bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Evaluations Rise With Experience?
Authors: O’Connor Kieran , Cheema Amar
Published: March 2018

Sequential evaluation is the hallmark of fair review: The same raters assess the merits of applicants, athletes, art, and more using standard criteria. We investigated one important potential contaminant in such ubiquitous decisions: Evaluations become more positive when conducted later in a sequence. In four studies, (a) judges’ ratings of professional dance competitors rose across 20 seasons of a popular television series, (b) university professors gave higher grades when the same course was offered multiple times, and (c) in an experimental test of our hypotheses, evaluations of randomly ordered short stories became more positive over a 2-week sequence. As judges completed repeated evaluations, they experienced more fluent decision making, producing more positive judgments (Study 4 mediation). This seemingly simple bias has widespread and impactful consequences for evaluations of all kinds. We also report four supplementary studies to bolster our findings and address alternative explanations.
Performance analysis on an air-conditioning system installed with and without a fuzzy logic thermostat in an office building
Authors: Yau YH , Chang CP
Published: March 2018

The current research presents the study of the proposed thermostat setting developed in the previous work through a numerical simulation project using transient system simulation tool. The transient system simulation tool code is used to integrate the fuzzy logic to optimise a room thermostat with the multi-zone building model (Type56a). A set of equations is designed in the transient system simulation tool project to represent the fuzzy logic control system of the proposed thermostat setting. The performance analysis for the air-conditioning system installed with and without the application of the control system in terms of the operative zone temperature, the sensible cooling demand, the solar radiation, and the internal gains for a thermal zone for recent years or 2000s, and for the years 2020, 2050 and 2080 were comprehensively examined. Estimations of both predicted mean vote and predicted percentage of dissatisfied persons of the zone were also investigated. The findings indicate that a considerable amount of sensible cooling demand of approximately 8420 kJ/h or equivalent to 3.54% can be saved with the application of the proposed thermostat setting. The predicted mean vote is in the range from −0.22 to 0.72 with its average between 0.20 and 0.26 for the AC system installed with fuzzy logic control. These results further suggest that the thermal comfort of occupants can be improved taking into account their activity level, clothing insulation, indoor air temperature, air velocity, mean radiant temperature and relative humidity.
Municipal solid waste as an alternative energy source
Authors: Vlaskin Mikhail S
Published: March 2018

One of the main objectives in the field of waste management today is the implementation of waste-to-energy concept, because it decreases the amount of municipal solid waste landfilled and economizes the traditional hydrocarbon fuels. One of the main objectives of this study was to assess the global energetic potential of municipal solid waste and its potential contribution in energy balance. This evaluation was based on the analysis of main municipal solid waste properties such as component and chemical compositions, and heating value. The comparison of municipal solid waste properties and energetic potential with those for traditional solid fuels was also discussed. For comparison, the biomass samples and coals collected from Russian coal basins were considered. Study of municipal solid waste properties showed that municipal solid waste represents a well-flammable fuel with high carbon content (up to 50–60% for dry ash-free basis), and relatively high O/C atomic ratio. Total world energetic potential of municipal solid waste was estimated as 20 billion GJ that is 12.6% from energetic potential of coal mined. It was shown that by municipal solid waste incineration it is possible to produce 800 billion kWh of electrical energy that is about 3.5% of total world electricity generation. It was shown that in 2035 energetic potential of municipal solid waste may share up to 21.7% from energetic potential of coal. Executed estimations confirmed the urgency of municipal solid waste waste-to-energy implementation.
Anxiety and defensiveness as predictors of maternal child-centrism
Authors: Kestler-Peleg Miri , Lavenda Osnat
Published: March 2018

Maternal child-centrism is widely regarded in Western societies as the ideal of being a good mother. However, it has recently been criticized for the toll it takes on mothers. This study examines the widespread maternal practice of child-centrism. It is the first, to our knowledge, to examine predictors of the tendency towards child-centrism. Nowadays, with the social unwritten imperative to prioritize children's needs regardless of maternal standpoint, this study aims to focus and shed light on mothers and to explore which maternal characteristics predict maternal child-centrism. Self-reported questionnaires were completed by 320 Jewish-Israeli mothers, dealing with maternal child-centrism, maternal characteristics (i.e. attachment style, anxiety, defensiveness, and negative and positive affect), and socio-demographic context. The results of the Hierarchical Regression analysis revealed that stress-related maternal characteristics of anxiety and defensiveness predicted maternal child-centrism. These findings may imply that child-centrism serves as a mechanism for overcoming distress faced by mothers struggling with current Western societal norms. Its relationship to the feminist conceptualization of the Myth of Motherhood is discussed.
Chasing unicorns: The European single safe asset project
Authors: Gabor Daniela , Vestergaard Jakob
Published: March 2018

For the past 20 years, Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) institutions have sought to engineer a single safe asset that would provide a credible store of value for capital market participants. Before 2008, the European Central Bank used shadow banking to create a single safe asset that we term shadow money, and in doing so also erased borders between Euro area government bond markets. Lacking appropriate ECB support, shadow euros could not withstand the pressures of the global financial crisis and brought down several periphery euro government bonds with them. Two new plans, the Capital Markets Union and the Sovereign Bond-Backed Securities, again turn to shadow banking, this time by using securitization to generate an entirely private safe asset or a public–private safe asset. Such plans cannot solve the enduring predicament of EMU’s bond markets architecture: that Member States have competed for investors (liquidity) since the introduction of the euro, betraying a deep hostility towards collective political solutions to the single safe asset problem. Technocratic-led, market-based initiatives need to persuade EMU states that there is little threat to their ability to issue debt in liquid markets. Without ECB interventions, market-based engineering of single safe assets runs the danger of repeatedly destabilizing national bond markets.
Electroelastic modeling of thin-laminated composite plates with surface-bonded piezo-patches using Rayleigh–Ritz method
Authors: Gozum Mehmet Murat , Aghakhani Amirreza , Serhat Gokhan , Basdogan Ipek
Published: March 2018

Laminated composite panels are extensively used in various engineering applications. Piezoelectric transducers can be integrated into such composite structures for a variety of vibration control and energy harvesting applications. Analyzing the structural dynamics of such electromechanical systems requires precise modeling tools which properly consider the coupling between the piezoelectric elements and the laminates. Although previous analytical models in the literature cover vibration analysis of laminated composite plates with fully covered piezoelectric layers, they do not provide a formulation for modeling the piezoelectric patches that partially cover the plate surface. In this study, a methodology for vibration analysis of laminated composite plates with surface-bonded piezo-patches is developed. Rayleigh–Ritz method is used for solving the modal analysis and obtaining the frequency response functions. The developed model includes mass and stiffness contribution of the piezo-patches as well as the two-way electromechanical coupling effect. Moreover, an accelerated method is developed for reducing the computation time of the modal analysis solution. For validations, system-level finite element simulations are performed in ANSYS software. The results show that the developed analytical model can be utilized for accurate and efficient analysis and design of laminated composite plates with surface-bonded piezo-patches.
Double-Opposing Z-Plasty for Secondary Surgical Management of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency Following Primary Furlow Palatoplasty
Authors: Gosain Arun K. , Chim Harvey , Sweeney Walter M.
Published: March 2018

Objective:

The present study investigates the efficacy of performing a “palate rerepair” utilizing a double-opposing z-palatoplasty (DOZ) following primary Furlow palatoplasty.

Design:

Retrospective study.

Setting:

Tertiary referral academic center for craniofacial surgery.

Patients:

15 consecutive patients who presented with velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) after primary Furlow palatoplasty.

Main Outcome Measures:

All subjects were evaluated using the perceptual speech assessment (PSA) scale. Criteria for inclusion in the study were (1) velopharyngeal gap size on phonation of 7 mm or less and (2) lateral wall motion at least 40% normal.

Results:

Mean PSA score was 7.13 + 3.31 (range 3-13) preoperatively, and decreased to 1.80 + 2.83 (range 0-11; P < .001 vs baseline) 3 months or more after surgery. A sphincter pharyngoplasty was performed as a tertiary procedure in 2 patients due to persistent nasal air emission. There was no symptomatic airway compromise following secondary or tertiary management in all patients. Presence of a cleft lip, lateral wall motion, and velopharyngeal gap size did not impact outcomes.

Conclusions:

We have demonstrated that a DOZ performed secondarily is anatomically possible following Furlow palatoplasty and can restore function of the levator muscle despite significant scarring following primary repair. This approach respects anatomic principles of palatoplasty without eliminating the possibility for extrapalatal procedures should velopharyngeal competence not be achieved.
Moderate Physical Activity in an Aquatic Environment During Pregnancy (SWEP Study) and Its Influence in Preventing Postpartum Depression
Authors: Aguilar-Cordero María José , Sánchez-García Juan Carlos , Rodriguez-Blanque Raquel , Sánchez-López Antonio Manuel , Mur-Villar Norma
Published: March 2018

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum depression (PPD) can begin within 6 weeks postpartum (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) and represents a significant health problem for mothers. AIM: To determine whether physical activity during pregnancy alleviates PPD. METHOD: Randomized controlled trial in which the exercise group practiced moderate physical exercise in an aquatic environment (1-hour sessions, 3 days a week), following the recommendations of the SWEP method. RESULTS: The results observed in the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale were significant between the exercise group and the control group ( p < .001). In addition, significant differences were observed according in body mass index between the exercise group and control group in the overweight and obesity categories ( p < .05). CONCLUSION: Women who perform moderate physical exercise in an aquatic environment are at lower risk of PPD than sedentary women. Overweight and obesity among sedentary women during pregnancy are closely associated with positive screening for PPD.
Predictors of Dropout From Inpatient Substance Use Treatment: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Andersson Helle Wessel , Steinsbekk Aslak , Walderhaug Espen , Otterholt Eli , Nordfjærn Trond
Published: March 2018

Introduction:

Dropout from inpatient treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) is an ongoing challenge. The aim of this study was to identify demographic, substance use, and psychological factors that predict dropout from postdetoxification inpatient SUD treatment.

Materials and methods:

A total of 454 patients from 5 inpatient SUD centers in Central Norway were consecutively included in this naturalistic, prospective cohort study.

Results:

A total of 132 patients (28%) did not complete the planned treatment stay (dropped out). Cox regression analysis showed that higher levels of intrinsic motivation for changing personal substance use reduced the dropout risk (adjusted hazard ratio [adjHR]: 0.62, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.48-0.79). Higher levels of mental distress were associated with an increased risk for dropout (adjHR: 1.48, 95% CI: 1.11-1.97).

Conclusions:

The role of mental health and motivation in reducing dropout risk from inpatient SUD treatment should be targeted in future prospective intervention studies.
Analysis of Trends and Factors in Breast Multiple Primary Malignant Neoplasms
Authors: Motuzyuk Igor , Sydorchuk Oleg , Kovtun Natalia , Palian Zinaida , Kostiuchenko Yevhenii
Published: March 2018

Background:

The study aims to evaluate the current state and tendencies in multiple primary breast cancer incidence, behavior, and treatment in Ukraine.

Methods:

A total of 2032 patients who received special treatment at the Department of Breast Tumors and Reconstructive Surgery of the National Cancer Institute from 2008 to 2015 were included in the study. Among them, there were 195 patients with multiple primary malignant neoplasms: 54.9% patients with synchronous cancer and 45.1% patients with metachronous cancer. The average age of patients was 46.6 years, and the percentage of postmenopausal women was 63.1%. Among patients with synchronous cancer, there were 56.1% patients with only breast localizations and 43.9% with combination of breast and other localizations, and among patients with metachronous cancer, there were 46.6% patients with only breast localizations and 53.4% with combination of breast and other localizations. All the patients were evaluated in terms of aggressiveness of the disease, survival rates, as well as risk factors and treatment options.

Results:

A more aggressive course of breast cancer is observed in patients exposed to radiation from the Chernobyl accident under the age of 30 years ( P < .01). The clinical course of disease in patients with synchronous cancer is worse and prognostically unfavorable compared with metachronous cancer ( P < .01). The course of the disease in patients who underwent mastectomy is worse compared with patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery ( P < .01). Plastic and reconstructive surgery in patients with synchronous cancer was proven to be reasonable in terms of increase in survival ( P < .01).

Conclusions:

The patients with multiple primary breast cancer should have attentive management and treatment. Multidisciplinary team should concern all the risk factors and provide the most sufficient option of management. This is crucial to continue research in this oncological area.
Untangling Cortical Complexity During Development
Authors: Mukhtar Tanzila , Taylor Verdon
Published: March 2018

The cerebral cortex is composed of billions of morphologically and functionally distinct neurons. These neurons are produced and organized in a regimental fashion during development. The ability of neurons to encode and elicit complex cognitive and motor functions depends on their precise molecular processes, identity, and connectivity established during development. Elucidating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate development of the neocortex has been a challenge for many years. The cerebral cortical neuronal subtypes are classified based on morphology, function, intrinsic synaptic properties, location, connectivity, and marker gene expression. Development of the neocortex requires an orchestration of a series of processes including the appropriate determination, migration and positioning of the neurons, acquisition of layer-specific transcriptional hallmarks, and formation of precise axonal projections and networks. Historically, fate mapping, genome-wide analysis, and transcriptome profiling have provided many opportunities for the characterization of neuronal subtypes. During the course of this review, we will address the regimental organization of the cerebral cortex, dissect the cellular subtypes that contribute to cortical complexity, and outline their molecular hallmarks to understand cellular diversity in the cerebral cortex with a focus on the excitatory neurons.
Suicidal ideation in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea and its relationship with disease severity, sleep-related problems and social support
Authors: Timkova Vladimira , Nagyova Iveta , Reijneveld Sijmen A , Tkacova Ruzena , Stewart Roy E , van Dijk Jitse P , Bültmann Ute
Published: March 2018

We aimed to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and to examine the relationships between obstructive sleep apnoea severity, sleep-related problems, social support and suicidal ideation in obstructive sleep apnoea patients. We included 149 patients (68% male; mean age, 48.99 ± 9.57 years) with diagnosed obstructive sleep apnoea (Apnoea–Hypopnoea Index ⩾5) based on full-night polysomnography. The prevalence of suicidal ideation among obstructive sleep apnoea patients was 20.1 per cent. Structural equation modelling showed that suicidal ideation in obstructive sleep apnoea was strongly related to poor sleep quality and high fatigue levels. No relationship between social support and suicidal ideation in obstructive sleep apnoea patients was found.
Assessment of human settlements and associated influential factors in Weihe River Plain
Authors: Zhang Yue , Hou Kang , Chang Yue , Li Xuxiang , Yu Chuck
Published: March 2018

As the main part of Guanzhong-Tianshui Economic Zone, involving the 44 areas in Weihe River Plain, we have conducted a quantitative analysis of the level of human settlements in this important region of China. The distribution of human settlement evaluation index (HSEI) was analysed by using the geographic information systems software and principal component analysis model to determine resources carrying capacity factors, natural environment factors and socio-economic factors. In order to better understand the level of human settlement, natural breaks classification method was adopted to divide results into five categories: unlivable (−0.35 to −0.10), low value livable (−0.10 to 0.04), livable (0.04–0.18), satisfactorily livable (0.18–0.41) and highly livable (0.41–0.99). Our results illustrate that the HSEI of areas, which have developed economy and tourism industry, is also high in HSEI in traditional industry and agriculture. Most regions are livable, satisfactorily livable and highly livable. The traditional impact of Weihe River on the quality of human settlement in this region is limited as the area has been moved on to modern development independent of the river.
Responsibility and ultimate ends in the age of the unforeseeable: On the current relevance of Max Weber’s political ethics
Authors: Pellizzoni Luigi
Published: March 2018

Ethic of responsibility and ethic of ultimate ends are most discussed Weberian concepts. The article reflects on their heuristic value in the present. A common interpretation claims that, in a rationalized society, the ethic of responsibility supplants or integrates the ethic of ultimate ends. The two ethics, however, fundamentally differ according to their relationship with the unforeseeable. Moreover, contrary to the idea of a relentless rationalization of society, the unforeseeable is today gaining relevance, even ceasing to be regarded as a problem. As a result, the ethic of ultimate ends expands its scope. The article dwells on major implications of this. The enduring relevance of Weber’s conceptualization, it is concluded, lies in its independence from the historical conditions in which it was formulated.
Peter L. Berger and the sociology of religion
Authors: Hjelm Titus
Published: March 2018

Peter L. Berger (1929–2017) was one of the most influential sociologists of the last century. In the sociology of religion, his classic status is uncontested. This article examines Berger’s original application of a constructionist sociology of knowledge perspective to the sociology of religion and its application to the theory of secularisation. The article assesses the influence of this work – The Sacred Canopy in particular – through an analysis of publication data and a typification of types of reference. Although the metaphor of the ‘sacred canopy’ and Berger’s ideas regarding secularisation have been undoubtedly influential, his work never engendered a genuinely constructionist sociology of religion. The reason for this, the article argues, is Berger’s inconsistent application of his own constructionist ideas to his work on religion.
Online design education: Searching for a middle ground
Authors: Fleischmann Katja
Published: March 2018

At its heart, design is a studio-based discipline, which makes it difficult for design educators to adopt technology-driven changes into an online teaching and learning environment. Globally, few universities offer online undergraduate degree design courses, despite an overall growth in online higher degree curricula. Anecdotal evidence and limited research studies exploring the design educators’ view lament the potential loss of direct interactions between educator and design students in an online learning environment making it impossible to offer design education online. However, the attitude of design students towards online learning is largely underexplored. Given that today’s design students are considered tech-savvy, and there is a growing student demand for flexible study options, it would seem that design students would embrace online delivery options. The aim of this study is to explore the perception of undergraduate design students towards the idea of studying design online and whether or not blended learning could provide a transitional middle ground to a fully online design course. This study also touches on any student reservations about online delivery and identifies the barriers to study design online.
Be[com]ing a teacher in neoliberal times: The possibilities of visioning for resistance in teacher education
Authors: Hara May , Sherbine Kortney
Published: March 2018

Teacher education is under assault from the corporatization of public education. There is evidence that reductive, essentialized/ing discourses of standardization and compliance exert intense pressures on teacher education, and a market-based, audit culture constricts conceptions of the “good teacher”. Despite the pervasiveness of neoliberal discourses, little is known about how student teachers experience increased corporatization in education, or about how they act rather than are acted upon in this context.

In examining these dynamics, we explore the following research questions: (a) How do student teachers make sense of neoliberal discourses in teaching? (b) How do student teachers experience the process of what Hammerness describes as “teacher visioning” in the context of neoliberal discourses? (c) What, if any, effect does visioning have on their responses to these discourses?

We draw on qualitative data including focus groups, interviews, and document analysis from a group of early childhood student teachers enrolled in a public teacher education program and placed in field sites around eastern Massachusetts. Based on our findings, we argue that teacher visioning can, under certain circumstances, serve as an impetus for student teacher resistance to neoliberal pressures.
Mechanical thrombectomy in a young stroke patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Authors: Spicher Charlotte , Schneider Ruth , Mönnings Peter , Schneider-Gold Christiane , Kallenberg Dennis , Cevik Bilal , Lukas Carsten , Gold Ralf , Krogias Christos
Published: March 2018

Background:

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive skeletal muscle myopathy which is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene. Lack of dystrophin also results to cardiomyopathy, which raises significantly the stroke risk in DMD-patients. However, data about therapeutic opportunities in the acute setting are scarce in literature. So far, only two cases receiving IV thrombolysis are described, one of them with fatal outcome.

Method:

Case report of a case of successful mechanical thrombectomy (MTE) in an acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patient with DMD and associated dilatative cardiomyopathy.

Results:

A 20-year old DMD-patient was transferred at 08:56 h to our department due to wake up stroke with severe right-sided hemiparesis and aphasia (NIHSS=20). Last-seen-normal was at 03:00 h. Cerebral CT-scan revealed only slight early ischemic changes (ASPECT-Score=8). CT-angiography detected occlusion of left middle cerebral artery (LMCA). MTE started rapidly at 9:23 h and using direct thrombus aspiration (Penumbra System®) complete recanalization was achieved 20 min later (TICI-grade 3). Considering the specific risks of general anesthesia in DMD, the procedure was performed with propofol, remifentanil and rocuronium. The patient recovered quickly from the acute symptoms, due to preexisting hypotonic tetraparesis his NIHSS-score at discharge was 12 points.

Conclusions:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on MTE in a patient with DMD related cardioembolic stroke. In contrast to the few reports with IV thrombolysis, MTE seems to represent an optimal treatment option. Specific characteristics of DMD-patients like anesthetic regimen should be taken into account.
A Neural-Network-Based Approach to Personalize Insulin Bolus Calculation Using Continuous Glucose Monitoring
Authors: Cappon Giacomo , Vettoretti Martina , Marturano Francesca , Facchinetti Andrea , Sparacino Giovanni
Published: March 2018

Background:

In type 1 diabetes (T1D) therapy, the calculation of the meal insulin bolus is performed according to a standard formula (SF) exploiting carbohydrate intake, carbohydrate-to-insulin ratio, correction factor, insulin on board, and target glucose. Recently, some approaches were proposed to account for preprandial glucose rate of change (ROC) in the SF, including those by Scheiner and by Pettus and Edelman. Here, the aim is to develop a new approach, based on neural networks (NN), to optimize and personalize the bolus calculation using continuous glucose monitoring information and some easily accessible patient parameters.

Method:

The UVa/Padova T1D Simulator was used to simulate data of 100 virtual adults in a single-meal noise-free scenario with different conditions in terms of meal amount and preprandial blood glucose and ROC values. An NN was trained to learn the optimal insulin dose using the SF parameters, ROC, body weight, insulin pump basal infusion rate and insulin sensitivity as features. The performance of the NN for meal bolus calculation was assessed by blood glucose risk index (BGRI) and compared to the methods by Scheiner and by Pettus and Edelman.

Results:

The NN approach brings to a small but statistically significant ( P < .001) reduction of BGRI value, equal to 0.37, 0.23, and 0.20 versus SF, Scheiner, and Pettus and Edelman, respectively.

Conclusion:

This preliminary study showed the potentiality of using NNs for the personalization and optimization of the meal insulin bolus calculation. Future work will deal with more realistic scenarios including technological and physiological/behavioral sources of variability.
The Contributions of Parental, Academic, School, and Peer Factors to Differences by Socioeconomic Status in Adolescents’ Locus of Control
Authors: Shifrer Dara
Published: March 2018

An internal locus of control may be particularly valuable for youth with low socioeconomic status (SES), yet the mechanisms that externalize their control remain unclear. This study uses data on 16,450 U.S. eighth graders surveyed for the National Education Longitudinal Study in 1988 and 1990. Results indicate family income is more closely associated with adolescents’ locus of control than parents’ occupations and educational attainment and that race does not independently affect adolescents’ locus of control net of these other components of SES. Findings also indicate higher SES adolescents feel more internal locus of control in largest part because their parents discuss school more often with them, their homes have more books and other cognitive resources, they receive higher grades in middle school science and social studies, they are more likely to attend a private rather than public school, their friends are more academically oriented, and they feel safer at school.
Review of Literature: Pedagogical Content Knowledge and String Teacher Preparation
Authors: Grieser Diane R. , Hendricks Karin S.
Published: March 2018

In the past few decades, there has been an increase in the percentage of non-string specialists teaching string classes. In this article, we review literature about subject-specific pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in general and music education settings, to better understand the challenges that teachers with limited knowledge of string-specific content may face when teaching strings students. Included in this review are discussions concerning trends in the string teacher workforce, PCK in education and music, acquisition of PCK in general settings and music teacher preparation programs, and relationships between teacher content knowledge and instructional effectiveness, both in general and string education settings. Based on this review, we recommend that preservice and professional development curricula for music teachers include comprehensive preparation in both content-specific and pedagogical-specific knowledge for teaching strings.
IMiD compounds affect CD34+ cell fate and maturation via CRBN-induced IKZF1 degradation
Authors: Li Shirong , Fu Jing , Wang Hui , Ma Huihui , Xu Xiaoming , Yang Yong-Guang , Deng Shixian , Mapara Markus Y. , Lentzsch Suzanne
Published: March 2018

Key Points

IMiD compounds cause selective ubiquitination and degradation of IKZF1 in CD34+ cells by the CRBN E3 ubiquitin ligase. Loss of IKZF1 is associated with a decrease of PU.1, critical for the development and maturation of neutrophils.
Tuberculosis and lung damage: from epidemiology to pathophysiology
Authors: Ravimohan Shruthi , Kornfeld Hardy , Weissman Drew , Bisson Gregory P.
Published: March 2018

A past history of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) is a risk factor for long-term respiratory impairment. Post-TB lung dysfunction often goes unrecognised, despite its relatively high prevalence and its association with reduced quality of life. Importantly, specific host and pathogen factors causing lung impairment remain unclear. Host immune responses probably play a dominant role in lung damage, as excessive inflammation and elevated expression of lung matrix-degrading proteases are common during TB. Variability in host genes that modulate these immune responses may determine the severity of lung impairment, but this hypothesis remains largely untested. In this review, we provide an overview of the epidemiological literature on post-TB lung impairment and link it to data on the pathogenesis of lung injury from the perspective of dysregulated immune responses and immunogenetics.
Unclassifiable interstitial lung disease: a pathologist's perspective
Authors: Jones Kirk D.
Published: March 2018

Classifying pulmonary fibrotic disease into various diagnostic categories provides the clinician with expectations for both prognosis and proper treatment. Despite years of experience with histological, radiological and clinical guidelines, a group of patients remains with unclassifiable interstitial lung disease. In this article, the possible barriers to classification will be explored, and some strategies will be discussed to aid in overcoming these barriers.
Improving the Culture of the Teacher in the Sphere of Using Multimedia Means in the Educational Process of the Elementary School
Authors: Мерзликина И. , Merzlikina I.
Published: March 2018

The article deals with the problem of improving the teacher’s culture necessary to create a new educational environment, including the design of the process of teaching younger schoolchildren with the use of multimedia tools. The interrelation between the functions of teaching aids and the content of education is traced, the characteristics of the competencies that the primary school teacher should have for the effective use of information and communication technologies are given.
Texts for Discussion with First-Grade Pupils While Studying the Topics of the Course “ABC Book of the Safe and Healthy Life”
Authors: Артюхова Ирина , Artyuhova Irina
Published: March 2018

The article considers the actual problem of the formation of knowledge, skills and habits of a healthy and safe way of life of younger schoolchildren. In addition to studying the relevant sections of the subject “The World Around Us” during the lesson, it is suggested to use texts that allow the teacher to organize educational dialogues in the course of extra-curricular activities when the first-grade pupils the “ABC book of the safe and healthy life” course are taught. Examples of texts are given, the discussion of which promotes children’s awareness of the need to observe safety rules in various everyday situations.
Physical Education of Students in the American School: Achievements and Problems
Authors: Данилова Лариса , Danilova Larisa , Молоков Д. , Molokov D.
Published: March 2018

The article reveals the features of building a system of physical education in the United States of America, which contributes to the development of a positive attitude and interest of students in physical physical exercise and sports. It is emphasized that this system is supranational in nature: American teachers and trainers use the experience of physical education of many other countries. Specificity of the organization of school sports and physical education in the US is seen through the prism of the numerous victories of the American team at the Olympic Games, as well as the successful performances of American athletes at various international competitions.
Male urinary incontinence management: penile sheaths
Authors: Nazarko Linda
Published: March 2018

Urinary incontinence is a hidden problem that affects 14 million adults in the UK. It affects around 30% of men aged 65 and over and can have a huge effect on quality of life. Often this distressing symptom can be treated effectively. It is important to manage incontinence while the man is undergoing investigations and treatment or when treatment is not possible. This article examines the role of urinary sheaths in the management of incontinence and provides links to further information.
The importance of accurate methodology in ABPI calculation when assessing lower limb wounds
Authors: Vowden Peter , Vowden Kath
Published: March 2018

Recent health economic publications have highlighted the cost of wound care and demonstrated the important role played by community and practice nurses in delivering care. Leg ulcers form a significant proportion of the wounds managed in the community. Data indicates that many patients are managed with no specific diagnosis or without calculation of the ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI), despite care guidelines emphasising the importance of a full assessment including Doppler ABPI calculation in patient management. This article highlights the important role Doppler ABPI plays in patient assessment and describes the methodology, focusing on the importance of correct application of the technique if reliable reproducible results are to be obtained. The rationale for obtaining blood pressure readings from both arms is discussed, and the possible error resulting from reliance on single upper limb blood pressure measurement for both manual and automated ABPI calculation is highlighted and its impact on ABPI calculation illustrated.
The Confederation of British Surgery: a trade union for surgeons
Authors: MacFie John , Foy Michael , Mercer Nigel , Narula Tony
Published: March 2018

For the first time, a trade union body has been created specifically to serve the surgical community.
Dialectical Epimeleia: Platonic Care of the Soul and Philosophical Cognition
Authors: Ambury James M.
Published: March 2018

In this paper I argue that Plato’s notion of the care of the self is his remedy to the psychological malady he refers to as ‘wandering’. The wandering self requires care, and a close reading of the Platonic corpus indicates self-cultivation means stabilizing the soul in accordance with its intelligent nature. I then argue that Plato appropriates the ethical injunction to care for the soul and draws from it an important epistemological consequence. Specifically, his view is that a wandering soul’s instability renders it incapable of philosophical cognition. To engender a healthy soul, one must participate in dialectic.
Escala de orientações gerais para objetivos de desempenho: Estudos de adaptação para o ensino secundário
Authors: Gomes Andreia , Azevedo Ângela Sá , Dias Paulo Cesar , Guimarães Teresa , Lima Isabel , Salgado Ana
Published: March 2018

Este estudo tem como objetivo apresentar os resultados de adaptação da Escala de Orientações Gerais para Objetivos de Desempenho (EOGOD, McInerney & Yeung, 2000). Trata-se de instrumento de medida com cinco escalas de motivação: Valorização da Motivação, Motivação Geral, Orientação para a Mestria, Orientação para o Desempenho e Orientação Social. Para a sua adaptação, foi realizada análise fatorial confirmatória e validação cruzada e análise de consistência interna a partir de dois grupos, de 617 e 418 estudantes do Ensino Secundário. Os dados obtidos permitiram encontrar uma solução com boas propriedades psicométricas, seja em termos de validade como fidelidade aceitáveis, assim com diferenças em função do género e relação com a idade e escolaridade. Os resultados são discutidos e apresentadas sugestões
Modelos sociais de maternidade difundidos em páginas e grupos do Facebook em Portugal
Authors: César Filipa , Oliveira Alexandra , Fontaine Anne-Marie
Published: March 2018

Historicamente, a maternidade tem sido apropriada de diferentes formas pelas várias culturas, dando origem a modelos sociais que refletem e condicionam as expectativas e motivações das mulheres para este papel. Este estudo pretendeu identificar os objetivos, as atitudes, os sentimentos e as práticas atribuídos às mães e difundidos por grupos e páginas do Facebook dedicadas à maternidade, com o intuito de identificar o modelo de maternidade dominante atualmente em vigor em Portugal. Uma busca pelas palavras-chave mãe e maternidade, seguida da técnica “bola de neve”, em outubro de 2015, permitiu identificar 132 Páginas Públicas, 47 Grupos Fechados e 5 Grupos Públicos (n = 184) portugueses, tendo sido as respetivas descrições alvo de análise de conteúdo. Esta análise evidenciou que o modelo de maternidade veiculado pressupõe a centralidade da criança e das suas necessidades e interesses, e atribui elevados níveis de exigência ao papel de mãe. As atitudes promovidas são sobretudo a dedicação altruísta da mãe e a interação com a criança em benefício desta. As práticas de cuidado estão essencialmente ligadas à alimentação e saúde da criança, realçando maioritariamente os sentimentos positivos da mãe, tais como a felicidade e o amor maternal. Os objetivos de curto e médio prazo da maternidade visam a promoção da autonomia, da felicidade e do bom desenvolvimento da criança. As necessidades da mulher nunca são mencionadas, desaparecendo atrás do papel materno. O estudo parece assim confirmar a predominância de um modelo de maternidade intensivo no Facebook em Portugal, apesar das possíveis dificuldades da sua implementação pelas mães trabalhadoras, dado o modelo familiar de duplo emprego dominante na sociedade portuguesa.
The effects of fiscal operations on economic growth and stability in Nigeria: empirical evidence based on time series data
Authors: Idris Miftahu , Bakar Rosni , Tunku Ahmad Tunku Salha
Published: March 2018

This study examines the effects of fiscal operations on the economic growth and stability with the view to identifying its significance on real output growth and sustainable development. The study utilises an annual time series data covering the period of 1980 to 2015 and further adopts an ARDL model for estimation. The estimated model is sub-divided into two: the Baseline model and the Alternative model. While the former measures the effects of economic growth, the latter accounts for the effects of economic stability. The ARDL Bound testing show the existence of long-run relationship among the examined variables in both the two models, with corresponding F-statistic values of 7.62 and 6.67, respectively. The overall results indicate that fiscal operations lead to economic growth as shown by the Baseline model; and it also leads to economic stability as revealed by the Alternative model. It can therefore be concluded that any meaningful spending with corresponding taxation will improve the public sector performance and produce a desirable outcome on output growth and strengthen the capability of fiscal operations in terms of economic management. There is an urgent need to ensure that appropriate fiscal operations are conducted and do not result in excess liquidity beyond the absorptive capacity of the economy.
Age-Group Differences in the Performance of Selected Tests of Physical Function and Association With Lower Extremity Strength
Authors: Francis Peter , Mc Cormack William , Lyons Mark , Jakeman Philip
Published: March 2018

Background and Purpose:

It is not known whether short functional performance tests used in aging research are appropriate for use in healthy older adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate age-group differences (sixth decade vs seventh decade) in selected functional performance tests and the association between lower extremity strength and functional performance.

Methods:

One hundred fifty-nine (18.2% [n = 29] male) healthy older adults (mean (standard deviation) age 60.4 (5.3) years), adults were recruited from the University of Limerick Campus Community. Knee extensor (KE) peak torque (PT) was assessed from a maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Subsequently, participants completed 10-m maximal and habitual gait speed tests, 5 repetition and 30-second chair rise tests, and a 900-m gait speed test.

Results and Discussion:

There was no difference in 10-m gait speed between those in the sixth and seventh decades (P > .05). Compared with the sixth decade, those in the seventh decade required an extra 39 seconds to complete 900 m, an extra 0.6 seconds to complete 5 chair rises and performed 2 fewer chair rises in a 30-second time period (P < .05). All tests had a weak association with KE strength (r = 0.226-0.360; P < .05), except for 900-m gait speed that had a moderate association (r = −0.537; P < .001). Our findings suggest that gait speed tests of 10 m or less cannot detect age-related difference in functional capacity when used in healthy older adults.

Conclusion:

Extended physical performance tests should be used in aging research on healthy older adults.
Development of the Mechanisms Governing Midbrain Multisensory Integration
Authors: Cuppini Cristiano , Stein Barry E. , Rowland Benjamin A.
Published: March 2018

The ability to integrate information across multiple senses enhances the brain's ability to detect, localize, and identify external events. This process has been well documented in single neurons in the superior colliculus (SC), which synthesize concordant combinations of visual, auditory, and/or somatosensory signals to enhance the vigor of their responses. This increases the physiological salience of crossmodal events and, in turn, the speed and accuracy of SC-mediated behavioral responses to them. However, this capability is not an innate feature of the circuit and only develops postnatally after the animal acquires sufficient experience with covariant crossmodal events to form links between their modality-specific components. Of critical importance in this process are tectopetal influences from association cortex. Recent findings suggest that, despite its intuitive appeal, a simple generic associative rule cannot explain how this circuit develops its ability to integrate those crossmodal inputs to produce enhanced multisensory responses. The present neurocomputational model explains how this development can be understood as a transition from a default state in which crossmodal SC inputs interact competitively to one in which they interact cooperatively. Crucial to this transition is the operation of a learning rule requiring coactivation among tectopetal afferents for engagement. The model successfully replicates findings of multisensory development in normal cats and cats of either sex reared with special experience. In doing so, it explains how the cortico–SC projections can use crossmodal experience to craft the multisensory integration capabilities of the SC and adapt them to the environment in which they will be used.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe brain's remarkable ability to integrate information across the senses is not present at birth, but typically develops in early life as experience with crossmodal cues is acquired. Recent empirical findings suggest that the mechanisms supporting this development must be more complex than previously believed. The present work integrates these data with what is already known about the underlying circuit in the midbrain to create and test a mechanistic model of multisensory development. This model represents a novel and comprehensive framework that explains how midbrain circuits acquire multisensory experience and reveals how disruptions in this neurotypic developmental trajectory yield divergent outcomes that will affect the multisensory processing capabilities of the mature brain.
The balancing act: the variation among deaneries across Great Britain regarding provision of focus on diabetes and endocrinology training
Authors: Agha Adnan , Singh Baldev , Hanif Wasim
Published: March 2018

Diabetes and endocrinology is a medical specialty, and a five-year dual accreditation training programme in diabetes and endocrinology and general internal medicine is offered, with active participation in medical on-call rota. Some deaneries offer some respite from the ever-increasing general medical workload by offering a few months of training focusing only on specialty work in diabetes and endocrinology. The authors wanted to see if this experience is available uniformly to all the trainees in diabetes and endocrinology/ general internal medicine across Great Britain. To assess this, a survey of specialist training registrars on a dual accreditation programme for diabetes and general internal medicine from all deaneries in England, Scotland and Wales was performed by directly interviewing and asking them about any relaxation in either their on-call or ward commitments to focus on diabetes and endocrine specialty during their five years of training. The results showed that the acute take/general medical commitment-free training periodfocusing only on diabetes and endocrinology ranges from zero in some deaneries to nearly three years in others. This simple survey highlights the extent of variability that exists in dual diabetes/endocrinology and general internal medicine training programmes across deaneries in England, Scotland and Wales, which may increase further once the training programme is reduced to four years after new changes from Shape of Training.