bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In vivo testing of the low-flow CO2 removal application of a compact, platform respiratory device
Authors: May Alexandra G. , Orizondo Ryan A. , Frankowski Brian J. , Ye Sang-Ho , Kocyildirim Ergin , Wagner William R. , D’Cunha Jonathan , Federspiel William J.
Published: August 2020

Background

Non-invasive and lung-protective ventilation techniques may improve outcomes for patients with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome by reducing airway pressures. These less invasive techniques can fail due to hypercapnia and require transitioning patients to invasive mechanical ventilation. Extracorporeal CO2 removal devices remove CO2 independent of the lungs thereby controlling the hypercapnia and permitting non-invasive or lung-protective ventilation techniques. We are developing the Modular Extracorporeal Lung Assist System as a platform technology capable of providing three levels of respiratory assist: adult and pediatric full respiratory support and adult low-flow CO2 removal. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo performance of our device to achieve low-flow CO2 removal.

Methods

The Modular Extracorporeal Lung Assist System was connected to 6 healthy sheep via a 15.5 Fr dual-lumen catheter placed in the external jugular vein. The animals were recovered and tethered within a pen while supported by the device for 7 days. The pump speed was set to achieve a targeted blood flow of 500 mL/min. The extracorporeal CO2 removal rate was measured daily at a sweep gas independent regime. Hematological parameters were measured pre-operatively and regularly throughout the study. Histopathological samples of the end organs were taken at the end of each study.

Results

All animals survived the surgery and generally tolerated the device well. One animal required early termination due to a pulmonary embolism. Intra-device thrombus formation occurred in a single animal due to improper anticoagulation. The average CO2 removal rate (normalized to an inlet pCO2 of 45 mmHg) was 75.6 ± 4.7 mL/min and did not significantly change over the course of the study (p > 0.05). No signs of consistent hemolysis or end organ damage were observed.

Conclusion

These in vivo results indicate positive performance of the Modular Extracorporeal Lung Assist System as a low-flow CO2 removal device.
Nutritional knowledge of youth academy athletes
Authors: Bird Stephen P. , Rushton Benjamin D.
Published: August 2020

Background

Youth athletes are under increasing pressures to excel in their chosen sport and many turn to nutritional supplements in order to enhance sports performance. However, athletes may obtain their nutritional information via illegitimate sources such as the internet, media, and other athletes, representing miscommunication between sound scientific information and anecdotal experiences. The objective of this investigation was to examine nutrition knowledge of elite youth athletes from a non-residential regional academy of sport.

Methods

A previously validated two-part nutrition knowledge questionnaire (NKQ) was administered to 101 (37 male and 64 female) non-residential regional Academy of Sport elite youth athletes at an annual training camp. Part 1 of the NKQ presented demographic questions. Part 2 presented 90 sports nutrition knowledge questions in seven knowledge subcategories (1) Nutrients; (2) Dietary reference intakes (DRI); (3) Fluids/Hydration; (4) Recovery; (5) Weight gain; (6) Weight loss; and (7) Supplements.

Results

The mean NKQ score of all athletes was 43.8% (± 11.4). No gender differences observed between nutritional knowledge total scores, however female athletes recorded more ‘correct’ responses than males (p = 0.02) in the Nutrients subcategory. Majority of athletes had difficulty identifying correct DRI with this subcategory featuring the lowest percentage of ‘correct’ to ‘incorrect’ responses (27.1% ± 2.3;p = 0.02). Supplements subcategory displayed much uncertainty with significantly more ‘unsure’ than ‘incorrect’ responses (42.4% ± 20.3;p < 0.05).

Conclusions

In agreement with previous research, results of the current study indicate that elite youth athletes lack fundamental nutritional knowledge, specifically related to DRI and supplementation. These data provide further support of current recommendations that Academy of Sport youth athletes may benefit from integrated nutrition education conducted by qualified nutrition professionals.
Peer navigation for individuals with serious mental illness leaving jail: a pilot randomized trial study protocol
Authors: Hailemariam Maji , Weinstock Lauren M. , Johnson Jennifer E.
Published: August 2020

Background

Serious mental illness (SMI) is a prevalent public health problem affecting 25% of individuals in jail. Re-entry to the community following incarceration is a vulnerable time for justice-involved individuals with SMI. SMI requires prompt and ongoing access to mental health and other healthcare services.

Methods

The study will (1) develop a Mentoring And Peer Support (MAPS) intervention for post-release mental health and other service connection among jailed individuals with SMI and (2) pilot test the MAPS intervention to determine its feasibility and acceptability. The primary outcomes will be to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed recruitment methods and research design, of the intervention training methods, and of delivering the enhanced peer-navigator and control interventions. Study samples include focus groups (n=36), open trial (n=15), and a randomized pilot trial in a sample of 40 individuals with SMI re-entering the community after jail release. Secondary outcomes will include post-release enrollment in mental health, medical care, and substance use services. We will also evaluate reduction in psychiatric symptoms, improvements in functioning, adherence to psychiatric medications, fewer substance using days, fewer hospitalizations and suicide attempts, nights unstably housed, and time until rearrest.

Discussion

This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a peer navigation intervention for individuals with serious mental illness leaving jails. The study will serve as a formative work for a larger randomized controlled trial assessing the effectiveness of peer navigator intervention for (include the primary outcome) in this population.
Topological considerations on peer-to-peer energy exchange and distributed energy generation in the smart grid
Authors: Sha Ang , Aiello Marco
Published: August 2020

The vision of the future Smart Grid considers end-users connected to it as both consuming and generating energy. Equipped with small-scale renewable energy generators and storage systems, end-users, also known as prosumers, engage in a local energy market for procuring and selling energy, in turn disrupting the traditional utility model. The appeal of this vision lies in the engagement of end-users, in facilitating the introduction and optimization of renewable energy sources, with the overall expectation of optimizing the global energy generation and distribution process. To handle the peer-to-peer energy exchange and distributed energy generation in the digitalized Smart Grid, we proposed an optimization strategy. In the present work, we propose a Monte Carlo based simulation model to investigate the role of the topology in facilitating the peer-to-peer energy exchanges and distributed energy generation. We consider a 37-node distribution network and evaluate four topological models: radial, complete graph, random graph, and small-world. The results indicate that the random graph model is better than other models in reducing the average delivery path length and energy losses in the energy transfer between providers and consumers. The small-world model has higher efficiency than other models in reducing the maximum power load in the distribution network and the cost of buying energy for end-users. We scale up the investigation by considering a 100-node network and evaluate the random graph and the small-world models by varying the rewiring probabilities. The results show that the small-world model outperforms the random graph model on most efficiency metrics, even when considering infrastructural costs. This work provides the foundation for a decision support system for analysis and high level planning of the distribution network.
Efficacy of integrated microorganisms in controlling root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica infecting peanut plants under field conditions
Authors: Osman Hamida Ahmed , Ameen Hoda Hussein , Mohamed Moawad , Elkelany Usama Samy
Published: August 2020

Background

Peanut (Arachis hypogaeaL.) is considered one of the most important legume and oil crops in Egypt. Root-knot nematodesMeloidogynespp. is the most damaging nematodes of peanut. Losses can exceed 50% in severely infested soil. Application of nematicides is one of the primary strategies in controlling plant-parasitic nematodes. The nematicides are proven to be hazardous to the environment. A promising alternative is the use of microorganisms antagonistic to plant-parasitic nematodes. Some microorganisms that can grow in the rhizosphere such asAzotobacterandBacillusbacteria and fungi, e.g.,TricodermaandPaecilomycesrepresent the front line of defense for roots against nematode attack and ideal for use as biocontrol agents.

Objectives

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of application of yeast fungusSaccharomyces cerevisiaesingly or combined with fusant Bas 8; (Bacillus amyloliquefaciensandLysinibacillus sphaericusAmira strain);Bacillus thuringiensisstrain code K,Trichoderma harzianum, orPaecilomyces lilacinusto control the root-knot nematodeMeloidogyne javanicainfecting peanut plant cv. Giza 6, and to estimate their yield under field conditions.

Results

Compared to the untreated control, all treatments exhibited variable potential inhibitory activities against root-knot nematodeM. javanicaand enhanced peanut yield production. The most nematode suppressive treatment was the single treatment ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae, followed byT. harzianumeither singly or combined with the yeast. Moreover, data indicated that application of the combined treatment of yeast plusT. harzianumgave the best results in improving peanut production, plant growth parameters, and seed nutrient contents.

Conclusion

It was concluded that integrated application of microorganisms could enhance peanut production and reduce the need for either chemical fertilizers or nematicides.
Suicidal attempt with intracranial sewing needle in a female adult with major depressive disorder, case report
Authors: Derakhshan Nima , Yaghamei Shekoofeh , Mostafeenezhad Nejla
Published: August 2020

Background

Major depressive disorder is one of the most common psychiatric illnesses. It is counted as an important suicide-attempting factor. Beside common and known suicide methods such as pesticide poisoning and hanging, some unusual methods (adapted by major depressive disorder patients) are reported in the literature. One of these methods is intracranial swing needle insertion.

Case presentation

Hereby, we detail a 44-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital due to a sewing needle in her brain tissue. The first sign suggesting the existence of a metal foreign body in her brain was the rejection of magnetic resonance imaging ordered (follow-up of a previous admission). Later, a sewing needle was observed in her skull inserted in a suicidal attempt. Her denial of the attempt has aroused the medical team attention to make further study of the patient from a psychiatric point of view. The psychiatric study expressed major depressive disorder in the patient which can justify her suicide intention in the needle insertion.

Conclusions

Treating such patients should be tackled in two fronts. From neurosurgical point of view, it should be decided whether to extract the foreign body or conduct a follow-up in order to determine the necessary time for operation. On the other hand, from a psychiatric point of view, rigorous consult sessions with patient and family members are required to prevent recurrence of such attempts.
Does double high-level disinfection for duodenoscopes add any value? A mini-systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Elbahr Osama , Saleh Amira , Aziz Azza Abdel , Awad Samah M. , Khalil Fatma O. , Afiffy Sameh , Kamal Ahmad , Alsebaey Ayman , Badra Gamal
Published: August 2020

Background

Duodenoscope-emerging infection especially drug-resistant bacteria is considered a major concern nowadays. Different approaches were attempted to overcome this problem, like double high-level disinfection procedure. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate risk difference for positive cultures from duodenoscopes between double high-level disinfection (dHLD) and single (standard) high-level disinfection (sHLD).

Main body

A thorough literature search (in October and November 2019) for studies comparing dHLD and sHLD for duodenoscopes was performed by 3 researchers in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochran databases. The search terms were “duodenoscope,” “ERCP endoscope,” “disinfection,” “sterilization,” and “reprocessing,” and only randomized clinical trials with the English language were accepted.

Four trials were identified studying dHLD, and only 2 clinical trials comparing dHLD with standard sHLD were found reporting 6193 duodenoscope cultures. Overall sHLD cultures were 2972, and dHLD cultures were 3221; overall positive cultures were 140 in sHLD and 161 in dHLD.

The results of a meta-analysis using the random-effect model showed no significant risk difference (RD) between the 2 procedures for duodenoscope positive cultures (p = 0.53, RD 0.003, 95% CI “− 0.007–0.013”).

Conclusions

Double HLD offered no significant difference over single HLD for duodenoscope disinfection. An alternative strategy to overcome duodenoscope-transmitted infection is a big issue to be resolved.
Review of antipsychotic prescribing at HMP/YOI Low Newton
Authors: Carey Lois , Barlow Stephen
Published: August 2020

Aims and Method

The purpose of this review was to establish whether the prescription of antipsychotic medication in HMP Low Newton was safe, rational and consistent with current best practice. A search of the electronic healthcare records was performed on 14 March 2018 to identify all the women in the prison who were prescribed antipsychotic medication, and then data were collected from the records.

Results

A total of 46 out of 336 prisoners (13.7%) had been prescribed antipsychotic medications; 29 of the 46 patients (84.8%) were also prescribed other psychotropic medications at the same time. Quetiapine was the most frequently prescribed antipsychotic and was also the most likely to be prescribed for off-label indications. Less than one-third of all antipsychotic prescriptions were for psychotic disorders.

Clinical implications

The rationale for prescribing all antipsychotic medication, especially for off-label indications, should be clearly documented and reviewed regularly within the prison by the mental health team and psychiatrist.
Patients with young-onset dementia in an older people's mental health service
Authors: Yeung Michael , MacFarland Katherine , Mlilo Vincent , Dean Nathan , Underwood Benjamin R.
Published: August 2020

Aims and method

Currently, no separate service exists for patients with young-onset dementia in Cambridgeshire. These patients are managed together with late-onset dementia patients within old age psychiatry services. To inform service design, we sought to characterise young-onset dementia patients in our population. We first analysed service-level data and supplemented this with a detailed case review of 90 patients.

Results

Young-onset dementia remains a relatively rare condition. Only a small proportion of those referred for assessment receive a diagnosis of dementia. Data collected on presenting complaints, comorbidities, medication and Health of the Nation Outcome Scales scores associated young-onset dementia with a greater incidence of depression than late-onset dementia. Outcomes in the two groups did not appear to differ.

Clinical implications

The data presented here do not suggest a need to create a separate service. Practitioners should be aware of the increased incidence of depression observed in this group.
Omega 3 Improves Both apoB100-containing Lipoprotein Turnover and their Sphingolipid Profile in Hypertriglyceridemia
Authors: Ferchaud-Roucher Véronique , Zair Yassine , Aguesse Audrey , Krempf Michel , Ouguerram Khadija
Published: August 2020

Context

Evidence for an association between sphingolipids and metabolic disorders is increasingly reported. Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) improve apolipoprotein B100 (apoB100)-containing lipoprotein metabolism, but their effects on the sphingolipid content in lipoproteins remain unknown.

Objectives

In subjects with hypertriglyceridemia, we analyzed the effect of n-3 LC-PUFAs on the turnover apoB100-containing lipoproteins and on their sphingolipid content and looked for the possible association between these lipid levels and apoB100-containing lipoprotein turnover parameters.

Methods

Six subjects underwent a kinetic study before and after n-3 supplementation for 2 months with 1 g of fish oil 3 times day containing 360 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 240 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the form of triglycerides. We examined apoB100-containing lipoprotein turnover by primed perfusion labeled [5,5,5-2H3]-leucine and determined kinetic parameters using a multicompartmental model. We quantified sphingolipid species content in lipoproteins using mass spectrometry.

Results

Supplementation decreased very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), triglyceride, and apoB100 concentrations. The VLDL neutral and polar lipids showed increased n-3 LC-PUFA and decreased n-6 LC-PUFA content. The conversion rate of VLDL1 to VLDL2 and of VLDL2 to LDL was increased. We measured a decrease in total apoB100 production and VLDL1 production. Supplementation reduced the total ceramide concentration in VLDL while the sphingomyelin content in LDL was increased. We found positive correlations between plasma palmitic acid and VLDL ceramide and between VLDL triglyceride and VLDL ceramide, and inverse correlations between VLDL n-3 LC-PUFA and VLDL production.

Conclusion

Based on these results, we hypothesize that the improvement in apoB100 metabolism during n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation is contributed to by changes in sphingolipids
Breaking β Cell Tolerance After 100 Years of Life: Intratumoral Immunotherapy–Induced Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Quandt Zoe , Coupe Catherine , Anderson Mark , Uihlein Alexander , Young Arabella
Published: August 2020

Cancer immunotherapies are changing the landscape of cancer care. Intratumoral talimogene iaherparepvec (T-VEC), an oncolytic viral vaccine, has been approved for treatment of unresectable melanoma with minimal toxicity. We describe the first case of a centenarian who developed autoimmune diabetes while on T-VEC immunotherapy. The patient’s high titer of glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 autoantibodies as well as insulin deficiency are consistent with autoimmune diabetes. Autoimmune diabetes has previously been seen following immune checkpoint inhibitor use; however, it has never been reported with T-VEC. This case highlights that autoimmune diabetes can be a rare but morbid complication of intratumoral T-VEC immunotherapy and can occur in the ultra-elderly.
Perioperative Echocardiography to Confirm Correct Central Venous Catheter Placement: A Case Report
Authors: Gharde Parag , Sarkar Sourangshu , Irpachi Kalpana , Bhoje Amol Kumar , Kaur Bhavdeep , Chauhan Sandeep
Published: August 2020

Central venous catheterization is widely regarded as a safe procedure by anesthesiologists and intensivists, but insertion complications and catheter malposition remain challenges for the clinicians performing central venous catheter (CVC) insertion. We report a case in which a right internal jugular CVC was inserted under ultrasound guidance and was found to be malpositioned after sternotomy into an anomalous posterior thymic vein. Therefore, we recommend confirming the correct position of CVC with transesophageal echocardiography if such is indicated for the perioperative period and emphasize the importance of a correct J-tip of the guidewire when placing a CVC.
The Native in Comparative Literature
Authors: Spivak Gayatri Chakravorty
Published: August 2020

This article tracks the ethical ambivalence of the native. First, there is a nativism drawn out with reference to Melissa Kennedy and Gary Okihiro that reframes the native in a poetic impulse, asks for a redistributive epistemological change in knower and known, and can rescue nativism into an acknowledgement of complicity. Second, there are acknowledgments of complicity that can pluck nativism away from the divisive compartmentalization that it seems to foster, as can be seen in the work of Soumaya Mestiri. The article ends with remarks from Buci Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood to underscore a critique of nativism in the rural-urban interface in Nigeria that is globally instructive and to point out the fact that woman is never native.
Africa, China, and the Global South Novel: In Koli Jean Bofane’sCongo Inc.
Authors: Yoon Duncan M.
Published: August 2020

The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) presence in Africa has fundamentally changed globalization patterns. Most scholarship interrogates whether the Chinese presence is either a “new colonialism” or a “win-win” for development by focusing on economic or social scientific factors. In contrast, this article examines China as a trope in Congo Inc. (2014) by In Koli Jean Bofane. Congo Inc. is one of the first African novels to take the Africa-China relationship as central theme, depicting how Congolese actors negotiate the PRC’s presence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The article examines the unexpected partnership of a trickster, Isookanga, and a stranded Chinese national, Zhang Xia, analyzing their partnership according to the relationship between time and globalization. The argument uses the concept of the postcolony’s durées to demonstrate how the narrative creates a global South temporality, which differentiates Africa-China patterns of globalization from previous instantiations. These durées include Isookanga’s digital consciousness enabled by a PRC-built cell tower; allusions to Chinese history; and Isookanga and Zhang Xia’s collaboration on Eau Pire Suisse. In sum Congo Inc.’s innovative temporality, embodied by the term mondialiste, signals a shift in type of postcolonial narrative toward the global South novel.
Purifoy
Authors: Ferguson Roderick A.
Published: August 2020

“Purifoy: The Shit, the World, and Their Remaking” analyzes the assemblage artist Noah Purifoy’s role in the Watts Rebellion of 1965, paying particular attention to Purifoy’s position as the director of the Watts Towers Arts Center and as the artist and organizer of the exhibition “66 Signs of Neon,” which was made from the debris produced by the rebellion. The article focuses on how the rebellion and the exhibition arose out of a community’s attempt to contest its racial and economic predicaments and to fashion an alternative to them.
Revolution without Revolution (On the Events in France)
Authors: Petrovsky Helen
Published: August 2020

Petrovsky’s article examines the famous events of May ’68 in France from a specific angle offered by Michel de Certeau, namely, the “taking of speech” (la prise de parole). For de Certeau the taking of speech is no less important than the taking of the Bastille—it asserts the individual’s right to resistance and is a necessary precondition of all the other human rights. However, where de Certeau speaks against the anonymizing forces at work in consumer societies, the author chooses to see (and hear) the tumult of the masses. The taking of speech, therefore, is possible only when the masses are collectively engaged in action; it is the expression of action itself. In a more general sense, May ’68, the first global protest movement in postwar history, teaches us that revolutions (especially so-called color revolutions) are no simple textbook events: they are propelled by a specific kind of sociability that points to the dynamic of noninstitutional democracy itself.
Longitudinal neuroanatomical and behavioral analyses show phenotypic drift and variability in the Ts65Dn mouse model of Down syndrome
Authors: Shaw Patricia R. , Klein Jenny A. , Aziz Nadine M. , Haydar Tarik F.
Published: August 2020

Mouse models of Down syndrome (DS) have been invaluable tools for advancing knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of intellectual disability in people with DS. The Ts(1716)65Dn (Ts65Dn) mouse is one of the most commonly used models as it recapitulates many of the phenotypes seen in individuals with DS, including neuroanatomical changes and impaired learning and memory. In this study, we use rigorous metrics to evaluate multiple cohorts of Ts65Dn ranging from 2014 to the present, including a stock of animals recovered from embryos frozen within ten generations after the colony was first created in 2010. Through quantification of prenatal and postnatal brain development and several behavioral tasks, our results provide a comprehensive comparison of Ts65Dn across time and show a significant amount of variability both across cohorts as well as within cohorts. The inconsistent phenotypes in Ts65Dn mice highlight specific cautions and caveats for use of this model. We outline important steps for ensuring responsible use of Ts65Dn in future research.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
High temperature induces transcriptomic changes inCrassostrea gigasthat hinders progress of Ostreid herpesvirus (OsHV-1) and promotes survival
Authors: Delisle Lizenn , Pauletto Marianna , Vidal-Dupiol Jeremie , Petton Bruno , Bargelloni Luca , Montagnani Caroline , Pernet Fabrice , Corporeau Charlotte , Fleury Elodie
Published: August 2020

Among all the environmental factors, seawater temperature plays a decisive role in triggering marine diseases. Like fever in vertebrates, high seawater temperature could modulate the host response to the pathogens in ectothermic animals. In France, massive mortality of Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas caused by the ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) is markedly reduced when temperatures exceed 24°C in the field. In the present study we assess how high temperature influences the host response to the pathogen by comparing transcriptomes (RNA-sequencing) during the course of experimental infection at 21°C (reference) and 29°C. We show that high temperature induced host physiological processes that are unfavorable to the viral infection. Temperature influenced the expression of transcripts related to the immune process and increased the transcription of genes related to apoptotic process, synaptic signaling, and protein processes at 29°C. Concomitantly, the expression of genes associated to catabolism, metabolites transport, macromolecules synthesis and cell growth remained low since the first stage of infection at 29°C. Moreover, viral entry into the host might have been limited at 29°C by changes in extracellular matrix composition and protein abundance. Overall, these results provide new insights into how environmental factors modulate the host-pathogen interactions.
Fiscal Multipliers in Bad Times: Does the Nature of a Recession Matter?
Authors: Borsoi Nicolas , Teles Vladimir K
Published: August 2020

The literature measuring the magnitude of the fiscal multiplier has a considerable consensus that the stimulative effects of fiscal instruments depends on the current state of economic activity, whether it is expanding or facing a recession. However, none of the previous works studied how the nature of an economic downturn, if the economy is facing an adverse supply/demand shock, affects the effectiveness of fiscal expansions. We introduce in a simple New Keynesian model with a rich description of fiscal policy, the assumption of imperfectly informed policymakers (fiscal and monetary) to approach the question. Our results point out the existence of disparate effects of fiscal policy depending on whether the economy is facing a demand or a supply recession. Yet, we find out that cuts in taxes are an effective tool to counter the effects of adverse shocks on economic activity and aggregate consumption.
Effects of asset frequency components on value-at-risk in emerging and developed markets
Authors: Biage Milton , Nelcide Pierre Joseph
Published: August 2020

Value-at-Risk was estimated using the technique of wavelet decomposition with goal to analyze the frequency components' impacts on variances of daily stock returns, and on  forecasts. Daily returns of twenty-one shares of the Ibovespa and daily returns of twenty-two shares of the DJIA were used. The  model was applied to the reconstructed returns to model and establish the prediction of conditional variance, applying the rolling window technique. The Value-at-Risk was then estimated, and the results showed that the DJIA shares showed more efficient market behavior than those of Ibovespa. The differences in behavior induces to affirm that VaRs, used in the analysis of financial assets from different markets with different governance premises, should be estimated by series of returns reconstructed by aggregations of components of different frequencies. A set of back-testing was applied to confront the estimated , which demonstrated that the estimation of  models are consistent.
Incentives in Brazilian Bolsa Família CCT Program: Adverse selection, moral hazard, improving mechanisms and simulations
Authors: Bugarin Mauricio Soares , Gadelha Sérgio , Santos Artur , Duarte Janete , Amaral Jr. João B. , Neves José , Oliveira Plinio , Regatieri Rebeca
Published: August 2020

The Bolsa Família CCT Program (BFP) has successfully reduced poverty in Brazil. However, the theoretical literature on associated economic incentives is scarce. A mechanism-design analysis identifies problems of adverse selection and moral hazard in the BFP. The paper proposes simple improving incentive-mechanisms. The Citizens’ Contribution Mechanism (CCM) requires beneficiaries to devote time to the PBF encouraging recipients with higher income to leave. The Graduation Mechanism (GM) offers financial incentives to ensure sustainable emancipation of qualified beneficiaries. The Human Capital Incentive Mechanism (HCM) increases transfers to efficient municipalities. We show that the CCM solves the adverse selection problem, the GM solves the moral hazard problem of beneficiaries and the HCM solves a moral hazard problem of local managers. A simulation based on 2010 census data shows that the mechanisms allow, within 6 years, significant increases in the reach and precision of the PBF and yields cost reductions of over R$4.6 billion.
A note on the estimation of minimum tracking error portfolios
Authors: Naibert Paulo Ferreira , Caldeira João F. , Santos André A. P.
Published: August 2020

Minimum tracking error portfolios are often implemented by portfolio managers in order totrack the performance of a benchmark asset in terms of risk and return. This note providesan analytical derivation of the minimum tracking error portfolios of excess returns on abenchmark by relying on the regression-based approach to portfolio weights proposed inKempf and Memmel (2006). This approach allows estimating the weights of the minimumtracking error portfolios by means of a simple OLS regression.
Wealth, Credit Constraints and Small Firms’ Investment: Evidence from Brazil
Authors: Chein Flávia , Pinto Cristine
Published: August 2020

We explore the effect of wealth on occupational choice to find out whether small firms in Brazil face credit constraint and how occupational choice relates to investments. Using an instrumental variable approach, we find evidence that occupational choice is, in fact, constrained by wealth and this constraint is related to investment decisions. Our main results show that the probability of investment increases by 0.45 when the individual is an employer, controlling by entrepreneurs characteristics and sector, suggesting that the constraints at the credit market may affect investment decisions of small firms in Brazil. The effect of being an employer on credit access is about 0.320, which supports the idea that employers have more access to credit than the self-employed.
Evidence on search costs under hyperinflation in Brazil: The effect of Plano Real
Authors: Araujo Julia P. , Rodrigues Mauro
Published: August 2020

Plano Real put an end to hyperinflation in 1994 and significantly altered price-setting behavior in Brazil. This paper investigates the impact of Plano Real on search frictions. We estimate a nonsequential search model for homogeneous goods to structurally retrieve consumers' search costs. The dataset comprises 11,673 store-level price quotes collected from 1993 to 1995 by FIPE to calculate the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the city of São Paulo. The strategy consists of using Plano Real as a structural breakpoint in the data. We estimate the model splitting the data into before (Jan-93 to Jun-94) and after (Aug-94 to Dec-95) the plan, and we find evidence on first-order stochastic dominance of the search-cost distribution of the former into the latter; that is, search costs are higher during hyperinflation. The majority of consumers search only once or twice before buying an item, but this share is marginally higher during hyperinflation (84% vs 79%). In addition, after Plano Real, a larger share of consumers are willing to quote prices in all stores before committing to a purchase. We also document evidence of the effect of the plan on shrinking price-cost margins. When searching is less costly, stores lose market power.
A randomized control study on anesthetic effects of flurbiprofen axetil combined with propofol on patients with liver cancer receiving microwave ablation
Authors: Gu Xingshi , Yuan Qiang , Zhang Jian , Yang Yawen
Published: August 2020

Objective: To evaluate the anesthetic effects of flurbiprofen axetil combined with propofol on patients with liver cancer receiving microwave ablation.

Methods: Sixty patients (ASA grade: I-II) who underwent microwave ablation for liver cancer in our hospital from May 2018 to May 2019 were selected and randomly divided into a study group and a control group (n=30) that were anesthetized through target-controlled infusion of propofol combined with intravenous infusion of flurbiprofen axetil and target-controlled infusion of propofol alone, respectively. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), numerical rating scale (NRS) score, adverse reactions and anesthetic effects (induction time, recovery time) of the two groups were compared before anesthesia (T0), at the beginning of puncture (T1), at the beginning of microwave ablation (T2), at the end of microwave ablation (T3) and one hour after surgery (T4).

Results: MAP and HR of the study group were higher than those of the control group (P<0.05) at T2. There was no difference in SpO2 between the two groups (P>0.05). The anesthesia induction time and recovery time of the study group were significantly shorter than those of the control group (P<0.05). There was no difference in the NRS score between the two groups at T1 (P>0.05), but the study group had lower scores at T2-T4 (P<0.05). The incidence rate of postoperative adverse reactions was 13.33% in the study group and 46.67% in the control group, with a significant difference (P<0.05).

Conclusion: Flurbiprofen axetil in combination with propofol exert evident anesthetic effects on patients with liver cancer receiving microwave ablation. The time of preoperative anesthesia induction and postoperative recovery time can be markedly shortened, and intraoperative vital signs can be maintained stable. This method is thus worthy of clinical promotion.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2091

How to cite this:Gu X, Yuan Q, Zhang J, Yang Y. A randomized control study on anesthetic effects of flurbiprofen axetil combined with propofol on patients with liver cancer receiving microwave ablation. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(6):1275-1279.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.6.2091

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The Effectiveness of Social StoriesTM on children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Anagnostopoulou Vasiliki
Published: August 2020

Over the last two decades, a variety of different interventions have been suggested for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Social Stories are brief individualized stories which were introduced by Carol Gray in 1991. Originally were designed for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Gray described ten guidelines - defining criteria for Social StoriesTM. They are based on the Theory of Mind, the theory of the Weak Central Coherence and the difficulty of questioning skills and social interaction of children with ASD.Social Stories is a popular intervention for the enhancement of social skills of these children, which was characterized as an effective treatment by the National Autism Centre in 2009. However, social story's effectiveness and the research evidence to support this intervention is still under investigation.The purpose of this literature review focuses on Social Stories and their effectiveness on children with ASD. Firstly, a reference on the history and the guidelines of Social Stories is provided. Next, the difficulties and deficits of ASD children in conjunction with the underpinning theories of Social Stories are illustrated and finally, an investigation is outlined behind the effectiveness of social stories and the fact that their popularity exceeds their evidence-base. It seems that the popularity of social stories exceeds, to a small degree, the evidence-base of this intervention. The reason why this happens is still under investigation. Last, a number of methodological weaknesses still remain apparent in research.
Η επίδραση επιμέρους μαθηματικών δεξιοτήτων στην εννοιολογική και διαδικαστική γνώση κλασμάτων μαθητών Ε’ και Στ’ δημοτικού
Authors: Αθηναίου Ελένη , Καραγιαννάκης Γιάννης , Γαλανάκη Ευαγγελία
Published: August 2020

Παρόλο που η σημασία αποτελεσματικής διαχείρισης των κλασμάτων έχει αναδειχθεί από πολλούς ερευνητές, οι προαπαιτούμενες μαθηματικές δεξιότητες για τον σκοπό αυτόν δεν έχουν διερευνηθεί ακόμη. Οι μέχρι τώρα προσπάθειες έχουν επικεντρωθεί κυρίως σε ευρήματα σχετικά με την εννοιολογική και τη διαδικαστική γνώση των κλασμάτων. Η παρούσα μελέτη στοχεύει να αναδείξει αυτές τις μαθηματικές δεξιότητες που σχετίζονται με την κλασματική γνώση σε μαθητές Ε΄ και Στ΄ δημοτικού. Σε αυτήν έλαβαν μέρος 99 μαθητές σχολικής ηλικίας κατά μέσο όρο 11,1 ετών οι οποίοι φοιτούσαν σε δημόσια δημοτικά σχολεία του νομού Ευβοίας. Στην έρευνα χρησιμοποιήθηκαν το MathPro test το οποίο αξιολόγησε επιμέρους μαθηματικές δεξιότητες των συμμετεχόντων ως προς την Επίγνωση Αριθμού, τη Μνήμη, την Οπτικο-χωρική ικανότητα και τη Συλλογιστική και ένα αυτοσχέδιο τεστ για την συνολική, εννοιολογική και διαδικαστική κατανόηση στα κλάσματα. Τα αποτελέσματα έδειξαν ότι από τις δραστηριότητες του MathPro test, τα Προβλήματα και οι Νοεροί Υπολογισμοί προβλέπουν τη συνολική και την εννοιολογική κλασματική επίδοση των συμμετεχόντων. Η διαδικαστική επίδοση στα κλάσματα φάνηκε να προβλέπεται από τους Κύβους, τα Προβλήματα και τους Νοερούς Υπολογισμούς. Συμπερασματικά, οι μαθηματικές δεξιότητες που σχετίζονται με τον Οπτικο-χωρικό τομέα και αυτόν της Συλλογιστικής φάνηκε ότι προβλέπουν την επίδοση στην κλασματική γνώση.
Διαφοροποιημένο Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα για χαρισματικούς μαθητές: Μια εφαρμογή στο μάθημα των Αρχαίων Ελληνικών
Authors: Ανυφαντή Μαρία , Αρβανιτάκη-Καμμένου Αικατερίνη
Published: August 2020

Το παρόν εγχείρημα στόχο έχει να καταδείξει πιθανές παρεμβάσεις στο Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα των Αρχαίων Ελληνικών στο Γυμνάσιο, έτσι ώστε να εξυπηρετήσει καί τις ανάγκες των χαρισματικών μαθητών. Πιο αναλυτικά, θα μπορούσε να συνταχθεί ένα Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα περισσότερο απαιτητικό ως προς το περιεχόμενό του, ώστε να συμπορευτεί με τις αυξημένες προσδοκίες μάθησης αυτών των μαθητών. Άρα το επίπεδο πολυπλοκότητάς του να αντιστοιχεί με τις ανάγκες των προικισμένων μαθητών. Μια άλλη μέριμνα, από πλευράς Αναλυτικού Προγράμματος, είναι η επιλογή των διδακτικών στρατηγικών. Ενδεικτικά η στρατηγική επίλυσης προβλήματος (problem based learning) εντάσσεται σε αυτήν τη λογική. Επιπρόσθετα, διαφοροποίησης του Αναλυτικού Προγράμματος είναι και αυτή των μέσων και των υλικών διδασκαλίας. Για παράδειγμα, προτείνεται η χρήση κατάλληλων νοητικών στηριγμάτων. Τέλος, η διδασκαλίας μέσω σχεδίων εργασίας (project) ενθαρρύνει την κάλυψη αναγκών αυτών των μαθητών και όχι μόνο. Όσον αφορά στο μάθημα των Αρχαίων Ελληνικών θα δοθούν κάποιες παρεμβάσεις/ προτάσεις στα ακόλουθα σημεία: μάθηση με προσωπικό νόημα, ευκαιρία για αιτιολόγηση, διαθεματικές συνδέσεις, αναστοχασμός/ μεταγνώση, αξιοποίηση Νέων Τεχνολογιών, ανάπτυξη νοητικών συνηθειών, χρήση υλικών πολλαπλού τύπου. Να σημειωθεί ότι επιλέξαμε να επικεντρωθούμε σε μαθητές Γυμνασίου, διότι θεωρήσαμε πολύ σημαντική στη μάθηση την περίοδο της εφηβικής ηλικίας. Κλείνοντας, λοιπόν, το διαφοροποιημένο Αναλυτικό Πρόγραμμα θεωρούμε ότι ίσως να είναι μια καλή πρόταση γιατί προσφέρει ισότητα, ευκαιρία για αλληλεπίδραση, εμπλοκή στη μάθηση σε βάθος κατανόησης της γνώσης και δημιουργικής σύνδεσης με το νόημα.
Εφαρμογή του Game Based Learning για τη διδασκαλία και εμπέδωση των Ομηρικών επών (Οδύσσεια) στην Ειδική Αγωγή.
Authors: Βαρέλη Βασιλική , Σκαναβή Ευαγγελία
Published: August 2020

Η συγκεκριμένη εργασία παρουσιάζει τον σχεδιασμό, την υλοποίηση και τα αποτελέσματα εκπαιδευτικής παρέμβασης μέσω της αξιοποίησης του εκπαιδευτικού παιχνιδιού στο γνωστικό αντικείμενο των Αρχαίων Ελληνικών από Μετάφραση. Το προαναφερόμενο παιχνίδι δημιουργήθηκε προκειμένου να χορηγηθεί σε μαθητές της Α’ τάξης Ειδικού Επαγγελματικού Γυμνασίου. Στόχο της εργασίας αποτέλεσε η αξιοποίηση των τεχνικών του Game-Based Learning (GBL) στη μαθησιακή διαδικασία, ώστε να επιτευχθεί η εμπλοκή των μαθητών και η ενεργή συμμετοχή τους. Η ένταξη στοιχείων του GBL αποτελεί σύγχρονη εκπαιδευτική προσέγγιση με άξονα την πρακτική της εποικοδομητικής παιδαγωγικής. Οι μαθητές συμμετείχαν σε μια διδακτική διαδικασία, η οποία εντάσσεται στα πλαίσια της ομαδοσυνεργατικής και βιωματικής μάθησης. Με βασικό εργαλείο το επιτραπέζιο παιχνίδι, οι μαθητές όχι μόνο κατανόησαν την αφηγηματική πορεία της Οδύσσειας, εμπέδωσαν τους βασικούς ήρωες και τον ρόλο που διαδραματίζουν, αλλά και επανέλαβαν τις σημαντικές έννοιες και τα τυπικά θέματα που είχαν διδαχθεί κατά τη διάρκεια της σχολικής χρονιάς. Για την αρχική αξιολόγηση και αποτίμηση αυτής της προσέγγισης χρησιμοποιήθηκαν ερευνητικά εργαλεία όπως η παρατήρηση, συνεντεύξεις και σύντομο ερωτηματολόγιο μαθητών. Τα τελικά ευρήματα επιτρέπουν την θετική αποτίμηση αυτής και αναδεικνύουν το παιχνίδι ως εργαλείο μάθησης, με το οποίο ενθαρρύνεται η ενεργητική συμμετοχή των μαθητών και παράλληλα πραγματοποιείται με ευχάριστο τρόπο η επανάληψη βασικών εννοιών του διδακτικού αντικειμένου.
Αίτια και τρόποι αντιμετώπισης της παιδικής και εφηβικής παραβατικότητας
Authors: Καφίρη Ιουλία
Published: August 2020

Με την παρούσα εισήγηση αναλύονται διάφορες πτυχές του φαινομένου της παιδικής και εφηβικής παραβατικότητας,   παρουσιάζονται κάποιες από τις αιτίες που μπορούν να οδηγήσουν σε αυτό το φαινόμενο και στο τέλος αναλύονται κάποιοι ενδεικτικοί τρόποι αντιμετώπισης του σοβαρού αυτού προβλήματος,  εστιάζοντας στον ρόλο των γονέων και των εκπαιδευτικών που επικοινωνούν σε μεγαλύτερο βαθμό με το παιδί.  Επίσης,  δίνεται έμφαση και στον ρόλο την πρόληψης τέτοιων φαινομένων.  Σκόπός της εισήγησης είναι να αναδειχθεί η σοβαρότητα του φαινομένου της παιδικής και εφηβικής παραβατικότητας.  Καταλήγοντας,  από την έρευνα συμπεραίνουμε ότι η υποστήριξη των μαθητών,  η επαφή με την οικογένεια,  οι προληπτικές παρεμβάσεις,  οι δράσεις μέσα στον χώρο του σχολείου μέσα σε θετικό περιβάλλον αποτελούν στοιχεία που μπορούν να βοηθήσουν στην αποτροπή και αντιμετώπιση φαινομένων παραβατικής συμπεριφοράς.
Η σημασία της συμμετοχής μαθητών προσφύγων στην Πρωτοβάθμια Εκπαίδευση.
Authors: Κικίδης Λάζαρος
Published: August 2020

Η έρευνα αυτή στοχεύει στην διερεύνηση και κριτική ανάλυση καλών πρακτικών αλλά και εμποδίων στην Πρωτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση προσφύγων. Σε αυτή την κατεύθυνση εξετάζει την σχέση της διδασκαλίας της Ξένης Γλώσσας με την ενίσχυση της αυτοεκτίμησης των μαθητών, την ενδυνάμωση της ανθεκτικότητας τους και την δημιουργία σχέσεων με τους συμμαθητές τους και το νέο περιβάλλον όπως αυτές αναπτύσσονται ως συμπύκνωση μίας σειράς παραγόντων (σχετικών νομοθετικών ρυθμίσεων, υποδοχή από τον ντόπιο πληθυσμό, εκπαίδευση εκπαιδευτικών, μέθοδοι ένταξης και συμμετοχής). Τα παραπάνω στην βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση προσεγγίζονται διεξοδικά με βάση διεθνείς πρακτικές και στα συμπεράσματα συγκριτικά με όσα εντοπίζουμε στην ελληνική πραγματικότητα. Αυτό μας δίνει την δυνατότητα να οδηγηθούμε σε προτάσεις σχετικά με την βελτίωση των εκπαιδευτικών υπηρεσιών σε πρακτικό επίπεδο αλλά και σε επίπεδο νομοθεσίας. Οι πέντε εκπαιδευτικοί που συμμετείχαν στις ήμι-δομημένες συνεντεύξεις συνέβαλλαν καθοριστικά ώστε η ερεύνα να κινηθεί ολιστικά στην εξέταση της σύγχρονής ελληνικής πραγματικότητας των τελευταίων τριών ετών και να αναδείξει θετικές και αρνητικές πλευρές των όσων εκτυλίσσονται στα σχολεία μας και αναγάγουν τους εκπαιδευτικούς όλων των δομών ( Δάσκαλοί τάξης, ΖΕΠ, ΔΥΕΠ) σε υποκείμενα με καθοριστικό ρόλο στο μέλλον των μαθητών προσφύγων καθώς και στην αρμονική  ανάπτυξη τους.
Χαρακτηριστικά σχολικής ηγεσίας και ενδυνάμωση εκπαιδευτικών: απόψεις εκπαιδευτικών ειδικής αγωγής και εκπαίδευσης.
Authors: Κλάδης Νικόλαος
Published: August 2020

Η παρούσα εργασία είναι μέρος μιας ευρύτερης έρευνας που πραγματοποιήθηκε με απλή τυχαία δειγματοληψία, για τη διεξαγωγή της οποίας προτιμήθηκε η χρήση ερωτηματολογίου συγκροτούμενο από τέσσερα μέρη. Το δείγμα αποτελούσαν 683 εκπαιδευτικοί ΓΑΕ και ΕΑΕ συνολικά (εκ των οποίων οι 147 ΕΑΕ, που αφορούν την παρούσα εργασία) και από τις 13 εκπαιδευτικές περιφέρειες. Το τρίτο μέρος του ερωτηματολογίου περιείχε τρεις ερωτήσεις ανοιχτού τύπου σχετικά με τις απόψεις των εκπαιδευτικών ως προς τα «Χαρακτηριστικά του σχολικού διευθυντή που συνδέονται με τη διαμόρφωση ή/και προαγωγή της ενδυνάμωσης των εκπαιδευτικών» (Inventory of Principals’ Characteristics that Contribute to Teacher Empowerment, IPCCTE - Blasé & Blasé, 2001). Στην πρώτη ερώτηση ζητήθηκε από τους συμμετέχοντες να περιγράψουν ένα χαρακτηριστικό (στάση, αξία, συμπεριφορά) του διευθυντή τους, το οποίο συμβάλλει στην ενδυνάμωσή τους, στη δεύτερη ερώτηση να εξηγήσουν τους λόγους που το συγκεκριμένο χαρακτηριστικό προάγει την ενδυνάμωσή τους, ενώ στην τρίτη ερώτηση να περιγράψουν τα αποτελέσματα του αισθήματος της ενδυνάμωσης που προκύπτουν από το συγκεκριμένο χαρακτηριστικό. Η επεξεργασία των δεδομένων πραγματοποιήθηκε με την τεχνική της ανάλυσης περιεχομένου (Βάμβουκας, 2007. Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2008. Παρασκευόπουλος, 1993). Τα αποτελέσματα συμφωνούν με αυτά άλλων ερευνών που έχουν διεξαχθεί τόσο σε διεθνές επίπεδο όσο και σε εθνικό.