bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new poreless species of Gekko Laurenti, 1768 (Gekkonidae: Squamata) from An Giang Province, southern Vietnam
Authors: SANG NGUYEN NGOC
Published: December 2018

A new poreless gecko, Gekko vietnamensis sp. nov., is described from an isolated hill in southern Vietnam. The new species is characterized by a medium size (SVL up to 91 mm); rostral touching nostril; 11–12 supralabials, 10–11 infralabials; body slender with four unclear transverse bands on the back and 28–30 scales across mid-belly; lack of precloacal and femoral pores, no enlarged femoral scales; 18–20 undivided transverse lamellae under the fourth toe; digits free; and tail longer than snout-vent length with enlarged undivided transverse subcaudal scales.
The Muscidae (Diptera) of New Caledonia
Authors: COURI MARCIA S. , PONT ADRIAN C. , DAUGERON CHRISTOPHE
Published: December 2018

The Muscidae of New Caledonia are reviewed. A key for the identification of genera and species is given, together with diagnoses, descriptions and illustrations. The revision is based on literature records and on examined material from New Caledonia deposited in various museums and institutions. A total of 18 genera and 40 species are recognised, 7 of which are endemic and 4 of which are newly described: Dichaetomyia shinonagai, sp. nov.; Helina flavoextrema, sp. nov.; Limnophora longiantennata, sp. nov. and Pygophora spinifera, sp. nov. Helina Robineau-Desvoidy, Synthesiomyia Brauer & Bergenstamm and Neomyia Walker are newly recorded genera, and Atherigona bidens Hennig, Atherigona poecilopoda Bezzi, Lispe fuscipalpis Malloch, Lispocephala occulta (Pont), Musca ventrosa Wiedemann, Musca vetustissima Walker, Neomyia timorensis (Robineau-Desvoidy), Pygophora hopkinsi Malloch and Synthesiomyia nudiseta (Wulp) are newly recorded species for New Caledonia. Four species previously recorded in the literature on New Caledonia, Muscina stabulans (Fallén), Lispe assimilis Wiedemann, Pygophora maculigera (Stein) and Pygophora minuta Malloch, were not represented in the material examined. The male terminalia of the Atherigona species, Pygophora caledonica (Bigot) and the new species are illustrated. Coenosia pumilio Stein is redescribed. Lispe binotata Becker, 1914 is a new junior subjective synonym of Lispe nicobarensis Schiner, 1868, syn. nov. A brief discussion on the composition of the fauna is also given.
Two new species of the laomediid genus Naushonia Kingsley, 1897 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Gebiidea) from the Indo-West Pacific
Authors: KOMAI TOMOYUKI , ANKER ARTHUR
Published: December 2018

Two new species of the rarely collected laomediid genus Naushonia Kingsley, 1897 are reported from shallow waters of the tropical Indo-West Pacific. Naushonia latimana n. sp. is described on the basis of two specimens, a male and a female, collected off Mayotte, Comoro Archipelago, southwestern Indian Ocean. Naushonia serratipalma n. sp. is described based on a single female specimen collected off Moorea, Society Archipelago, French Polynesia, Southwestern Pacific Ocean. Both new species are morphologically similar to N. perrieri (Nobili, 1904) and N. japonica Komai, 2004, but can be clearly distinguished from them by several morphological characters. The present report raises the total number of known species in the genus to 10; an identification key to all known species of Naushonia is provided.
A new genus and species of larval mites (Acari: Prostigmata: Microtrombidiidae) from Iran
Authors: SEDGHI ALI , SABOORI ALIREZA , AKRAMI MOHAMMAD ALI , HAKIMITABAR MASOUD
Published: December 2018

Persianthrombium farajii Sedghi, Saboori & Hakimitabar gen. et sp. nov. (Acari: Microtrombidiidae) is described and illustrated from larvae ectoparasitic on undetermined Locusta (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from Jahrom, Fars Province, Iran. A key to larval genera of Microtrombidiidae with three dorsal scuta is presented.
Deepwater Indo-Pacific species of the snake-eel genus Ophichthus (Anguilliformes: Ophichthidae), with the description of nine new species
Authors: McCOSKER JOHN E.
Published: December 2018

The 19 Indo-Pacific species of the snake-eel genus Ophichthus (family Ophichthidae, subfamily Ophichthinae) that live at or below 200 m are reviewed. Included are: Ophichthus aphotistos, O. brachynotopterus, O. echeloides, O. exourus, O. genie, O. kunaloa, O. megalops, O. mystacinus, O. serpentinus, O. urolophus, and nine new species which are described: O. alleni from 115–200 m off eastern Australia; O. aniptocheilos from 391–421 m off Tonga; O. congroides from 300 m off the Tuamotu Islands; O. hirritus from 600 m off the Seychelle Islands; O. humanni from 254–300 m off Vanuatu; O. ishiyamorum from 258–400 m off the Gulf of Aden, Somalia; O. lentiginosus from 400 m off Vanuatu and New Caledonia; O. microstictus from 362–450 m off Tonga, Fiji, and possibly New Caledonia; and O. tomioi from 300– 423 m off the Philippines, Marquesas, Fiji, and the Seychelle Islands. The range and depth distributions of the following are expanded to include: O. brachynotopterus to New Caledonia and Vanuatu between 541–580 m; O. mystacinus to Tonga, Fiji, and the Philippines between 371–824 m; and O. urolophus to Western Australia and Indonesia between 40– 420 m. An identification key is provided. Characteristics and the behavior of species of the subgenus Coecilophis, to which all treated species except O. aphotistos belong, is discussed. Ophichthys madagascariensis Fourmanoir (1961) is proposed to be a junior synonym of Pisodonophis cancrivorus (Richardson 1848).
Three new and a known species of Tylencholaimoidea (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from Singapore
Authors: AHMAD WASIM , BANIYAMUDDIN M.
Published: December 2018

Three new and a known species of soil-inhabiting nematodes belonging to the superfamily Tylencholaimoidea Filipjev, 1934 are described and illustrated from Singapore. Tantunema enigmatum n. sp. is characterised by having 0.33–0.41 mm long body; angular, distinctly offset lip region; well developed circumoral sclerotization; odontostyle slender with aperture about one-fourth of its length; simple rod-like odontophore; anterior part of pharynx slender, weakly muscular, expanding abruptly into a cylindroid basal bulb, constriction present between two parts of pharynx; expanded portion divisible into a short conical, less muscular anterior part and a posterior muscular cylindrical part with thickened inner lining; lumen of the posterior one-third of expanded portion distinctly widened and thickened; mono-opisthodelphic female genital system and short hemispheroid tail. Dorella shamimi n. sp. is characterised by having 0.58–0.62 mm long body; continuous lip region with indistinct labial papillae; labial disc absent; 10–10.5 µm long odontostyle with a large pad-like muscular structure attached on ventral side of posterior half of its length extending to the anterior part of the odontophore; odontophore asymmetrical with round, transparent, knob-like thickening; pharynx with a short terminal oval bulb; mono-prodelphic female genital system with a short post-uterine sac; short conoid tail, with rounded terminus, and males with 18–18.5 µm long, simple arcuate spicules and a single ventromedian supplement. Tylencholaimus singaporensis n. sp. is characterized by having 0.35–0.47 mm long body; distinctly offset, cap-like lip region, 4.5–5.5 µm long, slender odontostyle, simple rod-like odontophore with small but distinct basal knobs, pharyngeal expansion abrupt, mono-prodelphic genital system with no post-uterine sac, and short hemispheroid tail with distinct terminal caudal pore. Tylencholaimus intermedius Peña-Santiago & Coomans, 1996 is reported for the first time from Singapore.
A taxonomic study of the genus Metiochodes Chopard from China (Orthoptera, Gryllidae, Trigonidiinae)
Authors: LI KAI , HE ZHUQING , LIU XIANWEI
Published: December 2018

A taxonomic study of the genus Metiochodes Chopard, 1893 from China is presented. Five species are described, including four new species. A key to species from China is given.
A new species of Hydrobaenus Fries, 1830 (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Algeria
Authors: ZERGUINE KARIMA , ROSSARO BRUNO
Published: December 2018

Hydrobaenus olfa n. sp. from Algeria is described and illustrated as male, pupal exuviae and larva. The new species is assigned to the genus Hydrobaenus Fries, 1830 according to morphological characters observable in all the three stages, it is easily separated from all the other known species of the genus because of the high number of anal macrosetae on anal lobe of pupa; this character state is actually unknown within all the known species of the Hydrobaenus group, whereas it is observed in other genera within Orthocladiinae as in the genus Propsilocerus Kieffer, 1923. For this reason the description of the genus Hydrobaenus must be emended. This character gives additional evidence to the phylogenetic relationships between the primitive genera of Orthocladiinae.
Five new scorpion species of genus Brachistosternus (Scorpiones: Bothriuridae) from the deserts of Chile and Peru, with comments about some poorly studied diagnostic characters of the genus
Authors: OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO ANDRÉS A. , PIZARRO-ARAYA JAIME , OCHOA JOSÉ A.
Published: December 2018

Five new scorpion species of genus Brachistosternus of Chile and Peru are described. Brachistosternus gayi n. sp. is a high Andean species of north central Chile. Brachistosternus philippii n. sp. occurs near the coast of Antofagasta. Brachistosternus misti n. sp. occurs at intermediates altitudes of southern Peru. Brachistosternus contisuyu n. sp. occurs in Lomas formation in southern Peru. Brachistosternus anandrovestigia n. sp. occurs in coastal areas of southern Peru, and is the second known species of the genus without metasomal glands or androvestigia. Two diagnostic characters are discussed: the Internal Laminar Apophysis of the right hemispermatophore, and the sternum macrosetae.
The genus Mimadiestra Storozhenko & Dawwrueng, 2014 (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) from China, with description of two new species
Authors: ZHU QI-DI , WU YONG-XIA , SHI FU-MING
Published: December 2018

In this paper, the genus Mimadiestra Storozhenko & Dawwrueng, 2014 is reported from China and two new species are described, i.e. Mimadiestra gracila sp. nov. and Mimadiestra dicha sp. nov. Morphological photographs of the two species are provided. All type specimens are preserved in the Museum of Hebei University.
On the use of troglomorphic characters in Namanereidinae (Annelida; Nereididae) systematics
Authors: ALVES PAULO RICARDO , GLASBY CHRISTOPHER J. , SANTOS CINTHYA SIMONE GOMES
Published: December 2018

The Namanereidinae are one of the most successful polychaete groups to colonize subterranean waters. Many species have evolved adaptations to underground life including elongation of appendages and reduction of eyes and pigmentation. However, the use of these troglomorphic characters in the group’s systematics is contentious. The present study conducts a series of tree searching and phylogeny reconstructions to evaluate the influence of these characters in the phylogeny of the group. Results show that troglomorphic characters cause no serious errors in the phylogenetic reconstruction of Namanereidinae, and support the two existing genera, which can be unequivocally distinguished by non-troglomorphic traits. As a consequence of this phylogenetic hypothesis the following taxonomic changes are required: Lycastoides becomes a junior synonym of Namanereis, and its only species becomes a new combination, N. alticola n. comb. and Namalycastis occulta is moved to Namanereis becoming Namanereis occulta n. comb.
Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) from Aegithalos caudatus (Passeriformes: Aegithalidae)
Authors: SKORACKI MACIEJ , HEBDA GRZEGORZ
Published: December 2018

Three species of syringophilid mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) were collected from quills of Aegithalos caudatus (Passeriformes: Aegithalidae) in Poland, Picobia caudati sp. n. from body feathers, Dissonus scirpaceus Skoracki, 1999 from rectrices, and Syringophilopsis aegithali Bochkov et al., 2001 from secondaries.
A new species of Drymusa Simon, 1891 (Araneae, Drymusidae) from Brazil
Authors: BRESCOVIT ANTONIO D. , BONALDO ALEXANDRE B. , RHEIMS CRSITINA A.
Published: December 2018

Drymusa canhemabae n. sp. from Juruti, state of Par , Brazil is described and illustrated and details of the internal female genitalia are presented for the first time. This is the second species of Drymusa described from South America and the first one from Brazil.
Description of Notarius biffi n. sp. and redescription of N. insculptus (Jordan and Gilbert) (Siluriformes: Ariidae) from the eastern Pacific, with evidence of monophyly and limits of Notarius
Authors: BETANCUR-R. RICARDO , P. ARTURO ACERO
Published: December 2018

A new species of ariid catfish, Notarius biffi n. sp., from the eastern Pacific, is described. The species is distinguished from other eastern Pacific species of Notarius by the following features: mouth small (width 34.2 39.3% head length); eye large (diameter 3.8 4.5% standard length); mandibulary barbels short (length 10.2 13.1% standard length); distance between anterior nostrils short (17.9 20.8% head length); caudal peduncle relatively slender (depth 6.1 6.7% SL); gill rakers on the first arch 11 12. N. insculptus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1883) new combination is redescribed herein. This species is distinguished from other eastern Pacific Notarius as follows: highly developed, sculptured epioccipital bones, forming with the supraoccipital a basally wide complex process which tapers drastically posteriorly; supraoccipital process length 0.7 0.9 in the base of the complex process; predorsal plate narrow and crescent-shaped; mouth large (width 45.8 54.8% head length); maxillary barbels long (length 26.7 30.3% standard length). Based on mitochondrial phylogenetic evidence (combined cytochrome b and ATP synthase 8/6 data set with 1937 base pairs) and general morphology, the amphiamerican genus Notarius is expanded to include a total of 14 species, eight of which are presented as new combinations (N. cookei, N. insculptus, N. kessleri, N. luniscutis, N. neogranatensis, N. phrygiatus, N. quadriscutis, and N. rugispinis). The nomenclatural status of the eastern Pacific ariids Hexanematichthys henni, Arius hassleriana, A. festae, A. labiatus, A. planiceps, and A. osculus is discussed. Finally, a key to identify seven described species of Notarius from the eastern Pacific is presented.
Steinernema guangdongense sp. n. (Nematoda: Steinernematidae), a new entomopathogenic nematode from southern China with a note on S. serratum (nomen nudum)
Authors: QIU LIHONG , FANG YUANYUAN , ZHOU YONG , PANG YI , NGUYEN KHUONG B.
Published: December 2018

A new species of entomopathogenic nematode, Steinernema guangdongense sp. n. was recovered from a soil sample collected from Jijia town in the western part of Guangdong province, the Peoples Republic of China during a survey for entomopathogenic nematodes in 2001. The nematode can be separated from other described species of Steinernema, by morphological, morphometrical characteristics of different stages of the nematode, by crossbreeding tests and by characterizations and phylogeny of DNA sequences of either a partial 28S or the internal transcribed spacer regions of rDNA. This nematode is closest to S. longicaudum. It can be distinguished from that nematode by characteristics of different stages. For infective juveniles, although the body length is almost similar (1055 m compared to 1063 m), body diameter of the new species is larger; values of EP (length from anterior end to excretory pore), NR (length from anterior end to nerve ring) and a body length/body width ratio are smaller, and tail with dorsal constriction. For male, the new species has longer spicule, not well curved, spicule head shorter, shaft not prominent or absent and spicule tip not suddenly tapered as shown in S. longicaudum. Also, the ratios SW (spicule length/anal body width) and GS (gubernaculums/spicule) are smaller. For female, the presence of a small double flapped epiptygma, a small projection on dorsal side of the tail tips and prominent post-anal swelling is typical for the new species.
Shell morphometrics of three species of gadilid Scaphopoda (Mollusca) from the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean: comparing the discriminating power of primary and secondary descriptors
Authors: ABSALÃO RICARDO SILVA , DE PAULA THIAGO SILVA
Published: December 2018

Shell morphometric data are potentially useful in discriminating among morphologically similar mollusc species. Only a few studies, however, have assessed the value of this method for identifying and delimiting scaphopod taxa. We attempted to discriminate three southwestern-Atlantic species of gadilid scaphopods, Gadila acus (Dall, 1889), Cadulus braziliensis Henderson, 1920, and Polyschides tetraschistus (Watson, 1879) using Discriminant Function Analysis of shell morphometric data. We tested the efficiency of three morphometric indices proposed by Shimek (1989), nine direct shell measurements proposed by Steiner & Linse (2000), and three newly proposed morphometric indices. Shimek s (1989) indices correctly assigned 133 of 150 specimens (88.67%), whereas the direct shell measurements data correctly assigned 149 specimens (99.34%). The most efficient set of parameters assigning all specimens correctly consisted of: 1) the height of the posterior aperture, 2) the total length of the shell, 3) the maximum arc, 4) the ratio of total shell length and the distance from the dorsal aperture to the point of maximum width, 5) the ratio of the maximum shell diameter and the apertural diameter, and 6) the ratio of the height and width of the posterior aperture. Because this combination of variables was 100% efficient in discriminating among the three species, we recommend its use as the best tool for separating these slender gadilid scaphopods.
Moema apurinan sp. n. and Aphyolebias boticarioi sp. n. (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae): two new annual killifishes from the Rio Purus basin, Brazilian Amazon
Authors: COSTA WILSON J.E.M.
Published: December 2018

Two new annual fishes are described from the upper Rio Purus drainage, Amazonian basin, northern Brazil. Moema apurinan, new species, is similar to M. staecki, these two species distinguished from other congeners in having contact organs on scales of the flank in males, an acuminate caudal fin, fewer pectoral-fin rays, fewer vertebrae, and a narrower rostral cartilage. Moema apurinan differs from M. staecki in having a longer pectoral fin and a wider basihyal. Moema apurinan is distinguished from all other congeners by possessing fewer caudal-fin rays. Aphyolebias boticarioi, new species, differs from all other congeners by having a deeper body. It is similar to A. rubrocaudatus, A. obliquus, A. claudiae and A. schleseri in having a ventral marginal black stripe on the caudal fin in males. Aphyolebias boticarioi differs from these species by a combination of features including number of anal-fin rays, pectoral-fin rays, vertebrae and gill-rakers, and color patterns.
Self-Responsibility Gone Bad: Institutions and the 2008 Financial Crisis
Authors: Campbell John L.
Published: December 2018

The rise of self-responsibility as practiced in many public policy areas was part of the more general rise of neoliberalism. A case in point is the corporate social responsibility movement. This led in the world of finance to the 2008 financial crisis thanks to various deregulatory moves beginning in the early 1980s. As such, the crisis was the product of a series of incremental institutional changes that enabled corporate self-responsibility in finance to go terribly wrong. Once the crisis hit, a number of more radical institutional changes were pursued in order to reverse the movement toward self-responsibility. This was an institutional rebalancing. This article offers some ideas about how to think about institutional change in the context of this particular corporate self-responsibility movement. It focuses first on the institutional changes that caused the crisis and then on the institutional changes that followed in an effort to minimize the severity of the crisis and reduce the possibility that another one might happen again. The basic argument is that self-responsibility is not a phenomenon that can be reduced to individual action; it cannot work properly without that action being embedded in an appropriate institutional environment. This is an argument at odds with neoliberal theory.
Optimum design of perforated symmetric laminates using evolutionary algorithm
Authors: Khechai A , Mohite PM
Published: December 2018

Here, analytical studies have been carried out to determine the optimal values of effective parameters on the stress concentration factor around a cutout using genetic algorithm. Optimum designs of single lamina as well as symmetric laminates with 4, 8 and 12 layers of graphite/epoxy and glass/epoxy plates containing a circular cutout with various sizes are presented. The work focuses on extending the analytical solution given by Greszczuk to determine the stress distribution in multilayered composite plates subjected to arbitrary in-plane loadings. This is achieved by introducing an arbitrary oriented uniaxial, biaxial and shear loading conditions into Greszczuk solution. In order to mimic as much as possible the real structural behavior, the finite-width correction factor given by Tan is used. Effective parameters on stress distribution around the circular cutout in composite plates considered as design variables include: load angle, fiber orientation, cutout size and stacking sequence of the laminate. The objective function in this study is the minimization of maximum stress concentration around the cutout which is calculated by the present analytical solution. The first ply failure load predicted using Tsai–Wu criterion is maximized for both single lamina and symmetric laminates. Also, the weight of the plates is minimized by increasing the hole size to width ratio. The results obtained by the present analytical solution compare favorably with those obtained using complex variable method. For laminated plate subjected to shear loading, the stress concentration factor decreased drastically by 48.79% compared to a single lamina. The failure load is also increased in most of the loading cases. The results also showed that the genetic algorithm code converges rapidly in most of the cases. The accuracy, quickness, low computational cost and the simplicity of the present solution encourage the designers to use it in practical applications.
Characterization of Al1100-RHA composite developed by accumulative roll bonding
Authors: Nasresfahani Mohamad Reza , Shamanian Morteza
Published: December 2018

A metal–matrix composite was developed by eco-friendly accumulative roll bonding process and agricultural wastes. Amorphous silica particles were obtained by heating rice husk at 600℃ and then ball milling. Amorphous silica particles as a reinforcement were embedded in a matrix of aluminum 1100. Composites with various amounts (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6%, and 7%, mass fraction) of rice husk ash particles were developed. The produced aluminum–rice husk ash composites were evaluated for structural changes and mechanical properties. The scanning electron micrographs showed a uniform distribution of rice husk ash particles and were bonded well with the aluminum matrix after 10 cycles. By increasing the rice husk ash content, the composite strength increases first and then becomes constant because of the inappropriate connection of aluminum sheets. Increasing the rice husk ash content of the composite causes the change from the ductile to a relatively brittle type of fracture.
Social capital and neighbourhood cooperation: Implications for development of the urban poor in LDCs
Authors: Bashar Toriqul , Bramley Glen
Published: December 2018

‘Neighbourhood cooperation’ can be viewed as a key element for livelihood improvement, particularly within areas of urban poverty in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Such cooperation might be useful for mobilising resources and sharing risks of investing in infrastructures/services and maintaining common goods. This article explores the structural relationships between individual level cooperation and overall social capital, in relation to household and neighbourhood characteristics. These relationships are complex as various factors are interlinked, which influence cooperation at both individual and group levels. Literature on social capital has relied mainly on Western countries; from this starting point, this article analyses the relationships among aspects of social capital. Analytical models are based on Durlauf’s approach of measuring ‘social capital’ and Manski’s perspective on social interaction, which are tested on 1800 households’ data across three locations in Bangladesh. The estimates reveal that individual level cooperation can be influenced directly by households’ socio economic circumstances and indirectly through neighbourhood mediation, while questioning some theoretical generalisations about neighbourhood cooperation. The findings contribute to the literature on neighbourhood effects by revealing that: (a) the relationship between one’s socio economic status and one’s social capital is less clear than expected; and (b) extreme poverty and proximity of living in a neighbourhood can promote norms of trust and cooperation.
Extremists on the Left and Right Use Angry, Negative Language
Authors: Frimer Jeremy A. , Brandt Mark J. , Melton Zachary , Motyl Matt
Published: December 2018

We propose that political extremists use more negative language than moderates. Previous research found that conservatives report feeling happier than liberals and yet liberals “display greater happiness” in their language than do conservatives. However, some of the previous studies relied on questionable measures of political orientation and affective language, and no studies have examined whether political orientation and affective language are nonlinearly related. Revisiting the same contexts (Twitter, U.S. Congress), and adding three new ones (political organizations, news media, crowdsourced Americans), we found that the language of liberal and conservative extremists was more negative and angry in its emotional tone than that of moderates. Contrary to previous research, we found that liberal extremists’ language was more negative than that of conservative extremists. Additional analyses supported the explanation that extremists feel threatened by the activities of political rivals, and their angry, negative language represents efforts to communicate as much to others.
The Solitude of Secrecy: Thinking About Secrets Evokes Goal Conflict and Feelings of Fatigue
Authors: Slepian Michael L. , Halevy Nir , Galinsky Adam D.
Published: December 2018

Past research has conceptualized secrecy as speech inhibition during social interaction. In contrast, the current research broadens the understanding of secrecy by conceptualizing it as the commitment to conceal information. Seven experiments demonstrate the implications of this broader conceptualization for understanding secrecy’s consequences. The results demonstrate that thinking about secrets—relative to thinking about personal information unknown by others that is not purposefully concealed (i.e., undisclosed information)—indirectly increases the experience of fatigue by evoking feelings of isolation and a motivational conflict with one’s affiliation goals. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the fatiguing effects of secrecy have consequences for task persistence and performance. Integrating theories of motivation, fatigue, and social isolation, we offer new directions for research on secrecy.
Goal-setting in geriatric rehabilitation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Smit Ewout B , Bouwstra Hylco , Hertogh Cees MPM , Wattel Elizabeth M , van der Wouden Johannes C
Published: December 2018

Objective:

To explore the effect of goal-setting on physical functioning, quality of life and duration of rehabilitation in geriatric rehabilitation compared to care as usual.

Data sources:

Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library were searched from initiation to October 2018.

Methods:

We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), controlled before–after studies and studies using historic controls of older patients (mean age ⩾55 years) receiving rehabilitation for acquired disabilities. Our primary outcome was physical functioning; secondary outcomes were quality of life and rehabilitation duration. Cochrane guidelines were used to assess the risk of bias of the studies and extract data. Only RCT data were pooled using standardized mean difference (SMD).

Results:

We included 14 studies consisting of a total of 1915 participants with a mean age ranging from 55 to 83 years. Ten out of the 14 studies had a randomized controlled design, 7 of which could be pooled for the primary outcome. The risk of bias was judged high in several domains in all included studies. The meta-analysis showed no statistically significant differences between goal-setting and care as usual for physical functioning (SMD −0.11 (−0.32 to 0.10)), quality of life (SMD 0.09 (−0.56 to 0.75)) and rehabilitation duration (MD 13.46 days (−2.46 to 29.38)).

Conclusion:

We found low-quality evidence that goal-setting does not result in better physical functioning compared to care as usual in geriatric rehabilitation. For quality of life and duration of rehabilitation, we could not exclude a clinically relevant effect.
Changes in cerebral oxygenation and cerebral blood flow during hemodialysis – A simultaneous near-infrared spectroscopy and positron emission tomography study
Authors: Polinder-Bos Harmke A , Elting Jan Willem J , Aries Marcel JH , García David Vállez , Willemsen Antoon TM , van Laar Peter J , Kuipers Johanna , Krijnen Wim P , Slart Riemer HJA , Luurtsema Gert , Westerhuis Ralf , Gansevoort Ron T , Gaillard Carlo AJM , Franssen Casper FM
Published: December 2018

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is used to monitor cerebral tissue oxygenation (rSO2) depending on cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume and blood oxygen content. We explored whether NIRS might be a more easy applicable proxy to [15O]H2O positron emission tomography (PET) for detecting CBF changes during hemodialysis. Furthermore, we compared potential determinants of rSO2 and CBF. In 12 patients aged ≥ 65 years, NIRS and PET were performed simultaneously: before (T1), early after start (T2), and at the end of hemodialysis (T3). Between T1 and T3, the relative change in frontal rSO2 (ΔrSO2) was −8 ± 9% ( P = 0.001) and −5 ± 11% ( P = 0.08), whereas the relative change in frontal gray matter CBF (ΔCBF) was −11 ± 18% ( P = 0.009) and −12 ± 16% ( P = 0.007) for the left and right hemisphere, respectively. ΔrSO2 and ΔCBF were weakly correlated for the left (ρ 0.31, P = 0.4), and moderately correlated for the right (ρ 0.69, P = 0.03) hemisphere. The Bland-Altman plot suggested underestimation of ΔCBF by NIRS. Divergent associations of pH, pCO2 and arterial oxygen content with rSO2 were found compared to corresponding associations with CBF. In conclusion, NIRS could be a proxy to PET to detect intradialytic CBF changes, although NIRS and PET capture different physiological parameters of the brain.
Brain tissue iron quantification by MRI in intracerebral hemorrhage: Current translational evidence and pitfalls
Authors: Chaudhary Neeraj , Pandey Aditya S , Griauzde Julius , Gemmete Joseph J , Chenevert Thomas L , Keep Richard F , Xi Guohua
Published: December 2018

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a common subtype of hemorrhagic stroke with devastating consequences with no specific treatment. There is, however, substantial evidence for iron-mediated neurotoxicity in animal ICH models. Non-invasive quantification of the peri-hematomal tissue iron based on MRI has shown some promise in animal models and is being validated for clinical translation. This commentary reviews evidence for this approach and discusses potential pitfalls.
Small-variance asymptotics for non-parametric online robot learning
Authors: Tanwani Ajay Kumar , Calinon Sylvain
Published: December 2018

Small-variance asymptotics is emerging as a useful technique for inference in large-scale Bayesian non-parametric mixture models. This paper analyzes the online learning of robot manipulation tasks with Bayesian non-parametric mixture models under small-variance asymptotics. The analysis yields a scalable online sequence clustering (SOSC) algorithm that is non-parametric in the number of clusters and the subspace dimension of each cluster. SOSC groups the new datapoint in low-dimensional subspaces by online inference in a non-parametric mixture of probabilistic principal component analyzers (MPPCA) based on a Dirichlet process, and captures the state transition and state duration information online in a hidden semi-Markov model (HSMM) based on a hierarchical Dirichlet process. A task-parameterized formulation of our approach autonomously adapts the model to changing environmental situations during manipulation. We apply the algorithm in a teleoperation setting to recognize the intention of the operator and remotely adjust the movement of the robot using the learned model. The generative model is used to synthesize both time-independent and time-dependent behaviors by relying on the principles of shared and autonomous control. Experiments with the Baxter robot yield parsimonious clusters that adapt online with new demonstrations and assist the operator in performing remote manipulation tasks.
The Ironic Western Self: Radical and Conservative Irony in the ‘Losing Turkey’ Narrative
Authors: Vuorelma Johanna
Published: December 2018

This article focuses on ironic narrative forms in international media and policy debates concerning political developments in Turkey during the era of the Justice and Development Party (Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi, AKP) in the 2000s. More specifically, the article examines the narrative of ‘losing’ Turkey, which has grown in significance during the AKP era, and argues that the metaphor also contains an ironic, self-critical reading that contributes to the debate on the idea of the West. The article advances knowledge concerning different functions of ironic narratives, proposing that we need to distinguish between (1) radical irony and (2) conservative irony. It is argued that radical irony is an outward-looking strategy to advance social justice and to challenge the Western self’s hegemonic representations, while conservative irony is an attempt to re-strengthen the Western self’s hegemony in the international system. The debate on ‘losing’ Turkey is an illustrative case where a Western subject is intersubjectively imagined and narrated with moral and aesthetic preferences. It can be seen as a negotiation about the moral traditions that underpin the West as an imagined and narrated social system. The article argues that the Western self is partly constituted through ironic narrative forms.
Harm Reduction Strategies and Disinhibitors Among Women Who Use Heroin
Authors: Kerley Kent R. , DeShay Rashaan A. , Copes Heith
Published: December 2018

People who use illicit drugs face significant physical risks in the acquisition, use, and aftermath of their use. This is particularly the case among those who use heroin in view of recent spikes in heroin-associated overdoses, injuries, and deaths. Using a restrictive deterrence framework, we identify the risks that women associate with chronic heroin use and the ways they seek to manage those risks. We also examine psychological and physiological disinhibitors that contribute to women reducing use of risk reduction strategies. We find from the narratives that nearly all of the women initially engaged in specific strategies to manage risk; however, as they continued using the drug, they began to abandon even the simplest of measures. Our findings shed light on the limitations of harm reduction strategies and inform the theoretical tradition of restrictive deterrence and the importance of disinhibitors.
The role of emotion in a housing purchase: An empirical analysis of the anatomy of satisfaction from off-plan apartment purchases in France
Authors: Andrew Mark , Larceneux Fabrice
Published: December 2018

This paper examines empirically the role of emotion in owning a new build apartment, derived from its representation through mental imaging (‘visualization’) from marketing techniques, in influencing off-plan purchases in France, and how its effect on satisfaction evaluations of the apartment purchased affects buyer ratings of developer performance. Through structural equation modelling we show that psychological measures of perceived values influence buying decisions via satisfaction with the apartment purchased. Buyer evaluations are cognitively dominated by the assessment of utilitarian benefits, but emotion plays a significant role among homebuyers as well as investors. Our analysis also sheds light on how buyer satisfaction could potentially augment the reputation of a developer to achieve off-plan sales targets.
Towards a conceptual history of the present: Democracy, rights, and freedom in the recent Catalan conflict
Authors: Wagner Peter
Published: December 2018

Reinhart Koselleck showed that the decades around 1800 witnessed a major transformation of political language. Around 1800, the horizon of expectations gained distance from the space of the experiences that human beings were making, and thus possibilities for the future opened up widely. In particular, the future would be the time during which ‘peoples’ would gain their capacity for self-determination, called popular sovereignty. This would occur in two particular versions that crystallized in the course of the 19th century, namely as ‘nations’ that would unify or liberate themselves from monarchical and/or imperial domination to form the polities proper to them, or as a ‘class’ that embodied the universal interest of humankind and would assert itself in a second revolution, following up on the French Revolution. Political concepts acquired during that period the meaning that they still had in the late 20th century, i.e. the time when Koselleck developed his approach to the history of concepts, but they may be challenged in the present time, and with them the entire self-understanding of modern polities.

The recent Catalan conflict serves to better understand this challenge. ‘People’ and ‘nation’ are there used in ways that are reminiscent of this politico-conceptual tradition, but in a highly ambiguous way. On the one hand, they are employed in exactly their historical meaning: the Catalan people and nation are seen to be finally fulfilling their historical role of reaching political self-determination. On the other hand, these concepts are re-deployed to place them in the current context of existing democratic commitments and institutions as well as high interdependence between polities, all the while claiming that Catalan independence opens up a new normative horizon of democracy, rights, and freedom. This article will try to show that this undeclared ambiguity is characteristic of our current situation in general. This is a situation in which the historically created political concepts have sedimented in institutions, and thus appear to have ‘consolidated’ and moved beyond their historicity. At the same time, they remain impregnated with particular historical experiences that can be re-interpreted to be mobilized in political struggles of the present. To assess the validity and acceptability of any such re-interpretation requires explicit reflection about the persistence of historicity in political concepts.
A Psychometric Evaluation of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents in an Educational Setting
Authors: O’Connor Cliodhna E. M. , Fitzgerald Amanda
Published: December 2018

Social anxiety in adolescents oftentimes goes undetected because of the internalized nature of the disorder as well as adolescents’ reluctance to discuss their mental health. A reliable and valid self-report measure for assessing symptoms of social anxiety in adolescents for use in an educational setting is particularly important because of the burden that social anxiety can have in educational settings. This study aimed to test the previously proposed two-factor structure of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SASA), Apprehension and Fear of Negative Evaluation and Tension and Inhibition in Social Contact, in an adolescent sample ( n = 215; 12-18 years; 90 female) in Ireland using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). CFA validated the two-factor structure of the SASA previously found in Slovenian- and Spanish-speaking samples. Correlations with other measures of social anxiety also showed good validity for the SASA.
Effect of the Diverse Standardized Patient Simulation (DSPS) Cultural Competence Education Strategy on Nursing Students’ Transcultural Self-Efficacy Perceptions
Authors: Ozkara San Eda
Published: December 2018

Introduction: Standardized patient simulation can be an effective strategy to foster cultural competence education. Methodology: Guided by the Cultural Competence and Confidence Model, this grant-funded, longitudinal, one-group, pretest and posttest study used the Transcultural Self-Efficacy Tool (TSET) to examine the effect of the Diverse Standardized Patient Simulation (DSPS) cultural competence education strategy on students’ ( n = 53) transcultural self-efficacy. Developed by following recommended guidelines and standards, the DSPS had content validity review. It aimed to improve students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes with regard to providing culturally competent nursing care. The statistical methods included t-tests, McNemar’s test, correlation analyses, and Mann–Whitney U-test. Results: The DSPS influenced statistically significant changes (increase) in students’ transcultural self-efficacy perceptions ( p < .05). All students regardless of background benefited from formalized cultural competence education. Discussion: Evidence-based strategies such as the DSPS can offer a valuable guide for educators to foster cultural competence education.
When Health Care is Displaced by State Interests: Building Dialogue Through Shared Findings
Authors: Sanders Chris , Bisaillon Laura
Published: December 2018

Health sociologists interested in how macro state influences affect micro health care practices have much to gain from meta-ethnography research. In this article, we bring together insights from two separate empirical studies on state health care services involving HIV/AIDS as a way to speak to larger issues about the organization and production of medical expertise and governance in health care systems. We use Noblit and Hare’s meta-ethnography approach to bring these studies into conversation and identify six shared “organizers” of health care encounters. The organizers illustrate how state health interests operate across institutional contexts and impact the work of providers in seemingly unrelated health care settings. On the basis of this synthesis, we conclude that state interests both structure and create conflict in health care settings. We believe this perspective offers the potential to advance the goals of health sociology and the field of qualitative health research in general.
People With Advanced Cancer: The Process of Living Well With Awareness of Dying
Authors: Arantzamendi Maria , García-Rueda Noelia , Carvajal Ana , Robinson Carole A.
Published: December 2018

Literature suggests that it is possible to live well with advanced cancer but little is known about the process. In this article, we present a secondary analysis of experiences of living with advanced cancer ( n = 22) that refines the theory of “Living Well with Chronic Illness” for a different context and population. The refined theory explains the experience of living well with advanced cancer illuminating a five-phase iterative process: struggling, accepting, living with advanced cancer, sharing the illness experience, and reconstructing life. These five phases revolve around the core concept of Awareness of Dying, which varied from awareness of the possibility of dying, to accepting the possibility of dying, to acceptance that “I am dying.” Awareness of Dying led to a focus on living well with advanced cancer and movement towards living a life rather than living an illness.
Safety Assessment of Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Fiume Monice M. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Gill Lillian J. , Heldreth Bart
Published: December 2018

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (Panel) assessed the safety of 10 Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)-derived ingredients and concluded these ingredients are safe as used in cosmetics when formulated to be nonsensitizing. The R officinalis-derived ingredients are most frequently reported to function in cosmetics as skin conditioning agents or as fragrance ingredients. The Panel reviewed the available animal and clinical data to determine the safety of these ingredients. Because final product formulations may contain multiple botanicals, each containing the same constituents of concern, formulators are advised to be aware of these constituents and to avoid reaching levels that may be hazardous to consumers. Industry should continue to use good manufacturing practices to limit impurities that could be present in botanical ingredients.
Amended Safety Assessment of Chamomilla recutita-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Johnson Wilbur , Boyer Ivan , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Gill Lillian J. , Heldreth Bart
Published: December 2018

The Chamomilla recutita-derived ingredients in this assessment are reported to function mostly as fragrance ingredients and skin conditioning agents in cosmetic products. Because final product formulations may contain multiple botanicals, each containing the same constituents of concern, formulators are advised to be aware of these constituents and to avoid reaching levels that may be hazardous to consumers. Additionally, industry should continue to use good manufacturing practices to limit impurities that could be present in botanical ingredients. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that the Chamomilla recutita-derived ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in the safety assessment when formulated to be nonsensitizing.
Using intracameral vital dye as a guide for venting incision in acute corneal hydrops
Authors: Soleimani Mohammad , Mirshahi Reza , Tabatabaei Seyed Ali , Momenaei Bita , Salabati Mirataollah , Ghomi Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2018

Purpose:

To introduce a new surgical technique for the localization of corneal bulla to drain a massive corneal hydrops.

Methods:

Four consecutive cases with acute large protruded hydrops were selected. A limbal paracentesis was made via 15° blade. Afterward, trypan blue with a concentration of 0.1% was injected into the anterior chamber. Upon pooling trypan blue in the bulla, the surgeon immediately marked the primary site of stromal staining before further spreading of the dye. Anterior chamber irrigation was then carried out using balanced salt solution, and the excess of trypan blue was washed out. Subsequently, the surgeon made a beveled venting incision to decompress bulla via 15° blade resulting in a stream of dye egressed from the venting incision. At the end of the surgery, 20% diluted SF6 was injected into the anterior chamber.

Results:

Postoperatively, Descemet’s membrane was attached up to the second postoperative day. The corneal edema was resolved up to 3 weeks. Contact lens–corrected visual acuity was improved in all cases.

Conclusion:

Venting incision under the guide of injected trypan blue into the anterior chamber combined with intracameral SF6 injection could be effectively used for a large acute hydrops. This technique could prevent other interventions like passing full-thickness corneal suturing and subsequent complications.