bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Boolean Analysis of Structural and Organizational Determinants of Equality and Efficiency Balance in Higher Education
Authors: Hemmati Reza , Abbasi Taghidizaj Rasoul
Published: December 2019

Efficiency and equality are both important goals and values in higher education, and their concurrency (balance) has been one of the main concerns of higher education scholars and policy makers over the past decades. The aim of the present study is to discover the causal mechanism and contextual factors that are likely to result in concurrency of equality and efficiency in higher education. To this end, the combination of two explanatory theories of equality and efficiency were used. The theory of equality focused on three dimensions of equal opportunities, modernization, and cultural differences. Likewise, to explain efficiency, Chalabi’s three-level causal model of sustainable production of science was used. Methodologically, a multiple case study method was adopted, and the cases under study (nine countries) were selected based on purposive sampling. The findings showed that for the concurrency of equality and efficiency in higher education, a set of conditions must be present in the configurational and combinational causality. The preconditions for this concurrency is the presence of some social conditions such as productive economy, the rule of law, inter-societies competitiveness, social cohesion, democracy, universalism, egalitarianism (at macro level), meritocracy, academic autonomy, and organizational competitiveness (at the meso level) and the absence of some other conditions including fatalism (at the macro level).
Welfare State Development in Portugal
Authors: Calado Alexandre , Capucha Luis , Estêvão Pedro
Published: December 2019

The break with austerity policies in Portugal, carried out after 2015 by a Socialist government supported in parliament by parties on its left, famously named the “contraption”, has gained widespread attention throughout Europe and beyond. This is primarily because the “reversal” of austerity has been successful, restoring social rights and living standards while maintaining the state’s financial equilibrium. The emergence of this innovative political solution cannot be understood without reference to the history of the Portuguese welfare state and the debates surrounding its future. For this reason, this article will cover how the Portuguese social model took shape after the democratic turn in 1974, the political and social consensus that underpins it and the political forces that vie for its transformation.
Militarising Counterterrorism in Southeast Asia
Authors: Wicaksana I Gede Wahyu
Published: December 2019

The occupation of the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines and a series of terrorist attacks in Indonesia which followed it demonstrate that terrorism is a persistent and enduring threat to Southeast Asian security, despite the governments’ concerted efforts on countering terrorism since 9/11 and the Bali Bombings in 2002 and 2005. Security specialists and defence officials in the region believe that ASEAN has to intensify its cooperation to address the challenge of terrorism through the use of military forces. This article, however, claims that the militarised counterterrorism has no institutional, normative and practical basis within ASEAN’s main security structure, the APSC. This is followed by dual implications for the broader security agendas, affecting democratisation and sharpening mistrust among ASEAN states which challenges ASEAN centrality in regional security affairs.
‘So little money for so much work’: A frontispiece of Jean Taffin by Jan van de Velde II
Authors: Fucci Robert
Published: December 2019

This study examines documentary evidence in the form of personal letters concerning the commission of a frontispiece from the then apprentice printmaker Jan van de Velde II (1593-1641) for a 1613 edition of Jean Taffin’s best-selling Boetverdicheit des levens (‘Treatise on the amendment of life’). The previously unpublished frontispiece is identified here for the first time, and it now stands as the earliest known work by the artist. The study also elucidates the highly placed network of Remonstrant reformers discussed in the letters, and their frustrated efforts to track down a likeness of the deceased author, who had been the personal chaplain to William the Silent. Finally, it argues that the limited financial outcome of the commission had a formative impact, as the letters themselves suggest, on Van de Velde’s decision to pursue a career primarily working from his own designs, a bold direction for a printmaker of the day.
Open access
Authors: Visser Dirk
Published: December 2019

Open Access is great, but killing academic journals is not. Also on the internet, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Peer review, editing and keeping articles available online all cost money. And someone has to pay for that. Either through subscriptions or through article processing charges and through the hidden costs of thousands of library people and university technicians making sure that articles go and stay on line and are accessible with the latest browsers.
Peer review
Authors: Kemerink Martijn
Published: December 2019

Over the years, peer review has developed into one of the fundaments of science as a means to provide feedback on scientific output in a relatively objective manner. While peer review is done with the common good in mind, specifically to provide a quality check, a novelty and relevance check, fraud detection and general manuscript improvement, it has its weaknesses and faces threats that undermine both its effectiveness and even its goals. Herein, I address the role of the various actors in the peer reviewing process, the authors, the editors, the reviewers and the broader society. While the first three actors are active participants in the process, the role of society is indirect as it sets the boundary conditions for the process. I will argue that although authors, editors and reviewers all are in part to blame for the sub-optimal functioning of the system, it is the broader society that intentionally and unintentionally causes many of these problems by enforcing a publish-or-perish culture in academia.
Copyright and scientific publications, Recent German experiences
Authors: Pahlow Louis
Published: December 2019

The essay deals with central problems of scientific publications, especially in the field of digital databases, and deals with current legislative initiatives for the use of works in research and teaching.
Liability of Internet Service Providers under Nigerian Law
Authors: Jemilohun Bernard
Published: December 2019

This paper examines the role of Internet Service Providers as bridges and intermediaries between private persons, organizations even government arms and the Internet and the liabilities placed on them by the law with regard to wrongful acts of their subscribers or clients under the laws of Nigeria. It is common knowledge that actions againstISPs are commonest with defamation and infringement of copyright. The legal framework in theUSand the UKare examined to determine if there are lessons to learn for Nigeria. The Nigerian legal framework also places some responsibilities on ISPs with regard to crime prevention and prosecution. This is because private rights are not yet much of an issue in the Nigerian cyberspace. The paper points out that much of the regulation governingISPs liability in respect of civil matters do not have legislative power but are mere guidelines and suggests that theUSand UKpatterns have a lot to offer Nigeria.
Agricultural Science in Napoleonic Universities
Authors: Fagnani Martino Lorenzo
Published: December 2019

The article studies agricultural science teaching and research in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy. In particular, it considers the three national universities of Pavia, Bologna and Padua, highlighting both the points in common and the differences between them. It analyses both unpublished documentation and monographs, dissertations, scientific journals circulating at the time. The article is introduced by an analysis of the Napoleonic legislation for the strengthening of agricultural science as an institutional knowledge. The study related to the University of Pavia comes next. It isolates the topics of cultivation of cereals and grain conservation techniques in order to analyse the educational and scientific activity and its contribution to the national debate. This is followed by an analysis of the professorships in Bologna and Padua, considering similarities and differences with Pavia in matter of topics.
Unconventional Views of Racial Brains in the 19th Century
Authors: Pogliano Claudio
Published: December 2019

In this article two protagonists of nineteenth-century anthropological culture, Samuel George Morton and Paul Broca, are presented as the embodiment of mainstream stances on the relationship between brain and race. More or less close to their successful raciological tenets, a host of other names might be recalled. However, the main purpose here is to point out some ‘deviant’ opinions that challenged the scientific common sense of an epoch, starting with the nigrophilie expressed by the abbé Grégoire early in the century, to then discuss the cautious ‘egalitarianism’ professed by James Cowles Prichard and William Hamilton or the more explicit view sustained, over time, by Friedrich Tiedemann and Luigi Calori. Their focus was the influence of the brain – its shape, volume, and weight – on intellectual and moral manifestations: a tormented issue that for decades was addressed in different ways and with outcomes that always proved inconclusive.
Four Unpublished Letters from Nicolas Fatio de Duillier to Isaac Newton
Authors: Maddaluno Lavinia
Published: December 2019

This article analyses four unpublished draft letters from Nicolas Fatio de Duiller to Isaac Newton, dating from June to August 1693, and held in the Special Collections in the Universiteitsbibliotheek in Leiden. Overall, these letters enrich our knowledge of Fatio-Newton’s alchemical correspondence in June 1693, a phase which likely represents the peak of the two natural philosophers’ alchemical collaboration. By scrutinising the content of the letters, and situating them in relation to primary and secondary sources, the article will place Newton and Fatio’s epistolary exchange in relation to the social and historical background of late seventeenth-century London, bringing to light so far undisclosed aspects of the networks, alchemical practices, and expertise of the two natural philosophers.
Reconciling Pluralistic Democracy and Religious Freedom in European Human Rights Law: A Jurisprudential Balance in Search of Principles
Authors: Buonamano Roberto
Published: December 2019

This article examines some of the structural and systemic issues associated with the relationship between pluralistic democracy and religious freedom within the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. These include the problematic aspects of the doctrine of State neutrality, and the function of secularism in the understanding of “democratic society”. It assesses the principal jurisprudential mechanisms utilised in religious freedom cases—namely, the notion of “public order”, the association of secularism with gender equality, the principles of the “minimum requirements of life in society”, and the margin of appreciation in the context of democratic legitimation. As the article demonstrates, the Court’s approach to negotiating the appropriate balance between pluralistic democracy and religious rights is marred by a reluctance to clearly elucidate the principles involved in the implementation of democratic values under the Convention when considering the means of protecting and limiting the freedom of religion.
Muslim Women’s Self-Representation in Art
Authors: Soliman Asmaa
Published: December 2019

This article examines German Muslim women’s artistic self-representation arguing that their public engagement can be seen as an example of counterpublics. Two main features can be found. First, the artists feel disappointed by the mainstream public, as it excludes and misrepresents Muslim women. Second, an agitational orientation can be observed, as the artists intend to offer explicitly articulated alternative self-representations targeting the mainstream public. The normality of their female German Muslim identity is conveyed. The very fact that the artists aim to challenge dominant stereotypes about Muslim women reveals the stereotypes’ strong influence on their self-representation. Due to their Muslim and female identity, Muslim women in the West face several exertions of power. The theory of intersectionality shows that their self-representation can be seen as a refusal to serve as an object of the male gaze, as well as the non-Muslim German gaze.
Learning and Patronizing the Science of Music among the Elite of Medieval Baghdad
Authors: Ansari Mohammad Sadegh
Published: December 2019

Scholarly writings on music during the medieval period were often composed at the request of private patrons or were otherwise dedicated to members of the Baghdadi elite (e.g., caliphs and other rulers) who were not professional musicians. The existence of such treatises suggests that this Baghdadi elite had an interest in learning and/or patronizing the science of music. In this article, I examine the various functions which learning the science of music fulfilled for the elite of medieval Baghdad (third/ninth-seventh/thirteenth century), and which in turn prompted their interest in the patronage thereof. The two most important of these functions were to enhance the appreciation of performed music and to evince a status marker in a culture that celebrated mastery of the Greek-inspired sciences as a sign of one having socially arrived.
Late Antique Philosophical Terminology in Early Kalām
Authors: Wakelnig Elvira
Published: December 2019

The Arabic term “a part which is not divided” (juzʾ lā yatajazzaʾ) is standard in later kalām to express the atom, i.e., the smallest entity out of which the bodies of this world are constituted. However, when early kalām doctrines are read with only this atomist meaning of the term in mind, strange claims result, namely that either an individual like ʿAlī or man is an atom. Reading these doctrines in the context of Late Antique philosophy in which the Greek term “undivided” (atomon) is considered as polysemous provides an interpretative tool to make better sense of the early mutakallimūn’s claims.

Discussions of the various meanings of atomon first occur in Greek commentaries to Porphyry’s Isagoge from where they are then excerpted and introduced into compilations of definitions and divisions (diareses) of philosophical terms. A detailed survey of the steady development of these discussions in the Greek tradition sheds light on the condensed form in which they appear in philosophical compilations in Greek, Syriac and Arabic. Surviving Arabic compilations not only contain passages on the various meanings of atomon, but also present information on Democritus’s and Epicurus’s doctrines and are thus suggested as a very plausible, hitherto neglected channel of transmission of Greek atomist theories to early kalām.
Has ‘the incarnational model’ been a Theologically Helpful Influence on Modern Youth Ministry?
Authors: Gough Tim
Published: December 2019

The ‘incarnational’ theological perspective has had a significant influence upon models of youth ministry since the 1940s. It became a compelling force in the 1990s through the work of prolific voices like Pete Ward in the UK and Dean Borgman in America. More recently it has received renewed focus with a new interpretation offered by Dr. Andrew Root.

This is a question of the theological appropriation of the Incarnation, and why we might speak of incarnational youth ministry but not Trinitarian, atoning, or creational youth ministry. If fidelity to the orthodox doctrine of the incarnation is a measure of the appropriateness of using the word ‘incarnational’ as a praxis, then these approaches come up short. Although many ‘incarnational’ practices should be retained, holding to the term has lasting theological complications.
‘I don’t think I ask questions really’
Authors: Hill Phoebe
Published: December 2019

This paper presents the findings from a small qualitative study of young people’s religious and spiritual questions. In addition to the questions asked by the young people, the nature of their questioning will be explored, and their apparent lack of religious or spiritual curiosity. In conversation with the literature on curiosity, a theoretical explanation of why these young people may not be curious about religious or spiritual questions will be presented. Finally, this paper will explore how the interview itself provided an incubator for religious and spiritual questioning, as a context which seemed to provoke – and not simply capture – the young people’s questions.
The Digital Way: Re-imagining Digital Discipleship in The Age of Social Media
Authors: Hunt Jodi G.
Published: December 2019

Youth and young adults are more engaged with technology today than they have ever been before and yet they remain one of the most emotional and spiritually disconnected generations of our time. Despite this reality, the overarching field of Catholic youth ministry has failed to address the digital lives of youth and young adults. That is, although Catholic youth ministry and its practitioners have, to a great degree, perfected the use of technology in ministry, it has not adequately prepared Catholic youth and young adults for the digital world. However, by reshaping what digital discipleship is and grounding this approach in Catholic church teachings on human dignity and Thomas Groome’s shared Christian praxis, as this paper will present, practitioners of Catholic youth ministry can refashion the digital lives of youth and young adults.
Sustainable Development, Ocean Governance and Marine Protected Areas
Authors: Freestone David
Published: December 2019

By 2020, at least ten percent of the global oceans should be subject to area-based protection according to the target agreed by the parties to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity in 2010 (Aichi Biodiversity Targets) and reiterated in 2015 Sustainable Development Goal 14.5. This paper looks at the Sustainable Development Goals and the evolution of the concept of Sustainable Development, distinguishing it from international environmental law. Then it looks at the way in which the goals relate to ocean governance and the current lacunae in the system established by the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and the negotiations within the UN to address the issue of the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in area beyond national jurisdiction. In particular, it looks at the sectoral approaches to area-based protection in areas beyond national jurisdiction, where currently iucn reports that only 1.18% is protected.
Reach for the Top Canada’s 2019 Extended Continental Shelf Claim in the Arctic
Authors: Smith Jeffrey J.
Published: December 2019

This article examines Canada’s 2019 claim to an extended continental shelf (ecs) in the Arctic. The claim follows the country’s Atlantic coast ecs submission of in 2013 to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (the clcs). The extent and basis of the 2019 claim are considered, including an apparent encroachment into the United States Alaskan shelf and a reliance on the Lomonosov Ridge as an extension of Canada’s Arctic archipelago. The competing claims of Denmark for Greenland and Russia are discussed. It is concluded that the western part of Canada’s claim in the Canada Basin adjacent to Alaska is supportable. However, the claim to an ecs around the Lomonosov Ridge is less certain.
Experts Meetings on Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction
Authors: Sun Zhen
Published: December 2019

This article summarizes and discusses the main issues addressed at two events hosted at the World Maritime University–Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute in Malmö, Sweden in the first half of 2019. The first event was the International Workshop on
bbnj: Toward Development of a Balanced, Effective and Universal International Agreement on 7 February, co-sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Japan, and the second event was the 43rd colp Annual Conference on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction: Intractable Challenges & Potential Solutions co-hosted with the Center for Oceans Law and Policy (colp), University of Virginia School of Law and The Nippon Foundation. The two events covered topics including marine genetic resources – access and benefit sharing, area-based management tools including marine protected areas, environmental impact assessments, capacity building and transfer of technology, cross-cutting issues, and Arctic concerns.
Dosimetric Comparison of Static Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy, Dynamic Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy and Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Thoracic Esophageal Cancer: A Single Institutional Experience
Authors: Wang Ruihao , Zeng Qingxing , Luo Songgui , Shen Guohui , Li Ping , Zhang Shuxu
Published: December 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the dosimetric variations of static intensity-modulated radiotherapy (sIMRT), dynamic intensity-modulated radiotherapy (dIMRT) and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for thoracic esophageal cancer (EC). Ten patients with pathologically-confirmed
EC were randomly selected. The Monaco 5.11 treatment planning system was used to design six radiotherapy plans, namely sIMRT with 5 fixedfields (S5) and 7 fixed-fields (S7), dIMRT with 5 fixed-fields (D5) and 7 fixed-fields (D7) and VMAT plan with single arc (VMAT1) and double arc (VMAT2),
respectively. The dosimetric parameters were compared among six different plans. The dose to target volumes met the clinical prescription requirements in all six plans. The D5 plan had the lowest dose exposed to the whole lungs, except for V5, which was only 1.7% higher than that
in the D7 plan. The low dose to lungs (V5 and V10) in VMAT plans (VMAT1 and VMAT2) were higher than in IMRT plans, but the statistical differences were significant (P < 0.05) only in comparison with dynamic IMRT plans (D5 and D7). The V20 and V30
of lungs in VMAT2 plan were also higher than that in other plans, but the statistical differences were significant (P < 0.05) only in comparison with D5 plan. The doses delivered to the spinal cord and heart showed no statistical significance (P > 0.05). The monitor units
(MUs) and treatment time (TT) significantly increased with the increasing number of fields in the same kind of fixed-fields IMRT plans (S5 vs. S7; D5 vs. D7). The MUs in VMAT plans, especially in VMAT2, increased significantly (P < 0.05) when compared with sIMRT and 5-fields dIMRT
plans, respectively. VMAT1 plan had the shortest TT and the highest delivery efficiency. For thoracic esophageal cancer, the D5 plan can shorten the TT and improve the delivery efficiency while meeting the dosimetric requirements and sparing the lungs. VMAT can significantly reduce the TT,
but at the expense of increasing the dose to lower-dose regions of lungs, which means VMAT plan may not shows obvious dose advantage for thoracic esophageal cancer.
Coherence Factor-Like Beamforming for Ultrasound Computed Tomography
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Zeng Liang , Song Junjie , Zhou Liang , Ding Mingyue , Yuchi Ming
Published: December 2019

Ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) has important clinical application prospect in breast cancer screening and early diagnosis. In this paper, six kinds of coherence factor-like beamforming methods have been applied to improve the image quality for USCT, including coherence factor
(CF), phase coherence factor (PCF), sign coherence factor (SCF), phasor dispersion based coherence factor (PDCF), spatial smoothed coherence factor (SSCF) and spatio-temporally smoothed coherence factor (STSCF). The mentioned methods were verified with the radio-frequency (RF) data of the
breast phantom captured by the USCT system developed in the Medical Ultrasound Laboratory. The ring-type transducer has 1024 elements with a center frequency of 2.5 MHz. Experimental results show that the reconstructed images of the breast phantom by the CF gets the highest contrast to noise
ratio (CNR), but overall image brightness reduces significantly. PCF gets the lowest variance and provides a more homogenous background. STSCF beamforming method can improve the robustness of the PCF and having the ability to suppress clutter while significant removal of black region artifacts.
For practical application, these coherence factor-like beamforming methods can be implemented with low computational complexity.
Semantic Segmentation of QRS Complex in Single Channel ECG with Bidirectional LSTM Networks
Authors: Liu Lingfeng , Bai Baodan , Chen Xinrong , Xia Qin
Published: December 2019

In this paper, bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) networks are designed to realize the semantic segmentation of QRS complex in single channel electrocardiogram (ECG) for the tasks of R peak detection and heart rate estimation. Three types of seq2seq BiLSTM networks are introduced,
including the densely connected BiLSTM with attention model, the BiLSTM U-Net, and the BiLSTM U-Net++. To alleviate the sparse problem of the QRS labels, symmetric label expansion is applied by extending the single R peak into a time interval of fixed length. Linear ensemble method is introduced
that averages the outputs of different BiLSTM networks. The cross-validation results show significant increase of the accuracy and decrease of discontinuous gaps in the QRS interval prediction by the ensembling over singular neural networks.
A Prior-Information-Based Combination Solution for Picking the Difference of Time-of-Flight in Ultrasound Computed Tomography
Authors: Fang Xiaoyue , Song Junjie , Liu Kuolin , Wu Yun , Zhang Qiude , Ding Mingyue , Yuchi Ming
Published: December 2019

Sound speed imaging is one modal of ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) which is helpful for early breast disease diagnosis. One of the most critical processes of sound speed reconstruction is time-of-flight picking. As each of the traditional time-of-flight picking methods has shortcomings
for real data, in this study, a practical priorinformation-based combination (PIBC) solution for picking the difference of time-of-flight between the reference data and the object data (DTOF) is proposed to enhance the reconstruction accuracy and uniformity. By using DTOF, some system bias
will be effectively alleviated. Firstly, by analyzing the signal-amplitude, the "penetrating-through-the-object" and the "bypassing-the-object" signals are distinguished. Then for the "penetrating-throughthe-object" signals, based on the 'majority rule,' the consistency of DTOF picked by different
methods are calculated as a basis to combine the advantages of different picking methods; for the "bypassing-the-object" signals, the DTOF closest to zero is chosen. Finally, the DTOFs are post-processed to suppress the noise by a median filter and to fix the deficiency of the system by an
interpolation operator. The new solution is verified by in vitro breast phantom experiment conducted on the home-made USCT system "Lucid." The proposed PIBC solution can quantitatively decrease Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and Mean Squared Error (MSE) of DTOF picking and enhance the
image quality of reconstructed sound speed images with higher accuracy and uniformity. This work is significant for ray-based sound speed reconstruction and can provide a fine initial solution for high-resolution wave-based reconstruction.
Moderate Exercise Improves Brain Efficiency for Executive Functions in Young Adults
Authors: Song Huijin , Kim Jin Gu , Jang Kyung Eun , Cha Hyunsil , Kwon Sechang , Jeong Hyeonwook , Chang Yongmin
Published: December 2019

This study investigates how moderate and addictive exercise influence the executive function network of the brain using fMRI. Sixty-five healthy participants performed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. Participants were
divided into three groups, according to the Korean exercise addiction scale (K-EAS): addictive exercise (AE), moderate exercise (ME), and no exercise (NE). We compared the extracted volumes of activity from the fMRI data between groups and analyzed the correlation between the volumes and the
behavioral data. The activated area in the executive function network was significantly smaller in the AE and ME groups than in the NE group. In contrast, there was no difference between the AE and the ME group in the size of the activated area of the executive function network. The groups
did not differ in behavioral performance. There was no significant correlation between the behavioral measurements and the activation volumes. A focused reorganization of the executive brain network through exercise may suggest improved neural efficiency for executive functions, and exercise
may be helpful in maintaining executive functions and behavioral performance levels. Addictive exercise did not show an added benefit for the efficiency of executive functions.
Split-Bregman Algorithm with Attenuation Correction for L-Shell Polychromatic X-ray Fluorescence Computed Tomography
Authors: Liu Long , Ma Bo , Liu Xiaowei , Liu Jinlan , Ding Ning
Published: December 2019

L-shell X-ray fluorescence computed tomography based on polychromatic X-rays is a promising imaging technique for early cancer diagnosis. However, the presence of self-absorption and the long scanning time limit its usage in clinic. In this work, a reconstruction method based on split-Bregman
algorithm which used sparseview projection data was proposed. Furthermore, the attenuation effect was also considered in the algorithm. In the attenuation correction, factors including the X-ray energy and the platinum concentration were taken into account. Then weighted factors calculated
in the procedure of attenuation correction were added into the contribution function of pixels in the split-Bregman based reconstruction method. In the end, the feasibility of this method was tested using a cylindrical phantom with 8 mm in diameter by the Monte Carlo simulation. The phantom
contained four inserts, all of which were 1.5 millimeter in diameter and filled with 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.40% and 0.80% platinum solutions, respectively. The results show that both the contrast-to-noise ratios and lowest detectable sensitivities are improved for the proposed method, comparing to
the conventional MLEM. The contrast-to-noise ratios of images reconstructed by our method with 45 projections are already better than that reconstructed by MLEM with 60 projections. When using 60 projections in our method and comparing to 60 projections in the MLEM with correction, the contrast-to-noise
ratio of the insert filled with 0.10% platinum solutions increased from 6.49 to 36.90, indicating its high efficiency and robustness.
Research on deep profile control technology of polymer gel with low hydrolytic degree
Authors: Zhang Dong , Wei Jianguang , Zhou Runnan , Xu Haiqiao
Published: December 2019

Polymer gels have attracted increasing interest as profile control agent to control water content and enhance oil recovery in heterogeneous reservoirs. However, retarding the gel crosslinking reaction of polymer and making it farther in the reservoir has become a difficulty in deep
profile control. In this article, polyacrylamide with low degree of hydrolysis was prepared to react slowly with chromium ion to form gel, which was used for adjusting water injection profile. The microstructure of polymer gel was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
and scanning electron microscopy. Core displacement experiments were used to evaluate the profile adjustment capability of polymer gels. It was found that the gel prepared by crosslinking the 5% polyacrylamide with chromium acetate can retard gelation time to 30 days in comparison with the
conventional polymer gels when the polymer concentration reached to 1500 mg/L. The gel can form a regular spatial network which increases the viscosity from 80.2 to 6578 mPa · s. The results obtained by the core flooding experiment prove that the polymer gel has good profile control
ability and further demonstrate the future potential of polymer gel to enhance oil recovery.
A comparison of thermal degradation kinetic mechanisms between elongational and shearing flow fields for nano-silica/IFR synergistic fire retardant polypropylene nanocomposites
Authors: Wu Zheng-Huan , Guo Jun-Xin , Fan Qi-Xiang , Wang Quan , Cai Yu-Jun , Zhao Yong-Qing
Published: December 2019

In this work, the same formulations of Nano-Silica/intumescent fire retardant polypropylene nanocomposites were prepared via a novel vane extruder and a tri-screw extruder, which represented elongational flow field and shearing flow field, respectively. Not only the synergistic combustion
mechanisms of Kissinger method and Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method were revealed, but also the combustion effect and efficiency were compared. Both two methods proved specimens that processed by TE exhibited higher thermal stability. The smaller aggregates of physical initial Nano-Silica, the better
dispersivity of aggregates in specimens that processed by VE. Such property broke the compactness degree of char layer.
Prevalence and Correlates of Sexting Behaviors in a Provincially Representative Sample of Adolescents
Authors: Kim Soyeon , Martin-Storey Alexa , Drossos Alexander , Barbosa Samantha , Georgiades Katholiki
Published: December 2019

Objectives:

To examine the prevalence and correlates of sending and receiving sexts (i.e., sexually explicit images) in a provincially representative sample of adolescents in Canada.

Methods:

Data from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study, a provincial survey of households with children in Ontario, which includes a sample of 2,537 adolescents aged 14 to 17 years (mean age = 15.42, male = 51.6%) were used to address the research objectives.

Results:

The past 12 months prevalence of sending and receiving sexts was 14.4% and 27.0%, respectively. In unadjusted logistic regression analyses, non-White adolescents and those living in low-income households were less likely to send or receive sexts compared to White and non-low-income adolescents. Adolescents who disclosed their sexual and/or gender minority identities were 3 to 4 times more likely to send and receive sexts than youth who had not disclosed these identities. Higher levels of mental health problems generally observed among adolescents who sent or received sexts. In fully adjusted models, low income and ethnic minority status were associated with reduced odds of sending and receiving sexts, while sexual and/or gender minority disclosure status was associated with increased odds. Social anxiety was associated with reduced odds of sending and receiving sexts, while conduct disorder was associated with elevated odds.

Conclusion:

The prevalence of sexting behavior was higher among adolescents who disclosed their sexual or gender minority identities. Sexting behaviors were associated with higher levels of mental health problems. Identifying vulnerable populations and the potential mental health ramifications associated with sexting behavior is vital to mitigating negative sequelae.
Patient Knowledge and Experiences With Antibiotic Use and Delayed Antibiotic Prescribing in the Outpatient Setting
Authors: Seipel Mary Beth A. , Prohaska Emily S. , Ruisinger Janelle F. , Melton Brittany L.
Published: December 2019

Background:

Most antibiotic prescriptions originate in the outpatient setting and an estimated 30% are unnecessary. Pharmacists are well positioned to positively impact antibiotic prescribing habits; the role of the community pharmacist in outpatient antibiotic stewardship programs is not well defined.

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to (1) assess the knowledge of the general public regarding appropriate antibiotic use, and (2) assess the experiences of the general public regarding delayed antibiotic prescriptions.

Methods:

A cross-sectional survey was administered at community pharmacies in Kansas from September 2018 to January 2019. Eligible individuals were older than 18 years and self-reported their ability to speak and read English. The 22-item survey collected demographics, knowledge regarding appropriate antibiotic use, and participant understanding and experiences of delayed antibiotic prescribing. Descriptive statistics assessed demographics and chi-square compared responses between demographics.

Results:

Of 347 surveys completed, respondents were mainly Caucasian (91.6%), female (58.2%), and aged 60 years or older (59.1%). Those with high school education or below were more likely to believe antibiotics kill viruses (43.1% vs 20.9%, respectively; p < 0.01) and that antibiotics work on most coughs and colds (31.4% vs 16.2%, respectively; p = 0.01). Delayed antibiotic prescriptions were more frequently offered to those who had received an antibiotic prescription in the last year compared to those who had not (36.1% vs 15%, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Gaps in patient knowledge about appropriate antibiotic use and delayed prescribing present an opportunity for community pharmacists to educate patients and become involved in outpatient antibiotic stewardship.
Pharmacist-Delivered Smoking Cessation Program in Community Pharmacy (The FINE Program) in Japan—The Development of a Training Course and a Feasibility Study
Authors: Onda Mitsuko , Kuwanoe Takashi , Hashimoto Atsunori , Horiguchi Michiko , Domichi Masayuki , Sakane Naoki
Published: December 2019

Aim:

Although smoking cessation support has been recommended as a routine component of pharmacists’duties, there is limited evidence of smoking cessation being achieved successfully in community pharmacy. The aim of this study was to develop a new smoking cessation program for use in the community pharmacy setting and investigate its feasibility.

Methods:

A feasibility study (the Family pharmacist’s Intervention for Nicotine Elimination [FINE] program) was conducted using 8 pharmacists at 2 community pharmacies in Japan. The pharmacists recruited as subjects smokers 20 or more years of age who were taking medications such as antidiabetes drugs. The patients completed questionnaires assessing their smoking status, and the pharmacists provided them with smoking cessation support services. Participating patients met with the pharmacists or talked to them on the phone 5 times at 2- to 4-week intervals and received personalized and structured brief smoking cessation advice. The primary outcome was continuous abstinence determined by Micro Smokerlyzer carbon monoxide monitor at 3 months.

Results:

Of 5306 patients, 2296 patients were screened and the rate of smoking was found to be 12.7%. Five smoking patients received the FINE program from pharmacists who had received training. One of the 5 succeeded in quitting smoking after 3 months.

Conclusions:

This is the first study to target Japanese smoking patients in community pharmacies with a brief structured intervention. The results tentatively support the feasibility of the FINE program. Further research including a randomized controlled trial is required to confirm the effectiveness of the FINE program.
Are international degree students indeed more employable? The case of Italian physiotherapy graduates in Slovenian higher education
Authors: Toplak Perović Barbara , Hauptman Komotar Maruša
Published: December 2019

International student mobility and graduate employability are interdependently related as two key objectives of the Bologna Process. Although studies widely acknowledge that student mobility enhances the employability of international graduates, in particular cases there remain factors that may pose challenges that will be difficult to overcome. In this article, the authors consider the case of foreign (Italian) physiotherapy graduates who cannot acquire a professional qualification in the Republic of Slovenia which they can take back to their own country because of the legislative stipulation regarding a knowledge of the Slovene language for professional examination purposes. The authors begin by discussing student mobility policies and practices in Slovenian higher education. They then first address the (improper) implementation of Directive 55/2013/EU (concerning the recognition of professional qualifications in European Union Member States) in the national legislation and subsequently discuss the broader and related issue of the language of instruction in Slovenian higher education. In this context, they reflect on a present reality of the European Higher Education Area which stems from inconsistent national legislative efforts. Methodologically, the research is based primarily on the analysis of various documentary sources supported by quantitative and qualitative evidence.
Cognition, ADHD Symptoms, and Functional Impairment in Children and Adolescents With Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Payne Jonathan M. , Haebich Kristina M. , MacKenzie Rachel , Walsh Karin S. , Hearps Stephen J. C. , Coghill David , Barton Belinda , Pride Natalie A. , Ullrich Nicole J. , Tonsgard James H. , Viskochil David , Schorry Elizabeth K. , Klesse Laura , Fisher Michael J. , Gutmann David H. , Rosser Tena , Packer Roger J. , Korf Bruce , Acosta Maria T. , Bellgrove Mark A. , North Kathryn N.
Published: December 2019

Objective: We examined the contribution of attention and executive cognitive processes to ADHD symptomatology in NF1, as well as the relationships between cognition and ADHD symptoms with functional outcomes. Methods: The study sample consisted of 141 children and adolescents with NF1. Children were administered neuropsychological tests that assessed attention and executive function, from which latent cognitive variables were derived. ADHD symptomatology, adaptive skills, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed using parent-rated questionnaires. Path analyses were conducted to test relationships among cognitive functioning, ADHD symptomatology, and functional outcomes. Results: Significant deficits were observed on all outcome variables. Cognitive variables did not predict ADHD symptomatology. Neither did they predict functional outcomes. However, elevated ADHD symptomatology significantly predicted functional outcomes. Conclusion: Irrespective of cognitive deficits, elevated ADHD symptoms in children with NF1 negatively impact daily functioning and emphasize the importance of interventions aimed at minimizing ADHD symptoms in NF1.
Improvisational Drama as Inquiry: The Role of the Simulated-Actual in Meaning Making
Authors: Norris Joe
Published: December 2019

Based upon more than 25 years as a director of ensembles of performative research, I provide example of improvisational approaches that I have taken to explore a range of social interactions including the teacher/student relationship, subtle differences among need/want/desire, practicum politics, trust, reading power in gender, judging strangers, locus of control, homelessness, and aging parents. Techniques have included image theater, hot-seating, manipulation of objects, trust falls, music, and metaphorical roles. Theoretical discussions include an unpacking of truth claims in imaginative endeavors that explore the plausible, the false separation of truth and fiction, re-examining what makes research empirical, ways of generating information other than the traditional questionnaire, and/or interview and dialogic audience participation. In addition to justifying this approach for performative research practitioners, it provides a variety of possibilities for those who seek other means to critically and imaginatively examine the human condition.
A Patients-Based Statistical Model of Radiotherapy Dose Distribution in Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Liu Gang , Yang Jing , Nie Xin , Zhu Xiaohui , Li Xiaoqiang , zhou Jun , Kabolizadeh Peyman , Li Qin , Quan Hong , Ding Xuanfeng
Published: December 2019

Purpose:

To develop a patients-based statistical model of dose distribution among patients with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC).

Methods and Materials:

The dose distributions of 75 patients with NPC were acquired and preprocessed to generate a dose-template library. Subsequently, the dominant modes of dose distribution were extracted using principal component analysis (PCA). Leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) was performed for evaluation. Residual reconstruction errors between the doses reconstructed using different dominating eigenvectors and the planned dose distribution were calculated to investigate the convergence characteristics. Three-dimensional Gamma analysis was performed to investigate the accuracy of dose reconstruction.

Results:

The first 29 components contained 90% of the variance in dose distribution, and 45 components accounted for more than 95% of the variance on average. The residual error of the LOOCV model for the cumulative sum of components over all patients decreased from 8.16 to 4.79 Gy when 1 to 74 components were included in the LOOCV model. The 3-dimensional Gamma analysis results implied that the PCA model was capable of dose distribution reconstruction, and the accuracy was especially satisfactory in the high-dose area.

Conclusions:

A PCA-based model of dose distribution variations in patients with NPC was developed, and its accuracy was determined. This model could serve as a predictor of 3-dimensional dose distribution.
Primary Arterial Switch Operation for TGA/IVS and Regressed Left Ventricle: How and When to Use Left Ventricular Assist Device
Authors: Malankar Dhananjay P. , Patil Sachin , Mali Shivaji , Dhake Shyam , Mhatre Amit , Bind Dilip , Soni Bharat , Kandavel Dinesh , Garekar Swati
Published: December 2019

Purpose:

Numerous attempts have been made to extend the boundaries of arterial switch operation (ASO) in children presenting late with transposition of great arteries with intact ventricular septum (TGA/IVS) and regressed left ventricle (rLV). Many children tolerate the delayed ASO uneventfully, whereas others need mechanical circulatory support (MCS) to sustain the systemic circulation while the left ventricle undergoes retraining.

Description:

In this article, we describe six consecutive children with TGA/IVS and rLV who underwent primary ASO.

Results:

Three were managed medically, while three required MCS in the form of Centrimag left ventricular assist device (LVAD). All patients survived the operation and were discharged home in a stable condition.

Conclusions:

Primary ASO can be safely performed in children with TGA/IVS and rLV, provided the center has MCS options. Supporting the rLV with LVAD is feasible and can be achieved safely.