bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular stability of a vaccine strain of Canine coronavirus after serial passages in A72 cells
Authors: Barros Iracema Nunes de , Silva Sheila Oliveira de Souza , Tanikawi Sueli Akemi , Brandão Paulo Eduardo
Published: May 2017

O Coronavírus canino (CCoV) ocorre como tipos I e II e infecta cães, levando principalmente a enterite, apesar do tipo II já ter sido associado à infecção generalizada e altamente letal. Uma vacina de CCoV-II inativada produzida em células caninas A72 é disponível mundialmente e largamente utilizada, apesar da sua estabilidade molecular após passagens seriadas de sementes vacinais ser desconhecida. Este artigo relata a evolução da amostra vacinal CCoC-II 1-71 em células A-72 com base em sequenciamento parcial do gene S, demonstrando predomínio de evolução neutra e a ocorrência de quaro sítios sob seleção purificante. Portanto, amostras de CCoV-II adaptadas a cultivos celulares podem ser estáveis geneticamente após passagens seriadas em uma mesma linhagem celular devido à existência de uma relação estável vírus-hospedeiro.
Procedimentos ômicos aplicados em qualidade e segurança de pescado
Authors: Monteiro Maria Lúcia Guerra , Mársico Eliane Teixeira , Conte Junior Carlos Adam
Published: May 2017

Os procedimentos ômicos são uma nova tecnologia que utiliza a genômica, proteômica e metabolômica para avaliar metabólitos dos alimentos. A demanda mundial de pescado tem aumentado progressivamente devido à elevada qualidade de proteínas, minerais e ácidos graxos poli-insaturados, especialmente ômega-3. Todavia, a cadeia produtiva aquícola apresenta limitações como falta de padronização, ausência de conhecimento e transferência de tecnologia para as indústrias. Além disso, torna-se difícil garantir um monitoramento efetivo do pescado em decorrência das limitações dos parâmetros de qualidade atuais e dos métodos analíticos estabelecidos pela legislação nacional. O presente trabalho analisa os fatores limitantes relacionados aos parâmetros químicos, bem como os avanços recentes nos procedimentos analíticos, para determinação da qualidade do pescado. Levando-se em consideração a melhoria no controle de qualidade dessa matriz, os parâmetros de bases voláteis totais (BVT), trimetilamina (TMA), amônia, pH e aminas biogênicas deveriam ser revisados e estabelecidos por categorias de pescado e/ou por tipo de produto à base de pescado. Em contrapartida, parâmetros relacionados à concentração de carbonilas, ácidos graxos livres (AGLs), índice de peróxidos (IP) e malonaldeído (MDA) poderiam ser inseridos na legislação nacional. Simultaneamente, as autoridades oficiais devem levar em consideração metodologias analíticas que apresentem efetividade, praticidade, baixo custo e rapidez, facilitando e aprimorando o controle de qualidade de produtos de pescado e garantindo a saúde dos consumidores. Além disso, técnicas analíticas  para identificação das espécies de peixes devem ser incluídas na legislação brasileira visando evitar substituições ilegais e impactos negativos aos consumidores.
Orthostatic Hypotension and Risk of Incident Dementia
Authors: Cremer Antoine , Soumaré Aicha , Berr Claudine , Dartigues Jean-François , Gabelle Audrey , Gosse Philippe , Tzourio Christophe
Published: May 2017

Several studies indicate a potential link between orthostatic hypotension (OH) and incident dementia but without substantial evidence to date. Our objective is to study the association between OH and dementia in a cohort of elderly individuals. To do so, baseline lying and standing blood pressure measurements were taken from 7425 subjects in the Three-City study. These subjects were then followed-up for 12 years. Cox proportional hazard models, adjusted for potential confounders, were used to estimate the risk of incident dementia according to OH status. Sensitivity analysis was performed using the so-called illness-death model, a specific statistical method which takes into account competitive risk with death. OH frequency was found to be around 13%, and 760 cases of dementia were diagnosed during follow-up. We observed significant associations between the presence of OH at baseline and the occurrence of dementia during the follow-up, with an increased risk of at least 25% observed regardless of the OH threshold and the statistical method used. In conclusion, there is an association between OH and dementia. Considering that OH is a common condition and is easy to measure, OH measurements could help to identify subjects with higher risk of dementia. Moreover, reducing OH could be a step to prevent conversion to dementia.
Association Between Endometriosis and Hypercholesterolemia or Hypertension
Authors: Mu Fan , Rich-Edwards Janet , Rimm Eric B. , Spiegelman Donna , Forman John P. , Missmer Stacey A.
Published: May 2017

An altered hormonal or chronic systemic inflammatory milieu characterizing endometriosis may result in a higher risk of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Conversely, elevated low-density lipoprotein in hypercholesterolemia and chronic systemic inflammation resulting from hypertension may increase the risk of endometriosis. We assessed the association of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis with hypercholesterolemia and hypertension in a large prospective cohort study. In 1989, 116 430 registered female nurses aged 25 to 42 completed the baseline questionnaire and were followed for 20 years. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were applied. In 1989, there were 4244 women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis and 91 554 women without. After adjusting for demographic, anthropometric, family history, reproductive, dietary, and lifestyle risk factors prospectively, comparing women with laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis to women without, the relative risks were 1.25 (95% confidence interval, 1.21–1.30) for development of hypercholesterolemia and 1.14 (95% confidence interval, 1.09–1.18) for hypertension. Conversely, the relative risks of developing laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis were 1.22 (95% confidence interval, 1.15–1.31) comparing women with hypercholesterolemia to women without and 1.29 (95% confidence interval, 1.18–1.41) comparing women with hypertension to women without. The strength of associations of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis with hypercholesterolemia or hypertension was strongest among women aged ≤40 and weakened as age increased (
P
values for interaction <0.001). We observed that ≈45% of the associations between endometriosis and hypercholesterolemia and hypertension could be accounted for by treatment factors after endometriosis diagnosis, including greater frequency of hysterectomy/oophorectomy and earlier age for this surgery. In this large cohort study, laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis was prospectively associated with increased risk of hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Conversely, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension were prospectively associated with higher risk of laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis.
The Role of Domestic Institutions and FDI on Innovation—Evidence from Chinese Firms
Authors: Qu Yi , Wei Yingqi
Published: May 2017

This paper investigates the enabling factors of domestic institutions and foreign direct investment (FDI) on firm innovation in China. China has made significant institutional changes and has attracted substantial FDI, aiming to facilitate domestic innovation. Drawing on the institution-based view, we investigate how domestic institutions and FDI affect firm innovation. The results from a comparative case study of five Chinese firms and a large-sample econometric analysis based on Chinese firms reveal the positive impact of domestic institutions on innovation, but FDI is shown to have negligible effects. We argue that, given China's institutional setting, FDI may be a channel for technology transfer but this does not necessarily lead to innovation.
Price Regulation and Tacit Collusion in the Interbank Electronic Bulk and Retail Credit Transfer Services: Thailand's Experience
Authors: Nikomborirak Deunden
Published: May 2017

Price control is often perceived as a convenient tool to protect consumers’ interest as it is simple and visible. However, when the state sets a maximum price of a product or service in a potentially competitive market, it may unintentionally undermine competition in the market and may even facilitate tacit price collusion. This paper illustrates such regulatory fallacy in the case of the electronic interbank credit transfer service in Thailand, where the Bank of Thailand sets the maximum rates that a commercial bank may charge its customers. It also provides a follow-up of the central bank's regulatory amendments following the findings of the report.
Asset-based Reserve Requirements in a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium Model
Authors: Kang Tae Soo , Suh Hyunduk
Published: May 2017

We discuss the macroeconomic effects of asset-based reserve requirements (ABRR) in a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model. In contrast to the conventional reserve requirement system, ABRR impose reserve requirements on financial institutions’ asset holdings. The policy can be used for macro prudential purposes to reduce pro-cyclicality of financial institutions. Using a financial friction New Keynesian model based on Meh and Moran ( 2010 ), we show that ABRR can be a more effective instrument in the presence of sector-specific shocks than the Basel-III type countercyclical capital buffer. The reason is that the former policy can adjust the asset return of the specific sector hit by the shock, whereas the latter does not have such sector-specific treatment.
Support Vector Algorithms for Optimizing the Partial Area under the ROC Curve
Authors: Narasimhan Harikrishna , Agarwal Shivani
Published: May 2017

The area under the ROC curve (AUC) is a widely used performance measure in machine learning. Increasingly, however, in several applications, ranging from ranking to biometric screening to medicine, performance is measured not in terms of the full area under the ROC curve but in terms of the partial area under the ROC curve between two false-positive rates. In this letter, we develop support vector algorithms for directly optimizing the partial AUC between any two false-positive rates. Our methods are based on minimizing a suitable proxy or surrogate objective for the partial AUC error. In the case of the full AUC, one can readily construct and optimize convex surrogates by expressing the performance measure as a summation of pairwise terms. The partial AUC, on the other hand, does not admit such a simple decomposable structure, making it more challenging to design and optimize (tight) convex surrogates for this measure.

Our approach builds on the structural SVM framework of Joachims ( 2005 ) to design convex surrogates for partial AUC and solves the resulting optimization problem using a cutting plane solver. Unlike the full AUC, where the combinatorial optimization needed in each iteration of the cutting plane solver can be decomposed and solved efficiently, the corresponding problem for the partial AUC is harder to decompose. One of our main contributions is a polynomial time algorithm for solving the combinatorial optimization problem associated with partial AUC. We also develop an approach for optimizing a tighter nonconvex hinge loss–based surrogate for the partial AUC using difference-of-convex programming. Our experiments on a variety of real-world and benchmark tasks confirm the efficacy of the proposed methods.
Testing the functionality of precloacal secretions from both sexes in the South American lizard, Liolaemus chiliensis
Authors: Valdecantos Soledad , Labra Antonieta
Published: May 2017

The behavior of lizards can be highly influenced by chemical senses. The most studied pheromonal sources in lizards has been the femoral and precloacal gland secretions, although studies have been focused on male secretions, probably because these glands are usually only present in males or are poorly developed in females when they are present. Here, we aimed to study inLiolaemuschiliensis, one of the fewLiolaemusspecies in which females have precloacal glands, if female precloacal secretions convey information. We recorded the response of both sexes to secretions from females and males, as well as to control (solvent). The lizards started to explore the secretions sooner than the control. Both sexes moved more when exposed to female secretions than to the control, and males, but not females, explored female secretions more than the other scents. These results suggest that volatile compounds of the secretions allow lizards to recognize the presence of conspecifics, and, at least for males, these trigger the exploration of non-volatile compounds of the secretions that may reveal the sex of the individual that deposited them. This is the first study that explores the response to female precloacal secretions inLiolaemus, and data indicate that the female secretions ofL. chiliensiscontain relevant information for social interactions.
Bilateral Investment Treaties and Regional Investment Regulation in Africa: Towards a Continental Investment Area?
Authors: Páez Laura
Published: May 2017

This article addresses the issue of international investment regulation with a bearing on Africa. It reviews the bilateral investment treaties (BITs) which have been signed by African countries and characterizes intra-African BITs. It also discusses regional investment regulation in the continent and its elements for harmonizing the cluttered ‘spaghetti-bowl’ of investment regimes. Based on the findings and the existing regional integration agenda on investment, the article discusses the viability of an African Continental Investment Area as an alternative to the existing investment regime, in favour of more harmonized development that builds on existing institutions and processes.
The ‘Africanization’ of International Investment Law: The Pan-African Investment Code and the Reform of the International Investment Regime
Authors: Mbengue Makane Moïse , Schacherer Stefanie
Published: May 2017

The Pan-African Investment Code (PAIC) is the first continent-wide African model investment treaty elaborated under the auspices of the African Union. The PAIC has been drafted from the perspective of developing and least-developed countries with a view to promote sustainable development. The PAIC contains a number of Africa-specific and innovative features, which presumably makes it today a unique legal instrument. Written in a time where the international investment community is still debating the future of international investment law, this article seeks to present and contextualize this first African model investment treaty. The article highlights the most innovative features of the PAIC, such as the reformulation of traditional investment treaty provisions and the introduction of direct obligations for investors.
First record of the genus Zethus Fabricius, 1804 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Eumeninae) from China with description of a new species
Authors: NGUYEN LIEN THI PHUONG , XU ZAI-FU
Published: May 2017

The genus Zethus Fabricius, 1804, is newly recorded from China. The male of Zethus malayanus Gusenleitner, 2010 is described and figured for the first time. Zethus nanlingensis Nguyen & Xu, sp. nov. (South China, Guangdong) is described and figured.
Taxonomy of 'Euconnus complex'. Part XII. Synonymy circle of Psomophus, Spanioconnus, Scydmaenites and Xestophus (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Scydmaeninae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: May 2017

Status of subgenera established for Euconnus Thomson with three-segmented antennal club is clarified. Examination of the type species of Psomophus Casey, Spanioconnus Ganglbauer, Scydmaenites Croissandeau and Xestophus Casey led to the conclusion that differences in morphological structures between all these taxa are minor and represent character variability within one subgenus. Consequently, Spanioconnus is maintained as a junior synonym of Psomophus; Scydmaenites is synonymized with Psomophus; and Xestophus, already placed as a junior synonym of Psomophus by Franz and later resurrected by O'Keefe, is again synonymized with Psomophus. Based on small morphological differences (visible only in the antennal structure), it is suggested that in future Psomophus may be placed as a junior synonym of Euconnus s. str. An emended diagnosis of Psomophus is given, and lectotypes are designated for Euconnus callidus Casey, Euconnus kraatzi Reitter and Scydmaenus salinator LeConte.
A new species of the genus Discoelius Latreille, 1809 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Eumeninae) from India
Authors: PANNURE ARATI , BELAVADI VASUKI V. , CARPENTER JAMES M.
Published: May 2017

Discoelius vasukii Pannure & Carpenter, sp. nov. is described and illustrated from Tamil Nadu, India.        Discoelius Latreille, 1809 is a small genus of solitary wasp with ten species and one subspecies described, of which D. aurantiacus Nguyen, D. emeishanensus Zhou & Li, D. esakii Yasumatsu, D. longinodus Yamane, D. nigriclypeus Zhou & Li, D. turneri (Meade-Waldo), D. wangi Yamane and D. zonalis (Panzer) are recorded from Oriental Region (Zhou et al. 2013; Nguyen 2016). Only a single species, D. turneri described from Shillong (Meghalaya) (Meade-Waldo, 1910) and later recorded from Sikkim (Giordani Soika 1960) has been previously known from India. In this study, we describe a new species of Discoelius from India based on a single female specimen collected at Valparai (Tamil Nadu), India.
Helobdella buzz n. sp. (Clitellata: Hirudinida), a bromeliad leech from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest
Authors: IWAMA RAFAEL EIJI , NOGUEIRA JOÃO MIGUEL DE MATOS , GONÇALVES ANA ZANGIROLAME
Published: May 2017

Tank bromeliads are important components of tropical forests and are capable of hosting many species of invertebrates in their tank water, such as insect larvae, ostracods and oligochaetes (Frank & Lounibos 2009; Jocque & Field 2014; Richardson 1999).
Further Evaluation of Probabilistic Convective Precipitation Forecasts Using the QPF–PoP Neighborhood Relationship
Authors: Kochasic Michael C. , Gallus William A. , Schaffer Christopher J.
Published: May 2017

A neighborhood postprocessing approach that relates quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) to probability of precipitation (PoP) forecasts applied to a single model run was found by Schaffer et al. to be as good as traditional ensemble-based approaches using 10 members in 30-h forecasts of convective precipitation. The present study evaluates if PoP forecasts derived from additional variations of the approach can improve PoP forecasts further compared with previous methods. Ensemble forecasts from the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) are used for neighborhood tests comparing a single model run and a traditional ensemble. In the first test, PoP forecasts for different combinations of training and testing datasets using a single model member with 4-km grid spacing are compared against those obtained with a 10-member traditional ensemble. Overall, forecasts for the neighborhood approach with just one member are only slightly less accurate to those using a more traditional neighborhood approach with the ensemble. PoP forecasts improve when using older data for training and newer data for testing. Assessments of the sensitivity of the neighborhood PoPs suggest that thinning of the horizontal grid at fine grid spacing is an effective way of maintaining the accuracy of PoP forecasts while reducing computational expenses. In an additional test, the diurnal variation of the forecast is examined on a day-by-day basis, showing good agreement between the two approaches for all but a few cases during 2008.
The Hazards of Expert Control: Chief Risk Officers and Risky Derivatives
Authors: Pernell Kim , Jung Jiwook , Dobbin Frank
Published: May 2017

At the turn of the century, regulators introduced policies to control bank risk-taking. Many banks appointed chief risk officers (CROs), yet bank holdings of new, complex, and untested financial derivatives subsequently soared. Why did banks expand use of new derivatives? We suggest that CROs encouraged the rise of new derivatives in two ways. First, we build on institutional arguments about the expert construction of compliance, suggesting that risk experts arrived with an agenda of maximizing risk-adjusted returns, which led them to favor the derivatives. Second, we build on moral licensing arguments to suggest that bank appointment of CROs induced “organizational licensing,” leading trading-desk managers to reduce policing of their own risky behavior. We further argue that CEOs and fund managers bolstered or restrained derivatives use depending on their financial interests. We predict that CEOs favored new derivatives when their compensation rewarded risk-taking, but that both CEOs and fund managers opposed new derivatives when they held large illiquid stakes in banks. We test these predictions using data on derivatives holdings of 157 large banks between 1995 and 2010.
Patchwork Leviathan: How Pockets of Bureaucratic Governance Flourish within Institutionally Diverse Developing States
Authors: McDonnell Erin Metz
Published: May 2017

Within seemingly weak states, exceptionally effective subunits lie hidden. These high-performing niches exhibit organizational characteristics distinct from poor-performing peer organizations, but also distinct from high-functioning organizations in Western countries. This article develops the concept of interstitial bureaucracy to explain how and why unusually high-performing state organizations in developing countries invert canonical features of Weberian bureaucracy. Interstices are distinct-yet-embedded subsystems characterized by practices inconsistent with those of the dominant institution. This interstitial position poses particular challenges and requires unique solutions. Interstices cluster together scarce proto-bureaucratic resources to cultivate durable distinction from the status quo, while managing disruptions arising from interdependencies with the wider neopatrimonial field. I propose a framework for how bureaucratic interstices respond to those challenges, generalizing from organizational comparisons within the Ghanaian state and abbreviated historical comparison cases from the nineteenth-century United States, early-twentieth-century China, mid-twentieth-century Kenya, and early-twenty-first-century Nigeria.
Keeping Promises: A Process Study of Escalating Commitment Leading to Organizational Change Collapse
Authors: Lofquist Eric Arne , Lines Rune
Published: May 2017

In the present research, we employ a theoretical lens—the one of escalation of commitment to a failing course of action that so far is not sufficiently reflected in the academic literature for analyzing large-scale organizational change processes. In doing so, we highlight aspects of complex change processes that are less visible than other theoretical perspectives that use “snapshots” of change. Using 3-year longitudinal process data, we present an in-depth empirical study of the failed attempt at strategic reorientation known as corporatization of the Norwegian Air Traffic Control organization—Avinor. Underway, we identified an important new variable that emerged as a significant determinant for persistence and escalating commitment that eventually led to the total collapse of the strategic change project known as Take-Off 05.
The Effect of Trust and Corruption on Public Preferences for Cash Transfers from Oil Revenues in Ghana
Authors: Sulemana Iddisah
Published: May 2017

Ghana discovered oil in 2007 and began to produce and export it in commercial quantities in 2011. Following its oil discovery, scholars and experts feared Ghana might fall into the trap of the ‘natural resource curse’, the observed tendency for nations endowed with and heavily dependent upon oil or mineral resources to experience slow economic growth. Accordingly, various policy options to manage the oil revenues in order to avert an oil resource curse have been proposed. This paper uses data from the 2012 Afrobarometer Surveys (Round 5) in Ghana to explore the extent to which institutional trust and perceived corruption influence public preferences for cash transfers from Ghana’s oil revenues. Results from ordered logistic regressions reveal that a unit increase in perceived public corruption increases the odds that a respondent would ask that cash transfers be made to all Ghanaians from the oil revenues by about 1.3%.
Modeling and simulation of oncology clinic operations in discrete event system specification
Authors: Alvarado Michelle M , Cotton Tanisha G , Ntaimo Lewis , Pérez Eduardo , Carpentier William R
Published: May 2017

Oncology clinics are often burdened with scheduling large volumes of cancer patients for chemotherapy under limited resources, such as nurses and chemotherapy chairs. Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment method that is administered orally or intravenously at an outpatient oncology clinic. Chemotherapy patients require a treatment regimen, which is a series of appointments over several weeks or months prescribed by the oncologist. The timing of these appointments is critical to the effectiveness of the chemotherapy treatment on cancer. This motivates the need for new methods for making efficient appointment schedules and for assessing clinic operation performance from both patient and management perspectives. This work uses a classic modeling approach based on systems theory to develop a discrete event system specification (DEVS) simulation model for oncology clinic operations called DEVS-CHEMO. DEVS-CHEMO is configurable to any oncology clinic and provides several capabilities for oncology clinic managers. For example, it can simulate scheduling of chemotherapy patients, clinic resources, and the arrival process of the patients to the clinic on the day of their appointment. This model simulates oncology clinic operations as patients receive chemotherapy treatments and thus allows for assessing scheduling algorithms using both patient and management perspectives. DEVS-CHEMO has been tested and validated using historical data from a real outpatient oncology clinic and the simulation results reported in this paper provide several insights regarding oncology clinic operations management.
Can Transient Institutions Correctly Interpret Small Negative Earnings Surprises in the Absence of Access to Management’s Private Information?
Authors: Hu Gang , Ke Bin , Yu Yong
Published: May 2017

Using a proprietary database of institutional investors’ daily stock trading records in the post–Regulation Fair Disclosure (FD) period, this study examines whether transient institutions have the independent ability to correctly process small negative earnings surprise announcements, which management claims transient institutions have difficulty in interpreting. We find economically significant abnormal selling by transient institutions in response to small negative earnings surprises. Transient institutions’ selling in response to small negative earnings surprises is also associated with significant contemporaneous stock price declines. However, we find no evidence that transient institutions’ trading in response to small negative earnings surprises is an overreaction as there is no reversal of stock prices subsequent to transient institutions’ trading. More importantly, we show that transient institutions’ trading in response to small negative earnings surprises helps improve the informational efficiency of share prices.
Functions and Situations Associated With Cognitive General Imagery Use
Authors: Westlund Stewart Nicole , Kouali Despina , Hall Craig
Published: May 2017

The purpose of the present study was to examine the imagery functions and situations associated with the use of cognitive general (CG) imagery in curling based on the four Ws of imagery use and the revised applied model of deliberate imagery use. Fourteen competitive and recreational curlers ( Mage = 57.57, SD = 19.94) who play the skip position (i.e., direct the strategy of the game) were recruited from local curling clubs. The curlers reported using CG imagery to serve both cognitive (i.e., CG) and motivational (i.e., motivational general arousal and motivational general mastery) functions during competition, practice, and while spectating. The results support the revised applied model of deliberate imagery use in that CG imagery use differed according to the personal meaning associated with the CG images employed by various curlers.
The Irish Famine and Unusual Market Behaviour in Cork
Authors: Read Charles
Published: May 2017

Scholars have long debated whether there was enough food in Ireland to feed the population during the Great Irish Famine; there has been less detailed examination of high-frequency data to understand how markets distributed food after the harvests failed. This article explores a hitherto unused weekly price and quantity data set from the Cork city markets to analyse how markets may have hindered the distribution of available food from 1846 to 1849. Although, historically, economists have long suspected that raw data on the market for potatoes during the Irish Famine behaved like that for a classical ‘Giffen’ good, there is little evidence for this among foodstuffs available throughout the crisis in Cork. But bacon pigs – a food that never reached a stable equilibrium but completely disappeared from the market in 1847 – exhibited some characteristics which do not appear to accord with the classical law of demand. Further analysis of this data suggests that middle-class purchasing power outbid the poorest people in Ireland at a time when there was a surplus of superior foods and a deficiency of inferior foods. These circumstances indicate that unusual market behaviour may have made the crop failure’s redistributive consequences – as well as its mortality toll – much worse.
Expression of Foxp3 and its prognostic significance in colorectal cancer
Authors: Sun Xiuwei , Feng Zhanjun , Wang Yunxuan , Qu Yao , Gai Yunzhu
Published: May 2017

The aim of this study was to explore the expression and clinical significance of Foxp3 in colorectal tumor cells. An immunohistochemistry assay was used to detect the expression of Foxp3 in 173 cases of colorectal cancer. The relationship between the clinicopathological factors and the prognosis of colorectal cancer was analyzed. The rate of positive Foxp3 expression in tumor cells was 89.7%. There were no significant differences between cases with and without expression of Foxp3 with regard to sex, age, primary cancer sites, and distal metastasis. The expression of Foxp3 was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis and pathological tumor, node, metastasis (pTNM) stage in tumor cells ( P < 0.05), which reflects the depth of invasion. Foxp3 expression also had a positive correlation with the degree of differentiation ( P < 0.01). A high level of Foxp3 expression was observed more often in tumor cells compared to tumor-surrounding tissues ( P = 0.003). High expression of Foxp3 was also associated with longer overall and disease-free survival ( P ⩽ 0.001). Foxp3 expression in colorectal cancer cells correlates with many clinicopathological characteristics; moreover, high expression of Foxp3 may be a promising potential prognostic factor for patients with colorectal cancer.
The Perceived Influence of Media and Technology on Adolescent Romantic Relationships
Authors: Vaterlaus J. Mitchell , Tulane Sarah , Porter Brandon D. , Beckert Troy E.
Published: May 2017

Contemporary adolescents rely heavily on technology and media to navigate romantic relationships. In this mixed-methods study, adolescents and young adults ( N = 204) detailed their perceptions of how entertainment media and interactive technology influence adolescent romantic relationships. The majority of adolescents and young adults perceived that entertainment media (95%) and interactive technology (97%) did influence adolescent romantic relationships. Using a qualitative analysis approach, we found six major themes. Although entertainment media provided media role models for expected behavior in romantic relationships, it was also associated with the development of unrealistic relational expectations and perceived pressure to be in a romantic relationship. Participants perceived that interactive technology has changed the way adolescents communicate with romantic partners, become integrated into the entire relationship life cycle, and led to a decline in face-to-face communication in adolescent romantic relationships.
E-Cigarette Advice to Patients From Physicians and Dentists in the United States
Authors: Drouin Olivier , McMillen Robert C. , Klein Jonathan D. , Winickoff Jonathan P.
Published: May 2017

Purpose:

To report on adults’ recall of discussion by physicians and dentists about e-cigarettes.

Design:

A nationally representative cross-sectional survey (Internet and random digit dialing) in the United States.

Participants:

Adults who ever used e-cigarettes.

Measures:

Participant-reported discussion about the potential benefits and harms of e-cigarettes with their doctor, dentist, or child’s doctor in the past 12 months.

Analysis:

Fisher exact test for the analysis between benefits and harms for each type of provider and for rates of advice between provider types.

Results:

Among the 3030 adults who completed the survey, 523 (17.2%) had ever used e-cigarettes. Of those who had seen their doctor, dentist, or child’s doctor in the last year, 7.3%, 1.7%, and 10.1%, respectively, reported discussing potential harms of e-cigarettes. Conversely, 5.8%, 1.7%, and 9.3% of patients who had seen their doctor, dentist, or child’s doctor in the last year reported that the clinician discussed the potential benefits of e-cigarettes. Each clinician type was as likely to discuss harms as benefits. Rates of advice were similar between doctors and child’s doctors but lower for dentists. Rates were comparable when the analysis was limited to current e-cigarette users, participants with children, or those who reported using both e-cigarettes and combusted tobacco.

Conclusions:

Few physicians and dentists discuss either the harms or benefits of e-cigarettes with their patients. These data suggest an opportunity to educate, train, and provide resources for physicians and dentists about e-cigarettes and their use.
A Review of the Efficacy and Safety of Genvoya® (Elvitegravir, Cobicistat, Emtricitabine, and Tenofovir Alafenamide) in the Management of HIV-1 Infection
Authors: Angione Sara A. , Cherian Sibyl M. , Özdener Ayşe Elif
Published: May 2017

Introduction:

This review evaluates the efficacy and safety of Genvoya® (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine, and tenofovir alafenamide [EVG/c/TAF/FTC]), a single-tablet regimen used for the management of HIV-1 infection. Phase II and III randomized clinical trials evaluate the efficacy and safety of EVG/c/TAF/FTC and tenofovir disoproxil fumerate (TDF)–containing arms; renal impairment, bone mineral density, metabolic effects, and other adverse events are topics explored within this review.

Methods:

A MEDLINE with full text and PubMed literature search was conducted for the past 5 years, up to April 2016.

Results:

Virologic suppression was similar between the EVG/c/TAF/FTC and TDF-containing groups (<50 copies/mL) at week 48. The bone mineral density in the hip and spine showed a significant reduction in the TDF-containing groups. The glomerular filtration rate increased in patients in the EVG/c/TAF/FTC arm and there were significant differences in total proteinuria, albuminuria, and tubular proteinuria in patients switching to EVG/c/TAF/FTC. The most common adverse events were diarrhea, nausea, and headache.

Discussion:

The coformulated Genvoya regimen is well tolerated and effective in treatment-naive and virologically suppressed patients. Data seem to suggest it may also be effective and safe in patients with mild to moderate renal impairment. The lower-dosed single-tablet regimen has significantly reduced bone and renal side effects.
Adaptive control of hydraulic position servo system using output feedback
Authors: Ren Hai-Peng , Gong Pei-Fen
Published: May 2017

Due to the properties such as small size-to-power ratio, large force output capability and fast response, the hydraulic position servo system is widely used in industrial automation fields. High-precision tracking control of hydraulic system is required for some application fields, for example, machine tools and robotic applications. However, the difficulty to obtain model parameters is one of the main obstacles to obtain high-precision tracking control using the model-dependent method. Moreover, the state sensors, for example, bulky pressure sensor, make the system structure complicated and decrease the reliability. An adaptive output feedback control scheme is proposed for the hydraulic position servo system with uncertain parameters and unmeasurable states. The proposed controller and parameter adaptation laws guarantee that the tracking error is uniformly bounded. The experiment results show that the proposed method makes the system with uncertain parameters track the reference with high precision only using the system output information. Compared with the traditional proportional–integral–derivative control method with optimal parameters obtained using genetic algorithm, sliding mode control based on exponential reaching law, adaptive control method and adaptive backstepping sliding mode control, this method has higher tracking accuracy for three reference signals. For sinusoidal reference signal, the average root mean square error is reduced to approximately 0.23 mm. For S-curve reference signal, the average root mean square error is reduced to approximately 0.16 mm. For multi-frequency sinusoidal reference signal, the average root mean square error is reduced to approximately 0.05 mm. The proposed controller also has better anti-interference ability with respect to load change.
Bayesian two-part bent-cable Tobit models with skew distributions: Application to AIDS studies
Authors: Dagne Getachew A
Published: May 2017

This paper presents a new development of a bent-cable two-part Tobit model to identify both phasic patterns and mixture of advancing (to AIDS) and non-advancing patients of HIV. In identification of such phasic patterns, estimation of a transition period for the development of drug resistance to antiretroviral (ARV) drug or therapy is carried out using longitudinal data that have a gradual change from a declining phase to an increasing phase. In addition to phasic changes, there are also problems of skewness and left-censoring in the response variable because of a lower limit of detection. A relatively large percentage of data below limit of detection are recorded more than expected under an assumed skew-distribution. To properly accommodate these features, we present an extension of the random effects bent-cable Tobit model that incorporates a mixture of true undetectable observations and those values from a skew-normal distribution for a response with left-censoring, skewness and phasic patterns. The proposed methods are illustrated using real data from an AIDS clinical study.
Effects of Using Simultaneous Prompting and Computer-Assisted Instruction During Small Group Instruction
Authors: Ozen Arzu , Ergenekon Yasemin , Ulke-Kurkcuoglu Burcu
Published: May 2017

The current study investigated the relation between simultaneous prompting (SP), computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and the receptive identification of target pictures (presented on laptop computer) for four preschool students with developmental disabilities. The students’ acquisition of nontarget information through observational learning also was examined. A multiple probe design across target skills was used to evaluate the intervention. The students learned to receptively identify pictures of household items when SP and CAI were used together in small group instructional sessions. In addition, students maintained and generalized behaviors across adult implementers. Furthermore, students learned nontarget information. Finally, the social validity of the intervention was assessed by graduate students and all viewed the procedures positively.
L2 gain state derivative feedback control of uncertain vehicle suspension systems
Authors: Yazici Hakan , Sever Mert
Published: May 2017

This paper is concerned with the design of a robust L2 gain state derivative feedback controller for an active suspension system. An uncertain quarter vehicle model is used to analyze vehicle suspension performance. Parametric uncertainty is assumed to exist in sprung mass, tire stiffness and suspension damping coefficients. Polytopic type state space representation is used to enable robust controller design via a linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) framework. Then nominal and robust L2 gain state derivative feedback controllers having bounded controller gains and robust L2 gain state feedback controllers are tested against ISO2631 random road disturbances with different road grades and vehicle horizontal velocities. Simulation results show that the proposed robust L2 gain state derivative feedback controller is very effective in improving ride comfort without deterioration on road holding ability.
Situational Variations in, and Women’s Accounts of, Avoided Acts of Serious Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Kruttschnitt Candace , Yule Carolyn , Alper Mariel , Klassen Amy
Published: May 2017

This study explores how both situations and persons contribute to the probability that a serious incident of intimate partner violence (IPV) can be avoided. Data, on both completed and avoided acts of serious partner violence, were collected from jailed women in Baltimore. Factors that increase the odds of avoiding a serious incident of IPV are a woman’s age, her partner’s initiation of a threat/attack, and being accompanied by a family member. Factors that decrease the odds of avoided serious violence include an indicator of what the dispute was about, her partner’s substance abuse, prior experiences with avoided acts of violence, and lifetime arrests.
The Psychology of the Politics of Rape: Political Ideology, Moral Foundations, and Attitudes Toward Rape
Authors: Barnett Michael D. , Hilz Emily N.
Published: May 2017

Previous research has found that conservatives and liberals emphasize different moral foundations. The purpose of these two studies was to investigate whether moral foundations mediate the relationship between political ideology and attitudes toward rape among U.S. college students. In Study 1, moral foundations fully mediated the relationship between political ideology and rape myth acceptance. Study 2 generally replicated the results of Study 1, with binding foundations demonstrating the most consistent mediating effects. These results suggest that individual differences in moral decision-making may explain the relationship between political ideology and attitudes toward rape.
Omeprazole-Domperidone Fixed Dose Combination vs Omeprazole Monotherapy: A Phase 4, Open-Label, Comparative, Parallel Randomized Controlled Study in Mild to Moderate Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Authors: Marakhouski KY , Karaseva GA , Ulasivich DN , Marakhouski Y Kh
Published: May 2017

Aim:

To compare the efficacy and safety of omeprazole-domperidone combination vs omeprazole monotherapy in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Methods:

In a comparative, randomized controlled, phase 4 study, outpatients with GERD were randomly allocated to either group 1 (omeprazole 20 mg + domperidone 30 mg) or group 2 (omeprazole 20 mg) in an equal ratio; 2 capsules daily in the morning were administered for 8 weeks.

Results:

Sixty patients were enrolled. Esophagitis reversal was observed in 92% patients in group 1 vs 65.2% in group 2. Approximately, 83.3% patients in group 1 vs 43.3% patients in group 2 demonstrated full cupping of reflux symptoms at 8 weeks. Combined therapy resulted in significantly longer period of heartburn-free days (23 vs 12 days on omeprazole). There were no safety concerns.

Conclusions:

Omeprazole-domperidone combination was more effective than omeprazole alone in providing complete cupping of reflux symptoms and healing of esophagitis in patients with GERD. Both the treatments were well tolerated with few reports of adverse events.

Trial registration:

This trial is registered with http://clinicaltrials.gov , number NCT02140073.
Durkheim as affect theorist
Authors: Barnwell Ashley
Published: May 2017

While the sociology of emotions has a long history, theories of affect claim to pose new questions about contagious currents of feeling. But the definition of affect as an autonomous force that is precognitive, outside of semiotic systems, inaccessible to interpretation and measurement, and resistant to structure and critique may present unnecessary limitations for social inquiry. The division between affect and structure has left some sociologists, specifically in the sociology of emotions and the body, unsure about how to use affect theory. My article suggests that the aims of affect theory could be better served by a deeper engagement with, rather than a departure from, the traditions and concerns of sociological thought. To explore this possibility, I revisit Emile Durkheim’s efforts to understand the compelling power of social currents, which provide a way to rethink the divisions between affect and structure and the idea of a ‘presocial’ that has polarised scholars on the notion of affect.
Six-Month Results From the Initial Randomized Study of the Ranger Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon in the Femoropopliteal Segment
Authors: Bausback Yvonne , Willfort-Ehringer Andrea , Sievert Horst , Geist Volker , Lichtenberg Michael , Del Giudice Costantino , Sauguet Antoine , Diaz-Cartelle Juan , Marx Claudia , Ströbel Armin , Schult Ingolf , Scheinert Dierk ,   on behalf of the RANGER SFA Investigators
Published: May 2017

Purpose: To evaluate the performance of the Ranger paclitaxel-coated balloon vs uncoated balloon angioplasty for femoropopliteal lesions. Methods: Between January 2014 and October 2015, the prospective, randomized RANGER SFA study ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02013193) enrolled 105 patients with symptomatic lower limb ischemia (Rutherford category 2–4) and stenotic lesions in the nonstented femoropopliteal segment at 10 European centers. Seventy-one patients (mean age 68±8 years; 53 men) were enrolled in the Ranger drug-coated balloon (DCB) arm and 34 patients (mean age 67±9 years; 23 men) were assigned to the control group. Six-month analysis included angiographic late lumen loss and safety and clinical outcomes assessments. Results: Baseline characteristics of the DCB and control groups were similar, as were lesion lengths (68±46 vs 60±48 mm; p=0.731), severity of calcification (p=0.236), and the prevalence of occlusions (34% vs 34%; p>0.999). At 6 months, late lumen loss was significantly less for the DCB group vs controls (–0.16±0.99 vs 0.76±1.4; p=0.002). The DCB group had significantly greater freedom from binary restenosis (92% vs 64%; p=0.005) and primary patency rates (87% vs 60%; p=0.014). Target lesion revascularization rates were 5.6% in the DCB group and 12% in the control group (p=0.475). No target limb amputations or device-related deaths occurred in either group. Conclusion: Six-month results suggest that Ranger DCB treatment effectively inhibited restenosis in symptomatic femoropopliteal disease, resulting in improved vessel patency and a low revascularization rate in the short term compared with uncoated balloon angioplasty.
Managing Customers and Information for Improved Performance
Authors: Foreman Susan
Published: May 2017

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a buzz word in marketing. Each year more and more is spent on software-based systems for managing customer relationships. Yet there is growing evidence that many of these systems do not add value and that many may in fact harm customer relationships.

Susan Foreman reviews this evidence as well as providing useful pointers to how CRM can be implemented successfully in organisations.