bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiplex Analysis of Circulating Maternal Cardiovascular Biomarkers Comparing Preeclampsia Subtypes
Authors: Lekva Tove , Sugulle Meryam , Moe Kjartan , Redman Chris , Dechend Ralf , Staff Anne Cathrine
Published: April 2020

Preeclampsia, a hypertensive pregnancy disorder, links to increased long-term maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD). The risk is further increased with early-onset preeclampsia (EPE) and delivery of a growth-restricted child. We hypothesized that circulating biomarkers associated with CVD risk differed between preeclampsia subtypes and controls. We compared EPE; n=37, delivery <week 34, late-onset preeclampsia (LPE); n=29, delivery ≥week 34, and normotensive controls (n=49) using Olink Proseek multiplex CVD I assay (targeting 92 biomarkers). We stratified analysis to uteroplacental spiral artery acute atherosis presence in preeclampsia patients, sharing morphological similarities with atherosclerosis. We found 47 CVD-related biomarkers differing between the groups, 42 markers between normotensive controls and EPE, 28 markers between normotensive controls and LPE, and 9 markers between EPE and LPE. Among these 9 markers, ST2 (ST2 protein), MMP (matrix metalloproteinase) 1, MMP3, and fractalkine (CX3CL1) were uniquely dysregulated in EPE. Principal component (PC) analysis of the differing markers identified 4 clusters (named PC1–PC4) that largely separated the preeclampsia and control groups as well as pregnancies with low and high circulating PlGF (placental growth factor). The combination of the single markers PlGF, ST2, MMP1, MMP3, and CX3CL1 had a high discriminatory property to differentiate between EPE and LPE. Preeclampsia with acute atherosis or with fetal growth restriction could be differentiated by Olink biomarkers as compared with preeclampsia without these features. We identified specific CVD-related biomarkers in pregnancy depending on preeclampsia subtypes and uteroplacental acute atherosis. Assessment of these pregnancy measured biomarkers’ relation to long-term cardiovascular dysfunction and hard end points is warranted.
Total Atherosclerosis Burden of Baroreceptor-Resident Arteries Independently Predicts Blood Pressure Dipping in Patients With Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Kong Qi , Ma Xin , Wang Chen , Du Xiangying , Ren Yi , Wan Yungao
Published: April 2020

Nighttime blood pressure (BP) generally dips by 10% to 20% of the daytime values, and abnormal BP dipping may affect vascular health independently of BP level. The regulation of BP dipping involves arterial baroreflex, whose receptors mainly reside in carotid sinuses and aortic arch. Atherosclerosis in these baroreceptor-resident arteries (BRAs) is frequent among patients with ischemic stroke (IS) and might impair their BP-regulating capacity. We aimed to examine associations between atherosclerosis of BRA and BP dipping in patients with IS. BP dipping ratio was measured by 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring on the sixth day after IS. With computed tomography angiography, atherosclerosis conditions in 10 segments of carotid sinuses and aortic arch were scored and summed as total atherosclerosis burden of BRA. Among the 245 patients with IS, 78.0% had atherosclerosis in BRA. The total AS burden of BRA was negatively correlated with systolic BP dipping ratio (
r
=−0.331;
P
<0.001) and diastolic BP dipping ratio (
r
=−0.225;
P
<0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, vascular risk factors, 24-hour BP means, cervical and intracranial atherosclerosis scores, the negative correlations still existed (adjusted β, −0.259 [95% CI, −0.416 to −0.102] and adjusted β, −0.178 [95% CI, −0.346 to −0.010], respectively). In conclusion, higher total atherosclerosis burden of BRA was independently indicative of more blunted dipping of systolic BP and diastolic BP in IS. The total atherosclerosis burden of BRA might be important for predicting and managing BP dipping in patients with IS.
Non-Traumatic Subdural Hemorrhage and Risk of Arterial Ischemic Events
Authors: Murthy Santosh B. , Wu Xian , Diaz Ivan , Parasram Melvin , Parikh Neal S. , Iadecola Costantino , Merkler Alexander E. , Falcone Guido J. , Brown Stacy , Biffi Alessandro , Ch’ang Judy , Knopman Jared , Stieg Philip E. , Navi Babak B. , Sheth Kevin N. , Kamel Hooman
Published: April 2020

Background and Purpose—

The risk of arterial ischemic events after subdural hemorrhage (SDH) is poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate the risk of acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction among patients with and without nontraumatic SDH.

Methods—

We performed a retrospective cohort study using claims data from 2008 through 2014 from a nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries. The exposure was nontraumatic SDH. Our primary outcome was an arterial ischemic event, a composite of acute ischemic stroke and acute myocardial infarction. Secondary outcomes were ischemic stroke alone and myocardial infarction alone. We used validated
International Classification of Diseases
,
Ninth Revision
,
Clinical Modification
diagnosis codes to identify our predictor and outcomes. Using Cox regression and corresponding survival probabilities, adjusted for demographics and vascular comorbidities, we computed the hazard ratio in 4-week intervals after SDH discharge. We performed secondary analyses stratified by strong indications for antithrombotic therapy (composite of atrial fibrillation, peripheral vascular disease, valvular heart disease, and venous thromboembolism).

Results—

Among 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries, 2939 were diagnosed with SDH. In the 4 weeks after SDH, patients’ risk of an arterial ischemic event was substantially increased (hazard ratio, 3.6 [95% CI, 1.9–5.5]). There was no association between SDH diagnosis and arterial ischemic events beyond 4 weeks. In secondary analysis, during the 4 weeks after SDH, patients’ risk of ischemic stroke was increased (hazard ratio, 4.2 [95% CI, 2.1–7.3]) but their risk of myocardial infarction was not (hazard ratio, 0.8 [95% CI, 0.2–1.7]). Patients with strong indications for antithrombotic therapy had increased risks for arterial ischemic events similar to patients in the primary analysis, but those without such indications did not demonstrate an increased risk for arterial ischemic events.

Conclusions—

Among Medicare beneficiaries, we found a heightened risk of arterial ischemic events driven by an increased risk of ischemic stroke, in the 4 weeks after nontraumatic SDH. This increased risk may be due to interruption of antithrombotic therapy after SDH diagnosis.
Assessment of the Trade Integration Pattern Between the Russian Federation and East/Southeast Asian Economies Using the Panel Gravity Framework
Authors: Rasoulinezhad Ehsan , Taghizadeh-Hesary Farhad , Yoshino Naoyuki
Published: April 2020

This study is the first attempt to investigate the patterns of imports and exports between the Russian Federation and East/Southeast Asian economies, namely, the People's Republic of China; Hong Kong, China; Macau, China; Japan; the Republic of Korea; Mongolia; Cambodia; Lao People's Democratic Republic; Brunei; Indonesia; Malaysia; Myanmar; the Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; and Vietnam. To this end, a panel gravity trade model with series from 2001 to 2017 is provided to estimate the gravity variables in our models. The results reveal that GDP and income are more important in the export pattern from the Russian Federation to the East Asian region, meaning that the economic size and the income of the population in East Asian economies are more important in this pattern than other variables. Moreover, Russia's export pattern with the East Asian region follows the Heckscher–Ohlin hypothesis, while Russia's import pattern with this region is in line with the Linder hypothesis.
Trump's Trade War: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Athukorala Prema-chandra
Published: April 2020

This paper examines the implications of the Trump Administration's U.S. trade policy on U.S.–India relations and the Indian economy against the backdrop of strengthening political and strategic ties between the two countries, which have been strong since the beginning of this century. Trump's strategy of using tariffs as the bargaining chip in bilateral economic relations with India, while ignoring mutual geopolitical interests, has coincided with new protectionist tendencies in India under the Make in India strategy of the Modi government, setting the stage for a protracted bilateral trade dispute. U.S. safeguard duties on steel and aluminium have taken a toll on India's exports of these products to the United States, but these products account for a tiny share of India's total exports to the United States. The hard hit was Trump's termination of India's designation as a beneficiary developing nation under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). The GSP abolition is likely to have a much more significant effect on the Indian economy as exports under the program are heavily concentrated in the traditional labor-intensive industries. However,  given the handsome mandate received by the Modi government at the May 2019 election and that the next election is four years away (2024), GSP abolition is unlikely to receive much weight in determining India's position in trade negotiations compared with the new protectionist policy stance stemming from the Make in India strategy. The WTO verdict on the U.S. complaint on India's manufacturing export subsidies, if upheld by the WTO Appellate body, would strengthen the U.S. position in negotiating a trade deal with India.
Economic Integration and Network Trade: A Comparison of  East Asia  and the European Union
Authors: Nguyen Son Thanh , Wu Yanrui
Published: April 2020

The emergence of production networks has changed the structure of international trade, which is characterized by a large share of intra-regional trade flows and a rising value of intermediate goods trade or network trade between countries within the same region. This paper investigates the change in impact of trade determinants with the formation of regional production networks. At the global level, the results show that intermediate goods exports are more sensitive to trade barriers than total goods exports. At the regional level, the comparison reveals that, despite the efforts directed toward export market diversification in East Asia, the region is still more dependent on other regions’ economic conditions than the European Union is.
Confirmation for and Predictability of Distinct U.S. Impacts of El Niño Flavors
Authors: Zhang Tao , Hoerling Martin P. , Hoell Andrew , Perlwitz Judith , Eischeid Jon
Published: April 2020

Whether distinct wintertime U.S. climate conditions exist for central-Pacific (CP) versus eastern-Pacific (EP) El Niño events is explored using atmospheric and coupled ocean–atmospheric models. Results using the former agree with most prior studies indicating different U.S. temperature and precipitation patterns associated with El Niño flavors. Causes are traced to equatorial rainfall sensitivity to both magnitudes and spatial patterns of sea surface temperatures (SSTs) distinguishing CP and EP cases. Warmer east equatorial Pacific Ocean SSTs during EP than CP events, specifically for strong EP cases, are responsible for greater east equatorial Pacific rainfall, which displaces tropospheric circulation anomalies eastward over the Pacific–North American region. Weak-amplitude EP cases and all CP events since 1980 fail to excite east equatorial Pacific rainfall, thus not initiating the dynamical chain of effects characterizing strong EP cases. Over the contiguous United States, the difference in tropospheric circulations between strong EP and CP events describes a cyclonic pattern that renders the former colder and wetter. Regional signals include notably colder western and warmer eastern U.S. surface temperatures during EP versus CP events, and higher southwestern and southeastern U.S. precipitation during EP events. We demonstrate the important result—new to studies of observed El Niño flavor impacts—that coupled models largely reproduce the sensitivities of atmospheric models. Confirmed hereby is the realism of prior estimates of El Niño flavor impacts that relied on atmospheric models alone. We further examine predictability of El Niño flavors using coupled forecasts, demonstrating that SST distinctions between CP and EP events and their diverse U.S. wintertime impacts are predictable at least a season in advance.
Ormrod Lecture October 2019: Police restraint – causes of death
Authors: Aw-Yong Meng
Published: April 2020

This paper describes the content of the 2019 British Academy of Forensic Sciences (BAFS) biennial Ormrod Lecture, which took place at Guy’s Hospital Tower, London, on 17 October 2019. This lecture is traditionally given by the outgoing President of BAFS, on this occasion Dr Meng Aw-Yong, who presented issues relating to acute behavioural disturbance and deaths in police custody.
To live and breathe anatomy
Authors: Zhao Can Viva
Published: April 2020

While many teachers enter the profession with the goal of creating a classroom in which both the students and the teacher are energized by the joy of learning, they often encounter obstacles to realizing this vision. In this article, Can Viva Zhao describes the creation and development of an anatomy class designed and led by students. In the course, students were empowered to engage together in relevant learning experiences that required them to solve actual problems medical professionals might encounter. This class could serve as a model for teachers looking for a way to create the kind of classroom where students and teachers are excited about learning.
Another education war? The coming debates over social and emotional learning
Authors: Zhao Yong
Published: April 2020

Writing in the April 2020 issue of Kappan, Tim Shriver and Roger Weissberg address a recent spate of reports and articles that have offered “constructive criticism” of the movement to promote social and emotional learning (SEL) in K-12 education. Despite a number of concerns that have been raised about SEL programs’ scope, implementation, and research base, they conclude that the movement enjoys widespread support and will continue to strengthen and grow. In response, however, Yong Zhao argues that there’s much less consensus around social and emotional learning than supporters would like to believe.
Washington View: Charter schools: What a long, strange trip it’s been
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: April 2020

The recent pushback against charter schools, which has taken many by surprise, stems from what Maria Ferguson describes as a perfect storm of circumstances. Because states approach charter school authorization and oversight in so many different ways, the landscape has become confusing. Betsy DeVos’s championing of charters as part of her school choice agenda has led to suspicion of the movement. And some presidential candidates have portrayed charters as an enemy of public education. All of these circumstances could turn into an opportunity to address the issues that matter to both supporters and critics of charter schools.
Career Confidential: Teacher wonders how to help students during coronavirus shutdown
Authors: Fagell Phyllis L.
Published: April 2020

Phyllis Fagell provides workplace advice to educators in this Kappan column. This month, a teacher wants to know how she can provide emotional support to students when the school is closed for the COVID-19 pandemic. A teachers’ colleagues provide a lot of free after-school help to students, making her feel obligated to do the same, even when it interferes with her family time or when students have not been doing the work during class.
Policy Polarization, Income Inequality and Turnout
Authors: Polacko Matthew , Heath Oliver , Lewis-Beck Michael S , Dassonneville Ruth
Published: April 2020

Past research on the relationship between income inequality and turnout has produced mixed results, with some studies suggesting that income inequality leads to lower turnout while other studies find little or no significant effects. In this article, we investigate the extent to which these mixed results are due to the contingent nature of inequality on turnout, which depends upon the nature of the policy options that are presented to the electorate. We test these expectations on data from national elections in 30 established democracies from 1965 through 2017 covering 300 elections. Regression analysis using country-level fixed effects reveals consistent evidence in favor of our hypotheses: Inequality tends to have a negative impact on turnout, especially in depolarized party systems, but as party system polarization increases the negative impact of inequality is mitigated.
Social Class Predicts Emotion Perception and Perspective-Taking Performance in Adults
Authors: Dietze Pia , Knowles Eric D.
Published: April 2020

“Theory of Mind” (ToM; people’s ability to infer and use information about others’ mental states) varies across cultures. In four studies ( N = 881), including two preregistered replications, we show that social class predicts performance on ToM tasks. In Studies 1A and 1B, we provide new evidence for a relationship between social class and emotion perception: Higher-class individuals performed more poorly than their lower-class counterparts on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, which has participants infer the emotional states of targets from images of their eyes. In Studies 2A and 2B, we provide the first evidence that social class predicts visual perspective taking: Higher-class individuals made more errors than lower-class individuals in the Director Task, which requires participants to assume the visual perspective of another person. Potential mechanisms linking social class to performance in different ToM domains, as well as implications for deficiency-centered perspectives on low social class, are discussed.
Opportunity/Threat Perception and Inertia in Response to Discontinuous Change: Replicating and Extending Gilbert (2005)
Authors: König Andreas , Graf-Vlachy Lorenz , Schöberl Markus
Published: April 2020

We use extensive longitudinal data from companies in the book retailing and telecommunication industries to replicate and extend Gilbert’s qualitative study on the influence of opportunity/threat perceptions on resource rigidity and routine rigidity in incumbents’ responses to discontinuous change. After discovering important anomalies in an empirical generalization study, we engage in a generalization and extension study to unbundle opportunity/threat perception into the dimensions of gain/loss framing and perceived control and induce a revised theory of the effect of such appraisals on incumbent inertia. Specifically, we induce that (a) imminent loss framing relaxes resource rigidity only when decision makers perceive a moderate level of control; (b) resource rigidity also relaxes in response to gain framing, at least when decision makers perceive the discontinuity as a particularly relevant strategic issue and strongly sense that they can control it; (c) loss framing and low perceived control can amplify routine rigidity by exacerbating resource rigidity; and (d) structural separation creates perceptions of gain and control by fostering the emergence of a local organizational identity in the unit implementing the discontinuous change. We resolve long-debated contradictions in studies on managerial and organizational cognition and discontinuous change, particularly between studies invoking threat rigidity theory and studies invoking prospect theory. We also demonstrate the usefulness of replicating qualitative research that is based on multiple case comparison.
Languages, Castes and Hierarchy: Basel Mission in Nineteenth-Century Coastal Karnataka
Authors: Koudur Shashikantha
Published: April 2020

In the former South Kanara or south coastal Karnataka region, the presence of overlapping languages, mainly Tulu and Kannada, posed prolonged dilemmas in the nineteenth century for the Basel Mission. The choice of language was important for their evangelical work, supported by important language-related activities such as dictionary making, grammar writing and translations. Since language use was intertwined with caste hierarchy, this raised issues over the position of lower castes, mainly Billavas, for the native elites and upper castes. This article argues that the prioritisation of Kannada, and relegation of Tulu to a secondary position, was an outcome not only of missionary perceptions of the larger Kannada context, but also more importantly can be traced back to elite representations regarding the subaltern Tulu culture and lifeworld. As missionary intervention in education and native language use challenged the status quo of social hierarchy among local communities, this sparked efforts by the native elites to reclaim and restore the earlier hierarchy. In the process, the native elite representations of Tulu language and culture became at the same time an effort at dismissal and appropriation.
Correlation between preoperative CT imaging parameters and clinical outcome of lumbar spinal stenosis treated with endoscopic transforaminal decompression
Authors: Li Lijun , Hai Yong , Yang Jincai , Xu Cheng , Yuan Jie , Sun Jiuqiang , Wang Qinghua , Yang Xiaowen
Published: April 2020

Objective

To evaluate clinical effects, and their correlations with preoperative computed tomography imaging parameters, in cases of lumbar spinal stenosis treated by endoscopic transforaminal decompression.

Methods

This retrospective study included orthopaedic patients who had undergone percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) for lumbar spinal stenosis. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and claudication distance. Overall clinical efficacy was evaluated by Macnab score.

Results

A total of 87 patients were included. Postoperative wound healing was good without complications. Macnab scores following PELD were ‘excellent’ in 41 cases (47.12%), ‘good’ in 30 cases (34.48%), ‘generally good’ in seven cases (8.04%), and ‘poor’ in nine cases (10.34%). The overall rate of optimal surgery was 81.60%. Postoperative pain (VAS) and ODI scores, and claudication distance, were significantly improved versus preoperative values. The soft tissue invasion ratio of the vertebral canal and invasion ratio of the nerve root canal were correlated with clinical efficacy.

Conclusion

Positive correlations were observed between clinical efficacy of endoscopic transforaminal decompression and preoperative vertebral canal soft tissue invasion ratio and nerve root canal invasion ratio in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.
A Closer Look at Highway Safety Diagnostics and Crash Analysis
Authors: Kononov Jake , Williams Jim , Durso Catherine
Published: April 2020

Diagnostic methods in the context of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) aim to identify abnormalities or patterns in crash occurrence which may provide an important clue to an effective remedy. These methods are used to assess the nature of the safety problem and on its basis select a countermeasure for which there is a known crash modification factor. Two approaches are presently used to perform diagnostic examinations: the test of proportions and crash type-specific safety performance functions (SPFs). The test of proportions uses empirical proportions (diagnostic norms) of crash types and crash attributes within congestion strata, the total number of crashes, and the number of observed crashes of a specific type to compute the cumulative probability of the observed outcome. Crash type-specific SPFs are used to identify sites at which the observed frequency or severity of specific crash types is higher than expected. This paper examines the strengths of both methods by applying them to the same datasets and comparing the results. The findings suggest that the test of proportions works well in identifying locations with a single disproportionally frequent crash type. Crash type-specific SPFs can identify locations having multiple crash types with an elevated frequency, but will not identify locations having crash patterns susceptible to correction but not having elevated counts. Findings also suggest that the degree of stratification in diagnostic norms influences the number of overlapping sites detected by both methods.
Early Holocene Indian summer monsoon and its impact on vegetation in the Central Himalaya: Insight from δD and δ13C values of leaf wax lipid
Authors: Ghosh Sambit , Sanyal Prasanta , Roy Sohom , Bhushan Ravi , Sati SP , Philippe Anne , Juyal Navin
Published: April 2020

Increase in rainfall during the early Holocene has been reported from different regions of Indian subcontinent, although the magnitude shows spatial variability with lower change in higher rainfall regions and vice versa. While the early-Holocene rainfall records are available from lowland areas of the Indian sub-continent, the record is poorly documented from the high-altitude Central Himalayan region where orography plays an important role in the spatial variability in the rainfall pattern. For the first time, δDC29, δ13CC29 values of alkane and δ13C values of organic matter from a relict lake of Benital area in the Central Himalaya have been used to reconstruct monsoonal rainfall and contemporary vegetation for last 10.5 ka with an emphasis on the early Holocene. The δDC29 values suggest that the early Holocene was characterized by a wet phase at ca. 9 ka with 25% higher rainfall compared to present while the middle-late-Holocene was relatively arid. The estimated increase in monsoonal rainfall for the early Holocene is the highest compared to the previous report from elsewhere. The magnitude of early-Holocene rainfall estimated in this study suggests that in addition to erosion of the bed-rocks at the head-water region, increased stream power reworked the older floodplain and resulted in 2.3 times higher sediment discharged into the Ganges-Brahmaputra (GB) delta compared to the present discharge. The δ13CC29 values of the lake sediments suggest a transition from woody to non-woody plant assemblages occurred at 7 ka. The poor correlation between δDC29 and δ13CC29 values suggests at higher rainfall, the δ13CC29 values of catchment vegetation were less responsive.
Plasma donation at the border: Feminist technoscience, bodies and race
Authors: Hobbs Jennifer
Published: April 2020

This article argues that feminist technoscience studies can enrich our understanding of biopolitics by challenging the body’s boundaries and focusing on mundane practices of security. To do so, this article looks to Mexicanas/os who cross the US–Mexico border in order to donate plasma in the United States. The article argues that Mexicanas/os are objectified in cross-border donation practices as both desirable sources of life-giving matter and dangerous sources of disease. The article begins by giving some empirical context to plasma donation, before outlining the conceptual contributions of a feminist technoscience studies approach. The article then explores how Mexican bodies are produced as sites of valuable matter which have the ability to make others live. The article shows how the ‘bioavailability’ of Mexicanas/os is produced through colonial and racist histories. Finally, the article turns to the circulation of plasma, demonstrating how persistent fears about Mexican plasma as infectious reproduce highly racializing stereotypes about Mexico and Mexican bodies. The article finishes by reflecting on the importance of a feminist technoscience studies approach for stressing the co-constitutive relationship between race and matter, and that racialized productions of the body at security sites stretch well beyond the body’s skin.
Volatility Forecast Incorporating Investors’ Sentiment and its Application in Options Trading Strategies: A Behavioural Finance Approach at Nifty 50 Index
Authors: Mutum Kelvin
Published: April 2020

The present study was to examine whether the performance of options trading strategies can be improved if volatility forecasting incorporating investors’ sentiment was incorporated in the decision-making process at the Indian options market. The study adopted the multiple-factor model to build the Indian volatility forecasting model. The benchmark forecasting model (BMF) includes absolute daily returns (|RA|), daily high–low range (HLR) and daily realized volatility (RV). The proxies of investors’ sentiment considered in the study were India volatility index (IVIX), advance decline ratio (ADR), put-call open interest (PCOI) and their changes. The results of the causality and regression test indicate that investors’ sentiment and their changes should be included in the forecasting model. Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) indicates that 15-day holding period shows the minimum error. Straddle strategies were simulated 15 days ahead before the options maturity date base on the direction of the forecast for different volatility forecasting models. The simulation result shows that the options trading performance might be improved if volatility forecasting incorporating investor sentiment, particularly IVIX, was incorporated in the decision-making process at the Indian options market. From the behavioural finance point of view, the study bridges the gap between options trading, volatility forecasting and information content of investors’ sentiment at the Indian financial market.
Alternative Education Settings in the United States
Authors: Kumm Skip , Wilkinson Sarah , McDaniel Sara
Published: April 2020

Students with emotional and behavioral disorders who display disruptive behaviors in general education settings are increasingly being educated in alternative education settings. Alternative education settings can vary widely, but they typically have smaller classroom sizes and educational staff who are trained to teach students who were not successful in their previous educational settings. This Current Topics column provides (a) an introduction to how students are placed in those settings, (b) a description of common alternative educational settings, and (c) an overview of effective educational, behavioral, and mental health services available to children and youth in alternative educational settings.
Mental Health in Schools: An Overview of Multitiered Systems of Support
Authors: Marsh Robbie J. , Mathur Sarup R.
Published: April 2020

Mental health–related disabilities are a leading cause of health issues worldwide. Because of this, an argument can be made that schools integrate mental health services for their students to positively impact their mental health outcomes. This article outlines how multitiered systems of support (MTSS) can assist schools in providing all students with mental health services including students with disabilities. The role of school-based mental health professionals (i.e., school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker) within the MTSS framework is discussed to better assist teachers in helping their students access school-based mental health services.
A Subcentimetric Nodule on the Penile Shaft
Authors: Majumder Rishila , Biswas Dipanwita , Mishra Tushar Subhadarshan , Mitra Suvradeep
Published: April 2020

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a benign histiocytic disorder usually affecting the head and trunk region of a child. The isolated occurrence of JXG in the penile shaft of a young adult is hitherto unreported. This lesion is amenable to surgical resection although systemic and/or internal visceral involvement can occur. The clinical differential of this solid cystic lesion may include other solid cystic lesions of the penile shaft, namely, epidermal inclusion cyst. A typical yellowish color can aid in the diagnosis though it is not a constant feature. In this article, we discuss a case of isolated penile JXG in a young adult with salient clinical and histopathological differentials.
Rethinking framing and news values in gamified journalistic contexts: A comparative case study of Al Jazeera’s interactive games
Authors: Arafat Rana Khaled
Published: April 2020

Declining consumption rates of traditional news have led media outlets to search for innovative ways for engaging their audiences. News gamification emerged as a way to offer a more personalized news experience and a playful content by employing tools like badges, points, and leaderboards. As we are beginning to understand the benefits and pitfalls of gamifying news, the influence of the gamification on the news reporting techniques and news delivery structures is still not fully explored. The current study analyzes two games: Pirate Fishing: An Interactive Investigation and #Hacked Syria’s Electronic Armies, for the main generic news frames employed within interactive gamified contexts. Drawing on the integrative framing analysis approach, the study employs an innovative qualitative content analysis to investigate the multimodal – structural, textual, and visual – generic frames each game involves. By revisiting a contemporary list of news values, the study provides a further discussion about changing news values in the gamified setting.
Incentive sensitization for exercise reinforcement to increase exercise behaviors
Authors: Flack Kyle D , Hays Harry M , Moreland Jack
Published: April 2020

Individuals can be sensitized to the reinforcing effects of exercise, although it is unknown if this process increases habitual exercise behavior. Sedentary men and women (body mass index: 25–35 kg/m2, N = 52) participated in a 12-week aerobic exercise intervention. Exercise reinforcement was determined by how much work was performed for exercise relative to a sedentary alternative in a progressive ratio schedule task. Habitual physical activity was assessed via accelerometry. Post-intervention increases in exercise reinforcement predicted increases in physical activity bouts among those who expended over 2000 kcal per week in exercise and who compensated for less than 50 percent of their exercise energy expenditure.
Tabloid female sex confessions and everyday pro-sex feminism: The case of the Apple Daily Taiwan
Authors: Wang Yow-Jiun
Published: April 2020

This article construes the reader-contributed female sex confessions of a Taiwanese tabloid newspaper as contingent cultural instruments, looking into how these confessions are implicated in the formulation of sex-positive feminism. The confessional discourse is interpreted as autobiographical acts with dialogic overtones. The article argues that the highly commercial and communal form of the tabloid confessions fortuitously facilitates positive discourse of female sexuality in a society in transition. It is demonstrated that part of the pro-sex feminism promoted by cultural elites, especially post-feminist discourse of entitlement, is echoed in the confessions. However, dealing with life situations of ordinary people, the community-based tabloid feminism differs from the model discourses in its pragmatism. Although female sexual desires are fully justified, they are balanced in consideration of other necessities, such as security, stability, or romantic love.
When it’s harder to ignorar than to ignore: Evidence of greater attentional capture from a non-dominant language
Authors: Hayakawa Sayuri , Shook Anthony , Marian Viorica
Published: April 2020

Aims and Objectives:

Imagine you’re driving and you become so distracted by the radio that you miss your turn. Which is more likely to have caught your attention, a broadcast in your native tongue or one in your second language? The present study explores the effect of language proficiency on our ability to inhibit irrelevant phonological information.

Methodology:

Participants were asked to identify which of two drawings changed color while ignoring irrelevant words in either their native language, English, or a less proficient language, Spanish. The drawings appeared on screen for either 200 or 2000 ms prior to word-onset, which was followed 200 ms later by a color-change. On critical trials, the irrelevant word shared phonological features with the label of the non-target drawing. Trials were blocked by preview time and language.

Data and Analysis:

Reaction time data from 19 bilinguals were analyzed utilizing generalized linear mixed-effects models, with fixed effects of Competition (competitor vs. control), and Language (English vs. Spanish) and random effects for Subject and Item within each preview window.

Findings/Conclusions:

No interference was observed when participants heard their native tongue in either preview condition. However, participants in the long-preview condition were significantly slower to respond when there was phonological competition in their less proficient language, despite the fact that the task required no language processing.

Originality:

Past work has indicated that languages are processed more automatically and cause greater interference as proficiency increases. We propose that though higher-proficiency languages may receive greater activation overall, lower-proficiency languages may be more likely to exogenously capture attention due to both relatively greater salience, and relatively less control.

Significance:

The present findings have implications for how we understand the dynamic relationship between language proficiency, activation, and inhibition, suggesting that the salience of the less familiar influences our ability to ignore irrelevant information.
Family formation among lalas (lesbians) in urban China: Strategies for forming families and navigating relationships with families of origin
Authors: Lo Iris Po Yee
Published: April 2020

This article explores the ways in which Chinese lesbians, who identify themselves as lalas, form their own families and navigate their relationships with families of origin. To date, there is a lack of research on families formed by same-sex couples in urban China, where homosexuality remains stigmatized. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 35 lala-identified women in Beijing, this article shows that lalas’ formation of families has been shaped by, but at the same time shaping, their relationships with their families of origin, who tend to embrace heteronormative family beliefs. Engaging with ongoing debates on choice and individualization, this study reveals the tensions between lalas’ family aspirations and gendered, familial, material, and socio-political constraints imposed on female-led same-sex families. It contributes to sociological understanding of family change by revealing alternative paths to same-sex family formation in a context where the act of coming out is challenging and families formed by same-sex couples remain largely invisible.
Automatized follow-up and alert system for patients with chronic hypertension
Authors: Urrea Claudio , Venegas Daniel
Published: April 2020

This article presents the development and implementation of a monitoring system for patients with chronic hypertension. Technological advances in wireless communication are increasingly used today to send and receive information through smartphones. This also applies to devices for measuring blood pressure, which can be efficiently integrated with smartphones. Telemedicine is used in a variety of health fields, and in the past 5 years, it has extended its reach to the online monitoring of patients. The objective of this study is to create an integrated system capable of conducting the follow-up, through mobile communication (smartphones), of patients with chronic diseases such as hypertension. An iHealth equipment certified by the Food and Drug Administration is used. The blood pressure values from users are uploaded via Internet and stored in an integral system for processing. The monitoring system developed not only informs users about their disease status but also sends them alerts generated during monitoring. This work uses the telecommunication technology existing through smartphones. The integrated system developed ensures the follow-up of the blood pressure of a large number of users. In addition, this system can be further applied to diseases such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The system developed was easy to use and efficient to monitor patients with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure.
Experiences of mentoring ST4-ST5s amongst a group of orthodontic trainers at Bristol Dental School and Hospital
Authors: Parvizi Farnaz , Ireland Anthony J , Fowler Ellayne
Published: April 2020

Objective:

To explore the experiences of mentoring higher-grade trainees amongst senior orthodontic trainers at Bristol Dental School.

Design:

Qualitative study using interpretive methodology.

Setting:

University of Bristol Dental School.

Participants:

Six consultant orthodontists, five of whom also have district general hospital experience.

Methods:

One-to-one semi-structured interviews were undertaken on a purposeful sample of orthodontic trainers. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and Thematic Analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results:

Four main themes emerged from the data were. They were: How to Mentor; Mentor–Mentee Pairings; Resources and Success; and Pitfalls of Mentoring.

Conclusion:

The present study revealed that senior trainers have a good understanding of the qualities of a mentor and appreciate the roles which mentors need to perform. They are altruistic in their motives, but would benefit from more time, organisational support and training to help them perform their duties better.
Generalized wavelet-based synchrosqueezing transform: Algorithm and applications
Authors: Tu Xiaotong , Hu Yue , Abbas Saqlain , Li Fucai
Published: April 2020

Time–frequency analysis is recognized as an efficient tool to characterize the time-varying feature from the oscillatory signal by transforming it into an identifiable form. Some traditional time–frequency transforms are subjected to poor time–frequency resolution or do not allow for mode reconstruction. As a postprocessing method, the synchrosqueezing transform has been utilized to tackle these problems. In this framework, a new method termed as generalized wavelet-based synchrosqueezing transform is developed in the current research work to deal with a strong modulated signal. The proposed method is capable to theoretically generate unbiased instantaneous frequency estimation at any order by defining a higher-order Taylor expansion signal model. The signal mapping procedure is also embedded in the algorithm to further improve the anti-noise robustness of the presented method. Numerical investigation of synthetic signal verifies the feasibility of the generalized wavelet-based synchrosqueezing transform as compared to previously developed approaches. Moreover, the practical implementation of the proposed method for the detection of the rotor rub-impact fault demonstrates that the generalized wavelet-based synchrosqueezing transform is qualified for machine fault diagnosis under the variable speed conditions.
A-kinase interacting protein 1, a potential biomarker associated with advanced tumor features and CXCL1/2 in prostate cancer
Authors: Wang Danlan , Luo Yuanfang , Guo Yonglian , Li Guohao , Li Fan
Published: April 2020

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of A-kinase interacting protein 1 (AKIP1) with chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) and CXCL2, as well as their associations with clinical characteristics and prognosis in prostate cancer patients.

Methods:

A total of 248 eligible prostate cancer patients who underwent surgery were consecutively recruited, and tumor tissues were collected during the surgery. AKIP1, CXCL1, and CXCL2 expression in tumor tissues were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Disease-free survival and overall survival were recorded, and the median follow-up time was 27 months.

Results:

The proportion of patients with AKIP1, CXCL1, and CXCL2 high expression was 56.5%, 63.7%, and 56.9%, respectively. Additionally, AKIP1 expression positively correlated with CXCL1 expression ( P<0.001) and CXCL2 expression ( P<0.001), and CXCL1 expression was positively associated with CXCL2 expression ( P<0.001). Furthermore, AKIP1 expression positively correlated with pathological T stage ( P<0.001) and pathological N stage ( P=0.003). CXCL1 expression was positively associated with pathological T stage ( P<0.001) and pathological N stage ( P<0.001) as well. However, the CXCL2 expression only positively correlated with pathological T stage ( P=0.002). Also, AKIP1 high expression correlated with worse disease-free survival ( P=0.049) and OS ( P=0.013), and CXCL1 high expression was associated with unfavorable disease-free survival ( P=0.023) but not overall survival ( P=0.052). CXCL2 expression was not correlated with disease-free survival ( P=0.083) or overall survival ( P=0.065). Multivariate Cox’s regression disclosed that AKIP1 high expression independently predicted worse overall survival ( P=0.009).

Conclusion:

AKIP1 positively associates with CXCL1/2 and is a potential biomarker for disease monitoring as well as prognosis in prostate cancer.
A cultural criminology of “new” jihad: Insights from propaganda magazines
Authors: Sunde Hans Myhre , Ilan Jonathan , Sandberg Sveinung
Published: April 2020

The backgrounds and modus operandi of more recent jihadi terrorists tend to share factors and characteristics more typically associated with non-political violence such as mass-killings and gang violence. Their attacks, moreover, seem to have been precipitated not by the direct instructions of a formal hierarchy but by the encouragement of propaganda produced and disseminated by networked, media-savvy terrorist groups. It is necessary to explain how these “recruitment” efforts work. Cultural criminology, with its understanding of the relationship between mediated meaning and individual experience, can provide such an analysis. The article presents a qualitative document analysis of 32 propaganda magazines produced by the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. It demonstrates that they contain significantly more than religious rhetoric and military strategy. Rather, they are part of a process that crystalizes a jihadi subculture that appeals to disaffected and/or marginalized, excitement-seeking youths. The magazines cultivate violence by constructing a militarized style that celebrates outlaw status, where violence is eroticized and aestheticized. They idealize the notion of a jihadi terrorist that is tough and willing to commit brutal violence. The lifestyle portrayed offers the possibility of heroism, excitement, belonging and imminent fame, themes often espoused by conventional, Western consumer culture. The magazines occasionally draw on street jargon, urban music, fashion, films, and video games. The subcultural model of jihadi propaganda we explicate provides a novel way of understanding terrorist recruiting tactics and motivations that are not necessarily in opposition to contemporary conventional criminal and “mainstream” cultures, but in resonance with them.
An update on the management of antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Rodziewicz Mia , D’Cruz David P.
Published: April 2020

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent venous or arterial thrombosis with or without pregnancy morbidity in the presence of persistent antiphospholipid (aPL) autoantibodies. Anticoagulation has, until now, formed the cornerstone of treatment but a significant proportion of patients continue to experience thrombosis and pregnancy morbidity despite this treatment. Thrombosis is the most common cause of mortality and accounts for two fifths of deaths. Direct oral anticoagulant drugs represent an attractive alternative to conventional vitamin K antagonist drugs but emerging evidence suggests these may not be suitable for high-risk patients with thrombotic APS. Laboratory studies and case reports of the successful use of different classes of drugs in APS is increasing our understanding of the other pathophysiological mechanisms which may contribute to the high morbidity of APS. This review summarizes current accepted anticoagulant treatment for APS and examines other potential drugs such as immunomodulating agents, statins and novel agents such as sirolimus and defibrotide.