bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comorbidity, Frailty, and Waitlist Mortality among Kidney Transplant Candidates of All Ages
Authors: Pérez Fernández María , Martínez Miguel Patricia , Ying Hao , Haugen Christine E. , Chu Nadia M. , Rodríguez Puyol Diego María , Rodríguez-Mañas Leocadio , Norman Silas P. , Walston Jeremy D. , Segev Dorry L. , McAdams-DeMarco Mara A.
Published: January 2019

Background: Kidney transplantation (KT) candidates often present with multiple comorbidities. These patients also have a substantial burden of frailty, which is also associated with increased mortality. However, it is unknown if frailty is merely a surrogate for comorbidity, itself an independent domain of risk, or if frailty and comorbidity have differential effects. Better understanding the interplay between these 2 constructs will improve clinical decision making in KT candidates. Objective: To test whether comorbidity is equally associated with waitlist mortality among frail and nonfrail KT candidates and to test whether measuring both comorbidity burden and frailty improves mortality risk prediction. Methods: We studied 2,086 candidates on the KT waitlist (November 2009 – October 2017) in a multicenter cohort study, in whom frailty and comorbidity were measured at evaluation. We quantified the association between Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) adapted for end-stage renal disease and waitlist mortality using an adjusted Cox proportional hazards model and tested whether this association differed between frail and nonfrail candidates. Results: At evaluation, 18.1% of KT candidates were frail and 51% had a high comorbidity burden (CCI score ≥2). Candidates with a high comorbidity burden were at 1.38-fold (95% CI 1.01–1.89) increased risk of waitlist mortality. However, this association differed by frailty status (p for interaction = 0.01): among nonfrail candidates, a high comorbidity burden was associated with a 1.66-fold (95% CI 1.17–2.35) increased mortality risk; among frail candidates, here was no statistically significant association (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.44–1.29). Adding this interaction between comorbidity and frailty to a mortality risk estimation model significantly improved prediction, increasing the c-statistic from 0.640 to 0.656 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Nonfrail candidates with a high comorbidity burden at KT evaluation have an increased risk of waitlist mortality. Importantly, comorbidity is less of a concern in already high-risk patients who are frail.
Standardized Psychosocial Assessment Before Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation
Authors: Sperry Brett W. , Ikram Asad , Alvarez Paulino A. , Perez Antonio L. , Kendall Kay , Gorodeski Eiran Z. , Starling Randall C.
Published: January 2019

Background:

Before consideration of advanced cardiac therapies, guidelines recommend a comprehensive multidisciplinary examination, including psychosocial assessment. The Stanford Integrated Psychosocial Assessment for Transplantation (SIPAT) has emerged as a highly reproducible tool to assess for psychosocial impairment and is associated with negative medical and psychosocial outcomes after transplantation. We sought to assess the association between SIPAT and outcomes after left ventricular assist device.

Methods and Results:

We evaluated 128 patients implanted with a first left ventricular assist device at the Cleveland Clinic from 2013 to 2017 who underwent a prospectively collected quantitative psychosocial assessment using SIPAT. Several survival analyses were performed testing the association between SIPAT score and mortality, first adverse event (defined as hospitalization, device exchange, or death), and recurring adverse events after multivariable adjustment. Median SIPAT score was 14 (interquartile range, 9.5–22.5), with higher values (representing more impairment) seen in patients implanted as destination therapy. After a median follow-up of 349 (interquartile range, 178–684) days, there were 319 adverse events (18 deaths, 10 device exchanges, and 291 readmissions) with 2.5±2.4 events per patient. Higher preimplant SIPAT scores were not associated with mortality (
P
=0.764) or time to a first adverse event (
P
=0.589) but were associated with cumulative adverse events (hazard ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09–1.58;
P
=0.005 per Δ10 in score). In addition, SIPAT was associated with days alive outside of the hospital (
P
=0.016).

Conclusions:

A standardized assessment of psychosocial impairment after left ventricular assist device using the SIPAT score was not associated with mortality or time to first adverse event but was associated with cumulative adverse cardiac events. This score may provide insight when structuring mitigation strategies for high-risk patients and should be further tested in a prospective multicenter study.
Early Life Factors and Longitudinal Blood Pressure Trajectories Are Associated With Elevated Blood Pressure in Early Adulthood
Authors: Naidoo Sanushka , Kagura Juliana , Fabian June , Norris Shane A.
Published: January 2019

Multiple perinatal and early life risk factors have been implicated in the development of hypertension. The BT20 (Birth to Twenty Plus) cohort in urban Soweto, South Africa, previously showed a prevalence of elevated blood pressure (EBP) that ranged from 22.4% at 5 years of age to 34.9% at 18 years of age. We sought to determine the prevalence of EBP at 23 years of age within this cohort and whether this could be linked to any maternal and early life factors and childhood and adolescent blood pressure trajectories. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were completed on cohort participants aged 23 years (n=1540; 49% men). Early life and maternal factors were obtained from previous data. Thirty-six percent of participants had EBP of whom 63% were men (
P
<0.001). The only association with maternal or early life factors was greater linear growth from birth to 2 years of age, which conferred a 19% increased risk (odds ratio, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01–1.41). Women had a 77% lower risk of EBP (odds ratio, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.16–0.34) per SD. Participants within the highest systolic and diastolic blood pressure trajectories (where blood pressure was elevated early and remained elevated) were at significantly increased risk of EBP in early adulthood. For those in the highest systolic trajectory, this resulted in a 4-fold increased risk and for those in the highest diastolic trajectory, a 5-fold increased risk. These findings suggest that risk for EBP in adulthood may be set in childhood and adolescence.
Blood Pressure and Cognitive Decline Over 8 Years in Middle-Aged and Older Black and White Americans
Authors: Levine Deborah A. , Galecki Andrzej T. , Langa Kenneth M. , Unverzagt Frederick W. , Kabeto Mohammed U. , Giordani Bruno , Cushman Mary , McClure Leslie A. , Safford Monika M. , Wadley Virginia G.
Published: January 2019

Although the association between high blood pressure (BP), particularly in midlife, and late-life dementia is known, less is known about variations by race and sex. In a prospective national study of 22 164 blacks and whites ≥45 years without baseline cognitive impairment or stroke from the REGARDS cohort study (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke), enrolled 2003 to 2007 and followed through September 2015, we measured changes in cognition associated with baseline systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP), as well as pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure, and we tested whether age, race, and sex modified the effects. Outcomes were global cognition (Six-Item Screener; primary outcome), new learning (Word List Learning), verbal memory (Word List Delayed Recall), and executive function (Animal Fluency Test). Median follow-up was 8.1 years. Significantly faster declines in global cognition were associated with higher SBP, lower DBP, and higher PP with increasing age (
P
<0.001 for age×SBP×follow-up-time, age×DBP×follow-up-time, and age×PP×follow-up-time interaction). Declines in global cognition were not associated with mean arterial pressure after adjusting for PP. Blacks, compared with whites, had faster declines in global cognition associated with SBP (
P
=0.02) and mean arterial pressure (
P
=0.04). Men, compared with women, had faster declines in new learning associated with SBP (
P
=0.04). BP was not associated with decline of verbal memory and executive function, after controlling for the effect of age on cognitive trajectories. Significantly faster declines in global cognition over 8 years were associated with higher SBP, lower DBP, and higher PP with increasing age. SBP-related cognitive declines were greater in blacks and men.
Comparison of Automated Office Blood Pressure With Office and Out-Off-Office Measurement Techniques
Authors: Pappaccogli Marco , Di Monaco Silvia , Perlo Elisa , Burrello Jacopo , D’Ascenzo Fabrizio , Veglio Franco , Monticone Silvia , Rabbia Franco
Published: January 2019

Automated office blood pressure (AOBP) has emerged as a valuable tool to assess patient’s BP status, but the lack of strong evidence to establish a threshold value for hypertension diagnosis limits its use in clinical practice. We aimed at synthesizing the published literature through a meta-analysis of studies comparing AOBP with other BP measurement techniques and at analyzing the differences between AOBP and physician’s office BP, nonphysician’s office BP, daytime ambulatory BP monitoring, and home BP monitoring. We searched PubMed database for articles published up to April 2018; eligible studies compared AOBP with office and out-of-office measurement techniques and reported the BP differences or BP values obtained. Twenty-six studies, for a total of 7116 patients, were included in the analysis. AOBP values were lower than physician (systolic BP, −10.48 mm Hg; 95% CI, −13.15 to −7.81/diastolic BP, −4.44 mm Hg; 95% CI, −6.07 to −2.80) and nonphysician office ones (systolic BP, −6.89 mm Hg; 95% CI, −8.75 to −5.04/diastolic BP −3.82 mm Hg; 95% CI, −4.86 to −2.78). No significant differences were found between AOBP and daytime ambulatory BP monitoring (systolic BP, −1.85; 95% CI, −4.50 to 0.79/diastolic BP, 0.12; 95% CI, −1.42 to 1.66) and home BP monitoring (systolic BP, −2.65; 95% CI, −8.42 to 3.12/diastolic BP, −1.67; 95% CI, −4.20 to 0.87). AOBP readings did not differ significantly from out-of-office blood pressure, still remaining an office technique; it may improve hypertension diagnosis by overcoming some of office BP limitations, including the white coat effect.
Blood Pressure and Development of Cardiovascular Disease in Koreans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kim Mee Kyoung , Han Kyungdo , Koh Eun Sil , Kim Eun Sook , Lee Min-Kyung , Nam Ga Eun , Kwon Hyuk-Sang
Published: January 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate the optimal blood pressure (BP) target to prevent development of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in Korean subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 2 262 725 subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus who underwent regular health checks between 2009 and 2012 were included. Subjects with previous CVDs were excluded. Participants were grouped by 10-mm Hg intervals of observed systolic BP (SBP) by 5-mm Hg intervals of diastolic BP. There were 124 466 deaths (5.50%), 67 235 cases of stroke (2.97%), and 41 726 myocardial infarctions (1.84%) during a median follow-up of 6.5 years. Compared with SBP 110 to 119 mm Hg, there was no increased risk among subjects with SBP 120 to 129 mm Hg, but SBP ≥130 mm Hg was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of CVDs. SBP 130 to 139 mm Hg was associated with a significant increase in the incidence of stroke (hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.12–1.18) and myocardial infarctions (hazard ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.02–1.09) compared with SBP 110 to 119 mm Hg. Subjects with diastolic BP 80 to 84 mm Hg had a higher risk of CVDs than subjects with diastolic BP 75 to 79 mm Hg. The overall relationship between BP and CVD risk was positive, with a greater strength observed for younger age groups. The optimal cutoff for Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus associated with lower CVD risk may be 130 mm Hg for SBP or 80 mm Hg for diastolic BP.
Prevalence of Apparent Treatment-Resistant Hypertension in the United States
Authors: Carey Robert M. , Sakhuja Swati , Calhoun David A. , Whelton Paul K. , Muntner Paul
Published: January 2019

In 2018, the American Heart Association published a Scientific Statement on resistant hypertension. We compared the prevalence of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension (aTRH) among US adults as defined in the 2018 and 2008 American Heart Association Scientific Statements using data from 4158 participants with hypertension, taking antihypertensive medication in the 2009 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Blood pressure (BP) was measured 3 times, and antihypertensive medication classes were identified through a pill bottle review. In both Scientific Statements, aTRH was defined as uncontrolled BP while taking ≥3 classes of antihypertensive medication or taking ≥4 classes of antihypertensive medication regardless of BP level. Uncontrolled BP was defined as systolic/diastolic BP ≥140/90 mm Hg (≥130/80 mm Hg for those with diabetes mellitus or chronic kidney disease) in the 2008 Scientific Statement and systolic/diastolic BP ≥130/80 mm Hg (systolic BP ≥130 mm Hg only for low-risk adults ≥65 years of age) in the 2018 Scientific Statement. The prevalence of aTRH was 17.7% and 19.7% according to the 2008 and 2018 Scientific Statement definitions, respectively (Δ=2.0%; 95% CI, 1.5%–2.7%). Overall, 10.3 million US adults had aTRH according to the 2018 Scientific Statement. The most common 3-drug combination taken included an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, β-blocker, and thiazide diuretic. Using the 2018 definition, 3.2% of US adults with aTRH were taking a thiazide-like diuretic (chlorthalidone or indapamide), and 9.0% were taking a mineralocorticoid receptor blocker (spironolactone or eplerenone). In conclusion, the prevalence of aTRH is only modestly higher using the definition in the 2018 versus 2008 resistant hypertension Scientific Statement.
Postpartum Period Is a Risk Factor for Cerebral Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Silvis Suzanne M. , Lindgren Erik , Hiltunen Sini , Devasagayam Sharon , Scheres Luuk J. , Jood Katarina , Zuurbier Susanna M. , Kleinig Timothy J. , Silver Frank L. , Mandell Daniel M. , Middeldorp Saskia , Putaala Jukka , Cannegieter Suzanne C. , Tatlisumak Turgut , Coutinho Jonathan M.
Published: January 2019

Background and Purpose—

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are generally considered to be risk factors for cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT), but no controlled studies have quantified the risk.

Methods—

Case-control study using data of consecutive adult patients with CVT from 5 academic hospitals and controls from the Dutch MEGA study (Multiple Environmental and Genetic Assessment of risk factors for venous thrombosis). Men, women over the age of 50, women using oral contraceptives or with a recent abortion or miscarriage were excluded. We adjusted for age and history of cancer, and stratified for pregnancy versus postpartum, and 0 to 6 versus 7 to 12 weeks postpartum.

Results—

In total 163/813 cases and 1230/6296 controls were included. Cases were younger (median 38 versus 41 years) and more often had a history of cancer (14% versus 4%) than controls. In total 41/163 (25%) cases and 82/1230 (7%) controls were pregnant or postpartum (adjusted odds ratio, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.4–6.0). The association was fully attributable to an increased risk of CVT during the postpartum period (adjusted odds ratio, 10.6; 95% CI, 5.6–20.0). We found no association between pregnancy and CVT (adjusted odds ratio, 1.2; 95% CI, 0.6–2.3). The risk was highest during the first 6 weeks postpartum (adjusted odds ratio, 18.7; 95% CI, 8.3–41.9).

Conclusions—

Women who have recently delivered are at increased risk of developing CVT, while there does not seem to be an increased risk of CVT during pregnancy.
Erratum: KERR, PETER H. (2010) Phylogeny and classification of Rhagionidae, with implications for Tabanomorpha (Diptera: Brachycera). Zootaxa, 2592, 1–133.
Authors: KERR PETER H.
Published: January 2019

(Erratum)
Larval morphology, development, and notes on the natural history of Cephaloleia “rolled-leaf” beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae)
Authors: GARCÍA-ROBLEDO CARLOS , HORVITZ CAROL C. , STAINES CHARLES L.
Published: January 2019

The Neotropical genus Cephaloleia Chevrolat, 1837 is comprised of 209 described species. Adults usually feed and mate within the scrolls formed by the young rolled leaves of plants of Neotropical Zingiberales. This paper reports for populations of Cephaloleia belti Baly, C. dilaticollis Baly, C. dorsalis Baly and C. placida Baly at La Selva Biological Station (Costa Rica, Central America) detailed descriptions of: 1. larval and adult diets and diet breadth; 2. egg, larval and pupal morphology; 3. larval development times; 4. dimorphic sexual characteristics; 5. adult longevity; and 6. differences in lifespan between genders. Cephaloleia belti displays the broader diet breadth, feeding on 14 species of three families of Zingiberales. Cephaloleia dilaticollis feeds on nine species of three families of Zingiberales. Cephaloleia dorsalis and C. placida feed on four species of Costaceae and two species of Zingiberaceae, respectively. Time to pupation ranges among species from 32.8 to 59.1 days. In the four Cephaloleia species, adult females are larger than males. Genders display marked sexual dimorphism in the shape of their last abdominal sternite and the pygidium. Longevity of adults ranged from ca. 300 to 390 days. Life expectancy estimates for adult beetles reared in the laboratory ranged from 111.5 to 187.2 days. Male and female adults of C. belti and C. dilaticollis have equivalent life expectancies. However, life expectancy is longer for male C. dorsalis and C. placida.
Studies in Corinnidae (Araneae): a new Paratrachelas Kovblyuk & Nadolny from Algeria, as well as the description of a new genus of Old World Trachelinae
Authors: BOSSELAERS JAN , BOSMANS ROBERT
Published: January 2019

A new Paratrachelas Kovblyuk & Nadolny, 2009 species, P. atlantis sp. n., is described from Algeria. As a result of a cladistic analysis involving ten Palaearctic Trachelas L. Koch, 1872 and Paratrachelas species, T. validus Simon, 1884, and T. ibericus Bosselaers et al., 2009 are transferred to Paratrachelas as P. validus new combination and P. ibericus new combination, and a new genus, Metatrachelas gen. n., is erected, to which T. rayi Simon, 1878, T. macrochelis Wunderlich, 1992, and T. amabilis Simon, 1878 are transferred as M. rayi new combination, M. macrochelis new combination and M. amabilis new combination.
A new species of worm salamander (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Oedipina) in the subgenus Oeditriton from the highlands of northern Nicaragua
Authors: SUNYER JAVIER , WAKE DAVID B. , TOWNSEND JOSIAH H. , TRAVERS SCOTT L. , ROVITO SEAN M. , PAPENFUSS2 THEODORE J. , OBANDO LENIN A. , KÖHLER GUNTHER
Published: January 2019

We describe a new species of Oedipina (subgenus Oeditriton) from the highlands of north-central Nicaragua. The new species is most closely related to Oedipina kasios, a premontane species from north-central Honduras, and O. quadra, a lowland species from northern and eastern Honduras. It differs from O. kasios and O. quadra in molecular characters and by having a more slender habitus and fewer vomerine teeth. We also discuss the status of the additional populations of Oedipina from Nicaragua.
New species of Cryptochironomus Kieffer, 1918 (Diptera: Chironomidae: Chironominae) from Brazil
Authors: DA SILVA FABIO LAURINDO , STRIXINO SUSANA TRIVINHO , OLIVEIRA HELIANA ROSELY NEVES
Published: January 2019

Three new species of Cryptochironomus Kieffer, 1918, C. brasiliensis, C. mantiqueira and C. reshchikovi, are described and figured as male, pupa and larva. Diagnoses for the male, pupa and larva of the genus are emended. The specimens were collected from different water systems in southeast Brazil.
New records of Haplaxius (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) in the Dominican Republic,with description of a new species
Authors: FERREIRA MILEIDA , MCKAMEY STUART H. , MARTINEZ REINA T.
Published: January 2019

The planthopper genus Haplaxius Fowler has a New World distribution. Kramer (1979) revised the New World Myndus Stål, consisting of 63 species. In that revision, Kramer synonymized Haplaxius and Paramyndus Fennah under Myndus, and P. cocois Fennah (1945), the type species of Myndus, as a junior synonym of M. crudus. Emeljanov (1989) reinstated the genus Haplaxius Fowler for the New World species formerly in Myndus. These consequent name changes have been accepted by all subsequent taxonomists (e.g., see Holzinger et al. 2002) but use of the name Myndus, when referring to New World species is still widely used, erroneously, in the applied literature.
A description of Promanodes serafini gen. et sp. nov. from Baltic amber, with a review of related New Zealand Promanus Sharp, 1877 (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae)
Authors: KOLIBÁČ JIŘÍ , SCHMIED HEIKO , WAPPLER TORSTEN , KUBISZ DANIEL
Published: January 2019

A new genus and species of Trogossitidae (Lophocaterinae: Lophocaterini), Promanodes serafini, is described from Baltic amber. The fossil is considered related to three species of the extant Promanus Sharp, 1877 from New Zealand. It differs from the latter especially in larger postcoxal projection and coniform maxillary palpi. A close morphological similarity between recent and fossil representatives of the both genera allows to suppose predaceous way of life of the new Eocene species. All extant species of the genus Promanus are reviewed, their types illustrated and a differential diagnosis given. Biogeography of Promanus is discussed.
Redescription of Friesea handschini Kseneman, 1938 (Collembola, Neanuridae) with notes on intraspecific variability of the species
Authors: DÁNYI LÁSZLÓ , TRASER GYÖRGY , KAPRUS’ IGHOR J.
Published: January 2019

Examination of Friesea handschini Kseneman, 1938 (Collembola, Neanuridae) specimens from the type locality and nearby regions of the Romanian and Ukrainian Carpathians has shown that the original description and redescriptions were inaccurate. Detailed and fully illustrated redescription of the species is given and chaetotaxy variability is discussed. A neotype is designated for the species. Tetracanthella ksenemani Nosek, 1964 found in samples with F. handschini is reported as new for Romania.
Review of Taophila, a genus endemic to New Caledonia (Coleoptera : Chrysomelidae : Eumolpinae)
Authors: SAMUELSON G. ALLAN
Published: January 2019

The monotypic genus Taophila Heller is further characterized, with a redescription and lectotype designation of its type species, T. subsericea Heller. This review includes two recently described species (T. mantillerii Jolivet et al. and T. nigrans Jolivet et al.), along with nine additional species proposed as new (T. cancellata, n. sp., T. corvi, n. sp., T. deimos, n. sp., T. hydrae, n. sp., T. joliveti, n. sp., T. mars, n. sp., T. millei, n. sp., T. sagittarii, n. sp., and T. scorpii, n. sp.). All species are keyed; many are illustrated.
The genera Carpias Richardson, Ianiropsis Sars and Janaira Moreira & Pires (Isopoda: Asellota: Janiridae) from Australia, with description of three new species
Authors: DOTI BRENDA LÍA , WILSON GEORGE D. F.
Published: January 2019

Three new species of janirid isopods are described: Carpias montaguensis sp. nov., Ianiropsis alanmillari sp. nov. and Janaira platyoura sp. nov.; all three were collected in shallow waters of southern New South Wales, Australia. Our report represents new records for these genera in Australian waters. Janaira platyoura sp. nov. is the second species added to this genus, so a revision of generic diagnosis was required. The diagnostic features of Carpias and Ianiropsis are also discussed and a new combination for the species Ianiropsis varians Winkler & Brandt, 1993 is proposed. Keys to the species of Carpias and Ianiropsis are presented.
Mountain Volume Control on Deep-Convective Rain Amount during Episodes of Weak Synoptic Forcing
Authors: Imamovic Adel , Schlemmer Linda , Schär Christoph
Published: January 2019

Thermally driven upslope flows in mountainous areas provide favorable conditions for diurnal deep moist convection especially during episodes of weak synoptic forcing. The present study investigates the response of deep convection to axisymmetric orography as a function of orographic width and height by running ensembles of idealized convection-resolving simulations with a horizontal grid spacing of Δx = 1 km, full-physics parameterizations, and an interactive land surface. Deep convection is explicitly resolved and not parameterized. To cover a wide range of orographic scales, simulations are conducted with heights between 250 and 4000 m and widths between 5 and 30 km. The mountain slope strongly affects upslope wind speed characteristics, the timing and intensity of local updrafts, and local rain intensity. Although the day-to-day variability is substantial, the statistical-mean rain amount extracted by the mountain scales almost linearly with the mountain volume. Simulations with alternative mountain geometries, multiple peaks, and large-scale flow suggest that the linear scaling is valid for a surprisingly large portion of the parameter space. The scaling breaks down in the limit of relatively strong large-scale flows, sufficiently tall mountains, or elongated mountains. The existence of the simple linear scaling over such a wide range of configurations suggests that the response of thermally driven orographic deep convection over many mountainous areas is strongly affected by mountain volume. As a consequence, the rain amount is disproportionally dominated by the large horizontal scales of orography, as they contribute mostly to the mountain volume.
Educational inequalities in general health: Does the curricular tracking system matter?
Authors: Delaruelle Katrijn , Van Houtte Mieke , Bracke Piet
Published: January 2019

Educational tracking amplifies social inequalities in a wide range of outcomes. From an institutional perspective, the current study examines whether this holds for educational disparities in general health. To investigate this question, we use information from the European Social Survey (Rounds 1–8: 2002–2016) for individuals between the ages of 18 and 45 years ( N = 99,771) in 22 European countries. The estimated three-level hierarchical models indicate that tracking is indeed associated with larger educational inequalities in overall health. Individuals who have attained vocational education fare worse in terms of general health than do individuals who have pursued academic qualifications. However, the strength of association is much higher in countries with highly tracked systems (e.g. Germany and Czech Republic) than it is in countries with more comprehensive systems (e.g. the United Kingdom and Scandinavian countries). This result suggests that health inequalities between educational groups can be reduced by reorganizing secondary educational systems.
Brothers and barbarians: Discursive constructions of ‘refugees’ in Russian media
Authors: Moen-Larsen Natalia
Published: January 2019

This article maps the unexplored terrain of representations of refugees in Russian media, using discourse theory and the concepts of subject positions and symbolic boundaries to analyse these representations. The research questions are: Who are the refugees? What discourses do they feature in? What kinds of symbolic boundaries do these representations maintain? This study analyses the three Russian newspapers Izvestija, Novaya gazeta and Rossiiskaya gazeta, focusing on how, between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2015, these newspapers came to employ the term ‘refugee’ for persons from Ukraine and for those from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Analysis of the subject position of ‘refugee’ in discourses about security, humanitarianism, integration and nationalism reveals contrasting images of refugees from Ukraine and MENA refugees. The latter are represented as ‘threatening’ and ‘alien’: symbolic boundaries are maintained between Russians and these refugees as well as between ‘superior’ Russia and ‘inferior’ Europe. In contrast, refugees from Ukraine are often presented as similar to Russians. Nationalist discourse merges with security, humanitarian and integration discourses, creating contrasting symbolic boundaries between these two groups of refugees and Russians. Refugees are classed as ‘preferred’ or ‘non-preferred’ migrants on the basis not of their situation, but their ethnicity.
Thinking about Curriculum: An Interdisciplinary Perspective
Authors: Olds David D. , Rees Ellen
Published: January 2019

Curriculum development can play a role in preparing future psychoanalysts to participate in ongoing dialogue with colleagues in neighboring disciplines. Curriculum design can be used to encourage an interdisciplinary perspective that helps candidates think about psychoanalytic knowledge in the context of what is known in other disciplines about the functioning of mind and brain. It is possible to teach these complex matters in a way that students find accessible and useful. Exemplars taken from the curriculum designed and taught at the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research are presented, as are problems encountered with this curriculum and the lessons that have been learned.
Can Thrombus Burden Predict Contrast-Induced Nephropathy in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction?
Authors: Sigirci Serhat , Keskin Kudret , Yildiz Süleyman Sezai , Cetinkal Gökhan , Gurdal Ahmet , Kilci Hakan , Tezcan Mehmet , Kilickesmez Kadriye Orta
Published: January 2019

The incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) increases in the range from patients with unstable angina to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Platelet activation has been associated with pathophysiology of nephropathy and thrombus burden in the infarct-related arteries. We investigated the impact of thrombus burden on CIN in patients with STEMI. We enrolled 883 patients with STEMI who received primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were divided into groups according to thrombus burden and CIN development. Thrombus burden was scored based on thrombolysis in myocardial infarction thrombus grades (TGs). Thrombus grade 4 was defined as large thrombus burden (LTB), while thrombus burden <TG 4 was defined as small thrombus burden. A total of 126 (14.2%) patients with STEMI had CIN, while 313 (35.4%) patients had LTB. Compared to CIN (−) patients, CIN (+) patients were older, had lower hemoglobin levels, lower ejection fraction, and higher contrast media volume administration. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that LTB, age, hypertension, and admission glomerular filtration rate were independent predictors of CIN ( P = .016, P < .001, P = .028, P < .001, respectively). Thrombus burden, which is measurable during angiography, may be helpful in the determination of CIN risk in patients with STEMI.
Fears of peers? Explaining peer and public shaming in global governance
Authors: Carraro Valentina , Conzelmann Thomas , Jongen Hortense
Published: January 2019

This article conducts a comparative analysis of peer and public pressure in peer reviews among states. Arguing that such pressure is one increasingly important form of shaming in global politics, we seek to understand the extent to which five different peer reviews exert peer and public pressure and how possible variation among them can be explained. Our findings are based on responses to an original survey and semi-structured interviews among participants in the reviews. We find that peer and public pressure exist to different degrees in the peer reviews under study. Such differences cannot be explained by the policy area under review or the international organization in which peer reviews are organized. Likewise, the expertise of the actors involved in a peer review or perceptions of the legitimacy of peer review as a monitoring instrument do not explain the variation. Instead, we find that institutional factors and the acceptance of peer and public pressure among the participants in a peer review offer the best explanations.
Leader-following consensus of multi-agent systems via event-based impulsive control
Authors: Zhu Wei , Wang Dandan
Published: January 2019

Leader-following consensus of multi-agent systems with general linear models is investigated via event-based impulsive control approach. Event-based impulsive controller and state-dependent triggering function are designed. Impulsive instants are determined by certain triggering events, that is, impulsive effect performs only at the instants when events occur, and so as controller update. Sufficient conditions on leader-following consensus are proposed by using stability theory of impulsive differential equations, matrix theory, and inequality technique. Zeno-behavior is also excluded for the concerned closed-loop system. Besides, a technique that used the state information of agents only at event instants is proposed to avoid continuous communication among agents. Finally, an example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained theoretical results.
Robust active fault-tolerant control for internal combustion gas engine for air–fuel ratio control with statistical regression-based observer model
Authors: Amin Arslan Ahmed , Mahmood-ul-Hasan Khalid
Published: January 2019

Fault-tolerant control systems are utilized in safety and critical applications to achieve greater reliability and availability for continued operation despite faults in the system components. These systems can be utilized in the process plants to avoid costly production loss due to abnormal and unscheduled tripping of the machines. In this paper, advanced fault-tolerant control systems of active type are proposed for air–fuel ratio control of internal combustion gas engine in a process plant to achieve greater reliability and availability to avoid a shutdown of the gas engine. Gas engines are extensively used equipment in the process industry and proper air–fuel ratio control in the fuel system of these engines is quite important to achieve greater engine efficiency, fuel energy savings and environmental protection. Active fault-tolerant control system is proposed in this paper in which linear regression–based observer model is used in the fault detection and isolation unit for fault detection, isolation and reconfiguration. Fuel actuator is introduced in the fuel supply line and proportional feedback controller is implemented to maintain the air–fuel ratio in faulty conditions. Redundancy in the sensors and fuel actuator is proposed to avoid engine shutdown in case of simultaneous faults in more than one sensor and to avoid a single point of failure due to fault in the single actuator. Noise is introduced in the sensor measurements to determine the robustness of proposed active fault-tolerant control system in noisy and faulty conditions. Results show that the proposed system remains stable, maintaining air–fuel ratio well in faulty conditions and is robust to noise.
Modeling and simulation of the redundant array of inexpensive/independent disks storage for internet of things monitoring servers
Authors: Byun Siwoo
Published: January 2019

Internet of things environment consists of a large number of small devices that have various sensing capabilities with wireless network and computing power. Internet of things nodes send data to a server for analysis. In the current days, column-wise compressed storages are mounted to the big data servers due to its space efficiency and flash drive has become an important storage in building internet data center due to its superior performance and power-economic nature. We will introduce a short overview on sensor networks and will propose a new storage management scheme for sensor databases. The core idea of our scheme is based on a new RAID5 storage model using column-wise segmentation and compression to improve space efficiency without sacrificing input/output (I/O) performance. In addition, we developed a simulation system using CSim application program interface (API). Finally, we show that proposed storage control scheme outperforms the original RAID5 scheme by performance evaluation. The proposed scheme could be used in various industrial applications such as smart factory and self-drive car databases which handle massive amounts of 1 PB data from internet of things sensors. The aim of this study is to provide an effective skill of internet of things storage programming to graduate and undergraduate students in a computer software department. This study assists the students to understand the availability issue of disk storages and the space-efficiency issue of redundant array of inexpensive/independent disks (RAID) storages. This study also provides the open-source-based programming skill, CSim simulation skill and API programming skill, the RAID setup skill, performance test skill, and result analysis skill.
“A growth to understanding”: An interview with Caryl Phillips about biographical fiction
Authors: Ledent Bénédicte , Phillips Caryl , Tunca Daria
Published: January 2019

Starting from the recognition of a biographical impulse in the work of Caryl Phillips, this interview focuses on his practice of biographical fiction. Among the issues raised are the increased popularity of life writing, the tension between fact and fiction at the heart of biographical narratives, the linguistic exactitude involved in focusing on historical characters, the role of research in the exploration of human lives, and the importance of emotional truth in novels that deal with famous individuals. This conversation sheds light on Phillips’s specific approach to biofiction, particularly in his novels Dancing in the Dark (2005) and A View of the Empire at Sunset (2018), while also providing readers with a more general reflection on the genre in the postcolonial field.
“My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” 1832-1932
Authors: Balcom A. G.
Published: January 2019

The author has assembled these facts in the hope that the one-hundredth anniversary of the writing of Dr. Smith's poem “America” may be suitably observed in schools, churches and patriotic organizations during this year.
Golden Rule in Teacher Rating
Authors: Duvall Rufus A.
Published: January 2019

Turn about is fair play, but it takes courage for a principal to let his teachers rate him.
What Makes a Successful Teacher?
Authors: Lowth Frank J.
Published: January 2019

Here are six more factors bearing on this problem. Eight such factors were printed in our issue of October 2.
A Christmas Assembly
Authors: Millinger Louise
Published: January 2019

A wealth of material for enriching the thoughts and experiences of pupils may be near at hand — as this teacher discovered.
What I Look for in a Teacher
Authors: Dille George E.
Published: January 2019

No elaborate system of measurements is here proposed, but a simple triangle of qualities, each essential to true success.
Professional Get-Togethers
Authors: Klopp W. J.
Published: January 2019

Informal meetings of secondary school teachers and university professors are here urged as means of bridging an existing gap.
Teachers I Could Do Without
Authors: Dulebohn Irl H.
Published: January 2019

This well known contributor takes off his coat and complains. There are six types he abhors. But—well, read it.
In Praise of Pioneers
Authors: Graham Daniel F.
Published: January 2019

Did our frontier ancestors deplete the national resources — or did they contribute more than they took?
How I Really Pick My Teachers
Authors: Ankenbrand W. W.
Published: January 2019

The story that he picked them for prettiness went the rounds of the press. But hear his version!
A “Show” that Pleased Parents
Authors: Hollister George E.
Published: January 2019

Fathers as well as mothers were attracted to see what their own children had achieved.
Geneva's International School
Authors: Champlin Carroll D.
Published: January 2019

This unique school, with its polyglot student body, holds high rank for its superior instruction.
Checking Thievery in Schools
Authors: Kirby Byron C.
Published: January 2019

The writer gives eight practical suggestions for coping with this all too prevalent problem.
We Read for Fun—and Growth
Authors: Patterson J. H.
Published: January 2019

Describing a faculty book club which has flourished for a number of years in the author's school.
Aberdeen Has a Students' Court
Authors: Gruhn Carl V.
Published: January 2019

An activity which stresses the importance of law and order—and the students seem to like it.
Piaget's Theory, Behaviorism, and Other Theories in Education
Authors: Kamii Constance
Published: January 2019

The article places Piaget's theory in the context of other psychological and epistemological theories that have influenced education. With respect to the psychological aspect, it shows that the relationship between behaviorism and Piaget's theory is not a mutually exclusive one, but a part-whole relationship in which behaviorism is encompassed by Piaget's theory. With respect to the epistemological aspect, it shows that his constructivist interactionism is a synthesis that encompasses both empiricism and rationalism. Since education has been based mostly on empiricist assumptions, the conclusion reached is that Piaget's theory implies the need for a fundamental reconceptualization of curriculum and methods of teaching.
Educating Adolescents from a Piagetian Perspective
Authors: Nucci Larry P. , Gordon Neal J.
Published: January 2019

After briefly discussing key aspects of formal operational thinking and the three kinds of knowledge (social arbitrary, physical, logico-mathematical) that Piaget has identified, this paper offers eight principles for secondary educators. They suggest how teachers may select content, attend to students' social and emotional needs, stimulate thinking, coordinate instruction with development, and conduct evaluations of students' performances. This approach is contrasted with traditional approaches.
Issues, Strategies, and Perspectives in the Management of Disruptive Child Behavior in the Classroom
Authors: Walker Hill M. , Holland Francine
Published: January 2019

This paper focuses upon disruptive child behavior in the classroom. The goals of the paper are twofold: (a) to communicate knowledge and information regarding the dynamics of disruptive child behavior, and (b) to present practical, cost-effective behavior management strategies that teachers can use in remediating such behavior.

Initially, the paper addresses the apparent trend toward an increase in both the frequency and the severity of child behavior problems occurring in the school setting. Possible reasons for this trend are presented, and our capacity as educators to respond to the challenge presented by it is discussed. In this section of the paper, factors relating to limitations in the educational setting which prevent or constrain the application of systematic behavior management procedures in the remediation of child behavior problems are also discussed.

The main body of the paper deals with the following issues: (a) characteristics of disruptive child behavior in school; (b) teacher attempts to cope with disruptive child behavior; (c) strategies for remedying behavior problems in the classroom; (d) procedures for building in durability and generalization of treatment gains; and (e) limitations and ethical issues associated with the use of behavior management procedures.

Behavior management procedures and strategies are presented in such a way, it is hoped, as to maximize their usage by classroom teachers. Considerable attention is given to the issues of practicality and cost-effectiveness in their application. The procedures presented and discussed are applicable in both regular and special classroom settings.
Problem Behavior Function of Social-Emotional Climate?
Authors: Withall John
Published: January 2019

We suggest one definition of problem behavior. We sketch the need for an appropriate climate for helping learners to change their behavior, attitudes, and perceptions. We indicate how a learning climate in the home, school, or elsewhere can be nurtured and assessed. We seek to describe the psychological conditions that tend to enhance learning. We specify helping conceptions and strategies that educators may employ in many settings. We spell out some specific strategies that seem to increase the probabilities of learning and the role that participation and choice by learners can play in enhancing learning. Finally, we touch on the issue of reeducation of learners, develop the thesis that our positive or negative views of learners determine how we interact with them, briefly remind ourselves of the overarching aims of education, and set out a different view of motivation and its sources.
The Education for all Handicapped Children Act of 1975 PL 94-142: Its History, Origins, and Concepts
Authors: Zettel Jeffrey J. , Ballard Joseph
Published: January 2019

In November of 1975 the Congress of the United States passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (PL 94-142) and thereby mandated that all school-aged handicapped children in the United States were to have available to them a “free, appropriate public education” by September 1, 1978. To accomplish this the Congress also prescribed a set of minimum standards that were to be followed by state and local education agencies to insure that such an education was indeed being provided. The purpose of this particular article is twofold. First, it will provide an account of the basic tenets of the law, its origins, and its legislative history. Second, it will describe a number of the minimum standards established by this act that directly relate to and impact upon the education of handicapped children.
PL 94-142 and the Least Restrictive Alternative: An Interim Progress Report for Educators
Authors: Miller Ted L. , Switzky Harvey N.
Published: January 2019

The concept of the least restrictive environment (or alternative) was reviewed as it evolved in law and in special education practice. A distinction was drawn between the concepts of mainstreaming and the least restrictive environment. Mainstreaming refers to placing handicapped youngsters as much as possible in educational situations with nonhandicapped youngsters. The least restrictive environment is a legal abstraction which refers to placing handicapped children in an educational environment that is most suitable for their programmatic needs. Concern was voiced about the multiple bases for implementation of the least restrictive environment notion. These bases necessarily include simultaneous references to the philosophy of normalization, to PL 94-142, and to modes of instruction that optimize learning in all the social-ecological environments that handicapped children inhabit.
Utilitarianism: The Distinctive Motif of American Higher Education
Authors: Ebersole Mark C.
Published: January 2019

Higher education in America is widely regarded as an institution without a design or character of its own. The Colonial period is generally thought to have been an exception, for then education was seemingly grounded in classical and moral philosophy and its purpose was preeminently to engender students with literary and religious knowledge. Following the Civil War, education changed radically, it is commonly assumed, as society became industrialized. Thus from the time of the Civil War until the present, American higher education has been frequently depicted as a conglomeration of courses and programs without any discernible rationale or purpose. The main idea set forth in this article is that higher learning in America, from Colonial days until the present time, has been organized and developed to serve the interests and needs of society. More specifically, the character of higher education has been utilitarian: as the specific practical interests and needs of society have altered, so have the programs of the colleges and universities reflected these changes.