bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patient‐Specific 3‐Dimensional–Bioprinted Model for In Vitro Analysis and Treatment Planning of Pulmonary Artery Atresia in Tetralogy of Fallot and Major Aortopulmonary Collateral Arteries
Authors: Tomov Martin L. , Cetnar Alexander , Do Katherine , Bauser‐Heaton Holly , Serpooshan Vahid
Published: December 2019

Background

Tetralogy of Fallot with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries is a heterogeneous form of pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis that requires multiple forms of intervention. We present a patient‐specific in vitro platform capable of sustained flow that can be used to train proceduralists and surgical teams in current interventions, as well as in developing novel therapeutic approaches to treat various vascular anomalies. Our objective is to develop an in vitro model of PA stenosis based on patient data that can be used as an in vitro phantom to model cardiovascular disease and explore potential interventions.

Methods and Results

From patient‐specific scans obtained via computer tomography or 3‐dimensional (3D) rotational angiography, we generated digital 3D models of the arteries. Subsequently, in vitro models of tetralogy of Fallot with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries were first 3D printed using biocompatible resins and next bioprinted using gelatin methacrylate hydrogel to simulate neonatal vasculature or second‐order branches of an older patient with tetralogy of Fallot with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries. Printed models were used to study creation of extraluminal connection between an atretic PA and a major aortopulmonary collateral artery using a catheter‐based interventional method. Following the recanalization, engineered
PA
constructs were perfused and flow was visualized using contrast agents and x‐ray angiography. Further, computational fluid dynamics modeling was used to analyze flow in the recanalized model.

Conclusions

New 3D‐printed and computational fluid dynamics models for vascular atresia were successfully created. We demonstrated the unique capability of a printed model to develop a novel technique for establishing blood flow in atretic vessels using clinical imaging, together with 3D bioprinting–based tissue engineering techniques. Additive biomanufacturing technologies can enable fabrication of functional vascular phantoms to model PA stenosis conditions that can help develop novel clinical applications.
Differences in Admission Blood Pressure Among Causes of Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Lin Jessica , Piran Pirouz , Lerario Mackenzie P. , Ong Hanley , Gupta Ajay , Murthy Santosh B. , Díaz Iván , Stieg Philip E. , Knopman Jared , Falcone Guido J. , Sheth Kevin N. , Fink Matthew E. , Merkler Alexander E. , Kamel Hooman
Published: December 2019

Background and Purpose—

It is unknown whether admission systolic blood pressure (SBP) differs among causes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We sought to elucidate an association between admission BP and ICH cause.

Methods—

We compared admission SBP across ICH causes among patients in the Cornell Acute Stroke Academic Registry, which includes all adults with ICH at our center from 2011 through 2017. Trained analysts prospectively collected demographics, comorbidities, and admission SBP, defined as the first recorded value in the emergency department or on transfer from another hospital. ICH cause was adjudicated by a panel of neurologists using the SMASH-U criteria. We used ANOVA to compare mean admission SBP among ICH causes. We used multiple linear regression to adjust for age, sex, race, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and hematoma size. In secondary analyses, we compared hourly SBP measurements during the first 72 hours after admission, using mixed-effects linear models adjusted for the covariates above plus antihypertensive agents.

Results—

Among 484 patients with ICH, admission SBP varied significantly across ICH causes, ranging from 138 (±24) mm Hg in those with structural vascular lesions to 167 (±35) mm Hg in those with hypertensive ICH (
P
<0.001). The mean admission SBP in hypertensive ICH was 17 (95% CI, 11–24) mm Hg higher than in ICH of all other causes combined. These differences remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, race, Glasgow Coma Scale score, and hematoma size (
P
<0.001), and this persisted throughout the first 72 hours of hospitalization (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

In a single-center ICH registry, SBP varied significantly among ICH causes, both on admission and during hospitalization. Our results suggest that BP in the acute post-ICH setting is at least partly associated with ICH cause rather than simply representing a physiological reaction to the ICH itself.
Using Action-congruent Language Facilitates the Motor Response during Action Observation: A Combined Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation and Eye-tracking Study
Authors: Franklin Zoë Claire , Wright David James , Holmes Paul Stewart
Published: December 2019

There is evidence that action observation (AO) and the processing of action-related words are associated with increased activity in cortical motor regions. Research has examined the effects of AO and action verb processing on activity in the motor system independently. The aim of this experiment was to investigate, for the first time, the modulation of corticospinal excitability and visual attention during the concurrent processing of action verbs and AO stimuli. Twenty participants took part in an integrated transcranial magnetic stimulation and eye-tracking protocol. Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was delivered to the hand representation of the left motor cortex during (i) observation of a static hand, (ii) AO of a hand squeezing a sponge, (iii) AO of the same action with an audio recording of the word “squeeze,” and (iv) AO of the same action with an audio recording of the word “green”. Motor evoked potentials were recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis and abductor digiti minimi muscles of the right hand. Eye gaze was recorded throughout the four conditions as a proxy for visual attention. Interviews were conducted to discuss participants' preferences and imagery use for each condition. The AO and action verb condition resulted in significantly increased motor evoked potential amplitudes in the abductor pollicis brevis muscle; participants also made significantly more fixations on the sponge and reported wanting to move their hand more in the action verb condition. The inclusion of auditory action verbs, alongside AO stimuli, in movement simulation interventions could have implications for the delivery of AO interventions for motor (re)learning.
Magnetic resonance imaging of dilated cardiomyopathy: prognostic benefit of identifying late gadolinium enhancement in Asian patients
Authors: Infante AN , Koo CCY , Yip A , Lim YH , Yeo WT , Quek ST , Lim TW , Seow SC , Chai P , Ong CC , Teo L , Singh D , Kojodjojo P
Published: December 2019

INTRODUCTION Risk stratification in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is imprecise, relying largely on echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and severity of heart failure symptoms. Adverse cardiovascular events are increased by the presence of myocardial scarring. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is the gold standard for identifying myocardial scars. We examined the association between LGE on CMR imaging and adverse clinical outcomes during long-term follow-up of Asian patients with DCM. METHODS Consecutive patients with DCM undergoing CMR imaging at a single Asian academic medical centre between 2005 and 2015 were recruited. Clinical outcomes were tracked using comprehensive electronic medical records and mortality was determined by cross-linkages with national registries. Presence and distribution of LGE on CMR imaging were determined by investigators blinded to patient outcomes. Primary endpoint was a composite of heart failure hospitalisations, appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks and cardiovascular mortality. RESULTS Of 86 patients, 64.0% had LGE (80.2% male; mean LVEF 30.1% ± 12.7%). Mid-wall fibrosis (71.7%) was the most common pattern of LGE distribution. Over a mean follow-up period of 4.9 ± 3.2 years, 19 (34.5%) patients with LGE reached the composite endpoint compared to 4 (12.9%) patients without LGE (p = 0.01). Presence of LGE, but not echocardiographic LVEF, independently predicted the primary endpoint (hazard ratio 4.15 [95% confidence interval 1.28–13.50]; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION LGE presence independently predicted adverse clinical events in Asian patients with DCM. Routine use of CMR imaging to characterise the myocardial substrate is recommended for enhanced risk stratification and should strongly influence clinical management.
The water flea Daphnia pulex (Cladocera, Daphniidae), a possible model organism to evaluate aspects of freshwater ecosystems
Authors: Norambuena Juan-Alejandro , Farías Jorge , De los Ríos Patricio
Published: December 2019

Daphnia pulex is a freshwater planktonic crustacean, allegedly a cosmopolitan species, which is found in lentic ecosystems. The aim of this study was to conduct a literature review of D. pulex related to its life history and genetic variability, in order to mark a route for future studies. We noted that D. pulex is a model species on which ecological studies have been carried out, as well as molecular studies, in which its molecular diversity has been characterized and such in specimens from different environments: both pristine and under human influence. In particular those studies are highlighted, in which molecular tools have been used to construct phylogenetic trees for study intraspecific differences. Also, in some of these molecular studies, analyses of genetic, inter- and intraspecific diversity have been performed. In addition, analyses of protein expression in D. pulex and related species seem promising in evaluating the detailed role of this species.
The Parable of God
Authors: Cox Kendall
Published: December 2019

In the middle of his account of justification and sanctification, Karl Barth turns to Luke 15:11–32, the Parable of the Lost or Prodigal Son. Interpreting it in the context of the whole Gospel, he draws an apparently unprecedented association between Jesus Christ and the younger son, who goes into the far country and squanders his existence. This provocative christological reading arises from a profoundly intertextual imagination, and its coherence emerges as it is aligned along the referential correlates Barth evokes. In his comprehensive theological retelling, this paradigmatic tale of grace becomes the parable not only of reconciliation, but also of election, and finally of God.
Are Croatian Courts Prepared for the Interpretive Obligation?
Authors: Ivančan Antonija , Petrić Davor
Published: December 2019

This article discusses compliance with the interpretive obligation by Croatian courts five years into Croatia’s membership in the EU. Our aim is to analyze whether Croatian courts have (and, if so, to what extent) accepted this obligation. We will first review the Croatian courts’ record of compliance with the interpretive obligation during the pre-accession period, and revisit some of the existing findings. In the second part, we turn to analysis of the Croatian courts’ record of compliance with the interpretive obligation following accession. Some of the key findings are: higher national courts have accepted that the EU interpretive obligation binds all national courts; lower national courts have fully embraced this obligation; the Constitutional Court struggles with adopting a clear position on the interpretive obligation. We conclude by observing whether EU membership has contributed to the transformation of legal culture and the relationship between different judicial instances in Croatia.
Subject licensing in non-verbal clauses in Arabic
Authors: Al-Balushi Rashid
Published: December 2019

This paper investigates the licensing of subjects in Standard Arabic participial clauses. Unlike verbal clauses, whose subject may appear post-verbally, the subject of participial clauses must precede the participle, having properties of topics of verbal clauses. I claim that this is because the canonical subject position, [Spec, vP], is not available for subjects of participles, due to lack of Nom Case. It is shown that neither tense nor a copula is sufficient to license structural Nom Case on a subject in [Spec, vP]. I conclude that the licensing of Nom Case on post-verbal subjects is dependent on V-to-T raising; that is, Nom Case is licensed by the T-V complex. The present account has implications for the nature of pre-verbal subjects in Arabic as well as for the categorial status of copular elements like kāna.
The complex link between length and lowering
Authors: Faust Noam
Published: December 2019

In both Palestinian Arabic and Qaraqosh Neo-Aramaic, high vowels lower and lengthen in the _C# position. This paper analyzes this phenomenon in the framework of Government Phonology (Kaye et al. 1990) and Strict CV (Lowenstamm 1996, Scheer 2004). It is claimed that in both languages, phonological considerations require additional length to be realized in this position (under certain conditions). However, this length cannot be realized through vowel lengthening, and so an element A is inserted. The fusion of the high vowel with A produces the lowered quality. Lengthening and lowering are therefore related, possibly because lowered high vowels are more complex than high vowels.
Santa Maria della Purificazione: the First Capuchin Church in the Black Sea Region
Authors: de Obaldía Vanessa R.
Published: December 2019

Santa Maria della Purificazione was the first Latin Catholic church built by the Friars Minor Capuchin in the Black Sea region during the post-Tanzimat period. It was an example of the order settlement after it sought refuge in the region due to its expulsion from Russian Georgia, where it was based since the mid-seventeenth century. Furthermore, this study analyzes the history of Capuchins at the time of their arrival in Trabzon in 1845, with the establishment of their church, friary, school, and cemetery, the latter intended to meet the needs of the local and foreign Latin Catholic residents of the city. The topic is also historically dealt with in terms of demography and urban planning. All these aspects are examined in the wider context of the legal impact of the Tanzimat on church building.
Import of Electronic Waste into Nigeria: the Imperative of a Regulatory Policy Shift
Authors: Amechi Emeka P , Oni Babatunde A
Published: December 2019

This article explores the regulation of transboundary movement of e-waste into Nigeria. The country has had an unsavoury history with the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes, and this has likely influenced its strict legislative response to such imports, including the decision to ban the transboundary movement of e-waste. However, the effectiveness of the ban is doubtful, as the importation of non-functional electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) or near-end-of-life EEE (which is classified as e-waste in Nigeria), is still thriving. The failure of the ban in curbing the transboundary movement of e-waste into Nigeria obliges policy makers to come up with new and innovative means to address this issue. It posits that the ban does not show an appreciation of the socio-economic realities and the generally weak regulatory climate in the country. The article thus argues for a shift in policy from outright ban of e-waste imports into Nigeria to more effective regulation and sustainable management.
Prioritizing Access of Renewable Energy to the Grid in China: Regulatory Mechanisms and Challenges for Implementation
Authors: Zhang Hao
Published: December 2019

Following decades of fast growth in China’s power sector, underpinned by considerable investment in coal-fired generation, in recent years there has been a decisive move towards increasing energy supply that is climate and environmentally friendly. In order to meet this policy agenda, a number of regulatory mechanisms have been established to support and further the implementation of China’s Renewable Energy Law. A key feature of these regulatory developments has been increased regulation and enforcement of the obligation to ensure priority access of renewable energy to the power grid and full purchase of renewable energy generation. In practice, however, utilising electricity generation from renewable sources has been significantly curtailed. This article analyses whether the law and policy frameworks provide sufficient support and protection to ensure priority access of renewable energy in China. By considering relevant Chinese law cases, this article also provides insights into the judicial and regulatory practices in relation to curtailment disputes, particularly the limited transparency of the mediation process and the challenges faced by renewable energy generators in bringing cases to court.
Undersea Noise Pollution and Harm: Source, Impacts and International Legal Control
Authors: Solangi Habib-ur-Rehman
Published: December 2019

Undersea noise is now being recognised as a major pollution problem on a global scale. Human activities, such as mercantile shipping, military activities and the exploration and exploitation of undersea minerals, have considerably increased undersea noise in the oceans in the last 50 years. Undersea noise causes stress in marine animals, increases risk of mortality by unbalancing predator-prey interactions and interferes with sound-based navigation and communication of marine animals. In the absence of appropriate regulation, undersea noise pollution and its implications for the marine environment will increase in the future. This article examines the international legal instruments of relevance to undersea noise pollution and investigates whether these instruments can sufficiently regulate undersea noise pollution. It is argued that they are currently inadequate. The article proposes a list of elements that might be used as a basis for an additional international legal regime on the prevention and control of undersea noise pollution, taking into account the recent focus by the UN General Assembly and other bodies on this issue.
The Waning Sword
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

The image of a giant sword melting stands at the structural and thematic heart of the Old English heroic poem Beowulf. This meticulously researched book investigates the nature and significance of this golden-hilted weapon and its likely relatives within Beowulf and beyond, drawing on the fields of Old English and Old Norse language and literature, liturgy, archaeology, astronomy, folklore and comparative mythology.

In Part I, Pettit explores the complex of connotations surrounding this image (from icicles to candles and crosses) by examining a range of medieval sources, and argues that the giant sword may function as a visual motif in which pre-Christian Germanic concepts and prominent Christian symbols coalesce.

In Part II, Pettit investigates the broader Germanic background to this image, especially in relation to the god Ing/Yngvi-Freyr, and explores the capacity of myths to recur and endure across time. Drawing on an eclectic range of narrative and linguistic evidence from Northern European texts, and on archaeological discoveries, Pettit suggests that the image of the giant sword, and the characters and events associated with it, may reflect an elemental struggle between the sun and the moon, articulated through an underlying myth about the theft and repossession of sunlight.

The Waning Sword: Conversion Imagery and Celestial Myth in 'Beowulf' is a welcome contribution to the overlapping fields of Beowulf-scholarship, Old Norse-Icelandic literature and Germanic philology. Not only does it present a wealth of new readings that shed light on the craft of the Beowulf-poet and inform our understanding of the poem’s major episodes and themes; it further highlights the merits of adopting an interdisciplinary approach alongside a comparative vantage point. As such, The Waning Sword will be compelling reading for Beowulf-scholars and for a wider audience of medievalists.
12. Another Tale of Two Creatures
Authors: Pettit Edward
Published: December 2019

Chapter 12 aims to provide further evidence for the treatment of this basic mythic theme in Old English poetry by venturing a related interpretation of the obscure metrical charm ‘Against a Dwarf’. Petitt argues that the incantatory section of this text describes the arrival of a sun-deity or solar emissary to reclaim a radiant draught-horse, which by night had taken the form of (or been possessed by) a lunar dwarf and concealed itself (or been hidden) inside the skull of a human, who consequently suffered a convulsive fever. The sun-god or a solar emissary harnessed this errant dwarf-horse, which may also have had a cervine aspect, to his chariot and then journeyed into the sky, perhaps over the cooling sea, with the result that the patient’s fever cooled. Again, the argument is bolstered by parallels in Old English and Old Norse literature. Especially noteworthy for the appreciation of Beowulf may be correspondences between the dwarf’s invasion and occupation of a human’s head and Grendel’s invasion and occupation of Heorot, which caused Hroðgar mental suffering.
Development and Validation of the Volitional Components Inventory for Drug Rehabilitation
Authors: Liu Chang-Jiang
Published: December 2019

Long-term recovery from drug abuse is a volitional process. Until now, no measure has been available for assessment of executive functioning capacity in this process. This study aims to identify a volitional process for drug addiction rehabilitation and to develop the Volitional Components Inventory for Drug Rehabilitation (VCI-DR). An item pool was constructed, based on theory construction, individual- and group-focused interviews, and expert feedback. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggested a structure with five factors: motivation control, impulse control, arousal control, self-discipline, and action management. The VCI-DR displayed promising convergent and discriminant validity with theoretically predicted criterion variables (sense of control, indecisiveness, impulsiveness, motivation of drug addiction rehabilitation, and emotion regulation). In addition, results showed good test–retest reliability, with excellent internal consistencies. Taken together, this research offers promising support for the VCI-DR, potentially advancing both basic and applied addiction research.
The Governments of the Workers’ Party: Capitalist Development Pattern and Macroeconomic Policy Regimes
Authors: Filgueiras Luiz
Published: December 2019

From the point of view of their capitalist development pattern, the governments of Fernando Collor de Mello, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and Michel Temer, on the one hand, and Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, on the other, were similar: the former were actively promoting that pattern and the latter accepting it as irreversible, the limit of the possible, and adapting to it. They differed, however, in the macroeconomic policy regimes they adopted. The development pattern of the Workers’ Party governments may be described as the peripheral-liberal pattern, the form assumed by neoliberalism in Brazil.

Do ponto de vista de seu padrão de desenvolvimento capitalista, os governos de Fernando Collor de Mello, Fernando Henrique Cardoso e Michel Temer, por um lado, e Lula da Silva e Dilma Rousseff, por outro, se assemelhavam em. Os primeiros promovendo-o ativamente e os segundos aceitando esse padrão como irreversível. Eles diferiram, no entanto, nos regimes de política macroeconômica que adotaram. O padrão de desenvolvimento dos governos do Partido dos Trabalhadores é aqui descrito como o padrão liberal periférico, a forma assumida pelo neoliberalismo no Brasil.
Profitability and Distribution: The Origin of the Brazilian Economic and Political Crisis
Authors: Marquetti Adalmir Antonio , Hoff Cecilia , Miebach Alessandro
Published: December 2019

The PT governments combined elements of developmentalism and neoliberalism in a contradictory construction, organizing a large political coalition of workers and capitalists that allowed expanding the real wage and reducing poverty and inequality while maintaining the gains of productive and financing capitals. The decline of profitability after the 2008 crisis broke the class coalition constructed during Lula’s administration. The Dilma Rousseff government adopted a series of fiscal stimuli for private capital accumulation with meager economic growth. After her reelection, the government implemented an austerity program that resulted in negative growth rates. With the deepening economic crisis and without political support, Rousseff was removed from power.

Os governos do PT combinaram elementos de desenvolvimentismo e neoliberalismo em uma construção contraditória, organizando uma grande coalizão política de trabalhadores e capitalistas que permitiu expandir o salário real e reduzir a pobreza e a desigualdade, mantendo os ganhos dos capitais produtivos e financeiros. O declínio da lucratividade após a crise de 2008 quebrou a coalizão de classes construída durante o governo Lula. O governo Dilma Rousseff adotou uma série de estímulos fiscais para a acumulação de capital privado com escasso crescimento econômico. Após sua reeleição, o governo implementou um programa de austeridade que resultou em taxas de crescimento negativas. Com o aprofundamento da crise econômica e sem apoio político, Dilma foi afastada do poder.
The Hassle of Housework: Digitalisation and the Commodification of Domestic Labour
Authors: Huws Ursula
Published: December 2019

This article revisits materialist second-wave feminist debates about domestic labour in the context of digitalisation. Using a differentiated typology of labour, it looks at how the tasks involved in housework have undergone dramatic changes through commodification, decommodification and recommodification without fundamentally altering the gender division of labour in social reproduction, drawing on recent research on the use of online platforms to deliver social reproductive labour via the market in a context in which reproductive labour sits at the centre of an intense time squeeze. It reflects on the implications of the commodification of domestic labour for feminist strategy. The author points to the inadequacy in this context of traditional feminist strategies—for the socialisation of domestic labour through public services, wages for housework or labour-saving through technological solutions—concluding that new strategies are needed that address the underlying social relations that perpetuate unequal divisions of labour in contemporary capitalism.
Testing the Future: Gender and Technocapitalism in Start-Up India
Authors: Gupta Hemangini
Published: December 2019

In this article I examine how start-up capitalism recalibrates transnational ‘outsourcing’ or the work of so-called ‘cyber coolies’ to instead create labour as a site of innovation and experimental consumption. First, I draw on ethnographic fieldwork in India to theorise digital labour as a form of experimental mediation and temporal work oriented to the future. Second, I show how work is deeply embodied and centres on the racialised and gendered bodies of non-elite workers. Finally, I show how invitations to innovate with work processes encourage workers to cultivate attachments of love and care for the company that ultimately privatise affect and conceal class and labour hierarchies. Tracing employees’ experiences through a period of automation and layoffs, this article argues for an understanding of how precarious feminised work creates the conditions of possibility for postcolonial and transnational technocapitalism to flourish.
Changing Infrastructural Practices: Routine and Reproducibility in Automated Interdisciplinary Bioscience
Authors: Meckin Robert
Published: December 2019

Proponents of engineering and design approaches to biology aim to make interdisciplinary bioscience research faster and more reproducible. This paper outlines and deploys a practice-based approach to analyses of infrastructure that focuses on the routine epistemic activities and charts how two such routines are unsettled and resettled in the background of epistemic culture. This paper describes attempts to bring about new research infrastructures in synthetic biology using robotics and software-enabled design. A focus on the skills of pipetting shows how established manual labor has to be reconfigured to fit with novel robotic automations. An analysis of curating frozen materials shows that automated design presents new problems for the established activities of storing and retrieving biological materials. These movements, while transient, have implications for organizing interdisciplinary collaboration, research productivity, and enabling greater reproducibility. This paper explores the idea of infrastructure as practice and shows how this has important implications for studies of research infrastructures. This article discusses the main contributions of this approach for analysts of infrastructure in terms of movements, temporalities, and ethics and offers suggestions for what the research implies for synthetic biology.
Talk–Action Dynamics: Modalities of aspirational talk
Authors: Christensen Lars Thøger , Morsing Mette , Thyssen Ole
Published: December 2019

This paper investigates talk–action dynamics in the context of organizations, focusing in particular on situations where the talk concerns complex organizational aspirations, that is, situations where the implied action takes considerable effort to unfold and therefore extends into an unknown future. Using corporate social responsibility (CSR) as recurrent exemplar, we address talk–action dynamics in four different modalities of aspirational CSR talk: exploration, formulation, implementation and evaluation. By conceptualizing the precarious relationship between talk and action in each of these modalities, the paper disentangles talk and action, all the while acknowledging that the two are mutually intertwined. Hereby, the paper extends theories of communicative performativity, recovering the perlocutionary dimension and focusing on uptake beyond the moment in which the speech act is uttered.
Exploring an Importance–Performance Analysis approach to evaluate destination image
Authors: Wu Hailong , Jimura Takamitsu
Published: December 2019

This paper aims to explore the effectiveness of an Importance–Performance Analysis approach to assess destination image. It focuses on the image of the UK for Chinese students studying in the country. This is because the destination image of a certain country for a homogenous group, such as Chinese students, has not been studied enough, and this specific market is central for the UK, especially its education and tourism sector. In total, 23 attributes were examined, and each was found in one of the five quadrants. Two attributes related to the environmental aspect of the UK were found in the Competitive Attributes quadrant. These attributes are key strengths of the UK in relation to Chinese students’ images of the country. Three attributes placed in the Keep Up Good Work quadrant are associated with British culture and heritage. This signifies that the UK should keep utilising these resources to improve Chinese students’ images of the nation. Fourteen attributes were identified in the Concentrate Here quadrant. These attributes include essential elements of tourism such as local cuisine and transportation. Their roles are vital in enhancing the image of the UK for Chinese students, but more efforts must be made to this end.
Essex 39: the root causes
Authors: Stephens Kay
Published: December 2019

Following the deaths of thirty-nine Vietnamese nationals, whose bodies were found in the back of a refrigerated lorry container in Essex, UK on 23 October 2019, this article looks at the global conditions and the deadly border regimes that contributed to the deaths. The author, who co-organised a vigil for the ‘Essex 39’, argues that the mainstream response, calling for tougher borders and criminal investigations aimed at prosecuting smugglers and traffickers, does not address the enabling conditions for migrant exploitation, abuse and death.
Predictors of Pain, Function, and Change in Patellofemoral Pain
Authors: Hott Alexandra , Brox Jens Ivar , Pripp Are Hugo , Juel Niels Gunnar , Liavaag Sigurd
Published: December 2019

Background:

Identification of factors predictive of outcome and change is important to improve treatment for patellofemoral pain (PFP). Few studies have examined the predictive value of psychological factors in PFP, although they have been reported to be important predictors in other musculoskeletal pain conditions.

Purpose:

To evaluate predictors of pain, function, and change 1 year after an exercise-based intervention in PFP.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

In sum, 112 patients were recruited to a randomized controlled trial; 98 attended 1-year follow-up. There were no between-group differences in the trial; thus, the material was analyzed as 1 cohort. Nine baseline factors—sex, bilateral pain, worst pain, pain duration, Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS), kinesiophobia, anxiety and depression, self-efficacy, and number of pain sites throughout the body—were investigated for their predictive ability on outcome at 1 year (AKPS, worst pain) and for change at 1 year (global change score, change in AKPS, and change in worst pain). Multivariable linear regression models with stepwise backward removal method were used to find predictors of poor outcome.

Results:

Number of pain sites at baseline was a significant predictor of worse outcome for AKPS ( B = −2.7; 95% CI, –4.0 to −1.3; P < .01), worst pain ( B = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.2-0.8; P < .01), global change ( B = −0.8; 95% CI, –1.2 to −0.5; P < .01), change in AKPS ( B = −2.7; 95% CI, –4.0 to −1.3; P < .01), and change in worst pain ( B = 0.5, 95% CI, 0.2-0.8; P < .01) at 1 year. Baseline scores for AKPS and worst pain predicted respective 1-year levels and change scores ( P < .01). Lower self-efficacy and male sex predicted less global change ( P < .01). Longer pain duration predicted final score and change score for worst pain ( P < .01). The predictive models had reasonable fit with adjusted R2from 0.22 to 0.35.

Conclusion:

Higher number of pain sites throughout the body was a consistent predictor of poor outcome and less change at 1 year. Baseline levels for AKPS and worst pain predicted respective final scores and change scores.

Registration:

NCT02114294 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
Assessing Replicability of Machine Learning Results: An Introduction to Methods on Predictive Accuracy in Social Sciences
Authors: Vijayakumar Ranjith , Cheung Mike W.-L.
Published: December 2019

Machine learning methods have become very popular in diverse fields due to their focus on predictive accuracy, but little work has been conducted on how to assess the replicability of their findings. We introduce and adapt replication methods advocated in psychology to the aims and procedural needs of machine learning research. In Study 1, we illustrate these methods with the use of an empirical data set, assessing the replication success of a predictive accuracy measure, namely, R2 on the cross-validated and test sets of the samples. We introduce three replication aims. First, tests of inconsistency examine whether single replications have successfully rejected the original study. Rejection will be supported if the 95% confidence interval (CI) of R2 difference estimates between replication and original does not contain zero. Second, tests of consistency help support claims of successful replication. We can decide apriori on a region of equivalence, where population values of the difference estimates are considered equivalent for substantive reasons. The 90% CI of a different estimate lying fully within this region supports replication. Third, we show how to combine replications to construct meta-analytic intervals for better precision of predictive accuracy measures. In Study 2, R2 is reduced from the original in a subset of replication studies to examine the ability of the replication procedures to distinguish true replications from nonreplications. We find that when combining studies sampled from same population to form meta-analytic intervals, random-effects methods perform best for cross-validated measures while fixed-effects methods work best for test measures. Among machine learning methods, regression was comparable to many complex methods, while support vector machine performed most reliably across a variety of scenarios. Social scientists who use machine learning to model empirical data can use these methods to enhance the reliability of their findings.
The Impact of Implementing an Advance Practice Pharmacist-Led Anticoagulation Clinic Within a Correctional Facility
Authors: Tran Ngocdung T. , Lin Cindy H. , Do Nguyen N. , Muradian Ibrahim K. , Lu Quyen D. , Henderson Sean O.
Published: December 2019

Maintaining warfarin in the therapeutic range is clinically challenging and can be made more complex in the correctional health setting. The care of an inmate population is complicated by its episodic and often brief nature in addition to the frequent lack of consistent care prior to incarceration. As part of a process improvement effort, a descriptive study was conducted on a unique pharmacist-led anticoagulation clinic that was initiated in the Los Angeles County jail. The advanced practice pharmacist (APP) used a Collaborative Practice Agreement and had access to a physician supervisor when necessary. The patients who arrived to the jail on warfarin had their doses adjusted by the APP according to their respective international normalized ratio (INR). The primary endpoints were percentage of INR readings within therapeutic range (RR) and time in therapeutic range (TTR). Secondary endpoints included bleeding and thrombotic events. A total of 141 patients were followed by the anticoagulation clinic over the initial 8-month period from September 2017 to April 2018. Indications for warfarin included deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus (67%), mechanical valve (17%), atrial fibrillation (8%), and other (8%). The average RR was 74.1% in the 8 months following APP management, which met the definition of good control (>65%). The TTR was 67% which met the definition of good control (>65%). No bleeding or thrombotic events that required hospitalization occurred. Implementation of an APP-led anticoagulation clinic in a correctional health setting resulted in good INR control as defined in community standards.
Material properties identification of a piezoelectric beam using inverse method
Authors: Nematollahi Mohammad Amin , Hasanshahi Behzad , Eftekhari Malihe , Safavi Ali Akbar
Published: December 2019

This paper presents an inverse method for material properties identification of a piezoelectric beam (piezoelectric charge and relative dielectric coefficients) using a wavelet-based neural network as an inverse tool. The identification analysis is carried out by using two approaches. In the first approach, i.e. sensor mode analysis, the input data for wavelet-based neural network training are measured voltages at several specific points on the beam's top surface resulting from the applied beam tip deflection. In the second approach, i.e. actuation mode analysis, the input data are values of the beam tip deflection caused by applying voltage on the beam's top surface. In this study, the input parameters employed to train the wavelet-based neural network are obtained using the finite element method. The identification results are compared with those of some conventional neural networks including radial basis function and multilayer perceptron. The results show that the proposed neural network is an efficient tool in the material properties identification problem.
Stock Returns and Long-range Dependence
Authors: Odonkor Alexander Ayertey , Ababio Emmanuel Nkrumah , Darkwah Emmanuel Amoah- , Andoh Richard
Published: December 2019

This article studies the long memory behaviour of stock returns on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The estimates employed are based on the daily closing prices of seven stocks on the Ghana Stock Exchange. The results of the autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average-fractionally integrated generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARFIMA-FIGARCH) model suggest that the stock returns are characterized by a predictable component; this demonstrates a complete departure from the efficient market hypothesis suggesting that relevant market information was only partially reflected in the changes in stock prices. This pattern of time dependence in stock returns may allow for past information to be used to improve the predictability of future returns.
Disclosure Pattern of Labour Practices and Decent Work and Its Impact on Corporate Financial Performance: Evidence from Asia
Authors: Maji Santi Gopal
Published: December 2019

Productive employment and decent work are the key elements for achieving fair globalization and poverty reduction as indicated in the International Labour Organization (ILO) Decent work agenda. The ILO adopted core labour standards to examine the labour practices all over the world, with the aim of making a balance between procedural justice and social rights. Further, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) framework provides guidelines for reporting labour practices and decent work (LA) performance in the sustainability reporting framework. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the empirical literature by providing information about quantity and quality of disclosure on LA of four Asian countries, namely Japan, South Korea, India and Indonesia, during the period 2009–2017. Using content analysis based on GRI framework, this study finds that Japanese firms disclose more information relating to quantity and quality of LA. On the other hand, firms from Indonesia disclose least information on LA in the annual reports as compared to others. Further, the gap between quantity and quality of LA disclosure is found to be the highest in Indonesia followed by India and South Korea. Regarding the components, our results indicate that firms from Indonesia and India provide less information about the quality aspects of ‘equal remuneration for women and men’ and ‘training and education’. On the other hand, the average quality disclosure on ‘diversity and equal opportunity’ is relatively less for all the four countries. However, our results of quantile regression reveal that the positive impact of LA performance increases as we move from the lower quantile to the upper quantile of corporate financial performance. However, we find insignificant impact of LA on financial performance of firms from Indonesia.
Does the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Respond Asymmetrically to Inflation and Output?
Authors: Bulut Umit
Published: December 2019

This article aims to estimate a forward-looking reaction function for the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) considering possible asymmetries in the reaction function. For this purpose, it uses quarterly data over the period 2006:1–2018:1 and performs the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) cointegration test. The findings obtained from the NARDL test indicate that the CBRT has an asymmetric reaction function and considers increases in inflation and decreases in output while adjusting short-term interest rates. Theoretical and practical implications for these findings are also discussed.

JEL Classification: C22, E52, E58
What Should be the Focus of Agricultural Policy Reforms in Sub-Saharan Africa? A CGE Analysis
Authors: Balié Jean , Narayanan Badri
Published: December 2019

While a lot of research has been conducted on agricultural subsidies and other forms of policy transfers in developed and developing countries alike, substantial data constraints have characterised those conducted in developing countries. For this study, we employ a novel and uniquely developed dataset on these policies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), to analyse the impact of policy reforms, using the latest available GTAP 9.1 Data Base, in the widely employed GTAP framework, for the first time. We simulate the scenarios of removal of output subsidies, removal of ‘market development gaps’ within and outside the country. Our results indicate that removing market development gaps is likely to increase the agricultural output without affecting trade much, while removing the subsidies could harm output a lot by import-substitution of the costly domestic output. We conclude that governments in SSA may do well to focus on developing their markets better rather than cutting the assistance to their farmers, which could in fact be counter-productive instead of raising the efficiency of domestic farmers through competition.

JEL Classification: C68, Q11, Q13, Q17, Q18
What do Future Hospice Patients Expect of Hospice Care: Expectations of Patients in the Palliative Phase Who Might be in Need of Hospice Care in the Future: A Qualitative Exploration
Authors: van Klinken Merel , de Graaf Everlien , Bressers Rick , Koorn Remco , van der Baan Frederieke , Teunissen Saskia
Published: December 2019

Introduction:

Hospice care (HC) in the Netherlands is available for patients with life expectancies <3 months. Little is known about expectations of patients who might be in need of HC. This study aims to gain insight into expectations of patients regarding HC in order to ameliorate HC to become driven by patient needs.

Design:

A generic qualitative study, using semistructured interviews and thematic analysis, is performed in the Netherlands from January to June 2018. A purposeful sample of 13 participants was drawn.

Results:

Participants expected hospice admission only when the burden became unbearable and a home death cannot be reached. Participants expected a homely atmosphere, where one can continue the life lived at home as much as possible. Participants supposed empathic professional caregivers, capable of providing appropriate care. The general practitioner is expected to stay involved in the care process due to the mutual trust. Medical and daily care are required to be provided by competent professionals, where volunteers are expected to provide supportive care. All caregivers are supposed to provide a listening ear and “being there” for participants. Social care and spiritual care are generally projected to be private matters, unless it is requested.

Conclusions:

Patients in the palliative phase who might be in need of HC have specific expectations. Perceptions of HC in the public domain should be nuanced in response to these expectations, and information provision on HC should be improved. Then, expectations could be met to make HC more driven by patient needs and future oriented.