bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Treatment and Chemotherapy of Adult Primary Liver Sarcoma: Experiences from a Single Hospital in China
Authors: Zhou Feng , Huang Han-Zhang , Zhou Meng-Tao , Han Shao-Liang
Published: January 2018

Background: The aim of this study is to improve the preoperative diagnostic accuracy and treatment results by investigating the clinical features and prognosis of primary liver sarcoma (PLS). Methods: Clinical data, surgical treatments, adjuvant chemotherapy, and prognosis of 17 PLS patients whose diseases were pathologically confirmed were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The main clinical symptoms included epigastric pain in 9 patients, epigastric distention in 7, and loss of appetite in 4; these symptoms were detected during the postoperative follow-up for gastric carcinoma in 1. The resection rate was 64.7% (12/17), including R0 resection in 10 patients and R1 resection in 2, and laparotomy with biopsy in 5. Five patients accepted an adjuvant selective hepatic artery infusion chemotherapy (mitomycin C 16–20 mg+ 5-fluorouracil 5.0 g+ epirubicin 40–50 mg), and 4 accepted adjuvant systemic chemotherapy (vincristin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and adriamycin). All 5 patients with simple laparotomy died within 1 year, and the overall 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for all patients were 58.8% (10/17), 29.4% (5/17) and 11.7% (2/17), respectively, whereas those were 100.0% (10/10), 50.0% (5/10), and 20.0% (2/10) for R0 resected patients respectively. Conclusions: The diagnosis of PLS is difficult before operation due to its nonspecific manifestations, and the high survival rate can be achieved by radical resection with adjuvant chemotherapy.
ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ПРАКТИЧНОЇ ПІДГОТОВКИ ФАХІВЦІВ СІМЕЙНОЇ МЕДИЦИНИ НА ДОДИПЛОМНОМУ РІВНІ НАВЧАННЯ
Authors: Babinets L. S. , Botsiuk N. Ye. , Korylchuk N. I. , Borovyk I. O. , Starodub Ye. M. , Vorontsov O. O. , Riabokon S. S. , Mihenko B. O. , Tvorko V. M. , Yasnii O. R.
Published: January 2018

Мета роботи – підвищити ефективність навчання та якість знань студентів шляхом оптимізації практичної підготовки фахівців загальної практики – сімейної медицини на додипломному рівні навчання.Основна частина. У статті наведені сучасні оригінальні технології проведення практичних занять із використанням інтерактивної форми пізнавальної діяльності. З метою активного залучення всіх студентів до навчання, мотивування у кожного відчуття інтелектуальної спроможності, розвитку комунікативних якостей використовувалась парна та групова робота. Серед методів навчання було обрано моделювання клінічних ситуацій, ситуаційний аналіз із вирішенням творчих завдань (використання методу Едварда де Боно) та колективне розв’язання проблеми на завершення.Стаття присвячена проблемі підвищення ефективності підготовки фахівців із загальної практики сімейної медицини на додипломному рівні навчання. Запропоновано впровадити у навчальний процес оригінальні розробки інтерактивних технологій для оптимізації практичної частини занять. Визначено організаційно-методичні аспекти цього нововведення, наведено комплекс реалізованих та запланованих заходів, вивчено їх дієвість. Цілеспрямоване, систематичне й послідовне впровадження в практику новаторських інтерактивних способів, що базуються на активній взаємодії учасників процесу та охоплюють цілісний навчальний процес від визначення його мети до очікуваних результатів, дасть можливість істотно поліпшити засвоєння дисципліни.Висновок. Інтерактивні методи навчання дозволяють стимулювати пізнавальну активність студентів, вдосконалити навики розв’язання комплексних завдань, виробити у майбутніх фахівців з сімейної медицини навички конструктивного співробітництва.
НА ШЛЯХУ ПРОФЕСІЙНОГО ЗРОСТАННЯ ЛІКАРІВ–СТОМАТОЛОГІВ–ІНТЕРНІВ: ТЕНДЕНЦІЯ, ВИКЛИКИ ТА ПЕРСПЕКТИВА НА МАЙБУТНЄ
Authors: Dmytryshyn T. M.
Published: January 2018

Мета роботи – встановити у лікарів-стоматологів, які щойно стали спеціалістами, рівень працевлаштованості, сформованості знань про майбутні місце та режим роботи, рівень практичної підготовки на кафедрі стоматології післядипломної освіти та види безперервної стоматологічної освіти.Основна частина. За результатами педагогічного моніторингу (анонімне анкетування) 141 лікаря-інтерна, який у 2017  р. закінчив навчання в інтернатурі на базі ННІПО ІФНМУ, встановлено, що переважна більшість має бажання працювати за своєю професією – 88,65 % осіб. Від 90,07 до 93,62 % лікарів володіють знаннями щодо облаштування робочого місця, обов’язків та організації робочого дня лікаря-стоматолога. Відмітили низький рівень працевлаштування лікарів-інтернів на момент закінчення навчання в інтернатурі – 59,57 % не мали місця роботи та продовжували шукати. Навчаючись на очному циклі інтернатури, 87,94 % осіб самостійно та з допомогою викладача здійснювали клінічний прийом пацієнтів. Лікарі-стоматологи-інтерни усвідомлюють, що навчання для професіоналів у галузі стоматології не може зупинитися після закінчення програми інтернатури. Висновок. Проведене нами анкетування лікарів-стоматологів, які щойно закінчили навчання в інтернатурі, дозволяє сформувати уявлення про деякі аспекти функціонування стоматологічної післядипломної освіти на сьогоднішньому етапі та допоможе виділити ті ланки, які необхідно реформувати: працевлаштування, ефективні доступні форми післядипломного безперервного навчання.
Literatura e Estudos Culturais
Authors: Bernardini Aurora Fornoni
Published: January 2018

Analisando primeiramente as diferenças entre marxismo e estruturalismo no que se refere, em particular, a como se dá inserção da obra literária no âmbito da cultura, destacam-se, em seguida os conceitos de “ amplificação” de A.K.Jolkóvski e de “ ficção e realidade” de Ruy Coelho.
Da sujeição à subjetivação: a literatura como espaço de construção da subjetividade, na obra de Maria Firmina dos Reis.
Authors: Diogo Luciana Martins
Published: January 2018

A presença do negro na literatura brasileira era muito discreta ao longo dos oitocentos. Realidades incontornáveis nas ruas, e na estrutura do sistema colonial, eram eles silenciados nos principais romances da época. No entanto, como o presente artigo pretende mostrar, Maria Firmina dos Reis (1825-1917) desenvolveu em sua produção literária os primeiros personagens negros (escravos ou forros) constituídos enquanto sujeitos na literatura brasileira oitocentista.
O espaço mineiro em A garganta do inferno: ensaio sobre uma lenda de Bernardo Guimarães
Authors: Hernandes Gabriel Queiroz Guimarães
Published: January 2018

O presente artigo pretende demonstrar como, na lenda A garganta do inferno, de Bernardo Guimarães, a região mineira se articula em profundidade com a estrutura narrativa. Tal produção pertence a uma parte de sua literatura (contos, lendas e causos) que acabou se tornando desconhecida do público em geral. O espaço, no caso, é pensado não somente na dimensão específica de uma morfologia local, mas também como um meio cultural em que costumes, crenças e superstições são incorporados ao fluxo narrativo. Desse modo, a defesa central deste ensaio é a de que, resguardados certos limites históricos e da estética romântica, a obra do escritor ouro-pretense pode ser atribuída, como produto genuíno, ao sertanismo ou regionalismo romântico.
Violência, crueldade e desigualdade social na literatura brasileira contemporânea: De gados e homens, de Ana Paula Maia, e O matador, de Patrícia Melo
Authors: Casarin Jéssica
Published: January 2018

Desde o período colonial, a violência é constitutiva da cultura brasileira, sendo atrelada à sociedade sob diferentes formas. Diante disso, entende-se que a literatura pode ser uma ferramenta importante para a reflexão acerca dessa realidade, na medida em que reflete contextos de sofrimento e pode problematizá-los. Este artigo objetiva analisar os romances contemporâneos O matador, de Patrícia Melo (1995), e De gados e homens, de Ana Paula Maia (2013), buscando compreender como a crueldade e a desigualdade social são abordadas na constituição das narrativas, bem como a ocorrência de uma construção formal articulada ao conteúdo social representado. Para este fim, os trabalhos teórico-críticos de autores como Calegari, Ginzburg, Adorno e Arendt foram importantes para abordar a literatura contemporânea, a violência e sua relação. Com base na análise, verifica-se que as obras são relevantes para problematizar situações reais de violência, revelando uma face cruel, desigual e egoísta dos sujeitos, relacionados não só à figura do assassino, mas também a toda sociedade responsável pela formação da conduta humana. Isso se reflete também na linguagem, em que se revela uma escrita ora fragmentada entre fala de personagem e pensamentos, como no primeiro texto, ora rápida e relacionada com narrativas cinematográficas, como no segundo.
“Que obra preciosa estás a fazer!” considerações sobre as cartas do editor Monteiro Lobato ao escritor Lima Barreto
Authors: Tin Emerson
Published: January 2018

Monteiro Lobato foi um dos mais importantes editores das primeiras décadas do século XX; Lima Barreto, um dos autores mais expressivos do mesmo período. Relacionando-se exclusivamente por meio da correspondência, o editor paulista e o escritor carioca mantiveram amistosa e intensa relação, que se inicia em 1918, logo após a aquisição da Revista do Brasil por Lobato, e só se encerrará com o precoce falecimento do autor de Vida e morte de M. J. Gonzaga de Sá em 1922, livro de que, aliás, a troca de cartas é testemunha de todo o processo editorial, desde a contratação da publicação até as estratégias de venda imaginadas pelo operoso autor de Urupês.
Endothelial Cell–Derived Von Willebrand Factor, But Not Platelet-Derived, Promotes Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E–Deficient Mice
Authors: Doddapattar Prakash , Dhanesha Nirav , Chorawala Mehul R. , Tinsman Chandler , Jain Manish , Nayak Manasa K. , Staber Janice M. , Chauhan Anil K.
Published: January 2018

Objective—

VWF (von Willebrand factor) is synthesized by endothelial cells and megakaryocytes and is known to contribute to atherosclerosis. In vitro studies suggest that platelet-derived VWF (Plt-VWF) is biochemically and functionally different from endothelial cell–derived VWF (EC-VWF). We determined the role of different pools of VWF in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis.

Approach and Results—

Using bone marrow transplantation, we generated chimeric Plt-VWF, EC-VWF, and Plt-VWF mice lacking a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13 in platelets and plasma on apolipoprotein E–deficient (
Apoe
−/−
) background. Controls were chimeric
Apoe
−/−
mice transplanted with bone marrow from
Apoe
−/−
mice (wild type) and
Vwf
−/−
Apoe
−/−
mice transplanted with bone marrow from
Vwf
−/−
Apoe
−/−
mice (VWF-knock out). Susceptibility to atherosclerosis was evaluated in whole aortae and cross-sections of the aortic sinus in female mice fed a high-fat Western diet for 14 weeks. VWF-knock out, Plt-VWF, and Plt-VWF mice lacking a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13 exhibited reduced plaque size characterized by smaller necrotic cores, reduced neutrophil and monocytes/macrophages content, decreased MMP9 (matrix metalloproteinase), MMP2, and CX
3
CL1 (chemokine [C-X3-C motif] ligand 1)-positive area, and abundant interstitial collagen (
P
<0.05 versus wild-type or EC-VWF mice). Atherosclerotic lesion size and composition were comparable between wild-type or EC-VWF mice. Together these findings suggest that EC-VWF, but not Plt-VWF, promotes atherosclerosis exacerbation. Furthermore, intravital microscopy experiments revealed that EC-VWF, but not Plt-VWF, contributes to platelet and leukocyte adhesion under inflammatory conditions at the arterial shear rate.

Conclusions—

EC-VWF, but not Plt-VWF, contributes to VWF-dependent atherosclerosis by promoting platelet adhesion and vascular inflammation. Plt-VWF even in the absence of a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I repeats-13, both in platelet and plasma, was not sufficient to promote atherosclerosis.
APOC3
Loss-of-Function Mutations, Remnant Cholesterol, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, and Cardiovascular Risk
Authors: Wulff Anders B. , Nordestgaard Børge G. , Tybjærg-Hansen Anne
Published: January 2018

Objective—

Loss-of-function mutations in
APOC3
associate with low remnant cholesterol levels and low risk of ischemic vascular disease (IVD). Because some studies show an additional association with low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), low LDL-C may explain the low risk of IVD in
APOC3
loss-of-function heterozygotes. We tested to what extent the low risk of IVD in
APOC3
loss-of-function heterozygotes is mediated by low plasma remnant cholesterol and LDL-C.

Approach and Results—

In
APOC3
loss-of-function heterozygotes versus noncarriers, we first determined remnant cholesterol and LDL-C levels in meta-analyses of 137 895 individuals. Second, we determined whether the association with LDL-C was masked by lipid-lowering therapy. Finally, using mediation analysis, we determined the fraction of the low risk of IVD and ischemic heart disease mediated by remnant cholesterol and LDL-C. In meta-analyses, remnant cholesterol was 43% lower (95% confidence interval, 40%–47%), and LDL-C was 4% lower (1%–6%) in loss-of-function heterozygotes (n=776) versus noncarriers. In the general population, LDL-C was 3% lower in loss-of-function heterozygotes versus noncarriers, 4% lower when correcting for lipid-lowering therapy, and 3% lower in untreated individuals (
P
values, 0.06–0.008). Remnant cholesterol mediated 37% of the observed 41% lower risk of IVD and 54% of the observed 36% lower risk of ischemic heart disease; corresponding values mediated by LDL-C were 1% and 2%.

Conclusions—

The low risk of IVD observed in
APOC3
loss-of-function heterozygotes is mainly mediated by the associated low remnant cholesterol and not by low LDL-C. Furthermore, the contribution of LDL-C to IVD risk was not masked by lipid-lowering therapy. This suggests
APOC3
and remnant cholesterol as important new targets for reducing cardiovascular risk.
ThePromiseof Place-Based Investment in Postsecondary Access and Success: Investigating the Impact of the Pittsburgh Promise
Authors: Page Lindsay C. , Iriti Jennifer E. , Lowry Danielle J. , Anthony Aaron M.
Published: January 2018

Place-based promise scholarships are a relatively recent innovation in the space of college access and success. Although evidence on the impact of some of the earliest place-based scholarships has begun to emerge, the rapid proliferation of promise programs largely has preceded empirical evidence of their impact. We utilize regression discontinuity and difference-in-differences analyses to investigate the causal effect of the Pittsburgh Promise on students’ immediate postsecondary attainment and early college persistence outcomes. Both analytic approaches yield similar conclusions. As a result of Promise eligibility, Pittsburgh Public School graduates are approximately 5 percentage points more likely to enroll in college, particularly four-year institutions; 10 percentage points more likely to select a Pennsylvania institution; and 4 to 7 percentage points more likely to enroll and persist into a second year of postsecondary education. Impacts vary with changes over time in the program structure and opportunities, and are larger for those responsive to the Promise opportunity, as instrumental variable-adjusted results reveal. Although the Pittsburgh Promise represents a sizeable investment, conservative cost–benefit calculations indicate positive returns. Even so, an important question is whether locally funded programs such as the Pittsburgh Promise are economically sustainable in the long run.
Adaptive Structure Concept Factorization for Multiview Clustering
Authors: Zhan Kun , Shi Jinhui , Wang Jing , Wang Haibo , Xie Yuange
Published: January 2018

Most existing multiview clustering methods require that graph matrices in different views are computed beforehand and that each graph is obtained independently. However, this requirement ignores the correlation between multiple views. In this letter, we tackle the problem of multiview clustering by jointly optimizing the graph matrix to make full use of the data correlation between views. With the interview correlation, a concept factorization–based multiview clustering method is developed for data integration, and the adaptive method correlates the affinity weights of all views. This method differs from nonnegative matrix factorization–based clustering methods in that it can be applicable to data sets containing negative values. Experiments are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison with state-of-the-art approaches in terms of accuracy, normalized mutual information, and purity.
Information-Theoretic Bounds and Approximations in Neural Population Coding
Authors: Huang Wentao , Zhang Kechen
Published: January 2018

While Shannon's mutual information has widespread applications in many disciplines, for practical applications it is often difficult to calculate its value accurately for high-dimensional variables because of the curse of dimensionality. This article focuses on effective approximation methods for evaluating mutual information in the context of neural population coding. For large but finite neural populations, we derive several information-theoretic asymptotic bounds and approximation formulas that remain valid in high-dimensional spaces. We prove that optimizing the population density distribution based on these approximation formulas is a convex optimization problem that allows efficient numerical solutions. Numerical simulation results confirmed that our asymptotic formulas were highly accurate for approximating mutual information for large neural populations. In special cases, the approximation formulas are exactly equal to the true mutual information. We also discuss techniques of variable transformation and dimensionality reduction to facilitate computation of the approximations.
Prodromus of a fern flora for Bolivia. XXXVIII. Tectariaceae
Authors: KESSLER MICHAEL , SMITH ALAN R.
Published: January 2018

We provide a synopsis to the family Tectariaceae in Bolivia, including 17 species in four genera. The main genus, Tectaria, has 12 species. Despite being one of the most common and conspicuous fern genera in humid lowland forests, it remains challenging, and further study will likely result in taxonomic changes for Bolivia.
Descriptions of seven new Acrogonia species from South America (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae: Proconiini)
Authors: DA SILVA ROBERTA DOS SANTOS , CAVICHIOLI RODNEY R. , TAKIYA DANIELA M. , MEJDALANI GABRIEL
Published: January 2018

Seven new species of the economically important sharpshooter genus Acrogonia Stål are described and illustrated: A. falcata sp. nov. (French Guiana and state of Amazonas, Brazil), A. felixi sp. nov. (department of Loreto, Peru), A. quintasi sp. nov. (state of Pará, Brazil), A. distincta sp. nov. (state of Amazonas, Brazil), A. dentata sp. nov. (department of San Martin in Peru, French Guiana, and states of Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia in Brazil), A. luizi sp. nov. (province of Pastaza in Ecuador and state of Amazonas in Brazil), and A. lobulata sp. nov. (province of Orellana, Ecuador). In addition to the external morphology, color pattern, and male genitalia, detailed descriptions and illustrations of the female genitalia are provided for three of the new species (A. dentata, A. luizi, and A. lobulata). Females of the other four new species are unknown. Acrogonia includes now 39 species, being among the most species-rich genera of the Proconiini.
Do Nonorthogonally and Irregularly Sampled Scalar Velocities Contain Sufficient Information to Reconstruct an Orthogonal Vector Current Field?
Authors: Soh Hyun Sup , Kim Sung Yong , Kosro P. Michael , Kurapov Alexander L.
Published: January 2018

This paper addresses how well a two-dimensional orthogonal vector current field can be reconstructed from a set of nonorthogonally and irregularly sampled scalar velocity data. High-frequency radar (HFR)-derived surface radial scalar velocities are sampled on a polar or elliptical coordinate grid as a directional projection of two-dimensional vector currents for a viewing angle of the individual HFRs. Synthetic radial velocity maps are generated by sampling two-dimensional surface vector currents obtained from a simple spectral model and a realistic regional circulation model on the polar or elliptical grid points configured similarly as the operational HFRs. Then, the sampled radial velocity maps are combined into a vector current field using inverse methods: least squares fitting and optimal interpolation. In this paper, uncertainty and misfit are defined as the degrees of insufficiency to resolve the vector current and the difference between the true and estimated vector currents, respectively. The uncertainty and misfit are evaluated in terms of several simulation parameters built into the simple spectral model and the degrees of the quality and the observational error of the radial velocity maps associated with the simulated missing data and noise level, respectively. A greater number of missing data and higher observational errors correspond to an increase in the standard deviation of the misfit and a significant reduction in the effective spatial coverage of the vector current fields. This paper provides technical details for resolving a vector current field and guidelines for the practical design of the spatial sampling of the current field using the HFRs.
An Algorithm for Classifying Unknown Expendable Bathythermograph (XBT) Instruments Based on Existing Metadata
Authors: Palmer Matthew D. , Boyer Tim , Cowley Rebecca , Kizu Shoichi , Reseghetti Franco , Suzuki Toru , Thresher Ann
Published: January 2018

Time-varying biases in expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments have emerged as a key uncertainty in estimates of historical ocean heat content variability and change. One of the challenges in the development of XBT bias corrections is the lack of metadata in ocean profile databases. Approximately 50% of XBT profiles in the World Ocean database (WOD) have no information about manufacturer or probe type. Building on previous research efforts, this paper presents a deterministic algorithm for assigning missing XBT manufacturer and probe type for individual temperature profiles based on 1) the reporting country, 2) the maximum reported depth, and 3) the record date. The criteria used are based on bulk analysis of known XBT profiles in the WOD for the period 1966–2015. A basic skill assessment demonstrates a 77% success rate at correctly assigning manufacturer and probe type for profiles where this information is available. The skill rate is lowest during the early 1990s, which is also a period when metadata information is particularly poor. The results suggest that substantive improvements could be made through further data analysis and that future algorithms may benefit from including a larger number of predictor variables.
Skill of Global Raw and Postprocessed Ensemble Predictions of Rainfall over Northern Tropical Africa
Authors: Vogel Peter , Knippertz Peter , Fink Andreas H. , Schlueter Andreas , Gneiting Tilmann
Published: January 2018

Accumulated precipitation forecasts are of high socioeconomic importance for agriculturally dominated societies in northern tropical Africa. In this study, the performance of nine operational global ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) is analyzed relative to climatology-based forecasts for 1–5-day accumulated precipitation based on the monsoon seasons during 2007–14 for three regions within northern tropical Africa. To assess the full potential of raw ensemble forecasts across spatial scales, state-of-the-art statistical postprocessing methods were applied in the form of Bayesian model averaging (BMA) and ensemble model output statistics (EMOS), and results were verified against station and spatially aggregated, satellite-based gridded observations. Raw ensemble forecasts are uncalibrated and unreliable, and often underperform relative to climatology, independently of region, accumulation time, monsoon season, and ensemble. The differences between raw ensemble and climatological forecasts are large and partly stem from poor prediction for low precipitation amounts. BMA and EMOS postprocessed forecasts are calibrated, reliable, and strongly improve on the raw ensembles but, somewhat disappointingly, typically do not outperform climatology. Most EPSs exhibit slight improvements over the period 2007–14, but overall they have little added value compared to climatology. The suspicion is that parameterization of convection is a potential cause for the sobering lack of ensemble forecast skill in a region dominated by mesoscale convective systems.
Outside Directors and the Privately-Owned Firm: Are They Necessary?
Authors: Ford Roger H.
Published: January 2018

A growing body of literature asserts the importance for privately-owned firms to have a working board of directors with outside board members. Findings from the author's recent study on the boards’ of the Inc. 500 firms suggest that the presence of outsiders may actually reduce the influence of the board.
Alternative Financing for Entrepreneurial Ventures
Authors: Churchill Neil C. , Thorne John R.
Published: January 2018

Here are some provocative thoughts on entrepreneurship by two individuals who are experienced both as practitioners and as observers of entrepreneurial activities. Their observations seem particularly appropriate in a journal whose title includes the words “theory” and “practice.”

Jack Thorne shares some observations on financing ventures he has gleaned both as an entrepreneur and as the Chairman of the Enterprise Corporation of Pittsburgh. Daryl Mitton who shares a similar background discusses the individual entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurial Teams in New Venture Creation: A Research Agenda
Authors: Kamm Judith B. , Shuman Jeffrey C. , Seeger John A. , Nurick Aaron J.
Published: January 2018

Although new ventures are commonly started by entrepreneurial teams, relatively little has been written about the process of effectively assembling and maintaining them. Systematic, descriptive research is needed to define the dimensions of entrepreneurial teams, to identify the costs and problems of assembling teams, and to identify successful strategies for resolving the problems.
An Analysis of the Impact of Supplier Strategies and Relationships on Small Retailer Actions, Perceptions, and Performance
Authors: Gales Lawrence M. , Blackburn Richard S.
Published: January 2018

Relationships between small hardware retailers and their wholesalers were examined. Retailers (n = 320) reported that closer relationships with wholesalers, characterized by greater formality and more frequent and intense communications, experienced less uncertainty, more autonomy, and made more frequent use of planning and advertising to control output markets. Supplier strategies had no systematic impact on small retailers’ financial performance.
A Model for Assessing Performance in Small U.S. Exporting Firms
Authors: Walters Peter G. P. , Samiee Saeed
Published: January 2018

A model, which integrates the concepts of export strategy, administrative arrangements, and commitment as critical variables affecting export performance, is developed and evaluated using empirical data collected from small U.S. exporters. Differences between small and larger exporters regarding the variables in the model are also investigated. The results indicate that the management commitment, administrative arrangement, and strategy variables are important export success factors. However, their relevance depends on the dimension of export performance being considered.
Entrepreneurship Education in America's Major Universities
Authors: Robinson Peter , Haynes Max
Published: January 2018

The field of entrepreneurship has grown at an incredible rate over the past 20 years as evidenced by the increased number of endowed positions, academic organizations, journals, and other publications. A telephone survey of all (232) U.S. universities with at least 10,000 students was conducted to determine the extent of the growth of educational programs focusing on entrepreneurship. The results indicate that educational programs are widely spread throughout this segment of the educational infrastructure but that most remain relatively underdeveloped.
Valuation Methods and Estimates in Relationship to Investing versus Consulting
Authors: Waldron Darryl , Hubbard Carl M.
Published: January 2018

This study examines which techniques are most used by practicing analysts in establishing the value of a small, closely-held firm and whether these valuations converge with the actual fair market price negotiated in the sales of firms. An experiment was conducted using a case study of one small firm. A wide variety of specific approaches were observed and valuations tended to be conservative. Implications for future research are discussed.
Remote Iliac Artery Endarterectomy: A Case Series and Systematic Review
Authors: Bekken Joost A. , de Boer Sanne W. , van der Sluijs Rogier , Jongsma Hidde , de Vries Jean-Paul P. M. , Fioole Bram
Published: January 2018

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term results of remote iliac artery endarterectomy (RIAE) in 2 vascular referral centers and review existing literature. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 109 consecutive patients (mean age 64.2±10.7 years; 72 men) who underwent 113 RIAE procedures for lower limb ischemia from January 2004 to August 2015 at 2 vascular centers. The majority of limbs (82, 72.6%) had TASC II D lesions (31 TASC II C). Primary outcome measures were primary, assisted primary, and secondary patency. A comprehensive literature search was performed in the PubMed and EMBASE databases to identify all English-language studies published after 1990 reporting the results of RIAE. Results: Technical success was achieved in 95 (84.1%) of the 113 procedures. The complication rate was 13.7%, and 30-day mortality was 0%. At 5 years, primary patency was 78.2%, assisted primary patency was 83.4%, and secondary patency was 86.7%. Hemodynamic success was obtained in 91.7% of patients, and clinical improvement was observed in 95.2%. Freedom from major amputation was 94.7% at 5 years. The systematic review comprised 6 studies including 419 RIAEs, and pooled data showed results similar to the current study. Conclusion: For external iliac artery occlusions extending into the common femoral artery, RIAE appears to be a valuable hybrid treatment option. It combines acceptable morbidity and low mortality with good long-term patency. It has some advantages over an open surgical iliofemoral bypass or complete endovascular revascularization and could be the best treatment option in selected cases.
Using Twitter for Data Collection With Health-Care Consumers
Authors: Zhang Amy J. , Albrecht Lauren , Scott Shannon D.
Published: January 2018

Background:

Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms. The growing use of Twitter by health-care consumers creates a novel venue to understand patient experiences. To understand the potential for this platform to be utilized in patient- and family-oriented health research, this study reviewed published literature on the use of Twitter in health research.

Methods:

In collaboration with the research team, a research librarian designed and implemented a search strategy in eight databases. Primary and secondary screenings were conducted using predetermined criteria by one reviewer. A second reviewer verified screening decisions in 10% of the studies. Evidence tables were created to synthesize across the following study elements: research design, data collection techniques, analytic approaches, and author’s insights on Twitter as a data collection method. Descriptive narrative analysis was used to synthesize data.

Results:

The search strategy captured 618 articles; 233 were eliminated in primary screening and 366 articles were eliminated during secondary screening. Verification by the second reviewer resulted in very good agreement (κ = .980). Seventeen articles were included in the final data set. Synthesis across the studies demonstrated that Twitter is currently used to search and mine research data, while active recruitment strategies on Twitter are just beginning to emerge.

Conclusion:

The novelty of Twitter for study recruitment and data collection with health-care consumers presents advantages and challenges that differ from traditional methods of data collection.
Integrating Visual Methods With Dialogical Interviews in Research With Youth Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Authors: Teachman Gail , Gibson Barbara E.
Published: January 2018

Scant information is available to guide the selection and modification of methods for doing research with people with communication impairments. In this article, we describe and illustrate a novel combination of methods used to optimize data generation in research with 13 disabled youth who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Using a critical dialogical methodology developed for the study, we explored links between dominant calls for social inclusion, disabled youths’ social relations and life circumstances, and their position-takings in relation to inclusion. Building on emergent methodologies, we selected and integrated complementary methods: photo-elicitation, a graphic elicitation method termed “Belonging Circles,” observations, and interviews. The interview methods were modified to recognize all AAC modes used by participants and to acknowledge the relational, situated and thus, dialogical nature of all communication in interviews. Each method is described, and rationales for their selection and modification are discussed. Processes used to combine the methods, generate data, and guide analysis are illustrated using a case example from the study. The integrated methods helped illuminate the lives and practices of youth who use AAC and the strategies they used to negotiate inclusion across the social spaces that they traversed. We conclude with reflections on the strengths and limitations of our approach, future directions for development of the methodology, and its potential use in research with a broad range of persons experiencing communication impairments.
Educational Programmes for General Practitioners and Clinical Assistants in the Mental Handicap Service
Authors: Bicknell Joan
Published: January 2018

The current trend towards community care for mentally handicapped people means that general practitioners have greater opportunities to meet mentally and multiply handicapped people living in the family home or in small units in the community. In addition, an increasing number of large long-stay mental handicap hospitals have delegated the reponsibility for primary care to local GPs, frequently employed as clinical assistants for this purpose. This is having the welcome effect of allowing the psychiatrist and the trainee in psychiatry to follow their particular interests and develop their own treatment skills.
The ‘Open-Door System’: Innovation and Controversy
Authors: Parry-Jones William
Published: January 2018

During the third quarter of the 19th century it became clear that the problem of pauper lunacy was not being contained by the county asylums. Despite much new building, accommodation in asylums was over-crowded; the patient population had become increasingly heterogeneous and therapeutic optimism was waning. The proportion of curable patients in county asylums declined steadily—for example, from 1844 to 1870 the proportion fell from 15 per cent to 7 per cent. The prospect of large-scale institutional confinement, however, did not go unnoticed and alarm was expressed by many contemporary writers. J. T. Arlidge, formerly of St Luke's Hospital, for example, observed that: ‘Many asylums have grown to such a magnitude, that their general management is unwieldy, and their due medical and moral care and supervision an impossibility … in a colossal refuge for the insane, a patient may be said to lose his individuality, and to become a member of a machine … In all cases admitting of recovery, or a material amelioration, a gigantic asylum is a gigantic evil, and, figuratively speaking, a manufactory of chronic insanity.’
UK Workshop on Organization and Management of Psychiatric Services
Authors: Mackay A. V. P. , Kennedy Peter
Published: January 2018

Stimulated by the First International Conference on Organization and Management of Psychiatric Services in Montreal in Spring 1983, an idea arose which was translated into the first UK Workshop on Psychiatric Service Management held from 17 to 20 July 1984 in York. The theme was economics, addressed by a talented group of British health economists. The meeting was structured into a series of presentations followed by group discussion, culminating in group exercises involving informed criticism of selected research papers on economic appraisals of psychiatric services. Seminar topics included: What do we mean by efficiency in the delivery of psychiatric care? (Professor Alan Williams); What are the costs of delivering psychiatric care? (Ron Akehurst); Switching resources (Professor Alan Maynard); Measuring outcomes of health (Professor Alan Williams); Choosing options with a limited budget (Mike Drummond and Ron Akehurst). A special evening discussion was led by Tim Nodder (Deputy Secretary at the Department of Health and Social Security) who gave an eloquent account of Health Service Strategy vis-à-vis mental health over a thirty-year historical perspective.
Two Weeks' Work in SW China
Authors: Crammer John L.
Published: January 2018

I am just back from taking part in a fortnight's refresher course in Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China, attended by about 35 psychiatrists from other provinces and about 35 more from mental hospitals locally or from the host department of psychiatry of Sichuan Medical College. My part was to give six lectures and eight question-and-answer sessions on general adult psychiatry, and to hold four case conferences. With the help of good interpreters I learned that Chengdu patients are much like those in London, and are given the same psychotropic drugs in the same doses with similar effects. Although oral language is a barrier, facial expression, body posture and gesture appear to be international and one can learn a good deal from them.
Psychiatric Nursing — Quo Vadis?
Authors: Brooker Charles , Beard Paul
Published: January 2018

In the last year or so the future of mental health services in this country has been intensively discussed. COHSE, MIND, and the Richmond Fellowship have produced their ‘blueprints', outlining details of the way they see services being organized. All variety of professional organizations have been busy presenting evidence to the House of Commons Social Services Committee which is specifically examining community care. The DHSS has committed more joint finance to ‘care in the community’ projects and Regional Health Authorities are examining the strategies to close large psychiatric hospitals. Consequently, District Health Authorities, in many cases, are planning the shape of a new mental health service which places increasingly less reliance on the large institution. The phrase ‘community care’ has now become so hackneyed in planning circles that for many it has lost whatever meaning it may have once had. However, despite all the rhetoric, and indeed all the planning activity, psychiatric nurses themselves have still to voice coherently their thoughts and fears about the shape of things to come.
Italian Psychiatry
Authors: Johl S. S.
Published: January 2018

The dramatic changes in Italian psychiatry since 1978 when the practice of Democratic Psychiatry was officially started has had a controversial response from both inside and outside Italy. In an attempt to know more about the system that made sweeping changes in Italian psychiatry, five Italian psychiatrists and psychologists were invited to Sheffield for a two-week exposition of films, paintings, photographs, lectures and meetings on the art of Democratic Psychiatry from Italy. This was the final leg of the visit to England, after London and Manchester. The events were organized in a truly varied and democratic manner by the University Department of Psychiatry, the Division of Continuing Education at Sheffield University, and the Graves Art Gallery, in co-operation with MIND, the District Health Authority, the Family and Community Services Department, and staff from hospitals in Chesterfield, Doncaster and Sheffield. The aim of the exposition was to provide an opportunity to discuss the prospects for changes in the mental health and mental handicap services in the light of the Italian experience.
British Psychiatrists in Canada
Authors: Green C. M.
Published: January 2018

Canada has a long history of recruiting overseas doctors, including those specializing in psychiatry, for services in their country. Today there is a strong nucleus of British trained psychiatrists, practising in Canada, in spite of which multiple vacant psychiatric positions still exist and Canadian recruitment drives for British psychiatrists continue. Approximately four years ago, following reading an advertisement in the Journal concerning opportunities for psychiatrists in Canada, I and my family emigrated. Since this time I have been active myself in the recruitment of British psychiatrists for positions in Canada and my experience, as a British psychiatrist in Canada, may be useful for colleagues who are themselves contemplating such a move.
What are Rates?
Authors: Konty E. L. , Jones S. J.
Published: January 2018

In recent years there has been a move away from the purely literary to the numerically descriptive medical publications. This is largely attributable to a change in emphasis and direction in the medical sciences as practitioners become more ‘mathematically aware’. Sample populations are often described in terms of numbers, ratios, percentages or rates. All of these descriptors have merit in supporting the expression of methods and results in clinical trials, research and epidemiology. The application of rates can be most useful, particularly as results are not always considered in terms of simple numerical counts, but are often related to an underlying population.
The Mental Health Act 1983—Second Opinions under Section 58
Authors: Langley G. E.
Published: January 2018

Section 58 of the Mental Health Act 1983 provides for statutory control of certain treatments given to detained patients through an obligation to obtain their consent or secure the approval of a doctor called as a second opinion through the Regional Office of the Mental Health Act Commission.
Child Psychiatry for Undergraduates–A Trainee's Experience in a Teaching Programme
Authors: Thompson Margaret
Published: January 2018

Although the Academic Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of the University of Glasgow came into being with the establishment of a Chair only in 1977, the subject had been taught to medical undergraduates since the early 60s. This was possible, even without a formal academic base, because of the long-established Scottish tradition that NHS consultants and their junior medical staff accept as a matter of course, and usually as something of a privilege, to participate in the teaching of medical students. As the Department of Child and Family Psychiatry was based in the main paediatric teaching hospital at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, it was a natural development that this should also be the location for the teaching of the specialty, and throughout its development in Glasgow this course has been a part of the final year block placement of undergraduates for instruction in child health and paediatrics. Over the years there has also been some participation in the lecture course in general psychiatry which takes place in the fourth year of undergraduate study.
Myths and ‘Mind’
Authors: Crumpton Norman E.
Published: January 2018

If the perpetuation of a myth leads to the saving of central Government funds, political parties and bureaucrats will eschew reality.
2. From the Secretary, Joint Committee on Higher Psychiatric Training
Authors: Timbury G. C.
Published: January 2018

Any contribution to the debate on the pros and cons of accreditation is to be welcomed, but I am not sure that Dr Gill's notice does full justice to the complexities of the issue.
A Comparison of Psychiatric Examinations in the United States and Canada
Authors: Berger Joseph
Published: January 2018

Some years ago, I wrote an article about psychiatric residency training in the United States. As my own experiences on making enquiries in England had been that very few people knew what went on or was available in the US. I felt that it might help those who were contemplating taking some or all of their postgraduate training there. Also, that it might be helpful to those wanting to make some comparisons between the training they were receiving in England and that available in the US.
Reflections on Mental Health Review Tribunals
Authors: Cooke James A.
Published: January 2018

Towards the latter part of 1959 some thirty lawyers met at the Ministry of Health under the chairmanship of the late Sir Sidney Littlewood. We were the first members of the legal panels of the Mental Health Review Tribunals for the four London regions.
The Use and Misuse of Confidential Information
Authors: Hall Zaida M.
Published: January 2018

There has been increasing concern about Governmental collection of information for statistical analysis (World Medicine, 13 June 1973; British Medicine, 7 April 1978; the Sunday Times, 2 July 1978). Recently the Central Ethical Committee of the BMA refused to agree that General Practitioners should record information about pre-school children containing details about the mother's obstetric history. Again, the Regional Community Physicians refused to allow Police access to hospital diagnostic information about patients who had been involved in road traffic accidents. Yet, since 1964, psychiatrists have apparently been happy to send to the DHSS on HMR1(Psych) forms identifiable information containing such highly-sensitive details as whether an in-patient is manic-depressive, homosexual, epileptic, has used alcohol or other drugs, has venereal disease, is living with someone other than his wife, or has been in prison.
The M.R.C.Psych. Examination: An Open Letter from APIT
Authors: Creed Francis , Freeman C. P.
Published: January 2018

The following letter has been addressed to Professor J. L. Gibbons, Chairman of the M.R.C.Psych. Examination Committee.
Psychiatric Jokes and their Implications
Authors: Hussain M. F.
Published: January 2018

‘Life is a comedy to those who think and a tragedy to those who feel’ reflects the widespread belief in the importance of humour. It presents in a variety of guises in psychiatric jokes.
Psychiatry in the 1870s: Kilvert's Mad Folk
Authors: Walk Alexander , Hare Edward
Published: January 2018

The Reverend Francis Kilvert, whose famous Diary is currently being featured on television, died a hundred years ago, in September 1879. The Diary contains a number of entries relating to mental disorder, occurring for the most part among his parishioners at Clyro in Powis and Bredwardine in Herefordshire, on the Welsh borders, and at Langley Burrell in Wiltshire, but in one or two instances within his own family.
The Library
Authors: Rollin H. R.
Published: January 2018

A whole series of problems have delayed the reopening of the Library, not the least of which has been the physical movement of the books stacked temporarily in the basement.
Research in Decline
Authors: Crammer John L.
Published: January 2018

Research in psychiatry is in decline. Fifteen years ago it was the ambition of many registrars in training to do some investigation and publish a paper, and the favoured few at the Maudsley even got an extra degree (the M. Phil.) out of it. People thought it would help them to a consultant post. Now they know it is not necessary. Training has become more formalized, with day-release courses and rotation schemes; and research seems more difficult, often needing specialized service or complex instruments and thousands of pounds.