bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Features of employment‐related technology for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A thematic analysis
Authors: Damianidou Despoina , Foggett Judith , Wehmeyer Michael L. , Arthur‐Kelly Michael 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe aim of this study was to identify, extract, summarize and list the features of applied cognitive technology used to support employment‐related outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.MethodThematic analysis was employed on a published research base of 41 studies obtained through a larger scoping review of the literature on the same topic.ResultsThe thematic analysis identified 109 technology features categorized into 14 main categories of features, which were grouped into three over‐arching categories, Output, Input and General Features. The majority of the studies comprised “Output” features with “Audio” features being the most frequent category. Studies using more sophisticated technology incorporated a wider range of features and a larger number of references.ConclusionsFurther investigation regarding the association of specific technology features with the enhancement of various cognitive functions will assist the decision making and technology selection process.
Reading skills in children with mild to borderline intellectual disability: a cross‐sectional study on second to eighth graders
Authors: Di Blasi F. D. , Buono S. , Cantagallo C. , Di Filippo G. , Zoccolotti P. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundStudents with intellectual disabilities (IDs) have various learning difficulties and are at risk for school failure. Large inter‐individual differences are described for reading, but it is unclear how these vary as a function of grade. The aim of this study was to examine various reading fluency, accuracy and comprehension parameters in second‐to‐eighth‐grade Italian children with either borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) or mild ID (MID).MethodsWe examined 106 children with BIF (67 M and 39 F) and 168 children with MID (107 M and 61 F). The children were in the second to eighth grade and were comparable for chronological age (7 to 14 years). They were administered a battery of tests that assessed fluency and accuracy of word, pseudo‐word and text reading, as well as text comprehension. Standardised scores allowed us to compare the performance of the two groups with normative values.ResultsChildren with ID obtained generally low scores compared with normative values. Those with MID had greater difficulty than those with BIF. Furthermore, difficulty was greater for speed than for accuracy measures and for words than for pseudo‐words. Difficulty (particularly in the case of reading speed) tended to be pronounced at later grades. Marked individual differences were present independently of MID–BIF subgrouping, as well as stimulus category and reading parameter.ConclusionsAs a group, children with ID showed difficulty in reading acquisition; the effect was greater for children with more severe ID, but large individual differences were observed in children with both BIF and MID. Relatively spared pseudo‐word reading skills indicate efficient use of the grapheme‐to‐phoneme conversion routine. This processing mode may prove more ineffective at higher levels of schooling when even in regular orthographies such as Italian typically developing children rely on lexical activation.
Language ideologies and practices in Africa
Authors: Kamwangamalu Nkonko M 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSociolinguistics in African Contexts is an edited collection of 18 chapters providing detailed accounts of language ideologies and urban youth language practices in Africa. Its overall twin‐goal is ‘to foreground work that places African languages, rather than European languages, at the center of sociolinguistic studies’ in Africa, and to argue against ‘the continued exclusion of African languages from many education networks.’ In this review article, I first describe each of the chapters that make up the book. Next, I offer a critical evaluation of the book's strengths and weaknesses. Briefly, the book's major weakness is that it lacks editorial rigor, and this distracts from its major strength and greatest contribution to the discipline: the carefully documented case studies of youth language practices in Africa's urban centers. I then point to the challenges that the field of African sociolinguistics faces, in light of urban youth language practices and of the aftereffect of inherited colonial ideologies in education in particular, to make African languages the focus of sociolinguistic studies. In conclusion, I explore how the debate over language ideologies and practices in African education could be moved beyond the traditional criticism of existing policies to offer constructive suggestions for policy and practice alternatives.
Assessing Change in Physician Practice Organization Profile in South Carolina: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Breneman Charity B. , Probst Janice C. , Crouch Elizabeth , Eberth Jan M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundPhysician practice organization is shifting away from solo, independent practices toward direct employment, but trends for rural‐urban differences are often analyzed by dichotomizing rurality. The purpose of this analysis was to examine trends in practice organization across 3 levels of rurality over a 21‐year period in South Carolina.MethodsPhysician license renewal forms were used to ascertain type of practice organization where physicians worked in South Carolina between 1995 and 2015. Physicians were divided into 4 categories: physicians in independent solo practices, physicians in independent group practices, employed physicians, and other. Historical trends in type of practice organization were evaluated for each level of rurality (metropolitan, micropolitan, and small adjacent/remote rural) using the National Cancer Institute's Joinpoint regression models.ResultsThere was a continual increase in physician renewals indicating employment, with an average annual increase of 5.9%. Micropolitan rural counties demonstrated the greatest average increase in license renewals for employed physicians (average annual increase = 7.4%; P < .05). The ratio of license renewals per 100,000 population for physicians in independent solo practices declined significantly over time. Micropolitan and small adjacent/remote rural counties saw an increase in the annual decline for this type of practice organization in 2007.ConclusionsA shift toward physician employment was observed at all levels of rurality. Rural counties exhibited a more pronounced transition between the types of practice organization compared to metropolitan counties. Research is needed to address the implications of these changes for rural providers and patients.
Morphometric and functional connectivity changes in the brain of patients with obstructive sleep apnea: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Yeung Andy W. K. 
Published: April 2019

SummaryExisting evidence for brain morphometric changes and functional connectivity alterations in patients with obstructive sleep apnea is mixed. The current study aimed to meta‐analyse the neuroimaging data, and thus synthesize a brain map showing locations with morphometric and functional connectivity differences between patients with obstructive sleep apnea and controls. Published studies to 2018 were retrieved and included into the analysis if they reported such between‐group differences using voxel‐based morphometry or resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging, and reported the results in the form of brain coordinates based on whole‐brain analysis. Twelve voxel‐based morphometry and seven resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging studies that comprised a total of 1,113 participants fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Compared with healthy controls, patients with obstructive sleep apnea had reduced resting‐state connectivity in the right anterior cingulate and larger grey matter volume in the right insula. Patients with obstructive sleep apnea do have morphometric and resting‐state connectivity alterations in the brain. These neural correlates may help explain the effects of obstructive sleep apnea on the emotion, cognition and quality of life of patients, and may be used in future for evaluating its treatment outcome.
Hepatitis C virus infection and non‐hepatocellular malignancies in the DAA era: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Masarone Mario , Persico Marcello 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackground and AimsDirect antiviral agents have greatly improved therapeutic options for chronic hepatitis C. Indeed, former “difficult‐to‐treat” patients can now be treated and can achieve sustained response. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma and with B‐cell non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (B‐NHL). Other malignancies have been reported to be associated with HCV infection albeit with various grades of evidence. Antineoplastic treatment is often reduced or suspended in HCV‐positive cancer patients to avoid “HCV reactivation.” In this setting, antiviral therapy combined with antineoplastic protocols may improve the outcome. For this reason, we conducted a systematic review and a meta‐analysis to update the association between HCV infection and non‐hepatocellular malignancies, and to shed light on the effects exerted by antiviral treatment on the natural history of oncological diseases.MethodsRelevant studies were identified by searching PUBMED, EMBASE and MEDLINE up to 1 August 2018. Pooled risk estimates were calculated with random‐effects models according to PRISMA guidelines.ResultsA total of 58 studies were included in the analysis: 27 studies of the association between HCV and B‐NHL(OR 3.36; 95% CI 2.40‐4.72;P < 0.00001);13 studies of the association between sustained virological response and progression‐free survival (PFS) in B‐NHL patients(OR 9.34; 95% CI 4.90‐17.79; P < 0.00001); 13 studies of the association between HCV and intrahepatic‐cholangio‐carcinoma (OR 3.95;95% CI 2.25‐6.94; P < 0.00001); and 5 studies of the association between HCV infection and pancreatic adeno‐carcinoma(OR 1.60; 95% CI:1.25‐2.04; P = 0.0002).ConclusionsThis study updates the strong association between B‐NHL and HCV infection, confirms the association between HCV and non‐hepatocellular tumours, and demonstrates a very strong association between viral eradication and a better outcome of HCV‐positive B‐NHL.
Dynamic analysis of a disequilibrium macroeconomic model with dual labor markets
Authors: Ogawa Shogo 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe extend the general disequilibrium model of Malinvaud (1980) by using dual labor market theory. By considering two tiers of workers, we find that while the duality of the labor market expands an equilibrium regime in the short term, it does not always keep an equilibrium in the medium term. In the medium term, the business cycle converges toward a disequilibrium regime unless the goods market is potentially in equilibrium. Employment and wages at the steady state are affected by the size of the government expenditure, and the stability of wage bargaining is only a sufficient condition of the local stability of our dynamic system. Therefore, involuntary unemployment can be remedied only when goods demand is sufficiently large.
A geminivirus betasatellite encoded βC1 protein interacts with PsbP and subverts PsbP‐mediated antiviral defence in plants
Authors: Gnanasekaran Prabu , Ponnusamy Kalaiarasan , Chakraborty Supriya 
Published: April 2019

SummaryGeminivirus disease complexes potentially interfere with plants physiology and cause disastrous effects on a wide range of economically important crops throughout the world. Diverse geminivirus betasatellite associations exacerbate the epidemic threat for global food security. Our previous study showed that βC1, the pathogenicity determinant of geminivirus betasatellites induce symptom development by disrupting the ultrastructure and function of chloroplasts. Here we explored the betasatellite‐virus‐chloroplast interaction in the scope of viral pathogenesis as well as plant defence responses, using Nicotiana benthamiana—Radish leaf curl betasatellite (RaLCB) as the model system. We have shown an interaction between RaLCB‐encoded βC1 and one of the extrinsic subunit proteins of oxygen‐evolving complex of photosystem II both in vitro and in vivo. Further, we demonstrate a novel function of the Nicotiana benthamiana oxygen‐evolving enhancer protein 2 (PsbP), in that it binds DNA, including geminivirus DNA. Transient silencing of PsbP in N. benthamiana plants enhances pathogenicity and viral DNA accumulation. Overexpression of PsbP impedes disease development during the early phase of infection, suggesting that PsbP is involved in generation of defence response during geminivirus infection. In addition, βC1‐PsbP interaction hampers non‐specific binding of PsbP to the geminivirus DNA. Our findings suggest that betasatellite‐encoded βC1 protein accomplishes counter‐defence by physical interaction with PsbP reducing the ability of PsbP to bind geminivirus DNA to establish infection.
Aberrant brain structural large‐scale connectome in Crohn’s disease
Authors: Thomann Anne K. , Reindl Wolfgang , Wüstenberg Torsten , Kmuche Dagny , Ebert Matthias P. , Szabo Kristina , Wolf Robert Christian , Hirjak Dusan , Niesler Beate , Griebe Martin , Thomann Philipp A. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBackgroundDisturbed brain‐gut interactions and a bidirectional relationship between inflammation and psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety and depression are being discussed in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Alterations of brain structure and function in IBD have been reported with heterogeneous results. Whether these changes reflect independent localized deficits or rather a systematic disruption in the anatomical organization of large‐scale brain networks remains unclear. The present study investigated the gray matter structural connectome in patients with Crohn's disease (CD).MethodsSixty participants (30 with quiescent CD and 30 matched healthy controls [HC]) underwent high‐resolution brain MRI at 3 Tesla. Well‐established graph theoretical metrics were analyzed at the global and regional network level and compared between groups.Key ResultsThe networks in both groups followed a small‐world organization, that is, an architecture that is simultaneously highly segregated and integrated. However, transitivity, a measure of global network segregation, was significantly reduced in patients (P = 0.003). Regionally, patients showed a reduction of nodal betweenness centrality in the right insula and cuneus and the left superior frontal cortex and reduced nodal degree within the left‐hemispheric cingulate and the left lateral and right medial orbitofrontal cortex.Conclusion and InferencesThese findings lend support to the hypothesis that CD is accompanied by alterations in both global network organization and regional connectivity. A deeper understanding of neural central networks in IBD may facilitate the development of complementary strategies in the treatment of “extraintestinal” comorbid conditions such as depression or anxiety.
Polymeric mesh and insulin‐like growth factor 1 delivery enhance cell homing and graft−cartilage integration
Authors: Boushell Margaret K. , Mosher Christopher Z. , Suri Gurbani K. , Doty Stephen B. , Strauss Eric J. , Hunziker Ernst B. , Lu Helen H. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractCartilage injury, such as full‐thickness lesions, predisposes patients to the premature development of osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint disease. While surgical management of cartilage lesions has improved, long‐term clinical efficacy has stagnated, owing to the lack of hyaline cartilage regeneration and inadequate graft−host integration. This study tests the hypothesis that integration of cartilage grafts with native cartilage can be improved by enhancing the migration of chondrocytes across the graft−host interface via the release of chemotactic factor from a degradable polymeric mesh. To this end, a polylactide‐co‐glycolide/poly‐ε‐caprolactone mesh was designed to localize the delivery of insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1), a well‐established chondrocyte attractant. The release of IGF‐1 (100 ng/mg) enhanced cell migration from cartilage explants, and the mesh served as critical structural support for cell adhesion, growth, and production of a cartilaginous matrixin vitro, which resulted in increased integration strength compared with mesh‐free repair. Further, this neocartilage matrix was structurally contiguous with native and grafted cartilage when tested in an osteochondral explant modelin vivo. These results demonstrate that this combined approach of a cell homing factor and supportive matrix will promote cell‐mediated integrative cartilage repair and improve clinical outcomes of cartilage grafts in the treatment of osteoarthritis.
Individualized No‐Show Predictions: Effect on Clinic Overbooking and Appointment Reminders
Authors: Li Yutian , Tang Sammi Yu , Johnson Joseph , Lubarsky David A. 
Published: April 2019

Patient no‐shows and late cancellations lead to clinic inefficiency, high clinic costs and low patient satisfaction. The two main strategies clinics employed to alleviate the adverse effects of no‐shows are overbooking and patient appointment reminders. Developing effective overbooking schedules depends on accurately predicting each patient’s no‐show probability, while developing effective reminder systems requires a patient‐level estimate of communication sensitivity. Current methods of estimating no‐show probabilities do not produce such patient‐level predictions. To remedy this, we develop a Bayesian nested logit model which utilizes appointment confirmation data and estimates individual‐level coefficients for patient‐specific predictors. A log‐likelihood comparison of model fit on 12 months of appointment data shows that the Bayesian model outperforms the standard logit model by about 30% improvement in model fit. Additionally, our Bayesian model allows categorization of patients based on their appointment confirmation behavior. Finally, using patient‐specific no‐show probabilities as an input to a simulated appointment scheduler we find that the Bayesian model improves clinic profit over the standard logit model. The benefit comes mainly from waiting cost reduction when no‐show probability is low and from physician overtime and idle time cost reduction when no‐show probability is high. Our study has two managerial implications. First, the Bayesian method allows customizing appointment reminder effort based on patient’s confirmation behavior. Second, the Bayesian method also allows improved overbooking scheduling especially in clinics that experience large patient throughput.
Meaning and practices of spiritual care for older people with dementia: experiences of nurses and care workers
Authors: Hirakawa Yoshihisa , Yajima Kyoka , Chiang Chifa , Aoyama Atsuko 
Published: April 2019

BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to comprehensively investigate the meaning and practices of spiritual care for older people with dementia based on the perspective and experiences of nurses and care workers.MethodsThe study was designed according to qualitative research strategies and used face‐to‐face interview data, with a focus on the experiences of nurses and care workers who care for elderly persons with dementia. Five nurses and 13 care workers from nine care facilities participated. We conducted 10 interviews, each with one to three participants, from April to August 2017. An open‐ended questionnaire concerning the meaning and practices of spiritual care for older people with severe dementia was used to comprehensively capture the participants’ experiences of caring for older people with dementia. Qualitative content analysis was used to systematically identify ideas and patterns emerging from the qualitative data.ResultsThree main themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of what constituted spiritual care for older people with dementia: (i) self‐esteem; (ii) communication; and (iii) individual difference.ConclusionsNurses and care workers perceived self‐esteem as a core domain of spiritual care for older people with severe dementia. Reminiscing about important achievements and enjoying small pleasures in daily life enhance older people's self‐esteem. Communication strategies involving active listening and therapeutic lying can help maintain older people's self‐esteem and cognitive abilities. Older people with dementia respond in different ways to standardized care procedures, so care providers must employ of a variety of skilful approaches.
Associations between lung and endothelial function in early middle age
Authors: Hancox Robert J. , Thomas Lathan , Williams Michael J.A. , Sears Malcolm R. 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACTBackground and objectiveChronic lung disease is associated with impaired endothelial function and this may be a risk factor for poor cardiovascular health. It is unknown if there is an association between lung and endothelial function in the general population. We investigated associations between lung and endothelial function in a population‐based cohort of 38‐year‐old men and women.MethodsSystemic endothelial function was measured using peripheral arterial tonometry to calculate the Framingham reactive hyperaemia index. Lung function was assessed using spirometry, plethysmographic lung volumes, airway conductance and gas transfer. Associations between lung and endothelial function were assessed with and without adjustment for potential confounding factors using regression analyses.ResultsSex modified the association between lung and endothelial function. Among women, lower values of pre‐ and post‐bronchodilator spirometry, total lung capacity and functional residual capacity (FRC) were associated with worse endothelial function (P < 0.05). These associations persisted after adjustment for smoking, asthma diagnoses, fitness and body mass index. Associations were weaker among men: only FRC, airway conductance and post‐bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratios were associated with endothelial function. Endothelial function was not associated with gas transfer in either sex.ConclusionLower lung volumes and airflow obstruction are associated with endothelial dysfunction among women. There is weaker evidence for an association between airway and endothelial function in men. These findings may partly explain the increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people with poor lung function, but suggest that there are sex differences in this association.