bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients’ wishes, pregnancy and vascular access: When one size does not fit all
Authors: Piccoli Giorgina B , Cabiddu Gianfranca , Gallieni Maurizio
Published: November 2018

Pregnancy in dialysis patients is a rare but important event that challenges our knowledge and demands re-thinking many aspects of our practice, including vascular access. This editorial briefly discusses some open questions on vascular access in this situation that challenge the motto ‘fistula first’ and underline the need for personalised approaches. Information on vascular access in pregnant women is scant. Different approaches may be considered between women on dialysis already on a well-functioning tunnelled catheter and newly placed catheters: while a tunnelled catheter in a woman already stabilised on outpatient dialysis, who has shown being able to take correct care of it and who has freely chosen this option, is a reasonable choice, central venous catheters placed during pregnancy, especially in the hospital setting, may have a high risk of complications. Conversely, pregnancy may increase the risk of development of fistula aneurysms, but the frequency of this complication is still unknown. The problem of whether or not shifting pregnant patients on peritoneal dialysis to daily haemodialysis sessions is still open, as well as the role of patients’ preference for avoidance of an invasive procedure, or refuse of pain. In the wait for answers, reflecting on the problems encountered by pregnant women on dialysis should make us reflect on how to improve vascular access management for all our patients.
Social media and social change lawyering: influencing change and silencing dissent
Authors: Sayers Naomi
Published: November 2018

The Law Society of Ontario (formerly, the Law Society of Upper Canada) oversees the legal profession in Ontario, Canada, through The Rules of Professional Conduct (‘Rules’). All future lawyers and paralegals must adhere to the Rules. The Law Society sometimes provides guidance on sample policies informed by the Rules. In this article, the author closely examines the Law Society’s guidance on social media. The author argues that this guidance fails to understand how the Rules regulate experiences out of the legal profession and fails to see the positive possibilities of social media to influence social change, especially in ways that conflict with the colonial legal system. The author concludes that the Law Society must take a positive approach and provide some guidance for the legal profession on their social media use, especially around critiquing the colonial legal system. This positive approach is essential to avoid duplicating the systems and structures that perpetuate disadvantage in marginalized communities.
Strengthening Indigenous languages in the digital age: social media–supported learning in Sápmi
Authors: Outakoski Hanna , Cocq Coppélie , Steggo Peter
Published: November 2018

This article presents and discusses Sámi social media initiatives for strengthening languages. The Sámi are the Indigenous people of Europe. All Sámi languages are endangered, and the lack of resources for maintaining, promoting and teaching the languages has been underscored on several occasions by the European Council and the Sámi parliaments. Social media has become an arena where resources are created and shared, enabling communities of speakers to support each other and promote their languages. YouTube, blogs, Twitter and language learning applications are here discussed as public domains and community-grounded media. Based on a few examples and on our expertise as instructors within Sámi studies, we suggest strategies for developing long-lasting and innovative models for revitalizing threatened languages and cultures, and for counteracting language loss through social media. This contribution shares examples of innovative uses of social media in Sámi of relevance for other Indigenous contexts.
Making the leap and finding your feet: A qualitative study of disclosure and social support in university students with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Habenicht Andrea Ellen , Gallagher Stephen , O’Keeffe Mary-Claire , Creaven Ann-Marie
Published: November 2018

University poses unique challenges surrounding disclosure for students living with type 1 diabetes, with implications for social support and self-management. Semi-structured interviews with students and peer interviewers living with type 1 diabetes explored university experiences of disclosure and social support. Thematic analysis identified three major themes: disclosure as a measured process, the need for lived experience for true understanding and personal growth and self-awareness. Findings emphasize the need to scaffold the university transition for individuals with type 1 diabetes as disclosure can elicit effective social support. In addition, the importance of lived experience suggests support from students with type 1 diabetes could considerably impact diabetes management.
Being nice isn’t enough: Prosocial orientation and perceptions of self-uniqueness jointly promote outgroup reparation
Authors: Choi Hoon-Seok , Euh Hyun
Published: November 2018

Using a real-life case of intergroup victimization (i.e., victimization of migrant workers in Korea), we tested our hypothesis that positive attitudes toward compensating a victimized outgroup and intention to participate in ingroup corrective actions would be facilitated when a prosocial orientation is combined with high levels of perceived self-uniqueness. In Study 1, we measured participants’ social value orientation and their self-attributed need for uniqueness as our independent variables ( N = 249) and found a predicted interaction effect, such that prosocials with high levels of perceived self-uniqueness were more likely to support outgroup compensation and more willing to engage in ingroup corrective actions than were prosocials with low levels of self-uniqueness. In contrast, for proselfs neither compensation nor intention to participate in ingroup correction varied as a function of self-uniqueness. We replicated these findings in Study 2 ( N = 106), in which we measured participants’ trait agreeableness as an index of prosocial orientation and manipulated self-uniqueness via priming. Implications of our findings for research on outgroup reparation and future directions are discussed.
Neoliberal technological devices and articulations of teaching young children: A case study of preservice teachers using iPads in their teacher education program
Authors: Brown Christopher P , Englehardt Joanna
Published: November 2018

The global shift toward neoliberalism continues to impact early childhood in numerous ways. One example of this shift is the push by education stakeholders for the incorporation of technology into the teaching of young children. Advocates contend implementing such technology in the classroom will increase children’s academic performance and provide them with the skills needed to attain well-paying jobs in the future. Such rhetoric creates a new set of challenges for early educators who seek to resist this neoliberal shift toward individualism and the framing of education as a process of learning, earning, and consuming. The case study examined in this article begins to address this issue by investigating how utilizing iPads in the process of becoming a teacher affected a sample of preservice teachers’ articulations of their roles as educators. Investigating and analyzing their experiences provides members of the early childhood community with steps they might take to assist early educators in framing their roles as teachers through democratic conceptions of practice that they can then implement within their early education context.
How can the presence of a surgical care practitioner improve training for staff who are learning how to scrub for robotics cases in a urology theatre?
Authors: Barry Prue
Published: November 2018

Aim

This study examines how a surgical care practitioner can contribute to the learning needs of junior scrub staff learning to scrub for urological robotics cases. Key themes include education, technical training, non-technical skills, patient safety and the specialist practitioner as educator.

Methods

Data collection was via an online survey, distributed by a gatekeeper to 13 participants. These were junior scrub practitioners who had completed their robotic rotation.

Results

A 62% response rate was achieved. The majority of respondents indicated that there was a difference in interactions when a surgical care practitioner was assisting compared to a surgical trainee. Half of the respondents felt more confident when the surgical care practitioner was assisting.

Conclusions

A range of approaches were proposed for how the surgical care practitioner could enhance learning. Structured input is likely to be more appropriate to avoid the surgical care practitioner being distracted from their own duties whilst assisting. There is scope for further research.
Introduction of the Surgical Site Fire Risk Assessment at The Lister Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK
Authors: Parremore Rose
Published: November 2018

Introduction

A surgical site fire within the operating theatres is a continuous risk in modern surgery. When such an event does happen, clinical personnel can feel stunned, because such events are rare, and often happen rapidly. At The Lister Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK, a Fire Risk Assessment Tool and Protocol was developed to reduce such risks.

Method

Reviewing the scholarly literature and case studies relating to surgical site fires provides information and recommendations to highlight and improve such dangerous incidents from occurring in the future.

Conclusion

From the review of literature, two extensively documented cases of surgical site fire concluded in the identification of the elements of the fire triangle that create risk. From the recommendations a Fire Risk Assessment Tool and Protocol were developed and implemented at The Lister Hospital, including an addition to the WHO five Steps to Safer Surgery Checklist.
Interactive Behavior in Political Discussions on Twitter: Politicians, Media, and Citizens’ Patterns of Interaction in the 2015 and 2016 Electoral Campaigns in Spain
Authors: Guerrero-Solé Frederic
Published: November 2018

Twitter has become a privileged data source for analyzing the behavior of users when interacting online. This research aims to explore the interactive behavior of users in political discussions and the changes in their behavior over time. Understanding the interactive functions of Twitter (retweeting, mentioning, and replying) as digital traces of users’ behavior, we analyze the patterns of interaction of politicians, media, and citizens in two political discussions in Spain during the 2015 and 2016 general elections. Our results confirm previous studies that prove the homophilic behavior of politicians and citizens in political discussions. The networks of interaction, in particular, the retweet network, resemble echo chambers. It also shows that media play the role of weak ties of the networks. The analysis also shows that the patterns of interaction remained stable after the repetition of the election, and only a meager part of the users participating in both discussions changed their behavior. This article aims to contribute to the use of Twitter as a source for understanding people’s interactions is political discussions in social media and their dynamics across time.
Reddit’s Veil of Anonymity: Predictors of engagement and participation in media environments with hostile reputations
Authors: Brown Danielle K. , Ng Yee Man Margaret , Riedl Martin J. , Lacasa-Mas Ivan
Published: November 2018

This research investigates how personality strength, news engagement, and news consumption influence engagement on Reddit, an environment that affords varying degrees of anonymity and is known to paradoxically host toxic and supportive communities. Using a survey of Redditors, findings suggest women are less likely to comment and post but are equally likely to vote and read posts as men, indicating there may be hesitation to engage in using more active participatory options within the site. Older users are more likely to comment and post when compared to younger users.
Treatment modalities for hip and knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review of safety
Authors: Aweid Osama , Haider Zakir , Saed Abdel , Kalairajah Yegappan
Published: November 2018

Current guidelines on the management of hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) do not compare safety of treatment modalities. We therefore systematically reviewed 20 studies investigating mortality and serious complications of both medical and surgical treatments for hip and knee OA using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge and Google Scholar. Mortality was the highest for naproxen (hazard ratio (HR) = 3 (1.9, 4.6)) and lowest for total hip replacement (relative risk (RR) = 0.7 (0.7, 0.7)). Highest gastrointestinal complications were reported for diclofenac (odds ratio (OR) = 4.77 (3.94, 5.76)) and lowest for total knee replacement (HR = 0.6 (0.49, 0.75)). Ibuprofen had the highest renal complications (OR = 2.32 (1.45, 3.71)), whereas celecoxib had the highest cardiovascular risk (OR = 2.26 (1, 5.1)) and lowest was for tramadol (RR = 1.1 (0.87, 1.4)). Results show that medical management of hip and knee OA, particularly with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, may carry higher mortality compared to surgery. Careful consideration should be given to medical management taking into account known co-morbidities.
Refugees, Development, Debt, Austerity: A Selected History
Authors: Zamore Leah
Published: November 2018

There is a consensus among global policymakers that the challenges facing refugees today arise, in no small part, from the treatment of forced displacement as predominately a short-term humanitarian problem and the consequent exclusion of refugees from long-term development assistance. This paper agrees that refugees — a majority of whom spend years, a large number decades, some lifetimes in exile — constitute a development challenge, not only a humanitarian one. But it departs from the prevailing consensus which has tended to underemphasize the historical role of certain development policies in contributing to the status quo of refugee poverty in the first place. The paper places particular emphasis in that regard on policies of austerity and of laissez-faire. In their stead, it argues in favor of approaches to development that are proactively egalitarian and redistributive.
Text Analysis with JSTOR Archives
Authors: Bernau John A.
Published: November 2018

I provide a visual representation of keyword trends and authorship for two flagship sociology journals using data from JSTOR’s Data for Research repository. While text data have accompanied the digital spread of information, it remains inaccessible to researchers unfamiliar with the required preprocessing. The visualization and accompanying code encourage widespread use of this source of data in the social sciences.
Teachers’ Text Selections and Explanations About Text Selection and Use in History/Social Studies
Authors: Popp Jacquelynn S.
Published: November 2018

This study explores texts used in four 7th-11th grade teachers’ history/social studies lessons and these teachers’ perspectives about the texts. Specifically, data from interview and observation field notes were analyzed to determine (a) the number, types, and modes of texts teachers used in their lessons and (b) teachers’ perspectives on the what, why, and how of their text selections and uses in their lessons. The data demonstrated a relation between the number, types, and modes of texts teachers used in their lessons and the focus of teachers’ explanations about text selection and uses. The results of this study suggest that the teachers’ textual decisions in their lessons may relate to their reasoning about syntactic structures of the discipline of history. In particular, the extent to which and how teachers framed literacy as an integrated tool to engage students in historical inquiry varied among teachers. This variation was related to the number, types, and modes of texts they used in their lessons.
Solving a Social Issue Using Information and Communication Technology
Authors: Kurose Yoshitoshi , Akiyama Yuuko , Hasan Ifte
Published: November 2018

In this study, we have introduced an information and communication technology solution which enables the supporters of dementia patients to provide useful information or hints to the concerned parties (family member, etc.) and thus can support them in searching for such patients in case they go missing. Several simulation/onsite testings of the solution were executed with the participation of dementia patients, their family, dementia supporters and general residents of a city. According to the result of the testing, the solution was proved to be effective in searching for missing dementia patients and was highly evaluated by the concerned parties. While still there are some technical tasks need to be solved before taking the service to a commercial level, the feedback from probable users reflects that they think it is worth enough to pay a reasonable fee for using such a service.
Practising Value Innovation through Artificial Intelligence: The IBM Watson Case
Authors: Russo-Spena Tiziana , Mele Cristina , Marzullo Marialuisa
Published: November 2018

This article focuses on the value innovation prompted by Artificial Intelligence (AI). By shifting the attention from innovation as a new outcome to innovating as something that people do (i.e., a practice) to co-create value, this article addresses how IBM Watson prompts new service provisions and the emergence of new interactions between humans and non-humans. The research allows for detecting how multiple actors connect, interact, learn and discover new ways to do things, serve others better and co-create value through AI. A fresh approach is offered to explore the role of AI to foster networking and knowing practices for value creating and innovating.
Stroke: The past, present and future
Authors: Macrae I. Mhairi , Allan Stuart M.
Published: November 2018

Since the inception of the British Neuroscience Association, there have been major advances in our knowledge of the mechanistic basis for stroke-induced brain damage. Identification of the ischaemic cascade led to the development of hundreds of new drugs, many showing efficacy in preclinical (animal-based) studies. None of these drugs has yet translated to a successful stroke treatment, current therapy being limited to thrombolysis/thrombectomy. However, this translational failure has led to significant improvements in the quality of animal-based stroke research, with the refinement of rodent models, introduction of new technologies (e.g. transgenics, in vivo brain imaging) and improvements in study design (e.g. STAIR, ARRIVE and IMPROVE guidelines). This has run in parallel with advances in clinical diagnostic imaging for detection of ischaemic versus haemorrhagic stroke, differentiating penumbra from ischaemic core, and improved clinical trial design. These preclinical and clinical advances represent the foundation for successful translation from the bench to the bedside in the near future.
Treatment Outcomes of Lesser Tuberosity Osteotomy Nonunion After Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Authors: Bloom Zachary J , Lopez, BA Cesar D , Maier Stephen P , Shiu Brian B , Petkovic Djuro , Levine William N , Jobin Charles M
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Lesser tuberosity osteotomy (LTO) during anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty has a 13% nonunion rate. Treatment for LTO nonunion is controversial and poorly described in the literature. The purpose of this study was to compare the surgical and nonsurgical treatment outcomes of LTO nonunion.

Methods

A retrospective case series of 9 consecutive patients with LTO nonunion after primary anatomic shoulder arthroplasty at 1 institution from 2010 to 2016 were studied. Outcomes measured were radiographic evaluation of LTO on axillary X-ray, clinical range of motion (ROM), subscapularis strength, and pain at the time of LTO nonunion diagnosis and after either conservative care or surgical repair of the LTO nonunion.

Results

LTO nonunion was treated surgically in 4 and conservatively in 5 patients with average follow-up of 30 and 22 months, respectively. There were no significant differences in age, sex, or smoking status between groups. Treatment decision was a shared model of surgeon and patient. Displaced LTO nonunion was treated surgically in 2 and conservatively in 3 patients. There were no differences in LTO union rate of 50% in the surgical versus 60% in the conservative group. Abdominal compression test was abnormal in 50% of surgical versus 40% of conservative groups. At follow-up, ROM was lower in the surgical group with 128° forward elevation (FE) and 33° external rotation (ER) compared to 148° FE and 62° ER. Only 1 patient with LTO nonunion required conversion to reverse replacement.

Conclusion

LTO nonunion after shoulder arthroplasty is rare. Surgical repair of LTO nonunion does not significantly improve clinical or radiographic outcomes compared to conservative care.
The impacts of cough: a cross-sectional study in a Finnish adult employee population
Authors: Koskela Heikki O. , Lätti Anne M. , Pekkanen Juha
Published: November 2018

Given the very high prevalence of cough, little is known about its impacts.

A questionnaire was sentviae-mail to all public service employees in two towns in Finland. There were 373 subjects with acute cough, 174 with subacute cough and 421 with chronic cough. Cough-related quality of life was assessed with the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) and depressive symptoms with Patient Health Questionnaire-2. In addition, data on doctor's visits and sick leave days were collected.

Mean LCQ (95% CI) total scores were 16.2 (15.9–16.5), 14.5 (14.1–15.0) and 14.6 (14.3–14.9) among subjects with acute, subacute and chronic cough, respectively (p<0.001). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 5.4%, 7.5% and 4.8%, respectively, and 5.0% among subjects without current cough (p=0.50). The respective proportions of subjects with at least one doctor's visit due to cough during the previous year were 27.6%, 44.8%, 49.6% and 16.1% (p<0.001). The respective proportions of subjects with at least one sick leave day due to cough during the previous year were 28.9%, 39.1%, 36.3% and 15.3% (p<0.001). Any current cough was associated with an increased the risk of several (three or more) yearly doctor's visit due to any reason (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.49, 95% CI 1.27–1.76) and several (seven or more) yearly sick leave days due to any reason (aOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.22–1.68).

Cough decreases quality of life, and has a large socioeconomic impact by increasing doctor's visits and sick leave days. However, it is not associated with depressive symptoms. The impacts of subacute and chronic cough are comparable, and larger than those of acute cough.
Sunitinib-suppressed miR-452-5p facilitates renal cancer cell invasion and metastasis through modulating SMAD4/SMAD7 signals
Authors: Zhai Wei , Li Saiyang , Zhang Jin , Chen Yonghui , Ma Junjie , Kong Wen , Gong Dongkui , Zheng Junhua , Xue Wei , Xu Yunfei
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Although microRNAs (miRNAs) were revealed as crucial modulators in tumor metastasis and target therapy, our understanding of their roles in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) and Sunitinib treatment was limited. Here we sought to identify human miRNAs that acted as key regulators in renal cancer metastasis and Sunitinib treatment.

Experimental design

We focused on 2 published microarray data to select out our anchored miRNA and then explored the roles of miR-452-5p both in vitro and in vivo, which was downregulated after Sunitinib treatment while upregulated in metastasis renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues.

Results

Here, we discovered that treating with Sunitinib, the targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), inhibited renal cancer cell migration and invasion via attenuating the expression of miR-452-5p. The novel identified miR-452-5p was upregulated and associated with poor prognosis in RCC. Preclinical studies using multiple RCC cells and xenografts model illustrated that miR-452-5p could promote RCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, P65 could directly bind to the miR-452-5p promoter and thus transcriptionally induce miR-452-5p expression, which led to post-transcriptionally abrogate SMAD4 expression, thus inhibition of its downstream gene SMAD7.

Conclusion

Our study presented a road map for targeting this newly identified miR-452-5p and its SMAD4/SMAD7 signals pathway, which imparted a new potential therapeutic strategy for mRCC treatment.
Electrochemical polarization around metallic particles — Part 2: The role of diffuse surface charge
Authors: Bücker Matthias , Undorf Sabine , Flores Orozco Adrián , Kemna Andreas
Published: November 2018

Numerical simulations are carried out to study the induced-polarization response of a charged metallic sphere, which immersed in electrolyte solution is covered by a static diffuse layer. The metallic sphere itself is assumed to be perfectly conductive; electromigration and diffusion processes in bulk electrolyte and diffuse layer are modeled by the Poisson-Nernst-Planck system of partial differential equations. To include the effect of a fixed diffuse charge, we consider a constant electric [Formula: see text]-potential at the surface of the particle, which leads to the buildup of a static diffuse layer. Furthermore, a minor fraction of electroactive cations engages in oxidation-reduction reactions at the particle surface, which allows charges to be transferred across the solid-liquid interface. Upon excitation by a low-frequency electric field, we observe the coupling of three polarization processes in the composite material consisting of metallic particle and surrounding electrolyte. The first is related to the dynamic charging of field-induced diffuse layers immediately outside the two hemispheres of the sphere. The other two are volume-diffusion processes: (1) one driven by the reaction currents through the particle surface and (2) the other driven by the unequal electromigration transport of anions and cations through the static diffuse layer. Diffuse-layer relaxation and volume diffusion due to reaction currents can also be observed around uncharged metallic particles and clearly dominate the macroscopic polarization response. The [Formula: see text]-surface potential at the particle surface, and thus the static diffuse layer, only moderately change the relaxation of the field-induced diffuse layer: With the increasing magnitude of the [Formula: see text]-potential, we observe an increase of the low-frequency electrical conductivity of the particle in suspension, a reduction of its polarization magnitude, and a shift of its characteristic frequency toward lower frequencies. The volume-diffusion process due to the reaction currents remains practically unaffected by the static diffuse layer.
Geomechanical analysis of microseismicity in an organic shale: A West Virginia Marcellus Shale example
Authors: Zorn Erich , Kumar Abhash , Harbert William , Hammack Richard
Published: November 2018

Using an innovative workflow incorporating microseismic attributes and geomechanical well logs, we have defined major geomechanical drivers of microseismic expression to understand reservoir stimulation response in an engineering/geologic context. We sampled microseismic data from two hydraulically fractured Marcellus wells in the Appalachian Basin, West Virginia, vertically through the event cloud, crossing shale, limestone, sandstone, and chert. We focused our analysis on the Devonian organic shale and created pseudologs of moment magnitude Mw, b-value, and event count. The vertical moving-average sampling of microseismic data was completed such that the sample interval matched that of the geophysical well log. This technique creates robust, high-resolution microseismic logs that indicate subtle changes in microseismic properties and allow direct crossplotting of microseismic versus geophysical logs. We chose five geomechanical properties to form the framework against which to interrogate the microseismic data: Young’s modulus (YM), Poisson’s ratio (PR), brittleness, lambda-rho, and mu-rho. In addition, we included gamma as a useful measure of organic content. Having defined this microseismic-geomechanical crossplot space, we derived insights into the response of these units during hydraulic fracturing. Observations include (1) larger magnitude microseismicity occurs in high PR, high YM rocks; high event counts are found in low PR rocks, (2) low b-value (high in situ stress) is consistent with the occurrence of larger magnitude events and low event counts, and (3) YM and PR act as bounding conditions, creating “sweet spots” for high and low Mw, event count, and stress. In our crossplot space, there is a meaningful link between microseismicity and the elastic properties of the host rock. In light of this dependence of stimulation potential on elastic properties, the calculation of microseismic pseudologs at stimulation sites and application of our crossplot framework for microseismic-geomechanical analysis in unconventional shale will inform operators in planning and forecasting stimulation and production, respectively.
Jumping mechanics of desert kangaroo rats
Authors: Schwaner M. Janneke , Lin David C. , McGowan Craig P.
Published: November 2018

Kangaroo rats are small bipedal desert rodents that use erratic vertical jumps to escape predator strikes. In this study we examined how individual hind limb joints of desert kangaroo rats (Dipodomys deserti) power vertical jumps across a range of heights. We hypothesized that increases in net work would be equally divided across hind limb joints with increases in jump height. To test this hypothesis, we used an inverse dynamics analysis to quantify the mechanical output from the hind limb joints of kangaroo rats jumping vertically over a wide range of heights. The kangaroo rats in this study reached maximal jump heights up to ∼9-times hip height. Net joint work increased significantly with jump height at the hip, knee and ankle, and decreased significantly at the metatarsal–phalangeal joint. The increase in net work generated by each joint was not proportional across joints but was dominated by the ankle, which ranged from contributing 56% of the work done on the center of mass at low jumps to 70% during the highest jumps. Therefore, the results of this study did not support our hypothesis. However, using an anatomical model, we estimated that a substantial proportion of the work delivered at the ankle (48%) was transferred from proximal muscles via the biarticular ankle extensors.
Narrow-Band Imaging Improves Detection of Colorectal Peritoneal Metastases: A Clinical Study Comparing Advanced Imaging Techniques
Authors: Sluiter Nina Roelie , Vlek Stijn Lucas , Wijsmuller Arthur Randolph , Brandsma Henk Thijs , de Vet Henrica Cornelia Wilhelmina , van Grieken Nicole Cornelia Theodora , Kazemier Geert , Tuynman Jurriaan Benjamin
Published: November 2018

Background

Colorectal peritoneal metastases (PM) are often diagnosed in an advanced disease stage. Cytoreduction and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improve survival of patients with colorectal PM, although most benefit is seen in patients with limited peritoneal disease. Advanced imaging techniques might improve the detection of PM, potentially leading to earlier diagnosis and improved cytoreduction. This prospective clinical trial compared three advanced techniques with conventional white-light imaging for the detection of colorectal PM: narrow-band imaging (NBI), near-infrared indocyanine green fluorescent imaging (NIR-ICG), and spray-dye chromoendoscopy (SDCE).

Methods

Patients with colorectal PM were prospectively included. Prior to cytoreduction and HIPEC, all abdominal regions were inspected with white-light imaging, NBI, NIR-ICG, and SDCE during exploratory laparoscopy. Primary endpoints were sensitivity and specificity for the detection of PM, using pathological examination of biopsied lesions as the reference standard. The safety of all techniques was assessed.

Results

Between May 2016 and March 2018, four different techniques were analyzed in 28 patients, resulting in 169 biopsies. Sensitivity for the detection of PM significantly increased from 80.0% with white light to 96.0% with NBI (p = 0.008), without loss of specificity (74.8% vs. 73.1%, respectively, p = 0.804). The use of NIR-ICG and SDCE was discontinued after 10 patients had undergone treatment because the lesions were not fluorescent using NIR-ICG, and because SDCE did not visualize the whole peritoneum. No adverse events relating to the imaging techniques occurred.

Conclusion

NBI substantially increased the detection of PM. This method is safe and could improve the detection of metastatic lesions and help optimize cytoreduction in patients with colorectal PM.
Economic Potential and the Greek Regions: Measuring Peripherality
Authors: Lykos Martin
Published: November 2018

This paper investigates spatial development in Greece in respect to the economic potential of its regions. Several statistical tools are used such as measurement of economic potential / peripherality scores of all Greek NUTS 3 regions. The economic centre of Attica / Athens determines economic potential all over the country, as proved by the output of the analysis. Lower peripherality rates are observed in Attica and its neighbouring prefectures, while higher in prefectures that combine remote position and limited local economic activity.
Transformative Governance through Freedom of Choices in a South Asian Megacity: A Critical Review
Authors: Ahmed Saleh
Published: November 2018

Countries in the developing regions or transitional economies are now experiencing an unprecedented pace of urbanization. This phenomenal event involves far more complex system dynamics of human security and livelihoods than any times before. This paper is aimed to highlight these issues from human dimensions where peoples’ choices and values are properly addressed and can value in sociopolitical arena. The philosophical inputs have been taken from the remarkable works of Nobel Laureate Economist Amartya Sen. This paper explores how Sen’s ideas on freedom of choice and capability approach can improve the urban governance in cities like Dhaka, which is an example of hyper urbanization in low income developing regions and experiencing severe poverty and exclusion.
Κυβερνητικός Συγκεντρωτισμός και "Υπουργειοπληθωρισμός": Δύο Ανασταλτικοί Παράγοντες για την Παγίωση Αυτοδιοικητικής Κουλτούρας στην Ελλάδα
Authors: Ζέρβας Νίκος Σπ.
Published: November 2018

Local government provides the opportunity for citizens to infl uence those decisions that affect their immediate social and economic environment. In addition, it contributes to effectively addressing and overcoming public problems. For these reasons local government is a cornerstone of a democratic society and an organized and effi cient state. However, the centralized Greek administration does not allow the consolidation of local-governing culture. The Government regards local authorities as the local arm of its work and don’t assign them decisive powers. The reasons for this particular phenomenon are analyzed in this paper.
Σύγχρονες Μορφές Διακυβέρνησης στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση: Η Περίπτωση του Ευρωπαϊκού Ομίλου Εδαφικής Συνεργασίας
Authors: Οικονόμου Γιώργος
Published: November 2018

The process of European integration poses pressures for new modes of governance in the European space, allowing for the development of subnational mobilization. The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) constitute a formal type of cross-border, inter-state and inter-regional co-operation aiming at improving social, economic, and territorial cohesion. This article focuses on the EGTCs as a new mode of multi-level governance. It is argued that motivation for participation in an EGTC stands for an essential precondition for attracting new members, however, is not suffi cient taking into account intervening variables which have an impact upon subnational mobilization.
Προς μια αναμόρφωση των διαδικασιών αξιολόγησης των Ευρωπαϊκών Διαρθρωτικών Ταμείων: μαθήματα από την ελληνική περίπτωση
Authors: Πετρόπουλος Σωτήρης
Published: November 2018

The processes and theoretical models for the evaluation of the impact of European Structural Funds in the Member States are an ever changing and enhancing sector. Based on the results of each programming period, a vast literature and many directives have been developed aimed at better recording these effects. The study of the Greek case, through a thorough literature research and especially a robust field study, indicates that despite all the improvements many, mainly indirect in nature, effects are not recorded and therefore no policy proposals covering such deficiencies and rendering the management and evaluation system of the ESF more effective are being formulated. The article concludes on a series of policy proposals for the improvement of procedures with a direct impact towards the amelioration of the management system of European funds.
Ο Αναπτυξιακός Ρόλος της Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης στην Ελλάδα
Authors: Αρναουτάκης Σταύρος
Published: November 2018

Δεν διατίθεται/no abstract available
Die deutsch-griechische Zusammenarbeit in der kommunalen Selbstverwaltung
Authors: Maly Ulrich
Published: November 2018

no abstract available
Το πρόγραμμα Καλλικράτης και η λειτουργική ενδυνάμωση της Τοπικής Αυτοδιοίκησης
Authors: Κουταλάκης Χαράλαμπος
Published: November 2018

no abstract available
Εισαγωγή στην πολιτική της τοπικής αυτοδιοίκησης
Authors: Fliedner Ortlieb
Published: November 2018

no abstract available
Die Entwicklung der Kommunalen Selbstverwaltung zwischen Politikverfl echtung und politischer Dezentralisierung
Authors: Wohlfahrt Norbert
Published: November 2018

no abstract available
Επιστημονική συνεργασία & Περιφερειακή ανάπτυξη. Ο σύγχρονος ρόλος των εκπαιδευτικών ιδρυμάτων
Authors: Κουρής Σωτήρης
Published: November 2018

Δε διατίθεται περίληψη
Stefanie Dϋhr, Claire Colomb, Vincent Nadin European Spatial Planning and Territorial Cooperation
Authors: Φυσεκίδου Μαρία
Published: November 2018

Δε διατίθεται περίληψη
«Το ζήτημα της απορρόφησης του ΕΣΠΑ στην Ελλάδα και η συμβολή της Task Force στην απεμπλοκή και καλύτερη χρήση των κοινοτικών κονδυλίων». Η περίπτωση του ΕΠ «Ενίσχυση της Προσπελασιμότητας 2007-2013»
Authors: Καυκαλίδης Αθανάσιος
Published: November 2018

No abstract
Mergers of municipalities in Greek local government. An evaluation by means of a S.W.O.T. analysis
Authors: Fois Christos Theophrastos , Sdrali Despina , Apostolopoulos Constantinos D.
Published: November 2018

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the reforms in local government that took place in Greece during the last fi fteen years. The aim of the reforms was the creation of strong local government entities, i.e. powerful and effi cient local authorities, able to plan and implement local development policies, and to provide effective and qualitatively superior services to citizens. SWOT analysis is used in order to identify the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and threats of the “Kallikrates” Program. Results indicate that the new reform offers to local government new powers and resources and therefore leads to improved effectiveness; reduced operating costs and promotion of the active participa tion of citizens in public affairs, by means of local referendums. However, there are also threats created for the reform, which are related to the broader fi nancial crisis, the disputes of political powers on the substance of the reform, the boundaries of new municipalities and the needs in personnel.
DErangements [a study for UnReading]
Authors: Book Lynn
Published: November 2018

No abstract (available).
When Players Feel Helpless: Agentic Decay and Participation in Narrative Games
Authors: Eveleth Kyle
Published: November 2018

The ergodic (participatory) element of games is often cited as the core barrier to overcoming a perceived divide between good ludic (gaming) design and powerful storytelling. The present study examines two Indie games, Braid and Actual Sunlight, and their nuanced treatment of player participation in service of effective storytelling. These games in particular test the limits of player agency by asking the player to make ethically and morally problematic decisions, such as killing the main character, en route to completing the narrative. Such unusual narrative methods allow Braid and Actual Sunlight‗s game designers to unveil the mechanisms that afford, constrain, and ultimately revitalise the player‘s agency within the bounds of ergodic interaction. Narrative here, rather than restricting gameplay, instead enhances it, offering a tragic moment of cathartic relief as the player is exculpated for his or her decisions during the game. The insights drawn from these two examples and larger-studio offerings like Bioshock and Assassin’s Creed suggest a deeply traditional mode of storytelling at work in many narrative video games, an assertion that allows the ludological/narratological divide to be reknit and sets up ergodic media as a whole (video games, physical roleplaying games, interactive books, and more) for critical reconsideration.
The Rapture at the World’s End: Non-optional Choice and Libertarian Idealism in New Media
Authors: Joyce Stephen
Published: November 2018

Central to the experience of new media is the idea of interactivity, even though this dovetails problematically with both arguments for grassroots agency and neo-liberal economic philosophies alike. This paper examines the 2007 computer game Bioshock in relation to its thematic employment of the ideals of market libertarianism as depicted in the novels of Ayn Rand and its strategic use and withholding of agency at critical moments in the gameplay. It argues that Bioshock not only uses the techniques of traditional narrative forms to address the culturally significant issue of the impossible alliance between traditionalism and libertarianism under a conservative banner but also uses the interactive medium to generate a genuinely new aesthetic experience in which the logic of free choice in the narrative, ideology, and medium are simultaneously brought into juxtaposition. This moment marks a landmark development in digital narrative and opens new possibilities for the art form.
Woman in the Mirror: Reflections
Authors: Fish Laura
Published: November 2018

In A Room of One’s Own (1929) Virginia Woolf asserts: “Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size”. (34) The use of the mirror is key to Woolf’s arguments about the position of women in general and in particular that of women writers. Complicating Woolf’s view less than a century later, I examine how black women function as looking-glasses in a dual way: as blacks, we shared the past (and now share the current) fate of black people reflecting the “darker” side of white people, as many whites projected onto blacks the unacknowledgeable traits of their own nature. The mirror is also key then to the way in which racial oppression has been analysed in literature. My paper offers an account, by way of selected examples from the history of our literature, of indicating how the mirror has been essential to how black British women are viewed and reflected back. I suggest that the misshapen image in the looking glass created by white people and also black men, allows them to see an inflated reflection of themselves, to assume false feelings of superiority, and to perpetuate oppression against us. I focus on Mary Prince, Mary Seacole, Una Marson, Joan Riley and Helen Oeyemi–authors whose work either anticipates or relates to Woolf’s notion of mirroring, by seeking ways to addressor overcome the situation in which we are placed. The texts explored not only trace the development of the tradition of our writing - the shift from being represented to representing ourselves– but also present a range of cultural and political views and identify three recurring themes: firstly, the denigration in our portrayal; secondly, the assumed superiority white people and black men adopt over us; and thirdly our resistance in remonstrating against such treatment and exposure.
Historiography in Photo-textuality: The Representation of Trauma in W. G. Sebald’s The Emigrants
Authors: Tseti Angeliki
Published: November 2018

This paper springs from the issues raised with reference to the historiographical representation of limit events and the challenges presented in the attempt to address collective trauma, and wishes to contend that fictional works of photo-textuality —in other words novels which consist of verbal as well as visual (photographic) components—carry the potential to place such ‘unrepresentable’ or ‘indescribable’ events among the historically narratable. While focusing predominantly on word-image interactions, this paper reads W. G. Sebald’s photo-text The Emigrants (1992) as an example of photoliterary narratives of trauma, to examine the ways in which these bimedial structures enable the surfacing of memory in multidirectionality. This is achieved, I argue, via the employment of the valuable functions of testimony and witnessing, the establishment of polyphony and multi-perspectivity—consequent, predominantly, to the reciprocal relationship between verbal and visual narrative— and the ensuing involvement of the respondent viewer/reader in the production of meaning. Within this context, the insertion of the photograph in the verbal narrative, and the aporias raised by the interaction of the two components, allows for an affective mode for addressing the singular traumatic event to be developed, and for historic calamity to be approached in a manner that echoes the experiences of other victims and/or survivors of catastrophic events. Thus, the traumatic past may be re-constructed by analogy and, while singular, also meet Paul Ricoeur’s definition of the historical as contributing “to the development of a plot.”
Jeanne Dubino, ed. Virginia Woolf and the Literary Marketplace
Authors: Wegener Susan
Published: November 2018

No abstract (available).
Democracy in Republic: Plato’s Contestation
Authors: Cacoullos Ann R.
Published: November 2018

Plato has been read as a virulent opponent of democracy, a common interpretation that, among other things, either ignores or dismisses his perceptive account of the ways democracy can be a mistaken political culture. In Books 8-9 where he designs other cities that are less than his ideal city, Plato tries to show how the whole manner of living and esteeming of a ruling class pervert the preferences and decision-making of everyone living in the city. Attention to this account can reveal Plato not so much rejecting but contesting the democracy he designs-in-theory. In the city he models, freedom and equality are misdirected, its own political culture ultimately betrays itself. I argue that, for Plato, democracy’s failure is due largely though not exclusively to a remnant of oligarchy that remains within it —the underhanded and excessive pursuit of money— which undermine the freedom and equality that define its political culture.