bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resilience in Children and Adolescents Survived Psychologically Traumatic Life Events: A Critical Review of Application of Resilience Assessment Tools for Clinical Referral and Intervention
Authors: Satapathy Sujata , Dang Saloni , Sagar Rajesh , Dwivedi S. N.
Published: July 2020

Psychological traumatic life events (TLEs) and resilience, both are multidimensional, complex, and share salient features. Both are products of individual, familial, and environmental (socio-cultural-political contextual) variables, which is very crucial in children and adolescents. This systematic review used Boolean search strategies in electronic databases, namely, PubMED, PsycNET, JStor, and Google scholar. All researches not studying resilience per se but similar or related constructs such as life strengths, hardiness, protective/risk factors, social support, self-efficacy, social-emotional adjustment, and so on were excluded. A total of 12 resilience tools meant for children between 5 and 18 years were reviewed. The scale characteristics were analyzed in terms of targeted age-group of sample; purpose (i.e. screening and profiling for intervention); number of items; purpose/type of scale; year, country, and domain wise distribution; response format, standardization sample profile; psychometric properties; and availability of manual with norms of cutoff score. Although no scale was originally developed for children and adolescent population with history of TLEs particularly various forms of abuse and trauma, Child and Youth Resilience Measure and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale had small samples of children from welfare homes. Neither did any scale tested the divergent validity against absence of any psychopathology or global functioning or poor quality of life Nor did Majority of scales provide a cutoff value for institutionalized children and adolescents with history of TLEs; therefore, using an existing scale for this purpose should be carefully examined. Trauma-focused multidimensionality in resilience needs to be explored more rigorously through mixed methods.
A Pilot Study and Ecological Model of Smoking Cues to Inform Mobile Health Strategies for Quitting Among Low-Income Smokers
Authors: Zhou Shuo , Levinson Arnold H. , Zhang Xuhong , Portz Jennifer D. , Moore Susan L. , Gore M. Odette , Ford Kelsey L. , Li Qing , Bull Sheana
Published: July 2020

One crucial factor that leads to disparities in smoking cessation between groups with higher and lower socioeconomic status is more prevalent socioenvironmental smoking cues in low-income communities. Little is known about how these cues influence socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers in real-world scenarios and how to design interventions, especially mobile phone–based interventions, to counteract the impacts of various types of smoking cues. We interviewed 15 current smokers living in low-income communities and scanned their neighborhoods to explore smoking-related experiences and identify multilevel cues that may trigger them to smoke. Findings suggest four major types of smoking cues influence low-income smokers—internal, habitual, social, and environmental. We propose an ecological model of smoking cues to inform the design of mobile health (mHealth) interventions for smoking cessation. We suggest that user-triggered strategies will be most useful to address internal cues; server-triggered strategies will be most suitable in changing perceived social norms of smoking and routine smoking activities to address social and habitual cues; and context-triggered strategies will be most effective for counteracting environmental cues. The pros and cons of each approach are discussed regarding their cost-effectiveness, the potential to provide personalized assistance, and scale.
Natural fibers woven fabric reinforced hydrogel composites for enhanced mechanical properties
Authors: Koc Umit , Aykut Yakup , Eren Recep
Published: July 2020

One-step and rapid preparation of natural fiber woven fabric reinforced hydrogel composites via simultaneous dissolution and crosslinking of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) yarns in the fabric was reported. In this regards, PVA/Cotton (C), PVA/Flax (F) and PVA/Wool (W) blended woven fabrics were prepared for the manufacturing fabric reinforced hydrogel composites. The hybrid woven fabric reinforced fabrics were treated with different concentrations of borax solutions. Aqueous borax solutions were used to alter the PVA yarns in the fabric into cross-linked structure in order to enhance mechanical performance of the hydrogel composite. Morphological investigation of hydrogel composites in a dried form was carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging. The chemical characterization of aqueous borax treated samples was examined by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) measurements. Mechanical performances of the hydrogel composites were observed by tensile measurements. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was conducted to characterize thermal stability of hydrogel composites. The results revealed that natural fiber woven fabric reinforcement significantly enhanced the mechanical strength of hydrogel composites, and wool fabric reinforced composite had better mechanical performance than its cotton and flax counterparts. Due to the low mechanical properties of hydrogels in general, the prepared fabric reinforced hydrogel composites could be used in hydrogel applications where mechanical strength is critically important.
Review of intelligent fault diagnosis for permanent magnet synchronous motors in electric vehicles
Authors: Xu Xiaowei , Qiao Xue , Zhang Nan , Feng Jingyi , Wang Xiaoqing
Published: July 2020

Permanent magnet synchronous motors are the main power output components of electric vehicles. Once a failure occurs, it will affect the vehicle’s power, stability, and safety. While as a complex field-circuit coupling system composed of machine-electric-magnetic-thermal, the permanent magnet synchronous motor of electric vehicle has various operating conditions and complicated condition environment. There are various forms of failure, and the signs of failure are crossed or overlapped. Randomness, secondary, concurrency, and communication characteristics make it difficult to diagnose faults. Based on the research of a list of related references, this article reviews the methods of intelligent fault diagnosis for electric vehicle permanent magnet synchronous motors. The research status and development trend of fault diagnosis are analyzed. It provides theoretical basis for motor fault diagnosis and health management in multi-variable working conditions and multi-physics environment.
Novel serum peptide model revealed by MALDI-TOF-MS and its diagnostic value in early bladder cancer
Authors: Ding Dapeng , Chen Mingying , Xiao Xiaoguang , Cao Penglong , Li Shijun
Published: July 2020

Background:

Bladder cancer is the ninth most common cancer worldwide and has high morbidity and mortality. We aimed to search for potential serum peptide biomarkers and establish a diagnostic model for early bladder cancer.

Methods:

A total of 67 bladder cancer patients and 64 healthy volunteers were randomly divided into a training set and testing set 1. There were 30 hematuria patients used as testing set 2. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry based on weak cation exchange magnetic beads was used to obtain and analyze the serum peptide profiles between bladder cancer patients and healthy volunteers in the training set. Serum peptide diagnostic model through a k-nearest neighbor algorithm, was established and validated, and significantly differentially expressed protein biomarkers were ultimately identified.

Results:

We constructed a diagnostic model containing five peptides (m/z 1954.9, m/z 2081.0, m/z 3938.3, m/z 3946.5, and m/z 4268.8). In the training set, the area under the curve (AUC) value of the five-peptide model was 0.923, and the sensitivity and specificity was 93.75% and 96.77%, respectively. In testing set 1, the sensitivity and specificity was 91.43% and 90.91%, respectively, and the specificity of testing set 2 was 73.33%. For early-stage bladder cancer, the sensitivity and specificity was 92.31% and 93.75%, respectively; the sensitivity of early low-grade bladder cancer was 90.00%; and the AUC value was 0.944.

Conclusion:

The five-peptide diagnostic model established in this study had high sensitivity and specificity, especially in the diagnosis of early bladder cancer, and could differentiate between healthy volunteers and hematuria patients.
An improved boundary-aware face alignment using stacked dense U-Nets
Authors: Ye Jianghao , Cui Ying , Pan Xiang , Zheng Herong , Guo Dongyan , Ren Yanan
Published: July 2020

Facial landmark localization is still a challenge task in the unconstrained environment with influences of significant variation conditions such as facial pose, shape, expression, illumination, and occlusions. In this work, we present an improved boundary-aware face alignment method by using stacked dense U-Nets. The proposed method consists of two stages: a boundary heatmap estimation stage to learn the facial boundary lines and a facial landmark localization stage to predict the final face alignment result. With the constraint of boundary lines, facial landmarks are unified as a whole facial shape. Hence, the unseen landmarks in a shape with occlusions can be better estimated by message passing with other landmarks. By introducing the stacked dense U-Nets for feature extraction, the capacity of the model is improved. Experiments and comparisons on public datasets show that the proposed method obtains better performance than the baselines, especially for facial images with large pose variation, shape variation, and occlusions.
Training Learning Strategies to Promote Self-Regulation and Transfer: The Knowledge, Belief, Commitment, and Planning Framework
Authors: McDaniel Mark A. , Einstein Gilles O.
Published: July 2020

Surveys indicate that at all educational levels students often use relatively ineffective study strategies. One potential remedy is to include learning-strategy training into students’ educational experiences. A major challenge, however, is that it has proven difficult to design training protocols that support students’ self-regulation and transfer of effective learning strategies across a range of content. In this article we propose a practical theoretical framework called the knowledge, belief, commitment, and planning (KBCP) framework for guiding strategy training to promote students’ successful self-regulation of effective learning strategies. The KBCP framework rests on the assumption that four essential components must be included in training to support sustained strategy self-regulation: (a) acquiring knowledge about strategies, (b) belief that the strategy works, (c) commitment to using the strategy, and (d) planning of strategy implementation. We develop these assumptions in the context of pertinent research and suggest that each component alone is not sufficient to promote sustained learning-strategy self-regulation. Our intent in developing this learning-strategy training framework is to stimulate renewed interest and effort in investigating how to effectively train learning strategies and their self-regulation and to guide systematic research and application in this area. We close by sketching an example of a concrete training protocol based on the KBCP framework.
Augmented Lagrangian method for a total variation-based model for demodulating phase discontinuities
Authors: Legarda-Saenz Ricardo , Brito-Loeza Carlos
Published: July 2020

In this work, we reformulate the method presented in App. Opt. 53:2297 (2014) as a constrained minimization problem using the augmented Lagrangian method. First we introduce the new method and then describe the numerical solution, which results in a simple algorithm. Numerical experiments with both synthetic and real fringe patterns show the accuracy and simplicity of the resulting algorithm.
Mesh complications: best practice in diagnosis and treatment
Authors: Bueno Garcia Reyes Paulina , Hashim Hashim
Published: July 2020

Mesh was a promising, minimally invasive, and ‘gold standard’ treatment for urinary stress incontinence. Time has shown that complications from these devices can happen early, or even several years, after mesh placement and can be catastrophic. Pain, erosion, voiding dysfunction, infection, recurrent UTIs [urinary tract infections (UTIs)], fistulae, organ perforation, bleeding, vaginal scarring, neuromuscular alterations, LUTS (lower urinary tract symptoms), bowel complications and even immune disorders have been linked to mesh. Various tools, such as imaging, endoscopic and functional studies, are available for diagnosis of mesh complications. Since the spectrum of complications is wide, involvement of other specialties is usually beneficial in the diagnosis and management of these complications. There is still much to learn on the accuracy and utility of diagnostic studies in each type of complication. Evidence on the best diagnostic and treatment pathways for these complications is scarce but continuously growing as information is being reported, and we continue to gain expertise in dealing with patients affected by mesh. Treatment options include conservative and medical management initially and then open or minimally invasive surgical procedure approaches. This article will describe diagnostic and treatment pathways for mesh complications.
Effectiveness of bevacizumab in first- and second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer: ITACa randomized trial
Authors: Petracci Elisabetta , Scarpi Emanuela , Passardi Alessandro , Biggeri Annibale , Milandri Carlo , Vecchia Stefano , Gelsomino Fabio , Tassinari Davide , Tamberi Stefano , Bernardini Ilaria , Accettura Caterina , Frassineti Giovanni Luca , Amadori Dino , Nanni Oriana
Published: July 2020

Background:

Cancer trials involving multiple treatment lines substantially increase our understanding of therapeutic strategies. However, even when the primary end-point of these studies is progression-free survival (PFS), their statistical analysis usually focuses on each line separately, or does not consider repeated events, thus missing potentially relevant information. Consequently, the evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment strategies is highly impaired.

Methods:

We evaluated the potentially different effect of bevacizumab (B) administered for the first- or second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the ITACa (Italian Trial in Advanced Colorectal Cancer) randomized trial. The ITACa trial consisted of two arms: first-line chemotherapy (CT)+B followed by second-line CT alone versus first-line CT alone followed by second-line CT+B or CT+B+cetuximab according to KRAS status. Cox models for repeated disease progression were performed, and potential selection bias was adjusted using the inverse probability of censoring weighting method. Hazard ratios (HR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for PFS (primary endpoint) were reported.

Results:

The overall effect of B across the two lines resulted in a HR = 0.80 (95% CI 0.68–0.95, p = 0.008). Evaluating the differential effect of B in first- and second-line, the addition of B to first-line chemotherapy (CT) produced a 10% risk reduction (HR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.72–1.12, p = 0.340) versus CT alone; B added to second-line CT produced a 36% risk reduction (HR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.49–0.84, p = 0.0011) versus CT alone.

Conclusion:

Our results seem to suggest that B confers a PFS advantage when administered in combination with second-line chemotherapy, which could help to improve current international guidelines on optimal sequential treatment strategies.
A learning agenda to build the evidence base for strengthening global health information systems
Authors: Reynolds Heidi W , Salentine Shannon , Silvestre Eva , Millar Elizabeth , Strahley Ashley , Cannon Abby C , Bobrow Emily A
Published: July 2020

Background:

Evidence-based interventions are necessary for planning and investing in health information systems (HIS) and for strengthening those systems to collect, manage, sort and analyse health data to support informed decision-making. However, evidence and guidance on HIS strengthening in low- and middle-income countries have been historically lacking.

Objective:

This article describes the approach, methods, lessons learned and recommendations from 5 years of applying our learning agenda to strengthen the evidence base for effective HIS interventions.

Methods:

The first step was to define key questions about characteristics, stages of progression, and factors and conditions of HIS performance progress. We established a team and larger advisory group to guide the implementation of activities to build the evidence base to answer questions. We strengthened learning networks to share information.

Results:

The process of applying the learning agenda provided a unique opportunity to learn by doing, strategically collecting information about monitoring and evaluating HIS strengthening interventions and building a body of evidence. There are now models and tools to strengthen HIS, improved indicators and measures, country HIS profiles, documentation of interventions, a searchable database of HIS assessment tools and evidence generated through syntheses and evaluation results.

Conclusion:

The systematic application of learning agenda processes and activities resulted in increased evidence, information, guidance and tools for HIS strengthening and a resource centre, making that information accessible and available globally.

Implications:

We describe the inputs, processes and lessons learned, so that others interested in designing a successful learning agenda have access to evidence of how to do so.
The Causes of the Proclivity towards Factionalism in the Political Parties of Myanmar
Authors: Taylor Robert H.
Published: July 2020

Factionalism has been a dominant factor in the formation and management of political parties in Myanmar. Since the first elections in 1922 until the most recent in 2015, ideological and programmatic differences, as well as personalities and competition for resources, have encouraged the growth of factionalism.
The Limits of Intergovernmentalism: The Philippines’ Changing Strategy in the South China Sea Dispute and Its Impact on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Authors: De Castro Renato Cruz
Published: July 2020

Focusing on the Philippines’ changing foreign policy agendas on the South China Sea dispute, this article examines the limitations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) intergovernmental approach in addressing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. It contends that former President Benigno Aquino III tried to harness this regional organisation in his balancing policy vis-à-vis China’s maritime expansion in the South China Sea. On the contrary, President Rodrigo Duterte promoted his appeasement policy on China when he became the ASEAN’s chairperson in 2017, and pushed for the elusive passage of the ASEAN–China Code of Conduct in 2019. In conclusion, the article scrutinises the implications of this shift in the Philippines’ foreign policy for the ASEAN, and raises the need for this regional organisation to rethink its intergovernmental approach to the security challenges posed by the changing geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific region.
In These Troubled Times
Authors: Pelias Ronald J.
Published: July 2020

In this fragmented autoethnographic narrative, I focus on several incidents where silence functions as a political weapon and as a means for coping in these trouble times. Deploying silence is a rhetorical act that unfolds in ethical and unethical ways. It can serve, I argue, as a tactic for resistance and as a strategy to deceive and maintain power.
Atypical presentation of listeriosis in pregnancy: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Sulung Faridah , Salmuna Zeti Norfidiyati , Hussin Azura , Abd Rahman Zaidah , Hassan Siti Asma’
Published: July 2020

Acute hepatitis is an unusual manifestation of listeriosis. Most patients with listeriosis present with fever, flu-like illness and gastroenteritis symptoms due to consumption of contaminated food. Pregnancy-associated Listeria monocytogenes infection commonly occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy compared to early trimesters. We report a case of listeriosis in the first trimester of pregnancy, which presented with the acute onset of jaundice and was successfully treated with ampicillin.
Differences in measurement of high-sensitivity troponin in an on-demand and batch-wise setting
Authors: Sörensen Nils Arne , Neumann Johannes Tobias , Ojeda Francisco , Renné Thomas , Karakas Mahir , Blankenberg Stefan , Westermann Dirk , Zeller Tanja
Published: July 2020

Background

Most studies assessing the diagnostic value of high-sensitivity troponin in the diagnosis of myocardial infarction used batch-wise analyses of frozen samples for high-sensitivity troponin measurements. Whether the accuracy of these batch-wise high-sensitivity troponin measurements described in diagnostic studies is comparable to clinical routine is unknown.

Methods

We enrolled 937 patients presenting with suspected myocardial infarction in this prospective cohort study. Measurements of high-sensitivity troponin I (Abbott Architect) and high-sensitivity troponin T (Roche) were performed in two settings: (a) on-demand in clinical routine using fresh blood samples; and (b) in batches using frozen blood samples from the same individuals at three timepoints (0 hours, 1 hour and 3 hours after presentation).

Results

Median troponin levels were not different between on-demand and batch-wise measurements. Troponin levels in the range of 0 to 40 ng/L showed a very high correlation between the on-demand and batch setting (Pearson correlation coefficient (r) was 0.92–0.95 for high-sensitivity troponin I and 0.96 for high-sensitivity troponin T). However, at very low troponin levels (0 to 10 ng/L) correlation between the two settings was moderate (r for high-sensitivity troponin I 0.59–0.66 and 0.65–0.69 for high-sensitivity troponin T). Application of guideline-recommended rapid diagnostic algorithms showed similar diagnostic performance with both methods.

Conclusions

Overall on-demand and batch-wise measurements of high-sensitivity troponin provided similar results, but their correlation was moderate, when focusing on very low troponin levels. The application of rapid diagnostic algorithms was safe in both settings.

Trial Registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02355457)
Foreign body esophagus: Six years of silence
Authors: Shahi Sudha , Bhandari Tika Ram , Thapa Prakash Bahadur , Shrestha Deependra , Shrestha Kiran
Published: July 2020

Foreign body esophagus remains one of the common medical emergencies which may lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Sharp objects, batteries, and elderly with foreign body esophagus should be treated with emergent removal owing to the complications that might ensue. Endoscopic removal is the preferred choice of treatment but for large foreign body, sharp foreign body, and so on, rigid esophagoscopic removal might be more preferable. Foreign body esophagus though an obvious situation might at times be missed. It is important to make an early definitive diagnosis. We report a unique case of missed foreign body (denture) esophagus despite the obvious signs and symptoms. Definitive diagnosis was made only after 6 years due to the lack of definitive diagnostic procedures and expertise. The foreign body was impacted in the mucosal wall of the esophagus requiring Gastric resection and anastomosis (with McKeown procedure). With this we have tried to highlight the pitfalls in the diagnosis and management of foreign body esophagus. We report a case of a 55-year-old female who presented to the Emergency Room with history of progressive dysphagia and odynophagia for 6 years which was aggravated for the past 6 months. A radiological diagnosis was made. It was followed by a failed attempt of endoscopic removal which warranted the surgical removal of the foreign body.
Does inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy affect in-hospital mortality of patients in the emergency department with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream infections?
Authors: Chen Fu-Cheng , Ho Yu-Ni , Cheng Hsien-Hung , Wu Chien-Hung , Change Meng-Wei , Su Chih-Min
Published: July 2020

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-positive bloodstream infection (BSI) is on the rise worldwide. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy (IIAT) on in-hospital mortality of patients in the emergency department (ED) with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae BSIs. This retrospective single-center cohort study included all adult patients with E. coli and K. pneumoniae BSIs between January 2007 and December 2013, who had undergone a blood culture test and initiation of antibiotics within 6 h of ED registration time. Multiple logistic regression was used to adjust for bacterial species, IIAT, time to antibiotics, age, sex, quick Sepsis Related Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score ⩾ 2, and comorbidities. A total of 3533 patients were enrolled (2967 alive and 566 deceased, in-hospital mortality rate 16%). The patients with K. pneumoniae ESBL-positive BSI had the highest mortality rate. Non-survivors had qSOFA scores ⩾ 2 (33.6% vs 9.5%, P < 0.001), more IIAT (15.0% vs 10.7%, P = 0.004), but shorter mean time to antibiotics (1.70 vs 1.84 h, P < 0.001). A qSOFA score ⩾ 2 is the most significant predictor for in-hospital mortality; however, IIAT and time to antibiotics were not significant predictors in multiple logistic regression analysis. In subgroup analysis divided by qSOFA scores, IIAT was still not a significant predictor. Severity of the disease (qSOFA score ⩾ 2) is the key factor influencing in-hospital mortality of patients with E. coli and K. pneumoniae BSIs. The time to antibiotics and IIAT were not significant predictors because they in turn were affected by disease severity.
Usefulness of procalcitonin clearance to predict mortality in abdominal sepsis
Authors: Peng Jiang-Chen , Xu Qiao-Yi , Ding Jia , Li Zhe , Wang Jie-Min , Gao Yuan , Chen Wei-Hua , Xing Shun-Peng
Published: July 2020

To evaluate the plasma levels and clearance of procalcitonin (PCTc) as prognostic biomarkers for patients with abdominal sepsis. A retrospective study of 103 patients with abdominal sepsis was conducted in our intensive care unit (ICU) from 2016 to 2018. Procalcitonin (PCT) plasma levels were measured at the time of diagnosis of abdominal sepsis and daily over the next 5 days. PCTc was calculated from day 3 to day 5. The prognostic accuracy of PCTc was expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC). The Kaplan–Meier method was used to compare the survival curves by log-rank test. Logistic regression analysis was used to predict the 28-day mortality. The primary outcome was 28-day mortality since admission to ICU. Serum PCT levels from day 1 to day 5 did not differ significantly between survivors and non-survivors, while PCTc on day 5 was statistically significantly higher in survivors than that in non-survivors (86.4% vs 38.7%, P < 0.001). The cutoff value for PCTc-day 5 was 70%, with AUROC of 0.726, sensitivity of 64.6%, and specificity of 78.3%. The 28-day mortality was significantly lower among those with PCTc-day 5 >70% compared with those with PCTc-day 5 <70% (9.1% vs 38.3%, log-rank test, P < 0.001), and odds ratio (OR) was 0.16 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.48, P < 0.001). The ability to decrease PCT by at least 70% on day 5 was an independent predictor of 28-day mortality after admission to ICU with moderate accuracy.
Do Cooperative-Based Learning Groups Help Students Learn Microeconomics?
Authors: Chen Jennjou , Lin Tsui-Fang
Published: July 2020

As many college students voluntarily form cooperative-based learning groups to study course materials, this article investigates whether or not such type of learning improves their academic performance. This is the first research using Taiwan’s higher education data to study cooperative learning in the field of economic education. The data used herein are from 10 intermediate microeconomics courses from 2006 to 2016 at a public university in Taiwan. The sample size is 1,389, which encompasses 120 to 150 enrolled students in each semester. We use an instrumental variables (IVs) approach to remedy the potential endogeneity problem associated with forming cooperative-based learning groups, and the key IV employed is the number of students with the same academic major. The IV estimation results show that forming cooperative-based learning groups does significantly improve college students’ learning outcomes. In addition, the cooperative learning effect is heterogeneous across groups. Students with poor attendance records benefit more from voluntarily formed cooperative learning groups in learning microeconomics. Moreover, it is worth noting that the magnitude of the cooperative learning effect from our analysis is greater than the typical class attendance effect.
Intercultural Interaction in English: Taiwanese University Students’ Investment and Resistance in Culturally Mixed Groups
Authors: Lan Shu-Wen
Published: July 2020

Despite increased diversity on campuses worldwide, research has documented a lack of intercultural interaction among university students. Culturally mixed groups have been found to be a promising means of promoting the rich, repeated contact necessary for intercultural interaction, but hardly any studies of local students’ perceptions of such groups have been conducted in the newly internationalized universities in Asia. Through the lens of an expanded model of investment, this study analyzes reflective journals and interviews with Taiwanese college students to examine their perceptions and experiences of culturally mixed groups. Findings indicate that the majority resisted non-native to non-native speaker intercultural interaction in these groups. This resistance was driven by their pro-standard English ideologies, traceable to the earliest stages of their English education, which promoted native-speaker models and unrealistic imagined communities of native-like speakers.
Health Profession Education in Remote or Geographically Isolated Settings: A Scoping Review
Authors: Reeve Carole , Johnston Karen , Young Louise
Published: July 2020

Remote health has been differentiated from rural health in Australia and defined as isolated, with poor service access and a relatively high proportion of Indigenous residents, necessitating different models of care. Educational strategies for remote health practice are often needs driven and the characteristics of remote health may be used to categorise remote health professional education. This scoping review aims to identify the purpose of health professional education for remote settings, the type of educational strategies implemented and the reported outcomes. A broad search of published literature available in online bibliographic databases was conducted. A total of 33 articles met the review inclusion criteria. A further 7 articles were identified for inclusion in the review through citation searches and the authors’ networks giving a total of 40 articles. Six primary themes were established based on the educational purpose: (1) cultural competency; (2) social accountability; (3) rural and remote skill development for the general workforce; (4) remote specialisation; (5) specialist skills required for a remote workforce; and (6) remote teaching. These themes also reflect the philosophical change over time recognising remote health as a separate discipline and its value as a distinctive and efficacious learning environment. The concept of education for remote practice is proposed to describe this unique leaning environment which encompasses critical pedagogy to develop a sense of agency and social accountability, embedding the delivery of primary health care through service learning and developing relationships in a context which is transformative.
The Dark Side of Entrepreneurship Education: A Delphi Study on Dangers and Unintended Consequences
Authors: Bandera Cesar , Santos Susana C. , Liguori Eric W.
Published: July 2020

While recent research explores the dark side of entrepreneurship there remains little exploration of what, if any, role entrepreneurship education (EE) plays in producing dark side outcomes. Accordingly, we explore dangers and unintended consequences EE poses to students and universities as well as the role of both student and instructor in mitigating dark side concerns. Specifically, we use a Delphi technique to distill from a panel of experienced educators the dangers EE may pose as well as strategies for mitigating dark side consequences. In sum, this work contributes to EE research by providing a unique mixed-methods view of the dark side of EE and raising awareness of the unintended consequences borne by the students and institutions we serve.
Visited by spirits – ‘Betwixt and between’ in meditation and solitary confinement in Myanmar
Authors: Gaborit Liv S
Published: July 2020

This article takes as its starting point the similar, yet differing, experiences of hearing voices among prisoners in Myanmar. It discusses why the experience of hearing voices described by prisoners is regarded as an occasion to share compassion when it occurs during meditation retreats and as torture when it occurs in solitary confinement. The article uses the concept of liminality to make sense of variations in these spiritual experiences and focuses on three factors: the presence or absence of communitas; a master of ceremony or other guidance; and whether the experiences take place at the volition of the person or is forced upon him. This leads to the conclusion that solitary confinement, due to its forced nature and the absence of communitas and guidance, represents a situation in which the prisoner is at risk of prolonged liminality and social harm which can unhinge him from his interrelational self.
‘Coercive confinement’: An idea whose time has come?
Authors: O’Donnell Ian , O’Sullivan Eoin
Published: July 2020

This article argues in favour of ‘coercive confinement’ as a useful addition to the criminological lexicon. It suggests that to properly understand a country’s level of punitiveness requires consideration of a range of institutions that fall outside the remit of the formal criminal justice system. It also requires a generous longitudinal focus. Using Ireland as a case study, such an approach reveals that since the foundation of the state, the prison has gradually become ascendant. This might be read to imply a punitive turn. But when a broader view is taken to include involuntary detention in psychiatric hospitals, confinement in Magdalen homes and mother and baby homes, and detention in industrial and reformatory schools, the trajectory is strongly downward. This might be read to imply a national programme of decarceration. (In recent years, asylum seekers have been held in congregate settings that are experienced as prison-like and they must be factored into the analysis.) While some of these institutions may have been used with peculiar enthusiasm in Ireland, none are Irish inventions. It would be profitable to extend the idea of ‘coercive confinement’ to other nations with a view to adding some necessary nuance to our understanding of the reach and grip of the carceral state.
The language of incarceration
Authors: Cox Alexandra
Published: July 2020

This brief think piece considers the uses of “people first” language in the context of incarceration, both from a historical and contemporary perspective, and offers some thoughts about the use of this language by prison researchers. It focuses on the uses of such language in the context of disability studies and rights, and the focus on language by activists working to challenge systemic racism and abuse in prison systems in the 1960s and 1970s. It makes an argument for prison researchers to work intentionally with their use of language in keeping with broader disciplinary concerns around meaning making in prisons.
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Luzzatto Lucio , Ally Mwashungi , Notaro Rosario
Published: July 2020

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is 1 of the commonest human enzymopathies, caused by inherited mutations of the X-linked gene G6PD. G6PD deficiency makes red cells highly vulnerable to oxidative damage, and therefore susceptible to hemolysis. Over 200 G6PD mutations are known: approximately one-half are polymorphic and therefore common in various populations. Some 500 million persons with any of these mutations are mostly asymptomatic throughout their lifetime; however, any of them may develop acute and sometimes very severe hemolytic anemia when triggered by ingestion of fava beans, by any of a number of drugs (for example, primaquine, rasburicase), or, more rarely, by infection. Approximately one-half of the G6PD mutations are instead sporadic: rare patients with these mutations present with chronic nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. Almost all G6PD mutations are missense mutations, causing amino acid replacements that entail deficiency of G6PD enzyme activity: they compromise the stability of the protein, the catalytic activity is decreased, or a combination of both mechanisms occurs. Thus, genotype-phenotype correlations have been reasonably well clarified in many cases. G6PD deficiency correlates remarkably, in its geographic distribution, with past/present malaria endemicity: indeed, it is a unique example of an X-linked human polymorphism balanced through protection of heterozygotes from malaria mortality. Acute hemolytic anemia can be managed effectively provided it is promptly diagnosed. Reliable diagnostic procedures are available, with point-of-care tests becoming increasingly important where primaquine and its recently introduced analog tafenoquine are required for the elimination of malaria.
Red cell membrane disorders: structure meets function
Authors: Risinger Mary , Kalfa Theodosia A.
Published: July 2020

The mature red blood cell (RBC) lacks a nucleus and organelles characteristic of most cells, but it is elegantly structured to perform the essential function of delivering oxygen and removing carbon dioxide from all other cells while enduring the shear stress imposed by navigating small vessels and sinusoids. Over the past several decades, the efforts of biochemists, cell and molecular biologists, and hematologists have provided an appreciation of the complexity of RBC membrane structure, while studies of the RBC membrane disorders have offered valuable insights into structure–function relationships. Within the last decade, advances in genetic testing and its increased availability have made it possible to substantially build upon this foundational knowledge. Although disorders of the RBC membrane due to altered structural organization or altered transport function are heterogeneous, they often present with common clinical findings of hemolytic anemia. However, they may require substantially different management depending on the underlying pathophysiology. Accurate diagnosis is essential to avoid emergence of complications or inappropriate interventions. We propose an algorithm for laboratory evaluation of patients presenting with symptoms and signs of hemolytic anemia with a focus on RBC membrane disorders. Here, we review the genotypic and phenotypic variability of the RBC membrane disorders in order to raise the index of suspicion and highlight the need for correct and timely diagnosis.
Diamond-Blackfan anemia
Authors: Da Costa Lydie , Leblanc Thierry , Mohandas Narla
Published: July 2020

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) was the first ribosomopathy described and is a constitutional inherited bone marrow failure syndrome. Erythroblastopenia is the major characteristic of the disease, which is a model for ribosomal diseases, related to a heterozygous allelic variation in 1 of the 20 ribosomal protein genes of either the small or large ribosomal subunit. The salient feature of classical DBA is a defect in ribosomal RNA maturation that generates nucleolar stress, leading to stabilization of p53 and activation of its targets, resulting in cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Although activation of p53 may not explain all aspects of DBA erythroid tropism, involvement of GATA1/HSP70 and globin/heme imbalance, with an excess of the toxic free heme leading to reactive oxygen species production, account for defective erythropoiesis in DBA. Despite significant progress in defining the molecular basis of DBA and increased understanding of the mechanistic basis for DBA pathophysiology, progress in developing new therapeutic options has been limited. However, recent advances in gene therapy, better outcomes with stem cell transplantation, and discoveries of putative new drugs through systematic drug screening using large chemical libraries provide hope for improvement.
Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias
Authors: Iolascon Achille , Andolfo Immacolata , Russo Roberta
Published: July 2020

Congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs) are a heterogeneous group of inherited anemias that affect the normal differentiation–proliferation pathways of the erythroid lineage. They belong to the wide group of ineffective erythropoiesis conditions that mainly result in monolinear cytopenia. CDAs are classified into the 3 major types (I, II, III), plus the transcription factor-related CDAs, and the CDA variants, on the basis of the distinctive morphological, clinical, and genetic features. Next-generation sequencing has revolutionized the field of diagnosis of and research into CDAs, with reduced time to diagnosis, and ameliorated differential diagnosis in terms of identification of new causative/modifier genes and polygenic conditions. The main improvements regarding CDAs have been in the study of iron metabolism in CDAII. The erythroblast-derived hormone erythroferrone specifically inhibits hepcidin production, and its role in the mediation of hepatic iron overload has been dissected out. We discuss here the most recent advances in this field regarding the molecular genetics and pathogenic mechanisms of CDAs, through an analysis of the clinical and molecular classifications, and the complications and clinical management of patients. We summarize also the main cellular and animal models developed to date and the possible future therapies.
Introduction to a review series on inherited anemias
Authors: Cazzola Mario
Published: July 2020

In this commissioned Review Series introduced by Associate Editor Mario Cazzola, experts review the biology and pathophysiology of prominent inherited anemias and provide updated information on their management.
The impact of scrubber discharge on the water quality in estuaries and ports
Authors: Teuchies Johannes , Cox Tom J. S. , Van Itterbeeck Katrien , Meysman Filip J. R. , Blust Ronny
Published: July 2020

Background

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set limits on sulphur content in fuels for marine transport. However, vessels continue to use these residual high-sulphur fuels in combination with exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS or scrubbers). Next to high sulphur, combustion of these fuels also results in higher emissions of contaminants including metals and PAHs. In scrubbers, exhaust gases are sprayed with water in order to remove SOx, resulting in acidic washwater with elevated contaminant concentrations discharged in the aquatic ecosystem. The number of vessels with scrubbers is increasing rapidly, but knowledge on washwater quality and impact are limited.

Results

The scrubber washwater is found to be acidic with elevated concentrations of, e.g. zinc, vanadium, copper, nickel, phenanthrene, naphthalene, fluorene and fluoranthene. Model calculations on the effects of scrubber discharge under scenario HIGH (20% of vessels, 90th percentile concentrations) on the water quality in harbour docks showed a decrease in pH of 0.015 units and an increase in surface water concentrations for e.g. naphthalene (189% increase) and vanadium (46% increase).

Conclusions

The IMO established sulphur regulations to mitigate the impact of high sulphur emissions of the maritime sector. However, the use of open-loop scrubbers as an abatement technology will not reduce their contribution to ocean acidification. In addition, different types of scrubbers discharge washwater that is acutely toxic for aquatic organisms. However, washwater is diluted and the compounds for which a large increase in surface water concentrations was calculated in the Antwerp (Belgium) harbour docks (naphthalene > phenanthrene > fluorene > acenaphthene > vanadium) were not the compounds that already exceed their respective Water Quality Standards (WQS). Nevertheless, the WQS of several ‘priority hazardous substances’ (Water Framework Directive) are already exceeded in the docks and the Scheldt estuary. Since these hazardous substances are also identified in the washwater, scrubber washwater discharge should be discouraged in coastal waters and estuaries with large ecological value.
BiPOm: a rule-based ontology to represent and infer molecule knowledge from a biological process-centered viewpoint
Authors: Henry Vincent , Saïs Fatiha , Inizan Olivier , Marchadier Elodie , Dibie Juliette , Goelzer Anne , Fromion Vincent
Published: July 2020

Background

Managing and organizing biological knowledge remains a major challenge, due to the complexity of living systems. Recently, systemic representations have been promising in tackling such a challenge at the whole-cell scale. In such representations, the cell is considered as a system composed of interlocked subsystems. The need is now to define a relevant formalization of the systemic description of cellular processes.

Results

We introduce BiPOm (Biological interlocked Process Ontology for metabolism) an ontology to represent metabolic processes as interlocked subsystems using a limited number of classes and properties. We explicitly formalized the relations between the enzyme, its activity, the substrates and the products of the reaction, as well as the active state of all involved molecules. We further showed that the information of molecules such as molecular types or molecular properties can be deduced by automatic reasoning using logical rules. The information necessary to populate BiPOm can be extracted from existing databases or existing bio-ontologies.

Conclusion

BiPOm provides a formal rule-based knowledge representation to relate all cellular components together by considering the cellular system as a whole. It relies on a paradigm shift where the anchorage of knowledge is rerouted from the molecule to the biological process.

Availability

BiPOm can be downloaded at https://github.com/SysBioInra/SysOnto