bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and characterization of apoptosis regulator Bax involved in air-exposure stress of the mud crab, Scylla Paramamosain Estampador, 1949
Authors: Gu Wen-Bin , Zhou Yi-Lian , Tu Dan-Dan , Zhou Zhong-Kai , Zhu Qi-Hui , Liu Guang-Xu , Shu Miao-An
Published: November 2017

The mud crab, Scylla paramamosain Estampador, 1949, is a widely farmed commercial species in the South-East coastal areas of China. The crabs are captured and placed in a water-free container for further transportation. The long-time air exposure makes the crabs suffer from oxidative stress, triggering cell apoptosis and leading to the crab’s death. In this study, the homologue of the apoptosis regulator BAX was firstly identified in S. paramamosain and named as SpBAX. The coding region of SpBAX yielded a polypeptide of 278 amino acids, consisting of the defining motif of the BAXs family including Bcl-2 homologous BH1, BH2, BH3 regions and a transmembrane (TM) domain. Subcellular prediction suggested that SpBAX was located in the cytoplasm. The three-dimensional structure showed that SpBAX contained 8 helical regions. Two central α-helices (α5 and α6) flanked on one side by α3 and α4, and on the other side by α1, α2 and α7, which showed the same structure as BAXs in mammals. The highest expression level of SpBAX was detected in hepatopancreas tissue. The expression level of SpBAX was up-regulated in 12 h in hepatopancreas and in 24 h in haemocytes after air exposure. Meanwhile, a flow cytometry assay revealed that the proportion of apoptotic haemocytes exceeded 65% after air exposure for 36 h, showing a significant difference with the control group. These results indicated that the cloned SpBAX might be involved in the response to air exposure stress by causing cell apoptosis. This study may thus be helpful to clarify the mechanisms of the air-exposure stress response in the mud crab.
Multi-criteria approach to estimate the growth curve in the marine shrimp, Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931 (Decapoda, Penaeidae)
Authors: Aragón-Noriega E. Alberto , Mendivil-Mendoza Jaime E. , Alcántara-Razo Edgar , Valenzuela-Quiñónez Wenceslao , Félix-Ortiz José A.
Published: November 2017

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that size variation among individuals of one particular age affects the precise assessment of anticipated growth curve trajectories and their parameters for the marine shrimp, Penaeus vannamei Boone, 1931. The data came from shrimp farmed in earthen ponds of an aquaculture farm located in the Gulf of California. Five asymptotic models were applied to averaged length-at-age data: specialized Von Bertalanffy, generalized Von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, Logistic and Johnson. These models were parametrized considering two criteria: (1) variability in length-at-age () decreases with age (growth compensation approach), (2) constant variance (“normal” and “fat tail”). The model parameters were computed with the maximum likelihood criterion. The corrected version of Akaike’s information criterion AICc, selected the Gompertz model and the growth compensation approach as those who fitted the data best. We conclude that the growth compensation approach allows the application of a very high performance objective function to analyse individual length-at-age variability without underestimation of the parameters, and also that the best model to describe the growth trajectory of P. vannamei in a farmed environment is a sigmoid curve with an inflection point at 34% of the life period analysed (the Gompertz model).
Avestan aiiara- and asniia- (Y. 1,17; 2,17, etc.)
Authors: Panaino Antonio
Published: November 2017

The present article deals with the semantics of the stems aiiara- and asniia-, which occur in the framework of a particular liturgical formula (Y. 1,17; 2,17, etc.) together with three other designations of temporal ratu-s: one connected with the “month”, māhiia-, and the other two with the “year”, the first one (yāiriia-) concerning the seasonal periods and festivals (Gāhānbār-s), the second one (sarəδa-) referring to the entirety of the year as a longer time period with its potential multiples. The first two terms, in their turn, express two different notions of the “day” as aiiar-/aiian- or as azan-/asn-. I will argue that aiiara- concerns the day in its complete duration (starting from the dawn as the beginning of the diurnal time), probably including the thirty days of the month (as single days or as a multiple of any day). The second word, asniia-, involves the internal divisions and, then, refers to the different gāh-periods. Finally, I shall demonstrate that this semantic difference is better understood in parallel with the logical and mathematic distinction between “discrete” and “continuous” units.
The spread of agriculture in eastern Asia
Authors: Stevens Chris J. , Fuller Dorian Q
Published: November 2017

Millets and rice were important for the demographic history of China. This review draws on current archaeobotanical evidence for rice and millets across China, Korea, eastern Russia, Taiwan, Mainland southeast Asia, and Japan, taking a critical approach to dating evidence, evidence for cultivation, and morphological domestication. There is no evidence to suggest that millets and rice were domesticated simultaneously within a single region. Instead, 5 regions of north China are candidates for independent early cultivation of millets that led to domestication, and 3 regions of the Yangtze basin are candidates for separate rice domestication trajectories. The integration of rice and millet into a single agricultural system took place ca. 4000 BC, and after this the spread of agricultural systems and population growth are in evidence. The most striking evidence for agricultural dispersal and population growth took place between 3000 and 2500 BC, which has implications for major language dispersals.
On the Anthropology and Theology of Roman Catholic Rituals in the Philippines
Authors: Bautista Julius
Published: November 2017

The topic of this paper is the dynamics of clerical and public attitudes pertaining to the continued performance of Passion rituals of self-mortification among Roman Catholics in the Philippines. I examine discourses of official clerical disavowal of Passion rituals as well as the seemingly contrasting attitudes of accommodation and tacit encouragement from clerics ‘on the ground’. I argue that the diversity of perspectives on Passion rituals are not contradictions per se, but they are facets of the theological notion of inculturation, which espouses cultural porosity and diversity as elements of spiritual formation. In so doing, I discuss how scholars can come to a better appreciation of the analytical utility of inculturation by pursuing the disciplinary convergence between theology and anthropology. I submit that this anthro-theology does not only involve anthropologists expanding their conceptual range to include theological concepts but also making adjustments to the way we think about the epistemological subject positions of clerics and theologians, particularly as they are encountered in the process of ethnographic fieldwork.
Two new Entyloma (Entylomataceae, Basidiomycota) species on North American Sanicula
Authors: SAVCHENKO KYRYLO G. , CARRIS LORI M.
Published: November 2017

Three smut species of Entyloma on Sanicula including two new species, E. californiensis on Sanicula graveolens and E. flavoluteum on S. crassicaulis are reported from the United States.
CASPER: Coupled Air–Sea Processes and Electromagnetic Ducting Research
Authors: Wang Qing , Alappattu Denny P. , Billingsley Stephanie , Blomquist Byron , Burkholder Robert J. , Christman Adam J. , Creegan Edward D. , de Paolo Tony , Eleuterio Daniel P. , Fernando Harindra Joseph S. , Franklin Kyle B. , Grachev Andrey A. , Haack Tracy , Hanley Thomas R. , Hocut Christopher M. , Holt Teddy R. , Horgan Kate , Jonsson Haflidi H. , Hale Robert A. , Kalogiros John A. , Khelif Djamal , Leo Laura S. , Lind Richard J. , Lozovatsky Iossif , Planella-Morato Jesus , Mukherjee Swagato , Nuss Wendell A. , Pozderac Jonathan , Ted Rogers L. , Savelyev Ivan , Savidge Dana K. , Kipp Shearman R. , Shen Lian , Terrill Eric , Marcela Ulate A. , Wang Qi , Travis Wendt R. , Wiss Russell , Woods Roy K. , Xu Luyao , Yamaguchi Ryan T. , Yardim Caglar
Published: November 2017

The Coupled Air–Sea Processes and Electromagnetic Ducting Research (CASPER) project aims to better quantify atmospheric effects on the propagation of radar and communication signals in the marine environment. Such effects are associated with vertical gradients of temperature and water vapor in the marine atmospheric surface layer (MASL) and in the capping inversion of the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL), as well as the horizontal variations of these vertical gradients. CASPER field measurements emphasized simultaneous characterization of electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation, the propagation environment, and the physical processes that gave rise to the measured refractivity conditions. CASPER modeling efforts utilized state-of-the-art large-eddy simulations (LESs) with a dynamically coupled MASL and phase-resolved ocean surface waves. CASPER-East was the first of two planned field campaigns, conducted in October and November 2015 offshore of Duck, North Carolina. This article highlights the scientific motivations and objectives of CASPER and provides an overview of the CASPER-East field campaign. The CASPER-East sampling strategy enabled us to obtain EM wave propagation loss as well as concurrent environmental refractive conditions along the propagation path. This article highlights the initial results from this sampling strategy showing the range-dependent propagation loss, the atmospheric and upper-oceanic variability along the propagation range, and the MASL thermodynamic profiles measured during CASPER-East.
A Bayesian Adaptive Ensemble Kalman Filter for Sequential State and Parameter Estimation
Authors: Stroud Jonathan R. , Katzfuss Matthias , Wikle Christopher K.
Published: November 2017

This paper proposes new methodology for sequential state and parameter estimation within the ensemble Kalman filter. The method is fully Bayesian and propagates the joint posterior distribution of states and parameters over time. To implement the method, the authors consider three representations of the marginal posterior distribution of the parameters: a grid-based approach, a Gaussian approximation, and a sequential importance sampling (SIR) approach with kernel resampling. In contrast to existing online parameter estimation algorithms, the new method explicitly accounts for parameter uncertainty and provides a formal way to combine information about the parameters from data at different time periods. The method is illustrated and compared to existing approaches using simulated and real data.
Improving Cloud Simulation for Air Quality Studies through Assimilation of Geostationary Satellite Observations in Retrospective Meteorological Modeling
Authors: White Andrew T. , Pour-Biazar Arastoo , Doty Kevin , Dornblaser Bright , McNider Richard T.
Published: November 2017

Development of clouds in space and time within numerical meteorological models as observed in nature is essential for producing an accurate representation of the physical atmosphere for input into air quality models. In this study, a new technique was developed to assimilate Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)-derived cloud fields into the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) meteorological model to improve the placement of clouds in space and time within the model. The simulations were performed on 36-, 12-, and 4-km grid-size domains covering the contiguous United States, the south-southeastern United States, and eastern Texas, respectively. The technique was tested over the month of August 2006. The results indicate that the assimilation technique significantly improves the agreement between the model-predicted and GOES-derived cloud fields. The daily average percentage increase in the cloud agreement was determined to be 14.02%, 11.29%, and 4.96% for the 36-, 12-, and 4-km domains, respectively. This was accomplished without degrading the model performance with respect to surface wind speed, temperature, and mixing ratio, which are important parameters for air quality applications; in some cases these variables were even slightly improved. The assimilation technique also produced improvements in the model-predicted precipitation and predicted downwelling shortwave radiation reaching the surface.
Frozen and Stalled? Gender and Migration Scholarship in the 21st Century
Authors: Donato Katharine M. , Enriquez Laura E. , Llewellyn Cheryl
Published: November 2017

Gender and migration is a complex relationship, involving dynamic interactions between women and men, embedded in a variety of institutions (families, labor markets, and others) that all vary across different periods of historical time. Although many studies in the field of gender and migration have appeared since the late 1970s, few contemporary migration scholars centrally integrate gender into their work. In 2006, Donato and colleagues called for advancing this field of research. Now, more than a decade later, studies have incorporated various methods and approaches, but despite some momentum, most recent books and articles about migration still do not explicitly integrate gender. In this introduction, we set the stage for research and findings that bridge this gap and appear in this special issue. We preview findings from these studies, suggesting that a gender analytical framework is essential to understanding migration in the 21st century.
Binary Complementary Filters for Compressive Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Rehrauer Owen G. , Dinh Vu C. , Mankani Bharat R. , Buzzard Gregery T. , Lucier Bradley J. , Ben-Amotz Dor
Published: November 2017

The previously described optimized binary compressive detection (OB-CD) strategy enables fast hyperspectral Raman (and fluorescence) spectroscopic analysis of systems containing two or more chemical components. However, each OB-CD filter collects only a fraction of the scattered photons and the remainder of the photons are lost. Here, we present a refinement of OB-CD, the OB-CD2 strategy, in which all of the collected Raman photons are detected using a pair of complementary binary optical filters that direct photons of different colors to two photon counting detectors. The OB-CD2 filters are generated using a new optimization algorithm described in this work and implemented using a holographic volume diffraction grating and a digital micromirror device (DMD) whose mirrors are programed to selectively direct photons of different colors either to one or the other photon-counting detector. When applied to pairs of pure liquids or two-component solid powder mixtures, the resulting OB-CD2 strategy is shown to more accurately estimate Raman scattering rates of each chemical component, when compared to the original OB-CD, thus facilitating chemical classification at speeds as fast as 3 μs per measurement and the collection of Raman images in under a second.
Achievement Unlocked: Effective Curriculum Interventions With Low-Income Students
Authors: VanTassel-Baska Joyce
Published: November 2017

This article explores the world of curriculum intervention for gifted students from low-income and culturally diverse backgrounds. It delineates both general and specific approaches to practices that can be used in classrooms and beyond. Affective and conative concerns are addressed as they have an impact on motivation and learning. Efforts toward more positive intervention at these levels are both necessary and important to future student success and satisfaction. Breaking the cycle of poverty in respect to educational disadvantages can and should be consistently addressed and overcome.
Closing Poverty-Based Excellence Gaps: Conceptual, Measurement, and Educational Issues
Authors: Plucker Jonathan A. , Peters Scott J.
Published: November 2017

The number of economically vulnerable students in the United States is large and growing. In this article, we examine income-based excellence gaps and describe recent controversies in the definition and measurement of poverty, with an eye toward their application to gifted education and meeting the needs of talented, economically vulnerable students. Regardless of how poverty is conceptualized, evidence suggests that U.S. childhood poverty rates are indeed high, both in absolute terms and relative to other countries, and that income-related achievement disparities are similarly large. Recommendations are included for interventions to close persistent poverty excellence gaps, including frontloading, broadened understanding of opportunity, universal screening using local norms, improved educator preparation and support, state K-12 accountability systems that reward schools for closing excellence gaps, widespread use of ability grouping, and selective use of psychosocial interventions at the college level.
The Role of Computerized Clinical Decision Support in Reducing Inappropriate Medication Administration During Epidural Therapy
Authors: Pouliot Jonathon D. , Neal Erin B. , Lobo Bob L. , Hargrove Fred , Gupta Rajnish K.
Published: November 2017

Background: The use of epidural anesthesia has been shown to improve outcomes in the postoperative setting. To minimize risk of complications, avoiding certain medications with epidural anesthesia is advised. Objective: This study sought to determine the role of a computerized clinical decision support module implemented into the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) system on the incidence of administration of medications known to increase complications with epidural anesthesia. Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort chart review in adult patients receiving epidural anesthesia for at least 1 day. Patients were identified retrospectively and divided into 2 cohorts, those receiving an epidural 3 months prior to initiation of the module and those receiving an epidural 3 months following implementation. The primary end point was incidence of inappropriate medication administration before and after implementation. Complications of therapy were collected as secondary end points. Results: There was a reduction in the incidence of inappropriate medication administration in the postimplementation group versus the preimplementation group (6.3% vs 12.8%) although statistical significance was not achieved. In addition, the incidence of enoxaparin administration was significantly lower postimplementation than the preimplementation (0% vs 3.9%). There were no significant differences in other complications of therapy. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that application of decision support for this high-risk procedural population was able to eliminate the incidence of the most common inappropriate medication for epidural analgesia, enoxaparin. A reduction in incidence of other inappropriate medications was also observed; however, statistical significance was not reached. The use of computerized clinical decision support can be a powerful tool in reducing or ameliorating medication errors, and further study will be required to determine the most appropriate and effective implementation strategies.
Do Minimum Wages Lead to Job Losses? Evidence from OECD Countries on Low-Skilled and Youth Employment
Authors: Sturn Simon
Published: November 2017

The author investigates effects of minimum wage rates on low-skilled, female low-skilled, and youth employment. The sample consists of 19 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries from 1997 to 2013 for low-skilled workers and from 1983 to 2013 for young workers. Six different static or dynamic estimation approaches are applied on different versions of the specifications, controlling for up to quadratic time trends. The author further investigates the effects over the long run and over the business cycle as well as the effects of high minimum wages and of institutional complementarities. The findings provide little evidence of substantial disemployment effects for low-skilled, female low-skilled, or young workers. The estimated employment elasticities are small and statistically indistinguishable from zero. The author then considers why his results on youth employment differ from those of Neumark and Wascher (2004), showing that they overstate precision and that small changes in their specifications lead to minimum wage effects close to zero.
A Trajectory from Augustine to Aquinas and Lonergan: Contingent Predication and the Trinity
Authors: Ormerod Neil
Published: November 2017

Robert Doran has posited the possibility of developing a genetic sequence of systematic theologies that traces out lines of genuine theological progress. The present paper seeks to illustrate such a genetic sequence by tracing the lines of thought of Augustine, Aquinas, and Lonergan on the question of the relationship of the individual persons of the Trinity to the created order.
Impact damage and compression behaviours of three-dimensional angle-interlock woven composites after thermo-oxidation degradation
Authors: Cao Miao , Wang Hailou , Gu Bohong , Sun Baozhong
Published: November 2017

This paper reports impact and compression behaviours of three-dimensional angle interlock woven composites after the thermal ageing degradation in both experimental and finite element analyses. The composite coupons have been aged in atmospheric environment for 4, 8, 16 and 32 days at 180℃. Barely visible impact damage was induced by low velocity impact test and the residual strength was evaluated by following compression test. The results show a substantial decline in compression after impact properties after thermal ageing. After aging at 180℃ for 32 days, the compression after impact stress and modulus retention rates of three-dimensional woven composites are 59% and 82.2%, respectively. Such degradation is attributed to interface damage and matrix degradation. The fracture morphologies observed by microscopy revealed that the failure of the original specimen was dominated by matrix crack, while for long time aged specimens interface degradation became main damage mechanism. The numerical study was used to unveil the influence of matrix crack and interface degradation on failure developments of composites. The results indicate a variation from a brittle failure mode to a progressive failure model after long time ageing.
Breastfeeding and Oral Health: Evidence and Methodological Challenges
Authors: Peres K.G. , Chaffee B.W. , Feldens C.A. , Flores-Mir C. , Moynihan P. , Rugg-Gunn A.
Published: November 2017

Breastfeeding is a powerful health-promoting behavior. A 2016 Lancet global collaboration to review the health implications of breastfeeding was among the first to consider oral health outcomes. While a role was suggested for breastfeeding in preventing malocclusion, caries was the only included disease condition unfavorably associated with breastfeeding. The present critical review examines the evidence connecting breastfeeding practices to these outcomes and discusses the methodological challenges inherent in reaching causal conclusions. Published systematic reviews show some evidence of a protective effect of breastfeeding against primary dentition malocclusion but no supportive evidence for mixed dentition and permanent dentition malocclusions. Regarding caries, well-conducted studies report a benefit with breastfeeding up to 12 mo but a positive association between caries and breastfeeding of longer duration, at times that vary between 12 and 24 mo, as well as nocturnal feeding. Future studies would be methodologically stronger if focused on specific malocclusion traits that are plausibly associated with sucking movements rather than using general malocclusion indices. Studies should use detailed and consistent terminology for breastfeeding definition, including frequency, intensity, and timing. Analytical studies should be carried out to distinguish between confounders (e.g., prematurity) and mediators (e.g., use of pacifier). Regarding a link to caries, standard terminology for exposures (e.g., nocturnal feeding) is recommended. Statistical analyses must account for known confounding factors (e.g., socioeconomic conditions) but avoid inappropriate adjustment for variables on a causal path between exposure and outcome or for variables not associated with breastfeeding (e.g., tooth brushing), as can be guided using tools such as direct acyclic graphs. For dental practice, the potential caries risk of long-duration breastfeeding should be part of individual patient counseling that incorporates patient values and circumstances. Given the unquestioned overall health benefits of breastfeeding, the dental community should support World Health Organization guidelines that encourage and promote breastfeeding.
The Social World of Self-Actualizing People: Reflections by Maslow’s Biographer
Authors: Hoffman Edward
Published: November 2017

Maslow’s concept of self-actualization has been a bulwark of humanistic psychology for more than 50 years, and has increasingly gained international appeal beyond its original nexus within the United States. His description of the high achieving characteristics of self-actualizing men and women has influenced theorists and practitioners in such fields as counseling, education, health care, management, and organizational psychology. Through these same decades, Maslow’s formulation has also been criticized as promoting a hyperindividualistic, even narcissistic, orientation to personality growth. Because Maslow by temperament and intellectual style expressed himself in an ever-evolving set of speeches and writings that were seldom explicit about interpersonal relations, his actual outlook on the social world of self-actualizers has remained elusive. The focus of this article, therefore, is how Maslow depicted self-actualizing people with regard to five major interpersonal dimensions of life: friendship, romantic love, marriage and lasting intimacy, parenthood, and communal service. By pulling together Maslow’s comments primarily in his published works, and secondarily in his unpublished works-in-progress, it is possible to explicate his tacit viewpoint. Doing so will not only help dispel the misconception that Maslow depicted self-actualizers as loners or even hermits but also guide future theory and research on personality growth.
Intonation and Evidentiality in Spanish Polar Interrogatives
Authors: Escandell-Vidal Victoria
Published: November 2017

Three different nuclear pitch accents can be found in Castilian Spanish polar interrogatives. In addition to the ‘canonical’ low-rise pattern, there are two marked interrogative contours featuring high-rise and rise–fall pitch accents. The aim of this paper is to explain how each contour contributes to the interpretation of the utterance in which they occur. I argue that this contribution is to be sought at the semantic, not at the pragmatic-illocutionary, attitudinal-level. My proposal is that the low-rise contour is the expression of unspecified sentence polarity (corresponding to the interrogative operator), whereas the two marked contours add indications about the information source—that is, they encode evidential distinctions. The high-rise pattern indicates that the Self is the source of the information; the rise–fall tone indicates that Other is the source. The whole range of pragmatic interpretations that have been described in the literature can be easily accommodated into the present proposal as inferential developments of the encoded meaning together with contextual information. This view has implications for a theory of interrogatives, for the phonology of intonation and for the articulation of the semantics/pragmatics interface.
The Effect of Clear Speech on Temporal Metrics of Rhythm in Spanish-Accented Speakers of English
Authors: Behrman Alison , Ferguson Sarah Hargus , Akhund Ali , Moeyaert Mariola
Published: November 2017

This paper presents a comparative analysis of temporal rhythm in native American English talkers and Spanish-accented English talkers producing clear (hyperarticulated) speech and typical, conversational-style speech. Five acoustic measures of comparative vocalic and consonantal interval duration (“temporal metrics”) were obtained from speech samples of 40 adult men and women (half native and half Spanish-accented talkers). In conversational-style speech, vocalic-based metrics differed significantly between native and Spanish-accented talkers, consistent with phonotactic differences between the two native languages. In clear speech, however, all metric values from the Spanish-accented talkers became more English-like and no longer differed significantly from those observed in the native English talkers. Post-hoc analysis revealed that native English talkers increased the duration of both weak and strong vowels in clear speech, whereas the Spanish-accented talkers increased the duration of strong vowels without changing the duration of weak vowels. Listener ease of understanding, as perceived by monolingual English speakers, was significantly improved in clear- compared with conversational-style speech for all talkers. The acoustic data help to explain the changes that result from use of clear speech in nonnative speakers. Together with the improved listener ease of understanding, these data strongly support the further exploration of clear speech as a clinical tool to improve prosody and hence, interpersonal communication, in nonnative speakers.
Not Not but Not yet: Present and Future in Prefigurative Politics
Authors: Swain Dan
Published: November 2017

Prefigurative politics, the idea of ‘building the new world in the shell of the old’, increasingly forms part of the common sense of radical social and political movements but deserves more careful conceptual analysis. Traditionally, such ideas have been discussed in contrast to ‘strategic’ politics, but this has been challenged by recent scholarship, which has stressed that they can and should be seen as strategic. This article agrees but points to a more fundamental tension rooted in attempting to enact the future in the present. This is discussed through two broad approaches to prefiguration: ends-guided and ends-effacing. The former leads to a practical dilemma between acting to bring about the future and acting as if it has already been achieved. The latter addresses this, but nonetheless requires further articulation of the relationship between present and future action, which the article argues can be achieved by drawing on ideas from critical pedagogy.
Self-Rated Attractiveness Moderates the Relationship Between Dark Personality Traits and Romantic Ideals in Women
Authors: Birkás Béla , Láng András , Meskó Norbert
Published: November 2017

Our study investigated the different mate preferences of the Dark Triad in women. In addition to former studies, we also examined the effect of self-evaluated attractiveness on these preferences. Attractiveness is a high-valued partner attribute, especially in short-term relationships. Accordingly, we predicted that women high in Dark Triad traits prefer characteristics related to short-term mating, because they possess traits favored in short-term relationships. Associations between ideal partner standards and Dark Triad traits were investigated with self-reports: 529 female undergraduate students filled out the Short Dark Triad and the Ideal Standards Scale. Results showed that all three Dark Triad traits were related to unique preferences of mate qualities corresponding to their self-rated partner qualities. Furthermore, despite the differences between the three Dark Triad traits, women’s partner preferences were associated with their self-evaluated attractiveness (an indicator of mate value). In summary, according to our findings, qualities advertised by Dark Triad women as potential partner influence their expectation or preferences regarding mates, suggesting homogamous mate choice on the levels of these qualities.
Detecting Suicide-Related Emergency Department Visits Among Adults Using the District of Columbia Syndromic Surveillance System
Authors: Kuramoto-Crawford S. Janet , Spies Erica L. , Davies-Cole John
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

Limited studies have examined the usefulness of syndromic surveillance to monitor emergency department (ED) visits involving suicidal ideation or attempt. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine whether syndromic surveillance of chief complaint data can detect suicide-related ED visits among adults and (2) assess the added value of using hospital ED data on discharge diagnoses to detect suicide-related visits.

Methods:

The study data came from the District of Columbia electronic syndromic surveillance system, which provides daily information on ED visits at 8 hospitals in Washington, DC. We detected suicide-related visits by searching for terms in the chief complaints and discharge diagnoses of 248 939 ED visits for which data were available for October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016. We examined whether detection of suicide-related visits according to chief complaint data, discharge diagnosis data, or both varied by patient sex, age, or hospital.

Results:

The syndromic surveillance system detected 1540 suicide-related ED visits, 950 (62%) of which were detected through chief complaint data and 590 (38%) from discharge diagnosis data. The source of detection for suicide-related ED visits did not vary by patient sex or age. However, whether the suicide-related terms were mentioned in the chief complaint or discharge diagnosis differed across hospitals.

Conclusions:

ED syndromic surveillance systems based on chief complaint data alone would underestimate the number of suicide-related ED visits. Incorporating the discharge diagnosis into the case definition could help improve detection.
Harnessing Syndromic Surveillance Emergency Department Data to Monitor Health Impacts During the 2015 Special Olympics World Games
Authors: Kajita Emily , Luarca Monica Z. , Wu Han , Hwang Bessie , Mascola Laurene
Published: November 2017

Introduction:

Mass gatherings that attract a large international presence may cause or amplify point-source outbreaks of emerging infectious disease. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health customized its syndromic surveillance system to detect increased syndrome-specific utilization of emergency departments (EDs) and other medical encounters coincident to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games.

Materials and Methods:

We queried live databases containing data on ED visits, California Poison Control System calls, and Los Angeles County coroner-investigated deaths for increases in daily counts from July 19 to August 6, 2015. We chose syndrome categories based on the potential for disease outbreaks common to international travel and dormitory settings, morbidity amplified by high temperatures, and bioterrorism threats inherent to mass gatherings. We performed line-list reviews and trend analyses of total, syndrome-specific, and region-specific daily counts, using cumulative sum-based signals. We also piloted a novel strategy of requesting that ED registrars proactively tag Special Olympics attendees in chief complaint data fields.

Results:

The syndromic surveillance system showed that the 2015 Special Olympics did not generate large-scale acute morbidities leading to detectable stress on local EDs. We recruited 10 hospitals for proactive patient tagging, from which 16 Special Olympics attendees were detected; these patients reported various symptoms, such as injury, vomiting, and syncope.

Practice Implications:

As an enhancement to traditional syndromic surveillance, proactive patient tagging can illuminate potential epidemiologic links among patients in challenging syndromic surveillance applications, such as mass gatherings. Syndromic surveillance has the potential to enhance ED patient polling and reporting of exposure, symptom, and other epidemiologic case definition criteria to public health agencies in near-real time.
Risk of Fall-Related Injury due to Adverse Weather Events, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2006-2011
Authors: Gevitz Kathryn , Madera Robbie , Newbern Claire , Lojo José , Johnson Caroline C.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

Following a surge in fall-related visits to local hospital emergency departments (EDs) after a severe ice storm, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health examined the association between inclement winter weather events and fall-related ED visits during a 5-year period.

Methods:

Using a standardized set of keywords, we identified fall-related injuries in ED chief complaint logs submitted as part of Philadelphia Department of Public Health’s syndromic surveillance from December 2006 through March 2011. We compared days when falls exceeded the winter fall threshold (ie, “high-fall days”) with control days within the same winter season. We then conducted matched case-control analysis to identify weather and patient characteristics related to increased fall-related ED visits.

Results:

Fifteen high-fall days occurred during winter months in the 5-year period. In multivariable analysis, 18- to 64-year-olds were twice as likely to receive ED care for fall-related injuries on high-fall days than on control days. The crude odds of ED visits occurring from 7:00 am to 10:59 am were 70% higher on high-fall days vs control days. Snow was a predictor of a high-fall day: the adjusted odds of snow before a high-fall day as compared with snow before a control day was 13.4.

Conclusions:

The association between the number of fall-related ED visits and weather-related fall injuries, age, and timing suggests that many events occurred en route to work in the morning. Promoting work closures or delaying openings after severe winter weather would allow time for better snow or ice removal, and including “fall risk” in winter weather advisories might effectively warn morning commuters. Both strategies could help reduce the number of weather-related fall injuries.
Use of Emergency Department Data to Monitor and Respond to an Increase in Opioid Overdoses in New Hampshire, 2011-2015
Authors: Daly Elizabeth R. , Dufault Kenneth , Swenson David J. , Lakevicius Paul , Metcalf Erin , Chan Benjamin P.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

Opioid-related overdoses and deaths in New Hampshire have increased substantially in recent years, similar to increases observed across the United States. We queried emergency department (ED) data in New Hampshire to monitor opioid-related ED encounters as part of the public health response to this health problem.

Methods:

We obtained data on opioid-related ED encounters for the period January 1, 2011, through December 31, 2015, from New Hampshire’s syndromic surveillance ED data system by querying for (1) chief complaint text related to the words “fentanyl,” “heroin,” “opiate,” and “opioid” and (2) opioid-related International Classification of Diseases ( ICD) codes. We then analyzed the data to calculate frequencies of opioid-related ED encounters by age, sex, residence, chief complaint text values, and ICD codes.

Results:

Opioid-related ED encounters increased by 70% during the study period, from 3300 in 2011 to 5603 in 2015; the largest increases occurred in adults aged 18-29 and in males. Of 20 994 total opioid-related ED visits, we identified 18 554 (88%) using ICD code alone, 690 (3%) using chief complaint text alone, and 1750 (8%) using both chief complaint text and ICD code. For those encounters identified by ICD code only, the corresponding chief complaint text included varied and nonspecific words, with the most common being “pain” (n = 3335, 18%), “overdose” (n = 1555, 8%), “suicidal” (n = 816, 4%), “drug” (n = 803, 4%), and “detox” (n = 750, 4%). Heroin-specific encounters increased by 827%, from 4% of opioid-related encounters in 2011 to 24% of encounters in 2015.

Conclusions:

Opioid-related ED encounters in New Hampshire increased substantially from 2011 to 2015. Data from New Hampshire’s ED syndromic surveillance system provided timely situational awareness to public health partners to support the overall response to the opioid epidemic.
Characterizing the Effects of Extreme Cold Using Real-time Syndromic Surveillance, Ontario, Canada, 2010-2016
Authors: VanStone Nancy , van Dijk Adam , Chisamore Timothy , Mosley Brian , Hall Geoffrey , Belanger Paul , Michael Moore Kieran
Published: November 2017

Morbidity and mortality from exposure to extreme cold highlight the need for meaningful temperature thresholds to activate public health alerts. We analyzed emergency department (ED) records for cold temperature–related visits collected by the Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance system—a syndromic surveillance system that captures data on ED visits from hospitals in Ontario—for geographic trends related to ambient winter temperature. We used 3 Early Aberration Reporting System algorithms of increasing sensitivity—C1, C2, and C3—to determine the temperature at which anomalous counts of cold temperature–related ED visits occurred in northern and southern Ontario from 2010 to 2016. The C2 algorithm was the most sensitive detection method. Results showed lower threshold temperatures for Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance alerts in northern Ontario than in southern Ontario. Public health alerts for cold temperature warnings that are based on cold temperature–related ED visit counts and ambient temperature may improve the accuracy of public warnings about cold temperature risks.
Risk Assessment During the Pan American and Parapan American Games, Toronto, 2015
Authors: van Dijk Adam , Dawson Emily , Moore Kieran Michael , Belanger Paul
Published: November 2017

During the summer of 2015, the Pan American and Parapan American Games took place in the Greater Toronto area of Ontario, Canada, bringing together thousands of athletes and spectators from around the world. The Acute Care Enhanced Surveillance (ACES) system—a syndromic surveillance system that captures comprehensive hospital visit triage information from acute care hospitals across Ontario—monitored distinct syndromes throughout the games. We describe the creation and use of a risk assessment tool to evaluate alerts produced by ACES during this period. During the games, ACES generated 1420 alerts, 4 of which were considered a moderate risk and were communicated to surveillance partners for further action. The risk assessment tool was useful for public health professionals responsible for surveillance activities during the games. Next steps include integrating the tool within the ACES system.
Local Public Health Surveillance of Heroin-Related Morbidity and Mortality, Orange County, Florida, 2010-2014
Authors: Hudson Toni-Marie L. , Klekamp Benjamin G. , Matthews Sarah D.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

Heroin-related deaths have increased substantially in the past 10 years in the United States, particularly in Florida. Our objectives were to measure heroin-related morbidity and mortality rates in Orange County, Florida, and to assess trends in those rates during 2010-2014.

Methods:

We used 3 heroin surveillance methods, based on data from the Florida Medical Examiner, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), and the Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics–Florida (ESSENCE-FL). We conducted descriptive and geographic spatial analyses of all 3 data sets, determined heroin-related mortality and morbidity (emergency department [ED] visit) rates, and compared the timeliness of data availability from the 3 data sources.

Results:

Heroin-related deaths in Orange County increased by 590%, from 10 in 2010 to 69 in 2014. Heroin-related ED visits during the same period increased 12-fold (from 13 to 154) and 6-fold (from 49 to 307) when based on AHCA and ESSENCE-FL data, respectively. ESSENCE-FL identified 140% more heroin-related visits than did AHCA. Spatial analysis found geographic clustering of heroin-related morbidity and mortality. Hospitals facing the greatest burden of heroin-related ED visits were close to communities with the highest crude heroin-related ED visit rates. Of the 3 data sources, ESSENCE-FL provided the timeliest data availability.

Conclusions:

These 3 data sources can be considered acceptable surveillance systems for monitoring heroin-related events in Orange County. The timely availability of data from ESSENCE-FL makes it the most useful source for obtaining near–real-time data about the heroin epidemic, potentially leading to improved identification of populations most in need of interventions to reduce morbidity and mortality.
A Practitioner-Driven Research Agenda for Syndromic Surveillance
Authors: Hopkins Richard S. , Tong Catherine C. , Burkom Howard S. , Akkina Judy E. , Berezowski John , Shigematsu Mika , Finley Patrick D. , Painter Ian , Gamache Roland , Vilas Victor J. Del Rio , Streichert Laura C.
Published: November 2017

Syndromic surveillance has expanded since 2001 in both scope and geographic reach and has benefited from research studies adapted from numerous disciplines. The practice of syndromic surveillance continues to evolve rapidly. The International Society for Disease Surveillance solicited input from its global surveillance network on key research questions, with the goal of improving syndromic surveillance practice. A workgroup of syndromic surveillance subject matter experts was convened from February to June 2016 to review and categorize the proposed topics. The workgroup identified 12 topic areas in 4 syndromic surveillance categories: informatics, analytics, systems research, and communications. This article details the context of each topic and its implications for public health. This research agenda can help catalyze the research that public health practitioners identified as most important.
Evaluation of the Components of the North Carolina Syndromic Surveillance System Heat Syndrome Case Definition
Authors: Harduar Morano Laurel , Waller Anna E.
Published: November 2017

Objectives:

To improve heat-related illness surveillance, we evaluated and refined North Carolina’s heat syndrome case definition.

Methods:

We analyzed North Carolina emergency department (ED) visits during 2012-2014. We evaluated the current heat syndrome case definition (ie, keywords in chief complaint/triage notes or International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ ICD-9-CM] codes) and additional heat-related inclusion and exclusion keywords. We calculated the positive predictive value and sensitivity of keyword-identified ED visits and manually reviewed ED visits to identify true positives and false positives.

Results:

The current heat syndrome case definition identified 8928 ED visits; additional inclusion keywords identified another 598 ED visits. Of 4006 keyword-identified ED visits, 3216 (80.3%) were captured by 4 phrases: “heat ex” (n = 1674, 41.8%), “overheat” (n = 646, 16.1%), “too hot” (n = 594, 14.8%), and “heatstroke” (n = 302, 7.5%). Among the 267 ED visits identified by keyword only, a burn diagnosis or the following keywords resulted in a false-positive rate >95%: “burn,” “grease,” “liquid,” “oil,” “radiator,” “antifreeze,” “hot tub,” “hot spring,” and “sauna.” After applying the revised inclusion and exclusion criteria, we identified 9132 heat-related ED visits: 2157 by keyword only, 5493 by ICD-9-CM code only, and 1482 by both (sensitivity = 27.0%, positive predictive value = 40.7%). Cases identified by keywords were strongly correlated with cases identified by ICD-9-CM codes (rho = .94, P < .001).

Conclusions:

Revising the heat syndrome case definition through the use of additional inclusion and exclusion criteria substantially improved the accuracy of the surveillance system. Other jurisdictions may benefit from refining their heat syndrome case definition.