bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Notes Regarding the Chinese Gifts of Matteo Ripa
Authors: Caterina Lucia
Published: February 2018

Returning to his homeland from China, Matteo Ripa brought gifts with him for the royalty and personalities of the time, as well as for his friends and relatives.

The article analyses the list regarding the Chinese gifts given to the royalty of Naples written in three versions: Latin, Italian and Chinese.

Unfortunately nothing remains of these gifts. It is therefore only possible, through their descriptions, to evoke, exemplify and illustrate them by means of similar objects produced in China at that time.
Shared Heritage, Different Paths Wang Shizhen and Wang Shimao
Authors: Hammond Kenneth J.
Published: February 2018

The relationship of brother and brother is one of the Five Great Relationships in Confucian culture, yet it has been relatively little studied. The lives of the brothers Wang Shizhen and Wang Shimao in the sixteenth century provide a case study of how two male siblings shared a family heritage of education and political engagement, and pursued parallel careers in public life, yet followed distinct paths in both their intellectual interest and political engagements. The nature of their personal relationship also serves to illustrate how the fraternal bond both structured their respective careers and provided emotional support in times of peril and loss.
Further revision of the genus Bythotrephes Leydig (Crustacea: Cladocera: Onychopoda): redescription of B. brevimanus Lilljeborg, reevaluation of B. cederströmii Schödler, and description of a new species of the genus
Authors: KOROVCHINSKY NIKOLAI M.
Published: February 2018

Two species of the genus Bythotrephes Leydig, B. brevimanus Lilljeborg and B. cederstrӧmii Schӧdler, are analysed. The former of them is redescribed on the basis of type material and other materials from Northern Europe while the latter one is reevaluated, in comparison with the previous recent investigation which was based on limited material being not enough for the adequate species assessment. The species under consideration were investigated with the application of detailed morphological analysis, including intra- and interpopulation variability and the original scheme of morphometric measurements. The lectotype and paralectotypes of B. brevimanus were selected. Both species are characterized by considerable morphological variability which was especially prominent in taxonomically important features, such as structure and armament of thoracic limbs of first pair (tl I), caudal process, and claws of postabdomen and caudal process. It was concluded that the taxonomic identification of such variable units like B. brevimanus, B. cederstrӧmii and hybrid forms close to the latter species should be based only on comparison of sets of specimens of particular populations; the usage of single specimens can lead to incorrect results. Pedogenesis, in B. brevimanus and in family Cercopagididae in general, was recorded and described for the first time.A new species, B. lilljeborgi, is described based on material from Southern Sweden and Norway. It differs from the closely related species B. longimanus and B. brevimanus in number and size of claws of postabdomen and caudal process.The ranges of the above considered species overlap, especially prominently in North-Western Europe where all three species under consideration co-occur. B. brevimanus dominates in the Circumbaltic region and eastward through Central European Russia and the Ural Mountain region, possibly to the Yenisei River which requires further confirmation. B. cederstrӧmii is distributed further to the east, being recorded in Central Yakutia (Eastern Siberia). Data on co-occurrence of Bythotrephes species are limited and not always adequate because identification of taxa was often confused. Based on the information contained in the present paper, in particular the reevaluation of B. cederstrӧmii taxonomy, it may be suggested that both interspecific hybrid forms and B. cederstrӧmii s. str. could have invaded North American inland waters.
Validation of the names of eight species of Blattaria according to the Rules of Zoological Nomenclature
Authors: LOPES SONIA MARIA , DE OLIVEIRA EDIVAR HEEREN
Published: February 2018

According to information provided by Krell & Pape (2015), in articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999) after the 2012 Amendment (ICZN 2012a, b, c), the publication methods are expanded and improved. One of the requirements for electronic publication to be available for Nomenclatural Actions is that publications have to be registered in the Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (ZooBank.org), by enabling the work to be potentially compatible with the code in its final version, in which the correct date of publication must be provided, guaranteeing the nomenclatural priority of the electronic version. Failure to follow these measures will keep the information recorded from being known to the scientific community.
New Galumnoidea (Acari, Oribatida) from Hanoi (Northern Vietnam)
Authors: ERMILOV SERGEY G. , STARÝ JOSEF
Published: February 2018

Three new species of oribatid mites of the superfamily Galumnoidea (Acari, Oribatida) are described from vicinities of the city of Hanoi in Northern Vietnam. Allogalumna bochkovi sp. nov. differs from all species of the genus Allogalumna by the spindle-shaped bothridial setae having very long, setiform apex. Trichogalumna mironovi sp. nov. differs from all species of the genus Trichogalumna by the presence of a large quadrangular protruding rostrum and strong ridges of different form in median part of notogaster and anogenital region, and the absence of notogastral porose areas Aa. Galumnella paracellularis sp. nov. differs from G. cellularis Balogh & Mahunka, 1967 by the larger body size and reticulate prodorsum.
How Well Can We Represent the Spectrum of Convective Clouds in a Climate Model? Comparisons between Internal Parameterization Variables and Radar Observations
Authors: Labbouz Laurent , Kipling Zak , Stier Philip , Protat Alain
Published: February 2018

Current climate models cannot resolve individual convective clouds, and hence parameterizations are needed. The primary goal of convective parameterization is to represent the bulk impact of convection on the gridbox-scale variables. Spectral convective parameterizations also aim to represent the key features of the subgrid-scale convective cloud field such as cloud-top-height distribution and in-cloud vertical velocities in addition to precipitation rates. Ground-based radar retrievals of these quantities have been made available at Darwin, Australia, permitting direct comparisons of internal parameterization variables and providing new observational references for further model development.

A spectral convective parameterization [the convective cloud field model (CCFM)] is discussed, and its internal equation of motion is improved. Results from the ECHAM–HAM model in single-column mode using the CCFM and the bulk mass flux Tiedtke–Nordeng scheme are compared with the radar retrievals at Darwin. The CCFM is found to outperform the Tiedtke–Nordeng scheme for cloud-top-height and precipitation-rate distributions. Radar observations are further used to propose a modified CCFM configuration with an aerodynamic drag and reduced entrainment parameter, further improving both the convective cloud-top-height distribution (important for large-scale impact of convection) and the in-cloud vertical velocities (important for aerosol activation).

This study provides a new development in the CCFM, improving the representation of convective cloud spectrum characteristics observed in Darwin. This is a step toward an improved representation of convection and ultimately of aerosol effects on convection. It also shows how long-term radar observations of convective cloud properties can help constrain parameters of convective parameterization schemes.
Mean, Variability, and Trend of Southern Ocean Wind Stress: Role of Wind Fluctuations
Authors: Lin Xia , Zhai Xiaoming , Wang Zhaomin , Munday David R.
Published: February 2018

The Southern Ocean (SO) surface westerly wind stress plays a fundamental role in driving the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and the global meridional overturning circulation. Here, the authors investigate the contributions of atmospheric wind fluctuations to the mean, variability, and trend of SO wind stress over the last four decades using NCEP reanalysis and ERA-Interim products. Including wind variability at synoptic frequencies (2–8 days) and higher in the stress calculation is found to increase the strength of the mean SO wind stress by almost 40% in both reanalysis products. The southern annular mode index is found to be a good indicator for the strength of the mean wind and mean wind stress, but not as good an indicator for wind fluctuations, at least for the chosen study period. Large discrepancies between reanalysis products emerge regarding the contributions of wind fluctuations to the strengthening trend of SO wind stress. Between one-third and one-half of the stress trend in NCEP can be explained by the increase in the intensity of wind fluctuations, while the stress trend in ERA-Interim is due entirely to the increasing strength of the mean westerly wind. This trend discrepancy may have important climatic implications since the sensitivity of SO circulation to wind stress changes depends strongly on how these stress changes are brought about. Given the important role of wind fluctuations in shaping the SO wind stress, studies of the SO response to wind stress changes need to account for changes of wind fluctuations in the past and future.
Correction of Canopy Interception Loss Measurements in Temperate Forests: A Comparison of Necessary Adjustments among Three Different Rain Gauges Based on a Dynamic Calibration Procedure
Authors: Iida Shin’ichi , Levia Delphis F. , Nanko Kazuki , Sun Xinchao , Shimizu Takanori , Tamai Koji , Shinohara Yoshinori
Published: February 2018

Tipping-bucket rain gauges are used widely to measure the amount and intensity of gross rainfall and throughfall in forests, despite the fact that their systematic underestimations are well known. To the knowledge of the authors, no dynamic calibrations for the budget-conscious Davis gauge (Rain Collector II, Davis Instruments, California) have been published. Thus, five Davis gauges were dynamically calibrated under different constant intensities of inflow and a correction equation was derived. The derived correction equation for the Davis rain gauge is V = −0.2005Q2 + 0.702Q + 1 (R2 = 0.95, p < 0.001), where V is the actual volume of a single tip scaled by the static volume of single tip c (cm3 cm−3), and Q is actual inflow scaled by c (s−1). The Davis rain gauge was then compared to the Onset rain gauge and the Ota rain gauge, and the corrections were applied to field observation data of canopy interception loss from a temperate forest in Japan. It is necessary to apply corrections to gross rainfall and throughfall data by tipping-bucket gauges because the results reveal that such corrections change the actual interception loss computed by values from −20% to 40%, depending on the combination of gauges employed. This difference is not trivial. The systematic bias of the Davis gauge is larger than the Onset and Ota gauges. Thus, it is recommended that researchers using Davis rain gauges apply the dynamically calibrated correction equation presented here to ensure more reliable estimates of gross rainfall and canopy interception loss.
Periaortic Adipose Tissue Compared With Peribrachial Adipose Tissue Mass as Markers and Possible Modulators of Cardiometabolic Risk
Authors: Randrianarisoa Elko , Stefan Norbert , Fritsche Andreas , Reis-Damaschke Nadja , Hieronimus Anja , Balletshofer Bernd , Machann Jürgen , Siegel-Axel Dorothea , Häring Hans-Ulrich , Rittig Kilian
Published: February 2018

Increased perivascular fat mass contributes to cardiometabolic risk (CMR). High peribrachial adipose tissue (PBAT) associates with insulin resistance independently of established CMR parameters. It is unknown to what extent periaortic adipose tissue (PAAT) may have a similar impact. In 95 participants, precise quantification of total adipose tissue, PBAT, PAAT, visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and liver fat (LF) content was performed by whole-body magnetic resonance imaging. Insulin sensitivity was determined by oral glucose tolerance test and carotid intima–media thickness (cIMT) by high-resolution ultrasound. In univariate analyses, PAAT correlated with PBAT (β = .65, P < .0001). A negative correlation of PAAT (β = −.35, P = .0002) and PBAT (β = −.43, P < .0001) with insulin sensitivity was observed. While in a stepwise forward regression analysis the relationship of PAAT with insulin sensitivity was no longer significant after adjustment for VAT, LF content, and other CMR factors ( P = 0.42), PBAT still correlated with insulin sensitivity ( r2 = .35, P = .01). The association between PAAT and cIMT (β = .49, P < .0001) remained significant after adjustment for these variables ( r2 = .42, P = .0001). Although PAAT and PBAT strongly correlate, PAAT is not associated with insulin resistance, but with cIMT. Therefore, PAAT and PBAT may act differently as possible modulators of insulin resistance and subclinical atherosclerosis.
A multiscale approach for modelling impact on woven composites under consideration of the fabric topology
Authors: Schwab Martin , Todt Melanie , Pettermann Heinz E
Published: February 2018

A computationally efficient multiscale modelling approach for predicting impact damage within fabric reinforced laminated composites is presented. In contrast to common ply-level approaches, the topology of a multi-layered fabric reinforced laminate is resolved at tow-level for a sub-domain embedded in a shell layer with homogenised representation of the laminate. The detailed sub-domain is entirely modelled using shell elements, where material nonlinearities such as damage and plasticity-like behaviour of the tows, inelastic behaviour of unreinforced resin zones up to failure and delamination between plies are accounted for. To exemplify the capabilities of the approach, an explicit finite element simulation of a laminated plate consisting of eight carbon fabric reinforced epoxy plies with eight harness satin weaving style in a drop weight impact test setup is conducted. The spatial and temporal distribution of intra- and inter-ply damage is predicted and the total energy absorption by the plate, as well as the contributions of individual damage mechanisms are evaluated. The predictions show very good agreement with corresponding experimental data from the literature and give insight into the impact behaviour of the laminate beyond the capability of usual experiments. The new approach allows to resolve the stress concentrations due to fabric topology in detail. Compared to common ply-level approaches this is reflected in different predicted energy absorptions per mechanism although, the total energy absorption hardly differs. This is especially important when the post impact behaviour of laminates is predicted as it is strongly influenced by the extent of the individual damage mechanisms.
Measuring the landscape of civil war
Authors: Douglass Rex W , Harkness Kristen A
Published: February 2018

Subnational conflict research increasingly utilizes georeferenced event datasets to understand contentious politics and violence. Yet, how exactly locations are mapped to particular geographies, especially from unstructured text sources such as newspaper reports and archival records, remains opaque and few best practices exist for guiding researchers through the subtle but consequential decisions made during geolocation. We begin to address this gap by developing a systematic approach to georeferencing that articulates the strategies available, empirically diagnoses problems of bias created by both the data generating process and researcher-controlled tasks, and provides new generalizable tools for simultaneously optimizing both the recovery and accuracy of coordinates. We then empirically evaluate our process and tools against new micro-level data on the Mau Mau rebellion (colonial Kenya 1952–60), drawn from 20,000 pages of recently declassified British military intelligence reports. By leveraging a subset of these data that includes map codes alongside natural language location descriptions, we demonstrate how inappropriately georeferencing data can have important downstream consequences in terms of systematically biasing coefficients or altering statistical significance and how our tools can help alleviate these problems.
How can financial incentives promote local ownership of onshore wind and solar projects? Case study evidence from Germany, Denmark, the UK and Ontario
Authors: Curtin Joseph , McInerney Celine , Johannsdottir Lara
Published: February 2018

Mobilising citizens as investors in local solar photovoltaic and onshore wind energy projects can help meet climate objectives, generate local development opportunities, and build social support for low carbon transition. This can be achieved through the introduction of financial incentives attractive to local actors. To investigate what types of financial incentives are effective at the feasibility, development, construction, and operation stages of project development, we undertake a comparative case study of their use in Denmark; Germany; the UK; and Ontario, Canada. We find that a requirement for incentives such as grants and soft loans at the feasibility and development stages is a distinguishing feature of projects with citizen involvement, reflecting their greater risk aversion, lack of technical experience and financial capacity, and their inability to balance risk across a portfolio of projects. At later project stages, market-independent supports (feed in tariffs, grants, and tax incentives) have been effective in mobilising investment, but market-based supports (feed in premiums and quota schemes) can also be tailored to the specific needs of local community actors. These findings add a new dimension to the growing academic and policy debate about how Governments can effectively mobilise investment from local communities and citizens in distributed renewable technologies.
Sex differences in pericardial adipose tissue assessed by PET/CT and association with cardiometabolic risk
Authors: Gill Corey M , Azevedo Debora C , Oliveira Adriana L , Martinez-Salazar Edgar L , Torriani Martin , Bredella Miriam A
Published: February 2018

Background

Recent studies suggest that pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is associated with whole body adiposity and insulin resistance. Moreover, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) differs between men and women. Although CVD is more prevalent in men, women suffering from CVD have a higher mortality compared to men. Differences in PAT may account for some of the observed sex differences in manifestations of CVD.

Purpose

To assess pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) as a biomarker for cardiometabolic risk and to assess potential sex differences.

Material and Methods

We studied 303 individuals (151 women, 152 men; mean age = 57 ± 17 years) across the weight spectrum. PAT and abdominal adipose tissue were quantified using clinical computed tomography (CT) scans obtained as part of a positron emission tomography (PET)/CT. Cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed from medical records. Linear regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to evaluate associations between PAT and cardiometabolic risk.

Results

PAT was higher in overweight and obese individuals compared to lean individuals and higher in men compared to women. PAT was positively associated with body mass index, abdominal fat ( P < 0.0001), fasting glucose, and serum lipids ( P < 0.05) with stronger associations in women than in men. PAT was accurate in detecting the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome with 74% sensitivity and 76% specificity (AUC = 0.80).

Conclusion

PAT is associated with measures of cardiometabolic risk and these associations are stronger in women compared to men. PAT could serve as a biomarker for opportunistic screening for cardiometabolic risk in patients undergoing chest CT.
In vitro anti-influenza virus effect of total flavonoid from Trollius ledebouri Reichb
Authors: Liu Yongping , Tong Jiming , Tong Ying , Li Ping , Cui Xiaolan , Cao Hongbao
Published: February 2018

Objective

To investigate the in vitro antivirus effect of total flavonoid from Trollius ledebouri Reichb (TFTLR).

Methods

Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and Human epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cell lines were used to test the antivirus effect of TFTLR on nine virus subtypes: four H1N1, one H3N2, and four other subtypes prevalent in North China. Tamiflu, Ribavirin and Lianhua Qingwen were used as active comparators. Comprehensive molecular pathway analyses of TFTLR-H1N1 and TFTLR-H3N2 relationships were also conducted.

Results

TFTLR inhibited MDCK cell lesions induced by H1N1 subtypes (A/FM1/1/47, A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 H1N1, A1/Tianjin Jinnan/15/2009, and A/Brisbane/59/2007) and by the H3N2 Brisbane/10/2009 strain. TFTLR inhibitory concentration (IC)50 values against these viruses were 0.13, 0.07, 0.06, 0.14, and 0.07 mg/ml, respectively; and therapeutic index (TI) values were 8.62, 16.0, 18.67, 8.0, and 16.0, respectively. TFTLR showed no effect on parainfluenza virus type 1, herpes simplex virus type 1, respiratory syncytial virus, and coxsackie group B virus type 4. Pathway analysis revealed possible functional therapeutic mechanisms for TFTLR against H1N1 and H3N2 infections.

Conclusion

TFTLR may represent a potential therapeutic agent against influenza A subtypes H1N1 and H3N2 that are prevalent in North China, and should be investigated further.
Accumulation of Laforin and Other Related Proteins in Canine Lafora Disease With EPM2B Repeat Expansion
Authors: Chambers James K. , Thongtharb Atigan , Shiga Takanori , Azakami Daigo , Saito Miyoko , Sato Masumi , Morozumi Motoji , Nakayama Hiroyuki , Uchida Kazuyuki
Published: February 2018

Canine Lafora disease (LD) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder causing nonfatal structural epilepsy, mainly affecting miniature wirehaired dachshunds. Repeat expansion in the EPM2B gene causes a functional impairment of the ubiquitin ligase malin which regulates glycogen metabolism. Abnormally structured glycogen accumulates and develop polyglucosan bodies predominantly in the central nervous system. The authors performed a comprehensive clinical, genetic, and pathological study of 4 LD cases affecting miniature wirehaired dachshund dogs with EPM2B repeat expansions, with systemic distribution of polyglucosan bodies and accumulation of laforin and other functionally associated proteins in the polyglucosan bodies. Myoclonic seizures first appeared at 7–9 years of age, and the dogs died at 14–16 years of age. Immunohistochemistry for calbindin revealed that the polyglucosan bodies were located in the cell bodies and dendritic processes of Purkinje cells. Polyglucosan bodies were also positive for laforin, hsp70, α/β-synuclein, ubiquitin, LC3, and p62. Laforin-positive polyglucosan bodies were located in neurofilament-positive neurons but not in GFAP-positive astrocytes. In nonneural tissues, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive polyglucosan bodies were observed in the heart, skeletal muscle, liver, apocrine sweat gland, and smooth muscle layer of the urinary bladder. In the skeletal muscle, polyglucosan bodies were observed only in type 1 fibers and not in type 2 fibers. The results indicate that although the repeat expansion of the EPM2B gene is specific to dogs, the immunohistochemical properties of polyglucosan body in canine LD are comparable to human LD. However, important phenotypic variations exist between the 2 species including the affected skeletal muscle fiber type.
Perceived Job and Labor Market Insecurity in the United States: An Assessment of Workers’ Attitudes From 2002 to 2014
Authors: Lowe Travis Scott
Published: February 2018

The distinction between perceived job insecurity (workers’ assessment of their likelihood of losing their job) and perceived labor market insecurity (workers’ assessment of their ability to find another job similar to their current position) is important because the theoretical primacy of perceived job insecurity is diminished in the context of the risk regime, presenting a need for work that identifies whether the traditional factors of security still protect workers from feeling insecure. The author addresses this need by analyzing data from the Quality of Working Life module of the General Social Survey, which was asked of respondents in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. The author finds that while characteristics of secure work are still associated with lower perceived job insecurity, most tend to increase perceived labor market insecurity. The author also finds that the Great Recession produced higher levels of perceived labor market insecurity. These findings suggest that jobs previously considered to be “good” jobs such as government and union jobs may be more of a liability than an asset in the context of decreased employer–worker attachment.
Beliefs About Sexual Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Adolescents in South Africa
Authors: Pöllänen Katri , de Vries Hein , Mathews Catherine , Schneider Francine , de Vries Petrus J.
Published: February 2018

Sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) is a public health problem worldwide. Research regarding beliefs about perpetrating sexual IPV is, however, limited. This study investigated attitudes, social influence, and self-efficacy beliefs and intentions toward perpetrating sexual IPV among Grade 8 adolescents ( M age = 13.73, SD = 1.04) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The study sample was taken from the baseline data of the Promoting sexual and reproductive health among adolescents in Southern and Eastern Africa (PREPARE) study, a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Young adolescents ( N = 2,199), from 42 randomly selected high schools, participated in the study and answered a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Multivariate ANOVA were conducted to assess differences in beliefs and intention toward perpetrating sexual IPV between boys and girls, and between perpetrators and nonperpetrators. Results showed that boys were more frequently perpetrators (11.3% vs. 3.2%) and victims (13.6% vs. 6.4%) of sexual IPV than girls. Boys’ attitudes toward perpetrating sexual IPV were more supportive than girls’. Boys perceived their social network to be more likely to think that putting pressure on a boyfriend or girlfriend to have sex is okay, and boys had a lower self-efficacy to refrain from pressuring a boyfriend or girlfriend to have sex compared with girls. Both boys and girls, who have perpetrated sexual IPV, had more tolerant attitude, social influence, and self-efficacy beliefs toward sexual IPV perpetration, compared with nonperpetrators. Intention not to perpetrate sexual IPV did not differ between boys and girls, or between perpetrators and nonperpetrators. Our findings suggest that interventions should address attitude and social influence beliefs regarding sexual IPV perpetration. More attention should be given to sexual IPV perpetration among boys. Given that sexual IPV victimization and perpetration are significantly linked, prevention of sexual IPV perpetration seems to be of utmost importance.
Strategic Thinkers and Positioned Choices: Parental Decision Making in Urban School Choice
Authors: Ellison Scott , Aloe Ariel M.
Published: February 2018

The economic logic of urban school reform holds that giving parents school choice options in an educational marketplace will lead to systemic improvements that will both resolve historical inequalities in American public schooling and will politically empower parents and urban communities. This article explores the economic logic of urban school reform policies that conceptualize parents as rational consumers of educational services and that seek normative justification for school choice as a mechanism to resolve educational inequalities and as a form of political empowerment. We do so through a qualitative research synthesis of five studies investigating the lived experiences of predominantly working-class parents of color as they navigate urban school choice. The findings from this synthesis suggest that the economic logic at work in the new politics of education obfuscates the complexity of the lived experiences of parents in urban communities. Parents hold nuanced views of urban school choice that reflect their positionality, report a limited or circumscribed form of empowerment, and express a preference for equitable learning opportunities in their locally zoned public schools.
Economic and environmental implications of the recent energy transition on South Korea’s electricity sector
Authors: Kim Hana
Published: February 2018

South Korea’s electricity sector is at a crossroads. A transition to a safer and more ecologically friendly electricity system, one that would reduce dependence on coal and nuclear power plants and produce more electricity from new and renewable energy, is being suggested and actively discussed. Changes to these two pillars of the electricity sector, which have enabled a reliable and affordable electricity supply, present environmental and economic concerns. Will this shift adversely affect the electricity sector’s greenhouse gas emissions? Will this change be economically feasible? To answer these questions, this study explored the environmental and economic implications of changes in the South Korean electricity sector using the Long-range Energy Alternative Planning model. Despite using very conservative assumptions about the generation of new and renewable energy, the study found an economically feasible path that would yield less greenhouse gas emissions than the reference scenario. This path, which involved closing old coal-fired power plants, phasing out nuclear power, and reducing demand, shed light on the green shift in the electricity sector. Decreasing electricity demands should be discussed and considered along with this change. The study’s implications could apply to other countries as they investigate the economic and environmental implications of various policy options for transitioning to safer and more ecologically friendly sources of electricity.
Immigrants and poverty, and conditionality of immigrants’ social rights
Authors: Eugster Beatrice
Published: February 2018

It is not only immigration and the incorporation of immigrants into society that serve as challenges for post-industrialised countries, but also rising inequality and poverty. This article focuses on both issues and proposes a new theoretical perspective on the determinants of immigrant poverty. Building on comparative welfare state research and international migration literature, I argue that immigrants’ social rights – here understood as their access to paid employment and welfare benefits – condition the impact which both the labour market and welfare system have on immigrants’ poverty. The empirical analysis is based on a newly collected dataset on immigrants’ social rights in 19 advanced industrialised countries. The findings confirm the hypotheses: more regulated minimum wage setting institutions and generous traditional family programmes reduce immigrants’ poverty more strongly in countries where they are granted easier access to paid employment and social benefits.
Optimal energy management strategy of a hybrid electric vehicle considering engine noise
Authors: Aliramezani M , Khademnahvi M , Delkhosh M
Published: February 2018

Noise emission from vehicles in urban transportation has become of interest for researchers in addition to the engine exhaust gas emissions due to its significant effect on public health. In this work, an optimal energy management strategy is proposed for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) by taking the effect of engine noise into account. The engine noise is calculated based on a pressure-based combustion noise model at different operating points of a 1.5 L gasoline engine. The optimal operating points of the engine are defined using the calculated engine noise from in-cylinder pressure data and experimental data of brake specific fuel consumption (FC). A modification on the electric assist control strategy is proposed to mask the engine noise below the road noise. The modified strategy is then optimized for different driving cycles. Comparison of the results demonstrates that the proposed modification not only masks the engine noise below the road noise, but also reduces the vehicle FC.
The role of extended/outpatient venous thromboembolism prophylaxis after abdominal surgery for cancer or inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Farrow Norma E , Aboagye Jonathan K , Lau Brandyn D , Najjar Peter , Orgill Dennis P , Popoola Victor O , Kraus Peggy S , Hobson Deborah B , Shaffer Dauryne L , Safar Bashar , Gearhart Susan , Efron Jonathan E , Streiff Michael B , Haut Elliott R
Published: February 2018

Background

Current guidelines recommend in-hospital venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for many patients and extended/outpatient prophylaxis in high-risk patients undergoing abdomino-pelvic surgery for cancer. Despite these guidelines, extended venous thromboembolism prophylaxis is not used uniformly at all institutions. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of postdischarge prophylaxis practices at two academic medical centers on the rate of postdischarge venous thromboembolism.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Hospital’s American College of Surgeons, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program registries from 1 August 2014 to 30 June 2015. Brigham and Women’s Hospital patients received four weeks supply of extended/outpatient venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, while Johns Hopkins Hospital patients did not. We determined the proportion of patients in each cohort that developed venous thromboembolism within 30 days of surgery.

Results

Four hundred and eighty-nine patients underwent abdominal surgery for cancer and inflammatory bowel disease; 181 (37.0%) patients from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and 308 (63.0%) patients from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Fourteen patients developed postoperative venous thromboembolism. Seven patients developed in-hospital venous thromboembolism and seven developed venous thromboembolism postdischarge. All postdischarge venous thromboembolism occurred in the Johns Hopkins group, and this difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0498). There was no difference in postdischarge bleeding rates between the groups.

Conclusions

Extended prophylaxis likely prevents postdischarge venous thromboembolism after major abdominal surgery without an increased risk of bleeding.
Conners 3–Self-Report Scale: An empirical support to the dimensionality of the content scales
Authors: Izzo Viola Angela , Donati Maria Anna , Primi Caterina
Published: February 2018

The Conners’ Rating Scales are one of the most used instruments for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Nonetheless, in the latest edition, the Inattention scale was not statistically supported. This study examined the dimensionality of the Italian version of the Conners 3–Self-Report scale testing both a five-factor structure including Inattention and a four-factor model combining Inattention and Learning Problems. Moreover, the generalizability of the detected structure through measurement invariance was verified. The Italian version of the scale was completed by 971 children (53% males, mean age: 12.76 years) randomly split in a calibration sample ( n = 464) and a validation sample ( n = 507). Confirmatory factor analyses detected a five-factor structure (i.e. Inattention, Hyperactivity/Impulsivity, Learning Problems, Defiance/Aggression, and Family Relations), and measurement invariance was confirmed. Findings provided statistical evidence for the Inattention subscale, supporting the Conners 3–Self-Report Scale as effectively aimed to assess the two dimensions of ADHD and its main comorbid difficulties.
Hemodynamic impingement and the initiation of intracranial side-wall aneurysms
Authors: Riccardello Gerald J , Changa Abhinav R , Al-Mufti Fawaz , Singh I Paul , Gandhi Chirag , Roman Max , Prestigiacomo Charles J
Published: February 2018

Objective

The natural history intracranial aneurysms (IA) remains poorly understood despite significant morbidity and mortality associated with IA rupture. Hemodynamic impingement resulting in elevations in wall shear stress and wall shear stress gradient (WSSG) has been shown to induce aneurysmal remodeling at arterial bifurcations. We investigate the hemodynamic environment specific to side-wall pre-aneurysmal vasculature. We hypothesize that fluid impingement and secondary flow patterns play a role in side-wall aneurysm initiation.

Methods

Eight side-wall internal carotid artery aneurysms from the Aneurisk repository were identified. Pre-aneurysmal vasculature was algorithmically reconstructed. Blood flow was simulated with computational fluid dynamic simulations. An indicator of isolated fluid impingement energy was developed by insetting the vessel surface and calculating the impinging component of the fluid dynamic pressure.

Results

Isolated fluid impingement was found to be elevated in the area of aneurysm initiation in 8/8 cases. The underlying fluid flow for each area of initiation was found to harbor secondary flow patterns known as Dean’s vortices, the result of changes in momentum imparted by bends in the internal carotid artery (ICA).

Conclusion

Isolated fluid impingement and secondary flow patterns may play a major role in the initiation of side-wall aneurysm initiation. We are unable to determine if this role is through direct or indirect mechanisms but hypothesize that elevations in isolated fluid impingement mark areas of cerebral vasculature that are at risk for aneurysm initiation. Thus, this indicator provides vascular locations to focus future study of side-wall aneurysm initiation.
The effects of strategic compensation on teacher retention
Authors: Colson Tori L , Satterfield Clint
Published: February 2018

This study examined the effects of strategic teacher compensation on the retention of teachers in a voluntary participation plan, especially the participation of hard-to-staff special education, high school mathematics, high school science, and high school language teachers. The first research question conducted a one-way chi-square analysis to determine if the observed retention rates of highly effective teachers were significantly different compared to the retention rates of highly effective teachers who elected to remain compensated by the traditional salary schedule. The study found no significant difference in the retention of highly effective teachers who were compensated by the district’s new strategic compensation plan compared to the retention of highly effective teachers who elected to remain compensated by the traditional salary schedule. The second research question conducted a one-way chi-square analysis to examine strategic compensation plan favorability among hard-to-staff special education, high school mathematics, high school science, and high school language teachers; it examined the voluntary strategic plan participation of hard-to-staff teachers compared to the voluntary strategic plan participation of non-hard-to-staff teachers. The study’s results revealed inconclusive findings between voluntary strategic compensation plan participation rates and hard-to-staff and non-hard-to-staff teachers, therefore concluding that the district’s strategic compensation plan was no more favorable to hard-to-staff teachers than to non-hard-to-staff teachers.
Isomorphism through algorithms: Institutional dependencies in the case of Facebook
Authors: Caplan Robyn , boyd danah
Published: February 2018

Algorithms and data-driven technologies are increasingly being embraced by a variety of different sectors and institutions. This paper examines how algorithms and data-driven technologies, enacted by an organization like Facebook, can induce similarity across an industry. Using theories from organizational sociology and neoinstitutionalism, this paper traces the bureaucratic roots of Big Data and algorithms to examine the institutional dependencies that emerge and are mediated through data-driven and algorithmic logics. This type of analysis sheds light on how organizational contexts are embedded into algorithms, which can then become embedded within other organizational and individual practices. By investigating technical practices as organizational and bureaucratic, discussions about accountability and decision-making can be reframed.
Data Sharing in Psychology: A Survey on Barriers and Preconditions
Authors: Houtkoop Bobby Lee , Chambers Chris , Macleod Malcolm , Bishop Dorothy V. M. , Nichols Thomas E. , Wagenmakers Eric-Jan
Published: February 2018

Despite its potential to accelerate academic progress in psychological science, public data sharing remains relatively uncommon. In order to discover the perceived barriers to public data sharing and possible means for lowering them, we conducted a survey, which elicited responses from 600 authors of articles in psychology. The results confirmed that data are shared only infrequently. Perceived barriers included respondents’ belief that sharing is not a common practice in their fields, their preference to share data only upon request, their perception that sharing requires extra work, and their lack of training in sharing data. Our survey suggests that strong encouragement from institutions, journals, and funders will be particularly effective in overcoming these barriers, in combination with educational materials that demonstrate where and how data can be shared effectively.
Effects of price discount on consumers’ perceptions of savings, quality, and value for apparel products: mediating effect of price discount affect
Authors: Lee Jung Eun , Chen-Yu Jessie H.
Published: February 2018

Extending the price–quality–value model (Monroe and Krishnan in The perception of merchandise and store quality 209–232, 1985) and means-end model (Zeithaml in J Mark 52:2–22, 1988), we developed a conceptual model to investigate the mediating role of price discount affect (feeling aroused by price discounts) in the relationship between price discounts and consumers’ perceptions (perceived savings, quality, and value) and in the relationship between perceived value and purchase intentions in the context of online apparel products. A between-subject experimental design with four levels of price discounts (10, 30, 50, and 70%) was used. Jeans were selected as the product stimulus. Web pages were developed to create a fictional online store and to collect data. A total of 209 usable responses were collected by a research firm in the United States, and structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results showed that price discount affect played an important mediating role in the relationship between price discounts and consumers’ perceptions. When the direct effect of price discounts on perceived quality was examined, consumers perceived the apparel product with higher discounts as lower quality (i.e., a negative direct relationship). However, when price discount affect served as a mediator, the feelings created by a price discount led to a positive perception of product quality (i.e., a positive indirect relationship). By considering the influence of price discount affect, our model provides a better understanding of the effect of price discounts on consumers’ perceptions of apparel products.
Models to Predict Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among Patients With Cancer Undergoing Systemic Anticancer Therapy: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Hwang Jessica P. , Lok Anna S. , Fisch Michael J. , Cantor Scott B. , Barbo Andrea , Lin Heather Y. , Foreman Jessica T. , Vierling John M. , Torres Harrys A. , Granwehr Bruno P. , Miller Ethan , Eng Cathy , Simon George R. , Ahmed Sairah , Ferrajoli Alessandra , Romaguera Jorge , Suarez-Almazor Maria E.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Most patients with cancer are not screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection before undergoing anticancer therapy, and optimal screening strategies are unknown. We sought to develop selective HBV screening strategies for patients who require systemic anticancer therapy.

Methods

This prospective cohort study included adults age ≥ 18 years with solid or hematologic malignancies who received systemic anticancer therapy at a comprehensive cancer center during 2013 and 2014. Patients underwent hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis B core antibody, and hepatitis B surface antibody testing, and completed a 19-question modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HBV survey. Multivariable models that predict chronic or past HBV infection were developed and validated using bootstrapping.

Results

A total of 2,124 patients (mean age, 58 ± 13 years) completed the risk survey and HBV testing. Of these, 54% were women; 77% were non-Hispanic white, 11% Hispanic, 8% black, and 4% Asian; and 20% had a hematologic malignancy and 80% a solid tumor. Almost 12% were born outside the United States. The prevalence was 0.3% for chronic HBV infection and 6% for past HBV infection. Significant predictors of positive hepatitis B surface antigen or hepatitis B core antibody tests were as follows: men who had sex with men, black or Asian race, birthplace outside the United States, parent’s birthplace outside the United States, household exposure to HBV, age ≥ 50 years, and history of injection drug use. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the model on the basis of these seven predictors was 0.79 (95% CI, 0.73 to 0.82). The modified CDC survey and brief tools with fewer than seven questions yielded similar false-negative rates (0% and 0% to 0.7%, respectively).

Conclusion

An internally validated risk tool performed as well as the modified CDC survey; however, more than 90% of patients who completed the tool would still require HBV testing. Universal HBV testing is more efficient than risk-based screening.
Differential immune-gene expression in sperm storage organs of leaf-cutting ants
Authors: Chérasse Sarah , Baer Boris , Schiøtt Morten , Boomsma Jacobus J.
Published: February 2018

Leaf-cutting ant queens mate with multiple males during a single nuptial flight and store sperm for up to two decades. During mating, males transfer sperm from their accessory testes to the queen bursa copulatrix from where it enters the spermatheca, an insect sperm storage organ that has become highly specialised in long-lived ant queens who never re-mate later in life. Long-term storage without the possibility to obtain new sperm creates an immune defence dilemma, because recognition of non-self cells eliminates infections but may also target irreplaceable sperm and reduce lifetime reproductive success. We therefore hypothesised that non-specific immune responses, like pathogen melanisation, should be silenced in the spermatheca, because they rely on general non-self recognition, but that specific responses such as antimicrobial peptides are activated instead because they specifically target pathogenic bacteria and/or fungi. The maintenance of uninfected sperm cells by males before mating is not constrained by non-self recognition meaning immune regulation might be more liberal in male reproductive organs. To test this hypothesis, we measured gene expression of two antimicrobial peptides, abaecin and defensin, and prophenoloxidase, an important enzyme of the melanisation pathway, in male accessory glands and testes and in queen bursae copulatrix and spermathecae of Acromyrmex echinatior and Atta colombica leaf-cutting ants. As expected, prophenoloxidase expression was low in reproductive organs that sustain prolonged contact with sperm whereas antimicrobial peptides showed average to high expression, indicating that leaf-cutting ants invest in specific rather than generalist immune defences for pathogen protection in organs that store sperm.