bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Value of Alkaline Phosphatase-to-Albumin Ratio in Detecting Synchronous Metastases and Predicting Postoperative Relapses among Patients with Well-Differentiated Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Authors: Zhou Wentao , Fang Yuan , Han Xu , Kuang Tiantao , Xu Xuefeng , Lou Wenhui , Wang Dansong
Published: February 2020

Backgrounds. Pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm (pNEN) is a highly heterogeneous entity, presenting widely varied biological behavior as well as long-term prognosis. Reliable biomarkers are urgently needed to make risk stratifications for pNEN patients, which could be beneficial to the development of individualized therapeutic strategy in the clinical practice. Here, we aimed to evaluate the predictive and prognostic roles of serum alkaline phosphatase-to-albumin ratio (APAR) in well-differentiated pNEN patients. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed the pathologically confirmed grade 1/2 pNEN patients, who were originally treated in our hospital from February 2008 to April 2018. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the value of APAR in detecting synchronous metastases and predicting relapses following curative resections. Results. A total of 170 eligible cases were included into analysis. Logistic univariate analysis indicated APAR (P=0.002) was significantly associated with synchronous distant metastasis among well-differentiated pNEN patients, which was further demonstrated to be an independent risk factor by multivariate analysis (odds ratio 8.127, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.105–31.372, P=0.002). For the prognostic value, APAR (P=0.007) was statistically associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) in nonmetastatic resected pNEN patients, but it was not an independent predictor. Further subgroup analysis showed that APAR was independently related to RFS in patients with no nerve (hazard ratio (HR) 7.685, 95% CI 1.433–41.209, P=0.017) or vascular invasion (HR 4.789, 95% CI 1.241–18.473, P=0.023), respectively. Conclusion. APAR may work as a convenient pretreatment marker to detect synchronous distant metastasis for well-differentiated pNEN patients and predict recurrences for curatively resected cases without nerve or vascular invasion. However, these findings should be further verified in prospectively well-designed studies.
Modeling Acquired Resistance to the Second-Generation Androgen Receptor Antagonist Enzalutamide in the TRAMP Model of Prostate Cancer
Authors: Cerasuolo Marianna , Maccarinelli Federica , Coltrini Daniela , Mahmoud Ali Mokhtar , Marolda Viviana , Ghedini Gaia Cristina , Rezzola Sara , Giacomini Arianna , Triggiani Luca , Kostrzewa Magdalena , Verde Roberta , Paris Debora , Melck Dominique , Presta Marco , Ligresti Alessia , Ronca Roberto
Published: February 2020

Enzalutamide (MDV3100) is a potent second-generation androgen receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in chemotherapy-naïve as well as in patients previously exposed to chemotherapy. However, resistance to enzalutamide and enzalutamide withdrawal syndrome have been reported. Thus, reliable and integrated preclinical models are required to elucidate the mechanisms of resistance and to assess therapeutic settings that may delay or prevent the onset of resistance. In this study, the prostate cancer multistage murine model TRAMP and TRAMP-derived cells have been used to extensively characterize in vitro and in vivo the response and resistance to enzalutamide. The therapeutic profile as well as the resistance onset were characterized and a multiscale stochastic mathematical model was proposed to link the in vitro and in vivo evolution of prostate cancer. The model showed that all therapeutic strategies that use enzalutamide result in the onset of resistance. The model also showed that combination therapies can delay the onset of resistance to enzalutamide, and in the best scenario, can eliminate the disease. These results set the basis for the exploitation of this “TRAMP-based platform” to test novel therapeutic approaches and build further mathematical models of combination therapies to treat prostate cancer and CRPC.

Significance: Merging mathematical modeling with experimental data, this study presents the “TRAMP-based platform” as a novel experimental tool to study the in vitro and in vivo evolution of prostate cancer resistance to enzalutamide.
Cancer Cell–Derived Matrisome Proteins Promote Metastasis in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tian Chenxi , Öhlund Daniel , Rickelt Steffen , Lidström Tommy , Huang Ying , Hao Liangliang , Zhao Renee T. , Franklin Oskar , Bhatia Sangeeta N. , Tuveson David A. , Hynes Richard O.
Published: February 2020

The prognosis for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains poor despite decades of effort. The abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) in PDAC comprises a major fraction of the tumor mass and plays various roles in promoting resistance to therapies. However, nonselective depletion of ECM has led to poor patient outcomes. Consistent with that observation, we previously showed that individual matrisome proteins derived from stromal cells correlate with either long or short patient survival. In marked contrast, those derived from cancer cells correlate strongly with poor survival. Here, we studied three cancer cell–derived matrisome proteins that are significantly overrepresented during PDAC progression, AGRN (agrin), SERPINB5 (serine protease inhibitor B5), and CSTB (cystatin B). Using both overexpression and knockdown experiments, we demonstrate that all three are promoters of PDAC metastasis. Furthermore, these proteins operate at different metastatic steps. AGRN promoted epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in primary tumors, whereas SERPINB5 and CSTB enhanced late steps in the metastatic cascade by elevating invadopodia formation and in vivo extravasation. All three genes were associated with a poor prognosis in human patients and high levels of SERPINB5, secreted by cancer cells and deposited in the ECM, correlated with poor patient prognosis. This study provides strong evidence that cancer cell–derived matrisome proteins can be causal in promoting tumorigenesis and metastasis and lead to poor patient survival. Therefore, compared with the bulk matrix, mostly made by stromal cells, precise interventions targeting cancer cell–derived matrisome proteins, such as AGRN, SERPINB5, and CSTB, may represent preferred potential therapeutic targets.

Significance:

This study provides insights into the biological roles of cancer cell–derived matrisome proteins in PDAC and supports the notion that these proteins are protumorigenic and better therapeutic targets.
Propranolol: What is BLOCKing Its Clinical Investigation in Breast Cancer?
Authors: Blaes Anne H. , Domingo-Musibay Evidio , Kalinsky Kevin
Published: February 2020

Presurgical propranolol modulates biomarkers associated with breast cancer progression. β-adrenergic signaling promotes invasion, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition phenotype, and immune cell infiltration into the tumor microenvironment. Blockade of the β-adrenergic receptor signaling with propranolol, along with potential future combinatorial strategies, holds promise for reducing breast cancer progression and metastasis.

See related article by Hiller et al., p. 1803
c-Src Phosphorylates and Inhibits the Function of the CIC Tumor Suppressor Protein
Authors: Bunda Severa , Heir Pardeep , Li Annie Si Cong , Mamatjan Yasin , Zadeh Gelareh , Aldape Kenneth
Published: February 2020

Capicua (CIC) is a transcriptional repressor that counteracts activation of genes in response to receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)/Ras/ERK signaling. Following activation of RTK, ERK enters the nucleus and serine-phosphorylates CIC, releasing it from its targets to permit gene expression. We recently showed that ERK triggers ubiquitin-mediated degradation of CIC in glioblastoma (GBM). In this study, we examined whether another important downstream effector of RTK/EGFR, the non-RTK c-Src, affects CIC repressor function in GBM. We found that c-Src binds and tyrosine-phosphorylates CIC on residue 1455 to promote nuclear export of CIC. On the other hand, CIC-mutant allele (CIC-Y1455F), that escapes c-Src–mediated tyrosine phosphorylation, remains localized to the nucleus and retains strong repressor function against CIC targets, the oncogenic transcription factors ETV1 and ETV5. Furthermore, we show that the orally available Src family kinase inhibitor, dasatinib, which prevents EGF-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of CIC and attenuates elevated ETV1 and ETV5 levels, reduces viability of GBM cells and glioma stem cells (GSC), but not of their control cells with undetectable c-Src activity. In fact, GBM cells and GSC expressing the tyrosine-defective CIC mutant (Y1455F) lose sensitivity to dasatinib, further endorsing the effect of dasatinib on Src-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of CIC. These findings elucidate important mechanisms of CIC regulation and provide the rationale to target c-Src alongside ERK pathway inhibitors as a way to fully restore CIC tumor suppressor function in neoplasms such as GBM.

Implications:

c-Src tyrosine-phosphorylates CIC exports to cytoplasm and inactivates its repressor function in GBM.
Novel Double Central Ray Amputation of the Third and Fourth Digits: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Abou Chaar Mohamad K. , Asha Wafa , Asha Wafa , Abdel Al Samer
Published: February 2020

Whenever partial hand amputations for soft tissue sarcomas are attempted, special consideration should be given to achieve a balance between complete resection associated with negative margins and preservation of functionality to the patient so that the hand can support the contralateral intact hand for bimanual activities. This difficult decision is even more challenging within the limited anatomical confines of the hand. Based on our literature review, this is the first case of double central 3rd and 4th ray amputation, as far as we know with good hand function, evaluated by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale.
Imagens por uma vida sem catracas
Authors: Gregori Márcia Sandoval
Published: February 2020

O objetivo do artigo é examinar a produção gráfica e palavras de ordem do Movimento Passe Livre na divulgação da Tarifa Zero, projeto lançado em 1990 pela Prefeita Luiza Erundina de Sousa e retomado nos anos 2000 pelos integrantes do movimento. O espírito profanador da proposta de isenção de tarifa nos ônibus municipais é examinado na visualidade e no impacto imaginário das peças escolhidas, atualizadas em linguagem jovem e acessível pelos ativistas do MPL, em forma de discurso articulado sobre o direito à cidade e a uma nova vida coletiva.
Além da arquitetura e da cidade, o lugar único
Authors: Mirocznik Betty
Published: February 2020

O presente texto é uma apreciação sobre a problematização da relação homem-espaço como ferramenta para a construção de uma experimentação única, que nos dê a sensação de pertencimento, de transformação do que era originalmente um espaço estranho, agora um lugar de maior empatia e identidade. Para tanto, serão utilizados conceitos da fenomenologia pautados nos ensaios de Martin Heidegger, Christian Norberg-Schulz e Gernot Böhme. Para esses pensadores, a experimentação do espaço é mediada pela consciência corporal obtida a partir de nosso encontro com as coisas - a tectônica, os materiais, a topografia, a tipologia e a população local. Nesse ponto, salienta-se a priorização da experiência e a sensação de se estar em um lugar único que incorpore o genius loci (o espírito do lugar). Acrescenta-se à essa chave a reflexão relacionada à apreensão psíquica do projeto arquitetônico e urbanístico a partir do conceito de atmosfera definido pelo filósofo alemão Gernot Böhme - em referência explícita a Heidegger -, como um espaço sintonizado com um conjunto de elementos indefinidos e espacialmente distribuídos. Isso se dá por meio da correlação entre uma presença emissora e a percepção física do sujeito. Soma-se à essa narrativa, a análise do projeto do sítio arqueológico Shelters for Roman, do arquiteto suíço Peter Zumthor, por lá serem encontrados vários dos temas trabalhados por esses filósofos e pelo próprio arquiteto. Para efeito de reflexão, sempre que nos debruçarmos sobre o tema da arquitetura estaremos também, embora de forma indireta, abordando as cidades.
Museus e Desenvolvimento Sustentável
Authors: Oliveira Mariana Rodrigues de Almeida Espel de
Published: February 2020

O presente estudo tem o objetivo de demonstrar a aplicação dos indicadores de Desenvolvimento Sustentável sugeridos pela OCDE (Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico) para Museus. Esta aplicação tem o intuito de demonstrar como é possível reconhecer o nível de sustentabilidade dos Museus. Para isso foram realizadas pesquisas bibliográficas que evidenciam a importância de se organizar tais parâmetros, com base nas características do País em que o Museu está instalado e que demonstram a efetiva contribuição destas organizações no que se refere aos objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Neste estudo preliminar, foram realizadas recolha de dados em dois museus da Região Centro de Portugal. A recolha de dados teve como referência Indicadores de Sustentabilidade sugeridos e publicados pela OCDE  em 2018. Estes parâmetros foram a base da recolha de dados, que resultou em uma análise do nível de sustentabilidade desses dois museus, seguindo as referências OCDE. O resultado demonstrou uma efetiva possibilidade de medição dos níveis de sustentabilidade dos museus e mostra também, a potencialidade dos museus para cooperação nos objetivos delineados pela Agenda 2030 do Desenvolvimento Sustentável, elaborado pela Organização das Nações Unidas.
Memorial: limiar entre rito e conflito
Authors: Lourenço Maria Cecília França
Published: February 2020

O estudo aborda memoriais, em embate com fatos em curso, a causar reações extremas. A avaliação de aspectos influentes e outros visa discutir se inseri-los tenderia a eternizar histórias prestes a se desfazer, seja de pessoas, grupos ou causas, que sofrem pacto de silêncio. Ressalte-se que parte da análise aqui exposta foi assinada por Oscar Niemeyer, cuja coesão em ideais e criação está fixada na cultura mundial. Ainda assim, originam conflitos.
Impaired SMAD1/5 Mechanotransduction and Cx37 (Connexin37) Expression Enable Pathological Vessel Enlargement and Shunting
Authors: Peacock Hanna M. , Tabibian Ashkan , Criem Nathan , Caolo Vincenza , Hamard Lauriane , Deryckere Astrid , Haefliger Jacques-Antoine , Kwak Brenda R. , Zwijsen An , Jones Elizabeth A.V.
Published: February 2020

Objective:

Impaired ALK1 (activin receptor–like kinase-1)/Endoglin/BMP9 (bone morphogenetic protein 9) signaling predisposes to arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Activation of SMAD1/5 signaling can be enhanced by shear stress. In the genetic disease hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, which is characterized by arteriovenous malformations, the affected receptors are those involved in the activation of mechanosensitive SMAD1/5 signaling. To elucidate how genetic and mechanical signals interact in AVM development, we sought to identify targets differentially regulated by BMP9 and shear stress.

Approach and Results:

We identify Cx37 (Connexin37) as a differentially regulated target of ligand-induced and mechanotransduced SMAD1/5 signaling. We show that stimulation of endothelial cells with BMP9 upregulated Cx37, whereas shear stress inhibited this expression. This signaling was SMAD1/5-dependent, and in the absence of SMAD1/5, there was an inversion of the expression pattern. Ablated SMAD1/5 signaling alone caused AVM-like vascular malformations directly connecting the dorsal aorta to the inlet of the heart. In yolk sacs of mouse embryos with an endothelial-specific compound heterozygosity for
SMAD1/5
, addition of TNFα (tumor necrosis factor-α), which downregulates Cx37, induced development of these direct connections bypassing the yolk sac capillary bed. In wild-type embryos undergoing vascular remodeling, Cx37 was globally expressed by endothelial cells but was absent in regions of enlarging vessels. TNFα and endothelial-specific compound heterozygosity for
SMAD1/5
caused ectopic regions lacking Cx37 expression, which correlated to areas of vascular malformations. Mechanistically, loss of Cx37 impairs correct directional migration under flow conditions.

Conclusions:

Our data demonstrate that Cx37 expression is differentially regulated by shear stress and SMAD1/5 signaling, and that reduced Cx37 expression is permissive for capillary enlargement into shunts.
Redefining Hematoma Expansion With the Inclusion of Intraventricular Hemorrhage Growth
Authors: Yogendrakumar Vignan , Ramsay Tim , Fergusson Dean A. , Demchuk Andrew M. , Aviv Richard I. , Rodriguez-Luna David , Molina Carlos A. , Silva Yolanda , Dzialowski Imanuel , Kobayashi Adam , Boulanger Jean-Martin , Gubitz Gord , Srivastava Padma , Roy Jayanta , Kase Carlos S. , Bhatia Rohit , Hill Michael D. , Goldstein Joshua N. , Dowlatshahi Dar ,   for the PREDICT/Sunnybrook CTA Study Group
Published: February 2020

Background and Purpose—

Definitions of significant hematoma expansion traditionally focus on changes in intraparenchymal volume. The presence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a predictor of poor outcome, but current definitions of hematoma expansion do not include IVH expansion. We evaluated whether including IVH expansion to current definitions of hematoma expansion improves the ability to predict 90-day outcome.

Methods—

Using data from the PREDICT-ICH study (Predicting Hematoma Growth and Outcome in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Using Contrast Bolus CT), we compared a standard definition of hematoma expansion (≥6 mL or ≥33%) to revised definitions that includes new IVH development or expansion (≥6 mL or ≥33% or any IVH; ≥6 mL or ≥33% or IVH expansion ≥1 mL). The primary outcome was poor clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, 4–6) at 90 days. Diagnostic accuracy measures were calculated for each definition, and C statistics for each definition were compared using nonparametric methods.

Results—

Of the 256 patients eligible for primary analysis, 127 (49.6%) had a modified Rankin Scale score of 4 to 6. Sensitivity and specificity for the standard definition (n=80) were 45.7% (95% CI, 36.8–54.7) and 82.9% (95% CI, 75.3–88.9), respectively. The revised definition, ≥6 mL or ≥33% or any IVH (n=113), possessed a sensitivity of 63.8% (95% CI, 54.8–72.1) and specificity of 75.2% (95% CI, 66.8–82.4). Overall accuracy was significantly improved with the revised definition (
P
=0.013) and after adjusting for relevant covariates, was associated with a 2.55-fold increased odds (95% CI, 1.31–4.94) of poor outcome at 90 days. A second revised definition, ≥6 mL or ≥33% or IVH expansion ≥1 mL, performed similarly (sensitivity, 56.7% [95% CI, 47.6–65.5]; specificity, 78.3% [95% CI, 40.2–85.1]; aOR, 2.40 [95% CI, 1.23–4.69]).

Conclusions—

In patients with mild-to-moderate ICH, including IVH expansion to the definition of hematoma expansion improves sensitivity with only minimal decreases to specificity and improves overall prediction of 90-day outcome.
Death and Progress: How Evolvability is Influenced by Intrinsic Mortality
Authors: Veenstra Frank , de Prado Salas Pablo González , Stoy Kasper , Bongard Josh , Risi Sebastian
Published: February 2020

Many factors influence the evolvability of populations, and this article illustrates how intrinsic mortality (death induced through internal factors) in an evolving population contributes favorably to evolvability on a fixed deceptive fitness landscape. We test for evolvability using the hierarchical if-and-only-if (h-iff) function as a deceptive fitness landscape together with a steady state genetic algorithm (SSGA) with a variable mutation rate and indiscriminate intrinsic mortality rate. The mutation rate and the intrinsic mortality rate display a relationship for finding the global maximum. This relationship was also found when implementing the same deceptive fitness landscape in a spatial model consisting of an evolving population. We also compared the performance of the optimal mutation and mortality rate with a state-of-the-art evolutionary algorithm called age-fitness Pareto optimization (AFPO) and show how the two approaches traverse the h-iff landscape differently. Our results indicate that the intrinsic mortality rate and mutation rate induce random genetic drift that allows a population to efficiently traverse a deceptive fitness landscape. This article gives an overview of how intrinsic mortality influences the evolvability of a population. It thereby supports the premise that programmed death of individuals could have a beneficial effect on the evolvability of the entire population.
Aphelenchoides smolae n. sp. (Tylenchina: Aphelenchoididae) found in Lilium orientalis imported into China from The Netherlands
Authors: Cai Jingjing , Gu Jianfeng , Wang Xuan , Fang Yiwu , Li Hongmei
Published: February 2020

Aphelenchoides smolae n. sp. isolated in Ningbo Port, China, from medium soil and tissues of Lilium orientalis bulbs imported from The Netherlands, is described. It is characterised by the female body length of 826 (672-1002) μm and male body length of 785 (683-844) μm, lateral field with four lines (three bands), stylet 13.0-14.9 μm long with small basal swellings, excretory pore situated slightly posterior to nerve ring, vulval flap absent, post-vulval uterine sac well developed and extending for ca 35.7-62.4% of vulva to anus distance, conical tail with terminus bearing a single mucron with many tiny nodular protuberances under SEM, males common, with spicules 25.7-29.8 μm long (median curved line), the condylus and rostrum rounded, well developed, the dorsal limb with a hook-like tip, and tail bearing three pairs (2 + 2 + 2) of caudal papillae and a sharply pointed mucron. The new species belongs to the Group 2 category of Aphelenchoides species sensu Shahina. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S, 28S D2-D3 of rDNA and COI mtDNA further characterised the new species.
Unpacking non-institutional engagement: Collective, communicative and individualised activism
Authors: Slavina Anna
Published: February 2020

This paper disaggregates non-institutional political engagement into three distinct repertoires of activism: collective, communicative and individualised forms. I evaluate the claim that non-institutional activism is more inclusive than traditional forms of political engagement by measuring the relative effects of typical predictors of participation, including resources, values and contextual measures, on different repertoires of non-institutional engagement. The findings suggest that individualised engagement is more accessible to women but stratified by resources and national wealth. Collective engagement is more accessible to people from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds but is stratified by gender, with women less likely to engage.
Biological variation of cardiac troponins in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Jones RA , Barratt J , Brettell EA , Cockwell P , Dalton RN , Deeks JJ , Eaglestone G , Pellatt-Higgins T , Kalra PA , Khunti K , Morris FS , Ottridge RS , Sitch AJ , Stevens PE , Sharpe CC , Sutton AJ , Taal MW , Lamb EJ ,   on behalf of the eGFR-C Study Group
Published: February 2020

Background

Patients with chronic kidney disease often have increased plasma cardiac troponin concentration in the absence of myocardial infarction. Incidence of myocardial infarction is high in this population, and diagnosis, particularly of non ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), is challenging. Knowledge of biological variation aids understanding of serial cardiac troponin measurements and could improve interpretation in clinical practice. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) recommended the use of a 20% reference change value in patients with kidney failure. The aim of this study was to calculate the biological variation of cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T in patients with moderate chronic kidney disease (glomerular filtration rate [GFR] 30–59 mL/min/1.73 m2).

Methods and results

Plasma samples were obtained from 20 patients (median GFR 43.0 mL/min/1.73 m2) once a week for four consecutive weeks. Cardiac troponin I (Abbott ARCHITECT® i2000SR, median 4.3 ng/L, upper 99th percentile of reference population 26.2 ng/L) and cardiac troponin T (Roche Cobas® e601, median 11.8 ng/L, upper 99th percentile of reference population 14 ng/L) were measured in duplicate using high-sensitivity assays. After outlier removal and log transformation, 18 patients’ data were subject to ANOVA, and within-subject (CVI), between-subject (CVG) and analytical (CVA) variation calculated. Variation for cardiac troponin I was 15.0%, 105.6%, 8.3%, respectively, and for cardiac troponin T 7.4%, 78.4%, 3.1%, respectively. Reference change values for increasing and decreasing troponin concentrations were +60%/–38% for cardiac troponin I and +25%/–20% for cardiac troponin T.

Conclusions

The observed reference change value for cardiac troponin T is broadly compatible with the NACB recommendation, but for cardiac troponin I, larger changes are required to define significant change. The incorporation of separate RCVs for cardiac troponin I and cardiac troponin T, and separate RCVs for rising and falling concentrations of cardiac troponin, should be considered when developing guidance for interpretation of sequential cardiac troponin measurements.
Alternative logics: A Discursive approach to normative and alternative organizing
Authors: Jensen Peter R
Published: February 2020

The marketization of nonprofit organizations is often taken for granted as an inevitable fact. Drawing on the institutional logics and discursive resources perspective, I examine the organizing practices of two shelters that serve homeless women in the same area. In my analysis, I argue that a Discursive approach to institutional logics has much to offer in examining differences between nonprofit organizations as these organizations enact their organizational mission. Using comparative ethnographic methods, I examine how each organization sought to enact a social welfare institutional logic, and how that enactment resulted in more normative or alternative organizing practices. At one organization the social welfare institutional logic was translated into getting clients ‘back on track’ while at the other shelter it was translated as practicing ‘hospitality’. I argue that these translations served as primary discursive resources that both enabled preferred organizational practices and productively maintained tensions between conflicting Discourses.
Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of Professors Concerning Academic Rules and Relations: Does Sex Matter?
Authors: Daghigh Ahmad , Daghigh Vahid , Niazi Mohsen , Morse David T.
Published: February 2020

A common metric in appraising the classroom and educational experience is student ratings of courses and faculty. Our purpose in this study was to investigate whether the ratings of faculty in a co-educational Middle Eastern university concerning observation of university rules and policy, communication with colleagues, and communication with students differ based on sex—both that of the faculty and that of the student furnishing the ratings. Data were collected from 847 undergraduate students at Kashan University, of whom 626 had complete data. Statistically significant, though small, differences were observed for the main effect of student sex (females>males on following rules) and female faculty were rated more highly than male faculty on following rules and relationships with students. No differences by student sex or faculty sex on relationships with colleagues were noted, nor was there an interaction of student sex and faculty sex on the ratings.
The Use of Video Annotation Tools and Informal Online Discussions to Explore Preservice Teachers’ Self- and Peer-Evaluation of Academic Feedback
Authors: Zaier Amani , Arslan-Ari Ismahan , Maina Faith
Published: February 2020

This study explored the quality of preservice teachers’ self- and peer-academic feedback using video annotation tools to capture their teaching practices. They were also provided with an informal online discussion board as part of the peer support system. Twenty-five preservice teachers at a large university in the Southwestern United States volunteered to participate in this study. Data revealed a striking difference between self-evaluation and peer-evaluation. Preservice teachers rated themselves considerably higher compared with their peer-evaluation. The quality of the academic feedback and evaluation remained at the surface level with a mismatch between areas of refinement and areas of reinforcement. Evidence-based feedback and constructive criticism for areas of refinement were openly given during the informal discussion forums. Despite the inconsistency, preservice teachers perceived online communication through discussion posts as a valuable source of building relationships and providing support system.
A Common Target: Anti-Jewish Hate Crime in New York City Communities, 1995-2010
Authors: Mills Colleen E.
Published: February 2020

Objectives:

There is a growing body of macro-level studies examining hate crime. These studies however largely focus on ethnoracial hate crime, leading to a relative dearth of research investigating the etiology of anti-Jewish hate crime. The current study seeks to fill this gap by conducting a community-level analysis of anti-Jewish hate crime in New York City.

Methods:

Using data from the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force, the current study employs a series of negative binomial regressions to investigate the impact of defended neighborhoods, social disorganization, and strain variables on anti-Jewish hate crime.

Results:

The results show that defended neighborhoods consistently predict higher levels of anti-Jewish hate crime in White, Black, and non-White neighborhoods even when accounting for social disorganization and strain variables. Results also demonstrate that anti-Jewish crime occurs in communities that are more socially organized and with better economic conditions.

Conclusions:

This study’s findings reveal Jewish victims to be a catchall target when a minority group increasingly moves into a majority area. These defended neighborhoods, and other findings have intriguing implications for both criminology’s social disorganization theory and the police and others charged with combatting bias crimes.
Factors Impacting Employment Outcomes for Older Adults With Disabilities in Korea
Authors: Lee Juyoung , Bezyak Jill L. , Kim Won Ho
Published: February 2020

Although older adults with disabilities have a need and desire to be productive, for many this takes the form of work, they often face barriers in finding and maintaining employment. To improve understanding of employment characteristics and needs for older adults with disabilities in Korea, this study examined their employment rates (ER) from a life-span perspective. A dataset on individuals from age 41 to 75 ( N = 4,211) from the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled (PSED), collected by the Korea Employment Agency for the Disabled (KEAD) from 2008 to 2015, was used. The study looked at whether ER were significantly different among age ranges of older adults with disabilities in Korea and also what factors predict their ER, using ANOVA (analysis of variance) and tobit regression. As a result, the study confirmed factors influencing employment with older adults with disabilities, including demographic factors, disability factors, health-related factors, and psychosocial factors, varied for different age groups. This implies that it is crucial to attend to the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities at various ages, and vocational rehabilitation services need to be customized for different age groups.
How ritual might create religion: A neuropsychological exploration
Authors: Jones James W
Published: February 2020

Several models of the evolution of religion claim that ritual creates “religion” and gives it a positive evolutionary role. Robert Bellah suggests that the evolutionary roots of ritual lay in the play of animals. For Homo sapiens, Bellah argues, rituals generate a world of experience different from the world of everyday life, and that different world of experience is the foundation of later religious developments. Robin Dunbar points to trance dancing as the original religious behavior. Trance dancing both alters ordinary consciousness and generates trance experiences that will give rise to religious concepts and also, through the production of endorphins, bonds people into tight-knit social groups whose social bonding gives them a survival advantage. The role of ritual in social bonding has been well established through the research on the production of endorphins by synchronized activity and the role of endorphins in social bonding. The role of ritual in generating religious experience has been much less developed. Drawing on the extensive research on the ways in which bodily activity can impact and transform our sensory and cognitive processes, and the ways in which sensory and cognitive processes are neurologically connected with somatic processes, this article will propose one neuropsychological model of how ritual activity might give rise to religion. Starting from bodily activity means that here religion will be understood more as a set of practices and less as a set of beliefs. Theological implications of this model will be discussed.
The role of competition and timeframes: A commentary on Ambridge (2020)
Authors: MacWhinney Brian
Published: February 2020

Ambridge argues persuasively for the importance in language learning of a rich database of input exemplars. However, a fuller account must also consider the importance of on-line and developmental competition between rote exemplar-based storage and emergent patterns that can optimize retrieval.
The Perilous Use of Proxy Variables
Authors: Seltzer Ryan G. N.
Published: February 2020

It is often not stated or quantified how well measured proxy variables account for the variance in latent constructs they are intended to represent. A sensitivity analysis was run using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe to estimate models varying in the degree to which proxy variables represent intended constructs. Results showed that parameter estimates differ substantially across different levels of variable representation. When variables are used with poor construct validity, an insufficient amount of variance is removed from the observed spurious relationship between design variable and outcome. The findings from this methodological demonstration underscore the importance of selecting proxy variables that accurately represent the underlying construct for which control is intended.
Populist multiculturalism: Are there majority cultural rights?
Authors: Patten Alan
Published: February 2020

Theories of multiculturalism explore whether minority cultural groups have rights and claims that limit the nation-building aims of the modern state and that protect a space in which minorities can express, enjoy and preserve their own distinctive cultures. What are the implications of these theories for majority cultures? The concepts, terminology, and arguments made by multicultural theorists in favour of minority rights often seem relevant and applicable to the situations of national majorities. The major arguments associated with multiculturalism do not directly hinge on whether a particular group is in the minority or the majority and thus all seem potentially applicable to the situations of majority cultural groups. The possibility that liberal multicultural arguments for minority rights offer a language for justifying the rights of majority cultures has not gone unnoticed by theorists on the populist right, including those on the far right. The appropriation of liberal theories of multiculturalism by thinkers concerned to defend the prerogatives of traditional White, Christian cultures in Europe and America is a well-documented phenomenon. It is tempting to dismiss these ‘majority rights’ arguments as distortions of the nuanced, subtle views of liberal multiculturalists. In this article, I pursue a different strategy. I try to take seriously the idea that there are majority cultural rights and to explore their basis. This allows us to say more clearly what the limits of those rights are. I shall argue that majorities do have certain rights and permissions with respect to the expression and defence of their culture. But these rights and permissions are grounded in very specific social circumstances and normative considerations and thus face very significant limits.
Australian super veteran secondary school music teachers: Motivated and valuable
Authors: Robinson Jennifer
Published: February 2020

Veteran teachers are defined as having over 15 years’ teaching experience. This research introduces a new career stage of ‘super veteran’ for music teachers that have worked for 30 plus years and seeks to identify the influences on, and contributions of, Australian secondary school music teachers of this career stage. This article reports on survey data gathered in a larger qualitative study that contained a national survey and interviews. The analysis of the interview data in the larger study is yet to be completed. Likert-type scale questions were used for demographic data collection and open-ended questions explored influences on music teacher work practice. Of the responses, 32 were from super veteran secondary school music teachers. These teachers were motivated by working with students and felt valued by them and their parents. Super veterans continued to be engaged in professional development, found work–life balance a constant challenge and many were planning to continue teaching. This research has implications for school leaders in encouraging, valuing and utilising the expertise of super veteran secondary school music teachers. It suggests tailoring professional development for this career stage, gives feedback on the implementation of new curriculum and indicates strategies for stress management and work–life balance.
Examining multi-dimensional trust of technology in citizens’ adoption of e-voting in developing countries
Authors: Zhu Yu-Qian , Azizah Anik Hanifatul , Hsiao Bo
Published: February 2020

Prior research has highlighted the pivotal role of trust in the adoption of e-voting. However, trust as a construct has generally been studied without clear specifications of its underlying dimensions. As part of building a more comprehensive understanding of trust in e-voting, we propose and validate the underlying dimensions of trust in technology to be security, usability, privacy and validity. In an application to e-voting, we propose that greater trust in its technology could mitigate its perceived risks, and lead to higher intentions to use e-voting. To test our model, we collected data from 426 voters in East Java province, Indonesia. The findings confirmed the validity of all proposed dimensions of trust of technology. Trust of technology is a significant determinant of intention to use e-voting. Trust of technology also indirectly influences intentions to use e-voting through perceived risks.
Cell-free DNA BRAF V600E measurements during BRAF inhibitor therapy of metastatic melanoma: long-term analysis
Authors: Kozak Katarzyna , Kowalik Artur , Gos Aleksandra , Wasag Bartosz , Lugowska Iwona , Jurkowska Monika , Krawczynska Natalia , Kosela-Paterczyk Hanna , Switaj Tomasz , Teterycz Paweł , Klimczak Anna , Siedlecki Janusz A. , Chlopek Małgorzata , Kalisz Joanna , Limon Janusz , Rutkowski Piotr
Published: February 2020

Objective:

We assessed the status of the BRAF V600E mutation in cell-free circulating tumor DNA (cfDNA) isolated from the plasma of patients with metastatic melanoma treated with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib, collected at different time points during therapy to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of quantitative polymerase chain reaction and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) and the correlation between the level of plasma cfDNA p.V600E and the long-term clinical outcome.

Methods:

cfDNA in patients with BRAF-mutated melanoma ( n = 62) was analyzed at baseline and at 4−8 weeks from the start of vemurafenib therapy. BRAF mutations were assessed using tumor tissue-derived DNA and circulating cfDNA from plasma samples. Quantification of BRAF V600E was performed in cfDNA using ddPCR.

Results:

cfDNA V600E was detected in the plasma of 48/62 (77%) patients at baseline and in 18/62 (29%) patients after 4–8 weeks of treatment. Patients positive for BRAF mutations in cfDNA at baseline had shorter progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with patients with undetectable cfDNA BRAF mutations. Undetectable cfDNA p.V600E at baseline and after 4–8 weeks of therapy was associated with the best prognosis. When treated as a continuous variable, the log-transformed concentration of baseline cfDNA p.V600E was significantly associated with both PFS and OS. This effect was retained in the multivariate OS Cox model adjusted for Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, the presence of brain metastases, patient age, and previous systemic treatment.

Conclusions:

Monitoring of plasma BRAF p.V600E cfDNA concentrations in patients with metastatic melanoma on targeted therapy may have prognostic value. Undetectable cfDNA p.V600E before and during treatment was associated with a favorable prognosis.
Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory: Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Romanian version
Authors: Faur Andrada Lavinia , Vaida Sebastian , Opre Adrian
Published: February 2020

Kenny Music Performance Anxiety Inventory (K-MPAI) is one of the most widely used instruments in the research of music performance anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate the factor structure of the Romanian version of K-MPAI. A sample of 420 (aged 18–66, M = 24.46, SD = 7.36; 48% women and 52% men) musicians completed the K-MPAI. Exploratory factor analysis with principal axis factoring and oblimin rotation method indicated eight factors which explained 49.16% of variance. Due to the overestimation of the number of factors by the Kaiser’s criterion of 1, parallel analysis with the syntax provided by O’Connor was implemented. Four factors were extracted which explained 41.37% of variance. They were named “music performance anxiety symptoms,” “depression and hopelessness,” “parental support,” and “memory self-efficacy.” Results partially support the theoretical model which sustained the development of K-MPAI, and further clinical implications for the Romanian musician population are discussed.
Movement is part of the meaning of music notation: A musical Stroop effect for trombonists
Authors: Logan Topher , Chaffin Roger
Published: February 2020

Does seeing music notation activate the motor systems of expert musicians in preparation for playing, even when they do not have an instrument to play? Trombonists, non-trombonist musicians, and non-musicians were asked to indicate whether the second note of a visually presented two-note sequence was higher or lower than the first note. Participants responded by moving a joystick forward for “ higher” and backward for “ lower” or by pressing a button in the top or bottom row, respectively, of a computer keyboard. We examined response time as a function of whether the direction of movement required by the task was the same ( congruent) or different ( incongruent) from the direction of movement of a trombone slide when playing the same notes on the trombone. For trombonists, responses were faster for congruent than for incongruent trials for the joystick, but not for the keyboard. There was no effect of congruency for non-trombonists for joystick or keyboard responses. The trombone congruency effect is a new kind of musical Stroop effect. Learning to play a musical instrument links the motor and perceptual systems so that seeing musical notes automatically primes playing them.
Home programmes based on evidence of best practice for children with unilateral cerebral palsy: Occupational therapists’ perceptions
Authors: Milton Yvonne M , Roe Sarah A , Newby Katie V
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Evidence-based occupational therapy home programmes for children with unilateral cerebral palsy have demonstrated efficacy; however, uptake into routine practice is varied. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the therapist-perceived supports and barriers to using occupational therapy home programmes for children with unilateral cerebral palsy, based on evidence of best practice in the United Kingdom.

Method

Fourteen occupational therapists completed semi-structured telephone interviews. Using a qualitative framework analysis approach, support and barrier factors were indexed against the Theoretical Domains Framework, before being categorised more broadly using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation and Behaviour Model.

Findings

Common supports included: (a) strong leadership within the team to facilitate the translation of occupational therapy home programmes and evidence-based interventions into service-specific protocols; (b) knowledge exchange within professional networks and (c) mentorship. Common barriers included: (a) lack of resources; (b) restricted opportunities to review occupational therapy home programmes and (c) difficulties keeping up-to-date with the evidence in this area.

Conclusion

To be effective, occupational therapy home programmes need to be based on evidence of best practice; analysis indicated an urgent need to capture outcomes, record parental practice, further integrate ‘occupation’ within goal-setting, and develop use of conceptual models of practice to both enhance family-centred care and articulate the profession’s unique contribution.
The geographies of intermediation: Labor intermediaries, labor migration, and cane harvesting in rural western India
Authors: Rai Pronoy
Published: February 2020

In this paper, I explain the role of labor intermediaries in the weaving of capital–labor relations in capitalist agro-business. I do so by focusing on migration infrastructure or the vertical network of labor intermediaries who facilitate labor recruitment from migrant home villages and migrant labor disciplining on cane fields in rural western India, where the laborers are brought seasonally to harvest sugarcane. I show how the role of labor intermediaries cannot be understood by containing them within the villainous stereotypes associated with brokers. Intermediaries are embedded within the labor geographies of commodity production where capital accumulation requires the downward transferring of the risk of financial loss from capitalist agro-business to intermediaries and laborers. I collected data for this research by conducting interviews and focus-group discussions in the Yavatmal and Kolhapur districts of Maharashtra state in rural western India during summer 2014 and 2015–2016.