bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to examine nurses’ perception of the task shifting strategy for hypertension control trial in Ghana
Authors: Gyamfi Joyce , Allegrante John P. , Iwelunmor Juliet , Williams Olajide , Plange-Rhule Jacob , Blackstone Sarah , Ntim Michael , Apusiga Kingsley , Peprah Emmanuel , Ogedegbe Gbenga
Published: January 2020

Background

The burden of hypertension in many low-and middle-income countries is alarming and requires effective evidence-based preventative strategies that is carefully appraised and accepted by key stakeholders to ensure successful implementation and sustainability. We assessed nurses’ perceptions of a recently completed Task Shifting Strategy for Hypertension control (TASSH) trial in Ghana, and facilitators and challenges to TASSH implementation.

Methods

Focus group sessions and in-depth interviews were conducted with 27 community health nurses from participating health centers and district hospitals involved in the TASSH trial implemented in the Ashanti Region, Ghana, West Africa from 2012 to 2017. TASSH evaluated the comparative effectiveness of the WHO-PEN program versus provision of health insurance for blood pressure reduction in hypertensive adults. Qualitative data were analyzed using open and axial coding techniques with emerging themes mapped onto the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Results

Three themes emerged following deductive analysis using CFIR, including: (1) Patient health goal setting- relative priority and positive feedback from nurses, which motivated patients to make healthy behavior changes as a result of their health being a priority; (2) Leadership engagement (i.e., medical directors) which influenced the extent to which nurses were able to successfully implement TASSH in their various facilities, with most directors being very supportive; and (3) Availability of resources making it possible to implement the TASSH protocol, with limited space and personnel time to carry out TASSH duties, limited blood pressure (BP) monitoring equipment, and transportation, listed as barriers to effective implementation.

Conclusion

Assessing stakeholders’ perception of the TASSH implementation process guided by CFIR is crucial as it provides a platform for the nurses to thoroughly evaluate the task shifting program, while considering the local context in which the program is implemented. The feedback from the nurses informed barriers and facilitators to implementation of TASSH within the current healthcare system, and suggested system level changes needed prior to scale-up of TASSH to other regions in Ghana with potential for long-term sustainment of the task shifting intervention.

Trial registration

Trial registration for parent TASSH study: NCT01802372. Registered February 27, 2013.
Integrating pathway elucidation with yeast engineering to produce polpunonic acid the precursor of the anti-obesity agent celastrol
Authors: Hansen Nikolaj L. , Miettinen Karel , Zhao Yong , Ignea Codruta , Andreadelli Aggeliki , Raadam Morten H. , Makris Antonios M. , Møller Birger L. , Stærk Dan , Bak Søren , Kampranis Sotirios C.
Published: January 2020

Background

Celastrol is a promising anti-obesity agent that acts as a sensitizer of the protein hormone leptin. Despite its potent activity, a sustainable source of celastrol and celastrol derivatives for further pharmacological studies is lacking.

Results

To elucidate the celastrol biosynthetic pathway and reconstruct it in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we mined a root-transcriptome of Tripterygium wilfordii and identified four oxidosqualene cyclases and 49 cytochrome P450s as candidates to be involved in the early steps of celastrol biosynthesis. Using functional screening of the candidate genes in Nicotiana benthamiana, TwOSC4 was characterized as a novel oxidosqualene cyclase that produces friedelin, the presumed triterpenoid backbone of celastrol. In addition, three P450s (CYP712K1, CYP712K2, and CYP712K3) that act downstream of TwOSC4 were found to effectively oxidize friedelin and form the likely celastrol biosynthesis intermediates 29-hydroxy-friedelin and polpunonic acid. To facilitate production of friedelin, the yeast strain AM254 was constructed by deleting UBC7, which afforded a fivefold increase in friedelin titer. This platform was further expanded with CYP712K1 to produce polpunonic acid and a method for the facile extraction of products from the yeast culture medium, resulting in polpunonic acid titers of 1.4 mg/L.

Conclusion

Our study elucidates the early steps of celastrol biosynthesis and paves the way for future biotechnological production of this pharmacologically promising compound in engineered yeast strains.
Results of ultrasound-guided release of tarsal tunnel syndrome: a review of 81 cases with a minimum follow-up of 18 months
Authors: Iborra A. , Villanueva M. , Sanz-Ruiz P.
Published: January 2020

Background

This study aims to analyse the clinical results of ultrasound-guided surgery for the decompression of the tibial nerve, including its distal medial and lateral branches, to treat tarsal tunnel syndrome. These structures are the complete flexor retinaculum and the deep fascia of the abductor hallucis muscle, including individualised release of the medial and lateral plantar nerve tunnels.

Method

This is a retrospective review of 81 patients (36 men and 45 women) with an average age of 41 years old (32–62) and an average clinical course of 31 months (8–96) compatible with idiopathic tarsal tunnel syndrome, who underwent ultrasound-guided decompression of the proximal and distal tarsal tunnel between February 2015 and November 2017 (both months included), with a minimum follow-up of 18 months.

Results

Based on the Takakura et al. scale for the 81 patients, 76.54% obtained excellent results, 13.58% good results, and 9.87% poor results.

The patients with the longest course of symptoms displayed the worst results.

Conclusion

Although 9% of patients did not improve, ultrasound-guided tarsal tunnel release might be a viable alternative to conventional open approaches.
Using the knowledge-to-action framework with joint arthroplasty patients to improve the quality of care transition: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Xu Yaping , Li Shuang , Zhao Peiyu , Zhao Jing
Published: January 2020

Background

Total joint arthroplasty is a mature and effective treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis. Assisting patients in completing the transition of the perioperative period and improving their satisfaction are important aspects of quality of care. This study aimed to investigate an intervention to improve the quality of care transition for joint arthroplasty patients informed by the knowledge-to-action (KTA) framework.

Methods

In this quasi-experimental study, a total of 160 patients who underwent joint arthroplasty at a tertiary hospital from September to November 2018 and January to March 2019 were selected as participants using convenience sampling. The control group received routine medical care, while the observation group received medical care based on the KTA framework. Transitional care quality was assessed by the Care Transition Measure (CTM), with follow-up 1 week after discharge.

Results

The observation group fared significantly better than the control group on general self-care preparation and written plan dimensions, as well as the quality of care transition. There was no significant difference in doctor–patient communication or health monitoring.

Conclusions

The KTA framework provides a logical, valuable tool for clinical work. Using the KTA framework for joint arthroplasty patients helps to improve the quality of care transition, which is worth promoting.
Correlation between GLA variants and alpha-Galactosidase A profile in dried blood spot: an observational study in Brazilian patients
Authors: Varela Patrícia , Mastroianni Kirsztajn Gianna , Motta Fabiana L. , Martin Renan P. , Turaça Lauro T. , Ferrer Henrique L. F. , Gomes Caio P. , Nicolicht Priscila , Mara Marins Maryana , Pessoa Juliana G. , Braga Marion C. , D’Almeida Vânia , Martins Ana Maria , Pesquero João B.
Published: January 2020

Background

Fabry disease is a rare X-linked inherited disorder caused by deficiency of α-Galactosidase A. Hundreds of mutations and non-coding haplotypes in the GLA gene have been described; however, many are variants of unknown significance, prompting doubts about the diagnosis and treatment. The α-Galactosidase A enzymatic activity in dried blood spot (DBS) samples are widely used for screening purposes; however, even when values below the normal are found, new tests are required to confirm the diagnosis. Here we describe an analysis of GLA variants and their correlation with DBS α-Galactosidase A enzymatic activity in a large Brazilian population with Fabry disease symptoms.

Results

We analyzed GLA variants by DNA sequencing of 803 male patients with suspected Fabry disease or belonging to high-risk populations; in 179 individuals, 58 different exonic variants were detected. From these, 50 are variants described as pathogenic and eight described as variants of unknown significance. The other individuals presented complex non-coding haplotypes or had no variants. Interestingly, the enzymatic activity in DBS was different among pathogenic variants and the other genotypes, including variants of unknown significance; the first presented mean of 12% of residual activity, while the others presented levels above 70% of the activity found in healthy controls.

Conclusion

The activity of α-Galactosidase A in DBS was markedly reduced in males with known pathogenic variants when compared with subjects presenting variants of unknown significance, non-coding haplotypes, or without variants, indicating a possible non-pathogenic potential of these latter genotypes. These findings bring a better understanding about the biochemical results of α-Galactosidase A in DBS samples, as well as the possible non-pathogenic potential of non-coding haplotypes and variants of unknown significance in GLA gene. These results certainly will help clinicians to decide about the treatment of patients carrying variants in the gene causing this rare but life-threatening disease.
Molecular basis of Leigh syndrome: a current look
Authors: Schubert Baldo Manuela , Vilarinho Laura
Published: January 2020

Leigh Syndrome (OMIM 256000) is a heterogeneous neurologic disorder due to damage in mitochondrial energy production that usually starts in early childhood. The first description given by Leigh pointed out neurological symptoms in children under 2 years and premature death. Following cases brought some hypothesis to explain the cause due to similarity to other neurological diseases and led to further investigation for metabolic diseases. Biochemical evaluation and specific metabolic profile suggested impairment in energy production (OXPHOS) in mitochondria. As direct approach to involved tissues is not always possible or safe, molecular analysis is a great cost-effective option and, besides biochemical results, is required to confirm the underlying cause of this syndrome face to clinical suspicion. The Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) advance represented a breakthrough in molecular biology allowing simultaneous gene analysis giving short-time results and increasing the variants underlying this syndrome, counting over 75 monogenic causes related so far. NGS provided confirmation of emerging cases and brought up diagnosis in atypical presentations as late-onset cases, which turned Leigh into a heterogeneous syndrome with variable outcomes. This review highlights clinical presentation in both classic and atypical phenotypes, the investigation pathway throughout confirmation emphasizing the underlying genetic heterogeneity and increasing number of genes assigned to this syndrome as well as available treatment.
The effects of taurine supplementation on oxidative stress indices and inflammation biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Maleki Vahid , Mahdavi Reza , Hajizadeh-Sharafabad Fatemeh , Alizadeh Mohammad
Published: January 2020

Background

Reduced serum level of taurine in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was shown to be associated with the metabolic alterations and clinical complications of diabetes. Dietary supplementation with taurine may attenuate oxidative stress and inflammatory responses in T2DM as well as alleviate diabetes-induced complications. Hence, this study evaluated the effect of taurine supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with T2DM.

Methods

Fifty patients with T2DM were randomly allocated to two groups to consume either taurine (containing 1000 mg taurine), or placebo (containing crystalline microcellulose) three times per day for 8 weeks. Anthropometric data, dietary intake, serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), serum levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were assessed before and after intervention.

Results

There was a significant increase in SOD (5.1%, p = 0.004) and CAT (4.22%, p = 0.001) after 8 weeks of taurine supplementation. In addition, serum levels of MDA (26.33%, p = 0.001), hs-CRP (16.01%, p = 0.001), and TNF‐α (11.65%, p = 0.03) significantly decreased in the taurine group compared with baseline. Following treatment, the taurine group had fewer serum levels of MDA (p = 0.04), hs-CRP (p = 0.002) and TNF-α (p = 0.006) than the placebo group. Also, a significant increase was observed in SOD (p = 0.007), and CAT (p = 0.001) in the taurine group compared with the placebo group. There were no differences in the serum levels of IL-6 or TAC.

Conclusions

The findings of this study showed that taurine supplementation improved some oxidative stress indices and inflammatory biomarkers in patients with T2DM.

Trial registration The protocol of this clinical trial is registered with the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.IRCT.IR, identifier: IRCT20121028011288N16).
Repeat induced abortion and associated factors among women seeking abortion care services at Debre Markos town health institutions, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, 2017
Authors: Waktola Mahlet Imana , Mekonen Dawit Gebeyehu , Nigussie Tewodros Seyoum , Cherkose Endeshaw Adimasu , Abate Addisu Taye
Published: January 2020

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the proportion and determinants of repeat induced abortion among women seeking abortion care services at Debre Markos town health institutions, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, 2017.

Result

From the total 567-sample size, 547 women were participated in the study making a response rate of 96.5%. In this study 191 women reported that they had at least one previous abortion, making the proportion of repeat induced abortion 34.9%. In multivariable logistic regression analysis; illiteracy (AOR = 8.45, 95% CI 1.85, 36.49), living in an urban area (AOR = 5.14, 95% CI 2.29, 11.53), having multiple sexual partner (AOR = 6.16, 95% CI 3.25, 11.68), consuming alcohol (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.52, 5.05) and having a history of physical violence by a male partner (AOR = 2.68, 95% CI 1.45, 4.94) were significantly associated with repeat induced abortion at p value less than 0.05.
Exact solutions to cable equations in branching neurons with tapering dendrites
Authors: Yihe Lu , Timofeeva Yulia
Published: January 2020

Neurons are biological cells with uniquely complex dendritic morphologies that are not present in other cell types. Electrical signals in a neuron with branching dendrites can be studied by cable theory which provides a general mathematical modelling framework of spatio-temporal voltage dynamics. Typically such models need to be solved numerically unless the cell membrane is modelled either by passive or quasi-active dynamics, in which cases analytical solutions can be reduced to calculation of the Green’s function describing the fundamental input-output relationship in a given morphology. Such analytically tractable models often assume individual dendritic segments to be cylinders. However, it is known that dendritic segments in many types of neurons taper, i.e. their radii decline from proximal to distal ends. Here we consider a generalised form of cable theory which takes into account both branching and tapering structures of dendritic trees. We demonstrate that analytical solutions can be found in compact algebraic forms in an arbitrary branching neuron with a class of tapering dendrites studied earlier in the context of single neuronal cables by Poznanski (Bull. Math. Biol. 53(3):457–467, 1991). We apply this extended framework to a number of simplified neuronal models and contrast their output dynamics in the presence of tapering versus cylindrical segments.
Targeting dePARylation for cancer therapy
Authors: Kassab Muzaffer Ahmad , Yu Lily L. , Yu Xiaochun
Published: January 2020

Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation (PARylation) mediated by poly ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs) plays a key role in DNA damage repair. Suppression of PARylation by PARP inhibitors impairs DNA damage repair and induces apoptosis of tumor cells with repair defects. Thus, PARP inhibitors have been approved by the US FDA for various types of cancer treatment. However, recent studies suggest that dePARylation also plays a key role in DNA damage repair. Instead of antagonizing PARylation, dePARylation acts as a downstream step of PARylation in DNA damage repair. Moreover, several types of dePARylation inhibitors have been developed and examined in the preclinical studies for cancer treatment. In this review, we will discuss the recent progress on the role of dePARylation in DNA damage repair and cancer suppression. We expect that targeting dePARylation could be a promising approach for cancer chemotherapy in the future.
Screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma and precancerous conditions (dysplasia and Barrett’s esophagus) in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease with or without other risk factors: two systematic reviews and one overview of reviews to inform a guideline of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (CTFPHC)
Authors: Hamel Candyce , Ahmadzai Nadera , Beck Andrew , Thuku Micere , Skidmore Becky , Pussegoda Kusala , Bjerre Lise , Chatterjee Avijit , Dennis Kristopher , Ferri Lorenzo , Maziak Donna E. , Shea Beverley J. , Hutton Brian , Little Julian , Moher David , Stevens Adrienne
Published: January 2020

Background

Two reviews and an overview were produced for the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care guideline on screening for esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) without alarm symptoms. The goal was to systematically review three key questions (KQs): (1) The effectiveness of screening for these conditions; (2) How adults with chronic GERD weigh the benefits and harms of screening, and what factors contribute to their preferences and decision to undergo screening; and (3) Treatment options for Barrett’s esophagus (BE), dysplasia or stage 1 EAC (overview of reviews).

Methods

Bibliographic databases (e.g. Ovid MEDLINE®) were searched for each review in October 2018. We also searched for unpublished literature (e.g. relevant websites). The liberal accelerated approach was used for title and abstract screening. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were completed by one reviewer and verified by another reviewer (KQ1 and 2). Quality assessments were completed by two reviewers independently in duplicate (KQ3). Disagreements were resolved through discussion. We used various risk of bias tools suitable for study design. The GRADE framework was used for rating the certainty of the evidence.

Results

Ten studies evaluated the effectiveness of screening. One retrospective study reported no difference in long-term survival (approximately 6 to 12 years) between those who had a prior esophagogastroduodenoscopy and those who had not (adjusted HR 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.58–1.50). Though there may be higher odds of a stage 1 diagnosis than a more advanced diagnosis (stage 2–4) if an EGD had been performed in the previous 5 years (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.00–7.67). Seven studies compared different screening modalities, and showed little difference between modalities. Three studies reported on patients’ unwillingness to be screened (e.g. due to anxiety, fear of gagging). Eleven systematic reviews evaluated treatment modalities, providing some evidence of early treatment effect for some outcomes.

Conclusions

Little evidence exists on the effectiveness of screening and values and preferences to screening. Many treatment modalities have been evaluated, but studies are small. Overall, there is uncertainty in understanding the effectiveness of screening and early treatments.

Systematic review registrations

PROSPERO (CRD42017049993 [KQ1], CRD42017050014 [KQ2], CRD42018084825 [KQ3]).
PHYAlert: identity spoofing attack detection and prevention for a wireless edge network
Authors: Jiang Zhiping , Zhao Kun , Li Rui , Zhao Jizhong , Du Junzhao
Published: January 2020

Delivering service intelligence to billions of connected devices is the next step in edge computing. Wi-Fi, as the de facto standard for high-throughput wireless connectivity, is highly vulnerable to packet-injection-based identity spoofing attacks (PI-ISAs). An attacker can spoof as the legitimate edge coordinator and perform denial of service (DoS) or even man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks with merely a laptop. Such vulnerability leads to serious systematic risks, especially for the core edge/cloud backbone network.In this paper, we propose PHYAlert, an identity spoofing attack alert system designed to protect a Wi-Fi-based edge network. PHYAlert profiles the wireless link with the rich dimensional Wi-Fi PHY layer information and enables real-time authentication for Wi-Fi frames. We prototype PHYAlert with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices and perform extensive experiments in different scenarios. The experiments verify the feasibility of spoofing detection based on PHY layer information and show that PHYAlert can achieve an 8x improvement in the false positive rate over the conventional signal-strength-based solution.
The value of hope: development and validation of a contextual measure of hope among people living with HIV in urban Tanzania a mixed methods exploratory sequential study
Authors: Siril Hellen , Smith Fawzi Mary C. , Todd Jim , Somba Magreat , Kaale Anna , Minja Anna , Killewo Japhet , Mugusi Ferdinand , Kaaya Sylvia F.
Published: January 2020

Background

Hope or hopefulness enhances coping and improves quality of life in persons with chronic or incurable illnesses. Lack of hope is associated with depression and anxiety, which impact negatively on quality of life. In Tanzania, where HIV prevalence is high, the rates of depression and anxiety are over four times higher among people living with HIV (PLH) compared to persons not infected and contribute annual mortality among PLH. Tanzania has a shortage of human resources for mental health, limiting access to mental health care. Evidence-based psychosocial interventions can complement existing services and improve access to quality mental health services in the midst of human resource shortages. Facilitating hope can be a critical element of non-pharmacological interventions which are underutilized, partly due to limited awareness and lack of hope measures, adapted to accommodate cultural context and perspectives of PLH. To address this gap, we developed and validated a local hope measure among PLH in Tanzania.

Methods

Two-phased mixed methods exploratory sequential study among PLH. Phase I was Hope-related items identification using deductive, inductive approaches and piloting. Phase II was an evaluation of psychometric properties at baseline and 24 months. Classical test theory, exploratory, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used.

Results

Among 722 PLH, 59% were women, mean age was 39.3 years, and majority had primary school level of education. A total of 40 hope items were reduced to 10 in a three-factor solution, explaining 69% of variance at baseline, and 93% at follow-up. Internal consistency Cronbach's alpha was 0.869 at baseline and 0.958 at follow-up. The three-factor solution depicted: positive affect; cognition of effectiveness of HIV care; and goals/plans/ future optimism. Test-retest reliability was good (r= 0.797) and a number of indices were positive for CFA model fit, including Comparative Fit Index of 0.984.

Conclusion

The developed local hope scale had good internal reliability, validity, and its dimensionality was confirmed against expectations. The fewer items for hope assessment argue well for its use in busy clinical settings to improve HIV care in Tanzania. Hope in this setting could be more than cognitive goal thinking, pathway and motivation warranting more research.

Trial registration

The intervention was registered in USAClinicalTrials.govon September 26, 2012, Registration number:NCT01693458.
Threshold concepts: designing a format for the flipped classroom as an active learning technique for crossing the threshold
Authors: Olaniyi Nkaepe E. E.
Published: January 2020

There is so-called troublesome knowledge in every subject. There is various subject-specific research available on what these particular concepts are, as well as some examples of how to help students cross those thresholds. There is, however, a gap in the area of implementation, a more practical format for addressing student learning when there are threshold concepts. As active learning encourages deep learning, this is key to any pedagogical method used. There is a need for a mix of teaching approaches to address the diverse learning styles that exist in any class. This paper seeks to provide a viable format that can be applied to any subject. This format is based on a flipped lesson in physics (in a higher education context) and the results from three cohorts across two academic years. The paper highlights the need for meta-learning when dealing with threshold concepts, as well as the use of interactive videos as a practical tool that contributes to self-efficacy.
Remarkable improvement of primary orthostatic tremor using perampanel
Authors: Grobe-Einsler Marcus , Kaut Oliver
Published: January 2020

Management of primary orthostatic tremor (POT) remains challenging, and medication is often ineffective.

We report the case of a 53-year-old female with orthostatic tremor for 6 years who was refractory to gabapentin, clonazepam, primidone and propranolol. After treatment with 4 mg/day perampanel, she reported almost complete resolution of tremor. The diagnosis of POT was confirmed by tremor analysis using surface electromyography.

Our report shows the potential use of the novel AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid) receptor antagonist perampanel for the treatment of POT. To date, only two similar patients, one refractory to treatment and the other previously treated with clonazepam only, have been reported. We would like to note that our patient was refractory to all previous therapy and responded to a low dose of perampanel without side effects. The striking clinical improvement suggests a putative role of glutamate in the pathophysiology of orthostatic tremor.
Unlawful Acts or Strategies of Resistance?
Authors: Kalman Samuel
Published: January 2020

This article examines anticolonial crime in interwar French Algeria. Faced with European attempts at political, economic, and cultural hegemony, and battered by poverty, legal discrimination, and official/police intransigence, Algerians often used criminal acts in an effort to destabilize and undermine French authority. This article examines the case study of the Department of Constantine, where Arab/Kabyle inhabitants regularly engaged in anticolonial crime and violence, including the robbery of arms and explosives from government buildings and mines, train derailments, and football hooliganism. More seriously, certain “criminals” engaged in the murder of settlers and attacked or killed police officers and administrative officials. In both city and countryside the official response was brutal: the violation of suspects' rights, excessive force in lieu of arrests, vigilante killings of suspects, and the forced removal of the families of anyone deemed outside the law. In this way, administrators and law enforcement tried to restore European predominance, yet the increasing prevalence of anticolonial crime effectively helped pave the way for popular nationalist movements in the post-1945 era and the 1954–62 Algerian War of Independence.

Cet article examine la criminalité anticoloniale dans l'Algérie de l'entre-deux-guerres. Face aux efforts européens pour construire l'hégémonie politique, économique et culturelle, et touchés grièvement par la misère, un code juridique discriminatoire et l'intransigeance des fonctionnaires et policiers, les Algériens ont exploité la criminalité violente pour déstabiliser et saper le pouvoir colonial. Plus précisément, cet article analyse l'exemple de Constantine, le département où les habitants arabes et kabyles s'impliquent régulièrement dans la criminalité anticoloniale, y compris le vol des armements et explosifs dans les immeubles gouvernementaux et les mines, le déraillement des trains et le hooliganisme. Plus grave, certains « criminels » se sont engagés dans l'homicide volontaire contre les colons, et dans des attentats contre les commissaires de police et les administrateurs. Que ce soit dans le milieu urbain ou à la campagne, les pouvoirs ont répondu brutalement, par la violation des droits des suspects, l'usage excessif de la force, l'assassinat des « coupables » et la relocalisation forcée des hors-la-loi et de leurs familles. De cette façon, les administrateurs et la police ont essayé de soutenir la domination européenne en Algérie. Néanmoins, la croissance de la criminalité anticoloniale a ouvert la voie aux mouvements nationalistes populaires après 1945 et pendant la guerre d'indépendance (1954–62).
Other Geographies of Struggle: Afro-Brazilians and the American Civil War
Authors: Mota Isadora Moura
Published: January 2020

This article approaches Brazil as a forgotten Atlantic battleground of the American Civil War. I explore armed confrontations of Union and Confederate vessels along the Brazilian coast as well as slave flight to North American ships to understand how the war inspired slaves to imagine their captivity undone in Brazil. In the 1860s, Afro-Brazilians rebelled at the sight of warships like the CSS Sumter in Maranhão or ran away to New England whalers in Santa Catarina, believing either that North American ships carried troops ready to uphold the abolition of slavery or that they would allow the enslaved to claim the principle of free soil. Afro-Brazilian geopolitical literacy, therefore, points to the importance of Brazil as a cradle of antislavery as well as a sounding board for a war that reverberated in all corners of the African diaspora.
Rhetoric on the Edge of Cunning Revisited
Authors: Kopelson Karen L.
Published: January 2020

The author reconsiders and revises her advocacy of the pedagogical performance of neutrality and argues that performing or otherwise rehabilitating notions of “objectivity” as we teach argument may be particularly useful and urgent in the Trump era.
From Cow Paths to Conversation
Authors: Aull Laura , Ross Valerie
Published: January 2020

This article analyzes ideologies underpinning argument-based writing assignments and considers how they may contribute to a current climate of polarization. The authors suggest that the argument-based essay may be what Kenneth Burke called an unquestioned and habituated “cow path” and conclude by considering how students may benefit from a deeper engagement with explanatory ways of knowing, writing, and relating to each other.
“Just to Get the Grade”
Authors: Pugh Melody
Published: January 2020

Using a case study of a Christian college student, this article develops a framework for understanding when and why students may choose to perform neutrality. The author argues that students may choose this form of “invisible” resistance in an effort to mitigate perceived power imbalances within an educational ecology.
Containing Multitudes
Authors: Lotier Kristopher M.
Published: January 2020

The two primary US political parties are increasingly polarizing along affective dimensions. To increase students’ engagement with controversial texts and conversations, the author theorizes a novel method of critical pedagogy: performed contradictoriness. By emphasizing seemingly contradictory identity markers, the instructor attempts to become opaque, thereby frustrating students’ attempts at interpretation.
Cripping Neutrality
Authors: Ho Ai Binh T. , Kerschbaum Stephanie L. , Sanchez Rebecca , Yergeau Melanie
Published: January 2020

Neutrality is often impossible when disabled teachers are at the front of the classroom. This article unpacks three domains in which neutrality needs to be cripped: in response to students’ resistance to disability content, when considering the audiences for our pedagogy, and when teachers need accommodations.
A Perverse Solution to Misplaced Distress
Authors: Wiggins Tobias B. D.
Published: January 2020

Transgender people have long been associated with sexual perversion. For example, many early versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) infamously categorized any gender variance as sexual deviance or paraphilia. This article therefore investigates the taxonomical movement away from the transgender subject as perverse toward the current diagnosis of gender dysphoria, which instead consolidates the transgender subject as distressed and suffering. Through an unconventional use of psychoanalytic theories of perversion, I argue that DSM-5’s new diagnosis criteria work defensively, functioning as an antidote to the clinician's anxiety in the face of difference. When separated from stereotypical acts and identities, perversion proves to be quite valuable in understanding clinical transphobia. In particular, Freud's writings on fetishism and disavowal reveal some of the unconscious roles at play in the repeated medicalization of trans people and the restricting of transition-related resources. Through the donning of a fetish object, disavowal acts to ignore an upsetting reality while the traumatic truth remains intact. An analysis of Chase Joynt's video installation, Resisterectomy, provides grounded narratives of gendered surgery and illness that disrupt anticipated affects, temporalities, and curative measures.
Epic Stone Butch
Authors: Hammer K. Allison
Published: January 2020

Through application of the contemporary term transmasculinity and the more historical stone butch, the author questions the critical tendency to perceive American writer Willa Cather only as lesbian while ignoring or undertheorizing a transgender longing at play in her fiction, short stories, and letters. While biographical evidence must not be approached as simply coterminous with literary production, as literature often exceeds or resists such alignments, Cather's letters in particular suggest a strong identification with her male fictional alliances. Analysis of her letters alongside two of her most treasured, and disparaged, novels, One of Ours (1922) and The Professor's House (1925), conveys Cather's wish for an idealized masculinity, both for herself and for Western culture, that would survive two coeval historical processes and events: the closing of the American frontier and the First World War. Through what the author calls a stone butch “armature,” she and her characters retained masculine dignity despite historical foreclosure of Cather's manly ideal, Winston Churchill's Great Man, who was for her the artistic and intellectual casualty of the period. Cather expressed the peculiar nostalgic longing present in stone butch, and in the explosion of new forms of transmasculinity in the present. This suggests that historical transgender styles don't disappear entirely, even as new categories emerge.
Chris Vargas's Consciousness Razing
Authors: Metzger Cyle
Published: January 2020

Chris Vargas's exhibition Consciousness Razing: The Stonewall Re-Memorialization Project commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion by smashing pervasive mythologies that erase transgender people from most retellings of the uprising and showcasing multiple artists' proposals for monuments that at least address if not remedy this absence. Stories of gay and lesbian civil rights victories that came out of Stonewall—like the dissolution of sodomy laws, the creation of employment nondiscrimination protections, and gay marriage—all tend to trace back to the rebellion, while the critical role that transgender women, many of color, played in these advances has slipped deep into unseen corners of historical memory. This forgetting is both a symptom and cause of the continued erasure of transgender people, especially transgender women of color, from contemporary LGBT activism, community, and discourse. As a gesture of amelioration, this monument implores us to reconstruct memories of Stonewall as a way of not merely supporting celebrating contemporary trans existence but ultimately shaping trans futurity.
Xenia the Servant of God, or Andrey Fyodorovich the Holy Fool
Authors: Bulgakovsky Dmitry , Mayhew Nick
Published: January 2020

Xenia the Servant of God, or Andrey Fyodorovich the Holy Fool is a hagiography written by Russian Orthodox priest and publicist Dmitry Bulgakovsy (1843–ca. 1918). Published in Russia in 1890, it is one of the first full accounts of the life of a saint variably referred to by two names: one feminine, Xenia, and the other masculine, Andrey. The saint ostensibly lived in St. Petersburg in the eighteenth century. Identified female at birth and named Xenia, after the death of their husband Andrey, at the age of twenty-six the saint took on the identity of their deceased husband. The saint is popular in Russia today, and stories about their life are disseminated widely. Although they were canonized in 1988 as St. Xenia and are now venerated as a holy woman, accounts of their life always include the story of their gender transformation. In twenty-first-century narratives, this episode tends to be glossed over briefly as proof of the saint's extraordinary love for their husband, serving to embellish their role as a devoted wife. However, in the original nineteenth-century stories of the saint's life—such as the one translated below—there is greater ambiguity in the depiction of their gender.
Credibility of Crime Allegations
Authors: Lee Frances Xu , Suen Wing
Published: January 2020

The lack of hard evidence in allegations about sexual misconduct makes it difficult to separate true allegations from false ones. We provide a model in which victims and potential libelers face the same costs and benefits from making an allegation, but the tendency for perpetrators of sexual misconduct to engage in repeat offenses allows semiseparation to occur, which lends credibility to such allegations. Our model also explains why reports about sexual misconduct are often delayed, and why the public rationally assigns less credibility to these delayed reports. (JEL D82, J16, K14, K42)
Promotion Signaling and Human Capital Investments
Authors: Waldman Michael , Zax Ori
Published: January 2020

In a world characterized by asymmetric learning, promotions can serve as signals of worker ability, and this, in turn, can result in inefficient promotion decisions. If the labor market is competitive, the result will be practices that reduce this distortion. We explore how this logic affects human capital investment decisions. We show that, if commitment is possible, investments will be biased toward the accumulation of firm-specific human capital. We also consider what happens when commitment is not possible and show a number of results including that, if investment choices are not publicly observable, choices are frequently efficient. (JEL D82, J24, J31, M12, M51)
Dynamic insights on transcription initiation and RNA processing during bacterial adaptation
Authors: Lacoux Caroline , Fouquier d'Hérouël Aymeric , Wessner-Le Bohec Françoise , Innocenti Nicolas , Bohn Chantal , Kennedy Sean P. , Rochat Tatiana , Bonnin Rémy A. , Serror Pascale , Aurell Erik , Bouloc Philippe , Repoila Francis
Published: January 2020

Transcription initiation and RNA processing govern gene expression and enable bacterial adaptation by reshaping the RNA landscape. The aim of this study was to simultaneously observe these two fundamental processes in a transcriptome responding to an environmental signal. A controlled σE system in E. coli was coupled to our previously described tagRNA-seq method to yield process kinetics information. Changes in transcription initiation frequencies (TIF) and RNA processing frequencies (PF) were followed using 5′ RNA tags. Changes in TIF showed a binary increased/decreased pattern that alternated between transcriptionally activated and repressed promoters, providing the bacterial population with transcriptional oscillation. PF variation fell into three categories of cleavage activity: (i) constant and independent of RNA levels, (ii) increased once RNA has accumulated, and (iii) positively correlated to changes in TIF. This work provides a comprehensive and dynamic view of major events leading to transcriptomic reshaping during bacterial adaptation. It unveils an interplay between transcription initiation and the activity of specific RNA cleavage sites. This study utilized a well-known genetic system to analyze fundamental processes and can serve as a blueprint for comprehensive studies that exploit the RNA metabolism to decipher and understand bacterial gene expression control.
Understanding and managing acute encephalitis
Authors: Kumar Rashmi
Published: January 2020

Encephalitis is an important cause of morbidity, mortality, and permanent neurologic sequelae  globally. Causes are diverse and include viral and non-viral infections of the brain as well as autoimmune processes. In the West, the autoimmune encephalitides are now more common than any single infectious cause, but, in Asia, infectious causes are still more common. In 2006, the World Health Organization coined the term “acute encephalitis syndrome”, which simply means acute onset of fever with convulsions or altered consciousness or both. In 2013, the International Encephalitis Consortium set criteria for diagnosis of encephalitis on basis of clinical and laboratory features.

The most important infectious cause in the West is herpes simplex virus, but globally Japanese encephalitis (JE) remains the single largest cause. Etiologic diagnosis is difficult because of the large number of agents that can cause encephalitis. Also, the responsible virus may be detectable only in the brain and is either absent or transiently found in blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Virological diagnosis is complex, expensive, and time-consuming. Different centres could make their own algorithms for investigation in accordance with the local etiologic scenarios. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electroencephalography are specific for few agents. Clinically, severity may vary widely. A severe case may manifest with fever, convulsions, coma, neurologic deficits, and death.

Autoimmune encephalitis (AIE)  includes two major categories: (i) classic paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (LE) with autoantibodies against intracellular neuronal antigens (Eg: Hu and Ma2) and (ii) new-type AIE with autoantibodies to neuronal surface or synaptic antigens (Eg: anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor). AIE has prominent psychiatric manifestations: psychosis, aggression, mutism, memory loss, euphoria, or fear. Seizures, cognitive decline, coma, and abnormal movements are common. Symptoms may fluctuate rapidly.

Treatment is largely supportive. Specific treatment is available for herpesvirus group and non-viral infections. Various forms of immunotherapy are used for AIE.
Features of the Audit of Fixed Assets, Stocks and Administrative Expenses of the Organization — Participant in Competitive Procurement
Authors: Sotnikova Lyudmila
Published: January 2020

Th e article is devoted to the issues of refl ection in accounting and tax accounting of the remuneration of a specialized organization that is part of the Group of Companies, which provides for all other companies in this group to organize and conduct competitive purchases of material values and services of third-party organizations for them, which, according to the management of the Group, should be included in the value of acquired tangible assets and services of third parties, despite the signifi cant time gap between the recognition of the amount of remuneration and taking into account purchased material values and services of third parties.
Impact of Insurance Industry Specifi cs on the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements
Authors: Sitnov Alyeksyey , Kashirskaya L. , Belova T.
Published: January 2020

Th e article discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of the impact of the specifi cs of the insurance industry on the preparation of consolidated fi nancial statements by insurance organizations, developed a system of analytical accounting, focused on a large range of interested users.
Asymptotic Optimality of Power-of-d Load Balancing in Large-Scale Systems
Authors: Mukherjee Debankur , Borst Sem C. , van Leeuwaarden Johan S. H. , Whiting Philip A.
Published: January 2020

We consider a system of N identical server pools and a single dispatcher in which tasks with unit-exponential service requirements arrive at rate [Formula: see text]. In order to optimize the experienced performance, the dispatcher aims to evenly distribute the tasks across the various server pools. Specifically, when a task arrives, the dispatcher assigns it to the server pool with the minimum number of tasks among d(N) randomly selected server pools. We construct a stochastic coupling to bound the difference in the system occupancy processes between the join-the-shortest-queue (JSQ) policy and a scheme with an arbitrary value of d(N). We use the coupling to derive the fluid limit in case [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as [Formula: see text] along with the associated fixed point. The fluid limit turns out to be insensitive to the exact growth rate of d(N) and coincides with that for the JSQ policy. We further establish that the diffusion limit corresponds to that for the JSQ policy as well, as long as [Formula: see text], and characterize the common limiting diffusion process. These results indicate that the JSQ optimality can be preserved at the fluid and diffusion levels while reducing the overhead by nearly a factor O(N) and O([Formula: see text]), respectively.
Development of a Dual Supply H-Bridge Amplifier for High Speed Actuation of Digital Hydraulic Switching Valves
Authors: Messner Florian , Scheidl Rudolf
Published: January 2020

For many digital hydraulic systems, fast and precise valve actuation is a key to improve efficiency and performance. Such an actuation may be achieved by optimizing the valve design from a mechanical and hydraulically point of view. But additionally, power electronics for valve actuation has to be given also high attention since it can have significant influence on valve dynamics, particularly in case of high-speed actuation with switching times in the range of 1 ms or less. Such actuation poses requirements that are not met by standard power electronics. These requirements are analysed in this paper and a proper schematic for the power electronics is derived. Measurements with a corresponding prototype prove that a fast, precise and very repeatable valve actuation can be achieved if the power electronics is conceived according to the characteristics of high speed valves.