bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Walk the talk: soft skills’ assessment of graduates
Authors: Succi Chiara , Wieandt Michaela 
Published: April 2019

Purpose
A fast-changing environment entails several reflections about skills and attitudes required to face the increasing complexity brought by the “glocal, liquid and networked” world in which workers operate (Bauman, 2003; Clarke, 2017). In the literature, an increased attention has been devoted to the impact of interpersonal skills and personal characteristics on employability (Heckman and Kautz, 2012; Succi, 2019; Wheeler, 2016). In this context, the so-called soft skills become of crucial importance, but a lack of academic attention devoted to their development, and a deficit of companies in integrating soft skills in their selection, induction and training processes have been identified (Hurrell, 2016). The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory study has been designed to describe the tools in use to assess soft skills, during the recruitment process and those to develop soft skills of graduates, during their first years on the job. In January 2017, two symmetrical online questionnaires have been sent to 500 HR managers and 240 graduates of a European business school, in Italy and Germany.

Findings
Results show that graduates and managers describe differently the use of tools to develop graduates’ soft skills. The large majority of HR managers indicate they offer formal training to young graduates and that they are involved in the performance appraisal sessions, while only 22 percent of students confirm they receive formal training and only 26 percent declare to be inserted in a performance appraisal process. Moreover, concerning the assessment of soft skills during the selection process, significant differences between Italian and German companies emerged.

Research limitations/implications
This research constitutes the first step to acknowledge the lack of initiatives devoted to soft skills development, despite their rising importance for the job market.

Practical implications
Findings allow initiating a discussion about a strategic topic in human resources management: whose responsibility is it to develop soft skills? Should graduates, higher education or companies fill the gap? The study can be extended to other types of higher education institutions, and a qualitative research could deepen the understanding of root causes of the differences identified.

Social implications
The impact on youth employment, reduction of labor skills mismatch and improvement of managerial practices could be interesting social implications of the study.

Originality/value
While previous research has predominantly focused on higher education executives and HR managers, this paper’s contribution consists in involving young graduates in the reflection on employability.
Therapeutic potential of medicinal plants for the management of urinary tract infection: A systematic review
Authors: Shaheen Ghazala , Akram Muhammad , Jabeen Farhat , Ali Shah Syed Muhammad , Munir Naveed , Daniyal Muhammad , Riaz Muhammad , Tahir Imtiaz Mahmood , Ghauri Aymen Owais , Sultana Sabira , Zainab Rida , Khan Muslim 
Published: April 2019

AbstractUrinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most severe public health problem affecting both sexes but females are more susceptible due to the differences in urogenital and reproductive anatomy, physiology and lifestyle. As in UTI, different parts of the urinary tract are affected and morbidity due to UTI is more common in women of all ages and older men. Due to multi‐drug resistant strains and high recurrence rate, UTI has become a major socioeconomic burden. The current review article was aimed to describe the natural therapeutic strategies to manage and cure the UTI. For this purpose, different databases including Google Scholar, Cochrane database, and PubMed etc. were explored. Inclusion criteria were any research article investigating the current therapy of UTI. It was found that microbial infections including Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Klebsiella species are the major causes of UTI with different signs and symptoms including painful urination or dysuria, hematuria, urinary urgency, burning micturition, frequent urination, nausea, and vomiting. Antibiotics like trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, quinolone etc. as the first choice of the drug are used worldwide. However, due to microbial resistance, several life‐threatening side effects, repeated high doses, high cost and low efficacy of these antibiotics motivated the researchers to explore natural remedies for the treatment of UTI. Herbal medicines are effective to combat bacterial resistance with high efficacy, and easy availability with minimal or no side effects. For these reasons it has attained the attention of researchers wanting to explore the herbal treatment of UTI. Vaccinium macrocarpon, Tribulus terrestris, Trachyspermum copticum, Cinnamomum verum and Hybanthusenn easpermus are some common medicinal plants reported to have therapeutic potential for the management and cure of the UTI. Although herbal medicines have more potential over conventional medicine but more discoveries are required to explore the phytoconstituents and their mechanism of action responsible for the management and cure of UTI.
The Agricultural Land Market in the EU and the Case for Better Data Provision
Authors: Loughrey Jason , Donnellan Trevor , Hanrahan Kevin 
Published: April 2019

SummaryParticipants in agricultural land markets require comprehensive statistics in order to make informed decisions in relation to agricultural land and the associated production. The publication of such data supports land mobility, the competitiveness and generational renewal of the sector. This article describes the functioning of agricultural land markets in EU Member States and the associated data infrastructure. We identify a scarcity of information regarding the volume of land sales transactions but significant recent improvements in the reporting of comparable statistics on agricultural land sales prices. Wide disparities between Member States both in terms of their agricultural land sales and agricultural land rental markets are documented. There remain significant data gaps in terms of land rental prices in EU Member States. Further EU‐wide research should be carried out in relation to land rental price indices with adjustments for the underlying land characteristics. The resulting price indices should provide a better indication of the competitiveness of land markets in EU regions. Finally, the analysis identifies recent improvements in measuring the extent of land fragmentation in the EU but finds that this analysis is confined to a minority of Member States.
The TotaltrackTM video laryngeal mask: an evaluation in 300 patients
Authors: Gómez‐Ríos M. Á. , Freire‐Vila E. , Casans‐Francés R. , Pita‐Fernández S. 
Published: April 2019

SummaryThe TotaltrackTM is a new video laryngeal mask, which combines a supraglottic airway with a videolaryngoscope. We evaluated the performance of this device in an observational study in 300 adult patients. The Totaltrack was inserted at the first attempt and the glottis seen in all cases. In 249 patients (83%; 95%CI 78.7–87.3%) the glottis was seen at the first attempt. Adequate ventilation and tracheal intubation were achieved in all patients. The median time to visualisation of vocal cords, to confirmation of ventilation and to successful tracheal intubation was 5 s, 13 s and 24 s, respectively. Nineteen patients (6.3%; 95%CI 3.55–9.05%) suffered minor complications, such as mucosal lesion or blood staining. The Totaltrack appears effective for airway management.
The development of an extended normothermic ex vivo reperfusion model of the sheep uterus to evaluate organ quality after cold ischemia in relation to uterus transplantation
Authors: Padma Arvind M. , Truong MyLan , Jar‐Allah Tagrid , Song Min J. , Oltean Mihai , Brännström Mats , Hellström Mats 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIntroductionUterus transplantation has recently proved that infertility in women with uterine factor infertility can be cured. It is still an experimental procedure with numerous critical details remaining to be established, including tolerance to warm and cold ischemic insults. In preparation for human uterus transplantation trials, most teams use the sheep as a model system for research and team training, since the vasculature and the uterus is of similar size as in the human. We, therefore, aimed to develop an ex vivo sheep uterus reperfusion platform that mimics the reperfusion situation so that initial assessments and comparisons can be performed without the need for costly and labor‐intensive in vivo transplantation experiments.Material and methodsIsolated sheep uteri were perfused with the preservation solution IGL‐1 and were then exposed to cold ischemia for either 4 (n = 6) or 48 hours (n = 7). Uteri were then reperfused for 48 hours under normothermic conditions with an oxygenated recirculating perfusate containing growth factors and synthetic oxygen carriers. Histological and biochemical analysis of the perfusate was conducted to assess reperfusion injury.ResultsQuantification of cell density indicated no significant edema in the myometrium or in the endometrium of uteri exposed to 4 hours cold ischemia and then a normothermic ex vivo reperfusion for 48 hours. Only the outer serosa layer and the inner columnar luminal epithelial cells were affected by the reperfusion. However, a much faster and severe reperfusion damage of all uterine layers were evident during the reperfusion experiment following 48 hours of cold ischemia. This was indicated by major accumulation of extracellular fluid, presence of apoptotic‐labeled glandular epithelial layer and vascular endothelium. A significant accumulation of lactate was measured in the perfusate with a subsequent decrease in pH.ConclusionsWe developed a novel ex vivo sheep uterus model for prolonged perfusion. This model proved to be able to distinguish reperfusion injury‐related differences associated to organ preservation. The experimental setup is a platform that can be used to conduct further studies on uterine ischemia‐ and reperfusion injury that may lead to improved human uterus transplantation protocols.
Consensus report: clinical recommendations for the prevention and management of the nocebo effect in biosimilar‐treated IBD patients
Authors: Pouillon Lieven , Danese Silvio , Hart Ailsa , Fiorino Gionata , Argollo Marjorie , Selmi Carlo , Carlo‐Stella Carmelo , Loeuille Damien , Costanzo Antonio , Lopez Anthony , Vegni Elena , Radice Simona , Gilardi Daniela , Socha Marie , Fazio Maria , González‐Lorenzo Marien , Bonovas Stefanos , Magro Fernando , Peyrin‐Biroulet Laurent 
Published: April 2019

SummaryBackgroundThe nocebo effect is a negative effect of a pharmacological or nonpharmacological medical treatment that is induced by patients' expectations, and that is unrelated to the physiological action of the treatment. The nocebo effect can negatively affect treatment outcomes.AimTo develop evidence‐based consensus recommendations for the prevention and management of the nocebo effect in biosimilar‐treated patients with IBD.MethodsThe “NOCE‐BIO Consensus Group” was composed of 19 members from five European countries, and with different fields of expertise. A literature review on the nocebo effect, with specific focus on information about its prevention and management in biosimilar‐treated IBD patients, was performed. Preliminary statements were formulated and voted on during a consensus group meeting held in Milan, Italy, in July 2018. A statement was accepted if >75% of participants voted 4 (“agree”) or 5 (“strongly agree”) on a scale of 1‐5.ResultsConsensus was reached on 11 recommendation statements. Seven statements reached consensus after one voting round and four statements reached consensus after two voting rounds. All statements were supported by very low‐quality level of evidence. The panel agreed that patient‐health‐care provider relationship is a key driver of acceptance of biosimilars, which limits the risk of negative bias and the nocebo effect. Lack of knowledge among patients and health‐care providers about the effectiveness and safety of biosimilars should be minimized. Education about biosimilars needs to be tailored to the individual patient, and positive framing is recommended.ConclusionsThe nocebo effect is under‐recognised in the era of biosimilars, although it may negatively impact on the cost‐savings of biosimilars. Future research should focus on the magnitude, the risk factors, the impact, and the management of the nocebo effect in biosimilars‐treated IBD patients.
Warfarin dose requirement in patients having severe thrombosis or thrombophilia
Authors: Helin Tuukka A. , Joutsi‐Korhonen Lotta , Asmundela Heidi , Niemi Mikko , Orpana Arto , Lassila Riitta 
Published: April 2019

AimsWarfarin dose requirement varies significantly. We compared the clinically established doses based on international normalized ratio (INR) among patients with severe thrombosis and/or thrombophilia with estimates from genetic dosing algorithms.MethodsFifty patients with severe thrombosis and/or thrombophilia requiring permanent anticoagulation, referred to the Helsinki University Hospital Coagulation Center, were screened for thrombophilias and genotyped for CYP2C9*2 (c.430C>T, rs1799853), CYP2C9*3 (c.1075A>C, rs1057910) and VKORC1 c.‐1639G>A (rs9923231) variants. The warfarin maintenance doses (target INR 2.0–3.0 in 94%, 2.5–3.5 in 6%) were estimated by the Gage and the International Warfarin Pharmacogenetics Consortium (IWPC) algorithms. The individual warfarin maintenance dose was tailored, supplementing estimates with comprehensive clinical evaluation and INR data.ResultsMean patient age was 47 years (range 20–76), and BMI 27 (SD 6), 68% being women. Forty‐six (92%) had previous venous or arterial thrombosis, and 26 (52%) had a thrombophilia, with 22% having concurrent aspirin. A total of 40% carried the CYP2C9*2 or *3 allele and 54% carried the VKORC1‐1639A allele. The daily mean maintenance dose of warfarin estimated by the Gage algorithm was 5.4 mg (95% CI 4.9–5.9 mg), and by the IWPC algorithm was 5.2 mg (95% CI 4.7–5.7 mg). The daily warfarin maintenance dose after clinical visits and follow‐up was higher than the estimates, mean 6.9 mg (95% CI 5.6–8.2 mg, P < 0.006), with highest dose in patients having multiple thrombophilic factors (P < 0.03).ConclusionsIn severe thrombosis and/or thrombophilia, variation in thrombin generation and pharmacodynamics influences warfarin response. Pharmacogenetic dosing algorithms seem to underestimate dose requirement.
Sociotechnical co‐evolution of an e‐Learning innovation network
Authors: Law Nancy , Liang Leming 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThis paper reports on a longitudinal study of a network of 10 special education needs schools over a span of 11 years that leveraged the opportunity offered by a government‐funded e‐learning pilot scheme initiative to further their efforts in providing the same educational opportunities to their students as those in mainstream schools. The trajectory of this network’s evolution shows that its robustness lies in the joint leadership network among the schools, and the insight and agency that this leadership network exhibited in the intentional exploration and crafting of a social structure and mechanism to support innovative developments in technology and pedagogical innovation, which we refer to as sociotechnical co‐evolution. By adopting a sociotechnical system framework to analyse the changes at the landscape, regime and niches levels, we show that in fact landscape factors play a crucial role in shaping the innovation trajectory through its influence on the niches. Network leadership, within‐school leadership and organizational infrastructures evolve and play an important role in the co‐construction of the sociotechnical regimes needed to bring about deep and widespread changes in pedagogical practice.
Meeting players where they are: Digital games and learning ecologies
Authors: Persico Donatella , Passarelli Marcello , Pozzi Francesca , Earp Jeffrey , Dagnino Francesca Maria , Manganello Flavio 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThis paper explores the relationship between digital games and learning along the continuum from formal to informal learning. Games are an increasingly important component of our learning ecologies but their potential can prove difficult to fully harness due to the downsides of gaming in informal contexts and to the limitations games can present when adopted in formal learning contexts. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of games for learning, and to gather stakeholder recommendations for the main actors in the field. The adopted research approach is qualitative and participatory, involving players, teachers, parents, researchers and developers. Data from 25 interviews and 11 focus groups yielded insights into the educational, psychological and ethical aspects of play. Results suggest that gameplay influences individuals in a very personal manner, and that its effects cover a wide range of skills, extending to identity development. Hence, to harness this potential, all actors in the ecology need strong awareness of both the affordances and the risks of games, and deep respect for individuals’ LEs. The study has implications for a wide range of actors, including educators, players, researchers, parents, game developers and policymakers.
Integrating games as a means to develop e‐learning: Insights from a psychological perspective
Authors: Terras Melody M. , Boyle Elizabeth A. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAlthough the Education sector has pioneered the use of technology, the pace of technological change has outstripped the slower processes of theoretical development and critical reflection, so the field is highly fragmented and lacks a comprehensive evidence base to support future development. In this paper, we consider how the insights offered by games and a psychological perspective can address the current challenges. Both games and e‐learning specialists are facing similar challenges and would therefore benefit from adopting a more integrated approach in the future. We demonstrate how this integration can best be achieved by viewing the challenges through a psychological lens which informs theory, research and practice in user‐centred design, supports the development of more widely applicable theories of learning and pedagogy, recognises of the complexity of the contexts in which learning occurs and offers an established evidence‐based framework to aid integration at the theoretical level. This emphasises the continued importance of classic concepts such as transfer, cognitive load and the increasing blurred boundaries between formal and informal learning, but also in terms of methodology and as a catalyst for future debate and discussion.
Profiles of adversity and resilience resources: A latent class analysis of two samples
Authors: Lines Robin L. J. , Crane Monique , Ducker Kagan J. , Ntoumanis Nikos , Thøgersen‐Ntoumani Cecilie , Fletcher David , Gucciardi Daniel F. 
Published: April 2019

Adversities refer to events that are characterized by perceived or actual threat to human functioning. Often considered deleterious for health and well‐being, recent work supports an alternative picture of the effects of adversity on human functioning, such that a moderate amount of adversity – when compared with none or high levels – can be beneficial. We extend this body of work in the current study by considering the breadth or type of adversities experienced simultaneously (referred to as polyadversity), with a focus on individual profiles of lifetime adversities. Latent class analysis was employed to explore different configurations of lifetime adversity experiences in two independent samples and examine how these latent classes differed with regard to resilience resources (i.e., optimism, hope, self‐efficacy, and bounce‐back ability). University students (N = 348) and members from the broader community (N = 1,506) completed measures of lifetime adversity exposure and resilience resources. Three polyadversity classes were revealed in each sample, with both producing a high and a low polyadversity class. The third class differed between samples; in the student sample, this class represented experiences of vicarious adversity, whereas in the community sample, it represented moderate levels of exposure to adversity. Support for the adaptive nature of a moderate amount of adversity exposure was found in the community sample but not in the student sample. This study produces initial evidence of how lifetime adversity experiences group together and how class membership is related to resilience resources.
Courts, care proceedings and outcomes uncertainty: The challenges of achieving and assessing “good outcomes” for children after child protection proceedings
Authors: Dickens Jonathan , Masson Judith , Garside Ludivine , Young Julie , Bader Kay 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe professed aim of any social welfare or legal intervention in family life is often to bring about “better outcomes for the children.” But there is considerable ambiguity about “outcomes,” and the term is far too often used in far too simplistic a way. This paper draws on empirical research into the outcomes of care proceedings for a randomly selected sample of 616 children in England and Wales, about half starting proceedings in 2009–2010 and the others in 2014–2015. The paper considers the challenges of achieving and assessing “good outcomes” for the children. Outcomes are complex and fluid for all children, whatever the court order. One has to assess the progress of the children in the light of their individual needs and in the context of “normal” child development, and in terms of the legal provisions and policy expectations. A core paradox is that some of the most uncertain outcomes are for children who remain with or return to their parents; yet law and policy require that first consideration is given to this option. Greater transparency about the uncertainty of outcomes is a necessary step towards better understanding the risks and potential benefits of care proceedings.
Example‐Based Colourization Via Dense Encoding Pyramids
Authors: Xiao Chufeng , Han Chu , Zhang Zhuming , Qin Jing , Wong Tien‐Tsin , Han Guoqiang , He Shengfeng 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWe propose a novel deep example‐based image colourization method called dense encoding pyramid network. In our study, we define the colourization as a multinomial classification problem. Given a greyscale image and a reference image, the proposed network leverages large‐scale data and then predicts colours by analysing the colour distribution of the reference image. We design the network as a pyramid structure in order to exploit the inherent multi‐scale, pyramidal hierarchy of colour representations. Between two adjacent levels, we propose a hierarchical decoder–encoder filter to pass the colour distributions from the lower level to higher level in order to take both semantic information and fine details into account during the colourization process. Within the network, a novel parallel residual dense block is proposed to effectively extract the local–global context of the colour representations by widening the network. Several experiments, as well as a user study, are conducted to evaluate the performance of our network against state‐of‐the‐art colourization methods. Experimental results show that our network is able to generate colourful, semantically correct and visually pleasant colour images. In addition, unlike fully automatic colourization that produces fixed colour images, the reference image of our network is flexible; both natural images and simple colour palettes can be used to guide the colourization.