bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Much Time Before Attempting Compulsory Licensing of Pharmaceuticals? A Non-parametric Event History Model With P-splines
Authors: Son Kyung-Bok
Published: October 2018

Compulsory licensing (CL), provided by the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, enables countries, including high-income countries, to ensure the protection of public health in the context of stringent intellectual property regimes. This study investigated associations between the time to attempted CL and a series of factors at the drug and country level. We used a dataset of all attempted CL that occurred from 1995 to 2014, calculated the duration as the difference in years between the year of global marketing of a certain drug and the year of attempted CL in a certain country, and applied a nonparametric event history model. We found that the Doha Declaration was quite effective in shortening the time to attempted CL. Additionally, even though global justice movements have encouraged some countries to attempt CL for various medicines since 2012, the time to CL attempts in this period became significantly longer compared to those that occurred immediately after the Doha Declaration. Our findings show that the subject of CL has not successfully expanded to oncology medicines from HIV/AIDS medicines and that recently approved medicines are not yet subjects of CL. Furthermore, our duration model suggests a learning-by-doing effect in attempting CL: previous experience of CL not only triggers CL for the same drugs in other countries but also accelerates CL for other drugs within the country.
Fiber laser processing of GFRP composites and multi-objective optimization of the process using response surface methodology
Authors: Rao B Shiva Dayal , Sethi Abhijeet , Das Alok Kumar
Published: October 2018

In the present investigation, a continuous wave fiber laser with maximum power of 400 W was used to cut a glass fiber reinforced plastic sheet of 4.56 mm thickness using Nitrogen as assisting gas. The influence processing parameters such as laser irradiance, gas pressure, and cutting speed on the cut surface quality were investigated by using response surface methodology. The different responses of laser cut surface such as upper kerf width, taper percentage along the cut depth, and heat-affected zone on the top surface were measured to analyze the influence of input process parameters on the responses. A statistical analysis on the obtained results was conducted and found that the optimum values of different input process parameters were laser irradiance: 8.28 × 105 watt/cm2, cutting speed: 600 mm/min and assisting gas pressure: 7.84 bar. The corresponding values of responses were upper kerf width: 177.4 µm, taper 0.73%, and heat-affected zone on top surface: 109.23 µm. The confirmation experiments were conducted with the obtained optimum parameter setting and observed that the predicted values and experimental values for upper kerf width, taper percentage and top surface heat-affected zone were within the error limits of 2.52%, 1.84%, and 0.45%, respectively. Furthermore, damages like loose fibers, interlayer fractures, evaporation of matrix material and fiber breakages were observed.
What about the relevance of the diffusion parameters identified in the case of incomplete Fickian and non-Fickian kinetics?
Authors: Cocaud Julie , Célino Amandine , Fréour Sylvain , Jacquemin Frédéric
Published: October 2018

The aim of this work is to study the relevance of the diffusion parameters identified on kinetics whose saturation levels are unknown. Two types of diffusion kinetics have been considered: a Fickian and a non-Fickian kinetics. Numerical experiments, based on the generation of noisy data corresponding to reference values of diffusion parameters, have been carried out. The two models used in this study are Fick's model and the «Dual-Fick» model. Identification procedures were then applied on these data sets, truncated at different critical times. In the specific case of Dual Fick kinetics, the classical least square method was compared to an alternative approach based on the piecewise analysis of the shape of the diffusion curves. The identified parameters may deviate significantly from the expected reference values when the truncation threshold of the data set precedes the steady state. Also, these inaccurate parameters impact the predictions of global water uptake, water concentration profiles and stresses gradients through the thickness of the sample.
Synthesis and application of N-butyl substituted phthalimide disperse dyes
Authors: Zhao Xue
Published: October 2018

Three azo dyes were synthesized using N-butyl substituted phthalimides as diazo components. All of the synthesized intermediate derivatives and dyes were characterized by mass spectrometry, proton nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared (IR) and elemental analyses. Synthesized dyes were also evaluated for their dyeing behavior and fastness properties toward polyester fabric. The ultraviolet-visible absorption maxima of the dyes were observed in the range of 445–563 nm. Bromo and cyano substitutions at the 3- and/or 5- positions of the phthalimide ring resulted in hypsochromic and bathochromic shifts, respectively. IR spectra peaks at 1770 and 1395 cm−1 of hydrolyzed dye showed that C–O groups appeared under relatively mild alkaline conditions. The K/ S values of dyed polyester/elastane fabrics decreased obviously as the pH value increased. Hydrolysis of the phthalimide ring was found to be largely influenced by steric effects rather than inductive effects. Bromo substituted dyes have the lowest rates of hydrolysis. Compared with S-type dyeing disperse dyes, phthalimide dyes have lower dyeing rates and lower levelness of dye migration. The ωB97XD/6-311G(d,p) calculation found that pi-stacking interactions of phthalimide–benzene and phthalimide–phthalimide dimers increased the dye–fiber and dye–dye interactions.
The Political Dynamic of Redistribution in Unequal Democracies: The Center-Left Governments of Chile and Uruguay in Comparative Perspective
Authors: Antía Florencia
Published: October 2018

The redistributive reforms carried out by center-left governments in Chile and Uruguay in the 2000s affected the core interests of economic elites. Efforts to increase taxes on high-income sectors and reform the institutions that regulate the capital-labor relationship produced different results in the two countries. While Uruguay adopted significant reforms, reforms in Chile were marginal in 2000–2010 and moderate in 2014–2016. Their different trajectories are related to different configurations of the distribution of power resources between the elites and the social organizations that represent the interests of low-income sectors.

Las reformas redistributivas llevadas a cabo por los gobiernos de centro-izquierda en Chile y Uruguay en la década de 2000 afectaron los intereses centrales de las élites económicas. Los esfuerzos para aumentar los impuestos a los sectores de altos ingresos y reformar las instituciones que regulan la relación capital-trabajo produjeron resultados diferentes en los dos países. Mientras que Uruguay adoptó reformas significativas, las reformas en Chile fueron marginales en 2000–2010 y moderadas en 2014–2016. Sus diferentes trayectorias están relacionadas con diferentes configuraciones de la distribución de recursos de poder entre las élites y las organizaciones sociales que representan los intereses de los sectores de bajos ingresos.
Collaborative Projects with simulation assignments in mechanical engineering thermodynamics courses
Authors: Wright Kamau
Published: October 2018

In the undergraduate engineering classroom, some level of collaborative learning can be employed to enhance learning. Separately, enhancements in curriculum may include the use of computer technology to provide interactivity. The present study explores a new approach to facilitate learning of an engineering thermodynamics course and seeks to address the question: “What are the impacts of a themed Collaborative Project (CP) with a simulation component, on students and their understanding of thermodynamics?”. This approach was implemented into a sophomore-level thermodynamics course at a private university in the New England area of the United States. Over the duration of the semester, the clean water-themed CP required students to: solve thermodynamics problems linked to this theme; use thermodynamics fundamentals to check the results of clean water-related thermo-fluid simulations conducted using COMSOL Multiphysics® software; and ultimately, use thermodynamics to develop a device to clean water. This approach has the potential benefit not only of demonstrating various uses of thermodynamic analysis but also in preparing career-ready students who are better capable of strategically utilizing engineering software in tandem with their fundamental engineering backgrounds. Results presented include select student work, student perceptions as per surveys, and comparison of changes in average final exam grades as compared to previous courses. While students shared limited enthusiasm in utilizing the software, they expressed that they understood thermodynamics, and they performed better on final exam questions. This study follows up on a previous effort, which revealed various benefits for students who experienced such a CP.
Experimental Approaches for Improving the Assessment of Partner Violence
Authors: Ortiz Edwin G. , Mattson Richard E.
Published: October 2018

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious and widespread problem. Unfortunately, like many other private behaviors, self-report is one of the few practical means of assessing IPV. Despite its known limitations, few studies have examined methods for improving the assessment of IPV through self-report, particularly in research contexts. The current study examined implicit goal priming (IGP) and restricted response latencies (RRL), which have previously been used successfully to improve reporting of other types of sensitive information. Participants in the IGP condition engaged in a word-matching task intended to subliminally prime an honesty goal immediately before completing the IPV self-report measure. In the RRL condition, the amount of time participants were allotted to answer each question was restricted to 3 s. Using a pilot sample of 71 cohabiting/married couples, we currently provide experimental support for the utility of the IGP task for increasing the frequency of reported IPV, as well as agreement between self-reports and partner reports, particularly when used in conjunction with the RRL method. We found the strongest and most consistent effects for women’s reports of severe IPV perpetration and victimization, which is important given the extreme nature of these forms of IPV and because they are frequently underreported by women. We also found evidence to support the use of these methods to enhance reporting of other forms of IPV and provide additional directions for future research.
Psychopathy and Perception of Vulnerability to Criminal Victimization
Authors: Dinkins Barbara Joyce , Jones Shayne
Published: October 2018

This study replicates and extends prior research indicating that individuals with elevated psychopathic traits are better able to identify vulnerability to criminal victimization. Specifically, the current study aims to further assess this finding, examine if criminal experience aids in the assessment in vulnerability to criminal victimization, and determine if the finding generalizes to females and non-Caucasians. Through an online survey, participants (undergraduate students; n = 247) viewed several videos of people walking alone down a hallway and subsequently rated the vulnerability to criminal victimization of the depicted person. Higher levels of psychopathic traits (measured by the Elemental Psychopathy Assessment) correlated with more accurate assessments of vulnerability when males were assessing videos of males of their same race. Prior criminal behavior, however, did not relate to better accuracy, despite its relation to psychopathic traits. Results for females were not consistent with findings for males, indicating the finding may not generalize across gender. The current findings suggest one mechanism that might explain why those with elevated psychopathic traits are more likely to offend is that they are adept at identifying vulnerability. However, this was only true for males of the same race as the “victim.”
Enhanced dielectric performance and energy storage density of polymer/graphene nanocomposites prepared by dual fabrication
Authors: Uyor UO , Popoola API , Popoola OM , Aigbodion VS
Published: October 2018

Polymer/graphene nanocomposites (PGNs) have shown great potential as dielectric and energy storage materials. However, insolubility of graphene in most solvents, hydrophobic behaviour and poor dispersion in polymer matrix restrict wider fabrications and applications of PGNs. In this study, we present co-fabricated PGNs engineered by solution blending and melt compounding methods with improved dielectric performance. Further processing of PGNs by melt mixing after solution blending not only improved dispersion of graphene in the matrix but also ensured good interfacial interaction of the composites’ constituents and reduction of oxygen content in PGNs. Graphene nanoplatelets used in this study was slightly functionalized (fGNPs) to enhance dispersion in the polymer matrix. It was later characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectrometer. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used in morphological study of the fabricated composites. Dielectric properties, electrical conductivity, breakdown strength and energy storage capacity of the fabricated composites were investigated. The results obtained showed well-dispersed fGNPs in poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) matrix and improved dielectric performance. For instance, with 3.34 wt% and 6.67 wt% fGNPs co-fabricated composites, dielectric constant increased from about 9 for neat PVDF to 9930 and 38,418 at 100 Hz, respectively. While 7588 and 12,046 were respectively measured for solution blended-only composites at similar fGNPs content. These resulted to about 176.9% and 376.4% increase in energy storage density with 3.34 wt% and 6.67 wt% fGNPs co-fabricated composites when compared to their counterparts. These results were also credited to strong bonding, reduction of oxygen and recovered graphene structure by melt-mixing approach.
Tensile and water absorption properties of solvent cast biofilms of sugarcane leaves fibre-filled poly(lactic) acid
Authors: Nanthakumar Kuhananthan , Yeng Chan Ming , Chun Koay Seong
Published: October 2018

This research covers the preparation of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/sugarcane leaves fibre (SLF) biofilms via a solvent-casting method. The results showed that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of PLA/SLF biofilms increased with the increasing of SLF content. Nevertheless, the elongation at break showed an opposite trend as compared to tensile strength and Young’s modulus of biofilms. Moreover, water absorption properties of PLA/SLF biofilms increased with the increasing of SLF content. In contrast, the tensile strength and Young’s modulus of biofilms were enhanced after bleaching treatment with hydrogen peroxide on SLF, but the elongation at break and water absorption properties of bleached biofilms were reduced due to the improvement of filler–matrix adhesion in biofilms. The tensile and water properties were further discussed using B-factor and Fick’s law, respectively. Furthermore, the functional groups of unbleached and bleached SLF were characterized by Fourier transform infrared analysis.
How to be Political: Smith’s Primer for Pilgrim Citizens
Authors: Leigh Jennifer
Published: October 2018

This paper sets James K. A. Smith’s Awaiting the King against the background of the previous volumes in Smith’s Cultural Liturgies trilogy, and outlines this book’s argument for readers not familiar with it, bringing out the influence of St Augustine and Oliver O’Donovan. It draws attention to Smith’s responses within the book to earlier critics and, in turn, points towards two lines of critique of it.
Revealing a hidden curriculum in educational discourses: A study of the representation of Europe and Asia in Spanish and Japanese school textbooks
Authors: Shinabe Naomi
Published: October 2018

This article addresses how Spanish and Japanese Social Science textbooks represent Europe and Asia discursively, and in what way the national viewpoint from each country is manifested in that representation. We analysed 15 textbooks used in secondary schools, and we focused on Geography and Civic Education subjects. Our analysis was developed mainly at semantic levels, and we examined the terms ‘Europe’ and ‘Asia’ answering four interrelated questions. We found that in both countries’ textbooks, Europe is in general described in a positive or even idealized way as a developed and rich region, whereas Asia has a reverse negative image. Underlying this opposition, we can observe a Western ethnocentric view which takes Western development as the implicit standard to rank all societies hierarchically and builds discursively the dichotomy between developed and underdeveloped countries. ‘Our’ country’s position in the world is also conditioned by this Western-centred perspective.
Allocative efficiency, potential cost savings, and power supply price markdown in Korean electric power sector
Authors: Lee Myunghun
Published: October 2018

As one publicly owned company monopolizes the electricity supply, Korea’s power market has been distorted. Firms faced with constraints imposed by a regulatory environment are likely to fail to minimize their production costs subject to market prices. In this paper, we test for allocative efficiency of fuel inputs for the Korean electric power industry over the period of 1990–2015. The potential cost savings and maximum power supply price markdown are calculated by imposing allocative efficiency. The power plants, on average, could have reduced their fuel costs by as much as 22.1% annually. The attainment of allocative efficiency would have enabled the power supply price to be cut by 7.6% annually.
Exosomes Derived from IDO1-Overexpressing Rat Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Immunotolerance of Cardiac Allografts
Authors: He Ji-Gang , Xie Qiao-Li , Li Bei-Bei , Zhou Liang , Yan Dan
Published: October 2018

Background:

The immunosuppressive activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been exploited to induce tolerance after organ transplantation. The indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) may have beneficial effects in the immunoregulatory properties of MSCs. It was recently revealed that exosomes derived from MSCs play important roles in mediating the biological functions of MSCs. This study aimed to explore the roles of exosomes derived from MSCs in the induction of immune tolerance.

Methods:

Dendritic cells (DCs) and T-cells were cultured with exosomes derived from rat bone marrow MSCs (BMSCs) overexpressing IDO1 or controls. For the in-vivo study, rats received heart transplants and were treated with exosomes from IDO-BMSCs and heart function was evaluated. Flow cytometry was used to detect expression of cell surface markers. Cytokine levels were detected in culture supernatants or serum samples. Protein and microRNA expressions in exosomes were investigated by chips.

Results:

Exosomes from IDO-BMSCs cultured with DCs and T-cells (1) downregulated CD40, CD86, CD80, MHC-II, CD45RA, CD45RA+CD45RB, OX62, and upregulated CD274 expression, (2) increased the number of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and decreased the number of CD8+ T-cells, and (3) decreased the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, but increased the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines compared with the other groups. Transplanted rats, which were injected with exosomes from IDO-BMSCs, had reduced allograft-targeting immune responses and improved cardiac allograft function. Exosomes secreted by IDO-BMSCs exhibited significant upregulations of the immunoregulatory protein FHL-1, miR-540-3p, and a downregulation of miR-338-5p.

Conclusion:

Exosomes derived from IDO-BMSCs can be used to promote immunotolerance and prolong the survival of cardiac allografts.
Practical Support for Caregivers in Navigating Financial Issues Associated With Dementia
Authors: Jensen-Hart Staci
Published: October 2018

Dementia is a destructive, debilitating, and progressive terminal disease. Palliative care has potential to ameliorate some of the devastating effects for both client and family. In consideration of the Grand Challenges for Social Work, social workers can provide prevention and assistance in supporting individual and family well-being through addressing the practical problems associated with dementia. This field note provides a brief narrative of the challenges I discovered when navigating the minutiae of unraveling the financial affairs of a relative with dementia.
“I Gotta Go With Modern Technology, So I’m Gonna Give ’em the Narcan”: The Diffusion of Innovations and an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program
Authors: Bowles Jeanette M. , Lankenau Stephen E.
Published: October 2018

Fatal opioid overdoses can be prevented by opioid overdose prevention programs (OOPPs). The present study qualitatively examined the diffusion process of an OOPP among 30 persons who inject drugs (PWIDs) in an opioid-saturated community. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants into three groups based on familiarity with the OOPP. Findings revealed that participants often adopted the OOPP, which was offered by a local harm reduction organization, if first exposed by staff hosting and implementing it. Barriers to adoption included belief that OOPP training was lengthy or unnecessary, lack of perceived relative advantage, nonengagement with the host organization, and trepidation of administering withdrawal-causing medication to fellow PWIDs. Participants outside of networks diffusing the OOPP were isolated from other PWIDs. Staff from the host organization were influential in encouraging OOPP adoption, which underscores their importance in the effort to reduce fatal overdoses.
Health Practitioners’ Perceptions of Falls and Fall Prevention in Older People: A Metasynthesis
Authors: van Rhyn Brianne , Barwick Alex
Published: October 2018

Fall prevention has received a great deal of consideration and funding, however fall rates have not reduced accordingly. Health practitioners are key stakeholders in the process of implementing fall prevention evidence into their clinical assessment and management of older people at risk of falling. Investigating health practitioners’ clinical experiences and perceptions has been identified as a means to enhance the translation of knowledge. Four databases were searched for studies exploring health practitioners’ perceptions of falls and fall prevention. A metasynthesis of eight qualitative studies was conducted. The findings suggest that health practitioners face substantial barriers in the implementation of fall prevention practices. These include personal, interpersonal, and clinical barriers in addition to limitations of the research evidence. This knowledge hopes to enhance targeted dissemination of knowledge, reducing the research–practice gap and improving clinical outcomes for older people at risk of falls.
Different emphases, same positions? The election manifestos of political parties in the EU multilevel electoral system compared
Authors: Braun Daniela , Schmitt Hermann
Published: October 2018

Political parties increasingly operate at multiple political levels. Nevertheless, we do not yet know much about the consequences of these multilevel electoral systems (MLESs) on party behaviour. To fill this gap, we examine party manifestos for European Parliament (EP) elections and compare them with party manifestos for national elections. Using manifesto data and covering 15 European Union (EU) countries between 1979 and 2014, we focus on European issues and ask whether parties’ issue emphasis and the positions they take are the same in both kinds of documents and respectively at both levels of the MLES. We show that although parties put more emphasis on EU issues in EP than in national elections, they behave sincerely regarding their position towards the EU – these are very similar irrespective of the electoral context. As many elections take place in MLES environments, in Europe, in particular, but far beyond, this noteworthy finding is highly relevant for scholars of party competition in general and even more instructive for the so far fragmented literature exploring the implications of MLESs.
Shear resistance estimation for unreinforced masonry walls based on Gaussian process models
Authors: Peng Bin , Wei Sandong , Zong Gang , Wang Dongdong
Published: October 2018

Uncertainty results in misestimate of the shear resistance of unreinforced masonry walls. The misestimate is difficult to correct using deterministic calculation models even when sophisticated numerical models are used. To address this issue, the authors converted the deterministic calculation models for shear resistance of unreinforced masonry walls into prior Gaussian process models and then collected experimental results to train the prior Gaussian process models. They evaluated the resultant posterior Gaussian process models and found two of them are preferable. The two favorable posterior Gaussian process models can well interpolate the collected experimental results and can predict the shear resistance of the unreinforced masonry walls in the authors’ experiments with full information. The interpolation and predication demonstrate that the posterior Gaussian process models can combine and weight prior engineering judgments and observational information from experimental results and then can quantitatively specify the remaining uncertainty of the estimation. In addition, the Gaussian process models are efficient, favorable for reliability analysis, and easily improvable. Therefore, they are potentially useful in engineering practices.
Golf swing classification with multiple deep convolutional neural networks
Authors: Jiao Libin , Bie Rongfang , Wu Hao , Wei Yu , Ma Jixin , Umek Anton , Kos Anton
Published: October 2018

The use of smart sports equipment and body sensory systems supervising daily sports training is gradually emerging in professional and amateur sports; however, the problem of processing large amounts of data from sensors used in sport and discovering constructive knowledge is a novel topic and the focus of our research. In this article, we investigate golf swing data classification methods based on varieties of representative convolutional neural networks (deep convolutional neural networks) which are fed with swing data from embedded multi-sensors, to group the multi-channel golf swing data labeled by hybrid categories from different golf players and swing shapes. In particular, four convolutional neural classifiers are customized: “GolfVanillaCNN” with the convolutional layers, “GolfVGG” with the stacked convolutional layers, “GolfInception” with the multi-scale convolutional layers, and “GolfResNet” with the residual learning. Testing on the real-world swing dataset sampled from the system integrating two strain gage sensors, three-axis accelerometer, and three-axis gyroscope, we explore the accuracy and performance of our convolutional neural network–based classifiers from two perspectives: classification implementations and sensor combinations. Besides, we further evaluate the performance of these four classifiers in terms of classification accuracy, precision–recall curves, and F1 scores. These common classification indicators illustrate that our convolutional neural network–based classifiers can basically group the golf swing predefined by the combination of shapes and golf players correctly and outperform support vector machine method representing traditional classification methods.
Wear behaviour of grey cast iron with the presence of copper addition
Authors: Abdou Shaban , Elkaseer Ahmed , Kouta Hanan , Abu Qudeiri Jaber
Published: October 2018

This article presents an experimental study to investigate wear resistance of grey cast iron samples with different additions of copper from 0.00 to 3.15 wt%. A pin-on-disc apparatus was designed and built to conduct the experimental trials and assess the influence of wear time, rotational speed and normal load on wear behaviour. Experiments on wear time were from 5 to 20 min, rotational speed from 90 to 1400 r/min and applied pressure from 2.0 to 8.0 MPa, all in dry conditions. Results showed that morphology and microstructure are important parameters in relation to the wear regime exhibited by the material. It is confirmed that wear losses increased with increase in wear time, rotational speed and applied pressure. Also, it is clearly seen that adding copper to the cast iron changed the ferrite matrix into a pearlite matrix. This led to a significant improvement in the mechanical properties, especially wear resistance, with slight increase in the hardness. Generally, wear losses were quantified for cast iron with added copper; an increase in copper from 0.00 to 3.15 wt% reduced the material loss by about 30%.
‘Let’s talk about it’: Why social class matters to restorative justice
Authors: Willis Roxana
Published: October 2018

Communication is universal to human beings, regardless of gender, ethnicity, class, sexuality, disability and so forth. But though communication is a shared capacity, individuals and groups communicate in diverse ways. This study investigates how specifically social class influences participation in scripted restorative justice by affecting how participants communicate. Data from an ethnographic study indicate that restorative justice implementation is not class-neutral because it appears to privilege middle-class forms of communication, and participants from middle-class backgrounds may therefore be more powerfully positioned in restorative justice processes than participants from less advantaged backgrounds. To show this, a comparative methodology is adopted, which involves ethnographic observation and critical discussion of two contrasting restorative justice conferences. The implications of class-based linguistic disadvantage for restorative justice theory are subsequently discussed. The author recommends that restorative justice commits itself to an equality of opportunity which allows stakeholders to participate fully irrespective of their class background.
Durvalumab in NSCLC: latest evidence and clinical potential
Authors: Muñoz-Unceta Nerea , Burgueño Isabel , Jiménez Elizabeth , Paz-Ares Luis
Published: October 2018

Advances in immunotherapy have led to radical improvements in outcomes, including overall survival, such as in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with metastatic disease treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. More recently, promising results have been obtained in earlier disease settings, and combinations with other therapies are being actively investigated. Durvalumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against the programmed death ligand 1, has demonstrated significant activity in NSCLC, including increased progression-free survival rates after chemoradiation for unresectable stage III disease, with a favourable safety profile. Clinical trials, including phase III studies, are ongoing as monotherapy and in combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other immunotherapies, such as the anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 drug tremelimumab, in diverse stages of the disease.
Comparison of Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 Symptom Scores in Rhinogenic and Odontogenic Sinusitis
Authors: Simuntis Regimantas , Vaitkus Justinas , Kubilius Ričardas , Padervinskis Evaldas , Tušas Paulius , Leketas Marijus , Šiupšinskienė Nora , Vaitkus Saulius
Published: October 2018

Background

Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OMS) and rhinogenic sinusitis (RS) are the main types of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) and have a significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQL), but the difference in HRQL and symptom presentation between them has not been specifically evaluated to date. Obejctive: Our aim was to compare patterns of symptoms and HRQL disease-specific domains in patients affected with these 2 types of CRS.

Methods

A group of 201 patients with CRS (99 with rhinogenic and 102 with odontogenic origin) completed the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test 22 (SNOT-22) questionnaire before treatment. Data sets were analyzed by using principal component analysis (PCA) to identify a set of symptom components together with the items excluded from PCA, which were then analyzed for differences between patients with OMS and RS.

Results

PCA of SNOT-22 items identified 5 components: “rhinologic,” “extranasal rhinologic,” “ear/facial,” “sleep and functional disturbance,” and “emotional disturbance.” Sneezing was excluded from PCA and treated as separate outcome variable and was significantly worse in RS patients. Patients with OMS scored significantly higher scores with regard to emotional disturbance, while RS patients scored significantly worse in sleep and functional disturbance. The extra symptom “malodor” was the most different symptom and was significantly worse in OMS patients. The total SNOT-22 score was not significantly different between the groups.

Conclusion

With controlling of covariates that may influence the severity of the disease, this study showed some significant differences in symptom patterns and HRQL impairment between patients with OMS and RS. Malodor is the most characteristic feature of OMS. Therefore, OMS should always be suspected in patients complaining of bad breath.
Imaging findings in spinal sarcoidosis: a report of 18 cases and review of the current literature
Authors: Soni Neetu , Bathla Girish , Pillenahalli Maheshwarappa Ravishankar
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Spinal sarcoidosis, referring to involvement of the spine in sarcoidosis, is relatively rare and may mimic other neurological disease affecting the spine. The authors present a clinic radiological review of 18 spinal sarcoidosis patients who presented to a tertiary hospital, with emphasis on initial imaging and radiological response to treatment.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed our departmental imaging archives over a 15-year period and found 49 cases of neurosarcoidosis out of which 18 patients had spinal magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Approximately 72% (13/18) of the neurosarcoidosis patients showed some form of spinal involvement. The clinical, epidemiological and imaging data were reviewed for these 13 patients at presentation and follow-up. The findings on magnetic resonance imaging included leptomeningeal enhancement (61%), pachymeningeal (23%), intramedullary enhancing lesions (38%) and bony involvement (15%). The cervical segment was most frequently involved followed by the thoracic segment. Involvement was often long segment (4.2 spinal segments) with proclivity for the dorsal cord. Mean follow-up was 23.2 months. A complete or near-complete radiological response occurred in 66% while partial response was seen in 25% patients. Four patients had isolated central nervous system involvement including one with isolated spinal cord involvement. On diffusion-weighted imaging, the apparent diffusion coefficient of intramedullary lesions was increased compared to normal-appearing cord on baseline and subsequent follow-up scans.

Conclusions

Spinal sarcoidosis was previously considered uncommon but is being increasingly recognized with widespread use of magnetic resonance imaging. Proclivity for dorsal surface involvement is characteristic, although not necessarily pathognomonic. Also, quantitative diffusion studies may serve as a biomarker for the disease activity and parenchymal injury.
Vibrational spectroscopic analysis of hydroxyapatite in HYP mice and individuals with X-linked hypophosphatemia
Authors: Amenta Eva , King Helen E. , Petermann Holger , Uskoković Vuk , Tommasini Steven M. , Macica Carolyn M.
Published: October 2018

Background:

X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common form of familial phosphate-wasting disorders, due to an inactivating mutation in the phosphate-regulating neutral endopeptidase, X-linked gene. Persistent osteomalacia, enthesophytes, osteophytes, degenerative arthritis and dental abscesses/periodontal disease dominate the adult disorder. However, the impact of insufficient phosphate on hydroxyapatite composition, the major inorganic component of bone and teeth, is unknown in individuals with XLH.

Methods:

Using Raman spectroscopy, the carbonate (CO32−) to phosphate (PO43−) ion ratio was measured in HYP and wild-type mice and in primary and permanent teeth from XLH individuals and unaffected controls.

Results:

There was a significant difference in carbonate ion substitution between the HYP and wild-type femoral cortical bone (0.36 ± 0.08 versus 0.24 ± 0.04; p < 0.001). Carbonate ion substitution levels were also higher in permanent XLH teeth compared with unaffected individuals (0.39 ± 0.12 versus 0.23 ± 0.04; p < 0.001), but not in primary teeth (0.29 ± 0.11 versus 0.26 ± 0.02; p = 0.29). Complementary Fourier transform infrared analyses demonstrated higher relative intensities of the four major vibrational bands originating from the carbonate anion in XLH teeth compared with unaffected controls.

Conclusion:

Ionic substitution within the crystal lattice is a common feature of hydroxyapatite and one that confers the physiological properties of bone that impact mechanical strength and the process of bone remodeling. Our data demonstrating anionic substitution in human dentin from individuals with XLH validate the use of dentin as a proxy for bone and to better understand the molecular adaptations that occur in the biochemical milieu of XLH.
Safety assessment of concurrent statin treatment and evaluation of drug interactions in China
Authors: Yan Ming-Ming , Wu Shu-Shan , Ying Yin-Qing , Lu Nan , Zhong Ming-Kang
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

Acute muscle injury and potentially fatal rhabdomyolysis may occur with the use of statins and certain enzyme inhibitors, but data on this topic from China are quite limited. This study aimed to measure the concomitant exposure of patients to different statins and their enzyme inhibitors or interacting medications in 76 hospitals in six Chinese cities.

Methods:

Prescription database was retrieved from Hospital Prescription Analysis Cooperation Project from January 2015 to December 2015, covering 76 tertiary facilities in six cities in China. Every evidence-based enzyme inhibitor was included, and labeled enzyme inhibitors and other relevant information were identified and obtained using the Drug Safety Update from the UK Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. The proportions of different statin types among all patients and those co-medicated with their inhibitors were examined.

Results:

A total of 296,765 patients exposed to statins were included in this study. 80% of patients (n = 144,863, 80.5%) were concomitantly prescribed a CYP3A4-metabolized statin with an interacting drug during the study period. Among those prescribed a non-CYP3A4-metabolized statin, 40.0% of patients were concomitantly given an interacting drug, and approximately 20% of patients were concomitantly given a labeled inhibitor, predominantly calcium channel blockers, other statins, and fibrates. Rates of co-prescription were higher in patients aged over 65 years and in patients taking high-dose statins.

Conclusion:

Statins were frequently co-prescribed with metabolic inhibitors in China, where drug safety strategy on highlighting warnings and contraindications of statins are still lacking. For high-dose statins patients who are over 65 years and co-administered with any metabolic inhibitors, prescribers and pharmacists should be more concerned in order to prevent adverse drug reactions.
On imputing UNHCR data
Authors: Marbach Moritz
Published: October 2018

Dyadic data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the size of the global refugee population are widely used. However, for a large fraction of the refugee population, these data provide no information about refugees’ country of origin, which contributes to a high nominal rate of unreported values in the data. In this article, I demonstrate that two imputation approaches outperform the current standard approach, which assumes that all unreported values are zero. The first approach interpolates the unreported values, while the second predicts them based on trends observed in other dyads. Drawing on different types of information, the two approaches’ performance is similar. Replicating a published study on the effect of refugee crises on international war and peace, I demonstrate how both approaches strengthen the author’s findings and help to minimize the risk of a null finding.
Centre of pressure during quiet stance and dual-task one month after mild traumatic brain injury: In adolescents
Authors: Walters-Stewart Coren , Rochefort Coralie , Longtin Andre , Zemek Roger , Sveistrup Heidi
Published: October 2018

Background

Mild traumatic brain injury is a common neurological condition affecting adolescents in North America. In adults, symptoms related to balance are some of the most commonly reported.

Methods

The purpose of this study was to investigate the balance in adolescents with mild traumatic brain injury using linear and non-linear centre of pressure (COP) measures in quiet stance and during dual-task. Adolescents aged 13.00 to 17.99 years were tested once at one month following mild traumatic brain injury (n = 25), and healthy adolescents (n = 22) were tested once as controls in four conditions: standing with eyes open, standing with eyes closed, standing on a single leg and standing while performing a visual Stroop task.

Results

In general, compared to healthy adolescents, adolescents with mild traumatic brain injury demonstrated more variability ( p = 0.007, 95% CI (0.9, 5.4) and p = 0.049, 95% CI (0.009, 4.0), mediolateral and anteroposterior, respectively), showed more cumulative movement (path length, p = 0.016, 95% CI (1.3, 11.9)) and required greater speed of movement ( p = 0.012, 95% CI (0.99, 7.4) and p = 0.035, 95% CI (0.28, 7.5), mediolateral and anteroposterior, respectively) in maintaining balance, and in underlying temporal organization showed less local stability (mediolateral largest Lyapunov, p = 0.033, 95% CI (0.001, 0.027)), more short-term complexity anteroposteriorly ( p = 0.029, 95% CI (0.005, 0.099)) and less long-term complexity mediolaterally ( p = 0.001, 95% CI (0.015, 0.056)). Condition differences are additionally presented.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that, for adolescents with mild traumatic brain injury, when maintaining balance visual input is relied on differently, the effectiveness of control may be an issue during dual-task, and consequently, the challenge of dual-task may be on par with single leg stance.
Stigmatization of War Veterans with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Stereotyping and Social Distance Findings
Authors: Hipes Crosby , Gemoets Darren
Published: October 2018

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects a significant portion of the US population, but there remains limited information on public responses to affected individuals. Diagnosed mental illnesses can lead to negative stereotyping by the public, who can then socially exclude or otherwise discriminate. This paper presents results of an experiment (N = 830) that assessed the extent to which workers with PTSD labels—either resulting from an auto accident or wartime military service—evoked negative stereotypes in a workplace scenario and social distance from study participants. Results demonstrated that PTSD from wartime service evoked perceptions of dangerousness and incompetence (similar to other severe mental illness conditions) but did not evoke worse perceptions of assertiveness (a requisite managerial trait). The condition also led to levels of social exclusion similar to some other mental health labels. These findings provide insight into the context of stereotyping and social distance for PTSD relative to other conditions.
Dentinal Microcrack Formation During Root Canal Treatment with Mtwo Instruments and MicroSeal Filling Technique
Authors: Carlesi Teocrito , Nigro Giuseppe , Giacomo Luigi Di , Plotino Gianluca , Malagnino Vito Antonio
Published: October 2018

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate dentinal microcrack formation during root canal treatment using Mtwo NiTi rotary instruments and MicroSeal filling technique.

Materials and Methods:

Forty-five single-rooted teeth were selected for the present study and divided into 3 different groups ( n = 15): Group 1, in which root canals were instrumented with Mtwo rotary files; Group 2, in which root canals were instrumented with Mtwo rotary files and filled using the MicroSeal technique; and Group 3, that acts as a control group in which no instrumentation nor obturation were performed. Then, roots were sectioned 3 mm, 6 mm, and 9 mm from the apex and the cut surface has been observed under a stereomicroscope to check for the presence or absence of dentinal microcracks. Number of dentinal microcracks was registered for each group at different levels and data were statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test with a level of significance set at P < .05.

Results:

No statistically significant differences were registered among groups ( P < .05). No microcracks were detected in Groups 1 and 3, while two dentinal microcracks were registered in Group 2.

Conclusions:

Mtwo rotary instruments and the MicroSeal root canal filling technique did not significantly induce dentinal microcrack formation.
Job dissatisfaction and migration: evidence from Tajikistan
Authors: Abdulloev Ilhom
Published: October 2018

Having a family member migrant reduces not only the labor force participation but also the job satisfaction of those left behind. Migrants’ relatives build their expectations on earnings from migration through received information on the wage distribution in the destination country either from the size of remittances or directly from migrants. If their expected earnings from migration greatly exceed their current wages in the source country, migrant relatives become more dissatisfied with their jobs. Using a simple economic model of job satisfaction and applying both parametric and semiparametric estimations to Tajikistan’s data, as well as with controlling for an endogeneity issue with the variable of interest, we estimate the significantly positive effect of the difference of the expected outside country earnings and current earnings of migrants’ relatives on their job dissatisfaction. A larger gap between what an individual could earn in the migration destination country and what she receives now at her current job in the source country makes that individual unhappier.
A review of Karl Maton, Susan Hood & Suellen Shay (eds.), Knowledge Building: Educational Studies in Legitimation Code Theory, Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2016. xvii + 264 pp., US$160.00 (hbk)
Authors: Liu Yan , Yu Hui
Published: October 2018

As educational linguistic researchers, we seek to explore the relations between language, society, knowledge and education. This current volume appeals to us since its efforts coincide with our research interest. It addresses two weaknesses commonly found in research into education and society: knowledge blindness and segmentalism. Part I demonstrates reflexively how LCT as an explanatory framework could be applied to overcome segmentalism. Part II applies LCT to six studies through uncovering the underlying principles of knowledge practice. Part III includes an architectural glossary. We conclude by discussing the strengths and insufficiencies of the volume. Despite the insufficiencies, this volume will prove to be a lasting inspiration for readers of different fields.