bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expanding Hearts and Minds? Evaluation of an Ecumenical Educational Program on Immigration
Authors: Filomeno Felipe Amin
Published: May 2019

The persistence of xenophobia and nativism in the United States has encouraged groups and organizations in the civil society to promote mutual understanding and collaboration between immigrants and native citizens. This study evaluated an ecumenical educational program on immigration organized by a faith-based group of volunteers with those goals in mind. The program was held in fall 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. The evaluation was based on participant responses to an exit questionnaire and on a focus group with members of the community group responsible for the program. The study concludes that ecumenical workshops on immigration with instructional and dialogical activities likely improve participants’ knowledge of immigration and participants’ inclinations to mutual understanding and collaboration between immigrants and native citizens. Personal testimonials by immigrants are especially conducive to those outcomes.
The New Role of Sirtuin1 in Human Osteoarthritis Chondrocytes by Regulating Autophagy
Authors: Liao Fa-Xue , Huang Fei , Ma Wen-Guang , Qin Kun-Peng , Xu Peng-Fei , Wu Yun-Feng , Wang Hao , Chang Jun , Yin Zong-Sheng
Published: May 2019

Objective

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) in the regulation of autophagy for human osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes.

Design

All cartilage samples were collected from human donors, including young group, aged group, and OA group. Primary chondrocytes were isolated and cultured with Sirt1 activator or inhibitor. Sirt1 expression in cartilage tissue and chondrocytes was evaluated, and the deacetylation activity of Sirt1 was determined. The alteration of autophagy activity after upregulating or downregulating Sirt1 was detected. Chondrocytes were treated with autophagy activator and inhibitor, and then the protein level of Sirt1 was examined. The interactions between Sirt1 and autophagy-related proteins Atg7, microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), and Beclin-1 were determined by using immunoprecipitation.

Results

The assay of articular cartilage revealed that the expression of Sirt1 might be age-related: highly expressed in of younger people, and respectively decreased in the elderly people and OA patients. In vitro study was also validated this result. Further study confirmed that higher levels of Sirt1 significantly increased autophagy in aged chondrocytes, while the lower expression of Sirt1 reduced autophagy in young chondrocytes. Of note, the high levels of Sirt1 reduced autophagy in OA chondrocytes. When the chondrocytes were treated with autophagy activator or inhibitor, we found the expression of Sirt1 was not affected. In addition, we found that Sirt1 could interact with Atg7.

Conclusion

These results suggest that Sirt1 in human chondrocytes regulates autophagy by interacting with autophagy related Atg7, and Sirt1 may become a more important target in OA treatment.
Osteochondral Repair and Electromechanical Evaluation of Custom 3D Scaffold Microstructured by Direct Laser Writing Lithography
Authors: Maciulaitis Justinas , Miskiniene Milda , Rekštytė Sima , Bratchikov Maksim , Darinskas Adas , Simbelyte Agne , Daunoras Gintaras , Laurinaviciene Aida , Laurinavicius Arvydas , Gudas Rimtautas , Malinauskas Mangirdas , Maciulaitis Romaldas
Published: May 2019

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess a novel 3D microstructured scaffold seeded with allogeneic chondrocytes (cells) in a rabbit osteochondral defect model.

Design

Direct laser writing lithography in pre-polymers was employed to fabricate custom silicon-zirconium containing hybrid organic-inorganic (HOI) polymer SZ2080 scaffolds of a predefined morphology. Hexagon-pored HOI scaffolds were seeded with chondrocytes (cells), and tissue-engineered cartilage biocompatibility, potency, efficacy, and shelf-life in vitro was assessed by morphological, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analysis. Osteochondral defect was created in the weight-bearing area of medial femoral condyle for in vivo study. Polymerized fibrin was added to every defect of 5 experimental groups. Cartilage repair was analyzed after 6 months using macroscopical (Oswestry Arthroscopy Score [OAS]), histological, and electromechanical quantitative potential (QP) scores. Collagen scaffold (CS) was used as a positive comparator for in vitro and in vivo studies.

Results

Type II collagen gene upregulation and protein secretion was maintained up to 8 days in seeded HOI. In vivo analysis revealed improvement in all scaffold treatment groups. For the first time, electromechanical properties of a cellular-based scaffold were analyzed in a preclinical study. Cell addition did not enhance OAS but improved histological and QP scores in HOI groups.

Conclusions

HOI material is biocompatible for up to 8 days in vitro and is supportive of cartilage formation at 6 months in vivo. Electromechanical measurement offers a reliable quality assessment of repaired cartilage.
Improving self-management of people with type 2 diabetes in the first years after diagnosis: Development and pilot of a theory-based interactive group intervention
Authors: van Puffelen Anne L , Heijmans Monique JWM , Schellevis François G , Nijpels Giel , Rijken Mieke
Published: May 2019

Objectives:

To describe how principles of self-regulation and social support could be integrated in a group intervention to improve self-management of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the early phase of illness and to pilot its suitability in a primary care setting.

Methods:

Principles of the Common-Sense Model of Self-Regulation, Social Cognitive Theory of Self-Regulation and social support theories were integrated in the intervention. Based on this, a three-session group course was developed to challenge illness perceptions of participants that discourage adequate self-management, to practice goal-setting and behavioural actions and to create a supportive environment. The intervention was piloted with persons with early-stage (1–3 years post diagnosis) type 2 diabetes mellitus selected in general practice in the Netherlands. Data about the suitability of the intervention were retrieved by means of observation and audio-recording of the sessions, an evaluation form filled in by the participants and an evaluation meeting with the group leaders.

Results:

In total, 16 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients participated in the pilot, who were divided into a group of single participants (N = 8) and a group (N = 8) who participated with their partner. Discrepancies between perceptions of one’s own condition and type 2 diabetes mellitus in general were observed. Goal-setting and developing action plans appeared to be difficult tasks for many participants, whereas others felt these exercises were not useful as they did not feel a need to make changes in living with diabetes. The group-based format was appreciated as was the participation of partners.

Conclusion:

Challenging the illness perceptions of persons with early-stage type 2 diabetes mellitus by a brief interactive group course is feasible and important, as many of these people tend to underestimate the seriousness of their diabetes. However, motivating persons with early-stage type 2 diabetes mellitus to participate in self-management interventions remains a challenge. Offering the intervention as an integral part of type 2 diabetes mellitus management in primary care is desirable.
Building Brand Through B2B Route—Del Monte in India
Authors: Sharma Anuj
Published: May 2019

Del Monte, a global food and beverage company, entered into Indian market in 2008. Del Monte established Joint Venture with Field Fresh which at that time dealt in exports of agricultural fresh produce. Yogesh Bellani, CEO of Field Fresh had the responsibility of establishing the Del Monte brand in India. Yogesh faced lots of challenges as there was very little brand awareness of the company and also there were many established players in the market. Del Monte first launched canned pineapples to be followed by canned fruit juices. Yogesh started building Del Monte brand on quality and timely delivery.

Yogesh targeted big quick service restaurants (QSRs) like Dominos, Sub Way, MacDonald, Pizza Hut and Burger King for supplying its products. This was a unique way of establishing the brand through B2B route. After having established the brand through B2B route, Yogesh targeted B2C market. Del Monte launched several new products like tomato ketchup, entire Italian category, and eggless mayonnaise through modern trade route. In initial years, Yogesh established the brand and created revenue for the company. Subsequently he focussed on improving the profitability. His current challenge was to manage both which are conflicting in nature. He was also thinking of brand repositioning for future growth.
Statistical Validation of the Grand Rapids Arch Collapse Classification
Authors: Burkard David , Patton Daniel , Padley Michelle , Maskill John David , Bohay Donald Raymond , Anderson John Gregory
Published: May 2019

Background:

The Grand Rapids Arch Collapse Classification system was devised in 2011 to assist physicians’ and patients’ understanding of the mechanisms underlying arch collapse. Five types of arch collapse are described, based on which part of the foot or ankle is affected. The purpose of this study was to determine the inter- and intrarater reliability of this classification system when used by physicians with various levels of training.

Methods:

A senior author identified a stratified selection of 50 patients (10 per classification type) who presented with foot/ankle pain and suitable radiographs. A survey was designed using prediagnosis radiographs and clinical synopses of the patient’s chart. The survey consisted of a description of the classification scheme and the 50 cases in a randomized order. Eight weeks later, they repeated the test to analyze for intra-rater agreement.

Results:

Of the 33 physicians who received the survey, 26 completed the first round (16 attendings, 4 foot and ankle fellows, and 6 residents). Overall, there was substantial agreement among raters in all five types. Kappa scores for each type were 0.72, 0.65, 0.72, 0.70, 0.63, respectively. The combined kappa score was 0.68. After 8 weeks, 13 of the 26 participants repeated the study. A Kappa analysis was once again performed for the 13 respondents, which produced a substantial level of agreement with a value of 0.74 for intrarater reliability.

Conclusion:

The Grand Rapids Arch Collapse Classification system was designed to provide an accessible mechanism for physicians to consistently describe arch collapse, its effects, and the conditions associated with it. The utility of this system is wholly reliant on the repeatability among clinicians. This study has demonstrated that the classification system has substantial rates of reliability among physicians of different levels of experience and training.

Level of evidence:

Level IV.
Efficacy and predictors of response of lenalidomide and rituximab in patients with treatment-naive and relapsed CLL
Authors: Strati Paolo , Takahashi Koichi , Peterson Christine B. , Keating Michael J. , Thompson Philip A. , Daver Naval G. , Jain Nitin , Burger Jan A. , Estrov Zeev , O'Brien Susan M. , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Wierda William G. , Futreal P. Andrew , Ferrajoli Alessandra
Published: May 2019

Key Points

The combination of lenalidomide and rituximab is highly effective in patients with CLL and low baseline β2-microglobulin levels. Mutations in the NOTCH signaling pathway are associated with worse outcome in patients with CLL treated with lenalidomide and rituximab.
Experimental and numerical investigations of primary flow patterns and mixing in laboratory meandering channel
Authors: Park Sung Won , Ahn Jungkyu
Published: May 2019

Considering fundamental hydraulics, fluid dynamics, and experimental analysis should be analyzed simultaneously with mathematical methods due to the effects of hydraulic properties such as meandering form, sediment, and so on. In this research, to reveal the effects of hydraulic characteristics and longitudinal and transverse coefficients based on the two-dimensional advection-dispersion equation, a laboratory experimental channel has been conducted and analyzed. Additionally, results of experiments have been compared with horizontal two dimensional distributions of flow velocity and concentration fields with respect to the water depth and inlet discharge using two-dimensional depth-averaged numerical models based on FEM (Finite Element Method). SMS and RAMS have been applied with the same experimental conditions and compared. From the analysis of velocity profiles, primary and secondary flows have been visualized. Also the result of pollutant clouds illustrated from the results of tracer tests with an instantaneous and centered injection of solute transport, separation, superposition and stagnation could be deduced outwards of two meandering sections. And same types of characteristics of velocity and pollutant transport could be defined with two-dimensional numerical models.
Characterizing Students’ Ideas about the Effects of a Mutation in a Noncoding Region of DNA
Authors: Sieke Scott A. , McIntosh Betsy B. , Steele Matthew M. , Knight Jennifer K.
Published: May 2019

Understanding student ideas in large-enrollment biology courses can be challenging, because easy-to-administer multiple-choice questions frequently do not fully capture the diversity of student ideas. As part of the Automated Analysis of Constructed Responses (AACR) project, we designed a question prompting students to describe the possible effects of a mutation in a noncoding region of DNA. We characterized answers from 1127 students enrolled in eight different large-enrollment introductory biology courses at three different institutions over five semesters and generated an analytic scoring system containing three categories of correct ideas and five categories of incorrect ideas. We iteratively developed a computer model for scoring student answers and tested the model before and after implementing an instructional activity designed to help a new set of students explore this concept. After completing a targeted activity and re-answering the question, students showed improvement from preassessment, with 64% of students in incorrect and 67% of students in partially incorrect (mixed) categories shifting to correct ideas only. This question, computer-scoring model, and instructional activity can now be reliably used by other instructors to better understand and characterize student ideas on the effects of mutations outside a gene-coding region.
Guns and psychiatry: what psychiatrists need to know
Authors: Mortimer Ann M.
Published: May 2019

The private ownership of firearms for participation in shooting sports, subject to a rigorous process of certification by the police, is not uncommon in the UK. Primary care medical involvement in this process is currently a contentious issue. The mental health of firearms owners is clearly germane to public safety: suicide is by far the greatest concern, alongside security breaches. Homicide committed with legally held firearms is very rare: there is very little cross-over between legitimate shooting sports and crime involving firearms. The perpetrators of family annihilation and single-incident mass killings using firearms in the UK have not been known to psychiatry, although a minority have been found to be mentally disordered post hoc. Regarding suicidality, there is little if any difference between those at risk who own firearms and those who do not, excepting that firearm suicide attempts are highly likely to be fatal. Guidance is offered in this article on the identification of patients who own firearms, the evaluation of risks and how to manage these in practical terms.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After reading this article you will be able to:

•

demonstrate a basic knowledge of varieties of sporting firearms and understand the differences between legitimate and criminal use of firearms in the UK

•

appreciate mental health problems related to the private ownership of firearms and the risks of suicidality

•

understand the role of the police in certification and how to raise concerns when a patient's access to firearms is an issue.
Training in psychiatry: making person-centred care a reality
Authors:   RCPsych Person-Centred Training and Curriculum Scoping Group
Published: May 2019

The RCPsych curriculum for core trainees is currently undergoing review and revision. The Person-Centred Training and Curriculum Scoping Group, which fed into the revision, reported in 2018. This paper shares key findings from the report and offers suggestions on implementing person-centred care in postgraduate psychiatric training and assessment. The scoping group recommended that training and the curriculum should be explicitly person-centred. Among its other recommendations was that skills relating to person-centred practice should be assessed, and the planning, development and delivery of local MRCPsych courses should be co-produced alongside people with lived experience of mental health conditions.

Declaration of interest

All authors contributed to the development and writing of College Report CR215.
SAT-384 The Health Burden of Adrenal Insufficiency in a United Kingdom-based Population
Authors: Adam Safwaan , Minder Steimer Anna-Elisabeth , Ho Jan Hoong , Whittle Liam , Stein Norman , Trainer Peter
Published: May 2019

Context: Adrenal insufficiency (AI) is associated with reduced life expectancy and increased morbidity even after glucocorticoid replacement therapy. Aim Our aim was to assess the co-morbid burden of AI in a United Kingdom-based population. Methods We retrospectively studied patients diagnosed between 1996 and 2014 (minimum disease duration 12 months) with primary (PAI; n=55 [23 females]; CAH excluded) and secondary AI (SAI; n=79 [29 females]; Cushing’s syndrome and acromegaly excluded) using an electronic patient database (n=352000) in North West England. Patients with AI were identified by diagnostic codes and glucocorticoid prescriptions. Each patient with PAI or SAI was matched to non-AI patients with the same gender and date of birth (control cohort n=35172). Outcome measures were change in weight, prevalence of co-morbid illness (type 2 diabetes [T2D], prediabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease [CVD] and osteoporosis) and hospital admissions during the study period. Results In PAI, 91% of patients were treated with hydrocortisone (mean dose 23 ±8 mg) and 9% with prednisolone (mean dose 3 ±2 mg). In SAI, 94% of patients were treated with hydrocortisone (mean dose 18 ±8 mg) and 5% with prednisolone (mean dose 6 ±3 mg). The annual weight change compared to controls was significantly higher in PAI (median 1.16 kg [0.15-2.96], vs -0.01 kg [-0.49 – 0.41]; P=0.001) and SAI (median 0.55 kg [-1.49 – 1.57] vs median -0.47 kg [-0.99 – 0.32]; P=0.045). When comparing the weight at the time of diagnosis to the last available weight in the study period, a higher proportion of patients were within the overweight/obese category (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) for PAI (38% [baseline] vs 70% [study end]; P=0.028) but not SAI (85% [baseline] vs 73% [study end]; P=0.327) and controls (65% [baseline] vs 56% [study end]; P=0.218). For PAI, the prevalence of prediabetes (22% vs 10%), T2D (9% vs 5%), hypertension (38% vs 30%) and CVD (9% vs 5%) was significantly (p<0.05) different to controls. For SAI, the prevalence of prediabetes (27% vs 19%), T2D (20% vs 10%), hypertension (68% vs 53%) was significantly different (P<0.05) to controls. There were no differences in the prevalence of CVD between patients with SAI and controls (10% vs 10%; P=0.87). The risk ratio for osteoporosis to controls was 4.00 (P=0.025) for PAI and 4.33 (P=0.018) for SAI. The ratio (to controls) of the number of acute hospital admissions was higher in both PAI (5:1; P=0.011) and SAI (7:1; P=0.017). Conclusion PAI and SAI are both associated with a higher prevalence of co-morbid disease and increased hospital admissions suggesting a greater health burden. The excessive glucocorticoid replacement dose (especially in PAI) may have influenced the adverse metabolic changes observed. Statement of Support ViroPharma, now part of Shire, Lexington, MA, USA provided financial support but were not involved in the study design or interpretation of the data.
Virtue, Production, and the Politics of Commerce: Genovesi’s “Civil Economy” Revisited
Authors: Pabst Adrian , Scazzieri Roberto
Published: May 2019

Antonio Genovesi’s economic-political treatise on civil economy was a major contribution to debates in the mid-and late eighteenth century on the nature of political economy. At that time, Genovesi’s book was extensively translated and discussed across continental Europe and Latin America, where it was read as a foundational text of political economy similar to Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. The aim of this article is to contribute to the analysis of the mutual implication between the economic and the political order of society by revisiting Genovesi’s theory of civil economy, which he defined as “the political science of the economy and commerce.” First, the article retraces Genovesi’s conception of civil economy as a branch of political science and the role of “virtue” in ordering the polity according to “the nature of the world.” Second, it explores Genovesi’s theory of production as an inquiry into the proportionality conditions that productive activities should meet for a well-functioning polity to persist over time. Third, our argument emphasizes the importance of Genovesi’s analysis of production structures for his theory of internal and foreign trade. In this connection, the paper investigates Genovesi’s idea that the maintenance of a country’s “trading fund” should be the fundamental objective for its internal and external trade policies. These policies, according to Genovesi, should be consistent with the context of the body politic under consideration and the economy’s proportionality requirements for any specific stage of development.
On Terry Peach’s Unconvincing “Reconsideration” of Adam Smith’s Theory of Value
Authors: Grieve Roy H.
Published: May 2019

In a recent paper Terry Peach argues that Adam Smith found no reason to limit application of the labor-embodied theory of value to the early and rude state of society. According to Peach, Smith—having found a problem in employing the labor-commanded measure of value in the case of the contemporary commercial economy—somewhat surreptitiously abandoned labor-commanded and adopted instead labor-embodied as a generally valid theory of exchange value. Peach shows a propensity to find what he considers “labor-commanded” usages in Smith’s work. However, I find Peach’s rather startling “Reconsideration” to be fatally flawed—for the reason that it derives from Peach’s evident misunderstanding of what is implied by the labor-commanded measure of value.
Exploring Chinese Poetry with Digital Assistance: Examples from Linguistic, Literary, and Historical Viewpoints
Authors: Liu Chao-Lin , Mazanec Thomas J. , Tharsen Jeffrey R.
Published: May 2019

Digital tools provide instrumental services to the study of Chinese poetry in an era of big, open data. The authors employed nine representative collections of Chinese poetry, covering the years 1046 BCE to 1644 CE, in their demonstrations. They demonstrate sophisticated software that allows researchers to extract source material that meets multiple search criteria, which may consider words, poets, collections, and time of authoring, paving the way for new explorations of Chinese poetry from linguistic, literary, artistic, and historical viewpoints. Analytic tools help researchers uncover information concealed in poetic works that are related to aesthetic expressions, personal styles, social networks, societal influences, and temporal changes in Chinese poetry. The increasing accessibility of digitized texts, along with sophisticated digital tools, such as the ones these authors developed and demonstrate here, can thereby enhance the efficiency and effectiveness for exploring and studying classical Chinese poetry.
Networks of Exchange Poetry in Late Medieval China: Notes toward a Dynamic History of Tang Literature
Authors: Mazanec Thomas J.
Published: May 2019

This article combines qualitative and quantitative methods to rethink the literary history of late medieval China (830–960 CE). It begins with an overview of exchange poetry in the Tang dynasty and its role in the construction of the poetic subject, namely, the poetic subject's distributed textual body. A total of 10,869 poems exchanged between 2,413 individuals are cataloged to seek the structure of the collectively imagined literary relations of the time. This catalog is subjected to social-network analysis to reveal patterns and peculiarities in the extant corpus of late medieval poetry, which in turn prompt close readings of the sources. These readings lead to four conclusions about the history of late medieval poetry: (a) Buddhist monks were hubs of literary activity, (b) the poet Jia Dao became an increasingly important site of connection over time, (c) the concept of “poetic schools” is not a useful lens through which to view the Late Tang, and (d) poets at the center of the network are increasingly characterized by their mobility. This combination of network analysis and close reading highlights the dynamic nature of Chinese literary history, providing insight into the ever-shifting conjunctures of forms, genres, expectations, and relations in the late medieval literary world.
Treatment outcomes of stereotactic ablative radiation therapy for non-spinal bone metastases: focus on response assessment and treatment indication
Authors: Yu Tosol , Choi Chul-Won , Kim Kyung Su
Published: May 2019

Objective:

To report treatment outcomes of stereotactic ablative radiation therapy (SABR) for non-spinal bone metastases in a single institution, and to compare assessments of Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) v. 1.1 and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDA) criteria.

Methods:

From July 2011 to January 2017, 33 patients with 38 non-spinal bone metastatic lesions were treated using SABR. Treatment intent was categorized as follows: single metastasis or oligo-metastases; oligo-progression; and dominant areas of progression. Tumor responses were evaluated according to the RECIST and MDA criteria. Local control (LC) was defined as lesions that were not classified as progressive disease on both criteria.

Results:

The median follow-up period was 10.4 months (range, 2.5–47.4). Both 1- and 2 year LC rates were 94.2 %. The median overall survival (OS) was 20.2 months, and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.9 months. Treatment intent was a significant factor for OS in multivariate analysis. The 1 year OS rates for single metastasis or oligo-metastasis, for oligo-progression, and for dominant areas of progression were 84.2%, 66.7%, and 0.0%, respectively ( p < 0.001). Overall response rate was 86.8 % according to MDA criteria, and 75.7 % according to RECIST criteria. When using MDA criteria, there appeared to be significant associations both between response and PFS (median 7.6 months for responders vs 2.5 months for non-responders; p = 0.036) and between response and OS. In contrast, when using RECIST criteria, the associations were significant neither between response and PFS (median 5.8 months for responders vs 9.3 months for non-responders; p = 0.522) nor between response and OS (25.7 months for responders vs 18.5 months for non-responders; p = 0.811).

Conclusion:

SABR for non-spinal bone metastases demonstrated high LC rates with acceptable toxicity. The MDA criteria demonstrated advantages in predicting survival outcomes.

Advances in knowledge:

SABR for non-spinal bone metastases is a promising treatment option to achieve good local control. The MDA criteria, which is a newly proposed response evaluation criteria for bone metastases, has advantages in predicting survival outcomes compared to other established criteria.
Current review of surgical management options for extremity bone sarcomas
Authors: Cirstoiu Catalin , Cretu Bogdan , Serban Bogdan , Panti Zsombor , Nica Mihai
Published: May 2019

Modern surgical management of extremity bone sarcomas is governed by limb-sparing surgery combined with adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. All the resection and reconstruction techniques have to achieve oncologic excision margins, with survival rates and functional results superior to amputation. The main reconstruction techniques of bone defects resulted after resection are: modular endoprosthetic reconstruction; bone graft reconstruction; bone transport; resection arthrodesis; and rotationplasty. Oncologic resection and modular endoprosthetic reconstruction are the generally approved surgical options adopted for the majority of cases in major specialized bone sarcoma centres. Good basic principles, efficient multidisciplinary approach and sustained research in the field can provide a better future for the challenge posed by extremity bone sarcoma treatment.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2019;4:174-182. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.4.180048
El papel de las entidades cívico-sociales en el aprendizaje-servicio. Sistematizando la participación del alumnado en el tercer sector
Authors: Sotelino Losada Alexandre , Mella Núñez Ígor , Rodríguez Fernández Miguel Ángel
Published: May 2019

La participación de los individuos en cuestiones cívicas y comunitarias siempre ha despertado interés en el ámbito de las ciencias sociales, especialmente a partir del declive que se confirma en los últimos años, y más aún entre los jóvenes, en todo aquello que se refiere a compromiso cívico. En este artículo se propone la metodología pedagógica del Aprendizaje-Servicio (ApS) como una vía que ayude, desde el ámbito educativo, a sistematizar la implicación en movimientos de índole social, en tanto que añade un componente de servicio a la comunidad a los procesos de aprendizaje tradicional. En este sentido, el ApS supone recuperar conexiones entre educación formal, no formal, e incluso informal, de tal manera que se creen comunidades de aprendizaje, donde la reciprocidad, la solidaridad y la responsabilidad marcarán los pilares epistemológicos. Así, nuestro objetivo es conocer el modo en que la implicación en entidades del tercer sector, en este caso promovida desde el propio sistema educativo por medio del ApS, contribuye en el desarrollo de competencias de participación ciudadana. Para conseguir este objetivo se ha realizado una revisión documental de calado internacional con la intención de abordar desde un punto de vista teórico esta realidad. En primer término, se analiza el papel actual de las entidades del tercer sector, estableciendo los factores determinantes que canalizan la participación ciudadana. Posteriormente, se justifica el ApS como una nueva vía para la optimización de los procesos de implicación cívica y el papel de las organizaciones sociales al respecto. Concluimos que se configura como una metodología capaz de despertar en el alumnado el interés por una mayor implicación en cuestiones comunitarias. Así, las entidades del tercer sector se erigen como el medio perfecto para situar al alumnado en contextos que tengan el potencial de suponer un avance en los niveles de compromiso cívico.
The genus Dendrobium Sw. (Orchidaceae) in Tripura, India
Authors: Baishnab Biswajit , Datta Badal Kumar
Published: May 2019

Tripura is a part of Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot and is rich in orchid diversity. The present paper deals with 10 species of Dendrobium recorded from Tripura during the field survey in 2016-2018. This paper deals with three new additions of Dendrobium species i.e., Dendrobium aphyllum, Dendrobium capillipes and Dendrobium formosum to Tripura.
The conceptualisation of cognitive tools in learning and technology: A review
Authors: Pakdaman-Savoji Azar , Nesbit John , Gajdamaschko Natalia
Published: May 2019

The term cognitive tool has been used in many areas of academic specialisation, where it has taken on multiple connotations. In this historical and systematic review, we investigate the conceptualisation of cognitive tools in the learning sciences and educational technology. First, the theory of cognitive tools vis-à-vis learning and development is traced from Vygotsky and Soviet psychology through to its use in current educational technology and learning design. Second, we present a systematic review of cognitive tools in peer-reviewed research literature. We found the term cognitive tool was often used vaguely or with extreme generality. When used more specifically, it referred to communication methods such as visualisations, metaphors, symbols, and hypermedia; or interactive interfaces and environments such as templates, databases, simulations, games, and collaborative media. We offer a definition of software-based cognitive tools founded on the attributes of representation, interactivity, and distributed cognition, which commonly feature in the work of influential theorists; and we explain implications of the definition for designing, evaluating, and researching learning technologies.
Percepce výslovnostních chyb učiteli českého jazyka
Authors: Vlčková-Mejvaldová Jana , Štěpáník Stanislav
Published: May 2019

Dobrá výslovnost je jedním ze základních rysů řečové kultivovanosti mluvčího. Vyučování mateřskému jazyku by mělo vést k rozvoji řečových dovedností, jejichž součástí je zvládnutí ortoepické normy. Jednou z podmínek tohoto procesu je sama učitelova znalost a praktické ovládání české ortoepie. Článek přináší výsledky studie, jíž se zúčastnilo 148 učitelů na 1., 2. a 3. vzdělávacím stupni. Studie zjišťovala schopnost učitelů detekovat výslovnostní chyby v souvislé promluvě. Výsledky naznačují, že povědomí o české ortoepické normě je mezi učiteli spíše nedostačující a že může existovat souvislost mezi učitelovou znalostí ortoepické normy a kvalitou mluveného projevu žáka.
Characteristics and risk factors for antituberculosis drug-induced liver injury in a cohort of patients with cirrhosis in a tertiary referral university teaching hospital in Thailand
Authors: Laoveeravat Passisd , Wongjarupong Nicha , Phathong Chonlada , Hurst Cameron , Treeprasertsuk Sombat , Rerknimitr Rungsun , Chaiteerakij Roongruedee
Published: May 2019

Background

Cirrhotic patients are susceptible to drug toxicity, which presents frequently with antituberculosis drug (ATD) treatment. Previous studies of ATD-induced liver injury (ATDILI) in cirrhotics have been limited to patients with early-stage cirrhosis.

Objectives

To describe characteristics and determine risk factors for ATDILI in cirrhotic patients.

Methods

We included 64 cirrhotic patients treated with ATDs between 2006 and 2016 in a tertiary referral university teaching hospital in Bangkok, Thailand. Cirrhosis was diagnosed by radiological features, including small-sized nodular liver and/or caudate lobe hypertrophy or evidence of portal hypertension (collateral vessels, varices, and/or splenomegaly). Clinical information was retrospectively abstracted. Characteristics of patients with ATDILI vs. those without ATDILI were compared.

Results

Six (9.4%) patients developed ATDILI with the median duration from ATD initiation of 14 days (range: 6–66). All the 6 patients who developed ATDILI received 3 hepatotoxic ATDs (isoniazid, rifampin, and pyrazinamide) and had Child–Turcotte–Pugh class B cirrhosis. The patients with ATDILI were found to have a higher percentage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection than patients without ATDILI (50% vs. 8.6%; P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Cirrhotic patients, particularly those with underlying HIV infection, are at risk of developing ATDILI. Pyrazinamide should be used cautiously in cirrhotic patients due to the significantly increased risk of ATIDLI. This study supports the current recommendation for the use of ATD in patients with cirrhosis; however, the ATD regimen should be carefully selected, particularly for cirrhotic patients with HIV infection.
After Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature
Authors: Kuklick Bruce
Published: May 2019

Rorty’s Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature hoped that the profession of philosophy would collapse, that philosophy’s style of reasoning would be transformed, and that analytic philosophy would be overturned. This essay looks at the 40 years since the book’s publication, and argues that the discipline has become more professionalized, that its style of reasoning is the same, and that analysis still flourishes.
Rorty’s Rejection of Philosophy
Authors: Leiter Brian
Published: May 2019

I argue that the real puzzle about Richard Rorty’s intellectual development is not why he gave up on ‘analytic’ philosophy-he had never been much committed to that research agenda, even before it became moribund-but why, beginning with Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature (PMN), he gave up on the central concerns of philosophy going back to antiquity. In addition to Rorty’s published works, I draw on biographical information about Rorty’s undergraduate and graduate education to support this assessment, and contrast his rejection of philosophy with Nietzsche’s. Many contemporary philosophers influenced by Quine’s attack on the analytic-synthetic distinction and Sellars’ attack on ‘the Myth of the Given’ (the two argumentative linchpins of PMN) did not abandon philosophical questions about truth, knowledge, and mind, they just concluded those questions needed to be naturalized, to be answered in conjunction with the empirical sciences. Why didn’t Rorty go this route? The paper concludes with some interesting anecdotes about Rorty that invite speculative explanations.
Prospects of the Sociology of Philosophy
Authors: Heidegren Carl-Göran
Published: May 2019

The article presents some key aspects of the approach called sociology of philosophy, as represented by Pierre Bourdieu, Randall Colins and others. Comparisons are made with the philosophical research programme, developed by Dieter Henrich, which goes under the name constellation research. One thing that unites the sociology of philosophy and constellation research is an interest in antagonistic constellations involving rivalry, competition and controversy. A few references to the case of Rorty are included in the discussion.
Relational Mechanisms
Authors: Peetz Thorsten
Published: May 2019

This article challenges the view that sociological explanation is based on methodological individualism and suggests using relational concepts for constructing explanations of social phenomena. It develops a relational concept of social mechanisms based on sociological systems theory and illustrates its explanatory power by drawing on research on changes in educational organizations in Germany.
Relational Sociology–A Black Box Conception?
Authors: Greshoff Rainer
Published: May 2019

The article comments on Peetz’ concept of relational mechanisms. This concept is an alternative to mechanistical explanations of analytical sociology, conceptualized as based on human agents. Peetz criticises this foundation, juxtaposing it with the idea of the analytical primacy of relations. This perspective does not necessarily presuppose agents but can explain their emergence. To demonstrate the efficiency of his concept, he presents an explanation of a concrete mechanism. The analysis of this explanation shows that a crucial point is missing from the concept of relational mechanisms: the steps that produce a social process are never spelt out. Peetz thus presents a black box explanation, which is contrary to the demands of mechanistical explanations. His preference for black box argumentation is owed to his concepts. Unlike an enlightened methodological individualist, he is not in a position to explain the productions necessary for the formation of mechanistical processes.
Proposal Regarding the Use of Digital Tools and Processes in Company Law: The Practioner’s Perspective
Authors: Álvarez Royo-Villanova Segismundo
Published: May 2019

The Commission’s Proposal 2018/0113 aims to promote the use of digital tools and procedures in company law. To this effect it introduces a compulsory procedure for the online incorporation of companies. The key principle of the proposal is that the incorporation can be done without the physical presence or the presentation of original documents. Member states must admit electronic identification means but can establish additional requirements to ensure the identity and capacity of the applicants and the compliance with national law, including the involvement of notaries. This study examines how this might be done in practice and how it might contribute to the security of transactions. As the proposal also provides for online filing of other documents and for the registration and filing or branches, we interpret that the same procedure should be applied to these transactions. The proposal also provides for an extension of the information of companies that has to be freely accessible in Commercial Registers. This is extremely useful for the internal market, so the proposal should guarantee that this information is reliable and easily proved by the applicant.
Study on the unsaturated hydrogen bond behavior of bio-based polyamide 56
Authors: Zhang Shouyun , Ma Jinghong
Published: May 2019

In this paper, the unsaturated hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) of the bio-based polyamide 56 (PA56) with an odd-even unit structure were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. It was proved that the bio-based PA56 had less saturated H-bonds, which became attenuated and blue-shifted at the temperature exceeding 260°C. Besides, as H-bond was decayed and broken, new unsaturated H-bonds readily formed. Moreover, the experimental results obtained strongly indicate that the unsaturated H-bonds of bio-based polyamide 56 could react with polar metal oxides. Besides, the intercalation of montmorillonite was found to have a significant influence on the hydrogen bond between polymer chains.
Effect of surface modifications on the properties of UHMWPE fibres and their composites
Authors: Li Cuiyu , Shi Yameng , Zhang Rui , Wang Gaopan , Jia Jingyan
Published: May 2019

In this study, ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres, modified by acetic acid, sulfuric acid and water at a ratio of 20:25:2 for different time periods and modified UHMWPE/EP composites were prepared. The micromorphology, chemical composition, contact angle, H sample extraction, tensile properties and bending performance of the composite material of the UHMWPE fibres before and after modification were tested and analysed. The results show that, after the UHMWPE fibres were treated with the modified liquid, the surface roughness of the fibre increased, the contact angle decreased, and the surface chemical composition and species significantly changed; the mechanical properties of the composites are best when the fibres were treated for 9 min. For the same fibre content, the specific strength, specific modulus and bending load of UHMWPE composites treated for 9 min were increased by 16.7%, 82.9% and 55.3%, respectively, compared with untreated samples.
Partial and full boundary regularity for non-autonomous functionals with Φ-growth conditions
Authors: Giannetti Flavia , Passarelli di Napoli Antonia , Tachikawa Atsushi
Published: May 2019

We prove partial and full boundary Hölder continuity, under a suitable regularity on the boundary datum, of the minimizers of non-autonomous integral functionals of the type

∫
Ω

Φ
⁢

(

(

A

i
⁢
j

α
⁢
β

⁢

(
x
,
u
)

⁢

D
i

⁢

u
α

⁢

D
j

⁢

u
β

)

1
2

)

⁢

d
⁢
x

,

\int_{\Omega}\Phi\bigl{(}(A^{\alpha\beta}_{ij}(x,u)D_{i}u^{\alpha}D_{j}u^{%
\beta})^{\frac{1}{2}}\bigr{)}\mathop{}\!dx,

where

Ω
⊂

ℝ
n

{\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^{n}}

is a bounded domain,

Φ
⁢

(
t
)

=

t
p

⁢

log
α

⁡

(

e
+
t

)

{\Phi(t)=t^{p}\log^{\alpha}(e+t)}

with

1
<
p
≤
n

{1

0

{\alpha>0}

, and

A
⁢

(
x
,
s
)

=

(

A

i
⁢
j

α
⁢
β

⁢

(
x
,
s
)

)

{A(x,s)=(A^{\alpha\beta}_{ij}(x,s))}

is a uniformly elliptic, bounded and continuous function.
Fractional calculus and generalized forms of special polynomials associated with Appell sequences
Authors: Khan Subuhi , Wani Shahid Ahmad
Published: May 2019

In this article, an operational definition, generating function, explicit summation formula, determinant definition and recurrence relations of the generalized families of Hermite–Appell polynomials are derived by using integral transforms and some known operational rules. An analogous study of these results is also carried out for the generalized forms of the Hermite–Bernoulli and Hermite–Euler polynomials.
Changqin NO. 1 inhibits neuronal apoptosis via suppressing GAS5 expression in a traumatic brain injury mice model
Authors: Dai Xingping , Yi Min , Wang Dongsheng , Chen Yanyi , Xu Xia
Published: May 2019

The present study was designed to investigate the mechanism of the traditional Chinese medicine Changqin NO. 1 on the amelioration of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adult male C57BL/6J mice and newborn mice were used to generate a mouse TBI model and harvest primary neurons, respectively. The localizations of specific neural markers neuropilin-1 (Nrp-1), growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and microtubule-associated protein Tau (Tau) were examined in brain tissues by immunohistochemistry. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling apoptotic cell detection in tissue sections and the CCK-8 cell viability assay were performed to examine neuronal apoptosis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot were also carried out in this study. The association between long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) growth-arrest specific 5 (GAS5), miR-335 and RAS p21 GTPase activating protein 1 (Rasa1) was disclosed using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Changqin NO. 1 inhibited TBI-induced neuronal apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. GAS5 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-335 to upregulate Rasa1 expression in mouse neuronal cells. Further investigations demonstrated that GAS5 promoted neuronal apoptosis following TBI via the miR-335/Rasa1 axis. In vivo experiments indicated that Changqin NO. 1 exerted neuroprotection during TBI via the GAS5/miR-335/Rasa1 axis. Changqin NO. 1 promoted neuroprotective effects by inhibiting neuronal apoptosis via the GAS5/miR-335/Rasa1 axis in TBI.