bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-Dimensional Changes of the Auditory Canal in a Three-Year Period during Adolescence Using CBCTs
Authors: Woods Adam , Lagravère Manuel O.
Published: October 2018

Purpose. There is a lack of identifying suitable regions in the head that can be used for three-dimensional superimposition techniques. For this reason, with the use of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), the ear canals were analyzed to verify changes during a period of three years in the adolescent years.Methods. CBCTs from fifty-six patients (ages: 10 to 20) were used to landmark the anatomy of the ear canals. Each patient was analyzed using two CBCT reconstructions that were taken approximately three years apart. AVIZO® software was used to locate 28 landmarks distributed following the ear canal path and foramina (ovale, spinosum, rotundum, etc.) in the cranial base to obtain spatial relationships. Three-dimensional coordinates were obtained from the landmarks, and the average distance between various landmark pairings was calculated. The repeated measure ANCOVA was used to determine statistical significance.Results. In the main data set, the largest mean distance change was found to be 4.37 mm ±  18.29 mm between the left foramen ovale and the left superior medial ear canal opening. The smallest mean distance change was 0.18 mm ± 3.25 mm between the right inferior lateral ear canal opening and the right inferior medial ear canal opening.Conclusions. During the adolescent years, the ear canal presents dimensional changes. Even though in different areas throughout the canal, the average distances were minor, still, large standard deviations were present; thus, caution should be taken when trying to use this structure for superimposition of CBCTs.
Effects of Smoke‐Dust and CO on Controllable Circulatory Ventilation of an Extra‐Long Highway Tunnel: Theoretical Model and Calculations
Authors: Tian Feng , Wang Hai-qiao , Chen Shi-qiang , Chen Yong-ping
Published: October 2018

The complexity, high energy consumption, and difficulty in controlling of extra‐long highway tunnel have always been problematic in the civil engineering field. The objective of this study is to discuss controllable circulatory ventilation (CCV) considering these issues. By calculating the equations of consumed air volume (CAV), diluting smoke‐dust and CO, this study deduces the theoretical dimensionless equations governing the influence of two pollutants’ CAV on CCV application. By setting the vehicle speed from 10 km/h to 80 km/h and setting the slope from −4% to 4%, engineering data of Jiaozhouwan tunnel, for example, the abovementioned equations of environment ratio, load ratio, and critical diesel‐gasoline ratio, were calculated numerically. Furthermore, the effects of smoke‐dust and CO on CCV were quantified. Drawn from this study, the critical diesel‐gasoline ratio can be a key indicator to the preassessment of CCV application to an extra‐long highway tunnel.
Insulin Modulates Paracoccidioides brasiliensis-Induced Inflammation by Restoring the Populations of NK Cells, Dendritic Cells, and B Lymphocytes in Lungs
Authors: Casagrande Felipe Beccaria , de Souza Ferreira Sabrina , Nunes Fernanda Peixoto Barbosa , Romera Lavínia Maria Dal’Mas , dos Santos Suelen Silvana , Tessaro Fernando Henrique Galvão , de Souza Paula Regina Knox , Almeida Sandro Rogério , Martins Joilson Oliveira
Published: October 2018

Paracoccidioidomycosis, a key issue for Brazilian health service, can be aggravated in patients with impaired immunological responses, such as diabetic patients. We evaluated the role of insulin in inflammatory parameters in diabetic and nondiabetic mice using a systemic mycosis Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Pb) model. Diabetic C57BL-6 mice and controls were infected with Pb18 and treated with insulin for 12 days prior to experiments. After 55 days, infected diabetic mice exhibited fewer leukocytes in both peritoneal lavage fluid (PeLF) and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and reduced secretion of interleukin- (IL-) 6 in lungs. In addition, diabetic mice presented a reduced influx of TCD4+ cells, TCD8+ cells, B lymphocytes, NK cells, and dendritic cells compared to control infected groups. Insulin treatment restored the leukocyte number in PeLF and restored the presence of B lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and NK cells in lungs of diabetic animals. The data suggest that diabetic mice present impaired immunological response to Pb18 infection and insulin modulates inflammation by reducing IL-6 levels in lung and CINC-1 levels in spleen and liver homogenates, restoring leukocyte concentrations in PeLF and also restoring populations of dendritic cells and B lymphocytes in lungs of diabetic mice, permitting the host to better control the infection.
Highlighting the Potency of Biosurfactants Produced by Pseudomonas Strains as Anti-Legionella Agents
Authors: Loiseau Clémence , Portier Emilie , Corre Marie-Hélène , Schlusselhuber Margot , Depayras Ségolène , Berjeaud Jean-Marc , Verdon Julien
Published: October 2018

Legionella pneumophila, the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, is a waterborne bacterium mainly found in man-made water systems in close association with free-living amoebae and multispecies biofilms. Pseudomonas strains, originating from various environments including freshwater systems or isolated from hospitalized patients, were tested for their antagonistic activity towards L. pneumophila. A high amount of tested strains was thus found to be active. This antibacterial activity was correlated to the presence of tensioactive agents in culture supernatants. As Pseudomonas strains were known to produce biosurfactants, these compounds were specifically extracted and purified from active strains and further characterized using reverse-phase HPLC and mass spectrometry methods. Finally, all biosurfactants tested (lipopeptides and rhamnolipids) were found active and this activity was shown to be higher towards Legionella strains compared to various other bacteria. Therefore, described biosurfactants are potent anti-Legionella agents that could be used in the water treatment industry although tests are needed to evaluate how effective they would be under field conditions.
The Influence of Ventilation Arrangement on the Mechanism of Dust Distribution in Woxi Pithead
Authors: Zhou Zhiyong , Hu Pei , Qi Chongchong , Niu Tianpei , Li Ming , Tian Long
Published: October 2018

Suppressing and removing mine dust from the working face is an important task for underground mines worldwide. In this paper, a numerical study was carried out to investigate the influence of ventilation arrangement on the mechanism of dust distribution. The Woxi Pithead of Hunan Chenzhou Mining Co., Ltd, China, was used as a case study, which adopted a widely used far‐pressing‐near‐absorption (FPNA) ventilation system. Based on the theory of gas‐solid two‐phase flow, the program ANSYS Fluent was utilized, and the three‐dimensional airflow migration and dust diffusion numerical models were simulated. The established computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models were validated using the airflow velocity data and the dust concentration data monitored at different positions from the operating coal mine. A comprehensive sensitivity study was conducted to investigate the influence of four parameters on dust suppression, including the distance of pressure air duct outlet from working face (Lp-outlet), the distance of exhaust air duct inlet from working face (Le-inlet), the ratio of pressing air volume to lab sorption air volume (K), and the installation height of the air duct (H). The optimum ventilation layout parameters were obtained through the simulation of the wind field and dust behaviour. The results show that there were four regions during the airflow field, namely, the jet zone, the recirculation zone, the vortex zone, and the mixing zone of pressure and exhaust airflow. All four parameters were found to have an important influence on the mass concentration of dust, and the optimum ventilation layout parameters were determined to be Lp-outlet = 18 m, Le-inlet = 3 m, K = 1.2, and H = 1.6 m.
Which Seems to Be Worst? Pain Severity and Quality of Life between Patients with Lateral Hip Pain and Low Back Pain
Authors: Ferrer-Peña Raúl , Calvo-Lobo César , Aiguadé Ramón , Fernández-Carnero Josué
Published: October 2018

Purpose. The aim of this study was to compare the pain severity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and risk of continue having pain with prognostic risk scores (PRS), between patients referring greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS) and chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods. A descriptive, cross-sectional design using nonprobability convenience sampling was performed. A total sample of 102 patients were recruited from two primary health-care centers and divided into GTPS (n = 51) and CLBP (n = 51) groups. The primary outcome was pain severity which was assessed with the Spanish version of the Graded Chronic Pain Scale (GCPS). The secondary outcome was the HRQoL which was measured using the Spanish version of EuroQoL Five Dimensions and Five Levels (EQ-5D-5L) as well as the PRS. Results. Significant differences (P<0.05) were found within both groups in the pain severity global score with a medium effect size showing greater values for the CLBP group with regards to the GTPS group. The PRS in both groups did not show statistical differences (P>0.05). Nevertheless, subjects referring CLBP showed greater levels in the PRS than patients with GTPS. Comparing both groups, the HRQoL showed statistical differences (P<0.05) in the “pain/discomfort” domain in the CLBP group with respect to the GTPS group, but not in the other domains. Conclusions. Patients who suffered from CLBP showed greater pain severity and HRQoL discomfort with regard to patients with GTPS. Despite greater scores for CLBP, the PRS did not seem to be different between both conditions.
The E2F1–miR-520/372/373–SPOP Axis Modulates Progression of Renal Carcinoma
Authors: Ding Meng , Lu Xiaolan , Wang Cheng , Zhao Quan , Ge Jingping , Xia Qiuyuan , Wang Junjun , Zen Ke , Zhang Chen-Yu , Zhang Chunni
Published: October 2018

Although renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most malignant urologic cancer, its pathogenesis remains unclear, and effective treatments for advanced RCC are still lacking. Here, we report that a novel E2F1–miR-520/372/373–SPOP axis controls RCC carcinogenesis. Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) was upregulated in over 90% of RCC tissues, whereas the miR-520/372/373 family was downregulated and correlated inversely with SPOP protein levels in RCC tissues. The miR-520/372/373 family targeted the SPOP 3′-UTR and suppressed SPOP protein expression, leading to elevation of PTEN and DUSP7 levels and, consequently, decreased proliferation, invasion/migration, and metastasis of RCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Tail-vein delivery of therapeutic miR-520/372/373 family significantly decreased both tumor size and lung metastasis ratio in mice bearing orthotopic xenograft tumors. Decreased expression of miR-520/372/373 family was mediated by transcription factor E2F1. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the E2F1-miR-520/372/373–SPOP axis functions as a key signaling pathway in RCC progression and metastasis and represents a promising opportunity for targeted therapies.

Significance:

These findings show that the E2F1-miR-520/372/373 family–SPOP axis promotes RCC progression, thereby contributing to our understanding of RCC pathogenesis and unveiling new avenues for more effective targeted therapies.
A Nationwide, Population-Based Epidemiologic Study of Childhood Brain Tumors in Korea, 2005–2014: A Comparison with United States Data
Authors: Kang Ji-Man , Ha Johyun , Hong Eun Kyung , Ju Hee Young , Park Byung Kiu , Shin Sang-Hoon , Won Young-Joo , Jung Kyu-Won , Park Hyeon Jin
Published: October 2018

Background:

We investigated the epidemiologic characteristics of childhood brain tumors (CBT) in Korea, and compared our findings with those from the United States.

Methods:

We searched the Korea National Cancer Incidence Database of the Korea Central Cancer Registry (KCCR) from 2005 to 2014, which included all Korean patients with CBT aged 0 to 19 years at diagnosis. The age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) and the 5-year relative survival rate (RSR) were determined. The Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) classification and definitions were applied to allow direct comparison with U.S. data.

Results:

A total of 6,027 CBTs were identified. The ASR of all CBTs was 5.08 per 100,000 population, which was significantly lower than that in the United States (5.57). However, the ASR of nonmalignant CBTs in Korea (2.48) was significantly higher than that in the United States (2.15). Embryonal tumors (ASR: 0.99 and 0.72 in the 0–4 and 5–9 year age groups, respectively) were the most common CBTs in these respective age groups. Germ cell tumors (0.78) and pituitary tumors (1.63) were the most common CBTs in the 10–14 and 15–19 year age groups, respectively. The 5-year RSR of CBTs was 84% and varied according to histology.

Conclusions:

High incidences of nonmalignant and germ cell tumors are distinct CBT features in Korean children and adolescents.

Impact:

To our knowledge, this is the first and largest population-based epidemiologic study of CBTs in Asia. Our findings support the notion that East Asian populations have a higher incidence of central nervous system germ cell tumors than other races.
Capecitabine-Associated Terminal Ileitis
Authors: van Hellemond Irene E.G. , Thijs Annemarie M. , Creemers Geert-Jan
Published: October 2018

Capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine used as adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer. Diarrhea is a well-known side effect of capecitabine and 5-fluorouracil agents. We present a case with terminal ileitis as a rare adverse event of capecitabine treatment. Capecitabine-induced terminal ileitis is likely to be underreported. It should be considered more often as a cause of severe and atypical complaints of diarrhea during treatment with capecitabine or other 5-fluorouracil agents.
Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Clinical Assessment of Rapid Progression
Authors: Furlano Mónica , Loscos Irene , Martí Teresa , Bullich Gemma , Ayasreh Nadia , Rius Asunción , Roca Lourdes , Ballarín José , Ars Elisabet , Torra Roser
Published: October 2018

Background: Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) causes the development of renal cysts and leads to a decline in renal function. Limited guidance exists in clinical practice on the use of tolvaptan. A decision algorithm from the European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Working Groups of Inherited Kidney Disorders and European Renal Best Practice (WGIKD/ERBP) has been proposed to identify candidates for tolvaptan treatment; however, this algorithm has not been assessed in clinical practice. Methods: Eighteen-month cross-sectional, unicenter, observational study assessing 305 consecutive ADPKD patients. The ERA-EDTA WGIKD/ERBP algorithm with a stepwise approach was used to assess rapid progression (RP). Subsequently, expanded criteria based on the REPRISE trial were applied to evaluate the ­impact of extended age (≤55 years) and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR; ≥25 mL/min/1.73 m2). Results: Historical eGFR decline, indicative of RP, was fulfilled in 26% of 73 patients who were candidates for RP assessment, mostly aged 31–55 years. Further tests including ultrasound and MRI measurements of kidney volume plus genetic testing enabled the evaluation of the remaining patients. Overall, 15.7% of patients met the criteria for rapid or likely RP using the algorithm, and the percentage increased to 27% when extending age and eGFR. Conclusions: The ERA-EDTA WGIKD/ERBP algorithm provides a valuable means of identifying in routine clinical practice patients who may be eligible for treatment with tolvaptan. The impact of a new threshold for age and eGFR may increase the percentage of patients to be treated.
The American Joint Commission Cancer 8th Edition Prognostic Stage Including Oncotype DX® Recurrence Score: Impact on Staging of Early Breast Cancer
Authors: O’Cearbhaill Roisin , Gannon John M. , Prichard Ruth S. , Walshe Janice M. , McDermott Enda , Quinn Cecily M.
Published: October 2018

Background: The American Joint Commission Cancer (AJCC) Cancer Staging Manual 8th edition introduced a breast cancer (BC) Prognostic Stage (PS) that combines tumour grade, oestrogen (ER), progesterone (PgR), and human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2) receptor status with Anatomic TNM Stage (AS). In a further modification, patients with early BC and an Oncotype DX® Recurrence Score (RS) < 11 are assigned to PS 1A irrespective of grade and size up to 5 cm. This study profiles the impact of these changes on staging in patients with early BC and RS < 11. Methods: A total of 127 patients, with primary BC and RS < 11, were identified from a consecutive series of 729 patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative, lymph node-negative, primary BC whose tumours were tested using the Oncotype DX® 21 multigene assay. Each patient was assigned AS, PS, and RS-modified PS, and staging categories were compared. Results: Applying AS, 100 patients were stage IA and 27 IIA. Applying PS, 89 were stage IA, 33 IB, 4 IIA, and 1 IIB. All patients were IA according to RS-modified PS. Comparing PS to AS, 26.7% of patients (n = 34) changed stage, 9.4% (n = 12) to a higher and 17.3% (n = 22) to a lower stage. RS-modified PS versus AS resulted in downstaging in 21.3% (n = 27). Comparing PS modified by RS to PS alone, 29.9% (n = 38) were downstaged. Conclusion: Application of PS and RS-modified PS results in tumour downstaging in approximately 20% of patients with early BC. Upstaging was observed in 9% of patients when staged according to PS and was primarily due to the impact of high histological grade.
Association Between Risk Factors Including Bone-Derived Biomarkers and Aortic Arch Calcification in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Nitta Kosaku , Hanafusa Norio , Okazaki Masayuki , Komatsu Mizuki , Kawaguchi Hiroshi , Tsuchiya Ken
Published: October 2018

Background/Aims: Aortic arch calcification (AoAC) is frequently detected in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. We investigated the factors associated with AoAC and analyzed the relationship between the factors including bone-derived biomarkers and AoAC. Methods: We enrolled 389 stable MHD patients. AoAC was assessed using chest-X ray examination. Demographic data was collected in addition to serum levels of biochemical and bone-derived biomarkers, including sclerostin and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23). Results: Two hundred sixteen patients (55.5%) had AoAC. Patients with AoAC score ≥ 4 were older, with a higher percentage being male, and exhibited lower serum levels of albumin and triglyceride. Serum FGF-23 levels were inversely associated with AoAC severity, and FGF-23was directly related to vascular calcification. Age, gender, and dialysis vintage were independent predictors of AoAC. Conclusion: MHD patients have a high prevalence of AoAC. The grade of AoAC was dependent on older age in association with longer dialysis vintage. Levels of circulating FGF-23 but not sclerostin were related to AoAC severity. Serum FGF-23 levels were independently associated with AoAC.
Genetic structure of natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) populations in Flanders, Belgium, and its implications for conservation
Authors: Maes Joke , Van Oosten Arend Raoul , Van Houtte Natalie , Matthysen Erik
Published: October 2018

Unique evolutionary potential could be lost when a population goes extinct or when individuals are translocated to other existing populations. Therefore, in order to identify priorities and to predict the efficiency and consequences of conservation actions, information is needed on the genetic structure of natural populations. In the urbanized and diverse landscapes of Flanders, Belgium, natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) populations have been declining over the last decades. Therefore, this species is subjected to a wide range of different types of conservation measures (e.g. habitat management, corridor development, translocations). However, more information is needed on its genetic population structure. In this study, we sampled egg clutches from six populations and studied their genetic structure with six microsatellite markers. In total, 184 samples from 99 different egg strings were genotyped. Observed heterozygosity was generally high, even for the small and isolated populations (overall mean HO = 0.43). The weak clustering by the Bayesian analyses (STRUCTURE, Adegenet and BAPS) does not allow us to make strong conclusions on the population structure. However, the significant ΦST values between the populations underline the importance of genetic information when conservation priorities are discussed. Unique evolutionary potential could be lost when one or more natterjack toad populations would go extinct, and translocation of individuals to other existing populations should be considered with caution.
Insights into the Summer Diurnal Cycle over Eastern South Africa
Authors: Koseki Shunya , Pohl Benjamin , Bhatt Bhuwan Chandra , Keenlyside Noel , Nkwinkwa Njouodo Arielle Stela
Published: October 2018

Adopting a state-of-the-art numerical model system, we investigate how the diurnal variations in precipitation and local breeze systems are characterized by lower-boundary conditions related to the Drakensberg highland and warm SST associated with the Agulhas Current. A control simulation can simulate the hydrometeorological climates in the region realistically, but the terrestrial rainfall is overestimated. During daytime, the precipitation is confined to the Drakensberg highland, and there is an onshore local breeze, while during midnight to morning, the rainfall is confined to the Agulhas Current, and the breeze is offshore. These variations are captured by the numerical simulation, although the timing of maximum rainfall is early over the land and delayed over the ocean. The sensitivity experiment in which the Drakensberg is absent shows a drastic modification in the diurnal variations over land and ocean. The terrestrial precipitation is largely decreased around the Drakensberg and is largest along the coast during daytime. The nocturnal marine precipitation along the Agulhas Current is also reduced. Although the daily residual breeze is still pronounced even without the Drakensberg, wind speed is weakened. We attribute this to the reduction of precipitation. In another sensitivity experiment with smoothened warm SST due to the Agulhas Current, the amplitudes of diurnal variations are not modified remarkably, but the coastal rainfall is diminished to some extent due to less evaporation along the Agulhas Current. This study concludes that the Drakensberg plays a crucial role for the diurnal cycle, and the impact of the Agulhas Current is limited on the diurnal cycle of the coastal precipitation in this region.
Atmospheric Aerosol Multiband Synthesis Imaging Spectrometer
Authors: Wang Xiaoxu , Zhang Zihui , Wang Shurong , Huang Yu , Lin Guanyu , Li Zhanfeng , Yang Xiaohu
Published: October 2018

According to the characteristics of the spectrum distribution for atmospheric aerosol detection, a multiband synthesis imaging spectrometer system based on Czerny–Turner configuration is designed and proposed in this paper. Using a grating array instead of a traditional single grating, and together with a filter array, the proposed configuration can achieve hyperspectral imaging with the spectral resolution of 0.16 nm, 0.24 nm, 0.29 nm, and 2.05 nm in the spectral bands of 370–430 nm, 640–680 nm, 840–880 nm, and 1560–1660 nm, respectively. First, the system aberration caused by the spectral change was eliminated based on Rowland circle theory; then, Zemax software was used to optimize and analyze the optical design. The analysis results show that the root mean square (RMS) of the spot diagram is < 9 µm in all the working spectral bands, which demonstrates that the aberration has been corrected and a good imaging quality can be achieved. This design of multiband synthesis imaging spectrometer configuration proves to be not only feasible, but also simple and compact, which lays a solid foundation for the practical application in the field of atmospheric aerosol remote sensing spectroscopy.
Quick Test for Transgenic Components in Rice Using Terahertz Spectra
Authors: Ju Xin-gang , Zhang Yuan , Lian Fei-yu , Fu Mai-xia
Published: October 2018

The terahertz (THz) spectrum of 0.2–1.6 THz (6.6–52.8 cm−1) was used to identify the existence of transgenic rice Bt63 contents in non-GMO rice using a THz time-domain spectroscopy system. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract the feature data based on the cumulative rate of information contribution ( > 90%); the top four principal components were selected and a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) method was then trained and used. Three selection radial basis functions including a Gaussian function were used to identify the three types (strong positive, weak positive, and negative). The results show that the samples were identified with an accuracy of nearly 90%; additionally, the positive identification rate was > 87.5% and the negative identification rate reached 100% using the proposed method (PCA-RBF). The proposed approach was then compared with other methods, including back propagation (BP) neural networks and support vector machine (SVM). The results of the comparison show that the accuracy of PCA-RBF method reaches 92% in total and all the rest are < 90% using 100 samples. Obviously, the proposed approach outperforms the other methods and also indicates that the proposed method, in combination with THz spectroscopy, is efficient and practical for transgenic ingredient identification in rice.
Embracing colouredness in Cape Town: Racial formation of first-generation Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers in South Africa
Authors: Tewolde Amanuel Isak
Published: October 2018

Sociologists of ‘race’ studying ‘coloured’ racial identity in South Africa have exclusively focused on its socio-historical invention throughout the colonial and apartheid eras and its continuity in post-apartheid South Africa as it relates to South African nationals. What has been missing in the literature, however, is how coloured identity is being navigated by foreign-born non-South African nationals in post-apartheid South Africa, such as refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants more generally. Furthermore, migration scholarship in South Africa has paid little attention to this phenomenon to date. This article addresses this lacuna by interviewing first-generation Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers residing in Cape Town to explore the extent of their attachment to coloured racial identity in their everyday lived experiences. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to examine the lived racial self-identification patterns of the participants. Convenience and snowball sampling were utilised to select study participants. This article forms part of the results from a larger project. Sixteen participants were recruited and three major themes identified: (1) awareness of one’s phenotype; (2) adopting spouse and offspring’s racial identity; and (3) embracing colouredness as a positive racial identity. The article argues that, in everyday life, coloured racial identity, which was historically created to categorise South African citizens, is being adopted by refugee and asylum-seeker communities for whom coloured identity was never socio-politically constructed. It is also argued that extra-somatic social and perceptual factors informed the racial self-identification choices of the participants rather than their racial phenotype, which has traditionally informed the racial self-identification practices of South African citizens. Furthermore, the participants redefined coloured as a positive racial identity, effectively displacing negative discourses associated with coloured racial identity.
Constrained from leaving or comfortable at home? Young people’s explanations for delayed home-leaving in 28 European countries
Authors: Breidenbach Andrew L
Published: October 2018

Many comparative studies of home-leaving examine behavior associated with this transition and the relative importance of both structural and cultural factors in helping or hindering it. Yet, we know surprisingly little about how youth understand these factors on a broad scale to be influencing home-leaving for their generation. This article compares young people’s beliefs across cultures about why late home-leaving occurs using Eurobarometer survey data from 28 countries. I incorporate comparative home-leaving literature with theories about attitudinal worlds of welfare and explanations for social problems to argue that modes of explanation for late home-leaving hinge on whether youth see external, structural causes preventing earlier leaving (constraint-oriented explanations) or internal, more culturally motivated causes that lead individuals to stay at home longer (choice-oriented explanations). Demographic and institutional conditions that capture aspects of nations’ home-leaving contexts, such as women’s mean age at childbirth and the robustness of labor and housing markets, significantly correlate with the prevalence of these explanations. Findings suggest that youth tend to perceive their generation’s housing exits as structurally limited by scarce housing and weak purchasing power. However, in richer countries with more effective employment markets and better access to rental housing stock, choice-oriented explanations are more popular.
Studying Leaders and Military Conflict
Authors: Horowitz Michael C. , Fuhrmann Matthew
Published: October 2018

This article introduces the special feature “Leaders, Crisis Behavior, and International Conflict.” Individual leaders play a central role in world politics. Yet, for the last several decades, international relations scholarship has downplayed or ignored leaders, focusing instead on system-wide variables and domestic political institutions. A new wave of research, however, has helped to reintroduce the leader-level back into models of international politics. The papers that constitute this special feature represent some of the cutting-edge work in this area. This introductory paper traces the evolution of research on leaders in international relations and provides a conceptual framework that highlights different approaches to the study of leaders. It also distills several key themes that emerge from the papers, in addition to offering directions for future research.
Dismantling the wall between church and state
Authors: Cheuk Tina , Quinn Rand
Published: October 2018

The definition of public education is changing rapidly and radically in our current political landscape. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the debate over publicly funded school voucher systems, which direct taxpayer funds to parents to offset the cost of tuition at the private schools of their choice. Tina Cheuk and Rand Quinn address how three spheres of influence – the courts, the executive branch, and public opinion — are contributing to a slow dismantlement of the wall between the church and the state.
Putting the public back into public accountability
Authors: Gottlieb Derek , Schneider Jack
Published: October 2018

Although current accountability systems have received a great deal of criticism for being too narrow and too focused on sanctions, relatively little concern has been directed at a related problem: the failure of accountability systems to meaningfully engage the public. Derek Gottlieb and Jack Schneider suggest that a better system would consider the plural and often non-instrumental standards by which communities evaluate their schools. In such a system, state officials, district leaders, teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders would come together to determine how schools will be evaluated and how to respond to the results of those evaluations.
Tensions in teacher choice and professional development
Authors: Saclarides Evthokia Stephanie , Lubienski Sarah Theule
Published: October 2018

In a recent qualitative coaching study of a single district, Evthokia Stephanie Saclarides and Sarah Theule Lubienski observed tensions within a coaching structure in which teachers had to be the ones to initiate professional development with a coach. Specifically, the Teacher’s Choice structure heightened coaches’ difficulties gaining access to teachers’ classrooms, which led the coaches to position themselves as trustworthy peers and avoid difficult conversations. The authors recommend that districts adopt a blended approach where teachers set their own learning agendas but coaches can also initiate professional development with teachers.
Washington View
Authors: Ferguson Maria
Published: October 2018

As the 2018 election approaches, education is proving to be a major issue, with dozens of teachers running for office and voters showing strong interest in topics such as school funding and campus safety. However, while voters may be engaged in the issues, they likely have little information about the ways in which big-spending individuals and advocacy groups have influenced their candidates’ political platforms.
Divine Freedom and Human Religions
Authors: Moore-Keish Martha
Published: October 2018

This print version of an address given in February 2018 at Columbia Theological Seminary pursues the question, How do we follow Jesus the Christ in this religiously plural world? Martha Moore-Keish tells the story of how Presbyterians, as one particular Christian family, have wrestled with this question for the past 500 years. After reviewing five historical interpretations of religious diversity, the essay introduces the emerging field of comparative theology, as a promising next step in engaging a world of many religions. Finally, it offers a trinitarian Reformed theological rationale for engaging in comparative theology.
Going Public with the Means of Grace
Authors: Jacobsen David Schnasa
Published: October 2018

This article articulates a revisionist homiletical theology of Word and Sacrament for a disestablished church in a disenchanted, post-secular world. Its understanding of the post-secular context, an age of religious resurgence nonetheless impacted by the secular, is grounded in Charles Taylor’s analysis of the Reformation as an engine of cultural change even today: disenchantment, shared vocation, and the “affirmation of the ordinary.” In this context, it seeks to revise Protestant notions of the gospel as promise in the direction of Richard Kearney’s onto-eschatological vision in The God Who May Be. Such a notion of promise, connected to Kearney’s “traversing presence” yet embracing its possibilizing force, pushes against attempts to re-trench and reenchant, as in some postliberal and radical orthodox theologies, in favor of a more apologetic public theology of Word and Sacrament.
Scriptural Spirituality as Postmodern Theology
Authors: Fortin Jean-Pierre
Published: October 2018

Embracing David Tracy’s prophetic and christocentric vision for postmodern theology, this article argues that Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s evolving interpretation of the Psalms forms a paradigmatic example of postmodern Christian spirituality and discipleship. From the 1935 lecture on Christ in the Psalms, through Life Together and Prayerbook of the Bible, to the unfinished exposition of Psalm 119, Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to find in the Psalter a privileged access to lifelong transformative experience of Jesus Christ and his redeeming power. Today, Jesus Christ is made incarnate not through abstract concepts and theories, but by means of prayerful personal participative involvement in the history of salvation.
Consciousness and spirituality in New Romanian Cinema
Authors: Giukin Lenuta
Published: October 2018

Representations of the individual, family and collective groups within New Romanian Cinema reveal the nation’s social, political and psychological transformations, as well as its values and beliefs in times of intense transition. Focusing on Behind the Hills (Cristian Mungiu, 2012) and Sieranevada (Cristi Puiu, 2016), this article analyses the new cinema’s dual position (apolitical yet engaged) and reflection on such aspects as religion, ideology and globalization; it emphasizes mechanisms of identity (trans)formation, the shaping of global citizenship and the shifts in public discourses, such as film, to continue to engage individuals and groups in social debate and events.
Weighing intellectual property: Can we balance the social costs and benefits of patenting?
Authors: Biagioli Mario
Published: October 2018

The scale is the most famous emblem of the law, including intellectual property (IP). Because IP rights impose social costs on the public by limiting access to protected work, the law can be justified only to the extent that, on balance, it encourages enough creation and dissemination of new works to offset those costs. The scale is thus a potent rhetorical trope of fairness and objectivity, but also an instrument the law thinks with – one that is constantly invoked to justify or to question the extent of available IP protection. The balancing act that underlies the legitimacy of IP is, however, literally impossible to perform. Because we are unable to measure the benefits that IP has for inventors or the costs it has for the public, the scale has nothing to weigh. It conveys a clear sense that IP law can be balanced, but in fact propagates only a visible simulacrum of balance – one that is as empty as it is powerful.
The Political Economy of Progressive Uruguay, 2005–2016
Authors: Oyhantçabal Gabriel
Published: October 2018

The 2005 election of the Frente Amplio (Broad Front) to the national government initiated a new stage in Uruguay’s recent history characterized by capital accumulation, increase of income for the working class, and the development of social policies. An analysis of the particularities of this historical period challenges official and liberal positions that attribute them exclusively to the capacities of government authorities. Progressiveness expresses a particular way of valorizing capital emerging from the crisis of neoliberalism that is characterized by the linking of capital accumulation with wage increases and social policies made possible by external conditions including the increase of ground rent and flows of foreign capital.

La llegada del Frente Amplio al gobierno nacional en 2005 inició una nueva etapa en la historia reciente del Uruguay en el marco del cual se producirá un período virtuoso de acumulación de capital, mejora de los ingresos de la clase trabajadora y despliegue de políticas sociales. Discutiendo con las posturas oficialistas y liberales que atribuyen los resultados exclusivamente a las capacidades/incapacidades de los gobernantes, este artículo analiza las particularidades de este período histórico con foco en su economía política. Se propone que el progresismo expresa una forma particular de valorizar capital que nace de la crisis del neoliberalismo, y cuyo rasgo distintivo es que articula acumulación de capital con incremento salarial y políticas sociales gracias a condiciones externas ligadas al incremento de la renta de la tierra y al flujo de capital extranjero.
Spatial bibliometrics on the city level
Authors: Bornmann Lutz , de Moya-Anegón Felix
Published: October 2018

It is very popular in bibliometrics to present results on institutions not only as tabular lists, but also on maps (see, for example, the Leiden Ranking). However, the problem with these visualisations is that institutions are frequently spatially clustered in larger cities whereby institutions are positioned one above the other. In this Brief Communication, we propose as an alternative to visualise bibliometric data on the city rather than the institution level to avoid this problem.
The definition of a musician in music psychology: A literature review and the six-year rule
Authors: Zhang J. Diana , Susino Marco , McPherson Gary E. , Schubert Emery
Published: October 2018

The aim of this paper was to investigate if a general consensus could be established for the term “musician.” Research papers ( N = 730) published between 2011 and 2017 were searched. Of these, 95 papers were identified as investigating relationships of any sort connected with a musician-like category ( e.g., comparison of musically trained vs. non-musically trained people), of which 39 papers detailing comparative studies exclusively between musicians and non-musicians were analyzed. Within this literature, a variety of musical expertise criteria were used to define musicians, with years of music training (51% of papers) and years of music lessons (13% of papers) being the most commonly used criteria. Findings confirm a general consensus in the literature, namely, that a musician, whether or not selected a priori, has at least six years of musical expertise (IQR = 4.0–10.0 years). Other factors such as practice time and recruiting location of musicians were also analyzed, as well as the implications of how this definition fits in relation to the complexities surrounding the construct of the musician. The “six-year rule,” however, was robust overall.
Measuring the Impact of Medication-Related Interventions on 30-Day Readmission Rates in a Skilled Nursing Facility
Authors: Amin Priya B. , Bradford Chad D. , Rizos Albert L. , Shah Bijal M.
Published: October 2018

Background:

There is a lack of published literature that measures the impact of transitional care pharmacist (TCP) medication-related interventions within the skilled nursing facility (SNF) setting.

Objectives

To evaluate the impact of TCP medication-related interventions on 30-day hospital readmissions among SNF patients compared to current standard of care.

Methods:

This was a retrospective pilot study. All patients included in the study were discharged from an inpatient facility to a SNF. The control group received transitional services from a care team with no pharmacist. The intervention group received transitional services from a care team plus a pharmacist.

Results:

The 30-day readmission rates in the intervention group were 14 (12%)/116 compared to the control group, 19 (16%)/116; however, the difference was not statistically significant ( P = .35). The median time to readmission was statistically significantly longer in the intervention group, 17.5 days, compared to the control group, 10 days ( P = .02). One hundred seventy-four medication-related interventions were performed in the intervention group during the study period.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates that TCP interventions in an SNF are associated with a significant delay in readmission. A continuation of the pilot program may show a role in reducing all-cause 30-day readmission and ED visit rates.
Evaluation of Clinical Pharmacist Services in a Transitions of Care Program Provided to Patients at Highest Risk for Readmission
Authors: Fennelly Jessica E. , Coe Antoinette B. , Kippes Kellie A. , Remington Tami L. , Choe Hae Mi
Published: October 2018

Background:

An ambulatory transition of care program, including a pharmacist-provided comprehensive medication review (CMR), was implemented.

Objectives:

The objectives were to: (1) compare 30-day hospital readmission rates between those who received the pharmacist CMR versus eligible patients not scheduled, (2) describe identified problems and recommendations, and (3) quantify recommendation acceptance rates.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted between March and October 2016. Inclusion criteria were: LACE score of ≥13, established Michigan Medicine primary care, and discharged from specific inpatient services to home. The primary outcome was 30-day hospital readmission rates. Pharmacist-identified problems, recommendations, and recommendation acceptance rates were examined. χ2 analysis and descriptive statistics were used.

Results:

355 discharges met inclusion criteria and pharmacists provided CMRs for 159 patients. The average age was 60 years (standard deviation [SD]: 14.3), the majority were female (54%), and white/Caucasian (69%). There was no significant difference in 30-day readmission rates in patients who received a CMR (p = .96). A mean of 3.1 problems were identified per visit (SD: 1.8, range: 1-10). 509 recommendations were provided and approximately 50% were provider accepted.

Conclusions:

Reduced readmission rates were not observed; however, pharmacists identified many areas for intervention in highest risk patients during the transition from hospital to home.
Dealing with the Dead: Life as a Third-Generation Independent Funeral Director
Authors: Jordan Peter , Ward Jenna , McMurray Robert
Published: October 2018

This ‘On the Front Line’ article explores the necessary and yet undesirable work undertaken by a third-generation, independent funeral director. Peter’s narrative account of the realities of funeral directing and his journey into the family business offers a poignant insight into the dirty work of death work. Reflecting on his own exposure, experiences and practices Peter offers us an opportunity to see behind the scenes, to hear how he has learnt to cope with death work undertaken by his family. Consequently, we reflect on how performances of emotional neutrality afford funeral directors the capacity to offer comfort to the bereaved in the face of such extreme dirty work. Yet, as Peter shares, this neutrality masks the dirt and hides the pain of ‘dealing with the dead’.
A simple non-singular terminal sliding mode control for uncertain robot manipulators
Authors: Zhang Liyin , Su Yuxin , Wang Zeng
Published: October 2018

This article presents an improved robust tracking control for uncertain robot manipulators. An approximate terminal sliding mode control is proposed by integrating a terminal sliding surface with a novel nonlinear function. Lyapunov stability theory is employed to prove the global approximate finite-time stability ensuring that the tracking errors can globally converge to an arbitrary small ball centred at the origin within a finite time and thereafter arrive at the origin asymptotically. The benefits of this integrated design are that it can ensure fast transient and high steady-state tracking precision. Extensive simulations and experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and improved performance of the proposed approach.
Excess risk estimation for matched cohort survival data
Authors: Boschini Cristina , Andersen Klaus K , Scheike Thomas H
Published: October 2018

We present an excess risk regression model for matched cohort data, where the occurrence of some events for individuals with a disease is compared to that of healthy controls that are matched at the onset-of-disease by various factors. By using the matched structure, we show how to estimate the excess risk and its dependence on covariates on both proportional and additive form. We remove the individual effects on background mortality related to matching factors by considering differences. The model handles two different time scales, namely attained age and follow-up time. First, we solve estimating equations for the non-parametric and parametric components of the excess risk model, providing large sample properties for the suggested estimators. Next, we report results from a simulation study. Lastly, we describe an application of the method on childhood cancer data, to study the excess risk of cardiovascular events in adults' life among childhood cancer survivors.