bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Grave Preferences of Mourides in Senegal: Migration, Belonging, and Rootedness
Authors: Onoma Ato Kwamena
Published: March 2019

Burial in cemeteries created by and on the orders of Cheikh Amadou Bamba, the founder of the Mouride Sufi order in Senegal, is said to guarantee passage to paradise. While many Mourides, understandably, prefer to have their corpses transported for burial in these cemeteries, others opt to be interred elsewhere. Focusing on the commune of Joal-Fadiouth in Senegal, I argue that the choices of Mourides concerning place of burial are influenced by histories of migration in the commune and the processes through which people develop ties to the area. In explaining Mourides’ divergent preferences, the paper sheds light on broader questions of identity and rootedness, evolving conceptions of “place of origin” – as well as illuminating interactions between the religious and non-religious spheres in the lives of many Africans. I draw mainly on ethnographic research in the Thies and Diourbel Regions of Senegal.
Developmental Regionalism and Regional Value Chains: Pitfalls to South Africa's Vision for the Tripartite Free Trade Area
Authors: Scholvin Sören
Published: March 2019

Regional integration via the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) received a significant boost when the South African parliament signed the corresponding agreement in October 2018. This article uncovers the convictions and objectives that drive South Africa's commitment to the TFTA. It reveals that South Africa sees the TFTA as a means of “developmental regionalism,” which is expected to facilitate region-wide industrialisation based on value addition in regional value chains (RVCs). For this purpose, South Africa seeks to coordinate industrial policies within the TFTA and rehabilitate infrastructure jointly with the regional states. In addition to explaining the logic behind these goals, and analysing how far they have already been achieved, the article also highlights important challenges to South Africa's vision for the TFTA. It calls the prospects of developmental regionalism into question, being particularly sceptical about the way in which RVCs are conceived.
La Procedura di Mobilità e la sua rappresentazione letteraria: Mobilità e Mobilità n. 2 in Works (2016) di Vitaliano Trevisan
Authors: Mara Santi Tiziano Toracca e
Published: March 2019

Il saggio analizza i capitoli Mobilità e Mobilità n. 2 di Works (2016) di Vitaliano Trevisan contestualizzandoli nel rinato interesse per il lavoro che dalla metà degli anni Novanta si registra negli autori, nel mercato editoriale, nel pubblico e nei critici letterari italiani. Posto che la letteratura italiana contemporanea ricomincia a interessarsi al lavoro in concomitanza con il passaggio storico dal fordismo al post-fordismo e in parallelo alle riforme giuridiche che hanno rappresentato le tappe politiche decisive di tale passaggio, il saggio analizza i due capitoli in primo luogo alla luce della legge sulla mobilità n. 223/1991 e dei successivi interventi legislativi su di essa occorsi. In secondo luogo il saggio analizza come la mobilità viene rappresentata da Trevisan e come l’autore non giochi la facile e ormai frusta carta della rappresentazione negativa né della disoccupazione né del lavoro, ma tracci un quadro acuto e originale, nel contesto della letteratura italiana degli anni Zero, del lavoro come attività strutturalmente sociale, in cui si esprimono l’identità e la responsabilità sociale del singolo. Più ancora emerge che i due capitoli sul “non-lavoro”, inseriti a metà del percorso narrativo che illustra i tanti lavori che il personaggio protagonista attraversa prima di diventare scrittore, rappresentano una vera e propria pausa lavorativa e narrativa per tematizzare la natura stessa del romanzo. Works, emerge infatti, è un quadro frammentato di partenze e ripartenze professionali ma è soprattutto una lettura finzionale del reale, ossia una consapevole rivendicazione alla letteratura di un ruolo non descrittivo ma interpretativo e conoscitivo.
Computational Modeling of the Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Vigilance Decrement
Authors: Patterson Robert Earl , Lochtefeld Darrell , Larson Kathleen G. , Christensen-Salem Amanda
Published: March 2019

Objective:

We developed a computational model of the effects of sleep deprivation on the vigilance decrement by employing the methods of system dynamics modeling.

Background:

Situations that require sustained attention for a prolonged duration can cause a decline in cognitive performance, the so-called vigilance decrement. One factor that should influence the vigilance decrement is fatigue in the form of sleep deprivation.

Method:

We employed the methods of system dynamics modeling (numerical-integration techniques for modeling complex feedback systems) to create a computational model of the vigilance decrement. We then simulated the computational effects of sleep deprivation on the behavior of that model, using empirical data obtained from the literature for calibrating such effects.

Results:

Sleep deprivation of 2 hr over a 14-day period should produce an additional decline of 9% in detection performance over that found with the typical vigilance decrement, whereas 4 hr of sleep deprivation over 14 days should produce an additional decline of 14% in detection performance.

Conclusion:

With respect to dual-process theory, it is through its deleterious effects on analytical cognition that sleep deprivation should impact the vigilance decrement.

Application:

Such computational modeling may be advantageous for human-machine teaming by theoretically allowing a future autonomous software agent to anticipate the decline of human performance and compensate accordingly.
Phenotype and Variant Spectrum in the LAMB3 Form of Amelogenesis Imperfecta
Authors: Smith C.E.L. , Poulter J.A. , Brookes S.J. , Murillo G. , Silva S. , Brown C.J. , Patel A. , Hussain H. , Kirkham J. , Inglehearn C.F. , Mighell A.J.
Published: March 2019

Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a heterogeneous group of inherited disorders characterized by abnormal formation of dental enamel, either in isolation or as part of a syndrome. Heterozygous variants in laminin subunit beta 3 ( LAMB3) cause AI with dominant inheritance in the absence of other cosegregating clinical features. In contrast, biallelic loss-of-function variants in LAMB3 cause recessive junctional epidermolysis bullosa, characterized by life-threatening skin fragility. We identified 2 families segregating autosomal dominant AI with variable degrees of a distinctive hypoplastic phenotype due to pathogenic variants in LAMB3. Whole exome sequencing revealed a nonsense variant (c.3340G>T, p.E1114*) within the final exon in family 1, while Sanger sequencing in family 2 revealed a variant (c.3383-1G>A) in the canonical splice acceptor site of the final exon. Analysis of cDNA from family 2 revealed retention of the final intron leading to a premature termination codon. Two unerupted third molar teeth from individual IV:5 in family 2 were subject to computerized tomography and scanning electron microscopy. LAMB3 molar teeth have a multitude of cusps versus matched controls. LAMB3 enamel was well mineralized but pitted. The architecture of the initially secreted enamel was abnormal, with cervical enamel appearing much less severely affected than coronal enamel. This study further defines the variations in phenotype-genotype correlation for AI due to variants in LAMB3, underlines the clustering of nonsense and frameshift variants causing AI in the absence of junctional epidermolysis bullosa, and highlights the shared AI phenotype arising from variants in genes coding for hemidesmosome proteins.
Using Control Balance Theory to Examine Sports Doping Among Professional Athletes in Iran
Authors: Kabiri Saeed , Shadmanfaat Seyyedeh Masoomeh (Shamila) , Donner Christopher M.
Published: March 2019

The use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) is one of the most important issues in the world of sports. At its very heart, this issue speaks to athletic integrity and competitive fairness. When athletes engage in doping, they are committing acts of deviance. The main purpose of this research, accordingly, is to explain why athletes use illegal PEDs. Specifically, we use Tittle’s control balance theory as a conceptual framework. A sample of 852 professional athletes from Iran was used to test assumptions related to control balance theory, and the findings of the study generally indicated that the components of control balance theory predicted athletes’ doping behavior. In addition, the moderating relationships of the control balance model indicated that the relationship between the control deficit and PED use was moderated by the variance in self-control, opportunity, motivation, constraint, perceived benefits, and provocations. Specific results, policy implications, and study limitations are discussed.
How Should Firms Manage Excessive Product Use? A Continuous-Time Demand Model to Test Reward Schedules, Notifications, and Time Limits
Authors: Nevskaya Yulia , Albuquerque Paulo
Published: March 2019

Several industries have recently been criticized by parents, think tanks, and governments for creating product environments that lead to excessive screen usage. If firms do not properly manage product usage, demand may drop, and public policy makers may intervene. The authors of this study test alternative ways to manage the use of such products: redesigning the timing of rewards, introducing notifications to users, and imposing time limits. A continuous-time demand model is proposed and empirically estimated with high-frequency data. The methodology is flexible enough to simultaneously explain multiple usage decisions that happen in quick succession, such as when to start and stop usage and how to respond to rewards or messages from the firm. The approach is implemented on a data set from the online gaming industry that includes usage decisions of a large sample of individuals. The authors find that improving reward schedules and imposing time limits leads to shorter usage sessions and longer product subscriptions—a win-win outcome. Notifications are found not to be useful to manage product usage.
Paralyzed by Prices: An Analysis of Price Theory within the Context of Health Care
Authors: Babcock Paul
Published: March 2019

This article examines the structure of pricing within health care. The price mechanism within health care does not function as it does in other sectors of the economy. The author examines the price theories of capitalism, socialism, and solidarism to illuminate the purpose of prices relevant to health care. Drawing points from each system, the author argues in favor of a solidarist approach to prices relying on principles set forth in Catholic social teaching, with the caveat that the capitalist natural price must first be determined. The unique features of healthcare pricing and prioritization indicate that moral principles must guide the economics of health care, not merely supply and demand.

This article discusses the problems with creating useful prices in health care. It examines the price theories of capitalism, socialism, and solidarism to see which would be most useful for health care price formation.
The Editor’s Note: Childhood, then and now
Authors: Heller Rafael
Published: March 2019

Childhood has changed dramatically over time, but it’s tricky to childhoods today with those of the past. Our perceptions may be influenced by our own vantage point. The experience of childhood varies not just by generation, but also by social class. But children of all backgrounds spend more time in school than in the past, making educators an important influence in children’s lives.
A Look Back: Kappan authors on children and youth
Authors: Preston Teresa
Published: March 2019

Teaching children well requires an understanding of them, and so multiple Kappan authors over the years have examined how societal and cultural shifts have affected young people. In this column, Teresa Preston provides a sampling of authors’ views on children and youth. Some authors have taken a negative view, bewailing the behavior of young people or fretting over their growing alienation. In many cases, authors have looked to adults as the source of students’ problems, whether because of how adults have chosen to structure their lives or because of the policies adults have advocated.
Preparing teachers for project-based teaching
Authors: Grossman Pam , Dean Christopher G. Pupik , Kavanagh Sarah Schneider , Herrmann Zachary
Published: March 2019

If the movement toward more project-based learning is to be successful, it’s essential to understand what teachers need to do to be effective in a project-based classroom. Pam Grossman, Christopher G. Pupik Dean, Sarah Schneider Kavanagh, and Zachary Herrmann surveyed experts and teachers and viewed classroom videos to identify a set of core practices for project-based teaching. Effective project-based educators promote subject-area learning; create relevant experiences; cultivate a classroom culture of production, feedback, reflection, and revision; and build student agency in learning communities.
Teacher leadership: Prospects and promises
Authors: Berry Barnett
Published: March 2019

For many decades, most of the decision-making authority in public schools has been vested in individual principals and other administrators. However, new models of collaborative teacher leadership are beginning to emerge, thanks to four trends: 1) evidence on the positive effects of teacher leadership continues to mount, 2) districts and state policies are codifying teacher leadership roles, 3) teacher leaders are becoming more proficient at using educational technology and sharing their expertise through digital media, and 4) researchers are deepening their knowledge about how teachers learn to lead effectively.
Debunking the myth of the teacher performance plateau
Authors: Goodwin Bryan , Slotnik William J.
Published: March 2019

There is a long-held but inaccurate belief that new teachers’ expertise and talent is mostly innate and that it peaks and plateaus within their first few years of teaching. William Slotnik and Bryan Goodwin explain that school systems need to abandon this conventional wisdom and instead build true talent development systems that support the careerlong development of teachers’ professional practices. The path forward requires school districts to understand how people develop expertise and create ways for teachers to develop their talent at all stages in the process.
Washington View: Lessons from Benjamin Franklin
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: March 2019

Historian Nick Bunker’s Young Benjamin Franklin: The Birth of Ingenuity shows that young Franklin benefited from a childhood with an ambitious and loving family, access to educational opportunities, and free time to explore. Maria Ferguson considers how those lessons might apply to contemporary childhoods. From a policy perspective, Franklin’s childhood depended on strong early childhood education, access to higher education, and social and emotional learning. In all three areas, positive steps are being made, although progress is slow.
Under the Law: Favoring a religion or encouraging respect? A legal challenge to an antibullying program
Authors: Underwood Julie
Published: March 2019

When the San Diego Unified School District implemented an antibullying program in response to reports of bullying of Muslim students, a group of citizens complained that the program constituted an unconstitutional promotion of one religion. Julie Underwood discusses the resulting case, Citizens for Quality Education v. Barrera (S.D. Cal 2018) and explains what it teaches educators about the appropriate responses to religion-based bullying.
How Smallness Fosters Clientelism: A Case Study of Malta
Authors: Veenendaal Wouter
Published: March 2019

While it has long been assumed that smaller communities are more prone to particularistic politics, the relationship between state size and clientelism remains strongly undertheorized. Departing from the assumption that face-to-face contacts, overlapping role relations, stronger monitoring mechanisms, and the enhanced power of single votes contribute to the emergence of patron–client linkages, this article provides an in-depth case study of clientelism in Malta, the smallest member state of the European Union. The analysis reveals not only that patron–client linkages are a ubiquitous feature of political life in Malta, but also that the smallness of Malta strongly affects the functioning of clientelism by eliminating the need for brokers and enhancing the power of clients versus patrons. In addition, clientelism is found to be related to several other characteristics of Maltese politics, among which the sharp polarization between parties, extremely high turnout rates, profound executive dominance, and the incidence of corruption scandals.
Tensions and Dilemmas in Crisis Governance: Responding to Citizen Volunteers
Authors: Schmidt Arjen
Published: March 2019

In the aftermath of a crisis situation, citizen volunteers play an important role by providing first aid and immediate relief. Little is known about how response organizations are successful in governing citizen volunteers. I propose that, due to the spontaneous and emergent nature of convergence by citizen volunteers on disaster sites, it matters how response organizations resolve governance dilemmas when engaging with citizen volunteers. I theorize that specific responses to governance dilemmas likely lead to successful governance outcomes. To illustrate the argument, I have conducted a multiple case study analysis of the Dutch response to the 2015-2016 refugee crisis.
The role of discourse in transforming digital infrastructures
Authors: Øvrelid Egil , Bygstad Bendik
Published: March 2019

Radical shifts in large information technology programmes or digital infrastructures are unusual, but they do occur, usually as a consequence of problems or misalignment. What we know less about is the role of discourse in these shifts. Our interest in this article is to investigate the role of discourse when digitalisation programmes encounter problems. Building on Foucault’s theory of discourse, our research question is: what is the role of discourse in the transformation of digital infrastructures? Our research approach is a critical realist case study, discussing three cases from eHealth innovation. We use Foucault’s archaeological methodology to identify the emerging discursive formations when a programme encounters difficulties. This enables us to analyse the causal relationship between discursive formations and other mechanisms in the infrastructure. We offer two contributions: first, we outline a framework to understand the role of discursive formations in digital transformation; second, we propose a set of configurations to explain how contextual factors and causal mechanisms contingently lead to the transformation of a digital infrastructure.
Dedifferentiated liposarcoma of the musculoskeletal system: expanded MR imaging spectrum from predominant fatty mass to non-fatty mass
Authors: Yun Jae Sung , Chung Hye Won , Song Joon Seon , Lee Sang Hoon , Lee Min Hee , Shin Myung Jin
Published: March 2019

Background

The morphology of musculoskeletal dedifferentiated liposarcoma was previously reported as well-defined non-lipomatous masses juxtaposed with fatty tumors.

Purpose

To establish a new spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for dedifferentiated liposarcoma according to the quantity and distribution of the non-fatty component in the tumor.

Material and Methods

This study consisted of a retrospective review of MRI of 14 patients with a total of 18 histopathologically proven dedifferentiated liposarcoma lesions in the musculoskeletal area. Tumors were classified into four categories (I–IV) according to MR features: I = a well-defined fatty mass and juxtaposed well-defined non-fatty mass; II = a non-fatty component within a predominant fatty mass; III = a focal fatty component within a large non-fatty mass; and IV = a non-fatty mass. Tumor size and depth were also analyzed.

Results

The MR categorizations of the tumors were as follows: Category I, n = 3; Category II, n = 1; Category III, n = 7; and Category IV, n = 7. The mean tumor size was 11.9 cm (range = 5.0–22.2 cm). Most of the tumors showed a predominant non-fatty area and were deeply located at the intra- or intermuscular space.

Conclusion

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma lesions showed a diverse spectrum of MRI findings. Although the presence of a non-fatty region within or adjacent to a well-defined fatty mass can suggest dedifferentiated liposarcoma, non-fatty masses without a fatty component were frequent on MRI.
Combining abiraterone and radiotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: a review of current evidence
Authors: Livi Lorenzo , Detti Beatrice , Francolini Giulio , Terziani Francesca , Triggiani Luca , D’Angelillo Rolando M. , Ingrosso Gianluca
Published: March 2019

Prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer worldwide, with a very high rate of progression despite treatment. The most aggressive form of the disease is known as castration-resistant prostate cancer, which carries a poor prognosis. We reviewed available literature regarding the combination of abiraterone acetate antihormonal drug and ablative radiation therapy for the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. This dual treatment may enhance the effects of second-line hormonal therapy, as radiotherapy renders cancer cells more prone to immune-mediated cytotoxicity. Moreover, radiotherapy exerts its effect both on directly irradiated cells and on other distant tissues, with an abscopal effect, already demonstrated in other solid tumors. This combination treatment is safe and effective, with few adverse events. Moreover, it is of paramount importance in patients with oligoprogression of the primary disease, when current guidelines recommend continuing abiraterone treatment. Ablative radiation therapy is a noninvasive, nontoxic treatment with very high efficacy on local tumor growth control. In the available literature, the combination of radiation therapy and abiraterone acetate has prolonged both overall survival and progression-free survival, with a positive impact also on locoregional recurrence and distant metastases.
Survival benefit of first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor–tyrosine kinase inhibitors in female with advanced lung cancer
Authors: Kwon Byoung Soo , Park Ji Hyun , Kim Seulgi , Park Sojung , Ji Wonjun , Kim Woo Sung , Lee Jae Cheol , Park Yu Rang , Choi Chang-Min
Published: March 2019

Background:

This study aimed to estimate therapeutic effects of first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor–tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in real-world practice, by analyzing survival outcomes in an unselected, Korean female population with advanced lung cancer based on the National Health Insurance Service database.

Methods:

We identified women with newly diagnosed advanced lung cancer from January 2004 to December 2013. For progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analyses, patients were defined into the following subgroups: group A, treated with first-generation EGFR-TKI ⩾6 months; group B, treated with EGFR-TKIs <6 months but at least >1 month; and group C, treated with cytotoxic chemotherapy as follows: monotherapy or combination therapy with gemcitabine or pemetrexed; or monotherapy with docetaxel, paclitaxel, or vinorelbine.

Results:

Among 11,045 enrolled patients, 6170 (55.8%) were treated with first-generation EGFR-TKIs for at least 1 month. The median OS for patients treated with EGFR-TKIs was significantly longer than that of EGFR-TKI-naive patients (19.1 months [95% confidence interval (CI) 18.5–19.7] vs 9.5 months [95% CI 9.1–9.8], P<0.001). In subgroup analysis, group A had a significantly longer median OS compared with group B (30.3 months [95% CI 29.5–31.2] vs 12.3 months [95% CI 11.9–12.7], P<0.001). The median PFS of group A was significantly longer than that of group B (15.8 vs 3.7 months, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

Our analysis demonstrates that EGFR-TKIs confer significant PFS and OS benefits in the real-world practice for Korean female with advanced lung cancer.
Field Performance and Economic Analysis of Rehabilitated Pavement Sections with Engineered Stress Relief Course Interlayers
Authors: Habbouche Jhony , Hajj Elie Y. , Piratheepan Murugaiyah , Sebaaly Peter E. , Morian Nathan E.
Published: March 2019

Previous studies showed that the use of a stress relief course asphalt concrete (AC) interlayer (fine-graded asphalt mixture) between an AC overlay and the milled AC surface is a promising technique to mitigate reflective cracking. A performance-based mix design specification for an engineered stress relief course (ESRC) AC interlayer was developed and implemented in Nevada on two field projects. The projects were completed in summer of 2015 and 2016 on a U.S. route (US95, Las Vegas) and a residential road (Hidden Valley, Reno) in Nevada, respectively. The performance evaluation of field-produced mixtures collected during construction showed good stability, and increased resistance to fatigue and reflective cracking that can be attributed to the increased asphalt binder content and the finer aggregate gradation, thus making ESRC a promising technique to mitigate reflective cracking. This was also supported by the distress survey data collected throughout the up-to-date service life of the projects. The pavements with ESRC interlayer showed excellent performance thus far (after 2 to 3 years) when compared with the control sections, as demonstrated with a much lower level of cracking reflected in the AC overlay. A simple life cycle cost analysis was performed based on the observed field distresses from each project. The cost analysis showed that even though the ESRC mixture has a higher initial cost of materials, the agency and user life cycle costs per lane mile are lower and resulted in an average cost saving of 23%. In summary, based on the findings from this study, interlayer AC mixes designed using the presented ESRC performance-based mix design method should be used in Nevada.
Electric Bicycle-Sharing: A New Competitor in the Urban Transportation Market? An Empirical Analysis of Transaction Data
Authors: Guidon Sergio , Becker Henrik , Dediu Horace , Axhausen Kay W.
Published: March 2019

Electric bicycles (e-bikes) are a new addition to bicycle-sharing and may improve its competitiveness. E-bikes allow for higher speeds at a higher level of comfort than conventional bicycles and, compared with traditional bicycle-sharing, e-bike-sharing is better positioned to complement or compete with existing public transportation, or to even challenge established taxi services. In this paper, eight months of transaction data from a free-floating e-bike-sharing system in Zürich, Switzerland, were used to study the market position of e-bike sharing and drivers of demand. The results of the analysis indicate that a large proportion of the trips are commuting, and that the distance range of e-bike-sharing trips overlaps with the distance ranges of traditional public transportation and taxi services. Intensity of use is sensitive to precipitation. Spatial regression modeling indicates that economic and social activity, public transportation service quality, and the availability of bicycle infrastructure are key drivers of demand for free-floating e-bike-sharing. Given the substantial differences in the service compared with traditional bicycle-sharing, a new fifth generation of bicycle-sharing schemes is proposed.
Laboratory Comparison of Permanent Deformation and Fatigue Behavior of Neat, Polymer, and Rubber-Asphalt Binders
Authors: Camargo Felipe F. , Vasconcelos Kamilla , Bernucci Liedi L.
Published: March 2019

Fatigue cracking and rutting are among the major types of distresses to be considered in flexible pavement design. In this context, the choice of the asphalt binder plays a major role in both the fatigue behavior and permanent deformation resistance of the asphalt mixture. This study was conducted to assess the permanent deformation and fatigue behavior of a field-blended rubber-asphalt (CRMA) and compare the results with typical binders used in Brazil. The neat binder used for modification was also employed as a control and as a base for polymer modification (SBSA). The binders were evaluated using the multiple stress creep and recovery (MSCR) for permanent deformation behavior, and the time sweep (TST) and linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests for fatigue behavior. Modification of the neat binder resulted in an increase in percentage recovery in the MSCR, whereas the percentage recovery for CRMA was the highest among the three binders at any given temperature. The non-recoverable creep compliance for the CRMA was lower than that exhibited by the neat and SBSA binders for both stress levels for the range of temperatures tested. Binder modification resulted in an improved fatigue behavior compared with the neat binder according to the TST and LAS, whereas rubber modification resulted in the best fatigue behavior. Fatigue life prediction by TST was consistently higher than fatigue life prediction in the LAS test, probably because different criteria were used for determining failure in each test (ranking of the binders remained constant regardless of the criteria used).
Solutes removal characteristics at various effluent rates during different continuous renal replacement therapy modalities
Authors: Yu Wenyan , Zhuang Feng , Ma Shuai , Zhu Mingli , Ding Feng
Published: March 2019

Background:

Some studies suggest the effluent as a surrogate solute removal indicator in continuous hemodialysis or hemofiltration, but the delivered clearance is frequently smaller than prescribed. This study aims at testing whether the effluent, represented by mL/kg/h, could measure solute clearance and whether increasing effluent increases clearance proportionately in continuous hemodialysis or hemofiltration.

Methods:

Patients treated with continuous renal replacement therapy for various diagnoses were included. The range of dialysate flow rate or substitution fluid flow rate was 1–5 L/h; solutes in the effluent and in the plasma entering the filter were measured, and the ratio of solutes in the effluent and in the plasma entering the filter and the clearance of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, phosphate, and β2-microglobulin were calculated.

Results:

The ratio of solutes in the effluent and in the plasma entering the filter showed a decreasing trend with increased dialysate flow rate or substitution fluid flow rate ( p  < 0.05), but solute clearance showed an increasing trend. The increase in solute clearance was less than expected from the increased effluent ( p < 0.01), and actual delivered clearance was always below the corresponding prescribed clearance ( p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

With increasing prescribed clearance of continuous renal replacement therapy, effluent rate overestimated the delivered clearance.
Symptom Assessment and Early Access to Supportive and Palliative Care for Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors in Mexico
Authors: Alcalde-Castro Mirza Jacqueline , Soto-Perez-de-Celis Enrique , Covarrubias-Gómez Alfredo , Sánchez-Román Sofía , Quiróz-Friedman Paulina , Navarro-Lara África , Ramos-Lopez Wendy Alicia , Moreno-García María Luisa , Contreras-Garduño Sergio , Perez-Montessoro Viridiana , Goss Paul E. , Chávarri-Guerra Yanin
Published: March 2019

Background:

Early specialized palliative care improves quality of life of patients with advanced cancer, and guidelines encourage its integration into standard oncology care. However, many patients fail to obtain timely palliative/supportive care evaluations, particularly in limited-resource settings. We aimed to determine the proportion of patients with advanced cancer who received an assessment of symptoms and were referred to supportive and palliative care services during the first year after diagnosis in a Mexican hospital.

Methods:

Individuals with newly diagnosed advanced solid tumors and 1 year of follow-up at the oncology clinics in the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran in Mexico City from October 2015 to April 2016 were included in this retrospective study.

Results:

Seventy-seven patients were included. Forty-two (54.5%) were referred to the various supportive care services during the first year after diagnosis, and 23 (29.8%) were referred to the palliative care clinic. The most commonly assessed symptoms by oncologists were pain (77.9%), anorexia (74.0%), fatigue (68.8%), and nausea (55.8%), while depression/anxiety were evaluated in 10 (12.9%) patients. The oncologist offered to clarify treatment goals in 39 (50.6%) cases and evaluated the understanding of diagnosis/illness and prognosis in 22 (28.5%).

Conclusion:

Palliative and supportive care services were widely underutilized, which may be related to a lack of standardized symptom assessments and poor end-of-life communication. Novel strategies are needed to improve the implementation of tools for systematic symptom assessment and to optimize the integration of supportive care interventions into oncology care in developing countries.
Special Education Teacher Preparation for Family–Professional Partnerships: Results From a National Survey of Teacher Educators
Authors: Kyzar Kathleen B. , Mueller Tracy Gershwin , Francis Grace L. , Haines Shana J.
Published: March 2019

Family–professional partnerships (FPPs) are an important, federally mandated part of the American education system that benefit all students, but especially students with disabilities. Although special education teacher preparation programs offer a viable and sustainable way to enhance FPPs, little is known about the degree to which these programs address FPPs within their curricula. The purpose of this study was to examine the ways in which special education teacher preparation programs address FPPs. A total of 113 special education faculty members across 52 institutions responded to a national online survey addressing this topic. Results indicated (a) a disconnect in the value and implementation of FPP-related knowledge and skills at the program and individual faculty levels and (b) patterns of inconsistent FPP-related content coverage across undergraduate and graduate offerings as well as across FPP-specific and non-FPP-specific coursework. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Platform-Capital’s ‘App-etite’ for Control: A Labour Process Analysis of Food-Delivery Work in Australia
Authors: Veen Alex , Barratt Tom , Goods Caleb
Published: March 2019

This qualitative case study adopts a labour process analysis to unpack the distinctive features of capital’s control regimes in the food-delivery segment of the Australian platform-economy and assesses labour agency in response to these. Drawing upon worker experiences with the Deliveroo and UberEATS platforms, it is shown how the labour process controls are multi-facetted and more than algorithmic management, with three distinct features standing out: the panoptic disposition of the technological infrastructure, the use of information asymmetries to constrain worker choice, and the obfuscated nature of their performance management systems. Combined with the workers’ precarious labour market positions and the Australian political-economic context, only limited, mainly individual, expressions of agency were found.
Sexual Selection, Agonistic Signaling, and the Effect of Beards on Recognition of Men’s Anger Displays
Authors: Craig Belinda M. , Nelson Nicole L. , Dixson Barnaby J. W.
Published: March 2019

The beard is arguably one of the most obvious signals of masculinity in humans. Almost 150 years ago, Darwin suggested that beards evolved to communicate formidability to other males, but no studies have investigated whether beards enhance recognition of threatening expressions, such as anger. We found that the presence of a beard increased the speed and accuracy with which participants recognized displays of anger but not happiness (Experiment 1, N = 219). This effect was not due to negative evaluations shared by beardedness and anger or to negative stereotypes associated with beardedness, as beards did not facilitate recognition of another negative expression, sadness (Experiment 2, N = 90), and beards increased the rated prosociality of happy faces in addition to the rated masculinity and aggressiveness of angry faces (Experiment 3, N = 445). A computer-based emotion classifier reproduced the influence of beards on emotion recognition (Experiment 4). The results suggest that beards may alter perceived facial structure, facilitating rapid judgments of anger in ways that conform to evolutionary theory.
In vivo and in vitro comparative assessment of the log-linearized Hunt–Crossley model for impact-contact modeling in physical human–robot interactions
Authors: Courreges Fabien , Laribi Med Amine , Arsicault Marc , Absi Joseph , Zeghloul Said
Published: March 2019

In physical human–robot interactions, making the robot perceive in real time the mechanical contact impedance is critical for interactions safety, robot control and haptic rendering for robot teleoperation and can be achieved through online parametric model identification. Probing the viscoelastic properties of tissues is also a medical concern. For soft viscoelastic biological tissues, the Hunt–Crossley model is a contact force model computationally inexpensive while being accurate. As this model is non-linear, a log linear approximation has been proposed to achieve a fast and real-time identification using a recursive least squares approach. In this article, we want to regard the log-linearized expression of the Hunt–Crossley model no more as an approximation, but rather as a valuable empirical mechanical model of soft biological tissues. We show through experimental data fit and sophisticated statistical analysis that the log-linearized Hunt–Crossley model performs always closely to the Hunt–Crossley model and is even often slightly better. The experimental conditions investigated are related to impact and contact interactions, relevant in the context of Cobotics.
Lifestyles and gratifications obtained from news: Comparing science news with health news and political news
Authors: Li Shu-Chu Sarrina
Published: March 2019

This study adopted uses and gratifications theory to examine the relationships among lifestyles, gratifications obtained, and the use of science, political, and health news. Two methods were adopted, the first of which was to conduct 23 interviews. The second method was a nationwide telephone survey that obtained 949 valid questionnaires. The data analysis yielded three conclusions: (1) among the four types of variables, gratifications obtained were the most powerful predictors for the use of the three types of news; (2) users and nonusers of science news or health news were differentiated mainly by lifestyles, while users and nonusers of political news were differentiated mainly by mass media use; and (3) users of the three types of news differed greatly. Science news users used new media, and were likelier to have a lifestyle of learning and self-development, while political and health news users preferred and trusted traditional media sources, the latter seeking a lifestyle of pleasure.
Public–Private Wage Gap in the Indian Mining and Quarrying Industry
Authors: Mohanty Chandan Kumar , Mohanty Smrutirekha
Published: March 2019

This article examines if there is a wage gap between public and private mining (and quarrying) workers in India, using the NSS data (2004–2005, 2009–2010 and 2011–2012). We employ linear and quantile regressions to estimate the wage gap. The ordinary least squares (OLS) results suggest that workers in the public sector mines (and quarries) earn 59 per cent more than their private sector counterparts. However, the wage gap is not uniform across the conditional wage distribution. The quantile regression estimates show that the magnitude of the wage gap is larger at the bottom quantile than at the top; the gap reduces as we move up the wage distribution. Observations drawn from our sub-sample analysis concur with these findings.

JEL Classification: J21, J31, J45
Export Composition and Long-run Economic Growth Impact: A Cointegration Analysis for ASEAN ‘Latecomer’ Economies
Authors: Vogiatzoglou Klimis
Published: March 2019

Export expansion can be a significant engine of economic growth for developing economies. The size of the growth effect of exports depends not only on volume but also on the sectoral composition of exports. By explicitly considering the sectoral export composition, this article examines over a 31-year period the long-run growth impact of exports in four transition and emerging economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. More specifically, for each country, a long-run equilibrium analysis within a cointegration framework is conducted for three broad sectors (agriculture, mining/natural resources and manufacturing) as well as for 22 manufacturing industries during 1987–2017. The results indicate that there has been sizeable export expansion (especially in Vietnam), but export composition differs substantially across economies, which has an effect on the overall growth impact of the country’s exports. Clear evidence of export-led growth is found only for some sectors. Countries that rely heavily on primary goods have experienced relatively lower export-led growth. Export restructuring in manufacturing industries is associated with a larger long-run growth effect for a country’s exports. Our findings suggest that policies encouraging diversification away from traditional export sectors would be expected to lead to higher long-run growth effects of exports. Furthermore, our analysis implies a steady strengthening of export dynamism in ASEAN ‘latecomer’ economies and their rising significance in the global trade system.

JEL Classification: F14, F43, F63, O11, O47
Investigation on core-fucosylated prostate-specific antigen as a refined biomarker for differentiation of benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer of different aggressiveness
Authors: Lang Robert , Rolny Vinzent , Leinenbach Andreas , Karl Johann , Swiatek-de Lange Magdalena , Kobold Uwe , Schrader Mark , Krause Hans , Mueller Markus , Vogeser Michael
Published: March 2019

Prostate cancer represents a major cause of cancer death in men worldwide. Novel non-invasive methods are still required for differentiation of non-aggressive from aggressive tumors. Recently, changes in prostate-specific antigen glycosylation pattern, such as core-fucosylation, have been described in prostate cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the core-fucosylation determinant of serum prostate-specific antigen may serve as refined marker for differentiation between benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer or identification of aggressive prostate cancer. A previously developed liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry–based strategy was used for multiplex analysis of core-fucosylated prostate-specific antigen (fuc-PSA) and total prostate-specific antigen levels in sera from 50 benign prostate hyperplasia and 100 prostate cancer patients of different aggressiveness (Gleason scores, 5–10) covering the critical gray area (2–10 ng/mL). For identification of aggressive prostate cancer, the ratio of fuc-PSA to total prostate-specific antigen (%-fuc-PSA) yielded a 5%–8% increase in the area under the curve (0.60) compared to the currently used total prostate-specific antigen (area under the curve = 0.52) and %-free prostate-specific antigen (area under the curve = 0.55) tests. However, our data showed that aggressive prostate cancer (Gleason score > 6) and non-aggressive prostate cancer (Gleason score ≤ 6) could not significantly (p-value = 0.08) be differentiated by usage of %-fuc-PSA. In addition, both non-standardized fuc-PSA and standardized %-fuc-PSA had no diagnostic value for differentiation of benign prostate hyperplasia from prostate cancer. The %-fuc-PSA serum levels could not improve the differentiation of non-aggressive and aggressive prostate cancer compared to conventional diagnostic prostate cancer markers. Still, it is unclear whether these limitations come from the biomarker, the used patient cohort, or the imprecision of the applied method itself. Therefore, %-fuc-PSA should be further investigated, especially by more precise methods whether it could be clinically used in prostate cancer diagnosis.
Routine Coagulation Tests in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation Under Dabigatran and Rivaroxaban Therapy: An Affordable and Reliable Strategy?
Authors: Silva Vanessa M. , Scanavacca Maurício , Darrieux Francisco , Cavalheiro Cyrillo , Strunz Celia C.
Published: March 2019

Dabigatran and rivaroxaban, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), affect coagulation tests, and knowledge of their effects is important for therapeutic monitoring. Our aim was to examine the association between DOAC levels and routine coagulation tests in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. Samples from patients receiving dabigatran (150 mg) and patients receiving rivaroxaban (20 mg) were collected 2 hours after drug intake. Direct oral anticoagulant concentrations were determined using direct Hemoclot thrombin inhibitor (HTI) assay (HTI test) and a direct Xa inhibitor (Anti Xa-Riva). The routine coagulation measured included activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and prothrombin time (PT). The median plasmatic dabigatran was 128.3 ng/mL (95% confidence interval [CI]: 93.7-222.6 ng/mL). The HTI exhibited a good correlation with aPTT ( R2 = 0.74; P < .0001). The median plasmatic rivaroxaban was 223.9 ng/mL (95% CI: 212.3-238.9 ng/mL). Anti-Xa-Riva correlated with PT ( R2 = 0.69, P< .0001) and aPTT (R2 = 0.36, P < .001), but prolonged PT results were obtained, even below the rivaroxaban therapeutic range (20%). The routine coagulation tests were able to identify out of therapeutic range concentrations for dabigatran and rivaroxaban. We suggest the use of these screening tests to better understand and monitor the subtherapeutic concentrations of these DOACs.
Functional neuroplasticity in response to cerebello-thalamic injury underpins the clinical presentation of tremor in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Boonstra Frederique MC , Noffs Gustavo , Perera Thushara , Jokubaitis Vilija G , Vogel Adam P , Moffat Bradford A , Butzkueven Helmut , Evans Andrew , van der Walt Anneke , Kolbe Scott C
Published: March 2019

Background:

Tremor is present in almost half of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The lack of understanding of its pathophysiology is hampering progress in development of treatments.

Objectives:

To clarify the structural and functional brain changes associated with the clinical phenotype of upper limb tremor in people with MS.

Methods:

Fifteen healthy controls (46.1 ± 15.4 years), 27 MS participants without tremor (46.7 ± 11.6 years) and 42 with tremor (46.6 ± 11.5 years) were included. Tremor was quantified using the Bain score (0–10) for overall severity, handwriting and Archimedes spiral drawing. Functional magnetic resonance imaging activations were compared between participants groups during performance of a joystick task designed to isolate tremulous movement. Inflammation and atrophy of cerebello-thalamo-cortical brain structures were quantified.

Results:

Tremor participants were found to have atrophy of the cerebellum and thalamus, and higher ipsilateral cerebellar lesion load compared to participants without tremor ( p < 0.020). We found higher ipsilateral activation in the inferior parietal lobule, the premotor cortex and supplementary motor area in MS tremor participants compared to MS participants without tremor during the joystick task. Finally, stronger activation in those areas was associated with lower tremor severity.

Conclusion:

Subcortical neurodegeneration and inflammation along the cerebello-thalamo-cortical and cortical functional neuroplasticity contribute to the severity of tremor in MS.