bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between porosity and permeability of stainless steel filters with gradient porosity produced by SLS/SLM
Authors: Fogliatto Aloysio Arthur Becker , Ahrens Carlos Henrique , Wendhausen Paulo Antônio Pereira , Santos Edson Costa , Rodrigues Daniel
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Porous structures have been widely used in filtration, medical implants and aerospace field. In the filtration field, the study of permeability of the porous structures is of great importance. This paper aims to study the influence of selective laser sintering/melting (SLS/SLM) process parameters on porosity and permeability of stainless steels filters with gradient porosity (FGM).

Design/methodology/approach

AISI 316L stainless steel powder was used to manufacture FGM filters by varying the hatch distance while other process parameters were fixed. The relationship between porosity and permeability of such FGM filters was investigated by means of Archimedes’ and Forchheimer’s laws. The gradient of porosity was also analyzed by means of micro-computed tomography.

Findings

The results have confirmed the ability of SLS/SLM in controlling porosity of the final product by varying the hatch distance. Further, the results allow to assume that FGM filters will have particle retention capacity related to lowest porosity value (which in turn is associated with the lowest hatch distance value used), while it will work at lower pressure drops – or at higher flow rates for equal pressure drop – when compared to a filter without gradient porosity.

Originality/value

Some research found in recent literature has showed the relationship between SLS/SLM process parameters and permeability of stainless steel porous structures. However, this paper fulfils the need to understand the relationship between SLS/SLM process parameters, porosity and permeability behavior of functionally graded porous structures (FGM filters).
The effect of cognitive absorption on marketing learning performance
Authors: Guinaliu-Blasco Miguel , Hernández-Ortega Blanca , Franco José L.
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the individual’s experience during the use of Pinterest in a marketing learning process. This experience is a fundamental starting point from which to develop marketing learning processes that flow naturally. Thus, it is necessary to examine the components that determine the individual’s experience and to explore consequences such as collaborative learning and marketing learning performance.

Design/methodology/approach

To conceptualise the individual’s experience, this study focuses on her/his state of cognitive absorption (CA) and establishes a second-order formative structure made up of five components: heightened enjoyment, curiosity, control, temporal dissociation and focused immersion. The model is estimated with partial least squares modelling, using SmartPLS 2.0 software.

Findings

The results confirm the significant weights of the components, with the exception of focused immersion, and support the influence of overall CA on the proposed outcomes. They also confirm that collaborative learning exerts a positive influence on the individual’s performance.

Originality/value

This study makes three contributions. First, it holistically examines the individual’s experience during marketing learning and the importance of its constituent components. Second, it establishes what the consequences of the marketing learning experience are, taking into account both social and individual factors, that is, collaborative learning and individual performance. Third, Pinterest is proposed as a social network with great potential in marketing learning. It is a well-known network which includes very interesting features for learning contexts. Nevertheless, it has been little studied in research.
The efficacy of vonoprazan for management of post‐endoscopic submucosal dissection ulcers compared with proton pump inhibitors: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu Chao , Feng Bing Cheng , Zhang Yan , Li Li Xiang , Zuo Xiu Li , Li Yan Qing
Published: August 2019

Objective

Artificial ulcers after endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) are usually treated by proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in clinical setting. Vonoprazan, a newly developed potassium‐competitive acid blocker, has recently been used to treat post‐ESD ulcers. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of vonoprazan on the healing of post‐ESD artificial ulcers compared with those of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) using a meta‐analysis.

Methods

EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases were searched for all studies comparing the efficacy and safety of vonoprazan with those of PPIs in the treatment of post‐ESD ulcers.

Results

Fourteen articles with 1328 patients were included in this meta‐analysis. When comparing ulcer shrinkage rate, vonoprazan showed a better efficacy than PPIs (mean difference 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.18‐0.93). Vonoprazan also led to a higher scar formation rate (odds ratio [OR] 1.58, 95% CI 1.00‐2.47) and showed a potential superiority on reducing the risk of post‐ESD bleeding compared with PPIs, with a pooled OR of 0.69, although there was no statistically significant difference.

Conclusions

Compared with PPIs, vonoprazan showed a better efficacy in ulcer shrinkage rate and achieved more complete healing in the treatment of post‐ESD ulcers. Vonoprazan did not induce any incremental risk of post‐ESD bleeding as well. It may be an appropriate choice in the management of artificial ulcers after ESD.
Barbauld's Lessons: The Conversational Primer in Late Eighteenth‐Century British Children's Literature
Authors: Lim Jessica Wen Hui
Published: August 2019

This article examines how Anna Letitia Barbauld's Lessons for Children Aged Two to Three Years (1778) facilitated the development of the conversational primer. This genre is characterised by the authorial persona of the parent‐author, and by its conversational format, in which texts present themselves as verisimilar and replicable conversations in the British middle‐class family home. Through a close reading of Lessons for Children and subsequent conversational primers, this article suggests that Barbauld reshaped the history of British middle‐class children's culture, transforming the mother‐teacher into a marketable literary trope and portraying domestic spaces as accessible and immersive sites of child education.
Decoding tumor mutation burden and driver mutations in early stage lung adenocarcinoma using CT‐based radiomics signature
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao , Kong Cheng , Xu Weizhang , Yang Sheng , Shi Dan , Zhang Jingyuan , Du Mulong , Wang Siwei , Bai Yongkang , Zhang Te , Chen Zeng , Ma Zhifei , Wang Jie , Dong Gaochao , Sun Mengting , Yin Rong , Chen Feng
Published: August 2019

Background

Tumor mutation burden (TMB) is an important determinant and biomarker for response of targeted therapy and prognosis in patients with lung cancer. The present study aimed to determine whether radiomics signature could non‐invasively predict the TMB status and driver mutations in patients with resectable early stage lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods

A total of 61pulmonary nodules (PNs) from 51 patients post‐operatively diagnosed LUAD were enrolled for analysis. Two datasets were divided according to two‐thirds of patients from different commercial Comprehensive Genomic Profiling (CGP) panels: a training cohort including 41 PNs and a testing cohort including rest 20PNs. We sequenced all tumor specimens and paired blood cells using next generation sequencing (NGS), so as to detect TMB status and somatic mutations. We collected 718 quantitative 3D radiomics features extracted from segmented volumes of each PNs and 78 clinical and pathological features retrieved from medical records as well. Support vector machine methods were performed to establish the predictive model.

Results

We established an efficient fusion‐positive tumor prediction model that predicts TMB status and EGFR/TP53 mutations of early stage LUAD. The radiomics signature yielded a median AUC value of 0.606, 0.604, and 0.586 respectively. Combining radiomics with the clinical information can further improve the prediction performance, which the median AUC values are 0.671 for TMB, 0.697 and 0.656 for EGFR/TP53 respectively.

Conclusion

It is feasible and effective to facilitate TMB and somatic driver mutations prediction by using the radiomics signature and NGS data in early stage LUAD.
China's Healthcare Costing in Times of Crisis: Conflicts, Interactions, and Hidden Agendas
Authors: Cui Xuegang , Li Pingli , Al‐Sayed Mahmoud , Zhou Sean S.
Published: August 2019

This paper presents a longitudinal interpretive case study on the development of healthcare costing in China over the period 2002 to 2015. Adopting a middle‐range theory lens, the study explores dynamic interactions in the use of cost information among societal institutions and organizations. It reports the successful internalization of costing systems in public hospitals in Beijing, which supports the effectiveness of a hybrid steering mechanism combining both transactional and relational features; however, such successful internalization does not indicate the success of steering the lifeworld of institutions and organizations towards change. Notably, hospitals' responses to steering alter over time, from passive absorption to active manipulation, revealing how cost information may underpin hospital beliefs in marketization. At an institutional level, the paper provides empirical evidence for relational steering among societal institutions, where a reaction of ‘rebuttal’ is observed. It offers insights on how accounting can be a powerful tool in legitimizing such rebuttal, while keeping political considerations as hidden agendas. The findings suggest the importance of understanding lifeworld complexity at both societal and organizational levels, and cross‐institutional collaboration in using accounting as a steering mechanism. The findings have important policy implications for public sector reform, both in China and worldwide.
Negative expectations and bad relationships: Effects of negative metastereotypes on doctor–patient relationships
Authors: He Wen , Wang Xiaolan , Zhou Xingchen , Xu Lulu
Published: August 2019

This research aimed to examine the effects of negative metastereotypes (i.e., patients believe that doctors have negative opinions about them) and conflict experience on doctor–patient relationships. A 2 × 2 experimental study was conducted on 84 outpatients who were randomly assigned to either a negative metastereotype activation (NMSA) condition or a nonnegative metastereotype activation (non‐NMSA) condition. Each group consisted of patients with and without conflict experience (CE). Intergroup anxiety and doctor–patient relationships were subsequently assessed. Results showed that NMSA and CE increased intergroup anxiety and undermined doctor–patient relationships. In addition, the interaction between NMSA and CE on doctor–patient relationships was significant. When negative metastereotypes were activated, patients with CE showed more unfavorable relationships with doctors as compared with those under non‐NMSA activation condition; no metastereotype effects on doctor–patient relationships were observed among patients without CE. These findings provided insights into an important predictor of doctor–patient relationships as well as its mechanism. Future studies should consider negative metastereotypes and CE to develop interventions for improving doctor–patient relationships.
Surgical aortic valve replacement in Australia, 2002–2015: temporal changes in clinical practice, patient profiles and outcomes
Authors: Si Si , Hillis Graham S. , Sanfilippo Frank M. , Smith Julian , Tran Lavinia , Reid Christopher M. , Briffa Tom
Published: August 2019

Background

This study describes the temporal changes in risk profiles and outcomes among patients with aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in Australia between 2002 and 2015.

Methods

Using the Australian and New Zealand Society of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgeons database, we identified first‐recorded SAVR for AS over 14 years. Patients’ surgical risk profiles, procedures, 30‐day and 12‐month outcomes were summarized before and after the introduction of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Australia, in 2008. We applied multivariable regression models to investigate the changes over time on risk‐adjusted 30‐day mortality, re‐hospitalization and 12‐month mortality.

Results

We identify a total of 18 147 patients with AS who underwent SAVR; mostly men (64%) with a mean age of 72 years. The proportion of major cardiac surgeries devoted to SAVR increased from 14% in 2002 to 20% in 2015. More SAVRs were performed electively (80% in 2002 versus 86% in 2015), and the recipients were at lower surgical risk (mean multi‐risk score 3.9% in 2002 versus 3.0% in 2015). The use of bioprosthetic aortic valves increased over time (67% in 2002 to 88% in 2015). We found no significant changes in 30‐day mortality, a significant decrease in 30‐day readmission and minor fluctuations in 12‐month mortality over the study period.

Conclusion

SAVR comprises an increasingly larger proportion of all adult cardiac surgeries in Australia. There has been a greater use of bioprosthetic aortic valves, a fall in 30‐day readmission but no significant changes in mortality.
Letter: moderate‐to‐severe hepatic steatosis leads to overestimation of liver stiffness measurement in chronic hepatitis B patients without significant fibrosis
Authors: Dong Jia‐Jia , Cai Yi‐Jing
Published: August 2019

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Shen et al and Shen and Fan papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15298 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15422.
Editorial: UK quality of care drive improving ulcerative colitis hospital outcomes
Authors: Moore Gregory
Published: August 2019

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Shawihdi et al and Bodger papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15315 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15444.
Letter: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG offers no benefit over placebo in children with acute gastroenteritis
Authors: Schnadower David , Tarr Phillip I. , Freedman Stephen B.
Published: August 2019

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Szajewska et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15267 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15431.
Editorial: gut microbial profile associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis—what is new and how do we progress from here?
Authors: Quraishi Mohammed Nabil , Shaheen Walaa A.
Published: August 2019

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Rühlemann et al and Rühlemann and Franke papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15375 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15434.
Editorial: awareness and prevention of intravenous iron‐induced hypophosphataemia. Authors' reply
Authors: Detlie Trond Espen , Jahnsen Jørgen
Published: August 2019

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Detlie et al and Musgrove and Wolf et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15386 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15437.
Editorial: UK quality of care drive improving ulcerative colitis hospital outcomes. Author's reply
Authors: Bodger Keith ,   On behalf of all co‐authors
Published: August 2019

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Shawihdi et al and Moore papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15315 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15412.
Congenital factor XIII deficiency: comprehensive overview of the FranceCoag cohort
Authors: Bouttefroy Séverine , Meunier Sandrine , Milien Vanessa , Boucekine Mohamed , Chamouni Pierre , Desprez Dominique , Harroche Annie , Hochart Audrey , Thiercelin-Legrand Marie Françoise , Wibaut Bénédicte , Chambost Hervé , Rugeri Lucia ,   the CoDeC study group
Published: August 2019

This FranceCoag network study assessed 33 patients with congenital factor XIII (FXIII) deficiency presenting FXIII levels <10 iu/dl. Diagnosis was based on abnormal bleeding in 29 patients, a positive family history in 2, recurrent miscarriages in 1 and was fortuitous in 1. Eighteen patients (62·1%) presented life‐threatening umbilical or intracranial haemorrhages (ICH). Seven of the 15 patients who experienced ICH were diagnosed but untreated, including 3 with secondary neurological sequelae. All pregnancies without prophylaxis (26/26) led to miscarriages versus 3/16 with prophylaxis. In patients exhibiting FXIII levels <10 iu/dl, prophylaxis could be discussed at diagnosis and at pregnancy. Further controlled prospective studies are needed.
Lgl1 deficiency disrupts hippocampal development and impairs cognitive performance in mice
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Hou Congzhe , Zhang Sen , Liu Shuoyang , Li Zhenzu , Gao Jiangang
Published: August 2019

Cellular polarity is crucial for brain development and morphogenesis. Lethal giant larvae 1 (Lgl1) plays a crucial role in the establishment of cell polarity from Drosophila to mammalian cells. Previous studies have found the importance of Lgl1 in the development of cerebellar, olfactory bulb, and cerebral cortex. However, the role of Lgl1 in hippocampal development during the embryonic stage and function in adult mice is still unknown. In our study, we created Lgl1‐deficient hippocampus mice by using Emx1‐Cre mice. Histological analysis showed that the Emx1‐Lgl1−/− mice exhibited reduced size of the hippocampus with severe malformations of hippocampal cytoarchitecture. These defects mainly originated from the disrupted hippocampal neuroepithelium, including increased cell proliferation, abnormal interkinetic nuclear migration, reduced differentiation, increased apoptosis, gradual disruption of adherens junctions, and abnormal neuronal migration. The radial glial scaffold was disorganized in the Lgl1‐deficient hippocampus. Thus, Lgl1 plays a distinct role in hippocampal neurogenesis. In addition, the Emx1‐Lgl1−/− mice displayed impaired behavioral performance in the Morris water maze and fear conditioning test.
The formation of agricultural e‐commerce clusters: A case from China
Authors: Zeng Yiwu , Guo Hongdong , Yao Yanfei , Huang Lu
Published: August 2019

Agricultural e‐commerce clusters are new phenomena that have emerged in rural China. In examining the case of Shuyang County in Jiangsu Province, this paper puts forward an integrated model revealing the formation mechanism of agricultural e‐commerce clusters. The paper shows that the formation of agricultural e‐commerce clusters involves four processes of technology introduction, technology diffusion, quality crisis, and industrial agglomeration based on elements such as industry bases, e‐commerce platforms, network facilities, logistics services, entrepreneurial talent, local government, and market demand. Rural social networks and imitation behaviors promote technology diffusion by reducing the cost of technology introduction, and industrial agglomeration is found in the economies showing a deepening of labor divisions and geographic agglomeration. Throughout the formation process, a quality crisis may occur due to a race to the bottom and the opportunistic behaviors of local farmers. This work suggests that regional e‐commerce development is a systematic project. Governments of developing countries should not only realize the positive impacts of e‐commerce for the development of the agricultural industry but also recognize the premise and logic of how e‐commerce can play a prominent role.
Validation of the Modified Frailty Phenotype Measure in Older Mexican Americans
Authors: Li Chih‐Ying , Al Snih Soham , Chen Nai‐Wei , Markides Kyriakos S. , Sodhi Jaspreet , Ottenbacher Kenneth J.
Published: August 2019

OBJECTIVES

Develop and validate a modified frailty phenotype measure for older Mexican Americans participating in the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (H‐EPESE) and related studies.

DESIGN

Expert‐based panel evaluation of content validity, cross‐sectional analysis of construct validity, and longitudinal analysis of criterion validity for a modified version of the frailty phenotype measure.

SETTING

Five southwestern states.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1833 community‐dwelling Mexican Americans aged 67 years or older.

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty was assessed using the frailty phenotype measure (weight loss, weakness, exhaustion, slowness, and low physical activity) and a modified frailty phenotype measure (replacing “low physical activity” with “limitations in walking half a mile”). Each individual was classified as non‐frail, pre‐frail, or frail based on both frailty measures (original vs modified). Expert panel consensus was used to examine content validity. Spearman correlation, κ, weighted κ, and bootstrapping κ examined construct validity (n = 1833). Generalized linear mixed models, odds ratios, Cox proportional regression models, hazard ratios, and C statistics were used to analyze criterion validity (n = 1446) across four outcomes: hospitalization, physician visits, disability, and mortality from wave 3 (1998‐99) through wave 8 (2012‐13).

RESULTS

The original and modified frailty phenotype measures had a strong correlation (r = .89; P < .000) and agreement (κ = .84; 95% confidence interval [CI] = .81‐.86; weighted κ = .86; 95% CI = .84‐.88; bootstrap κ = .84; 95% CI = .81‐.86; bootstrap‐weighted κ = .86; 95% CI = .84‐.88 with 1000 bootstrapping samples). Four outcome models showed similar risk predictions for both frailty measures, with the exception of physician visits for frail participants.

CONCLUSION

“Limitations in walking half a mile” can be used as a substitute criterion for “low physical activity” in assessing frailty. The modified frailty phenotype measure was comparable with the original frailty phenotype measure in H‐EPESE participants over time. Our results indicate the modified frailty phenotype is a useful longitudinally frailty measure for community‐dwelling older Mexican Americans. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2393–2397, 2019
The restructuring of Italian agriculture and its impact upon capital–labour relations: Labour contracting and exploitation in the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain of the Lazio Region, Central Italy
Authors: Salvia Lucilla
Published: August 2019

Labour contracting is anywhere on the rise globally, even in fully developed capitalist countries. Far from being an anomaly in the smooth everyday functioning of the economy, contractors are a crucial node in facilitating and ensuring global capital's control over local labour regimes. This article uses a global value chain perspective to investigate the re‐emergence of gangmasters and gang labour in the agricultural sector of Lazio, Central Italy. It analyses the fruit and vegetable supply chain formation and configuration in the Lazio Region with the aim of identifying the underlying processes leading to the creation of gangmasters by capital to have a cheap and disposable, especially migrant, labour force. It also intends to give a more nuanced understanding of labour contracting in this context.
Motivation to Change and Treatment Participation Among Syringe Service Program Utilizers in Rural Kentucky
Authors: Surratt Hilary L. , Otachi Janet K. , Williams Timothy , Gulley Jennifer , Lockard A. Scott , Rains Rebecca
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Kentucky experiences a disproportionate burden of substance use disorder (SUD), particularly in rural areas of the state. Multiple factors increase vulnerability to SUD and limit access to services in rural communities. However, the recent implementation and expansion of syringe service programs (SSPs) in rural Kentucky may provide a leverage point to reach at‐risk people who inject drugs (PWID).

Methods

Data were collected as part of an ongoing NIDA‐funded study designed to examine uptake of SSPs among PWID in Appalachian Kentucky. Using Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS), the study enrolled a sample of 186 PWID SSP attenders across 3 rural Appalachian Kentucky counties and conducted face‐to‐face interviews regarding health behaviors, injecting practices, SSP utilization, and treatment services. Using logistic regression analyses, we examined consistent SSP use, as well as importance and confidence to reduce substance use as predictors of current treatment participation.

Findings

For the prior 6 months, 44.6% of the sample reported consistent SSP use. Consistent use of SSPs was associated with treatment participation in the unadjusted logistic regression models. Significant predictors of treatment participation in the adjusted model included high confidence to reduce substance use, and not reporting primary methamphetamine injection.

Conclusions

Rurally located SSPs may play an important role in supporting confidence and motivation to change substance use behaviors among PWID impacted by SUD. SSPs may be critical venues for integration and expansion of prevention, health promotion, and treatment linkage services for this underserved population.
House sparrow uropygial gland secretions do not attract ornithophilic nor mammophilic mosquitoes
Authors: Díez‐Fernández A. , Martínez‐de la Puente J. , Gangoso L. , Ferraguti M. , Soriguer R. , Figuerola J.
Published: August 2019

Mosquito feeding preferences determine host–vector contact rates and represent a key factor in the transmission of vector‐borne pathogens. The semiochemical compounds of which vertebrate odours are composed probably play a role in mosquito host choice. Birds spread secretions from uropygial gland over their feathers to protect their plumage, comprising behaviour that may in turn affect odour profiles. Although uropygial secretions are expected to modify the attractiveness of birds to mosquitoes, contradictory findings have been reported. Mosquito species differ in their feeding preferences, with some species feeding mainly on birds (ornithophilic species) and others on mammals (mammophilic species). Consequently, it is possible that ornithophilic and mammophilic species differ in their response to uropygial gland secretions. Using a dual‐choice olfactometer, the present study tests this hypothesis by comparing the behavioural response to uropygial gland secretions from juvenile male and female house sparrows (Passer domesticus) in the ornithophilicCulex pipiensand the mammophilicAedes(Ochlerotatus)caspiusmosquitoes. No differences were found in the response of either mosquito species to the uropygial gland secretions. Therefore, the preference of ornithophilic mosquitoes for avian hosts is apparently not explained by a greater attraction of mosquitoes to the uropygial gland secretion odour when presented in combination with a CO2‐enriched airflow.
Nursing practice in stroke rehabilitation: Perspectives from multi‐disciplinary healthcare professionals
Authors: Meng Xianmei , Chen Xuemei , Liu Zhihui , Zhou Lanshu
Published: August 2019

In this qualitative, descriptive study, we explored the status of and factors related to nursing practice for stroke rehabilitation in China, considering the perspectives of multi‐disciplinary healthcare professionals. Fifteen participants were interviewed in depth, followed by field observations at three healthcare institutions. Data were analyzed using ethnographic data analysis methods. Current nursing practice for patients with stroke emerged as a cultural domain that included nine patterns: coordination of nursing, basic nursing following nursing procedures, limited rehabilitation nursing care with varied functions, therapeutic function in rehabilitation care, the importance of nurses' involvement in rehabilitation, environments making rehabilitation nursing possible, inadequate staffing for the numerous clinical nursing practices, lack of effective communication with other healthcare professionals, and lack of policies regarding rehabilitation nursing practice. Nurses' role in stroke rehabilitation must be addressed by updating nursing practice. Further, stroke team leaders must recognize the constraints faced by nurses in fulfilling their stroke‐rehabilitation roles.
Esophageal acid sensitivity in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease: Does esophageal hypomotility matter?
Authors: Wong Ming‐Wun , Hung Jui‐Sheng , Lei Wei‐Yi , Liu Tso‐Tsai , Yi Chih‐Hsun , Chen Chien‐Lin
Published: August 2019

Background/Aim

Esophageal acid sensitivity plays a role in symptomatic manifestation of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Esophageal hypomotility is common in patients with GERD. We aimed to determine whether esophageal acid sensitivity may differ between patients with and without esophageal hypomotility.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled 41 consecutive patients (10 females, mean age 53 years, range 32‐79) with typical reflux symptoms and 10 healthy subjects (5 females, mean age 45 years, range 28‐56) for esophageal acid sensitivity and motility tests. Demographics, body mass index (BMI), and reflux symptoms using a validated questionnaire (GERDQ) were recorded. All subjects underwent infusion of 0.1 N hydrochloric acid in the esophagus at a rate of 10 mL/min for 10 minutes. The parameters for esophageal acid infusion included lag time, intensity rating, and acid sensitivity score.

Results

Esophageal motility diagnosis included 24 patients with normal motility and 17 patients with ineffective esophageal motility (IEM). Lag time was similar between the patient groups. No differences between patients with normal motility and IEM were found for any of other acid infusion parameters. There was a positive correlation between lag time and BMI (r = .33, P = .04). GERDQ was negatively correlated to lag time (r = −.73, P < .001).

Conclusions

Esophageal acid sensitivity was similar in GERD patients with and without hypomotility. Decreased acid sensitivity in individuals with increasing body mass index may play a pathological role in symptomatic modulation of patients with GERD.
Marker‐assisted parentage analysis reveals high individual selfing rates in tetraploid red clover genotypes selected for seed yield
Authors: Vleugels Tim , Roldán‐Ruiz Isabel , Cnops Gerda
Published: August 2019

Seed yield is a major breeding target in tetraploid red clover. We investigated if marker‐assisted parentage analysis can identify progeny plants with two high seed‐yielding parents in tetraploid red clover and if this technique is more advantageous than traditional half‐sib selection. Parentage analysis was successfully performed on the progeny from the 10% highest seed‐yielding genotypes from a second‐cycle family selection trial: 16.0% of progeny were identified with a high seed‐yielding father. However, progeny plants with two high seed‐yielding parents did not produce more seeds than traditionally selected progeny (27.3 g vs. 30.7 g/plant, respectively). The 10% highest seed‐yielding genotypes displayed on average 2% self‐fertilization. Four genotypes were self‐fertile with individual selfing rates up to 20%. Our results discourage the use of marker‐assisted parentage analysis to improve seed yield in tetraploid red clover when the material has been preselected for seed yield. Breeders should be aware that intensive selection for seed yield in tetraploid red clover may inadvertently lead to selection for increased self‐fertility, which may increase inbreeding in the long term.
Successful use of topical minoxidil in the treatment of hypotrichosis associated with desmoplakin mutations
Authors: Dowd Margaret , Antonov Nina , Garzon Maria , Lauren Christine
Published: August 2019

Syndromes associated with desmosomal protein mutations such as desmoplakin can result in hair abnormalities including congenital alopecia and hypotrichosis. Herein, we present an 8‐year‐old boy, with a combination of two heterozygous mutations in the DSP gene encoding desmoplakin associated with congenital alopecia and long‐standing hypotrichosis, who was treated with off‐label use of topical minoxidil 5% foam once daily with dramatic growth after 2 months of therapy and sustained results at 1 year. Topical minoxidil may be effective in management of congenital alopecia and hypotrichosis associated with desmoplakin mutations.
The Law: Going Outside of the Family: Toward a Greater Understanding of Presidents’ Pursuit of Their Agendas Through Cross‐Party Federal Court Nominations
Authors: McLeod Aman
Published: August 2019

This article explores presidential success at finding nominees outside of their parties who have policy views similar to those of people in their parties, by comparing the voting records of four presidents’ cross‐party–nominated circuit court judges with those of their same‐party–nominated circuit court judges. The results show that most of the presidents examined found cross‐party nominees who voted like their same‐party nominees. This finding suggests that presidents can use cross‐party nominations to make cross‐partisan gestures, confident in their ability to find politically compatible cross‐party nominees. The findings also suggest that cross‐party nominations face shorter confirmation durations in periods of intense Senate obstruction.
Edward Barton in Hungary: Arguments for travel as diplomatic service
Authors: Kowalczyk Tomasz
Published: August 2019

This article examines the correspondence of the second English ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Edward Barton (1562/3–98), pertaining to his controversial voyage into Hungary as part of Sultan Mehmed III's army in 1596. Barton travelled without prior permission from Queen Elizabeth I, prompting her anger that a Christian representative of England should travel as an active participant of an invading Muslim army. This article shows how Barton's writing constructed his involvement in the voyage not only as an important and desirable opportunity, but further as a transgressive travel experience which was essential to the development of a model of ambassadorial conduct which had to evolve to meet the new challenges of facilitating cross‐cultural diplomatic alliances. Prioritising rhetoric which rehearsed arguments that experiential travel knowledge was an essential and unique source of information, Barton attempted to shape the reception of his actions by relating his position in carefully constructed written accounts. This hitherto unexplored approach to Barton's correspondence allows us a deeper understanding of the extent to which his writing, as well as his actions, pioneered a new model of cross‐cultural diplomacy at a crucial point for Elizabethan ‘foreign policy’.
Description of a novel HLA null allele, DRB1*15:176N
Authors: Balas Antonio , Alenda Raquel , Moreno‐Hidalgo Miguel A. , García‐Sánchez Felix , Vicario José L.
Published: August 2019

A new HLA null allele, DRB1*15:176N, was characterized in a Spanish volunteer bone marrow donor.
Resection of urachal anomalies in dogs with recurrent lower urinary tract disease
Authors: Visser Judith , Kummeling Anne , van Nugteren Marjon A. , Grinwis Guy C. M. , Brocks Bouvien A. W.
Published: August 2019

Objective

To determine whether surgical removal of urachal anomalies improves the outcomes of dogs with recurrent lower urinary tract disease (LUTD) and bacterial urinary tract infection (BUTI).

Study design

Retrospective study.

Animals

Thirty‐three dogs with urachal anomalies and recurrent LUTD or BUTI.

Methods

Medical records of dogs with LUTD or BUTI and a diagnosis of urachal anomaly treated by partial cystectomy were reviewed. A minimum follow‐up of 9 months was required for inclusion.

Results

Median age at onset of clinical signs was 12 months (range, 1 month to 10 years). Urachal anomalies were detected with histopathology in 20 of 28 (71%) dogs. At a median follow‐up of 22 months (range, 9‐114), 21 of 28 (64%) dogs were free of signs of LUTD. Nine (27%) dogs exhibited reduced signs of LUTD; in three (9%) dogs, no clinical improvement was observed. Among the 25 dogs with confirmed preoperative BUTI, 22 clinically improved with surgery.

Conclusion

Partial cystectomy reduced the long‐term severity of clinical signs and risk of recurrence of LUTD or BUTI in dogs with confirmed or suspected urachal anomalies.

Clinical significance

Partial cystectomy should be considered as an adjunct to the treatment of LUTD and BUTI in dogs.
Is the presence of echo-rich periportal cuffing in the liver indicator for abdominal inflammation in pediatric patients?
Authors: Fidan Nurdan , Mermi Yetis Esra Ummuhan , Murat Muammer , Yucesoy Cuneyt , Turgal Ebru , Metin Mehmet
Published: August 2019

Aims: Hyperechoic/echo-rich periportal cuffing (ErPC) is defined as an increase in echogenicity relative to the adjacentliver parenchyma. Thickening in the periportal area may occur with proliferation of bile ducts, hemorrhage, oedema, fibrosis,inflammatory changes or a combination of these. The aim of this study is to determine which intraabdominal inflammatory diseases are associated with the presence of ErPC in the pediatric population and to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of this finding.Material and methods: In this prospective study 200 consecutive children who underwent abdominal ultrasonography (US) were included: group 1, the patient group (100 children with appendicitis, gastroenteritis, mesenteric lymphadenitis, intestinal infection, terminal ileitis and invagination as cause of intra-abdominal inflammation) and group 2, the control group (100 children).Results: The ErPC was positive in 74 (74%) cases in the patient group and in 3 (3%) in the control group. According to final diagnoses, we found ErPC in most of patients with gastroenteritis (16/17), perforated appendicitis (10/11), mesenteric lymphadenitis (5/6) and acute appendicitis (27/37). The sensitivity of ErPC in indicating intra-abdominal inflammation was 0.80 and its specificity was 0.87. No significant correlation between ErPC and age, gender and CRP was found but a moderate and significant positive correlation between ErPC and WBC (p=0,010; r=0.255) was detected. Very good concordance between observers in terms of the presence of ErPC on abdominal US was found (concordance 97% and kappa 0.93).Conclusions: We consider that the presence of ErPC in pediatric patients, when evaluated alongside clinical and laboratory findings, has a high sensitivity and specificity for inflammatory intra-abdominal pathology.
Primary urethral carcinoma – unexpected cause of urethral stricture. Case report and review of the literature.
Authors: Krukowski Jakub , Czajkowski Mateusz , Kłącz Jakub , Wawrzaszek Olga , Gołębiewska Martyna , Matuszewski Marcin
Published: August 2019

Primary cancer of urethra (PCU) is one of rarest malignancies of the urinary tract. In early stages this type of cancer presents non specific symptoms which can be mistaken with more common urethral strictures. That is why the PCU is frequently recognize in a locally advanced stage. The basic tool used in the diagnosis is MRI, but ultrasonography can be also used at the beginning of diagnosis. We present the case of 66-year old patient with PCU, initially diagnosed due to urethral stricture. We report probably the first case of well documented sonourethrography findings in PCU.
The Auckland MA Sociology (Option II- Social Welfare and Development): A social work qualification gone but not forgotten
Authors: Staniforth Barbara
Published: August 2019

INTRODUCTION: The University of Auckland MA in Sociology (Option II–Social Welfare and Development) (“the Programme”) was a qualifying social work programme that admitted students from 1975 to 1979. This article describes this programme and some of the issues that led to its short-lived tenure.METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 staff and students who had been involved with this programme. One person, involved in the accreditation of the Programme was also interviewed, and one person provided feedback in an email. Information was also obtained through archived University of Auckland documents, reports, and various forms of personal correspondence provided by June Kendrick. FINDINGS: The Programme was championed by the Head of the Department of Sociology (David Pitt). There were resource limitations and philosophical tensions within the Department about the qualification. There was little support for its continuation at the end of a three-year grant and after the departure of David Pitt. The New Zealand Social Work Training Council accredited it after its discontinuation.CONCLUSION: The Programme made a valuable contribution to the profession of social work and social work education and forms an important part of the history of social work in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Social work practice in health: An introduction to context, theories and skills
Authors: Petrakis Melissa
Published: August 2019

Reviewed by Karin Jansen, Social Worker in Health, Cancer Support, Counties Manukau Health and Clinical Secondment Lecturer, University of Auckland.
Creating space for critical feminist social work pedagogy
Authors: Epstein Sarah Bernadette , Hosken Norah , Vassos Sevi
Published: August 2019

INTRODUCTION: The practice and teaching of western social work is shaped within the institutional context of a predominately managerial higher education sector and neoliberal societal context that valorises the individual. Critical feminist social work educators face constraints and challenges when trying to imagine, co-construct, enact and improve ways to engage in the communal relationality of critical feminist pedagogy.APPROACH: In this article, the authors draw upon the literature and use a reflective, inductive approach to explore and analyse observations made about efforts to engage with a subversive pedagogy whilst surviving in the neoliberal academy.CONCLUSION: While the article draws on experiences of social work teaching and research in a regional Australian university, the matters explored are likely to have resonance for social work education in other parts of the world. A tentative outline for thinking about the processes involved in co-creating a critical feminist pedagogical practice is offered.
Blame, culture and child protection
Authors: Leigh Jadwiga
Published: August 2019

Book review by Irene de Haan, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Privileging participation in the Pacific: Researcher reflections
Authors: Saxton Kate
Published: August 2019

This researcher reflection examines the challenges faced in using participatory action research (PAR) as a methodology when researching social work in Fiji. PAR allows for disadvantaged groups to engage in research and social action as a means to address inequity. However, PAR relies on people’s ability and desire to participate in this process of change. The epistemological roots of PAR are well suited to Western notions of democracy and power, conflicting with how society operates within Fiji. This reflection examines some of the challenges faced in conducting PAR due to this cultural clash. In conducting this research, the researcher was forced to engage in deep and, at times, confronting, reflections about identity and positionality as both a critical social worker and researcher. By using a PAR approach as the starting point for research design and implementation, the research not only failed to empower Fijian social workers but at times replicated a form of neo-colonialism.
Culturally relevant pedagogy for social work learning in Papua New Guinea: Perspectives from the University of Papua New Guinea’s fieldwork programme
Authors: Lawihin Dunstan
Published: August 2019

INTRODUCTION: Social work education was introduced in the early 1970s in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and is still developing. Subsequently, its teaching and learning approaches have developed and, significantly, applied with greater flexibility than a standardised format although contemporary western methods predominate. METHOD: The centrality of the PNG context for culturally relevant social work education and the paradigms of pedagogy in field education are discussed. PNG worldviews of teaching and learning have links to similar educational and practice perspectives from the Melanesian region, Pacific and other relevant non-western contexts.CONCLUSIONS: PNG’s ways of teaching and learning are yet to become formally integrated into contemporary social work education due to issues of credibility, relevance and quality assurance regarding professional social work values. The article argues for substantial integration and utilisation of traditional PNG-specific methods of teaching and learning in the delivery of social work education at the University of Papua New Guinea (UPNG) as important steps in developing the profession in the country. Indigenous local knowledge and practices of teaching and learning should become integrated into formal classroom pedagogical strategies in social work.
Australian students going to the Pacific Islands: International social work placements and learning across Oceania
Authors: Ravulo Jioji
Published: August 2019

INTRODUCTION: This paper explores various issues pertinent to international social work practice, including its definition, how Western epistemologies affect international placements, barriers to effective placements and student motivations for undertaking practicum away from home. METHOD: Reviewed literature will be coupled with Australian student-participants’ evaluations of their experience in completing social work placements in Fiji and Samoa.  FINDINGS: A new model of approaching Pacific social work across Oceania emerges from the study. Entitled Tanoa Ni Veiqaravi(Serving Bowl of Serving Others), this culturally nuanced framework integrates both Western and Pacific social work perspectives to support professional practice, policy development and research across the region.CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations for the improvement of international field practice are offered.
Working with gender in transformative education and supervision: Unpacking the invisible handbag
Authors: Douglas Jude
Published: August 2019

As an educator and professional supervisor, I am physically located in Aotearoa New Zealand and I am also part of a global community of practice. My increased access to online global discourses on both feminism and social work has led me to critically examine my work, in particular in relation to the social justice imperative implicit in my professional roles.
Grandparents battle to be key stakeholders in protecting grandchildren
Authors: Gair Susan , Zuchowski Ines
Published: August 2019

INTRODUCTION: Grandparents are increasingly involved in the care of grandchildren, including after child protection intervention.METHOD: A recent Australian qualitative research partnership explored how relationships between grandparents and their grandchildren could be optimised after child safety concerns.  Interviews and focus groups were undertaken with 77 participants, including 51 grandparents, 12 parents, six foster carers and eight child and family workers. Emerging themes reported here focus on the role of grandparents and their perceptions of, and interactions with, the child protection system.FINDINGS: Overall, findings identify that grandparents wanted to help safeguard their grandchildren but many encountered an adversarial child protection system that left them feeling powerless, fearful and unimportant. Aboriginal participants reiterated that child protection workers needed to better understand how maintaining kinship networks provided a protective factor for Aboriginal children, and that grandparents were key stakeholders in their grandchildren’s lives.IMPLICATIONS: The findings from this study affirm the value and role of grandparents and highlight the need for implemented family-inclusive child protection practice within and beyond the Australian context.