A mutations. Specifically, we observed that in high penetrance TNFR-associated periodic syndrome, at the molecular level, these alterations were secondary to a hyperactivation of the ERK1/2, STAT1/3/5, mammalian target of rapamycin, and NF-κB pathways in conventional T cells. In addition, these patients had a lower frequency of peripheral regulatory T cells, which also displayed a defective suppressive phenotype. These alterations were partially found in low penetrance TNFR-associated periodic syndrome, suggesting a specific link between the penetrance of the TNFRSF1A mutation and the observed T cell phenotype. Taken together, our data envision a novel role for adaptive immunity in the pathogenesis of TNFR-associated periodic syndrome involving both CD4+ conventional T cells and Tregs, suggesting a novel mechanism of inflammation in the context of autoinflammatory disorders.
Precise Diagnosis of Intraoperative Frozen Section Is an Effective Method to Guide Resection Strategy for Peripheral Small-Sized Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Liu Shilei , Wang Rui , Zhang Yang , Li Yuan , Cheng Chao , Pan Yunjian , Xiang Jiaqing , Zhang Yawei , Chen Haiquan , Sun Yihua
Published: November 2015

Purpose

This study investigated the accuracy of intraoperative frozen section (FS) diagnosis for predicting the final pathology (FP) of peripheral small-sized lung adenocarcinoma and evaluated its usefulness in sublobar resection.

Patients and Methods

The records of 803 patients with clinical stage I peripheral lung adenocarcinoma who underwent sublobar resection for FS diagnosis to guide surgical strategy were reviewed. The surgical extension was mainly based on FS. The FS were stratified into atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA), and invasive adenocarcinoma. The diagnostic accuracy of FS, the reasons for the discrepancy between FS and FP, and the clinical influence of the FS errors were evaluated. To assess the survival of patients with different subtypes after surgery, 301 patients were identified for prognosis evaluation.

Results

The total concordance rate between FS and FP was 84.4%. When atypical adenomatous hyperplasia, AIS, and MIA were classified together as a low-risk group, the concordance rate was 95.9%. Most discrepant cases were the underestimation of AIS and MIA. The diagnostic accuracy of FS for tumors ≤ 1 cm and larger than 1 cm in diameter was 79.6% and 90.8%, respectively (P < .01). The FS errors had significant clinical impact on 0.9% of the 803 patients due to insufficient resection. The 5-year recurrence-free survival rate (100%) was significantly better for the patients with AIS/MIA than for patients with invasive adenocarcinoma (74.1%, P < .01).

Conclusion

Frozen pathology has a high concordance rate with FP. Precise diagnosis by intraoperative FS is an effective method to guide resection strategy for peripheral small-sized lung adenocarcinoma.
Alectinib in Crizotinib-Refractory ALK-Rearranged Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase II Global Study
Authors: Ou Sai-Hong Ignatius , Ahn Jin Seok , De Petris Luigi , Govindan Ramaswamy , Yang James Chih-Hsin , Hughes Brett , Lena Hervé , Moro-Sibilot Denis , Bearz Alessandra , Ramirez Santiago Viteri , Mekhail Tarek , Spira Alexander , Bordogna Walter , Balas Bogdana , Morcos Peter N. , Monnet Annabelle , Zeaiter Ali , Kim Dong-Wan
Published: November 2015

Purpose

Crizotinib confers improved progression-free survival compared with chemotherapy in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but progression invariably occurs. We investigated the efficacy and safety of alectinib, a potent and selective ALK inhibitor with excellent CNS penetration, in patients with crizotinib-refractory ALK-positive NSCLC.

Patients and Methods

Alectinib 600 mg was administered orally twice daily. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR) by central independent review committee (IRC).

Results

Of the 138 patients treated, 84 patients (61%) had CNS metastases at baseline, and 122 were response evaluable (RE) by IRC. ORR by IRC was 50% (95% CI, 41% to 59%), and the median duration of response (DOR) was 11.2 months (95% CI, 9.6 months to not reached). In 96 patients (79%) previously treated with chemotherapy, the ORR was 45% (95% CI, 35% to 55%). Median IRC-assessed progression-free survival for all 138 patients was 8.9 months (95% CI, 5.6 to 11.3 months). CNS disease control rate was 83% (95% CI, 74% to 91%), and the median CNS DOR was 10.3 months (95% CI, 7.6 to 11.2 months). CNS ORR in 35 patients with baseline measurable CNS lesions was 57% (95% CI, 39% to 74%). Of the 23 patients with baseline CNS metastases (measurable or nonmeasurable) and no prior radiation, 10 (43%) had a complete CNS response. At 12 months, the cumulative CNS progression rate (24.8%) was lower than the cumulative non-CNS progression rate (33.2%) for all patients. Common adverse events were constipation (33%), fatigue (26%), and peripheral edema (25%); most were grade 1 to 2.

Conclusion

Alectinib is highly active and well tolerated in patients with advanced, crizotinib-refractory ALK-positive NSCLC, including those with CNS metastases.
Korean War Comic Books and the Militarization of US Masculinity
Authors: Rifas Leonard
Published: November 2015

US comic books published about the Korean War during that conflict represented the war as an opportunity for US boys to become men through bloody, hand-to-hand combat. Korean War comic book representations of Asian men and women fell into a few basic types. The messages in US war comics were constrained by the need to avoid discouraging military recruitment.
Truth or Reconciliation? The Guest and the Massacre That Never Ends
Authors: Ryu Youngju
Published: November 2015

The Guest (Sonnim), Hwang Sok-yong's 2001 novel, offers a sustained meditation on conditions of possibility for inter-Korean reconciliation. Featuring memories of what happened in Sinchon, a North Korean town where an estimated thirty-five thousand civilians were killed during the early months of the Korean War, the novel explores the relationship between official and unofficial narratives of the Korean War, and between different versions of official histories that have sustained the nationalist logics of Korean division. The novel also moves beyond representation to a performance of reconciliation by turning the narrative into a ritual space in a reinvigorated implementation of Korean funerary tradition.

In the process, The Guest both couples and decouples truth and reconciliation. While seeking validity for its version of the Sinchon massacre by offering up its fictional narrative as a truthful revision of official histories, The Guest incessantly undermines the empirical ground for its version of history. What opens up as a result is the gap between cognition and affect, law and lawfulness; reconciliation emerges not as the natural consequence of establishing truth but as an agonizing attempt to close the gap between truth and justice. Where truth may actually hinder the cause of reconciliation, what is the price of arriving at truth without reconciliation, and of implementing reconciliation without truth? Situating The Guest in the context of Hwang Sok-yong's own commentary, this essay examines the relevance of these questions for contemporary Korea.
The Intelligence of Fools: Reading the US Military Archive of the Korean War
Authors: Kim Monica
Published: November 2015

This article examines the struggle over sovereignty on the Korean peninsula from the US occupation through the Korean War not over the usual stakes of geopolitical territory but, rather, over the politics of recognition surrounding the capacity of the individual postcolonial subject. By beginning with a set of archives that has been foundational for much of the historiography around the Korean War—the documents of US military intelligence—this essay proposes a disruptive reading of the practices, assumptions, and structures of US military interrogation. During the state of emergency declared by US General Douglas MacArthur at the beginning of the occupation in 1945, the Korean person was neither a “citizen,” since Korea was not yet a recognized state, nor a colonized subject, since Korea had been liberated from Japanese colonial rule. This sustained suspension was legitimated by the “rule of law” inscribed by the US Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC). In order to undermine the Koreans' insistent claims to self-governance, the US Counter Intelligence Corps ultimately made “acts of language”—such as slander or rumors—punishable by death by the US military. According to the CIC, the Korean's inability to discern or narrate a coherent truth in the interrogation room proved the Korean's incapacity for self-governance. When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the global war met this continued state of emergency on the ground, where the question of human subjectivity, and not only territorial borders, was at stake in the conflict.
Violet Ashes: A Tribute to Chris Marker
Authors: Cumings Bruce
Published: November 2015

This essay examines the destructive air war over North Korea from 1950 to 1953 and asks why this enormous atrocity is either unknown or forgotten in the United States, while it remains a burning memory in North Korea—one that deeply affects Korean attitudes toward US citizens. The essay high-lights the remarkable work of Chris Marker, who died in 2012, one day after his ninety-first birthday. A well-known photographer, filmmaker, and artist, he visited the North four years after the air war ended and published a remarkable book of photos—one that also remains unknown or forgotten. In passing, he remarked that “extermination passed over this land.”