bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Tutoring Industry in Hong Kong: From the Past Four Decades to the Future
Authors: Eng Richard 
Published: April 2019

Purpose: This article sheds light on the historical changes in the tutoring industry and discusses the nature and driving forces of tutoring in the Hong Kong context. Based on the historical overview, this article introduces new developments in tutoring and discusses how tutoring fits into the bigger education picture. Design/Approach/Methods: Private tutoring in Hong Kong saw its takeoff in business in the 1980s, when the economy started to boom and parents were more willing to spend money on their children’s education. These parents hoped that their children, by receiving university education, could improve their families’ lives and secure a brighter future. Public examinations were used as a screening tool to select the cream of the crop for university admissions. Therefore, for many local mainstream school students, passing the public examinations with flying colors became the be-all and end-all of their studies. Tutorial schools regarded their fears as an opportunity and devised courses to suit their needs and allay their fears. Findings: More recently, educational reform, declining birth rate, and technological advances have brought challenges for tutoring businesses. They have explored new markets and changed the mode of operation to increase student intake and cut costs. It is expected that local tutorial schools, in particular the big tutorial-school chains, will provide more online courses for learners from early childhood to adult and will reduce the number and scale of off-line courses. Also, we may see a new kind of “star” tutors catering not to local mainstream school students but to their local international school counterparts. Originality/Value: Literature on tutoring in Hong Kong mainly investigates the phenomenon in recent times, specifically the past two decades. This article is the first attempt to draw a holistic picture of tutoring’s historical development from an industrial perspective.
English Private Tutoring in Macao: Perceptions of Senior Secondary Three Students
Authors: Chan Vivien Nga Man 
Published: April 2019

Purpose: This article examines how individual, school, and social factors shape the perceptions of students in Senior Secondary Three (SS3; in some schools called Form Six [F6]) toward English private tutoring in Macao. Design/Approach/Methods: This is a comparative study of two F6 classes of an English-medium secondary school and four SS3 classes of a Chinese-medium secondary school in Macao, with a total number of 145 students. Mixed-methods approach (questionnaires and interviews) is employed in the study. Findings: The respondents’ participation in English tutoring is not very intensive. They prefer to receive government-subsidized after-school tutoring taught by their schoolteachers more than fee-paying English tutoring taught by tutors outside. Low level of social competition and high tertiary enrollment rates contribute to this phenomenon. Students’ needs and beliefs in English learning play key roles in determining their receipt of English tutoring. Originality/Value: Teachers may need better understanding of their students’ needs so as to design suitable pedagogies. Schools can consider more fully the types of tutoring that they provide for different kinds of pupils. The government-subsidized after-school tutoring could be a plausible way to reduce educational inequality.
The Composition and Evolution of China’s High-Level Talent Programs in Higher Education
Authors: Zhu Junwen 
Published: April 2019

Purpose: This article provides an overview of the composition and evolution of China’s high-level talent programs in higher education. Design/Approach/Methods: This article reviews key talent policies adopted by the Chinese government since the 1990s, using content analysis methods to identify policy characteristics and reform trends. Findings: Talent programs in China operate at four levels: the national level, provincial level, city level, and institutional level. The main objectives of China’s high-level talent programs are to support and promote the development of young talent and to encourage overseas scholars to return to China. China’s high-level talent programs have undergone various changes since 1993. The evolution is characterized by the following five major aspects: individual program optimization; replacement, integration, and separation; preventing overlapping funding; mitigating the unbalanced impact the programs have on higher education institutions across regions; and strengthening risk assessment for programs focused on attracting overseas talent. Originality/Value: This article offers a comprehensive assessment of the talent programs implemented by Chinese universities and explores the key trends and content of recent policy changes.
Comparison of the clinical estimation of cup-to-disk ratio by direct ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography
Authors: Amedo Angela Ofeibea , Koomson Nana Yaa , Kobia Acquah Emmanuel , Pascal Tchiakpe Michel , Atuahene Johnson , Akowuah Prince Kwaku , Djeagbo Philip Tetteh , Baafi Richard 
Published: April 2019

Objective: To compare the clinical estimation of cup-to-disk ratio determined by direct ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography in glaucoma diagnosis and monitoring. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study involving a review of 71 optical coherence tomography scans dating from June 2011 to January 2012 at a private imaging lab in Ghana. At the respective referring facilities, only 31 out of the 71 corresponding patient records were successfully reviewed. Results: Majority (54.84%) of the 31 patient records successfully reviewed were women. The mean age was 44.54 ± 16.15 years. Cup-to-disk ratio was grouped into ⩽0.4, >0.4–0.6, >0.6–0.8, and >0.8–1.0 based on direct ophthalmoscopy values. The overall mean cup-to-disk ratio estimated by the optical coherence tomography and direct ophthalmoscopy were 0.72 ± 0.21 and 0.60 ± 0.26, respectively. Overall, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean cup-to-disk ratio estimation by direct ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography [right eye ( p = 0.0629); left eye ( p = 0.0766)]. There was a statistically significant difference between direct ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography cup-to-disk ratio estimation for values ⩽0.4 [right eye ( p = 0.0061); left eye ( p = 0.0063)] and values >0.4–0.6 [right eye ( p = 0.0243); left eye ( p = 0.0498)]. There was no statistically significant difference between conventional direct ophthalmoscopy and optical coherence tomography cup-to-disk ratio estimation for cup-to-disk ratio >0.6. Conclusion: We recommend clinicians document which method they use in evaluating optic nerve head parameters. This is to ensure that subsequent clinical decisions are not influenced by an apparent change in these parameters, especially cup-to-disk ratio as different methods might give different values.
Prognostic impact of circulating tumor DNA status post–allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in AML and MDS
Authors: Nakamura Sousuke , Yokoyama Kazuaki , Shimizu Eigo , Yusa Nozomi , Kondoh Kanya , Ogawa Miho , Takei Tomomi , Kobayashi Asako , Ito Mika , Isobe Masamichi , Konuma Takaaki , Kato Seiko , Kasajima Rika , Wada Yuka , Nagamura-Inoue Tokiko , Yamaguchi Rui , Takahashi Satoshi , Imoto Seiya , Miyano Satoru , Tojo Arinobu 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
This study was performed to assess the utility of tumor-derived fragmentary DNA, or circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), for identifying high-risk patients for relapse of acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (AML/MDS) after undergoing myeloablative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT). We retrospectively collected tumor and available matched serum samples at diagnosis and 1 and 3 months post-alloSCT from 53 patients with AML/MDS. After identifying driver mutations in 51 patients using next-generation sequencing, we designed at least 1 personalized digital polymerase chain reaction assay per case. Diagnostic ctDNA and matched tumor DNA exhibited excellent correlations with variant allele frequencies. Sixteen patients relapsed after a median of 7 months post-alloSCT. Both mutation persistence (MP) in bone marrow (BM) at 1 and 3 months post-alloSCT and corresponding ctDNA persistence (CP) in the matched serum (MP1 and MP3; CP1 and CP3, respectively) were comparably associated with higher 3-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) rates (MP1 vs non-MP1, 72.9% vs 13.8% [P = .0012]; CP1 vs non-CP1, 65.6% vs 9.0% [P = .0002]; MP3 vs non-MP3, 80% vs 11.6% [P = .0002]; CP3 vs non-CP3, 71.4% vs 8.4% [P &lt; .0001]). We subsequently evaluated whether subset analysis of patients with 3 genes associated with clonal hematopoiesis, DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 (DTA), could also be helpful in relapse prediction. As a result, CP based on DTA gene mutations also had the prognostic effect on CIR. These results, for the first time, support the utility of ctDNA as a noninvasive prognostic biomarker in patients with AML/MDS undergoing alloSCT.
Decellularized Wharton jelly matrix: a biomimetic scaffold for ex vivo hematopoietic stem cell culture
Authors: Li Dandan , Chiu Grace , Lipe Brea , Hopkins Richard A. , Lillis Jacquelyn , Ashton John M. , Paul Soumen , Aljitawi Omar S. 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
Hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) reside in the bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic “niche,” a special 3-dimensional (3D) microenvironment that regulates HSPC self-renewal and multipotency. In this study, we evaluated a novel 3D in vitro culture system that uses components of the BM hematopoietic niche to expand umbilical cord blood (UCB) CD34+ cells. We developed this model using decellularized Wharton jelly matrix (DWJM) as an extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold and human BM mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) as supporting niche cells. To assess the efficacy of this model in expanding CD34+ cells, we analyzed UCB CD34+ cells, following culture in DWJM, for proliferation, viability, self-renewal, multilineage differentiation, and transmigration capability. We found that DWJM significantly expanded UCB HSPC subset. It promoted UCB CD34+ cell quiescence, while maintaining their viability, differentiation potential with megakaryocytic differentiation bias, and clonogenic capacity. DWJM induced an increase in the frequency of c-kit+ cells, a population with enhanced self-renewal ability, and in CXCR4 expression in CD34+ cells, which enhanced their transmigration capability. The presence of BM MSCs in DWJM, however, impaired UCB CD34+ cell transmigration and suppressed CXCR4 expression. Transcriptome analysis indicated that DWJM upregulates a set of genes that are specifically involved in megakaryocytic differentiation, cell mobility, and BM homing. Collectively, our results indicate that the DWJM-based 3D culture system is a novel in vitro model that supports the proliferation of UCB CD34+ cells with enhanced transmigration potential, while maintaining their differentiation potential. Our findings shed light on the interplay between DWJM and BM MSCs in supporting the ex vivo culture of human UCB CD34+ cells for use in clinical transplantation.
Efficacy and immunologic effects of extracorporeal photopheresis plus interleukin-2 in chronic graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Belizaire Roger , Kim Haesook T. , Poryanda Samuel J. , Mirkovic Nikola V. , Hipolito Evelyn , Savage William J. , Reynolds Carol G. , Fields Marie J. , Whangbo Jennifer , Kubo Tomohiro , Nikiforow Sarah , Alyea Edwin P. , Armand Philippe , Cutler Corey S. , Ho Vincent T. , Blazar Bruce R. , Antin Joseph H. , Ritz Jerome , Soiffer Robert J. , Koreth John 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) affects &gt;50% of hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients. Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP), an immunomodulatory therapy, provides clinical benefit in steroid-refractory (SR) cGVHD, possibly via regulatory T (Treg) and natural killer (NK) cell expansion. We demonstrated that low-dose interleukin-2 (IL2) led to clinical improvement in SR-cGVHD and stimulated preferential Treg and NK-cell expansion with minimal effect on conventional T (Tcon) cells. We evaluated the effect of ECP (weeks 1-16) plus IL2 (1 × 106 IU/m2, weeks 9-16) in 25 adult patients with SR-cGVHD in a prospective phase 2 trial. Objective responses occurred in 29% and 62% of evaluable patients at weeks 8 (ECP alone) and 16 (ECP plus IL2), respectively. Eight weeks of ECP alone was associated with a marked decline in CD4+ Tcon (P = .03) and CD8+ T cells (P = .0002), with minimal change in Treg cells, Treg:Tcon cell ratio, or NK cells. Adding IL2 induced an increase in Treg cells (P &lt; .05 at weeks 9-16 vs week 8), Treg:Tcon cell ratio (P &lt; .0001 at weeks 9-16 vs week 8), and NK cells (P &lt; .05 at weeks 9-16 vs week 8). Patients responding to ECP alone had significantly fewer CD4+ Tcon and CD8+ T cells at baseline compared with patients who responded after IL2 addition and patients who did not respond; neither Treg nor NK cells were associated with response to ECP alone. Altogether, ECP plus IL2 is safe and effective in patients with SR-cGVHD. ECP and IL2 have distinct immunologic effects, suggesting different therapeutic mechanisms of action. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02340676.
Impact of age on clinical risk scores in follicular lymphoma
Authors: Alig Stefan , Jurinovic Vindi , Pastore Alessandro , Haebe Sarah , Schmidt Christian , Zoellner Anna-Katharina , Dreyling Martin , Unterhalt Michael , Hoster Eva , Hiddemann Wolfgang , Weigert Oliver 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe Follicular Lymphoma (FL) International Prognostic Index (FLIPI) and FLIPI-2 are well-described clinical risk models. Age &gt;60 years at diagnosis is a risk factor in both scores. Recently, we showed that older age is not associated with higher risk of disease progression or inferior treatment efficacy. Instead, shorter survival of older patients results mainly from an increased risk of nonrelapse deaths. This questions the value of age as a meaningful component of scores intended to predict disease-specific survival. The newly proposed PRIMA-prognostic index (PRIMA-PI) only includes β2-microglobulin levels and bone marrow infiltration as risk factors. Here, we independently validate the PRIMA-PI in a clinical trial cohort of 475 patients with advanced FL who uniformly received cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, prednisone, and rituximab (R-CHOP) as frontline therapy. The PRIMA-PI separated 3 similar sized risk cohorts with 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 74%, 59%, and 39%, respectively (P &lt; .0001). Furthermore, we compare the PRIMA-PI with the FLIPI and FLIPI-2. We demonstrate that the PRIMA-PI has the highest specificity to identify high-risk patients (80% for 5-year PFS) because of its superior risk stratification in patients &gt;60 years (73% vs 33% [FLIPI] and 47% [FLIPI-2] for 5-year PFS). Thus, the PRIMA-PI is a promising clinical tool to stringently identify patients at highest risk of poor outcome after frontline R-CHOP for advanced FL, and is particularly useful in patients with older age. Further validation in non–R-CHOP treated cohorts is needed.
Genetic cross-disorder analysis in psychiatry: from methodology to clinical utility
Authors: Schijven Dick , Veldink Jan H. , Luykx Jurjen J. 
Published: April 2019

SummaryGenome-wide association studies have uncovered hundreds of loci associated with psychiatric disorders. Cross-disorder studies are among the prime ramifications of such research. Here, we discuss the methodology of the most widespread methods and their clinical utility with regard to diagnosis, prediction, disease aetiology and treatment in psychiatry.
Arctic Nation
Authors: Blum Hester 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
This provocation considers the relationship between the United States and the Arctic. America might be understood as an Arctic nation not just because of its political and resource claims in the polar region but because the nation has become both environmentally and politically inhospitable to human life. The polar regions are no longer climate outliers on the planet, remote regions exceptionally hostile to human life. The United States could do more to recognize forms of geopolitical organization that do not presume continental supremacy; that loose the “territory” from “territorial seas”; that understand the cryosphere as a model for new forms of relation and collaboration; that turn to Indigenous knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge for guidance.
Liposome-Based Biosensors Using Phytase Immobilized on Polypyrrole Films for Phytic Acid Determination
Authors: Rodrigues Valquiria C , Moraes Marli L , Soares Juliana C , Souza Adriano L , Soares Andrey C , Oliveira Osvaldo N , Gonçalves Débora 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
Phytase was immobilized onto electrochemically prepared polypyrrole (PPy) films either in the free, native form (Phy) or encapsulated in phospholipid dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) liposomes (lipo-Phy). The incorporation of Phy into the PPy matrix was verified using cyclic voltammetry, polarization-modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. PPy, PPy/Phy and PPy/lipo-Phy films were characterized by amperometric experiments in phytic acid (PA) solutions at different concentrations. PPy/lipo-Phy showed a more sensitive response, which was confirmed in stable current vs concentration and current vs time curves, and by a superior analytical performance with a saturation concentration of 3.0 mmol L−1 PA. A multidimensional projection technique, IDMAP, was used to project the voltammetric data, and confirmed the higher selectivity for PPy/lipo-Phy by distinguishing PA in a specific range of concentrations.
Enhanced conventional method is as precise as navigation for distal femur resection during total knee replacement: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bhimani Rohan , Bhimani Fardeen , Singh Rohan Bir , Singh Preeti 
Published: April 2019

Introduction: The purpose of this prospective study was to determine the accuracy of distal femoral cut and femoral component placement in the coronal plane with the enhanced conventional technique when compared to computer navigation during total knee replacement (TKR). Methods: In total, 475 total knee arthroplasties (TKA) were analyzed (200 optimized conventional TKAs and 275 navigated TKAs) for postoperative mechanical alignment or hip-knee-ankle angle and femoral component coronal alignment and compared between the two groups Results: Mean femoral component coronal alignment was not significantly different (p=0.35) when navigation and enhanced conventional groups were compared. There was no significant difference in the mean femoral component coronal alignment between knees with a valgus correction angle (VCA) <5° (p=0.28), knees with VCA 5°-7° (p=0.48) and knees with >7° (p=0.09). No significant difference was noted in the mean femoral component coronal alignment between knees with varus deformity <10° (p=0.19), varus deformity 10°-20° (p=0.72) and valgus deformity (p=0.35). Conclusions: Using the enhanced conventional technique in each patient to perform distal femoral cut during total knee arthroplasty can help achieve the coronal alignment of the femoral component comparable to navigation technique. Registration: UMIN-CTR ID UMIN000036204.
Malaria elimination transmission and costing in the Asia-Pacific: Developing an investment case
Authors: Shretta Rima , Silal Sheetal Prakash , Celhay Olivier J. , Gran Mercado Chris Erwin , Kyaw Shwe Sin , Avancena Anton , Fox Katie , Zelman Brittany , Baral Ranju , White Lisa Jane , Maude Richard James 
Published: April 2019

Background: The Asia-Pacific region has made significant progress against malaria, reducing cases and deaths by over 50% between 2010 and 2015. These gains have been facilitated in part, by strong political and financial commitment of governments and donors. However, funding gaps and persistent health system challenges threaten further progress. Achieving the regional goal of malaria elimination by 2030 will require an intensification of efforts and a plan for sustainable financing. This article presents an investment case for malaria elimination to facilitate these efforts. Methods: A transmission model was developed to project rates of decline of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria and the output was used to determine the cost of the interventions that would be needed for elimination by 2030. In total, 80 scenarios were modelled under various assumptions of resistance and intervention coverage. The mortality and morbidity averted were estimated and health benefits were monetized by calculating the averted cost to the health system, individual households, and society. The full-income approach was used to estimate the economic impact of lost productivity due to premature death and illness, and a return on investment was computed. Results: The study estimated that malaria elimination in the region by 2030 could be achieved at a cost of USD 29.02 billion (range: USD 23.65-36.23 billion) between 2017 and 2030. Elimination would save over 400,000 lives and avert 123 million malaria cases, translating to almost USD 90 billion in economic benefits. Discontinuing vector control interventions and reducing treatment coverage rates to 50% will result in an additional 845 million cases, 3.5 million deaths, and excess costs of USD 7 billion. Malaria elimination provides a 6:1 return on investment. Conclusion: This investment case provides compelling evidence for the benefits of continued prioritization of funding for malaria and can be used to develop an advocacy strategy.
Cuando Instagram se coló en la universidad, visibilizando a los Invisibles
Authors: Montero de Gea Carlos , Lara Ivan , Forés Miravalles Anna , Lara Tania 
Published: April 2019

El proyecto Invisible se ha realizado dentro del Grado de Educación Social de la Universidad de Barcelona, con los objetivos principales de trabajar los contenidos propios de la asignatura Fundamentos didácticos de la Acción Socioeducativa. A partir de, primeramente la lectura de la obra literaria Invisible, centrada en la visibilización del acoso escolar, para a posteriori, la realización de una intervención socioeducativa con colectivos sensibles del ámbito social a sentirse invisibles, y evidenciando estas intervenciones, más el análisis del proyecto en sí, a través de las redes sociales 2.0 (Instagram) como vía de comunicación de los millenials y dentro del contexto universitario, rompiendo así, la dicotomía teoría/práctica de los contenidos curriculares trabajados en el aula.
Maternal Uniparental Disomy 14 (UPD14) Identified by Clinical Exome Sequencing in an Adolescent with Diverticulosis
Authors: Chan Alvin P. , Mulatinho Milene , Iskander Paul , Lee Hane , Martinez-Agosto Julian A. , Yeh Joanna 
Published: April 2019

ABSTRACT
Pediatric diverticular disease is extremely rare, with most cases associated with connective tissue disorders. We report an adolescent boy with syndromic features who presented with acute complicated sigmoid diverticulitis. Clinical exome sequencing analysis detected a 6.5-Mb region of homozygosity on chromosome 14, consistent with partial maternal uniparental disomy. Analysis of this region did not identify rare homozygous variants but included several imprinted genes that were candidates for the observed phenotypes. The pediatric clinical presentation of diverticulosis in this patient has not been previously described in maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 14 and adds to the phenotypic spectrum of the syndrome.