bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Solution to the Problem of Evaluating Forecast Techniques
Authors: Schrank Wilburn R.
Published: August 2018

The evaluation of the operational utility of new forecast techniques has presented meteorologists with a difficult problem for many years. Both the per cent correct score and the commonly used skill score possess rather serious limitations which are discussed in this paper. Finally, a new evaluation score is proposed which retains most of the good features of the other two scores but does not retain their primary limitations.
Do High-Speed Winds Aloft Influence the Occurrence of Hail?
Authors: Ratner B.
Published: August 2018

In an article contained in Geophysical Monograph No. 5, H. Dessens concludes, as the result of experiments conducted in southern France, that the presence of a jet stream at upper levels is the factor which transforms a thunderstorm into a destructive hail storm and that large shears in vertical-wind speeds are conducive to formation of hail.

The writer, by climatological analysis of hail and upper-air wind data for the contiguous United States, shows that Dessens' theories do not apply to conditions in the United States.
Summertime Stratospheric Frost Points Near Seattle, Washington 1
Authors: Caless T. W.
Published: August 2018

During the summer of 1959, an automatic frost-point hygrometer of original design was flight-tested with other sensors of the AN/AMQ-15 Weather Reconnaissance System. Several hours of continuous frost-point data were collected in the high troposphere and lower stratosphere. Values ranging as low as −70C testify to the advantages of this sensor for conditions of low humidity and demonstrate the feasibility of the sensor for humidity measurement from high-performance jet aircraft.
Rocket-Motor-Generated Condensation Trails
Authors: Tschupp Edward J.
Published: August 2018

This paper examines the atmospheric states that will cause the formation of condensation trails when the exhaust from a rocket motor mixes with and saturates the atmosphere. It was assumed that the rocket-motor propellants would be aircraft fuel and liquid oxygen. The results of the study are compared with the conditions which are required for the formation of condensation trails from jet-aircraft engines.
The Contribution of Dew to the Summer Water Budget of Northern Idaho
Authors: Lloyd Merle G.
Published: August 2018

Duration and amount of dew under a variety of topographic and vegetative-cover conditions were studied on the Priest River Experimental Forest in northern Idaho during the summer of 1958. Dew was measured by a continuous-recording device that registered the change in weight of an expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) block. Dew deposits ranged from zero on cloudy, windy nights to a maximum of 0.014 inch during a clear night following a day with rain. Monthly amounts of dew ranged from 7 to 29 per cent of the monthly rainfall. Dew was deposited only on the flat of the Priest River Valley and along the Benton Creek valley bottom. Dew was not deposited under the forest canopy or on the slopes.
Squall-Line Structure and Development as Depicted by Horizontal Traverses by the Tornado-Research Aircraft
Authors: Lee Jean T. , David Clarence L.
Published: August 2018

Tornado aircraft research data collected during the period 1956 to 1959 have been used to depict a possible mean cross-section of the squall line during three different stages of development. They are the pre-cloud stage, the cumulus stage and the thunderstorm stage. The limitations of the data and the need for further development of the model are indicated.
The Radar Program of the U. S. Weather Bureau
Authors: Bigler S. G. , Hexter P. L. , Wells F. E.
Published: August 2018

The history of the Weather Bureau weather surveillance radar program is briefly traced. Various types of radar equipment are described, with emphasis on the recently installed SR-57. Included are some examples of the weather detection capabilities of this radar, and a description of the duties of the Bureau's radar observers.
Inter-Range Instrumentation Group Participation in the Meteorological Rocket Network
Authors: Webb Willis L. , Christensen Walter I. , Varner Eldon P. , Spurling Jack F.
Published: August 2018

From the inception of the Meteorological Rocket Network, the Meteorological Working Group of IRIG has been a convenient mechanism for coordinating the Network activities of the several participants. Upper atmospheric observation activities of the contributing agencies and projects have thus been coordinated to form the first synoptic-type study of the atmospheric region accessible only by rocket observation techniques. The Meteorological Rocket Network Committee (MRNC) has served as a forum for planning of studies, assimilating data on new developments in rocket vehicles, telemetry and sensing systems, and the distribution of the resulting data. The progress of the growing Meteorological Network is charted to date, and several of the applications of the resultant data are indicated. The impact of the Meteorological Rocket Network on the meteorological profession is discussed.
NEXAIR
Authors: Johnson Robert E.
Published: August 2018

The Next Generation Upper Air System (NEXAIR) presently under development by the Weather Bureau is intended to satisfy the needs of the meteorological community for atmospheric data from balloon borne instrument packages during the mid 1970s and beyond. In saddition to NAVAID (Loran-C and/or Omega) windfinding, the system is expected to include new approaches to atmospheric sensing, circuit design, data transmission and ground processing. An overview of the basic system functional design approach is provided along with a discussion of various facets of the NAVAID windfinding problem.
Power and agency: Characterisations of the female victim of family violence
Authors: Kent Antonia
Published: August 2018

This article explores the divergence between how female victims of family violence characterise themselves and how they are characterised by the police officers who respond to family violence incidents. It posits the socially constructed nature of female victimhood and how such constructions create totalising discourses which affect policy, community attitudes and even the self-perceptions of abused women. In the following study, Michael Halliday’s lexicogrammar theory was applied to public texts from the 2015 Royal Commission into Family Violence to facilitate an investigation into how the names given to the actors in discourse, and the verb processes used to describe the actions of those actors, contribute to the emergence of discourses on power and agency. Although these discourses are used to represent the power dynamics of family violence, they are revealed here to be at odds with the experiences of abused women, who named themselves and their capacity to act in a variety of different, often conflicting, ways. I conclude that new discourses need to be forged which better speak to women’s experiences of abuse and respond more effectively and sensitively to their needs.
Promoting Open Science to Increase the Trustworthiness of Evidence in Special Education
Authors: Cook Bryan G. , Lloyd John Wills , Mellor David , Nosek Brian A. , Therrien William J.
Published: August 2018

Scientific evidence should guide the selection of practice for individuals with disabilities. Scientific evidence, however, must be trustworthy to move special education toward greater empirical certainty and more effective policies and practices. Transparency, openness, and reproducibility increase the trustworthiness of evidence. We propose that researchers in special education adopt emerging open-science reforms, such as preprints, data and materials sharing, preregistration of studies and analysis plans, and Registered Reports. Adoption of these practices will require shifts in cultural norms, guidelines, and incentives. We discuss how adopting open-science practices can advance the quality of research and, consequently, policy and practice in special education.
Age-Related Differences in the Relationships Between Lower-Limb Joint Proprioception and Postural Balance
Authors: Chen Xingyu , Qu Xingda
Published: August 2018

Objective:

In the present study we aimed to investigate the relationships between lower-limb joint proprioception and postural balance. Age-related differences in such relationships were also identified.

Background:

Impaired postural balance is reportedly one of the most common risk factors for fall accidents. Interventions have been proposed to improve postural balance by enhancing proprioceptive feedback. However, there is still no consensus on the optimal design for these interventions; therefore, there is a need to better reveal the contributions of lower-limb joint proprioception to postural balance.

Method:

Twenty-eight young and 28 older adults participated. Lower-limb joint proprioception was assessed by joint position sense errors measured at the ankle, knee, and hip of the dominant side, respectively. Postural balance was assessed by using center-of-pressure measures during bilateral static stance.

Results:

Ankle joint position sense error was positively correlated with root mean squared distance of the center of pressure in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions in both young and older adults. Different from young adults, hip joint position sense error was positively correlated with root mean squared distance of the center of pressure in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions in older adults only.

Conclusion:

Declined ankle and hip proprioception could be risk factors for falls in older adults. Age-related differences in the effects of hip proprioception suggests that hip proprioception is more important for maintaining balance in older adults. Ankle proprioception contributes the most to balance maintenance. Thus, ankle proprioception enhancement exercises should be considered in fall prevention interventions.
Cognitive Processing of Visually Presented Data in Decision Making
Authors: Cassenti Daniel N. , Roy Heather , Kase Sue E.
Published: August 2018

Objective:

Intelligence analysis is a necessary operation for organizations engaged in adversarial decision making in military, criminal justice, and civil spheres. In particular, we focus on studying the sentiment of actors in a military-relevant decision-making task and how information pertaining to these actors is presented.

Background:

Two intelligence analysis systems were created to represent sentiment data.

Method:

These systems and another with the raw information (i.e., the control condition) were presented to experimental participants in separate trials with the pretext that they act as intelligence analysts and compare two social media actors in U.S.-occupied territory on given subject matters.

Results:

Results demonstrated that cognitive processing of the information improved and was preferred for the prototype that presented information in scatterplot form rather than a line graph, though side-by-side comparisons also were preferred from the disfavored system.

Conclusion:

We conclude with suggestions for designing intelligence analysis software that conforms to best practice in human factors with a focus on cognitive processing.

Application:

We hope these recommendations will improve intelligence analysis of sentiment information via a new system.
Numerical prediction methodology for tow orientation on irregular mandrels with constant cross-sections
Authors: Wu Zhenyu , Shu Zhanxiang , Kyosev Yordan , Yuan Yanhong , Hu Xudong
Published: August 2018

Because of the decisive role of tow orientation in braided fabric on the mechanical performance of composite, having an accurate tow orientation prediction method for each specific mandrel shape is a cornerstone for applying circular braiding technology. This work presents a numerical method to predict the tow orientation on an irregular, constant cross-section mandrel. In this numerical method, the cross-section of the mandrel is approximated by a series of line segments, and then the surface meshes of the mandrel are generated in STL format. A set of kinematic equations, which was deduced from the simultaneous motion relationship between the translation of the take-up device and the rotation of the spools, was used to calculate the sequence of the deposition points located on the edges of surface mesh for the approximated tow orientation. Braiding experiments for various process parameters were conducted on a mandrel with a specially designed cross-section manufactured using a three-dimensional printer and the angle of the braiding tow was measured. The influence of translation speed, shape of cross-section and convergence region length on braiding angle were analysed via a comparison of the simulation results and the experimental data. Two types of variation of the braiding angles in the braided fabric and its influence factors are also discussed in detail. It was shown that the numerical method, which can rapidly predict the braiding angle for an irregular, constant cross-section mandrel, is beneficial for optimizing the process parameters for hollow composite component manufacture.
The Critics of the Schools.—(II.)
Authors: Winship A. E.
Published: August 2018

With men's opinions we have no quarrel, with their philosophy we take no issue, upon their arguments we waste no time, their appreciation we appreciate, but their misstatement of facts we will expose.
Baltimore Constantly Checks Results
Authors: Stenquist John L.
Published: August 2018

Research that leads to nothing but filed reports is not the kind adopted by the public schools of Baltimore. Frequent testing is employed as a means to the better adapting of instruction to pupil needs. The Baltimore system is similar to the perpetual inventory kept by many business houses.
Trust Pan
Authors: Everett E. A.
Published: August 2018

Some teachers find real happiness in their task. Others invite pity. What makes the difference?
Too Modest about Our “Lingo”
Authors: Dickey John W.
Published: August 2018

Let educators quit apologizing for their technical vocabulary. Others do not blush for theirs!
Democracy Can Bear Comparisons
Authors: Burr Samuel Engle
Published: August 2018

“It is the duty of the schools to present as much information as can be gained about democracy, socialism, communism and fascism.”
Pawsitive Solutions: An Overview of Prison Dog Programs in Australia
Authors: Humby Lauren , Barclay Elaine
Published: August 2018

A survey of animal welfare agencies and corrections departments across Australia was conducted to compile a nationwide profile of prison dog programs, wherein inmates train dogs while learning skills to assist their rehabilitation. Most programs operating in 23 prisons in six Australian states were a community service design administered by animal welfare organizations. Inmates benefit through opportunities to train the dogs, give back to society, gain a sense of responsibility, improve self-confidence and social skills, and acquire vocational qualifications to improve job opportunities postrelease. Barriers identified included insufficient funding, limited training opportunities for the dogs, and some staff resistance.
Mechanical and thermal properties of carbon nanotube- and graphene-glass fiber fabric-reinforced epoxy composites: A comparative study
Authors: Zeng Shaohua , Shen Mingxia , Chen Shangneng , Yang Lu , Lu Fengling , Xue Yijiao
Published: August 2018

This study was focused on the comparative effect of tube- and sheet-like nanocarbons on the structure–property relationships of fiber-reinforced composites. Graphene nanosheets and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were dispersed into commercial glass fiber fabric (Gf) to obtain multiscale graphene-Gf- and MWCNT-Gf-reinforcing materials, respectively, followed by a vacuum-assisted resin infusion process. The influence of MWCNTs and graphene on the mechanical and thermal performance of multiscale composites were investigated. The experimental results indicated that oxidized MWCNTs or graphene could ensure excellent dispersibility on the fiber surface, and ultimately enhance the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the resultant composites. Graphene oxide (GO), with a wrinkled and roughened texture, was shown to be superior to MWCNTs in terms of toughening the fiber/matrix interface and delaying the deformation or failure of the epoxy matrix. Under the same dosage of nanocarbons, the interlaminar shear strength of GO-Gf-reinforced composites (GO-GfCs) was raised by approximately 12%, and the relevant onset thermal-decomposition temperature was increased by > 11℃, compared with carboxyl MWCNT-Gf-reinforced composites (Mc-GfCs). Meanwhile, the GO-GfCs exhibited superior static and dynamic mechanical properties compared to those of Mc-GfCs.
Classroom Management Actions of Beginning Urban Teachers
Authors: Kwok Andrew
Published: August 2018

This descriptive, mixed methods study of one interim certification program explores first year urban teachers’ classroom management actions. This study investigates what strategies teachers implement to manage the classroom from programmatic surveys of 87 first-year teachers and interviews, field visits, video recordings, and journals of five case participants. Results indicate that teachers used behavioral, academic, and relational strategies to manage the classroom and they tend to refine several of these actions over time. Findings suggest that teacher preparation should promote beginning teachers to implement a range of classroom management strategies and support teachers in how to refine their actions.
Use and validation of location-based services in urban research: An example with Dutch restaurants
Authors: Arribas-Bel Daniel , Bakens Jessie
Published: August 2018

This article focuses on the use of big data for urban geography research. We collect data from the location-based service Foursquare in The Netherlands and employ it to obtain a rich catalogue of restaurant locations and other urban amenities, as well as a measure of their popularity among users. Because the Foursquare data can be combined with traditional sources of socio-economic data obtained from Statistics Netherlands, we can quantify, document and characterise some of the biases inherent in these new sources of data in the context of urban applications. A detailed analysis is given as to when this type of big data is useful and when it is misleading. Although the users of Foursquare are not representative of the whole population, we argue that this inherent bias can be exploited for research about the attractiveness of urban landscapes and consumer amenities in addition to the more traditional data on urban amenities.
The Balanced Objectification Hypothesis: The Effects of Objectification Valence and Body Sentiment on Source Sentiment
Authors: Gervais Sarah J. , Allen Jill , Riemer Abigail R. , Gullickson Marco
Published: August 2018

In this work, we introduced and tested the balanced objectification hypothesis (BOH). Derived from an integration of balance theory and objectification research, the BOH suggests that people seek psychological balance during objectifying interactions with others. Corresponding with the BOH, men and women perceived objectification sources as higher in warmth and intended to approach the objectification source more when they experienced complimentary objectification in conjunction with positive body sentiment (vs. negative body sentiment) and critical objectification in conjunction with negative body sentiment (vs. positive body sentiment) across four experiments. Self–other congruency emerged as a mediator and inconsistency between the content of the objectification experience and body sentiment (whether they were both focused on weight or sex appeal or not) emerged as a boundary condition, in line with the BOH. Theoretical implications and critical next steps for testing the BOH are discussed.
The Christ of Kazantzakis's Christ Recrucified
Authors: Stephenson Barry
Published: August 2018

In the wake of Martin Scorsese's film adaption of the controversial novel The Last Temptation of Christ by the Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, Kazantzakis's work received a flurry of attention, but focused on The Last Temptation. The figure of Christ, however, is central to Kazantzakis's larger literary oeuvre, and a rounded picture of Kazantzakis's fictional Christology requires tending to these works. This article develops the central themes of the tacit Christology informing Kazantzakis's Christ Recrucified: crucifixion as an emblem of spiritual-moral struggle; motifs of adoptionism and exemplarism; spring/Easter as the agitation of matter to transubstantiate; the defiant, war-like “face” of Christ; and Christ's affinity to the broader pantheon of Greek gods and fertility myths.
Construction of Single Mothers’ Roles as Gatekeepers Between Children and Nonresident Fathers
Authors: Nixon Elizabeth , Hadfield Kristin
Published: August 2018

This study explores single mothers’ roles as gatekeepers in the relationship between children and nonresident fathers in families, where fathers do not have a history of shared residence with their children. Thematic analysis of interviews with 34 mothers in Ireland revealed that the majority of mothers adopted gate-opening strategies, including active facilitation of father–child contact, conditional facilitation, and adoption of a “hands-off approach” wherein mothers were open to—but not actively involved in facilitating—father–child contact. A minority of mothers were not open to their children having contact with their fathers (gate-closing). Underpinning mothers’ gatekeeping strategies were beliefs about the importance of fathers and a desire to protect their children. The findings indicate that gate-opening could be challenging for mothers as they were required to balance a tension between believing that father–child contact was important for their children and being concerned about their children’s well-being within the father–child relationship.
Switching Cognitive Gears: School Leaders’ Cognitive Complexity
Authors: Da’as Rima’a , Schechter Chen , Qadach Mowafaq
Published: August 2018

The role of school leaders is particularly complex in today’s “era of accountability,” which involves high standards for student achievement alongside frequently changing educational systems. Research in the business field has found leader’s cognitive complexity to be a predictor of leader and organizational effectiveness whereas the notion of school leader’s cognitive complexity remains undeveloped in the educational leadership and management field. Hence, the purpose of this article is to suggest a framework for school leaders’ cognitive complexity, as well as to suggest possible avenues for future conceptualization of, and research into this issue. Two empirical illustrations, based on the suggested framework for school leaders’ cognitive complexity, are described. This novel cognitive complexity framework may help school leaders develop processes, strategies, and structures that will enable them to react effectively in uncertain and dynamic environments.
RD or Not RD: Using Experimental Studies to Assess the Performance of the Regression Discontinuity Approach
Authors: Gleason Philip , Resch Alexandra , Berk Jillian
Published: August 2018

Background:

This article explores the performance of regression discontinuity (RD) designs for measuring program impacts using a synthetic within-study comparison design. We generate synthetic RD data sets from experimental data sets from two recent evaluations of educational interventions—the Educational Technology Study and the Teach for America Study—and compare the RD impact estimates to the experimental estimates of the same intervention.

Objectives:

This article examines the performance of the RD estimator with the design is well implemented and also examines the extent of bias introduced by manipulation of the assignment variable in an RD design.

Research design:

We simulate RD analysis files by selectively dropping observations from the original experimental data files. We then compare impact estimates based on this RD design with those from the original experimental study. Finally, we simulate a situation in which some students manipulate the value of the assignment variable to receive treatment and compare RD estimates with and without manipulation.

Results and conclusion:

RD and experimental estimators produce impact estimates that are not significantly different from one another and have a similar magnitude, on average. Manipulation of the assignment variable can substantially influence RD impact estimates, particularly if manipulation is related to the outcome and occurs close to the assignment variable’s cutoff value.
Mechanical models in computational form finding of bending-active structures
Authors: Lázaro Carlos , Bessini Juan , Monleón Salvador
Published: August 2018

This article reviews the different aspects involved in computational form finding of bending-active structures based on the dynamic relaxation technique. Dynamic relaxation has been applied to form-finding problems of bending-active structures in a number of references. Due to the complex nature of large spatial deformations of flexible beams, the implementation of suitable mechanical beam models in the dynamic relaxation algorithm is a non-trivial task. Type of discretization and underlying beam theory have been identified as key aspects for numerical implementations. References can be classified into two groups depending on the selected discretization: finite-difference-like and finite-element-like. The first group includes 3- and 4-degree-of-freedom implementations based on increasingly complex beam models. The second gathers 6-degree-of-freedom discretizations based on co-rotational three-dimensional Kirchhoff–Love beam elements and geometrically exact Reissner–Simo beam elements. After reviewing and comparing implementation details, the advantages and drawbacks of each group have been discussed, and open aspects for future work have been pointed out.
Myeloid cells as therapeutic targets in neuroinflammation after stroke: Specific roles of neutrophils and neutrophil–platelet interactions
Authors: García-Culebras Alicia , Durán-Laforet Violeta , Peña-Martínez Carolina , Ballesteros Iván , Pradillo Jesús M , Díaz-Guzmán Jaime , Lizasoain Ignacio , Moro María A
Published: August 2018

Ischemic brain injury causes a local inflammatory response, involving the activation of resident brain cells such as microglia and the recruitment of infiltrating immune cells. Increasing evidence supports that plasticity of the myeloid cell lineage is determinant for the specific role of these cells on stroke outcome, from initiation and maintenance to resolution of post-ischemic inflammation. The aim of this review is to summarize some of the key characteristics of these cells and the mechanisms for their recruitment into the injured brain through interactions with platelets, endothelial cells and other leukocytes. Also, we discuss the existence of different leukocyte subsets in the ischemic tissue and, specifically, the impact of different myeloid phenotypes on stroke outcome, with special emphasis on neutrophils and their interplay with platelets. Knowledge of these cellular phenotypes and interactions may pave the way to new therapies able to promote protective immune responses and tissue repair after cerebral ischemia.
Effect of Smoking on Healing Failure After Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Park Jung Ho , Oh Kyung-Soo , Kim Tae Min , Kim Jayoun , Yoon Jong Pil , Kim Joon Yub , Chung Seok Won
Published: August 2018

Background:

No study to date has directly evaluated rotator cuff repair results among smokers.

Purpose:

To evaluate whether smoking affects healing after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair through propensity score matching (PSM).

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Among 249 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears, 34 current heavy smokers were selected with a smoking history >20 pack-years (mean ± SD pack-years, 33.91 ± 12.13). Characteristics between current heavy smokers and nonsmokers were compared. According to the PSM technique, 34 nonsmokers were selected after 1:1 matching for age, fatty infiltration, and tear size—the main prognostic factors of outcomes after rotator cuff repair. Each patient’s outcome evaluation was completed anatomically at a minimum of 6 months (magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasonography) and functionally at a minimum of 1 year (pain visual analog scale, range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Constant, University of California, Los Angeles, and Simple Shoulder Test scores), and every outcome was analyzed in the matched smoker and nonsmoker groups.

Results:

Current heavy smokers had a higher incidence of male sex ( P < .001), heavy manual work ( P = .025), high bone density ( P = .036), and poor tendinosis grade ( P = .028). After adjustment for the confounding variables by PSM, the matched smoker group showed a significantly higher healing failure rate than the matched nonsmoker group (29.4% vs 5.9%, P = .023). However, we failed to detect significant differences in the functional outcomes between the matched groups ( P > .05).

Conclusion:

Smoking affected healing failure after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Attention should be paid to smokers, especially current heavy smokers, in cases of rotator cuff repair surgery.
The ocean returns: Mapping a mercurial Anthropocean
Authors: Probyn Elspeth
Published: August 2018

Humans have dumped ‘stuff’ in oceans in a particularly concentrated way since the Industrial Revolution, the effects of which we now note as evidence of the Anthropocene – or the Anthropocean. In this article, I consider what the oceans now return to us in the form of pollution. I trace the production of a mercurial ocean through the production of mercury as it is taken up and transported by atmospheric and oceanic currents from artisanal mines in Asia, and transformed into methylmercury. As methylmercury, it enters into the food chain and eventuates in the diets of certain populations, especially those in Nordic countries, with toxic effects into future generations. This, I argue, produces a particular ocean, one with temporal and spatial multiplicity. The flow of mercury is gendered and racialized with women workers in Indonesia being primarily affected while women in the north are the recipients of methylmercury in the form of toxic fish. I engage with scientific research on mercury flows and methylmercury biogeochemical cycling, and draw on the work of Annemarie Mol on the body multiple, feminist research into epigenetics (Mansfield, Guthman, Landecker), and feminist environmental posthumanism (Alaimo, Neimanis). My argument seeks to disturb the singular and othered ocean in order to make way for the ocean multiple – a conception of the different forms of the oceanic produced through the athwart admixtures of the more-than-human (Helmreich, Probyn).
A Novel Technique for Treatment of Recurrent Capsular Contracture Using Acellular Dermal Matrix in Aesthetic Revisional Breast Surgery
Authors: Johnson Jason D. , Oven Steven D. , Skalicky Robert J.
Published: August 2018

Capsular contracture remains among the most commonly cited reasons for reoperation following implant-based breast augmentation. The introduction of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) in revision surgery has led to a decrease in the recurrence of capsular contracture. However, there remains a relative paucity of literature in secondary aesthetic surgery and its use is associated with increased patient costs. The authors describe a novel technique using segmental interpositional graft placement to treat and prevent contracture recurrence while decreasing additional costs to the patient. This study is a retrospective chart review of patients who presented with recurrent capsular contractures and underwent revision surgery by a single surgeon. Patient demographics, treatment history, and postoperative complications were recorded. Five patients (7 breasts) were identified. Mean age was 36 years old and mean body mass index was 20.6 kg/m2 (range, 18.1-24.6 kg/m2). All 5 patients had prior surgical treatment for capsular contractures with recurrence. Mean follow-up was 52.8 months (range, 36-60 months). One patient experienced a recurrence in an untreated pole of the breast. The remaining patients did not experience recurrent capsular contracture to date. Multiple studies have shown the benefit of using ADM in the prevention or treatment of capsular contracture. The author’s technique may be an effective strategy to treat recurrent capsular contractures while decreasing the patients’ out-of-pocket costs.
Review of Biguanide (Metformin) Toxicity
Authors: Wang George Sam , Hoyte Christopher
Published: August 2018

In the 1920s, guanidine, the active component of Galega officinalis, was shown to lower glucose levels and used to synthesize several antidiabetic compounds. Metformin (1,1 dimethylbiguanide) is the most well-known and currently the only marketed biguanide in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia for the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Although phenformin was removed from the US market in the 1970s, it is still available around the world and can be found in unregulated herbal supplements. Adverse events associated with therapeutic use of biguanides include gastrointestinal upset, vitamin B12 deficiency, and hemolytic anemia. Although the incidence is low, metformin toxicity can lead to hyperlactatemia and metabolic acidosis. Since metformin is predominantly eliminated from the body by the kidneys, toxicity can occur when metformin accumulates due to poor clearance from renal insufficiency or in the overdose setting. The dominant source of metabolic acidosis associated with hyperlactatemia in metformin toxicity is the rapid cytosolic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) turnover when complex I is inhibited and oxidative phosphorylation cannot adequately recycle the vast quantity of H+ from ATP hydrolysis. Although metabolic acidosis and hyperlactatemia are markers of metformin toxicity, the degree of hyperlactatemia and severity of acidemia have not been shown to be of prognostic value. Regardless of the etiology of toxicity, treatment should include supportive care and consideration for adjunct therapies such as gastrointestinal decontamination, glucose and insulin, alkalinization, extracorporeal techniques to reduce metformin body burden, and metabolic rescue.
Falling Prey to Online Romantic Alternatives: Evaluating Social Media Alternative Partners in Committed Versus Dating Relationships
Authors: Abbasi Irum Saeed
Published: August 2018

Social media represents an integral platform that is currently used to maintain and develop new social connections including alternative romantic partners. Over engagement with online friends and pursuing alternative partners can potentially threaten the primary romantic relationship. In the present study, the author examined if the partners’ relationship status is a predictor of relationship satisfaction, quality of online romantic alternatives, online infidelity-related behaviors, social media addiction, and the total number of social networking sites (SNSs) accounts. In a cross-sectional study, romantic partners ( N = 578, 378 females and 200 males) completed a battery of self-report scales. The partners were divided into two groups based on their relationship status: Those who reported to be in a committed relationship ( n = 330) and those who reported to be in a casual dating relationship ( n = 248). Results revealed that there is a significant between-group difference in the way both groups evaluated the quality of potential alternative partners and level of SNSs addiction. However, there was no between-group difference in relationship satisfaction, SNSs infidelity behaviors, or the total number of SNSs accounts. The dating group reported significantly more sexual alternatives than the committed group. However, the number of potential committed alternatives was not significantly different between the two groups. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
Improving VAWT performance through parametric studies of rotor design configurations using computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Difuntorum John Keithley , Danao Louis Angelo M
Published: August 2018

Vertical axis wind turbines present several advantages over the horizontal axis machines that make them suitable to a variety of wind conditions. However, due to the complexity of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) aerodynamics, available literature on VAWT performance in steady and turbulent wind conditions is limited. This paper aims to numerically predict the performance of a 5 kW VAWT under steady wind conditions through computational fluid dynamics modeling by varying turbine configuration parameters. Two-dimensional VAWT models using a cambered blade (1.5%) were created with open field boundary extents. Turbine configuration parameters studied include blade mounting position, blade fixing angle, and rotor solidity. Baseline case with peak Cp of 0.31 at tip-speed ratio of 4 has the following parameters: mounting position at 0.5c, zero fixing angle, and three blades (solidity = 0.3). Independent parametric studies were carried out and results show that a blade mounting position of 0.7c from the leading edge produces the best performance with maximum Cp = 0.315 while the worst case is a mounting position of 0.15c with peak Cp = 0.273. Fixing angle study reveals a toe-out setting of −1° producing the best performance with peak Cp of 0.315 and the worst setting at toe-in of 1.5° with peak Cp of 0.287. The solidity study resulted in the best case of four blades (solidity = 0.4) with peak Cp = 0.316 and the worst case of two blades (solidity = 0.2) with peak Cp = 0.283.
Effect of Fairness on Employee Outcome: An LMX Perspective on Indian Banks
Authors: Sahni Shalini , Sinha Chandranshu
Published: August 2018

The current study is proposed to test the mediated effect of social exchange mechanism of leader–member exchange (LMX) between organizational justice and employee outcomes in the Indian banking industry. Stratified random sampling was used to collect the data from 346 employees of two Indian public and two Indian private banks listed in the CNX index. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis of the proposed model. Findings reveal that LMX partially mediated between all justice dimensions and employee outcomes. However, procedural justice is the strongest predictor of employee outcomes in public sector banks and weakest in private sector banks. This study has implications for both academicians and practitioners and adds to the previous literature by testing the projected model in the Indian settings, thus providing some empirical validity to justice–LMX–employee outcomes relationships.
Use of Anti-Warnings to Falsely Reassure Downstream Users: An Asbestos Example
Authors: Egilman David , Bird Tess , Wilson Remi
Published: August 2018

Product warnings are theoretically designed to reduce injuries associated with occupational, environmental, or consumer product exposures. Unfortunately, in an effort to protect sales, some companies have produced media and information to falsely reassure their customers about the risks associated with their products. These tactics have been termed “anti-warnings.” We reviewed corporate documents uncovered in litigation alongside other historical publications to ascertain the types of anti-warnings used by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) regarding their asbestos products. Our review finds that UCC went to great lengths to confuse their customers and make their particular asbestos product—which contained short-fiber, chrysotile asbestos—look safe. We discuss three primary communications methods UCC used: industry-produced publications, sales force direct communication with customers, and public speeches. These examples provide further insight into how corporations encourage uncertainty about the risks associated with their products. Understanding anti-warning methods is critical for the implementation of future policies that protect consumer, worker, and environmental health.
The Mens Rea of Human Trafficking: The Case of Migrant Domestic Workers
Authors: Demetriou Daphne
Published: August 2018

Efforts to eradicate human trafficking continue, with the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report calling on governments to improve the detection and prosecution of all involved in this crime, with specific reference to recruitment agencies. Yet despite calls to examine the wider scope of potential trafficking perpetrators, an important element remains problematic; namely, establishing that all involved in the recruitment and movement of individuals possess the requisite mental element for this crime. This article examines this mental element and applies it to the different actors commonly involved in the migration and alleged trafficking of migrant domestic workers. The article concludes that establishing such experiences as human trafficking and attributing the mental element of the offense to all people in the supply chain becomes less attainable. The flexibility permitted under the United Nations Trafficking Protocol, as to the national threshold for the crime’s mens rea, has resulted in disparities as to what and who the crime of human trafficking encompasses. The specific intent element of the Protocol is at odds with the constructive knowledge element incorporated in some states, a reality that runs counter to the intentions of the Protocol’s drafters for a unified definition and jeopardizes the prosecution of trafficking cases. In rectifying this, it is pivotal for states to ensure that alternative legal provisions are available to capture those who often pave the way to migrant domestic workers’ exploitation.
The Facilitating Role of Communication Technology in Nonresident Father–Teen Relationships
Authors: Cheek Patrick P. , Solheim Catherine
Published: August 2018

The goal of this study was to understand communication technology’s role in nonresident father–teen relationships. A qualitative study explored the meanings teens attributed to technology-mediated interactions with their nonresident fathers. The study found that teens’ interactions mediated by contemporary communication technologies helped maintain connections with their fathers in multiple ways, increased intimacy, helped them feel part of the same world, facilitated family interaction, and allowed teens to control access to parts of their lives. Results and implications for research and practice are discussed.
Discourse After a Batterer Intervention Program: A Qualitative Analysis of “Letters From the Future”
Authors: Kilgore Christopher D. , Lehmann Peter , Voth Schrag Rachel
Published: August 2018

This exploratory study employs discourse and narrative analysis to assess men’s ( n = 45) responses to a writing assignment completed at the end of a solution-focused voluntary batterer intervention program. The study finds that the men primarily use the assignment to reassure themselves of their future success, defined through traditionally male paradigms. The narrative analysis then divides the letters according to type: Participants (22.7%) use a “transformative” discourse of behavior change and intimate partner violence (IPV)-sustaining discourse (18.2%), but the plurality (38.6%) use both simultaneously. The ideological conflict demonstrated in these responses highlights how IPV-sustaining discourse is embedded within broader sociocultural discursive structures.
Subcutaneous auto-administration of trastuzumab following therapeutic education: A case report
Authors: Deppenweiler Marine , Debled Marc , Robquin Jean-Luc , Lortal-Canguilhem Barbara
Published: August 2018

Trastuzumab is a monoclonal antibody used to treat human epidermal growth receptor 2 positive (HER2+) breast cancers either by itself or in combination with other chemotherapy medication. Marketing authorization was granted for a subcutaneous form of the antibody in 2014. In this case report, we discuss our experience with a patient who took part in a therapeutic education program on self-administration of trastuzumab. We demonstrate that these types of self-administered injections are not only possible but also are toxicity-free. Based on the tolerance data and our patient’s experience, we propose that the current regulations be relaxed regarding the availability of trastuzumab subcutaneous form in order to develop a cheaper “city scheme,” i.e. self-administered injections.
Nonlocal strain gradient theory for the magneto-electro-elastic vibration response of a porous FG-core sandwich nanoplate with piezomagnetic face sheets resting on an elastic foundation
Authors: Arefi M , Kiani M , Zamani MH
Published: August 2018

The free vibration analysis of a nonlocal strain gradient elastic sandwich nanoplate with porous graded core and piezomagnetic face sheets is presented in this paper. The rectangular elastic sandwich nanoplate is resting on Pasternak's foundation. Porosities are distributed evenly and unevenly through the thickness of the core. The gradation of material properties having porosities is described using a modified power-law function. A nonlocal parameter and a strain gradient parameter are employed to describe both stiffness reduction and stiffness enhancement of nanoplates. The governing equations of the motion are derived from Hamilton’s principle based on the first order shear deformation theory. In addition, Eringen’s nonlocal strain gradient piezo-magneto-elasticity theory is used to consider nanoscale effects. The analytical solution is presented to solve seven governing equations of motion using Navier’s solution. Eventually, the natural frequency is surveyed for different side length ratios, nonlocal coefficient, porosity volume fraction, and parameters of foundation numerically with even and uneven porosity distributions.
Insights into microbiome research 1: How to choose appropriate controls for a microbiome study in MS?
Authors: Baranzini Sergio E
Published: August 2018

Microbiome studies are on the rise, but appropriate measures must be taken into account to reduce potential confounders that could obscure results. Among these are diet, age, sex, geography, and even the presence of house pets. In the particular case of multiple sclerosis (MS), the influence of disease-modifying therapy must also be considered. Thus, selecting an appropriate group of controls can substantially increase the statistical power of a microbiome study. Furthermore, given the enormous complexity and volatility of the microbiome, this could be the deciding factor between reporting signal and simply noise.
Tony Blair’s gamble: The Middle East Peace Process and British participation in the Iraq 2003 campaign
Authors: Henke Marina E.
Published: August 2018

Tony Blair tried throughout the preparatory phase of the US-led Iraq intervention in 2003 to influence US policy on the Middle East Peace Process. This article tries to understand how Blair fared in this endeavour. Using newly declassified documents, it examines the circumstances under which the US administration listened and engaged with British ideas and when and why it ignored British requests. The study shows that Blair was able to extract the greatest US concessions on the Middle East Peace Process in moments when Great Britain’s participation in the Iraq campaign was the most uncertain. The findings promote fresh thinking on how, when and why the United Kingdom can influence US decision-making.