bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The status of Ghanaian community health workers’ supervision and service delivery: descriptive analyses from the 2017 Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 survey
Authors: Schwarz Dan , Kim June-Ho , Ratcliffe Hannah , Awoonor-Williams John Koku , Nimako Belinda , Otupiri Easmon , Lipsitz Stuart , Hirschhorn Lisa , Bitton Asaf 
Published: May 2019

Introduction: Community-based services are a critical component of high-quality primary healthcare. Ghana formally launched the National Community Health Worker (CHW) program in 2014, to augment the pre-existing Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS). To date, however, there is scant data about the program’s implementation. We describe the current supervision and service delivery status of CHWs throughout the country. Methods: Data were collected regarding CHW supervision and service delivery during the 2017 round of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 survey. Descriptive analyses were performed by facility type, supervisor type, service delivery type, and regional distribution. Results: Over 80% of CHWs had at least monthly supervision interactions, but there was variability in the frequency of interactions. Frequency of supervision interactions did not vary by facility or supervisor type. The types of services delivered by CHWs varied greatly by facility type and region. Community mobilization, health education, and outreach for loss-to-follow-up were delivered by over three quarters of CHWs, while mental health counseling and postnatal care are provided by fewer than one third of CHWs. The Western region and Greater Accra had especially low rates of CHW service provision. Non-communicable disease treatment, which is not included in the national guidelines, was reportedly provided by some CHWs in nine out of ten regions. Conclusions: Overall, this study demonstrates variability in supervision frequency and CHW activities. A high proportion of CHWs already meet the expected frequency of supervision. Meanwhile, there are substantial differences by region of CHW service provision, which requires further research, particularly on novel CHW services such as non-communicable disease treatment. While there are important limitations to these data, these findings can be instructive for Ghanaian policymakers and implementers to target improvement initiatives for community-based services.
Case Article—Production and Distribution Optimization of Beach Equipment for the Marinero Company
Authors: Manno Andrea , Palagi Laura , Sagratella Simone 
Published: May 2019

We present a mixed integer nonlinear mathematical programming model, covering a broad range of operations research (OR)-related topics. The case is designed to allow students to use knowledge acquired from OR and management science classes to model, analyze, and provide concrete solutions for the considered problem. Because of its high practicality, this exercise is an ideal tool to make the OR domain more accessible and to learn how to balance a problem’s complexity with the availability of algorithms for its solution. The case has been proposed as a competitive challenge and has been assigned both to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in management engineering and students pursuing a master’s degree in industrial engineering. Students were grouped into working teams, and all teams competed against each other to get the best solution to win the challenge. Both the work-in-team and the challenge settings have been enjoyed by the students. During three lectures of 90 minutes, a brief review of OR-related tools and a detailed description and analysis of the case study have been provided to the students. Successive periodic debriefing meeting sessions have been scheduled to engage and monitor students during project development. Online supplemental files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ited.2018.0202ca .
A guide to implant dentistry part 1: treatment planning
Authors: Chatzistavrianou Despoina , Wilson Paul HR , Taylor Philip 
Published: May 2019

Implant rehabilitation is considered a predictable treatment modality to replace single and multiple missing units, with high survival rates. Technical and biological complications are commonly encountered and careful treatment planning, restorative-driven implant placement and long-term maintenance are prerequisites of a successful implant rehabilitation. The aim of this two-part series is to provide an evidence-based overview regarding the sequence of treatment planning and the treatment stages of a successful implant rehabilitation. The first part of the series will focus on new patient assessment and pre-operative planning. The second part of the series will discuss the surgical and prosthodontic considerations and maintenance of implant-supported restorations. CPD/Clinical Relevance: To provide the dental practitioner with an evidence-based overview regarding treatment planning, surgical and prosthodontic considerations and maintenance of implant-supported restorations.
Prosthetic rehabilitation for a patient with systemic sclerosis and sjögren's syndrome: a clinical report and review
Authors: Oluwajana Funmi , Ferguson Lucy , Wragg Phillip 
Published: May 2019

Systemic sclerosis, although a rare disease, has numerous direct and indirect effects on the oral cavity. This article aims to inform clinicians of the signs and symptoms they may see in patients with the disease and the impact it can have on dental management. The main effect, microstomia, is not just limited to systemic sclerosis, thus the clinical and laboratory techniques described may be helpful when managing other patients with limited mouth opening. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Clinicians should be able to recognize how systemic sclerosis will have an impact on their patient's oral health and implement management plans to prevent deterioration of their dentition. The novel techniques used will provide dentists and dental technicians with alternative techniques that can be employed in a variety of cases when considering prosthetic rehabilitation.
Complete denture series part 1: referrals for complete dentures – identifying the reasons
Authors: Leyssen Wouter , Jayachandran Sivakumar , Walmsley A Damien 
Published: May 2019

General dental practitioners (GDPs) continue to refer edentulous patients to secondary care for advice and treatment. The clinical records of edentulous patients referred to Birmingham Dental Hospital were reviewed to determine the common problems encountered by GDPs when constructing complete dentures. The main reasons for referral were resorption of the lower ridge (39%) followed by a series of ill-defined reasons (28%), looseness of either or both dentures (25%), pain (11%), immediate dentures (8%), exaggerated gag reflex (7%) and implants (7%). The reasons for referral do not always correspond to the clinical findings on the New Patient Assessment Clinics. CPD/Clinical Relevance: The findings of the article could be used as a guide for GDPs in identifying problems with problematic dentures.
Sex and Education: Does Sexual Debut During Adolescence Lead to Poor Grades?
Authors: Whitworth Tanya Rouleau , Paik Anthony 
Published: May 2019

CONTEXTBecause many U.S. teenagers experience their first sexual intercourse during high school, understanding whether sexual behavior and academic performance are related is important. However, research on sexual debut and grades has produced inconsistent findings.METHODSData collected over four years from a specific cohort (1,321 eighth‐ and ninth‐graders) of a nationally representative longitudinal study, the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, were examined using fixed‐effects regression models to assess the relationship between first sexual intercourse and grade point average (GPA).RESULTSOverall, no relationship was found between students’ first sexual intercourse and GPA. For black females and Latinos of either gender, having had first sexual intercourse was associated with a lower GPA (coefficients, –216 and –161, respectively, corresponding to grade point decreases multiplied by 100). For black females, this association was observed only in the context of romantic relationships (–243). The predicted GPAs for black females aged 14 or 15 who reported first intercourse in a romantic relationship were significantly lower than those for their counterparts who had not had intercourse, whereas at 18 this was reversed. For Latinos, the predicted GPAs of 14‐ and 15‐year‐olds who had had sex were also lower than those of their sexually inexperienced counterparts.CONCLUSIONSAlthough first sexual intercourse may not disrupt the academic performance of older adolescents, it may contribute to lower grades among younger minority adolescents. Further research is needed using such contextual variables as age, race, ethnicity, gender and relationship context.
Association of ankylosing spondylitis activity indicators in a Russian population of patients with STAT4 rs7574865 gene polymorphism
Authors: Krylov M. Yu. , Starkova A. S. , Samarkina E. Yu. , Dubinina T. V. , Erdes Sh. F. 
Published: May 2019

Family and twin studies have shown that ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has a hereditary nature that is based on a strong association with the leukocyte antigen HLA-B27. However, only 1–5% of HLA-B27 carriers develop AS, which indicates that there are other genetic markers involved in the formation of a predisposition to this disease. A number of genome-wide association studies have convincingly confirmed the role of the STAT4 gene. This gene encodes the protein – the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) protein, which is a predisposing factor for the development of many autoimmune diseases. There are not so many studies of the relationship of STAT4 polymorphisms to the predisposition to AS, and there are no these studies regarding the Russian population.Objective: to study whether there is a possible association of STAT4 rs7574865 gene polymorphism with the predisposition to AS and to assess the activity of this disease using BASDAI and ASDAS scores in the Russian patient population.Patients and methods. A cohort of 203 individuals, including 100 patients (79 men and 21 women) with AS, and 103 healthy volunteers (a control group) was surveyed. Age, gender, duration, and specific features of AS onset, ESR, and CRP levels were assessed. BASDAI and ASDAS scores were calculated to evaluate disease activity.Results and discussion. There was a significant relationship between STAT4 polymorphism and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and BASDAI and ASDAS-CRP scores. The TT genotype carriers had significantly higher mean activity indices compared to the GG (p=0.001) and GT (p=0.005) genotype carriers for CRP, BASDAI (p=0.0001 and p=0.009, respectively) and ASDAS-CRP (p=0.009 and p=0.001, respectively). High disease activity (BASDAI >4 and ASDAS-CRP >3.5) was also associated with the high frequency of the T allele (p=0.046 and p=0.004, respectively). The value of STAT4 rs7574865 gene polymorphism in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is confirmed by a study in which the T allele in STAT4 rs7574865 enhances mRNA transcription and protein expression. Italian authors have shown that there is a relationship between the minor T allele of rs7574865 and the high risk of arthritis. We have previously established a relationship between the T allele and the predisposition to diffuse systemic scleroderma, interstitial lung damage, and elevated anti-topoisomerase I antibody levels.Conclusion. The present study has shown for the first time a significant association of STAT4 rs7574865 polymorphism with the main AS activity indicators: CRP levels, BASDAI and ASDAS-CRP scores. The studied polymorphism may be a new genetic marker for predicting the severity of AS.
Autonomy in English Language Teaching: A Case Study of Novice Secondary School Teachers in Hong Kong
Authors: Huang Jing , Lock Kenny Yau Ning , Teng Feng 
Published: May 2019

AbstractFollowing years of pre-service teacher education, novice teachers are often enthusiastic about embarking on the journey in the teaching profession. However, they may not always possess the internal capacity and institutional support to take effective control of their teaching. This paper reports on a case study of the teaching lives of two novice secondary school ESL (English as a second language) teachers in Hong Kong, drawing on qualitative data gathered through individual face-to-face interviews, and supplemented by email exchanges and telephone conversations, over a one-year period. The study investigates how novice English teachers develop their teacher autonomy, and what factors contribute to their development as autonomous English teachers. The paper concludes that novice English teachers in Hong Kong possess the capacity and are also ready for autonomy, and that an invitational, supportive and collaborative school environment plays a decisive role in affording ample opportunities for novices to develop their autonomy in language teaching. The study suggests that novice teachers should become critically aware of the affordances (opportunities, possibilities, invitations, enablements) in their working conditions, and should meanwhile exercise their teacher agency to act on these affordances to pursue their personal-professional development.
Sense of responsible togetherness, sense of community and participation: Looking at the relationships in a university campus
Authors: Procentese Fortuna , Gatti Flora , Falanga Annarita 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This contribution explores the role that the Sense of Responsible Togetherness (SoRT) exerts with reference to Participation and Sense of Community. The study was conducted on a university campus, as campuses represent places where academic and community lives go hand in hand and the community is heterogeneous. A questionnaire with the SoRT scale, the Participation scale and the Italian Scale of the Sense of Community (SISC) was administered to 130 university students. SoRT had a significant indirect effect on the students’ Participation via their Sense of Community, suggesting that the promotion of individuals’ Sense of Responsible Togetherness within their community, along with the emotional and affective bond to it, may allow us to recover symbolic and physical spaces in which participation can be fostered. A need for and significance of interventions aimed at promoting collective actions within intermediate systems (groups, educational systems, work ones, etc.).
Diagnostic performance of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in DTC patients with thyroglobulin elevation and negative iodine scintigraphy: a meta-analysis
Authors: Qichang Wan , Lin Bai , Gege Zhao , Youjia Zhang , Qingjie Ma , Renjie Wang , Bin Ji 
Published: May 2019

Purpose
To evaluate the accuracy of 18F-FDG-PET/CT for the detection of recurrent and/or metastatic diseases in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients with thyroglobulin elevation and negative iodine scintigraphy. Whether PET/CT with TSH stimulation (sPET/CT) had better diagnostic performance than PET/CT without TSH stimulation (nsPET/CT) in this scenario was also evaluated.

Methods
PubMed and Embase databases were searched for eligible studies from January 2001 to December 2018. Only studies with clearly stated reference standard (histopathology confirmation and/or clinical/imaging follow-up) were included. Publication bias was assessed by Deeks funnel plot. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) and the area under the summary receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC) for PET/CT was determined by random-effect analysis, respectively. sPET/CT and nsPET/CT were compared pairwise for all diagnostic estimate indexes using Z-test.

Results
We included 17 studies with 1195 patients in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, DOR and AUC for PET/CT on patient-based data were 0.86 (95% CI: 0.79–0.91), 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72–0.91), 31.00 (95% CI: 12.00–80.00) and 0.91 (95% CI: 0.88–0.93), respectively. There was high heterogeneity (I
2 = 80% for sensitivity, I
2 = 82% for specificity) and possible publication bias (P = 0.01). Z test did not detect statistically significant difference between sPET/CT and nsPET/CT for all the diagnostic estimate indexes (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions
On patient-based analysis, 18F-FDG-PET/CT has high diagnostic accuracy for the detection of recurrent and/or metastatic diseases in DTC patients with thyroglobulin elevation and negative iodine scintigraphy, but existing studies were limited by high heterogeneity and possible publication bias. The diagnostic performance of sPET/CT may be not superior to nsPET/CT.
Enforcement of Mediated Settlement Agreements
Authors: Žukauskaitė Miglė 
Published: May 2019

[full article, abstract in English; abstract in Lithuanian]
Upon the recent finalization of the Singapore Mediation Convention, a comparative analysis is conducted in the article between the newly prepared instrument and two other international enforcement mechanisms of mediated agreements offered by the EU Mediation Directive and SIAC-SIMC Arb-Med-Arb protocol, both currently in force.
Taxation of Gratuitous Acquisition of the Ownership of Tangible Property and Property Rights in Polish and Lithuanian Tax Legislation Selected Problems
Authors: Babiarz Stefan 
Published: May 2019

[full article, abstract in English]
The comparison of the inheritance tax legislation in Poland and Lithuania shows clearly that inheritance tax is a simple tax, with no special legal or financial complexity. Therefore, there are no serious issues concerning the assessment and/or payment of the tax. The assessment process and the amounts of the tax are taxpayer-friendly. It is worth noting solutions such as a 30% reduction in the taxable amount, no deduction of debt and charges, no complicated procedure for determining the taxable amount, respecting the double taxation avoidance principle, or the fact that no tax liability in respect of inheritance tax may re-arise.The case is not the same with the Polish Gift and Inheritance Tax Act. The only advantage of the Polish law, as compared to the Lithuanian law, is that the scope of taxable property is broader and, therefore, the higher, personal income tax would not apply to many types of the taxable property.The author expects this paper to be the first is a series of papers introducing Polish taxpayers, tax authorities and legislative bodies to legal solutions relating to the taxation of gratuitous acquisition of tangible property and property rights in other European countries. The Polish Gift and Inheritance Tax Act is a highly complicated piece of legislation. Its complexity causes tax disputes and does not encourage good relations between taxpayers and tax authorities. What is more, it is often the source of family conflicts.
Interesų konflikto koncepcija pagal Lietuvos ir Europos Sąjungos viešųjų pirkimų teisę ir teismų praktiką
Authors: Soloveičik Deividas , Šimanskis Karolis 
Published: May 2019

[full article and abstract in Lithuanian; abstract in English]
Until the implementation of the public procurement law reform of 2014 at the EU level and respectivlely 2017 in the Lithuanian legal environment, the legal analysis of the concept of conflicts of interest in public procurement law was scarce. Neither did the features of this phenomenon or its’ legal evaluation was the subject of any solid scholar research. However, the demand for such academic insights has recently become very bright because the courts on numerous occasions started to face the disputes with the subject conflicts of interest being at the heart of the disagreements between the litigating parties. The courts, at least in Lithuania, have even started to search the relevant answers elsewhere, including making the references to the EU judiciary for the preliminary rulings regarding this matter. Therefore, this publication is a contribution to the minimization of this “scholar thirst” in the mentioned field or at least our sincere attempt to do that.
Waste material and/or energy recovery
Authors: Erlandsson Åke 
Published: May 2019

Many far-seeing companies have taken part in the Agenda 21 work for sustainable development. Kährs group has several units being certified in accordance with the ISO 14001 standard and having achieved the EMAS registration. Waste sorting often is the adaptation of recycling that has been the most important one and that has given all collaborators the opportunity to contribute. The system of today for material recycling counteracts an efficient use of energy and a market price level of residues. The energy value is higher than the compensation of collected paper and plastic material.
Leachate treatment at landfill site: the Spillepeng experience
Authors: Bevmo Lars , Engblom Katarina , Persson Kenneth M 
Published: May 2019

The major environmental problem with landfilling of waste is the production of leachate. The amount of the leachate depends on precipitation, run-off and groundwater impact, whereas the concentration of dissolved solutes in the leachate depends on the waste landfilled.
The appropriate treatment of landfill leachate must be investigated for each plant. In principle, the ultimate environmentally critical factors are the resulting concentrations and the availability of contaminants in an aquifer, a surface water system or a wastewater treatment plant into which the leachate is discharged.
With emphasis on the Swedish waste handling company SYSAV:s landfill Spillepeng, north of Malmo, some examples of leachate treatment systems on-site from some Swedish landfills are given in the text as well as strategies on how to fulfil environmental demands on a cost-effective basis. Biological, chemical and physical treatment methods are exemplified.
Oil pollution of finnish gulf Baltic sea due to oil transport activities
Authors: Alhimenko A. 
Published: May 2019

The paper describes problems of Oil pollution and Oil spill combating in Finnish Gulf of Baltic Sea due to oil transport activities The main problem for improving situation is to develop new type of criterias estimation of real damage marine ecosystems. This criterias have to become background for financial estimation of damage, technical characteristics needed equipment and oil combating operations.
The mutual influence of cities and ports is obvious enough. Many cities emerged and developed due to geographical location favouring the trade conducted by sea and by river. At the early stages the strong activity of port operations determined the prosperity of the city and the welfare of its residents. But while growing up the port affects more and more negatively the ecological situation in the city.