bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variance prior specification for a basket trial design using Bayesian hierarchical modeling
Authors: Cunanan Kristen M , Iasonos Alexia , Shen Ronglai , Gönen Mithat
Published: December 2018

Background:

In the era of targeted therapies, clinical trials in oncology are rapidly evolving, wherein patients from multiple diseases are now enrolled and treated according to their genomic mutation(s). In such trials, known as basket trials, the different disease cohorts form the different baskets for inference. Several approaches have been proposed in the literature to efficiently use information from all baskets while simultaneously screening to find individual baskets where the drug works. Most proposed methods are developed in a Bayesian paradigm that requires specifying a prior distribution for a variance parameter, which controls the degree to which information is shared across baskets.

Methods:

A common approach used to capture the correlated binary endpoints across baskets is Bayesian hierarchical modeling. We evaluate a Bayesian adaptive design in the context of a non-randomized basket trial and investigate three popular prior specifications: an inverse-gamma prior on the basket-level variance, a uniform prior and half-t prior on the basket-level standard deviation.

Results:

From our simulation study, we can see that the inverse-gamma prior is highly sensitive to the input hyperparameters. When the prior mean value of the variance parameter is set to be near zero [Formula: see text], this can lead to unacceptably high false-positive rates [Formula: see text] in some scenarios. Thus, use of this prior requires a fully comprehensive sensitivity analysis before implementation. Alternatively, we see that a prior that places sufficient mass in the tail, such as the uniform or half-t prior, displays desirable and robust operating characteristics over a wide range of prior specifications, with the caveat that the upper bound of the uniform prior and the scale parameter of the half-t prior must be larger than 1.

Conclusion:

Based on the simulation results, we recommend that those involved in designing basket trials that implement hierarchical modeling avoid using a prior distribution that places a majority of the density mass near zero for the variance parameter. Priors with this property force the model to share information regardless of the true efficacy configuration of the baskets. Many commonly used inverse-gamma prior specifications have this undesirable property. We recommend to instead consider the more robust uniform prior or half-t prior on the standard deviation.
Individual and team performance levels at major international target archery competitions, 2010–2017
Authors: Park James L
Published: December 2018

Major international target archery competitions include World Cups, World Championships and the Olympic Games. These events include both a 72-arrow ranking round and then one-on-one ranked knockout matches, until one archer or a team remains. To win either an event or at least a podium position, it is necessary for the archer or team to do very well in the ranking round. This article considers the individual, three-archer team and mixed team events over the period 2010–2017 and provides score objectives for each of them for future years and for the World Championships in 2019.
Function and therapeutic advances of chemokine and its receptor in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Chen Wei , Zhang Jing , Fan Hui-Ning , Zhu Jin-Shui
Published: December 2018

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a spectrum of hepatic pathology, ranging from simple accumulation of fat in its most benign form, steatohepatitis, to cirrhosis in its most advanced form. The prevalence of NAFLD is 20–30% in adults, and 10–20% of patients with NAFLD progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which is predicted to be the leading cause of liver transplantation over the next 10 years. Therefore, it is essential to explore effective diagnostic and treatment strategies for NAFLD patients. Chemokines are a family of small and highly conserved proteins (molecular weight ranging from 8 to 12 kDa) involved in regulating the migration and activities of hepatocytes, Kupffer cells (KCs), hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), endothelial cells and circulating immune cells. Accumulating data show that chemokine and its receptor act vital roles in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. Herein, we summarize the involvement of the chemokine and its receptor in the pathogenesis of NAFLD and explore the novel pharmacotherapeutic avenues for patients with NAFLD.
Hand hygiene practices among healthcare workers in a newborn unit of a tertiary referral hospital in Kenya
Authors: Ngugi Serah K , Murila Florence V , Musoke Rachel N
Published: December 2018

Background:

Health care-associated infection (HCAI) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among hospitalised patients, particularly neonates. Compliance with hand hygiene (HH) recommendations is the simplest and most effective measure in preventing this infection.

Objectives:

To determine the HH practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in the newborn unit of a tertiary referral hospital in Kenya, their knowledge and perceptions regarding HCAI and importance of HH, and barriers to the recommended HH practices.

Methods:

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the HCWs’ compliance with the World Health Organization (WHO) ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ and a structured self-administered questionnaire adopted from the WHO knowledge and perception of HCW questionnaires was used to answer the secondary objectives.

Results:

The overall HH compliance rate was 15%. HCWs were twice more likely to take a HH action ‘after’ than ‘before’ a patient care procedure (odds ratio [OR] = 2.05; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–4.19; P = 0.03). Nurses and nursing students had statistically significant lower compliance (OR 0.41; 95% CI = 0.18-0.91; p=0.016) and (OR 0.21; 95% CI = 0.06-0.70; p = 0.004) respectively, compared to the doctors. More than half (52%) of the HCWs were unaware of the five moments/indication for HH. Lack of supplies, forgetfulness and use of gloves were the commonly cited barriers to HH compliance.

Discussion:

HH compliance rate among HCWs in the newborn unit of the tertiary referral hospital was very low. The observed and reported barriers to optimal HH compliance demonstrate a necessity for the adoption of the WHO recommended multimodal HH improvement strategy in this unit.
A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Let Our Kids Be Kids protest
Authors: Sibley-White Angela
Published: December 2018

The aims of this research were to explore the relationship between parents and the UK government within primary education and to critically analyse neo-liberal modes and technologies of governmentality within the testing regime. This article focuses on the Let Our Kids Be Kids campaign, which was an online protest by parents. The protest aimed to force the UK government to stop the new Standard Assessment Tests due to be taken by primary school children in the summer of 2016. The research considers, via a critical discourse analysis approach, the potential tension between the government and the Let Our Kids Be Kids protest. The analysis focuses on how the parents positioned themselves as either complying with or rejecting government educational policy. The research findings concentrate on four themes: the paradox of parent power, the discourse of success, the educational experience and the emotional effects of testing. Whilst the campaign sought to challenge the government’s testing regime, the neo-liberal rhetoric that the purpose of education is for future employment was maintained by both sides, with the protesters adopting the same neo-liberal discourse to justify an opposing position. Ultimately, for parents to challenge the government within education, the neo-liberal discourse that supports the current education policies needs to be recognised and addressed.
Theorizing children’s global citizenship: Reconstructionism and the politics of deep interdependence
Authors: Wall John
Published: December 2018

Global citizenship is a much disputed term, involving a variety of competing neoliberal, cosmopolitan, and postcolonial framings. Much of this debate, however, assumes a hidden normative adulthood, just as did traditional understandings of citizenship in nation states. This article argues that attending to children’s experiences through a lens of childhood studies or childism opens up the possibility for more complex and profound theorizations of global participatory citizenship for all, both children and adults. In particular, the argument is advanced that global citizenship is better understood as a politics of reconstruction based on the aesthetic practice of interdependent political creativity. The key lies in understanding global political interdependence in a deep rather than superficial way as responding to children’s triple bind: their struggle all at once for self-empowerment, overcoming normative exclusions, and responsiveness from others.
‘He wasn’t nice to our country’: Children’s discourses about the ‘glocalized’ nature of political events in the Global North
Authors: Barley Ruth
Published: December 2018

The accessibility of new media combined with emerging patterns of migration are challenging current definitions of community as we see a shift from close-knit face-to-face interactions to more diverse ‘glocalized’ networks that defines community as a social rather than a spatial dimension. These changes mean that social connections, and fundamentally a person’s sense of belonging, have moved beyond a local neighbourhood to depend upon global networks. This was the case for the children in the current longitudinal ethnographic study that followed one class in a diverse primary school in the north of England every 2 years from their Reception year to Year 6. This article draws upon data collected while the children were in Year 6, aged 10 to 11. It uncovers the range of linguistic and semiotic resources that the children used to communicate with their school peers about two recent political events in the Global North, namely, the United Kingdom’s European Union (EU) Referendum in 2016 that has resulted in Brexit and the US Presidential Election in late 2016 and Donald Trump’s Inauguration in early 2017. Unearthing the ‘glocalized’ discourses in the children’s narratives, this article uncovers the connections that the children made between these political events and their nuclear family’s experiences living in the United Kingdom and their extended family’s experiences in their countries of origin. In providing an account of the children’s discourses surrounding these political events, this article uncovers the ways in which sociopolitical events of global significance become meaningful for this group of children and reveals that the children understand the global as situated, constructed within specific contexts and influenced by local interpretations. As the children orientate themselves to media depictions of these events, their shifting perceptions of global politics alongside their intersecting experiences of racial, national and religious inequalities come to the fore in their peer interactions at school.
A case of gastric leiomyosarcoma in a domestic shorthair cat
Authors: Hart Kirsty , Brooks Brownlie Harriet , Ogden Daniel , Atencia Sabela
Published: December 2018

Case summary

A 10-year-old male neutered domestic shorthair cat presented with nausea and 1.2 kg weight loss over a 6 month period. Physical examination was unremarkable, and haematological and biochemical results were considered clinically unremarkable. Abdominal ultrasound revealed an 18 mm diameter heterogeneous mass in the stomach at the pyloric sphincter, protruding into the gastric lumen with loss of gastric wall layering. The remainder of the intestinal tract and abdominal viscera were unremarkable and no free fluid was detected. The mass was surgically resected via celiotomy and the adjacent lymph node excised for histopathology. Histopathology of the mass demonstrated neoplastic spindle cell proliferation, which was considered most likely to be of smooth muscle origin, and so a preliminary diagnosis of gastric leiomyosarcoma was given. Complete excision was confirmed. Immunohistochemistry excluded a gastrointestinal stromal cell tumour as a differential and strongly supported the diagnosis of gastric leiomyosarcoma. The cat recovered well postoperatively with supportive treatment. Repeat abdominal ultrasonography 3 and 6 months postoperatively showed no evidence of mass regrowth. Survival time at the time of reporting is 10 months.

Relevance and novel information

To our knowledge, this is the first report of gastric leiomyosarcoma in a cat. Based on this case, gastric leiomyosarcoma should be a differential diagnosis for cats presenting with a gastric mass.
Resistant Hypertension From Renal Artery Stenosis Leading to Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Alyamani Motasem , Thomas Jissy , Shanks Miriam , Oudit Gavin Y.
Published: December 2018

Resistant hypertension remains an important cause of heart failure. In this article, we describe a case of resistant hypertension in a 63-year-old woman leading to heart failure and marked morbidity. Her clinical course was characterized by chronic pleural effusions and recurrent hospitalizations with respiratory failure and flash pulmonary edema associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Her transthoracic echocardiogram showed severe concentric left hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction. The clinical phenotype was secondary to resistant hypertension due to bilateral renal artery stenosis, and her blood pressure and heart failure resolved after successful renal artery angioplasty. This case demonstrates how heart failure with preserved ejection fraction due to renal artery stenosis can easily go unrecognized especially in patients with multiple comorbidities. The potentially curable nature of this condition clearly warrants consideration especially in patients with multiple risk factors for atherosclerotic vascular disease.
Toward EEG-Assisted Hearing Aids: Objective Threshold Estimation Based on Ear-EEG in Subjects With Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Bech Christensen Christian , Hietkamp Renskje K. , Harte James M. , Lunner Thomas , Kidmose Preben
Published: December 2018

Electrophysiological feedback on activity in the auditory pathway may potentially advance the next generation of hearing aids. Conventional electroencephalographic (EEG) systems are, however, impractical during daily life and incompatible with hearing aids. Ear-EEG is a method in which the EEG is recorded from electrodes embedded in a hearing aid like earpiece. The method therefore provides an unobtrusive way of measuring neural activity suitable for use in everyday life. This study aimed to determine whether ear-EEG could be used to estimate hearing thresholds in subjects with sensorineural hearing loss. Specifically, ear-EEG was used to determine physiological thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz using auditory steady-state response measurements. To evaluate ear-EEG in relation to current methods, thresholds were estimated from a concurrently recorded conventional scalp EEG. The threshold detection rate for ear-EEG was 20% lower than the detection rate for scalp EEG. Thresholds estimated using in-ear referenced ear-EEG were found to be elevated at an average of 5.9, 2.3, 5.6, and 1.5 dB relative to scalp thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz, respectively. No differences were found in the variance of means between in-ear ear-EEG and scalp EEG. In-ear ear-EEG, auditory steady-state response thresholds were found at 12.1 to 14.4 dB sensation level with an intersubject variation comparable to that of behavioral thresholds. Collectively, it is concluded that although further refinement of the method is needed to optimize the threshold detection rate, ear-EEG is a feasible method for hearing threshold level estimation in subjects with sensorineural hearing impairment.
Comprehension of novel metaphor in young children with Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Bühler Daniela , Perovic Alexandra , Pouscoulous Nausicaa
Published: December 2018

Background and aims

Difficulties with aspects of morphosyntax, phonology and/or vocabulary are the hallmark of Development Language Disorder (DLD). Yet, little is known about the linguistic-pragmatic abilities of young children with DLD. Previous studies suggest that children with DLD are experiencing difficulties with idioms, sayings and slang expressions, often interpreting them in a literal or unconventional fashion. However, it is unclear whether this is caused by difficulties to make pragmatic inferences in general or whether it stems from their semantic abilities. We therefore investigated novel metaphor understanding in young children with and without DLD.

Methods

We assessed novel metaphor comprehension using a reference assignment task with 15 children with DLD diagnoses (ages 42–49 months) as well as typically developing peers matched on chronological age (n = 15) and on language (n = 15).

Results

Children with DLD performed worse than their age-matched peers but in a comparable manner to the (younger) language-matched typically developing children. Performance was not related to non-verbal intelligence in the children with DLD.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that young children with DLD have difficulties with metaphor comprehension but also suggest that these difficulties are in line with their general language difficulties and linked to their overall linguistic competence rather than reflecting additional specific issues with deriving pragmatic inferences.

Implications

Our study adds to a growing body of literature showing that children with low language abilities are also likely to display more difficulties in understanding figurative language independently of any other symptomatology of their clinical diagnosis. It also supports the argument that deficits in the pragmatic domain are a secondary impairment rather than a core deficit in children with DLD. Nonetheless, children with DLD do show difficulties in understanding metaphors. Understanding figurative language is necessary for everyday communication and should therefore be targeted alongside traditional treatments by clinicians treating children with DLD.
Unsteady three-dimensional stagnation point magnetohydrodynamic flow of bionanofluid with variable properties
Authors: Basir Md Faisal Md , Uddin Mohammed Jashim , Ismail Ahmad Izani Md
Published: December 2018

Unsteady three-dimensional laminar stagnation point forced convective boundary layer magnetohydrodynamic flow of a bionanofluid with variable transport properties is studied theoretically and numerically. Thermal convective and zero mass flux boundary conditions are incorporated in this study. The transport properties are assumed to be a function of nanoparticle volume fraction to get physically realistic results. The dimensional boundary layer equations along with the coupled boundary conditions are transformed via similarity transformations into a system of ordinary differential equations. The transformed equations are solved numerically using the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg fourth-, fifth-order numerical method. The effect of selected governing parameters, namely, viscosity, thermal conductive, mass diffusivity, microorganism diffusivity, magnetic field and bioconvection Schmidt number, on the dimensionless velocity, temperature, nanoparticle volume fraction, microorganism, skin friction coefficient, heat transfer rate, mass transfer rate and microorganism transfer rate, is illustrated graphically and interpreted in detail. Comparisons with previous works are carried out for some limiting cases and found to be in good agreement.
Acute Exercise Effects among Young Adults with Analogue Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Authors: HERRING MATTHEW P. , MONROE DEREK C. , GORDON BRETT R. , HALLGREN MATS , CAMPBELL MARK J.
Published: December 2018

Recent findings support positive effects of acute aerobic exercise on worry, state anxiety, and feelings of energy and fatigue among young adult women with subclinical, or analogue, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). However, exercise effects among young adult men with analogue GAD are unstudied.

Purpose

This study replicated initial findings of positive effects of acute vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise on worry, state anxiety, and feelings of energy and fatigue among young adult women with analogue GAD, examined responses among young adult men with analogue GAD, and explored sex-related differences and moderation by physical activity level, trait anxiety, depression, and poor sleep status.

Methods

Thirty-five young adults (21.4 ± 2.3 yr; 19 males; 16 females) with Penn State Worry Questionnaire scores ≥45 (60 ± 8) completed two counterbalanced 30-min conditions: treadmill running at ~71.2% ± 0.04% HR reserve and seated quiet rest. Outcomes included worry, worry engagement, absence of worry, state anxiety, and feelings of energy and fatigue.

Results

No outcome or moderator differed at baseline between sexes. Exercise significantly improved state anxiety (P < 0.04; d = 0.27) and feelings of energy (P < 0.001; d = 1.09). Small nonsignificant improvements were found for worry (d = 0.22), worry engagement (d = 0.18), and feelings of fatigue (d = 0.21). The magnitude of improvements in worry, worry engagement, absence of worry, and feelings of energy were stronger among females. Significant large, potentially clinically meaningful increases in feelings of energy were found among women (d = 1.35) and men (d = 0.92). A nonsignificant, but potentially clinically meaningful, moderate reduction in worry (d = 0.53) was found among women. High-trait anxiety and poor sleep quality were supported as moderators.

Conclusions

Findings replicated positive effects of acute aerobic exercise among young adult women with analogue GAD, and extended to support for positive effects among young adult men with analogue GAD.
The challenges of designing a benchmark strategy for bioinformatics pipelines in the identification of antimicrobial resistance determinants using next generation sequencing technologies
Authors: Angers-Loustau Alexandre , Petrillo Mauro , Bengtsson-Palme Johan , Berendonk Thomas , Blais Burton , Chan Kok-Gan , Coque Teresa M. , Hammer Paul , Heß Stefanie , Kagkli Dafni M. , Krumbiegel Carsten , Lanza Val F. , Madec Jean-Yves , Naas Thierry , O'Grady Justin , Paracchini Valentina , Rossen John W.A. , Ruppé Etienne , Vamathevan Jessica , Venturi Vittorio , Van den Eede Guy
Published: December 2018

Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technologies are expected to play a crucial role in the surveillance of infectious diseases, with their unprecedented capabilities for the characterisation of genetic information underlying the virulence and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) properties of microorganisms.  In the implementation of any novel technology for regulatory purposes, important considerations such as harmonisation, validation and quality assurance need to be addressed.  NGS technologies pose unique challenges in these regards, in part due to their reliance on bioinformatics for the processing and proper interpretation of the data produced.  Well-designed benchmark resources are thus needed to evaluate, validate and ensure continued quality control over the bioinformatics component of the process.  This concept was explored as part of a workshop on "Next-generation sequencing technologies and antimicrobial resistance" held October 4-5 2017.   Challenges involved in the development of such a benchmark resource, with a specific focus on identifying the molecular determinants of AMR, were identified. For each of the challenges, sets of unsolved questions that will need to be tackled for them to be properly addressed were compiled. These take into consideration the requirement for monitoring of AMR bacteria in humans, animals, food and the environment, which is aligned with the principles of a “One Health” approach.
Pre-treatment loss to follow-up among patients with rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in Baluchistan, Pakistan, 2012-17: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Kurd Shoaib Aziz , Wali Ahmed , Fatima Razia , Yaqoob Aashifa , Khan Dawood , Lehri Sultan
Published: December 2018

Background: Patients with rifampicin-resistant TB (RR-TB) pretreatment loss to follow-up continue to be a global health challenge. Although the accuracy of diagnosis significantly increased with the implementation of Xpert MTB/RIF assay, which is a rapid molecular based test and more sensitive than conventional microscopy which detects MTB even present in small limit of 136 MTB/ml of sputum, but still data suggest a wide treatment initiation gap among diagnosed. This study was done to assess the proportion of patients with RR-TB pretreatment lost to follow-up and the socio-demographic factors associated with this in Balochistan, Pakistan.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study based on review of the routinely managed program records. The data included all patients with RR-TB detected at Fatima Jinnah Chest & General Hospital Quetta and District Head Quarter Hospital Loralai, Xpert sites and enrolled at programmatic management of drug resistant TB (PMDT) sites during 2012-2017. Data collected was double-entered, validated and analyzed using EpiData.

Results: Of the 396 patients with RR-TB detected during 2012-17, 78 (19.8%) underwent pre-treatment lost to follow-up. The mean age of those detected with RR-TB was 37 years (SD ±16.98); 189 (48%) were of age group 15-34, while 60% were female. Among 84 individuals referred out to other facilities, only 6 started treatment. Almost half of the ‘pretreatment lost to follow-up’ patients were from age group 15-34, while 43 were from within the Quetta and Loralai districts.

Conclusions: The high proportion of patients with RR-TB that were pre-treatment lost to follow-up in Balochistan needs immediate strategies to establish linkages between Xpert and PMDT sites for the timely management of patients to prevent the spread of RR-TB infection.
Pan-cancer repository of validated natural and cryptic mRNA splicing mutations
Authors: Shirley Ben C. , Mucaki Eliseos J. , Rogan Peter K.
Published: December 2018

We present a major public resource of mRNA splicing mutations validated according to multiple lines of evidence of abnormal gene expression. Likely mutations present in all tumor types reported in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were identified based on the comparative strengths of splice sites in tumor versus normal genomes, and then validated by respectively comparing counts of splice junction spanning and abundance of transcript reads in RNA-Seq data from matched tissues and tumors lacking these mutations. The comprehensive resource features 351,423 of these validated mutations, the majority of which (69.1%) are not present in the Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Database (dbSNP 150). There are 117,951 unique mutations which weaken or abolish natural splice sites, and 244,415 mutations which strengthen cryptic splice sites (10,943 affect both simultaneously). 27,803 novel or rare flagged variants (with <1% population frequency in dbSNP) were observed in multiple tumor tissue types. Single variants or chromosome ranges can be queried using a Global Alliance for Genomics and Health (GA4GH)-compliant, web-based Beacon “Validated Splicing Mutations” either separately or in aggregate alongside other Beacons through the public Beacon Network (http://www.beacon-network.org/#/search?beacon=cytognomix), as well as through our website (https://validsplicemut.cytognomix.com/).
Medieval Reports of the Preservation and Looting of Pre-Islamic Burials in South Arabia
Authors: Mahoney Daniel
Published: December 2018

In the tenth century, the polymath Abu Muhammad al-Hamdani compiled a ten-volume compendium, entitled al-Iklı-l (The Crown), which narrates the history of South Arabia from the pre-Islamic to the early Islamic periods with the aim of extolling the various achievements and virtues of this region. The eighth volume of this compendium contains a collection of reports that describe the uncovering of pre-Islamic burials in the early Islamic period. Although the veracity of some reports may be questioned due to their inclusion of fantastical elements, these accounts portray a vivid imagining of the ancient tombs themselves and the stories of those buried within, as well as show the varied reactions to these sites. In some reports, the interred are revered and the chambers are returned to their former state. But in others, ambivalence is shown toward those buried, even when the inscriptions found at the site communicate that the interred testified to a belief in one god, and the tombs are looted. Overall, these rich reports do not merely depict encounters with pre-Islamic funerary remains, but also serve to connect South Arabia’s past with major narratives and themes of Islamic history.
Kandungan Logam Berat Timbal (Pb) Pada Air, Sedimen, Dan Rumput Laut Sargassum sp. Di Perairan Teluk Awur, Jepara
Authors: Malau Rotua , Azizah Ria , Susanto AB , Santosa Gunawan Widi , Irwani Irwani
Published: December 2018

Concentration of the Heavy Metal Lead (Pb) in the Seawater, Sediment, and the Seaweed Sargassum sp. in Teluk Awur, Jepara The increasing human activities led to an increase in waste disposal which eventually accumulates and decrease the water quality of rivers and seas. One of the pollutant resulted by human activities is heavy metal. The presence of heavy metals in the waters could directly harm the bioorganisms and indirectly affect human health by food chains. The purpose of this research is to investigate the lead content (Pb) in the water, sediment, and seaweed Sargassum sp., as well as to determine the status of pollution in Teluk Awur waters, Jepara. The research was conducted in November 2017 and January 2018 using descriptive method. Sampling sites were decided by Purposive Sampling Method. Analysis of lead content was conducted using AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry). The results showed that the lead content of seawater in Teluk Awur, Jepara, was within 0.003 mg/L and not on the level of concern, according to KepMen LH No. 51/2004. The range of lead content in the sediment was 47- 68,35 mg/kg and considered as polluted, according to NRCC GBW07313. The range of lead content in the seaweed Sargassum sp. was 0.22-0.79 mg/kg and has exceeded the quality standard  specified by PerBPOM No. 23/2017. Meningkatnya  kegiatan  manusia  menyebabkan  peningkatan  pembuangan  limbah  yang pada akhirnya bermuara ke sungai maupun laut, yang mengakibatkan perairan laut menjadi tercemar. Salah satu pencemar akibat aktivitas   manusia   adalah   logam   berat   timbal yang dapat membahayakan kehidupan organisme perairan secara langsung, maupun tidak langsung terhadap kesehatan manusia. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui kandungan logam berat Pb pada air, sedimen, dan rumput laut Sargassum sp. serta untuk mengetahui status pencemaran di Perairan Teluk Awur, Jepara. Penelitian dilakukan pada bulan November 2017 dan Januari 2018. Metode penelitian yang digunakan  adalah  metode  deskriptif.  Penentuan  lokasi  penelitian  dilakukan dengan Purposive Sampling Method. Analisis logam berat Pb dilakukan dengan menggunakan AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry). Hasil penelitian menunjukan kandungan logam berat Pb di Perairan Teluk Awur, Jepara, pada air laut yaitu 0,003 mg/L dan masih belum tercemar menurut KepMen LH No.51/2004. Kandungan logam berat Pb pada sedimen yaitu berkisar 47 - 68,35 mg/kg dan telah tercemar menurut NRCC GBW07313. Kandungan logam berat Pb pada rumput laut Sargassum sp. yaitu berkisar 0,22 - 0,79 mg/kg dan telah melebihi baku mutu yang ditentukan oleh PerBPOM No. 23 Tahun 2017
A Preliminary Study on the Newly Isolated High Laccase-producing Fungi: Screening, Strain Characteristics and Induction of Laccase Production
Authors: Wang Qian , Qian Yingying , Ma Yuhan , Zhu Changwei
Published: December 2018

A simple separation method was used in this study to directly separate laccase-producing fungi from withered plant materials. A laccase-producing filamentous fungus was isolated and purified. The strain was highly similar to the species in genus Trametes by ITS sequence analysis, and therefore named Trametes sp. MA-X01. The addition of cupric ions and aromatic compounds to the liquid medium could induce the laccase synthesis in Trametes sp. MA-X01. Copper-induced laccase activity increased in a dose-dependent manner. The highest laccase activity (2138.9 ± 340.2 U/L) was obtained by adding 2.5 mM Cu2+ to the culture medium, which was about 7 times higher than that of the control group. The induction degree of aromatic compounds was different. For the present study, the highest laccase activities were obtained by adding vanillic acid (1007.9±59.5 U/L) or vanillin (981.6±77.2 U/L) to the medium, which were 3.5 and 3.4 times higher than the laccase activity of the control group, respectively.
Mut und Partizipation
Authors: Röbel Marc
Published: December 2018

With his analysis of courage as a foundational theme of modern existential philosophy, Tillich answers, in “The Courage to Be“: dread, which is a key motif in the thought of Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre, and which also gains importance in ‘existential America’ at the same time. This essay documents the innovative existential philosophical character of the work under the guidance of the concept of ‘participation.’ The book is much more than a theological bestseller. It is also evidence of the wealth of perspectives of existential thought that reveals insightful ethical and political perspectives beyond the religious and philosophical aspects typical of Tillich.
Decapod crustaceans in benthic habitats of the Turkish Straits System with new records
Authors: Bakir Ahmet Kerem , Ateş A. Suat
Published: December 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate decapod species occurring in the Turkish Straits System. For this purpose, benthic samples were collected from six different biotopes (photophilic algae,Cystoseira barbata, meadows,Posidonia oceanica, mussel,Mytilus galloprovincialis, meadows,Zostera marina, serpulid reef, and rocks) at depths ranging from 10 to 1000 m. A total of 60 species of decapod crustaceans were identified, including new records for the Turkish Straits System:Processa elegantula,P. modica,Richardina fredericii,Callianassa subterranea,Gourretia denticulata,Inachus parvirostrisandMacropodia linaresi. In addition, some information about the spatial and bathymetric distribution as well as biotope preferences of the decapod community is provided.
Kasuale Lehrgedichte im Kontext der aufklärerischen Gelehrtenrepublik
Authors: Krämer Olav
Published: December 2018

In the early decades of the eighteenth century, a number of German authors published poems that combined features of occasional and didactic poetry. The article examines ›occasional-didactic poems‹ by Johann Christoph Gottsched and Abraham Gotthelf Kastner that were read out loud at academic ceremonies. The study seeks to show that Gottsched and Kastner used this hybrid genre to intervene in, or to comment on, quarrels and controversies within the learned world, in particular controversies involving different faculties and disciplines. Thus, these poems should not be dismissed as mere attempts to upgrade the much-criticized genre of occasional poetry by adding philosophical digressions. Rather, they constitute one of the specific forms of communication developed within the Enlightenment republic of letters. In addition, these poems are instructive with respect to the development of eighteenth-century didactic poetry in general.
(Im)politeness in the Iliad: The Pragmatics of the Homeric Expression ἀγαθός περ ἐών
Authors: Lentini Giuseppe
Published: December 2018

Every communication has a relationship aspect in addition to a content aspect: this axiom of Watzlawick’s Pragmatics of Human Communication proves useful also when studying the dialogues contained in literary works. The ἀγαθός περ ἐών formula occurring five times in Homer’s Iliad has appeared difficult to interpret precisely because scholars have failed to take into account the relationship aspect of the verbal interactions described. Employed as a conventional politeness formula manifesting respect for the hearer, the ἀγαθός περ ἐών expression could also be used in contexts that clash with a ‘polite’ interpretation, thus generating mock-politeness and, ultimately, ‘impoliteness’.
Removing the Nationality Paradigm from Herodotus’ Histories
Authors: Tufano Salvatore
Published: December 2018

The present paper suggests that the recurring appeal to kinship diplomacy undermines a fixed idea of ‘nation’ in Archaic Greece, especially in the first two decades of the fifth century BC. It aims to present a series of test cases in Herodotus that explain why contemporary patterns and theories on ancient ethnicity can hardly explain the totality of the historical spectrum. Blood ties could sometimes fortify ethnic relationships, as in the case of Aristagoras’ mission to Sparta (Hdt. 5.49.3), since the common Greekness could elicit the Spartan to help to the Ionians. In other times, the same blood ties were applied to divine genealogies, and they could also be used to show the feeble devotion of cities like Argos to the Greek cause (7.150.2: Xerxes expects the Argives to join the Persian cause, since they descend from Perses). Habits and traditions, often taken as indicia of national feeling, could be thought of as clues of ancient migrations (so the Trojans became Maxyes in Lybia: 4.191). Even language might not help in justifying ethnic relationships: for instance, the Greeks living in the Scythian Gelonus spoke a mixed language (4.108). These few case studies may shed a different light on the classical definition of Greekness (to hellenikon) in terms of blood, language, cults, and habits, all given by Herodotus (8.144). Far from being a valid label for all the Greeks of the fifth century, this statement owes much to a specific variety of the language of kinship diplomacy. The final section argues for the opportunity to avoid the later and misleading idea of nation when studying Herodotus and the age of the Persian Wars, which are instead characterized by various and contrasting strategies. Greek groups and ethne can be better described as networks of lightly defined communities.
Metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasia treatments in patients over 70 years of age
Authors: Bongiovanni Alberto , Recine Federica , Foca Flavia , Fausti Valentina , Riva Nada , Fabbri Greta , Severi Stefano , Liverani Chiara , De Vita Alessandro , Spadazzi Chiara , Miserocchi Giacomo , Mercatali Laura , Amadori Dino , Ibrahim Toni
Published: December 2018

The incidence of neuroendocrine neoplasia (NEN) is higher in individuals ≥70 years of age (elderly) who are underrepresented in clinical trials because of comorbidities and low performance status. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of elderly patients with metastatic NEN (mNEN). Comorbidities were summarized by Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Kaplan–Meier method was applied to estimate overall survival (OS) and Cox’s proportional hazard model was used to assess the impact of known prognostic factors. We retrieved data on 145 mNEN patients aged ≥70 years seen at our center from June 2007 to March 2016. Fifty-six (38.6%) were aged ≥75 years. ECOG PS was 0 in 45.7% of cases and CCI was 0 in 41.0% and 1 in 37.4%. A total of 75.4% of patients had grade (G)1/G2 NEN and 24.6%, G3. Octreoscan/Gallium PET/CT and FDG-PET/CT were positive in 94.2% and 70.3% of cases, respectively. Median follow-up was 72.3 (53.2–85.1) months. Seventy-nine patients received first-line somatostatin analogs (SSA), 23 peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) and 36 chemotherapy (CHT). Seven did not undergo first-line therapy and 102 received more than one line. Median overall survival (mOS) was 5.1 years (95% CI: 3.4–6.6). No differences in mOS were seen according to CCI. First-line PRRT patients had a mOS of 6.5 years (95% CI: 3.3–not reached (NR)), SSA 5.7 years (95% CI: 4.2–7) and CHT 5.9 years (95% CI: 0.4–NR). mOS in CHT-treated G3 patients was 1.5 years (1.0–2.5). ECOG PS and FDG PET/CT were identified as independent prognostic factors. Results suggest that the above treatments positively impacted OS in elderly mNEN patients, including those aged ≥75 years.
Current trends in the usage of the digital version of the local master plan (eMPZP), as illustrated with the example of Tomice municipality
Authors: Król Karol
Published: December 2018

The purpose of the present work was to analyse the current trends in the usage of a web-based application presenting the local spatial development plan for the Tomice municipality (the eMPZP
master plan). Data collection began on January 1, 2013. The values of selected measures of the
eMPZP usage were obtained with the aid of the Google Analytics application. Results obtained
during the period of over 5 years have been analysed in the present study. The biggest interest
in the local plans of Tomice municipality has been noted from two urban centres – the towns of
Krakow and of Wadowice. It has been demonstrated that the current monitoring provides information about the usage statistics of the eMPZP application, but it does not provide information
about what the users were actually looking for. Also, it fails to facilitate the identification of areas
(municipalities, sections, plots of land), which were the most popular, that is those places whose
designation in the local plan was checked most frequently.
Issues of analytical design of land division with high value per hectare
Authors: Zygmunt Mariusz , Ślusarski Marek , Gniadek Jacek , Szewczyk Robert
Published: December 2018

The article discusses the problem of analytical design of a plot for a given value, in the cases
where estimates occur in land division with high point values. Accordingly, it becomes problematic to meet the expected results of valuable design, preserved during the conduct of design work
for estimated outline of “average” values. Provisions regarding technical standards for performing geodetic situational measurements determine the necessity of rounding the coordinates of
boundary points to 1 cm. Maintaining the designed value with an accuracy down to 1 point generates problems linked with the compatibility between the expected value and the one obtained.
Generating the report after the merger introduces unavoidable changes, and must be taken into
account when conducting the consolidation work.
Application of sound tomography in the revitalization of the area surrounding the nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary orthodox church in Wlodawa
Authors: Dudkiewicz Margot
Published: December 2018

The main purpose of the present work was to examine the effectiveness of using information
technology tools in the form of ultrasound computed tomography in the reclamation of historical garden space. The obtained dendrological inventory results were applied in carrying out
a project of revitalizing the area around the historic orthodox church in Włodawa. The city is
located in the central-eastern part of Poland, near the border with Belarus and Ukraine. The origins of the orthodox parish date back to the turn of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The orthodox church was erected in the Byzantine-Classicist style, on the Greek cross plan with three
apses from the altar side. In 2017, the renovation of the temple building and its surroundings
began at the initiative of the Lublin-based Dialog Foundation. During the dendrological stocktaking process of the area around the church, the studies conducted with the help of specialized
diagnostic equipment in the form of Picus 3 Sonic Tomograph were particularly important. The
tests will allow for early diagnosis and selection of the best course of action in view to increasing
the safety of users and preserving the historic substance of the site. Within the area of the estate
there are 20 trees growing, differing in their age and health condition, with a quantitative advantage of common chestnut trees, planted without proper compositional arrangement or sacred
symbolic. The management plan of the tree envisages the removal of 8 trees for sanitary reasons,
whereas the corrective and sanitary cutting of branches should be applied to all the other trees.
On the basis of the collected material, the options and possible directions for the improvement
of the orthodox church’s surroundings were presented.
Instrumento para avaliar a combinação de alimentos para tornar o ferro mais biodisponível na dieta
Authors: Lanzillotti Haydée Serrão , Barros Maria Elisa , Afonso Fernanda da Motta , Barbosa Roseane Moreira Sampaio
Published: December 2018

Resumo O objetivo foi desenvolver um instrumento para avaliar o conhecimento de mulheres adultas sobre a combinação de alimentos de forma a tornar o ferro biodisponível na dieta infantil. Estudo fatorial exploratório de questionário (escala Likert) utilizando-se Análise de Fator Principal e estimador de razão de verossimilhança. Aplicaram-se teste KMO, teste Doornik-Hansen, critério de Kaiser Guttman, correlação entre fatores e pressupostos teóricos. Confiabilidade avaliada pelo Alfa de Cronbach e confiabilidade composta. Participaram do estudo 151 mulheres. KMO total (0,5942) mostrou adequação da amostra. Teste Doornik-Hansen atestou normalidade multivariada dos escores observados. Cargas fatoriais, variância do erro dos itens e correlação entre os fatores apontaram para a bidimensionalidade do questionário, que passou de 30 para 15 itens. Alfa de Cronbach total de 0,8018 (95% IC = 0,7429 a 0,8606) e confiabilidade composta (Fator 1 = 0,3125 e Fator 2 = 0,3263). Validade fatorial convergente e discriminante apresentaram resultados aceitáveis. Concluiu-se por redução de instrumento validado (30 para 15 itens) com confiabilidade e validade que o habilita para posterior procedimento de análise fatorial confirmatória.
Fatores associados à violência interpessoal entre crianças de escolas públicas de Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil
Authors: Nobre Caroline Soares , Vieira Luiza Jane Eyre de Souza , Noronha Ceci Vilar , Frota Mirna Albuquerque
Published: December 2018

Resumo A escola presencia o crescimento das manifestações de violências interpessoais entre crianças e, nesta ótica, o artigo analisa a prevalência destas no relacionamento entre escolares e os seus fatores associados. Estudo transversal, com 874 alunos de escolas públicas municipais, de 10 e 11 anos idade, realizado no ano de 2013. Um questionário instrumentou a coleta de dados que foram submetidos à análise bivariada com cálculo de significância estatística entre as associações. Os resultados apontam que a criança agressora (83,2%) associa-se ao sexo masculino (RP = 1,08), bem como apanhar em casa (RP = 1,13) e ter uma família que incentiva o revide (RP = 1,17). A criança vítima (89,5%), a família que incentiva o revide (RP = 1,05) e, a participante de conflitos (93,6%), a família incentivar o revide (RP = 1,05) e a idade. A criança de 10 anos tem até 3,0% mais de chance de participar em situações de conflitos. A “família que incentiva o revide” associa-se as situações de agressão, de vítima e de participação em conflitos, o que enseja uma ressignificação dessas práticas familiares.
New records of three Neotropical arboreal ant species of Camponotus, subgenus Dendromyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) for the southern Amazon, including biological information
Authors: VICENTE Ricardo Eduardo , FERREIRA-SILVA Diego , GUERREIRO DE LIMA Mendelson
Published: December 2018

ABSTRACT Camponotus (Formicinae) is the most specious and abundant genus of the family Formicidae. The genus is represented by ants that both forage and nest in the most diverse terrestrial and arboreal environments. Among the arboreal species of Camponotus are those of the subgenus Dendromyrmex. We recorded, for the first time, evidence of Camponotus chartifex (Smith, 1860) in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and expanded the distributions of Camponotus nidulans (Smith, 1860) and Camponotus apicalis (Mann, 1916). We include information on the biology of the species and a discussion on the sampling of arboreal and winged ants.