bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Prevalence and Bidirectional Association Between Psoriasis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease—A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Alinaghi Farzad , Tekin Hasan Göcker , Burisch Johan , Wu Jashin J , Thyssen Jacob P , Egeberg Alexander
Published: August 2019

Background and Aims

Epidemiological studies have established an association between psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], i.e. ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn’s disease [CD], but results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was therefore to quantify the prevalences and association between IBD and psoriasis.

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE were searched from database inception through April 2018 for studies reporting data on psoriasis among patients with IBD and vice versa. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate, respectively, the prevalences and association between IBD and psoriasis. Data extraction was according to the PRISMA guideline, and quality assessment was made using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. The main outcomes were the proportion of psoriasis patients with IBD and vice versa, as well as the association (odds ratio [OR]) of IBD in psoriasis and psoriasis in IBD, respectively.

Results

Based on quantitative analysis of 93 studies, the prevalence of psoriasis in CD and in UC was 3.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.1%–4.6%) and 2.8% [95% CI 2.0%–3.8%] respectively. The prevalence of CD and UC was 0.7% [95% CI 0.2%–1.3%] and 0.5% [95% CI 0.3%–0.8%], respectively, among patients with psoriasis. Presence of CD or UC was significantly associated with psoriasis, with OR 2.0 [95% CI 1.4–2.9] and OR 1.5 [95% CI 1.2–2.0], respectively. Presence of psoriasis was significantly associated with CD: OR 2.2 [95% CI 1.6–3.1] and with UC: OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.3–2.0].

Conclusions

We found significant bidirectional associations between psoriasis and IBD, warranting increased awareness among clinicians in the diagnostic process, especially in children and adolescents with IBD. Last, this study showed an increased frequency of paradoxical psoriasis in patients treated with biologics.
Endovascular fenestration of aortic dissection membrane after failed frozen elephant trunk procedure
Authors: Raupach Jan , Chovanec Vendelin , Kozakova Veronika , Vojacek Jan
Published: August 2019

We report a case of a 51-year-old male with complicated acute type A aortic dissection who initially underwent a supracoronary and aortic arch replacement using frozen elephant trunk technique. False-lumen perfusion was revealed later which resulted in the collapse of the true lumen. Endovascular fenestration of the dissection flap was performed. True-lumen reperfusion with false-lumen regression was achieved. Endovascular fenestration using a re-entry catheter represents an efficient and safe treatment approach for this rare but serious complication.
Mitral chordae tendineae force profile characterization using a posterior ventricular anchoring neochordal repair model for mitral regurgitation in a three-dimensional-printed ex vivo left heart simulator
Authors: Paulsen Michael J , Imbrie-Moore Annabel M , Wang Hanjay , Bae Jung Hwa , Hironaka Camille E , Farry Justin M , Lucian Haley J , Thakore Akshara D , MacArthur John W , Cutkosky Mark R , Woo Y Joseph
Published: August 2019

OBJECTIVES

Posterior ventricular anchoring neochordal (PVAN) repair is a non-resectional technique for correcting mitral regurgitation (MR) due to posterior leaflet prolapse, utilizing a single suture anchored in the myocardium behind the leaflet. This technique has demonstrated clinical efficacy, although a theoretical limitation is stability of the anchoring suture. We hypothesize that the PVAN suture positions the leaflet for coaptation, after which forces are distributed evenly with low repair suture forces.

METHODS

Porcine mitral valves were mounted in a 3-dimensional-printed heart simulator and chordal forces, haemodynamics and echocardiography were collected at baseline, after inducing MR by severing chordae, and after PVAN repair. Repair suture forces were measured with a force-sensing post positioned to mimic in vivo suture placement. Forces required to pull the myocardial suture free were also determined.

RESULTS

Relative primary and secondary chordae forces on both leaflets were elevated during prolapse (P < 0.05). PVAN repair eliminated MR in all valves and normalized chordae forces to baseline levels on anterior primary (0.37 ± 0.23 to 0.22 ± 0.09 N, P < 0.05), posterior primary (0.62 ± 0.37 to 0.14 ± 0.05 N, P = 0.001), anterior secondary (1.48 ± 0.52 to 0.85 ± 0.43 N, P < 0.001) and posterior secondary chordae (1.42 ± 0.69 to 0.59 ± 0.17 N, P = 0.005). Repair suture forces were minimal, even compared to normal primary chordae forces (0.08 ± 0.04 vs 0.19 ± 0.08 N, P = 0.002), and were 90 times smaller than maximum forces tolerated by the myocardium (0.08 ± 0.04 vs 6.9 ± 1.3 N, P < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

PVAN repair eliminates MR by positioning the posterior leaflet for coaptation, distributing forces throughout the valve. Given extremely low measured forces, the strength of the repair suture and the myocardium is not a limitation.
Savings ownership and the use of maternal health services in Indonesia
Authors: Weon Soyoon , Rothwell David W , Nandy Shailen , Nandi Arijit
Published: August 2019

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), many women of reproductive age experience morbidity and mortality attributable to inadequate access to and use of health services. Access to personal savings has been identified as a potential instrument for empowering women and improving access to and use of health services. Few studies, however, have examined the relation between savings ownership and use of maternal health services. In this study, we used data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey to examine the relation between women’s savings ownership and use of maternal health services. To estimate the effect of obtaining savings ownership on our primary outcomes, specifically receipt of antenatal care, delivery in a health facility and delivery assisted by a skilled attendant, we used a propensity score weighted difference-in-differences approach. Our findings showed that acquiring savings ownership increased the proportion of women who reported delivering in a health facility by 22 percentage points [risk difference (RD) = 0.22, 95%CI = 0.08–0.37)] and skilled birth attendance by 14 percentage points (RD = 0.14, 95%CI = 0.03–0.25). Conclusions were qualitatively similar across a range of model specifications used to assess the robustness of our main findings. Results, however, did not suggest that savings ownership increased the receipt of antenatal care, which was nearly universal in the sample. Our findings suggest that under certain conditions, savings ownership may facilitate the use of maternal health services, although further quasi-experimental and experimental research is needed to address threats to internal validity and strengthen causal inference, and to examine the impact of savings ownership across different contexts.
Matrix of essential competencies in health promotion: a proposal for the Brazilian context
Authors: Moreira Maria Rosilene Cândido , Machado Maria de Fátima Antero Sousa
Published: August 2019

The article presents a Matrix of Essential Competencies in Health Promotion, directed to the context of Brazilian health professionals (CompEPS). It is a methodological study, carried out from September 2017 to March 2018. The validation of the matrix was guided by the Delphi methodology, by electronic means, and the use of the Google Forms tool. Thirty-nine professors of Higher Education Institutions, with representation from all regions of the country, composed the panel of experts. The initial material that triggered the preparation of the Matrix was the European document originating from the Developing Competencies and Professional Standards for Health Promotion Capacity Building in Europe (CompHP) project, being analyzed in two rounds. The items were agreed when they reached the minimum of 80% agreement among the panelists. After obtaining a consensus regarding its content and textual clarity, the CompEPS Matrix was outlined in 45 core competencies grouped in nine domains, incorporating principles and foundations of Brazilian health policies and aligned with the documents guiding the health formative processes, conferring singularity and directed to the daily life of the actions carried out in collective health by professionals in Brazil. It is considered that the CompEPS Matrix will contribute to the qualification of the training in health and the certification of the competencies for the actions effectively promoters of health, carried out by the professionals in their diverse scenarios of performance.
Neonatal brain-directed gene therapy rescues a mouse model of neurodegenerative CLN6 Batten disease
Authors: kleine Holthaus Sophia-Martha , Herranz-Martin Saul , Massaro Giulia , Aristorena Mikel , Hoke Justin , Hughes Michael P , Maswood Ryea , Semenyuk Olha , Basche Mark , Shah Amna Z , Klaska Izabela P , Smith Alexander J , Mole Sara E , Rahim Ahad A , Ali Robin R
Published: August 2019

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs), more commonly referred to as Batten disease, are a group of inherited lysosomal storage disorders that present with neurodegeneration, loss of vision and premature death. There are at least 13 genetically distinct forms of NCL. Enzyme replacement therapies and pre-clinical studies on gene supplementation have shown promising results for NCLs caused by lysosomal enzyme deficiencies. The development of gene therapies targeting the brain for NCLs caused by defects in transmembrane proteins has been more challenging and only limited therapeutic effects in animal models have been achieved so far. Here, we describe the development of an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene therapy to treat the neurodegeneration in a mouse model of CLN6 disease, a form of NCL with a deficiency in the membrane-bound protein CLN6. We show that neonatal bilateral intracerebroventricular injections with AAV9 carrying CLN6 increase lifespan by more than 90%, maintain motor skills and motor coordination and reduce neuropathological hallmarks of Cln6-deficient mice up to 23 months post vector administration. These data demonstrate that brain-directed gene therapy is a valid strategy to treat the neurodegeneration of CLN6 disease and may be applied to other forms of NCL caused by transmembrane protein deficiencies in the future.
Evolution equations on time-dependent intervals
Authors: Fokas Athanasios S , Pelloni Beatrice , Xia Baoqiang
Published: August 2019

We study initial boundary value problems for linear evolution partial differential equations posed on a time-dependent interval $l_1(t)<x<l_2(t)$, $0<t<T$, where $l_1(t)$ and $l_2(t)$ are given, real, differentiable functions, and $T$ is an arbitrary constant. For such problems, we show how to characterize the unknown boundary values in terms of the given initial and boundary conditions. As illustrative examples we consider the heat equation and the linear Schrödinger equation. In the first case, the unknown Neumann boundary values are expressed in terms of the Dirichlet boundary values and of the initial value through the unique solution of a system of two linear integral equations with explicit kernels. In the second case, a similar result can be proved but only for a more restrictive class of boundary curves.
Evaluation of Brassica carinata meal as a protein supplement for growing beef heifers1,2
Authors: Schulmeister Tessa M , Ruiz-Moreno Martin , Silva Gleise M , Garcia-Ascolani M , Ciriaco Francine M , Henry Darren D , Lamb Graham Cliff , Dubeux Jose C B , Dilorenzo Nicolas
Published: August 2019

Brassica carinata is a new oilseed crop in Florida with the potential of producing high-quality jet biofuel. A high-protein meal (~40% crude protein; CP) is obtained as a byproduct of oil extraction; however, limited research is available on the utilization of this meal as a protein supplement for beef cattle. A generalized randomized block design was used to evaluate the effects of supplementation with B. carinata meal pellets on performance and attainment of puberty in growing beef heifers consuming bermudagrass hay (Cynodon dactylon) ad libitum. Sixty-four Angus crossbred heifers (240 ± 39 kg initial body weight; BW) were stratified and blocked (2 blocks: light and heavy) by initial BW and randomly allocated into 18 pens over 2 consecutive years (10 in year 1 and 8 in year 2). Within block, pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 0 (CTL) or 0.3% of BW/d (as fed) of B. carinata meal pellets (BCM). Blood samples and BW were collected weekly for 70 d, before daily supplementation. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS with repeated measures. Model included the fixed effects of treatment, day, treatment × day interactions, block, and block × treatment interactions, with the random effect of year. Plasma was analyzed for concentrations of progesterone, triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), ceruloplasmin (Cp), and haptoglobin (Hp). An effect of treatment was observed (P ˂ 0.01) for ADG between CTL (0.14 kg) and BCM (0.42 kg). There was no treatment or block (P > 0.05) effect for concentrations of T3, T4, or Hp; however, there was an effect of day (P < 0.01) for T3, T4, and Cp. An effect of treatment (P ˂ 0.01) was observed for Cp, with CTL having greater concentrations compared with BCM. Time to attainment of puberty did not differ (P = 0.93) between treatments. Feeding B. carinata meal as a protein supplement at 0.3% of BW/d is a viable option for increasing ADG of growing beef heifers, without affecting attainment of puberty, thyroid hormone status, or eliciting an acute phase response.
Overutilization of Helicopter Transport in the Minimally Burned—A Healthcare System Problem That Should Be Corrected
Authors: Roman Jordan , Shank William , Demirjian Joseph , Tang Andrew , Vercruysse Gary A
Published: August 2019

Eighty-eight percent of all patients burned in North America suffer burns of less than 20% TBSA. These patients may need care at a burn center, but barring any inhalation injury or polytrauma, these patients do not require helicopter transport (HEMS). We sought to identify a cohort of patients suffering smaller burns who do not benefit from HEMS to establish significant health care system savings. A 5-year retrospective analysis of data collected from our trauma registry was performed. Patients were separated into two groups: HEMS and ground transport (EMS). A subanalysis was performed between those with smaller burns (<20% TBSA and no ICU/OR requirement). ED disposition, hospital length of stay, distance transported, and cost was analyzed. Of 616 burn patients presenting to our center, 13% were transported by HEMS, 46% by ambulance, and 61% by private vehicle. Of those transported via HEMS, 38% had been evaluated and treated at an outside hospital before transfer. Patients transported via HEMS had larger burns (13 vs 9 %TBSA; P = .002) and deeper burns (P < .001), longer hospital stays (P = .003), higher ICU admission rates (P < .001), and mortality rates (P = .003) compared with those transported by EMS. Transport distance was a mean 5.5 times greater (88 vs 16 mi) in the HEMS group (P < .001). Within this cohort, 53% of patients transported via HEMS suffered smaller burns, compared with 73% transported by EMS. A subanalysis of the smaller burns cohort showed increased distances of transport via HEMS (91 vs 18 mi; P < .001) and increased rates of admission from the ED in the EMS group (93% vs 68% by HEMS; P = .005), yet no difference in length of stay, or rates of early discharge, defined as <24-hour hospital stay. Fully 1/4 of those transported via HEMS with smaller burns were discharged from the ED after burn consultation, debridement, and dressing. Mortality in both was nil. Average cost per helicopter transport was US$29K. Accurate triage and burn center consultation before scene transport or hospital transfer could help identify patients not benefiting from HEMS yet safely transferrable by ground, or better served by early clinic follow-up, which would reduce cost without compromising care in this cohort. Annual patient savings approximating US$444K could be multiplied were non-HEMS transport universally adopted for smaller burns.
Surgical Escharotomy and Decompressive Therapies in Burns
Authors: Butts C Caleb , Holmes James H , Carter Jeffrey E
Published: August 2019

Early recognition of the need for escharotomy and other decompressive therapies is imperative for experienced burn providers, as to avoid reversible tissue ischemia and necrosis. With full-thickness burns, the eschar that develops is largely noncompliant. The predictable edema that develops during resuscitation of larger burns increases the likelihood ischemia-inducing pressure, as the underlying tissues swell within noncompliant skin, resulting in burn-induced compartment syndrome. Conventionally, this has been treated with decompressive therapies, such as escharotomy. The most recent surveys have identified that the United States and Canada both face a shortage of practicing burn surgeons. In the event of a burn disaster, many nonburn surgeons would need to provide burn care, including decompressive therapies. We reviewed the literature to provide accurate, accessible, and applicable recommendations regarding this practice following burn injury for both the practicing burn surgeon and those that would provide care in the burn disaster.
Biology and Management of the Pecan Nut Casebearer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)
Authors: Knutson Allen E , Ree Bill
Published: August 2019

The pecan nut casebearer, Acrobasis nuxvorella Neunzig, is a key pest of pecan nut production throughout the pecan producing regions of the central and southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Economic loss is primarily due to first-generation larvae that feed internally in developing nutlets soon after pollination in the spring. Damage by second-generation and third-generation larvae can also result in economic loss. We summarize pecan nut casebearer distribution, life history, crop injury, and current management practices including orchard scouting, monitoring adult activity with pheromone traps, and chemical, biological and regulatory controls. Insecticides are the sole means of controlling pecan nut casebearer but must be properly timed to kill young larvae before they tunnel into pecan nuts. Effective management requires orchard scouting to assess egg abundance and nut entry by larvae to determine the need for and optimum timing of insecticide treatment. An on-line, degree-day model, PNCforecast, uses pheromone trap data to predict oviposition activity and optimum dates for sampling orchards to assess pecan nut casebearer egg infestations. This IPM program is enhanced by the availability of diacylhydrazine insecticides that are toxic to Lepidoptera larva but preserve beneficial insects that suppress secondary pests of pecans.
Slow Progressive Accumulation of Oligodendroglial Alpha-Synuclein (α-Syn) Pathology in Synthetic α-Syn Fibril-Induced Mouse Models of Synucleinopathy
Authors: Uemura Norihito , Uemura Maiko T , Lo Angela , Bassil Fares , Zhang Bin , Luk Kelvin C , Lee Virginia M -Y , Takahashi Ryosuke , Trojanowski John Q
Published: August 2019

Synucleinopathies are composed of Parkinson disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) forms aggregates mainly in neurons in PD and DLB, while oligodendroglial α-Syn aggregates are characteristic of MSA. Recent studies have demonstrated that injections of synthetic α-Syn preformed fibrils (PFFs) into the brains of wild-type (WT) animals induce intraneuronal α-Syn aggregates and the subsequent interneuronal transmission of α-Syn aggregates. However, injections of α-Syn PFFs or even brain lysates of patients with MSA have not been reported to induce oligodendroglial α-Syn aggregates, raising questions about the pathogenesis of oligodendroglial α-Syn aggregates in MSA. Here, we report that WT mice injected with mouse α-Syn (m-α-Syn) PFFs develop neuronal α-Syn pathology after short postinjection (PI) intervals on the scale of weeks, while oligodendroglial α-Syn pathology emerges after longer PI intervals of several months. Abundant oligodendroglial α-Syn pathology in white matter at later time points is reminiscent of MSA. Furthermore, comparison between young and aged mice injected with m-α-Syn PFFs revealed that PI intervals rather than aging correlate with oligodendroglial α-Syn aggregation. These results provide novel insights into the pathological mechanisms of oligodendroglial α-Syn aggregation in MSA.
SNHG9/miR-199a-5p/Wnt2 Axis Regulates Cell Growth and Aerobic Glycolysis in Glioblastoma
Authors: Zhang Han , Qin Danxia , Jiang Zhixian , Zhang Jinning
Published: August 2019

Aerobic glycolysis is a characteristic in cancers that is important for cancer cell proliferation. Emerging evidence shows that long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) participates in glucose metabolism and cell proliferation in cancer. This study explored the effect of LncRNA: SNHG9 in glioblastoma. The mRNA expression of SNHG9 in human glioma tissues and glioblastoma cell lines was measured by qRT-PCR. Glioblastoma cell lines (U87 and U251) were transfected with miR-199a-5p or SNHG9-expressing plasmid and cell viability as well as concentrations of glucose and lactate were measured. The extracellular acidification was evaluated by glycolysis stress test. The Wnt2 levels were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot. Results showed that the mRNA expression of SNHG9 was elevated in glioblastoma tissues. The elevated SNHG9 expression was related to lower survival rate in patients with glioma. SNHG9 could downregulate miR-199a-5p and upregulate Wnt2 in glioblastoma cells. Overexpression of SNHG9 in glioblastoma cells promoted aerobic glycolysis and cell proliferation, which could be attenuated by miR-199a-5p. Results of this study indicated an effect of SNHG9/miR-199a-5p/Wnt2 axis in regulating cell growth and aerobic glycolysis in glioblastoma.
Constraints on ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves with statistics of pulsar spin-down rates
Authors: Kumamoto Hiroki , Imasato Yuya , Yonemaru Naoyuki , Kuroyanagi Sachiko , Takahashi Keitaro
Published: August 2019

We probe ultra-low-frequency gravitational waves (GWs) with statistics of spin-down rates of millisecond pulsars (thereafter MSPs) by a method proposed in our previous work. The considered frequency range is 10−12 Hz ≲ fGW ≲ 10−10  Hz . The effect of such low-frequency GWs appears as a bias to spin-down rates that has a quadrupole pattern in the sky. We use the skewness of the spin-down rate distribution and the number of MSPs with negative spin-down rates to search for the bias induced by GWs. Applying this method to 149 MSPs selected from the ATNF pulsar catalogue, we derive upper bounds on the time derivative of the GW amplitudes of $\dot{h} \lt 6.2 \times 10^{-18}~{\rm s}^{-1}$ and $\dot{h} \lt 8.1 \times 10^{-18}~{\rm s}^{-1}$ in the directions of the Galactic Centre and M87, respectively. Approximating the GW amplitude as $\dot{h} \sim 2 \pi f_{\rm GW} h$, the bounds translate into h < 3 × 10−8 and h < 4 × 10−8, respectively, for fGW = 1/(1000 yr). Finally, we give the implications to possible supermassive black hole binaries at these sites.
Linear spectropolarimetry of 35 Type Ia supernovae with VLT/FORS: an analysis of the Si ii line polarization
Authors: Cikota Aleksandar , Patat Ferdinando , Wang Lifan , Wheeler J Craig , Bulla Mattia , Baade Dietrich , Höflich Peter , Cikota Stefan , Clocchiatti Alejandro , Maund Justyn R , Stevance Heloise F , Yang Yi
Published: August 2019

Spectropolarimetry enables us to measure the geometry and chemical structure of the ejecta in supernova explosions, which is fundamental for the understanding of their explosion mechanism(s) and progenitor systems. We collected archival data of 35 Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia), observed with Focal Reducer and Low-Dispersion Spectrograph (FORS) on the Very Large Telescope at 127 epochs in total. We examined the polarization of the Si ii λ6355 Å line ($p_{\rm Si\, \small {II}}$) as a function of time, which is seen to peak at a range of various polarization degrees and epochs relative to maximum brightness. We reproduced the $\Delta m_{15}\!-\!p_{\rm Si\, \small {II}}$ relationship identified in a previous study, and show that subluminous and transitional objects display polarization values below the $\Delta m_{15}\!-\!p_{\rm Si\, \small {II}}$ relationship for normal SNe Ia. We found a statistically significant linear relationship between the polarization of the Si ii λ6355 Å line before maximum brightness and the Si ii line velocity and suggest that this, along with the $\Delta m_{15}\!-\!p_{\rm Si\, \small {II}}$ relationship, may be explained in the context of a delayed-detonation model. In contrast, we compared our observations to numerical predictions in the $\Delta m_{15}\!-\!v_{\rm Si\, \small {II}}$ plane and found a dichotomy in the polarization properties between Chandrasekhar and sub-Chandrasekhar mass explosions, which supports the possibility of two distinct explosion mechanisms. A subsample of SNe displays evolution of loops in the q–u plane that suggests a more complex Si structure with depth. This insight, which could not be gleaned from total flux spectra, presents a new constraint on explosion models. Finally, we compared our statistical sample of the Si ii polarization to quantitative predictions of the polarization levels for the double-detonation, delayed-detonation, and violent-merger models.
Multimessenger Bayesian parameter inference of a binary neutron star merger
Authors: Coughlin Michael W , Dietrich Tim , Margalit Ben , Metzger Brian D
Published: August 2019

The combined detection of a binary neutron star merger in both gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic (EM) radiation spanning the entire spectrum – GW170817/AT2017gfo/GRB170817A – marks a breakthrough in the field of multimessenger astronomy. Between the plethora of modelling and observations, the rich synergy that exists among the available data sets creates a unique opportunity to constrain the binary parameters, the equation of state of supranuclear density matter, and the physical processes at work during the kilonova and gamma-ray burst. We report, for the first time, Bayesian parameter estimation combining information from GW170817, AT2017gfo, and GRB170817 to obtain truly multimessenger constraints on the tidal deformability $\tilde{\Lambda } \in [302,860]$, total binary mass M ∈ [2.722, 2.751] M⊙, the radius of a 1.4 solar mass neutron star $R \in [11.3,13.5] \,\,\rm km$ (with additional $0.2\ \rm km$ systematic uncertainty), and an upper bound on the mass ratio of q ≤ 1.27, all at 90 per cent confidence. Our joint novel analysis uses new phenomenological descriptions of the dynamical ejecta, debris disc mass, and remnant black hole properties, all derived from a large suite of numerical relativity simulations.
The Association Between Participation in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program and Smoking in India
Authors: Devaraj Srikant , Patel Pankaj C
Published: August 2019

Background

This paper examines whether participating in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (NREGA) is associated with the likelihood of smoking among program participants in India.

Methods

We use two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) estimation method and two waves of India Human Development Surveys completed before (2005) and after (2012) NREGA implementation.

Results

The likelihood of smoking increased with NREGA participation. For every 10% increase in NREGA income, the likelihood of smoking bidis (but not cigarettes) increased by 0.88 percentage point. A bidi, a stick of unprocessed tobacco wrapped in temburini leaves, is a significantly cheaper alternative to cigarettes. Nonparticipants who had a comparable increase in income between the two India Human Development Survey waves did not show an increase in likelihood of smoking. The heterogeneity in NREGA treatment effect shows that smoking tendency is not influenced by caste/religion or literacy.

Conclusions

NREGA, as the largest workfare program, most certainly has had a significantly positive influence on the rural poor in India. The findings highlight its small but meaningful influence of a negative health behavior, greater likelihood of uptake of smoking bidis/hookah among program participants.

Implications

Existing studies have found mixed evidence of an exogenous increase in income among low-income adults and its impact on smoking. No studies to date have tested the influence of workfare programs in rural areas of developing countries, where unemployment rates are higher and a substantial share of population in those areas is poor. Based on participation in employment guarantee programs as a proxy for exogenous increase in guaranteed income among rural population in India, we find that participants in the program were more likely to smoke bidis/hookah but not cigarettes.
Postmodernism
Authors: Bertens Hans
Published: August 2019

The terms “postmodern” and “postmodernism” first of all referred to new departures in the arts, in literature, and in architecture that had their origins in the 1950s and early 1960s, gained momentum in the course of the 1960s, and became a dominant factor in the 1970s. After their heyday in the 1980s, postmodern innovations had either run their course or were absorbed by the mainstream, if not commercialized by the advertising industry. On a more intangible level, the terms referred to the new “postmodern” sensibility that had given rise to those innovations, but that also manifested itself more broadly in, for instance, the so-called counterculture of the later 1960s. This postmodern sensibility was irreverent, playful, and ironic. It rejected the distinction between high art and popular culture and demystified the status of art and the artist. Its articulation in the form of literary criticism—where the label “postmodern” first gained wide currency—prefigured the theory-driven criticism that arose in the course of the 1970s and that was heavily indebted to French poststructuralism. In the next decade, this postmodern criticism or critique, an amalgam of poststructuralist ideas and assumptions, branched out into all directions, making itself felt in historiography, ethnography, musicology, religious studies, management and organization studies, legal studies, leisure studies, and other areas that unexpectedly experienced a postmodern moment, or even a more lasting postmodern reorientation. Finally, and at its most encompassing level, the term postmodern was applied to late-20th-century Western society as a whole. The argument here was that somewhere in the postwar period modernity had given way to a postmodernity that recognizably constituted a new economic and sociocultural formation. There was not much agreement as to the exact turning point, or on the nature, of the new “postmodern condition,” but its theorists, most of whom saw it as inextricably entangled with capitalism, even if some emphasized its emancipatory pursuit of heterogeneity and difference, argued that it was here to stay. If it did, it soon was left to its own devices. We have since the turn of the century not heard much about postmodernity. Postmodern criticism has fared better and though it, too, would seem to have run out of steam in the new millennium, it has fundamentally changed our perspectives on literature, architecture, the arts, and a host of other subjects, not the least of which is the rational, self-determined subject of Enlightenment humanism.
Intergenerational Transmission of Maltreatment
Authors: Akin Becci , Johnson-Motoyama Michelle , Kepple Nancy Jo , Clark Shelby
Published: August 2019

According to the World Health Organization, one in four adults report a history of physical maltreatment, and an estimated 41,000 children under the age of 15 die due to homicide death. Although the majority of children who are maltreated will not continue this pattern as parents of their own children, the need to prevent child maltreatment is significant. Child abuse and neglect are public health problems that can lead to morbidity and mortality in childhood and increased risk for health concerns into adulthood such as alcoholism, smoking, and drug abuse; depression and suicide; high-risk sexual behaviors; sexually transmitted diseases; and certain chronic diseases. As a single country example of the costly public health problem, the total lifetime economic burden resulting from new cases of fatal and nonfatal child maltreatment in the United States has been estimated to be above $120 billion. In an attempt to understand why and how some individuals who are abused and neglected continue this cycle, the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment has long been a topic of great interest. Understanding the pathways to child abuse and neglect is necessary for disrupting the intergenerational cycles of maltreatment. Given that childhood exposure to maltreatment has long-term consequences and significant costs to society, knowledge of these pathways is critical for developing strategies for early identification, engagement of children and parents, prevention, and intervention. This article provides an overview of select resources for developing a foundational understanding of intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. First, published literature on Theoretical Reviews and Conceptual Frameworks are provided. Selected articles present varying views on key theories and concepts that guide current understandings of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Following the theory overview is a section of selected Reviews of Empirical Studies, including literature reviews guided by well-defined methodological criteria, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Next is a section that provides Methodological Examples, including subsections of selected Cross-Sectional Studies on varying topics and populations related to the generational continuity of maltreatment, Longitudinal Studies on Adult Subsequent Maltreatment of Children, Longitudinal Studies on Adult Subsequent Parenting Characteristics and Practices, and Qualitative Studies. Then, a section on special interests is presented (i.e., Population, Problem-Specific, or Other Special Interest Studies), comprising the topics of Biological and Neurological Factors, Intimate Partner Violence, Adolescent Mothers, and International Studies. Finally, the last four sections include select resource lists for Journals, Textbooks, Organizations, and Websites that may be helpful for identifying additional articles and other resources on the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment.
Education in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Schniedewind William , VanDyke Elizabeth
Published: August 2019

Education is a wide-ranging topic concerning the variety of ways in which people acquire knowledge, skills, and behaviors. As a key facet of culture, one might expect education and instruction to appear frequently within the Hebrew Bible, yet biblical literature actually provides little direct evidence as to how the ancient Israelites learned. This is true both for traditional vocations, such as the production of pottery or soldiering, and for more scholastic pursuits, such as reading or accounting. Biblical scholarship has particularly focused on scribal education, with less attention to the broader questions of enculturation. Several passages, particularly Isaiah 28, Proverbs 22–23, and Ben Sira 51, refer to education and have engendered numerous discussions. Increasingly, though, scholars have turned to extra-biblical sources in order to understand scribal culture. Studies on scribalism in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Ugarit feature prominently in many overviews of Hebrew learning. In some cases, scholars posit that these foreign scribal systems directly influenced Israelite scribes. The New Kingdom administration of Egypt left its vestiges on the Late Bronze Levant, and the empires of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia also had a lasting impact on scribal curriculum and tradition. These contextual studies can also be used for comparison, helping scholars model what a scribal community in Israel may have looked like. Epigraphic material from the Levant has supplemented this picture. Archaeologists have excavated a number of school texts and seals that attest to the exercises and extent of Israelite education. However, the interpretation of the biblical, comparative, and epigraphic material remains fiercely contested among scholars. Scribal education had an immediate impact on the composition of the biblical corpus, and inquiries into Hebrew education often become intertwined with theories regarding the history of biblical literature. Furthermore, discussions of scribal culture are often divorced from questions of how the society as a whole transmitted skills and knowledge. The ancient Israelite scribe is thus decontextualized from his original setting. In sum, many questions regarding education in ancient Israel remain unanswered, tantalizing, and crucial to the field as a whole.
Hagar
Authors: Junior Nyasha
Published: August 2019

Hagar is a biblical character in the book of Genesis. She has an important role as wife of Abram/Abraham and mother of Ishmael. As such, she is an important figure within Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Genesis 16, she is introduced as an Egyptian slave woman who belongs to Abram’s wife Sarai. Since Sarai is unable to conceive, she gives Hagar to Abram as a wife so that she may have children through Hagar. After Hagar conceives, Sarai perceives a change in Hagar who “looked with contempt on her mistress” (NRSV). Sarai complains to Abram who permits Sarai to do as she pleases. Sarai “dealt harshly” (NRSV) with Hagar who runs away. While in the wilderness, Hagar has an encounter with a messenger of the Lord. This messenger tells her to return to Sarai and to submit to her. Also, he promises to multiply her offspring. He instructs her to name him Ishmael (God hears). She names the Lord “El-roi” (God who sees), and well where this encounter took place was called “Beer-lahai-roi” (well of the living one who sees me). When she returns, she bears a son to Abram, who was eighty-six years old at the time. In Genesis 21, Sarah, having borne Isaac, tells Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. Abraham is distressed, but God tells him to accede to Sarah’s request as Isaac will be Abraham’s heir. Also, God promises that Ishmael will become a great nation as he is Abraham’s offspring. Abraham sends them away and they wander in the wilderness. After the water in the skin is gone, Hagar sits away from Ishmael and prays not to see his death. God hears Ishmael and promises Hagar that Ishmael will become a great nation. God opens her eyes and she sees a well. Ishmael grows up and becomes an expert bowman. Hagar obtains a wife for him from Egypt. Although Hagar does not appear by name in the Qurʾan, she is known within Islam as the mother of Ishmael. Also, she is traditionally considered to be an ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad.
Technological and Hybrid Disasters
Authors: Beck Matthias
Published: August 2019

Technological disasters are typically defined as events caused by the malfunctioning of a technological structure and/or some human error in controlling or handling the technology. One of the oldest recorded technological disasters is the collapse of the Marib Dam in Yemen 570 ad. The event, which is alluded to in the Qur’an, led to the migration of an estimated fifty thousand persons to other parts of the Arabian Peninsula, bringing an end to the then existing regional civilization. Dam breaches have remained a major source of technological disasters. The collapse of the Banqiao Dam and connected structures in southern Henan, China, following a period of unusually heavy rainfall in 1975 is said to have led to 171,000 deaths—potentially the deadliest technological disaster on record. Another major source of technological disasters is explosions. One of the earliest recorded industrial incidents of this kind is the 1626 explosion of the Wanggongchang Gunpowder factory, Beijing, which killed an estimated twenty thousand people. Again, explosions have remained a major cause of industrial disasters. The Bhopal gas tragedy of 1984 started with a runaway exothermic reaction, which led to a leak that caused the release of forty metric tons of toxic methyl isocyanate over the capital of Madhya Pradesh, India. The state’s government confirms 3,787 deaths, but some researchers suggest a figure of around eight thousand. The emergence of nuclear power in the 20th century has added a new dimension to technological disasters. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident of 1986 in Pripyat, Ukraine, led to thirty-one immediate fatalities, including twenty-nine firemen dying from acute radiation exposure. The WHO estimates long-term deaths at four thousand, while radiation scientists provide estimates as high as thirty to sixty thousand. The accident site now is part of a 2,600-square-kilometre exclusion zone. The 2011 Fukushima, Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan represents an example of a hybrid disaster where a natural catastrophe—in this case an earthquake and tsunami—disabled the cooling system of three reactors. No immediate radiation deaths were recorded, but the subsequent evacuation resulted in sixteen hundred fatalities. Compared to natural disasters, technological and hybrid disasters appear to be harder to predict and more difficult to classify, with discussions on causes and consequences being often politicized and contentious. The Convention on the Transboundary Effects of Industrial Accidents has promoted cooperation between European countries, before, during and after disasters since 2000, and represents the first international agreement of this kind.
Water Resources and Climate Change
Authors: Gleick Peter
Published: August 2019

Natural and human-caused climate changes are strongly linked to the hydrologic cycle and freshwater resources. The hydrological cycle is a core part of climate dynamics involving all three common forms of water—ice, liquid, vapor—and the movement of water around the world. Changes in climate affect all aspects of the hydrologic cycle itself through alterations in temperature, precipitation patterns, storm frequency and intensity, snow and ice dynamics, the stocks and flows of water on land, and connections between sea levels and coastal wetlands and ecosystems. In addition, many of the social, economic, and political impacts of climate change are expected to be felt through changes in natural water resources and developed water systems and infrastructure. Extensive research extending back a century or more has been conducted around the world on all the subsection categories presented below. Despite many remaining uncertainties, major advances in basic scientific understanding of the complex processes surrounding freshwater and climate have been made in the past decadet. New ground- and space-based sensors collect far more water- and climate-related data in the 21st century than in the past. Improvements in both regional and global hydrological and climatological modeling have permitted far greater understanding of water and climate links and risks. And more water management institutions and managers are beginning to integrate information about past and future climatic variability into water system planning, design, and construction. Recent observational evidence indicates that the impacts of human-caused climatic changes can now be observed in some regions for a wide range of water resources, including changing evaporative demand associated with rising temperatures, dramatic changes in snow and ice, alterations in precipitation patterns and storm, rising sea levels, and effects on aquatic ecosystems.
Ecohydrology
Authors: Ivanov Valeriy , Fatichi Simone , Daly Edoardo
Published: August 2019

Ecohydrology is a cross-disciplinary field that emerged in the early 2000s as a result of recognition of the need to better understand complex, multifaceted interactions occurring in terrestrial ecosystems and their connection to the water cycle. In this article, ecohydrology is viewed as the science that studies how water in all its forms links living organisms and their abiotic environment to define their function, interactions, structure, and distribution. As a highly interdisciplinary field, ecohydrology draws from hydrology, ecology, atmospheric sciences, plant ecophysiology, biophysics, hydrodynamics, soil science, geomorphology, biogeochemistry, agronomy, and even landscape architecture. Basic science questions and land and water resource management issues are addressed in the field. A range of temporal scales, from minutes (such as in stomatal response to a changing environment) to millennia (such as that characteristic of landscape evolution period), is relevant to studies in ecohydrology. Likewise, spatial extent of analysis covers a spectrum ranging from ~10–6 m (e.g., concerned with leaf stomatal cavities or soil pores), to regional scales at ~106 m. As other sciences, ecohydrologic research relies on theoretical analysis, observation-based inference and experimentation, and computational approaches. The latter are becoming powerful, permitting experimentation and tests of mathematical descriptions of relevant processes and mechanisms. As evidenced by the publication record, one the main scopes of ecohydrology has been to understand how water available to ecosystems is used by vegetation and impacts the water cycle through the process of evapotranspiration. This review draws from this literature thus having a prevailing emphasis on vegetation control of water fluxes (i.e., transpiration) and the bilateral interactions between vegetation and abiotic environment. This perspective is justified by the key role of transpiration in the water cycle: it is the largest water flux from vegetated land to the atmosphere. The field of ecohydrology has analyzed different climatic regions and areas. Arid and semiarid ecosystems, where water is the major limiting factor of ecosystem functioning, are viewed as one of the key foci in ecohydrologic studies, largely driving the establishment of the field. The role that transpiration has on rainfall via water recirculation and the potential effects of deforestation are the emphasis of tropical ecohydrology. The large changes in the hydrologic budget associated with urbanization are addressed in urban ecohydrologic studies. One may expect that future focus will be on understanding of the transformation of terrestrial ecosystems, as we know them, due to ongoing and anticipated changes in the hydrologic cycle.