bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ofatumumab plus chlorambucil as a first-line therapy in less fit patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: analysis of COMPLEMENT1 and other monoclonal antibodies association data
Authors: Frustaci Anna Maria , Tedeschi Alessandra , Picardi Paola , Mazzucchelli Maddalena , Cairoli Roberto , Montillo Marco
Published: May 2016

The management of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has radically improved over the last few years with the addition of anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) to chemotherapy. Chlorambucil has been considered for decades as a suitable therapeutic option for frail patients. Taking into account the advantage offered by the addition of MoAbs to chemotherapy, different studies up to now have explored the feasibility of chlorambucil-based chemoimmunotherapies in treatment-naïve CLL. COMPLEMENT1 is a prospective, randomized, open-label trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ofatumumab added to chlorambucil, compared with chlorambucil in monotherapy, in the setting of untreated patients with CLL considered unsuitable for a fludarabine-based approach. Progression-free survival was significantly longer in the chemoimmunotherapy arm when compared with the single-agent chlorambucil (22.4 months versus 13.1 months). Response rate and quality were also improved in the combination arm. Furthermore, the addition of ofatumumab did not lead to an unmanageable toxicity. While the employment of anti-CD20 antibodies represents an advantage in the treatment of the CLL symptomatic population, at present different patient selection and treatment schedules do not allow a reliable comparison between chlorambucil-based regimens. The addition of ofatumumab to chlorambucil represents a further therapeutic gain in CLL. Longer follow up and direct comparison with other MoAbs are warranted to establish the preferred first-line treatment in elderly and unfit patients.
Mothers’ Socioeconomic Differentials and Management of Malaria in Nigeria
Authors: Kolawole Ojewumi Titus , Stephen Asaolu Olugbenga
Published: May 2016

About 150 million Nigerians live in areas of intense malaria transmission. Malaria has the greatest prevalence, close to 50% in children aged 6 to 59 months. A review of literatures revealed that more than 80% of malaria episodes received treatment outside of the existing government health care system. This means that treatments are rarely sought at health care facilities and are most often inappropriate or delayed. Reasons underlying these practices range from mothers’ socioeconomic status to difficulty in accessing health care facilities. Therefore, this study re-examined whether mothers’ socioeconomic characteristics and barriers to access health care facilities are major factors that influence mothers’ choice of treatment and delays in seeking treatment of malaria among under-five children in Nigeria. The study used Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey kids recode dataset. The data were analyzed using STATA 12 software. The result showed significant relationship between religion (χ2 = 216.24, p < .05), education (χ2 = 257.55, p < .05), occupation status (χ2 = 21.88, p < .05), wealth index (χ2 = 207.08, p < .05), type of residence (χ2 = 18.56, p < .05), region of residence (χ2 = 350.82, p < .05), and type of treatment sought and delay in seeking treatment for malaria. Also, the likelihood of seeking medical and prompt treatment among mothers with four different barriers is significantly less (odds ratio = 0.53; p < .05; 95% confidence interval = [0.38- 0.75]), when compared with their counterparts without any barrier. The study concluded that mothers` socioeconomic status and access to health care facilities must be improved to ensure appropriate and prompt use of health care facilities for treatment of malaria among under-five children in Nigeria.
Work–Life Balance and the Needs of Female Employees in the Telecommunications Industry in a Developing Country
Authors: Abubaker Mahmoud , Bagley Christopher
Published: May 2016

Finding a balance between the demands of the role requirements of work, family, and social life is a challenging problem for modern society and is particularly relevant for the growth of women’s participation in the workforce. These role conflicts may result in significant psychological stress for individuals. For corporations, stressed employees are also a problem. Work–life balance (WLB) programs to address these issues have emerged in Western countries in the past three decades and have been evaluated in various ways in multidisciplinary studies which have employed sociological and psychological methodologies. WLB programs in developed countries often reflect the ethos of particular cultures, and Western models may not be wholly relevant for cross-cultural comparison. The present study explores these issues using the methodology of critical realism in companies in the telecommunications sector of Palestine. This qualitative study develops a complex model of a newly identified set of factors, which may be relevant for other Arabic cultural settings. Further exploration of this model using psychometric techniques is proposed.
Angiopoietin-1 receptor Tie2 distinguishes multipotent differentiation capability in bovine coccygeal nucleus pulposus cells
Authors: Tekari Adel , Chan Samantha C. W. , Sakai Daisuke , Grad Sibylle , Gantenbein Benjamin
Published: May 2016

Background

The intervertebral disc (IVD) has limited self-healing potential and disc repair strategies require an appropriate cell source such as progenitor cells that could regenerate the damaged cells and tissues. The objective of this study was to identify nucleus pulposus-derived progenitor cells (NPPC) and examine their potential in regenerative medicine in vitro.

Methods

Nucleus pulposus cells (NPC) were obtained from 1-year-old bovine coccygeal discs by enzymatic digestion and were sorted for the angiopoietin-1 receptor Tie2. The obtained Tie2– and Tie2+ fractions of cells were differentiated into osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic lineages in vitro. Colony-forming units were prepared from both cell populations and the colonies formed were analyzed and quantified after 8 days of culture. In order to improve the preservation of the Tie2+ phenotype of NPPC in monolayer cultures, we tested a selection of growth factors known to have stimulating effects, cocultured NPPC with IVD tissue, and exposed them to hypoxic conditions (2 % O2).

Results

After 3 weeks of differentiation culture, only the NPC that were positive for Tie2 were able to differentiate into osteocytes, adipocytes, and chondrocytes as characterized by calcium deposition (p < 0.0001), fat droplet formation (p < 0.0001), and glycosaminoglycan content (p = 0.0095 vs. Tie2– NPC), respectively. Sorted Tie2– and Tie2+ subpopulations of cells both formed colonies; however, the colonies formed from Tie2+ cells were spheroid in shape, whereas those from Tie2– cells were spread and fibroblastic. In addition, Tie2+ cells formed more colonies in 3D culture (p = 0.011) than Tie2– cells. During expansion, a fast decline in the fraction of Tie2+ cells was observed (p < 0.0001), which was partially reversed by low oxygen concentration (p = 0.0068) and supplementation of the culture with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Our results showed that the bovine nucleus pulposus contains NPPC that are Tie2+. These cells fulfilled formally progenitor criteria that were maintained in subsequent monolayer culture for up to 7 days by addition of FGF2 or hypoxic conditions. We propose that the nucleus pulposus represents a niche of precursor cells for regeneration of the IVD.
Genomic resources and draft assemblies of the human and porcine varieties of scabies mites, Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis and var. suis
Authors: Mofiz Ehtesham , Deborah C , Seemann Torsten , Currie Bart J , Fischer Katja , Papenfuss Anthony T
Published: May 2016

Background:

The scabies mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, is a parasitic arachnid and cause of the infectious skin disease scabies in humans and mange in other animal species. Scabies infections are a major health problem, particularly in remote Indigenous communities in Australia, where secondary group A streptococcal and Staphylococcus aureus infections of scabies sores are thought to drive the high rate of rheumatic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

Results:

We sequenced the genome of two samples of Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis obtained from unrelated patients with crusted scabies located in different parts of northern Australia using the Illumina HiSeq. We also sequenced samples of Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis from a pig model. Because of the small size of the scabies mite, these data are derived from pools of thousands of mites and are metagenomic, including host and microbiome DNA. We performed cleaning and de novo assembly and present Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis and var. suis draft reference genomes. We have constructed a preliminary annotation of this reference comprising 13,226 putative coding sequences based on sequence similarity to known proteins.

Conclusions

We have developed extensive genomic resources for the scabies mite, including reference genomes and a preliminary annotation
The Eighth International Workshop on Seismic Anisotropy (8IWSA)
Authors: Arnaud Jean , Helbig Klaus , Rasolofosaon Patrick , Thomsen Leon
Published: May 2016

The Eighth International Workshop on Seismic Anisotropy (8IWSA) was held on April 20-24, 1998, in Boussens, France, at the CISFAB Training Center of Elf Aquitaine (for more information, see http://8IWSA.seg.org ). This conference, held every two years since 1984, brings together many of the world's experts on seismic anisotropy for a week of intense discussion of recent advances. The anisotropic community is highly informal, with no society, no officers, and no journal. Because of the increasingly importance of the subject of anisotropy to exploration geophysics, SEG has supported the publication of past proceedings volumes (Brown and Lawton, 1993; Fjaer et al., 1996; Hood, 1999).
A simple hydromechanical approach for simulating squirt-type flow
Authors: Quintal Beatriz , Rubino J. Germán , Caspari Eva , Holliger Klaus
Published: May 2016

The deformations caused by an acoustic wavefield in subsurface rock can induce fluid flow within hydraulically interconnected mesoscopic fractures, from one fracture into the other. The viscous friction associated with this squirt-type fluid flow parallel to the fracture walls results in energy dissipation and velocity dispersion. We have developed a quasi-static hydromechanical approach that is suitable for simulating squirt-type flow in the mesoscopic scale range and microscopic squirt flow. Our approach couples Navier-Stokes equation with Hooke’s law to describe the laminar flow of a viscous compressible fluid in conduits embedded in an elastic solid background. Results from the proposed method were compared with those obtained with Biot’s equations for a model containing interconnected mesoscopic fractures embedded in a background of very low porosity and permeability. Despite significant differences in the flow and dissipation spatial patterns, we have observed an essentially perfect agreement of the attenuation and modulus dispersion characteristics predicted by the two approaches. The difference in the flow and dissipation spatial patterns are associated with the “upscaling” inherent to Biot’s equations and, correspondingly, with differing boundary conditions at the fracture walls. Our results demonstrate that the proposed hydromechanical approach can provide additional insights on the physics of squirt-type flow in the mesoscopic and microscopic scale ranges.
Mitigation of defocusing by statics and near-surface velocity errors by interferometric least-squares migration with a reference datum
Authors: Sinha Mrinal , Schuster Gerard T.
Published: May 2016

Imaging seismic data with an erroneous migration velocity can lead to defocused migration images. To mitigate this problem, we first choose a reference reflector whose topography is well-known from the well logs, for example. Reflections from this reference layer are correlated with the traces associated with reflections from deeper interfaces to get crosscorrelograms. Interferometric least-squares migration (ILSM) is then used to get the migration image that maximizes the crosscorrelation between the observed and the predicted crosscorrelograms. Deeper reference reflectors are used to image deeper parts of the subsurface with a greater accuracy. Results on synthetic and field data show that defocusing caused by velocity errors is largely suppressed by ILSM. We have also determined that ILSM can be used for 4D surveys in which environmental conditions and acquisition parameters are significantly different from one survey to the next. The limitations of ILSM are that it requires prior knowledge of a reference reflector in the subsurface and the velocity model below the reference reflector should be accurate.
Race and Relation: The Global Sixties in the South of the South
Authors: Shih Shu-Mei
Published: May 2016

This essay deploys “relational comparison” to address the ways in which texts from different parts of the world are related to each other through their partaking and representation of world historical events. It constructs an arc of literary texts that are not distinguished by their presumed canonicity, whether Eurocentric or otherwise, but by their worldliness. It turns to the global decolonial moment of the 1960s to read that world historical event as a world literary event. By framing the racial, national, and imperial formations that resonate out from Bandung and China, the essay seeks to offer a more nuanced interpretation of the global sixties from those perspectives situated south — whether in terms of actual or symbolic geographies — of the so-called Global South. In doing so, it connects Paris, Bandung, and Beijing to Saigon, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, and Surabaya.
The dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors vildagliptin and K-579 inhibit a phospholipase C: a case of promiscuous scaffolds in proteins
Authors: Chakraborty Sandeep , Rendón-Ramírez Adela , Ásgeirsson Bjarni , Dutta Mouparna , Ghosh Anindya S. , Oda Masataka , Venkatramani Ravindra , Rao Basuthkar J. , Dandekar Abhaya M. , Goñi Félix M.
Published: May 2016

The long term side effects of any newly introduced drug is a subject of intense research, and often raging controversies. One such example is the dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP4) inhibitor used for treating type 2 diabetes, which is inconclusively implicated in increased susceptibility to acute pancreatitis. Previously, based on a computational analysis of the spatial and electrostatic properties of active site residues, we have demonstrated that phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) from Bacillus cereus is a prolyl peptidase using in vivo experiments. In the current work, we first report the inhibition of the native activity of PI-PLC by two DPP4 inhibitors - vildagliptin (LAF-237) and K-579. While vildagliptin inhibited PI-PLC at micromolar concentrations, K-579 was a potent inhibitor even at nanomolar concentrations. Subsequently, we queried a comprehensive, non-redundant set of 5000 human proteins (50% similarity cutoff) with known structures using serine protease (SPASE) motifs derived from trypsin and DPP4. A pancreatic lipase and a gastric lipase are among the proteins that are identified as proteins having promiscuous SPASE scaffolds that could interact with DPP4 inhibitors. The presence of such scaffolds in human lipases is expected since they share the same catalytic mechanism with PI-PLC. However our methodology also detects other proteins, often with a completely different enzymatic mechanism, that have significantly congruent domains with the SPASE motifs. The reported elevated levels of serum lipase, although contested, could be rationalized by inhibition of lipases reported here. In an effort to further our understanding of the spatial and electrostatic basis of DPP4 inhibitors, we have also done a comprehensive analysis of all 76 known DPP4 structures liganded to inhibitors till date. Also, the methodology presented here can be easily adopted for other drugs, and provide the first line of filtering in the identification of pathways that might be inadvertently affected due to promiscuous scaffolds in proteins.
IncucyteDRC: An R package for the dose response analysis of live cell imaging data
Authors: Chapman Philip J. , James Dominic I. , Watson Amanda J. , Hopkins Gemma V. , Waddell Ian D. , Ogilvie Donald J.
Published: May 2016

We present IncucyteDRC, an R package for the analysis of data from live cell imaging cell proliferation experiments carried out on the Essen Biosciences IncuCyte ZOOM instrument. The package provides a simple workflow for summarising data into a form that can be used to calculate dose response curves and EC50 values for small molecule inhibitors. Data from different cell lines, or cell lines grown under different conditions, can be normalised as to their doubling time. A simple graphical web interface, implemented using shiny, is provided for the benefit of non-R users. The software is potentially useful to any research group studying the impact of small molecule inhibitors on cell proliferation using the IncuCyte ZOOM.
Research Note—Leader Influence on Sustained Participation in Online Collaborative Work Communities: A Simulation-Based Approach
Authors: Oh Wonseok , Moon Jae Yun , Hahn Jungpil , Kim Taekyung
Published: May 2016

From the perspective of leader-member exchange theory, we investigate how two forms of leadership style (uniform leader-member exchange (ULMX) and differential leader-member exchange (DLMX)) impact member participation in online collaborative work communities (OCWC). Furthermore, based on computer simulations, we also examine the moderating impact of key contextual factors on the relationship between leadership style and member contributions. Efficacy of leadership style in OCWCs is greatly influenced by environmental conditions. DLMX is more effective in sustaining member commitment under high environmental uncertainty, regardless of network size and structure. ULMX is more effective in decentralized structures and during the early stage of community growth. The simulation-based insights suggest that supervisory behavior does matter to member retention and sustained participation in OCWCs, but its impact is significantly moderated by many contextual factors, such as community size, structure, maturity, and environmental uncertainty. In certain situations ULMX prevails, but in others DLMX is more effective. These two forms of governance in fact complement each other, rather than being mutually exclusive forms of leadership style. To attain a maximal outcome, leaders should flexibly adapt their governance styles between DLMX and ULMX over the life cycle of an OCWC to maximize member retention and performance benefits.
Stochastic Dominance Analysis Without the Independence Axiom
Authors: Cerreia-Vioglio Simone , Maccheroni Fabio , Marinacci Massimo
Published: May 2016

We characterize the consistency of a large class of nonexpected utility preferences (including mean-variance preferences and prospect theory preferences) with stochastic orders (for example, stochastic dominances of different degrees). Our characterization rests on a novel decision theoretic result that provides a behavioral interpretation of the set of all derivatives of the functional representing the decision maker’s preferences. As an illustration, we consider in some detail prospect theory and choice-acclimating preferences, two popular models of reference dependence under risk, and we show the incompatibility of loss aversion with prudence.

This paper was accepted by James Smith, decision analysis.
Creating Reciprocal Value Through Operational Transparency
Authors: Buell Ryan W. , Kim Tami , Tsay Chia-Jung
Published: May 2016

We investigate whether organizations can create value by introducing visual transparency between consumers and producers. Although operational transparency has been shown to improve consumer perceptions of service value, existing theory posits that increased contact between consumers and producers may diminish work performance. Two field and two laboratory experiments in food service settings suggest that transparency that (1) allows customers to observe operational processes (process transparency) and (2) allows employees to observe customers (customer transparency) not only improves customer perceptions but also increases service quality and efficiency. The introduction of this transparency contributed to a 22.2% increase in customer-reported quality and reduced throughput times by 19.2%. Laboratory studies revealed that customers who observed process transparency perceived greater employee effort and thus were more appreciative of the employees and valued the service more. Employees who observed customer transparency felt that their work was more appreciated and more impactful and thus were more satisfied with their work and more willing to exert effort. We find that transparency, by visually revealing operating processes to consumers and beneficiaries to producers, generates a positive feedback loop through which value is created for both parties.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2015.2411 .

This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.
The First Deal: The Division of Founder Equity in New Ventures
Authors: Hellmann Thomas , Wasserman Noam
Published: May 2016

We examine the trade-off between efficiency and equality within the context of entrepreneurial founding teams. Using a formal theory where founders may have preferences over relative outcomes, we derive predictions about the antecedents and consequences of dividing equity equally among all founders. Using proprietary survey data, we empirically test the predictions. Our central finding is that teams that split equity equally are less likely to raise funds from outside investors. The relationship appears not to be causal, but instead driven by selection effects across heterogeneous teams with varying degrees of inequality aversion.

This paper was accepted by David Hsu, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Optimising nutrition and hydration in people with dysphagia
Authors: Miles Anna , McFarlane Mary , Kainth Preetal
Published: May 2016

Dysphagia (difficulties in swallowing) is common across a wide range of health conditions. The consequences of dysphagia are severe: malnutrition, dehydration, pneumonia, repeated and prolonged hospitalisations, social isolation and death. It is vital that people with dysphagia are identified early, assessed by a speech-language therapist and dietitian, and then provided with a safe, enjoyable diet that optimises their nutritional and hydration needs.
Staff shortages and their ethical implications
Authors: Barber Chris
Published: May 2016

This article, the third in this series on healthcare ethics and law, will focus on the effects that understaffing is likely to have on patient and service user care from an ethical perspective. The issues of understaffing, working long hours and recruitment will be highlighted and placed against the need to set and manage a realistic budget that does not create further debt.
Undertaking special observation of patients with neurological conditions: evaluation of a training programme for HCAs
Authors: Flynn Sarah , Prescott Trish , Jinks Annette
Published: May 2016

This paper reports on a study carried out at an acute neurosciences hospital trust. The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of a training programme for healthcare assistants undertaking special observation of patients. Some patients being cared for at the hospital have neurological complaints that are accompanied by confusion and agitation and they require close observation, in order to preserve their own and others' safety. The literature review revealed an abundance of literature related to special observation in mental health care. However, there is very little research related to the care of patients with neurological conditions.

Some 20 experienced, female, healthcare assistants took part in the training programme. At the start of the study, their attitudes to undertaking special observation were negative. The training programme included topics such as communication, management of extreme agitation, de-escalation strategies and diversional activities. Participants' confidence levels concerning assessment for suitable activities, using distraction techniques, de-escalation and restraint methods increased on completion of the programme.

It is concluded that caring for confused patients in acute hospital settings may sometimes be a passive, non-therapeutic type activity. Increasing the range of patient activities available and encouraging meaningful interactions with carers and patients will improve the caring experience for all concerned.
Care Certificate Standard 13: health and safety; and Standard 14: handling information
Authors: Peate Ian
Published: May 2016

Health and safety in the workplace is everyone's responsibility. While employers have the greatest responsibility with regards to health and safety in the workplace, the healthcare assistant and assistant practitioner (HCA and AP) have important duties to perform in order to keep the workplace safe. The employer has the most authority regarding health and safety issues. This article, discussing standard 13 of the care certificate relating to health and safety, offers a broad overview of the key issues.

Standard 14 is concerned with the handling of information, outlining the agreed ways of working and the legislation associated with the recording, storing and sharing of information. It is essential to have secure systems in place for recording and storing information, as this protects and safeguards each individual's human rights.
Casting a light on the need for more inclusive patient information
Authors: Wright Zoey , Hyde Conor
Published: May 2016

Zoey Wright, discusses her experiences of being young and in a relationship after undergoing stoma-forming surgery. Her partner, Conor Hyde, presents his experience of Zoey's life-changing surgery
The role of probiotics in the prevention of disease
Authors: Joshi Mayur R
Published: May 2016

Health care is rapidly changing, and a key focus of this evolution is preventative medicine, as opposed to treatment and curative options once disease has been established. This focus on prevention is aimed at reducing the overall health-care burden through better education, improved lifestyle choices and, in some cases, specific therapy to avoid disease. Natural supplements have been used in various forms for centuries, and increasingly they are undergoing vigorous scientific research in order to explore their various associated claims. Of these, probiotics are some of the most extensively investigated, and they potentially represent a safe and viable option for the prevention of certain conditions. The volume of research into probiotics has increased in parallel with the search for alternative, natural therapies with fewer side effects and clinical implications. This is reflected by the development of medicinal probiotics with extensive pre-clinical and clinical research to support their use. This review article will introduce some of the basic concepts related to probiotics, the human bacterial population (microbiome) and some of the evidence available to support their use in preventing disease.
Introducing capnography monitoring into an endoscopy service
Authors: Egan Elaine
Published: May 2016

A gap has been identified in terms of what the findings of evidence-based research recommend and what is done in clinical practice in endoscopy. Endoscopy patients undergoing sedation have their oxygen saturation, pulse and blood pressure monitored throughout the procedure. The American Society of Anaesthesiologists and the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain now recommend capnography monitoring as a standard for patients undergoing moderate to deep sedation in endoscopy. There is compelling evidence to suggest the introduction of capnography monitoring in the endoscopy unit, and using the combination of oximetry and capnography monitoring, significantly improves patient safety by enabling early recognition of respiratory depression. This article will discuss the theory behind capnography, and discuss the implementation of capnography monitoring into a nurse-led endoscopy unit.
Latest clinical research
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: May 2016

Mark Greener presents key studies published in healthcare journals
Managing pulmonary embolism
Authors: Kochhar Suneeta
Published: May 2016

An overview of the presentation, diagnosis and management of this condition, by Suneeta Kochhar
TB screening in university students
Authors: Jones Sally
Published: May 2016

In Cardiff screening students from countries with high TB prevalence has had good results, says Sally Jones
Effective steps to stop gang culture infiltrating your school
Authors: Henshaw Pete
Published: May 2016

Research identifies effective strategies to help protect and engage students who are involved with gang activity in the local community
Leading by example
Authors: Rankin Dave
Published: May 2016

In a bid to boost independent learning skills, raise aspirations and build relationships, teachers at Saint Thomas More Academy led by example. Dave Rankin explains
How to be an effective mentor
Authors: Oxtoby Kathy
Published: May 2016

Mentoring new teachers and colleagues can be challenging, but also a valuable learning experience for both mentors and mentees. Kathy Oxtoby looks at how to fulfil the role effectively
A leadership view of the White Paper
Authors: Baldwin Duncan
Published: May 2016

The government may have changed its mind on compulsory academisation, but there is a lot more to the White Paper than this. ASCL's Duncan Baldwin offers his analysis from a leadership perspective
Literacy's role in mathematics
Authors: Howard Maria
Published: May 2016

Could literacy be the key to progress in mathematics? Maria Howard reports on her work to support middle and lower achieving pupils
Germany
Authors: Adler Marina A. , Lenz Karl , Stöbel-Richter Yve
Published: May 2016

This chapter describes the context of current German family policies with special emphasis on regional differences since unification in 1990. West Germany’s legacy of the strong male breadwinner system and maternalism continues to support a different gendered ‘culture of care’ than that in the East, where the socialist dual earner system has left its mark. The classic Western conservative welfare state recently has incorporated some social-democratic policy features. Both regions now have the same increasingly father-friendly family policies and there is a common public discourse on the desirability of ‘active fatherhood’. However, while data on father involvement with young children reflect somewhat more engagement in the Eastern states and a generally high number of “weekend fathers,” in cross-national comparison Germany boasts relatively low levels of father involvement. This may be due to remaining maternalist traditions and slowly changing workplace cultures.
The United Kingdom
Authors: O’Brien Margaret , Connolly Sara , Speight Svetlana , Aldrich Matthew , Poole Eloise
Published: May 2016

This chapter examines contemporary fathering practices in the UK liberal welfare state context, where recent legislation has expanded fathers’ access to work-family reconciliation rights, albeit rather minimally. Data are provided to explore whether the new cultural mandate for active fathers holds for the quantity and the quality of time fathers spend with young children. Time use and employment activity data does show an increase in British fathers’ care time and a reduction in paid work time over the decade. Since 2003 British fathers can take two weeks paid leave after the birth of a child, and by the end of the decade over 90% of fathers took significant post-birth leave. However, British fathers, continue to have one of the longest working weeks and highest level of work–family conflict amongst European fathers. In the absence of stronger work–family reconciliation measures, underlying maternalist and modified breadwinner cultures remain resilient.
The United States
Authors: Adler Marina A.
Published: May 2016

As the classic liberal welfare state with a dual-earner regime, the US is unique in being the only advanced country and one of only four nations in the world that has no statutory right to paid maternity leave (or paternity or parental leave) for employees. The Family and Medical Leave Act provides 12 weeks of unpaid leave to both genders but only covers about 60% of all US employees. Hence the US government relies on the tax system and employers to provide support for parents. Interventions targeting fathers focus on low-income fathers who fail to fulfil their normative provider role as married head of household. As neither paid leaves, allowances or low-cost public day care are easily available, US fathers provide a relatively high amount of childcare to young children, by necessity. For about 20% of pre-school children fathers are the primary childcare provider, they spend about 2 hours a day with primary childcare, and about 1/3 are highly involved. US fathers are experiencing a high agency gap due to a demanding workplace and low levels of support for active fathers.
Production of ethanol and clarification of apple juice by pectinase enzyme produced from Aspergillus terreus NCFT 4269.10
Authors: Sethi Bijay , Satpathy Amrita , Tripathy Subodh , Parida Sidarth , Singdevsachan Sameer Kumar , Behera Bikash
Published: May 2016

Aspergillus terreus NCFT 4269.10 was evaluated by liquid static surface fermentation (LSSF), shaking fermentation (ShF) and solid state fermentation (SSF) for the production of pectinase. Among various substrates tested, banana peels supported maximum production of pectinase i.e. 1000 Â± 141.42 U/ml. The biomass of A. terreus was maximum with wheat bran (0.55Â±0.07g/50ml). Pectinase produced by A. terreus displayed higher specific activity when wheat bran was used as the sole source of carbon and energy. After successful fermentation, crude enzyme was purified to electrophoretic homogeneity with a specific activity of 1846.50 U/mg from an initial specific activity of 1282.05 U/mg. The cell free-dialyzed-enzyme containing 107100 U was purified to 1.44 fold with an overall enzyme yield of 35.70%.Immobilization study revealed that the production of pectinase was increased up to third cycle and decreased thereafter when further pectinase production was carried out by immobilized spores of A. terreus.
Identifying The Areas For English Language Teacher Development: A Study Of Assessment literacy
Authors: Büyükkarcı Kağan
Published: May 2016

Assessing foreign language learning has been considered an indispensable part of language learning process for a long time, especially for the last two decades. Therefore, there is a growing need for language teachers to be more competent in the area of language testing. Keeping in mind that teacher assessment literacy is a key factor in the success of teaching, this study investigates assessment literacy levels of foreign language teachers, and also it seeks to find out whether year of experience and post-graduate education make any difference in language teachers' assessment literacy. Data were collected from in-service teachers, both working for ministry of education and universities by using "assessment literacy inventory". The results indicate that these foreign language teachers have a very low level of assessment literacy. Besides, contrary to other studies, year of experience and post-graduate studies do not really add on teachers' assessment literacies.
The effect of the HVAC system on the energy consumption of various insulated lightframe buildings
Authors: HANTOS Zoltán , KARÁCSONYI Zsolt
Published: May 2016

A szerzők egy könnyűszerkezetes lakóházat vizsgáltak három különböző hőszigeteltségi fokozattal és három különböző, fatüzelésen alapuló épületgépészeti rendszerrel kiépítve. A vizsgálatok eredménye hétköznapi ismeretekkel is feltételezhető, hiszen mind a szigetelések vastagságának, mind az épületgépészeti rendszer hatásfokának növelésével egyaránt csökkenthető az épület energiafelhasználása. Tényleges értékekkel azonban elsőként mutathatjuk be, hogy mekkora fogyasztáscsökkentést eredményez a komolyabb hőszigetelés, vagy egy modern napkollektoros, hővisszanyerővel kombinált fűtési rendszer a Magyarországon megvalósítható fa bordavázas épületek esetében. A cikkben bemutatott kilenc épület mindegyike teljesíti a 176/2008. (VI. 30.) Korm. rendelet A+ energetikai besorolását, de a leggyengébb és a legjobb közötti több mint kétszeres energiafelhasználási mutatóval. Az épületek a korszerű fa bordavázas épületek energiafogyasztás-csökkentésének lehetséges fokozataiként értelmezhetők.
Stock Returns on Customer Satisfaction Do Beat the Market: Gauging the Effect of a Marketing Intangible
Authors: Fornell Claes , Morgeson Forrest V. , Hult G. Tomas M.
Published: May 2016

A debate about whether firms with superior customer satisfaction earn superior stock returns has been persistent in the literature. Using 15 years of audited returns, the authors find convincing empirical evidence that stock returns on customer satisfaction do beat the market. The recorded cumulative returns were 518% over the years studied (2000–2014), compared with a 31% increase for the S&P 500. Similar results using back-tested instead of real returns were found in the United Kingdom. The effect of customer satisfaction on stock price is, at least in part, channeled through earnings surprises. Consistent with theory, customer satisfaction has an effect on earnings themselves. In addition, the authors examine the effect of stock returns from earnings on stock returns from customer satisfaction. If earnings returns are included among the risk factors in the asset pricing model, the earnings variable partially mitigates the returns on customer satisfaction. Because of the long time series, it is also possible to examine time periods when customer satisfaction returns were below market. The reversal of the general trend largely resulted from short-term market idiosyncrasies with little or no support from fundamentals. Such irregularities have been infrequent and eventually self-correcting. The authors provide reasons why irregularities may occur from time to time.
The Effect of Recycling versus Trashing on Consumption: Theory and Experimental Evidence
Authors: Sun Monic , Trudel Remi
Published: May 2016

This article proposes a utilitarian model in which recycling could reduce consumers’ negative emotions from wasting resources (i.e., taking more resources than what is being consumed) and increase consumers’ positive emotions from disposing of consumed resources. The authors provide evidence for each component of the utility function using a series of choice problems and formulate hypotheses on the basis of a parsimonious utilitarian model. Experiments with real disposal behavior support the model hypotheses. The findings suggest that the positive emotions associated with recycling can overpower the negative emotions associated with wasting. As a result, consumers could use a larger amount of resources when recycling is an option, and more strikingly, this amount could go beyond the point at which their marginal consumption utility becomes zero. The authors extend the theoretical model and introduce acquisition utility and the moderating effect of the costs of recycling (financial, physical, and mental). From a policy perspective, this research argues for a better understanding of consumers’ disposal behavior to increase the effectiveness of environmental policies and campaigns.
Estrogen deprivation in primate pregnancy leads to insulin resistance in offspring
Authors: Maniu Adina , Aberdeen Graham W , Lynch Terrie J , Nadler Jerry L , Kim Soon O K , Quon Michael J , Pepe Gerald J , Albrecht Eugene D
Published: May 2016

This study tested the hypothesis that estrogen programs mechanisms within the primate fetus that promote insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis in offspring. Glucose tolerance tests were performed longitudinally in prepubertal offspring of baboons untreated or treated on days 100 to 165/175 of gestation (term is 184 days) with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole, which decreased fetal estradiol levels by 95%. Basal plasma insulin levels were over two-fold greater in offspring delivered to letrozole-treated than untreated animals. Moreover, the peak 1min, average of the 1, 3, and 5min, and area under the curve blood glucose and plasma insulin levels after an i.v. bolus of glucose were greater (P<0.05 and P<0.01, respectively) in offspring deprived of estrogen in utero than in untreated animals and partially or completely restored in letrozole plus estradiol-treated baboons. The value for the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance was 2.5-fold greater (P<0.02) and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index lower (P<0.01) in offspring of letrozole-treated versus untreated animals and returned to almost normal in letrozole plus estradiol-treated animals. The exaggerated rise in glucose and insulin levels after glucose challenge in baboon offspring deprived of estrogen in utero indicates that pancreatic beta cells had the capacity to secrete insulin, but that peripheral glucose uptake and/or metabolism were impaired, indicative of insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. We propose that estrogen normally programs mechanisms in utero within the developing primate fetus that lead to insulin sensitivity, normal glucose tolerance, and the capacity to metabolize glucose after birth.
EVOLUÇÃO URBANA E QUESTÕES SOCIOAMBIENTAIS: UM ESTUDO DE CASO DA OCUPAÇÃO DAS MARGENS DO RIO AMAZONAS NO BAIRRO DE ARAXÁ, MACAPÁ, AMAPÁ BRASIL
Authors: Maurício da Costa Jodival , De Almeida Sacramento Kelvin
Published: May 2016

O presente artigo centra-se em investigar como se configura o espaço urbano do Araxá, na cidade de Macapá, estado do Amapá, Brasil; especificamente na orla do bairro e a relação dos moradores com este ambiente. O trabalho busca estudar se as atuais propostas de intervenção que envolvem a área de estudo e as famílias que ali residem estão em consonância com o anseio da população local. Para tal, caracterizou-se a área de estudo quanto à infraestrutura urbana, fez-se entrevista com os moradores locais para caracterização dos mesmos no que diz respeito às questões socioeconômicas, além de perceber a relação dos habitantes da área com o local e se há satisfação com a atual proposta de intervenção pensada pelo Estado. Precedente à caracterização da área, estudou-se o proceso de urbanização das cidades e as principais transformações no espaço amapaense, a fim de compreender o surgimento de espaços desiguais, oriundos do crescimento urbano das cidades, através de revisão bibliográfica. Concluiu-se que as atuais propostas estão dissociadas e alheias ao anseio dos envolvidos nas áreas de intervenção. ABSTRACT This article focuses on investigating how the urban space of Araxá is configured -specifically on the border of the neighborhood and the residents’ relationship with this environment. The job aims at studying if the current proposals for intervention involving the study area and the families who reside there are in line with the desire of the local population. For this purpose, the study area was identified in regards to urban infrastructure; interviews were made to local residents to identify the socio-economic issues, as well as to understand the relationship of the inhabitants of the area with the location, and to know if they are satisfied with the current proposal of intervention intended by the State. Before identifying the area, the urbanization process of towns and major transformations in space Amapá were analyzed in order to understand the emergence of unequal spaces, from the urban development of the cities, through bibliographical revision. It was concluded that the current proposals are disjoined and far from the expectations of those involved in the areas of intervention.
Uso/cobertura de la tierra en los cantones de Upala, Guatuso y Los Chiles en el año 2011
Authors: Barrantes-Sotela Omar , Sandoval-Murillo Luis
Published: May 2016

El Uso de la tierra es una herramienta fundamental para identificar las diversas actividades agroeconómicas y los recursos naturales, presentes en un área determinada. Sin embargo, la evidente desactualización en más de treinta y cinco años de la información espacial sobre los usos y coberturas de la tierra en los cantones Upala, Guatuso y Los Chiles de la provincia Alajuela, Costa Rica limita la toma de decisiones entorno al ordenamiento territorial; el cual busca sustentar un desarrollo equilibrado entre los diversos actores presentes en el territorio. Mediante el uso de métodos de teledetección se identifican los principales usos y coberturas de la tierra en el año 2011 en estos cantones, información que es utilizada como un instrumento decisivo en la generación de otros insumos necesarios en la elaboración de las propuestas técnicas sobre la planificación y el ordenamiento territorial de la zona. ABSTRACTThe use of land is essential to identify different agro-economic activities and natural resources present in a specific area. However, the lack of updated spatial information –for more than thirty-five years, regarding the uses and coverages of land in Upala, Guatuso and Los Chiles, Alajuela, Costa Rica has limited the decision-making process concerning land planning, which aims at supporting a balanced development between different entities in the territory. Using remote sensing methods major land uses and land covers were identified in 2011 for these cantons. This information serves as a critical tool to generate other inputs required in the preparation of technical proposals on planning and land use planning.
Role of the School Nurse in Providing School Health Services
Authors:   COUNCIL ON SCHOOL HEALTH, Holmes Breena Welch , Sheetz Anne , Allison Mandy , Ancona Richard , Attisha Elliott , Beers Nathaniel , De Pinto Cheryl , Gorski Peter , Kjolhede Chris , Lerner Marc , Weiss-Harrison Adrienne , Young Thomas
Published: May 2016

This Policy Statement was reaffirmed July 2023.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes the important role school nurses play in promoting the optimal biopsychosocial health and well-being of school-aged children in the school setting. Although the concept of a school nurse has existed for more than a century, uniformity among states and school districts regarding the role of a registered professional nurse in schools and the laws governing it are lacking. By understanding the benefits, roles, and responsibilities of school nurses working as a team with the school physician, as well as their contributions to school-aged children, pediatricians can collaborate with, support, and promote school nurses in their own communities, thus improving the health, wellness, and safety of children and adolescents.