bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of the Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE) Obstetric Anaesthesia training course in Ethiopia: A mixed methods longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Moore Jolene N , Morriss Wayne W , Asfaw Gebrehiwot , Tesfaye Gosa , Ahmed Aaliya R , Walker Isabeau A
Published: August 2020

Summary

Reducing maternal mortality remains a global priority, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE) Obstetric Anaesthesia (OB) course is a three-day refresher course for trained anaesthesia providers addressing common causes of maternal mortality in LMICs. This aim of this study was to investigate the impact of SAFE training for a cohort of anaesthesia providers in Ethiopia.

We conducted a mixed methods longitudinal cohort study incorporating a behavioural questionnaire, multiple-choice questionnaires (MCQs), structured observational skills tests and structured interviews for anaesthesia providers who attended one of four SAFE-OB courses conducted in two regions of Ethiopia from October 2017 to May 2018.

Some 149 participants from 60 facilities attended training. Behavioural questionnaires were completed at baseline ( n = 101, 69% response rate). Pre- and post-course MCQs ( n = 121, n = 123 respectively) and pre- and post-course skills tests ( n = 123, n = 105 respectively) were completed, with repeat MCQ and skills tests, and semi-structured interviews completed at follow-up ( n = 88, n = 76, n = 49 respectively). The mean MCQ scores for all participants improved from 80.3% prior to training to 85.4% following training ( P < 0.0001) and skills test scores improved from 56.5% to 83.2% ( P < 0.0001). Improvements in MCQs and skills were maintained at follow-up 3–11 months post-training compared to baseline ( P = 0.0006, < 0.0001 respectively). Participants reported improved confidence, teamwork and communication at follow-up.

This study suggests that the SAFE-OB course can have a sustained impact on knowledge and skills and can improve the confidence of anaesthesia providers and communication within surgical teams.
The migraineur’s brain networks: Continuous resting state fMRI over 30 days
Authors: Schulte Laura H , Menz Mareike M , Haaker Jan , May Arne
Published: August 2020

Objective

The aim of the current study was to identify typical alterations in resting state connectivity within different stages of the migraine cycle and to thus explore task-free mechanisms of headache attack generation in migraineurs.

Background

Recent evidence in migraine pathophysiology suggests that hours and even days before headache certain changes in brain activity take place, ultimately leading to an attack. Here, we investigate changes before headache onset using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods

Nine episodic migraineurs underwent daily resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging for a minimum period of 30 consecutive days, leading to a cumulative number of 282 total days scanned. Thus, data from 15 spontaneous headache attacks were acquired. This allows analysing not only the ictal and the interictal phase of migraine but also the preictal phase. ROI-to-ROI (region of interest) and ROI-to-voxel connectivity was calculated over the migraine cycle.

Results

Within the ROI-to-ROI analysis, the right nucleus accumbens showed enhanced functional connectivity to the left amygdala, hippocampus and gyrus parahippocampalis in the preictal phase compared to the interictal phase. ROI-to-voxel connectivity of the right accumbens with the dorsal rostral pons was enhanced during the preictal phase compared to interictally. Regarding custom defined ROIs, the dorsal pons was ictally functionally more strongly coupled to the hypothalamic area than interictally.

Conclusions

This unique data set suggests that particularly connectivity changes in dopaminergic centres and between the dorsal pons and the hypothalamus are important within migraine attack generation and sustainment.
Performance and Return to Sport After Excision of the Fractured Hook of the Hamate in Professional Baseball Players
Authors: Erickson Brandon J. , Mcelheny Kathryn , Chalmers Peter N. , Carr James B. , D’Angelo John , Rowe Dana , Poulis George , Lourie Gary M. , Carlson Michelle
Published: August 2020

Background:

A fracture of the hook of the hamate is a common injury affecting professional baseball players. The treatment for these fractures ranges from nonoperative immobilization to excision of the fragment.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose was to report the results of surgical treatment of hook of hamate fractures in professional baseball players and determine which factors are associated with return to sport (RTS) and time to RTS. The hypothesis was that there is a high rate of RTS in professional baseball players after surgical treatment of the hook of the hamate fracture with no significant decline in performance after RTS.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

All professional baseball players who underwent excision of the hook of the hamate between 2010 and 2017 were included. Player characteristic and performance data (before and after surgery) were recorded. Performance metrics were then compared before and after surgery.

Results:

Overall, 261 players were included. Of total injuries, 96% were due to hitting, 86% occurred on the nondominant hitting side, and 89% were acute fractures (11% were nonunion cases). Most (95%) injuries occurred at the Minor League level and 96.2% of procedures were performed by hand fellowship–trained surgeons. Eight percent of players underwent concomitant procedures. The average tourniquet time was 31 ± 13 minutes. In total, 81% of players returned to sport at the same or higher level; 3% returned to sport at a lower level. The median time to RTS after surgery was 48 days (range, 16-246 days). The tourniquet time and number of days to RTS were significantly associated with one another ( P = .001; Spearman ρ = 0.290; N = 130). Player utilization significantly increased after surgery. While player efficiency, including batting average (BA), on-base percentage (OBP), and on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), significantly decreased, these changes were numerically small (BA: 0.26 ± 0.04 preoperatively vs 0.25 ± 0.04 postoperatively; OBP: 0.34 ± 0.04 preoperatively vs 0.32 ± 0.04 postoperatively; OPS: 0.73 ± 0.12 preoperatively vs 0.70 ± 0.11 postoperatively) ( P < .001). There were no significant differences between rates of RTS to the same or higher level of play among acute fractures (81%) and nonunion cases (76%) ( P = .837).

Conclusion:

After surgical excision for hook of hamate fractures in professional baseball players, 84% were able to RTS, with 81% returning to the same or higher level. The median time for players to RTS after surgery was 48 days. Player usage increased after surgery, while hitting efficiency slightly declined.
Forty Years of Youth Ministry
Authors: Severe Mike , Senter Mark H.
Published: August 2020

The following article targets two goals in two parts. The first part of the article describes the relationship between the Christian Education Journal’s first twenty years and youth ministry research and publishing as well as the development of youth ministry degrees. The second part of the article looks both at more recent developments in youth ministry and forward into the immediate future of education of youth workers and practice of youth ministry.
Electric discharge machining using rapid manufactured complex shape copper electrode with cryogenic cooling channel
Authors: Singh Jagtar , Singh Gurminder , Pandey Pulak M
Published: August 2020

In this study, a rapid manufacturing process based on the combination of polymer three-dimensional printing and pressureless loose sintering was explored for the fabrication of complex shape electric discharge machining pure copper electrodes with the cryogenic cooling channel. The fabricated electrodes were used to perform electric discharge machining on D2 steel workpiece. The comparative study was performed on material removal and electrode wear rates between the solid copper electrode, rapid manufactured electrode without cryogenic cooling and with cryogenic cooling. Also, the surface characteristics of the worn electrode and the machined workpiece were studied with and without cryogenic cooling. The significant effect of the cryogenic cooling on the electrode wear rate and the surface roughness was observed. Better surface finish, small cracks and less debris were notified on the workpiece surface machined with rapid manufactured electrode with cryogenic cooling due to rapid dissipation of the heat from the surface of the electrode after machining. Similarly, few cracks and low carbon deposition was observed on the rapid manufactured electrode with cryogenic cooling surface after machining as compared to rapid manufactured electrode without cryogenic cooling. The sharp corner edges of the complex shape tool in rapid manufactured electrode with cryogenic cooling were retained after machining due to low melting and vaporization of the electrode material. The dimensional deviation of the machined surface with respect to computer-aided design model was compared. The rapid manufactured electrode with cryogenic cooling was found to machine the more accurate complex shape features in terms of dimensions on the workpiece as compared to rapid manufactured electrode without cryogenic cooling.
The effect of magnesium content on drilling of Al-Mg-Ti alloy by hole electrical discharge machining process
Authors: Eyercioglu Omer , Gov Kursad
Published: August 2020

This study presents an experimental investigation of small hole electrical discharge machining of Al-Mg-Ti alloys. A series of drilling operations were carried out for exploring the effect of magnesium content. Holes of 2 mm diameter and 15 mm depth were drilled using tubular single-hole rotary brass electrodes. The rates of material removal and electrode wear, surface roughness, overcut, average recast layer thickness, taper height and angle were studied for Al-Mg-Ti alloys contain 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%, 12%, and 14% Mg. The results show that the material removal rate is increasing with increasing Mg content while the rate of electrode wear is almost unchanged. Due to decreasing the melting temperature of the Al-Mg-Ti alloy with increasing Mg content, more metal melts and vaporizes during electrical discharge machining drilling. Therefore, more overcut and taper, thicker white layer, and rougher surfaces were measured for higher Mg content.
Influence of plunge depth during friction stir welding of aluminum pipes
Authors: Iqbal Md Perwej , Vishwakarma Ranjan Kumar , Pal Surjya K , Mandal Parthasarathi
Published: August 2020

This study focuses on the application of friction stir welding (FSW) process for joining of pipes. It addresses key issues associated with fusion welding techniques, such as lack of fusion, over penetration, slag inclusions, root crack, undercut root gap, and thermal distortion. The influence of process parameters on the physical properties during FSW of aluminum pipes has been studied, which allows selecting an optimum combination of parameters for achieving superior welds. Physical responses such as variation in axial force, torque, temperature, and power have been analyzed. Tensile test of the joints fabricated shows a maximum of ∼90% joint strength efficiency with respect to the base material. The peak temperature or heat input is found to be increasing during FSW, which creates a larger grain size in the stir zone of the joints, resulting in the higher hardness of the joints.
Dynamics and control of three-dimensional dual cranes transporting a bulky payload
Authors: Huang Jie , Zhu Kuo
Published: August 2020

The inevitable oscillations of the payload decrease the positioning accuracy and lessen the safety in dual cranes carrying a large payload. In the presence of the structural flexibility, the dynamics of dual cranes are governed by the payload swing, pitch, and twisting after considering three-dimensional motions. However, little research has been directed at the modeling and control of three-dimensional dual cranes. A dynamic model of three-dimensional dual cranes including the payload swing, pitch and twisting is described. Moreover, a combined modified extra-insensitive input shaper and four-pieces smoother method is proposed to control the swing, pitch, and twisting of the payload. The dynamic behavior of the nonlinear model and the effectiveness of the new control method are verified experimentally on dual cranes carrying a slender beam.
The performance of airlift pump for the solid particles lifting during the transportation of gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow: A comprehensive research review
Authors:   IGNB Catrawedarma,   Deendarlianto,   Indarto
Published: August 2020

Research about the enhancement of the airlift pump performance by changing the geometry and operational parameters has drawn considerable attention in recent years. This paper presents a comprehensive review of some published research articles on the enhancement performance of the airlift pump and the future direction of the research. In the introductory section, the description, the application, and the performance of the airlift pump are described. The influencing parameters of the airlift pump performance are classified in the geometry and operational. The geometry parameters are including submergence ratio, pipe diameter, pipe length, design, and position of the injector. The operational parameters are including the testing fluid, diameter and density particles, and the superficial velocity of injected air. All of the involved parameters are detail explained in the experimental study section. The detailed derivation of equations of the airlift pump performance and also the modified equation was shown in the theoretical study section. The numerical study of airlift pump operating on two and three phases was also discussed. In the last section, the future directions of the airlift pump are noted, and some conclusions were summarized. It was found that only limited literature about flow patterns in terms of the dynamic interface of each phase and development bubble jet generator airlift pump. Therefore, experimental data are needed to support this effort. Additional work, both theoretical and experimental, needs to be conducted on the effects of type and position bubble jet generators on the flow characteristic and the airlift pump performance, with the hope that the better performance will be obtained.
Durban’s 100 Resilient Cities journey: governing resilience from within
Authors: Roberts Debra , Douwes Joanne , Sutherland Catherine , Sim Vicky
Published: August 2020

Urban resilience is the focus of a global policy discourse that is being mobilized by a wide range of organizations to reduce urban risk and respond to the shocks and stresses facing cities. This paper explores the process of “governing for resilience” through Durban’s resilience journey as part of the 100 Resilient Cities (100RC) programme. From an insider perspective, it presents both 100RC and Durban’s approaches to developing a resilience strategy. It reflects on the contestations that emerged as Durban and 100RC struggled over the meaning and practice of urban resilience. The paper develops a continuum of urban resilience approaches to analyse the conflicts that emerged as the global programme of urban resilience travelled to, and landed in, a South African city. The paper argues that a global framing of urban resilience needs to be responsive to a world of cities that share common risk trajectories but have different contexts and vulnerabilities.(1)
Circular RNA has circ 0001591 promoted cell proliferation and metastasis of human melanoma via ROCK1/PI3K/AKT by targeting miR-431-5p
Authors: Yin Dong , Wei Guo , Yang Fan , Sun Xiaoyan
Published: August 2020

Melanoma a common skin tumor induced by excessive hyperplasia of abnormal melanocyte. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in various diseases and presented as the prognostic markers of melanoma. The present study was designed to confirm the effect of circ 0001591 on human melanoma cell growth and to elucidate its mechanism. Patient with melanoma was obtained from Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital. Cell viability of A2058 cell was detected by MTT assay. The expression of circ 0001591 in serum of patients with melanoma was increased. Up-regulation of circ 0001591 promoted cell growth and cell invasion, and reduced apoptotic rate of melanoma. Down-regulation of circ 0001591 reduced cell growth and cell invasion, and promoted apoptotic rate of melanoma.

Up-regulation of circ 0001591 induced PI3 K and p-Akt protein expressions in melanoma through induction of ROCK1 by suppression of miR-431-5p. Over-expression of circ 0001591 suppressed PI3 K and p-Akt protein expressions via suppression of ROCK1 in melanoma by induction of miR-431-5p. MiR-431-5p reduced the effects of circ 0001591 down-regulation on cell growth of melanoma through PI3K/AKT signal pathway. ROCK1 reduced the effects of circ 0001591 on cell growth of melanoma through PI3K/AKT signal pathway. Our findings demonstrated that circ 0001591 inhibits the progression of human melanoma through ROCK1/PI3K/AKT signal pathway by targeting ROCK1 by miR-431-5p.
Expression of voltage-dependent anion channels in endometrial cancer and its potential prognostic significance
Authors: Jóźwiak Paweł , Ciesielski Piotr , Forma Ewa , Kozal Karolina , Wójcik-Krowiranda Katarzyna , Cwonda Łukasz , Bieńkiewicz Andrzej , Bryś Magdalena , Krześlak Anna
Published: August 2020

The exchange of metabolites between mitochondria and cytosol occurs through pores formed by voltage-dependent anion channel proteins. Voltage-dependent anion channels appear to be master regulators of mitochondrial bioenergetics and the intracellular flow of energy. Deregulation of voltage-dependent anion channels expression is thought to be related to mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the mRNA and protein expression levels of VDAC1, VDAC2, and VDAC3 in relation to clinicopathological characteristics of endometrial cancer as well as the prognostic significance of voltage-dependent anion channels expression for overall survival. VDAC1 and VDAC3 expressions were significantly higher in cancer compared to normal tissues. Kaplan–Meier analysis indicated that high expression of all VDAC genes or high VDAC2 protein level predicted poor overall survival. Multivariate analysis identified the VDAC1 and VDAC2 mRNA levels as well as VDAC2 protein level as independent prognostic factors. Our results suggest that increased expression of voltage-dependent anion channels correlates with tumor progression and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in endometrial cancer.
In Defence of the Familiar: Understanding Conservatism in Concert Selection Amongst Classical Music Audiences
Authors: Price Sarah M.
Published: August 2020

Since the establishment of a classical music canon in the 19th century, classical music culture has historically been focused on a stable set of masterpieces by genius composers predominantly from the classical and romantic periods. A small number of composers continue to dominate programming to this day. Many classical music organisations are keen to programme music beyond this narrow repertoire and to showcase new or unfamiliar works. The need to sell tickets, however, is often an obstacle, with organisations far more confident in the ability of big hits to attract large crowds. This article explores the experiences and opinions of classical music concertgoers in relation to familiar and unfamiliar music, providing a number of reasons as to why audiences may choose to hear well-known pieces rather than new works. This paper reports on one strand of a qualitative study with 42 individuals who booked tickets for one of two concert series consisting of core and populist repertoire, respectively. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to explore the reasons for their choices and their experiences of attending live concerts. These interviews showed that most participants did indeed have a clear preference for hearing music that was familiar to them, and only frequent attenders relished the challenge of unknown music. Participants felt that listening to familiar music was usually a more enjoyable experience than hearing something new. They rarely spoke of becoming bored with over-familiar music, perhaps because the live concert experience brings a sense of freshness to even the most familiar work.
Moving Beyond Poverty: Effects of Low-Wage Work on Individual, Social, and Family Well-Being
Authors: Shook Jeffrey , Goodkind Sara , Engel Rafael J. , Wexler Sandra , Ballentine Kess L.
Published: August 2020

Social work has long been committed to eliminating poverty, which is at the root of many of the social issues and challenges we address. Over 40% of the U.S. workforce makes less than $15/hour, and the accumulating evidence suggests this is not enough to meet basic needs. In this introduction to a special issue about low-wage work, we describe what is known regarding the experiences and well-being of low-wage workers, as well as promising policy and practice ideas to better support working families. We provide an overview of the included articles and conclude with encouragement for social workers to move beyond a narrow focus on poverty and more broadly consider the struggles and well-being of low-wage workers and their families.
From Scarcity to Investment: The Range of Strategies Used by Low-Income Parents With “Good” Low-Wage Jobs
Authors: Ballentine Kess L. , Goodkind Sara , Shook Jeffrey
Published: August 2020

Low-wage workers have borne the brunt of the changing labor market, including wage stagnation, growing income inequality, and increasingly unstable work environments. Most research on low-wage workers focuses on precarious minimum wage employment; however, some low-wage workers hold jobs earning more than minimum wage with consistent, full-time hours. This study explores strategies parents in these “good” low-wage jobs use to provide for their children, using data from in-depth interviews with hospital workers. We find workers use multiple strategies, which we categorized as scarcity, maintenance, and investment strategies to highlight the distinct types of resources and varying amount of stress associated with them. Finally, we compare the types and number of strategies parents use by hourly wage versus net household income.
Cross-Cultural Analysis of Gamer Identity: A Comparison of the United States and Poland
Authors: Ćwil Małgorzata , Howe William T.
Published: August 2020

Who is a gamer? What kind of people are perceived to be gamers? And finally – who perceives themselves as a gamer? In this article the authors attempt to answer these three questions from a multinational perspective.

Background. Games are nowadays one of the most frequently encountered forms of entertainment and constitute an ever-increasing part of many people’s day-to-day lives. With the rising popularity of video games, there is a need to conduct a research concerning gamer identity and to find out who perceives themselves as a gamer. The aim of this study is to compare the results of the survey conducted in two different countries to better understand the characteristics of players that self-identified as gamers.

Methods. The quantitative study was conducted in two countries – Poland and the United States – in order to research gamer identity. The questionnaire consisted of questions about the self-identification as a gamer, time spent playing video games, types of games played, and the platforms used. It was conducted among 223 students who play video games.

Results. The results show that there are both similarities and differences in the meaning of gamer identity between Poland and the United States. People who consider themselves gamers generally spend more time playing games than non-gamers regardless of the country. However, some differences can be spotted between Poland and the U.S. concerning among others types of games played, used platforms or different styles of playing video games.

Limitations and further research. The main problem in the study was the limited age range in the sample. In the future it seems valuable to include people of different age groups to broaden the study of self-identified gamer identity.
Microstructural features effect on the evolution of cyclic damage for polycrystalline metals using a multiscale approach
Authors: Bouchedjra Moussa , Amrouche Abdelwaheb , Kanit Toufik , Belouchrani Mohamed El Amine
Published: August 2020

In the context of polycrystalline metals, the damage process analysis is generally restricted to surface of a sample containing some hundreds of grains, due to the inherent difficulties microstructural analysis. Determination of the grain size influence, misorientation and neighboring grains effect remains difficult with experimental studies. In this work, the influence of microstructural characteristics of polycrystalline metals on the evolution of the damage process under cyclic loading is investigated. On the basis of the quaternion theory, the orientation of each (crystal) grain is represented by a single angle (theta). The relative misorientation of each grain is set by the ratio of its misorientation over the average value of polycrystalline aggregate. The relative volume of grain is used as a parameter representing the grain size. The damage evolution under cyclic loading is identified using the coupling of the crystal plasticity model with the Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) model. The damage evolution and its distribution on polycrystalline aggregate are calculated by means of numerical homogenization over each grain. The heterogeneity distribution and damage evolution for polycrystalline metals have been analyzed. The obtained results show that neighboring grains effects are larger and may change the tendency that larger grains with great misorientation are the most damaged.
Digital Natives Unplugged: Challenging Assumptions of Preservice Music Educators’ Technological Skills
Authors: Bannerman Julie K. , O’Leary Emmett J.
Published: August 2020

Generational labels such as digital native and the “net” generation may obscure the gap that exists between preservice music teachers’ personal uses of technology and how they will use technology professionally. The study’s purpose was to examine preservice music teachers’ personal use of technology, views toward technology in music teaching and learning, and experience with music technology. We distributed an online survey to collegiate members of the National Association for Music Education, with 360 undergraduate students providing responses. Participants reported using technology for a variety of purposes on a daily basis, but mostly in passive ways. Preservice music teachers were most comfortable using music technology common to undergraduate music curricula and less familiar with technology used in K–12 music classrooms. Skilled use of music technology in music teaching and learning situations requires meaningful and intentional facilitation in music teacher education curricula.
Coding Practices and Iterativity: Beyond Templates for Analyzing Qualitative Data
Authors: Locke Karen , Feldman Martha , Golden-Biddle Karen
Published: August 2020

Researchers can expect to perform analytic actions repeatedly; that this iteration is required is a common observation. Yet, how researchers engage in iteration to progress their theorizing is not articulated. Our analysis provides new insight into what it means to iterate in the service of driving analysis. We examine iteration through the lens of the analytic process of coding in specific research projects. Using a relational definition of coding, we identify the reported coding actions of several studies with rich descriptions of their analytical processes. By doing this, we show that it is useful to understand these coding actions in the context of coding moments that relate to how researchers use the coding actions as their project develops. The moments we identify are making codes, organizing to code, and putting patterns together. To show iteration, we trace the reported coding practices in exemplar articles. These tracings indicate that the reported process is not a fixed or consistent sequence. Rather, iterativity is organized by what is the next needed analytic input required to progress a given situated study.
Diagnosis and long-term monitoring of adenomas of the ciliary body epithelium by ultrasound biomicroscopy
Authors: Méndez-Martínez Silvia , Santiago Varela María , Blanco-Teijeiro María José , Piñeiro-Ces Antonio
Published: August 2020

Introduction:

The natural course of adenomas of the ciliary-body epithelium (ACE) is uncertain, due to their low incidence and their frequent initial surgical management. Their differential diagnosis with amelanotic melanoma or metastasis is challenging and diagnostic biopsies require sufficient tissue and highly specialized pathologists. Ultrasound biomicroscopy offers high resolution images and clear sonographic signs suggestive of ACE allowing a more precise differential diagnosis and therefore, a more conservative initial attitude.

Methods:

Descriptive, retrospective, non-comparative study of consecutive cases of ACE observed between October 2003 and December 2019 in a reference unit in ocular oncology of a tertiary hospital. Patients were studied on a quarterly basis the first year and, subsequently, every 6 months with a complete ophthalmological exam and ultrasound biomicroscopy with the platform Aviso linear scanning 50 MHz probe (Quantel Medical, Clermont-Ferrand, France).

Results:

Three ACE were analysed for a median of 3 years (interquartile range: 2.5–5.5 years). Clinical features include a whitish-to-brown spherical mass, with engorged superficial vessels. Ultrasound biomicroscopy shows an oval-spherical shape, medium-to-high echogenicity, low acoustic attenuation, regular internal structure, and respect for the neighboring structures. By their clinical-ultrasonographic characteristics, one was considered an adenoma of the pigmented ciliary-body epithelium (browner and hyperechogenic) and two were classified as adenomas of the non-pigmented ciliary epithelium (whitish appearance and medium-echogenicity).

Conclusion:

Ultrasound biomicroscopy allows a reasonable clinicalsonographic suspicion of ACE. An initial conservative management is proposed as a safer option for stable, mildly symptomatic patients, avoiding aggressive sight threatening treatments.
The phallic girl goes to Italy: Amanda Knox, post-feminism and phallicism between the national and international spheres
Authors: Fegitz Ella
Published: August 2020

The article takes as its subject the trials of Amanda Knox, Raffaele Sollecito and Rudy Guede for the murder of the English student Meredith Kercher in Perugia on 2 November 2007. Through a Foucauldian discourse analysis, the article explores the discursive strategies that are employed – through the interplay of the media and the legal system – to reinsert the disruptive figure of ‘the woman who kills’ within normative and sanctioned forms of femininity and female sexuality. Furthermore, the analysis shows how the Knox case is central for understanding Italian culture, which is characterised by an anxiety towards, and rejection of, a novel facet of young femininity in post-feminist culture: the phallic subjectivity and sexuality incarnated by Knox.
Gendered dissent in the Arab uprising: The challenges and the gains
Authors: Hafez Sherine
Published: August 2020

The events that followed the revolution of 25 January 2011 demonstrated the tenacity and resilience of gendered dissent and its centrality to collective action and civil disobedience, thus enriching the transnational feminist archive with the experiences and praxis of gendered revolutionary action. Paying particular attention to women’s activism during the uprisings in Egypt, this article focuses on the broader themes of gendered political resistance and the intersections of gender ideology, state policing, Islamism and militarism with protest and collective action. The aim is to take count of the challenges and gains of gendered resistance and women’s political participation during times of political upheaval.
Party influence in presidential primaries: Evidence from Mexico
Authors: Ascencio Sergio J
Published: August 2020

Over recent decades, an increasing number of presidential candidates across the world have been nominated in primary elections. Yet, our understanding of presidential primaries outside of the U.S. remains very limited. This paper advances a theoretical argument linking presidential primary outcomes to the strategic behavior of subnational party elites, particularly those with the resources to mobilize primary voters in their regions. I provide support for this claim using an original dataset from the 2012 presidential primary of the Mexican Partido Acción Nacional (PAN), in which one of the candidates was very closely linked to (and informally endorsed by) the PAN leadership. The results show the levels of support for this candidate were higher in places with PAN officeholders. Additional evidence suggests this pattern is driven by PAN officeholders (1) investing resources into electoral mobilization and (2) tampering with the lists of registered voters.
Longitudinal analysis of subjective well-being in preadolescents: The role of emotional intelligence, self-esteem and perceived stress
Authors: Villanueva Lidón , Prado-Gascó Vicente , Montoya-Castilla Inmaculada
Published: August 2020

Subjective wellbeing has been conceptualized as a person’s cognitive and affective evaluation of their life. In this line, life satisfaction and somatic complaints may be outstanding indicators of well-being. The aim of this longitudinal study was to analyze the combined contribution of trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem and perceived stress to well-being. Participants were 381 pupils aged 12–16 years (56.1% female). Hierarchical regression models and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) were conducted. Trait emotional intelligence, self-esteem and low perceived stress were related in the expected direction to life satisfaction and somatic complaints. Findings support a specific pathway to improve wellbeing in preadolescents.
Mortality in 787,666 school pupils with and without autism: A cohort study
Authors: Smith Gillian S , Fleming Michael , Kinnear Deborah , Henderson Angela , Pell Jill P , Melville Craig , Cooper Sally-Ann
Published: August 2020

Studies on children and adults combined suggest higher mortality rates for autistic than other people, but few report mortality rates for autistic children. In addition, past studies may not be representative of the current generation of children diagnosed with autism. We examined mortality in children using data from Scotland’s annual pupil census, linked to National Records of Scotland deaths register, between 2008 and 2015. In total, 9754 (1.2%) of 787,666 pupils had autism. They were more likely to live in neighbourhoods of greater deprivation and receive free school meals. Six autistic pupils died; crude mortality rate 15.8/100,000 person-years (95% CI = 7.1–35.1), compared with 458 other pupils; crude mortality rate 12.5/100,000 person-years (95% CI = 11.4–13.7). The indirectly standardised mortality ratio was 1.1 (95% CI = 0.5–2.5). In the autistic pupils, the most common causes of death were nervous system diseases, for example, epilepsy. Avoidable causes were common. In the comparison group, external causes and cancers were the most common causes of death. We cautiously conclude that mortality in the current generation of autistic children is no higher than for other children, perhaps due to recent widening of criteria for autism spectrum diagnosis, but some deaths could have been avoided by better care.

Lay abstract

There are few studies on the deaths of children and young people with autism; some studies on children and adults combined suggest that those with autism may have higher death rates than other people. More children are diagnosed with autism than in the past, suggesting that there are now more children with milder autism who have the diagnosis than in the past, so studies in the past might not apply to the current generation of children and young people diagnosed with autism. We examined the rates of death in children and young people in Scotland using recorded information in Scotland’s annual pupil census, linked to the National Records of Scotland deaths register, between 2008 and 2015. In total, 9754 (1.2%) out of 787,666 pupils had autism. Six pupils with autism died in the study period, compared with 458 other pupils. This was equivalent to 16 per 100,000 for pupils with autism and 13 per 100,000 pupils without autism; hence, the rate of death was very similar. In the pupils with autism, the most common causes of death were diseases of the nervous system, whereas they were from external causes in the comparison pupils. The autism group had some deaths due to epilepsy which might have been prevented by good quality care. We cautiously conclude that the death rate in the current generation of children and young adults with autism is no higher than for other children, but that even in this high-income country, some deaths could be prevented by high quality care.
‘It’s become fashionable’: Practitioner perspectives on football hooliganism involving young people
Authors: Hester Richard , Pamment Nick
Published: August 2020

Senior officers responsible for policing football highlight a concerning increase in football hooliganism involving young people in England and Wales. This study is specifically concerned with people under 18 years old that are engaged with hooliganism in connection with football matches, which is an under-researched problem despite recent high-profile incidents. Surveys and interviews with football club safety officers, and police officers involved in football policing were conducted to gain a first-hand insight into this issue. Freedom of Information requests were sent to the Home Office, to establish data trends in youth arrests, banning orders and disorder at football. Despite the concerns of senior police officers, it was found that there is no readily available Home Office data on football hooliganism involving young people. The study highlights that this issue is perceived to be increasing, with children as young as 10 being involved. Whilst there is some indication that football banning orders are being used on under-18s, this is currently seen as a last resort for police forces with a range of interventions being used to divert young people away from football hooliganism. However, there is no nationally adopted approach to managing this issue. Youth projects have had successful results in preventing under-18s from going on to reoffend in a football context. Best practice interventions are recommended, which if adopted by football clubs and police forces may help to minimise the impact of football violence involving young people.
The diversity of the middle: mythology in intersectional trans representation
Authors: Crasnow Sascha
Published: August 2020

This article examines the use of mythological hybrid figures in works by two non-binary queer contemporary artists of color. For these artists, the intersection of their ethnic/religious identities and their queer identities leads them to experience a hindrance to full belonging in each of these communities. This results in a feeling of liminality or ‘in-betweenness’. In considering this ‘in-betweenness’ as an intersectional liminality, the author argues that these artists utilize mythological hybrid figures in their work to articulate this experience as one of potential, rather than foreclosure. In so doing, this article seeks to challenge, and possibly transform, the notion of the hybrid as a composite of oftentimes irreconcilable parts one must navigate and move between into a site of creative promise. Rooting this re-evaluation of liminality and hybridity in the verbal and artistic articulations of queer non-binary artists of color centers these voices in the construction of new notions of hybridity and liminality.
The wavering line of foreground and background: a proposal for the schematic analysis of trans visual culture
Authors: Steinbock Eliza
Published: August 2020

This article endeavors to describe the impact of ‘visual essentialism’ as an approach towards trans visual culture, including the violence it enacts and the mistrust it fosters towards self-defining language for gender identities. It borrows Susan Stryker’s insight in her introduction to her Transgender Studies Reader (2006, edited with Stephen Whittle) that trans phenomena move to the foreground when set against an ambient background consisting of gender normative conditions. It extrapolates this visual metaphor for understanding trans in contrast to non-trans into a method to analyze trans visual culture. The author argues that, by focusing on how the figure and ground relate in alignment, or not, the analyst can better examine how the components of visuality are working together to position one’s value-laden perspective on visible transgender and non/trans things. This elaboration along three proposed categories of value, namely political, symbolic and commercial, is offered to better understand and parse the noted problem of trans visibility increasing alongside transphobic violence.
‘I do not want to pass’: embodiment, metaphor, and world-making in Patrick Staff’s Weed Killer
Authors: Gregory Stamatina
Published: August 2020

Medicalized and often surveilled shifts of the cancerous and/or trans body intersect in generative ways: metaphorical and material, symbolic and systemic. This piece discusses Patrick Staff’s (2017) video Weed Killer through an analysis of its source text, Catherine Lord’s essay ‘The Summer of Her Baldness’ (2003) along with prior queer and feminist explorations of cancer, disease, and pain, to build a transfeminist analysis of how the experience of cancer treatment reveals the constructedness of femininity as well as the ablism underlying binary gender systems. Staff’s work creates alignments and ruptures between sets of a potentially intersecting politics, which bear the weight of naturalized gender, pharmacological mediation, ‘passing’, and debility.
Prismatic views: a look at the growing field of transgender art and visual culture studies
Authors: Metzger Cyle , Ringelberg Kirstin
Published: August 2020

Transgender art and visual culture studies is a quickly growing field, and we present it to readers of this themed issue less as a linear discourse or a set of parameters than as a prism, with no clear temporal progression or geopolitical center. In this introduction, we not only announce the articles in this issue and discuss their convergences and divergences but also survey works in transgender studies that have proven critical to discussions of the visual and material within transgender cultures. Reading what follows, we hope any shared notion of transgender art and visual culture is expanded rather than contracted – that we find new ideas rather than merely those that reconfirm our existing sense of things or serve a monolithic construct that limits our future imaginary.
Structural evolutions during creep deformation of polyester industrial fiber via in situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering/wide-angle X-ray scattering
Authors: Chen Kang , Liu Yanping , Ji Hong , Zhang Yang , Wang Yuzhu , Zhang Yumei , Wang Huaping
Published: August 2020

This paper aims to identify the creep mechanisms of high tenacity (HT) polyester industrial fiber under different loads. In-situ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) tests were conducted on a 1000 D HT fiber during the creep and creep recovery process with a low load (15 N) and a medium load (50 N) as well as creep rupture process with a high load (60 N). The measured creep strain-time curves comprised tensile zone (I), creep deformation zone (II) and creep recovery/rupture zone (III). The SAXS indicated that the macroscopic initial creep strain in zone I and creep deformations in zone II were attributed to conformation transition from gauche to trans in amorphous region, increasing the amorphous orientation and long period. Irreversible portion of conformation changes accounts for the small unrecoverable plastic creep strain after removing 15 N load in zone III. The initial creep strain in zone I and creep deformations in zone II of the 50 N creep process were bigger than the microscopic long period strain, because amorphous layers had conformational transformation and microfibril slippage which also produced a higher unrecoverable plastic creep strain in zone III. The long period increased significantly at the beginning of rupture zone with 60 N due to fragmentation of amorphous tie molecular. The disappearance of lamellar peaks at the end of rupture zone implied destruction of periodic lamellar structures, for the entire breakage of amorphous chains. The WAXS suggested that the crystal structure was stable under the creep loads.
Eupatorin Suppressed Tumor Progression and Enhanced Immunity in a 4T1 Murine Breast Cancer Model
Authors: Abd Razak Nursyamirah , Yeap Swee Keong , Alitheen Noorjahan Banu , Ho Wan Yong , Yong Chean Yeah , Tan Sheau Wei , Tan Wen Siang , Long Kamariah
Published: August 2020

Eupatorin is a polymethoxy flavone extracted from Orthosiphon stamineus and was reported to exhibit cytotoxic effects on several cancer cell lines. However, its effect as an anti–breast cancer agent in vivo has yet to be determined. This study aims to elucidate the potential of eupatorin as an anti–breast cancer agent in vivo using 4T1 challenged BALB/c mice model. In this article, BALB/c mice (20-22 g) challenged with 4T1 cells were treated with 5 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg eupatorin, while the untreated and healthy mice were fed with olive oil (vehicle) via oral gavage. After 28 days of experiment, the mice were sacrificed and blood was collected for serum cytokine assay, while tumors were harvested to extract RNA and protein for gene expression assay and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Organs such as spleen and lung were harvested for immune suppression and clonogenic assay, respectively. Eupatorin (20 mg/kg) was effective in delaying the tumor development and reducing metastasis to the lung compared with the untreated mice. Eupatorin (20 mg/kg) also enhanced the immunity as the population of NK1.1+ and CD8+ in the splenocytes and the serum interferon-γ were increased. Concurrently, eupatorin treatment also has downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory and metastatic related genes (IL-1β. MMP9, TNF-α, and NF-κB). Thus, this study demonstrated that eupatorin at the highest dosage of 20 mg/kg body weight was effective in delaying the 4T1-induced breast tumor growth in the animal model.
COVID-19 in Patients With Seizures and Epilepsy: Interpretation of Relevant Knowledge of Presenting Signs and Symptoms
Authors: Hogan Robert Edward , Grinspan Zachary , Axeen Erika , Marquis Belinda , Day B. Keith
Published: August 2020

There are an increasing number of clinical studies for COVID-19, with several large cohort studies documenting initial signs and symptoms. Realizing the need for current information, this summary provides a focused summary of pertinent clinical diagnostic information about neurological involvement of SARS-CoV-2 virus and clinical presentation of COVID-19, especially in relationship to patients with seizures and epilepsy. There is no evidence from cohort studies in the general population that seizures are worsened in COVID-19. However, relative lack of cohort studies in patients with a history of epileptic seizures limit conclusions about effects of COVID-19 patients with epilepsy. Overall, findings indicate seizures and epilepsy are rare, especially in mild COVID-19 cases, but may occur in more severe cases later in the disease course. Caregivers should be vigilant in assessing for possible seizures, especially in patients with systemic effects of severe COVID-19 infections.