bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Intracerebral Hemorrhage Nonexpanders Actually Expand Into the Ventricular Space?
Authors: Dowlatshahi Dar , Deshpande Anirudda , Aviv Richard I. , Rodriguez-Luna David , Molina Carlos A. , Blas Yolanda Silva , Dzialowski Imanuel , Kobayashi Adam , Boulanger Jean-Martin , Lum Cheemun , Gubitz Gordon J. , Padma Vasantha , Roy Jayanta , Kase Carlos S. , Bhatia Rohit , Hill Michael D. , Demchuk Andrew M.
Published: November 2017

Background and Purpose—

The computed tomographic angiography spot sign as a predictor of hematoma expansion is limited by its modest sensitivity and positive predictive value. It is possible that hematoma expansion in spot-positive patients is missed because of decompression of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) into the ventricular space. We hypothesized that revising hematoma expansion definitions to include intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) expansion will improve the predictive performance of the spot sign. Our objectives were to determine the proportion of ICH nonexpanders who actually have IVH expansion, determine the proportion of false-positive spot signs that have IVH expansion, and compare the known predictive performance of the spot sign to a revised definition incorporating IVH expansion.

Methods—

We analyzed patients from the multicenter PREDICT ICH spot sign study. We defined hematoma expansion as ≥6 mL or ≥33% ICH expansion or >2 mL IVH expansion and compared spot sign performance using this revised definition with the conventional 6 mL/33% definition using receiver operating curve analysis.

Results—

Of 311 patients, 213 did not meet the 6-mL/33% expansion definition (nonexpanders). Only 13 of 213 (6.1%) nonexpanders had ≥2 mL IVH expansion. Of the false-positive spot signs, 4 of 40 (10%) had >2 mL ventricular expansion. The area under the curve for spot sign to predict significant ICH expansion was 0.65 (95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.72), which was no different than when IVH expansion was added to the definition (area under the curve, 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.58–0.71).

Conclusions—

Although IVH expansion does indeed occur in a minority of ICH nonexpanders, its inclusion into a revised hematoma expansion definition does not alter the predictive performance of the spot sign.
On Rhythms in Neuronal Networks with Recurrent Excitation
Authors: Börgers Christoph , Takeuchi R. Melody , Rosebrock Daniel T.
Published: November 2017

We investigate rhythms in networks of neurons with recurrent excitation, that is, with excitatory cells exciting each other. Recurrent excitation can sustain activity even when the cells in the network are driven below threshold, too weak to fire on their own. This sort of “reverberating” activity is often thought to be the basis of working memory. Recurrent excitation can also lead to “runaway” transitions, sudden transitions to high-frequency firing; this may be related to epileptic seizures. Not all fundamental questions about these phenomena have been answered with clarity in the literature. We focus on three questions here: (1) How much recurrent excitation is needed to sustain reverberating activity? How does the answer depend on parameters? (2) Is there a positive minimum frequency of reverberating activity, a positive “onset frequency”? How does it depend on parameters? (3) When do runaway transitions occur? For reduced models, we give mathematical answers to these questions. We also examine computationally to which extent our findings are reflected in the behavior of biophysically more realistic model networks. Our main results can be summarized as follows. (1) Reverberating activity can be fueled by extremely weak slow recurrent excitation, but only by sufficiently strong fast recurrent excitation. (2) The onset of reverberating activity, as recurrent excitation is strengthened or external drive is raised, occurs at a positive frequency. It is faster when the external drive is weaker (and the recurrent excitation stronger). It is slower when the recurrent excitation has a longer decay time constant. (3) Runaway transitions occur only with fast, not with slow, recurrent excitation. We also demonstrate that the relation between reverberating activity fueled by recurrent excitation and runaway transitions can be visualized in an instructive way by a (generalized) cusp catastrophe surface.
Encoding Time in Feedforward Trajectories of a Recurrent Neural Network Model
Authors: Hardy N. F. , Buonomano Dean V.
Published: November 2017

Brain activity evolves through time, creating trajectories of activity that underlie sensorimotor processing, behavior, and learning and memory. Therefore, understanding the temporal nature of neural dynamics is essential to understanding brain function and behavior. In vivo studies have demonstrated that sequential transient activation of neurons can encode time. However, it remains unclear whether these patterns emerge from feedforward network architectures or from recurrent networks and, furthermore, what role network structure plays in timing. We address these issues using a recurrent neural network (RNN) model with distinct populations of excitatory and inhibitory units. Consistent with experimental data, a single RNN could autonomously produce multiple functionally feedforward trajectories, thus potentially encoding multiple timed motor patterns lasting up to several seconds. Importantly, the model accounted for Weber's law, a hallmark of timing behavior. Analysis of network connectivity revealed that efficiency—a measure of network interconnectedness—decreased as the number of stored trajectories increased. Additionally, the balance of excitation (E) and inhibition (I) shifted toward excitation during each unit's activation time, generating the prediction that observed sequential activity relies on dynamic control of the E/I balance. Our results establish for the first time that the same RNN can generate multiple functionally feedforward patterns of activity as a result of dynamic shifts in the E/I balance imposed by the connectome of the RNN. We conclude that recurrent network architectures account for sequential neural activity, as well as for a fundamental signature of timing behavior: Weber's law.
Hippocrates in Two Syriac Alchemical Collections
Authors: Martelli Matteo
Published: November 2017

In this article, I will explore the fortune of Hippocrates in the Syriac alchemical literature. I will investigate a so far unedited Syriac text (MS Cambridge University Library, Mm. 6.29, ff. 133r–134v) that presents Hippocrates as the founder of alchemy and medicine. This text is edited here for the first time, translated into English, and compared with other alchemical writings (both in Syriac and in Arabic) attributed to the ancient physician from Cos.
Comparing Interpretative Notes in the Syriac and Arabic Translations of the Hippocratic Aphorisms
Authors: Mimura Taro
Published: November 2017

Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France MS Arabe 6734 contains a bilingual Syriac-Arabic text of the Hippocratic Aphorisms. Whereas the Arabic lemmata are clearly taken from Ḥunayn ibn Isḥāq’s translation of Galen’s Commentary on the Hippocratic Aphorisms, the Syriac translator has not been identified conclusively. In the Syriac translation, there is a long note on lemma iv. 47 in which the annotator refutes Galen’s interpretation of this lemma. In his Arabic translation of Galen’s Commentary on the Hippocratic Aphorisms, Ḥunayn also notes Galen’s misinterpretation of this lemma. In this article, I present the Syriac note, along with an analysis of Galen’s comment on lemma iv. 47 to show an inconsistency of Galen’s interpretation of this aphorism. I then present Ḥunayn’s note on this lemma for the first time, and illustrate how he edited the Arabic translation.
Morphological, histopathological and molecular characterization of Thelohanellus pathankotensis n. sp. (Cnidaria: Myxosporea: Myxozoa) infecting an Indian minor carp, Labeo dero Hamilton, 1822 from a cold water wetland in Punjab (India)
Authors: KAUR HARPREET , GUPTA ADITYA
Published: November 2017

A new myxobolid, Thelohanellus pathankotensis parasitizing gill lamellae and caudal fins of the Indian minor carp Labeo dero has been described using light microscopy, histopathology and molecular analyses. The fish host was collected from a cold water wetland, Ranjit Sagar Wetland, Punjab, India located 32 ̊ 26 ̍ 30 ̎ N Latitude and 75 ̊ 43 ̍ 30 ̎ E Longitude. The prevalence of infection was 30%. The plasmodia were located in the gill lamellae and the caudal fins were cylindrical and whitish, 0.8–1.0 mm in size containing about 150–300 myxospores. The myxospores had a mean length of 9.70 ± 0.50 µm, width 3.85 ± 0.27 µm, mean length of polar capsule 3.0 ± 0.15 µm, width 2.68 ± 0.08 µm. The 18S rDNA nucleotide with 1098 bp of Thelohanellus pathankotensis n. sp. (accession number KU516661) clustered phylogenetically with other myxozoan parasites, with the species most closely related was T. sp. PBS- 2015 with 92% homogeneity and T. boggoti with 98% homogeneity. The intensity of infection or the mean abundance was determined by the gill plasmodial index (GPI) based on the number of countable plasmodia. The myxospores of the present species differed from others previously described infecting the hosts of family Cyprinidae, same tissue location and geographical location.
Tobrilus saprophagus sp. n. and Epitobrilus interstitialis sp. n. (Nematoda, Triplonchida) from Lake Baikal, Russia
Authors: NAUMOVA TATYANA V. , GAGARIN VLADIMIR G.
Published: November 2017

Two new nematode species found in Lake Baikal (Russia) are described and illustrated. Tobrilus saprophagus sp. n. is morphologically close to T. bekmanae Tsalolikhin, 1975 and T. securus Gagarin & Naumova, 2011. The new species differs from T. bekmanae by the less slender tail (♂ cʹ = 2.9–3.9, ♀ cʹ = 3.5–6.8 vs ♂ cʹ = 6, ♀ cʹ = 9 in T. bekmanae), narrower labial region (24–30 µm vs 35–38 µm in T. bekmanae), shorter outer labial setae (10–12 µm vs 13–18 µm in T. bekmanae) and shorter stoma (25–32 µm vs 40–56 µm in T. bekmanae). T. saprophagus sp. n. differs from T. securus by the shorter and less slender tail (♂ c = 11.5–16.1, cʹ = 2.9–3.9, ♀ c = 8.8–13.1, cʹ = 3.5–6.8 vs ♂ c = 6.7–8.4, cʹ = 6.3–9.3, ♀ c = 7.1–8.4, cʹ = 6.6–7.7 in T. securus), longer outer labial setae (10–12 µm vs 6.5–9.0 µm in T. securus) and shorter spicules (45–48 µm vs 52–58 µm in T. securus). Epitobrilus interstitialis sp. n. is close to E. steineri (Micoletzky, 1925), but differs by the longer body (3.88–5.97 mm vs 2.14–3.35 mm), longer tail (250–335 µm vs 160–199 µm for males), longer outer labial setae (27–40 µm vs 22–25 µm) and longer spicules (73–78 µm vs 51–71 µm). Diagnostic morphological characters of males of valid species of the genus Epitobrilus Tsalolikhin, 1981 are given. Tobrilus (Epitobrilus) medius G. Schneider, 1916 (apud Tsalolikhin, 1980) is synonymized with the species Eutobrilus peregrinator Tsalolikhin, 1983.
Sensitivity of Idealized Moist Baroclinic Waves to Environmental Temperature and Moisture Content
Authors: Kirshbaum D. J. , Merlis T. M. , Gyakum J. R. , McTaggart-Cowan R.
Published: November 2017

Idealized simulations are used to examine the sensitivity of moist baroclinic wave growth to environmental temperature and moisture content. With relative humidity held fixed, the surface temperature at 45°N, denoted T0, is varied from 275 to 290 K. As T0 increases, the atmospheric moisture content, moist instability, and moist available potential energy also increase. For the chosen initial configuration, moist waves develop larger eddy kinetic energy K e than corresponding dry waves, but enhanced diabatic heating at larger T0 does not further increase K e. This finding is linked to a warm-frontal cyclonic potential vorticity (PV) anomaly that strengthens and shifts downstream at larger T0 owing to increased diabatic heating along the frontal cloud band. This eastward shift feeds back negatively on the parent cyclone by increasing the downstream export of mechanical energy aloft and degrading the phasing between dry baroclinic vertical motion and buoyancy within the warm sector. The latter suppresses the conversion from eddy potential energy to K e [ C( P e, K e)], offsetting a direct enhancement of C( P e, K e) by diabatic heating. Compared to their dry counterparts, isolated moist waves (initiated by a single finite-amplitude PV anomaly) display a similar sensitivity to T0, while periodic wave trains (initiated by multiple such anomalies) exhibit a stronger negative relationship. The latter stems from anticyclonic diabatic PV anomalies aloft that originate along the warm front and recirculate through the system to interact with the upper-level trough. This interaction leads to a horizontal forward wave tilt that enhances the conversion of wave K e into zonal-mean kinetic energy.
New Treatment of Strongly Anisotropic Scattering Phase Functions: The Delta-M+ Method
Authors: Lin Zhenyi , Chen Nan , Fan Yongzhen , Li Wei , Stamnes Knut , Stamnes Snorre
Published: November 2017

The treatment of strongly anisotropic scattering phase functions is still a challenge for accurate radiance computations. The new delta- M+ method resolves this problem by introducing a reliable, fast, accurate, and easy-to-use Legendre expansion of the scattering phase function with modified moments. Delta- M+ is an upgrade of the widely used delta- M method that truncates the forward scattering peak with a Dirac delta function, where the “+” symbol indicates that it essentially matches moments beyond the first M terms. Compared with the original delta- M method, delta- M+ has the same computational efficiency, but for radiance computations, the accuracy and stability have been increased dramatically.
How Would the Twenty-First-Century Warming Influence Pacific Decadal Variability and Its Connection to North American Rainfall: Assessment Based on a Revised Procedure for the IPO/PDO
Authors: Xu Yangyang , Hu Aixue
Published: November 2017

Decadal climate variability of sea surface temperature (SST) over the Pacific Ocean can be characterized by interdecadal Pacific oscillation (IPO) or Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO) based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. Although the procedures to derive the IPO and PDO indices differ in their regional focuses and filtering methods to remove interannual variability, the IPO and PDO are highly correlated in time and are often used interchangeably. Studies have shown that the IPO and PDO conjointly (IPO/PDO for conciseness) play a vital role in modulating the pace of global warming. It is less clear, however, how externally forced global warming may, in turn, affect the IPO/PDO. One obstacle to revealing this effect is that the conventional definitions of the IPO/PDO fail to account for the spatial heterogeneity of the background warming trend, which causes the IPO/PDO to be conflated with the warming trend, especially for the twenty-first-century simulation when the forced change is likely to be more dominant. Using a large-ensemble simulation in the Community Earth System Model, version 1 (CESM1), it is shown here that a better practice of detrending prior to EOF analysis is to remove the local and nonlinear trend, defined as the ensemble-mean time series at each grid box (or simply as the quadratic fit of the local time series if such an ensemble is not available). The revised IPO/PDO index is purely indicative of internal decadal variability. In the twenty-first-century warmer climate, the IPO/PDO has a weaker amplitude in space, a higher frequency in time, and a muted impact on global and North American temperature and rainfall.
Critical Limb Ischemia: A Practical Up-To-Date Review
Authors: Fabiani Iacopo , Calogero Enrico , Pugliese Nicola Riccardo , Di Stefano Rossella , Nicastro Irene , Buttitta Flavio , Nuti Marco , Violo Caterina , Giannini Danilo , Morgantini Alessandro , Conte Lorenzo , Barletta Valentina , Berchiolli Raffaella , Adami Daniele , Ferrari Mauro , Di Bello Vitantonio
Published: November 2017

Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most advanced form of peripheral artery disease. It is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and high management costs. It carries a high risk of amputation and local infection. Moreover, cardiovascular complications remain a major concern. Although it is a well-known entity and new technological and therapeutic advances have been made, this condition remains poorly addressed, with significantly heterogeneous management, especially in nonexperienced centers. This review, from a third-level dedicated inpatient and outpatient cardioangiology structure, aims to provide an updated summary on the topic of CLI of its complexity, encompassing epidemiological, social, economical and, in particular, diagnostic/imaging issues, together with potential therapeutic strategies (medical, endovascular, and surgical), including the evaluation of cardiovascular risk factors, the diagnosis, and treatment together with prognostic stratification.
In the king’s shadow: Petitioner-donors of eighth–ninth century Pāla copper plate land grant charters
Authors: Datta Sanjukta
Published: November 2017

Six early copper plate charters of the Pāla dynasty of eastern India introduce petitioners requesting the reigning king to grant tax-free land to either a Buddhist monastery or a temple of Viṣṇu or Śiva established by them. The structure and content of such charters are similar to yet somewhat distinct from contemporary copper plates recording direct land grants made by the Pāla kings. By analysing the representation of petitioners in different segments of a copper plate inscription, the article shows that they are the primary donors seeking the king’s ratification of property transfers made by them. Consequently, in acknowledgement of their role in the donative act, the term petitioner-donors has been coined to refer to them. What enriches the group of Pāla petitioner-donors is the presence of both royal and private individuals, one of whom was the ruler of a Southeast Asian kingdom. On the basis of the profile of the six petitioner-donors, the article classifies them into three distinct categories, each of which registered its donative activity at a different locus within the Pāla domain. A comparative analysis of the eulogies (praśastis) of the petitioner-donors shows how the power balance was worked out between them, on the one hand, and the Pāla kings from Dharmapāla to Gopāla II, on the other, in the period between the late eighth century and the third quarter of the ninth century.
Serial fictions: Urdu print culture and the novel in colonial South Asia
Authors: Dubrow Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Serialisation allowed for remarkable experimentation with the new genre of the novel in colonial South Asia. The open nature of serialisation in South Asia, in which novels were not planned in advance but rather could develop and change while in progress, meant that serialised versions of novels were often more experimental than their later book editions. In this article, I use the pioneering Urdu novel Fasāna-e Āzād (1878–83) as a case study to examine serialisation’s effects on the emerging novel genre in the late nineteenth-century South Asia. By comparing the serial version and later book editions, I show that Fasāna-e Āzād underwent a fundamental transformation from serial to book, changing from a set of satirical sketches critical of Westernisation, to a pro-colonial novel. The protagonist Azad’s shift from a picaresque anti-hero to a proto-nationalist hero reflected the changing nature of respectability, what in Urdu was called sharafat, in the late nineteenth-century South Asia. Finally, I suggest that Fasāna-e Āzād’s evolution from serial to book anticipated the turn in South Asian literature from satire towards nationalist and prescriptive discourse, reflecting the broad movement from ideological and narratological openness to closedness in the twentieth century.
Inclusive Growth and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of India
Authors: Singh Kanwal D.P.
Published: November 2017

The article surveys the reduction in poverty in India after Independence. It looks into the idea of development through inclusiveness of all sections of society. Important elements of inclusiveness and causes for low inclusive growth in India are explained. The methodologies adopted by Planning Commission of India to estimate poverty have been analysed. Important committees formed for poverty estimation in India are discussed. The controversies in India over the calculation of a poverty line are discussed and shown in tables and in diagrams. It also discusses the regional disparities in poverty reduction and alleviation of poverty among various castes and groups. The article goes on to discuss the XIth and the XIIth Five-Year Plans and the state action towards alleviation of poverty and promotion of inclusive growth.
Book Review: Sonalde Desai, Prem Vashishtha and Omkar Joshi, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: A Catalyst for Rural Transformation
Authors: Pankaj Ashok
Published: November 2017

Sonalde Desai, Prem Vashishtha and Omkar Joshi, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act: A Catalyst for Rural Transformation. New Delhi: NCAER, 2015, 191 pp., price not mentioned.
Book Review: Himanshu Roy, Mahendra Prasad Singh and A.P.S. Chouhan (Eds), State Politics in India
Authors: Tyagi Ruchi
Published: November 2017

Himanshu Roy, Mahendra Prasad Singh and A.P.S. Chouhan (Eds), State Politics in India. New Delhi: Primus Books, 2017, 919 + xii pp., ₹ 575.
Cooperative competition? The ambivalence of coopetition in territorial authorities
Authors: Assens Christophe , Bartoli Annie , Hermel Philippe
Published: November 2017

Cooperative competition – coopetition – is a phenomenon whose influence extends to the sphere of territorial public management. Based on an initial questionnaire conducted among 252 territorial authority managers, an exploratory case study on inter-municipal cooperation in France’s Rhône-Alpes region, and an in-depth follow-up survey among 10 leaders, we analyse why and how cooperation between territorial authorities is advisable, despite the potential political rivalry between local elected representatives and the specific challenges of each territory, provided that they respect the principles of equity in governance and avoid conflicts of interest when managing their teams.

Points for practitioners

Our research shows the benefits of cooperation between competing territorial authorities, provided that they respect the principles of equitable management. This implies the need to distribute power equally among partners of all sizes, to take decisions collectively by a majority, or even unanimously when it comes to a change of governance, and not to infringe on the prerogatives of each partner, unless added value can be gained from pooling the efforts of territorial authorities.
Intuitive dynamic modeling and flatness-based nonlinear control of a mobile robot
Authors: Sahoo Saumya R , Chiddarwar Shital S , Alakshendra Veer
Published: November 2017

In this paper, a bond graph model of a mobile robot with four Mecanum wheels is developed to extract a dynamic model of the robot. This is achieved using the BG_V21 tool box of MATLAB. The dynamic model thus obtained is used to derive the control law for trajectory tracking by the robot. There are two control algorithms that are used, namely, the flatness-based controller and the backstepping controller. From the simulation results, it is evident that the extracted dynamic model of the robot is accurate. Moreover, the flatness-based controller proved to have the upper hand in performance over the backstepping controller.
A Structured Process Description of a Pragmatic Implementation Project: Improving Integrated Care for Older Persons in Residential Care Homes
Authors: Poot Antonius J. , de Waard Claudia S. , Wind Annet W. , Caljouw Monique A. A. , Gussekloo Jacobijn
Published: November 2017

Evaluation of the implementation of integrated care can differ from trial-based research due to complexity. Therefore, we examined whether a theory-based method for process description of implementation can contribute to improvement of evidence-based care. MOVIT, a Dutch project aimed at implementing integrated care for older vulnerable persons in residential care homes, was used as a case study. The project activities were defined according to implementation taxonomy and mapped in a matrix of theoretical levels and domains. Project activities mainly targeted professionals (both individual and group). A few activities targeted the organizational level, whereas none targeted the policy level, or the patient, or the “social, political, and legal” domains. However, the resulting changes in care delivery arrangement had consequences for professionals, patients, organizations, and the social, political, and legal domains. A structured process description of a pragmatic implementation project can help assess the fidelity and quality of the implementation, and identify relevant contextual factors for immediate adaptation and future research. The description showed that, in the MOVIT project, there was a discrepancy between the levels and domains targeted by the implementation activities and those influenced by the resulting changes in delivery arrangement. This could have influenced, in particular, the adoption and sustainability of the project.
Impact of MGNREGA on a Tightened Labour Market
Authors: Alha Akhil
Published: November 2017

The study discusses the impact of the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) on an already tightened rural labour market through a field survey conducted in two villages of Rajasthan. The article argues that the impact of the programme in a constricted rural labour market has been marginal because of a low off-take of work because of already developed alternate livelihood strategies which reduced the incentive to work in this programme. Nevertheless, the scheme has been instrumental in two ways: first, it led to the withdrawal of lower caste women from agricultural work which signifies an escape from the exploitative production relations in the two villages under study; and second, it has resulted in the formation of an exclusive category of MGNREGA workers consisting of female workers from the middle castes who were previously were not participating in paid labour.
Contested Reproduction and Cultural Change: The Case of Odisha
Authors: Sahoo Subhasis , Mohanty Sital
Published: November 2017

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) in India intersect with issues of gender, technology, kinship, commerce and politics and therefore have generated considerable public, ethical and academic debate. Sociologists play a significant role in understanding ways in which this technologically-mediated reproduction has been variously interpreted in these debates; whether it represents progress, promise or pressure. The article demonstrates how diverse cultural settings mediate the experiences of those engaging with ART, both as ‘users’ and ‘providers’. In India, ART involves the reconfiguration of individual, familial and social identities: for instance, when the agony of a childless woman gets negotiated through this ‘hope technology’. We look at the development of ART practices and how they encounter its seekers at the local level. The study also looks at ways in which infertile women deal with ART and use it to achieve, potentially, an ‘identity’. The study, focusing on diverse geographic locations in Odisha, is based on theoretical insights gained from extensive field research comprising interviews with users and providers covering a period from 2011–2014.
Computational Grounded Theory: A Methodological Framework
Authors: Nelson Laura K.
Published: November 2017

This article proposes a three-step methodological framework called computational grounded theory, which combines expert human knowledge and hermeneutic skills with the processing power and pattern recognition of computers, producing a more methodologically rigorous but interpretive approach to content analysis. The first, pattern detection step, involves inductive computational exploration of text, using techniques such as unsupervised machine learning and word scores to help researchers to see novel patterns in their data. The second, pattern refinement step, returns to an interpretive engagement with the data through qualitative deep reading or further exploration of the data. The third, pattern confirmation step, assesses the inductively identified patterns using further computational and natural language processing techniques. The result is an efficient, rigorous, and fully reproducible computational grounded theory. This framework can be applied to any qualitative text as data, including transcribed speeches, interviews, open-ended survey data, or ethnographic field notes, and can address many potential research questions.
Is It a Masterpiece? Social Construction and Objective Constraint in the Evaluation of Excellence
Authors: Sgourev Stoyan V. , Althuizen Niek
Published: November 2017

A key question in scholarship on evaluation is the extent to which the role of social construction is constrained by objective reality. This question is addressed in an analysis of the evaluation of artistic excellence. In an online experiment, we manipulate the subjective social status (both artwork and artist) and the degree of aesthetic complexity of the artwork. The results confirm the independent role of the objective aesthetic factor in art evaluation. Most importantly, we document an interaction between subjective and objective factors whereby aesthetic complexity serves as a credibility lever, amplifying or attenuating the credibility of the status labels. Excessive praise (i.e., a masterpiece by a world-famous artist) tends to reduce the appreciation of aesthetically simple artworks when status labels are questioned. However, the association of aesthetic complexity with the capacity to provoke thought may encourage respondents to take the paintings more seriously. Complexity is typically discouraged for standard products, but it can be instrumental in the process of singularization by stimulating visual exploration and sustaining interest over time.
Comparison of Toxicity and Recovery in the Duodenum of B6C3F1 Mice Following Treatment with Intestinal Carcinogens Captan, Folpet, and Hexavalent Chromium
Authors: Thompson Chad M. , Wolf Jeffrey C. , McCoy Alene , Suh Mina , Proctor Deborah M. , Kirman Christopher R. , Haws Laurie C. , Harris Mark A.
Published: November 2017

High concentrations of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)), captan, and folpet induce duodenal tumors in mice. Using standardized tissue collection procedures and diagnostic criteria, we compared the duodenal histopathology in B6C3F1 mice following exposure to these 3 carcinogens to determine whether they share similar histopathological characteristics. B6C3F1 mice ( n = 20 per group) were exposed to 180 ppm Cr(VI) in drinking water, 12,000 ppm captan in feed, or 16,000 ppm folpet in feed for 28 days. After 28 days of exposure, villous enterocyte hypertrophy and mild crypt epithelial hyperplasia were observed in all exposed mice. In a subset of mice allowed to recover for 28 days, duodenal samples were generally indistinguishable from those of unexposed mice. Changes in the villi and lack of observable damage to the crypt compartment suggest that toxicity was mediated in the villi, which is consistent with earlier studies on each chemical. These findings indicate that structurally diverse agents can induce similar (and reversible) phenotypic changes in the duodenum. These intestinal carcinogens likely converge on common pathways involving irritation and wounding of the villi leading to crypt regenerative hyperplasia that, under protracted high-dose exposure scenarios, increases the risk of spontaneous mutation and tumorigenesis.
Familiar Face Priming: The Role of Second-Order Configuration and Individual Face Recognition Abilities
Authors: Itz Marlena L. , Schweinberger Stefan R. , Kaufmann Jürgen M.
Published: November 2017

The role of second-order configuration—that is, metric distances between individual features—for familiar face recognition has been the subject of debate. Recent reports suggest that better face recognition abilities coincide with a weaker reliance on shape information for face recognition. We examined contributions of second-order configuration to familiar face repetition priming by manipulating metric distances between facial features. S1 comprised familiar face primes as either: unaltered, with increased or decreased interocular distance, with increased or decreased distance between nose and mouth; or a different familiar face (unprimed). Participants performed a familiarity decision task on familiar and unfamiliar S2 targets, and completed a test battery consisting of three face identity processing tests. Accuracies, reaction times, and inverse efficiency scores were assessed for the priming experiment, and potential priming costs in inverse efficiency scores were correlated with test battery scores. Overall, priming was found, and priming effects were reduced only by primes with interocular distance distortions. Correlational data showed that better face recognition skills coincided with a weaker reliance on second-order configurations. Our findings (a) suggest an importance of interocular, but not mouth-to-nose, distances for familiar face recognition and (b) show that good face recognizers are less sensitive to second-order configuration.
The Effectiveness of Combining Visual Art Activities and Physical Exercise for Older Adults on Well-Being or Quality of Life and Mood: A Scoping Review
Authors: Roswiyani Roswiyani , Kwakkenbos Linda , Spijker Jan , Witteman Cilia L.M.
Published: November 2017

Visual art activities and physical exercise are both low-intensity and low-cost interventions. The present study aims to comprehensively describe published literature on the effectiveness of a combination of these interventions on well-being or quality of life (QoL) and mood of older adults. Embase, CINAHL, Ovid Medline (R), PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched for studies published between 1990 and 2015 that evaluated interventions combining visual art therapy and exercise for people aged 50 years or older with at least one resultant well-being or QoL or mood outcome. We found 10 studies utilizing different combination programs and outcome measures, and most had small sample sizes. Seventy percent of the studies reported that combining both interventions was effective in improving well-being or QoL and mood in older adults. Future studies are, however, requisite to investigate whether in the respective population such a combination is more effective than either of the interventions alone.
Effects of Relaxing the Urban Growth Management Policy: Greenbelt Policy of Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea
Authors: Han Albert T.
Published: November 2017

This study analyzes the effects of relaxing the greenbelt in the Seoul Metropolitan Area of South Korea. Ordinary least squares and generalized least squares regressions were employed to measure the policy’s effect on four sprawl measurement criteria: physical growth containment, land and housing values, community service provision cost, and commuting cost. Relaxing the greenbelt guided new development inside the greenbelt and decreased the percentage change in property tax and land price relative to the urban core throughout the region. The relaxation decreased fiscal burden in areas beyond the greenbelt; however, commuting data analyses showed that the commuting costs remained high.
Deviant Peer Associations and Perceived Police Legitimacy: Is There a Connection?
Authors: Ferdik Frank Valentino , Gist Jon , Evans Sara Z.
Published: November 2017

For police officers to effectively enforce the law, it is imperative that citizens perceive of them as legitimate authority figures. Although procedural justice has shown to be a salient predictor of perceived police legitimacy, a recent line of studies has discovered other significant correlates of this outcome. No study though has explored whether deviant peer associations share a relationship with law enforcement legitimacy evaluations. Questionnaire data were collected from a convenience sample of university students ( N = 623) to determine whether measures of friend’s attitudes favorable toward criminal acts as well as friend’s actual criminal behaviors predicted both the obligation to obey and trust in police constructs of police legitimacy. Results indicated that friend’s attitudes supportive of criminal behaviors negatively predicted each police legitimacy concept, while somewhat unexpectedly, respondents who reported having many friends who engaged in past crimes were more likely to obey the police. Policy implications are discussed.
Using “Broken” Lotteries to Check the Validity of Charter School Evaluations Using Matching Designs
Authors: Foreman Leesa M. , Anderson Kaitlin P. , Ritter Gary W. , Wolf Patrick J.
Published: November 2017

We consider situations in which public charter school lotteries are neither universally conducted nor consistently documented. Such lotteries produce “broken” Randomized Control Trials, but provide opportunities to assess the internal validity of quasi-experimental research designs. Here, we present the results of a statewide charter school evaluation using a broad-based student matching evaluation design, and run two additional analyses using the charter application waitlists as robustness checks. Our additional models, which address concerns of self-selection by using only charter applicants as matched comparison students, yield similar effect estimates and thus provide support for the use of matching designs in charter school evaluations.
Time–Motion Analysis of Nurses Utilizing Insulin Pen Devices Compared to Vial and Syringe in an Inpatient Setting
Authors: Shogbon-Nwaesei Angela O. , Jacob Bobby C. , Kimble Laura P. , Peasah Samuel K. , Burtner Joan , Moody Laura , Ngo Dao , Ryan Gina
Published: November 2017

Objective:

To compare the time taken and steps completed by nurses in the process of insulin preparation and administration using the pen device compared to the vial and syringe method.

Methods:

Observational and exploratory study utilizing a time–motion analysis of nurses’ administration of insulin using the pen versus vial and syringe delivery methods. Nurses were observed, video-recorded, and timed during insulin preparation and administration using each delivery method. The steps performed by nurses were observed against recommended processes for preparing and administering insulin, and the percentage of nurses completing each step was noted.

Results:

A total of 137 (94%) nurses participated. Nurses took less time preparing and administering insulin with the pen device compared with the vial and syringe method (79 ± 18 seconds vs 88 ± 20 seconds, respectively, P < .001). The overall average completion rate of steps with the pen device was 90% ± 7% compared to 88% ± 7% with the vial and syringe method.

Conclusion:

The time taken by nurses to prepare and administer insulin was lower with the pen device compared with vial and syringe. Furthermore, areas were identified for potential nursing education to enhance safe and appropriate use of insulin with both delivery methods.
Is Memory Decline Associated With Inflammatory Response?
Authors: Tetlow Amber M. , Andel Ross , Infurna Frank J.
Published: November 2017

Objective: To examine whether changes in memory over a 10-year period could predict a change in C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Method: A mixed model analysis was first conducted to obtain the estimates for change in memory over the 10-year period using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Then a multivariate regression to determine whether a change in episodic memory could predict subsequent CRP levels was conducted. Furthermore, a general linear model was conducted to determine differences in CRP levels among different rates of change in episodic memory. Results: Greater declines in episodic memory were associated with higher levels of subsequent CRP (Estimate = −0.32, SE = 0.12, β = −.03, p = .008). The general linear model revealed that those with greater memory declines were more likely to have higher levels of CRP, F = 26.50, p < .001. Discussion: These results highlight the notion that memory decline and inflammation may be intertwined, and we discuss various avenues that warrant further investigation.
Negotiating authoritarianism and its limits: Worker-led collective bargaining in Guangdong Province
Authors: Froissart Chloé
Published: November 2017

Contrary to some scholars’ assertions, worker-led collective bargaining has become a practical reality in China, especially as seen in Guangdong Province between 2011 and 2015. This article analyses the practices and strategies of negotiation to show how this is possible in a regime that recognizes neither independent trade unions nor the right to strike. Labour NGOs have become a catalyst for collective action that enables workers to change the power balance with employers, official unions and local authorities and alter their response to labour conflicts. This article thus challenges the concept of ‘bargained authoritarianism’ by stressing social actors’ ability to carve out a space for negotiating authoritarianism despite obvious limits and tightening political constraints. However, collective bargaining will remain ad hoc and localized as long as trade unions and local authorities refuse to strike a durable alliance with workers and labour NGOs.
Suicidal ideation in systemic lupus erythematosus: NR2A gene polymorphism, clinical and psychosocial factors
Authors: Buji R I , Abdul Murad N A , Chan L F , Maniam T , Mohd Shahrir M S , Rozita M , Shamsul A S , Mohamad Hussain R , Abdullah N , Jamal R , Nik Jaafar N R
Published: November 2017

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients are a high-risk population for suicide. Glutamatergic neurosystem genes have been implicated in the neurobiology of depression in SLE and suicidal behaviour in general. However, the role of glutamate receptor gene polymorphisms in suicidal behaviour among SLE patients remains unclear in the context of established clinical and psychosocial factors. We aimed to investigate the association of NR2A gene polymorphism with suicidal ideation in SLE while accounting for the interaction between clinical and psychosocial factors.

Methods

A total of 130 SLE patients were assessed for mood disorders (MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview), severity of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), suicidal behaviour (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale), socio-occupational functioning (Work and Social Adjustment Scale), recent life events (Social Readjustment Rating Scale) and lupus disease activity (SELENA-SLE Disease Activity Index). Eighty-six out of the 130 study participants consented for NR2A genotyping.

Results

Multivariable logistic regression showed nominal significance for the interaction effect between the NR2A rs2072450 AC genotype and higher severity of socio-occupational impairment with lifetime suicidal ideation in SLE patients ( p = 0.038, odds ratio = 1.364, 95% confidence interval = 1.018–1.827). However, only the association between lifetime mood disorder and lifetime suicidal ideation remained significant after Bonferroni correction ( p < 0.001, odds ratio = 33.834, 95% confidence interval = 7.624–150.138).

Conclusions

Lifetime mood disorder emerged as a more significant factor for suicidal ideation in SLE compared with NR2A gene polymorphism main and interaction effects. Clinical implications include identification and treatment of mood disorders as an early intervention for suicidal behaviour in SLE. More adequately-powered gene–environment interaction studies are required in the future to clarify the role of glutamate receptor gene polymorphisms in the risk stratification of suicidal behaviour among SLE patients.
Universal Broadband: Option, Right or Obligation?
Authors: Jayakar Krishna
Published: November 2017

Efforts to encourage universal access to information and communication technologies have run into the problem that some individuals, for reasons of affordability, lack of awareness or preference, continue to be without subscriptions. This article examines the arguments commonly put forward in support of promoting broadband access, to determine whether they can justify universalizing access. It examines the ethical limits of government actions that encourage, enforce or coerce participation in socially beneficial programmes, while potentially overlooking consumer sovereignty and human autonomy. The conclusions address how policymakers can encourage universal access to broadband, while respecting the rights of citizens.
Book Review: Jeremy Richardson and Sonia Mazey (Eds), European Union: Power and Policy Making
Authors: Sarma Sanghamitra
Published: November 2017

Jeremy Richardson and Sonia Mazey (Eds), European Union: Power and Policy Making. New York: Routledge, 2015, pp. xiv + 492, ₹2,289. ISBN: 978-0-415-71552-2.
The enforcement of diverse labour standards through private governance
Authors: Stroehle Judith Christina
Published: November 2017

The effectiveness of private governance on global labour standards remains extremely difficult to assess, let alone measure. Debates surrounding relevant factors focus on two areas: contextual variables regarding social and economic upgrading, and firm-specific characteristics. This article contributes to both debates, looking at characteristics of buyer companies, while also taking institutional variables into account. It examines structural and environmental features of cases encoded in a data set derived from over 1000 audit reports compiled by the Fair Labor Association. Focusing on the apparel, sports- and footwear industry, the article highlights the importance of regulatory quality, economic performance and social freedom in sourcing countries for the success of private governance. The analysis statistically underlines the importance of public governance specifically for process rights, such as anti-discrimination and freedom of association. Complementarity between private and public governance programmes may therefore be particularly important for these standards.
Lafayette Strong: A Content Analysis of Grief and Support Online Following a Theater Shooting
Authors: Pearce Jessica S.
Published: November 2017

On July 23, 2015, in the Grand 16 Theatre in Lafayette, Louisiana, a gunman opened fire in the 7 o’clock showing of the movie, Trainwreck. Mayci Breaux, 21, and Jillian Johnson, 33, both received fatal wounds. Nine others were injured. As part of a community healing event following the shooting, a Tagboard was established around the hashtag LafayetteStrong. This study was conducted using a content analysis of 493 photographs and images among these posts. Goffman’s dramaturgical analysis provides a framework for these findings to better comprehend the online performance of self for a grieving community. The images of people, objects, and digital images present evidence of an authentic self to a grieving community in the wake of a local tragedy.