bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Grounded theory research: A design framework for novice researchers
Authors: Chun Tie Ylona , Birks Melanie , Francis Karen
Published: January 2019

Background:

Grounded theory is a well-known methodology employed in many research studies. Qualitative and quantitative data generation techniques can be used in a grounded theory study. Grounded theory sets out to discover or construct theory from data, systematically obtained and analysed using comparative analysis. While grounded theory is inherently flexible, it is a complex methodology. Thus, novice researchers strive to understand the discourse and the practical application of grounded theory concepts and processes.

Objective:

The aim of this article is to provide a contemporary research framework suitable to inform a grounded theory study.

Result:

This article provides an overview of grounded theory illustrated through a graphic representation of the processes and methods employed in conducting research using this methodology. The framework is presented as a diagrammatic representation of a research design and acts as a visual guide for the novice grounded theory researcher.

Discussion:

As grounded theory is not a linear process, the framework illustrates the interplay between the essential grounded theory methods and iterative and comparative actions involved. Each of the essential methods and processes that underpin grounded theory are defined in this article.

Conclusion:

Rather than an engagement in philosophical discussion or a debate of the different genres that can be used in grounded theory, this article illustrates how a framework for a research study design can be used to guide and inform the novice nurse researcher undertaking a study using grounded theory. Research findings and recommendations can contribute to policy or knowledge development, service provision and can reform thinking to initiate change in the substantive area of inquiry.
Can landscape planning solve scale mismatches in environmental governance? A case study from Vietnam
Authors: Do Thi Huong , Juerges Nataly , Krott Max , Böcher Michael
Published: January 2019

Landscape planning has been advocated by many researchers and conservationists because of its potential to support nature conservation at broad spatial scales. We examined an internationally funded project in Vietnam (the ECOLIME project) that failed in its endeavor to establish landscape planning at the scale of an ecologically valuable karst landscape. We applied the Research–Integration–Utilization model of scientific knowledge transfer to analyze why the ECOLIME project did not succeed in adapting the scale of the political–administrative planning system to the ecological scale of the karst ecosystem landscape. Our study shows that the implementation of landscape planning in the Pu-Luong Cuc Phuong area was not successful to solve scale mismatches in environmental governance because of weak integration, resulting from both the absence of a link to the Vietnamese political process and the lack of support from powerful Vietnamese actors. The establishment of a landscape planning group with the support of an internationally funded project (the ECOLIME project) was not a sufficient means to create links to the political process and win powerful allies. Based on the results of this study, we recommend improvements in integration to make scientific research relevant to science-based policy support, including (1) the need for a link to the existing political process and (2) the need to gain sustainable support from powerful allies.
Identification of recurrent noncoding mutations in B-cell lymphoma using capture Hi-C
Authors: Cornish Alex J. , Hoang Phuc H. , Dobbins Sara E. , Law Philip J. , Chubb Daniel , Orlando Giulia , Houlston Richard S.
Published: January 2019

The identification of driver mutations is fundamental to understanding oncogenesis. Although genes frequently mutated in B-cell lymphoma have been identified, the search for driver mutations has largely focused on the coding genome. Here we report an analysis of the noncoding genome using whole-genome sequencing data from 117 patients with B-cell lymphoma. Using promoter capture Hi-C data in naive B cells, we define cis-regulatory elements, which represent an enriched subset of the noncoding genome in which to search for driver mutations. Regulatory regions were identified whose mutation significantly alters gene expression, including copy number variation at cis-regulatory elements targeting CD69, IGLL5, and MMP14, and single nucleotide variants in a cis-regulatory element for TPRG1. We also show the commonality of pathways targeted by coding and noncoding mutations, exemplified by MMP14, which regulates Notch signaling, a pathway important in lymphomagenesis and whose expression is associated with patient survival. This study provides an enhanced understanding of lymphomagenesis and describes the advantages of using chromosome conformation capture to decipher noncoding mutations relevant to cancer biology.
Novel sulphamoylated 2-methoxy estradiol derivatives inhibit breast cancer migration by disrupting microtubule turnover and organization
Authors: van Vuuren Rustelle Janse , Botes Mandie , Jurgens Tamarin , Joubert Anna Margaretha , van den Bout Iman
Published: January 2019

Background

The estrogen metabolite 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME2) and a number of synthesised derivatives have been shown to bind to microtubules thereby arresting cancer cells in mitosis which leads to apoptosis. In interphase cells, microtubules play an important role in the delivery of proteins to subcellular locations including the focal adhesions. In fact, focal adhesion dynamics and cell migration are in part regulated by microtubules. We hypothesised that novel 2ME2 derivatives can alter cell migration by influencing microtubule dynamics in interphase cells. In this report we describe 2ME2 derivatives that display anti-migratory capabilities in a metastatic breast cancer cell line through their effects on the microtubule network resulting in altered focal adhesion signalling and RhoA activity.

Methods

Cell migration was assayed using wound healing assays. To eliminate mitosis blockage and cell rounding as a confounding factor cell migration was also assessed in interphase blocked cells. Fluorescence confocal microscopy was used to visualise microtubule dynamics and actin cytoskeleton organisation while western blot analysis was performed to analyse focal adhesion signalling and RhoA activation.

Results

2ME2 derivatives, ESE-one and ESE-15-one, inhibited cell migration in cycling cells as expected but equally diminished migration in cells blocked in interphase. While no significant effects were observed on the actin cytoskeleton, focal adhesion kinase activity was increased while RhoA GTPase activity was inhibited after exposure to either compound. Microtubule stability was increased as evidenced by the increased length and number of detyrosinated microtubules while at the same time clear disorganisation of the normal radial microtubule organisation was observed including multiple foci.

Conclusions

ESE-15-one and ESE-one are potent migration inhibitors of metastatic breast cancer cells. This ability is coupled to alterations in focal adhesion signalling but more importantly is associated with severe disorganisation of microtubule dynamics and polarity. Therefore, these compounds may offer potential as anti-metastatic therapies.
Mobility related physical and functional losses due to aging and disease - a motivation for lower limb exoskeletons
Authors: Grimmer Martin , Riener Robert , Walsh Conor James , Seyfarth André
Published: January 2019

Background

Physical and functional losses due to aging and diseases decrease human mobility, independence, and quality of life. This study is aimed at summarizing and quantifying these losses in order to motivate solutions to overcome them with a special focus on the possibilities by using lower limb exoskeletons.

Methods

A narrative literature review was performed to determine a broad range of mobility-related physical and functional measures that are affected by aging and selected cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal, and neurological diseases.

Results

The study identified that decreases in limb maximum muscle force and power (33% and 49%, respectively, 25–75 yrs) and in maximum oxygen consumption (40%, 20–80 yrs) occur for older adults compared to young adults. Reaction times more than double (18–90 yrs) and losses in the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems were reported. Additionally, we found decreases in steps per day (75%, 60–85 yrs), maximum walking speed (24% 25–75 yrs), and maximum six-minute and self-selected walking speed (38% and 21%, respectively, 20–85 yrs), while we found increases in the number of falls relative to the number of steps per day (800%), injuries due to falls (472%, 30–90 yrs) and deaths caused by fall (4000%, 65–90 yrs). Measures were identified to be worse for individuals with impaired mobility. Additional detrimental effects identified for them were the loss of upright standing and locomotion, freezing in movement, joint stress, pain, and changes in gait patterns.

Discussion

This review shows that aging and chronic conditions result in wide-ranging losses in physical and sensory capabilities. While the impact of these losses are relatively modest for level walking, they become limiting during more demanding tasks such as walking on inclined ground, climbing stairs, or walking over longer periods, and especially when coupled with a debilitating disease. As the physical and functional parameters are closely related, we believe that lost functional capabilities can be indirectly improved by training of the physical capabilities. However, assistive devices can supplement the lost functional capabilities directly by compensating for losses with propulsion, weight support, and balance support.

Conclusions

Exoskeletons are a new generation of assistive devices that have the potential to provide both, training capabilities and functional compensation, to enhance human mobility.
The prognostic and therapeutic implications of circulating tumor cell phenotype detection based on epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers in the first‐line chemotherapy of HER2‐negative metastatic breast cancer
Authors: Guan Xiuwen , Ma Fei , Li Chunxiao , Wu Shiyang , Hu Shangying , Huang Jiefen , Sun Xiaoying , Wang Jiayu , Luo Yang , Cai Ruigang , Fan Ying , Li Qiao , Chen Shanshan , Zhang Pin , Li Qing , Xu Binghe
Published: January 2019

Background

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is implicated in the metastatic process and presents a challenge to epithelial cell adhesion molecule‐based detection of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), which have been demonstrated to be a prognostic indicator in metastatic breast cancer. Although evidence has indicated that heterogeneity of CTCs based on EMT markers is associated with disease progression, no standard recommendations have been established for clinical practice. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of dynamic CTC detection based on EMT for metastatic breast cancer patients.

Methods

We enrolled 108 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐negative metastatic breast cancer patients from the prospective phase III CAMELLIA study and applied the CanPatrol CTC enrichment technique to identify CTC phenotypes (including epithelial CTCs, biphenotypic epithelial/mesenchymal CTCs, and mesenchymal CTCs) in peripheral blood samples. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses of total CTC count and the proportion of mesenchymal CTCs for predicting the 1‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) rate were conducted to determine the optimal cut‐off values, and Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis were performed to investigate the prognostic value of the cut‐off values of both total CTC count and the proportion of mesenchymal CTCs in combination.

Results

For predicting the 1‐year PFS rate, the optimal cut‐off value of total CTC count was 9.5 (Area under the curve [AUC] = 0.538, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.418–0.657), and that of the proportion of mesenchymal CTCs was 10.7% (AUC = 0.581, 95% CI = 0.463–0.699). We used the two cut‐off values in combination to forecast PFS in which the total CTC count was equaled to or exceeded 10/5 mL with the proportion of mesenchymal CTCs surpassed 10.7%. Patients who met the combined criteria had significantly shorter median PFS than did those who did not meet the criteria (6.2 vs. 9.9 months, P=0.010). A nomogram was constructed based on the criteria and significant clinicopathological characteristics with a C‐index of 0.613 (P= 0.010).

Conclusions

The criteria, which combine the total CTC count and the proportion of mesenchymal CTCs, may be used to monitor therapeutic resistance and predict prognosis in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov. NCT01917279. Registered on 19 July 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01917279?term=NCT01917279&rank=1.
Landscapes of Refuge and Resiliency: Native Californian Persistence at Tomales Bay, California, 1770s–1870s
Authors: Schneider Tsim D. , Panich Lee M.
Published: January 2019

Research on Native American interactions with colonial institutions increasingly stresses the persistence of indigenous places and identities despite the challenges wrought by missionary, mercantile, and settler colonialism. This article expands on the theme of persistence through a case study investigating the various ways indigenous people, including Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo individuals, worked against and within colonial systems to maintain residency and autonomy in their ancestral homelands in central California. Focusing on the Tomales Bay area in what is now western Marin County as a refuge, the article examines the ethnohistorical evidence for long-term histories of indigenous persistence and strategic engagement with colonial peoples and processes.
The Point of View of a Stone: Looking at the Colonization of the Northern Plains from the Standing Rock
Authors: Grillot Thomas
Published: January 2019

The Standing Rock of North Dakota is not merely the namesake for an agency and a Sioux tribe. Its monumentalization as well as the publication of the legend associated with it point to the web of interactions between Indians (Lakotas, Dakotas, and Arikaras) and non-Indians that made possible the transition from war to peace, pre-reservation and reservation life after the 1870s. They are a rare opportunity to grasp the quiet work that went into preparing Native traditions for life under colonialism and reveal the complexity of the colonial encounter in North America.
Food deprivation reduces social interest in the European sea bassDicentrarchus labrax
Authors: Aimon Cassandre , Le Bayon Nicolas , Le Floch Stéphane , Claireaux Guy
Published: January 2019

Periods of food deprivation up to several months are common features for fishes and in such conditions, fitness will be determined by their capacity to maximize food encounter while minimizing predation risk. In this context, the propensity to take risk and the willingness to associate with conspecifics are particularly important as they contribute to alleviating the trade-off between predation avoidance and foraging efficiency. This study examined to what extent food deprivation modulates fish risk-taking and social behaviours, as well as the relationship between them. To address these issues juvenile European sea bass were either fed daily with a maintenance ration or food-deprived during 3 weeks. Risk-taking and sociability were assessed through measurements of fish willingness to explore a novel environment, to interact with a novel object or a conspecific. Multivariate analysis allowed the identification of three behaviours, risk-taking, exploratory activity and solitariness. Food-deprived fish interacted less with conspecifics than control fish. After food-deprivation, no difference in terms of risk-taking and exploratory patterns was observed. Finally, the relationship between risky-taking and solitariness was influenced by the feeding status. When food-deprived fish with higher propensity to take risk displayed increased solitariness while, when fed normally they interacted more with conspecifics.
Starvation resistance is associated with developmentally specified changes in sleep, feeding and metabolic rate
Authors: Brown Elizabeth B. , Slocumb Melissa E. , Szuperak Milan , Kerbs Arianna , Gibbs Allen G. , Kayser Matthew S. , Keene Alex C.
Published: January 2019

Food shortage represents a primary challenge to survival, and animals have adapted diverse developmental, physiological, and behavioral strategies to survive when food becomes unavailable. Starvation resistance is strongly influenced by ecological and evolutionary history, yet the genetic basis for the evolution of starvation resistance remains poorly understood. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, provides a powerful model for leveraging experimental evolution to investigate traits associated with starvation resistance. While control populations only live a few days without food, selection for starvation resistance results in populations that can survive weeks. We have previously shown that selection for starvation resistance results in increased sleep and reduced feeding in adult flies. Here, we investigate the ontogeny of starvation resistance-associated behavioral and metabolic phenotypes in these experimentally selected flies. We find that selection for starvation resistance results in delayed development and a reduction in metabolic rate in larvae that persists into adulthood, suggesting that these traits may allow for the accumulation of energy stores and an increase in body size within these selected populations. In addition, we find that larval sleep is largely unaffected by starvation selection and that feeding increases during the late larval stages, suggesting that experimental evolution for starvation resistance produces developmentally specified changes in behavioral regulation. Together, these findings reveal a critical role for development in the evolution of starvation resistance and indicate that selection can selectively influence behavior during defined developmental timepoints.
Alanine, proline and urea are major organic osmolytes in the snailTheodoxus fluviatilisunder hyperosmotic stress
Authors: Wiesenthal A. A. , Müller C. , Harder K. , Hildebrandt J.-P.
Published: January 2019

Hyperosmotic stress may result in osmotic volume loss from the body to the environment in animals which cannot control the water permeability of their integument. Euryhaline (having a wide tolerance range of environmental salinities) animals have generally evolved the ability to counteract cell volume shrinkage by accumulating inorganic and organic osmolytes within their cells to balance internal and external osmolalities. Molluscs use very different combinations of amino acids and amino acid derivatives to achieve this goal. Theodoxus fluviatilis (Linneaus, 1758) is a neritid gastropod that is distributed not only in limnic habitats in Europe but also in brackish waters (e.g. along the shore line of the Baltic Sea). Animals from brackish sites survive better in high salinities than animals from freshwater locations. The results of this study indicate that these differences in salinity tolerance cannot be explained by differences in the general ability to accumulate amino acids as organic osmolytes. Although there may be differences in the metabolic pathways involved in osmolyte accumulation in foot muscle tissue, both groups of animals accumulate amino acid mixtures equally well when stepwise acclimated to their respective maximum tolerable salinity for extended periods. Among these amino acids, alanine, proline as well as the osmolyte urea hold a special importance for cell volume preservation in Theodoxus under hyperosmotic stress. It is possible that the accumulation of various amino acids during hyperosmotic stress occurs via hydrolysis of storage proteins, while alanine and proline are most likely newly synthesised under conditions of hyperosmotic stress in the animals.
Financial Incentives as Signals: Experimental Evidence from the Recruitment of Village Promoters in Uganda
Authors: Deserranno Erika
Published: January 2019

I study the role of financial incentives as signals of job characteristics when these are unknown to potential applicants. To this end, I create experimental variation in expected earnings and use that to estimate the effect of financial incentives on candidates’ perception of a brand-new health-promoter position in Uganda and on the resulting size and composition of the applicant pool. I find that more lucrative positions are perceived as entailing a lower positive externality for the community and discourage agents with strong pro-social preferences from applying. While higher financial incentives attract more applicants and increase the probability of filling a vacancy, the signal they convey reduces the ability to recruit the most socially motivated agents, who are found to stay longer on the job and to perform better. (JEL D82, I18, J31, J63, M52, O15)
Inventory Management, Product Quality, and Cross‑Country Income Differences
Authors: Blum Bernardo S. , Claro Sebastian , Dasgupta Kunal , Horstmann Ignatius J.
Published: January 2019

Previous research has documented that export shipments are “lumpy”— exporters make infrequent and relatively large shipments to any given export destination. This fact has been interpreted as implying that fixed, per shipment cost and inventory management decisions play a key role in international trade. We document here that exports from poor countries are considerably more lumpy—have higher fixed per shipment cost— than those from rich countries. Using a model of trade with inventory management, we estimate that the country at the ninetieth percentile of the distribution of per shipment costs has almost three times higher costs than the one at the tenth percentile. We show that these per shipment cost differences have a reduced-form representation given by an ad  valorem trade cost that varies with export country income (as in Waugh 2010 ). A calibrated version of the model that incorporates these estimates and allows for endogenous product quality reveals that cross-country differences in per shipment costs explain almost 40 percent of the observed cross-country differences in income. It also shows that policies that lower per shipment costs can lead to significant welfare gains, mainly due to induced quality upgrading. (JEL F12, F14, F43, G31, O16, O19)
Learning, Career Paths, and the Distribution of Wages
Authors: Caicedo Santiago , Lucas Robert E. , Rossi-Hansberg Esteban
Published: January 2019

We develop a theory of career paths and earnings where agents organize in production hierarchies. Agents climb these hierarchies as they learn stochastically from others. Earnings grow as agents acquire knowledge and occupy positions with more subordinates. We contrast these and other implications with US census data for the period 1990 to 2010, matching the Lorenz curve of earnings and the observed mean experience-earnings profiles. We show the increase in wage inequality over this period can be rationalized with a shift in the level of the complexity and profitability of technologies relative to the distribution of knowledge in the population. (JEL D83, E24, J24, J31)
Firm Uncertainty Cycles and the Propagation of Nominal Shocks
Authors: Baley Isaac , Blanco Andrés
Published: January 2019

We develop a framework to study the impact of idiosyncratic uncertainty on aggregate economic outcomes. Agents learn about individual characteristics, which receive infrequent, large, and persistent shocks. In this environment, idiosyncratic uncertainty moves in cycles, fluctuating between periods of high and low uncertainty; with additional fixed adjustment costs, the frequency and size of agents' actions also fluctuate in cycles. We apply our framework to study pricing behavior and the propagation of nominal shocks. We show, analytically and quantitatively, that idiosyncratic uncertainty cycles amplify the real effects of nominal shocks by generating cross-sectional dispersion in firms' adjustment frequency and in learning speed. (JEL D21, D81, D83, E31, E32, E52)
Lessons learnt from pathologic imaging correlation in the liver: an historical perspective
Authors: Purcell Yvonne , Copin Pauline , Paradis Valérie , Vilgrain Valérie , Ronot Maxime
Published: January 2019

Imaging and pathology can be considered as two sides of the same diagnostic coin. Yet, pathology remains the gold-standard technique for the diagnosis of most diseases. Nevertheless, significant and constant progress in imaging has been made thanks to fruitful rad-path correlations. The aim of this article is to show how much imaging has benefited from pathology and to illustrate the different ways in which imaging has evolved according to different types of pathological references. Imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma shows how image-based knowledge and expertise can be exploited to yield a non-invasive diagnosis approaching that of a fixed, robust pathological reference. Hepatocellular adenomas provide an example of the constant radiological evolutions triggered by changing pathological definitions. Finally, hepatic steatosis illustrates the possibility for imaging to surpass its historical reference, and become a new gold-standard. For these three examples, we have taken a historical approach to demonstrate how rad-path interminglement creates knowledge.
Imaging in myeloma with focus on advanced imaging techniques
Authors: Barwick Tara , Bretsztajn Laure , Wallitt Kathryn , Amiras Dimitri , Rockall Andrea , Messiou Christina
Published: January 2019

In recent years, there have been major advances in the imaging of myeloma with whole body MRI incorporating diffusion-weighted imaging, emerging as the most sensitive modality. Imaging is now a key component in the work-up of patients with a suspected diagnosis of myeloma. The International Myeloma Working Group now specifies that more than one focal lesion on MRI or lytic lesion on whole body low-dose CT or fludeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT fulfil the criteria for bone damage requiring therapy. The recent National Institute for Health and Care Excellence myeloma guidelines recommend imaging in all patients with suspected myeloma. In addition, there is emerging data supporting the use of functional imaging techniques (WB-DW MRI and FDG PET/CT) to predict outcome and evaluate response to therapy. This review summarises the imaging modalities used in myeloma, the latest guidelines relevant to imaging and future directions.
Diverticulum of common hepatic duct leading to obstructive jaundice, a case report
Authors: Tarallo Nicola , Curti Marco , Molinelli Valeria , Leonardi Anna , Fugazzola Carlo
Published: January 2019

Choledochal cyst is a dilation of the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic biliary tree. The pathogenesis is unknown and potentially is multifactorial. In 1977, Todani classified the cysts under five different types according to their morphology, number and distribution along the biliary tree. Presenting symptoms of Choledocal cysts which include upper abdominal pain, acute cholangitis and jaundice, although often they are clinically silent and discovered as an incidental finding. Biliary complications include cholangitis, biliary stones, pancreatitis, portal hypertension and cholangiocarcinoma. We describe a case of a rare Type II Todani cyst located on the right side of the common hepatic duct characterised by a clinical presentation similar to that observed in Mirizzi Syndrome. The treatment of a Type II choledochal cyst consists in cystic excision.
Impaired renal function in a rural Ugandan population cohort
Authors: Kalyesubula Robert , Hau Jeffrey P. , Asiki Gershim , Ssebunya Billy , Kusemererwa Sylvia , Seeley Janet , Smeeth Liam , Tomlinson Laurie A. , Newton Robert
Published: January 2019

Background: Kidney disease is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. However, there are limited data on the prevalence of impaired kidney function in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to determine the prevalence of reduced kidney function and associated factors in a rural Ugandan population.

Methods: We undertook a study of a representative sample of the General Population Cohort in South-western Uganda. We systematically collected data on cardiovascular disease risk factors, anthropometric measurements and blood tests including haemoglobin, HIV, HbA1c and serum creatinine.  The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated using the CKD-Epi formula, without the race component of the equation.

Results: A total of 5,979/6,397 (93.5%) participants had valid creatinine results. The mean age was 39 years (Range: 16-103 years) and 3,627 (60.7%) were female. HIV prevalence was 9.7% and about 40% of the population were pre-hypertensive or hypertensive. The mean serum creatinine level was 0.75 mg/dl (95% CI 0.74–0.75), and the average eGFR was 109.3 ml/min/1.73 m2 (95% CI 108.8–109.9). The overall prevalence of eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was 1.64% (98/5,979) (95% CI 1.34–1.99).  Additionally, 4,792 (80.2%) were classified as normal eGFR (≥90 ml/min/1.73 m2), 1,089 (18.2%) as low eGFR (60–89 ml/min/1.73 m2), 91 (1.52%) as moderately reduced eGFR (30–59 ml/min/1.73 m2), 4 (0.07%) as severely reduced eGFR (15-29 ml/min/1.73 m2), and 3 (0.05%) classified as having kidney failure (eGFR <15 ml/min/1.73 m2).  When age-standardised to the WHO Standard Population the prevalence of eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2 was 1.79%. Age above 35 years and the presence of hypertension (OR 2.86, 95% CI 1.15-7.08) and anaemia (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.12-4.09) were associated with eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2.

Conclusion: In a systematic survey of people in rural Uganda, we found a substantial proportion had eGFR<60 ml/min/1.73 m2, and this was strongly associated with high blood pressure and anaemia.
Physical fitness in preschoolers according to body composition
Authors: Riso Eva-Maria , Toplaan Lisette , Viira Piret , Vaiksaar Sille , Jürimäe Jaak
Published: January 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate physical fitness of preschoolaged children just before entering school according to their body mass index, and to examine possible associations of body mass index, fat mass and fat-free mass with physical fitness in preschool-aged children. Two hundred and fifty-six preschoolers aged 6 to 7 years participated in the study. Physical fitness was assessed using PREFIT test battery and body composition was estimated using four skinfold thickness parameters. Overweight children had lower cardiorespiratory fitness and lower results in all weight-bearing fitness tests, and better handgrip strength test result in comparison with normal-weight children. Significant associations were found between body composition indices and the results of physical fitness tests. Higher BMI associated negatively with weight-bearing physical fitness tests. The results of the research indicate that weight-status and body composition have significant effect on physical fitness in 6–7 years old preschoolers.
The acute and post-activation potentiation effects of the SPEEDMAKER™ on step-by step kinematics, muscle activation and performance in 30-m sprints
Authors: Fjørkenstad Dybdal Hågen , Van Den Tillaar Roland
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of using the SpeedMaker™ on step-by-step kinematics and muscle activity in 30-m sprints and if it is possible to elicit a post-activation potentiation stimulus with the SpeedMaker™ upon subsequent 30-m sprint performance. Thirteen male soccer players (age: 22.8±1.8 yr, body mass: 75.1±11.9 kg, height: 1.80±0.08 m) participated in a repeated measure and cross-over design consisting of two conditions: three normal 30-m sprints (control) and two normal 30-m sprints divided by one 30-m sprint with the SpeedMaker™ (intervention). Kinematics were measured for each step together with the peak muscle activity of the hamstrings, quadriceps and gluteus during each stride of each 30-m sprint. The main findings were that sprinting with the SpeedMaker™ increased sprint times by 1.7% compared to normal 30-m sprints. However, no occurrence of a postactivation potentiation (PAP) response was found when performing a 30-m sprint with the SpeedMaker™ prior to a normal 30-m sprint in male soccer players. Furthermore, no detectable differences in step-by-step analysis on kinematics and muscle activity were found between the sprints with and without the SpeedMaker™. Only hamstrings and gluteus activity increased per stride over 30-m. It was concluded that the SpeedMaker™ did influence sprint times, but only in a small way that kinematics and muscle activity did not change detectable. Furthermore, that the SpeedMaker™ did not elicit a PAP effect. In addition, increased hamstring and gluteus maximus activation during the 30-m sprints suggests that these muscles are very important for acceleration, and that it is likely that acute hamstring strains occur when a soccer player is close to maximal velocity, as hamstring activation is maximal at that point.
Prevalence of ACSL (rs6552828) polymorphism among runners
Authors: Ben-Zaken Sigal , Meckel Yoav , Nemet Dan , Eliakim Alon
Published: January 2019

The ACSL A/G polymorphism is associated with endurance trainability. Previous studies have demonstrated that homozygotes of the minor AA allele had a reduced maximal oxygen consumption response to training compared to the common GG allele homozygotes, and that the ACSL A/G single nucleotide polymorphism explained 6.1% of the variance in the VO2max response to endurance training. The contribution of ACSL single nucleotide polymorphism to endurance trainability was shown in nonathletes, however, its potential role in professional athletes is not clear. Moreover, the genetic basis to anaerobic trainability is even less studied. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of ACSL single nucleotide polymorphism among professional Israeli long distance runners (n=59), middle distance runners (n=31), sprinters and jumpers (n=48) and non-athletic controls (n=60). The main finding of the present study was that the ACSL1 AA genotype, previously shown to be associated with reduced endurance trainability, was not higher among sprinters and jumpers (15%) compared to middle- (16%) and long-distance runners (15%). This suggests that in contrast to previous studies indicating that the ACSL1 single nucleotide polymorphism may influence endurance trainability among non-athletic individuals, the role of this polymorphism among professional athletes is still not clear.
Associations between inflammatory markers and bone mineral density in lean pubertal girls
Authors: Jürimäe Jaak , Tamm Anna-Liisa , Remmel Liina , Tillmann Vallo
Published: January 2019

We investigated whether common inflammatory markers are associated with bone accumulation in lean pubertal girls. Thirty-four 10–12-yearold lean girls at pubertal stages 2–4 were studied. Twelve inflammatory parameters [interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, vascular endothelial growth factor, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factoralpha, IL-1α, IL-1β, monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and epidermal growth factor] were measured from plasma samples. Whole body (WB), lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) bone mineral density (BMD), and WB bone mineral content (BMC) were assessed by DXA. Plasma IFN-γ concentration was negatively correlated (p<0.05) with WB BMC (r=–0.45), WB BMD (r=–0.46) and FN BMD (r=–0.43). In addition, plasma IL–6 (r= –0.37; p<0.05), IL-1α (r=–0.40; p<0.05) and MCP-1 (r=–0.38; p<0.05) concentrations were also negatively correlated to measured BMD values. The stepwise regression analysis showed that IFN-γ alone and together with IL-1α explained 18.6% and 27.6%, respectively, of the variability in WB BMD, while IL-1α and MCP-1 together explained 25.5% of the variability in LS BMD, and IL-1α together with IFN-γ explained 34.1% of the variability in FN BMD. In conclusion, plasma IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-1α and MCP-1 concentrations were associated with BMD variables, suggesting that these cytokines may participate in bone accumu lation in lean pubertal girls.
The Ethics of Facing Western Notions in Graham Greene’s A Burnt-Out Case
Authors: Valverde Jiménez Beatriz
Published: January 2019

Taking as a basis Søren Kierkegaard’s narrative strategy of attack and defence, this paper will analyse the representation of western civilization in connection with the worldview of the native people living in a leper colony in Belgian Congo in Graham Greene’s novel A Burnt-Out Case. I will examine concretely the way in which Greene attacks in the novel the hegemonic structure of the European colonizers, which both ignores and imposes itself on the African native society, considering it a no-structure. Additionally, I will study the cases of the priests in the leper colony and of doctor Colin, characters that, being on the frontier between both value systems, become cultural translators and thus make communication possible. These characters acknowledge that the native way of life is as legitimate as the European and represent the possibility of an empathic side of western civilization. In contrast with the attack mentioned above, with the priests and Dr Colin Greene defends the European community living in the area. Through the use of the narrative strategy of attack and defence, therefore, contradictory messages are inserted in the text so that the readers take an active role solving the paradoxes they find in their reading. Finally, I will focus on the main protagonist, Querry, whose internal journey starts with his contact with Deo Gratias, a member of the native society, and whose spiritual evolution throughout the novel cannot be explained without his experience with the native culture.
Proust et Hergé : de quelques points communs entre À la recherche du temps perdu et Les Aventures de Tintin
Authors: Bidaud Samuel
Published: January 2019

Proust and Hergé: on some similarities between À la Recherche du temps perdu and Les Aventures de Tintin. Part I. Marcel Proust and Hergé seem to have nothing in common. Their works are indeed very different: they do not belong to the same genre, nor treat the same themes or have the same public. What parallel could be established between À la Recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time), which revolutionized the genre of the novel, and Les Aventures de Tintin (The Adventures of Tintin), a series of comic albums apparently intended only for children? A closer study reveals however that Proust and Hergé, beyond what one could think at first sight, share deep similarities on wh ich this article, published in two parts, will focus. First of all, À la Recherche du temps perdu as well as Les Aventures de Tintin rest on the creation of a specific world, which can be characterized by Balzac’s principle of returning characters and by the importance of the imaginary of space (Proust’s rêveries about the names of places, Hergé’s fictitious geography). Moreover, Proust and Hergé’s characters have a very singular language and linguistic features which can be identified easily (let us think of Dr. Cottard’s puns, of Odette’s anglicisms, etc. in Proust, o r of Captain Haddock’s insults or Dupond and Dupont’s slips of the tongue in Hergé). Eventually, Proust and Hergé both develop a reflection on time which gives rise to a singular temporality in their books, and more precisely a reflection on lost and regained time, with two opposite situations and therefore two opposite conceptions for each of the authors. This first part of our study focuses on the principle of returning characters adopted by Proust and Hergé, on their imaginary of space and on the language of their characters, while the second part, which will be published in the next issue of Interlitteraria, will be devoted to the problematics of time.
Action for Art’s Sake: Rethinking Jean Genet’s Political Turn
Authors: Ågerup Karl
Published: January 2019

When recapitulating the career of the French writer Jean Genet, critics and biographers have gathered around the idea of a pivotal moment in the 1960s when Genet abandoned literature and turned to political activism. However, Genet continued to write and publish texts, many of which appear to be literary, up to his death in 1986. In this article, Genet’s late works are reviewed and the notion of the turn is questioned. It is argued that the construction of a political turn in Genet’s career unjustifiably reduced the weight of his late works and neglected their pioneering hybridity. Rather than abandoning literature, the late Genet enhanced his aesthetics of subversion by developing a more referential style.
How is Fear Constructed? A Narrative Approach to Social Dread in Literature
Authors: Jets Kairi
Published: January 2019

Fear-inducing narratives can be divided into two subtypes of horror and dread. While horror stories concentrate on a concrete visible object such as a monster, in dread narratives the object of fear is abstract or absent altogether. Pure forms of either are rare and most narratives mix both types, usually with dominant in one or the other. An interesting subtype of dread narratives is the narrative of social dread, where the fear is social in nature.

One of the few narratologists to study construction of fear in arts, Yvonne Leffler suggests a variety of narrative techniques often used in horror fiction. Adjusting Leffler’s list of techniques for tales of dread instead of horror helps analysing the nature and amount of dread present in a range of different narratives from light reading and literary fiction to non-fiction. A narrative approach helps to reveal how non-fiction texts use similar techniques, and sometimes more extensively than fictional texts. Lionel Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin (2003) is an excellent example of social dread in fiction, where societal failures are a big part of the fears induced, and the questions raised in the narrative are denied definite answers. Kanae Minato’s Confessions (2008) is closer to a thriller, because despite raising issues of societal failure, the work gives conclusive answers to all of the questions raised during the narrative. Although Haruki Murakami’s Underground (1997–98) is a nonfiction compiled from interviews of terror attack survivors, it nevertheless has the hallmarks of a social dread narrative, such as question-answer structure and abstractness of the source of fear. More importantly, Murakami’s work alternates between identifying and anticipatory readings, gives no definitive answers to the questions it poses, and the fear it conveys is social in nature.
Assessment models of personal characteristics by the method of audio diagnostics
Authors: Петров Владислав , Petrov Vladislav
Published: January 2019

The article is devoted to the development of models for assessing some characteristics of the personality of soldiers using the method of audio diagnostics. The results of the research of the Sequoia («Sequence») technique possibilities implemented in the form of presentation of 45 ambiguous audio fragments are presented. The projective diagnostic tool allows to estimate the degree of expression of five personal characteristics: 1) self-control-impulsiveness; 2) adaptability (adaptability) – maladaptation, alienation; 3) field independence – useful dependence; 4) cognitive labiality – rigidity; 5) harmony of psycho-emotional state. The article focuses on the parameters of diagnostic models, analyzes the psychometric capabilities of personality assessment based on the software complex «Sequence». The approach based on stimulatory sound effects can be applied to a variety of diagnostic purposes, including the diagnosis of personality in extreme, pre-extreme, post-extreme and conditionally extreme situations. The use of the method of audio diagnostics significantly increases the confidence of soldiers to the psychologist and their motivation for psychological examination, as well as the accuracy of evaluation of the leading personal characteristics.
Traditional and non-traditional methods of optimizing the functional states of public servants
Authors: Рогожин Андрей , Rogozhin Andrei
Published: January 2019

The article analyzes the peculiarities of the problem of the states of human life: functional, mental and psycho-physiological. The question of the characteristics of the professional activities of civil servants and the level of stressful influences in it are discussed. Consider methods of optimizing functional states, both medical and psychological. Special attention is paid to the practices of self-regulation from transpersonal psychology, which are non-traditional for practical psychology, which, on the one hand, offer a wide range of opportunities to overcome stressful influences, and on the other, it is a potential reserve for spiritual and personal development, expansion of world view, development of creativity and internal integrity.
Specifics of the conflict-free situation of interrogation (psychological aspect)
Authors: Реуцкая Ирина , Reuckaya Irina
Published: January 2019

The article presents a General description of the conflict-free situation of interrogation of participants in criminal proceedings, including the motives of giving bona fide testimony by victims, witnesses, suspects, accused. The importance of considering non-conflict situation of the interrogation due to its specificity related to the need for a differentiated approach to the faithful testimony of the interviewee, as not all of them are reliable. Consideration by investigators and investigators of the motives for giving bona fide testimony by participants in criminal proceedings will help in the selection of tactical and psychological methods and techniques of interrogation.
Dynamic Compressor Optimization in Natural Gas Pipeline Systems
Authors: Mak Terrence W. K. , Hentenryck Pascal Van , Zlotnik Anatoly , Bent Russell
Published: January 2019

The growing dependence of electric power systems on gas-fired generators to balance fluctuating and intermittent production by renewable energy sources has increased the variation and volume of flows withdrawn from natural gas transmission pipelines. Adapting pipeline operations to maintain efficiency and security under these dynamic conditions requires optimization methods that account for substantial intraday transients and can rapidly compute solutions in reaction to generator re-dispatch. Here, we present a computationally efficient method for minimizing gas compression costs under dynamic conditions where deliveries to customers are described by time-dependent mass flows. The optimization method uses a simplified representation of gas flow physics, provides a choice of discretization schemes in time and space, and exploits a two-stage approach to minimize energy costs and ensure smooth and physically meaningful solutions. The resulting large-scale NLPs are solved using an interior point method. The optimization scheme is validated by comparing the solutions with an integration of the dynamic equations using an adaptive timestepping differential equation solver, as well as a different, recently proposed optimal control scheme. The comparison shows that solutions to the discretized problem are feasible for the continuous problem and also practical from an operational standpoint. The results also indicate that our scheme produces at least an order of magnitude reduction in computation time relative to the state of the art and scales to large gas transmission networks with more than 6,000 kilometers of total pipeline.

The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2018.0821 .