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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the appropriate cystoscopic interval after nephroureterectomy (NU) for upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) using a hypothetical model. Methods: A total of 155 patients who underwent NU in 15 years were retrospectively evaluated. Three hypothetical models for surveillance intervals were created: 3 (model 1), 6 (model 2) and 12 months (model 3). We superimposed these models on the actual surveillance of each patient and analyzed the observed timing of recurrence. The time from recurrence to scheduled cystoscopy (timeRCS) was defined as the time from recurrence to estimated cystoscopy. The gap risk ratio was calculated based on the average of timeRCS for model 1 at 0–1 year after surgery. Results: The median follow-up was 20.5 months. Intravesical recurrence was observed in 63 patients (40.6%). The 3-year intravesical recurrence-free survival rate in patients without a history of bladder cancer before NU was significantly higher than in those with a history of bladder cancer (61% vs. 42%, P = 0.034). The medians of timeRCS for models 1, 2, and 3 were 1.9, 2.9, and 8.4 months, respectively. The gap risk ratios for model 1 at 1–3 years, model 2 at 2–3 years for patients with a history of bladder cancer, and model 2 at 1–3 years for patients without a history of bladder cancer were less than 1.0. Conclusion: Model analysis shows that the cystoscopic follow-up interval can be extended depending on the presence or absence of a history of bladder cancer and the time after NU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lower chamber of tower J17 from the Aurelian Walls in Rome is covered by a singular brick vault by slices that is almost completely preserved. This kind of vault is unusual in a Roman context and specifically in Aurelian Walls. Brick vaults by slices were extensively studied by the French engineer Auguste Choisy, who mainly scrutinized their ease of construction that doesn't require formwork and can adapt to different plans to achieve lowered vaults. The best-known examples are in Byzantium and generally in the Eastern Roman Empire, while we don't know many cases dating from late Roman antiquity on the Italian peninsula. Based on a rigorous photogrammetric survey and thorough data management, a detailed analysis of this vault allows us to establish a hypothesis about its construction process and to deepen the knowledge of this type of structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A notable observation is the similarities in the cognitive processes of pretend play (PP) and counterfactual reasoning (CFR) as both involve thinking about alternatives to reality. It is argued by Weisberg and Gopnik (Cogn. Sci., 37, 2013, 1368) that alternative thinking in PP and CFR is underpinned by an imaginary representational capacity but few studies have empirically investigated this link. We use a variable latent modelling approach to test a hypothetical model of the structural relationship of PP and CFR predicting that if PP and CFR are cognitively similar; they should have similar patterns of associations with Executive Functions (EFs). Data were collected on PP, CFR, EFs and Language from 189 children (M = 4.8 years, males = 101, females = 88). Confirmatory factor analyses showed that measures of PP and CFR loaded onto single latent constructs and were significantly correlated (r =.51, p =.001) with each other. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that EF accounted for unique significant variance in both PP (β = 21) and CFR (β = 22). The results of the structural equation modelling revealed that the data were a good fit for the hypothetical model. We discuss the plausible role of a general underlying imaginative representational capacity to explain similarities in the cognitive mechanisms of different states of alternative thinking like PP and CFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work focuses on the analysis of a singular case of brick vault by slices from the Aurelian Walls in Rome. The study is based on an accurate survey carried out through automated photogrammetry. This analysis aims to determine the geometry of the vault and compare it with the theoretical model of its type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodium falciparum causes malaria, and its resistance to artemisinin (ART) – a drug used for managing malaria – threatens to interfere with the effective control of malaria. ART resistance (ARTr) is driven by increased tolerance to oxidative stress and reduced haemoglobin trafficking to the food vacuole. We discuss how extracellular vesicles (EVs) may play a role in developing ARTr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tarım alanlarının altında bulunan nitratla kirlenmiş yeraltısuyunu temizlemenin ekonomik yarar amaçlı alternatif bir yolu pompala ve gübrele yöntemidir. Pompala ve gübrele yöntemi hem yeraltısuyunu kirlilikten arındırırken hem de nitrat, pestisit gibi gereksinimleri azaltabilir. Buna ragmen bugüne kadar bu prosesin değişik iklim ve toprak koşullarında ne düzeyde etkili olduğunu dair bir değerlendirme bulunmamaktadır. Bu tekniği arazide uygulayabilmek için öncesinde bir fizibilite çalışması gerekmektedir. Bu nedenle HYDRUS 1D ile doymamış bölgelerde 1 hektar mısır tarlasına karşılık gelecek yeraltısuyu modelleri yaparak Türkiye’de yaygın olan toprak tiplerinin hidrolojik özelliklerini derleyip Eskişehir, Adana, Şanlıurfa ve Düzce benzeri iklimlerde, pompala ve gübrele yöntemi için en çok gelecek vadeden koşulları bulduk. Çalışmamız bu teknolojinin Şanlıurfa benzeri çok daha kuru ve sıcak iklimlerde 50 mg/L nitrat değerinde bile oldukça karlı olduğunu ortaya koydu. Bu teknikle birlikte bu iklimde 1 hektar tarlada 97 kg N/yıl telafi edilebileceği görüldü. Aynı zamanda fluvisol ve vertisol toprak tiplerinde nitrat sızıntısı en düşükken, cambisol tipi topraklarda nitrojen kullanım verimi bütün iklimler için en yüksek düzeyde bulundu. Düzce gibi oldukça nemli ve soğuk iklimler için ise, bu yöntemin düşük azot kullanım verimleri ve yüksek nitrat sızıntıları nedeniyle uygun olmadığı görülmüştür. Sonuç olarak görece kuru iklimler ve geçirgen topraklar pompala ve gübrele yöntemi için uygun bulundu.

Sustaining educator resilience is increasingly important in transitional societies which have a higher risk for dysfunction from coping with adjustments to emerging organisational practices with no local precedent. This would be the case for South African schools that have weathered transition in their organisational climate the past two decades. Our critical review aimed to survey the evidence on educator resilience within the school setting to inform the South African education system. For this critical review, we searched Business Insights – Essentials; Expanded Academic ASAP; PsycINFO; Academic Search Premier; OAlster; ERIC; Regional Business News; MasterFILE Premier; Teacher Reference Center; Newspaper Source; SocINDEX with Full Text; Health Source – Nursing/Academic Edition; Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts; Africa-Wide Information; and Google Scholar for publications on school educator resilience since 2008. We included scientific literature that focused on organisational resilience within the school context by reviewing certain keywords (title, abstract, and/or full text). Conference proceedings and studies published in other languages than English were excluded. The search initially yielded 740 research studies of which 12 were finally extracted for thematic analysis. Four main themes emerged: importance of leadership; improving school climate/culture; creating a supportive work environment; and ethics of care. The findings suggest a circular model for school organisational resilience premised in interdependent relationships between each of the extracted themes. Future studies should seek to apply this conceptual model to study education resilience in South African schools prior to wider adoption and dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Although breastfeeding is a common practice in Turkey, there are problems with exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life or sustaining breastfeeding. The purpose of this study was to determine the variables that affect breastfeeding success of Turkish women by creating a hypothetical model based on the information–motivation–behavioral skills model. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 229 women who gave birth at a public hospital. Data were collected using a questionnaire and through observation. Structural equation model was used for data analyses. Results: Information was found to directly affect behavioral skills and indirectly affect self-management behaviors and breastfeeding success (p <.05). The motivation was found to affect self-management behaviors directly (p <.05). Behavioral skills were found to directly affect self-management behaviors and indirectly affect breastfeeding success (p <.05). Discussion: The results can be used to develop culturally congruent nursing interventions and improve breastfeeding success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suicide prevention is an increasingly important issue, especially among older people. Recent work on improving its effectiveness has focused on developing a framework aligning interventions with key risk factors and stages of the suicide process. We have developed this further, by integrating psycho-behavioral components associated with suicide, existing guidelines for identifying critical points of intervention, and the previous preventive strategies framework. Our schematic diagram shows the relationship between the suicide process and prevention strategies, combined with initiatives for linking different types of strategies, from universal strategies at population level, through selective strategies focusing on groups at risk, to indicated strategies, aimed at specific high-risk individuals. We tested our framework using previous studies assessing the impact of suicide prevention interventions on suicide rates in older adults. It was possible to place all identified interventions within the framework. Examining effectiveness within the framework suggests that some interventions may be more successful in reducing suicide rates because they developed systematic linkages between universal, selective, and indicated prevention interventions. Other studies, however, show that interventions can be successful without these linkages, so other factors may also be important. The main weakness of our framework is a lack of evidence about critical intervention points within the suicide process, which may limit its practical application. However, the framework may help to improve the linkages between types of interventions, and support practitioners in developing a wide range of strategies across different areas and stages of the suicide process.

Suicide prevention is an increasingly important issue, especially among older people. Recent work on improving its effectiveness has focused on developing a framework aligning interventions with key risk factors and stages of the suicide process. We have developed this further, by integrating psycho-behavioral components associated with suicide, existing guidelines for identifying critical points of intervention, and the previous preventive strategies framework. Our schematic diagram shows the relationship between the suicide process and prevention strategies, combined with initiatives for linking different types of strategies, from universal strategies at population level, through selective strategies focusing on groups at risk, to indicated strategies, aimed at specific high-risk individuals. We tested our framework using previous studies assessing the impact of suicide prevention interventions on suicide rates in older adults. It was possible to place all identified interventions within the framework. Examining effectiveness within the framework suggests that some interventions may be more successful in reducing suicide rates because they developed systematic linkages between universal, selective, and indicated prevention interventions. Other studies, however, show that interventions can be successful without these linkages, so other factors may also be important. The main weakness of our framework is a lack of evidence about critical intervention points within the suicide process, which may limit its practical application. However, the framework may help to improve the linkages between types of interventions, and support practitioners in developing a wide range of strategies across different areas and stages of the suicide process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Biodrying was first used for post-treatment of storage sludge mixed with beer lees. In this study, dynamic changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM), bacterial community structure, bacterial associations as well as metabolic functions were investigated using Excitation-Emission Matrix (EEM) spectra, high-throughput sequencing, network and correlation matrix analyses, and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). Furthermore, a hypothetical model was proposed to better understand the biodrying process. The results showed that desired performance was obtained and DOM variations revealed that biodrying can increase biostability of the matrix. The bacterial communities differed among different stages of the biodrying. At the phylum level, the dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes in the mesophilic and cooling phases, whereas Firmicutes became the most dominant phylum in the thermophilic phase. At the genus level, the dominant bacteria in the mesophilic and cooling phases were not obvious, while Ureibacillus and Bacillus were the dominant genera in the thermophilic phase. Network and correlation matrix analyses were useful tools for insights into the bacterial interactions. PICRUSt metagenome inference indicated that metabolism, genetic information processing, and environmental information processing were the primary metabolic pathways. These results allowed us to advance a hypothetical model explaining how succession in bacterial associations regulates the dynamics of a biodrying system. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Biodrying was first used for treatment of storage sludge mixed with beer lees. • Bacterial associations were revealed by network and correlation matrix analyses. • Bacterial metabolic function was predicted by PICRUSt. • A hypothetical model to explain how changes in bacterial associations was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of the theoretical models for determining the specific cutting force, boundary conditions of its dependence on the thickness of cut are offered. Hypothetical graphic relations of the specific cutting force versus the thickness of cut with its change in a large rate for brittle and ductile workpiece material are offered in addition with possible hypothetical mathematic models for approximation of these relations. Experimental research of the influence of the thickness of cut on the specific cutting force in turning of different workpiece materials is done. By mathematical processing of the experimental data, the suggested hypothetical mathematical models are gained and analyzed and as the best new empirical mathematical model of the dependence of the specific cutting force on the thickness of cut is recommended this one which is with the best adequacy and accuracy. The deviations between the values of the specific cutting force received from calculations by the mathematic models based on reference data and the values received from the suggested new model have been explored. It turns out that in some cases for some workpiece materials these deviations reach 40-50% and more. In consequence, when calculating the cutting forces in turning by such methods significant errors can be received. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the co-induction of periodontitis by systemic disease. A model is presented which considers how connective-tissue destructive diseases in one location may affect the tissues of the periodontium. An example is given in which acute lung injury during respiratory distress syndrome is mediated by similar effector molecules as other systemic diseases.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide accessible and engaging information for Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy students. The objective of this research was to determine the usefulness in improving academic performance and empathy in health sciences undergraduates, and to test a hypothetical model through structural equation analysis. This research was carried out using a descriptive and quasi-experimental design. It was conducted in a sample of 381 participants: 176 used a MOOC and 205 did not. The results of the Student's t-test showed statistically significant differences in academic performance between the groups in favor of those students who had realized the MOOC. Participants carried out an evaluation rubric after taking MOOC. Statistically significant differences in empathy were also obtained between the pre (X = 62.06; SD = 4.41) and post (X = 73.77; SD = 9.93) tests. The hypothetical model tested via structural equation modeling was supported by the results. Motivation for the MOOC explained 50% of the variance. The MOOC (participation and realization) explained 58% of academic performance, 35% of cognitive empathy and 48% of affective empathy. The results suggest an association between higher realization and participation in a MOOC and higher levels of academic performance, and cognitive and affective empathy.

Over the last decade, municipal solid waste generation in Phnom Penh has increased noticeably; however, the waste management system is far from satisfactory. Considerable amount of waste is left uncollected, as well as intentionally disposed of in public open spaces. External and internal factors can trigger these problems. Possible external factors are low collection frequency, low cleaning services, and insufficient facilities such as small dumpsters. Possible internal factors, which also play an important role in this issue, include low awareness, insufficient knowledge, and low responsibility for personal waste. To examine the influences of these internal and external factors on people's waste disposal behaviors, we selected and conducted a questionnaire survey at four sites in Phnom Penh that differ in waste collection frequency and population density. A total of 413 valid responses were obtained. We developed a structural equation model to explain people's intentions not to dispose of waste in public open spaces. The results showed that personal and social norms, such as perception of social pressure from friends and family and from the government, had significant influences on intention, whereas the influence of external factors was much smaller. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]