bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eradication of HCV in Renal Transplant Recipients and Its Effects on Quality of Life
Authors: Sabbatini Massimo , Capuano Ivana , Camera Silvia , Ferreri Lucia , Buonanno Pasquale , Donnarumma Laura , Caporaso Nicola , Morisco Filomena
Published: August 2018

Background. The use of direct antiviral agents (DAA) has radically modified the course of HCV hepatitis in renal patients. Aim of this study was to assess the effects of HCV eradication on quality of life (QOL) in renal transplant recipients (RTR), measured by CLDQ and SF-36. Methods. Sixteen RTR with well preserved GFR (mean: 60.3±19.3 ml/min) and chronic HCV infection with moderate liver stiffness (9.3±1.7 kPa) were given a sofosbuvir-based regimen for 12 weeks and had a 1 year follow-up. Results. At end of treatment (EOT) a complete viral clearance was observed in all the patients, with normalization of most laboratory data and a consistent reduction in liver stiffness. All these parameters remained stable after 1 year, as well as renal function and proteinuria. Questionnaire data showed consistent amelioration in different “emotional” domains at EOT, which persisted after 1 year and were associated with a globally improved QOL, although there was no change in most of the “physical” domains in both questionnaires. One patient under ribavirin developed an acute anemia and withdrew from the study, but no further adverse episode was observed throughout the study. Conclusions. Our data, while confirming the efficacy of oral DAA, show that HCV infection represents a heavy psychological burden in renal transplant recipients, greatly alleviated by viral eradication, which determines a significant improvement in QOL that represents an important outcome in management of all transplant recipients. This trial is registered with ISRCTN97560076.
Cross-Protective Efficacy of Monovalent Live Influenza B Vaccines against Genetically Different Lineages of B/Victoria and B/Yamagata in Ferrets
Authors: Kiseleva Irina , Krutikova Elena , Stepanova Ekaterina , Donina Svetlana , Pisareva Maria , Krivitskaya Vera , Rekstin Andrey , Sparrow Erin Grace , Torelli Guido , Rudenko Larisa
Published: August 2018

Background.Currently, two genetic lineages of influenza B virus, B/Victoria and B/Yamagata, are cocirculating in humans in various countries. This situation has raised a question regarding the possibility of cross-protection between B components of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) belonging to different lineages. This study aimed to assess in naïve ferrets the potential protective activity of monovalent B-LAIVs against challenge with homologous and heterologous wild-type (WT) influenza B viruses.Methods.Groups of seronegative female ferrets 5-6 months of age were given one dose of monovalent LAIV based on B/Victoria or B/Yamagata lineage virus. Ferrets were challenged 21 days later with B/Victoria or B/Yamagata WT virus. Ferrets were monitored closely for clinical signs and morbidity outcomes including febrile response, body weight loss, nasal symptoms, and level of activity one week prior to vaccination and for three days following vaccination/challenge. Nasal washes were collected three days after vaccination/challenge. Samples of lung tissue were taken three days after challenge. All samples were analyzed for the presence of challenge virus by culturing in embryonated chicken eggs and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Antibody response to vaccination was assessed by routine hemagglutination inhibition assay and microneutralization test.Results.Vaccination led to intensive production of specific neutralizing and antihemagglutinating antibodies to vaccine virus, protected ferrets from homologous challenge infection, and significantly reduced clinical signs and replication of homologous challenge virus. In contrast, cross-lineage serum antibodies were not detected. However, ferrets vaccinated with monovalent B-LAIV had a significantly lower level of heterologous challenge virus in the respiratory tract than those given challenge virus only.Conclusions.Monovalent B-LAIV has the potential to be cross-protective against infection with genetically different influenza lineages. Further studies are required to confirm this effect.
Dynamic Expression of Genes Involved in Proteoglycan/Glycosaminoglycan Metabolism during Skin Development
Authors: Uijtdewilligen P. J. E. , Versteeg E. M. , Westerlo E. M. A. van de , Vlag J. van der , Daamen W. F. , Kuppevelt T. H. van
Published: August 2018

Glycosaminoglycans are important for cell signaling and therefore for proper embryonic development and adult homeostasis. Expressions of genes involved in proteoglycan/glycosaminoglycan (GAG) metabolism and of genes coding for growth factors known to bind GAGs were analyzed during skin development by microarray analysis and real time quantitative PCR. GAG related genes were organized in six categories based on their role in GAG homeostasis,viz.(1) production of precursor molecules, (2) production of core proteins, (3) synthesis of the linkage region, (4) polymerization, (5) modification, and (6) degradation of the GAG chain. In all categories highly dynamic up- and downregulations were observed during skin development, including differential expression of GAG modifying isoenzymes, core proteins, and growth factors. In two mice models, one overexpressing heparanase and one lacking C5 epimerase, differential expression of only few genes was observed. Data show that during skin development a highly dynamic and complex expression of GAG-associated genes occurs. This likely reflects quantitative and qualitative changes in GAGs/proteoglycans, including structural fine tuning, which may be correlated with growth factor handling.
PI3K–AKT Pathway Protects Cardiomyocytes Against Hypoxia-Induced Apoptosis by MitoKATP-Mediated Mitochondrial Translocation of pAKT
Authors: Song Hua-Pei , Chu Zhi-Gang , Zhang Dong-Xia , Dang Yong-Ming , Zhang Qiong
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase -AKT (PI3K-AKT) is an important intracellular signal pathway in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In previous studies, we’ve demonstrated that PI3K–AKT pathway protects cardiomyocytes from ischemic and hypoxic apoptosis through mitochondrial function. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis via PI3K-AKT pathway remain ill-defined. Here, we addressed this question. Methods: Cardiomyocytes were exposed to hypoxia, with/without different inhibitors and then protein levels were assessed by Western blotting. Results: We found that the PI3K–AKT pathway was activated in cardiomyocytes that were exposed to hypoxia. Moreover, the phospho-AKT (pAKT) translocated from cytosol to mitochondria via mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate-dependent potassium (mitoKATP), leading to an increase in cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) activity to suppress apoptosis. On the other hand, the mitoKATP specific blocker, 5-hydroxydecanote (5-HD), or suppression of CcO using siRNA, inhibited the pAKT mitochondrial translocation to maintain the CcO activity, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular apoptosis induced by hypoxia. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the anti-apoptotic effect of the PI3K-AKT pathway through pAKT translocation to mitochondrial via mitoKATP may be conducted through modification of CcO activity.
Presente, Memória e Autoritarismo: Agir Politicamente?
Authors: Chammas Eduardo Zayat , Zacarias Gabriel Ferreira , Jesus Tiago Machado de
Published: August 2018

O artigo tem como ponto inicial a questão das possibilidades de ação política na contemporaneidade, sobretudo no segmento da juventude. Identifi - camos, em nossa realidade presente, um entrecruzamento temporal no qual a memória produzida acerca dos anos de estado autoritário determina a ação política atual, ou seja, dos anos de “abertura”. Levantamos, assim, três questões centrais: O que é este tempo presente?; Como é possível elaborar a memória de um evento traumático?; Quais as relações entre o estado autoritário e o estado de direito? Realizamos, então, um primeiro estudo interdisciplinar, tentando mobilizar os campos da fi losofi a, da sociologia e da crítica literária para dar conta de problematizar uma história que é entendida como zona de intersecção entre passado e presente.
Identidade: Anthony Giddens e Norbert Elias
Authors: Rosa Nina Gabriela Moreira Braga
Published: August 2018

O enfoque desse trabalho é apresentar as perspectivas de identidade de Norbert Elias e Anthony Giddens. A concepção eliasiana é oriunda de um extenso debate com a fi losofi a, principalmente a de Kant e Descartes. Para Elias, só é possível pensar em identidade considerando as redes de interdependência que os indivíduos estabelecem nas confi gurações às quais pertencem. Elias aponta que a mudança na “balança nós-eu” está vinculada a transformações históricas das sociedades. Já Anthony Giddens, por outro lado, está preocupado em demonstrar o desenvolvimento da auto-identidade. Para isso, ele evoca e revê conceitos da psicologia tais como confi ança básica, ansiedade existencial, segurança ontológica, vergonha e culpa e propõe a sustentabilidade de uma narrativa autobiográfi ca. Nesse sentido, ele desenvolve um aparato conceitual que aponta outra direção no tocante à temática da identidade
Nietzche e o Espectador
Authors: Luduvice Ruy Lewgoy
Published: August 2018

O autor ensaia abordar os desafi os propostos pelos movimentos modernistas do começo do século 20, no que concerne à relação arte/espectador, à luz do pensamento estético do fi lósofo Friedrich Nietzsche em seus últimos textos. Para tal, serve-se das refl exões empreendidas por Ortega y Gasset, Robert Klein e Paul Klee sobre as mudanças intentadas pela assim chamada arte moderna.
A Filosofia crítica segundo Gilles Deleuze
Authors: Domingos João Gabriel A.
Published: August 2018

Revendo as observações de Deleuze sobre as diferenças de método entre Nietzsche-Kant e entre Nietzsche-Platão, o objetivo deste ensaio é pensar os princípios da filosofia crítica.
Alienação e Controle: A visão Unidimensional da Região
Authors: Xavier Vinicius Dos Santos
Published: August 2018

O objetivo deste artigo é investigar o fenômeno da unidimensionalidade na religião. Em face disso, buscar-se-á uma linha de raciocínio que se desdobrará em dois planos. O primeiro especifi cará as estruturas de dominação vigentes no sistema capitalista. Para que isso aconteça, será preciso demonstrar como elas não são fundamentadas pelo domínio do homem sobre outro homem, mas sim pela sociedade moldada sob a égide do capital. O segundo delimitará a forma pela qual a religião participa dessas estruturas de dominação. Assim, será possível entender o fenômeno da unidimensionalidade na religião.
Charles Baudelaire e Édouard Manet: Por uma arte da vida moderna
Authors: Bois Maria Clara M. S.
Published: August 2018

O presente trabalho é um estudo sobre o processo de modernização dos parâmetros estéticos e artísticos da pintura francesa a partir da segunda metade do século 19. Por meio da interpretação da crítica de arte do escritor Charles Baudelaire e do trabalho do pintor Édouard Manet, pretende-se captar alguns elementos importantes para a arte daquele contexto e as contribuições de ambos para a representação de uma arte da vida moderna.
Cheiro de Pequi em São Paulo: A Comunicação Intercultural através do Audiovisual
Authors: Pereira Claudia Lima
Published: August 2018

Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a comunicação intercultural por meio do audiovisual. Foi na exibição do vídeo “Cheiro de Pequi” no Centro Cultural São Paulo que surgiu a idéia de estudar a recepção desse vídeo nos diferentes públicos da cidade de São Paulo. Dentre eles, estão os espectadores do Centro Cultural São Paulo, da Cinemateca Brasileira, da Faculdade Teológica Batista de São Paulo, do Colégio Hugo Sarmento e da sala de aula da disciplina Antropologia e Audiovisual: Comunicação e Narrativa, do programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia Social da USP. Para tal proposta, julguei necessário discutir a classifi cação do gênero do vídeo (etnográfi co, fi cção ou documentário) para, posteriormente, verifi car que tipo de comunicação o vídeo estabelece com os espectadores.
José de Acosta e a compreensão da alteridade
Authors: La Jousselandière Victor Santos Vigneron de
Published: August 2018

A partir de uma análise da Historia natural y moral de las Indias, do jesuíta castelhano José de Acosta, este artigo objetiva apresentar algumas questões no que diz respeito ao lugar epistemológico da alteridade no âmbito do acervo cognitivo europeu de finais do século XVI. O posicionamento do autor sobre o tema mostra-se extremamente significativo na medida em que Acosta se apresenta como uma espécie de sintetizador de determinadas experiências missionárias e formulações teóricas que o antecederam. Dessa forma, busca-se, na medida do possível, atentar à historicidade da constituição do “outro” enquanto objeto de reflexão, processo que forçosamente levou à modificação de algumas das bases tradicionais do conhecimento europeu.
A Extensão da Ética como Filosofia Primeira para Emmanuel Lévinas
Authors: Carvalho Lucila Lang Patriani de
Published: August 2018

Contrariando o pensamento filosófico de seu tempo, Emmanuel Lévinas coloca, dentro de seu sistema, a Ética como Filosofia Primeira e não mais a Ontologia, como ocorria até então. Esta substituição é justificada pelo filósofo que, com esta mudança, altera também a forma de pensar a Alteridade e as relações entre esses Sujeitos. Os novos moldes adquiridos formam uma Filosofia do Amor, reformulam a Humanidade do Eu e do Outro e passam por diversos conceitos que estruturam positivamente esta relação, estabelecendo sempre contato com o Infinito.
O Museu da solidariedade do Chile e Mário Pedrosa
Authors: Zoli Ana Flávia
Published: August 2018

O objetivo deste trabalho é abordar a criação do Museu da Solidariedade no Chile, ocorrida no governo de Salvador Allende. Buscou-se delimitar também a grande participação, na fundação deste Museu, do crítico de arte brasileiro Mário Pedrosa, que se encontrava refugiado no Chile no início da década de 1970.
Capitalismo e Ascese: Elementos de Articulação Temática em Weber
Authors: Riva Flávio Luiz Russo
Published: August 2018

O objetivo do artigo é propor uma leitura da Ética protestante e o “espírito” do capitalismo que seja capaz de evidenciar tanto pressupostos metodológicos do autor (como, por exemplo, a centralidade do agente individual) quanto a sua idéia da autonomia das diferentes esferas da ação social. Originalmente escrito como trabalho final para matéria de introdução à sociologia de Weber, tenta contribuir para esclarecimento do problema mais geral da imputação causal histórica na famosa obra do autor, ressaltando aspectos considerados centrais.
Salve os inglórios! Historicidade e memória em O mestre-sala dos mares
Authors: Kater Thiago
Published: August 2018

A canção  O mestre-salados mares, composta por João Bosco e Aldir Blanc e lançada no álbum Caça a Raposa em 1975, é um dos tantos exemplos em que foi possível conciliar a crítica à ditadura e o sucesso mercadológico na indústria fonográ- fica. A canção se estrutura como um discurso histórico elogioso a respeito da Revolta da Chibata. Este ensaio pretende propor uma análise da letra desta canção, entendendo-a enquanto documento histórico ou discurso historiográfico e, portanto, passível de interpretações que permitirão desdobrar conceitos e vinculações teóricas.
Atala e Duque: igualdade e não discriminação sob a óptica interamericana
Authors: Fico Bernardo de Souza Dantas
Published: August 2018

Este artigo analisa os avanços jurisprudenciais do Sistema Interamericano de Direitos Humanos na seara do direito à igualdade e à não discriminação, com foco nos dois casos decididos por sua Corte na matéria de direitos LGBTI. A garantia da igualdade, tanto formal quanto material, não é tarefa simples. Da análise de ambos os casos, pode-se inferir a tendência do Sistema Interamericano a colocar o casamento entre pessoas do mesmo gênero em patamar de igualdade completa (formal e material) em relação ao casamento entre pessoas de gêneros opostos. Ainda, depreende-se que a adoção de prática nacional que divirja do norte apontado pelo Sistema viola, dentre outros diplomas internacionais, o Pacto de San José da Costa Rica, podendo ensejar responsabilidade internacional ao Estado, se processado. No contexto do Brasil, país que mais mata LGBTIs no mundo, esse debate é de grande relevo.
Violações de direitos humanos e o conflito de normas nacionais e transnacionais desportivas
Authors: Mota Juliana da Cunha
Published: August 2018

Um dos principais atores do direito desportivo atual são as organizações desportivas transnacionais. Estas são responsáveis por organizar eventos de competição, tanto regionais como mundiais, uniformizar a legislação aplicável às competições e dirimir conflitos existentes com relação às regras e com relação a eventuais litígios entre os atletas. Esse conjunto de regras das organizações tem sido denominado como lex sportiva. Entende-se que se trata de verdadeiras leis, ainda que não derivadas de um Estado soberano, mas sim de uma entidade privada. O presente artigo pretende analisar como se resolve o choque entre a lex sportiva e as leis nacionais quando ocorrem violações de direitos humanos no âmbito das competições desportivas e dos próprios conjuntos de normas das competições.
Ernst Cassirer: O mito do Estado e o Direito
Authors: Gaspari Filipe Natal de
Published: August 2018

Esta resenha se propõe a analisar a obra O mito do Estado, de Ernst Cassirer, sob o prisma do Direito. A noção de justiça é vista pelo autor como um dos elementos cruciais que integram a luta da história do pensamento contra a ascensão do Estado em sua versão mítica.
The Future of Meritocracy: A Discussion of Daniel Bell’s The China Model
Authors: Zhang Yongle , Howe Colleen
Published: August 2018

Compared to Wang Shaoguang’s approach to re-interpret the old concept “democracy” to overcome the Schumpeterian model of political legitimation, Daniel Bell’s Political Meritocracy takes a more challenging path, attempting to build a new discourse of legitimacy centering on the concept “meritocracy” and incorporating elements of ancient China’s traditions, the socialist revolutions in the twentieth century, and the system of competitive elections common in the Western world today. This inspiring work is full of incisive arguments, but could be improved by further considering the tension between the Confucian tradition and the revolutionary tradition in the twentieth century.
Aphyllorchis maliauensis (Orchidaceae), a new species from the Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo
Authors: SUETSUGU KENJI , SULEIMAN MONICA , ANTHONY FLORINA , TSUKAYA HIROKAZU
Published: August 2018

Aphyllorchis Blume (1825: 16) comprises approximately 30 species distributed from Sri Lanka, the western Himalayas, and China through Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Philippines eastward to New Guinea and Australia (Hsieh et al. 2013, Tian et al. 2013). Aphyllorchis species are leafless and mycoheterotrophic, with erect, unbranched stems, racemose inflorescences, multiple resupinate flowers, petals similar to sepals but shorter and narrower and lips divided into hypochile and epichile (Tian et al. 2013). As in most other mycoheterotrophs (Suetsugu 2017, Suetsugu & Nishioka 2017, Suetsugu et al. 2017), the diversity of Aphyllorchis species could be underestimated since the short flowering season and inconspicuous habit make them easily overlooked in the wild (Hsieh et al. 2013).
Multiweek Prediction Skill Assessment of Arctic Sea Ice Variability in the CFSv2
Authors: Liu Yanyun , Wang Wanqiu , Kumar Arun
Published: August 2018

Skillful Arctic Sea ice prediction is becoming increasingly important because of its societal, industrial, and economic impacts over the polar regions and potential influence on lower-latitude weather and climate variability. In this work, we evaluate the multiweek forecast skill of Arctic sea ice using the Climate Forecast System, version 2 (CFSv2). To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first effort to diagnose and assess the skill of multiweek Arctic sea ice prediction from a coupled atmosphere–ocean model. Analysis of a suite of retrospective 45-day forecasts spanning 1999–2015 shows that CFSv2 captures general features of sea ice concentration (SIC) variability. Total SIC variability is dominated by interannual variability, which accounts for more than 60% of the total variance. Submonthly variability accounts for 29% of the total variance in December, 20% in March and June, and 12.5% in September. We assess the ability of CFSv2 to predict the pan-Arctic SIC, as well as regional SIC in nine Arctic regions. Results show that the SIC prediction skill is highly region dependent (e.g., higher prediction skill for Kara/Barents Seas and lower for the Canadian Archipelago). Overall, the maximum anomaly correlation coefficient (ACC) of SIC for both melt and freeze-up seasons is near the marginal zones, and their spatial distribution shows a relationship with the distribution of the variance. If the ACC of 0.5 is taken as the critical value for skillful prediction, the predictability of weekly SIC near the marginal zones is about 5–6 weeks. Prediction skill for Arctic sea ice extent is above 0.6 for the entire six target weeks and has a large contribution from interannual variability.
Family demography and income inequality in West Germany and the United States
Authors: Zagel Hannah , Breen Richard
Published: August 2018

Income inequality has grown in many countries over the past decades. Single country studies have investigated how trends in family demography, such as rising female employment, assortative mating and single parenthood, have affected this development. But the combined effects have not been studied sufficiently, much less in a comparative perspective. We apply decomposition and counterfactual analyses to Luxembourg Income Study data from the 1990s and 2000s for West Germany and the USA. We counterfactually analyse how changes in the distribution of men’s and women’s education, employment and children across households between the 1990s and 2000s affected overall inequality (Theil index). We find that changes in family demography between the 1990s and the 2000s explain inequality growth in West Germany but not in the USA, where the effects of gendered changes in education and employment offset each other. In West Germany, changes in the distribution of household types, and particularly changes in men’s employment and education, contributed to increases in income inequality. The country differences in the relationship between changes in family demography and inequality growth reflect how the decline in men’s and the growth in women’s employment played out differently in the weakening male breadwinner context in West Germany and in the universal breadwinner context in the USA.
How Violence is Islamized
Authors: H. M. Sanjeev Kumar
Published: August 2018

Interpretation of the history, foundational scriptures of Islam and the cultural practices of Muslims has been a fundamental influence upon the modes of Western explanation of the reasons for the rise of violent extremism involving Muslims. In this regard, one source that factors deeply in the process of making the Western portrait of Islam and the Muslim world is the emphasis of the Salafi reform movement on adherence to a puritanical form of Islam and the appropriation and subsequent perversion of this discourse by transnational jihadi groups. Such an arrogation of epistemological space of Islam by extremist organizations in a bid to glorify their violent atrocities and terror methodologies has spawned distorted negative images of the religion of Islam. This has subsequently led to a widespread propaganda of the phenomenon of Islamophobia, and it is this very notion of Islamic evil demonology that undergirds the Western imagery of Islam and the Muslims. The present article aims at demystifying such clichéd imagery of Islam in general and Salafism in particular that has been engendered by Western critiques.
Psychological Predictors of Cyberbullying According to Ethnic-Cultural Origin in Adolescents: A National Study in Spain
Authors: Rodríguez-Hidalgo Antonio J. , Solera Eva , Calmaestra Juan
Published: August 2018

Studying the predictors of cyberbullying is of great research interest; however, little is known about how these relationships function in different ethno-cultural groups within a similar context. Our study examines levels of cyber victimization, cyber aggression, self-esteem, empathy, and social skills as possible predictors of cyberbullying in various ethno-cultural groups: Moroccan, Romanian, Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Spanish. A multicultural sample that was representative of students in their first through fourth year of Compulsory Secondary Education in Spain ( N = 25,684, age M = 13.94; SD = 1.396) participated by completing an online self-report survey. No differences were found between levels of cyber aggression according to ethno-cultural group. However, there were differences between the levels of cyber victimization between Romanians and Spaniards. Multiple linear regression analyses performed for each of the ethno-cultural groups with respect to cyber aggression and cyber victimization revealed that the presence and weight of the explanatory factors were different according to ethno-cultural origin. The best predictor of cyber victimization in the five ethno-cultural groups was cyber aggression, and vice versa. Among Columbian, Romanian, and Spanish students, cyber victimization was also predicted by self-esteem, empathy, or social skills, with predictive power of these variables differing across ethno-cultural groups. However, these variables were not predictive of cyber victimization among Moroccan or Ecuadorian students. Cyber aggression was also predicted in all ethno-cultural groups by self-esteem, empathy, or social skills. Common and unique patterns of prediction are presented and discussed to improve psychoeducational programs that prevent and mitigate cyberbullying.
Negotiations in the Shadow of Outside Alternatives: An Estimation Strategy
Authors: Radean Marius
Published: August 2018

Many political and socioeconomic binary outcomes are the result of multiactor interaction: states joining a given international institution (e.g., military alliance, economic block) and not its rivals, people entering the workforce as an employee of a specific firm and not of its competitors, and so on. Yet most empirical studies analyze multilateral phenomena as the (joint) binary choice of either a single or, at most, two decision makers. This is due in part to a lack of empirical estimators that can efficiently deal with multiactor interaction. Analyzing multilateral processes as a set of either monadic or dyadic events, though, introduces bias and has important consequences for the estimates and ultimately the inferences that one would draw. In this article, I develop a new empirical estimator that is specifically designed to analyze multiparty interactions. Specifically, the model can accommodate the input of multiple actors into a unified, overarching decision-making process. Results from a Monte Carlo analysis and an application to real data on alliance formation demonstrate the superior performance of the new estimator relative to the standard approach.
Enhancing Independent Participation Within Vocational Activities for an Adolescent With ASD Using AAC Video Visual Scene Displays
Authors: Babb Salena , Gormley Jessica , McNaughton David , Light Janice
Published: August 2018

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often require support both for learning new skills and for communication. This study used a multiple baseline across activities design to evaluate the effect of videos with integrated visual scene displays (video VSDs), presented using a tablet-based app, on the percentage of steps completed independently within vocational training tasks by an adolescent with ASD and complex communication needs (CCN). Using the video VSDs, the participant met the mastery criterion for completing three tasks (including participation in communication exchanges) in a vocational setting. The results provide evidence that video VSDs may provide an effective support both for learning new skills in vocational contexts, and as a method of augmentative and alternative communication for individuals with ASD and CCN.
Pseudochylothorax: An unusual mode of revelation of pleural metastasis from solid tumor
Authors: Streit Arthur , Guerrera Francesco , Kouki Matthieu , Siat Joelle , Lyberis Paraskevas , Filosso Pier Luigi , Renaud Stéphane
Published: August 2018

Introduction:

Pseudochylothorax is a rare cause of pleural effusion. Sometimes confounded with chylothorax, firm diagnosis relies on analysis of the pleural liquid: exudative liquid (protein >30 g/L, lactate dehydrogenase >200 UI/L) with a high level of cholesterol (usually >200 mg/dL), low level of triglyceride (usually <110 mg/dL), cholesterol total/triglyceride ratio >1, absence of chylomicron, and in some cases the presence of cholesterol crystals. Pseudochylothorax is secondary to tuberculosis and rheumatoid arthritis in nearly 90% of cases. Its oncologic etiologies are mainly represented by malignant hematologic disorders.

Methods:

We report the first case of pseudochylothorax whose cause was the pleural metastasis of an extrathoracic solid tumor in a 61-year-old man with a medical history of oropharynx carcinoma.

Results:

Computed tomography scan disclosed a left partitioned effusion of high abundance, responsible for a passive atelectasis of the left lower lobe and multiple bilateral pulmonary nodules. A drainage tube was inserted to allow the evacuation of serous liquid; biochemical examination revealed an exudative effusion with pseudochylothorax criteria. Because the daily chest drainage output remained greater than 1 L per day, videothoracoscopy pleural biopsies and talc pleurodesis were performed. Histopathologic examination of the pleural biopsies found a pleural localization of oropharynx carcinoma.

Conclusion:

Because its occurrence is probably underestimated, when pseudochylothorax is diagnosed, oncologic causes should be considered.
Strategies and Barriers in Effective Bus Lane Implementation and Management: Best Practices for Use in the Greater Washington, D.C. Region
Authors: Cesme Burak , Roisman Richard , Burns Ramona , List Katie , Koudounas Arrianna , Cuellar Jesus , Sanders Meredyth , Lee Kevin , Miller David
Published: August 2018

Bus lanes have the potential to significantly improve bus speeds and reliability. These benefits are typically not solely achieved through the design and installation of a bus lane, however. A successful bus lane must also have sufficient public support for regulating bus lane use, as well as enforcing those regulations. Effective design, enforcement, legislation, and education strategies are critical during both the planning and post-implementation phases to limit bus lane violations and increase compliance, thereby improving bus lane efficiency. Despite the importance of developing a robust management plan to limit violations and maintain bus lane efficiency, there is little documented guidance for bus lane implementation and management in the literature, particularly related to enforcement and education strategies. This paper develops a best practices review to respond to that gap in guidance by conducting a comprehensive literature review of best practice in bus lane management along with interviews with agency staff. The objective of this paper is to research, identify, and develop strategies to improve bus lane observance and enforcement, and to create an implementation plan for agencies with specific recommendations and strategies to ensure the success of bus lane initiatives.
Road Network Resilience: How to Identify Critical Links Subject to Day-to-Day Disruptions
Authors: Gauthier Pauline , Furno Angelo , El Faouzi Nour-Eddin
Published: August 2018

Disruptive events occur on road networks on a daily basis and affect traffic flow. Resilience analysis aims to assess the consequences of such disruptions by quantifying the ability of a network to absorb and react to adverse events. In this paper, we advance a methodological approach based on resilience stress testing and a dynamic mesoscopic simulator. We aim to identify and rank the links most critical to the overall performance of the road network, taking into account the dynamic properties of road traffic and focusing on day-to-day disruptions. As a metric to quantify road network performance in the presence of such disruptions, we use the increase in overall travel cost. We then compare our approach with purely topological approaches. We discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the different analyzed metrics. We prove that link ranking varies greatly depending on the metric. Specifically, the proposed stress testing methodology can produce very accurate results by taking into account demand and congestion, but requires computationally intensive simulations, being therefore prohibitive even on medium-sized networks. Conversely, purely static topological metrics can be inaccurate if they do not take into account traffic demand and network dynamics. Our study highlights the need for joining traditional traffic-agnostic topological resilience analysis with demand-aware dynamic stress testing techniques.
Long-Term Care in Indonesia: The Role of Integrated Service Post for Elderly
Authors: Pratono Aluisius Hery , Maharani Asri
Published: August 2018

Objective: This article aims to examine community long-term care (LTC) in Indonesia by drawing upon the five principles of human right provision: availability, accessibility, acceptability, quality, and universality. Method: We used a qualitative approach with exploratory multiple case studies in three different areas in East Java Province, Indonesia. This study gathered the initial evidence using a report card approach with self-report questionnaires. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were carried out to understand factors that affect the efficacy of LTC services. Results: The Indonesia Government imposed a regulation that required each local community to make community health services available for the elderly. By managing the integrated post, the community provided LTC service for the elderly. Community leadership played a pivotal role to make LTC services available. Improving the services with religious activities was essential to improving the acceptability, but it also needed to take into consideration universality and nondiscrimination principles. Results show that LTC services are difficult to expand and quality standards are difficult to raise, due to challenges such as few community members volunteering their services, lack of support from religious leaders, limited resources, and inadequate volunteer training. Discussion: This study highlights the role of community engagement in LTC services and shows that it is difficult to succeed without adequate government support. Improving services with creative and culturally acceptable activities is necessary.
Philosophy, archaeology and the Enlightenment heritage
Authors: Arponen V. P. J. , Ribeiro Artur
Published: August 2018

Cartesian representationalism and the Enlightenment heritage more broadly continue to play a pivotal role in shaping the 21st-century human scientific theory and practice. This introduction to a special section on the topic surveys some aspects of that heritage.
Emotions and Media Multitasking Behaviour among Indian College Students
Authors: Shukla Shanu , Sharma Pritee
Published: August 2018

Media multitasking, a simultaneous consumption of two or more media, is a ubiquitous and popular behaviour among the youth. One of the reasons for its increasing growth is the structural/market-level factors (known as media factors). Although India is a growing technology hub, there have been limited efforts to identify the media multitasking behaviour among the youth in this country. Thus, this study attempts to analyse the prevalence of media multitasking behaviour among the Indian college students and its relationship with their emotions through two methods: self-report and an android-based application known as ‘Affective Media Landscape Survey’ (AMLS). Previous studies have reported that continuous interaction with media diminishes face-to-face interaction, reduces empathy and increases the tendency to live in the virtual world. This raises the concern for emotional differences in everyday life, if any, between the high and low groups of media multitaskers. So the second objective of the study is to understand the emotional profile of the users that varies among media multitasking index. To achieve these objectives, the same two methods, the ‘self-report’ that involves questionnaires and AMLS (an android-based app to study the frequency of media multitasking behaviour and the emotions of the users) have been employed. The study gives an insight into the emerging behavioural patterns and hence is helpful for designing communities to cater to the growing needs of the young media users.
The Impact of Evidence-Based Medicine on Qualitative Metasynthesis: Benefits to be Harvested and Warnings to be Given
Authors: Malterud Kirsti
Published: August 2018

Qualitative metasynthesis, developed as an interpretative and inductive methodology, is increasingly influenced by standards from evidence-based medicine, established as a strategy to support policy decisions and guidelines. Currently, principles and procedures from the format developed for systematic reviews are often applied for review and synthesis of all kinds of evidence, including results from qualitative studies. In this article, I substantiate these claims, discussing benefits to be harvested and warnings to be given when qualitative metasynthesis approaches the evidence-based medicine methodology. Situating my exploration in the context of clinical practice, I contrast missions and values of these methodologies regarding review and synthesis of research literature, highlighting potential mismatches between ontology and epistemology, emphasizing challenges regarding sample, analysis, and transferability. Approving systematic and transparent strategies as generic for such purposes, I warn against the idea that methodology developed for evidence-based medicine is a universal gold standard for synthesis of research evidence.
Patient-Reported Outcomes Before and After Primary and Revision Total Ankle Arthroplasty
Authors: Lachman James R. , Ramos Jania A. , Adams Samuel B. , Nunley James A. , Easley Mark E. , DeOrio James K.
Published: August 2018

Background:

Studies examining the clinical outcomes of revision total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) are sparse. Revision TAA surgery has become more common with availability of revision implants and refinement of bone-conserving primary implants. In this study, patient-reported results and clinical outcomes were analyzed for a cohort of patients who underwent both primary and revision TAA at a single high-volume institution.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data on 29 patients with failed primary total ankle arthroplasty. Cases of isolated polyethylene exchange, infection, or extra-articular realignment procedures were excluded. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures and clinical results were reviewed in this longitudinal study.

Results:

Fifteen patients (51.7%) underwent revision of just the talar and polyethylene components while 13 patients (44.8%) underwent revision of all components. The most common cause was talar subsidence (51.7%). The average time to revision was 3.9 years with a follow-up of 3.2 years after revision, and 3 (10.3%) revision arthroplasties required further surgery; 2 required conversion to arthrodesis and 1 required second revision TAA. Improvements in PROs were better after primary than revision TAA.

Conclusions:

Clinical and patient-reported results of revision ankle arthroplasty after metal component failure improved significantly but never reached the improvements seen after primary ankle arthroplasty. In our series, 10.3% of revision TAAs required a second revision TAA or arthrodesis surgery.

Levels of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level III, comparative series.
Value(s) for Whom? Creating Value(s) for Stakeholders
Authors: Busch Timo , Hamprecht Jens , Waddock Sandra
Published: August 2018

While mankind in the 21st century faces several sustainability challenges, many business practices remain on a nonsustainable pathway. At the same time, many scholars as well as managers consider maximizing shareholder wealth as the only business imperative. We argue that this situation calls for revisioning—that is, reorienting and redefining—what is meant by value creation. This revisioning requires a considerable broadening of our understanding about the purposes and functioning of businesses. Thus, we ask one central question: Value(s) for whom? In this article, we derive and discuss three phases of the academic debate on stakeholders and value creation. We argue that in today’s third phase, the notion of collective value frames the debate. To enable transformations toward creating collective value, embedded relations with stakeholders are of central relevance. In a nutshell, the answer to our question is the following: Creating value(s) for stakeholders.
The social construction of the value of wildlife: A green cultural criminological perspective
Authors: van Uhm Daan P
Published: August 2018

The trade in wildlife is not a new phenomenon. The earliest civilizations were linked to the trade in live animals and parts thereof, from the Egyptian pharaohs to aristocrats in the modern era. This article focuses on the history of the wildlife trade in order to understand the social construction of the value of wildlife. In dynamic social and cultural contexts, the meaning of wildlife changes. Historically, exotic animals and the products thereof were associated with social elites, but today, wildlife attracts people from all walks of life and a wide variety of live animals and products thereof are traded for functional, symbolic and social purposes. Increasing ecocentric and biocentric values in contemporary western society, however, may influence constructed demand patterns for wildlife in the near future. By integrating cultural criminological concepts with the social construction of green crimes, this article aims to understand constructed wildlife consumerism through the ages.
Geographies of landscape: Representation, power and meaning
Authors: Carrabine Eamonn
Published: August 2018

Green criminology has sought to blur the nature–culture binary and this article seeks to extend recent work by geographers writing on landscape to further our understanding of the shifting contours of the divide. The article begins by setting out these different approaches, before addressing how dynamics of surveillance and conquest are embedded in landscape photography. It then describes how the ways we visualize the Earth were reconfigured with the emergence of photography in the 19th century and how the world itself has been transformed into a target in our global media culture.
Morbid obesity in the UK: A modelling projection study to 2035
Authors: Keaver Laura , Xu Benshuai , Jaccard Abbygail , Webber Laura
Published: August 2018

Background: Morbid obesity (body mass index ⩾40 kg/m2) carries a higher risk of non-communicable disease and is associated with more complex health issues and challenges than obesity body mass index ≥30kg/m2 and <40kg/m2, resulting in much higher financial implications for health systems. Although obesity trends have previously been projected to 2035, these projections do not separate morbid obesity from obesity. This study therefore complements these projections and looks at the prevalence and development of morbid obesity in the UK. Methods: Individual level body mass index data for people aged >15 years in England, Wales (2004–2014) and Scotland (2008–2014) were collated from national surveys and stratified by sex and five-year age groups (e.g. 15–19 years), then aggregated to calculate the annual distribution of healthy weight, overweight, obesity and morbid obesity for each age and sex group. A categorical multi-variate non-linear regression model was fitted to these distributions to project trends to 2035. Results: The prevalence of morbid obesity was predicted to increase to 5, 8 and 11% in Scotland, England and Wales, respectively, by 2035. Welsh women aged 55–64 years had the highest projected prevalence of 20%. In total, almost five million people are forecast to be classified as morbidly obese across the three countries in 2035. Conclusions: The prevalence of morbid obesity is predicted to increase by 2035 across the three UK countries, with Wales projected to have the highest rates. This is likely to have serious health and financial implications for society and the UK health system.
Identifications of Albanian-origin teenagers in Thessaloniki and the role of ethnicity: A multi-scalar perspective
Authors: Vathi Zana
Published: August 2018

The literature on ‘second-generation migrants’ has widely viewed ethnicity as the key marker of identity formation. This article explores the identification processes of Albanian-origin teenagers in Thessaloniki, investigating whether, when and why ethnicity plays a role in these processes. The paper draws upon data from 28 in-depth interviews and one focus group with teenagers, alongside participant observation involving families, schools and immigrant organisations. The findings show that youth of migrant origin construct their identities within intersecting simultaneous transnational, national and local dynamics and alongside a public–private divide. More specifically, youth culture, a city/urban identity, and emotional ties that bind peer groups and family and kin within and across the national borders provide important sources of identification. These strategies are partly indicative of a weak ethnic agency – the ability of people to change the conditions around them by relying on the belief in a shared common past and common destiny with co-ethnics, and the assertiveness that comes with this belief. Nonetheless, in the local, multi-scalar forms of political and cultural power intersect within people’s daily lives, while this multiplicity of sources of identification calls for a closer look at the linkages between the local, the national and the global.