bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ibrutinib Potentiates Antihepatocarcinogenic Efficacy of Sorafenib by Targeting EGFR in Tumor Cells and BTK in Immune Cells in the Stroma
Authors: Lin Cho-Hao , Elkholy Khadija H. , Wani Nissar A. , Li Ding , Hu Peng , Barajas Juan M. , Yu Lianbo , Zhang Xiaoli , Jacob Samson T. , Khan Wasif N. , Bai Xue-Feng , Noonan Anne M. , Ghoshal Kalpana
Published: October 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent primary liver cancer, is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide because of rising incidence and limited therapy. Although treatment with sorafenib or lenvatinib is the standard of care in patients with advanced-stage HCC, the survival benefit from sorafenib is limited due to low response rate and drug resistance. Ibrutinib, an irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of the TEC (e.g., BTK) and ErbB (e.g., EGFR) families, is an approved treatment for B-cell malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that ibrutinib inhibits proliferation, spheroid formation, and clonogenic survival of HCC cells, including sorafenib-resistant cells. Mechanistically, ibrutinib inactivated EGFR and its downstream Akt and ERK signaling in HCC cells, and downregulated a set of critical genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, survival, and stemness, and upregulated genes promoting differentiation. Moreover, ibrutinib showed synergy with sorafenib or regorafenib, a sorafenib congener, by inducing apoptosis of HCC cells. In vivo, this TKI combination significantly inhibited HCC growth and prolonged survival of immune-deficient mice bearing human HCCLM3 xenograft tumors and immune-competent mice bearing orthotopic mouse Hepa tumors at a dose that did not exhibit systemic toxicity. In immune-competent mice, the ibrutinib–sorafenib combination reduced the numbers of BTK+ immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Importantly, we found that the BTK+ immune cells were also enriched in the tumor microenvironment in a subset of primary human HCCs. Collectively, our findings implicate BTK signaling in hepatocarcinogenesis and support clinical trials of the sorafenib–ibrutinib combination for this deadly disease.
Minicircle DNA-Engineered CAR T Cells Suppressed Tumor Growth in Mice
Authors: Han Jinsheng , Gao Fei , Geng Songsong , Ye Xueshuai , Wang Tie , Du Pingping , Cai Ziqi , Fu Zexian , Zhao Zhilong , Shi Long , Li Qingxia , Cai Jianhui
Published: October 2019

Viral-based chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T (CAR T)–cell manufacturing has potential safety risks and relatively high costs. The nonviral minicircle DNA (mcDNA) is safer for patients, cheaper to produce, and may be a more suitable technique to generate CAR T cells. In this study, we produced mcDNA-based CAR T cells specifically targeting prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA; mcDNA-PSCA-CAR T cells). Our results showed that mcDNA-PSCA-CAR T cells persisted in mouse peripheral blood as long as 28 days and demonstrated more CAR T-cell infiltration, higher cytokine secretion levels, and better antitumor effects. Together, our results suggest that mcDNA-CAR can be a safe and cost-effective platform to produce CAR T cells.
Nur wer testet, kann profitieren
Authors: Reinmuth Niels
Published: October 2019

Objective: Latin American countries are heterogeneous in terms of lung cancer incidence and exposure to potential carcinogens. We evaluated the frequency and clinical characteristics of ALK rearrangements (ALKr) in Latin America. Methods: A total of 5,130 lung cancer patients from 10 Latin American countries were screened for inclusion. ALKr detection was performed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), immunohistochemistry (IHC), and real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to assess method variability. Demographic and clinicopathologic characteristics were analyzed. Results: Among the 5,130 patients screened, 8.4% (n = 433) had nonevaluable FISH tests. Evaluable FISH analyses revealed positive ALKr in 6.8% (320/4,697) of the study population, which included patients from 9 countries. ALKr distribution for each country was: Mexico 7.6% (79/1,034), Colombia 4.1% (10/242), Argentina 6.0% (153/2,534), Costa Rica 9.5% (13/137), Panama 4.4% (5/114), Uruguay 5.4% (2/37), Chile 8.6% (16/185), Venezuela 8.9% (13/146), and Peru 10.8% (29/268). RT-PCR showed high positive (83.6%) and negative (99.7%) predictive values when compared to the gold standard FISH. In contrast, IHC only showed a high negative predictive value (94.6%). Conclusions: Although there is a clear country and continental variability in terms of ALKr frequency, this difference is not significant and the overall incidence of ALKr in Latin America does not differ from the rest of the world.
Echinacea for Cancer Patients: To Give or Not to Give
Authors: Tafazoli Ali
Published: October 2019

Currently, there is a progressive trend for the use of complementary and alternative therapies among cancer patients. Herbal products have a huge market in this field. Among herbal supplements which are consumed in this population, Echinacea preparations are very popular. These natural products have immune-boosting effects that can suppress tumor growth and invasion. However, there is a concern about proposing a standard formulation for this indication. Some ingredients of these herbs can even be tumor promoting. Therefore, a meticulous investigation on this issue would be highly valuable before making a recommendation or prohibition about Echinacea products for cancer patients.
Felipe Recondo. Tanques e togas: o STF durante a ditadura.
Authors: Gallo Carlos Artur
Published: October 2019

Resenha do livro de Felipe Recondo, Tanques e togas: o STF durante a ditadura, São Paulo, Companhia das Letras, 2018.
Laura Carvalho. Valsa Brasileira.
Authors: Costanzo Daniela , Marino Rafael
Published: October 2019

Resenha do livro de Laura Carvalho, Valsa Brasileira, São Paulo, Todavia, 2018.
Por uma sociologia da economia de cunho etnográfico e histórico: entrevista com Marie France Garcia-Parpet
Authors: Klüger Elisa , Krohn Lilian Verena Hoenigsberg
Published: October 2019

Entrevista com a cientista social Marie France Garcia-Parpet.
Apresentação - Antonio Gramsci em tempos de fake news
Authors: Braga Ruy , Bianchi Alvaro
Published: October 2019

Apresentação do Dossiê "Gramsci hoje: novas agendas de pesquisa".
Sobre a mesa de mármore do café, uma iguaria canibal
Authors: Moraes Marcelo Jacques de
Published: October 2019

Este artigo tem por intuito discutir as relações entre experiência e escrita nas obras de Walter Benjamin e Georges Bataille, tomando como fio condutor as figuras do olho e do olhar. A partir de uma análise das relações críticas que os dois autores estabeleceram com o surrealismo no final dos anos 1920, procede-se em seguida à leitura de dois textos: “Policlínica”, de Benjamin, extraído de Rua de mão única, e “Olho”, de Bataille, publicado na revista Documents. Discute-se especialmente o sentido que assume neles a figuração do olho e a encenação do olhar.
História das Ciências e seu papel na educação básica brasileira: um ponto de vista dissonante
Authors: Moraes Amaury Cesar
Published: October 2019

O que se pretende com esse trabalho é um questionamento de certas premissas da aplicação de concepções construtivistas, sobretudo de inspiração piagetianas, ao ensino das ciências e matemáticas. A referência à história das ciências como uma estratégia de ensino predominante cumpriria a nosso ver uma função especialmente retórica, na qual a narração substituiria a demonstração, e uma “lógica da descoberta” viria a substituir a lógica da justificação.
O pensamento eugênico e a imigração no Brasil (1929-1930)
Authors: Formiga Dayana De Oliveira , Melo Charles Aparecido Silva , Paula Ana Beatriz Rodrigues de
Published: October 2019

Este artigo pretende realizar um estudo sobre o discurso eugênico no Brasil, explorando o conceito de imigração fortemente debatido pelo pensamento dos eugenistas brasileiros. O trabalho teve como objetivo a análise de duas fontes primárias: o Primeiro Congresso Brasileiro de Eugenia (1929) e o Boletim de Eugenia (1929-1930) para analisar o que era pensado sobre a imigração. A princípio será discutido o surgimento do movimento eugênico e a sua trajetória no panorama internacional com foco no seu desenvolvimento dentro da sociedade brasileira do início do século XX. Também serão explicadas algumas vertentes científicas eugênicas que foram utilizadas no país. Em seguida, a pesquisa discorrerá sobre a história da imigração relacionando-a com as políticas raciais que os eugenistas brasileiros propunham, sobretudo com relação as discussões de Antônio José do Azevedo Amaral (1881-1942), apresentadas no Primeiro Congresso de Eugenia (1929). O estudo demostra como o pensamento eugênico influenciou a intelectualidade nacional, promovendo uma série de propostas para as políticas públicas. Também reflete a preocupação dos intelectuais em investir em leis que barrassem a entrada de todos os indivíduos não-brancos - principalmente negros e nipônicos - no país, justificando essa escolha no melhoramento e no progresso da nação brasileira.
Ernst Cassirer, Alemanha e Europa Ocidental no espelho da história intelectual
Authors: Vieira Neto Serzenando Alves
Published: October 2019

A contribuição de Cassirer à compreensão do pensamento político na Europa moderna constitui parte importante de seu legado. “Alemanha e Europa Ocidental no espelho da história intelectual” faz parte dessa dimensão de sua obra, a qual revela um intelectual sensível aos acontecimentos e transformações contemporâneas. Aqui, investiga-se a evolução das ideias a fim de determinar a singularidade das culturas nacionais, sustentando, ao mesmo tempo, a tese de uma efetiva unidade entre elas. Esse não é apenas um texto relevante dentro da produção de Cassirer, mas também um rico documento histórico, uma defesa sucinta, porém contumaz, da ideia de unidade europeia.
A participação italiana nas primeiras décadas do movimento americanista (1890-1946)
Authors: Ciacchi Andrea
Published: October 2019

Este artigo aborda a participação italiana no “movimento americanista”, considerado desde a criação, em 1895, da Société Américaniste de Paris (SAP), e num recorte cronológico que se encerra no final da ii Guerra Mundial. Através da reconstrução das trajetórias de alguns nomes que se ligaram a esse campo, busca-se compreender o alcance e a consistência da contribuição italiana aos estudos americanos, no período selecionado.
A Ciência da História como Ciência das Leis
Authors: Leski Ivan
Published: October 2019

Em seu livro Scienza Nuova (1744) Giambattista Vico considera o desenvolvimento das leis através da História como a manifestação mais confiável dos estágios do progresso humano. Este artigo procura explicar como e por que as leis mudam em épocas diferentes da história humana, em consonância com a concepção viquiana da História.
Ciência econômica e economia da cultura
Authors: Toniol Ana Paula Nobile , Albieri Sara
Published: October 2019

A proposta de uma economia da cultura recorre à lógica econômica, seus conceitos e metodologia para uma análise econômica da indústria cultural, compreendendo: efeitos externos, investimentos a longo prazo, especificidade de remuneração, importância do subsidio público ou privado, aliados a um forte componente de incerteza.  Ao transpor o valor econômico à cultura, tanto fomenta discussões sobre orçamentos públicos como envolve o setor corporativo nas questões culturais, criando metodologias para avaliação do impacto econômico da cultura na geração de riqueza e empregos Essa avaliação inclui: valor do capital cultural, participação no mercado, direitos de propriedade intelectual, justificativas para a interferência estatal no mercado, estimativa dos impactos dos acordos multilaterais nas relações sociais e na preservação das expressões culturais de um povo. A economia da cultura se utiliza das técnicas oferecidas pelo conhecimento econômico para defender a importância da cultura como geradora de crescimento econômico e seu potencial para o desenvolvimento socioeconômico.
Functional Analysis of LDLR (Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor) Variants in Patient Lymphocytes to Assess the Effect of Evinacumab in Homozygous Familial Hypercholesterolemia Patients With a Spectrum of LDLR Activity
Authors: Banerjee Poulabi , Chan Kuo-Chen , Tarabocchia Michel , Benito-Vicente Asier , Alves Ana C. , Uribe Kepa B. , Bourbon Mafalda , Skiba Paul J. , Pordy Robert , Gipe Daniel A. , Gaudet Daniel , Martin Cesar
Published: October 2019

Objective:

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is a rare disease usually caused by LDLR (low-density lipoprotein receptor) mutations. Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is characterized by markedly elevated LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) levels and an extremely high risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. A phase 2, proof-of-concept study (NCT02265952) demonstrated that evinacumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody to ANGPTL3 (angiopoietin-like 3 protein), reduced LDL-C levels in 9 patients with genotypically confirmed homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia and was well tolerated. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of evinacumab on LDLR activity in lymphocytes purified from patients in the proof-of-concept study.

Approach and Results:

LDLR activity was assessed in patient lymphocytes before and after treatment with evinacumab and versus lymphocytes carrying wild-type LDLR, and also in an LDLR-defective Chinese hamster ovary cell line (CHO-
ldl
A7) transfected with plasmids encoding the LDLR variants. Overall mean peak reduction in LDL-C with evinacumab was −58±18%, occurring between Week 4 and Week 12. Mutations identified in the 9 patients were shown to be pathogenic, with loss of LDLR activity versus wild type. Two of the LDLR variants, p.(Cys681*) and p.(Ala627Profs*38), were class 2 type mutations that are retained in the endoplasmic reticulum. Six variants were class 3 type mutations with impaired LDL-C binding activity: p.(Trp87Gly), occurring in 2 patients, p.(Gln254Pro), p.(Ser177Leu), p.(Gly335Val), and p.(Ser306Leu). Evinacumab had no effect on LDLR activity.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that evinacumab is effective for lowering LDL-C in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, and the inhibition of ANGPTL3 in humans lowers LDL-C in a mechanism independent of the LDLR.
Desistance from Crime during the Transition to Adulthood: The Influence of Parents, Peers, and Shifts in Identity
Authors: Copp Jennifer E. , Giordano Peggy C. , Longmore Monica A. , Manning Wendy D.
Published: October 2019

Objectives:

Research on criminal continuity and change has traditionally focused on elements of the adult life course (e.g., marriage and employment); however, recent social and economic changes suggest the need to consider a broader range of factors. In addition, researchers have increasingly recognized the importance of identity changes in the desistance process.

Methods:

Using five waves of structured data from the Toledo Adolescent Relationships Study (TARS), we examined identity changes, shifts in involvement with delinquent peers, and variability in closeness with parents as influences on desistance. In-depth interviews with a subset of TARS respondents offered a person-centered lens on individual and social processes associated with variability in criminal behavior.

Results:

Findings indicated that identity changes were associated with declines in offending. In addition, changes in parental closeness and the extent of affiliation with antisocial peers contributed to patterns of offending, net of these subjectively experienced cognitive changes.

Conclusions:

Cognitive processes are important to desistance. However, they do not independently provide a path to sustained behavioral change. Social experiences, including changes in relationships/supports from parents and affiliation with delinquent peers, also figure into change processes. We discuss the implications of our findings for future research and programmatic efforts.
Water productivity accounting in Australian agriculture: The need for cost-informed decision-making
Authors: Tingey-Holyoak Joanne L , Pisaniello John , Buss Peter , Wiersma Ben
Published: October 2019

Primary producers need strategies and tools to assist in monitoring water use with a view to improving physical and financial productivity. The purpose of this research is to integrate farmer financial accounting data with soil moisture and climate data to better account for water use on farm. Farm-accounting systems, if present, lack the sophistication to allow growers to analyze use, loss, and productivity of water. Water-accounting technologies, if present, do not readily link to business systems to provide the optimal real-time financial decision-making data, nor the necessary context for new technologies to support a broader integrated approach to water management. Findings of desk-based technology benchmarking suggest elements required include real-time sensory data integration that allows for strategic allocation to the full suite of direct and indirect water costs. Key actor interview and producer surveys highlight demand for a farm business integrated water productivity tool and findings from field data collected in a potato case study provide demonstration of how irrigation decision-making can be supported by the crucial link between producers’ business systems and sensing technology.
Advantage ‘Finds Its Way’: How Privileged Families Exploit Opportunities in Different Systems of Secondary Education
Authors: Triventi Moris , Skopek Jan , Kulic Nevena , Buchholz Sandra , Blossfeld Hans-Peter
Published: October 2019

This article discusses key findings from eduLIFE, a cross-national project that examined the emergence of social inequalities in 17 countries characterized by different models of secondary education. First, we build upon existing international studies and propose a broader classification of forms of differentiation in secondary education. Second, we elaborate a fourfold typology of secondary education systems. Third, we provide a longitudinal and comparative analysis of how social background, academic performance, and forms of secondary schooling create heterogeneous educational opportunities for recent generations. In particular, we discuss: (1) the allocation of students to different forms of secondary schooling; (2) student mobility among different types of education; and (3) the consequences of differentiation in secondary schooling for students’ educational careers. Our findings suggest that, on average, more privileged families successfully exploit the opportunities provided by specific institutional configurations of school systems in order to secure the most favourable outcomes for their children.
Control of pellets coating in a Wurster fluidised bed by means of electrical capacitance tomography
Authors: Che Hanqiao , Wang Haigang , Ye Jiamin , Yang Wuqiang
Published: October 2019

Wurster fluidised bed is commonly used for coating pellets in the pharmaceutical industry. Normally, the control in a Wurster fluidised bed for coating is based on point-based measurement, that is, pressure and optical probes. However, the point-based measurement methods only provide local flow information and cannot reveal the cross-sectional flow dynamics characteristics and it is difficult to control the whole process with limited data. In this paper, electrical capacitance tomography (ECT) is applied to reconstruct the solids distribution in a lab-scale Wurster fluidised bed for coating pellets and the measurements are used in a control loop of the process. The flow regime is identified from the ECT images using a simple but efficient approach. The objective of control is to keep stable minimum fluidisation and avoid undesired flow regime in the region between the outside wall and the Wurster tube, such as intermittent, plug and defluidisation. To achieve this target, a PID controller is applied to keep a low volume fraction in the annular region by adjusting the fluidisation air rate, and bang-bang control is applied to a peristaltic pump used for spraying coating solutions based on the detected flow regime. It has been found that the proposed control scheme based on the ECT measurement is effective for keeping a stable flow regime, reducing the degree of pellets agglomeration and avoiding defluidisation.
“We learnt lots in a short time”: Cultural exchange across three universities through songs from different lands
Authors: Joseph Dawn , Nethsinghe Rohan , Cabedo-Mas Alberto
Published: October 2019

Establishing strong connections between universities within initial teacher education (ITE) programs not only takes time, but it also presents opportunities and challenges. Tertiary music educators are called to prepare ITE students/pre-service teachers to be culturally responsive. This article forms part of our wider study “See, Listen and Share: Exploring Intercultural Music Education in a Transnational Experience Across Three Universities (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Australia; Deakin University, Australia; and Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, Spain). For this article, we draw on student web survey data, anecdotal feedback, and our reflections. We employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as a tool to thematically group our surveys into three broad overarching themes to inform our findings and discussions. We argue that music education is an effective vehicle for exploring culture and diversity through song. Our findings show that our ITE students built positive attitudes about using songs in their generalist primary and early childhood classrooms. They also recognized the importance of collaborative sharing using face-to-face and Skype. This project proved a worthy experience for all concerned, it formed a rich part of our professional learning. We encourage others to consider the approach as one way to promote multicultural music and cultural diversity within ITE programs and across other educational settings.
The UK government LGBT Action Plan: Discourses of progress, enduring stasis, and LGBTQI+ lives ‘getting better’
Authors: Lawrence Matson , Taylor Yvette
Published: October 2019

The LGBT Action Plan (2018) represents a significant UK government commitment towards LGBTQI+ equalities, operating in conjunction with cumulative legislative advances. Yet there is room for critique within this Plan, as proposed actions and as celebratory rhetoric of lives ‘getting better’. Using empirical examples, this article examines how ‘progress’ for LGBTQI+ lives is discursively constructed and positioned in the LGBT Action Plan and accompanying politicians’ speeches. We examine the key constructions of progress – across time, place, lifecourses, and normative thresholds – within which LGBTQI+ rights and realities are framed. We draw upon queer theory to illuminate discursive normativities and silences in representing ‘policy problems’ (Bacchi, 2009). While some policy areas are celebrated as signifiers of ‘coming forward’, others are relegated to the too tough in-tray, suspended in enduring stasis. Opposing ‘political time’ with ‘queer time’, this article concludes with the policy challenges posed by intersectional (in)equalities in these ‘new times’.
Improved access to museum collections without vision: How museum visitors with very low or no vision perceive and process tactile–auditory pictures
Authors: Graven Torø , Emsley Iain , Bird Nicola , Griffiths Susan
Published: October 2019

This study investigated how museum visitors with very low or no vision perceived and processed tactile pictures and/or audio-descriptions of visual paintings. Two visual paintings were selected and a focus group was established ( N = 8). Qualitative interview and observation data were collected. This study found two types of museum visitors: those who explored the tactile picture first and those who rather listened to the audio-description. When exploring each element in the tactile picture, they all started by exploring the element’s global (shape) outline and, when struggling to recognise it, turned to the audio-description. They preferred the audio-description to start describing where their fingers were. Tactile texture attracted their attention, sparked their curiosity, and enabled them to create a mental image of the tactile picture, but also confused them. They preferred the global (element shape) outline to be straightened out, so that curves become angular, and texture only for targeting certain elements.
Fitting MD analysis in an argument-based validity framework for writing assessment: Explanation and generalization inferences for the ECPE
Authors: Yan Xun , Staples Shelley
Published: October 2019

The argument-based approach to validity (Kane, 2013) focuses on two steps: (1) making claims about the proposed interpretation and use of test scores as a coherent, interpretive argument; and (2) evaluating those claims based on theoretical and empirical evidence related to test performances and scores. This paper discusses the role of multidimensional (MD) analysis (Biber, 1988), a corpus analytic approach to examining linguistic and discourse characteristics of language performance, in an argument-based validation framework for writing assessment. We propose a set of warrants, assumptions and evidence for inferential steps pertaining to investigations of performance characteristics in language assessments. Then, we illustrate how MD analysis can provide evidence for generalization and explanation inferences through a case study that examines lexico-grammatical features of writing performances on the Examination for the Certification of Proficiency in English (ECPE).
When does job dissatisfaction lead to deviant behaviour? The critical roles of abusive supervision and adaptive humour
Authors: De Clercq Dirk , Haq Inam Ul , Azeem Muhammad Umer
Published: October 2019

With a basis in conservation of resources theory, this study investigates the relationship between employees’ sense of job dissatisfaction and their engagement in deviant behaviour, as well as the moderating roles that their exposure to abusive leadership and possession of adaptive humour skills can play in this process. Based on two-way survey data collected from employees in Pakistan, the findings show that employees’ unhappy feelings about their job situations enhance the likelihood that they undertake negative behaviours that can harm their organization, especially when they suffer from abusive leadership or lack adaptive humour skills. The buffering effect of their adaptive humour on the positive relationship between job dissatisfaction and deviant behaviour is also particularly salient in the presence of abusive leadership.

JEL Classification: D23, D91, M50
Everyday Technology Use and Overall Needed Assistance to Function in the Home and Community Among Urban Older Adults
Authors: Walsh Ryan J. , Lee Jenica , Drasga Ruxandra M. , Leggett Caniece S. , Shapnick Holly M. , Kottorp Anders B.
Published: October 2019

Background: Older adults manage increasing numbers of everyday technologies to participate in home and community activities. Purpose: We investigated how assessing use of everyday technologies enhanced predictions of overall needed assistance among urban older adults. Method: We used a cross-sectional design to analyze responses from 114 participants completing the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. We estimated overall needed assistance based on definitions in the Assessment of Motor and Process Skills. We created logistic regression models and receiver operator characteristic curves to analyze variables predicting overall needed assistance. Findings: With high specificity and sensitivity, the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment were the strongest predictors of overall needed assistance. Implications: Assessing everyday technology use enhanced predictions of overall needed assistance among urban older adults.
Explaining the Relationship Between ADHD Symptomatology and Amotivation in the Undergraduate Population: The Role of Basic Psychological Need Frustration
Authors: Oram Rylee , Rogers Maria , DuPaul George
Published: October 2019

Recent research has shown that undergraduate students who experience both clinical and subclinical attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle academically. Furthermore, these students have cited academic amotivation as a factor in their academic difficulties. Self-determination theory (SDT) posits that a lack of motivation—known as amotivation—may be the result of the frustration of the basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness. For this reason, the current study examined whether basic psychological need frustration mediated the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and academic amotivation. A sample of undergraduate students completed an online questionnaire about their university experience. Data were analyzed using a mediational structural equation model. Results suggested significant relationships between all of the variables. Moreover, basic psychological need frustration fully mediated the relationship between ADHD symptomatology and academic amotivation. These results demonstrate the importance of fulfilling the basic psychological needs of undergraduate students experiencing ADHD symptomatology, as it may increase their academic motivation, and, subsequently, reduce their academic difficulties.
What Role Does Substance Use Play in Intimate Partner Violence? A Narrative Analysis of In-Depth Interviews With Men in Substance Use Treatment and Their Current or Former Female Partner
Authors: Radcliffe Polly , Gadd David , Henderson Juliet , Love Beverly , Stephens-Lewis Danielle , Johnson Amy , Gilchrist Elizabeth , Gilchrist Gail
Published: October 2019

Few studies have examined intimate partner violence (IPV) in relationships where one or both partners are in treatment for substance use, from the perspectives of both members of a couple. This study used thematic and narrative analysis of the accounts of 14 men recruited from substance use services and 14 women who were their current or former intimate partners. Separate researchers interviewed men and women from the same dyad pair. The psychopharmacological effects of substance use (including intoxication, craving, and withdrawal) were rarely the only explanation offered for IPV. Violence was reported to be primed and entangled with sexual jealousy, with perceptions of female impropriety and with women’s opposition to male authority. Both partners reported adversities and psychological vulnerabilities that they considered relevant to conflict and abuse. Male participants were more likely to describe IPV as uncharacteristic isolated events that arose from specific disputes—either aggravated by intoxication or withdrawal or about substance use and its resourcing—whereas women described enduring patterns of abusive behavior often linked to intoxication, craving, withdrawal, and to disputes linked to raising funds for substances. In relationships where both partners used substances, men described the need to protect their partners from addiction and from unscrupulous others while women described highly controlling behavior. In relationships where women were not dependent substance users, they reported the combined effects of psychological and financial abuse often linked to recurring patterns of substance use and relapse. These findings highlight the challenges faced by practitioners working with male perpetrators who use substances as well as the need of those working with women who have been abused to engage with the ways in which hesitance to leave male abusers can be complicated by shared drug dependency.
“Fat People Exercise Too!”: Perceptions and Realities of Shopping for Women’s Plus-Size Exercise Apparel
Authors: Greenleaf Christy , Hauff Caitlyn , Klos Lori , Serafin Gabriel
Published: October 2019

Women, regardless of size, should have access to functional, fashionable, and affordable exercise apparel. Grounded in Lamb and Kallal’s Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic Consumer Needs Model, we explored (a) women’s perceptions of plus-size exercise apparel and shopping experiences and (b) plus-size exercise apparel at online retailers. In Study 1, women reported their shopping behaviors, satisfaction, affect, and feedback for designer and retailers. In Study 2, availability, cost, and color variety of plus-size exercise T-shirts were documented at online retailers. Images of product models and sizing chart variations were examined. Women were generally dissatisfied with apparel-related functionality, fashionability, and cost. Plus-size exercise T-shirts at online retailers were limited in color variety and size availability and cost more than straight-size apparel. Unrealistic models and wide sizing variations appear problematic. Advocacy and action are needed to provide women with larger bodies’ equitable access to functional, expressive, aesthetic, and affordable exercise apparel.
Accusing Women as Witches: A Gendered Outlook
Authors: Baruah Chitralekha , Thakur Mini Bhattacharyya
Published: October 2019

A woman is an integral part of all public affairs of the society, from rituals and festivals to a community meeting. But then, she is tactfully debarred from taking leadership, making decisions, or from the liberty of choosing an unconventional lifestyle for herself. Witch-hunting is one of those numerous ways and means of keeping women within the periphery well defined for them in patriarchal societies. Accusations of varying kinds are leveled, and suspected persons are targeted. Even if she survives after the accusation, she lives in constant fear with the trauma of nonacceptance in the society. She is denied access to public resources as well as economic activities in and around the village. The violation of rights in witch-hunting takes its root in the gendered roles of individuals, set by tradition. These roles and the subsequent subordinate position of women are considered normal and generally a woman is not expected to question the patriarchal authority.

The current study attempts to compare four individual case studies of witch-hunting of women from Goalpara and West Karbi Anglong Districts of Assam and West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya. Case study method has been explicitly used to find out how it became easy for the instigators to get mass support in targeting each of these four women, and how they were dehumanized, and eventually were banished from their villages or murdered.

The article attempts to showcase witch-hunting as one of the strategies used for continuation of the patriarchal control over the ordinary women to obstruct their rise in rural remote areas of Meghalaya and Assam. Here superstition is the larger backdrop within which factors such as jealousy, enmity and nonacceptance get legitimized in a patriarchal setting.
Overseas Expansion and Technological Capabilities: The Case of Chinese Electronics Firms
Authors: Kimura Koichiro
Published: October 2019

We analyze the formation of technological capabilities of major Chinese home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturers in comparison to the telecommunication equipment manufacturers and hardware start-ups in the electronics industry. To achieve this, we focus on the external business environment of major home appliance and consumer electronics manufacturers, including the technological gaps between foreign and Chinese firms in the same industry, the possibility of cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, and the barriers to starting a business and developing new products. Results suggest that there are a variety of ways to increase the technological capabilities of firms in emerging countries and that there may be an optimal way of doing it, depending on the business environment.
Pareto-Superiority of Corporate Social Responsibility in Unionised Industries
Authors: Fanti Luciano , Buccella Domenico
Published: October 2019

Economists believe that a firm’s engagement in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is motivated by objectives beyond increasing profits. Using a duopoly framework with convex technology and an industry-wide union-setting wage at the central level, this work shows that, when owners cooperatively select a level of CSR engagement, profits under CSR are higher than under standard profit maximisation; thus, the simple self-interest of firms’ owners leads to the adoption of CSR. Moreover, the union, consumers, and the overall social welfare in the presence of CSR activities are higher than without CSR. As such, the social concerns of firms’ owners yield a Pareto-superior outcome.

JEL: J51, L13, M14
Women in accounting: Revolution, where art thou?
Authors: Vidwans Mohini , Cohen David A
Published: October 2019

Goldin hypothesised women’s transition from evolution to revolution, where they claimed increasing dominion over their careers. Such change is salient for the professions such as accounting, where gender inequality persists. This qualitative study reports on how a group of 36 male and female accounting professionals employed by Big Four firms and in academia in New Zealand decided to redefine, disassemble and reconstruct their careers. Gender and role expectations strongly influenced their career pathways. Despite spousal and organisational support, most females in the study retained a flexible focus on career. These decisions were mainly influenced by how they thought about life, work, and career, and relationships with significant others. These results re-confirm traditional career patterns and to an extent, broader traditional gender role expectations in the profession. Acknowledging that inequality in the accounting profession appears entrenched makes it clear that the changes Goldin hypothesised have not yet been fully fulfilled.
Precarious contours of work–family conflict: The case of nurses in Turkey
Authors: Sarıtaş Canet Tuba
Published: October 2019

This article examines the impact of the neoliberal restructuring of health services on female nurses in Turkey. It provides a qualitative analysis of work–family conflict, establishing that not only work but also family life has become more precarious. The contours of precariousness of both work and family are analysed through interviews with 50 female nurses working full time in different areas of health service provision. The findings suggest that the neoliberal restructuring of health services has led to staffing deficits along with workload intensification, unpredictable work schedules and poor organisational support. This has increased work–family conflict, defined as a form of precariousness because it heightens the difficulties, risks and insecurities entailed in balancing family-related expectations with increasing work demands for female nurses. This precariousness makes spousal support critical if nurses are to be able to address work–family conflict and leads to nurses’ compliance with unfavourable working conditions as a way to resolve the mutual interference of family and work. The increased subordination of life to work has resulted from the neoliberal managerialisation of health services, creating precarisation in the lives of female nurses.

JEL Codes: D1, J2, J7, J81
General Music Today Music Ideas Series, Viewpoints in Secondary General Music, Article 3, Seeds of General Music in the Secondary Ensemble: Time to Branch Out!
Authors: Singletary Laura , VanWeelden Kimberly , Davis Virginia Wayman
Published: October 2019

In the third segment of the series, we explore general music behaviors and techniques that may be incorporated into the secondary performing ensemble in order to provide enrichment and depth to performance-focused instruction. Using research-based evidence and ensemble experience in both the choral and instrumental settings, we will discuss methods for incorporating and integrating the general music behaviors of (a) listening, (b) moving, and (c) singing into the ensemble experience within traditional rehearsal techniques and practices. The focus will be placed on the experience of these practices as they relate to performance goals, in contrast to the typical general music experience of these behaviors where they are the primary goal. Techniques and resources will be applicable in a variety of secondary ensemble settings.
Poetry as Reflexivity: (Post) Reflexive Poetic Composition
Authors: Smith Elyssa B.
Published: October 2019

Arts-based research offers avenues for in-depth explorations into self and others. Poetic inquiry as a form of arts-based research provides a medium for attending to (post) reflexivity throughout the qualitative inquiry process. Within this article, I attempt to illustrate my messy, spontaneous, and generative engagement with (post) reflexivity during the crafting of my dissertation—a process that leads to the creation of what I call (post) reflexion poetry. (Post) reflexion poetry offers a disruptive, nonlinear approach to (post) reflexive engagement. I encourage scholars to open up and interrupt their understandings of what it means to be a (post) reflexive qualitative researcher.
‘I was flying blind a wee bit’: Professionals’ perspectives on challenges facing communication assistance in the New Zealand youth justice system
Authors: Howard Kelly , McCann Clare , Dudley Margaret
Published: October 2019

Communication assistance is a form of specialist support for witnesses and defendants in justice settings who have been identified as having communication difficulties. This relatively new role in New Zealand is modelled on the role of the intermediary in England and Wales. This research provides a qualitative analysis of professionals’ perspectives (n = 28 participants) on the challenges of communication assistance for young people facing criminal charges in the New Zealand youth justice system. The findings of this study do not question whether or not communication assistance should exist, but rather how it might best function in practice. The overall implications are that more education and guidance for youth justice professionals is needed.
Neoliberal security provision: Between state practices and individual experience
Authors: Hörnqvist Magnus
Published: October 2019

The article develops a new understanding of neoliberal security provision on the basis of available accounts of three different “states”; the penal state, the regulatory state, and the activating welfare state. I argue that these forms of state intervention provide individuals with security in the sense that anxiety is temporarily alleviated, while stabilizing the conflictual dynamic of global power structures. Marketization and organizational control account for the specifically neoliberal character. Such an understanding matters because it directs attention to the dynamic between state practices and individual experience, and the multitude of mechanisms, which not only promise but also provide security, however temporary and partial.
Computational methodologies for optimal sensor placement in structural health monitoring: A review
Authors: Tan Yi , Zhang Limao
Published: October 2019

Structural health monitoring plays an increasingly significant role in detecting damages for large and complex structures to ensure their serviceability and sustainability. Optimal sensor placement is critical in the structural health monitoring system as the sensor configuration directly impacts the quality of collected data used for structural health diagnosis. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive review of computational methodologies for optimal sensor placement in structural health monitoring. The problem formulation of optimal sensor placement is first introduced, including commonly used evaluation criteria for sensor configurations. Then, various existing optimization methodologies for sensor placement are summarized and introduced in detail, especially for the evolutionary algorithms and their improved variants. Finally, the suitability of computational methods for specific structural health monitoring applications is also discussed. The main goal of this study is to deliver a comprehensive reference of computational methodologies for optimal sensor placement in structural health monitoring studies and applications. This article is concluded by highlighting the most widely utilized evaluation criteria and optimization methodologies for sensor configuration determination.
I would like to live over the rainbow: Dreams of young children
Authors: Gündoğan Aysun
Published: October 2019

Dreams are an indicator of the extent of imagination. Young children have simple, fabulous and happy dreams. This study tries to determine the dreams of young children. For this purpose, drawings and narrations of 483 children aged between 3–4 and 5 years attending the kindergartens and pre-school classes in a city and district in the southwestern Turkey concerning their dreams were examined. In the study, Clark’s Drawing Abilities Test was used and the drawings were classified according to their subject areas. At the end of the study, it was determined that young children made drawings reflecting the culture in their dreams, and their dreams varied according to their age, gender and residence location. Dreaming is a multi-directional cognitive process that is affected by factors like culture, age, gender and residence location.
Fabrication of gelatin–chitosan–gum tragacanth with thermal annealing cross-linking strategy
Authors: Hajinasrollah Kiana , Habibi Sima , Nazockdast Hossein
Published: October 2019

Polymer blending is a promising method to provide nanofibers with improved properties and minimal defects. Recently, gelatin-chitosan-based nanofibers have attracted great attention due to their biocompatible properties which have made them a great candidate for biomedical applications. However, current methods for fabricating gelatin–chitosan nanofibers require the use of corrosive and toxic solvents and cross-linking agents. In the present research, gum tragacanth followed by thermal annealing is employed to improve the properties of nanofibers. The morphology of the electrospun blend nanofibers was characterized using a scanning electron microscope, while the miscibility and thermal behavior of the blends were determined using a Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer/attenuated total reflectance. The optimum results were achieved in blend gelatin–chitosan–gum tragacanth in the ratio 7:3:1, which resulted in nanofibers with a mean diameter of 115.8 ± 10.66 nm. Antibacterial tests were conducted against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli bacteria. Biodegradability of blend nanofibers was also investigated. It is proved that thermal annealing in presence of gum tragacanth could be a suitable candidate for the stability of nanofibers followed by omitting toxic cross-linkers.