bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Down-regulation of Regulatory T-cells in Children With Gaucher Disease Under Enzyme Replacement Therapy
Authors: Zahran Asmaa M. , Saad Khaled , Abo-Elela Mohamed Gamil , Eloseily Esraa M. , Gad Eman F. , Elgheet Amir M. Abo , Mahmmoud Rasha R. , Youssef Mervat A. M. , Abdelmeguid Mona M. , Hawary Bahaa , Darwish Sanaa F. , Elhoufey Amira , Elsayh Khalid I.
Published: November 2019

Gaucher disease (GD) is one of the most important lysosomal storage disorders. T-lymphocytes perform and regulate many of the immune processes and play a major role in immune homeostasis. Studies have shown that GD causes impairment in T-lymphocyte functions, although the role and status of T-lymphocytes in GD are still under investigation. It is still not fully known how GD leads to the altered biochemical and immunological cellular functions observed in the disease. Our study aimed to evaluate the variations of regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs) in 20 Egyptian children with GD under enzyme replacement therapy, managed in Assiut University Hospitals. Tregs were detected using 3-color flow cytometric immunophenotyping, in which subpopulations of T-lymphocytes and the expression of CD4+ on their surfaces were gated. The expression of CD25+ was assessed on CD4+ cells with different gates to define CD4+CD25, CD4+CD25+high, and CD4+CD25+ low cells. Then, CD4+CD25+highFoxp3+cells and MFI of Foxp3+ expression on CD4+CD25+ high were determined. We found the levels of CD4+CD25+/CD4+, CD4+CD25+high/CD4+, CD4+CD25+highFoxp3+ Tregs, and median fluorescence intensity of Foxp3+ expression on CD4+CD25+high were significantly lower in children with GD compared to healthy controls. In conclusion, our data showed significantly decreased regulatory T-lymphocytes in children with GD. The reduced effect of Tregs may have a role in the pathogenesis of immune dysregulation in children with GD. The relationship of these cells to immune disorders in GD children remains to be determined. Therefore, we recommend further studies to elucidate the role and function of Tregs in GD and its potential role in the disease phenotype, as well as how it is affected by electrical resistivity tomography.
Functional Isolation: Understanding Isolation in Trafficking Survivors
Authors: Hagan Elizabeth , Raghavan Chitra , Doychak Kendra
Published: November 2019

The study of sexual exploitation of trafficked victims cannot be done without understanding their enforced isolation. To better understand the dynamics of isolation, this study examined how traffickers used different elements of isolation and how such tactics may have contributed to the traffickers’ success in maintaining control over the victim(s). We examined in-depth narratives from 14 women between the ages of 20 to 53, primarily immigrants, who were recruited from an agency serving victims of sex trafficking in a large metropolitan city. The tactics used by traffickers varied and included not only the commonly defined structural isolation in which victims are restricted physically and socially, but also included a shrinking of safe social space and an elimination of privacy and social support. The latter, which we label as functional isolation, refers to instances when survivors are surrounded by peers who are either unreliable or aligned with the trafficker and thus are unable to give true social support. Survivors reported a combination of isolation tactics (i.e., both structural isolation and functional isolation). The different interwoven types and patterns of isolation reported by former victims of trafficking help address a dearth in the coercive control and abuse literature, providing a richer understanding of isolation in trafficking survivors.
Steady vibration problems in the coupled linear theory of porous elastic solids
Authors: Svanadze Merab
Published: November 2019

This paper concerns the coupled linear theory of elasticity for isotropic porous materials. In this theory the coupled phenomena of the concepts of Darcy’s law and the volume fraction is considered. The basic internal and external boundary value problems (BVPs) of steady vibrations are investigated. Indeed, the fundamental solution of the system of steady vibration equations is constructed explicitly by means of elementary functions, and its basic properties are presented. The radiation conditions are established and Green’s identities are obtained. The uniqueness theorems for the regular (classical) solutions of the BVPs are proved. The surface (single layer and double layer) and volume potentials are constructed and the basic properties of these potentials are given. Finally, the existence theorems for classical solutions of the BVPs are proved by means of the potential method (boundary integral equation method) and the theory of singular integral equations.
Vulnerable Prisoner Masculinities in an English Prison
Authors: Maguire David
Published: November 2019

Scholarship on prison masculinities to date has primarily centered on the most revered, dominant, or hegemonic forms, with little attention to how subordinated prisoners negotiate masculinities at the bottom of prisoner hierarchies. This article, drawing from a wider qualitative study on “revolving door” imprisonment, charts the shift from normative to subordinate masculinity for a group of men housed in a segregated Vulnerable Prisoner Unit (VPU) in an English prison. I show how these men, influenced by their previous prison status and criminal history, adopted different—more costly and high-risk—situationally adaptive strategies in negotiating their masculinities at the bottom of prison hierarchies. Exploring their subordinated prison identities reveals the dynamic, relational, fragile, and spatial elements of their masculinities. I conclude by suggesting that a greater focus on subordinated carceral masculinities adds a much-needed divergence from the preoccupation with hegemonic or dominant prison masculinities. This divergence offers researchers a new opportunity to shape and to inform policy debates on how, in extreme environments like the prison, alternative ways of “being a man” might be opened up to those who have suffered at the most brutal end of prison hierarchies.
Ethical Dilemmas Using Social Media in Qualitative Social Research: A Case Study of Online Participant Observation
Authors: Hennell Kath , Limmer Mark , Piacentini Maria
Published: November 2019

Social media platforms that enable users to create and share online content with others are used increasingly in social research. This article explores the complex ethical issues associated with using social media for data collection, drawing on a study of the alcohol consumption practices of young people. It aims to contribute to debates about the practical and ethical challenges facing researchers using social media as a data collection tool, and to demonstrate how a reflexive approach to the research and the context in which the research takes place is critically important for supporting and enabling an ethical approach. The article concludes by recommending that researchers who face ethical dilemmas associated with the use of social media maintain an ongoing dialogue with their relevant ethics committees and other researchers to identify potential solutions and to share their findings.
Solidarity in spaces of ‘care and custody’: The hospitality politics of immigration detention visiting
Authors: Kemp Tom
Published: November 2019

This article contributes to criminological understanding of immigration detention by highlighting volunteer visiting as a space of embodied thinking about critical responses to the burgeoning crimmigration system. It draws from interview material with volunteer visitors and people held in immigration detention centres to assess conceptual relevance of critical hospitality studies for anti-border practice. Both within Derridean scholarship on hospitality and in social-discourses on migration, host/citizen and guest/migrant identifications are understood as stable subject positions. I argue that to support resistance to deportation and establish mutual solidarity and cooperation in this context, detention visitors adopt multiple strategies of hospitality that position themselves as visitors as well as hosts. By counter-posing differing ways that volunteers occupy these roles, I show how the copresence of divergent ways of offering hospitality allows visitors to navigate the complicities that necessarily afflict support in solidarity with migrants in carceral spaces of border control.
Social worker stress and an online meditation programme
Authors: Pandya Samta P
Published: November 2019

This article reports a study that investigates the impact of a three-month online meditation programme for geriatric social workers in South Asian cities for mitigating stress, improving professional quality of life, and building work competencies.

Findings

Results indicated that the online meditation sessions were effective (Cohen’s d range = 2.21–4.17, p =  .  001) in lowering perceived stress of geriatric social workers, mitigating burnout and vicarious traumatization and promoting higher levels of compassion satisfaction and geriatric social work competencies as compared to online music sessions. Meditation was more effective for women workers, Hindus and Buddhists, who undertook therapeutic interventions, and whose clientele were older adults with physical ailments, in home-care with cognitive impairments and hospice-living elderly. This was in comparison to men, Christian workers, whose work profile comprised resource mobilization and whose clientele were healthy community-dwelling older adults. Regular attendance of the online meditation sessions and self-practice were significant mediators of intervention impact.

Applications

The findings contribute to intervention research on mitigating stress at work and more specifically the stress of professional geriatric care-work. In addition to mitigating burnout and reducing emotional exhaustion, this person-directed online meditation programme also led to compassion satisfaction and bolstered competencies for geriatric practice.
‘I Get More in Contact with My Soul’: Gang Disengagement, Desistance and the Role of Spirituality
Authors: Deuchar Ross
Published: November 2019

This article explores the links between gangs, masculinity, religion, spirituality and desistance from an international perspective. It presents insights from life history interviews conducted with a small sample of 17 male reforming gang members in Denmark who had become immersed in a holistic spiritual intervention programme that foregrounded meditation, yoga and dynamic breathing techniques. Engagement with the programme enabled the men to begin to perform broader versions of masculinity, experience improved mental health and well-being and develop a greater commitment to criminal desistance. Links with religious and spiritual engagement are discussed, and policy implications for the UK gang context included.
Two concerns about the rejection of social cruelty as the basis of moral equality
Authors: Floris Giacomo
Published: November 2019

In his recent book, Humanity without Dignity: Moral Equality, Respect, and Human Rights, Andrea Sangiovanni argues that the principle of moral equality should be grounded in the wrongness of treating others as inferiors insofar as this constitutes an act of social cruelty. In this short piece, I will raise two concerns about the rejection of social cruelty as the basis of moral equality: first, Sangiovanni’s account seems to give rise to disturbing implications as to how those beings that have basic moral status relate to each other. Second, grounding moral equality in the rejection of social cruelty may fail to capture some wrongs qua violation of moral equality.
Enhancing the performance of a passive tubular daylighting device using a parabolic-profile collector
Authors: Bisht DS , Garg H , Shravana Kumar RR , Karar V
Published: November 2019

With the rise of renewable energy systems, there is an increased demand for improved designs of daylighting devices that work without any external energy source to illuminate the deep dark spaces of buildings. Most of the present designs deliver only low light levels especially during the early morning and late evening. This paper focuses on the performance evaluation of specifically designed parabolic-profile collector that redirects the low altitude incident rays of the sun efficiently into a mirror light pipe and thus enhances the lighting to desired levels in the building. Numerical analyses of the same were carried out for the summer solstice, winter solstice, and the autumn equinox for clear sky conditions. Experimental results for the proposed design validated the enhancement in light levels during low altitude sun and controlled lighting during the mid-day sun. The average lighting value obtained through the configured collector during low altitude sun was more than twice the lighting value achieved by a conventional daylight-collecting dome and was ∼20% higher than a prismatic collector.
Gallbladder Retrieval From Epigastric Versus Umbilical Port in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A PRISMA-Compliant Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mongelli Francesco , La Regina Davide , Zschokke Irin , Ceppi Marcello , Ferrario di Tor Vajana Antonjacopo , Di Giuseppe Matteo , Fischer Henning , Heeren Nickolaus , Metzger Jürg , Gass Markus
Published: November 2019

Purpose. To date, no evidence supports the retrieval of the gallbladder through a specific trocar site, and this choice is left to surgeons’ preference. The aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the influence of the trocar site used to extract the gallbladder on postoperative outcomes. Methods. According to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases was performed. Terms used were: (“gallbladder” OR “cholecystectomy”) AND “umbilical” AND (“epigastric” OR “subxiphoid”). Randomized trials comparing the gallbladder retrieval from different trocar sites were considered for further analysis. Results. Literature search revealed 145 articles, of which 7 matched inclusion criteria and reported adequate data about postoperative pain, operative time, port-site infections, and hernias. A total of 876 patients were included, and the gallbladder was extracted through epigastric or umbilical trocar site in 441 and in 435 patients, respectively. A statistically significant difference among groups was noted in terms of postoperative pain at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours in favor of the umbilical trocar site ( P < .001). No significant differences were noted in postoperative hernia and infection rate, nor in terms of operative time. Conclusions. This meta-analysis shows a statistically significant reduction in terms of postoperative pain at 1, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery when the gallbladder is extracted through the umbilical port. Retrieval time, infections, and hernias rate implicate no contraindication for the choice of a specific trocar site to extract specimens. Despite limitations of this study, the umbilical trocar should be favored as the first choice to retrieve the gallbladder.
Modeling and verification of contingency resolution strategies for multi-robot missions using temporal logic
Authors: Shriyam Shaurya , Gupta Satyandra K
Published: November 2019

This article presents an approach for assessing contingency resolution strategies using temporal logic. We present a framework for nominal mission modeling, then specifying contingency resolution strategies and evaluating their effectiveness for the mission. Our approach focuses on leveraging the use of model checkers to the domain of multi-robot missions to assess the adequacy of contingency resolution strategies that minimize the adverse effects of contingencies on the mission execution. We consider missions with deterministic as well as probabilistic transitions. We demonstrate our approach using two case studies. We consider the escorting of a ship in a port where multiple contingencies may occur concurrently and assess the adequacy of the proposed contingency resolution strategies. We also consider a manufacturing scenario where multiple assembly stations collaborate to create a product. In this case, assembly operations may fail, and human intervention is needed to complete the assembly process. We investigate several different strategies and assess their effectiveness based on mission characteristics.
Data-driven demand-side energy management approaches based on the smart energy network
Authors: Pan Feng , Lin Guoying , Yang Yuyao , Zhang Sijian , Xiao Jucheng , Fan Shuai
Published: November 2019

The energy shortage problem cannot be ignored in the development of economics. A demand-side smart energy network is introduced in this paper, which integrates renewable energy resources, energy storage devices, and various types of load into an autonomous distributed architecture. Our approach employs the internet, Internet of Things (IoT), data mining, and other advanced technologies. The network aims to share energy information to realize distributed smart energy management, which can, for example, save energy while ensuring the reliability and quality of electricity for customers. Based on the network, a series of smart energy management theories are proposed to support the smart energy network. The core idea of these theories is to allow the network to teach itself in order to learn from the massive amounts of collected energy data, by using machine learning algorithms. The concept of power utility is proposed to quantitatively assess load energy efficiency. Then, a data-driven consumer energy activity recognition method is proposed based on a hidden Markov model (HMM). A test system is generated using field data from a pilot project in Guangdong Province, China. The energy saving rate in our test is 37.9%, which means that the smart energy network and the proposed algorithms perform well for automatic and intelligent energy efficiency management.
The Development of Prosocial Emotions
Authors: Vaish Amrisha , Hepach Robert
Published: November 2019

Humans rely heavily on their prosocial relationships. We propose that the experience and display of prosocial emotions evolved to regulate such relationships through inhibiting individual selfishness in service of others. Two emotions in particular serve to meet two central requirements for upholding prosociality: gratitude motivates maintenance of ongoing prosocial interactions, and guilt motivates repair of ruptured prosocial interactions. We further propose, and review developmental evidence, that nascent forms of these two emotions serve their respective functions from early in ontogeny. The remarkably early emergence of these prosocial emotions allows even very young children to participate in and benefit from prosociality. We discuss the implications of and challenges to this conclusion and identify pressing future directions for this work.
Cystic fibrosis
Authors: Standen Jen
Published: November 2019

In the UK over 10 000 people live with cystic fibrosis (CF), with 1-in-25 people being carriers of the disease. Multidisciplinary care is provided by tertiary care CF centres, with or without local secondary service shared care agreements. There are still, however, several reasons why CF sufferers or their families present to their GPs. This article aims to provide a brief overview of CF and its management. It also gives the information needed to guide patients about genetic testing and neonatal screening for the disease.
Addressing Self-Injury in Schools, Part 1: Understanding Nonsuicidal Self-Injury and the Importance of Respectful Curiosity in Supporting Youth Who Engage in Self-Injury
Authors: Lloyd-Richardson Elizabeth E. , Hasking Penelope , Lewis Stephen , Hamza Chloe , McAllister Margaret , Baetens Imke , Muehlenkamp Jennifer
Published: November 2019

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is defined as the deliberate, self-inflicted damage of body tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially or culturally sanctioned. School nurses are often a first point of contact for young people experiencing mental health challenges, and yet they often report they lack knowledge and training to provide care for persons who engage in NSSI. In the first of two parts, this article provides school nurses with a better understanding of NSSI and the distinctions between NSSI and suicidal behaviors, discusses the role of nurses’ knowledge and attitudes on their ability to care for their patients’ mental health needs, and discusses approaches for developing a respectful, empathic manner for working with and supporting youth who engage in self-injury. Part 2 will offer a strategy for brief assessment of NSSI and reflect on two case studies and their implications for school nursing practice.
Collecting Data: Where Do I Start?
Authors: Hinkle Dena L. , Maughan Erin D.
Published: November 2019

It is important for all school nurses to collect data. This brief article provides steps for a school nurse to follow to begin the process.
12 Components of a Strong Vision Health System of Care: Part 3—Standardized Approach for Rescreening
Authors: Nottingham Chaplin P. Kay , Baldonado Kira , Bergren Martha Dewey , Lyons Stacy Ayn , Murphy M. Kathleen , Bradford Geoffrey E.
Published: November 2019

Strong school-based vision and eye health systems include 12 key components to be implemented before, during, and after the actual vision screening event. The National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health (NCCVEH) at Prevent Blindness partnered with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to provide guidance for school nurses for each of the 12 key components via a Vision and Eye Health webpage on the NASN website ( https://www.nasn.org/nasn-resources/practice-topics/vision-health ). This online resource is designed to support school nurses accountable for vision screening and maintaining the eye health of preschool- and school-age children. This NCCVEH/NASN webpage addresses key activities that provide overall support for a child’s vision and eye health—beginning with parent/caregiver education and ending with an annual evaluation of the school’s vision and eye health system. NASN School Nurse is publishing information about each of these 12 components. The May 2019 installment provided details about the 12 Components approach as a whole and Components 1 and 2: Family Education and a Comprehensive Communication/Approval Process. The July 2019 edition described Components 3 and 4: Vision Screening Tools and Procedures and Vision Health for Children With Special Health Care Needs. This article describes Component 5: Standardized Approach for Rescreening.
Modernizing Storage Conditions for Fresh Osteochondral Allografts by Optimizing Viability at Physiologic Temperatures and Conditions
Authors: Denbeigh Janet M. , Hevesi Mario , Paggi Carlo A. , Resch Zachary T. , Bagheri Leila , Mara Kristin , Arani Arvin , Zhang Chenghao , Larson A. Noelle , Saris Daniel B.F. , Krych Aaron J. , van Wijnen Andre J.
Published: November 2019

Objective. Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation has demonstrated good long-term outcomes in treatment of cartilage defects. Viability, a key factor in clinical success, decreases with peri-implantation storage at 4°C during pathogen testing, matching logistics, and transportation. Modern, physiologic storage conditions may improve viability and enhance outcomes. Design. Osteochondral specimens from total knee arthroplasty patients (6 males, 5 females, age 56.4 ± 2.2 years) were stored in media and incubated at normoxia (21% O2) at 22°C or 37°C, and hypoxia (2% O2) at 37°C. Histology, live-dead staining, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was performed 24 hours after harvest and following 7 days of incubation. Tissue architecture, cell viability, and gene expression were analyzed. Results. No significant viability or gene expression deterioration of cartilage was observed 1-week postincubation at 37°C, with or without hypoxia. Baseline viable cell density (VCD) was 94.0% ± 2.7% at day 1. At day 7, VCD was 95.1% (37°C) with normoxic storage and 92.2% (37°C) with hypoxic storage ( P ≥ 0.27). Day 7 VCD (22°C) incubation was significantly lower than both the baseline and 37°C storage values (65.6%; P < 0.01). COL1A1, COL1A2, and ACAN qPCR expression was unchanged from baseline ( P < 0.05) for all storage conditions at day 7, while CD163 expression, indicative of inflammatory macrophages and monocytes, was significantly lower in the 37°C groups ( P < 0.01). Conclusion. Physiologic storage at 37°C demonstrates improved chondrocyte viability and metabolism, and maintained collagen expression compared with storage at 22°C. These novel findings guide development of a method to optimize short-term fresh OCA storage, which may lead to improved clinical results.
Matrix metalloproteinase 7 in diagnosis and differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Arvidsson Mattias , Ahmed Abdulla , Bouzina Habib , Rådegran Göran
Published: November 2019

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a severe disease for which diagnosis often is delayed. Matrix metalloproteinases have been suggested to play a role in vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension development. Our aim was therefore to investigate the potential role of matrix metalloproteinases as biomarkers in diagnosis and differentiation of pulmonary arterial hypertension in relation to various causes of dyspnea and pulmonary hypertension. Using proximity extension assays, 10 matrix metalloproteinases and associated proteins were analyzed in venous plasma from healthy controls (n = 20), as well as patients diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (n = 48), chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (n = 20), pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved (n = 33) or reduced (n = 36) ejection fraction, and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction without pulmonary hypertension (n = 15). Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase‐2, ‐7, ‐9, ‐12 and TIMP‐4 were elevated (p < 0.01) in pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to controls. Plasma levels of matrix metalloproteinase‐7 were furthermore lower (p < 0.0081) in pulmonary arterial hypertension than in all the other disease groups, but higher compared to controls (p < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of matrix metalloproteinase‐7 resulted in sensitivity of 58.7% and a specificity of 83.3% for detecting pulmonary arterial hypertension among the other disease groups. Plasma matrix metalloproteinase‐7 may provide a potential new diagnostic tool to differentiate pulmonary arterial hypertension from other causes of dyspnea, including heart failure with or without pulmonary hypertension and healthy controls. Matrix metalloproteinase‐7 may furthermore be involved in the development of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Future studies investigating the clinical usefulness of matrix metalloproteinase‐7 in the differentiation and earlier diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as its relationship to pulmonary arterial hypertension pathogenesis, are encouraged.
A participatory filmmaking process with children with disabilities in rural India: Working towards inclusive research
Authors: Benjamin-Thomas Tanya Elizabeth , Laliberte Rudman Debbie , Gunaseelan Jeshuran , Abraham Vinod Joseph , Cameron Debra , McGrath Colleen , Vinoth Kumar Samuel Prasanna
Published: November 2019

Children with disabilities often experience exclusion within their communities, and this exclusion can extend into research processes. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, however, emphasizes that children of all abilities need to be involved as decision makers in matters affecting them. This article provides an in-depth description of the process of a participatory action research project carried out with children with disabilities from a rural village in India. It argues for the utility of participatory filmmaking as a research methodology that supports inclusion of children with disabilities as co-researchers in research and action processes. The different phases of the research project, namely the preparatory, participatory research, and the action phase, are made transparent along with the details of activities carried out within each phase. The technical and pragmatic challenges faced within this participatory filmmaking process are pointed out, and strategies used to negotiate challenges and adapt this methodology to fit context-specific needs are shared. This account of the complex, yet flexible and adaptable, participatory filmmaking process is presented as means to support critical and informed uptakes of participatory filmmaking for inclusive research practices with children with disabilities.
Rural Business Hub: Framework for a New Rural Development Approach in Rain-Fed Areas of Pakistan—A Case of Punjab Province
Authors: Baig Irfan Ahmad , Ahmad Rai Niaz , Baig Sajjad Ahmad , Ali Asghar
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this article is to present a framework that could be used to achieve the objective of sustainable rural development in a community which is characterized by high numbers of smallholders, landless peasants, and unskilled or semi-skilled labor ultimately leading to low productivity and high rates of poverty. The study presents a design inspired by “Saemaul Undong” (New Village Movement) of South Korea. The proposed model is based on proposing a four-tier approach for the working of the village-level cooperatives which will be self-reliant through a network connection to the national and international markets. Existing studies and surveys in Punjab province of Pakistan have established that rural areas are often lacking essential facilities that affect the abilities of these areas to retain skilled manpower thus leading to resource drain and negatively impacting the agricultural productivity. The proposed Village-City Model, “VCM,” was designed to strengthen the local infrastructure and built interest-based cooperatives to develop an environment which can sustain the benefits of higher productivity and translate these into better livelihoods. It is proposed that farmer-centered cooperatives with appropriate institutional arrangements could result in developing village-based cities where skilled manpower can exert to in better resource use efficiency, access to market coupled with rural finance schemes to enhance resource base and access to technology. The cooperatives experience is considered as a bitter experience in Pakistan. However, the analysis of failures of cooperatives in Pakistan revealed many bottlenecks which have been addressed through indigenization of Saemaul Undong.
Identity Development in the Domains of Future Plans/Goals and Values in Georgian Emerging Adults and Their Association With Adult and Societal Identity Resolution
Authors: Skhirtladze Nino , Javakhishvili Nino , Schwartz Seth J. , Luyckx Koen
Published: November 2019

Identity development unfolds in different domains within a given cultural context. In the present study, we examined the relations among identity processes in future plans and goals and values domains, based on the dual-cycle model of identity development, and their association with adult and societal identity resolution. The sample for our study consisted of 288 Georgian young adults (39% male). Participants completed measures of identity exploration and commitment processes in the future plans/goals and values domains as well as measures of adult and societal identity resolution. Results based on between-domain correlations and mean-level differences indicated that identity processes in future plans/goals and value domains unfold differently in Georgian emerging adults. Associations of two domain identity processes with adult and societal identity resolution also revealed some differences. We attempt to explain these differences by referring to cultural context and age.
Save Your Strokes: Chinese Handwriting Practice Makes for Ineffective Use of Instructional Time in Second Language Classrooms
Authors: Lu Xiwen , Ostrow Korinn S. , Heffernan Neil T.
Published: November 2019

Handwriting practice is the most time-consuming activity for learners of Chinese as a foreign language (CFL). CFL instructors report allocating at least one third of their course time to handwriting practice although it prevents students from engaging in meaningful communication, especially in the earliest stages of learning. Given the amount of time students spend in a college course is relatively fixed, the preregistered study presented herein examines the best use of students’ time when primary goals are word acquisition and communication. This work replicates a pilot study examining CFL word recognition in an online learning environment (ASSISTments) and the effects of supplemental handwriting practice. We examined word acquisition and recognition while manipulating condition (no-handwriting practice and with-handwriting practice), and posttest test point (1 [immediate], 2 [1 day delay], and 3 [1 week delay]). Two-way repeated measures analyses of variance revealed significant main effects for both condition and posttest test point in online and on-paper measures of word recognition and handwriting. Potential implications for CFL instruction and directions for future work are discussed.
The Undergraduate Situational Judgment Test: An Active Learning Project for Teaching Selection Tool Effectiveness
Authors: Davis Mark A. , Philip Jestine , Walker Laura
Published: November 2019

This article outlines an active learning project that gives students hands-on experience in developing an undergraduate situational judgment test. The five-part activity models the process for constructing a situational judgment test—a tool commonly used for employee selection in organizations. The project is designed to help students assimilate concepts associated with the development of and decision to use different selection tools. Student reactions indicate that the exercise promotes student attention and engagement, stimulates learning about employee selection tools and concepts, and helps students understand the process of constructing and validating selection methods. Student development is a positive side effect of the exercise as constructing undergraduate situational judgment test items requires participants to explore and evaluate solutions to the problems faced by the typical undergraduate.
Platelets and cancer-associated thrombosis: focusing on the platelet activation receptor CLEC-2 and podoplanin
Authors: Suzuki-Inoue Katsue
Published: November 2019

Patients with cancer have an increased risk of thromboembolism, which is the second leading cause of death in these patients. Several mechanisms of the prothrombotic state in these patients have been proposed. Among them are a platelet activation receptor, C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2), and its endogenous ligand podoplanin, which are the focus of this review. CLEC-2 is almost specifically expressed in platelets/megakaryocytes in humans. A membrane protein, podoplanin is expressed in certain types of cancer cells, including squamous cell carcinoma, brain tumor, and osteosarcoma, in addition to several normal tissues, including kidney podocytes and lymphatic endothelial cells but not vascular endothelial cells. In the bloodstream, podoplanin induces platelet activation by binding to CLEC-2 and facilitates hematogenous cancer metastasis and cancer-associated thrombosis. In an experimental lung metastasis model, the pharmacological depletion of CLEC-2 from platelets in mice resulted in a marked reduction of lung metastasis of podoplanin-expressing B16F10 cells. Control mice with B16F10 orthotopically inoculated in the back skin showed massive thrombus formation in the lungs, but the cancer-associated thrombus formation in CLEC-2–depleted mice was significantly inhibited, suggesting that CLEC-2–podoplanin interaction stimulates cancer-associated thrombosis. Thromboinflammation induced ectopic podoplanin expression in vascular endothelial cells or macrophages, which may also contribute to cancer-associated thrombosis. CLEC-2 depletion in cancer-bearing mice resulted in not only reduced cancer-associated thrombosis but also reduced levels of plasma inflammatory cytokines, anemia, and sarcopenia, suggesting that cancer-associated thrombosis may cause thromboinflammation and cancer cachexia. Blocking CLEC-2–podoplanin interaction may be a novel therapeutic strategy in patients with podoplanin-expressing cancer.
Raman Spectroscopic Characterizations of Self-Catalyzed InP/InAs/InP One-Dimensional Nanostructures on InP(111)B Substrate using a Simple Substrate-Tilting Method
Authors: Park Jeung Hun , Chung Choong-Heui
Published: November 2019

We report optical phonon vibration modes in ensembles of self-catalyzed InP/InAs/InP multi core-shell one-dimensional nanostructures (nanopillars and nanocones) grown on InP(111)B substrates using liquid indium droplets as a catalyst via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. We characterized the Raman vibration modes of InAs E1(TO), InAs A1(TO), InAs E1(LO), InP E1(TO), InP A1(LO), and InP E1(LO) from the ensemble of as-grown nanostructures. We also identified second-order Raman vibration modes, associated with InP E1(2TO), E1(LO+TO), and E1(2LO), in the InP/InAs/InP core-shell nanopillars and nanocones. Raman spectra of InP/InAs/InP nanopillars showed redshift and broadening of LO modes at low-frequency branches of InAs and InP. Due to the polar nature in groups III–V nanowires, we observed strong frequency splitting between InAs E1(TO) and InAs A1(LO) in InP/InAs/InP nanocones. The Raman resonance intensities of InP and InAs LO modes are found to be changed linearly with an excitation power. By tilting the substrate relative to the incoming laser beam, we observed strong suppression of low-frequency branch of InP and InAs LO phonon vibrations from InP/InAs/InP nanocones. The integrated intensity ratio of InP E1(TO)/E1(LO) for both nanostructures is almost constant at 0-degree tilt, but the ratio of the nanocones is dramatically increased at 30-degree tilt. Our results suggest that Raman spectroscopy characterization with a simple substrate tilting method can provide new insights into non-destructive characterization of the shape, structure, and composition of the as-grown nanostructures for the wafer-scale growth and integration processing of groups III–V semiconducting hetero-nanostructures into nanoelectronics and photonics applications.
Detection of biological switches using the method of Gröebner bases
Authors: Arkun Yaman
Published: November 2019

Background

Bistability and ability to switch between two stable states is the hallmark of cellular responses. Cellular signaling pathways often contain bistable switches that regulate the transmission of the extracellular information to the nucleus where important biological functions are executed.

Results

In this work we show how the method of Gröebner bases can be used to detect bistability and output switchability. The method of Gröebner bases can be seen as a multivariate, non-linear generalization of the Gaussian elimination for linear systems which conveniently seperates the variables and drastically simplifies the simultaneous solution of polynomial equations. A necessary condition for fixed-point state bistability is for the Gröbner basis to have three distinct solutions for the state. A sufficient condition is provided by the eigenvalues of the local Jacobians. We also introduce the concept of output switchability which is defined as the ability of an output of a bistable system to switch between two different stable steady-state values. It is shown that bistability does not necessarily guarantee switchability of every state variable of the system. We further show that, for a bistable system, the necessary conditions for output switchability can be derived using the Gröebner basis. The theoretical results are incorporated into an analysis procedure and applied to several systems including the AKT (Protein kinase B), RAS (Rat Sarcoma) and MAPK (Mitogen-activated protein kinase) signal transduction pathways. Results demonstrate that the Gröebner bases can be conveniently used to analyze biological switches by simultaneously detecting bistability and output switchability.

Conclusion

The Gröebner bases provides a novel methodology to analyze bistability. Results clarify the distinction between bistability and output switchability which is lacking in the literature. We have shown that theoretically, it is possible to have an output subspace of an n-dimensional bistable system where certain variables cannot switch. It is possible to construct such systems as we have done with two reaction networks.
High prevalence of group B streptococcus ST17 hypervirulent clone among non-pregnant patients from a Hungarian venereology clinic
Authors: Kardos Szilvia , Tóthpál Adrienn , Laub Krisztina , Kristóf Katalin , Ostorházi Eszter , Rozgonyi Ferenc , Dobay Orsolya
Published: November 2019

Background

Although Streptococcus agalactiae is the leading causative agent of neonatal sepsis and meningitis, recently it is increasingly isolated from non-pregnant adults. The relation between its presence in the genitourinary tract and manifested clinical symptoms of STD patients remains an open question. In this study, a complex epidemiological investigation of GBS isolates from a venerology clinic was performed.

Methods

Ninety-six GBS isolates were serotyped and their genetic relatedness determined by PFGE. MLST was also performed for a subset of 20 isolates. The antibiotic susceptibility was tested with agar dilution. Surface proteins and the ST-17 hypervirulent clone was detected by PCR.

Results

The serotype prevalence was the following: V (29.2%), III (27.1%), Ia (22.9%), IV (10.4%), II (5.2%) and Ib (4.2%). A strong association was demonstrated between surface protein genes and serotypes. All isolates were fully susceptible to penicillin, but erythromycin and clindamycin resistance was high (41.7 and 35.4%, respectively), and 8 phenotypically macrolide sensitive isolates carried the ermB gene.

21.9% of all strains belonged to the hypervirulent ST17 clone, most being of serotype III and all were rib +. We found a few serotype IV isolates belonging to several STs and one serotype V/ST110 strain, containing a 44-bp deletion in the atr allele.

Conclusions

The presence of silent ermB genes is of worry, as their expression upon macrolide exposure could lead to unforeseen therapeutic failure, while clindamycin is used for intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis, in case of penicillin allergy. The other alarming result is the high prevalence of ST17 among these strains from STD patients, who could be sources of further infections.

This is the first report from Hungary providing both serotyping and genotyping data of GBS isolates. These results could be helpful for vaccine production as the major vaccine candidates are capsular antigens or surface proteins.
Prenatal yoga for young women a mixed methods study of acceptability and benefits
Authors: Styles Amanda , Loftus Virginia , Nicolson Susan , Harms Louise
Published: November 2019

Background

High rates of psychological-distress, trauma and social complexity are reported among young pregnant women. At the Royal Women’s Hospital, Australia, young pregnant women acknowledge wanting tools to improve maternal wellbeing yet remain challenging to engage in antenatal education and support. While yoga is a widely accepted and participated activity in pregnancy, with demonstrated benefits for adult pregnant women, adolescent women are often excluded from both these yoga interventions and related pregnancy studies.

Methods

This mixed methods study examined the acceptability and benefits of yoga for young women. We recruited 30 participants aged under 24 years, who were offered twice a week, one-hour voluntary prenatal yoga sessions throughout their pregnancy. A medical file audit gathered baseline demographics, pre and post yoga session surveys were administered and brief individual interview were conducted with study participants.

Results

While 26 study participants were positive about the availability of a yoga program, only 15 could attend yoga sessions (mean = 8 sessions, range 1–27). No differences were found in the demographic or psychosocial factors between those who did and did not attend the yoga sessions. The medical file audit found that 60% of all the study participants had a documented history of psychological distress.

Barriers to participation were pragmatic, not attitudinal, based on the timing of the group sessions, transport availability and their own health. All study participants identified perceived benefits, and the yoga participants identified these as improved relaxation and reduction of psychological distress; labour preparation; bonding with their baby in utero; and social connectedness with the yoga group peers.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated yoga was acceptable to young pregnant women. For those who did participate in the sessions, yoga was found to decrease self-reported distress and increase perceived skills to assist with their labour and the birth of their baby. The provision of accessible yoga programs for pregnant young women is recommended.
Prognostic factors and a new scoring system for survival of patients irradiated for bone metastases
Authors: Rades Dirk , Haus Rapha , Schild Steven E. , Janssen Stefan
Published: November 2019

Background

Personalized therapy for bone metastases should consider the patients’ remaining lifespan. Estimation of survival can be facilitated with scoring tools. A new tool was developed, specifically designed to estimate 12-month survival.

Methods

In 445 patients irradiated for bone metastases, radiotherapy regimen plus 13 factors (age, gender, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), primary tumor type, interval between cancer diagnosis and RT of bone metastases, visceral metastases, other (non-irradiated) bone metastases, sites of bone metastases, number of irradiated sites, pathological fracture, fractionation of RT, pre-RT surgery, pre-RT administration of bisphosphonates/denosumab, pre-RT systemic anticancer treatment) were retrospectively analyzed for survival. Factors achieving significance (p < 0.05) or borderline significance (p < 0.055) on multivariate analysis were used for the scoring system. Twelve-month survival rates were divided by 10 (factor scores); factor scores were summed for each patient (patient scores).

Results

On multivariate analysis, survival was significantly associated with KPS (hazard ratio (HR) 1.91, p < 0.001) and primary tumor type (HR 1.12, p < 0.001); age achieved borderline significance (HR 1.14, p = 0.054). These factors were used for the scoring tool. Patient scores ranged from 8 to 17 points. Three groups were designated: 8–9 (A), 10–14 (B) and 15–17 (C) points. Twelve-month survival rates were 9, 38 and 72% (p < 0.001); median survival times were 3, 8 and 24 months.

Conclusions

This new tool developed for patients irradiated for bone metastases at any site without spinal cord compression allows one to predict the survival of these patients and can aid physicians when assigning the treatment to individual patients.