bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stakeholder Engagement Strategies After an Exogenous Shock: How Philip Morris and R. J. Reynolds Adapted Differently to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement
Authors: Griffin Jennifer J. , Youm Yoo Na , Vivari Ben
Published: August 2019

This study contributes to understanding stakeholder engagement strategies by examining competitive responses alongside sociopolitical implications after a major exogenous shock—the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) between the “Big Four” U.S. tobacco firms and 46 state attorneys general. We compare the different stakeholder engagement strategies of the two remaining U.S. tobacco manufacturers, Philip Morris (PM) and R. J. Reynolds (RJR), between 1998 and 2017. Implications for stakeholder theory from a relatively rare natural experiment highlight the importance of simultaneously managing multiple stakeholders, inclusive of domestic and international sociopolitical and value chain stakeholders over time, for sustained value creation. Although PM and RJR initially pursued heterogeneous strategies by re-configuring relationships with relevant stakeholders, each firm’s growth prospects for the first decade post-MSA were exacerbated by various stakeholders through withholding and selective engagement strategies. Implications for how multiple, simultaneous stakeholder relationships can serve as important resources for achieving or limiting sustained growth are discussed.
Diversity Dissonance as an Implication of One School’s Relocation and Reintegration Initiative
Authors: Khalil Deena , Brown Elizabeth
Published: August 2019

Purpose: This article describes one charter school’s ‘diversity’ initiative—a relocation to a racially and socioeconomically diverse site—intended to reintegrate minoritized students displaced by gentrification. Research Design: We employ Critical Race Quantitative Intersectionality to frame the descriptive analyses of student enrollment, city census, and parent survey data that narrates the resulting student demographics after a school’s relocation. Our goal in utilizing an anti-racist framework rooted in Critical Race Theory is to a) quantify the racist material impact of “race-neutral” reform through intersectional data mining, b) disrupt the notion of letting “numbers speak for themselves” without critical analysis, and c) taking a transdisciplinary perspective to reveal the hidden patterns of whiteness under the guise of diversity. Findings: Our findings highlight the limits of a school’s agency to implement ‘diversity’ policies aimed at reintegrating minoritized students displaced from opportunity. While the relocation racially diversified the student population, the policy failed to reintegrate the district’s historically minoritized population. This exclusion both limited who had the right to use and enjoy the school and reinforced the school’s status and reputation, thus cementing its whiteness as property. Implications: We conceptualize diversity dissonance as a framework that challenges the unary ahistorical criteria that describe current school demographics, and calls for leaders and policymakers to problematize how the construct of diversity is interpreted when considering minoritized students’ access to programs and schools. Diversity dissonance situates diversity from solely an inclusive rhetoric to an exclusionary one, where limited access reinforces status—mimicking rather than juxtaposing whiteness.
A Bayesian Random Block Item Response Theory Model for Forced-Choice Formats
Authors: Lee HyeSun , Smith Weldon Z.
Published: August 2019

Based on the framework of testlet models, the current study suggests the Bayesian random block item response theory (BRB IRT) model to fit forced-choice formats where an item block is composed of three or more items. To account for local dependence among items within a block, the BRB IRT model incorporated a random block effect into the response function and used a Markov Chain Monte Carlo procedure for simultaneous estimation of item and trait parameters. The simulation results demonstrated that the BRB IRT model performed well for the estimation of item and trait parameters and for screening those with relatively low scores on target traits. As found in the literature, the composition of item blocks was crucial for model performance; negatively keyed items were required for item blocks. The empirical application showed the performance of the BRB IRT model was equivalent to that of the Thurstonian IRT model. The potential advantage of the BRB IRT model as a base for more complex measurement models was also demonstrated by incorporating gender as a covariate into the BRB IRT model to explain response probabilities. Recommendations for the adoption of forced-choice formats were provided along with the discussion about using negatively keyed items.
A word embedding topic model for topic detection and summary in social networks
Authors: Shi Lei , Cheng Gang , Xie Shang-ru , Xie Gang
Published: August 2019

The aim of topic detection is to automatically identify the events and hot topics in social networks and continuously track known topics. Applying the traditional methods such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation and Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis is difficult given the high dimensionality of massive event texts and the short-text sparsity problems of social networks. The problem also exists of unclear topics caused by the sparse distribution of topics. To solve the above challenge, we propose a novel word embedding topic model by combining the topic model and the continuous bag-of-words mode (Cbow) method in word embedding method, named Cbow Topic Model (CTM), for topic detection and summary in social networks. We conduct similar word clustering of the target social network text dataset by introducing the classic Cbow word vectorization method, which can effectively learn the internal relationship between words and reduce the dimensionality of the input texts. We employ the topic model-to-model short text for effectively weakening the sparsity problem of social network texts. To detect and summarize the topic, we propose a topic detection method by leveraging similarity computing for social networks. We collected a Sina microblog dataset to conduct various experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that the CTM method is superior to the existing topic model method.
Impact of silane treatment on the dielectric properties of pineapple leaf/kenaf fiber reinforced phenolic composites
Authors: Agrebi F , Hammami H , Asim M , Jawaid M , Kallel A
Published: August 2019

This work deals with the dielectric properties of silane treated pineapple leaf fiber and kenaf fiber reinforced phenolic hybrid composites. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the effect of silane treatment on the pineapple leaf fiber–kenaf fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion using the dielectric relaxation spectroscopy in the frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 1 MHz and temperature range from 50 to 180℃. Our hybrid composites were fabricated by hand lay-up method at 50% total fiber loading. All the results obtained were discussed in terms of dynamic molecular and interfacial process. Two interfacial polarizations identified as the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars effect are observed. We note that silane treatment improved the interfacial adhesion between pineapple leaf fiber/kenaf fiber and phenolic resin and it will help to develop high performance kenaf fiber/pineapple leaf fiber reinforced polymer composites for industrial applications. In fact, as known, the silane treatment developed hydrophobic nature in pineapple leaf fiber and kenaf fiber which is very positive for fiber/matrix compatibility.
Metabolic Profile of Supragingival Plaque Exposed to Arginine and Fluoride
Authors: Nascimento M.M. , Alvarez A.J. , Huang X. , Browngardt C. , Jenkins R. , Sinhoreti M.C. , Ribeiro A.P.D. , Dilbone D.A. , Richards V.P. , Garrett T.J. , Burne R.A.
Published: August 2019

Caries lesions develop when acid production from bacterial metabolism of dietary carbohydrates outweighs the various mechanisms that promote pH homeostasis, including bacterial alkali production. Therapies that provide arginine as a substrate for alkali production in supragingival oral biofilms have strong anticaries potential. The objective of this study was to investigate the metabolic profile of site-specific supragingival plaque in response to the use of arginine (Arg: 1.5% arginine, fluoride-free) or fluoride (F: 1,100 ppm F/NaF) toothpastes. Eighty-three adults of different caries status were recruited and assigned to treatment with Arg or F for 12 wk. Caries lesions were diagnosed using International Caries Detection and Assessment System II, and plaque samples were collected from caries-free and carious tooth surfaces. Taxonomic profiles were obtained by HOMINGS (Human Oral Microbe Identification using Next Generation Sequencing), and plaque metabolism was assessed by the levels of arginine catabolism via the arginine deiminase pathway (ADS), acidogenicity, and global metabolomics. Principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares–discriminant analysis, analysis of variance, and random forest tests were used to distinguish metabolic profiles. Of the 509 active lesions diagnosed at baseline, 70 (14%) were inactive after 12 wk. Generalized linear model showed that enamel lesions were significantly more likely to become inactive compared to dentin lesions ( P < 0.0001), but no difference was found when treatment with Arg was compared to F ( P = 0.46). Arg significantly increased plaque ADS activity ( P = 0.031) and plaque pH values after incubation with glucose ( P = 0.001). F reduced plaque lactate production from endogenous sources ( P = 0.02). PCA revealed differences between the metabolic profiles of plaque treated with Arg or F. Arg significantly affected the concentrations of 16 metabolites, including phenethylamine, agmatine, and glucosamine-6-phosphate ( P < 0.05), while F affected the concentrations of 9 metabolites, including phenethylamine, N-methyl-glutamate, and agmatine ( P < 0.05). The anticaries mechanisms of action of arginine and fluoride are distinct. Arginine metabolism promotes biofilm pH homeostasis, whereas fluoride is thought to enhance resistance of tooth minerals to low pH and reduce acid production by supragingival oral biofilms.
A Troubled World and the Practice of Psychotherapy
Authors: Sipiora Michael P.
Published: August 2019

Human science psychologies have recognized that a significant dimension of the distress that clients bring to psychotherapy arises from living in a disordered world. Drawing on insights from philosophical hermeneutics (Cushman), phenomenology (van den Berg), and archetypal psychology (Hillman), this essay considers the virtuous (Illich and Schwartz) practice of psychotherapy in a world increasingly inhospitable to human dwelling.
Tension at the table: 1 Corinthians 11:23–32
Authors: Harader Joanna
Published: August 2019

Paul’s presentation of the communion meal in 1 Cor 11:23–32 highlights tensions we experience as we participate in the Lord’s Supper today: situational tension in re-enacting a conflicted meal and remembering a violent event, a tension between memory and hope, a painful tension for survivors of sexual abuse with the use of “body” and “blood” language in both Scripture and liturgy, and a tension between an insistence on the egalitarian nature of the meal alongside warnings of exclusionary judgment for any who eat while “unworthy.” The first two tensions are biblical and are to be explored and embraced in sharing the Lord’s Supper. The second two tensions result from unintended consequences and misinterpretation, and should be discerned and alleviated to maintain a spiritually healthy and faithful communion liturgy.
Communion, potluck, and the Body of Christ: Embodying diversity in worship practice for a deeper communion theology
Authors: McFee Marcia
Published: August 2019

Worship builds up the Body of Christ for its work in the world through encounter with the Holy, Living God. Rather than simply the latest “bells and whistles,” creativity in worship practice exercises the depth of our theological understandings about gathering around the table of Jesus Christ, and the result is more passionate conviction to “go and do likewise” for a hungry and hurting world.
Talking at the table: Preaching on Communion Sunday
Authors: Graves Mike
Published: August 2019

Although the historic pattern of Christian worship features the sermon and Communion, coming out of the Reformation many traditions observe Communion only occasionally. In both cases, the relation of the two is not apparent. The article considers what preachers as well as liturgists might consider when both sermon and Communion occur.
Foucault in Tunisia: The encounter with intolerable power
Authors: Medien Kathryn
Published: August 2019

In September 1966, 10 years after Tunisia officially gained independence from French colonial rule, Michel Foucault took up a three-year secondment, teaching philosophy at the University of Tunis. This article offers an account of the time that Foucault spent in Tunisia, documenting his involvement in the anti-imperial, anti-authoritarian struggles that were taking place, and detailing his organizing against the carceral Tunisian state. Through this account, it is argued that Foucault’s entrance into political activism, and his associated work in developing a new analytic of power, was fundamentally motivated by his encounter with the neocolonial operatives of power that he witnessed and resisted while in Tunisia. In tracing the anti-colonial and anti-imperial struggles taking place concurrent to Foucault’s development of his analytic of power, albeit struggles that are shown to not take centre stage in his subsequent works, this article concludes by suggesting that taking seriously the scholar-activist archive presented may offer us a set of radical Foucauldian tools for resistance.
The dynamics of poverty, employment and access to amenities in polycentric cities: Measuring the decentralisation of poverty and its impacts in England and Wales
Authors: Zhang Meng Le , Pryce Gwilym
Published: August 2019

A growing number of studies of European and North American cities have shown that poverty is moving away from urban centres in a process known as the decentralisation (or suburbanisation) of poverty. These findings raise important questions about the impact on the quality of life for poorer residents who face financial constraints with respect to their access to transport. This article investigates the implications of the decentralisation of poverty for access to amenities and employment. Using data on England and Wales, we find that the decentralisation of poverty has led to greater inequalities between poor and non-poor households in access to both employment and amenities in large urban areas. We also provide two methodological innovations: (1) we address the long-standing methodological problem of measuring centralisation for cities with multiple urban centres by developing a generalised formula for the RCI (relative centralisation index), and (2) we demonstrate the use of OpenStreetMap data for identifying urban centres.
Does Interpersonal Discussion Increase Political Knowledge? A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Amsalem Eran , Nir Lilach
Published: August 2019

Theorists have long argued that discussing public affairs with others increases citizens’ knowledge of politics. Yet, empirical tests of this claim reach contradictory results, with some studies reporting large effects of discussion on knowledge while others report small effects or fail to confirm the hypothesis. To account for this inconsistency, the current study meta-analyzes this literature. The results, based on 163 research findings from 134 independent studies ( N = 412,933), indicate positive and significant mean effect sizes of r = .15 for discussion frequency, r = .1 for discussion heterogeneity, and r = .18 for discussion network size. While all three effects are statistically significant, a meta-analytic relative weights analysis reveals that discussion heterogeneity explains little variance in political knowledge once discussion frequency and network size have been accounted for. In other words, how much citizens talk about politics matters much more than whom they talk to.
Communication Error Management in Law Enforcement Interactions: A Sender’s Perspective
Authors: Oostinga Miriam S. D. , Giebels Ellen , Taylor Paul J.
Published: August 2019

We examined the psychological and behavioral consequences of making a communication error in expressive crisis negotiations and instrumental suspect interviews. During crisis negotiation ( n = 133) or suspect interview ( n = 68) training, Dutch police and probation officers received preparation material that led them to make a factual, judgment, or no error. Across both studies, errors increased officers’ negative affect, with errors leading to more stress in crisis negotiations and more distraction in suspect interviews. When comparing factual with judgment errors, factual errors led to more distraction in crisis negotiations and more negative affect in suspect interviews. Analysis of the transcribed dialogues identified four categories of response: apologize, exploration, deflect, and no alignment. Of these, negotiators used all four regularly, whereas interviewers predominantly used exploration and deflect. Our findings revealed the potentially negative effects of errors on officers and offered insights into how they could best focus to induce an appropriate response.
Cultivating, Cleansing, and Performing the American Germ Invasion: The Anatomy of a Chinese Korean War Propaganda Campaign
Authors: Kuech Andrew
Published: August 2019

Amid a lull in the Korean conflict of early 1952, Chinese officials launched a sensationalized propaganda campaign against purported American germ attacks in Korea and China. To boost enthusiasm for the war, the Chinese government sought to foment popular anxieties about the strange specter of American insects and diseases raining down from the skies. Officials quickly capitalized upon public outcries and mobilized them toward the aims of the state. Using dramatized fears of an American germ war, propagandists combined the government’s aims of increasing popular anti-Americanism, developing the Patriotic Hygiene Campaign, and rallying the country for total war. As this article argues, Chinese leaders honed imagery of a microbial American invasion to teach the public about science and educate them about the threats of germs and diseases. In this fusion of state propaganda and pedagogy, the citizenry was mobilized to performatively confront fictional American germ attacks in ways that entrenched a dogmatic anti-Americanism into the banal constructions of everyday life.
Evidence-Inspired Choices for Teachers: Team-Based Learning and Interactive Lecture
Authors: Jakobsen Krisztina V. , Daniel David B.
Published: August 2019

Research on team-based learning (TBL) generally supports its effectiveness over “traditional” lecture. In practice, however, lecturing rarely consists of teachers exclusively talking at their students, as many incorporate a variety of strategies to encourage active processing. This study compared an interactive lecture style with TBL on student performance. Generally, the results indicate that there are differences in particular aspects of course performance across conditions depending upon grade point average (GPA). Overall, these results support the findings that either teaching strategy is a viable option for teachers. We argue that there is no one right way to teach, and the scholarship of teaching and learning can best serve high-quality teaching by actively contrasting and evaluating a variety of techniques for the wide variety of teaching needs.
Applying Standards of Effectiveness to Noncontingent Reinforcement: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Meindl James N. , Ivy Jonathan W. , Glodowski Kathryn R. , Noordin Komal
Published: August 2019

Noncontingent reinforcement is a time-based schedule of reinforcement that has been shown to decrease problem behavior. Although the intervention is considered well established, there exist concerns that much of the supporting research has been conducted under highly controlled experimental conditions that may lack ecological validity. That is, although the efficacy has been demonstrated, the effectiveness in less controlled settings has not. To evaluate this concern, we analyzed research on noncontingent reinforcement between 1993 and 2017. Standards of evidence for effectiveness were adapted from prevention science and applied to noncontingent reinforcement literature. We specifically focused on generalizability across populations and settings, the conditions under which the intervention was applied, specific treatment parameters, opportunity cost, and social validity. Our results indicate several areas where evidence of noncontingent reinforcement effectiveness in applied settings is limited. We identify these limitations and provide a range of recommendations for future research to promote more widespread dissemination of the procedure.
Parental absence: Intergenerational tensions and contestations of social grants in South Africa
Authors: Kearabetswe Mokoene Ziphora , Grace Khunou
Published: August 2019

Most recently, the role of grandmothers has been highlighted as significant in the lives of their grandchildren in South Africa. Studies have previously highlighted the contribution the Old Age Grant makes in contexts of poverty, orphanhood and the migrant labour system. Similarly, studies on the Child Support Grant (CSG) have illustrated its contribution to the well-being of children and families in general. However, missing in these examinations has been an understanding of how the CSG is contested in contexts of parental absence due to internal labour migration. Through a thematic content analysis of qualitative interviews with members of migrants’ families, this article illustrates that in the context of internal labour migration, family responsibilities shift in ways that make unemployed grandmothers who do not receive the Old Age Grant vulnerable. This vulnerability is manifested through a tension in familial relationships. This tension stem from the contestation of the CSG by young labour-migrant mothers, the guardian (grandmother), and the beneficiaries of the CSG. The article concludes that these tensions result from continuing socio-economic struggles experienced by poor households.
Trifocal tensor-based 6-DOF visual servoing
Authors: Zhang Kaixiang , Chaumette François , Chen Jian
Published: August 2019

This paper proposes a trifocal tensor-based approach for six-degree-of-freedom visual servoing. The trifocal tensor model among the current, desired, and reference views is constructed to describe the geometric relationship of the system. More precisely, to ensure the computation consistency of trifocal tensor, a virtual reference view is introduced by exploiting the transfer relationships between the initial and desired images. Instead of resorting to explicit estimation of the camera pose, a set of visual features with satisfactory decoupling properties are constructed from the tensor elements. Based on the selected features, a visual controller is developed to regulate the camera to a desired pose, and an adaptive update law is used to compensate for the unknown distance scale factor. Furthermore, the system stability is analyzed via Lyapunov-based techniques, showing that the proposed controller can achieve almost global asymptotic stability. Both simulation and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our approach under different conditions and case studies.
The role of cardiac surgeons in online prenatal counselling for congenital heart disease
Authors: Zhu Yaobin , Zhang Yaping , Ding Nan , Zhao Yudong , Ye Zankai , Fan Xing , Liu Yang , Shen Lei , Yi Hanlu , Li Zhiqiang
Published: August 2019

Objective

To explore the role of cardiac surgeons in prenatal online counselling for congenital heart disease.

Methods

From January 2014 to December 2017, the author consulted on 400 cases of foetal cardiovascular abnormalities through the Good Doctor Online and WeChat online platforms. The author made appropriate pregnancy recommendations to patients and families using patient ultrasound reports and medical histories. Followed-up patients who chose to continue their pregnancy received postnatal advice.

Results

There were 248 simple cardiac abnormalities and 152 complex cardiac abnormalities. Foetal chromosome examination detected 2 cases of trisomy 21 syndrome and 26 normal cases. Two mothers (0.8%) of simple cardiac abnormality foetuses and 103 (67.8%) mothers of complex cardiac abnormality foetuses chose induced abortion. A total of 246 mothers of simple cardiac abnormality foetuses chose to continue pregnancy and had good postnatal prognosis. Twenty-six mothers of complex cardiac abnormality foetuses chose to continue pregnancy; among these, there were 4 intrauterine deaths, 22 births, 4 deaths while awaiting surgery and 18 successful surgeries.

Conclusion

The Good Doctor Online and WeChat platforms facilitate communication with a wide audience. Cardiac surgeons can reduce the birth incidence and improve prenatal consultations for severe congenital heart disease through these platforms.
Anatomic study of the lumbar lamina for safe and effective placement of lumbar translaminar facet screws
Authors: Hu Yong , Zhu Bing-ke , Yuan Zhen-shan , Dong Wei-xin , Sun Xiao-yang , Xu Jian-zhong , Chen Xu-guo
Published: August 2019

Objective

To evaluate the anatomic characteristics of the lumbar lamina and suggest a safe and effective strategy for setting lumbar translaminar facet screws.

Methods

The width and length of the lumbar lamina, screw path, lateral angle of the lamina, and maximum and minimum caudal angles of the lamina from L3 to L5 were measured with Mimics software using 32 patients’ computed tomographic data.

Results

The optimal screw entry point was located at the median of the spinous process base or slightly lower. The ideal screw trajectory was from the entry point to the base of the transverse process and across the center of the facet joint. A length of 35 to 45 mm was suitable for L3 to L4 in most cases, and a length of 45 to 50 mm was safe for L5 in most cases. The screw should be inserted at an angle of 49.4° to 59.29° laterally and 43.68° to 57.58° caudally at L3 to L5. For the ideal caudal angle, error of <3° was considered safe.

Conclusion

The optimal entry point, ideal screw trajectory, ideal screw-setting angles, and safest range of the angle and length of the lumbar lamina were identified in this anatomical study.
Clinical management and progress in sudden sensorineural hearing loss during pregnancy
Authors: Xie Shaobing , Wu Xuewen
Published: August 2019

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a relatively rare, but distressing, disease in pregnant women. Little is known about the causes, clinical manifestations, treatments, and prognosis of SSNHL. Some hypotheses have been proposed to explain the pathophysiological mechanism of SSNHL, but most of them have not been identified. This article reviews the existing literature to present a summary of this clinical problem. Most patients suffer from SSNHL in the second or third trimester, and show moderate to profound hearing loss. The interval between the initial treatment and onset of hearing loss is less than 10 days in most patients. Some patients with SSNHL show tinnitus, vertigo, or dizziness, and fullness of the ear. Although some patients have a tendency for self-cure, treatment with intravenous dextran 40 combined with intratympanic corticosteroids is probably a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for pregnant patients with SSNHL. Further clinical research is necessary to identify the best therapeutic strategy for these patients.
Tools for the assessment of neuropsychomotor profile in the rehabilitation of children with central nervous system tumor: a systematic review
Authors: Pellegrini Chiara , Caraceni Augusto T. , Bedodi Livia I.E. , Sensi Raffaella , Breggiè Simona , Gariboldi Fulvia A. , Brunelli Cinzia
Published: August 2019

Objective:

This study reviews the scientific literature to identify and describe which assessment tools (ATs) are used in pediatric oncology and neuro-oncology rehabilitation and which development neuropsychomotor (DNPM) ATs were built for children with central nervous system (CNS) tumors.

Methods:

A systematic review was performed searching PubMed, CINAHL, PEDro, Science Direct, and Catalog of National Institute of Tumors databases and specialized journals. The search covered 7 years (2010–2017) and used relevant keywords in different combinations. A further search was carried out on DNPM rehabilitation manuals and academic thesis.

Results:

The review retrieved 35 eligible articles containing 63 ATs. The most common ATs were the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). Most of the ATs covered a single area of child development among behavioral/psychological, cognitive, and motor areas. A total of 159 ATs were found in manuals and thesis, and only 17 of them were already identified in the journal search. None of the ATs identified in both searches had been specifically developed for children with CNS tumor.

Conclusion:

The results highlight the need to develop and validate a global multidimensional AT for children with CNS tumor, overcoming the fragmentation of the assessment procedures and promoting standardized rehabilitation protocols.
Long-term survival between total colectomy versus proctocolectomy in patients with FAP: a registry-based, observational cohort study
Authors: Ardoino Ilaria , Signoroni Stefano , Malvicini Enzo , Ricci Maria Teresa , Biganzoli Elia M. , Bertario Lucio , Occhionorelli Savino , Vitellaro Marco
Published: August 2019

Background:

The best surgical choice for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is still debated. No prospective trials have been carried out to evaluate the pros and cons of the recommended procedures: total colectomy (ileorectal anastomosis [IRA]) vs restorative proctocolectomy (ileal pouch–anal anastomosis [IPAA]). The aim of this study was to provide a basis for tailored precision surgery in patients with FAP.

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective review of patients with FAP who underwent surgery and were registered in a dedicated database in Milan, Italy. Twenty-year survival related to surgical approach and prognostic factors were investigated using a Cox regression model.

Results:

A total of 925 patients underwent surgery between 1947 and 2015: 340 (36.8%) IPAA and 585 (63.2%) IRA. Colorectal cancer (CRC) at surgery was diagnosed in 28.6% of patients and a pathogenic APC variant was identified in 88%. During a median follow-up of 129 months, 150 patients died. The survival probability was significantly higher in the IRA than the IPAA group: 0.82 vs 0.75 (hazard ratio [HR] 0.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.42–0.84). Multivariable regression modeling adjusted for propensity scores showed a similar difference, although no longer significant. Multivariable analysis indicated as independent risk factors CRC (HR 4.68, 95% CI 3.04–7.20) and age at surgery (HR 1.03, 95% CI 1.02–1.06). Among patients without cancer, the main risk factor for shorter survival was older age (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04–1.09).

Conclusion:

The study confirms excellent long-term results of surgical approaches with IRA and IPAA, suggesting that the best surgical choice may be an individually and clinically tailored approach, preferably at a young age.
Obesity is a predictor in prostate cancer patients receiving prostatectomy after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy
Authors: Sun Lijiang , Xu Ting , Yuan Xiaoliang , Liu Feng , Guan Fengju , Ye Dingwei , Zhang Guiming
Published: August 2019

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between obesity and pathologic features and biochemical recurrence in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) after neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT).

Methods:

A total of 422 consecutive patients with clinically localized PCa who received NHT before RP were retrospectively analyzed. Unconditional multiple logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) regarding probability. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the efficacy of the predictive variables. Castration resistance free survival curves were obtained using the Kaplan-Meier method, and were compared using the log-rank test.

Results:

Being overweight was associated with an increased risk of positive margins (OR 2.281; 95% CI 1.292–4.028) after adjusting for potential confounders. The area under the ROC curve for overweight patients was larger than that for patients in the normal weight range. There was no significant difference between the overweight and normal weight groups regarding castration resistance free survival.

Conclusions:

Being overweight was associated with positive margins in patients with PCa undergoing RP after NHT.
PGC-1α activator–induced fatty acid oxidation in tumor-infiltrating CTLs enhances effects of PD-1 blockade therapy in lung cancer
Authors: Wan Huan , Xu Bin , Zhu Ni , Ren Baozhong
Published: August 2019

Purpose:

The present study aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1-α agonist, as adjuvant to programmed death-1 (PD-1) blockade in hyporesponsive lung cancer cells–derived in vivo tumor model, using bezafibrate.

Methods:

Mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) xenograft models were established and treated with programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) monoclonal antibodies with or without bezafibrate. Tumors or peripheral blood of mice were harvested to investigate the quality, quantity, and function as well as energetic metabolism of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) by flow cytometry or quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

The combination of bezafibrate plus anti-PD-L1 reached synergistic tumoricidal effect in LLC xenograft mouse models, even though bezafibrate alone had no effect on tumor growth. Bezafibrate significantly facilitated CD8+ T cells infiltrating into tumor tissues by enhancing the expression of CXCL9 and CXCL10 within tumors as well as the receptor CXCR3 in infiltrating CTLs. Activated CTLs within tumors were also significantly upregulated by bezafibrate. Further data demonstrated that bezafibrate treatment could maintain the survival and functional capacity of tumor-infiltrating CTLs. Moreover, cellular reactive oxygen species in infiltrating CTLs and fatty acid oxidation (FAO)–related genes (PGC-1α, Cpt1a, and LCAD) expression within tumors were significantly increased after treatment with bezafibrate.

Conclusions:

Bezafibrate synergized the tumoricidal effect of PD-1 blockade in hyporesponsive lung cancer by expansion of effector CTLs within tumor microenvironment. The potential mechanism may relate to the capacity of bezafibrate in regulating FAO of tumor-infiltrating CTLs.
“There Is No Face Like Home”: Ratings for Cultural Familiarity to Own and Other Facial Dialects of Emotion With and Without Conscious Awareness in a British Sample
Authors: Tsikandilakis Myron , Kausel Leonie , Boncompte Gonzalo , Yu Zhaoliang , Oxner Matt , Lanfranco Renzo , Bali Persefoni , Urale Poutasi , Peirce Jonathan , López Vladimir , Tong Eddie Mun Wai , William Hayward , Carmel David , Derrfuss Jan , Chapman Peter
Published: August 2019

The dialects theory of cross-cultural communication suggests that due to culture-specific characteristics in the expression of emotion, we can recognise own-culture emotional expressions more accurately than other-culture emotional expressions. This effect is suggested to occur due to the nonconvergent social evolution that takes place in different geographical regions. Based on the evolutionary value of own-culture social signals, previous research has suggested that own-culture emotional expressions can be appraised without conscious awareness. The current study tested this hypothesis. We developed, validated, and made open access what is to our knowledge the first labelled, multicultural facial stimuli set, including freely expressed and Facial Action Coding System instructed emotional expressions. We assessed emotional recognition and cultural familiarity responses during brief backward-masked presentations in British participants. We found that emotional recognition and cultural familiarity were higher for own-culture faces. A Bayesian analysis of face-detection and emotional-recognition performance revealed that faces were not processed subliminally. Further analysis of awareness, using hits (correct detection/recognition) and misses (incorrect detection/recognition), showed that face-detection hits were a necessary condition for reporting higher familiarity for own-culture faces. These findings suggest that the own-culture emotional recognition advantage is preserved under conditions of backwards masking and that the appraisal of cultural familiarity involves conscious awareness.
Online rental housing market representation and the digital reproduction of urban inequality
Authors: Boeing Geoff
Published: August 2019

As the rental housing market moves online, the internet offers divergent possible futures: either the promise of more-equal access to information for previously marginalized homeseekers, or a reproduction of longstanding information inequalities. Biases in online listings’ representativeness could impact different communities’ access to housing search information, reinforcing traditional information segregation patterns through a digital divide. They could also circumscribe housing practitioners’ and researchers’ ability to draw broad market insights from listings to understand rental supply and affordability. This study examines millions of Craigslist rental listings across the USA and finds that they spatially concentrate and overrepresent whiter, wealthier, and better-educated communities. Other significant demographic differences exist in age, language, college enrollment, rent, poverty rate, and household size. Most cities’ online housing markets are digitally segregated by race and class, and we discuss various implications for residential mobility, community legibility, gentrification, housing voucher utilization, and automated monitoring and analytics in the smart cities paradigm. While Craigslist contains valuable crowdsourced data to better understand affordability and available rental supply in real time, it does not evenly represent all market segments. The internet promises information democratization, and online listings can reduce housing search costs and increase choice sets. However, technology access/preferences and information channel segregation can concentrate such information-broadcasting benefits in already-advantaged communities, reproducing traditional inequalities and reinforcing residential sorting and segregation dynamics. Technology platforms like Craigslist construct new institutions with the power to shape spatial economies, human interactions, and planners’ ability to monitor and respond to urban challenges.
Predatory publishing and the Ghana experience: A call to action for information professionals
Authors: Atiso Kodjo , Kammer Jenna , Bossaller Jenny
Published: August 2019

Researchers in developing countries are more likely to publish in predatory journals (Xia et al., 2015). This study investigates the understanding that research scientists in Ghana, a developing country, have about predatory journals and their publishing practices. Using a mixed methods approach, research scientists within one cluster of research organizations in Ghana were asked about their awareness of the characteristics of predatory journals, based on their own experience as a researcher. Their publications were also examined. The results indicate that most of the research scientists in this study are aware of predatory journals and are often solicited by them, but are less aware of tools they can use to determine the quality of a particular publication. In addition, 12% of the articles published that make up 24% of the unique journals in which these researchers published could be considered “predatory”. The findings of this research are significant because they indicate that research scientists may have more awareness of predatory journals than is expected, but that they may lack the training or tools necessary for deciding whether or not a journal is legitimate.
Entrepreneurial opportunities: A roadmap for diversifying financial sources in libraries, Tanzania
Authors: Mayombya Julither Edward , Mwantimwa Kelefa , Ndenje-Sichalwe Esther
Published: August 2019

Dwindling of operating budgets is one of the longstanding problems libraries of different kinds and sizes face. This study has examined entrepreneurial opportunities and ventures available at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) and Tanzania Library Services Board (TLSB) libraries in Tanzania. The study employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis. Apart from key informant interviews and observations, primary data were collected from 55 library staff using self-administered questionnaires. The study discloses that entrepreneurship opportunities were insignificantly harnessed to diversify financial sources at these libraries. The findings further inform that donors and the government remain the principal sources of income for these libraries. On the basis of the findings, the study recommends that libraries should formulate and implement strategic plans that will guide entrepreneurship projects. Also, as a way to create entrepreneurship readiness, capacity building among library staff has been recommended.
An Integration of Multiple Student Engagement Dimensions into a Single Measure and Validity-Based Studies
Authors: Moreira Paulo , Cunha Diana , Inman Richard A.
Published: August 2019

Student engagement is typically regarded as being a multidimensional construct, but there remains no clear consensus about its precise conceptualization. Several current measures of student engagement are limited by their omission of relevant dimensions and/or poor correspondence between dimension labels and item content. To address these limitations, we integrated dimensions from two validated student engagement instruments, each with different approaches to the dimensionality of student engagement, into a single measure and assessed its psychometric properties. We concluded from factor analyses that this scale captures seven distinct-yet-related engagement dimensions, including students’ perceptions of contextual influences, which load on a global higher-order student engagement construct. Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that poor academic performance was linked to lower student engagement and that lower student engagement was associated with worse emotional well-being, confirming the concurrent validity of the scale. The results validate the integrated measure of engagement as a comprehensive assessment of student engagement in Portuguese adolescents.
Discourses in Teachers’ Talk about Writing
Authors: Sturk Erika , Lindgren Eva
Published: August 2019

Views about what writing is and how it should be taught have varied over the years as well as across contexts. Studies of curricula, teaching materials, and teaching practices have shown a strong focus on skills, genres, and processes, but few have asked teachers about their perspectives on writing. In this article we explore what views, or discourses, of writing are currently active among teachers in Swedish compulsory education, covering ages from 7 to 15. Sixty teachers answered a questionnaire with open and closed questions. Using Ivanič’s framework for discourses of writing, the answers were analyzed holistically in order to define what main discourse, or discourses, each teacher represented. Results show that most teachers represent one main discourse, but that a combination of discourses occur, in particular among teachers from the earliest school years (1–3). The most common discourse was the process discourse, followed by genre, creativity, skills, and thinking. None of the teachers represented the social practice or the sociopolitical discourse. The results concur with findings from studies of curricula, teaching materials, and teaching practices both in Sweden and globally and are discussed in relation to what literacy skills may be necessary in the 21st century in order to participate in social and political life.
Limitations of the Avp-IRES2-Cre (JAX #023530) and Vip-IRES-Cre (JAX #010908) Models for Chronobiological Investigations
Authors: Cheng Arthur H. , Fung Samuel W. , Cheng Hai-Ying Mary
Published: August 2019

The principal circadian pacemaker in mammals, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), expresses a number of neuropeptides that facilitate intercellular synchrony, helping to generate coherent outputs to peripheral clocks throughout the body. In particular, arginine vasopressin (AVP)– and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)–expressing neurons have been recognized as crucial subpopulations within the SCN and have thus been the focus of many chronobiological studies. Here, we analyze the neuropeptide expression of 2 popular transgenic mouse strains commonly used to direct or restrict Cre-mediated recombination to AVP- and VIP-ergic neurons. The Avp-IRES2-Cre (JAX #023530) and Vip-IRES-Cre (JAX #010908) “driver” mouse strains express the Cre recombinase under the control of the endogenous Avp or Vip gene, respectively, allowing scientists either to ablate their gene of interest or to overexpress a transgene in a cell type–specific manner. Although these are potentially very powerful tools for chronobiologists and other scientists studying AVP- and VIP-ergic neurons, we found that neuropeptide expression in these mice is significantly decreased when an IRES(2)-Cre cassette is inserted downstream of the neuropeptide-encoding gene locus. The impact of IRES(2)-Cre cassette insertion on neuropeptide expression may be a confounding factor in many experimental designs. Our findings suggest that extreme caution must be exercised when using these mouse models to avoid misinterpretation of empirical results.
An Investigation Into the Effect of Different Parameters on the Dyeing of High-Performance M-Aramid Fiber and Its Optimization
Authors: Azam Farooq , Iqbal Kashif , Safdar Faiza , Hussain Tanveer , Ashraf Munir , Rehman Abdur
Published: August 2019

M-aramid fibers have very good flame-retardant properties and are mostly used in protective textiles such as racing or firefighter suits. The dyeing and fastness properties of m-aramid fibers are investigated in this article in a batch process to optimize dyeing parameters such as dye concentration, salt, swelling agent, and temperature. The exhaustion at an acidic pH, preferably in the range of 4–5, indicated good results. The color yield of m-aramid fibers was found to be dependent on the concentration of swelling agent, salt, and dye, as well as the dyeing temperature. The effect of swelling agent on the K/S of m-aramid fibers with cationic dyes, along with their fastness properties, is investigated and reported in detail.