bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of Endophthalmitis in Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis Combined with Vitrectomy and Silicone Oil Insertion
Authors: Abou Shousha Mohamed , Eleiwa Taher , Gibbons Allister , Smith Christopher , Edelstein Sean , Kontadakis George , Schmitz Zachary , Abernathy Joshua , Chod Ross , Bodnar Zachary , McDaniel Kelvin , Bentivegna Rocio , Akduman Levent
Published: July 2019

Purpose. To identify the incidence of endophthalmitis and visual outcomes in eyes with Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis combined with pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil insertion (KPro + PPV + SOI) as compared to eyes receiving Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis (KPro) alone. Patients and Methods. Retrospective chart review of 29 eyes of 27 patients with KPro having at least 12-month follow-up. Thirteen of these eyes had hypotony and/or retinal detachment in addition to corneal pathology and thus received KPro + PPV + SOI. Polymyxin-trimethoprim with a quinolone was used as chronic topical antibiotic prophylaxis in both groups after the first postoperative month. Outcome measures recorded at the 1-, 3-, 6-, 12-, and 24-month follow-up visits included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and rates of postoperative complications. Results. All the patients had completed 24-month follow-up except one case in the KPro group who lost to follow-up after 12-month visit. In the KPro + PPV + SOI group, no eyes had developed endophthalmitis by the 24-month follow-up visit versus 5 eyes of 5 patients in the uncombined KPro group (P=0.048). The 2-year cumulative endophthalmitis incidence was 31.2% in the KPro group versus zero in the KPro + PPV + SOI group (P=0.030). Four of these 5 eyes had vitreous taps with positive cultures; 2 were positive with Staphylococcus aureus, 1 with coagulase-negative staphylococci, and 1 with Streptococcus pneumoniae. Other complications included KPro extrusion (1 in each group), retinal detachment (2 in the KPro and 1 in the KPro + PPV + SOI group), newly developed glaucoma (2 in each group), and retroprosthetic membrane (9 in the KPro and 5 in the KPro + PPV + SOI group). The KPro group had better average preoperative BCVA compared to those of the KPro + PPV + SOI group (−2.29 ± 0.72 LogMAR, versus −2.95 ± 0.30 LogMAR; P=0.004). No statistically significant difference in BCVA was noted in subsequent follow-up visits. Conclusion. The addition of PPV and SOI to the KPro implantation in the eyes with corneal pathology, as well as hypotony and/or retinal detachment, is a safe and effective procedure for visual rehabilitation. Pars plana vitrectomy and silicone oil insertion may have a protective effect against the development of postoperative endophthalmitis in eyes receiving KPro.
An Update on Novel Therapeutic Warfronts of Extracellular Vesicles (EVs) in Cancer Treatment: Where We Are Standing Right Now and Where to Go in the Future
Authors: Khawar Muhammad Babar , Abbasi Muddasir Hassan , Siddique Zerwa , Arif Amin , Sheikh Nadeem
Published: July 2019

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a heterogeneous group of membrane-bounded vesicles that are believed to be produced and secreted by presumably all cell types under physiological and pathological conditions, including tumors. EVs are very important vehicles in intercellular communications for both shorter and longer distances and are able to deliver a wide range of cargos including proteins, lipids, and various species of nucleic acids effectively. EVs have been emerging as a novel biotherapeutic platform to efficiently deliver therapeutic cargos to treat a broad range of diseases including cancer. This vast potential of drug delivery lies in their abilities to carry a variety of cargos and their ease in crossing the biological membranes. Similarly, their presence in a variety of body fluids makes them a potential biomarker for early diagnosis, prognostication, and surveillance of cancer. Here, we discuss the relatively least and understudied aspects of EV biology and tried to highlight the obstacles and limitations in their clinical applications and also described most of the new warfronts to beat cancer at multiple stages. However, much more challenges still remain to evaluate EV-based therapeutics, and we are very much hopeful that the current work prompts further discovery.
Suppression of Prostate Cancer Pathogenesis Using an MDA-9/Syntenin (SDCBP) PDZ1 Small-Molecule Inhibitor
Authors: Das Swadesh K. , Kegelman Timothy P. , Pradhan Anjan K. , Shen Xue-Ning , Bhoopathi Praveen , Talukdar Sarmistha , Maji Santanu , Sarkar Devanand , Emdad Luni , Fisher Paul B.
Published: July 2019

Metastasis is the primary determinant of death in patients with diverse solid tumors and MDA-9/Syntenin (SDCBP), a pro-metastatic and pro-angiogenic gene, contributes to this process. Recently, we documented that by physically interacting with IGF-1R, MDA-9/Syntenin activates STAT3 and regulates prostate cancer pathogenesis. These observations firmly established MDA-9/Syntenin as a potential molecular target in prostate cancer. MDA-9/Syntenin contains two highly homologous PDZ domains predicted to interact with a plethora of proteins, many of which are central to the cancerous process. An MDA-9/Syntenin PDZ1 domain-targeted small molecule (PDZ1i) was previously developed using fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) guided by NMR spectroscopy and was found to be well-tolerated in vivo, had significant half-life (t1/2 = 9 hours) and displayed substantial anti-prostate cancer preclinical in vivo activity. PDZ1i blocked tumor cell invasion and migration in vitro, and metastasis in vivo. Hence, we demonstrate that PDZ1i an MDA-9/Syntenin PDZ1 target-specific small-molecule inhibitor displays therapeutic potential for prostate and potentially other cancers expressing elevated levels of MDA-9/Syntenin.
Registered Nurses’ Perception about Pain Management of Hospitalized Patients in One of the Governmental Hospitals in Dubai, UAE: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: AbuBaker Noora Abdulmajid , Salim Nezar Ahmed , Joshua Rennie , Jose Ambily
Published: July 2019

Background: Chronic and acute pain are highly prevalent, especially among hospitalized surgical patients, patients with cancer, and general medical inpatients. More than 50% of patients experience significant pain. Health professionals’ knowledge and attitude concerning pain management have often been referred to as insufficient. This study explored the attitudes and knowledge of nurses working in one of the government hospitals in the UAE, with regard to pain management. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design was used to examine nurses’ perception (knowledge and attitude) about pain using the Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitudes Survey Regarding Pain (NKASRP). We targeted the nursing field in order to assess nurses’ perceptions of pain management. A convenience sample of 200 nurses working at one of the government hospitals in the UAE participated in this study. Results: Participants who scored <75% were considered to have poor knowledge and a nonstandard attitude. Participants who scored >75% were considered to have adequate knowledge and a positive attitude. The study revealed that the knowledge and attitude percentage means of correct answers about pain management was 61% (SD: ±11.97%; 95% CI 59.33–62.6%). Inadequate knowledge and attitude featured in 89.5% and adequate knowledge and attitude in 10.5% of all participants. Previous pain management education experience was statistically significant p < 0.05. Conclusion and Recommendation: This study showed that nurses reflected an inadequate knowledge and attitude regarding pain management. Nurses’ perception about pain management was higher among younger staff than those with longer experience. Pain management education has an impact on knowledge and attitude. There is a need to follow innovative approaches in training. Pain management education is an essential part of the nursing orientation program and should be conducted throughout the year to target all nurses. New evidence-based approaches to pain management among nurses should be explored and tested, using the NKASRP as a baseline and follow-up measure.
ПРОЦЕДУРА ВИВЧЕННЯ ВАЛІДАЦІЙНОГО ПАРАМЕТРА “СТАБІЛЬНІСТЬ ПРИ РОЗВЕДЕННІ” АНАЛІТИЧНОЇ МЕТОДИКИ КІЛЬКІСНОГО ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ДЕЯКИХ АНТИГІПЕРТЕНЗИВНИХ АНАЛІТІВ У БІОЛОГІЧНИХ РІДИНАХ ДЛЯ ПРОВЕДЕННЯ ФАРМАКОКІНЕТИЧНИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ
Authors: Logoyda L. S.
Published: July 2019

Вступ. Біоаналітична методологія є основоположником досліджень з вивчення біоеквівалентності й терапевтичного моніторингу лікарських засобів, тому основну увагу при вивченні фармакокінетики та біоеквівалентності потрібно приділяти розробці й валідації біоаналітичних методик аналізу.

Мета дослідження – провести експериментальне вивчення валідаційного параметра “стабільність при розведенні” аналітичної методики кількісного визначення амлодипіну, бісопрололу та еналаприлу в плазмі крові для виконання фармакокінетичних досліджень.

Методи дослідження. Біоаналітична методика визначення амлодипіну, бісопрололу та еналаприлу ґрунтується на ВЕРХ/МС/МС аналізі аналітів у досліджуваних розчинах, отриманих із зразків плазми після попереднього осадження білків.

Результати й обговорення. У цій роботі описано валідаційний параметр “стабільність при розведенні”. Розроблено електронні протоколи з використанням Microsoft Exсel, в яких передбачено поля для введення даних. Для розробки процедури визначення та оцінки dilution integrity виконано модельний експеримент. Бланкові зразки плазми розбавляли 2- і 4-кратні розведення при шести визначеннях. Розведення зразків не вплинуло на правильність та прецизійність розробленої методики. Валідаційний параметр “стабільність при розведенні” (dilution integrity) незаслужено обділено увагою в керівництвах з валідації біоаналітичних методик – можливість розведення зразків дозволяє звужувати діапазон застосування методики і використовувати для калібрування більш просту модель, отримувати кращі показники лінійності, правильності та прецизійності; розробляти методику для низьких концентрацій і використовувати її як універсальну.

Висновки. Проведено експериментальне вивчення валідаційного параметра “стабільність при розведенні” аналітичної методики кількісного визначення амлодипіну, бісопрололу та еналаприлу в плазмі крові для виконання фармакокінетичних досліджень. Висновок щодо розробленої методики по валідаційному параметру “стабільність при розведенні” – коректна.
ВИВЧЕННЯ ВАЛІДАЦІЙНОГО ПАРАМЕТРА “ЛІНІЙНІСТЬ/КАЛІБРУВАЛЬНА МОДЕЛЬ” АНАЛІТИЧНОЇ МЕТОДИКИ КІЛЬКІСНОГО ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ УРОКАРБУ В ПЛАЗМІ КРОВІ ДЛЯ ПРОВЕДЕННЯ ФАРМАКОКІНЕТИЧНИХ ДОСЛІДЖЕНЬ
Authors: Drapak L. V.
Published: July 2019

Вступ. Аналіз публікацій у провідних світових хіміко-аналітичних та фармацевтичних журналах дозволяє зробити висновок про пріоритетний інтерес дослідників до валідації біоаналітичних методик, на що вказує постійне вивчення валідаційних параметрів, у тому числі параметра “лінійність/калібрувальна модель”. Таким чином, набувають актуальності питання, пов’язані з визначенням валідаційного параметра “лінійність/калібрувальна модель”, який використовують під час доклінічних фармакологічних досліджень лікарських засобів та розробки стандартизованих підходів до проведення таких валідаційних робіт для оригінальних субстанцій.

Мета дослідження – провести експериментальне вивчення валідаційного параметра “лінійність/калібрувальна модель” аналітичної методики кількісного визначення урокарбу в плазмі крові для виконання фармакокінетичних досліджень.

Методи дослідження. Біоаналітична методика визначення урокарбу ґрунтується на ВЕРХ/МС/МС аналізі аналітів у досліджуваних розчинах, отриманих із зразків плазми після попереднього осадження білків. Проби хроматографують із використанням хроматографічної колонки Discovery C18, 50×2,1 мм, з розміром часток 5 мкм та градієнтного елюювання.

Результати й обговорення. Придатність біоаналітичної методики була підтверджена валідаційними характеристиками, які висувають до біоаналітичних методик. У цій роботі описано валідаційний параметр “лінійність/калібрувальна модель”. Розроблено електронні протоколи з використанням Microsoft Exсel, в яких передбачено поля для введення даних. При побудові калібрувальної кривої необхідно виконати такі умови: для нижньої межі кількісного визначення відхилення від номінальної концентрації повинно бути не більшим ±20 %, для калібрувальних розчинів з концентраціями, вищими, ніж нижня межа кількісного визначення, – не більшим ±15 %. Доведено лінійну залежність між концентрацією та площею хроматографічних піків урокарбу в діапазоні концентрацій 1–100 нг/мл. Рівняння регресії – y=0,00365x+0,000177, коефіцієнт кореляції – r2 0,9993.

Висновки. Проведено експериментальне вивчення валідаційного параметра “лінійність/калібрувальна модель” аналітичної методики кількісного визначення урокарбу в плазмі крові для виконання фармакокінетичних досліджень. Висновок щодо розробленої методики стосовно валідаційного параметра “лінійність/калібрувальна модель” – коректна.
ЗМІНИ ПЕРОКСИДНОГО ОКИСНЕННЯ ЛІПІДІВ ТА АНТИОКСИДАНТНОГО ЗАХИСТУ У ВИСОКО- І НИЗЬКОСТІЙКИХ ДО ГОСТРОЇ ГІПОКСИЧНОЇ ГІПОКСІЇ ЩУРІВ РІЗНОЇ СТАТІ ПРИ ІММОБІЛІЗАЦІЙНОМУ СТРЕСІ
Authors: Ordynskyi Iu. M. , Denefil O. V.
Published: July 2019

Вступ. Визначення механізмів ушкоджувального впливу стресу на серце в осіб з різною реактивністю може сприяти розробці індивідуальних методів корекції.

Мета дослідження – визначити вплив іммобілізаційного стресу на зміни показників пероксидного окиснення ліпідів та антиоксидантного захисту в щурів різної статі з високою і низькою стійкістю до гіпоксії (ВГ, НГ).

Методи дослідження. Стрес моделювали 4 рази шляхом одногодинної іммобілізації щурів спинкою донизу з інтервалом 24 год. У серці визначали концентрацію дієнових і трієнових кон’югатів, шиффових основ, ТБК-активних продуктів, активність супероксиддисмутази та каталази, у крові – концентрацію церулоплазміну, пероксидазну активність.

Результати й обговорення. У контрольних ВГ самців, порівняно з НГ, виявлено нижчу активність процесів пероксидного окиснення ліпідів, вищі активність супероксиддисмутази, концентрацію церуло­плазміну, пероксидазну активність крові; у ВГ самиць порівняно з НГ – більше дієнових і трієнових кон’югатів, шиффових основ, менше ТБК-активних продуктів, вищі активність супероксиддисмутази, концентрацію церулоплазміну, пероксидазну активність крові, нижчу активність каталази. Іммобілізація призвела до зростання всіх досліджуваних продуктів пероксидного окиснення ліпідів (у тварин усіх груп найінтенсивніше збільшилися ТБК-активні продукти). У самиць також значно зросли шиффові основи. Це вказує на розвиток оксидативного стресу, який більш виражений був у самців порівняно із самицями. У самиць продукти пероксидного окиснення ліпідів швидше метаболізувалися. Одночасно активувалась антиоксидантна система захисту: найбільше в самиць підвищилась активність супероксиддисмутази (більше у низькостійких до гіпоксії особин) і каталази (більше у високостійких до гіпоксії), в самців – концентрація церулоплазміну (найбільше у низькостійких до гіпоксії). Пероксидазна активність крові знизилася у тварин усіх досліджуваних груп.

Висновок. Іммобілізація щурів призводить до оксидативного стресу в серці, але механізм його розвитку і механізми адаптації та компенсації залежать від стійкості до гіпоксії і статі тварин.
Lesbos: uma nova tradução do poema de Charles Baudelaire, seguida de comentários
Authors: Freire Rafael , Carvalho Solange
Published: July 2019

No presente artigo apresentamos nossa tradução integral do poema “Lesbos” de Charles Baudelaire. O comentário se divide em quatro partes, cujas funções são descrever e problematizar o poema e a tradução. Na seção Situação de “Lesbos” buscamos relacionar o poema com o horizonte mais amplo do projeto As flores do mal; na Baudelaire no Brasil, contextualizamos algumas importantes traduções prévias do poema; na Uma palavra sobre o Alexandrino, discutimos alguns desafios de tradução relativos à métrica; e em Considerações finais: liberdades, concluímos o artigo, focando em nossa intenção de valorizar a precisão formal e a coesão da sensualidade do poema.
O escritor-tradutor: diálogos poéticos no texto traduzido. O caso de Mario Quintana tradutor de Proust
Authors: Dos Santos Sheila , Rassier Luciana
Published: July 2019

Este trabalho aborda a questão da liberdade criativa de escritores-tradutores em oposição a tradutores exclusivos, buscando entender a relação que tais agentes estabelecem com a tradução. Nesse âmbito, serão analisados os diálogos poéticos estabelecidos na tradução da obra Le côté de Guermantes (1920), de Marcel Proust, realizada por Mario Quintana e publicada no Brasil sob o título O Caminho de Guermantes (1953). Para tanto, serão utilizadas as reflexões de Antoine Berman (1984; 1995), bem como aportes de teóricos que acumulam, igualmente, as funções de escritor e tradutor e que refletiram acerca desse duplo ofício, como é o caso de Valéry Larbaud (1997) e Jean-Yves Masson (1990), além de reflexões do próprio Quintana.
The unique traits of the subgenus Unicus within Chiasmocleis Méhely, 1094 (Anura: Microhylidae)
Authors: DE SÁ RAFAEL O. , TONINI JOÃO F. RIVA , VAN HUSS HANNAH , ZAHER HUSSAM , HADDAD CÉLIO F. B.
Published: July 2019

Chiasmocleis is the most speciose genus of Neotropical microhylids. The genus consists of three monophyletic clades that were recently recognized as subgenera. Within Chiasmocleis, the subgenus Unicus has a basal position in the phylogeny and contains a single species that occurs in the North Atlantic Forest of Brazil, isolated from the ranges of other Chiasmocleis. However, the subgenus Unicus lacked a formal description and consequently so far was a nomen nudum. Herein, we provide a diagnosis (i.e., morphological and molecular apomorphies) of the subgenus Unicus de Sá, Tonini, van Huss, Long, Cuddy, Forlani, Peloso, Zaher and Haddad, 2019b; for convenience, the name has also been registered in ZooBank.
Working for an Algorithm: Power Asymmetries and Agency in Online Work Settings
Authors: Curchod Corentin , Patriotta Gerardo , Cohen Laurie , Neysen Nicolas
Published: July 2019

Drawing on interviews with 77 high-performing eBay business sellers in France and Belgium, this article investigates the power asymmetries generated by customers’ evaluations in online work settings. Sellers revealed a high degree of sensitivity to negative reviews, which, while infrequent, triggered feelings of anxiety and vulnerability. Their accounts exposed power asymmetries at two levels: the transactional level between sellers and customers and the governance level between sellers and eBay. Our findings highlight three main mechanisms underlying power asymmetries in this context. First, online customer evaluations have created a new form of employee monitoring in which power is exercised through the construction of visibility gaps between buyers and sellers and through an implicit coalition between buyers and the platform owner, who join together in the evaluation procedures. Second, by mediating and objectifying relations, algorithms reproduce power asymmetries among the different categories of actors, thereby constraining human agency. Third, online customer evaluations prompt sellers to exploit their practical knowledge of the algorithm to increase their agency. Through the lived experience of working for an algorithm, our findings contribute new understandings of power and agency in online work settings.
Influence of cell type and skin-core structure on the tensile elasticity of the microcellular thermoplastic polyurethane foam
Authors: Ge Chengbiao , Wang Shiping , Zhai Wentao
Published: July 2019

In this work, the foaming process was employed to achieve lightweight thermoplastic polyurethane materials, and then the hysteresis and residual strain of corresponding materials in the tensile process were quantitatively calculated. In order to study the deformed mechanism, the influences of cell type and skin-core structure on the tensile elasticity of thermoplastic polyurethane foam were investigated. The open-cell thermoplastic polyurethane foam exhibited much lower hysteresis and residual strain compared to thermoplastic polyurethane film without cell structure, which demonstrated that the open-cell structure benefited to the tensile elasticity. In the case of closed-cell thermoplastic polyurethane foam, it had lower hysteresis and residual strain than thermoplastic polyurethane film; however, higher value than the thermoplastic polyurethane film can be observed beyond 100% strain, resulting from the stress concentration in the skin-core structure. Consequently, the hysteresis phenomenon can be improved by adjusting the ratio of skin-core structure. Moreover, the influence of density on the elasticity of the open-cell thermoplastic polyurethane foam was also discussed in this study.
Polyurethane foams with 1,3,5-triazine ring, boron and silicon
Authors: Chmiel Ewelina , Lubczak Jacek
Published: July 2019

The method of obtaining polyurethane foams with 1,3,5-triazine ring and silicon and boron atoms, based on two oligoetherols, the one, synthesized from melamine diborate and propylene carbonate and the second, obtained from metasilicic acid, glycidol and ethylene carbonate, was elaborated. The physical properties of polyurethane foams were tested depending on composition of oligoetherol substrates mixture used. Obtained polyurethane foams have high compression strength and enhanced thermal resistance in comparison to classic rigid polyurethane foams. Long-term thermal exposure at 150–175°C results in increase of compression strength and reducing in flammability. The polyurethane foams exposed per month at 150°C show increase of oxygen index within 24.4–27.6, i.e. they are self-extinguishing. When polyurethane foams are exposed at 175°C, the oxygen index rise into 46.5–48.0, and the materials become non-flammable.
Wellness as a Mitigating Factor for Teacher Burnout
Authors: Brasfield Michelle Welch , Lancaster Chloe , Xu Y. Jade
Published: July 2019

Teacher stress and burnout have been associated with professional dissatisfaction and elevated rates of attrition. Knowledge has emerged to indicate that wellness may relieve professional stress that can precede burnout and departure from the profession; however, more research is needed to substantiate this relationship. The current study examined the potentially militating function of wellness in lowering burnout. For this study, 107 PreK-12th grade teachers completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Educator Survey and the Five-Factor Wellness Inventory. Results indicate significant relationships between reported burnout with wellness indicators and attrition. Implications for teachers, teacher education programs, and educational leadership teams are discussed.
A Survey Study Evaluating and Comparing the Health Literacy Knowledge and Communication Skills Used by Nurses and Physicians
Authors: Güner Müberra Devrim , Ekmekci Perihan Elif
Published: July 2019

Health literacy (HL) is considered as an interaction between the demands of health systems and the skills of individuals. The current global approach demands health professionals to be more accountable for universal precautions approach and improve communication skills, and employ strategies to confirm patients’ understanding. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge and attitude of health care professionals (HCPs) about HL and their communication skills, and its effect on their practices, and to compare the findings among subgroups of HCPs. An online cross-sectional survey involving 29 items was developed for sociodemographic and professional characteristics and knowledge, attitude, and practices evaluation. Health care professionals reached by occupational organizations and social media platforms. Among the 277 participants that answered the questions, 184 were physicians and 78 were nurses, and 37.99% of physicians and 18.42% nurses heard about the term “HL” through this survey. Most of the participants stated their willingness to receive information/training on the subject and that knowing HL level would change their approach to and outcomes of the patients. Nurses were using a variety of methods that improve communication with patients and considered HCPs’ lack of knowledge of the concept of “HL” and their neglect of HL as obstacles to its evaluation more than physicians. These results emphasize the urgent need of initiatives to be taken to improve the awareness of HCPs of HL and the subsequent incorporation of these initiatives into the daily health care services they provide. Nurses’ awareness of HL is higher and they are already better at incorporating HL-sensitive items into their practices. Both graduate and continuing education programs need to be modified to improve HL knowledge of all HCPs and its positive effects on health care. The current structure of the roles and responsibilities of these professions needs to be improved to make it more HL sensitive.
Writing, in English, for Publication in Science and Technology, and Policy: The Example of Nuclear Security
Authors: Hirst Russel
Published: July 2019

This article considers best practices for writing articles in science, technology, and policy, focusing on writing for international scholarly journals in nuclear security. Its two main audiences are technical communication educators/researchers and internationals wishing to publish their work in English-medium scholarly journals. I discuss publishing scenarios and challenges facing such authors and offer guidelines for producing clear, effective, publishable articles, in English, for international discourse. My approach is based on traditional rhetorical principles, plain language studies, research pursued at nuclear security conferences, feedback from internationals at writing workshops, and my experience as editor of the International Journal of Nuclear Security.
Qualitative Research Methods and Evidential Reasoning
Authors: Matta Corrado
Published: July 2019

This article discusses the concept of evidential reasoning in the context of qualitative research methods in the social sciences. A conceptualization of qualitative evidential reasoning is proposed. This conceptualization is based on the analysis of an example of qualitative methods applied to the study of music education. I argue that this conceptualization identifies specific and nontrivial conditions for qualitative evidential reasoning and, at the same time, supports the claim that there is no essential methodological separation regarding evidence between quantitative and qualitative methods.
Universities as Social Background in “Trading Zone” Creation
Authors: Maslanov Evgeny
Published: July 2019

The article analyzes the conception of a trading zone as a space of action and belief coordination. P. Galison proposed the conception based on anthropological and linguistic analogies. The article reviews the anthropological analogies aimed at building up the conception and the legitimacy of their use. The conclusion is that the analogies used are not accurate enough. If the tribes interacting in trading zones have a common history, material culture, and practices, they can hardly have significant differences. If they are not in possession of all these characteristics, they are unlikely to remind us of different groups of scientists who participate in common researches. The article also contains the hypothesis that acceptance of a common habitus is a condition subject to which the scientists can arrange the mutual understanding space. It issues new challenges to the scientific community, as all people related to university education also accept the scientists’ habitus.
A Community College HSI: The Effect of an HSI Designation on Organizational Identity
Authors: Carter Todd L. , Patterson Jean A.
Published: July 2019

Objective: Most community colleges receiving the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation have no specific mission to serve Hispanic students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how receiving an HSI designation affects the identity and practices of a community college. Method: Ten years of institutional documents covering the HSI transition period and 40 individual interviews were analyzed for common identity themes and indicators of a commitment to serving Hispanic students. Results: Participants attributed no meaning to the HSI designation; however, the identity labels did have meanings associated with being Hispanic-serving. A “serving all students” ideology combined with a color-blind approach and fear of external stakeholder reaction to the HSI designation were barriers to adopting an HSI identity. Contributions: Previous studies have relied on evidence of planned change as an indicator of an HSI identity. Unplanned change, however, has received very little attention. Our study demonstrates that unplanned changes in some practices and structures did result in movement toward being more Hispanic-serving as the college attempted to serve all students. As many HSIs have chosen not to address a formal change in identity, the unplanned change construct provides valuable data that might otherwise be overlooked.
Teaching about Learning: The Effects of Instruction on Metacognition in a Sociological Theory Course
Authors: Pelton Julie A.
Published: July 2019

This article investigates the effects of teaching about metacognition in a sociological theory course. I created a series of teaching interventions to introduce students to the science of learning, including an interactive lecture on metacognition, a discussion that models metacognitive strategies, and activities for students to practice metacognition. This article describes those teaching interventions and assesses whether direct instruction led to greater use of metacognitive and cognitive strategies, confidence, and motivation to learn. Data were collected over seven semesters using a pretest–posttest approach. Comparison of means showed that students who received metacognitive instruction did not differ significantly from a control group on strategy use, confidence, or motivation. Regression analyses show that metacognitive instruction did lead to greater use of metacognitive strategies. While instruction in metacognition did not produce all desired effects, this research illustrates the value of incorporating the science of learning in sociology courses.
The Origins of Informality in a Brazilian Planned City: Belo Horizonte, 1889-1900
Authors: McDonald Daniel L.
Published: July 2019

Sixty years before Brasília, Belo Horizonte was constructed as Brazil’s first modern planned city (1894-1897). This article focuses on the role of land development in shaping inequality in Belo Horizonte, the first of four major planned cities in Brazil. In Belo Horizonte, political backers and urban planners viewed controlled land development as providing a clean break with the past and creating an industrial, Eurocentric modern future in the wake of the abolition of slavery (1888) and the end of Brazil’s post-independence empire (1889). This article argues that more so than the architecture of its buildings or its urban plan, Belo Horizonte modeled an “architecture of capital” in which creating an urban property market both emerged from and was tasked with producing the city’s racialized narrative of modernity and progress. Belo Horizonte’s emphasis on land speculation gave rise to one of Brazil’s first favelas, comprised of the workers tasked with constructing the city.
Adaptive Learning Recommendation Strategy Based on Deep Q-learning
Authors: Tan Chunxi , Han Ruijian , Ye Rougang , Chen Kani
Published: July 2019

Personalized recommendation system has been widely adopted in E-learning field that is adaptive to each learner’s own learning pace. With full utilization of learning behavior data, psychometric assessment models keep track of the learner’s proficiency on knowledge points, and then, the well-designed recommendation strategy selects a sequence of actions to meet the objective of maximizing learner’s learning efficiency. This article proposes a novel adaptive recommendation strategy under the framework of reinforcement learning. The proposed strategy is realized by the deep Q-learning algorithms, which are the techniques that contributed to the success of AlphaGo Zero to achieve the super-human level in playing the game of go. The proposed algorithm incorporates an early stopping to account for the possibility that learners may choose to stop learning. It can properly deal with missing data and can handle more individual-specific features for better recommendations. The recommendation strategy guides individual learners with efficient learning paths that vary from person to person. The authors showcase concrete examples with numeric analysis of substantive learning scenarios to further demonstrate the power of the proposed method.
Food Security Status and Hair Cortisol among Low-income Mother-Child Dyads
Authors: Ling Jiying , Robbins Lorraine B. , Xu Dongjuan
Published: July 2019

This cross-sectional study among low-income mother-child dyads examined the relationship between food security status and hair cortisol concentration (HCC), and how mother and child food security status was interactively related to mothers’ perceived distress and coping. Data from 32 dyads were analyzed. Approximately 46.9% had household food insecurity, 37.5% children had food insecurity, and 34.4% mothers had food insecurity. Children with food insecurity had significantly higher HCC than those with food security. A significant interaction effect occurred between child food security status and race on children’s HCC, with White children’s HCC being more likely to be influenced by food security status. Mother food security and child food security status together explained about 6% of the variance in mothers’ HCC, 27% in perceived distress, and 18% in perceived coping. These findings indicate that assisting low-income families with food insecurity to get enough food can benefit both children’s and mothers’ mental health.
Torment Porn or Feminist Witch Hunt: Apprehensions About the #MeToo Movement on /r/AskReddit
Authors: Lanius Candice
Published: July 2019

This article argues that #MeToo posts are transgressive and can be understood as a case of confessional discourse that has the potential to empower women around the world rather than inspiring shame. Due to its public nature, #MeToo also challenges existing frameworks for understanding sexual relationships in the United States. This critical discourse analysis of the response to the #MeToo movement over 9 months (2017–2018) on the Reddit community AskReddit surfaced fears about how the movement is redefining normal sexual behavior. By inventorying the knowledge claims produced across four question and answer comment threads, important shifts in subject positions and discursive frames show that under the guise of inclusive rhetoric and expert discourse, many Reddit respondents fear their past behavior will be reconstituted as abusive. Rape myths also appeared in the discourse as a backlash against the #MeToo movement.
The person in context: Using situational judgment to gain insight into social functioning
Authors: Persich Michelle R. , Robinson Michael D.
Published: July 2019

How people interpret and respond to simulated interpersonal events may provide insight into their values, beliefs, and personality. In pursuit of this possibility, a three-study program of research (total N = 576) applied a situational judgment method to the domain of friendship behavior. Specifically, consensus scoring techniques were used to scale the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of different ways of responding to vignettes involving protagonists and their friends. These norms were then used to score a dimension of friendship competence that was defined in terms of endorsing ways of responding (to friendship scenarios) that tend to be effective. Study 1 established the reliability of the relevant individual differences, Study 2 showed that they were related to both agreeableness and extraversion, and Study 3 showed that they predicted friendship quality as well as prosocial and antisocial behavior. The research provides novel insights into key personality processes that underlie social behavior.
Prebiotic supplementation does not affect reading and cognitive performance in children: A randomised placebo-controlled study
Authors: Capitão Liliana P , Baião Rita , Baek Hee K , Kappelmann Nils , Sharman Rachel , Harvey Christopher-James , Montgomery Paul , Burnet Philip WJ
Published: July 2019

Based on the emerging interest in the effects of gut microbiota on cognition, this proof-of-concept study assessed how children aged 7 to 9 with low reading scores responded to the ingestion of a 3-month prebiotic supplement versus a placebo. As a secondary aim, the effects of the prebiotic on cognition, sleep, behaviour, mood, anxiety, and cortisol were assessed. In this sample, the prebiotic did not affect any of the outcome measures.
Higher cardiovascular fitness level is associated with lower cerebrovascular reactivity and perfusion in healthy older adults
Authors: Intzandt Brittany , Sabra Dalia , Foster Catherine , Desjardins-Crépeau Laurence , Hoge Richard D , Steele Christopher J , Bherer Louis , Gauthier Claudine J
Published: July 2019

Aging is accompanied by vascular and structural changes in the brain, which include decreased grey matter volume (GMV), cerebral blood flow (CBF), and cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR). Enhanced fitness in aging has been related to preservation of GMV and CBF, and in some cases CVR, although there are contradictory relationships reported between CVR and fitness. To gain a better understanding of the complex interplay between fitness and GMV, CBF and CVR, the present study assessed these factors concurrently. Data from 50 participants, aged 55 to 72, were used to derive GMV, CBF, CVR and VO2peak. Results revealed that lower CVR was associated with higher VO2peak throughout large areas of the cerebral cortex. Within these regions lower fitness was associated with higher CBF and a faster hemodynamic response to hypercapnia. Overall, our results indicate that the relationships between age, fitness, cerebral health and cerebral hemodynamics are complex, likely involving changes in chemosensitivity and autoregulation in addition to changes in arterial stiffness. Future studies should collect other physiological outcomes in parallel with quantitative imaging, such as measures of chemosensitivity and autoregulation, to further understand the intricate effects of fitness on the aging brain, and how this may bias quantitative measures of cerebral health.
Impaired interhemispheric synchrony in late blindness
Authors: Huang Xin , Zhou Fu-Qing , Dan Han-Dong , Shen Yin
Published: July 2019

Background

Several neuroimaging studies demonstrated that visual deprivation led to significant cross-modal plasticity in the brain’s functional and anatomical architecture.

Purpose

To investigate the pattern of the interhemispheric functional connectivity in individuals with late blindness using the voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) methods.

Material and Methods

Forty-four individuals with late blindness (22 men, 22 women; mean age = 39.88 ± 12.84 years) and 55 sighted control individuals (35 men, 20 women; mean age = 43.13 ± 13.98 years)—closely matched for age, sex, and education—underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging scans. The VMHC and seed-based FC methods were applied to assess interhemispheric coordination in a voxel-wise manner.

Results

Compared with the sighted control groups, the late blindness groups showed decreased VMHC values in the bilateral cuneus/calcarine/lingual gyrus (CUN/CAL/LING) (BA 17/18/19) (voxel level: P < 0.001, Gaussian random field [GRF] correction, cluster level: P < 0.005). Meanwhile, for seed-based FC analysis, compared with the sighted control group, the late blindness group showed a decreased FC between the right lower VMHC regions and the bilateral CUN/LING/CAL/precuneus (PreCUN)/left middle occipital gyrus (MOG) (BA 18/19/30/31) and left precentral gyrus (PreCG) and postcentral gyrus (PostCG) (BA 2/3/4/6). The late blindness group showed a decreased FC between the left lower VMHC regions and the bilateral CUN/LING/CAL/PreCUN (BA 18/19/31) and left PreCG and PostCG (BA 2/3/4/6) relative to the sighted control group (voxel level: P < 0.001, GRF correction, cluster level: P < 0.005). Moreover, a negative correlation was observed between the duration of blindness and VMHC values in the bilateral CUN/CAL/LING (r = −0.393, P = 0.008) in individuals with late blindness.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that late blindness induced substantial impairment of interhemispheric coordination in the visual cortex. This might reflect impaired visual fusion, visual recognition function, and top-down modulations in individuals with late blindness.
Virtual reality distraction decreases pain during daily dressing changes following haemorrhoid surgery
Authors: Ding Jie , He Yanyan , Chen Lishan , Zhu Bili , Cai Qiuping , Chen Keli , Liu Guoyan
Published: July 2019

Objective

To investigate whether immersive virtual reality (VR) distraction could decrease pain during postoperative dressing changes.

Methods

This was a prospective, open-label randomized clinical trial that enrolled patients that had undergone haemorrhoidectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group that received the standard pharmacological analgesic intervention during dressing change and a VR group that received VR distraction during dressing change plus standard pharmacological analgesic intervention. Pain scores and physiological measurements were collected before, during and after the first postoperative dressing change.

Results

A total of 182 patients were randomly assigned to the control and VR groups. The baseline characteristics of the VR and control groups were comparable. There was no significant difference in mean pain scores prior to and after the dressing change procedure between the two groups. The mean pain scores at the 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-min time-points during the first dressing change were significantly lower in the VR group compared with the control group. Heart rates and oxygen saturation were not significantly different between the two groups.

Conclusion

Immersive VR was effective as a pain distraction tool in combination with standard pharmacological analgesia during dressing change in patients that had undergone haemorrhoidectomy.
A rare cause of coronary artery aneurysms with possible underlying Kawasaki disease
Authors: Wang Xiqiang , Qiang Hua , Liu Ping , Bai Ling , Fan Xiaojuan
Published: July 2019

Coronary artery aneurysms, rare lesions of Kawasaki disease (KD) and coronary atherosclerosis, are associated with severe cardiac complications. We herein describe an interesting case of coronary artery aneurysms due to exertional angina with possible underlying KD. A 26-year-old man without traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis presented with exertional chest pain and a positive exercise electrocardiogram stress test. Coronary angiography revealed total obstruction of the right coronary artery at the proximal portion, and the proximal left anterior descending artery contained a large spherical cavity filled with contrast agent; thus, the diagnosis of coronary artery aneurysms was confirmed. This was a typical coronary lesion suggestive of KD, and coronary artery bypass grafting was recommended. The diagnosis of KD may be ignored or missed in childhood, and significant cardiovascular damage may remain silent until adulthood, when severe coronary artery stenosis or thrombosis results in angina or acute myocardial infarction. Thus, to promote timely treatment and reduce morbidity and mortality, antecedent KD should be considered in the presence of angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction in young patients without traditional risk factors for atherosclerosis.
Clinical characteristics and relationship between myasthenia gravis and premature ovarian failure: report of two cases
Authors: Cao Liming , Liu Weibin , Zhu Zhishan
Published: July 2019

Myasthenia gravis (MG) and premature ovarian failure (POF) are rare. MF and POF greatly affect patients’ health. Combined occurrence of MF and POF in young women can have serious consequences. We report two cases of MG with POF. Case 1 was a 20-year-old woman who presented with myasthenic crisis and menopause in September 2015 and November 2015, respectively. The patient’s estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were abnormal. She was administered plasmapheresis and methylprednisolone pulse therapy. She improved and was discharged with normal restoration of menstruation after 3 months. Case 2 was a 21-year-old woman who had right eyelid droop and double vision in June 2014. She presented with menstrual disorder and menopause in August 2014 and September 2014, respectively. Estradiol and follicle-stimulating hormone levels were abnormal. She underwent progesterone therapy. She was admitted to hospital again in March 2016 with a myasthenic crisis. She received methylprednisolone pulse therapy and underwent thymectomy, but menstruation was not restored. In conclusion, there is comorbidity of POF in MG, and there is a close relationship between these two diseases. MG may subsequently lead to development of POF, and timely immunotherapy for MG may normalize POF.
Pulsed radiofrequency of the median nerve under ultrasound guidance for management of intractable neuropathic pain
Authors: Park Yoo Jung , Lee Man Hee , Kwon So Young
Published: July 2019

A median nerve injury in the forearm may lead to devastating sequelae if left untreated. Even with appropriate treatments involving microsurgical techniques and postoperative care, patients may still experience lasting neuropathic pain that significantly reduces their quality of life. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is widely performed to alleviate such neuropathic pain caused by trauma.

A 47-year-old man visited our pain clinic with allodynia, hyperalgesia, paresthesia, skin color changes, and atrophy in the right forearm. In the orthopedic department, the patient was treated by neurectomy of the median nerve to manage the intractable pain. However, the effect was unsatisfactory. The fourth median nerve block performed in our pain clinic after neurectomy produced good results, and ultrasound-guided PRF of the median nerve was performed.

The patient showed 80% relief of symptoms within 5 hours after the procedure. The visual analog scale score for the forearm decreased from 8/10 to 1/10. This case suggests that ultrasound-guided PRF can be a therapeutic option for the management of refractory neuropathic pain after neurectomy in patients with a median nerve injury.
Xenia – Debt at home, debt is always foreign
Authors: Gourgouris Stathis
Published: July 2019

The concerns of this article are twofold: first, it examines the nature of debt as a social and economic force that fosters conditions of alienation in persons and institutions. Debt is also considered ontologically to be pertinent to the institution of the family as well as general conditions of kinship, of what determines what is ancestral and what is foreign. Second, it examines the conditions of financial and cultural crisis in Greece in recent years, where debt emerges as a prominent force that works not only at a geopolitical level but on the micro level of society as well. This inquiry is conducted primarily through an elaboration of key instances in recent Greek cinema.
Environmental Equity and Spatiotemporal Patterns of Urban Tree Canopy in Atlanta
Authors: Koo Bon Woo , Boyd Nico , Botchwey Nisha , Guhathakurta Subhrajit
Published: July 2019

While previous studies in environmental equity found positive relationships between tree canopy and socioeconomic/demographic status of neighborhoods, few examined how changes in tree canopy are associated with changes in socioeconomic/demographic status. This study confirms that the relationship between them in Atlanta is changing and the hypothesis of inequitable distribution of tree canopy concerning demographic attributes cannot be fully supported beyond 2000. In addition, the proportion of African Americans can have different effects on the estimated tree canopy as poverty rates vary. Planning to mitigate environmental inequities through tree plantings requires more careful analysis that goes beyond the socioeconomic/demographic attributes of the population.