bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic impact of overseas coal bed methane development project on Korean economy
Authors: Jin Junghwan , Cheon Seweon , Lee Jungbae , Lee Sanghwan , Kim Jinsoo
Published: March 2018

Korea has increased its self-sufficiency in natural resources since 2006. Accordingly, the number of overseas resource developments has also increased; however, the quantification of the economic impact of such developments is rarely studied. Therefore, we analyse the economic impact on the Korean economy and create a hypothetical Australian coal bed methane development project. As there is no overseas resource development sector in the Korean input–output table, we identify the relationships between the project and Korean industries using cost data and develop a project–industry relationship diagram. Next, we analyse the economic impacts of overseas coal bed methane development on the Korean economy, especially the production inducement, value added, and labour inducement effects. According to our results, the production inducement effect on the Korean economy is estimated to be 643,360 million Korean Won annually with 1.918 of production inducement coefficient when Korean companies take full charge of the project.
The Determinants of Palliative Care Use in Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A National Study
Authors: Colibaseanu Dorin T. , Osagiede Osayande , Spaulding Aaron C. , Frank Ryan D. , Merchea Amit , Mathis Kellie L. , Parker Alexander S. , Ailawadhi Sikander
Published: March 2018

Background:

Palliative care is associated with improved survival and quality of life, but its use among patients with colorectal cancer varies nationwide and the determinants of those variations are not clear.

Objective:

To determine the factors associated with palliative care use among patients who died of colorectal cancer.

Methods:

Deceased patients treated for colorectal cancer (2004-2013) were identified within the National Cancer Database. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate patient and institutional characteristics associated with palliative care use. Patients were classified based on their length of survival (<6 months, 6-24 months, and 24+ months) to provide timing context.

Results:

A total of 287 923 patients were analyzed. Overall, 4.3% of the patients received palliative care. Patients who received palliative care were more likely to be younger, recently diagnosed, treated at academic hospitals, and have stage IV disease. Patients living in Mountain and Pacific regions had higher odds of palliative care receipt than those in the East Coast. Patients without insurance had higher odds of palliative care if they survived <24 months. Insurance coverage through Medicaid was associated with increased palliative care use among patients who survived 6 to 24 months. Patients who survived <6 months and lived >9 miles from the institution received more palliative care.

Conclusion:

Palliative care use among patients with colorectal cancer is associated with a younger age, a more recent year of diagnosis, insurance status, academic hospitals, and living in Mountain and Pacific regions.
Early Palliative Care for Patients With Brain Metastases Decreases Inpatient Admissions and Need for Imaging Studies
Authors: Habibi Akram , Wu S. Peter , Gorovets Daniel , Sansosti Alexandra , Kryger Marc , Beaudreault Cameron , Chung Wei-Yi , Shelton Gary , Silverman Joshua , Lowy Joseph , Kondziolka Douglas
Published: March 2018

Background:

Early encounters with palliative care (PC) can influence health-care utilization, clinical outcome, and cost.

Aim:

To study the effect of timing of PC encounters on brain metastasis patients at an academic medical center.

Setting/Participants:

All patients diagnosed with brain metastases from January 2013 to August 2015 at a single institution with inpatient and/or outpatient PC records available for review (N = 145).

Design:

Early PC was defined as having a PC encounter within 8 weeks of diagnosis with brain metastases; late PC was defined as having PC after 8 weeks of diagnosis. Propensity score matched cohorts of early (n = 46) and late (n = 46) PC patients were compared to control for differences in age, gender, and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) at diagnosis. Details of the palliative encounter, patient outcomes, and health-care utilization were collected.

Results:

Early PC versus late PC patients had no differences in baseline KPS, age, or gender. Early PC patients had significantly fewer number of inpatient visits per patient (1.5 vs 2.9; P = .004), emergency department visits (1.2 vs 2.1; P = .006), positron emission tomography/computed tomography studies (1.2 vs 2.7, P = .005), magnetic resonance imaging scans (5.8 vs 8.1; P = .03), and radiosurgery procedures (0.6 vs 1.3; P < .001). There were no differences in overall survival (median 8.2 vs 11.2 months; P = .2). Following inpatient admissions, early PC patients were more likely to be discharged home (59% vs 35%; P = .04).

Conclusions:

Timely PC consultations are advisable in this patient population and can reduce health-care utilization.
Executive Function Deficits in Adolescents With ADHD: Untangling Possible Sources of Heterogeneity
Authors: Molitor Stephen J. , Oddo Lauren E. , Eadeh Hana-May , Langberg Joshua M.
Published: March 2018

Deficits in executive function (EFDs) are thought to be the mechanisms that underlie a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, prior research has indicated that EFDs are not uniform throughout the ADHD population and it is not clear what factors lead to individual variability in EF abilities. The current study was conducted to (a) elucidate the possible presence of unique patterns in EFDs and (b) identify potential risk factors for clinically significant EFDs. A sample of 256 young adolescents were comprehensively assessed and diagnosed with ADHD, and parents completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to elicit individual-level patterns of ratings across the eight clinical scales of the BRIEF. Chi-square analyses and regression models were also conducted to determine whether ADHD presentation, gender, or comorbid psychopathology was associated with the profiles elicited in the LPA. LPA results demonstrated a consistent trend in relative EF strengths and weaknesses, with patterns differing primarily in the intensity of deficits. Females with ADHD and adolescents with ADHD Combined Presentation or comorbid Oppositional Defiant Disorder exhibited more severe patterns of EFDs based upon group comparisons and regression models. ADHD may be associated with a consistent pattern of relative strengths and weaknesses in EF, although several important factors appear associated with an increased risk of more severe EFDs. These findings carry important clinical implications for the assessment of ADHD in adolescence.
Long-Standing Ulcerative Colitis May Trigger a Multilineage Cancerization Field
Authors: Fassan Matteo , Brignola Stefano , Sarzo Giacomo , Cappellesso Rocco , Rugge Massimo
Published: March 2018

Longstanding/relapsing inflammation characterizing ulcerative colitis (UC) has been associated to an increased risk of colon mucosa neoplastic transformation. We describe the clinicopathological features of a UC-related poorly-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma coexisting with a conventional adenocarcinoma. This case supports UC as a multilineage cancerization field.
Vibration attenuation of a two-link flexible arm carried by a translational stage
Authors: Wu Shang–Teh , Tang Shan-Qun , Huang Kuan–Po
Published: March 2018

This paper investigates the vibration control of a two-link flexible manipulator carried by a translational stage. The first and the second links are each driven by a stage motor and a joint motor. By treating the joint motor as a virtual spring, the two-link manipulator can be regarded as an integral flexible arm driven by the stage motor. A noncollocated controller is devised based on feedback from the deflection of the virtual spring, which can be measured by a shaft encoder. Stability of the closed-loop system is analyzed by examining the spatial derivatives of the modal functions. By including a bandpass filter in the feedback loop, residual vibrations can be attenuated without exciting high-frequency vibrations. The control method is simple to implement; its effectiveness is confirmed by simulation and experimental results.
Prioritization of a Bridge Inventory for Historic Preservation: A Case Study for Tarrant County, Texas
Authors: Puls Eric , Hueste Mary Beth D. , Hurlebaus Stefan , Damnjanovic Ivan
Published: March 2018

Funding is currently limited for transportation projects in general and even more so for historic bridge preservation. Because of this limitation on resources, it is important that bridge-owning agencies use proper planning and management strategies to make the best use of available funding. One important element of bridge inventory management is the prioritization of bridges for historic preservation. This article presents a framework that begins with a selection matrix for a first-level review of a bridge inventory. The selection matrix considers both the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) historical significance rating and sufficiency rating. Further refinements are necessary to prioritize a number of bridges for historic preservation, and so a quantitative rating system is proposed to reflect the characteristics of the Tarrant County, Texas, bridge inventory considered in this study. The developed methodology is applied to the bridge inventory in Tarrant County, and two notable bridges are described.
Attitudes towards Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek in London’s Greek Cypriot community
Authors: Karatsareas Petros
Published: March 2018

Aim:

To investigate whether the positive attitudes towards Standard Modern Greek and the mixture of positive and negative attitudes towards Cypriot Greek that have been documented in Cyprus are also present in London’s Greek Cypriot community.

Approach:

Unlike previous quantitative works, the study reported in this article was qualitative and aimed at capturing the ways in which attitudes and attitude-driven practices are experienced by members of London’s diasporic community.

Data and analysis:

Data were collected by means of semi-structured, sociolinguistic interviews with 28 members of the community. All participants were second-generation heritage speakers, successive bilinguals in Cypriot Greek and English and successive bidialectal speakers in Cypriot Greek and Standard Modern Greek. The data were analysed qualitatively (thematic analysis).

Findings:

Positive perceptions of Standard Modern Greek and mixed perceptions, both positive and negative, of Cypriot Greek are found in the context of London. As in Cyprus, Standard Modern Greek is perceived as a prestigious, proper and ‘correct’ variety of Greek. Cypriot Greek, in contrast, is described as a ‘villagey’, heavy and even broken variety. Greek complementary schools play a key role in engendering these attitudes. Unlike in Cyprus, in the London community, the use of Cypriot Greek is also discouraged in informal settings such as the home.

Originality:

Papapavlou and Pavlou contended that ‘there are no signs of negative attitudes towards Cypriot Greek [in the UK]’ (2001, The interplay of language use and language maintenance and the cultural identity of Greek Cypriots in the UK. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 11, 104). This research shows their claim to be false.

Significance/implications:

Negative attitudes towards Cypriot Greek lead to a community-wide preference for the use of Standard Modern Greek in communication with other members of the Greek Cypriot community, which poses a great threat to the intergenerational transmission and maintenance of Cypriot Greek as a heritage language in London.
Heritage speakers’ use of prosodic strategies in focus marking in Spanish
Authors: Kim Ji-Young
Published: March 2018

Aims and objectives:

The present study investigates how focus is prosodically realized by Spanish heritage speakers, and whether they show different patterns from Spanish monolinguals and English second language (L2) learners of Spanish.

Design:

Prompt questions were auditorily presented to elicit participants’ production of sentences with different scopes and locations of focus.

Data and analysis:

Relative prosodic prominence between focused and non-focused constituents, as well as tonal alignment, were acoustically analyzed and compared across the groups. Additional strategies that participants used are also presented.

Findings:

The results revealed that all three groups used multiple strategies, both prosodic and non-prosodic, to express focus in Spanish. However, the specific cues that were used differed in each group. Monolinguals and L2 learners clearly differed from each other in that the former preferred non-prosodic strategies (e.g., cleft constructions, complementizer que ‘that’), while the latter used various prosodic strategies (e.g., relative prosodic prominence, early peak alignment, post-focal deaccenting). Heritage speakers, on the other hand, used a mix of strategies that were observed in both monolinguals’ and L2 learners’ speech.

Originality:

Prosody is an understudied area in heritage language research. This is one of few studies that examined Spanish heritage speakers’ use of prosodic cues in the realization of focus in Spanish and the first to extensively analyze various acoustic correlates of focus produced by Spanish heritage speakers.

Implication:

The findings suggest that heritage speakers are flexible in their use of linguistic strategies as they are able to extract resources from their two language systems.
Analysis of mechanics around a localised surface defect of cylindrical roller bearing
Authors: Tang Haohui , Liu Heng , Zhao Yang , Tian Guibin , Xu Zhidong
Published: March 2018

In the paper, in order to investigate the mechanics around a localised surface defect of cylindrical roller bearing, a dynamic model is built based on the model proposed by Gupta to calculate the carrying loads of rollers when the rollers pass over the defect zone under different circumstances. A defect model is built by the finite element method to calculate the stress distribution around the defect. Three stages are defined to simplify the analysis of mechanics in this process. With the increase of the rotor speed, the stress received by the exit edge increases. The increase of the radial load or defect length leads to the increase of stresses in all stages. When the defect position deviate from the centre line and is close to the edge, the stress received by the exit edge on the surface increases but the sizes of stress on the subsurface decrease.
Automated region-of-interest localization and classification for vision-based visual assessment of civil infrastructure
Authors: Yeum Chul Min , Choi Jongseong , Dyke Shirley J
Published: March 2018

Complementary advances in computer vision and new sensing platforms have mobilized the research community to pursue automated methods for vision-based visual evaluation of our civil infrastructure. Spatial and temporal limitations typically associated with sensing in large-scale structures are being torn down through the use of low-cost aerial platforms with integrated high-resolution visual sensors. Despite the enormous efforts expended to implement such technology, practical real-world challenges still hinder the application of these methods. The large volumes of complex visual data, collected under uncontrolled circumstances (e.g. varied lighting, cluttered regions, occlusions, and variations in environmental conditions), impose a major challenge to such methods, especially when only a tiny fraction of them are used for conducting the actual assessment. Such difficulties induce undesirable high rates of false-positive and false-negative errors, reducing both trustworthiness and efficiency in the methods. To overcome these inherent challenges, a novel automated image localization and classification technique is developed to extract the regions of interest on each of the images, which contain the targeted region for inspection. Regions of interest are extracted here using structure-from-motion algorithm. Less useful regions of interest, such as those corrupted by occlusions, are then filtered effectively using a robust image classification technique, based on convolutional neural networks. Then, such highly relevant regions of interest are available for visual assessment. The capability of the technique is successfully demonstrated using a full-scale highway sign truss with welded connections.
Intelligent defect classification system based on deep learning
Authors: Ye Ruifang , Pan Chia-Sheng , Chang Ming , Yu Qing
Published: March 2018

A fast and intelligent defect classification system for distinguishing defect features is developed in this study. Defect images obtained from an automated optical inspection instrument are first trained utilizing a deep learning approach based on the convolutional neural network. The detailed features of defects, such as flaws in the inclination, size, quantity, and settlement, can then be characterized with the developed system. The obtained defect characteristics can be provided as a reference to evaluate the manufacturing process. A graphics processing unit card is used to build the parallel computing architecture for fast data computation both in the training and classification processes. The experimental results show that the defect classification for a touch panel glass surface of size 43 × 229.4 mm2 that yields 805 million pixel data points was completed in 2 s. The classification accuracy was above 96%. Therefore, an automated and fast defect analysis catalog integrated to an optical inspection result for the evaluation and adjustment of manufacturing operations can be expected with the proposed approach.
Vibration suppression for flywheel energy storage system using modal decoupling control
Authors: Ouyang Huimin , Yu Chunmin , Zhang Guangming , Mei Lei , Deng Xin , Wang Deming
Published: March 2018

Magnetic bearings have been used in flywheel energy storage systems to improve their performance because these kinds of bearings can provide non-contact supporting so that the friction between the rotor and the bearings is reduced significantly. However, the gyroscopic coupling, parameter coupling, and imbalance force affect the operating performance and stability of a magnetic suspended flywheel energy storage system with asymmetric rotor; therefore, the main purpose of this study is to propose a control method for achieving decoupling and stable operation of the aforementioned system. To this end, after deriving the mathematical model of a radial 4-degree-of-freedom rotor–bearing system, a novel cross-feedback-based modal decoupling controller is designed for vibration suppression caused by gyroscopic coupling, parameter coupling, and imbalance force. Better performance is obtained through comparing the decoupling performance, control performance, and disturbance rejection performance with a traditional decentralized proportional–integral–derivative controller and a cross-feedback controller via ADAMS–MATLAB co-simulation technology and experimental results.
Comparison of contact interface factors for surface electromyography control wearable device
Authors: Wang Wei-Xing , Sun Shou-Qian , Tang Zhi-Chuan
Published: March 2018

Surface electromyography is commonly used as control signals for wearable devices. Compared to physical sensors, bioelectric signal are more sensitive to pressure and placement of interface. Discussion of these factors includes not only ergonomic issues but also control issues. Variations of the two factors in setup could lead to variability in output values. In this article, we mainly discussed the influence of the two factors, including contact pressure and placement, to estimate the elbow joint angles based on surface electromyography. To our knowledge, there has been no research about this problem. We first measured the surface electromyography signal with elbow flexion and extension motion, then estimated the angles of motion through the pattern recognition method, and finally assessed the distribution of contact pressure and the accuracy of regression. Our results indicated that the accuracy of angle recognition depends on the consistency of pressure distribution over the contact surface. The contact surface can be placed in the anterior of the upper arm at lower contact pressures. When high contact pressure is required, the placement of the strap should cover the muscle belly. The main contribution of this study is that our results can be used to guide the human–machine interface design of wearable devices.
Inhibitory Gi/O-coupled receptors in somatosensory neurons: Potential therapeutic targets for novel analgesics
Authors: Yudin Yevgen , Rohacs Tibor
Published: March 2018

Primary sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglia and trigeminal ganglia are responsible for sensing mechanical and thermal stimuli, as well as detecting tissue damage. These neurons express ion channels that respond to thermal, mechanical, or chemical cues, conduct action potentials, and mediate transmitter release. These neurons also express a large number of G-protein coupled receptors, which are major transducers for extracellular signaling molecules, and their activation usually modulates the primary transduction pathways. Receptors that couple to phospholipase C via heterotrimeric Gq/11 proteins and those that activate adenylate cyclase via Gs are considered excitatory; they positively regulate somatosensory transduction and they play roles in inflammatory sensitization and pain, and in some cases also in inducing itch. On the other hand, receptors that couple to Gi/o proteins, such as opioid or GABAB receptors, are generally inhibitory. Their activation counteracts the effect of Gs-stimulation by inhibiting adenylate cyclase, as well as exerts effects on ion channels, usually resulting in decreased excitability. This review will summarize knowledge on Gi-coupled receptors in sensory neurons, focusing on their roles in ion channel regulation and discuss their potential as targets for analgesic and antipruritic medications.
Sensory–motor rehabilitation therapy for task-specific focal hand dystonia: A feasibility study
Authors: Butler Katherine , Sadnicka Anna , Freeman Jennifer , Meppelink Anne-Marthe , Pareés Isabel , Marsden Jon , Edwards Mark J
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Medical treatments have limited long-term effect in task-specific dystonia. Whilst evidence supports the use of rehabilitation, no randomised controlled trials have been undertaken. This small-scale study determined the feasibility of implementing and evaluating a mixed sensory–motor task-specific dystonia rehabilitative programme.

Methods

Participants with writer’s or musician’s dystonia were recruited from a movement disorder and hand therapy clinic. Feasibility measures were recruitment rate, retention, session attendance, adherence to exercises. Self-report measures at 0, 3 and 6 months included: Arm Dystonia Disability Scale (ADDS), Tubiana and Chamagne Scale (TCS), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), Health Status (EQ-5D 5L), Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). Task performance was video-recorded at baseline and 6 months. At 6 months, interviews explored participant experiences of the intervention.

Results

Fifteen patients were recruited over 6 months (rate 2.5/month, musician’s dystonia = 8, writer’s dystonia = 7). Complete data sets were collected for twelve people(80%). The programme comprised a maximum six sessions plus daily home exercises. Nine completed the home programme at ≥75%. No adverse events were reported. Effect sizes at 3 and 6 months, respectively, were ADDS 3-month = 0.28, 6-month = 0.23; TCS 3-month = 0.13, 6-month = 0.53; BIPQ 3-month = 0.38, 6-month = 0.71; EQ-5D-5L 3-month = 0.34, 6-month = 0.59; video analysis at 6 months = 0.78. Eleven (92%) improved on the CGI. Interviews supported acceptability of the intervention.

Conclusions

This intervention was feasible to deliver with high retention, adherence and acceptability. Improvements occurred across measures. This informs the development of future randomised controlled trials.
High Richness of Vascular Plants in the Tropical Los Tuxtlas Region, Mexico
Authors: Villaseñor José Luis , Ortiz Enrique , Campos-Villanueva Alvaro
Published: March 2018

We present an assessment of the recorded vascular plants in the Los Tuxtlas region, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, an important portion of the humid tropical forest at the northern edge of its distribution. A literature review and the information contained in the two most important databases in Mexico with digitized information for the region report 2,548 species, of which 2,391 are native and 157 naturalized (exotic). The families with the highest number of species are Fabaceae, Orchidaceae, Asteraeae, and Rubiaceae. The composition of the flora is analyzed, and its similarity is compared with other tropical regions of Mexico. The humid tropical forest in Los Tuxtlas stands out as the site with the third highest number of tropical species in Mexico, and in particular for its high number of endemisms. A quarter of the species occurring in the region are threatened; despite this, the biosphere reserve within its limits plays an important role in the conservation of this type of vegetation.
Personalizing initial therapy in acute myeloid leukemia: incorporating novel agents into clinical practice
Authors: DeStefano Christin B. , Hourigan Christopher S.
Published: March 2018

While the past decade has seen a revolution in understanding of the genetic and molecular etiology of the disease, in clinical practice, initial therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients has been a relatively straightforward choice between intensive combination cytotoxic induction therapy as used for decades or less-intensive hypomethylating therapy. The year 2017, however, witnessed US Food and Drug Administration approvals of midostaurin, enasidenib, gemtuzumab ozogamicin and CPX-351 for AML patients, with many other promising agents currently in clinical trials. This review discusses these options, highlights unanswered questions regarding optimal combinations and proposes some suggested approaches for the personalization of initial therapy for AML patients.
Fusion Assessment by MRI in Comparison With CT in Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Prospective Study
Authors: Kitchen David , Rao Prashanth J. , Zotti Mario , Woodman Richard , Sampson Matthew J. , Allison Dale , Phan Kevin , Selby Michael
Published: March 2018

Study Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Objectives:

To evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of fusion status following anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) and compare agreement and confidence in assessing fusion or its absence on MRI to the current standard computed tomography (CT).

Methods:

A prospective follow up of patients undergoing surgery by 2 spine surgeons between 2012 and 2015 at a single institution. Fusion was assessed at different time points in these patients by 2 independent musculoskeletal radiologists. Fusion was analyzed in coronal and sagittal planes using both imaging modalities, with confidence being attributed on a scale of 0 to 3. Assessors were blinded to patient data.

Results:

Fourteen patients (25 levels) with mean follow-up of 10.2 months (range 2.4-20.3 years) and age of 41 years (range 20.7-61.5 years) were assessed. MRI within the interbody cage in coronal (κ = .58) and sagittal (κ = .50) planes had the highest interobserver agreement. CT anterior to the cage in coronal (κ = .48) and sagittal (κ = .44) planes, as well as within the cage in coronal (κ = .50) and sagittal planes (κ = .44) showed moderate agreement. Confidence anterior to the interbody cage using MRI scan was reduced when compared with remaining angles and imaging modalities.

Conclusions:

The study demonstrates that MRI may be a useful tool in the assessment of fusion following ALIF with results comparable to CT, and that it may have a useful role in select patients especially considering marked radiation exposure reduction.
The Association Between Assisted Living Direct Care Worker End-of-Life Training and Hospice Use Patterns
Authors: Dobbs Debra , Kaufman Sharon , Meng Hongdao
Published: March 2018

As resident acuity levels increase for those who reside in assisted living (AL), states allow for hospice care provision in AL. End-of-life care training for staff can potentially increase the awareness of benefits of hospice care for AL residents. This study examined the association between AL staff trained in end-of-life care and hospice utilization in a sample of ALs ( n = 45) in Florida. The sample included ALs ( n = 21) with a low percentage (≤59%) and ALs ( n = 24) with a high percentage (≥60%) of staff trained in end-of-life care as reported by AL directors. Zero-inflated negative binomial regression (ZINB) indicated that ALs in the high percentage of staff trained group were associated with a 3.64% greater utilization of hospice than ALs in the low percentage of staff trained group. Implementation of required staff training specific to care for the terminally ill as required in some states could potentially improve resident access to hospice care.
Assessing the prevalence of juvenile systemic sclerosis in childhood using administrative claims data from the United States
Authors: Beukelman Timothy , Xie Fenglong , Foeldvari Ivan
Published: March 2018

Juvenile systemic sclerosis is a very rare orphan disease. To date, only one publication has estimated the prevalence of juvenile systemic sclerosis using a survey of specialized physicians. We conducted a study of administrative claims data in the United States using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis codes and found a prevalence of approximately 3 per 1,000,000 children. This estimate will inform the planning of prospective studies.
The challenges and controversies of measuring disease activity in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Ross Laura , Baron Murray , Nikpour Mandana
Published: March 2018

Major alteration of the natural history of systemic sclerosis is limited with current treatments, and the development of novel therapies has been hampered, in part, by the lack of fully validated multi-system outcome measures. There remains a lack of consensus as to the very definition of systemic sclerosis disease activity, complicating efforts to measure activity in clinical trials. Previously published multi-system measures of disease status are yet to be fully validated according to the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) filter. There is currently significant research interest in developing new systemic sclerosis–specific measures to better describe and compare patient cohorts and measure therapeutic responses in clinical trials. An accurate measure of disease activity in systemic sclerosis will facilitate the enrichment of clinical trials with patients who have active disease, targeting a group of patients most likely to benefit from therapeutic intervention. In addition, following on from successes in other rheumatic conditions, a state of low disease activity, measured by an activity index, may become a clinical trial end point and therapeutic target. The Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium has undertaken to develop a definition of disease activity and fully validate a new systemic sclerosis activity index. The Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Activity Index will be developed using consensus and data-driven methods and is envisaged to be widely used in research and clinical settings.
Women’s Vulnerabilities, Women’s Voices: Narratives on Patriarchies and Domestic Violence in Assam
Authors: Mahjebeen Joanna
Published: March 2018

The article is an attempt to understand the phenomenon of domestic violence through an exploration of the lived experiences and vulnerabilities of women on whom violence had been inflicted in their ‘safe havens’. Focusing primarily on domestic violence, the narratives also bring to light the gendered aspects of women’s relationship with their family members and expose multiple patriarchies systematically maintained in the family in the context of Assam, a region where women were always thought to enjoy a better status. At a deeper level, the article, while examining a woman’s positionality in her own family, also challenges this notion of ‘a better status’ in the region.
Obraz przeszłości w percepcji magiczno-mitycznej, czyli pamięć w działaniu
Authors: Kajfosz Jan
Published: March 2018

The aim of the paper is to identify a specific type of cognitive conduct, which can be called magical-mythical perception and thinking. It is based on a relevant habitus and its principle is indistinctness (blending, blurring), where differences between diverse phenomena, memory images and notions disappear in perception and imagination, as well as between denotation and connotation. Such an indistinctness can have considerable impact on social memories. The author identifies in such a cognitive conduct the possible key to the following questions: How is it possible that we can perfectly adopt different representations of the past and internalize them as our past? How can we reconcile different representations of the past and how is it possible that diverse representations of the past merge in one social memory? Such amalgamations of various forms of representations and diverse scales of objectification can be clarified by means of the theory of magic and by means of Roland Barthes´ theory of myth. The main proposition of the paper is to identify, for the first, the unconscious structure (a habitus formed in the historical process), which defines a manner of experiencing the world, speaking about the world and making choices in that world. For the second, the criteria a person uses to select and evaluate narratives about the past.
Pamięć w tradycji żydowskiej i chrześcijańskiej
Authors: Grosfeld Jan
Published: March 2018

The memory has a special meaning both in the Jewish as well as the Christian tradition. It differs from other religious and cultural traditions. Its heart comes from the commandments Zakhor, Remember which means the permanent actualisation of the events which founded and essentially shaped the identity of Jews and Christians. The notion of zikkaron (memorial) reveals the duty to be in relation with the past in function of the present and the future in order not to be separated from God. Thus these two traditions allow to their believers to discover and not to lose the very sense of the human life with its most challenging aspects as suffering, weakness and death. Probably the most influential event in the history within this path of reflection was the Shoah, erroneously named Holocaust, the catastrophe which happened to the Jewish people in result of the Nazi ideology. If we don’t include this horrifying genocide into the Jewish, Christian and human history as a subject of a deep biblical and profound thinking, we cannot avoid two traps: to be fixed and lost in the past or to lose our memory and identity.
Dom nad rzeką Moskwą jako architektoniczny i literacki znak pamięci
Authors: Kotkiewicz Aurelia
Published: March 2018

The huge constructivist apartment house built in the 1930s in downtown Moscow, on the bank of the Moskva river, owes its present‑day name to Yury Trifonov’s novel The House on the Embankment (1976). Being an example of architecture typical of the Stalinist regime and a symbol of the regime’s triumph and dominance over man, the house functions as a very special character in Trifonov’s novel. It represents both individual and collective memory, shows the destructive influence of history and politics on the life of an individual and the whole nation. The House on the Embankment, related to the archetypal image of house, which is traditionally perceived as a space of love, safety and family ties, emerges in Trifonov’s novel as an anti‑house, a dehumanizing space in which the intergenerational relations are destroyed and which signifies man’s submission to and fear of authorities.
William Szekspir w postpamięciowym dyskursie o zagładzie
Authors: Dąbrowska Agata
Published: March 2018

The aim of the paper is to discuss the role of literary output of William Shakespeare in post‑memorial discourse about Holocaust. It analyzes various culture texts (film and theater adaptations, memoirs, essays and short stories) devoted to Holocaust, which refer to the dramatic heritage of English playwright. It discusses the phenomena of post‑Holocaust Shakespearean theatre treated as a medium for commemoration of the past. It focuses on Shakespeare’s motifs in post‑Holocaust literature and film.
Skuteczność poprawek parlamentu europejskiego w procedurze (specjalnej procedurze ustawodawczej)
Authors: Kirpsza Adam
Published: March 2018

The aim of the article is to empirically analyze the effectiveness of the European Parliament’s amendments in one of the special legislative procedures, namely consultation. In the first step, several hypotheses were developed predicting positive or negative impact of certain factors on the EP amendments success. Subsequently, those suppositions were quantitatively tested by logistic regression on special dataset representing 599 legislative acts adopted during the fifth and sixth parliamentary term, that is, between 1 May 1999 and June 2009, under consultation. The results revealed that the EP is more likely to be successful in this procedure if it implements five strategies. Firstly, it seeks to conclude a package deal, that is, it links a consultation decision to a codecision or budgetary proposal. Secondly, it delays its opinion on a legislative proposal. Thirdly, it persuades the European Commission to support its amendments. Fourthly, it prolongs legislative negotiations with the Council until the end of parliamentary term. Fifthly, it accumulates all its negotiation resources on salient proposals. In addition, the EP is more likely to succeed in consultation when it proposes democratic and financial amendments, whereas it is least likely to be successful when it tables institutional issues. The success of EP amendments is also significantly greater in directives than in regulations, decisions or framework decisions. On the other hand, voting rule in the Council, rapporteur experience and her/his political affiliation with EPP‑ED, PES or ELDR/ALDE don’t have any impact on the EP amendments success.
Nauki o polityce publicznej – cztery lata rozwoju w symbiozie z politologią
Authors: Woźnicki Jerzy
Published: March 2018

Public policy – four years of development in symbiosis with political science
The discipline “public policy” has emerged in the world from political science and some other areas and disciplines, with which it is affiliated. Since 2011 this discipline has gained in Poland its own identity and individuality in the area of social sciences. Article gives an overview over initiatives undertaken in recent years by interested scientific institutions and leading research teams in the framework of a new discipline. In particular, major initiatives in favour of the development of public policy were noted. Article supports the thesis about the fundamental importance of symbiosis between public policy and political science in the conditions of their separate existence in the structure of science. It constitutes one of the key qualitative determinants of the development of public policy as an academic discipline.
O fundamentalnej roli interpretacji
Authors: Filipowicz Stanisław
Published: March 2018

The article looks at the field of hesitant self-definitions reflecting ambiguities of scientific thinking in a rapidly changing (late) modern world. It concentrates on matters belonging to the domain of political science, bringing to light a fundamental question – how should we understand a current crisis of legitimacy undermining the canons of scientific knowledge, plunged in contradictions, stretched between two opposite poles of technical efficiency and communicative rationality. It advances the conception of a radical revision aimed at counterbalancing the influence of a positivist tradition, celebrating the idea of empirical knowledge, following the demands of a “scientific” method. In expectation to open a new and promising perspective it puts forward a conception of experience concentrating on language (language is looked upon as a spehere of primary and most important experience). In this effort the article brings to focus the questions of understanding and interpretation, putting to the fornt line the notion of heremenutics and considering possible advantages resulting from establishing links between cultural anthropology and political science.
Funkcjonalistyczna koncepcja teorii w ujęciu Talcotta Parsonsa
Authors: Wróbel Sylwester
Published: March 2018

One of the most visible features of contemporary political science, seen also in other social sciences are theoretical problems. They are nothing in this group of scietific disciplines. But new is their form. In second half of 20th century clasical scientific orientations as functionalism, structuralism, institutionalism, behaviouralism or system theory became the subject of critique of many social scientists. But in last decade of that century appeared renewed interest in those orientations of social thought. This article contains an analysis of Talcott Parsons view on social theory. The American sociologist during almost fifty years of scientific activity tried to build that, what he called general social theory. His concept of theory is very specific. Parsons understood it as a collection of logically interdependent generalized concepts of empirical sense. That means that theory is a conceptual outline. The bases of theory are analitycally understood facts, which have sense only in the frames of reference including: goals, means, resources, conditions, social norms, time and situation. Theory is for him a hierarchical category. It includes scientific results of different levels of generality. On the most general level he situated general theory. On next we have motivation theory. On third are comparative analyses of social structure. Fourth consists of particular theories. On the last level of theoretical systematization are relations between theory an research procedures.
Przyczynek do rozważań nad przynależnością dziedzinową nauk o polityce
Authors: Wallas Tadeusz
Published: March 2018

Since the number of academic specializations and disciplines has consistently been increasing, it has become necessary to supplement present classifications and categorizations, as well as come up with new ones, on a regular basis. Therefore, it has become feasible to distinguish a new branch of science as well as to assign the existing disciplines to different branches. It is owing to such a process that political sciences have been reassigned in Poland. Before September 30, 2011, political sciences had been categorized as the humanities, but later on they were encompassed by a new branch of social sciences, created as a result of the division of the humanities. I adopt the thesis that this decision was substantially justified since, given current legal status quo, political sciences as a discipline have more in common with other disciplines assigned to social sciences than the humanities. Additionally, by way of developing a new register of disciplines, the administrative divisions in Polish science were to a large extent aligned with the classification of branches and disciplines adopted by the OECD, UNESCO and Eurostat, which will facilitate the internationalization of academic collaboration. The above organizations and institutions, and – consequently – some of their member states, have already divided the humanities, sometimes also named social sciences, into two separate branches: social sciences and humanities. In order to justify the above‑mentioned thesis it was necessary to determine how academic specialization, discipline, branch and field of science are perceived today; to indicate the determinants of divisions in science and basic criteria for such divisions; to attempt to define the specific nature of the humanities versus social sciences; and to present the factors confirming the relation of political science to the latter category.
ANÁLISIS DE LOS ERRORES EN TAREAS GEOMÉTRICAS DE ARGUMENTACIÓN VISUAL POR ESTUDIANTES CON TALENTO MATEMÁTICO
Authors: Ramírez-Uclés Rafael , Flores Martínez Pablo , Ramírez-Uclés Isabel
Published: March 2018

En este trabajo se analizan los errores cometidos por un grupo de veinticinco estudiantes de entre 13 y 16 años, que participan en un proyecto de estimulación del talento matemático, al resolver tareas geométricas durante tres sesiones de enriquecimiento curricular focalizado en técnicas de argumentación. Se identifican errores específicos de la argumentación visual (establecer falsas analogías entre plano y espacio, no discutir todos los casos posibles y razonar a partir de ejemplos concretos limitados) y derivados del uso incorrecto de los elementos de razonamiento, contenidos y procedimientos matemáticos. El estudio de correlaciones muestra que, en su mayoría, los errores son independientes, tanto entre sí como con las puntuaciones en tres test que miden su capacidad visual e intelectual. Los resultados del anova de medidas repetidas indican que a lo largo de las tres sesiones disminuye significativamente la frecuencia con la que manifiestan los errores específicos de la argumentación visual.
A Holistic Theoretical Approach to Intellectual Disability: Going Beyond the Four Current Perspectives
Authors: Schalock Robert L. , Luckasson Ruth , Tassé Marc J. , Verdugo Miguel Angel
Published: March 2018

This article describes a holistic theoretical framework that can be used to explain intellectual disability (ID) and organize relevant information into a usable roadmap to guide understanding and application. Developing the framework involved analyzing the four current perspectives on ID and synthesizing this information into a holistic theoretical framework. Practices consistent with the framework are described, and examples are provided of how multiple stakeholders can apply the framework. The article concludes with a discussion of the advantages and implications of a holistic theoretical approach to ID.