bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Ecological Study of the Association between Air Pollution and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence in Texas
Authors: Cicalese Luca , Raun Loren , Shirafkan Ali , Campos Laura , Zorzi Daria , Montalbano Mauro , Rhoads Colin , Gazis Valia , Ensor Katherine , Rastellini Cristiana
Published: August 2017

Introduction: Primary liver cancer is a significant cause of cancer-related death in both the United States and the world at large. Hepatocellular carcinoma comprises 90% of these primary liver cancers and has numerous known etiologies. Evaluation of these identified etiologies and other traditional risk factors cannot explain the high incidence rates of hepatocellular carcinoma in Texas. Texas is home to the second largest petrochemical industry and agricultural industry in the nation; industrial activity and exposure to pathogenic chemicals have never been assessed as potential links to the state's increased incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: The association between the county-level concentrations of 4 air pollutants known to be linked to liver cancer, vinyl chloride, arsenic, benzene, and 1,3-butadiene, and hepatocellular carcinoma rates was evaluated using nonparametric generalized additive logistic regression and gamma regression models. Hepatocellular carcinoma incidence rates for 2000-2013 were evaluated in comparison to 1996 and 1999 pollution concentrations and hepatocellular carcinoma rates for the subset of 2006-2013 were evaluated in comparison to 2002 and 2005 pollution concentrations, respectively. Results: The analysis indicates that the relationship between the incidence of liver cancer and air pollution and risk factors is nonlinear. There is a consistent significant positive association between the incidence of liver cancer and hepatitis C prevalence rates (gamma all years, p < 0.05) and vinyl chloride concentrations (logistic 2002 and 2005, p < 0.0001; gamma 2002 and 2005, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that vinyl chloride is a significant contributor to the incidence of liver cancer in Texas. The relationship is notably nonlinear. Further, the study supports the association between incidence of liver cancer and prevalence of hepatitis B.
Clinical Factors Predicting Better Survival Outcome for Pulmonary Metastasectomy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kuo Tse-Ming , Chang Kai-Ming , Cheng Tsun-I , Kao Kuo-Jang
Published: August 2017

Background: In patients with lung metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it remains uncertain how a better survival outcome can be predicted after metastasectomy. This study aims to identify clinical factors that may be used to guide patient selection for such a therapeutic modality. A total of 28 patients who received pulmonary metastasectomy for HCC between 1993 and 2012 were identified. All relevant clinical factors were extracted from medical records up to September 2015. Patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups according to survival outcome after metastasectomy. All pertinent clinical factors were analyzed for correlation with survival outcome. Summary: The overall survival of 28 patients after pulmonary metastasectomy was studied first. The survival curve was biphasic and reached a plateau at 40 months after metastasectomy. The results indicate the presence of 2 groups of patients with a different survival outcome. Among all clinical parameters, remission status in the liver before pulmonary metastasectomy and distant metastasis-free interval between the last treatment of HCC and the occurrence of lung metastasis were found to be significantly associated with excellent survival outcome after pulmonary metastasectomy (p = 0.019 and 0.007 by Fisher exact test, and p = 0.002 and 0.0002 by Cox regression analysis).
Clinical Effectiveness and Safety Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Anterior Circulation Ischemic Stroke in China
Authors: Zi Wenjie , Wang Huaiming , Yang Dong , Hao Yonggang , Zhang Meng , Geng Yu , Lin Min , Wan Yue , Shi Zhonghua , Zhou Zhiming , Wang Wei , Xu Haowen , Tian Xiguang , Lv Penghua , Wang Shuiping , Liu Wenhua , Wang Zhen , Liu Xintong , Guo Fuqiang , Zheng Dequan , Li Hua , Tu Mingyi , Jin Ping , Xiao Guodong , Liu Yuxiu , Xu Gelin , Xiong Yunyun , Liu Xinfeng ,   for the ACTUAL Investigators
Published: August 2017

Backgrounds and Purpose: This study was aimed at investigating the outcomes and predictors for the poor functional outcome after endovascular treatment (EVT) in a large, mostly Asian population. Methods: Between January 2014 and June 2016, acute stroke patients with anterior circulation occlusion and EVT were retrospectively enrolled from 21 stroke centers in China. The main outcomes were modified Rankin Scale (0-2 as functional independence, 3-6 as poor) at 90 days, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) at 72 h, and death at 90 days. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors for poor functional outcome at 90 days. Results: Of the 698 patients, 304 (43.6%) patients had functional independence at 90 days. The sICH rate was 15.5% (108/698) and mortality rate at 90 days was 25.4% (177/698). Age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.07), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission (11-20 vs. ≤10, OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.23-4.59; ≥21 vs. ≤10, OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.72-7.80), baseline glucose level (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.18), onset to groin puncture >6 h (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.06-3.31), sICH (OR 15.49, 95% CI 5.16-46.43), and pneumonia (OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.86-5.32) were independent predictors of poor functional outcomes, while good recanalization (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.13-0.54), preoperative Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score 8-10 (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28-0.83), and good collateral flow (OR 0.50, 95% CI 0.32-0.79) were protective factors. Conclusions: This study provides evidence in real world to support the performance of EVT in acute anterior circulation stroke patients in Chinese population. Patients with small infarct core, successful recanalization, good collateral status, and short treatment delay without sICH or pneumonia may benefit from EVT.
Can Treatment Adherence Be Improved by Using Rubin's Four Tendencies Framework to Understand a Patient's Response to Expectations
Authors: Kirk Jeremy , MacDonald Anita , Lavender Paul , Dean Jessica , Rubin Gretchen
Published: August 2017

Within the context of poorer patient outcomes and rising healthcare costs, we need to better understand why many patients do not engage fully with their treatment plan. Movement away from talking about “compliance” towards “adherence” and “concordance” is evidence of a recognition that this is a two-way process. Whilst healthcare professionals expect patients to engage in treatment, equally, patients have expectations (whether positive or negative) of their treatment and their need for engagement. There is a need for an effective method that can specifically target those interventions that will provide the most benefit to individual patients and which, crucially, is easy and inexpensive to administer in everyday practice and widely applicable. Rubin's Four Tendencies model identifies a patient's “response to outer and inner expectations” as a key factor in adherence. The model therefore provides an opportunity to test such a targeted, patient-specific strategy and we present a call to action for research in this area.
Role of Oxytocin in Prolactin Secretion during Late Pregnancy
Authors: Villegas-Gabutti Carlos M. , Pennacchio Gisela E. , Vivas Laura , Jahn Graciela A. , Soaje Marta
Published: August 2017

Background/Aims: During late pregnancy, the blockade of progesterone action by mifepristone (Mp) treatment induces a dopaminergic tone fall that enables naloxone (NAL) administration to release pituitary prolactin (PRL). We determined whether oxytocin (OT), which stimulates PRL secretion acting directly on anterior pituitary lactotrophs, mediates the stimulatory action of Mp and NAL on PRL secretion during late pregnancy. Methods: On day 19 of pregnancy, circulating and pituitary OT and PRL levels were measured by radioimmunoassay, 10, 20, and 30 min after NAL (given at 17:30 h) in rats pretreated with Mp (at 08:00 h). Pituitary OT receptor (OTR) expression in Mp-treated rats was evaluated by RT-PCR. Activation of OT neurons in Mp-NAL-treated rats was measured counting double immunoreactive neurons for Fos and OT (Fos-OT-ir) in supraoptic nuclei (SON), and medial (PaMM) and lateral magnocellular divisions of paraventricular nuclei. Results: Elevated serum OT and decreased pituitary OT were observed 10 min after NAL administration in both vehicle- and Mp-treated rats. This PRL increase was prevented by previous i.p. administration of an OTR antagonist, but intracerebroventricular OT administration was ineffective. Mp increased pituitary OTR expression at 18:00 h. Only Mp-NAL increased Fos-OT-ir neurons in the PaMM and SON. Conclusions: These findings suggest that PRL secretion induced by Mp-NAL treatment is preceded by OT release. These results, together with the activation of hypothalamic OT neurons and the higher expression of pituitary OTR, support the hypothesis that, during late pregnancy, OT may act at the pituitary level to facilitate PRL secretion if the inhibitory action of progesterone is blocked.
Efficacy and Safety of a Pharmaco-Invasive Strategy With Half-Dose Alteplase Versus Primary Angioplasty in ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Pu Jun , Ding Song , Ge Heng , Han Yaling , Guo Jinchen , Lin Rong , Su Xi , Zhang Heng , Chen Lianglong , He Ben
Published: August 2017

Background:

Timely primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) cannot be offered to all patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Pharmaco-invasive (PhI) strategy has been proposed as a valuable alternative for eligible patients with STEMI. We conducted a randomized study to compare the efficacy and safety of a PhI strategy with half-dose fibrinolytic regimen versus PPCI in patients with STEMI.

Methods:

The EARLY-MYO trial (Early Routine Catheterization After Alteplase Fibrinolysis Versus Primary PCI in Acute ST-Segment–Elevation Myocardial Infarction) was an investigator-initiated, prospective, multicenter, randomized, noninferiority trial comparing a PhI strategy with half-dose alteplase versus PPCI in patients with STEMI 18 to 75 years of age presenting ≤6 hours after symptom onset but with an expected PCI-related delay. The primary end point of the study was complete epicardial and myocardial reperfusion after PCI, defined as thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow grade 3, thrombolysis in myocardial infarction myocardial perfusion grade 3, and ST-segment resolution ≥70%. We also measured infarct size and left ventricular ejection fraction with cardiac magnetic resonance and recorded 30-day clinical and safety outcomes.

Results:

A total of 344 patients from 7 centers were randomized to PhI (n=171) or PPCI (n=173). PhI was noninferior (and even superior) to PPCI for the primary end point (34.2% versus 22.8%,
P
noninferiority
<0.05,
P
superiority
=0.022), with no significant differences in the frequency of the individual components of the combined end point: thrombolysis in myocardial infarction flow 3 (91.3% versus 89.2%,
P
=0.580), thrombolysis in myocardial infarction myocardial perfusion grade 3 (65.8% versus 62.9%,
P
=0.730), and ST-segment resolution ≥70% (50.9% versus 45.5%,
P
=0.377). Infarct size (23.3%±11.3% versus 25.8%±13.7%,
P
=0.101) and left ventricular ejection fraction (52.2%±11.0% versus 51.4%±12.0%,
P
=0.562) were similar in both groups. No significant differences occurred in 30-day rates of total death (0.6% versus 1.2%,
P
=1.0), reinfarction (0.6% versus 0.6%,
P
=1.0), heart failure (13.5% versus 16.2%,
P
=0.545), major bleeding events (0.6% versus 0%,
P
=0.497), or intracranial hemorrhage (0% versus 0%), but minor bleeding (26.9% versus 11.0%,
P
<0.001) was observed more often in the PhI group.

Conclusions:

For patients with STEMI presenting ≤6 hours after symptom onset and with an expected PCI-related delay, a PhI strategy with half-dose alteplase and timely PCI offers more complete epicardial and myocardial reperfusion when compared with PPCI. Adequately powered trials with this reperfusion strategy to assess clinical and safety outcomes are warranted.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01930682.
Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Puymirat Etienne , Simon Tabassome , Cayla Guillaume , Cottin Yves , Elbaz Meyer , Coste Pierre , Lemesle Gilles , Motreff Pascal , Popovic Batric , Khalife Khalife , Labèque Jean-Noel , Perret Thibaut , Le Ray Christophe , Orion Laurent , Jouve Bernard , Blanchard Didier , Peycher Patrick , Silvain Johanne , Steg Philippe Gabriel , Goldstein Patrick , Guéret Pascal , Belle Loic , Aissaoui Nadia , Ferrières Jean , Schiele François , Danchin Nicolas
Published: August 2017

Background:

ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non–ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) management has evolved considerably over the past 2 decades. Little information on mortality trends in the most recent years is available. We assessed trends in characteristics, treatments, and outcomes for acute myocardial infarction in France between 1995 and 2015.

Methods:

We used data from 5 one-month registries, conducted 5 years apart, from 1995 to 2015, including 14 423 patients with acute myocardial infarction (59% STEMI) admitted to cardiac intensive care units in metropolitan France.

Results:

From 1995 to 2015, mean age decreased from 66±14 to 63±14 years in patients with STEMI; it remained stable (68±14 years) in patients with NSTEMI, whereas diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypertension increased. At the acute stage, intended primary percutaneous coronary intervention increased from 12% (1995) to 76% (2015) in patients with STEMI. In patients with NSTEMI, percutaneous coronary intervention ≤72 hours from admission increased from 9% (1995) to 60% (2015). Six-month mortality consistently decreased in patients with STEMI from 17.2% in 1995 to 6.9% in 2010 and 5.3% in 2015; it decreased from 17.2% to 6.9% in 2010 and 6.3% in 2015 in patients with NSTEMI. Mortality still decreased after 2010 in patients with STEMI without reperfusion therapy, whereas no further mortality gain was found in patients with STEMI with reperfusion therapy or in patients with NSTEMI, whether or not they were treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.

Conclusions:

Over the past 20 years, 6-month mortality after acute myocardial infarction has decreased considerably for patients with STEMI and NSTEMI. Mortality figures continued to decline in patients with STEMI until 2015, whereas mortality in patients with NSTEMI appears stable since 2010.
Are the Parables Still the Bedrock of the Jesus Tradition?
Authors: Snodgrass Klyne
Published: August 2017

The parables of Jesus have long been considered the most reliable access to authentic teaching of Jesus. This conviction has been challenged recently by John Meier, who argues only four parables can confidently be assigned to Jesus, but Meier’s method is faulty and his conclusion unacceptable. I argue Jesus’ parables are the place we can be most confident about his teaching. There are reasons to be less suspicious of the tradition behind the Gospels and more suspicious of assumptions about authenticity criteria and the assured results of our discipline. The principle of multiple attestation, on which Meier relies heavily, is not a trustworthy criterion. The correlation of parabolic and nonparabolic material increases confidence about what Jesus taught. Further, no one was telling narrative parables like Jesus’ parables—certainly not in the church and not in early rabbinic parables. If Jesus did not tell these parables, who did?
The Historian’s Craft and the Future of Historical Jesus Research
Authors: Ryan Jordan J.
Published: August 2017

Although historical Jesus research has recently experienced a state of methodological flux following the ‘demise’ of authenticity and form critical methods, new studies are being published that forge new pathways. Jesus and the Last Supper by Brant Pitre is among the first major comprehensive studies in historical Jesus research to be published in the new era of research. The aim of this review article is to evaluate Jesus and the Last Supper in its capacity as a work of history. In particular, this article considers the future of historical Jesus research by discussing and evaluating Pitre’s methods and arguments in Jesus and the Last Supper in conversation with some of the foundational principles of historiography and the philosophy of history.
Compositorial ‘Weight’ & ‘Luminance’
Authors: Koenderink Jan , van Doorn Andrea , Gegenfurtner Karl
Published: August 2017

Compositorial weight might be understood as an operational definition of salience. It is not a psychophysical entity, but holds a key position between psychophysics and aesthetics. Several factors ranging over raw photometric/colorimetric parameters, various kinds of psychophysical contrast, image geometry, even semantic properties are readily shown to influence weight. A down-to-earth proposition is that luminance might play a dominant role. We investigate this notion and show that luminance per se is hardly important, except in certain paradigms like the ones considered here. We find that observers indeed readily judge weight based on luminance in such paradigms, although there are strong idiosyncratic differences. Our results have some generic implications for graphical design.
New species of Chimaera (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali: Chimaeriformes: Chimaeridae) from the Southwestern Indian Ocean
Authors: CLERKIN PAUL J. , EBERT DAVID A. , KEMPER JENNY M.
Published: August 2017

Three new species of Chimaera are described from the Southwestern Indian Ocean. Chimaera willwatchi sp. nov. is distinguished by its large body, blocky head with square snout, well-defined suborbital ridges, and a strong dorsal spine exceeding first dorsal apex; body brown-purple in color, slight iridescent sheen, heavily mottled around mouth and ventral surface, posterior edge of pelvic fins and first dorsal fin with prominent white margin, and anterior edge of second dorsal fin with white margin. Chimaera didierae sp. nov. can be distinguished by its light tan body color, slender body, short trunk, long tail, relatively robust spine, very small unpaired fins, and extremely deciduous skin. Chimaera buccanigella sp. nov. is distinguished by its light tan body color, stocky body, short trunk, tapering rapidly into a long tail, long, very straight spine, skin not deciduous. The three Chimaera species were collected from seamounts of Walters Shoal, the Madagascar Ridge, and the Southwestern Indian Ridge in an area within 34o30’S–44o05’E and 39o30’S–58o15’E. This is the first record of the genus in the Southwestern Indian Ocean, and brings the global total to 19 species. The new species presented here are distinguishable from their congeners by a combination of coloration, morphology, meristic, and structure of the mitochondrial NADH2 gene.
Aeolothrips neyrizi, a new species of the genus Aeolothrips (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) from southern Iran
Authors: MINAEI KAMBIZ , ALAVI JALIL
Published: August 2017

Aeolothrips neyrizi n. sp. is described and illustrated from Fars province, southern Iran, on the basis of two females collected from Alhagi persarum (Fabaceae). The fore wing colour is characteristic of the species. The new species is closely related to A. afghanus, a species that has been described from Afghanistan and also reported from Iran.
First record of Alternatipathes bipinnata (Cnidaria: Antipatharia) in the Southern Hemisphere
Authors: FRANCISCO ARAYA JUAN , ALIAGA JUAN ANTONIO , OPRESKO DENNIS
Published: August 2017

Antipatharians are still poorly documented in the southeastern Pacific, with just eleven species reported in Chilean waters, all of them distributed in subtidal areas from 70 to 2000 m depth (Häussermann & Försterra, 2007; Cañete & Häussermann, 2012; Araya et al. 2016a). Among the family Schizopathidae Brook, 1889, which is characterized by polyps elongated in the direction of the axis and having a transverse diameter of 2 mm or more (Opresko, 2002), the recently described deep-water genus Alternatipathes Molodtsova & Opresko, 2017, encompasses two recognized species, Alternatipathes alternata (Brook, 1889), reported from abyssal basins (2670 to 5089 m depth) of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and Alternatipathes bipinnata (Opresko, 2005), known from a few specimens collected in deep waters (1130 to 2846 m) off the Pacific coasts of northern Mexico and southern USA (Opresko, 2005; Molodtsova & Opresko, 2017).
Nematodes associated with terrestrial slugs from canola fields and ornamental nurseries in South Africa
Authors: PIETERSE ANNIKA , MALAN ANTOINETTE P. , KRUITBOS LAURA M. , SIRGEL WILLEM , ROSS JENNA L.
Published: August 2017

A survey of nematodes that use terrestrial slugs as definitive hosts, was conducted in canola fields and ornamental nurseries located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. A total of 3290 slugs were collected from 22 different sites. On the identification of the slugs, they were vivisected and examined for internal nematodes. After identifying the nematodes found, on the basis of their morphological characteristics, their identity was confirmed using molecular sequence data for the internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1, 5.8S, ITS-2), D2-D3 expansion segments of the large subunit (LSU or 28S) and small subunit (SSU or 18S) ribosomal DNA. Of the 22 sites investigated, 13 had nematodes present, with 8 % of the slugs being found to be infected with nematodes. Seven nematode species were confirmed, including Agfa flexilis, Angiostoma margaretae, Angiostoma sp. (SA1), Caenorhabditis elegans, mermithid sp. (SA1), Phasmarhabditis sp. (SA3) and Phasmarhabditis sp. (SA4). In addition, several Angiostoma spp. were also isolated, but could only be identified to genus level due to limited material. Of the seven confirmed species, four were previously undescribed. This is the first record of A. margaretae associating with Deroceras panormitanum, Deroceras reticulatum, Lehmannia valentiana and Oopelta polypunctata. Also, this is the first time that a mermithid has been found associating with molluscs in South Africa.
Messianism, rationalism and inter-Asian connections: The Majalis-i Jahangiri (1608–11) and the socio-intellectual history of the Mughal ‘ulama
Authors: Lefèvre Corinne
Published: August 2017

Relying on the Majalis-i Jahangiri (1608–11) by ʿAbd al-Sattar b. Qasim Lahauri, this essay explores some of the discussions the Mughal Emperor Jahangir (r. 1605–27) conducted with a wide range of scholars, from Brahmans and ʿulama to Jesuit padres and Jewish savants. By far the most numerous, the debates bearing on Islam and involving Muslim intellectuals are especially significant on several accounts. First, because they illuminate how, following in the steps of his father Akbar (r. 1556–605), Jahangir was able to conciliate his messianic claims with a strong engagement with reason and to turn this combination into a formidable instrument for confession and state building. These conversations also provide promising avenues to think afresh the socio-intellectual history of the Mughal ʿulama inasmuch as they capture the challenges and adjustments attendant on imperial patronage, depict the jockeying for influence and positions among intellectuals (particularly between Indo-Muslim and Iranian lettrés), and shed light on relatively little known figures or on unexplored facets of more prominent individuals. In addition, the specific role played by scholars hailing from Iran—and, to a lesser extent, from Central Asia—in the juridical-religious disputes of the Indian court shows how crucial inter-Asian connections and networks were in the fashioning of Mughal ideology but also the ways in which the ongoing flow of émigré ʿulama was disciplined before being incorporated into the empire.
Book Review: John S. Hawley, A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement
Authors: Pandey Rakesh
Published: August 2017

John S. Hawley, A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2015, 464 pp.
Book Review: Piers Locke and Jane Buckingham, eds, Conflict, Negotiation, and Coexistence: Rethinking Human-Elephant Relations in South Asia
Authors: Rayaroth Nisha Poyyaprath
Published: August 2017

Piers Locke and Jane Buckingham, eds, Conflict, Negotiation, and Coexistence: Rethinking Human-Elephant Relations in South Asia, New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2016, 366 pp.
To the New World and Back Again: Return Migrants in the Age of Mass Migration
Authors: Abramitzky Ran , Boustan Leah , Eriksson Katherine
Published: August 2017

The authors compile large data sets from Norwegian and US historical censuses to study return migration during the Age of Mass Migration (1850–1913). Norwegian immigrants who returned to Norway held lower-paid occupations than did Norwegian immigrants who stayed in the United States, both before and after their first transatlantic migration, suggesting they were negatively selected from the migrant pool. Upon returning to Norway, return migrants held higher-paid occupations relative to Norwegians who never moved, despite hailing from poorer backgrounds. These patterns suggest that despite being negatively selected, return migrants had been able to accumulate savings and could improve their economic circumstances once they returned home.
Control of stress relaxation and residual thermal stress during cure of random fibre mat-reinforced polyester composites
Authors: Agbo Cornelius OA , Okorie Boniface A , Obikwelu Daniel ON
Published: August 2017

The study deals with the control of stress relaxation and residual thermal stress during cure of random fibre mat-reinforced thermoset composite through a practicable optimal temperature scheme to manufacture timely and quality composite laminates with good mechanical properties. Samples were cured at 85℃ for 3 hours and cooled down under 10 different cool-down paths designated, Modes I to X. It was found that the stepped cool-down mode with subsequent fanning, Mode IX, gave the highest strength of 86 MPa at the end of cool-down, and showed only a change in stiffness from 1.8 GPa to 2.9 GPa. In contrast, the quenched samples strength of 63 MPa was among the least but increased remarkably both in strength (99 MPa) and stiffness (2.5 GPa) at the end of 4 months. This suggested that Mode IX relaxed out the residual thermal stress induced as the composite cooled down while Mode I had the highest thermal stress of 36 MPa which relaxed with time.
Randomized Clinical Trial of 12% and 38% Silver Diamine Fluoride Treatment
Authors: Fung M.H.T. , Duangthip D. , Wong M.C.M. , Lo E.C.M. , Chu C.H.
Published: August 2017

This 30-mo randomized clinical trial compared the effectiveness of 2 concentrations (12% or 38%) of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) and 2 periodicity of application (once or twice a year) in arresting cavitated dentin caries in primary teeth. Children aged 3 to 4 y who had at least 1 active cavitated caries lesion were enrolled and randomly allocated into 4 groups for intervention. Group 1 had 12% SDF applied annually (every 12 mo), group 2 had 12% SDF applied semiannually (every 6 mo), group 3 had 38% SDF applied annually, and group 4 had 38% SDF applied semiannually. Clinical examinations were performed semiannually in kindergarten by a single examiner to investigate whether the SDF-treated caries became arrested. A total of 888 children with 4,220 decayed tooth surfaces received SDF application at baseline, and 799 (90.0%) children with 3,790 surfaces (89.8%) were evaluated at the 30-mo examination. The caries arrest rates were 55.2%, 58.6%, 66.9%, and 75.7% for groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively ( P < 0.001). Caries treated with 38% SDF had a higher chance of becoming arrested than those treated with 12% SDF (odds ratio [OR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51–2.60, P < 0.001). The interaction between frequency of SDF application and visible plaque index (VPI) score was significant ( P = 0.017). Among those children who received annual SDF application, children with a higher VPI score had a lower chance to have their caries become arrested (OR, 0.59, 95% CI, 0.49–0.72). In conclusion, SDF at a concentration of 38% is more effective than that of 12% in arresting active caries in primary teeth. For children with poor oral hygiene, caries arrest rate of SDF treatment can be increased by increasing the frequency of application from annually to semiannually ( ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02385474).
The Association of Apolipoprotein E Gene Polymorphism With Cognitive Performance in Nondemented Polish Adults Aged 55 to 75
Authors: Piskunowicz Małgorzata T. , Linkowska Katarzyna , Gołota Szymon , Grzybowski Tomasz , Kędziora-Kornatowska Kornelia , Borkowska Alina
Published: August 2017

The ε4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene is known as a risk factor for dementia. How APOE ε polymorphism affects cognitive performance in nondemented aging subjects remains less clear. In this study, the relationship between APOE status and cognitive performance across various cognitive domains in adults aged 55 to 75 years ( n = 74) without dementia was investigated. E4 carriers ( n = 11) performed worse versus noncarriers on forward Digit Span and delayed recall of the Rey-Osterrieth complex figure. General linear model analysis revealed a small but significant main effect of ε4 on Rey-Osterrieth complex figure delayed recall. Comparing ε2 carriers, ε3 homozygotes, and ε4 carriers, ε3/ε3 performed significantly better on Trail Making Test part B and derived score Trail Making Test B-A. The findings support the relation between the APOE ε polymorphism and visual memory, short-term auditory memory, visuospatial attention, and executive functions in an aging sample without dementia.
Effectiveness of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders Among Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Pilot Study
Authors: Varkovitzky Ruth L. , Sherrill Andrew M. , Reger Greg M.
Published: August 2017

Effective treatment options are needed for veterans who do not participate in trauma-focused psychotherapy. Research has yet to examine the effectiveness of transdiagnostic psychotherapy in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and co-occurring psychological disorders. This pilot study examined the effectiveness of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) delivered in a 16-week group format. We examined treatment outcomes in male and female veterans ( n = 52) in an outpatient specialty PTSD clinic at a large Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. We hypothesized significant decreases in emotion regulation difficulty (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), PTSD symptom severity (PTSD Checklist for DSM-5), and depressive symptom severity (Patient Health Questionnaire–9). In addition, we hypothesized that reductions in emotion regulation difficulty across treatment would negatively predict PTSD and depressive symptoms at posttreatment. PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulty all evidenced significant improvements at the end of treatment relative to baseline ( ps < .001). In addition, reductions in emotion regulation across treatment were associated with lower PTSD and depressive symptoms at posttreatment ( ps < .001). This pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting use of UP among veterans with PTSD and co-occurring disorders. Well-designed clinical trials evaluating efficacy of UP among veterans are needed.
Projection-Based Stopping Rules for Computerized Adaptive Testing in Licensure Testing
Authors: Luo Xiao , Kim Doyoung , Dickison Philip
Published: August 2017

The confidence interval (CI) stopping rule is commonly used in licensure settings to make classification decisions with fewer items in computerized adaptive testing (CAT). However, it tends to be less efficient in the near-cut regions of the θ scale, as the CI often fails to be narrow enough for an early termination decision prior to reaching the maximum test length. To solve this problem, this study proposed the projection-based stopping rules that base the termination decisions on the algorithmically projected range of the final θ estimate at the hypothetical completion of the CAT. A simulation study and an empirical study were conducted to show the advantages of the projection-based rules over the CI rule, in which the projection-based rules reduced the test length without jeopardizing critical psychometric qualities of the test, such as the θ and classification precision. Operationally, these rules do not require additional regularization parameters, because the projection is simply a hypothetical extension of the current test within the existing CAT environment. Because these new rules are specifically designed to address the decreased efficiency in the near-cut regions as opposed to for the entire scale, the authors recommend using them in conjunction with the CI rule in practice.
Factors Associated With Attitude-Behavior Conflicts Among Sexually Experienced, Rural, Early Adolescents
Authors: Hill Julie C. , Graber Julia A. , Jean-Baptiste Esther , Johnson Kelly J.
Published: August 2017

Adolescents’ attitudes predict sexual behavior; therefore, attitudes are targeted in sexually transmitted infection (STI) and pregnancy prevention programs. However, attitudes and behaviors do not always align. Young adolescents who have had penile vaginal intercourse (PVI) and have attitudes supportive of PVI have two risk factors for future health risks while those with attitudes in conflict with PVI experience (i.e., attitudes not supportive of PVI) only have one risk factor, that is, early sexual debut. Rural sixth- to eighth-grade students in southern, central Florida who had PVI experience ( N = 162) completed surveys about their sexual history, substance use, PVI refusal skills, and PVI attitudes. Logistic regressions found that longer time since PVI, never trying other drugs, and better PVI refusal skills predicted higher odds of attitude-behavior conflict; thus, youth with attitude-behavior conflicts have fewer predictors of sexual health risk than those without attitude-behaviors conflicts. Those without attitude-behaviors conflicts likely need more focused and intensive interventions.
Leveraging Experiential Learning to Encourage Role Transition From “Student” to “Professional”: Insights From Identity Theory
Authors: Ewing Douglas R. , Ewing Randall L.
Published: August 2017

Drawing on identity theory, this conceptual inquiry posits a need to redefine the standard that individuals use to judge themselves as a “business student.” Learners will be more likely to succeed in a corporate context if they experience daily interactions throughout a curriculum that approximate a professional environment. These social interactions will reinforce a revised business student identity if carefully orchestrated. A conceptual argument is presented to this end that builds toward a curricular-level solution emphasizing experiential learning that has broad focus beyond marketing students to all business students. A number of obstacles and opportunities are identified while developing a set of propositions linking curriculum design with granular day-to-day interactions. Experiential learning is presented as a path forward but must be implemented in an exhaustive and theoretically sound manner in order to facilitate student transition from an academic to a corporate environment.
Mental Disorder Symptoms among Public Safety Personnel in Canada
Authors: Carleton R. Nicholas , Afifi Tracie O. , Turner Sarah , Taillieu Tamara , Duranceau Sophie , LeBouthillier Daniel M. , Sareen Jitender , Ricciardelli Rose , MacPhee Renee S. , Groll Dianne , Hozempa Kadie , Brunet Alain , Weekes John R. , Griffiths Curt T. , Abrams Kelly J. , Jones Nicholas A. , Beshai Shadi , Cramm Heidi A. , Dobson Keith S. , Hatcher Simon , Keane Terence M. , Stewart Sherry H. , Asmundson Gordon J. G.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Canadian public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional workers, dispatchers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers) are exposed to potentially traumatic events as a function of their work. Such exposures contribute to the risk of developing clinically significant symptoms related to mental disorders. The current study was designed to provide estimates of mental disorder symptom frequencies and severities for Canadian PSP.

Methods:

An online survey was made available in English or French from September 2016 to January 2017. The survey assessed current symptoms, and participation was solicited from national PSP agencies and advocacy groups. Estimates were derived using well-validated screening measures.

Results:

There were 5813 participants (32.5% women) who were grouped into 6 categories (i.e., call center operators/dispatchers, correctional workers, firefighters, municipal/provincial police, paramedics, Royal Canadian Mounted Police). Substantial proportions of participants reported current symptoms consistent with 1 (i.e., 15.1%) or more (i.e., 26.7%) mental disorders based on the screening measures. There were significant differences across PSP categories with respect to proportions screening positive based on each measure.

Interpretation:

The estimated proportion of PSP reporting current symptom clusters consistent with 1 or more mental disorders appears higher than previously published estimates for the general population; however, direct comparisons are impossible because of methodological differences. The available data suggest that Canadian PSP experience substantial and heterogeneous difficulties with mental health and underscore the need for a rigorous epidemiologic study and category-specific solutions.
Guidance on Conducting a Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Xiao Yu , Watson Maria
Published: August 2017

Literature reviews establish the foundation of academic inquires. However, in the planning field, we lack rigorous systematic reviews. In this article, through a systematic search on the methodology of literature review, we categorize a typology of literature reviews, discuss steps in conducting a systematic literature review, and provide suggestions on how to enhance rigor in literature reviews in planning education and research.
The Influence of Physical and Psychosocial Factors on Disruptive Pain Among Seriously Ill Home Care Patients
Authors: Davidson Jacob G. S. , Guthrie Dawn M.
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

To estimate the prevalence and correlates of disruptive pain in a sample of seriously ill home care patients in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Methods:

The design was a cross-sectional analysis of secondary data from 2757 patients aged 65+.

Results:

Overall, 69.0% (n = 1902) had any level of pain and 41.6% (n = 1146) indicated that their pain disrupted their usual activities. In the univariate analysis of demographics, the risk of disruptive pain decreased significantly with increasing age ( P < .0001) and was significantly less common among men ( P = .0015). Multivariate analysis showed that unsteady gait (relative risk [RR] = 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18-1.59), arthritis (RR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.23-1.49), symptoms of depression (RR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.13-1.37), and declines in social activity that the patient rated as distressing (RR = 1.19; 95% CI, 1.08-1.31) were independently associated with disruptive pain.

Conclusion:

Disruptive pain is highly prevalent in this group, and the key factors associated with this outcome represent physical as well as psychosocial domain areas.
Polar Opposites? NGOs, Left Parties and the Fight for Social Change in Nepal
Authors: Ismail Feyzi
Published: August 2017

In the early 1990s, when NGOs were rising to prominence as an ostensible force for social change in Nepal, the Maoists were also beginning to organise, and denounced NGOs as agents of imperialism. The Maoists came to prominence by fighting a People’s War launched in 1996, with the intention of improving life for the poor peasant and working-class majority. But after a decade-long struggle, the Maoists became incorporated into the parliamentary system. While Nepal’s first democratic revolution in 1990 met formal, popular political demands, which were consolidated in a subsequent revolution in 2006 overthrowing the monarchy and bringing the People’s War to an end, there was little socio-economic progress for the vast majority. The argument advanced in this article is that this lack of progress relied on the interplay of two phenomena: an anti-Maoist alliance consisting of the international community, the domestic ruling elite and NGOs, and a fundamental ambiguity at the heart of the Maoists’ political theory.
A Neoliberal Response to an Urban Crisis: Emergency Management in Flint, MI
Authors: Fasenfest David
Published: August 2017

The fiscal crisis faced by municipalities is the product of a range of structural and political factors that leave communities unable to meet their obligations. To deal with this crisis, the State of Michigan turned to a program of Emergency Managers who were given the power to overrule locally elected officials, abrogate existing contracts and arrangements, sell public property, and in short do whatever they wished to address the problem. Emergency Managers imposed austerity-based neoliberal policies with little regard for underlying structural forces that left communities impoverished, and which in the end protected bond holders. As the case of Flint, Michigan, demonstrates, these actions did little to alter the long-term prospects of cities, and inflicted real harm on Flint’s residents when the EM embarked on a ‘money saving’ plan to terminate an agreement to use safe Detroit water. In the interim, Flint began drawing drinking water from the Flint River, resulting in high levels of lead in their water, producing a health crisis. At the end of the day, cities where Emergency Managers were in charge were left in unsustainable positions, burdened by new long-term debt, with every likelihood they would find themselves in another fiscal crisis in the coming decades.
Urban Developmentalism in East Asia: Geopolitical Economies, Spaces of Exception, and Networks of Expertise
Authors: Doucette Jamie , Park Bae-Gyoon
Published: August 2017

This special issue highlights an exciting range of contemporary, interdisciplinary research into spatial forms, political economic processes, and planning policies that have animated East Asian urbanization. To help situate this research, this introductory article argues that the urban as form, process, and imaginary has often been absent from research on East Asian developmentalism; likewise, the influence of developmentalism on East Asian urbanization has remained under-examined in urban research. To rectify this issue, we propose a concept of urban developmentalism that is useful for highlighting the nature of the urban as a site of and for developmentalist intervention in East Asia. We then outline the contribution made by the articles in this special issue to three key themes that we feel are germane for the study of urban developmentalism across varied contexts: geopolitical economies, spaces of exception, and networks of expertise.
The Governmentalization of the Trade Union and the Potential of Union-Based Resistance. The Case of Undocumented Migrant Domestic Workers in the Netherlands Making Rights Claims
Authors: Eleveld Anja , Van Hooren Franca
Published: August 2017

Ambivalence about rights is well known: rights may both challenge existing injustices while simultaneously re-enforcing sovereign regulatory control over citizens. In this article, we focus on the paradox that potentially radical and transformative claims to rights are made at a site – civil society – that under liberal governmentality has increasingly become a site of government. By exploring the unionization of undocumented migrant domestic workers (MDWs) in the Netherlands, we aim to show how rights claims are shaped and controlled by civil society. Using the analytical category of (in)visibility, the case study discloses the dualistic role of the union. On the one hand, the union operated as a site of resistance supporting undocumented MDWs to make their rights claims. On the other hand, it operated as a site of government of the same undocumented MDWs by selectively promoting work-related rights claims and excluding more radical claims for the right to come and go.
Dynamics of Co-movements among Implied Volatility, Policy Uncertainty and Market Performance
Authors: Rehman Mobeen Ur
Published: August 2017

This article examines the dynamic correlation among policy uncertainty, stock returns and implied volatility. The presence of a heterogeneous pattern during the financial crises period indicated significant dynamic correlation values with persistence. Extraneous variables, that is, exchange rate changes and oil prices, also influenced the dynamic correlation pattern between implied volatility index and stock market returns. Findings of this article suggest that the time-varying property exists among correlations and is sensitive to the financial turmoil and exchange rate changes.
Flood-induced Loss and Damage to Textile Industry in Surat City, India
Authors: Bahinipati Chandra Sekhar , Rajasekar Umamaheshwaran , Acharya Akash , Patel Mehul
Published: August 2017

Indian coastal cities are susceptible to climate-induced disasters, like cyclonic storms, floods and sea-level rise, all while existing urbanization challenges amplify vulnerability. Enhancing a city’s resilience capacity is a pertinent issue when there are plans to re-develop several of India’s cities into ‘climate-smart’—this needs a comprehensive city-wide loss and damage assessment. For empirical purposes, this study attempts a loss and damage assessment of the textile industry in Surat city, western India to floods. The advantage is that it estimates indirect loss and damage and also considers compensation as a positive externality—mostly ignored by disaster assessment agencies. The results suggest that: (a) an average of 49 days was required to come back to normalcy when the flood water remained for 4 days; (b) most of the labourers out-migrated during post-flood scenario, and hence, shortage of labour was reported as major issue; (c) the mean loss and damage was approximately ₹1.51 million, around 23 per cent of an industry’s total profit, with ₹1 million indirect losses, which reinforces it to be factored into the disaster’s impact cost assessment and (d) owners’ risk perception about potential impacts of future floods is moderate, which may lead to a lack of investment in planned adaptation. Such type of study provides insights into the city’s resilience capacity to future disasters, urging to conduct such analysis across the Indian cities.