bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A pilot study of oral tranexamic acid and Glycyrrhizin compound in the treatment of recalcitrant Riehl’s melanosis
Authors: Xu Zhongyi , Xing Xiaoxue , Zhang Chengfeng , Chen Li , Flora Xiang Leihong
Published: October 2018

Background

Up till now, there is no standardized and satisfactory treatment strategy for Riehl’s melanosis.

Objective

In this pilot study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of a novel combination therapy with oral administration of tranexamic acid (TA) and Glycyrrhizin compound for recalcitrant Riehl’s melanosis.

Methods

Ten patients with Riehl’s melanosis were recruited in this study. After elimination of potential contraindication, all patients were treated with 500 mg TA together with 150 mg Glycyrrhizin compound per day orally for 3 months, followed by 500 mg TA per day orally alone for another 3 months. Lesions were imaged by reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), dermatoscopy, and VISIA® Complexion Analysis System monthly. Mexameter was adopted to evaluate Melanin Index (MI) and Erythema Index (EI). Clinical outcome scores were given by both physicians and patients.

Results

Seven out of ten patients received “marked improvement”, while two received “moderate improvement” and one “minimal improvement” at the final visit. Both mean MI and EI were significantly decreased compared with baselines. Furthermore, RCM and dermatoscopy analyses confirmed the improvement of pigmentation and erythema with decreased pigment granules and telangiectatic vessels.

Conclusion

Oral administration of TA in combination with Glycyrrhizin compound may be an effective therapy for Asian patients with recalcitrant Riehl’s melanosis.
Phylogenomics and multigene phylogenies decipher two new cryptic marine algae from California, Gelidium gabrielsonii and G. kathyanniae (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta)
Authors: Boo Ga Hun , Hughey Jeffery R.
Published: October 2018

Molecular surveys are leading to the discovery of many new cryptic species of marine algae. This is particularly true for red algal intertidal species, which exhibit a high degree of morphological convergence. DNA sequencing of recent collections of Gelidium along the coast of California, USA, identified two morphologically similar entities that differed in DNA sequence from existing species. To characterize the two new species of Gelidium and to determine their evolutionary relationships to other known taxa, phylogenomic, multigene analyses, and morphological observations were performed. Three complete mitogenomes and five plastid genomes were deciphered, including those from the new species candidates and the type materials of two closely related congeners. The mitogenomes contained 45 genes and had similar lengths (24,963–24,964 bp). The plastid genomes contained 232 genes and were roughly similar in size (175,499–177,099 bp). The organellar genomes showed a high level of gene synteny. The two Gelidium species are diminutive, turf‐forming, and superficially resemble several long established species from the Pacific Ocean. The phylogenomic analysis, multigene phylogeny, and morphological evidence confirms the recognition and naming of two new species, describe herein as G. gabrielsonii and G. kathyanniae. On the basis of the monophyly of G. coulteri, G. gabrielsonii, G. galapagense, and G. kathyanniae, we suggest that this lineage likely evolved in California. Organellar genomes provide a powerful tool for discovering cryptic intertidal species and they continue to improve our understanding of the evolutionary biology of red algae and the systematics of the Gelidiales.
Genotypic diversity and antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus neoformans isolates from paediatric patients in China
Authors: Hong Nan , Chen Min , Xu Nan , Al‐Hatmi Abdullah M. S. , Zhang Chao , Pan Wei H. , Hagen Ferry , Boekhout Teun , Xu Jianping , Zou Xian B. , Liao Wan Q.
Published: October 2018

Cryptococcosis is a life‐threatening mycosis primarily occurring in adult patients particularly those with immunosuppression such as HIV infection/AIDS. The number of reported cases of paediatric cryptococcosis has increased in the last decade around the world, including China. However, current information on the characteristics of cryptococcosis in children, particularly the genotypic diversity and antifungal susceptibility of the isolates, is limited. In the present study, a total of 25 paediatric isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans were genotyped using the ISHAM‐MLST scheme. In vitro susceptibility to antifungal agents of the 22 isolates was tested using the CLSI M27‐A3 method. Our analyses revealed that the genotypic diversity of C. neoformans isolates from Chinese paediatric patients was low, with ST 5 (80%) and ST 31 (12%) being the two major sequence types. Reduced susceptibility to fluconazole (FLU), 5‐flucytosine (5‐FC) and itraconazole (ITR) was observed among C. neoformans isolates from Chinese paediatric patients, particularly among the ST5 isolates, which was similar to observations made on C. neoformans isolates from Chinese adult patients. In addition, the majority of isolates (3/4, 75%) obtained from deceased patients showed decreased antifungal susceptibility, which indicates that further monitoring of antifungal susceptibility of Cryptococcus isolates is warranted in management of paediatric cryptococcosis.
Use of half‐normal saline irrigant with cooled radiofrequency ablation within the great cardiac vein to ablate premature ventricular contractions arising from the left ventricular summit
Authors: Sandhu Amneet , Schuller Joseph L. , Tzou Wendy S. , Tumolo Alexis Z. , Sauer William H. , Nguyen Duy T.
Published: October 2018

A 62‐year‐old man was referred to our institution for high‐density, symptomatic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) with resultant decrease in left ventricular (LV) function having failed prior ablation attempts. Successful, durable ablation of the patient's mid‐myocardial PVC arising from the LV summit region was achieved through the proximal great cardiac vein with ablation depth augmented by use of half‐normal saline irrigant. Though standard ablation of ventricular arrhythmias using normal saline irrigation from the coronary venous system has been well‐reported, this may be of limited value in addressing mid‐myocardial sites of origin. This novel case describes the safe use of cooled radiofrequency ablation with use of half‐normal saline irrigant from the distal coronary sinus as an option to address complex sites of PVC origin such as the LV summit.
Impact of IgE sensitization and rhinitis on inflammatory biomarkers and lung function in adolescents with and without asthma
Authors: Hallberg Jenny , Ballardini Natalia , Almqvist Catarina , Westman Marit , van Hage Marianne , Lilja Gunnar , Bergström Anna , Kull Inger , Melén Erik
Published: October 2018

Background

Both allergic and non‐allergic rhinitis are associated with worse asthma control. However, it is unclear how IgE sensitization and/or rhinitis are associated with lung function. We therefore evaluated the effect of rhinitis and sensitization on lung function, including the periphery of the airway system, and inflammatory biomarkers in individuals with and without asthma.

Methods

Participants in the BAMSE longitudinal birth cohort study underwent measures of spirometry, impulse oscillometry, and FeNO at age 16 years. Questionnaires were used to obtain data on asthma and rhinitis. Blood samples were analyzed for eosinophils and allergen‐specific IgE.

Results

Groups based on the combination of asthma, rhinitis, and sensitization were compared to a healthy reference group. Lower FEV1/FVC levels were seen for groups with asthma only (adjusted mean difference −2.8% units (95% CI −4.7; −1.0), P < 0.01), asthma with sensitization (−2.0 (−3.9; −0.2), P < 0.05), and asthma with sensitization and rhinitis (−2.5 (−3.6; −1.4), P < 0.001). The index of peripheral airway resistance R5–20 was higher in groups with asthma and sensitization (adjusted median difference 94.9 Pa L−1 s−1 (95% CI 60.4; 129.3), P < 0.001), as well as asthma with sensitization and rhinitis (36.9(15.0; 58.8), P < 0.01). These groups also had increased FeNO and blood eosinophil levels.

Conclusions

We found signs of peripheral airway obstruction and increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers in the presence of allergic asthma, irrespective of rhinitis status. Despite having a reduced FEV1/FVC, peripheral airway engagement was not seen in non‐sensitized adolescents with asthma. We suggest that small airway disease is a feature related to the eosinophilic inflammation in allergic asthma in adolescence.
Improved contemporary outcomes of liver transplantation for pediatric hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ezekian Brian , Mulvihill Michael S. , Schroder Paul M. , Gilmore Brian F. , Leraas Harold J. , Gulack Brian C. , Jane Commander Sarah , Mavis Alisha M. , Kreissman Susan G. , Knechtle Stuart J. , Tracy Elisabeth T. , Barbas Andrew S.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Improvement in outcomes of LT for pediatric HB and HCC has been reported in small series. We analyzed national outcomes and changes in donor, recipient, and perioperative factors over time that may contribute to survival differences.

Methods

The UNOS database was queried for patients age <21 years that underwent LT for a primary diagnosis of HB or HCC (1987‐2017). Subjects were divided into historic (transplant before 2010) and contemporary (transplant after 2010) cohorts. Baseline characteristics were compiled and examined. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and compared using the log‐rank test.

Results

In total, 599 children with HB received LT (320 historic vs 279 contemporary). Concurrently, 141 children with HCC received LT (92 historic vs 49 contemporary). For both tumors, waitlist time decreased (HB 56.2 days historic vs 33.2 days contemporary, P = 0.017; HCC 189.3 days historic vs 71.7 days contemporary, P = 0.012). In the historic cohorts, patients with HB had a 1‐year and 5‐year OS of 84.6% and 75.1%, respectively. Survival for HCC was 84.4% and 59.9%, respectively. Outcomes improved in the contemporary era to 89.1% and 82.6% for HB, and 94.7% and 80.8% for HCC, respectively (both log‐rank test P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Outcomes of LT have improved significantly, with contemporary survival now equivalent between these tumors and exceeding 80% 5‐year OS. Future studies are needed to explore whether offering LT in patients that are resectable is justifiable.
On the Benefit (Or Cost) of Large‐Scale Bundling
Authors: Abdallah Tarek
Published: October 2018

Simple selling mechanisms are very appealing in practice, yet they may limit the firm’s ability to extract a large consumer surplus. In this paper, we study the efficiency of a simple pure bundling mechanism in extracting the consumer surplus in the presence of nonnegative marginal costs and correlated valuations. The main question we address is how to quantify the benefits of adopting a simple pure bundling mechanism relative to other more complicated mechanisms, such as mixed bundling. We develop simple robust analytics that identify the main drivers for the efficiency of the pure bundling mechanism and allow the sellers to easily quantify the potential profit of a large‐scale bundling mechanism relative to more complicated selling mechanisms. Our numerical simulations show that these analytics provide high predictive power for the true performance of the bundling mechanism and are robust to different parametric assumptions even for relatively small bundles. For example, for a bundle of 1200 and 12,000 items, the medians of the prediction error of our tight bound are −0.021 and 0.041 while the interquartile ranges are 0.094 and 0.067, respectively.
Dilemma of Data Sharing Alliance: When Do Competing Personalizing and Non‐Personalizing Firms Share Data
Authors: Ghoshal Abhijeet , Kumar Subodha , Mookerjee Vijay
Published: October 2018

We analyze a case where two competing firms, a personalizing firm that makes product recommendations and a non‐personalizing firm that does not recommend products, compete with each other and may participate in a data sharing alliance (in which the non‐personalizing firm shares its data with the personalizing firm). The customer is strategic as she first visits the personalizing firm to find out what product to purchase among the recommended ones and purchases the product eventually from one of the firms. Overall, the customer distributes all her purchases across both the firms—she purchases from the personalizing firm to maintain a profile quality with the firm (to continue to obtain good recommendations) and from the non‐personalizing firm to benefit from the lower prices of that firm. We analyze this setup in a two‐stage game to find the subgame perfect Nash Equilibrium. In the first stage, firms decide to share data, or not. In the second stage they play a simultaneous move price game. We find that the non‐personalizing firm is always willing to share its data with the personalizing firm, but the personalizing firm uses it only when the learning rate influence dominates the profile influence. When the personalizing firm improves its system and both firms share data, its own profit always increases and under certain conditions the profit of the non‐personalizing firm also increases. Finally, social surplus may increase as well when firms share data. This result has important implications for the policy‐makers controlling information sharing between firms.
Does regulation drive international research cooperation? Evidence from the pharmaceutical sector
Authors: Bennato Anna Rita , Magazzini Laura
Published: October 2018

To what extent is an increased stringency of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) system apt to stimulate research cooperation between developed and emerging economies? To address this question, we empirically investigate how international joint research projects in the pharmaceutical sector are affected by the regime of IPR in force in the two countries involved in the collaboration. Looking at the joint signature of both patent documents and scientific papers by researchers located in developed and emerging markets, our investigation indicates two opposite effects: joint publications are fostered by stricter IPR rules, whereas joint patents are discouraged. A recently proposed theory provides a plausible rationale for this apparently contradicting result.
Building caregivers’ emotional, parental and social support skills to prevent violence against adolescent girls: findings from a cluster randomised controlled trial in Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Stark Lindsay , Seff Ilana , Asghar Khudejha , Roth Danielle , Bakamore Theresita , MacRae Mairi , Fanton D’Andon Cecile , Falb Kathryn L
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Parenting programmes are increasingly popular for reducing children’s exposure to interpersonal violence in low/middle-income countries, but there is limited evidence on their effectiveness. We investigated the incremental impact of adding a caregiver component to a life skills programme for adolescent girls, assessing girls’ exposure to violence (sexual and others) and caregivers’ gender attitudes and parenting behaviours.

Methods

In this two-arm, single-blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial, we recruited 869 adolescent girls aged 10–14 and 764 caregivers in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. Following a baseline survey, participants were divided into 35 clusters based on age, language and location. Eighteen clusters were randomised to the treatment arm and 17 clusters to the wait-list control arm. Adolescent girls in both arms received 32 life skills sessions; caregivers in the treatment arm received 13 complementary caregiver sessions. The primary outcome was girls’ self-reported exposure to sexual violence in the last 12 months; secondary outcomes included self-reports of specific forms of sexual violence, physical and emotional violence, transactional sex, child marriage for girls and parenting behaviours for caregivers. Intent-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were conducted.

Results

At 12 months of follow-up, the intervention showed no impact on sexual violence (adjusted OR=0.95; 95% CI 0.65 to 1.37) or any secondary outcomes for girls. The intervention was associated with improved supportive parenting behaviours. Protocol adherence was also associated with improvements in these outcomes.

Conclusion

While the caregiver curriculum improved some parenting outcomes, additional programmatic adaptations may be needed to reduce adolescent girls’ violence exposure in humanitarian settings.

Trial registration number

NCT02384642.
What explains the lacklustre response to Zika in Brazil? Exploring institutional, economic and health system context
Authors: Gómez Eduardo J , Perez Fernanda Aguilar , Ventura Deisy
Published: October 2018

By early-2016, the international community began to pressure Brazil for a stronger policy response to Zika. In contrast to what was seen in the past, however, these international pressures did not elicit such a response. In this article, we explore why this was the case, reviewing the government’s policy response and the broader political and economic context shaping this response. The authors used single case study analysis and qualitative sources, such as books, journal articles, and government policy reports to support their empirical claims. We found that despite increased international pressures from the WHO, domestic political factors and economic recession hampered the government’s ability to strengthen its health systems response to Zika. Consequently, those states most afflicted by Zika have seen policy initiatives that lack sufficient funding, administrative and human resource capacity. This study revealed that despite a government’s deep foreign policy history of positively responding to international pressures through a stronger policy response to health epidemics, a sudden change in government, rising political instability, and economic recession can motivate governments to abandon this foreign policy tradition and undermine its response to new public health threats.
From behavioural simulation to computer models: how simulation can be used to improve healthcare management and policy
Authors: Lamé Guillaume , Simmons Rebecca K
Published: October 2018

Simulation is a technique that evokes or replicates substantial aspects of the real world, in order to experiment with a simplified imitation of an operations system, for the purpose of better understanding and/or improving that system. Simulation provides a safe environment for investigating individual and organisational behaviour and a risk-free testbed for new policies and procedures. Therefore, it can complement or replace direct field observations and trial-and-error approaches, which can be time consuming, costly and difficult to carry out. However, simulation has low adoption as a research and improvement tool in healthcare management and policy-making. The literature on simulation in these fields is dispersed across different disciplinary traditions and typically focuses on a single simulation method. In this article, we examine how simulation can be used to investigate, understand and improve management and policy-making in healthcare organisations. We develop the rationale for using simulation and provide an integrative overview of existing approaches, using examples of in vivo behavioural simulations involving live participants, pure in silico computer simulations and intermediate approaches (virtual simulation) where human participants interact with computer simulations of health organisations. We also discuss the combination of these approaches to organisational simulation and the evaluation of simulation-based interventions.
DYRK1A modulates c-MET in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to drive tumour growth
Authors: Luna Jeroni , Boni Jacopo , Cuatrecasas Miriam , Bofill-De Ros Xavier , Núñez-Manchón Estela , Gironella Meritxell , Vaquero Eva C , Arbones Maria L , de la Luna Susana , Fillat Cristina
Published: October 2018

Background and aims

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a very aggressive tumour with a poor prognosis using current treatments. Targeted therapies may offer a new avenue for more effective strategies. Dual-specificity tyrosine regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) is a pleiotropic kinase with contradictory roles in different tumours that is uncharacterised in PDAC. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of DYRK1A in pancreatic tumorigenesis.

Design

We analysed DYRK1A expression in PDAC genetic mouse models and in patient samples. DYRK1A function was assessed with knockdown experiments in pancreatic tumour cell lines and in PDAC mouse models with genetic reduction ofDyrk1adosage. Furthermore, we explored a mechanistic model for DYRK1A activity.

Results

We showed that DYRK1A was highly expressed in PDAC, and that its protein level positively correlated with that of c-MET. Inhibition of DYRK1A reduced tumour progression by limiting tumour cell proliferation. DYRK1A stabilised the c-MET receptor through SPRY2, leading to prolonged activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase signalling.

Conclusions

These findings reveal that DYRK1A contributes to tumour growth in PDAC, at least through regulation of c-MET accumulation, suggesting that inhibition of DYRK1A could represent a novel therapeutic target for PDAC.
Toxic layering through three disciplinary lenses: childhood poisoning and street pesticide use in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Swartz Alison , Levine Susan , Rother Hanna-Andrea , Langerman Fritha
Published: October 2018

This article focuses on the devastating hidden perils of agricultural pesticides repurposed by informal sellers in urban South African townships to kill rats and other unwanted pests. Drawing on collaborative research techniques, we investigate the causal relationship between child poisoning episodes and the household use of illegal street pesticides. Such pesticides are used to safeguard homes from pests in an attempt to protect children from the harmful consequences of rodent bites and vectorborne diseases. Here, we consider the social injustice and economic inequality of episodes of child pesticide poisoning in the Western Cape from three disciplinary perspectives: public health, medical anthropology and fine art. We ultimately seek to demonstrate the complex relationship between the political economy of sanitation, waste removal and insecure housing, and the proliferation of rodents and other pests in urban townships. As a contribution to the medical humanities, the paper leans into different disciplines to highlight the toxic layering at play in a child pesticide poisoning event. The public health perspective focuses on the circulation of illegal street pesticides, the anthropologists focus on the experiences of the children and caregivers who are victims of poisoning, and the fine artist centres the rat within a broader environmental context. While non-toxic methods to eliminate rats and household pests are critical, longer term structural changes, through environmental and human rights activism, are necessary to ameliorate the suffering caused by poisoning. The medical and health humanities is well poised to highlight creative ways to draw public attention to these challenges, as well as to bridge the divide between science and the humanities through collaborative research efforts. With this paper we set the stage for discussing and balancing perspectives when addressing pest control in poor urban communities.
Bayesian updating of subsurface spatial variability for improved prediction of braced excavation response
Authors: Lo M.K. , Leung Y.F.
Published: October 2018

This paper introduces an approach that utilizes field measurements to update the parameters characterizing spatial variability of soil properties and model bias, leading to refined predictions for subsequent construction stages. It incorporates random field simulations and a surrogate modeling technique into the Bayesian updating framework, while the spatial and stage-dependent correlations of model bias can also be considered. The approach is illustrated using two cases of multi-stage braced excavations, one being a hypothetical scenario and the other from a case study in Hong Kong. Making use of all the deflection measurements along an inclinometer, the principal components of the random field and model bias factors can be updated efficiently as the instrumentation data become available. These various sources of uncertainty do not only cause discrepancies between prior predictions and actual performance, but can also lead to response mechanisms that cannot be captured by deterministic approaches, such as distortion of the wall along the longitudinal direction of the excavation. The proposed approach addresses these issues in an efficient manner, producing prediction intervals that reasonably encapsulate the response uncertainty as shown in the two cases. The capability to continuously refine the response estimates and prediction intervals can help support the decision-making process as the construction progresses.
Love Conquers All: The Erfurt Girdle as a Source for Understanding Medieval Jewish Love and Romance
Authors: Noy Ido
Published: October 2018

The discovery of pawned objects in treasure troves attributed to Jews enables investigation of the use and understanding of these objects by Jews, especially regarding those of a more secular nature, i.e. objects that have little relationship to Jewish or Christian liturgy and that lack explicit Jewish or Christian religious iconography or inscriptions. One of these pawned objects is a girdle, which was found in a Jewish context in Erfurt. Through examining this girdle in the context of similar imagery in Jewish art, we see that Jews were not only exposed to such girdles but also were well aware of their symbolic meaning in noble love and romance.
Radiation-Associated Chronic Dysphagia Assessment by Flexible Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing (FEES) in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: Swallowing-Related Structures and Radiation Dose-Volume Effect
Authors: Ozkaya Akagunduz Ozlem , Eyigor Sibel , Kirakli Esra , Tavlayan Emin , Erdogan Cetin Zeynep , Kara Gulsen , Esassolak Mustafa
Published: October 2018

Purpose

We aimed to restore dose-volume parameters of swallowing-related structures (SRSs) by evaluating long-term swallowing dysfunctions after radiotherapy (RT) in head and neck cancer patients (HNCPs).

Materials and Methods

Head and neck cancer patients whose pharyngeal region was involved in RT portal and treated with definitive RT/chemoradiotherapy (CRT) were included in the analyses. Patients underwent objective swallowing assessment by flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES). Volumes of SRSs that received 55 Gy (V55) (mean dose [Dmean]) were evaluated according to the dose-volume histograms of each patient. For every SRS, optimal dose-volume cut-off values were determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.

Results

Fifty-five patients at a median 20 months (range, 12-26 months) after their treatments were evaluated. There was a strong negative correlation between FEES scores and dose-volume parameters of SRS ( r ⩽ –0.5, P < .0001). According to our results, middle pharyngeal constrictor (MPC) and inferior pharyngeal constrictor (IPC) had a Dmean > 57 Gy, base of tongue (BOT) Dmean > 50 Gy, supraglottic larynx (SGL) and glottic larynx (GL) Dmean > 55 Gy, and cervical esophagus (CE) Dmean > 45 Gy. MPC V55 > 70%, IPC V55 > 50%, BOT V55 > 65%, CE V55 > 40%, and SGL and GL V55 > 50% were significant predictors for dysphagia.

Conclusion

It was found that dysphagia correlates strongly with dose-volume parameters of SRSs. IPC, SGL, and CE were found to be structures significantly associated with dysphagia.
Outdoor Time, Screen Time, and Connection to Nature: Troubling Trends Among Rural Youth?
Authors: Larson Lincoln R. , Szczytko Rachel , Bowers Edmond P. , Stephens Lauren E. , Stevenson Kathryn T. , Floyd Myron F.
Published: October 2018

Evidence suggests that contemporary children are spending less time outdoors than their predecessors. Concurrent reports also highlight the rise of electronic media use in the lives of youth. We explored relationships between self-reported outdoor time, screen time, and connection to nature in a sample of sixth- to eighth-grade students across rural South Carolina ( N = 543). We found that most youth spent time outdoors, but they spent more time with electronic media. The outdoor versus screen time discrepancy was particularly pronounced for girls, African Americans, and eighth graders. Connection to nature, linked to outdoor time, was highest among boys, White students, and sixth graders. Our study contributes to growing evidence highlighting the negative influence of escalating screen time on outdoor time and connection to nature during adolescence. Programs designed to address these troubling trends could focus on two groups at particularly high risk: girls and youth of color.
Cross-Cultural Research on Psychotherapy: The Need for a Change
Authors: Koç Volkan , Kafa Gülnihal
Published: October 2018

Psychotherapy models, some of which now have a history over a century, have been practiced worldwide. However, considering that the most prevalently applied psychotherapy models are the products of Western culture, questioning the extent of these models’ effectiveness and efficiency for people belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds is legitimate. No doubt, ethno-cultural groups living in Western multicultural societies will interact with Western culture more deeply compared with people living in non-Western countries; therefore, to also think that their needs will differ is reasonable. In this case, the quantity and quality of the required adaptations may also change. Although a promising number of studies exist on intercultural adaptations necessitated by the needs of multicultural societies, the literature on the effectiveness of these models in the non-Western world and the local psychotherapy models is quite limited. One important question is whether psychotherapy models can be adapted to address non-Western cultures without transforming their fundamental assumptions, and if so, can this be conducted efficiently? With these questions in mind, the aim is to review the current state of scientific studies on psychotherapy practices in various cultures. In addition, considering the large spectrum of cultural migration taking place in modern days and the difficulty of receiving mental health services in underdeveloped countries, the importance of adapted and local psychotherapy research has been emphasized and some suggestions for consideration in future research have been made.
Locked in Sequence and Stuck on Skills in a College-for-All Culture for Urban Latinx Youth
Authors: Athanases Steven Z.
Published: October 2018

This case study of one small urban California high school enrolling predominantly low-socioeconomic status (SES) Latinx youth and many emergent bilinguals found that a college-for-all school culture, guided by leadership and school vision, was enacted in classrooms as caring, safe, productive spaces promoting college-going comportment. However, support exceeded challenge, with routine scaffolds and formulaic activity. There was less evidence of learning opportunities that challenged intellectual capacities and students’ analytic processes. Instruction overall maintained a sequential format of support, study skills, and content skills before challenging disciplinary work, with basic and intermediate academic literacies seldom embedded in activity that engaged higher order thinking, creativity, and imagination.
Investigating Tourists’ Revisit Proxies: The Key Role of Destination Loyalty and Its Dimensions
Authors: Stylos Nikolaos , Bellou Victoria
Published: October 2018

Literature in tourism marketing has focused on understanding tourists’ revisit patterns, mostly through its proxies (i.e., destination loyalty, past visitation, intention to revisit). Interestingly, however, consensus has not been reached yet, regarding not only the distinctiveness of these proxies but also their interrelationships. This study hypothesizes the impact of past visitation, along with holistic image and subjective norms, on tourists’ intention to revisit directly, and via destination loyalty, expecting place attachment to serve as key moderator. Additionally, since research remains quite vague in terms of the destination loyalty components and their operationalization, this study tests other than the baseline model, a competing one, in which we replace destination loyalty construct with two of its main components, namely, destination commitment and intention to recommend. Evidence coming from 1,292 British tourists visiting Crete, Greece, verifies the distinctiveness of the three proxies and identifies the superior explanatory power of the competing model.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation simulation-based training: methods, drawbacks and a novel solution
Authors: Al Disi Mohammed , Alsalemi Abdullah , Alhomsi Yahya , Bensaali Fayçal , Amira Abbes , Alinier Guillaume
Published: October 2018

Introduction:

Patients under the error-prone and complication-burdened extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) are looked after by a highly trained, multidisciplinary team. Simulation-based training (SBT) affords ECMO centers the opportunity to equip practitioners with the technical dexterity required to manage emergencies. The aim of this article is to review ECMO SBT activities and technology followed by a novel solution to current challenges.

ECMO simulation:

The commonly-used simulation approach is easy-to-build as it requires a functioning ECMO machine and an altered circuit. Complications are simulated through manual circuit manipulations. However, scenario diversity is limited and often lacks physiological and/or mechanical authenticity. It is also expensive to continuously operate due to the consumption of highly specialized equipment.

Technological aid:

Commercial extensions can be added to enable remote control and to automate circuit manipulation, but do not improve on the realism or cost-effectiveness.

A modular ECMO simulator:

To address those drawbacks, we are developing a standalone modular ECMO simulator that employs affordable technology for high-fidelity simulation.
Transactional Associations Between Adolescents’ Emotion Dysregulation and Symptoms of Social Anxiety and Depression: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Masters Mitchell R. , Zimmer-Gembeck Melanie J. , Farrell Lara J.
Published: October 2018

Emotion dysregulation has been associated with increased risks for psychopathology. During adolescence when the onset of mental illnesses peak, emotion dysregulation may be particularly problematic. In this study, we examined transactional associations between young adolescents’ self-report of their emotion dysregulation and symptoms of social anxiety and depression at three assessments over 3 years. Participants were 391 Australian students (56% female; 79% White/Caucasian) in Grades 6 to 8 followed until Grades 9 to 11. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), emotion dysregulation was a latent variable indicated by lack of emotional clarity, nonacceptance of emotional responses, impulse control difficulties, limited access to emotion regulation strategies, and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior. A sixth aspect of emotion dysregulation, lack of emotional awareness, which was not correlated with the other five subscales, was examined separately in the SEM. Transactional associations over time were identified between emotion dysregulation and symptoms of social anxiety and depression, with adolescents higher in emotion dysregulation at Time 1 (T1) reporting higher social anxiety and depressive symptoms between T1 and Time 2 (T2), and T2 emotion dysregulation predicting increases in adolescents’ depression, but not social anxiety, symptoms from T2 to Time 3 (T3), after controlling for baseline symptoms. In addition, earlier social anxiety, but not depressive, symptom level at T2 was significantly associated with later emotion dysregulation between T2 and T3, after baseline emotion dysregulation was controlled. Furthermore, girls were higher in emotion dysregulation, social anxiety, and depression than boys, but sex did not moderate temporal links between emotion dysregulation and symptoms.
Modeling in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Assessing External and Predictive Validity of MISCAN-Colon Microsimulation Model Using NORCCAP Trial Results
Authors: Buskermolen Maaike , Gini Andrea , Naber Steffie K. , Toes-Zoutendijk Esther , de Koning Harry J. , Lansdorp-Vogelaar Iris
Published: October 2018

Background. Microsimulation models are increasingly being used to inform colorectal cancer (CRC) screening recommendations. MISCAN-Colon is an example of such a model, used to inform the Dutch CRC screening program and US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines. Assessing the validity of these models is essential to provide transparency regarding their performance. In this study, we tested the external and predictive validity of MISCAN-Colon. Methods. We validated MISCAN-Colon using the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Prevention (NORCCAP) trial, a randomized controlled trial that examined the effectiveness of once-only flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) screening. We simulated the study population and design of the NORCCAP trial in MISCAN-Colon and compared 10- to 12-year model-predicted hazard ratios (HRs) for overall and distal CRC incidence and mortality to those observed. In addition, we compared the numbers of screen-detected neoplasia. Finally, we predicted the trial’s future results to allow for the assessment of predictive validity. Results. MISCAN-Colon predicted an HR for overall CRC incidence (0.85), distal CRC incidence (0.82), overall CRC mortality (0.68), and distal CRC mortality (0.62). These were within the limits of the 95% confidence intervals of the NORCCAP trial results. Similar results were observed for the number of screen-detected cancers. The model significantly underestimated the number of screen-detected adenomas. Model-predicted HRs for CRC incidence and mortality up to 15- to 17-year follow-up were 0.84 and 0.72, respectively. Conclusion. Although the underestimation of screen-detected adenomas requires further investigation, MISCAN-Colon is able to make a valid replication of the CRC incidence and mortality reduction of an FS screening trial, which suggests that it can be considered a useful tool to support decision making on CRC screening.
Gendered Ambition: Men’s and Women’s Career Advancement in Public Administration
Authors: Maranto Robert , Teodoro Manuel P. , Carroll Kristen , Cheng Albert
Published: October 2018

We explore the relationships between gender, career ambition, and the emergence of executive leadership. Growing research in public administration shows that career systems shape bureaucrats’ ambitions, political behavior, and management. Yet career systems are not neutral conduits of talent: Administrators are more likely to pursue advancement when career systems favor them. This study proposes that women and men respond to gendered public career systems. Using national- and state-level data on public school managers in the United States, we find gender disparities in the career paths that lead educators from the classroom to the superintendent’s suite. Specifically, we find that female and elementary school teachers advance more slowly than male and secondary school teachers. We also find gender disparities in certification and experience among principals. Accordingly, female and elementary principals report lower levels of ambition. Such gendered career systems may lead to biases in policy agendas and public management.
Parental Attitudes Perceived by Adolescents, and Their Tendency for Violence and Affecting Factors
Authors: Kulakci-Altintas Hulya , Ayaz-Alkaya Sultan
Published: October 2018

Parental attitude is an important factor for adolescents to establish healthy–unhealthy relationships with their environment and to develop a tendency for violence. This study was performed to determine parental attitudes perceived by high school students and their tendency for violence and the affecting factors. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with 2,000 high school students. Data were collected by a questionnaire, Parental Attitude Scale, and Violence Tendency Scale. In the study, it was found that mean scores of the students for democratic attitude were higher than protective or authoritarian attitudes. Factors such as grade level, age, sex, education level of the parents, family type, income level, number of siblings, birth order, state of being exposed to domestic violence, and tendency for violence affected perceived parental attitude. It was also determined that violence tendency of the students was at a moderate level, and students who were studying at higher grades, who were among an older age group in parallel to grade level, who were males, whose mothers were employed, whose fathers had less than an primary education, whose incomes were less than the expenses, and who experienced domestic violence showed more tendency for violence. In addition, it was determined that tendency for violence decreased as democratic parental attitudes perceived by the students increased, and tendency for violence increased as protective and authoritarian attitude increased. It is recommended to plan regular family training programs to inform families about the relationship between family attitude and tenancy for violence, to strengthen the communication between parents and children, and to support and improve parenting skills of the parents.
On Doing Critical Policy Analysis
Authors: Apple Michael W.
Published: October 2018

In my comments on this fine collection of critical policy analyses, I want to do a number of things. I shall point to the general conceptual and social orientation and commitments that provide the foundation for such research. I will then describe a number of contributions that these papers make. And finally, I shall suggest a number of areas where additional critical investigations could make a significant contribution to our understanding. I hope that I will be forgiven if, at times, I refer to my own work. But many of the arguments I will make in this essay require much more detailed treatments, ones in which I have engaged elsewhere. Thus, these references to my own lengthier analyses may serve as a shorthand pointer to the larger discussions.
Where Critical Policy Meets the Politics of Education: An Introduction
Authors: Diem Sarah , Young Michelle D. , Sampson Carrie
Published: October 2018

The study of educational politics and policy through a critical frame allows for a more nuanced, holistic understanding of the complexities associated with education policy, from creation through implementation to evaluation. The contributions to this special issue of Educational Policy illustrate the work of critical education policy scholars engaged in research focused at the federal, state, and local levels. In this introductory article, we introduce basic elements of critical policy analysis (CPA), including fundamental ontological and epistemological claims and their implications for investigating educational policy. From this foundation, we preview the articles included in this collection, highlighting their frameworks, methods, and focus.
The Politics of Donations: Are Red Counties More Donative Than Blue Counties?
Authors: Paarlberg Laurie E. , Nesbit Rebecca , Clerkin Richard M. , Christensen Robert K.
Published: October 2018

This article integrates parallel literatures about the determinants of redistribution across place. Using regression-based path analysis, we explore how tax burden mediates the relationship between political conditions and charitable contributions. Our analysis indicates that counties with a higher proportion of people voting Republican report higher charitable contributions, and tax burden partially mediates this relationship. However, the effect of political ideology on charitable contributions is nonlinear. As the proportion voting Republican in non-Republican-dominated counties increases, the predicted levels of charitable giving actually decreases. In contrast, as the proportion voting Republican increases in Republican-dominated counties, charitable contributions increase. Higher levels of political competition decrease charitable giving, again with partial mediation by tax burden. We also find that the “crowding in” effect of lower tax burdens on charitable giving only partially compensates for the loss of public revenue. Ultimately, total levels of redistribution—both private and government—are higher in Democratic-leaning counties.
The average effect of multi-divisions cutting method on thermal error in cutting horizontal grooves array on roller mold
Authors: Qiao Zheng , Wu Yangong , Wang Bo , Liu Yutao , Qu Da , Zhang Peng
Published: October 2018

Microstrutured surfaces can be manufactured by roll-to-roll process with roller mold in a high precision and high efficient way. The roller mold machined by drum roll lathe has a large cutting area and takes long time, and thus, the machining precision of roller mold is very sensitive to the thermal error of machine tool. This study analyzes the influence of thermal error on the machining horizontal grooves array on roller mold and proposed a processing method to improve the machining precision. First, the thermal error of hydrostatic guideways system in drum roll lathe was analyzed by simulation and measured through experiments, respectively. Given the diamond tool position offset caused by thermal error, the pitch error of horizontal grooves array with sequential cutting method was discussed. And then, multi-divisions cutting method is proposed to average the pitch error to multiple horizontal grooves instead of cumulative error in the seam position of horizontal grooves array, compared with sequential cutting method. Finally, the experiments with Four Divisions Method were carried out to verify the validity of multi-divisions cutting method. The experimental results demonstrate that multi-divisions cutting method can considerably improve the machining precision of horizontal grooves array.
Investigation on effect of pin shapes on temperature, material flow and forces during friction stir welding: A simulation study
Authors: Jain Rahul , Pal Surjya K , Singh Shiv B
Published: October 2018

Tool pin geometry plays an important role in the weld strength of friction stir welding process. In the current work, a thermo-mechanical model is developed to study the effect of three different pin shapes, namely, cylindrical, square and triflat, during friction stir welding process. The developed model is validated with the temperature, force and spindle torque at different welding conditions. Among the three geometries, triflat pin produced higher temperature, and strain rate. Material deposition for the square pin is stretched toward the advancing side while it is uniformly distributed for the triflat pin. Material rotates multiple times with the flat surfaced pin as compared with cylindrical pin.