bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
State Complexity of the Quotient Operation on Input-Driven Pushdown Automata
Authors: Okhotin Alexander , Salomaa Kai
Published: September 2019

The quotient of a formal language [Formula: see text] by another language [Formula: see text] is the set of all strings obtained by taking a string from [Formula: see text] that ends with a suffix of a string from [Formula: see text], and removing that suffix. The quotient of a regular language by any language is always regular, whereas the context-free languages and many of their subfamilies, such as the linear and the deterministic languages, are not closed under the quotient operation. This paper establishes the closure of the family of languages recognized by input-driven pushdown automata (IDPDA), also known as visibly pushdown automata, under the quotient operation. A construction of automata representing the result of the operation is given, and its state complexity with respect to nondeterministic IDPDA is shown to be exactly [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the numbers of states in the automata recognizing [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], respectively.
Dynamic characteristics in two-dimensional FitzHugh–Nagumo neural system driven by Lévy noise
Authors: Wang Linjie , Guo Yongfeng , Wei Fang , Tan Jianguo
Published: September 2019

In this paper, the steady state characteristics and stochastic resonance (SR) in two-dimensional FitzHugh–Nagumo (FHN) neuron system driven by Lévy noise are studied. The system is simulated by Janicki–Weron algorithm and fourth-order Runge–Kutta method, and the steady state characteristics of the system are analyzed by stationary probability density (SPD) functions. Then, the SR is determined by the classical measure of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Through numerical simulation, it is found that the Lévy noise can induce the transition of the system. In addition, the effects of different parameters on the SR are analyzed by SNR.
A User Profile Awareness Service Collaborative Recommendation Algorithm Under LBSN Environment
Authors: Xin Mingjun , Wu Lijun , Li Shunxian
Published: September 2019

Nowadays, location-based social network (LBSN) has become one of the most popular applications with the rapid development of mobile Internet. However, due to the spatial and real-time properties, mobile service recommendation under LBSN environment faces too many challenges especially data sparsity problem.

To tackle these challenges, a recommendation framework is proposed in this paper which has four layers defined as data collection layer, user profile modeling layer, information processing layer and recommendation feedback layer, respectively. Furthermore, the ISC-CF algorithm is implemented to integrate users’ interest profile, social influence and current location context to effectively overcome the data sparsity problem. Thus, the social influence is quantified by a modified measure way. Finally, a dynamic and personalized adjustment algorithm is built by using the users’ profile tracking and the current location context. The experiment results show that the algorithm proposed in this paper has significantly superior performance compared with the other baseline recommendation methods in both hometown area and out-of-town area.
Free rectangular doppelsemigroups
Authors: Zhuchok Anatolii V. , Zhuchok Yuliia V. , Koppitz Jörg
Published: September 2019

A doppelsemigroup is a nonempty set equipped with two binary associative operations satisfying certain identities. In this paper, we consider the variety of rectangular doppelsemigroups which are analogs of rectangular semigroups. We construct the free rectangular doppelsemigroup and characterize the least rectangular congruence on the free doppelsemigroup. As a consequence, the free rectangular semigroup is presented. We also describe all (maximal) subdoppelsemigroups, all idempotents and all endomorphisms of the free rectangular doppelsemigroup, and give a criterion for an isomorphism of endomorphism semigroups of free rectangular doppelsemigroups. In addition, we show that the endomorphism semigroup of the free rectangular doppelsemigroup is not regular in general.
Coronary Artery Disease Risk-Associated
Plpp3
Gene and Its Product Lipid Phosphate Phosphatase 3 Regulate Experimental Atherosclerosis
Authors: Mueller Paul A. , Yang Liping , Ubele Margo , Mao Guogen , Brandon Jason , Vandra Julia , Nichols Timothy C. , Escalante-Alcalde Diana , Morris Andrew J. , Smyth Susan S.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

Genome-wide association studies identified novel loci in
PLPP3
(phospholipid phosphatase 3) that associate with coronary artery disease risk independently of traditional risk factors.
PLPP3
encodes LPP3 (lipid phosphate phosphatase 3), a cell-surface enzyme that can regulate the availability of bioactive lysophopsholipids including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). The protective allele of
PLPP3
increases LPP3 expression during cell exposure to oxidized lipids, however, the role of LPP3 in atherosclerosis remains unclear.

Approach and Results:

In this study, we sought to validate LPP3 as a determinate of the development of atherosclerosis. In experimental models of atherosclerosis, LPP3 is upregulated and co-localizes with endothelial, smooth muscle cell, and CD68-positive cell markers. Global post-natal reductions in
Plpp3
expression in mice substantially increase atherosclerosis, plaque-associated LPA, and inflammation. Although LPP3 expression increases during ox-LDL (oxidized low-density lipoprotein)-induced phenotypic modulation of bone marrow-derived macrophages, myeloid
Plpp3
does not appear to regulate lesion formation. Rather, smooth muscle cell LPP3 expression is a critical regulator of atherosclerosis and LPA content in lesions. Moreover, mice with inherited deficiency in LPA receptor signaling are protected from experimental atherosclerosis.

Conclusions:

Our results identify a novel lipid signaling pathway that regulates inflammation in the context of atherosclerosis and is not related to traditional risk factors. Pharmacological targeting of bioactive LPP3 substrates, including LPA, may offer an orthogonal approach to lipid-lowering drugs for mitigation of coronary artery disease risk.
Diet Quality and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Postmenopausal Women With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Women's Health Initiative
Authors: Hirahatake Kristin M. , Jiang Luohua , Wong Nathan D. , Shikany James M. , Eaton Charles B. , Allison Matthew A. , Martin Lisa , Garcia Lorena , Zaslavsky Oleg , Odegaard Andrew O.
Published: September 2019

Background

Dietary patterns are associated with cardiovascular disease (
CVD
) risk in the general population, but diet–
CVD
association in populations with diabetes mellitus is limited. Our objective was to examine the association between diet quality and
CVD
risk in a population with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods and Results

We analyzed prospective data from 5809 women with prevalent type 2 diabetes mellitus at baseline from the Women's Health Initiative. Diet quality was defined using alternate Mediterranean, Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, Paleolithic, and American Diabetes Association dietary pattern scores calculated from a validated food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable Cox's proportional hazard regression was used to analyze the risk of incident
CVD
. During mean 12.4 years of follow‐up, 1454 (25%) incident
CVD
cases were documented. Women with higher alternate Mediterranean, Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, and American Diabetes Association dietary pattern scores had a lower risk of
CVD
compared with women with lower scores (Q5 v Q1) (hazard ratio [
HR
]
aMed
0.77, 95%
CI
0.65–0.93; HR
DASH
0.69, 95%
CI
0.58–0.83;

HR
ADA

0.71, 95%
CI
0.59–0.86). No association was observed between the Paleolithic score and
CVD
risk.

Conclusions

Dietary patterns that emphasize higher intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, legumes, a high unsaturated:saturated fat ratio, and lower intake of red and processed meats, added sugars, and sodium are associated with lower
CVD
risk in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Seasonal analysis of the gut microbiota in adult and young captive Asian black bears in northeast China
Authors: Su Junhong , Li Linghao , Wang Yueying , Ma Xiao-xia , Ma Zhongren , Peppelenbosch Maikel P. , Pan Qiuwei , Bai Xue
Published: September 2019

Seasonal alternation impacts the composition of gut microbiota in wild and free-ranging bears, but little is known concerning captive bears. In this study, we investigated the effects of seasonal changes on gut microbiota in captive Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus). Fecal samples of thirteen adult and young were collected at a bile farm in Northeast China between September 2017 and January 2018. The fecal microbiota community was analyzed by sequencing the bacterial 16S V4 hypervariable region using a next-generation sequencing platform. We found that Firmicutes was the predominant phylum in the feces of captive Asiatic black bears. Microbial alpha and beta diversity in both adult and young captive Asiatic black bears was significantly different between the two time points. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Sarcina was increased in all of the captive Asiatic black bears in January, while Streptococcus was decreased in young but not adults. Overall, the composition of gut microbiota was influenced by seasonal changes, but the effect was more pronounced in young captive Asiatic black bears. These findings may help to better understand the roles of captivity and hibernation on shaping the gut microbiota in bears.
Effects of Memory Biases on Variability of Temperature Reconstructions
Authors: Lücke Lucie J. , Hegerl Gabriele C. , Schurer Andrew P. , Wilson Rob
Published: September 2019

Quantifying past climate variation and attributing its causes improves our understanding of the natural variability of the climate system. Tree-ring-based proxies have provided skillful and highly resolved reconstructions of temperature and hydroclimate of the last millennium. However, like all proxies, they are subject to uncertainties arising from varying data quality, coverage, and reconstruction methodology. Previous studies have suggested that biological-based memory processes could cause spectral biases in climate reconstructions. This study determines the effects of such biases on reconstructed temperature variability and the resultant implications for detection and attribution studies. We find that introducing persistent memory, reflecting the spectral properties of tree-ring data, can change the variability of pseudoproxy reconstructions compared to the surrogate climate and resolve certain model–proxy discrepancies. This is especially the case for proxies based on ring-width data. Such memory inflates the difference between the Medieval Climate Anomaly and the Little Ice Age and suppresses and extends the cooling in response to volcanic eruptions. When accounting for memory effects, climate model data can reproduce long-term cooling after volcanic eruptions, as seen in proxy reconstructions. Results of detection and attribution studies show that signals in reconstructions as well as residual unforced variability are consistent with those in climate models when the model fingerprints are adjusted to reflect autoregressive memory as found in tree rings.
Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is associated with very low plasma-free serotonin concentrations in humans
Authors: Peters Marloes AM , van Faassen Martijn , de Jong Wilhelmina HA , Bouma Grietje , Meijer Coby , Walenkamp Annemiek ME , de Vries Elisabeth GE , Oosting Sjoukje F , Ruhé Henricus G , Kema Ido P
Published: September 2019

Background

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) block the serotonin transporter on neurons, but also on platelets, thus decreasing platelet serotonin concentrations in users of SSRIs. Data on plasma-free serotonin concentrations in SSRI users are lacking, while plasma-free serotonin is available for receptor binding and plays a role in several pathophysiological processes. We therefore measured the plasma-free and platelet serotonin concentrations in users of SSRIs and age-matched healthy controls, and we analysed plasma concentrations of the serotonin precursor tryptophan and serotonin metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleamineacetic acid (5-HIAA).

Methods

For this cross-sectional single-centre case control study, participants were recruited at the departments of Psychiatry and General Medicine. High-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to measure plasma-free and platelet serotonin, plasma tryptophan and 5-HIAA concentrations. Preanalytical conditions were optimized by careful blood collection, rapid sample handling, high-speed centrifugation, drug and diet restrictions and age-matched controls.

Results

In 64 SSRI users, median concentrations of plasma-free and platelet serotonin were 10-fold and 14-fold lower, respectively, than in 64 matched controls. Patients using higher dose SSRIs or those with higher affinity for the serotonin transporter had lower plasma-free and platelet serotonin concentrations. Compared with controls, SSRI users had similar median plasma tryptophan concentrations but slightly higher plasma 5-HIAA concentrations.

Conclusion

SSRI users have low platelet serotonin and low plasma-free serotonin. This could not be explained by lower concentrations of its precursor tryptophan, and only partially by increased breakdown to 5-HIAA.
Inmate Responses to Experiences With Court System Procedural and Distributive Justice
Authors: Vuolo Mike , Wright Bradley R. E. , Lindsay Sadé L.
Published: September 2019

According to criminal justice theories, perceptions of procedural and distributive justice drive opinions on fairness, subsequently affecting behavior. We contend that such perceptions also affect the emotional states of incarcerated individuals, identifying court experiences as the focus of our study. Through fieldwork at a male maximum-security prison, we find that inmates expressed negative emotional responses associated with three factors: trial, public defenders, and appeals. Participants described perceived fairness through personal comparisons to alternative procedures and outcomes often connected to socioeconomic resources and related perceptions to emotions such as frustration, regret, resentment, and hopelessness. We situate our findings within theories of fairness and inmate adjustment research.
Introduction: Cities on Paper: On the Materiality of Paper in Urban Planning
Authors: Lee Min Kyung , Weiss Sean
Published: September 2019

This introduction to this special section, “Cities on Paper: On the Materiality of Paper in Urban Planning,” explores the vital role played by paper documents in the practice of urban planning linked to the shaping of modern cities in Europe and the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This introductory essay considers recent literature on the materiality of paper to show the significance of examining the visual and written information transcribed on its surface in concert with assessing how it has been assembled, organized, reproduced, circulated, distributed, and archived. By exploring such uses of paper documents in urban planning practices, such cartography, arboriculture, maintenance, and the production and dissemination of expert knowledge, the five essays in this section demonstrate the relevance of the material culture of paper within the municipal and national bureaucracies that spearheaded dramatic urbanization campaigns in modern cities.
The “Dravert Affair”: Paperwork and the Administration of Negligent Street Maintenance in Modern Paris
Authors: Weiss Sean
Published: September 2019

This essay examines the role of paperwork in an official investigation into a claim made by Madame Suzanne Dravert for an indemnity from Paris’s municipal government, after she sustained an injury from stepping in a pothole in 1903. The city then engaged municipal engineers, charged with managing the cleaning, lighting, paving, and general upkeep of the city’s streets, to advise on the validity of indemnities related to negligent street maintenance. Although such claims reflected personal liability’s new bearing on the city, the administration of the claims was contested. They placed financial burdens on the municipal government, which therefore resisted granting them. Moreover, the engineers’ role raised questions concerning their capacity to provide unbiased counsel, since the claims sought compensation for the same agency’s alleged negligence. By showing how the paperwork of this case established a defense for the city, this essay demonstrates how it diffused the administration’s purported negligence and mediated urban experience.
Self-sexualization in preadolescent girls: Associations with self-objectification, weight concerns, and parent’s academic expectations
Authors: Starr Christine R. , Zurbriggen Eileen L.
Published: September 2019

We investigated the relationship of self-sexualization to self-objectification, weight concerns, self-efficacy, academic outcomes, and career aspirations among preadolescent girls. Participants were 89 six- to nine-year-old girls; parental reports were also obtained. Two thirds of girls showed signs of self-sexualization by choosing a sexualized doll over a nonsexualized doll as who they preferred to look like and/or who they currently look like. Girls who self-sexualized reported higher self-objectification and weight concerns than girls who did not self-sexualize. Self-sexualization was unrelated to social, emotional, and academic self-efficacy and to girls’ career confidence and interest. However, parents of girls who self-sexualized reported their daughters had lower academic performance and enjoyed school less compared to girls who did not self-sexualize. Additionally, parents of girls who self-sexualized had lower academic expectations for their daughters. It is possible that in preadolescence self-sexualization affects girls’ body cognitions and parental expectations without (yet) affecting self-efficacy or academic goals.
Marx’s Theory of Money: A Reappraisal in the Light of Unconventional Monetary Policy
Authors: Ivanova Maria N.
Published: September 2019

This paper analyzes key aspects of Marx’s theory of money in order to reassert its continued relevance for understanding monetary developments in contemporary capitalism. Unlike theorists who become preoccupied with particular functions and forms of money, Marx develops a comprehensive concept of money integrating its various functions and emphasizing the socio-economic basis of its existence. Money performs different functions including a measure of value, a means of purchase/exchange, a means of payment, and a means of hoarding, which are independent of money’s concrete forms. The functions of money as a means of purchase and means of payment relate to each other as money (income) and credit (money), which are fundamentally different. The quantity and availability of credit (money) may be influenced by the activities of the central bank and the private banking system. Credit (money), however, can only become money (income) if and when it enters the domain of social production as an embodiment of the value of social labor and social purchasing power. This inextricable link between money and social production sets natural limits to the ability of monetary policy to influence both monetary and non-monetary developments in contemporary capitalism. An analysis grounded in Marx’s theory of money can provide insights into a range of contemporary monetary phenomena including hoarding, the rush to liquidity during financial crises, the scramble for government debt as a source of ultimate liquidity, and the limits to conventional and unconventional monetary policy.

JEL Classification: E4, E5, B51, E6
Identifying Trajectories and Predictors of Response to Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Adults: A Systematic Review of Literature
Authors: Dewar Michelle , Paradis Alison , Fortin Christophe A.
Published: September 2019

Objective:

There exists considerable individual variability in the development and progression of pathological stress reactions after experiencing trauma, as well as in individuals’ response to psychological interventions. Yet until recently, such individual differences had not been considered when evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic interventions for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This systematic review aims to examine the emerging literature on this subject and, specifically, to identify trajectories and predictors of psychotherapeutic response in adults with PTSD.

Method:

Four databases were searched using specific keywords without date or language restrictions. For each study, independent reviewers systematically evaluated whether it met eligibility criteria and assessed risk of bias. For included studies, reviewers completed data extraction using standard formats. Those examining how subgroups of adults respond to therapy for clinical PTSD using trajectory modeling were deemed eligible. Demographic, PTSD, clinical, and trauma-related factors associated to particular trajectories were also examined.

Results:

Of the 1,727 papers identified, 11 were included in this analysis. Of these studies, six focused on military-related traumas and five on civilian ones. Although studies found between two and five trajectories, most supported a three-trajectory model of response categorized as responders, nonresponders, and subclinical participants. Over 22 predictors of treatment trajectories were examined. Comorbid depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse were the strongest predictors of poor therapeutic response. Age, combat exposure, social support, and hyperarousal were moderate predictors.

Conclusion:

This review provides valuable insight into the treatment of PTSD, as it supports the heterogeneous trajectories of psychotherapeutic responses and provides avenues for the development of interventions that consider individual-level factors in treatment response.
Student’s Experiences on Learning Therapeutic Relationship: A Narrative Inquiry
Authors: Zou Ping , Luo Yan , Krolak Kathren , Hu Jiale , Liu Lichun W. , Lin Yanxia , Sun Winnie
Published: September 2019

Despite the importance of the therapeutic relationship on nursing practice, the literature regarding teaching and learning therapeutic relationship is limited. This paper discussed how an undergraduate nursing student learned therapeutic relationship in an acute care setting. Narrative inquiry was applied as a research methodology. The student’s reflection served as the narrative in this paper. Collaboratively, researchers conducted data analysis, common themes were drawn, and a summative narrative was presented. Based on the student’s narrative, a three-dimensional model, including practical knowledge, theory, and reflection, has been created as our summative narrative. This model suggests that, to facilitate a learning process on creating therapeutic nurse–patient relationship, practical knowledge is the foundation, theory is a leading guide, and constant reflection is a learning tool which transforms learning into a reflective and meaningful experience. To promote learning on therapeutic relationship, nurse educators should emphasize the importance of both practical knowledge and theory. Constant reflection as a learning tool should be encouraged and embedded in nursing curriculum. Diverse approaches of reflection should be promoted.
An Estimation of the Effect of Women’s Employment on the Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Mexico
Authors: Canedo Ana P. , Morse Sophie M.
Published: September 2019

Female labor force participation is important for women, children, and societies, but also may have unintended impacts including an increased risk of intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is a global health, human rights, and development problem with far-reaching economic and societal consequences. Mexico has a very high prevalence of IPV: 43.9% of Mexican women have reported experiencing IPV at the hands of their current partner. The literature on women’s economic participation reveals mixed evidence on whether women’s employment is associated with higher levels of IPV or whether it is protective against IPV. As the effect of women’s work operates differently across contexts, we aim to estimate the effect of women’s employment on their risk of experiencing IPV in rural and urban Mexico. Utilizing the nationally representative 2016 Mexican National Survey on the Dynamics of Household Relationships (ENDIREH), we employ propensity score matching (PSM) to address the potential selection bias between women who are employed and/or receiving a cash transfer with women who are not. We additionally implement inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) to explore this relationship and compare the results with the PSM findings. Three different measures of women’s economic participation are analyzed: whether they had engaged in any productive work outside of the home in the past year, whether they received conditional cash transfers through Mexico’s Prospera program, and whether they received Prospera and worked. Given the high levels of IPV in Mexico and the greater levels of economic participation borne of an increased number of women in the workforce, our results have important potential implications for targeting support to survivors of violence who receive cash transfers and undertake employment in both urban and rural areas.
A global game of diplomacy
Authors: Malis Matt , Smith Alastair
Published: September 2019

Diplomacy always occurs in the shadow of domestic political competition. We develop a model of top-level diplomatic exchange between an incumbent and a foreign leader, embedded within a global game of regime change, and examine four mechanisms that induce a relationship between diplomatic visits and regime survival. First, the foreign leader chooses to visit incumbents who are ex ante more secure in office (a selection effect). Second, because the foreign leader’s decision is based partly on private information, the citizens update on the revelation of that information (a learning effect) and are discouraged from mounting a challenge. Third, the foreign leader can bolster the incumbent’s strength in office with a transfer of material support (a strengthening effect). The latter two effects are then amplified by the complementarities in the citizens’ strategies (a multiplier effect). Contrary to standard global games results, we show that increased precision in the public information transmitted strategically by the foreign power induces a unique equilibrium, as citizens coordinate on the foreign leader’s action. Our findings explain why leaders are so eager to receive state visits from major world powers.
Analytical investigation on load-sharing characteristics for multi-power face gear split flow system
Authors: Mo Shuai , Yue Zongxiang , Feng Zhiyou , Shi Lijuan , Zou Zhenxing , Dang Heyu
Published: September 2019

The multi-power face gear split flow system is a new type of transmission system, which has the advantages of stable and reliable transmission and strong carrying capacity. And it has great potential in the application of helicopter transmission systems. In this paper, the multi-power face gear split flow system was taken as the research object. Based on the lumped parameter method and Newton’s second law, the translational-torsional dynamic model of the system was established considering the translational vibration and the torsional vibration of the gears, and the meshing force curves and load-sharing coefficient curves were drawn. At the same time, the factors affecting the load-sharing characteristics of the transmission system were studied. The impacts of manufacturing errors, assembly errors, manufacturing error phases, assembly error phases, meshing damping, support stiffness, and the input power on the load-sharing coefficients were analyzed. The research shows that the errors and error phases of spur gears have small impacts on the load-sharing coefficients, while the support stiffness of spur gears has a great impact on the load-sharing coefficients. The errors and error phases of face gears have small impacts on the load-sharing coefficients, while the support stiffness of spur gears has a great impact on the load-sharing coefficients. The load-sharing coefficients increase constantly with the increase in the meshing damping between face gears and spur gears, whereas the load-sharing coefficients decrease constantly with the increase in the input power.
The panty condom: a pilot study of the function and acceptability of an alternative female condom design
Authors: Beksinska Mags , Smit Jennifer , Mphili Nonhlanhla , Greener Ross , Maphumulo Virginia
Published: September 2019

New female condom (FC) products, different in design and materials that have the potential to lower cost and improve acceptability are being developed. A pilot study of the Panty Condom was conducted among experienced FC users in Durban, South Africa. This pilot function trial enrolled 19 women who were asked to use five Panty Condoms each and collect information on use in a condom diary at home, followed by one follow-up interview. Primary endpoints were total clinical failure and total female condom failure. Non-inferiority of component modes, clinical breakage, non-clinical breakage, slippage, misdirection, and invagination were also determined. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for each failure mode. The mean age of the participants was 27.8 years (SD 4.9). Safety and acceptability data were also assessed. In 95 condom uses nine failure events occurred in eight condoms. Clinical breakage occurred in 8.4% (n = 8) of condoms and slippage in one condom. Total FC failure was 8.4% of all condom uses. Of the eight breakage events there were two reports of the condom ripping during sex and six reports of the condom detaching from the panty. Fifteen women either liked very much or liked somewhat using the Panty Condom. Total clinical failure was approximately twice that seen in other FC functionality studies.
Are there industrial SO2 convergences in China’s prefecture-level cities? New evidence from a spatial econometric perspective
Authors: Nan Yongqing , Li Qin , Cai Haiya , Qin Zhou
Published: September 2019

As the world’s largest emitter of sulfur dioxide, China is facing mounting domestic and international pressures to tackle the increasingly serious atmospheric pollution. Convergence is an important inherent characteristic of sulfur dioxide discharge. This study examines the convergence of per capita sulfur dioxide emissions across 280 Chinese prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2016. Due to the spatial autocorrelation of air pollutants, conventional estimation methods for β convergence ignore the spatial effects and produce biased results. Consequently, spatial econometric models with different weight matrices are employed to control for spatial effects. The empirical results indicate that per capita sulfur dioxide emissions exhibit both absolute β convergence and conditional β convergence, and spatial effect and other socioeconomic factors accelerate the convergence speed. In addition, this study verifies the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis between sulfur dioxide and gross domestic product. The results highlight the importance of regional cooperation and coordination when formulating environmental and industrial policies.
Science journalism for development in the Global South: A systematic literature review of issues and challenges
Authors: Nguyen An , Tran Minh
Published: September 2019

Based primarily on a systematic review of the relevant literature between 2000 and 2017, this article reflects on the state of journalism about science in developing countries, with a focus on its issues, challenges and implications for their developmental processes and causes. Five major themes emerge from our analysis: (a) heavy dependence on foreign sources, especially the media of the Global North; (b) the low status of domestic science news in newsrooms; (c) uncritical science reporting that easily lends itself to influences of non-science vested interests; (d) tight grip of politics on science journalism; and (e) ineffective relationships between science and journalism. We will demonstrate that, while some of these problems exist in the North, they can have far more severe consequences on the progress of the South, where news plays an almost exclusive role in informing and engaging laypeople with science and its socio-cultural, economic and political implications.
Where do Peer Review Groups fit in the international Continuing Professional Development literature?
Authors: Karageorge Aspasia , Lancaster Jeanette , Prager Shirley , Nash Louise
Published: September 2019

Objectives:

To describe what is reported in the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) literature on small group learning formats in medicine, including the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) CPD Peer Review Groups (PRGs).

Method:

A literature review of international peer-reviewed publications in relation to the use of small group learning formats for CPD in medicine.

Results:

Small groups are commonly used as a learning format in medical CPD, primarily in general practice, but are little researched. Such groups take differing forms and they are valued by participants for a range of purposes, having effects on professionalism, clinical performance and doctors’ wellbeing.

Conclusion:

We believe that the contribution of these groups to medical CPD should be further explored. To this end, this review forms the first part of a research project focussing on the RANZCP PRG model used by Australian and New Zealand psychiatrists.
Hegemonic Masculinity Attitudes Toward Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Among a Sample of College Students in Northern and Southern Sierra Leone
Authors: Small Eusebius , Sharma Bonita B. , Nikolova Silviya Pavlova , Tonui Betty C.
Published: September 2019

Introduction: Female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) is a public health problem. Approximately three million women and girls undergo FGM/C every year, worldwide. The purpose of the study was to assess the influence of education on hegemonic masculinity attitudes between male and female students and whether parental education differentiated the groups. Method: A cross-section design was used. Data were collected through a survey response from 338 students in May 2017. The data were analyzed using chi-square and correlational tests. Results: Education did not change the attitudes of students toward FGM/C (χ2 = 3.64, p = .16); however, parental education had an influence on both male and female students’ attitudes toward FGM/C. Discussion: The study suggests that education alone may not be sufficient to end FGM/C practice. A comprehensive community-led strategy incorporating culturally congruent health care to involve multiple parties of health professionals, religious leaders, government, and policy makers may be needed to address the problem.
China Social Work Professional Level Examination Pass Rates: Chronological Change and Regional Difference
Authors: Zeng Shouchui , Li Xiao , Chen Wei
Published: September 2019

Purpose:

China Social Workers’ Professional Level Examination (CSWPLE) intends to promote social work professionalization in China. It has been implemented for 10 years since 2008. The purpose of this study is to report participation and pass rates of CSWPLE and discuss the implications for social work professionalization and education in China.

Method:

This study drew data from the China Statistical Yearbooks and the China Civil Affairs’ Statistical Yearbooks from 2009 to 2018 and presented participation and pass rates of CSWPLE in this period from both chronological and regional perspectives.

Results:

A large number of examinees had earned the title of junior social worker or social worker through the examination. The fluctuation of pass rates and regional difference in pass rates were observed.

Discussion:

The implications for improving test development and future research on the connection between social work education and CSWPLE are discussed.
Qualitative Assessment of Bad News Delivery Practices during Miscarriage Diagnosis
Authors: Brann Maria , Bute Jennifer J. , Scott Susanna Foxworthy
Published: September 2019

Miscarriage is one of the most common pregnancy complications health care providers discuss with patients. Previous research suggests that women’s distress is compounded by ineffective communication with providers, who are usually not trained to deliver bad news using patient-centered dialogue. The purpose of this study was to use a patient-centered approach to examine women’s experiences with and perspectives of communication during a miscarriage to assist in the development of communication training tools for health care providers. During focus groups, 22 women who had experienced miscarriage discussed video-recorded standardized patient-provider interactions and recalled communication during their own miscarriages. Results of a pragmatic iterative analysis of the transcripts suggest training techniques and communication behaviors that should guide education for providers to deliver the diagnosis of and treatment options for early pregnancy loss, such as demonstrating empathy, creating space for processing, checking for understanding, and avoiding medical jargon and emotionally charged language.
The Effect of a Standardized Triage Process on Efficiency and Productivity of an Inpatient Palliative Care Team
Authors: Frendak Lynn S. , Wright Scott M. , Wu David Shih
Published: September 2019

Context:

Studies have shown that palliative care involvement delivers a multitude of benefits to patients and caregivers. The existing palliative care workforce is inadequate to meet growing demand. Innovative strategies to triage inpatient consults are necessary.

Objectives:

To describe the implementation of a new palliative care triage process and to demonstrate its impact on efficiency, teamwork, and patient care.

Methods:

A quasi-experimental study design, comparing clinical consult data from a 6-month period before and a 6-month period after implementation of the novel consult triage model.

Results:

Across the 2 study periods, consult demand increased by 44% while the physician staffing (full time equivalent [FTE]) decreased by 38%. Penetration rate per clinical FTE increased (from 1.9%-2.4%; P = .004). Monthly physician work relative value units (RVUs) per FTE increased from 909 to 1678. Physician encounters with hospitalized patients increased from 284 to 353, and total team visits increased from 596 to 891 ( P < .001). Average time to consult decreased by 2.4 hours ( P = .54).

Conclusion:

An efficient and streamlined consult triage process had a positive impact on our palliative care team’s ability to reach patients. We were able to generate more physician visits and RVUs despite a decrease in physician clinical time, and our penetration rate per physician clinical FTE improved. Our findings highlight the importance of thoughtful and appropriate triage, not to mention teamwork, in helping to augment patient access to palliative care.
A Failsafe for Voters? Cast and Rejected Provisional Ballots in North Carolina
Authors: Merivaki Thessalia , Smith Daniel A.
Published: September 2019

Provisional ballots constitute a failsafe for voters who have their registration or voter identification questioned by poll workers. Scholars have yet to examine who is more likely to cast a provisional ballot, and more importantly, why some provisional ballots are rejected. We suggest that beyond individual-level factors, there are administrative reasons why some prospective voters are more likely to be required to cast provisional ballots than others, and why some provisional ballots are rejected. Drawing on county data collected by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s (EAC) biennial Election Administration and Voting Surveys (EAVS) from 2012 to 2016, and individual records of provisional ballots cast in the 2016 Presidential Election in North Carolina, we examine aggregate- and individual-level reasons to explain who casts provisional ballots and why some are rejected. Our findings raise normative questions concerning whether voters casting provisional ballots are treated equally under the law.
Cuirass Ventilation: An Alternative Home-Based Modality for Chronic Respiratory Failure
Authors: Onweni Chidinma , Rashid Saima , Goswami Rachna , Treece Jennifer , Shipley Lindsey C. , De Souza Randal , O’Neill Luke , Simberloff Tander , Baumrucker Steven J.
Published: September 2019

The biphasic cuirass ventilation (BCV) device is an alternative respiratory support device for patients with chronic respiratory failure. Considered by some a “forgotten” mode of supportive ventilation, the device is portable, lightweight, and easy to operate. Biphasic cuirass ventilation can also be used to rapidly resuscitate patients in acute respiratory distress and requires minimal technical skill to operate. Biphasic cuirass ventilation can be employed by the patient’s caregiver in the home setting, making it a viable alternative to other forms of mechanical ventilation (e.g., BiPAP) for patients enrolled in home hospice or palliative care. The article reviews current knowledge and aims to enhance awareness and encourage further study about cuirass ventilation, particularly with regard to its use in treating patients in the palliative care setting and in the home.
Proton transfer reaction confined within carbon nanotubes: Density functional theory and quantitative structure–property relationship analysis
Authors: Achouri Bilal , Belmiloud Yamina , Brahimi Meziane
Published: September 2019

In this work, we focus our attention on chemical reactions confined within carbon nanotubes. As a result of the confinement within carbon nanotubes, novel physical and chemical properties are found for the confined materials. We consider the feasibility of proton transfer inside carbon nanotubes. To do that, we have chosen formamide as the simplest real model for exhibiting the tautomerization in DNA. We have used the quantitative structure–property relationship method, based on geometry optimization and quantum chemical structural descriptors, to illustrate the potential of using the confined space inside carbon nanotubes, which will provide comprehensive information about carbon nanotubes. All calculations have been carried out using density functional theory quantum calculations with the B3LYP functional. The geometries optimized by the Gaussian program were transferred to the computer software DRAGON to calculate pertinent descriptors that could be used in the quantitative structure–property relationship model.
Combinatorial Drug Therapy for Controlling Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Its Association With Chronic Condition of Diabetic Foot Ulcer
Authors: Srivastava Prakhar , Sivashanmugam Karthikeyan
Published: September 2019

Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus, major observations of DFU cases have reported on amputation of foot region, and microbial bioburden during DFU is a major cause that affects healing of the wound regions. Pathogenic microbes are routinely isolated from these wound regions, especially Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, and Escherichia coli have been reported, whereas higher prevalence of Pseudomonas species during chronic condition in the deeper part of the wound, when left untreated, leads to gangrene. Multiple drug-resistant Pseudomonas strains are a new threat because of their biofilm-forming ability, making it more potent and incurable. Acyl homoserine lactones (AHL) are a group of signaling molecules that can regulate biofilm growth, and Las and Rhl operon generally work in tandem to initiate biofilm formation by Pseudomonas species. These signaling molecules also initiate virulence factors that correlates upregulation of inflammatory responses, and AHL can be a therapeutic target in order to prevent the efficacy of multiple drug-resistant strains that form biofilm and also can be an alternative solution against control of multiple drug-resistant strains.
Further Data on Wound Healing Rates After Application of Lucilia sericata
Authors: Szczepanowski Zbigniew , Tukiendorf Andrzej , Krasowski Grzegorz
Published: September 2019

Maggot therapy has recently received a special medical and public attention, and according to the specialists’ opinion, it takes us to the future of a wound care. Simultaneously, as new biomechanisms were discovered, statistical analyses of wound healing rates were conducted usually adopting simple parametric and nonparametric tests. In this study, based on a set of statistical methods, we performed an advanced analysis of wound surface reduction using Lucilia sericata larvae in different clinical aspects: status of diabetes mellitus, maggots’ density, and pain intensity. Particularly, we employed these factors because, in our statistical analysis, they are easy to obtain and they proved to be the possible risk factors of wound regeneration. Furthermore, these factors represent different clinical, biological, and neurological spectra of knowledge. In our study, we have found further and statistically significant correlations between the analyzed variables and skin regeneration together with different time periods of the healing rate using maggot therapy in patients with lower limb ulceration.
The Making of Mexico City’s Historic Center: National Patrimony in the Age of Urban Renewal
Authors: Yee David
Published: September 2019

This article focuses on the origins of Mexico’s Federal District Planning Commission (1950–1953) and the consequences of its failure to implement a major urban renewal project in downtown Mexico City. In the 1950s, Mexico’s leading urbanists hoped to resolve the city’s severe traffic congestion through a new grid design and, in the process, transform it into a mecca for Mexican modernity. These efforts were thwarted by an independent coalition of residents and historic preservations in a movement that reflected the uneasy tensions between urban modernity and national patrimony in mid-century Mexico.
Acute Upper Limb Ischemia Due to Delayed Presentation of a Brachial Artery Pseudoaneurysm Post-Venipuncture
Authors: Lee Adele H. H. , Qi Sara D. , Chiang Nathaniel
Published: September 2019

Brachial artery pseudoaneurysms (BAPs) are rare but could lead to complications of high morbidity. We report a case of a BAP presenting with hand ischemia and median nerve neuropathy nearly a decade after the inciting iatrogenic trauma, successfully treated with excision and direct repair. This report highlights that untreated pseudoaneurysms can be indolent and present late with both symptoms of embolization and local compression.
Aaptamine-Related Alkaloid from the Marine Sponge Aaptos aaptos
Authors: Hamada Toshiyuki , Matsumoto Yoshito , Phan Chin-Soon , Kamada Takashi , Onitsuka Satoaki , Okamura Hiroaki , Iwagawa Tetsuo , Arima Naomichi , Tani Fumito , Vairappan Charles S.
Published: September 2019

A new aaptamine-related alkaloid, 1,3-dioxolo [4,5- d] benzo [ de]-1,6-naphthyridine (methylenedioxyaaptamine, 1), was isolated from the organic extracts of the Bornean marine sponge Aaptos aaptos, together with a known aaptamine derivative, 8,9,9-trimethoxy-9 H-benzo [ de]-1,6-naphthyridine (2). The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by interpretation of its spectroscopic data. Two compounds were tested for their cytotoxic potentials against adult T-cell leukemia (ATL) cells, and compound 1 showed moderate cytotoxic potential.