bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community Unionism without the Community? Lessons from Labor-Community Coalitions in the Canadian Child Care Sector
Authors: Black Simon
Published: April 2018

The theory and practice of community unionism has been central to discussions of alt-labor, union renewal, and revitalization, particularly in relation to union praxis at the urban or local scale. This comparative case study explores two labor-community campaigns to defend public child care services in the context of neoliberal austerity in urban/suburban space. While labor-community coalitions are a necessary—if not sufficient—condition for success, in urban/suburban contexts in which community allies are weak and municipal administrations hostile, public-sector unions must continue to play a leading role in campaigns despite the risk of being cast as defenders of sectional interests rather than of the public good. In such contexts, union involvement in community organizing is a necessary precursor to successful labor-community campaigns.
Learning About the Lives and Early Experiences of Notable Asian American Women: Productive Giftedness, Childhood Traits, and Supportive Conditions
Authors: Paik Susan J. , Choe Shirlie Mae Mamaril , Otto Wendi J. , Rahman Zaynah
Published: April 2018

Despite one-dimensional stereotypes and barriers experienced by Asian American women, many have achieved prominence. We know very little about these stories, their lives, or what helped them to achieve beyond expectations. Based on the Productive Giftedness Model, the article identifies the common traits and supportive conditions that influence their success. To help illustrate these experiences, the article highlights the lives of 10 notable Asian American women across diverse professions. These women displayed “productive giftedness” as girls; they were accomplished, determined, and skillful early on, which led to excellence, awards, and leadership opportunities. Many also had supportive conditions including the investment of one or more adults. Parents, teachers, and mentors can further enhance these opportunities for Asian American girls. These general principles can be learned and applied to other groups as well. Supporting individual, instructional, and environmental factors can influence learning and achievement for girls in the early and school years.
Making Space in Social Media: #MuslimWomensDay in Twitter
Authors: Pennington Rosemary
Published: April 2018

At the end of Women’s History Month 2017, social media sites were filled with posts using the hashtag #MuslimWomensDay. Muslim women have often been framed in media as either victims of a violent faith and its believers or enablers of that violence, rarely are they given the space to tell their own stories. The #MuslimWomensDay hashtag was designed to draw attention to the stories and experiences of Muslim women. This qualitative textual analysis of approximately 300 tweets explores how Twitter users deployed the #MuslimWomensDay hashtag in their posts in order to understand the story users told of what it means to be a Muslim woman as well as what narratives of Islam they had to fight against.
Preparation of the monodispersed carboxyl-functionalized polymer microspheres with disproportionated rosin moiety and adsorption of methylene blue
Authors: Yu Cai-Li , Bian Feng , Zhang Shu-Fen , Xu Xu , Ren Peng , Wang Feng-Chang , Zhang Fa-Ai
Published: April 2018

Carboxyl-functionalized polymer microspheres with a rosin moiety were prepared through dispersion polymerization using styrene, disproportionated rosin ester, and methylacrylic acid as raw materials. The effects of dispersion medium (ethanol/water) ratio, monomer mass proportion and initiator concentration on the polymer microspheres were studied. Scanning electron microscopy, laser particle size analysis, thermogravimetric analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the microspheres, and their carboxyl contents were determined by the conductance titration method. The adsorption of methylene blue of the microspheres was also investigated. The results showed that rosin-based carboxyl-functionalized polymer microspheres were successfully synthesized. The microspheres exhibited smooth, spherical shapes with good monodispersity and high thermal stability. The carboxyl content of the microspheres prepared under optimum conditions was 0.089 mmol·g−1, with the average particle size approximately 950 nm. With increasing carboxyl contents of the polymer microspheres, their methylene blue adsorption capacities increased. The maximum methylene blue adsorption capacity of the microspheres was 59.55 mg·g−1 in the highest carboxyl content.
Holy Water and a Twig
Authors: Delay Cara
Published: April 2018

This article examines Irish Catholic households from 1850 to 1950, arguing that the material culture of the household was overseen by women—grandmothers, sisters, daughters, and particularly mothers. By creating holy households demarcated by a devotional material culture, Irish Catholic women asserted their religious authority within the home and the family. These women established themselves as managers and overseers of household religion and also as the family’s primary protectors, consumers, and money managers.
Le chaînon manquant – l’équité comme déterminant ultime de la rentabilité des services ?!
Authors: Kuppelwieser Volker G , Klaus Phil , Baruch Yehuda , Manthiou Aikaterini
Published: April 2018

L’équité est généralement considérée comme un levier clé du comportement humain. Les recherches en comportement organisationnel explorent l’équité en tant que levier des attitudes des employés. Les recherches en marketing soulignent le fait que la perception d’équité est un déterminent clé d’intention d’achat ainsi que de comportement d’achat. Cependant, à notre connaissance, aucun auteur n’a explicitement tenté d’articuler ces deux phénomènes. En nous basant sur un raisonnement déductif et des méthodes de délinéation, nous proposons que, à travers la diffusion d’expériences clients, de perceptions de valeur, d’attitudes, et de comportements, une symbiose de comportement organisationnel et de recherches en marketing agit de manière fondamentale sur la performance organisationnelle. Notre cadre conceptuel détermine l’influence des perceptions d’équité sur les attitudes des employés et sur la productivité des services par l’intermédiaire du développement de proposition. A son tour, cela génère une augmentation de la satisfaction client, de comportements d’achat et de rachat par le consommateur, et – enfin – de rentabilité.
Adolescent Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake is Associated With Parent Intake, Not Knowledge of Health Risks
Authors: Lundeen Elizabeth A. , Park Sohyun , Onufrak Stephen , Cunningham Solveig , Blanck Heidi M.
Published: April 2018

Purpose:

To examine associations of adolescent sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake with parent SSB intake and parent and adolescent knowledge of SSB-related health risks.

Design:

Quantitative, cross-sectional.

Setting:

2014 SummerStyles survey.

Subjects:

Nine hundred and ninety parent and adolescent (12-17 years) pairs.

Measures:

The outcome was self-reported adolescent intake (0, >0 to <1, or ≥1 time/day) of SSBs (soda, fruit drinks, sports/energy drinks, other SSBs). The exposures were self-reported parent SSB intake (0, >0 to <1, ≥1 to <2, or ≥2 times/day) and parent and adolescent knowledge of SSB-related health risks (weight gain, diabetes, and dental caries).

Analysis:

Separate multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for adolescent SSB intake ≥1 time/day (ref: 0 times/day), according to (1) parent SSB intake and (2) parent and (3) adolescent knowledge.

Results:

About 31% of adolescents consumed SSBs ≥1 time/day, and 43.2% of parents consumed SSBs ≥2 times/day. Adolescent and parent knowledge that SSB intake is related to health conditions ranged from 60.7% to 80.4%: weight gain (75.0% and 80.4%, respectively), diabetes (60.7% and 71.4%, respectively), and dental caries (77.5% and 72.9%, respectively). In adjusted models, adolescent SSB intake ≥1 time/day was associated with parent intake ≥2 times/day (aOR = 3.30; 95% confidence interval = 1.62-6.74) but not with parent or adolescent knowledge of health risks.

Conclusion:

Parental SSB intake may be an important factor in understanding adolescent behavior; knowledge of SSB-related health conditions alone may not influence adolescent SSB behavior.
Highly aligned magnetic composite nanofibers fabricated by magnetic-field-assisted electrospinning PAN/FeCo solution
Authors: Mei Linyu , Chen Huiyu , Shao Yunpeng , Wang Junyuan , Liu Yaqing
Published: April 2018

Composite nanofiber meshes of well-aligned polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/FeCo nanofibers containing nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully fabricated by a magnetic-field-assisted electrospinning technology, which was confirmed to be a favorable method for the preparation of aligned composite nanofibers in this article. Meanwhile, FeCo NPs, with a particle size of approximately 60 nm, were synthesized using a hydrothermal route. The nanocomposite fibers were prepared by an electrospun solution of PAN containing 0, 2, 4, and 6 wt% NPs. The as-spun nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and vibrating sample magnetometer. Both the diameters and the degree of alignment of the composite nanofibers decreased with the increase in voltage and increased with the increase in FeCo content. The composite nanofibers exhibited superior ordered performance, with the highest alignment value being 97%. Due to the highly ordered alignment structures, the composite nanofiber meshes showed large anisotropic magnetic property. In particular, the saturation magnetization of the composite nanofiber films in the parallel and perpendicular directions of the fiber axis were 42 emu/g and 19.5 emu/g, respectively. Meanwhile, the remanence also exhibited distinction in different directions (parallel: 2.01 emu/g; perpendicular: 0.86 emu/g).
Testing equality of means in partially paired data with incompleteness in single response
Authors: Qi Qianya , Yan Li , Tian Lili
Published: April 2018

In testing differentially expressed genes between tumor and healthy tissues, data are usually collected in paired form. However, incomplete paired data often occur. While extensive statistical researches exist for paired data with incompleteness in both arms, hardly any recent work can be found on paired data with incompleteness in single arm. This paper aims to fill this gap by proposing some new methods, namely, P-value pooling methods and a nonparametric combination test. Simulation studies are conducted to investigate the performance of the proposed methods in terms of type I error and power at small to moderate sample sizes. A real data set from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer study is analyzed using the proposed methods.
Place-making and the bordering of urban space: Interpreting the emergence of new neighbourhoods in Berlin and Budapest
Authors: Scott James W , Sohn Christophe
Published: April 2018

The objective of this paper is to theorize border-making processes in urban contexts as exemplary of the ways in which borders within human societies are formed. In fact, the question as to whether socially meaningful borders are created through state-society and systemic relations or whether they ultimately emerge locally out of social relations is not as trivial as it might seem. The concept of ‘bordering’ implies non-finalizable processes in which socio-spatial distinction is constantly created, confirmed and challenged. Far from being solely a product of state territoriality and international relations, borders are also social institutions that are constantly created, maintained and re-created as a means of negotiating the complexities of everyday life. Urban contexts reveal much about the rationales and mechanisms behind bordering processes. Our concrete bordering focus is related to place and to place-making processes that reflect the attributions, appropriations and representations of place ideas. As is argued in this paper, urban borders are a nexus between everyday practices of differentiating social space, the instrumentality of place-making, for example, as a project of urban development, and the ontological need for a sense of rootedness in place. Two case studies of urban change in Budapest and Berlin will be developed that illustrate this nexus.
The third New Zealand Psychiatry of Old Age services and workforce survey
Authors: Cheung Gary , Sims Adam , Copeland Bronwyn , Collins Chris , Bharathan Sires
Published: April 2018

Objective:

To survey the Psychiatry of Old Age (POA) services and workforce in New Zealand (NZ).

Methods:

The NZ branch of Faculty of POA contacted the POA lead clinician and/or service manager of the 20 district health boards (DHBs) and completed a survey based on variables used in two similar previous national surveys.

Results:

Seventeen services responded. We found acute inpatient beds and clinical staff time are funded differently across DHBs. Although there has been an increase in non-medical clinical staff time in the community teams, most DHBs are not planning to increase their medical staff time in the next 3 years. Specialist services for people with intellectual disabilities and young-onset dementia, and older people with substance use disorder are generally not provided within POA services.

Conclusions:

A wider POA and non-POA services mapping is required to determine the level of services for clinical populations that have high and complex clinical needs. DHB funders should review the expected population growth in people aged 65+ and consider increasing the funding for these under-served clinical populations.
Experiences of Nigerian Internationally Educated Nurses Transitioning to United States Health Care Settings
Authors: Iheduru-Anderson Kechinyere C. , Wahi Monika M.
Published: April 2018

Introduction: Successful transition to practice of internationally educated nurses (IENs) can critically affect quality of care. The aim of this study was to characterize the facilitators and barriers to transition of Nigerian IENs (NIENs) to the United States health care setting. Method: Using a descriptive phenomenology approach, 6 NIENs were interviewed about their transitional experiences in the United States. Thematic methods were used for data analysis. Results: The three major themes identified from the participants’ stories were “fear/anger and disappointment” (FAD), “road/journey to success/overcoming challenges” (RJO), and “moving forward” (MF). The FAD theme predominated, including experiences of racism, bullying, and inequality. The RJO theme included resilience, and the MF theme encompassed personal growth. Discussion: NIENs face personal and organizational barriers to adaptation, especially fear, anger and disappointment. Future research should seek to develop a model for optimal adaptation that focuses on improving both personal and organizational facilitators and decreasing barriers.
Homecomings From “The Hague”
Authors: Mihajlović Trbovc Jovana
Published: April 2018

Based on the analysis of media reporting on the release and return of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) defendants after the end of their trials or imprisonment, this article focuses on the homecoming celebrations organized for politically prominent defendants. While large celebratory homecomings were vastly covered and discussed by local media, most of the defendants actually returned with no public welcome. This article demonstrates that the homecomings of politically significant returnees became part of a normalized political folklore, in which the convicted individuals are welcomed in the same manner as those acquitted. Nevertheless, this article suggests that these events are not necessarily (or not only) an expression of popular support to wartime “heroes.” Instead, it argues that political actors seek to utilize the occasions of the return of those ICTY defendants who possess symbolic capital as wartime political or military leaders in order to gain political profit. As these homecomings have become an expected political and media spectacle, they are treated by media professionals as such. The local media coverage of the homecoming spectacles reveals that while they are politically potent events, they are also contested: on the one hand by the proponents of competing ethnonational historical narratives and on the other by more critical media outlets that refuse to take them at face value.
Post Shared, Vote Shared: Investigating the Link Between Facebook Performance and Electoral Success During the Hungarian General Election Campaign of 2014
Authors: Bene Marton
Published: April 2018

This study investigates how candidates’ Facebook performance, measured by the number of average shares, likes, and comments per post, affects the personal vote they gained during the Hungarian general election campaign of 2014. The database contains three of the most voted-for candidates owning Facebook pages from all single-member districts. The results show that the average number of shares on candidates’ Facebook pages is positively associated with electoral outcome after controlling for, inter alia, the vote share of their respective party on list in the districts, whereas the numbers of likes and comments are not significantly related to the dependent variable.
Blurring Material and Rhetorical Walls: Children Writing the Border/Lands in a Second-Grade Classroom
Authors: Dutro Elizabeth , Haberl Ellie
Published: April 2018

Spurred by burgeoning racist and xenophobic immigration policy and rhetoric, we analyzed the writing of seven second-grade children about their experiences of living connections that span the United States–Mexico border. Informed by research on children’s testimonios in literacy classrooms and Anzaldúa’s concept of the border/lands, we drew on feminist and critical poststructuralist theories to examine how children’s writing rhetorically and aesthetically engaged with the affective, political, and ideological dimensions of borders and the rhetorical and material violence of hostile policies. Methodologically, we conducted close readings of children’s writing, tracing how they disrupted boundaries, including those constructed both physically and ideologically across nations and between concepts, identities, and feelings. This analysis underscores children’s keen insights into their political and personal worlds, the importance of writing pedagogies that invite children to engage with the personal and political, and the need for methods of analysis that attend to the poetics of children’s perspectives.
Enteral Guanfacine to Treat Severe Anxiety and Agitation Complicating Critical Care After Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Srour Habib , Pandya Komal , Flannery Alex , Hatton Kevin
Published: April 2018

This article is the first reported case describing the off-label use of enteral immediate-release guanfacine, a long-acting α-2 adrenergic agonist most commonly used in the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, for sedation in a patient with severe anxiety and agitation limiting mechanical ventilation weaning several days after cardiac surgery. In this case, after several days of unsuccessful attempts to control his agitation and anxiety with conventional therapies, guanfacine therapy was initiated, and the patient was rapidly weaned from all other sedatives and mechanical ventilation shortly thereafter. The patient was weaned from guanfacine therapy without evidence of bradycardia, hypotension, or rebound syndrome. Enteral guanfacine therapy should be further studied as a potentially useful and cost-effective sedative therapy for patients with severe anxiety and/or agitation in the intensive care unit following cardiac and thoracic surgical procedures.
Perspectives of Community Co-Researchers About Group Dynamics and Equitable Partnership Within a Community–Academic Research Team
Authors: Vaughn Lisa M. , Jacquez Farrah , Zhen-Duan Jenny
Published: April 2018

Equitable partnership processes and group dynamics, including individual, relational, and structural factors, have been identified as key ingredients to successful community-based participatory research partnerships. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the key aspects of group dynamics and partnership from the perspectives of community members serving as co-researchers. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 Latino immigrant co-researchers from an intervention project with Latinos Unidos por la Salud (LU-Salud), a community research team composed of Latino immigrant community members and academic investigators working in a health research partnership. A deductive framework approach guided the interview process and qualitative data analysis. The LU-Salud co-researchers described relationships, personal growth, beliefs/identity motivation (individual dynamics), coexistence (relational dynamics), diversity, and power/resource sharing (structural dynamics) as key foundational aspects of the community–academic partnership. Building on existing CBPR and team science frameworks, these findings demonstrate that group dynamics and partnership processes are fundamental drivers of individual-level motivation and meaning making, which ultimately sustain efforts of community partners to engage with the research team and also contribute to the achievement of intended research outcomes.
Introduction
Authors: Inhorn Marcia C. , Isidoros Konstantina
Published: April 2018

In the aftermath of the 2011 “failed” Arab uprisings, anthropologists have been exploring the ways in which ordinary Arab men have been living through these precarious times, while also attempting to maintain some semblance of their former lives and fundamental humanity. Instead of relying on familiar scholarly tropes of “men in crisis” or “hegemonic masculinity,” anthropologists working in a variety of Arab countries and Western refugee settings have pointed to new conceptualizations of Arab manhood, thereby questioning dominant notions of “traditional” Arab masculinity and patriarchy. “Emergent masculinities” in the Arab world foreground new forms of male agency, as well as the emotional and moral worlds of Arab men living within larger familial, community, and national structures. In this special issue, anthropologists from six different countries explore Arab men’s lives in the post-revolutionary period of refugee crisis. Their cutting-edge anthropological scholarship reveals three pivotal themes: First, Arab masculinity and male breadwinner roles have changed dramatically in the post-revolutionary period, particular in Egypt, where conflicting stories of courage and corruption abound. Second, men who have been forced to flee their home countries, especially Syria, work hard to maintain a sense of masculine responsibility and dignity within stigmatizing refugee conditions. Finally, “doing” masculinity now requires special care and creativity on the part of Arab men. Arab men’s articulations of masculinity in practice, as revealed through detailed ethnographic accounts, highlight their everyday efforts to be “good men,” as well as “good at being men,” while living through these politically dangerous times.
Outcome of pediatric cataract surgery with intraocular injection of triamcinolone acetonide: Randomized controlled trial
Authors: Allam Ghada , Ellakkany Rasheed , Ellayeh Adel , Mohsen Tarek , Abouelkheir Hossam ElDin , Gaafar Walid
Published: April 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the use of intraocular injection of triamcinolone acetonide in pediatric cataract surgery with or without intraocular lens implantation as a vitreous dye to ensure a complete anterior vitrectomy and evaluate its effect on postoperative ocular inflammation, infection, posterior capsule opacification, and intraocular pressure.

Methods:

Randomized controlled trial included children diagnosed with bilateral congenital cataract in both eyes. Their eyes were randomly assigned into two groups: group A underwent aspiration, posterior capsulotomy, and anterior vitrectomy with intraocular injection of triamcinolone acetonide, while group B underwent the same surgical procedure without intraocular injection of triamcinolone acetonide. Intraocular pressure, postoperative inflammation, infection, and posterior capsule opacification were followed up till 6 months.

Results:

The study comprised 44 eyes of 22 children. The mean age was 2.4 ± 2.1 years including 10 males and 12 females. The mean postoperative intraocular pressure was within normal range in both groups. No case of infection in both groups. No eyes in group A showed reaction, while in group B, three eyes showed exudate on the first day, which improved at 2 weeks. Posterior synechiae was recorded in four eyes in group A and in five eyes in group B. Posterior capsule opacification was noted in one eye in group A at 3 month, while it was noted in nine eyes in group B. The difference was statistically significant ( p = 0.004).

Conclusion:

Triamcinolone acetonide was found to be useful in better visualization of vitreous in pediatric cataract surgery and has good effect in decreasing postoperative inflammation and posterior capsule opacification.
Collapsing the Surfaces of Skin and Photograph in Cosmetic Minimally-Invasive Procedures
Authors: Hurst Rachel Alpha Johnston
Published: April 2018

This article proposes that cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures – Botox injections, soft-tissue fillers, microdermabrasion, chemical peels and laser treatments – are an under-researched area and provide a number of promising paths for skin studies research. I argue that cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures collapse the difference between the surfaces of the photograph and the skin – the primary surfaces of cosmetic surgery – more successfully than cosmetic surgical procedures. More precisely, I maintain that the difference between photograph and skin is collapsed in two ways: first, through narrating the transformation of the skin’s surface in a way that more closely matches the photographic promises of the cosmetic surgery industry; and, second, by depicting the surgical penetration of the skin through advertising photography. The article concludes by suggesting that further investigation into cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures could offer a new way to think about relationships between ‘normative’ and ‘non-normative’ skin modification practices.
Transition from paediatric to adult healthcare for young people with cystic fibrosis: Parents’ information needs
Authors: Coyne Imelda , Malone Helen , Chubb Emma , While Alison E
Published: April 2018

Parents of young people with cystic fibrosis (YPWCF) play an important role during the transition from paediatric to adult health services. There is limited evidence on parental information needs and the extent to which they are met. An online survey was conducted targeting a finite population of 190 parents of YPWCF in Ireland. Fifty-nine parents responded (31% response rate). Parents reported the need for more general preparation and timing of the transfer, more information regarding the differences between adult and child health services and how their child will self-manage his/her illness in the future. Most parents received information on the timing of transfer and new healthcare providers but reported being insufficiently informed about their legal status relating to medical confidentiality for their adult child and community resources available for their child after transition to adult health services. The findings highlight the importance of information and preparation for caregivers as well as young people to promote successful transition to adult healthcare. Providing parents with clear information and anticipatory guidance are simple changes in practice that may lead to improvements in transition experiences.
Usability testing of an mHealth device for swallowing therapy in head and neck cancer survivors
Authors: Constantinescu Gabriela , Kuffel Kristina , King Ben , Hodgetts William , Rieger Jana
Published: April 2018

The objective of this study was to conduct the first patient usability testing of a mobile health (mHealth) system for in-home swallowing therapy. Five participants with a history of head and neck cancer evaluated the mHealth system. After completing an in-application (app) tutorial with the clinician, participants were asked to independently complete five tasks: pair the device to the smartphone, place the device correctly, exercise, interpret progress displays, and close the system. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to evaluate the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with the system. Critical changes to the app were found in three of the tasks, resulting in recommendations for the next iteration. These issues were related to ease of Bluetooth pairing, placement of device, and interpretation of statistics. Usability testing with patients identified issues that were essential to address prior to implementing the mHealth system in subsequent clinical trials. Of the usability methods used, video observation (synced screen capture with videoed gestures) revealed the most information.
A precipitate evolution-based continuum damage mechanics model of creep behaviour in welded 9Cr steel at high temperature
Authors: Ó Murchú C , Leen SB , O’Donoghue PE , Barrett RA
Published: April 2018

A multiaxial, physically based, continuum damage mechanics methodology for creep of welded 9Cr steels is presented, incorporating a multiple precipitate-type state variable, which simulates the effects of strain- and temperature-induced coarsening kinematics. Precipitate volume fraction and initial diameter for carbide and carbo-nitride precipitate types are key microstructural variables controlling time to failure in the model. The heat-affected zone material is simulated explicitly utilising measured microstructural data, allowing detailed investigation of failure mechanisms. Failure is shown to be controlled by a combination of microstructural degradation and Kachanov-type damage for the formation and growth of creep cavities. Comparisons with experimental data demonstrate the accuracy of this model for P91 material.
Upregulation of MiR-212 Inhibits Migration and Tumorigenicity and Inactivates Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Jia Pengbo , Wei Guangbing , Zhou Cancan , Gao Qi , Wu Yunhua , Sun Xuejun , Li Xuqi
Published: April 2018

Background:

MicroRNAs are involved in hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis, a principal cause of hepatocellular carcinoma–related death in patients worldwide. MiR-212 is a microRNA that has been identified in several types of cancers and is postulated to influence cell signaling and subsequent malignant pathogenesis. Despite emerging reports suggesting that miR-212 plays a significant role in the onset, progression, and migration of these types of malignant tumors, its involvement in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma has not been fully elucidated.

Materials and Methods:

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, wound healing, transwell migration and invasion assays, Western blotting, and xenograft tumor growth models were performed to test the expression levels and functions of miR-212 in hepatocellular carcinoma. Luciferase reporter assay, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to identify and verify the target of miR-212.

Results:

In this study, we identify significant repression of miR-212 in hepatocellular carcinoma and demonstrate that overexpression of miR-212 inhibits the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we identify forkhead box M1, whose expression is inversely related to that of miR-212, as a direct target of miR-212. Additionally, reexpression of forkhead box M1 rescues the miR-212-mediated inhibition of cell migration. We observed that inhibition of miR-212 activates forkhead box M1 but inhibits the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by suppressing Wnt, LEF-1, c-Myc, and nuclear β-catenin. Finally, in vivo studies confirmed the inhibitory effect of miR-212 on hepatocellular carcinoma growth.

Conclusion:

Our present findings indicate that miR-212 is a potential prognostic biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma and that the miR-212/forkhead box M1 regulatory axis may represent a new therapeutic objective for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment.
When to suspect dementia
Authors: Foggin Emily
Published: April 2018

Dementia is a syndrome in which there is deterioration in memory, thinking, behaviour and the ability to perform everyday activities. An accurate and timely diagnosis of dementia provides opportunity for early treatment, proactive support and advance care planning. However, there is evidence that GPs lack confidence in diagnosing dementia, in part because patients with dementia present in many different ways. Researchers believe that early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, is necessary if ways to prevent, slow and stop the disease are to be found. This article highlights the common presenting complaints in dementia and offers how GPs can work towards a diagnosis and refer to specialist services appropriately.
Academisation: Who now holds the key to the secret garden?
Authors: Shah Qasir
Published: April 2018

This article aims to demonstrate the hazards of an education system controlled by any one group – in this case, governments – by examining the recent drive for the academisation of English state schools. This article highlights the need for education’s independence from political control. The once ‘secret garden’ of the curriculum is now firmly in the government’s grasp. Academies were introduced in England in 2000 by the Labour government; originally called ‘city academies’, they were claimed to break the cycle of underperformance and the low expectations of failing inner-city schools. But they are now promoted as the only means of providing ‘outstanding’ education. The author argues that the current drive for academisation forms part of the market-oriented narrative which believes that market forces offer the best solution to all the needs of society. As well as delivering substantial changes in governance and accountability, academisation conceals a radical shift in education’s purpose, yet it is being pushed through without real debate. The academisation process offers an insight into how governments can, and do, use the state apparatus to ignore, subvert and diminish opposition. To highlight this, the author uses Steven Lukes’ conceptualisation of power: the public, the hidden and the invisible.
Only God's Love Counts: Van Kaam's Formation Theology
Authors: Wilhoit James C.
Published: April 2018

Adrian van Kaam (1920-2007) authored an eleven volume integrated work on spiritual formation, authored or co-authored some ninety books on formation, and established two respected graduate programs in formative spirituality. This paper presents some of his major conclusions found in his writings in psychology and formative spirituality. A difficulty in accessing Fr. van Kaam's work is its sheer volume and technical vocabulary. The author suggests an approach for using his theory to address both theoretic and practical concerns in the area of spiritual formation.
Soul Projects: Class-Related Spiritual Practices in Higher Education
Authors: Wilhoit James C. , Setran David P. , Ratcliff Donald , Haase Daniel T. , Rosema Linda
Published: April 2018

In recent years, scholars have urged those working in Christian higher education to attend more purposefully to student spiritual and character formation. Anchored by the belief that college is a formative time for the development of values, commitments, identity, and life purpose, these calls have taken many different forms. One consistent theme, however, has been the need to expand character formation beyond ethical training and moral decision-making. While such tools are necessary, these scholars note, there is also a pressing need for the development of righteous virtues, affections, commitments, and patterns of living rooted in a right understanding of God and self.

How can professors encourage spiritual attentiveness and transformation within the academic setting of a college classroom? What assignments foster spiritual focus and growth into Christlikeness? What helpful practices from the historic Christian tradition can be included in syllabi and course experiences? As professors committed to educationally-based spiritual formation, we are concerned with how to best encourage student spiritual growth. This article is the culmination of conversations, as well as trial and error in our classrooms, in an attempt to answer these questions.
Inner Core Belief Formation, Spiritual Practices, and the Willing-Doing Gap
Authors: Issler Klaus D.
Published: April 2018

Jesus taught we always live out what is in our heart. Our life is primarily directed by the deeply submerged core beliefs, which may often be very different from what we say we value or believe. One key component of inner formation is changing our core beliefs, with God's grace, and thus reducing the willing-doing gap. In the article, after identifying the problem, and highlighting Jesus’ focus on inner or heart formation, a basic overview of the concept of a belief is presented. Then ten principles or features about core beliefs and formation are proposed and clarified, followed by some implications for practice.
The Divine Dis-Comforter: The Holy Spirit's Role in Transformative Suffering
Authors: Beck T. David
Published: April 2018

Our understanding and praxis of spiritual formation is only as sound as our theology of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, there is a common shortcoming that leaves our theology of the Spirit less than fully capable of rendering an adequate account of the Holy Spirit's agency in transforming a person into the likeness of Christ. Theology of the Holy Spirit commonly emphasizes victorious and genteel themes while failing to articulate adequately that the Spirit is a direct agent in transformative suffering. Some of the Comforter's most important sanctifying work is exceedingly discomforting. This article focuses on these less palatable aspects of the Spirit's work in an attempt to tell a fuller story about the Spirit. By adding often-neglected dimensions and textures to our theology of the third Person, we are more capable of articulating the full range of the Spirit's role in formation.
A Biblical Model of Stages of Spiritual Development: The Journey According to John
Authors: Willett Don
Published: April 2018

Does the Bible present a “map” of the journey by which a believer can determine how far he or she has moved toward Christian maturity? 1 John 2:12-14 provides such a biblical paradigm, distinguishing three discrete stages of faith development: Childhood, Young Adulthood, and Parenthood. Working with this passage, I explore eight characteristics, or milestones, that a believer needs to attend to and complete en route to Christian maturity. Looking to this Johannine model, Christian travelers can both take note of the distance already traveled as well as plan for the distance yet to be covered. This article outlines a path for developing deeper, more mature Christ-followers.
Learning from Jesus to Live in the Manner Jesus Would if he Were I: Biblical Grounding for Willard's Proposal regarding Jesus’ Humanity
Authors: Issler Klaus
Published: April 2018

“How would Jesus live your life, with your personality, with your talents, with your life experiences, within your life context, if he were you?” is a question posed by Dallas Willard in The Divine Conspiracy. How is it possible for Jesus Christ, Second Person of the Trinity, to know about living a really human life with all of its heartache and struggles? The article presents the biblical teaching for Jesus’ authentic human experience, that Jesus is our genuine example and is the unique one who can show us the way into Kingdom living. After addressing concerns that have been raised about emphasizing the example of Jesus, the NT data affirming Jesus’ authentic human experience are presented, along with some potential objections. The main claim defended: Jesus lived normally within his own human power, relying predominantly on the divine resources of the Father and the Holy Spirit, while using his own divine power infrequently. The article concludes with a few implications for practice, living within our personal human condition as Jesus did, and living beyond our human limitations as Jesus did.
Two Perspectives on Spiritual Dryness: Spiritual Desertion and the Dark Night of the Soul
Authors: Wang David C.
Published: April 2018

St. John of the Cross’ work, The Dark Night of the Soul, and Joseph Symonds’ work, The Case and Cure of a Deserted Soul, offer two compelling treatments on the subject of spiritual dryness. Moreover, these works represent two spiritual traditions (the Discalced Carmelites and the English Puritans respectively) which offer distinct but viable perspectives on the Christian life. This paper seeks to answer the following question: What is the degree of similarity between St. John of the Cross’ understanding of the dark night of the soul and Joseph Symonds’ understanding of spiritual desertion? A secondary question is also addressed: What is the value of these resources for pastoral care today? Although notable differences exist between the two, their degree of similarity is significant considering the disconnection between the spiritual traditions that each represent. Moreover, these works are invaluable resources for contemporary pastoral care.
Approaching Formative Scripture Reading with Both Head and Heart
Authors: Issler Klaus
Published: April 2018

Scripture continues to play a very important role in my formative walk with God, yet keeping both “head” and “heart” in my Scripture reading and study has been a challenge. Two helpful insights for me involved, first, identifying two distinct but complimentary approaches to Scripture–-analytical reading and meditative reading–-and, second, intentionally welcoming both approaches as I read and study Scripture. In this reflective essay I describe aspects of my journey and engagement with Scripture, clarifying my understanding of these two approaches to Scripture, and sharing some of the fruit both approaches have yielded for me–-including a meditative poem from an episode in Jesus's ministry.
Con-formed to Christ: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Christian Formation
Authors: McGarry Joseph
Published: April 2018

This essay offers an overview of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's distinct theology of conformation in Christ. His work is unique both in form and content. Formally, Bonhoeffer, as a systematic theologian, emphasizes doctrinal relationships as well as biblical exegesis. This leads him to develop a distinct content of Christian formation. This essay investigates how he works and the specific benefits of an exhaustive theological accounting of formation in Christ.

To do this, this essay investigates Bonhoeffer's “upstream” theological commitments, beginning with anthropology, in order to illumine his distinct starting position. These are then put into conversation with doctrines of sanctification and holiness to draw attention to their import for Christian formation. It will then review Bonhoeffer's unique understanding of conformation in Christ and what it means for Christ to take form among the community. All of this will be done in order to place him in conversation with more dominant models of formation and look forward to how his theology might push the current dialogue further.
The Place of Mission in Johannine Discipleship: Perspectives from the Motif of Agency
Authors: Baker Howard
Published: April 2018

The relationship between mission and spirituality for sincere disciples of Jesus involves dimensions that include the biblical, the theological, the historical, the missiological, the spiritual, and the practical. This article will offer a contribution to the biblical discussion, specifically from the Fourth Gospel and through the lens of the motif of agency. This motif can inform what Jesus meant when he said, “Just as the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21).1 As a result, conclusions can be drawn in regard to the place of mission in Johannine spirituality and discipleship.
Spiritual Theology in an Amish Key: Theology, Scripture, and Praxis
Authors: Petrovich Christopher G.
Published: April 2018

Evangelical Protestant spirituality, under the influence of the Enlightenment, has assumed a somewhat modernist flavor. As a result, traditional forms of religious symbol and piety were demoted in favor of religious affections, true spirituality was now discerned by means of “heart knowledge,” and the assurance of salvation assumed a place of prominence in the emerging market of spiritual autobiography. This essay explores several ways that a non-monastic, non-modern Protestant tradition, which lives according to a community rule, can contribute to the spiritual formation conversation. I begin by introducing the reader to the Amish narrative and discuss how two theological themes shape their approach to spirituality–-the cross of Christ and the relationship between faith and works, justification and sanctification. Next, I question a common view of Jesus’ ministry as being diametrically opposed to that of the Pharisees and suggest that the Sermon on the Mount deserves to be central to the enterprise of spiritual formation. I conclude this essay by revealing how the Amish put spiritual theology into practice, via a locally constructed Ordnung and while seated around the supper table.
“To Gaze on the Beauty of the Lord”: The Evangelical Resistance and Retrieval of Contemplation
Authors: Schwanda Tom
Published: April 2018

The term “contemplation” has played a significant role in the history of Christian spirituality. Regardless of the tradition, whether Roman Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant, contemplation has been valued. Recently, however, some Evangelicals have raised various concerns about contemplation, including its Roman Catholic origin, the tendency to devalue Jesus Christ and his atonement, the marginalization of Scripture, and the assertion that a person who seeks to grow in the contemplative life will no longer be active to witness to the gospel in the world. This article while recognizing the potential for possible theological distortions argues that there is a biblical and theologically accurate manifestation of contemplation. In particular, this essay seeks to examine the presence of contemplation within the Evangelical church. To that end, the writings of four Americans representative of the beginning of eighteenth-century Evangelicalism are examined to discern whether they display a biblical and orthodox expression of contemplation. In all cases, whether male or female, Calvinist or Wesleyan, this quartet of spiritual leaders reveal and challenge contemporary Christians of all traditions to be more intentional about cultivating a loving and grateful gazing on God and desire to delight in and enjoy God more fully.
Contemplative and Centering Prayer
Authors: Wilhoit James C.
Published: April 2018

Centering prayer was developed to make accessible the rich Christian contemplative prayer tradition to young North American spiritual seekers. In the fifty years since its development it has become the centerpiece of an international movement, which promotes contemplative prayer through the practice of centering prayer. This paper looks at the history of this movement and its theological assumptions and its connection with mindfulness.