bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plasma Proteomics for Epidemiology
Authors: Yin Xiaoke , Baig Ferheen , Haudebourg Eloi , Blankley Richard T. , Gandhi Tejas , Müller Sebastian , Reiter Lukas , Hinterwirth Helmut , Pechlaner Raimund , Tsimikas Sotirios , Santer Peter , Willeit Johann , Kiechl Stefan , Witztum Joseph L. , Sullivan Anthony , Mayr Manuel
Published: December 2017

Background—

Mass spectrometry is selective and sensitive, permitting routine quantification of multiple plasma proteins. However, commonly used nanoflow liquid chromatography (LC) approaches hamper sample throughput, reproducibility, and robustness. For this reason, most publications using plasma proteomics to date are small in study size.

Methods and Results—

Here, we tested a standard-flow LC mass spectrometry (MS) method using multiple reaction monitoring for the application to large epidemiological cohorts. We have reduced the LC-MS run time to almost a third of the nanoflow LC-MS approach. On the basis of a comparison of the quantification of 100 plasma proteins in >1500 LC-MS runs, the SD range of the retention time during continuous operation was substantially lower with the standard-flow LC-MS (<0.05 minutes) compared with the nanoflow LC-MS method (0.26–0.44 minutes). In addition, the standard-flow LC method also offered less variation in protein measurements. However, 5× more sample volume was required to achieve similar sensitivity. Two different commercial multiple reaction monitoring kits and an antibody-based multiplexing kit were used to compare the apolipoprotein measurements in a subset of samples. In general, good agreement was observed between the 2 multiple reaction monitoring kits, but some of the multiple reaction monitoring–based measurements differed from antibody-based assays.

Conclusions—

The multiplexing capability of LC-MS combined with a standard-flow method increases throughput and reduces the costs of large-scale protein measurements in epidemiological cohorts, but protein rather than peptide standards will be required for defined absolute proteoform quantification.
Analysis of 60 706 Exomes Questions the Role of De Novo Variants Previously Implicated in Cardiac Disease
Authors: Paludan-Müller Christian , Ahlberg Gustav , Ghouse Jonas , Svendsen Jesper H. , Haunsø Stig , Olesen Morten S.
Published: December 2017

Background—

De novo variants in the exome occur at a rate of 1 per individual per generation, and because of the low reproductive fitness for de novo variants causing severe disease, the likelihood of finding these as standing variations in the general population is low. Therefore, this study sought to evaluate the pathogenicity of de novo variants previously associated with cardiac disease based on a large population-representative exome database.

Methods and results—

We performed a literature search for previous publications on de novo variants associated with severe arrhythmias and structural heart diseases and investigated whether these variants were present in the Exome Aggregation Consortium (ExAC) database (n=60 706). We identified monogenic variants in single case reports and smaller studies (≤200 subjects) and variants considered to increase susceptibility of disease in 3 larger trio studies (>1000 subjects). Of the monogenic variants, 11% (23/211) were present in ExAC, whereas 26% (802/3050) variants believed to increase susceptibility of disease were identified in ExAC. Monogenic de novo variants in ExAC had a total allele count of 109 and with ≈844 expected cases in ExAC, these variants would account for 13% of all cases in the studied diseases if truly monogenetic.

Conclusions—

We observed numerous de novo variants associated with cardiac disease as standing variation in ExAC, thus these variants are less likely monogenetic causes or major risk contributors for cardiac disease. This highlights the importance of investigating the pathogenicity of de novo variants because they are not as exclusive and pathogenically evident as presumed previously.
Association of Atrial Fibrillation and Oral Anticoagulant Use With Perioperative Outcomes After Major Noncardiac Surgery
Authors: Ge Yin , Ha Andrew C. T. , Atzema Clare L. , Abdel‐Qadir Husam M. , Fang Jiming , Austin Peter C. , Wijeysundera Duminda N. , Lee Douglas S.
Published: December 2017

Background

We examined the association of atrial fibrillation (AF) and oral anticoagulant use with perioperative death and bleeding among patients undergoing major noncardiac surgery.

Methods and Results

A population‐based study of patients aged 66 years and older who underwent elective (n=87 257) or urgent (n=35 930) noncardiac surgery in Ontario, Canada (April 2012 to March 2015) was performed. Outcomes were compared between AF groups using inverse probability of treatment weighting using the propensity score. Of 4612 urgent surgical patients with AF, treatments before surgery included warfarin (n=1619), a direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) (n=729), and no anticoagulation (n=2264). After urgent surgery, the death rate within 30 days was significantly higher in patients with AF compared with patients with no AF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–1.45). In contrast, among 4769 elective surgical patients with AF treated with warfarin (n=1453), a DOAC (n=1165), or no anticoagulation (n=2151), prior AF was not associated with higher mortality. Comparing patients with AF who were or were not anticoagulated, there was no difference in 30‐day mortality after urgent (HR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.79–1.14) or elective (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.38–1.09) surgery. There was no difference in 30‐day mortality between patients with AF treated with a DOAC or warfarin after urgent (HR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.70–1.18) or elective (HR, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.77–3.53) surgery. Bleeding and thromboembolic rates did not differ significantly among patients with AF prescribed a DOAC or warfarin.

Conclusions

Prior AF was associated with 30‐day mortality among patients undergoing urgent surgery. In patients with AF, neither the preoperative use of oral anticoagulants, nor the type of agent (either a DOAC or warfarin) were associated with the rate of 30‐day mortality.
The Chapter on Rasāyana (Medications for Rejuvenation) in Miʿrāj al-duʿāʾ, a Shiʿite Text from the 12th/18th Century
Authors: Langermann Y. Tzvi
Published: December 2017

Miʿrāj al-duʿāʾ wa-mirʾāt al-dawāʾ (“The Ascent of Prayer and the Mirror of Medication”) by Muḥammad ʿAlī al-Qazwīnī, a Shiʿite presumably working in eastern Iraq in the eighteenth century, gathers information on methods for rejuvenation and longevity from different traditions: traditional Islamic (mainly Shiʿite), Greek, and Indian. The last of these are a set of recipes for rasayanas, herbal and chemical recipes drawn from Indian sources. Though some rasayanas are mentioned in earlier Arabic treatises, the collection displayed in Miʿrāj al-duʿāʾ is by far the most extensive. Hardly any are mentioned in earlier Arabic texts. Miʿrāj al-duʿāʾ, then, contributes an important chapter to the ongoing interchange between India and the eastern Islamic world. Unlike the majority of treatises which deal with India, it is written in Arabic rather than Persian, though not a few loan words are employed. I present here an edition, translation, and analysis of the relevant chapter.
Do Subnational Governments Fund Organizations in Neoliberal Times? The Role of Critical Events in Provincial Funding of Women’s Organizations
Authors: Kay Emma , Ramos Howard
Published: December 2017

Countries around the world have adopted neoliberal or austerity policies. Among states that fund organizations, this may have a detrimental effect on civil society. Looking at the Canadian context, this article examines whether subnational governments, provinces, step in during times of national budget cuts and changing political environments to fund organizations. We do this by analyzing the effect of critical events, regime changes, and the founding of key organizations on state funding in the province of Nova Scotia between 1960 and 2014. We do this to examine how the interaction of national and subnational political context shapes subnational funding of organizations. We find that critical events appear to be linked to increases in provincial funding, however, do not appear to be linked to cuts in funding. Regime changes and founding of key organizations have less clear-cut relationships with provincial funding.
Stick and Slip Stick and Slip
Authors: Rabinowicz Ernest
Published: December 2017

When two substances rub against each other, they frequently stick and then slip. The phenomenon accounts for the squeak of bearings, the music of violins and many other sounds of our daily experience.
Chamber Music Column
Authors: Celentano John P.
Published: December 2017

It is impossible to discuss adequately a basic approach to ensemble, rhythm, nuance, and intonation in chamber music for the string student within the limits of one column. I shall devote myself to the element of ensemble for this issue and should interest from our readers warrant it proceed to a like discussion and illustration of an approach to the elements of rhythm, nuance, and intonation in future issues.
Association of Resting Heart Rate With Arterial Stiffness and Low-Grade Inflammation in Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Vargas-Hitos José Antonio , Soriano-Maldonado Alberto , Martínez-Bordonado Josefa , Sánchez-Berná Isabel , Fernández-Bergés Daniel , Sabio José Mario
Published: December 2017

Resting heart rate (RHR) is associated with arterial stiffness, inflammation, and cardiovascular (CV) and all-cause mortality in the general population and in patients at high CV risk. We assessed the association of RHR with arterial stiffness and low-grade inflammation (LGI) in a cross-sectional study that included 101 women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without a history of CV disease or arrhythmia or who were under treatment that may cause bradycardia. Pulse wave velocity (PWV; a measure of arterial stiffness), RHR, and markers of LGI (ie, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, insulin, and homeostatic model assessment index) were measured. The patients with the highest RHR (quartile 4; mean RHR = 87.2 bpm) had a PWV 0.61 m/s (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-1.14; P = .024) greater than patients with the lowest RHR (quartile 1; RHR = 63.0 bpm), independent of age, systolic blood pressure, disease activity, smoking, and being physically inactive. Similarly, patients with the highest RHR (quartile 4) showed a significantly less favorable clustered LGI index than patients in quartile 1 ( b = .58; 95% CI: 0.212-0.948; P = .002). Higher RHR is associated with greater arterial stiffness and LGI in women with SLE. Further research to determine the prognostic value of RHR in this population is warranted.
Sex differences in the relationship between prolactin levels and impaired processing speed in early psychosis
Authors: Montalvo Itziar , Nadal Roser , Armario Antonio , Gutiérrez-Zotes Alfonso , Creus Marta , Cabezas Ángel , Solé Montse , Algora Maria José , Sánchez-Gistau Vanessa , Vilella Elisabet , Labad Javier
Published: December 2017

Introduction:

Hyperprolactinaemia is commonly observed in people with psychotic disorders due to D2 receptor blockade by antipsychotic drugs, although it may also exist in drug-naïve patients with first-episode psychosis. Recent studies suggest that hyperprolactinaemia may have a negative impact on cognitive function in people with early psychosis. We aimed to explore whether there are sex differences in the association between prolactin levels and cognitive performance in early psychosis patients.

Methods:

We studied 60 young patients with early psychosis (aged 18–35 years, 35% females) and a sex- and age-matched control group of 50 healthy subjects. Cognitive assessment was performed with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Prolactin, total cortisol, follicular-stimulating hormone, luteal hormone and sex steroids (testosterone in men, oestradiol and progesterone in women) were measured in plasma. Salivary cortisol was measured at different sampling times (awakening response, 10:00 and 23:00). Psychopathological status was assessed, and antipsychotic treatment was registered. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between prolactin and cognitive tasks while adjusting for covariates.

Results:

Prolactin levels were associated with impaired processing speed in men, and this association was independent of cortisol and testosterone. In women, prolactin levels were not associated with processing speed tasks, although we observed a negative effect of prolactin on verbal learning and spatial working memory in female healthy subjects. The male-dependent effect maintained its significance after adjusting for education status, antipsychotic treatment and negative symptoms.

Conclusion:

Our study demonstrates that the previously reported association between high prolactin levels and impaired cognitive processes in early psychosis is restricted to men.
Altered cerebellar functional connectivity in remitted bipolar disorder: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Wang Ying , Zhong Shuming , Chen Guanmao , Liu Tao , Zhao Lianping , Sun Yao , Jia Yanbin , Huang Li
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

Several recent studies have reported a strong association between the cerebellar structural and functional abnormalities and psychiatric disorders. However, there are no studies to investigate possible changes in cerebellar functional connectivity in bipolar disorder. This study aimed to examine the whole-brain functional connectivity pattern of patients with remitted bipolar disorder II, in particular in the cerebellum.

Methods:

A total of 25 patients with remitted bipolar disorder II and 25 controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests. Voxel-wise whole-brain connectivity was analyzed using a graph theory approach: functional connectivity strength. A seed-based resting-state functional connectivity analysis was further performed to investigate abnormal functional connectivity pattern of those regions with changed functional connectivity strength.

Results:

Remitted bipolar disorder II patients had significantly decreased functional connectivity strength in the bilateral posterior lobes of cerebellum (mainly lobules VIIb/VIIIa). The seed-based functional connectivity analyses revealed decreased functional connectivity between the right posterior cerebellum and the default mode network (i.e. right posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus and right superior temporal gyrus), bilateral hippocampus, right putamen, left paracentral lobule and bilateral posterior cerebellum and decreased functional connectivity between the left posterior cerebellum and the right inferior parietal lobule and bilateral posterior cerebellum in patients with remitted bipolar disorder II.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that cerebellar dysconnectivity, in particular distributed cerebellar–cerebral functional connectivity, might be associated with the pathogenesis of bipolar disorder.
Corporate Politics in the Public Sphere: Corporate Citizenspeak in a Mass Media Policy Contest
Authors: Nyberg Daniel , Murray John
Published: December 2017

This article connects the previously isolated literatures on corporate citizenship and corporate political activity to explain how firms construct political influence in the public sphere. The public engagement of firms as political actors is explored empirically through a discursive analysis of a public debate between the mining industry and the Australian government over a proposed tax. The findings show how the mining industry acted as a corporate citizen concerned about the common good. This, in turn, legitimized corporate political activity, which undermined deliberation about the common good. The findings explain how the public sphere is refeudalized through corporate manipulation of deliberative processes via what we term corporate citizenspeak—simultaneously speaking as corporate citizens and for individual citizens. Corporate citizenspeak illustrates the duplicitous engagement of firms as political actors, claiming political legitimacy while subverting deliberative norms. This contributes to the theoretical development of corporations as political actors by explaining how corporate interests are aggregated to represent the common good and how corporate political activity is employed to dominate the public sphere. This has important implications for understanding how corporations undermine democratic principles.
Future Shock: Counseling Psychology in a VUCA World
Authors: Fassinger Ruth E. , Shullman Sandra L. , Buki Lydia P.
Published: December 2017

This article represents the conclusion of our special two-part issue of The Counseling Psychologist focused on leadership in counseling psychology. In this article, we reflect upon the state of leadership in counseling psychology as captured in the articles in this special issue. First, we explain the concept of a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous) world and why it is important to considerations of leadership by counseling psychologists. Next, we comment on each of the articles that comprise this two-part special issue, noting their strengths, relevance to current knowledge about and concepts of leadership, and questions that remain unanswered and thus ripe for further study. We conclude with recommendations for leadership-related efforts in counseling psychology as a field. It is our hope that this brief critique provides directions for future study and action regarding leadership in counseling psychology.
Visions of Jesus Animate Israel’s Tradition in Luke
Authors: Batluck Mark
Published: December 2017

Revelatory experiences in Luke’s Gospel illustrate the change that characters undergo as they come to venerate Jesus. These scenes depict how Jesus relates to their tradition. At first, Jews who see visions of Jesus’ coming, cast his mission in light of their knowledge of Israel’s scripture. With each successive event, and especially from the transfiguration onward, followers increasingly reimagine Israel’s scripture through their experience of Jesus. This devotion to Jesus is intrinsic to Judaism as a whole, as these experiences of Jesus are depicted as corporate not those of individuals alone.
Love’s Folly: Love and Knowledge in 1 Corinthians
Authors: Eastman Susan Grove
Published: December 2017

Tracing the language of love through 1 Corinthians, this article argues that Paul calls the Corinthians into an attentive communion with one another, in which mutual love will shape their practical wisdom. Paul’s goal is not the establishment of communal regulations, but rather the formation of moral agents through interpersonal bonds of love in Christ.
Kairos Gathered: Time, Tempo, and Typology in 1 Corinthians
Authors: Brown Alexandra R.
Published: December 2017

Two tensions central to the study of Paul’s letters in the last half century emerge with intriguing nuance in 1 Corinthians: the relation of Paul’s apocalyptic language to various models of “covenant history”; and the relation of his cross-based epistemology to the letter’s ethical discourse. A close reading of the disorienting ways Paul refers to time suggests certain ways of mediating (though not resolving) these tensions. With the help of analogies from music and poetry, this essay argues that the intersection of typological figure (e.g., 10:1–23) with temporal disruption and innovation (e.g., “time being gathered up” in 7:29) reveals a relational idiom that grounds Paul’s distinctive messianic ethics at the juncture he designates “the ends of the ages.”
Development of a dilatometer for shrinkage analysis of thermosetting resin systems at accurate processing conditions of liquid composite moulding processes and exemplary results of the effects of varying processing conditions on chemical shrinkage of an epoxy resin
Authors: Hopmann Christian , Wagner Philipp Nicolas , Böttcher Arne
Published: December 2017

The processing of thermosetting resin systems in liquid composite moulding is accompanied by a change in density through chemical and thermal shrinkage during the curing reaction of the resin and cooling of a part from processing to operating temperature. These effects cause residual stresses and an undesired characteristic surface pattern in endless fibre reinforced plastics. However, the accurate measurement of the chemical and thermal shrinkage is challenging with state-of-the-art measurement devices, especially for highly reactive thermosetting resin systems. The main disadvantage is that it is not possible to recreate the processing conditions of modern liquid composite moulding processes during the measurement of the thermosetting resin systems and has therefore limited use for process optimisations. In this paper the development of a dilatometer, which is capable of measuring the shrinkage in highly reactive thermosetting resins providing the processing conditions of liquid composite moulding is presented. The effects of processing pressure and internal mould release agents on chemical shrinkage are analysed with the developed dilatometer for different epoxy resins. The trials demonstrate a significant effect of processing pressure on chemical shrinkage.
Which Language R You Speaking? /r/ as a Language Marker in Tyrolean and Italian Bilinguals
Authors: Kaland Constantijn , Galatà Vincenzo , Spreafico Lorenzo , Vietti Alessandro
Published: December 2017

Across languages of the world the /r/ sound is known for its variability. This variability has been investigated using articulatory models as well as in sociolinguistic studies. The current study investigates to what extent /r/ is a marker of a bilingual’s dominant language. To this end, a reading task was carried out by bilingual speakers from South Tyrol, who produce /r/ differently according to whether they dominantly speak Tyrolean or Italian. The recorded reading data were subsequently used in a perception experiment to investigate whether South Tyrolean bilingual listeners are able to identify the dominant language of the speaker. Results indicate that listeners use /r/ as a cue to determine the dominant language of the speaker whilst relying on articulatory distinctions between the variants. It is furthermore shown that /r/ correlates with three interdependent variables: the sociolinguistic background of the speakers, their speech production, and how their speech is perceived.
Productivity change analysis in dairy farms following Polish accession to the EU – An output growth decomposition approach
Authors: Makieła Kamil , Marzec Jerzy , Pisulewski Andrzej
Published: December 2017

The aim of this study was to assess changes in productivity of dairy farms after Poland’s accession to the European Union using a new decomposition of output growth within a stochastic frontier framework. We demonstrate how changes in economies of scale can be isolated, which leads to redefined components of output growth and a better measure of productivity growth. The productivity component is disaggregated to its three generic sources: total scale change, real technical change and efficiency change. An analysis of 1191 dairy farms based on data from 2004 to 2011 reveals that production growth (3.91%) is mostly due to input accumulation (3.4%) rather than productivity growth (0.51%.). Further decomposition indicates that the productivity component is driven by real technical growth (1%) and changes in scale elasticity, which had a negative effect on productivity (−0.81%). Conversely, technical efficiency growth (0.36%) played a minor role.
Price and volatility transmission in, and between, skimmed milk powder, livestock feed and oil markets
Authors: Bergmann Dennis , O’Connor Declan , Thümmel Andreas
Published: December 2017

Price and volatility transmission effects between European Union (EU) and World skimmed milk powder (SMP) prices, as well as those between both SMP series, soybeans and crude oil prices from 2004 to 2014 were analysed using a vector error correction model combined with a multivariate GARCH model. The results show significant transmission effects between EU and World SMP prices, but no significant transmission effects from soybeans or crude oil to either of the SMP prices. For policymakers and modellers, these results indicate the need to consider World SMP prices when considering EU prices. On the other hand, the finding of no transmission effects from soybean to SMP prices reduces the opportunity for a successful cross-hedging for dairy commodities using well-established soybean derivative markets.
Agricultural correlates of aggregate nutritional outcomes in Malawi: District-level rank analysis
Authors: Benson Todd
Published: December 2017

Obtaining empirical evidence on the importance of agriculture in determining nutritional status is difficult, as there are few data sets that contain information on both nutrition outcomes and the agricultural livelihoods of survey respondents. Here we take advantage of the fact that the Demographic and Health Survey fielded in Malawi in 2010, which collected detailed information on nutrition outcomes, used comparable survey strata to a household consumption and expenditure survey in 2010–2011 that collected extensive information on agricultural production. While the samples for the two surveys involved different households, the results of both are representative at district level. Using a non-parametric rank correlation approach, we use the district-level results from the surveys to examine whether there are associations between five aggregate nutritional outcomes and characteristics of agricultural production in 27 districts of Malawi. The analysis is then extended to explore other non-agricultural determinants of nutritional status. Limited associations between aggregate agricultural production and aggregate nutritional outcomes were found, suggesting that the direct relationship between the two is relatively weak in Malawi. Moreover, the sign of many of the associations runs contrary to expectations: in some cases, strengthened agricultural livelihoods are negatively related to nutritional outcomes. When the analysis is extended to consider non-agricultural determinants of nutritional status, slightly stronger associations are found – aggregated measures of women’s empowerment, the availability of food and micronutrients and measures of household wealth are positively related to aggregate nutrition outcomes. Nonetheless, this analysis should be treated as exploratory. It is presented to stimulate more detailed examination of the association in Malawi between nutrition outcomes and agriculture using individual- and household-level data.
Agriculture–nutrition linkages: A preliminary investigation for rural India
Authors: Balaji SJ , Jhajhria Abimanyu , Kumar Sant , Immanuelraj T Kingsly , Kar Amit
Published: December 2017

Exploring linkages between agriculture, nutrition and human health has become an emerging field of research. Literature shows us both positive and negative externalities of agriculture on nutrition and health. Hence, the first step towards exploring agriculture–nutrition linkages would be ‘establishing’ the relationship between agriculture and nutrition, and thereby human health. This study, while doesn’t explicitly model and estimate complex linkages, attempts to study the direction, strength and magnitude of agriculture on nutritional status in rural India. Using a panel data covering 1991–2012, the study explores the linkages at two stages. Analysis indicates a ‘positive causality’ of agriculture on human nutrition and the ordinary least squares estimates provide evidence for it. Fixed effects estimates confirm the ‘positive causality’ after controlling for the effects of several factors. The study concludes that agriculture has a significant positive influence on nutrition, and thereby on health.
Dynamicity of the scout bee phase for an Artificial Bee Colony for optimized cluster head and network parameters for energy efficient sensor routing
Authors: Shankar Achyut , Jaisankar N
Published: December 2017

Data transmitted to the base station from the sensor node by selecting an optimal cluster head is a massive challenge subjected to the routing protocol, in the case of the wireless sensor network. An energy efficient clustering method, depending on the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm and the Fractional Artificial Bee Colony (FABC) algorithm, has a propensity to maximize the energy of the network and life time of nodes by the optimal cluster head selection (CHS). When conveying data, an ABC-Dynamic Scout bee algorithm is presented that multiplies the scout bee production to enlarge the number of alive nodes and the of CH energy. An assessment among the performances of the implemented ABC-based Dynamic Scout bee algorithm routing mechanism in opposition to that of ABC-based CHS and FABC-based CHS routing is done. The experimental outcome demonstrates that the implemented method increases the quantity of alive nodes with 25% of maximum energy for the normalized network compared with conventional protocols.
On (Not) Speaking English: Colonial Legacies in Language Requirements for British Citizenship
Authors: Fortier Anne-Marie
Published: December 2017

This article examines the colonial legacies shaping current language requirements for immigrants applying for settlement or citizenship in Britain. The article argues that common sense understandings of ‘national language’ and monolingualism/multilingualism were developed in the context of imperial expansion, the legacies of which resonate today in a disdain for multilingualism and other Englishes conceived as hampering cohesion. Put simply, other languages and other English are spoken here because English was there. Drawing on interviews with applicants and English teaching professionals, the article discusses how participants variously experience English language requirements. The analysis shows how the colonial legacies supporting the rise of English as a ‘world language’ cast it as the locus of a regime of audibility that establishes a hierarchy between ‘the English’ and the ‘anglicised’. In today’s Britain, the multilingualism of the other is not external and prior to Britain, but rather speaks volumes to and about contemporary Britain.
Whose ‘fault’ is it? Becoming homeless in Singapore
Authors: Tan Harry , Forbes-Mewett Helen
Published: December 2017

Singapore is a country that prides itself on providing cheap affordable public housing for its citizens. Nonetheless, the increased visibility of older people sleeping rough in public spaces has led to a contentious debate in recent years about why they are becoming homeless. The article first examines this debate from the different interpretations offered by the government, the national print media and local internet blogs and forums. Homelessness tends to be invariably attributed to personal problems for which the government is not held responsible or to broader structural problems resulting from government policies and bureaucracy. Our findings, from a two-year ethnographic study of older homeless people in Singapore, show that such one-sided causal explanations of homelessness are fundamentally flawed and provide inadequate explanations of why older people become homeless. Rather than asking whose fault is it, we adopt the pathways approach to highlight homelessness as a process involving personal decisions as well as structural factors. The article thus presents two key findings of our research. First, older people in our study did not become homeless from a specific pathway but encountered multiple pathways during their lives. Second, these older people began to sleep rough when the multiple pathways led to the weakening and subsequent loss of structural resources from work, family and friends and government assistance in Singapore.
Mycobacterial blood culture as the only means of diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis in advanced HIV infection
Authors: Mathuram Alice Joan , Michael Joy Sarojini , Turaka Vijay Prakash , Jasmine Sudha , Carey Ronald , Ramya I
Published: December 2017

The diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis (TB) in advanced HIV infection is often delayed because of difficulty in obtaining suitable specimens for culture. A total of 32 such patients from South India with positive mycobacterial blood cultures were studied over ten years. Almost all (90%) had a febrile illness and the majority (68.7%) had clinical lung involvement, but only 27.3% had positive sputum smears. Liver biopsy yielded a positive diagnosis in only 1/7. Cytopenia was almost universal (96.9%). Bone marrow cultures were, however, positive in 54.8%, of whom one-quarter grew atypical mycobacteria. Mycobacterial blood culture is therefore a useful adjunct test to diagnose TB in advanced HIV.
Engaging indigenous Maori and inward migrating Asian professionals into a Pakeha (White European)-dominated Balint community in New Zealand
Authors: McMichael Timothy
Published: December 2017

This inquiry began with two questions: How can the established predominately Pakeha/Caucasian (White European) Balint community in New Zealand more successfully engage both indigenous populations of both Maori and Pacifica origin into Balint work? And what is the existing Balint community doing to address the lack of Asian members of the Balint community in New Zealand, at a time when Asian health professionals are being recruited into the health sector at an increasingly high rate in comparison to White European entrants to the profession? These questions, and their preliminary answers presented here, invite the reader to reflect on both the challenges and opportunities in reaching out to groups different from our own. The author hopes readers may begin to see what can be done to allow new entrants to benefit from all that participation in Balint work offers while not losing sight of the uniqueness which each person can bring. It is hoped that sharing such questions and their subsequent explorations will help Balint leaders feel more confident in reaching out to a wider ethic and cultural mix within their local populations and encouraging them to enter the exciting world of the Balint group.
The “Spiral of Silence” Revisited: A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Perceptions of Opinion Support and Political Opinion Expression
Authors: Matthes Jörg , Knoll Johannes , von Sikorski Christian
Published: December 2017

The key assumption of spiral of silence theory is that opinion climate perceptions affect political opinion expression. We meta-analyzed the strength of this relationship and clarified the impact of theoretically relevant moderators. Sixty-six studies collectively including more than 27,000 participants were located. We observed a significant positive relationship ( r = .10; Zr = .10) between opinion climate and opinion expression. This relationship was not weaker in online as compared with offline opinion expression environments. Also, the relationship did not vary by the number of the targets of opinion expression, the opinion of the targets, the opinion climate characteristics, and the design, measurement, and sample characteristics. The largest silencing effect ( r = .34), however, was observed when participants talk to their family, friends, or neighbors about obtrusive issues. Overall, our findings suggest that the relationship between opinion climate perception and political opinion expression is stronger and more robust than previously thought.
Classes of trajectory in mobile phone dependency and the effects of negative parenting on them during early adolescence
Authors: Seo Mijung , Choi Eunsil
Published: December 2017

The aim of this study was to identify the classes of trajectory in mobile phone dependency using growth mixture modeling among Korean early adolescents from elementary school to the middle school transition. The effects of negative parenting on determining the classes were also examined. The participants were 2,378 early adolescents in the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. Three classes of trajectory in mobile phone dependency were found. Adolescents who were highly dependent on mobile phones were very few and most Korean adolescents were not serious with regard to mobile phone dependency. Although there was a large difference in mobile phone dependency among three classes at the very early period of adolescence, it decreased over time and all adolescents showed moderate level of mobile phone dependency. In addition, a multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that negative parenting was a significant predictor of determining the classes. The findings provided important implications for intervention and prevention of mobile phone dependency during early adolescence.
Gifted Students’ Conceptions of Their High School STEM Education
Authors: Mullet Dianna R. , Kettler Todd , Sabatini AnneMarie
Published: December 2017

This qualitative study was conducted to explore gifted students’ conceptions of their high school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Participants were seven male and female college freshmen selected from the Honors College of a large research university. In-depth interviews captured students’ retrospective accounts of their conceptualizations of their high school STEM education. Interview transcripts were analyzed inductively using a phenomenographic analysis framework. Findings comprised an outcome space composed of six core categories of meaning representing STEM learning environment, institutional supports, social supports, teacher qualities, active involvement in learning, and students’ self-perceptions of their STEM capability. Findings from this study offer a deep understanding of contemporary STEM education of gifted secondary students and help inform future curriculum design, program evaluation, and educational policy.
Increasing Early Opportunities in Engineering for Advanced Learners in Elementary Classrooms: A Review of Recent Literature
Authors: Dailey Debbie , Cotabish Alicia , Jackson Nykela
Published: December 2017

Present and future challenges in our society demand a solid science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge base, innovative thinking, and the ability to ask the right questions to generate multiple solutions. To prepare innovators to meet these challenges, we must recognize and develop their talents. This advancement and growth can be encouraged through classroom activities, special schools, afterschool or summer programs, competitions, and informal learning opportunities that focus on STEM curricula and authentic experiences. Purposeful introductions, early exposure, and continuous development with science and engineering concepts can affect retention and sustain interest in STEM fields. This article describes how both in-school and informal science opportunities can provide authentic and experiential opportunities to stimulate students’ interests in science and engineering and foster their curiosity through problem-based investigations. In addition, the authors recommend appropriate STEM-focused professional development for teachers to provide engaging experiences for their students.
Emancipatory advocacy
Authors: Mosko Melissa A.
Published: December 2017

In this paper, I take up the challenge that political activism runs the risk of generating abstract freedoms for oppressed subjects and neglecting the effects of oppression on the development of subjectivity. I argue that a political activism in concert with a companion ethics of advocacy and listening is best positioned to improve the political and economic conditions of individuals as well as ensure that they are able to realize their freedom in meaningful action. In this paper I distinguish political emancipation from human emancipation using the political and ethical writings of Simone de Beauvoir. I then argue that a feminist ethics of advocacy and listening can serve the project of human emancipation as emancipatory advocacy. I then return to Beauvoir to illuminate the dynamics of privilege, risk, and ambiguity in emancipatory advocacy through her own activism and advocacy in the case of Djamila Boupacha and Algerian independence.
A Diagnostic Approach for Rodent Progressive Cardiomyopathy and Like Lesions in Toxicology Studies up to 28 Days in the Sprague Dawley Rat (Part 2 of 2)
Authors: Hailey James R. , Maleeff Beverly E. , Thomas Heath C. , Pearse Gail , Klapwijk Jan C. , Cristofori Patrizia G. , Berridge Brian , Kimbrough Carie L. , Parker George A. , Morton Daniel , Elmore Susan , Hardisty Jerry F. , Dybdal Noel O. , Rehagen David A. , Fikes James D. , Lamb Martin , Biddle Kathleen , Buetow Bernard S. , Carreira Vinicius , Nyska Abraham , Tripathi Niraj K. , Workman Heather C. , Bienvenu Jean-Guy , Brees Ingrid , Turk James R. , Adler Rick R.
Published: December 2017

To test the diagnostic approach described in part 1 of this article, 2 exercises were completed by pathologists from multiple companies/agencies. Pathologist’s examination of whole slide image (WSI) heart sections from rats using personal diagnostic approaches (exercise #1) corroborated conclusions from study #1. Using the diagnostic approach described in part 1, these pathologists examined the same WSI heart sections (exercise #2) to determine whether that approach increased consistency of diagnosis of rodent progressive cardiomyopathy (PCM) lesions. In exercise #2, there was improved consistency of categorization of small borderline morphologies and mild lesions, but a decrement in consistency of categorizing minimal lesions. Exercises 1 and 2 suggest the described diagnostic approach is representative of that in use by the majority of toxicologic pathologists across companies/agencies and that application by all may improve diagnostic consistency of PCM/like lesions. Additionally, a criterion of approximately 5% heart section involvement is suggested for separating mild from moderate or greater severity. While evidence is not absolute, until further investigation shows otherwise, microscopic changes resembling PCM, but located in the epicardial and subepicardial region of the right ventricle, may be considered as part of the spectrum of PCM.
Adenotonsillectomy for Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Quality of Life: Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis
Authors: Todd Cameron A. , Bareiss Anna K. , McCoul Edward D. , Rodriguez Kimsey H.
Published: December 2017

Objective

To determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of pediatric patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to identify gaps in the current research.

Data Sources

The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched via the Ovid portal on June 18, 2016, for English‐language articles.

Review Methods

Full‐text articles were selected that studied boys and girls <18 years of age who underwent adenotonsillectomy for OSA or sleep‐disordered breathing and that recorded validated, quantitative quality‐of‐life outcomes. Studies that lacked such measures, performed adenotonsillectomy for indications other than OSA or sleep‐disordered breathing, or grouped adenotonsillectomy with other procedures were excluded.

Results

Of the 328 articles initially identified, 37 were included for qualitative analysis. The level of evidence was generally low. All studies involving short‐term follow‐up (≤6 months) showed improvement in quality‐of‐life scores after adenotonsillectomy as compared with preoperative values. Studies involving long‐term follow‐up (>6 months) showed mixed results. Modifications to and concurrent procedures with conventional adenotonsillectomy were also identified that showed quality‐of‐life improvements. Three studies were identified for meta‐analysis that compared pre‐ and postoperative Obstructive Sleep Apnea–18 scores. Short‐ and long‐term follow‐up versus preoperative scores showed significant improvement (P <. 001). Short‐ and long‐term scores showed no significant difference.

Conclusion

This systematic review and meta‐analysis demonstrate adenotonsillectomy’s effectiveness in improving the quality of life of pediatric patients with OSA. This is well demonstrated in the short term and has strong indications in the long term.
The role of discourse in family policy reform: The case of Finland
Authors: Nyby Josefine , NygÅrd Mikael , Autto Janne , Kuisma Mikko , Blum Sonja
Published: December 2017

Since 2010 and the onset of the economic crisis, Finnish governments have pressed for structural reforms, including unpopular cuts to family benefits and services. This article analyses the government discourse used for legitimating some of these reforms: the cutbacks in child benefit and the restriction of full-time childcare. It also assesses whether this discourse bore the hallmarks of a neoliberal austerity discourse, which could suggest that the reforms were not just a matter of fiscal balancing but also a matter of neoliberal welfare state restructuring. We argue that the economic crisis was central in the powerful ‘communicative’ discourse used by the governments for legitimating unpopular cuts. Not only did it draw on ideas from an austerity discourse advocating financial sustainability, fiscal prudency and debt reduction, it was also impregnated with ideas from a neoliberal worldview questioning some of the main principles of the ‘Nordic’ family policy model.
New Zealand’s social investment experiment
Authors: Baker Tom , Cooper Simone
Published: December 2017

The notion of prioritising ‘productive’ social investments over ‘consumptive’ social spending has long been advocated but only sporadically applied. Since 2011, however, New Zealand governments have implemented an ambitious, multi-agency social investment agenda that promises to overhaul public social spending through analyses of citizen-derived data. This commentary focuses on the development and features of the social investment agenda. In doing so, it discusses the apparent primacy of fiscal outcomes over social outcomes, and the practices and politics of data-driven governance.
Possessive Attachments: Identity Beliefs, Equality Law and the Politics of State Play
Authors: Cooper Davina
Published: December 2017

One feature of the neo/liberal possessive self is the propertied character of certain beliefs: treated as belonging to those who hold them, recognized and supported in acting on the world, and protected. While an ownership paradigm predates anti-discrimination and human rights regimes, these regimes have consolidated and extended the propertied status of certain identity beliefs in ways that naturalize and siloize them. But if beliefs’ propertied character is politically problematic, can it be unsettled and reformed? This paper considers one possible mode for doing so, namely play. Oftentimes, play works to secure and assert the propertied attachments people have to their beliefs; but some forms of play offer other possibilities. Focusing on the state as a complex site of play relations and encounters, this article explores how state play engages identity beliefs in a contemporary legal drama of colliding beliefs between conservative Christians and liberal gay equality advocates.