bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncovering the challenges to menstrual health: Knowledge, attitudes and practices of adolescent girls in government schools of Delhi
Authors: Rastogi Shreya , Khanna Aparna , Mathur Pulkit
Published: May 2019

Background:

Menstrual hygiene management is a significant issue affecting the health of women around the world. Lack of knowledge and awareness about menstruation and the silence surrounding it is a risk factor for all women.

Objective:

The objectives of this study were to elicit the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of adolescent girls (13–15 years) regarding issues related to menstruation and to assess the barriers that prevent them from practising menstrual hygiene.

Design and Setting:

Cross-sectional study involving 187 adolescent girls from four government schools of Delhi.

Method:

Information was obtained using a mixed-methods approach, including a pretested questionnaire and focus group discussions with girls, parents and school staff.

Results:

Only 40% of girls were aware of menstruation prior to menarche. The majority of girls (95.7%) did not know the source of menstrual blood. About two-thirds (65.8%) of girls were unaware that the menstrual blood flow could be affected by anaemia. Approximately 17% of the girls believed a woman to be impure during menstruation. About half of the girls absented themselves from school for the first 2–3 days of their menstrual cycle. Thirty-four percent girls did not bathe at all during their menstrual period and a similar number of girls did not bathe daily while menstruating. Dysmenorrhoea was a common problem among 60% of girls. The mothers of girls were identified as the major source of information about menstruation. However, mothers believed that school teachers should also be imparting this knowledge. Teachers expressed the belief that menstrual hygiene was poor among girls. The provision of free sanitary napkins in school has improved hygiene levels.

Conclusion:

Strategic behaviour change interventions should be designed involving all stakeholders to ensure a sustained change in knowledge, attitude and practices so as to ensure the better health of adolescent girls.
Dalits and the Raj: The persistence of the Jatavs in the United Provinces
Authors: Duncan Ian
Published: May 2019

The Jatavs of western UP during the 1930s fought a long campaign to be recognised as a separate caste. In this article, the progress and eventual success of that campaign are documented and described in detail for the first time. In addition, it is suggested that the Jatav efforts to establish a separate official identity cannot be fully understood within the framework provided by the notion of Sanskritisation. It is argued here that the Jatav endeavours need to be analysed as an expression of a purposeful Dalit engagement with the emerging political framework of the period. In particular, the negotiations about constitutional reform opened up the possibility of challenging the ways in which the colonial regime had previously used the names and numbers of castes as part of its techniques of governance. Dalit groups, often in association with Dr Ambedkar, intervened in the formal investigations conducted in relation to the reforms to expose the frailty and fiction of many of the assumptions of the colonial authorities.
Book review: Neeladri Bhattacharya, The Great Agrarian Conquest: The Colonial Reshaping of a Rural World
Authors: Pant Rashmi
Published: May 2019

Neeladri Bhattacharya, The Great Agrarian Conquest: The Colonial Reshaping of a Rural World, Ranikhet: Permanent Black, 2018, 522 pp.
Amoris Laetitia a Turning Point: Cohabitation Revisited
Authors: Lawler Michael G. , Salzman Todd A.
Published: May 2019

Cohabitation is an ever-increasing phenomenon in our human experience and human experience is a long-established source of knowledge for Catholic moral reflection and judgment. In this essay, inspired by Pope Francis’s Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, we reflect on that phenomenon and seek to make faith-sense of it, that is, we come to the experience of cohabitation with a faith nourished in the Catholic tradition and attempt to allow that faith to enter into dialogue with the experience of cohabitation and the effect it has on the Christian lives of cohabiting couples. The essay develops in four cumulative sections. The first section considers the contemporary phenomenon of cohabitation; the second considers Pope Francis’s treatment of cohabitation in Amoris Laetitia; the third unfolds the Western and Christian historical tradition as it relates to cohabitation and marriage; the fourth formulates a Church response to cohabitation based on our theological reflection on it and advances a plea, similar to Adrian Thatcher’s proposal, for the establishment of a Marriage Catechumenate for cohabiting couples.
The Revival of Democratic Intergovernmentalism, First Principles and the Case for a Contest-Based Account of Democracy in the European Union
Authors: Wolkenstein Fabio
Published: May 2019

Post-Eurocrisis, normative debates on democracy in the European Union have seen a revival of democratic intergovernmentalism. This article questions not the substantive proposals put forward under the heading of democratic intergovernmentalism, but the theory-building strategy typically used to justify these proposals. It argues that democratic intergovernmentalism theories fail to sufficiently theorise the connection between normative principles and political practice, over-emphasising the former at the expense of the latter. Citizens are thereby relegated to passive recipients of normative standards thought to be independently valid. Providing an alternative to this view, the article then advances a contestation-based account of democracy in the European Union where the central unit of analysis is the agents who propose particular interpretations of what democracy in the European Union means and what institutional reforms need be taken, in domestic and transnational public spheres.
Public attitudes toward new technologies: Our post-truth, post-trust, post-expert world demands a deeper understanding of the factors that drive public attitudes
Authors: Cormick Craig
Published: May 2019

Public attitude surveys are the prime method used to assess public attitudes to science and technology, but can also be very problematic—as evidenced in the number of different polls that come up with different findings. Toward better understanding of what drives public attitudes, it has become more relevant to find out “Why” people think what they do about science and technology than to know “What” they think. Recent research into how values drive attitudes has been very important to our increased understanding. However, in a post-truth, post-trust, post-expert world—where notions of truth, trust, and expertise are now commonly contested—we need to also better understand the social and media environments we are now living in, and how they affect attitudes to new technologies.
The productive fuzziness of land documents: The state and processes of accumulation in urban villages of Delhi
Authors: Pati Sushmita
Published: May 2019

This article revolves around the fuzzy nature of land titles within and around the ‘ Lal Dora’ (literally, ‘red thread’) ringing the urban villages of Delhi to understand how property ownership gets mediated through documents. Through a close look at three kinds of documents—land records, a particular notification over construction in the Lal Dora region and the General Power of Attorney, it pries open how these documents govern property relations today. As much as records and laws become the means through which the state attempts to intervene, disaggregate and make sense of property regimes, these attempts are frustrated through practices pertaining to property and localised bureaucratic effects. The evidence presented as documents, stamp papers or certificates is only superimposed on the larger field of property relationships in the urban villages of Delhi. The article shows that the informality produced by inconsistencies in these documents plugs into the logic of accumulation and comes through as a dynamic albeit inegalitarian force that challenges state power.
Real-time adjustment of load frequency control based on controllable energy of electric vehicles
Authors: Zhang Qian , Li Yan , Li Chen , Li Chun-yan
Published: May 2019

The time-varying characteristics of electric vehicle (EV) controllable energy and the rationality of frequency regulation (FR) demand power allocation have significant influences on participating in system FR. Combined with the state transition characteristics of EVs, the calculation models of real-time controllable quantities and real-time controllable energy of EVs are established. Then, considering the dynamic changes of EVs’ controllable energy, the system FR strategy with real-time adjusting scheme of FR coefficients is put forward. Finally, based on the unit participation time contribution, the selecting strategy for individual EVs to participate in FR is proposed. The simulation results show that based on the calculation of EVs’ real-time controllable energy, the proposed load frequency control model with real-time allocation of FR demand power suppresses the frequency deviation effectively, and the private electric car is found to have the most potential for the FR system.
Topical Steroids in Rhinosinusitis and Intraoperative Bleeding: More Harm Than Good?
Authors: Tirelli Giancarlo , Lucangelo Umberto , Sartori Giovanni , Da Mosto Maria Cristina , Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo , Bussani Rossana , Boscolo Nata Francesca , Gatto Annalisa , Bonini Pierluigi , Tofanelli Margherita
Published: May 2019

The aim of this study was to assess whether the chronic preoperative administration of intranasal corticosteroids (INCs) in chronic rhinosinusitis with/without nasal polyposis (CRSwNP/CRSsNP, respectively) could significantly influence bleeding during functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS). We prospectively enrolled 109 patients (56 CRSwNP and 53 CRSsNP) candidate for FESS who underwent clinical evaluation and anamnestic data collection. They were allocated to 2 groups depending on whether or not they were chronic INC users, as declared at their first medical evaluation: chronic “INC users” represented the treated group, while “INC nonusers” formed the control group. Lund-Mackay and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) scores, blood loss expressed both in milliliters and using the Boezaart scale, operation time in minutes, pre- and postoperative 22-item Sino Nasal Outcome Scores (SNOT-22) were collected. Each sample underwent histopathological evaluation. The results showed that anamnestic information, Lund-Mackay, and SNOT-22 scores were similar between the 2 groups ( P > .05). The average blood loss expressed in milliliters and operative time were slightly, but not significantly, higher in the INC user group, while the Boezaart scores proved significantly higher in the INC users ( P = .038). No differences emerged between CRSwNP and CRSsNP within each group in terms of bleeding. The pathologist described common features in the majority (78%) of INC group samples: ectatic venules embedded in a fibrous stroma and hypertrophy of the arterial muscular layer. In our experience, despite the presence of NP, chronic preoperative administration of INCs was associated with increased intraoperative bleeding according the Boezaart scale although objective recordings of blood loss were not statistically different between the INC users and nonusers.
The Relationship Between Chief Risk Officer Expertise, ERM Quality, and Firm Performance
Authors: Bailey Cristina
Published: May 2019

Financial volatility and the most recent financial crisis turned the spotlight on enterprise risk management (ERM), yet, high-quality ERM is difficult to define and in many ways, poorly understood. Furthermore, little is known about the individuals occupying key risk management positions within the firm and their relationship to ERM system quality and outcomes. Although the resource-based theory of the firm suggests that expertise in key risk management positions will be beneficial, institutional theories of corporate governance suggest that these positions might be created simply as “window dressing” in response to pressure from regulators and investors. This study examines expertise in the chief risk officer (CRO) role. I examine seven individual expertise areas, as well as broad-based expertise measures. Results show that supervisory and industry expertise of the CRO, as well as an MBA degree and internal promotion are associated with higher ERM quality. Risk and actuarial expertise are associated with higher levels of return on assets (ROA), whereas financial expertise, supervisory expertise, and an MBA degree are associated with higher levels of Tobin’s Q. Broad-based CRO expertise measures are also associated with ERM quality and firm value. Additional results show that expertise in the CRO role was particularly important during the financial crisis. Findings should inform investors and regulators of the importance of the individuals occupying key risk management roles within the firm and help further understanding of the determinants and benefits of high-quality ERM.
The Complex Dynamic Evolution of Cultural Vibrancy in the Region of Halland, Sweden
Authors: Buscema Paolo Massimo , Ferilli Guido , Gustafsson Christer , Sacco Pier Luigi
Published: May 2019

This article examines the implicit space grammar of the cultural vibrancy of the region of Halland in Southwest Sweden. By using a new computational approach, we implement for the first time a methodology that allows us, on the one side, to extrapolate the complex dynamic evolution of the region’s cultural geography and, on the other side, to diagnose the structural causes of its eventual decay. The results provide a basis for a more systematic approach to evidence-based policy design at the regional scale, and for a more participatory, bottom-up public decision-making in the cultural and other policy spheres.
Renal Papillary Rarefaction: An Artifact Mimicking Papillary Necrosis
Authors: Seely John Curtis , Francke Sabine , Mog Steven R. , Frazier Kendall S. , Hard Gordon C.
Published: May 2019

In histopathology, the presence of a tissue change that does not represent the tissue’s normal appearance can often lead to an incorrect diagnosis and interpretation. These changes are collectively known as “artifacts” resulting from postmortem autolysis, improper fixation, problems with tissue handling or slide preparation procedures. Most tissue artifacts are obvious, yet some artifacts may be subtle, occur in relatively well-fixed tissue, and demand careful observation to avoid confusion with real biological lesions. The kidney often contains artifacts that may be observed throughout all regions of the renal parenchyma. Cortical tubule artifacts present the greatest challenge when discerning an artifact versus an induced lesion following exposure to a xenobiotic. However, confounding artifacts observed at the tip of the renal papilla may also be problematic for the pathologist. An uncommon artifact involving tinctorial alteration and rarefaction affecting the papillary tip of the rat kidney is described here and differentiated from treatment induced lesions of renal papillary necrosis.
The Effects of an Intervention Using Low-Tech Visual Scene Displays and Aided Modeling With Young Children With Complex Communication Needs
Authors: Muttiah Nimisha , Drager Kathryn D. R. , Beale Bethany , Bongo Hailey , Riley Lindsay
Published: May 2019

Young children with complex communication needs are often severely restricted in their ability to communicate and develop language skills. A major barrier preventing these children from accessing communication is a lack of appropriate means to communicate. The present study investigated the implementation of nonelectronic visual scene displays (VSDs) as an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tool, in combination with aided modeling with preschool children with complex communication needs. A single case, multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate an intervention combining low-tech VSDs and aided modeling to increase the number of communication turns and unique semantic concepts expressed by preschool children. All children demonstrated notable increases in the number of communication turns and unique semantic concepts expressed. The findings of this study indicate preliminary positive results for a novel, low-cost AAC intervention that could be useful for preschool children to increase their participation in social communication contexts.
Additive Multicriteria Decision Analysis Models: Misleading Aids for Life-Critical Shared Decision Making
Authors: Kujawski Edouard , Triantaphyllou Evangelos , Yanase Juri
Published: May 2019

Background. There is growing interest in multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) for shared decision making (SDM). A distinguishing feature is that a preferred treatment should extend years of life and/or improve health-related quality of life (HRQL). Additive MCDA models are inadequate for the task. A plethora of MCDA models exist, each claiming that it can correctly solve real-world problems. However, most were developed in nonhealth fields and rely on additive models. This makes the problem of choosing an MCDA model as an aid for SDM a challenging and urgent one. Methods. A published 2017 MCDA of a hypothetical prostate cancer patient is used as a case in point of how not to do and how to do MCDA for SDM. We critically review it and analyze it using several additive linear MCDA models with years of life and HRQL as attributes and the linear quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) model. The following simple reasonableness test is presented for applicability of a method as an aid for SDM: Can a treatment that causes premature death trump a treatment that causes acceptable adverse effects? Results. Additive MCDA models and the linear QALY recommend significantly different alternatives. Additive MCDA models fail the proposed reasonableness test; the linear QALY model passes. Conclusions. MCDA possesses a strong craft element in addition to its technical aspects. MCDA practitioners and clinicians need to understand model limitations to choose models appropriate to the context. Additive MCDA models are inadequate for life-critical SDM. We advocate QALY models with additional research for increased realism as a tool for SDM.
Effect of intrauterine injection of human chorionic gonadotropin before frozen–thawed embryo transfer on pregnancy outcomes in women with endometriosis
Authors: Xu Zhihui , Chen Wenming , Chen Chune , Xiao Yikang , Chen Xia
Published: May 2019

Objective

To investigate the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) intrauterine injection before frozen–thawed embryo transfer (FET) in women with endometriosis.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included 45 women with endometriosis who underwent hCG intrauterine injection before FET; each woman was matched with three patients with endometriosis who did not receive hCG intrauterine injection (controls). Data on pregnancy and prenatal outcomes were extracted from medical records and compared.

Results

Patients in the hCG intrauterine injection group had significantly higher rates of pregnancy and clinical pregnancy (64.4% and 57.8%, respectively) than controls (47.4% and 39.3%, respectively). Neonatal birth weight for both singletons and twins was significantly higher in the hCG group (3486 ± 458 g and 2710 ± 437 g, respectively) than in the control group (3195 ± 401 g and 2419 ± 370 g, respectively).

Conclusion

Pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and birth weight were improved in women with endometriosis who underwent intrauterine hCG injection compared with those who did not receive hCG before FET.
The Kashmir conflict and human rights
Authors: Bhat Sabzar Ahmad
Published: May 2019

The Kashmir conflict is one of the most longstanding and intractable − between India and Pakistan ( over Kashmir) and between India and the people of Jammu and Kashmir ( in Kashmir). The dynamic nature of the conflict affects the lives of millions of people, across political, social, economic and cultural spheres. Taking off from the analyses provided in ‘Memory and hope: new perspectives on the Kashmir conflict’ Race & Class 56, no. 2 (2014), the author looks at the massive scale of human rights violations. As he details the toll for 2018, he argues how one should not view the conflict as simply that between India and Pakistan over territory, but as continued and continual violations of the people of Kashmir.
Structural analysis of offshore wind turbine blades using finite element method
Authors: Boudounit Hicham , Tarfaoui Mostapha , Saifaoui Dennoun , Nachtane Mourad
Published: May 2019

Wind energy is one among the most promising renewable energy sources, and hence there is fast growth of wind energy farm implantation over the last decade, which is expected to be even faster in the coming years. Wind turbine blades are complex structures considering the different scientific fields involved in their study. Indeed, the study of blade performance involves fluid mechanics (aerodynamic study), solids mechanics (the nature of materials, the type of solicitations …), and the fluid coupling structure (IFS). The scope of the present work is to investigate the mechanical performances and structural integrity of a large offshore wind turbine blade under critical loads using blade element momentum. The resulting pressure was applied to the blade by the use of a user subroutine “DLOAD” implemented in ABAQUS finite element analysis software. The main objective is to identify and predict the zones which are sensitive to damage and failure as well as to evaluate the potential of composite materials (carbon fiber and glass fiber) and their effect on reduction of rotor’s weight, as well as the increase of resistance to wear, and stiffness.
Effects of environmental and turbine parameters on energy gains from wind farm system: Artificial neural network simulations
Authors: Abidoye Luqman K , Bani-Hani Ehab , El Haj Assad Mamdouh , AlShabi Mohammad , Soudan Bassel , Oriaje Aremu T
Published: May 2019

Artificial neural network modelling has been employed to investigate the effects of various environmental and machine factors on the energy gain from wind farm systems. Numerical comparison of artificial neural network and nonlinear regression from XLSTAT showed that ANN possessed better numerical accuracy in predicting multivariate data. Several artificial neural network models are developed and tested with several structures to obtain the best prediction performance in energy gain from different wind farms in Jordan. The best performing artificial neural network model was used to predict the energy gain from wind farm based on changes in annual wind speed, turbine rotor diameter and turbine power. As a result of 20% increase in turbine power, 14.4%–31% energy gains were recorded across different wind farms. The proposed artificial neural network model was also a good predictor for energy cost resulting from specific wind farm design.
Intelligent health data analytics: A convergence of artificial intelligence and big data
Authors: Abidi Syed Sibte Raza , Abidi Samina Raza
Published: May 2019

Healthcare is a living system that generates a significant volume of heterogeneous data. As healthcare systems are pivoting to value-based systems, intelligent and interactive analysis of health data is gaining significance for health system management, especially for resource optimization whilst improving care quality and health outcomes. Health data analytics is being influenced by new concepts and intelligent methods emanating from artificial intelligence and big data. In this article, we contextualize health data and health data analytics in terms of the emerging trends of artificial intelligence and big data. We examine the nature of health data using the big data criterion to understand “how big” is health data. Next, we explain the working of artificial intelligence–based data analytics methods and discuss “what insights” can be derived from a broad spectrum of health data analytics methods to improve health system management, health outcomes, knowledge discovery, and healthcare innovation.
Dimethyloxalylglycine improves angiogenesis of ZIF-8-coated implant
Authors: Zhang Xin , Wang Jian , Wu Jiaxin , Jiang Xiaoge , Pei Xibo , Chen Junyu , Wan Qianbing , Huang Chao
Published: May 2019

Nanoscale zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 coating with certain density can significantly improve the osteogenic activity of titanium implants both in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we loaded dimethyloxalylglycine into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8-modified implants (Z-AHT) to enhance the angiogenic activity, and the obtained products were denoted as D-AHT. Firstly, we characterized the specimens via scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and surface contact angle. Then, the release kinetics of both zinc ions and dimethyloxalylglycine were investigated. To illustrate the combined effects of surface topography and chemistry (zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 and dimethyloxalylglycine) on osteogenic and angiogenic activity, MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells were respectively cultured on D-AHT. Pure Ti and Z-AHT were designated as control groups. As evidenced by the expression of osteogenic genes ( Alp, Col1, Opg, and Runx2) and the secretion of ALP protein, D-AHT showed comparable osteogenic activity to Z-AHT which was better than that of Ti. Further angiogenesis assay revealed a better human umbilical vein endothelial cell migration on D-AHT, suggesting that D-AHT can be an attractive candidate for application in implant surface modification.
Finite element analysis to model ischemia experienced in the development of device related pressure ulcers
Authors: Leung Isaac PH , Fleming Leigh T , Walton Karl , Barrans Simon M , Ousey Karen
Published: May 2019

Pressure ulcers are a common occurrence of damage to skin. Severity ranges from slightly discoloured skin to full thickness tissue damage which can be fatal in some cases. Engineering effort, typically developing computational models had made significant progress in the understanding and demonstration of the formation mechanism of pressure ulcers with the aetiology of excessive stress; however, relatively limited attempts had been made to develop relevant models for pressure ulcers caused by ischemia. The aim of this article is to present evidence of a computational model developed to simulate ischemic pressure ulcer formation and demonstrate the established relationship between the computational data and the acquired clinically relevant experimental data by utilising Laser Doppler Velocimetry. The application of the presented computational model and the established relationship allows the evaluation of the effect of a mechanical loading to the cutaneous blood flow velocity which is a step closer to understand and evaluate a mechanical load to the formation of pressure ulcers caused by ischemia.
Ecogenetics of lead toxicity and its influence on risk assessment
Authors: Mani MS , Kabekkodu SP , Joshi MB , Dsouza HS
Published: May 2019

Lead (Pb) toxicity is a public health problem affecting millions worldwide. Advances in ‘omic’ technology have paved the way to toxico-genomics which is currently revolutionizing the understanding of interindividual variations in susceptibility to Pb toxicity and its functional consequences to exposure. Our objective was to identify, comprehensively analyze, and curate all the potential genetic and epigenetic biomarkers studied to date in relation to Pb toxicity and its association with diseases. We screened a volume of research articles that focused on Pb toxicity and its association with genetic and epigenetic signatures in the perspective of occupational and environmental Pb exposure. Due to wide variations in population size, ethnicity, age-groups, and source of exposure in different studies, researchers continue to be skeptical on the topic of the influence of genetic variations in Pb toxicity. However, surface knowledge of the underlying genetic factors will aid in elucidating the mechanism of action of Pb. Moreover, in recent years, the application of epigenetics in Pb toxicity has become a promising area in toxicology to understand the influence of epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, and small RNAs for the regulation of genes in response to Pb exposure during early life. Growing evidences of ecogenetic understanding (both genetic and epigenetic processes) in a dose-dependent manner may help uncover the mechanism of action of Pb and in the identification of susceptible groups. Such studies will further help in refining uncertainty factors and in addressing risk assessment of Pb poisoning.
High expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 in Kazakh esophageal epithelial cells may promote malignant transformation induced by N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine
Authors: Chen Y , Feng H , Zhang H , Li X
Published: May 2019

We examined the role of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in N-methyl- N′-nitro- N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)–induced malignant transformation of Kazakh esophageal epithelial (EE) cells to better understand the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer (EC). The 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di- phenytetrazoliumromide method and colony formation assays were performed to determine the MNNG dose for malignant transformation. Colony formation assays showed the effects of different frequencies of MNNG exposure and different cell passages on malignant transformation. A nude mouse tumor experiment indicated the malignancy of Kazakh EE cells expressing high DNMT1 levels and of transformed cells. The result shows that when the dose, frequency, and time of MNNG exposure increased, cell morphology became irregular, cell-contact suppression disappeared, and cell tolerance and growth rate increased. Colony formation occurred in the Kazakh-DNMT1 group after 14 transfections and 27 passages. Significant differences in DNMT1 mRNA and protein levels were observed in different types of cells and tumor tissues ( F = 140.644, p < 0.001; F = 105.545, p < 0.001). Our study demonstrated that DNMT1 could promote MNNG to induce malignant transformation of EE cells, and this study will help understand EC better in order to develop appropriate treatment strategies.
Pineapple shell fiber as reinforcement in cassava starch foam trays
Authors: Cabanillas Arnold , Nuñez Julio , Cruz-Tirado JP , Vejarano R , Tapia-Blácido Delia R , Arteaga Hubert , Siche Raúl
Published: May 2019

Pineapple shell, considered a waste in the juice industry, was used as a reinforcement material to produce biodegradable foam trays (FTs) based on cassava starch by a compression molding process. These foams were prepared with different starch/fiber ratios and then were characterized according to their microstructure and physical and mechanical properties. The starch/fiber ratio of 95/5 showed the lowest values of thickness and density (2.58 mm and 367 kg m−3, respectively). There was a good distribution of the pineapple shell fiber throughout the polymeric matrix. All FTs showed a semicrystalline structure and 95/5 ratio showed the highest crystallinity index (CI) value (39%). In addition, this ratio improved the tensile strength of the FTs, obtaining similar values to expanded polystyrene (EPS) samples, used as the reference material. Nevertheless, all FTs reinforced with pineapple shell fiber showed high water absorption capacity (WAC); therefore, future studies should focus on to improve the physicochemical and structural properties of the cassava starch-based foams, considering the promising potential of this novel biodegradable material for dry food packaging, such as a viable alternative to reduce the use of petroleum-based materials such as commercial EPS trays.
Leadership Hybridity: Examining Teachers’ Perceptions of Standards-Based Reform
Authors: Collet Vicki Stewart , Endacott Jason L. , Goering Christian Zachary , Denny George , Jennings Jennifer A. , Norton Ginney P.
Published: May 2019

This study considers how configurations of leadership practices impact perceptions of implementation during large-scale reform: implementation in the United States of Common Core State Standards. Comments of 951 respondents to a national teacher survey were examined. Analysis revealed the hybrid nature of leadership enactment with a range of leadership participation (RoLP) across hierarchical and heterachical structures. Findings detail how these leadership practices impacted teachers’ perceptions of educational reform. The RoLP model depicts how these practices might be spread across an organization.
Nasolabial Aesthetics Following Cleft Repair: An Objective Evaluation of Subjective Assessment
Authors: Kantar Rami S. , Maliha Samantha G. , Alfonso Allyson R. , Wang Maxime M. , Ramly Elie P. , Eisemann Bradley S. , Shetye Pradip R. , Grayson Barry H. , Flores Roberto L.
Published: May 2019

Objective:

Assess the weight and contribution of each of the parameters of the Asher-McDade Scale to overall subjective assessment of nasolabial aesthetics following cleft lip repair.

Design:

Retrospective cohort evaluation.

Setting:

Cleft and craniofacial center.

Participants:

Forty-one patients who underwent unilateral cleft lip repair.

Interventions:

Unilateral cleft lip repair.

Main Outcome Measures:

Nasolabial rating using the Asher-McDade scale and overall subjective assessment of nasolabial aesthetics using a rank score following unilateral cleft lip repair.

Results:

Strong interrater reliability was observed between the 3 raters. Significant association was determined on bivariate analysis between nasal form score (β = 27.06; P < .001), nasal symmetry score (β = 26.41; P < .001), nasal profile score (β = 28.75; P < .001), vermilion border score (β = 13.40; P = .012), and the ranking score. Adjusted β coefficients obtained from multivariate regression analysis were used to develop a modified nasolabial appearance score (over 5), that is, weighted for each of the 4 parameters: nasal form (over 8, adjusted β = 14.33), nasal symmetry (over 5, adjusted β = 7.96), nasal profile (over 5, adjusted β = 9.44), and vermilion (over 2, adjusted β = 3.31). Regression analysis between our modified nasolabial appearance score and patient ranking score demonstrated superior goodness of fit when compared to the Asher-McDade overall nasolabial appearance score ( R2 = .80; P < .001 vs R2 = .69; P < .001).

Conclusion:

The parameters evaluated in the Asher-McDade scale have different weights and contribute differently to overall subjective assessment of nasolabial aesthetic outcomes following cleft lip repair. Adjusting for their weights results in a modified score that demonstrates superior correlation with overall subjective assessment of nasolabial aesthetic outcomes.
Slavery in the Constitution: Why the Lower South Occasionally Succeeded at the Constitutional Convention
Authors: Dougherty Keith
Published: May 2019

The Lower South’s successes at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 contributed to a constitution that prohibited federal interference with the slave trade until 1808, guaranteed fugitive slaves would be returned to their masters, and prevented export tariffs. We explain why the Lower South occasionally succeeded on sectional issues at the convention using a multiple-dimensional model of sincere voting, estimated using a new dataset of delegate votes, multiple imputation, and optimal classification. We argue that mixing sectional issues with powers of the federal government made the Lower South more mainstream and helped it gain support from various Northern delegations. We test this relationship using regression analysis and apply it to two substantive issues where the Lower South succeeded. The result is a largely new account of how slavery became encoded in the Constitution.
Enlightened One-Party Rule? Ideological Differences between Chinese Communist Party Members and the Mass Public
Authors: Ji Chengyuan , Jiang Junyan
Published: May 2019

A popular view of nondemocratic regimes is that they draw followers mainly from those with an illiberal, authoritarian mind-set. We challenge this view by arguing that there exist a different class of autocracies that rule with a relatively enlightened base. Leveraging multiple nationally representative surveys from China over the past decade, we substantiate this claim by estimating and comparing the ideological preferences of Chinese Communist Party members and ordinary citizens. We find that party members on average hold substantially more modern and progressive views than the public on issues such as gender equality, political pluralism, and openness to international exchange. We also explore two mechanisms that may account for this party–public value gap—selection and socialization. We find that while education-based selection is the most dominant mechanism overall, socialization also plays a role, especially among older and less educated party members. Our findings caution against the simple, dichotomous characterization of political regimes and underscore an important tension between modernization and democratization in developing societies.
Effective damping of the torsional vibrations of the drive system with an elastic joint based on the forced dynamic control algorithms
Authors: Serkies Piotr , Szabat Krzysztof
Published: May 2019

The paper aims to present the novel control structures for a drive system with an elastic connection. Two control structures based on forced dynamic control (FDC) laws are investigated. The first one is based on the state controller approach, the second one on cascade methodology. These two approaches ensure different dynamic properties of the drive system. In the first approach, called full-FDC, the ability to remove the effect of the load torque from the load speed is assured, but the shaft torque cannot be directly limited. In the second approach the possibility of fast elimination of the load torque effect is limited, yet the shaft torque can be fully controlled. The detailed design methodology of both control structures is presented in the paper. Their properties are analyzed through simulation and experimental studies.
Intensive safety monitoring program of antineoplastic medicines: A pilot study in a Portuguese oncology hospital
Authors: Mendes Diogo , Rigueiro Graça , Silva Rui S , Penedones Ana , Alves Carlos , Sousa Gabriela , Batel-Marques Francisco
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The aim of this study was to test the feasibility and the usefulness of an intensive safety monitoring program to identify adverse drug reactions for medicines under additional monitoring that are used to treat cancer patients within a Portuguese oncology hospital.

Methods

This pilot intensive safety monitoring program was a three-month prospective, observational study. Patients undergoing treatment with one of the following medicines were included: nivolumab, olaparib, palbociclib, pembrolizumab, pertuzumab, ramucirumab, ribociclib, trastuzumab emtansine, or trifluridine/tipiracil. Potential eligible patients were identified by pharmacists based on prescription data. Clinicians used proper paper-based reporting forms to record adverse drug reactions. Clinical secretariats sent those reports through an electronic platform to the pharmacovigilance department for analysis.

Results

Seventy-five patients were on treatment with selected medicines. Of those, 33 (44%) experienced adverse drug reactions: 23 (69.7%) cases were serious and 5 (15.2%) unexpected. Considering the number of patients exposed to each medicine and the number of patients experiencing adverse drug reactions, trifluridine/tipiracil (72.7%; 8/11) was associated with the highest rate of toxicity, followed by olaparib (66.7%; 2/3), trastuzumab emtansine (50.0%; 3/6), pertuzumab (47.8%; 11/23), pembrolizumab (45.5%; 5/11), palbociclib (25.0%; 1/4), and nivolumab (18.8%; 3/16). A total of 59 adverse drug reactions were identified (i.e. 1.8 adverse drug reactions/patient), mainly gastrointestinal disorders ( n = 15; 25.4%), and blood and lymphatic system disorders ( n = 14; 23.7%).

Conclusion

This intensive safety monitoring program was feasible and allowed identifying serious and unexpected adverse drug reactions, adding value to pharmacovigilance and therefore contributing to improve patient safety. Further research is needed to confirm the findings of this pilot study.
Modeling high-throughput applications for in situ analytics
Authors: Aupy Guillaume , Goglin Brice , Honoré Valentin , Raffin Bruno
Published: May 2019

With the goal of performing exascale computing, the importance of input/output (I/O) management becomes more and more critical to maintain system performance. While the computing capacities of machines are getting higher, the I/O capabilities of systems do not increase as fast. We are able to generate more data but unable to manage them efficiently due to variability of I/O performance. Limiting the requests to the parallel file system (PFS) becomes necessary. To address this issue, new strategies are being developed such as online in situ analysis. The idea is to overcome the limitations of basic postmortem data analysis where the data have to be stored on PFS first and processed later. There are several software solutions that allow users to specifically dedicate nodes for analysis of data and distribute the computation tasks over different sets of nodes. Thus far, they rely on a manual resource partitioning and allocation by the user of tasks (simulations, analysis). In this work, we propose a memory-constraint modelization for in situ analysis. We use this model to provide different scheduling policies to determine both the number of resources that should be dedicated to analysis functions and that schedule efficiently these functions. We evaluate them and show the importance of considering memory constraints in the model. Finally, we discuss the different challenges that have to be addressed to build automatic tools for in situ analytics.
Finite element analysis of the effects of additional load phase and amplitude on fretting wear
Authors: Li Ling , Ma Shiyun , Li Zhiqiang , Ruan Xiaoguang
Published: May 2019

Fretting wear is a major form of fretting damage involving various factors, such as material properties, surface roughness, surface topography, lubrication conditions, environment temperature, type of loading, and loading phase difference. In this study, ABAQUS is used to establish three models to simulate the variation of wear depth with the amplitude of additional load. The influence of the phase difference between additional load and original load is considered. Four phase difference angles are involved, i.e. 0°, 90°, 180°, and 270°. Results indicate that the rule of the variation of wear depth with the additional load amplitude increasing varies under different phase differences. It is observed that for the 0° phase difference, the wear depth firstly decreases then increases with the increase of the additional load. However, the wear depth increases monotonously in the case of the 180° phase difference. The variation of wear depth with additional load amplitude for 90° phase difference is similar to that of the 270° phase difference. The depth of wear is firstly kept at a relatively low level and then increases sharply, with the increase of the additional load. It is found that the distribution of shear stress and relative slip at the contact interface is also affected by the phase difference.
Car body floor vibration of high-speed railway vehicles and its reduction
Authors: Gong Dao , Wang Kang , Duan Yu , Zhou Jinsong
Published: May 2019

An on-site test has been performed to address the problem of feet numbness caused by the floor vibration of high-speed railway vehicles. Analysis of the floor vibration performance indicates that the vibration of the car body chassis transmitted to the floor by the elastic supports is significantly amplified in the frequency range of 20–50 Hz. This overlaps with the frequency range in which human lower extremities are most sensitive, leading to feet numbness. A refined finite element model of the car body, including the floor panels is developed to further study the vibration mechanism of the floor. Results show that due to the inappropriate design of the elastic support stiffness, the deformations of the floor above the bogie centre for several typical modes in the frequency range of 20–50 Hz are significantly amplified. When the excitation frequencies transmitted from the car body chassis were close to the eigenfrequencies of the floor, the local resonance of the floor will occur, which is the root cause of human feet numbness. The dynamic stiffness of the elastic support is further optimised, and the experimental verification shows that the vibration transmissibility from the car body chassis to the floor in the frequency range of 20–50 Hz has been significantly reduced, and the problem of feet numbness has been solved.
Erving Goffman’s presidential address on ‘The interaction order’: Rhetorical combat and the display of vocational commitment
Authors: Rosenberg M Michael
Published: May 2019

Erving Goffman’s posthumously published essay, ‘The interaction order’, which was to have been presented as a presidential address at an annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, is usually taken to be an attempt at a systematic summary by Goffman of his key ideas. This article suggests the address can also be understood as a profoundly personal and deeply scornful critique by Goffman of the varieties of mainstream sociology and the pretensions of its practitioners. Incorporated into that critique is a simulacrum in which Goffman demonstrated what a systematic treatment of his work might look like had he actually been inclined to generate one. In that respect, ‘The interaction order’ transcends the boundaries of what we ordinarily expect to find in an academic address: it is simultaneously an artful display of Goffman’s real vocational commitment to sociology, a contribution to the rhetorical debate in which he engaged with the practitioners of orthodox versions of sociology and a brief but significant demonstration of some aspects he considered distinctive about his own form of sociology.
The impact of At1r inhibition via losartan on the anti-leukaemic effects of doxorubicin in acute myeloid leukaemia
Authors: Ghasemi Mehdi , Okay Mufide , Turk Seyhan , Naeemaee Ronak , Guver Ebru , Malkan Umit Y , Aksu Salih , Sayinalp Nilgun , Haznedaroglu Ibrahim C
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

Bone marrow renin–angiotensin system(RAS) modulates acute myeloid leukaemia(AML).The aim of this study is to clarify the relationships between RAS and AML, and to show the effect of losartan and doxorubicin treatment in AML cell lines.

Methods:

AML cell lines including CESS, HL-60, MO-1, P31/FUJ, GDM-1 and KASUMI-3 were used as models in this study.

Results:

After treating the six AML cell lines with a combination of losartan and doxorubicin, they were divided into two groups based on their behaviour: one became more sensitive to drug treatment (Group A) and the other had no change observed in behaviour after drug treatment (Group B). In silico analyses showed that Group A is involved in cellular apoptosis, while Group B is involved in tumour angiogenesis further supporting the in vitro results.

Conclusion:

The combined treatment of the AML cell lines with losartan and doxorubicin resulted in an increase in sensitivity of some of the cell lines. Those leukaemic cells are modulated via the induction of apoptosis, whereas the other cells resistant to the drug treatment are closely related to tumour angiogenesis indicating that RAS-AT1R seems to be differently expressed in different leukaemic blast cells and tumour microenvironments. Pharmaco-biological actions of RAS inhibitors may be different in distinct leukaemic cells based on the pathological behaviour of AML genomic subtypes.