bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Springtime Onset of Isolated Convection Precipitation across the Southeastern United States: Framework and Regional Evolution
Authors: Rickenbach Thomas M. , Ferreira Rosana Nieto , Wells Hannah
Published: December 2019

This study examines the geographic and temporal characteristics of the springtime transition to the summer precipitation regime of isolated convection in the southeastern (SE) United States during 2009–12, using a high-resolution surface radar-based precipitation dataset. Isolated convection refers herein to isolated elements or small clusters of precipitation in radar imagery less than 100 km in horizontal dimension. Though the SE United States does not have a monsoon climate, it is useful to apply the established framework of monsoon onset to study the timing and regional variation of the onset of the summer isolated convection regime. Overall, isolated convection rain onset in the SE U.S. domain occurs in late May. Onset begins in south Florida in mid-April, continuing nearly simultaneously across the southeastern coastal plain in early to mid-May. In the northern domain, from Virginia to the Ohio Valley, onset generally occurs much later (mid-June to early July) with more variable onset timing. The sharpness of onset timing is most evident in the coastal plain and Florida. Results suggest the hypothesis, to be examined in a forthcoming study, that the timing of isolated convection onset in the spring may be triggered by specific synoptic-scale events within gradual seasonal changes in atmospheric conditions including extratropical cyclone tracks, convective instability, and the westward migration of the North Atlantic subtropical high. This approach may offer a useful framework for evaluating long-term changes in precipitation for subtropical regimes in an observational and modeling context.
Psychoeducation through digital video for Olympic and Paralympic athletic career transition
Authors: Burrows Emma , McArdle Siobhain
Published: December 2019

Objective:

Prior research has noted Olympic and Paralympic athletes are often unaware and unprepared for upcoming career transitions, resulting in experiences of psychological distress. The purpose of this study was to explore the use of digital video as a delivery method for psychoeducation about an upcoming career transition.

Design:

Post-survey design.

Method:

Video development was guided by entertainment-education theory. Participants were shown the video at a centralised training location and asked to fill in questionnaires following viewing and again within 72 hours of viewing. Specifically, subjective and objective recall of the intended learning points was assessed. In addition, participants’ appreciation of the content and design was measured. Analysis was descriptive in nature.

Results:

Participants included 168 Olympic/Paralympic athletes ( N = 116), coaches ( N = 10) and athlete support providers ( N = 42). Immediately following viewing, participants could accurately recall between one and three learning points, but at 72 hours post-viewing, this range had fallen to one to two learning points. Participants indicated they enjoyed the video, identified with the narrators and found it informative and personally relevant.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest a digital video 2 minutes 35 seconds in length is a useful psychoeducation tool for up to three learning points. The results support the development of video psychoeducation resources using education-entertainment theory and the social validity of video as a psychoeducation tool in Olympic and Paralympic sport.
Silence and the ethics of partial empathy in Tahmima Anam’s The Good Muslim
Authors: Lal Saumya
Published: December 2019

This article argues that Tahmima Anam’s novel The Good Muslim highlights the troubled relationship between empathy and silence in order to demonstrate the ethical dangers arising from the failure to accept “partial empathy”, wherein understanding and sharing coexists with incomprehension and disjunction. In doing so, the novel critiques both extremes of the theoretical debate about empathy: the dismissal of empathy, drawing on the Levinasian–Derridean discourse of alterity, for ineluctably subsuming the other’s otherness, and the celebration of empathy as a conciliatory bridge across polarizing differences. Moreover, Anam underlines the ambivalences of silence — which can embody both powerlessness and agency, and which can both participate in and withhold expression — to complicate the current emphasis on silencing in critical theory with concerns about the violation of others’ silences. Examining the silences of trauma and rape in the aftermath of the 1971 Bangladesh War, the novel shows how false empathy silences the other by deeming their experience as already understood while intrusive empathic gestures jeopardize the other’s chosen silences. Further, Maya and Sohail’s negotiation of their irreconcilable differences over religion illustrates how their inability to accept gaps in empathy prompts them to adopt conflict-eschewing silences that lead to the complete breakdown of empathy.
Hunger to Violence: Explaining the Violent Escalation of Nonviolent Demonstrations
Authors: Gustafson Daniel
Published: December 2019

Under what conditions do nonviolent demonstrations escalate to violence? I answer this question using a novel theory of individual impatience in protests that begin peacefully. Rather than considering protest groups as unitary actors, I present a theory of collective action in which a group’s decision over whether or not to engage in anti-government violence is the product of individual preferences. Individuals involved in a nonviolent demonstration use the immediacy of their needs and the sustainability of collective action to decide whether or not to initiate violence against the state. Specifically, I hypothesize that the likelihood of violent escalation will increase when the food price increases and unemployment rate is high or when the event is spontaneous. Analysis of a Bayesian multilevel model of 2,405 nonviolent demonstrations from 1991 to 2017 in Africa and Latin America supports my expectations.
Deep cervical and paratracheal drainage for descending necrotizing mediastinitis
Authors: Sakai Takashi , Matsutani Noriyuki , Ito Ken , Mochiki Masato , Mineda Joji , Shirai Suguru , Kanaoka Rie , Yamauchi Yoshikane , Saito Yuichi , Sakao Yukinori , Kawamura Masafumi
Published: December 2019

Background

Descending necrotizing mediastinitis is life-threatening and extends into the deep cervical fascia including the pretracheal, perivascular and retrovisceral, and prevertebral spaces. Deep cervical and paratracheal drainage via a transcervical approach prevents the spread of infection into the deep mediastinum. It is effective for local neck drainage and important in the primary treatment of descending necrotizing mediastinitis. Transthoracic mediastinal drainage is also effective for treating this condition.

Methods

Nine patients with descending necrotizing mediastinitis were treated by deep cervical and paratracheal drainage via a transcervical approach at our institution from April 2007 to December 2017. Four patients with diagnoses of extensive descending necrotizing mediastinitis had progressive extension of abscesses into the lower mediastinum, below the level of the carina. The other five had localized descending necrotizing mediastinitis with infection in the upper mediastinum above the level of the carina.

Results

All 9 patients (4 with extensive and 5 with localized descending necrotizing mediastinitis) initially underwent deep cervical and paratracheal drainage via a transcervical approach, and all recovered. Two of the patients with extensive infection required no additional surgical intervention.

Conclusions

Fluid collections in the deep cervical fascia must be drained urgently. Deep cervical and paratracheal drainage via a transcervical approach effectively controls all types of descending necrotizing mediastinitis, and it is less invasive than transthoracic approaches via thoracotomy. However, a thoracotomy for mediastinal drainage must be considered if infection is not controlled by transcervical drainage. Thoracic surgeons and otolaryngologists must plan efficacious treatment before surgical procedures for descending necrotizing mediastinitis.
Clinical outcomes of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with antibiotics for radiation-induced mucositis: a retrospective study
Authors: Weng JingJin , Wei Jiazhang , Li Min , Lu Jinlong , Qin Yangda , Liu Fei , Xiong Weiming , Qu Shenhong
Published: December 2019

Objective

To examine the effects of antibiotic administration on radiation-induced oral and oropharyngeal mucositis, and on the prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data for patients with NPC with grade 1/2 or 3/4 mucositis. Forty-two patients with grade 3/4 mucositis received antibiotics. Univariate survival analysis was assessed by Kaplan–Meier survival curves, survival curves were compared using log-rank tests, and multivariate analysis was carried out by Cox regression.

Results

A total of 463 patients with NPC were included in the study (194 grade 1/2 mucositis, 269 grade 3/4 mucositis). Univariate analyses identified T-stage, N-stage, clinical stage, type of treatment, and antibiotic use as factors affecting overall and disease-free survival. Multivariate analysis also determined that T-stage, N-stage stage, type of treatment, and antibiotic usage were independent factors affecting overall and disease-free survival. Mucositis improved in 32 of the 42 patients who received antibiotics (76.19%). However, red blood cell count and hemoglobin levels decreased in all patients after antibiotic treatment.

Conclusions

Antibiotics may be effective for the treatment of severe radiation-induced mucositis (grade 3/4) during chemoradiotherapy, but may potentially adversely affect the prognosis of patients with NPC.
Behavioral and dietary risk factors of recurrent urinary tract infection in Chinese postmenopausal women: a case–control study
Authors: Zhu Meifeng , Wang Shenju , Zhu Ying , Wang Zhixia , Zhao Min , Chen Dai , Zhou Chunxiang
Published: December 2019

Objective

The present study aimed to examine the behavioral and dietary risk factors of recurrent urinary tract infection (RUTI) in postmenopausal patients in China.

Methods

We performed a population-based case–control study with 193 postmenopausal women with RUTI and 193 age-matched healthy female controls with no history of RUTI. The study was conducted between January 2016 and June 2018 in Changzhou, China. Data were collected using an interviewer-based questionnaire, including information on demographics, lifestyle behavior, and habitual diet. Conditional logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the risk factors associated with RUTI.

Results

Wiping from back to front after toilet use, sedentary behavior >6 hours/day, delayed voiding, and chronic constipation were associated with an increased risk of RUTI. Drinking more than three cups of green tea per month showed an inverse association with RUTI. However, there was no evidence of dose dependency for overall consumption. Additionally, the three-cup association involved a small proportion of cases and may reflect statistical artifact.

Conclusions

Wiping from back to front after toilet use, sedentary behavior, delayed voiding, and chronic constipation are associated with an increased risk of RUTI in postmenopausal women.
Challenges in early identification of causes and treatment of cholestasis in patients with hyperthyroidism: a case report and literature review
Authors: Zeng Baimei , Yuan Ling , Chu Jun , Yang Yanqing , Lin Shide
Published: December 2019

Early identification of the causes of cholestasis is important for appropriate management of patients with hyperthyroidism. We report a patient who had hyperthyroidism and severe cholestasis after methimazole (MMI) treatment. The patient was diagnosed as having MMI-induced cholestatic hepatitis. Treatment with MMI was stopped at admission to hospital. However, his serum total bilirubin (TBil) level rose from 410.5 µmol/L to 519.9 µmol/L and prothrombin time activity (PTA) dropped from 81.0% to 52.2% in 10 days. To prevent further deterioration of his liver function, plasma exchange was performed three times, and dexamethasone (10 mg, intravenously) was used each time. His PTA rose to 101% and his TBil continued to increase to 669.8 µmol/L after plasma exchange. He was subsequently diagnosed as having thyrotoxicosis-induced cholestasis and treated with radioactive iodine (380 MBq) 2 weeks after admission. His hyperthyroidism was significantly relieved, but the TBil level further increased to 776.8 µmol/L. Three weeks after admission, oral prednisone (30 mg/day) was used in this patient. Subsequently, his TBil levels gradually decreased and his liver function almost normalized within 3 months. We discuss the literature on cholestasis in the context of hyperthyroidism.
Anti-glomerular basement membrane nephritis with bronchial carcinoma: a case report
Authors: Gao Chenni , Xie Jingyuan , Pan Xiaoxia , Chen Xiaonong
Published: December 2019

Renal insufficiency is common among patients with various types of malignant tumors. However, the occurrence of anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) nephritis in a patient with a malignant tumor is relatively rare. Here, we describe a patient with bronchial carcinoma who exhibited acute kidney injury, hematuria, and non-nephrotic-range proteinuria. The patient had positive serum anti-GBM antibody findings and biopsy-proven anti-GBM nephritis. This is a rare instance of anti-GBM nephritis in a patient with a malignant solid tumor. Neoplasia was presumed to contribute to the development of anti-GBM nephritis through secretion of tumor-related antigens or unusual exposure to GBM.
Music-evoked autobiographical memories in everyday life
Authors: Jakubowski Kelly , Ghosh Anita
Published: December 2019

Music can be a particularly effective cue for bringing one back to the sights and sounds of events from across the lifespan. These music-evoked autobiographical memories (MEAMs) have typically been studied within laboratory experiments and clinical settings, often using experimenter-selected music to cue autobiographical memories. The present work took a more naturalistic approach, by studying the situational aspects, contents, and features of MEAMs within the course of participants’ everyday lives. Participants ( N = 31) recorded details of their MEAMs and music listening habits in a diary for 7 days. MEAMs were experienced, on average, once per day and were cued by a wide variety of music, often during routine tasks such as traveling and housework. Everyday MEAMs were typically rated as highly vivid and involuntary and were often accompanied by positive or mixed emotions (e.g., happiness, nostalgia) and social themes. Some evidence of individual differences was found, with older participants rating their MEAMs as more vivid and accompanied by more positive emotions. The features reported within everyday MEAMs replicated several previous findings on MEAMs and autobiographical memory more generally, indicating that this naturalistic method was able to capture genuine MEAM experiences. Implications for future research on naturally occurring MEAMs are discussed.
Benefit–Cost Analyses of Rectangular Flashing Beacon Wrong-Way Driving Countermeasures on Toll Road Exit Ramps in Florida
Authors: Sandt Adrian , Al-Deek Haitham , Kayes Md Imrul , Blue Patrick , Gamero Valentina
Published: December 2019

In recent years, rectangular flashing beacons (RFBs) and other technologies have been used as wrong-way driving (WWD) countermeasures on limited access facilities. Studies have shown that these devices effectively reduce WWD, but no research has compared the financial benefits and costs of these countermeasures. Three different methodologies were used to conduct benefit–cost analyses for RFB WWD countermeasures installed on Central Florida toll road exit ramps. The studied benefits included savings from reductions in WWD crashes, non-crash events, and injuries, whereas costs included equipment, installation, and maintenance costs. For the first two methodologies, the reduction in WWD crash risk (WWCR) at the RFB-equipped ramps was determined. This WWCR considered non-crash WWD events, interchange design, and traffic volumes. Different measures of effectiveness (turn-around percentage of detected wrong-way vehicles at the RFB ramps and reduction in WWD 911 calls and citations at the RFB interchanges compared with similar comparison interchanges without RFBs) were used in these two methodologies to estimate the WWCR reduction and associated savings. For the third methodology, the relationship between WWD crashes and non-crash events was used to determine the average savings for WWD 911 calls and citations. Before–after analyses were then conducted to determine the individual reductions in WWD 911 calls and citations. Applying these three methods resulted in life-cycle benefit–cost ratios ranging from 2.49 to 4.10 (crash savings) and from 4.77 to 7.20 (injury savings). Other agencies could use these methodologies to determine the benefits of WWD countermeasures or other technologies with limited crash data.
The Relationship Between Dietary Diversity Among Women of Reproductive Age and Agricultural Diversity in Rural Tanzania
Authors: Bellows Alexandra L. , Canavan Chelsey R. , Blakstad Mia M. , Mosha Dominic , Noor Ramadhani A. , Webb Patrick , Kinabo Joyce , Masanja Honorati , Fawzi Wafaie W.
Published: December 2019

Background:

Agriculture can influence diets through consumption of home-produced foods or increased purchasing power derived from sale of agricultural commodities.

Objective:

This article explores cross-sectional relationships between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity (a proxy for micronutrient adequacy) among women of reproductive age in rural Tanzania.

Methods:

Dietary diversity was measured using the women’s minimum dietary diversity score indicator. Data were analyzed from the baseline survey of a cluster randomized control trial in Rufiji, Tanzania. One woman of reproductive age was randomly surveyed from each eligible household, totaling 1006 individuals. Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to estimate the relationship between agricultural indicators and dietary diversity.

Results:

Median dietary diversity score for women was 3.00 (interquartile range: 2-3). Approximately 73% of households grew at least 1 crop in the previous year. Women’s dietary diversity score was positively associated with cropping diversity ( P for trend = .04), ownership of livestock (adjusted coefficient: 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-0.44; P = .005), cash crop production (adjusted coefficient: 0.22; 95% CI: 0.03-0.41; P = .02), and production of pulses (adjusted coefficient: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.27-0.74; P < .0001) and other vegetables (adjusted coefficient: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.11-1.17; P = .02).

Conclusions:

Average dietary diversity is well below the recommended 5 food groups per day, a widely used indicator of micronutrient adequacy. Since the majority of households participate in agriculture, the efforts to promote agricultural diversification and/or specialization and sale of agricultural goods may positively influence dietary diversity and associated health and nutrition outcomes.
Repair of cystocele and apical genital prolapse using 6-strap mesh implant
Authors: Enikeev Mikhail Elikovich , Enikeev Dmitry Victorovich , Korolev Dmitry Olegovich , Snurnitsyna Olesya Vyacheslavovna , Lobanov Mikhail Vladimirovich , Nikitin Aleksandr Nikolaevich , Rapoport Leonid Mikhailovich , Glybochko Petr Vitalievich
Published: December 2019

Objective:

To assess the outcomes of surgical repair of anterior apical prolapse using the 6-strap mesh implant.

Study Design:

The prospective study included 100 patients with genitourinary prolapse. We used advanced 6-strap mesh implant. The results were assessed at 1 (n = 100) and 12 (n = 93) months after surgery. Maximum follow-up was over 4 years. The anatomical outcomes according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system and intraoperative and postoperative complications were assessed. Stage II and higher prolapse was considered to be a recurrence. The quality of life and sexual function were assessed using Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory 20, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire 7, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire 12.

Results:

Median age was 57 years (34–78 years (95% confidence interval)). All patients had stage III cystocele. The anterior vaginal wall descent in all the patients was associated with uterine descent: 37 (37%), stage II; 60 (60%), stage III; in 3 (3%), stage IV. In eight cases, postoperative de novo stress urinary incontinence developed. The quality of life improved in 93 (93%) women as judged by the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory 20 data and in 87 (87%) women, according to the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire 7 data. The desirable anatomical result (⩽stage I according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system) was achieved in 97 (97%) patients. With the exception of mesh fragment excision due to erosion (grade 3a), all the complications were classified as grade I according to the Clavien–Dindo classification.

Conclusion:

Genitourinary prolapse repair using 6-strap mesh is efficacious and relatively safe. The method demonstrates good anatomical results in relation to both anterior and apical prolapses with relatively short-term complications.
Informal Caregiving and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Population-Based Studies
Authors: Mehri Nader , Kinney Jennifer , Brown Scott , Rajabi Rostami Mahdie
Published: December 2019

Using the random-effects meta-analysis model, we investigated the effect of informal caregiving on all-cause mortality across 12 longitudinal population-based studies (seven United States; five international: United Kingdom, Northern Ireland [2], Japan, and Australia). Across the studies, the combined effect of informal caregiving on all-cause mortality was 16% lower in favor of caregivers. Subgroup analyses revealed that the relationship between informal caregiving and all-cause mortality was not significant among the U.S. studies, in contrast to the international studies. Also, the mortality advantage of informal caregivers was not evident among those studies in which informal caregiving was operationalized precisely (Activity of Daily [ADL]/Instrumental Activity of Daily Living [IADL] assistance) as opposed to more broadly. Furthermore, studies in which the kinship tie between the informal caregiver and care recipient was unspecified tended to find a mortality advantage in favor of caregivers. When covariates were considered, the results of this meta-analysis provided more support for stress theory than the healthy caregiver hypothesis.
A novel approach for flexible manipulator conducting screwing task based on robot–environment contact classification
Authors: Zhang Qi , Xie Zongwu , Liu Yang , Zhao Xiaoyu , Gu Yikun , Liu Hong
Published: December 2019

Bolt screwing assembly task is a crucial part for robot fine manipulation. For widely applied flexible joints robot with six-dimensional force/torque sensor, data collected could not be seen as the contact force since it consists of internal force caused by deformation of the manipulator joints. Force analysis and geometric analysis could not be applied to judge the relative pose between robot end-effector and the environment. To this end, logistic regression method was used to classify the contact state by force signals. Besides, the criterion that bolt has entered the thread hole is also significant, while a boundary condition was proposed to solve this problem. A bolt screwing experiment was conducted to evaluate the proposed strategy, and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the contact state classification and the boundary condition for judging the bolt entering the thread hole.
The secret of quick thinking: The invention of mental speed in America, 1890–1925
Authors: Clark Justin Tyler
Published: December 2019

In the early 20th century, mental speed became a dominant measure of intelligence in the United States. For both cultural and technical reasons, this had not always been the case. For 19th-century Americans, quickness of speech and thought often signified lack of self-discipline. Unlike with other objects of temporal measurement and rationalization such as factory work, little scientific or popular consensus existed over how to clock the invisible phenomenon of thought. The cultural and scientific ascent of mental speed thus poses an unsolved historical problem: how and why did Americans adopt this new ideal of intelligence? This essay offers an answer in the introduction and popularization of a new and controversial practice: the timed test. The first timed tests did not so much formalize an existing conception of mental efficiency as establish a new one, using one of the key tools of measurement available to experimental psychology, the mechanical time-keeper. Initially frustrated in their efforts to correlate their subjects' laboratory-measured reaction time with socially recognized achievements such as academic grades, psychologists in the late 1890s borrowed a still-obscure concept from stenography and telegraphy: words per minute. At first, few scientists or members of the public equated reading, speaking, writing, and listening rate with intelligence. Only after American educators, military recruiters, and vocational guidance experts began to adopt timed testing in the 1910s for administrative convenience did mental speed begin to indicate intelligence and knowledge. What began as a way to test minds efficiently evolved almost inadvertently into a test of their efficiency.
Advance decisions, welfare attorneys and statements of wishes: The belt, braces and corset approach to advance care planning
Authors: Samanta Jo
Published: December 2019

Advance care planning is used by adults to express value-based preferences for informing future care and treatment decisions following their loss of decision-making capacity. It is a means for ascertaining previous preferences about types of care and treatment as well as wider concerns. In English law, advance care planning incorporates advance decisions to refuse treatment, statements of wishes and, more recently, the appointment of attorneys who act under the authority of a Lasting Power of Attorney for health and welfare. This article considers these mechanisms together with some of their merits and potential shortcomings. It also considers whether other approaches, such as advance consent, might be a useful addition. Ultimately, it argues that used in isolation the current options are insufficient on legal and pragmatic grounds, albeit for different reasons. For persons with a strong sense of their personal treatment and care preferences following their loss of decision-making capacity, a combined and synergistic approach is recommended.
Habit Reversal to Decrease Filled Pauses in Public Speaking: A Partial Replication
Authors: Bördlein Christoph , Sander Anja
Published: December 2019

Purpose:

Many students have difficulties in public speaking because of their use of filled pauses (e.g., utterances like “um”; misuse of the word “like”). Mancuso and Miltenberger used habit reversal to decrease filled pauses in public speaking. The present study aimed at replicating this study as a student project.

Method:

Participants were four undergraduate students of social work. The training phase and total number of sessions were shortened compared to the original study.

Results:

The mean number of responses (filled pauses) per minute decreased throughout the study and during follow-up measurement.

Discussion:

Nevertheless, the replication of experimental control wasn’t successful because three of the four participants showed a decrease in response frequency already during the baseline. As a project, the study demonstrates that students of social work with only rudimentary training in single systems research methods can implement evidence-based practice procedures in their work with clients.
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Thrombocytopenia III: Its Association With Insulin Resistance
Authors: López-Trujillo Miguel Antonio , Olivares-Gazca Jesús Mauricio , Cantero-Fortiz Yahveth , García-Navarrete Yarely Itzayana , Cruz-Mora Antonio , Olivares-Gazca Juan Carlos , Murrieta-Álvarez Iván , León-Peña Andrés Aurelio , Ruiz-Delgado Guillermo J. , Ruiz-Argüelles Guillermo J.
Published: December 2019

Thrombocytopenia (less than 100 × 109/L platelets) presents in around one quarter of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the hepatic component of insulin resistance (IR). It is unknown whether IR, by itself, associates with thrombocytopenia. Persons with NAFLD and/or IR were prospectively accrued in the study after February 2018. Insulin resistance was defined by assessing α hydroxybutyrate, lynoleoyl glycerolphosphocoline, oleic acid, and insulin (Quantose IR), whereas the presence of NAFLD was defined by serologic determinations (Fibromax) and liver transient elastography (Fibroscan). In 78 patients with NAFLD, thrombocytopenia was identified in 22 (28%), whereas in 19 persons with IR, 14 (73%) were found to have NAFLD. In persons with IR + NAFLD, thrombocytopenia presented in 9 (64%). In the subset of patients with IR, the prevalence of thrombocytopenia was 52%. There was only 1 patient with IR/without NAFLD who displayed thrombocytopenia. Significant statistical association between NAFLD and thrombocytopenia was found (odds ratio [OR]: = 13, confidence interval [CI]: 1.5-162, P = .05), whereas there was no association between IR and thrombocytopenia (OR = 0.38, CI: 0.06-2.3, P = .61). Insulin resistance, by itself, was not found to be associated with diminished platelet counts. The presence of NAFLD, one of the consequences of IR, seems to be required to lead into thrombocytopenia.
A plain approach for center manifold reduction of nonlinear systems with external periodic excitations
Authors: Waswa Peter MB , Redkar Sangram , Subramanian Susheelkumar C
Published: December 2019

We present a relatively plain, direct and intuitive methodology that accomplishes model order reduction on the invariant center manifold of large-dimensional nonlinear systems subjected to external periodic excitations. This methodology is applicable to parametrically excited (periodic coefficients) and constant coefficient nonlinear systems. Our approach is empowered by intuitive augmentation of system states and is further liberated from typical special strategies such as the need for a ‘book-keeping’ parameter, a detuning parameter and minimal excitation. Consequently, it is relatively straightforward to implement and applicable to a broad range of nonlinear systems with external periodic excitations. Two illustrative application cases are investigated, and their subsequent results validate the accuracy of our approach. The first case considers a parametrically excited system with a single external periodic frequency excitation. A mass-spring-damper system with constant coefficients and two heterogeneous external frequency excitations is considered in the second example. In both cases, the long-term steady-state behavior analysis shows exact or cogent agreement between the original and the reduced-order system.
Strain localization in reduced-order asymptotic homogenization
Authors: Singh Harpreet , Mahajan Puneet
Published: December 2019

A reduced-order asymptotic homogenization-based multiscale technique that can capture damage and inelastic effects in composite materials is proposed. This technique is based on a two-scale homogenization procedure where eigenstrain representation accounts for the inelastic response and the computational efforts are alleviated by a reduction-of-order technique. Macroscale stress is derived by calculating the influence tensors from analysis of a representative volume element. At microscale, the damage in the material is modeled using a framework based on continuum damage mechanics. To solve the problem of strain localization, a method of alteration of the stress–strain relation of microconstituents based on the dissipated fracture energy in a crack band is implemented. The issue of spurious postfailure artificial stiffness at macroscale is discussed and the effect of increasing the order to alleviate this problem is checked. Verification studies demonstrated that the proposed formulation predicts the macroscale response and also captures the damage- and plasticity-induced inelastic strains.
Safety Assessment of Avena sativa (Oat)-Derived Ingredients As Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Becker Lillian C. , 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 2019

This is a safety assessment of Avena sativa (oat)–derived ingredients. The reported functions of these ingredients in cosmetics include abrasives, antioxidant, skin conditioning agents, absorbents, and bulking agents. The Panel reviewed relevant animal and human data related to 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 lead to sensitization or other toxic effects. The Panel stated that industry should continue to use good manufacturing practices to limit impurities and concluded that all but one of the Avena sativa (oat)–derived ingredients are safe as cosmetic ingredients in the practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment when formulated to be nonsensitizing; data are insufficient to come to a conclusion of safety for Avena Sativa (Oat) Meristem Cell Extract.
Safety Assessment of Camellia sinensis–Derived Ingredients As Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Becker Lillian C. , 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 2019

Cosmetic ingredients derived from Camellia sinensis (tea) plant parts function as antioxidants and skin conditioning agents—humectant and miscellaneous. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel (Panel) reviewed relevant animal and human data related to these ingredients. The use of the leaf ingredients in beverages results in much larger systemic exposures than those possible from cosmetic use. Accordingly, concern over the systemic toxicity potential of leaf-derived ingredients is mitigated. Because product formulations may contain multiple botanical ingredients, each containing the same constituents of concern, formulators are advised to be aware of these constituents and to avoid reaching levels that may lead to sensitization or other toxic effects. The Panel concluded that the C sinensis leaf-derived ingredients are safe in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment when formulated to be nonsensitizing. However, the available data are insufficient to determine whether the non-leaf-derived ingredients are safe for use in cosmetics.
Negative correlation between retinal displacement and ganglion cell layer thickness changes in eyes with epiretinal membrane
Authors: Loiudice Pasquale , Pellegrini Marco , Montesel Andrea , Nardi Marco , Peiretti Enrico , De Cillà Stefano , Posarelli Chiara , Figus Michele , Casini Giamberto
Published: December 2019

Purpose:

To examine retinal displacement after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling for epiretinal membrane treatment, and to determine the correlation between the extent of displacement and the ganglion cell layer thickness changes.

Methods:

Thirty-nine consecutive patients were evaluated. Optical coherence tomography was performed preoperatively, and 2 and 6 months postoperatively. The distance between the fovea, the vessel intersection in the superior nasal, superior temporal, inferior nasal, and inferior temporal macular regions, and the optic disk were measured. Ganglion cell layer thickness was recorded.

Results:

The distance from the optic disk to the fovea and the superior nasal and inferior nasal vessel intersections significantly reduced at 2 and 6 months. Ganglion cell layer thickness significantly decreased in all the subfields (except nasal) at 6 months. A significant negative correlation was found between the change in the ganglion cell layer thickness and the movement of the fovea toward the optic disk. The ganglion cell layer thickness changes significantly correlated with retinal displacement.

Conclusion:

Retinal displacement toward the optic disk was detected after vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling in eyes with epiretinal membrane. Ganglion cell layer thickness significantly reduced in all the subfields (except nasal). The extent of the displacement and the ganglion cell layer thickness changes showed significant negative correlation.
The learning curve of robotic-arm assisted acetabular cup positioning during total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Kayani Babar , Konan Sujith , Huq Sumon S , Ibrahim Mazin S , Ayuob Atif , Haddad Fares S
Published: December 2019

Background:

Robotic-arm assisted surgery aims to reduce manual errors and improve the accuracy of implant positioning and orientation during total hip arthroplasty (THA). The objective of this study was to assess the surgical team’s learning curve for robotic-arm assisted acetabular cup positioning during THA.

Methods:

This prospective cohort study included 100 patients with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis undergoing primary total THA performed by a single surgeon. This included 50 patients receiving conventional manual THA and 50 patients undergoing robotic-arm assisted acetabular cup positioning during THA. Independent observers recorded surrogate markers of the learning curve including operative times, confidence levels amongst the surgical team using the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI) questionnaire, accuracy in restoring native hip biomechanics, acetabular cup positioning, leg-length discrepancy, and complications within 90 days of surgery.

Results:

Cumulative summation (CUSUM) analysis revealed robotic-arm assisted acetabular cup positioning during THA was associated with a learning curve of 12 cases for achieving operative times ( p < 0.001) and surgical team confidence levels ( p < 0.001) comparable to conventional manual THA. There was no learning curve of robotic-arm assisted THA for accuracy of achieving the planned horizontal ( p = 0.83) and vertical ( p = 0.71) centres of rotation, combined offset ( p = 0.67), cup inclination ( p = 0.68), cup anteversion ( p = 0.72), and correction of leg-length discrepancy ( p = 0.61). There was no difference in postoperative complications between the two treatment groups.

Conclusions:

Integration of robotic-arm assisted acetabular cup positioning during THA was associated with a learning curve of 12 cases for operative times and surgical team confidence levels but there was no learning curve effect for accuracy in restoring native hip biomechanics or achieving planned acetabular cup positioning and orientation.
A case of dissection in an ACUSEAL-modified HeRO graft
Authors: Bradley N A , Guthrie G , Suttie S
Published: December 2019

Background:

The use of the HeRO system with the early-access ACUSEAL graft avoids the need for a tunnelled dialysis catheter as a bridge for vascular access. Established complications of this system include thrombosis, graft infection, haematoma, and pseudoaneurysm formation.

Case Description:

A 72-year-old patient found to have a dissection flap at the venous cannulation point (ACUSEAL component) of a right arm HeRO graft. The ACUSEAL was replaced in theatre and subsequent duplex imaging confirmed satisfactory graft function.

Conclusion:

This case demonstrates a serious yet previously undescribed complication of cannulation of an ACUSEAL graft. The trilaminar construction of the graft may increase the likelihood of disruption of the luminal layer during repeated needling and predispose it to dissection. Given the consequences of graft failure in such patients, urgent intervention is warranted when graft dissection is suspected.
Mindful reflexivity: Unpacking the process of transformative learning in mindfulness and discernment
Authors: Vu Mai Chi , Burton Nicholas
Published: December 2019

Can spiritual practice encourage transformative learning? In this article, we unpack how spiritual practices from the Buddhist tradition—mindfulness—and the Quaker tradition—discernment—encourage the attainment of moral reflexivity and the capacity to transform self in individual and relational organizational contexts, respectively. We also show how moral reflexivity and self-transformation are mutually reinforcing and promote a transformational cycle of management learning. We propose that “mindful reflexivity”, a foundational model of spiritually informed moral reflexivity, can contribute to new ways of management learning through its context sensitivity and ethical orientation to foster the kinds of reflexivity needed for responsible management. Our article concludes with implications for management learning theory and practice, and we offer pathways for future research.
Computational investigation on the performance of hydrodynamic micro-textured journal bearing lubricated with micropolar fluid using mass-conserving numerical approach
Authors: Manser Belkacem , Belaidi Idir , Khelladi Sofiane , Chikh Mohamed A Ait , Deligant Michael , Bakir Farid
Published: December 2019

The tribological characteristic of journal bearing systems can be enhanced with the integrating of textures in the contact interfaces, or using the lubricating effect of non-Newtonian fluids. In this study, the combined effects of bearing surface texturing and non-Newtonian lubricants behavior, using micropolar fluid model, on static characteristics of hydrodynamic circular journal bearings of finite length are highlighted. The modified Reynolds equation of micropolar lubrication theory is solved using finite differences scheme and Elrod's mass conservation algorithm, taking into account the presence of the cylindrical texture shape on full and optimum bearing surfaces. The optimization textured area is carried out through particle swarm optimization algorithm, in order to increase the load lifting capacity. Preliminary results are in good agreement with the reference ones, and present an enhancement in the performances of micro-textured journal bearings (load carrying capacity and friction). The results suggest that texturing the bearing convergent zone significantly increases the load carrying capacity and reduce friction coefficient, while fully texturing causes bad performances. It is also shown that the micropolar fluids exhibit better performances for smooth journal bearings than a Newtonian fluid depending on the size of material characteristic length and the coupling number. The combined effects of fully surface textured with micropolar fluids reduce the performance of journal bearing, especially at lower eccentricity ratios. Considering the optimal arrangement of textures on the contact surface, a significant improvement in terms of load capacity and friction can be achieved, particularly at high eccentricity ratios, high material characteristic lengths and high values of the coupling numbers of micropolar fluids.
King’s College London’s enquiry into Hans J Eysenck’s ‘Unsafe’ publications must be properly completed
Authors: Marks David F , Buchanan Roderick D
Published: December 2019

This journal recently drew attention to an extensive body of highly questionable research published by Hans J. Eysenck in collaboration with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek. The subsequent enquiry by King’s College London concluded that 26 publications were unsafe and warranted retraction. However, the enquiry reviewed only a subset of the 61 questionable publications initially submitted to them, only those Eysenck co-authored with Grossarth-Maticek. The enquiry excluded publications where Eysenck was the sole author. The King’s College London enquiry must be properly completed. They have a pressing responsibility to re-convene and broaden their review to include all Eysenck’s publications based on the same body of research – including an additional 27 publications recently uncovered. The unsatisfactory nature of the KCL review process makes the case for a National Research Integrity Ombudsperson even stronger.
Subjects Between Legacies: How Fathers Construct the Relation Between Their Childhood Past, the Present of Parenting, and Their Child(ren)’s Future
Authors: Osborn Sharani
Published: December 2019

This article brings to the discussion of change in the meaning and practice of fatherhood a consideration of fathers’ position between generations and between legacies. Conceptualisations of temporality in the work of Schütz and Mead are applied in analysing a father’s dual position, as both parent and child, as a particular instance of the subject’s position in a present from which the relation between pasts and futures is (re-)constituted. Drawing on qualitative research with a diverse sample of 31 fathers, I argue that the responsibility to lay down a positive emotional and psychological legacy for their child draws fathers into an engagement with their own experience of being parented. The resources for interpretation, and even transformation, of a father’s parenting heritage are situated in terms of contemporary discourses of fatherhood and family and of persistent inequalities in the conditions under which fatherhood is forged.
Drug adherence, medical pluralism, and psychopharmaceutical selfhood in postreform Vietnam
Authors: Tran Allen L , Đan Tâm Trần , Thúc Dũng Hà , Cúc Trâm Nguyễn
Published: December 2019

This article examines drug adherence in relation to changing patterns of medical pluralism and neoliberal reforms among psychiatric patients in postreform Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We conducted 39 in-depth interviews and 21 follow-up interviews with individuals prescribed psychiatric medication on an outpatient basis in 2016 to identify patterns of nonadherence, which was operationalized as taking medications according to doctors’ prescriptions at the three-month follow-up interval. Patients adapt or reject their medication prescriptions due to (1) concerns about biomedical drugs and adverse drug reactions, (2) local concepts of psychic distress and selfhood, and (3) the social context of medicine taking. The dominant theoretical models of drug adherence focus on individual-level predictors. However, situating drug adherence in its political-economic context highlights the relationship between medicine and neoliberal modernity that underlies adherence. Examining the intersection of multiple medication regimens and political regimes, we argue that nonadherence is rooted in a complex layering of medical traditions and modernist projects of the self. The reception of new biomedical drugs in Vietnam is shaped by not only folk theories of illness but also a changing cultural politics of the self.