bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Atypical Presentation of Raynaud’s Disease
Authors: Viswanath Omar , Peck Jacquelin , Gill Jatinder S.
Published: March 2019

Objective: A 57-year-old female with a 33-year history of constant hand discoloration and paronychia had undergone multiple evaluations with a failure to find a diagnosis. She continues to undergo an evolving treatment regimen and diagnostic workup in an effort to find a long-eluded diagnosis. Clinical Presentation: She began to develop superficial ulcerations over the proximal phalanx of her fingers, often pruritic and erythematous, with pain and edema. Intervention: She has since been managed with nifedipine and sildenafil and intermittent stellate ganglion blocks. Conclusion: Despite still lacking a formal diagnosis, her constellation of symptoms is most likely the result of an atypical presentation of Raynaud’s disease.
Serum Albumin and Future Risk of Hip, Humeral, and Wrist Fractures in Caucasian Men: New Findings from a Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Kunutsor Setor K. , Voutilainen Ari , Whitehouse Michael R. , Seidu Samuel , Kauhanen Jussi , Blom Ashley W. , Laukkanen Jari A.
Published: March 2019

Objective: Low serum albumin concentration is associated with poor health outcomes, but its relationship with the risk of fractures has not been reliably quantified. We aimed to assess the prospective association of serum albumin with the risk of fractures in a general population. Subjects and Methods: Baseline serum albumin concentrations were measured in 2,245 men aged 42–61 years in the Kuopio Is­chemic Heart Disease study. Hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals) were calculated for incident fractures. Results: A total of 121 fractures (hip, humeral, or wrist) were recorded during a median follow-up of 25.6 years. The risk of fractures increased linearly below a serum albumin concentration of ∼48 g/L. The age-adjusted HR (95% CI) for fractures per 1 standard deviation lower serum albumin was 1.24 (1.05–1.48). On further adjustment for several conventional and emerging risk factors, the HR was attenuated to 1.21 (1.01–1.45). Comparing the bottom versus top quartile of serum albumin levels, the corresponding adjusted HRs were 2.48 (1.37–4.48) and 2.26 (1.23–4.14). The association of serum albumin with fracture risk did not differ substantially according to age, body mass index, blood pressure, physical activity, alcohol consumption, socioeconomic status, inflammation, prevalent diseases, and smoking. Serum albumin at a threshold of 41.5 g/L demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.5850. Conclusion: In middle-aged Caucasian men, low serum albumin is associated with an increased risk of future fractures. The potential relevance of serum albumin concentrations in fracture prevention and prediction deserves further evaluation.
Recombinant LCAT (Lecithin:Cholesterol Acyltransferase) Rescues Defective HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein)-Mediated Endothelial Protection in Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Ossoli Alice , Simonelli Sara , Varrenti Marisa , Morici Nuccia , Oliva Fabrizio , Stucchi Miriam , Gomaraschi Monica , Strazzella Arianna , Arnaboldi Lorenzo , Thomas Michael J. , Sorci-Thomas Mary G. , Corsini Alberto , Veglia Fabrizio , Franceschini Guido , Karathanasis Sotirios K. , Calabresi Laura
Published: March 2019

Objective—

Aim of this study was to evaluate changes in LCAT (lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase) concentration and activity in patients with an acute coronary syndrome, to investigate if these changes are related to the compromised capacity of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) to promote endothelial nitric oxide (NO) production, and to assess if rhLCAT (recombinant human LCAT) can rescue the defective vasoprotective HDL function.

Approach and Results—

Thirty ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients were enrolled, and plasma was collected at hospital admission, 48 and 72 hours thereafter, at hospital discharge, and at 30-day follow-up. Plasma LCAT concentration and activity were measured and related to the capacity of HDL to promote NO production in cultured endothelial cells. In vitro studies were performed in which STEMI patients’ plasma was added with rhLCAT and HDL vasoprotective activity assessed by measuring NO production in endothelial cells. The plasma concentration of the LCAT enzyme significantly decreases during STEMI with a parallel significant reduction in LCAT activity. HDL isolated from STEMI patients progressively lose the capacity to promote NO production by endothelial cells, and the reduction is related to decreased LCAT concentration. In vitro incubation of STEMI patients’ plasma with rhLCAT restores HDL ability to promote endothelial NO production, possibly related to significant modification in HDL phospholipid classes.

Conclusions—

Impairment of cholesterol esterification may be a major factor in the HDL dysfunction observed during acute coronary syndrome. rhLCAT is able to restore HDL-mediated NO production in vitro, suggesting LCAT as potential therapeutic target for restoring HDL functionality in acute coronary syndrome.
A synopsis of Lychnophorinae (Asteraceae: Vernonieae)
Authors: LOEUILLE BENOÎT , SEMIR JOÃO , PIRANI JOSÉ R.
Published: March 2019

A new classification of the subtribe Lychnophorinae is proposed based on the results of phylogenetic analyses. The subtribes Centratherinae and Sipolisiinae are synonyms of Lychnophorinae and three genera (Albertinia, Blanchetia, Gorceixia) are transferred to the subtribe. As now circumscribed, Lychnophorinae comprises 19 genera and 117 species distributed mostly in the Cerrado domain of the Brazilian Central Plateau. Oiospermum is synonymized under Centratherum, and Irwinia under Blanchetia. Because Lychnophora as currently circumscribed is paraphyletic, the genus is dismantled into three monophyletic genera: Lychnophora s.s., Lychnocephalus and a new genus described herein, Lychnophorella. Seven new species are described (Chronopappus lanatus, Lychnophora grisea, L. haplopappa, Lychnophorella jacobinensis, Piptolepis riparia, Prestelia espeletoidea and Proteopsis hermogenesii), 16 new combinations are proposed (Eremanthus reticulatus, E. syncephalus, Lychnocephalus humillimus, L. mellobarretoi, L. sellowii, Lychnophora hatschbachii, Lychnophorella blanchetii, L. bishopii, L. leucodendron, L. morii, L. regis, L. santosii, L. sericea, L. triflora, Piptolepis pabstii, Prestelia purpurascens) as well as eight new synonyms. We also propose a neotype for Ampherephis pulchella, an epitype for Crantzia ovata and lectotypes for 31 names including six second-step lectotypifications (Albertinia brasiliensis, A. polycephala, Ampherephis intermedia, Centratherum fruticosum, Eremanthus leucodendron, E. purpurascens, Gorceixia decurrens, Lychnophora albertinioides, L. brunioides, L. microphylla, L. pohlii, L. reticulata, L. rosmarinus var. affinis, L. rosmarinus var. normalis, L. sellowii, Piptolepis gardneri, Proteopsis sellowii, Symblomeria baldwiniana, Vanillosmopsis albertinioides, V. glomerata, V. pohlii, V. syncephala, Vernonia burchelliana, V. ericoides, V. imbricata, V. involucrata, V. leptospermoides, V. martiana, V. platycephala, V. pseudomyrtus and V. trichocarpha).
Description of Harpactea popovi sp. n. from Bulgaria with further taxonomic notes on related species (Araneae, Dysderidae)
Authors: DIMITROV DRAGOMIR , DELTSHEV CHRISTO , LAZAROV STOIAN
Published: March 2019

Harpactea popovi sp. n. is described and illustrated based on males. It was collected in beech forest habitats (Fagus orientalis) in Strandzha Mountain, Southeastern Bulgaria. The new species belongs to the Harpactea rubicunda species group as defined by Deeleman-Reinhold (1993) and is closely related to H. ice Komnenov & Chatzaki, 2016 and H. sturanyi (Nosek, 1905). The following synonymies were established: H. camenarum Brignoli, 1977 = H. sturanyi (Nosek, 1905) syn. n., H. lyciae Brignoli, 1978 = H. sturanyi (Nosek, 1905) syn. n. New illustrations and photographs for the discussed species are also presented.
Immature stages of the genus Casignetus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Lucaninae)
Authors: SILVA ALESSANDRA C.G. , GROSSI PASCHOAL C.
Published: March 2019

The immature stages of Casignetus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Lucanidae: Lucaninae: Casignetini) are revised with the description of third instars of males and female of C. humboldti (Gyllenhal, 1817), and C. spixi (Perty, 1830), and female of C. lindei (Boileau, 1899). Pupae of both sexes of C. humboldti, and female of C. lindei are also described for the first time. Casignetus larvae can be recognized by the form of the pars stridens, formed by a slightly arched, longitudinal row of robust, and sclerotized teeth, and by the fusion of the femur and trochanter in prothoracic and mesothoracic legs. Additionally, new characters are proposed for Casignetus species: frontal sutures curvature; epicranial setae; epipharynx and hypopharynx setae; and number and shape of stridulatory teeth.
Cambarus franklini, a new crayfish (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from the Catawba River Basin in western North Carolina, USA
Authors: PERKINS MICHAEL A. , WILLIAMS BRONWYN W. , RUSS WILLIAM T.
Published: March 2019

A new species of stream-dwelling crayfish, Cambarus franklini, the South Mountains crayfish, is described from the upper South Fork Catawba River basin in western North Carolina, USA using morphological and genetic data. Cambarus franklini was previously considered a member of the widespread and morphologically variable Cambarus species C complex and is morphologically most similar to an undiagnosed member of the group native to the upper Catawba River basin in NC. Cambarus franklini can be differentiated from this species group by several morphological characteristics including: lacking a well-defined double row of tubercles along the mesial margin of the palm, possessing a more weakly convergent and longer acumen, and conspicuous blue-green and red coloration, particularly throughout the telson and along the distal margins of the rami. This species is phylogenetically most similar to Cambarus johni, Cooper, 2006, another former member of the Cambarus species C group. Cambarus franklini has a limited geographic range (<100 km2) and is currently known only from the Henry and Jacob Fork watersheds in the South Mountains region of the Eastern Blue Ridge foothills.
Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Omineus Lewis, 1895 in Taiwan, with description of two new species (Coleoptera, Mycteridae, Eurypinae)
Authors: HSIAO YUN , POLLOCK DARREN A.
Published: March 2019

The fauna of Mycteridae Blanchard, 1845 in Taiwan is small, with only two documented species. In the present paper, two new species of Omineus Lewis, 1895 are described: O. taiwanensis sp. nov. and O. chuangae sp. nov., highlighting the potential diversity of this family in Taiwan. New species descriptions are supplemented with photographs and illustrations of habitus and salient structures of both sexes. A key for the identification of Omineus species in Taiwan is provided.
On Detention and Skill: Reflections on Immigrant Incarceration, Bodying Practices, and the Definition of Skill
Authors: Iskander Natasha N.
Published: March 2019

The use of detention as a tool of immigrant enforcement has grown in the United States and around the world. In this article, I examine the practices used to structure the physical detention of immigrants and explore the role that carceral immigrant control plays as a form of labor market governance. I argue that the same security and detention practices that equate being out of status with criminality are also used to tag immigrants as unskilled. Through the delineation of skill categories, which are vested with certain political rights, I posit that this carceral enforcement of skill categories shapes how immigrants are able to navigate the labor market, with particular attention to the implications for recipients of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) protections.
It Takes a Village: A Social Network Approach to NGOs’ International Public Engagement
Authors: Saffer Adam J. , Yang Aimei , Morehouse Jordan , Qu Yan
Published: March 2019

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), like most strategic communicators, are challenged with breaking through the saturated international media environment as they attempt to influence public opinion. Yet, before strategic communicators can build an agenda, they must get attention from the public. The current study examined how NGOs’ network positions in the public Twitter discussion of the global refugee crisis influenced the public engagement NGOs received during two news events. Drawing from network theory and research, we posed two parallel sets of hypotheses. First, we predicted that NGOs with characteristics of “star” network structures will be well-situated in the network to garner attention. Second, we hypothesized that the “village” around an NGO also contributes to capturing attention. The results from our regressions offer evidence to support both hypotheses.
Should skin picking disorder be considered a diagnostic category? A systematic review of the evidence
Authors: Jenkins Zoe , Zavier Hyacinta , Phillipou Andrea , Castle David
Published: March 2019

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to collect, analyse and synthesise the evidence on skin picking disorder as defined by Arnold’s criteria or the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fifth edition (DSM-5) and to examine whether skin picking disorder warrants inclusion in the DSM-5 as a distinct disorder.

Method:

The databases CINAHL, Medline, Embase and PsycINFO were searched for articles published between January 2008 and May 2018. Eligible articles were empirical studies that used Arnold’s or DSM-5 criteria to diagnose skin picking disorder, published in English, with participants aged 18 years or older. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed according to the National Health and Medical Research Council’s guidelines and suggested nosological classification of skin picking disorder were summarised. Eligible studies were assessed against the five criteria proposed by Blashfield and colleagues to determine the validity of the inclusion of skin picking disorder in the DSM-5.

Results:

A total of 20 studies were considered eligible out of 1554. Most of the papers were case-control studies with small clinical samples. Only one out of Blashfield’s five criteria was met; there were commonly accepted diagnostic criteria and assessment scales present in the literature. However, at the time of review, the criterion of 50 published articles (25 of which are required to be empirical) was not met; there had been no publication specifically assessing the clinical utility or validity of skin picking disorder and no studies addressing the differentiation of skin picking disorder from other obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.

Conclusion:

Only a small proportion of published studies on skin picking disorder have employed validated criteria. The current literature fulfills only one of Blashfield’s five criteria for the inclusion of skin picking disorder as a specific entity in psychiatric diagnostic manuals. Further empirical studies on skin picking disorder are needed in order to substantiate skin picking disorder as a disorder distinct from related disorders under the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders category.
Use of Telehealth to Enhance Care in a Family-Centered Childhood Obesity Intervention
Authors: Bala Natasha , Price Sarah N. , Horan Chrissy M. , Gerber Monica W. , Taveras Elsie M.
Published: March 2019

Family-centered childhood obesity interventions have been found to be effective. We describe the use of telehealth for tailored behavior change support in a family-centered randomized trial. Children of 2 to 12 years with body mass index ≥85th percentile were randomized to Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) or Enhanced Primary Care + Coaching (EPC + C). EPC + C received 6 health coach visits (in-person or by video or phone call) over 1 year. Telehealth modalities included interactive text messaging, video calls, and an online community resource map. There were 360 children randomized to the EPC + C arm; 87% of parents completed ≥1 health coaching contacts. Overall, 93% parents were sent text messages of which 99% responded at least once. About 72% parents were very satisfied with the message content and 97% were satisfied with information provided about community health resources. The high level of participant engagement and satisfaction suggests that telehealth is feasible and acceptable in family-centered childhood obesity programs.
Students’ engagement with alternative discursive construction of menstruation
Authors: Agnew Shire , Gunn Alexandra C
Published: March 2019

Objectives:

Understandings of menstruation, including those within teaching, continue to draw on dominant discourses that construct menstruation as shameful and secret. This study trialled a new pedagogical approach to menstruation education that offered opportunities to engage with and mobilise alternative discourses.

Design:

Teachers of students (aged 10–12 years) in school years 7 to 8 were invited to participate in two workshops that used a critical literacy pedagogy to encourage learning about menstruation at schools. Classroom lessons were collaboratively planned. The teaching of the lessons was observed, and interviews with teachers and small groups of participating students were undertaken.

Setting:

South Island, New Zealand.

Methods:

Transcripts of workshops and interview data, in combination with field notes from the observed lessons, were subjected to discourse analysis.

Results:

Teachers still engaged with discourses of shame and secrecy in their work. Students, on the other hand, were observed to challenge discourses of shame and secrecy, and explored alternatives with which they could construct new meanings about menstruation.

Conclusion:

Findings suggest that it is important for teachers to examine personal constructions of menstruation. By approaching the teaching of menstruation in a way that offers space for students to engage with a variety of alternative discourses, teachers can help broaden the manner in which menstruation is understood.
Shifting focus: Antecedents and outcomes of proactive feedback seeking from peers
Authors: De Stobbeleir Katleen , Ashford Susan , Zhang Chen
Published: March 2019

Are there benefits to seeking feedback from peers, or is it not worth the time and effort as employees sometimes believe? If there are benefits, does it matter in teams both with and without formal supervisors, and what contextual conditions facilitate such seeking? These questions motivate the current research. Based on the theoretical differences between peers and supervisors as targets of feedback seeking, we adopt a cost-value perspective to examine whether task interdependence and psychological safety affect the seeking of feedback from peers in a team. We also assess whether such seeking creates value for the seeker him-/herself (by having a cross-source effect on the supervisor’s evaluations) and for the collective (by impacting the team’s creativity). We test these ideas in two studies. In a sample of 209 employee-supervisor dyads (Study 1), we find that employees seek more peer feedback when tasks are interdependent, especially when they perceive their working environment as psychologically safe, and that supervisors view employees who seek more peer feedback as better team contributors. Then, in a longitudinal sample of 88 self-managed MBA consulting teams (Study 2), we find that the average level of peer feedback seeking in a team enhances the team’s creativity. Our findings highlight the power of seeking feedback from peers as well as the context factors shaping it.
From home to host: The instrumental kaleidoscopic careers of skilled migrants
Authors: O’Connor Edward P , Crowley-Henry Marian
Published: March 2019

Is it time to reimagine the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) beyond gendered career patterns? In this article, we draw upon the KCM in a novel way to show how skilled migrants, just like a kaleidoscope, adjust their career parameters and construct bespoke career paths in order to cope with the career disruption of an international move. Specifically, the study unpacks the careers of 38 skilled migrants in Ireland and suggests an alternative explanation for skilled migrants’ underemployment. The findings show that this macro career transition – from home to host country – presents both opportunities and challenges for individual migrants in their quest to balance their work- and non-work-related demands. The study contributes to existing literature and debate on skilled migrants’ careers in the business and management discipline by presenting a more complete overview of the concerns and instrumental career choices of skilled migrants in the host country.
Surfacing learner intuitions about electrical circuit design using an open-source virtual environment ‘chart-a-path’
Authors: Lim Kenneth YT , Chua Derek , Yuen Ming De , Hazyl Hilmy Ahmed
Published: March 2019

Engaging and understanding student-thinking in electrical circuit design can be challenging. While the analysis of circuits is an important component of an Analog Electronics course, one of the primary areas of difficulty faced by students is that they do not have a clear understanding of the current flow. Attempts at mediating this gap are usually limited to the use of metaphors and (too) much is left to the learners’ imagination. This paper reports an intervention co-designed with a lecturer with regard to an undergraduate module on Analog Electronics. The intervention was an open-source immersive virtual environment designed to afford representations of learner intuitions in electrical circuit design with a view to helping their tutor have a better understanding of the roots of their misconceptions. The paper highlights some of the benefits and challenges of using immersive environments and the design and development process, as well as the collaborative learning that resulted.
The Rhetoric and Reality of Development Planning for Rural Development in Ghana: The Case of East Gonja District in Northern Ghana
Authors: Abdul-Rahaman Baba Ahmed , Adusah-Karikari Augustina
Published: March 2019

This study examines the preparation and implementation of the District Medium Term Development Plans in four sub-district structures in the East Gonja District to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the planning process as established by laws and regulations. Using qualitative approaches of focus group discussions, interviews and documentary analysis the study reveals that the process of development planning was not participatory and was short-circuited. This therefore renders the District Medium Term Development Plans ineffective and less responsive to the needs of the people and/or the communities in the district. Also, the sub-district structures, though operational, were ineffective as a result of low revenue generated from the low-economic activities in the district coupled with the delay of the release of and the inadequacy of the District Assemblies Common Funds (DACF). No doubt, the challenge of resource constraint for effective planning is evident. There is therefore the need for a deliberate policy strategy towards establishing an insulated fund to support development planning at the district level.
Relationships Among Home Literacy Behaviors, Materials, Socioeconomic Status, and Early Literacy Outcomes Across 14 Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Zuilkowski Stephanie Simmons , McCoy Dana Charles , Jonason Christine , Dowd Amy Jo
Published: March 2019

Most research on reading acquisition is conducted in high-income countries, and the majority of the limited research from middle- and low-income countries focuses exclusively on school settings. We therefore know little about how home literacy environments (HLEs) relate to early reading skill acquisition in low-resource settings. This study uses baseline data from 18 Save the Children (SC) project sites across 14 countries in Central America, Asia, and Africa to address several questions. First, we examine the structure of HLE in the data set, with a particular focus on its relationship to socioeconomic status (SES). Second, we extend our measurement model to examine the relationship between HLE and early literacy skills across the sample of more than 14,000 first- and second-grade boys and girls (mean age: 8.4 years) from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. We conclude that SES, home reading behaviors, and home reading materials are separate, though related constructs, and that materials in the home are a moderately strong predictor of early reading in these contexts. Our findings indicate that studies investigating literacy environments in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) should clearly and distinctly conceptualize SES, literacy behaviors, and literacy materials. In addition, the robustness of the relationships between the presence of reading materials in the home and children’s early literacy skills suggests that increasing access to these materials may enhance skill development in low-resource contexts.
Saccharibacteria (TM7) in the Human Oral Microbiome
Authors: Bor B. , Bedree J.K. , Shi W. , McLean J.S. , He X.
Published: March 2019

Bacteria from the Saccharibacteria phylum (formerly known as TM7) are ubiquitous members of the human oral microbiome and are part of the Candidate Phyla Radiation. Recent studies have revealed remarkable 16S rRNA diversity in environmental and mammalian host-associated members across this phylum, and their association with oral mucosal infectious diseases has been reported. However, due to their recalcitrance to conventional cultivation, TM7’s physiology, lifestyle, and role in health and diseases remain elusive. The recent cultivation and characterization of Nanosynbacter lyticus type strain TM7x (HMT_952)—the first Saccharibacteria strain coisolated as an ultrasmall obligate parasite with its bacterial host from the human oral cavity—provide a rare glimpse into the novel symbiotic lifestyle of these enigmatic human-associated bacteria. TM7x is unique among all bacteria: it has an ultrasmall size and lives on the surface of its host bacterium. With a highly reduced genome, it lacks the ability to synthesize any of its own amino acids, vitamins, or cell wall precursors and must parasitize other oral bacteria. TM7x displays a highly dynamic interaction with its bacterial hosts, as reflected by the reciprocal morphologic and physiologic changes in both partners. Furthermore, depending on environmental conditions, TM7x can exhibit virulent killing of its host bacterium. Thus, Saccharibacteria potentially affect oral microbial ecology by modulating the oral microbiome structure hierarchy and functionality through affecting the bacterial host’s physiology, inhibiting the host’s growth dynamics, or affecting the relative abundance of the host via direct killing. At this time, several other uncharacterized members of this phylum have been detected in various human body sites at high prevalence. In the oral cavity alone, at least 6 distinct groups vary widely in relative abundance across anatomic sites. Here, we review the current knowledge on the diversity and unique biology of this recently uncovered group of ultrasmall bacteria.
Wnt Production in Dental Epithelium Is Crucial for Tooth Differentiation
Authors: Xiong Y. , Fang Y. , Qian Y. , Liu Y. , Yang X. , Huang H. , Huang H. , Li Y. , Zhang X. , Zhang Z. , Dong M. , Qiu M. , Zhu X.J. , Zhang Z.
Published: March 2019

The Wnt ligands display varied spatiotemporal expression in the epithelium and mesenchyme in the developing tooth. Thus far, the actions of these differentially expressed Wnt ligands on tooth development are not clear. Shh expression specifies the odontogenic epithelium during initiation and is consistently restricted to the dental epithelium during tooth development. In this study, we inactivate Wntless ( Wls), the key regulator for Wnt trafficking, by Shh-Cre to investigate how the Wnt ligands produced in the dental epithelium lineage act on tooth development. We find that conditional knockout of Wls by Shh-Cre leads to defective ameloblast and odontoblast differentiation. WlsShh-Cre teeth display reduced canonical Wnt signaling activity in the inner enamel epithelium and the underlying mesenchyme at the early bell stage, as exhibited by target gene expression and BAT-gal staining. The expression of Wnt5a and Wnt10b is not changed in WlsShh-Cre teeth. By contrast, Wnt10a expression is significantly increased in response to epithelial Wls deficiency. In addition, the expression of Hedgehog signaling pathway components Shh, Gli1, and Patched1 was greatly decreased in WlsShh-Cre teeth. Epithelial Wls loss of function in Shh lineage also leads to aberrant cell proliferation in dental epithelium and mesenchyme at embryonic day 16.5; however, the cell apoptosis is unaffected. Moreover, we find that Decorin and Col1a1, the key markers for odontoblast differentiation that are downregulated in WlsShh-Cre teeth, act as direct downstream targets of the canonical Wnt signaling pathway by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis. Additionally, Decorin and Col1a1 expression can be increased by lithium chloride (LiCl) treatment in the in vitro tooth explants. Taken together, our results suggest that the spatial expression of Wnt ligands within the dental epithelial lineage regulates the differentiation of tooth structures in later stages.
Framing and fighting: The impact of conflict frames on political attitudes
Authors: Canetti Daphna , Khatib Ibrahim , Rubin Aviad , Wayne Carly
Published: March 2019

How does the subjective conceptual framing of conflict impact the warring parties’ attitudes towards political compromise and negotiation? To assess strategies for conflict resolution, researchers frequently try to determine the defining dispute of a given conflict. However, involved parties often view the conflict through fundamentally distinct lenses. Currently, researchers do not possess a clear theoretical or methodological way to conceptualize the complexity of such competing frames and their effects on conflict resolution. This article addresses this gap. Using the Israeli–Palestinian conflict as a case study, we run a series of focus groups and three surveys among Jewish citizens of Israel, Palestinian citizens of Israel (PCIs), and Palestinians in the West Bank. Results reveal that three conflict frames are prominent – material, nationalist, and religious. However, the parties to the conflict differ in their dominant interpretation of the conflict. Jewish Israelis mostly frame the conflict as nationalist, whereas Palestinians, in both the West Bank and Israel, frame it as religious. Moreover, these frames impact conflict attitudes: a religious frame was associated with significantly less willingness to compromise in potential diplomatic negotiations among both Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel. Interestingly, differing frames had no significant impact on the political attitudes of West Bank Palestinians, suggesting that the daily realities of conflict there may be creating more static, militant attitudes among that population. These results challenge the efficacy of material solutions to the conflict and demonstrate the micro-foundations underpinning civilians’ conflict attitudes and their implications for successful conflict resolution.
Cultural Diversity in Couples and Collective Performance: Using a Culture-Based Memory Game to Measure Transactive Memory
Authors: Delamarre-Allaoui Halima , Michinov Nicolas , Brown Genavee
Published: March 2019

Transactive memory refers to the way people in close relationships use each other’s memories as extensions of their own to improve their collaborative performance. Although pioneer research has been conducted among close couples, no studies have examined the effects of the cultural composition of couples on transactive memory. The goal of this study was to extend research about the positive impact of cultural diversity on team performance to mixed- (French–Moroccan) and same-culture couples (French–French, Moroccan–Moroccan). Thirty heterosexual couples aged from 22 to 55 years ( M = 42.25 years and SD = 8.15) performed a culture-based memory game with cards depicting French and Moroccan culture. The order in which the pairs of cards was found is thought to reflect the efficiency of transactive memory. Results revealed that collective performance was better in mixed French–Moroccan couples than in same-culture couples but only for the French culture cards. These findings suggest that cultural diversity in couples has an impact on transactive memory and should be taken into consideration.
Attitudes Toward Smoke-Free Casino Policies Among US Adults, 2017
Authors: Tynan Michael A. , Wang Teresa W. , Marynak Kristy L. , Lemos Pamela , Babb Stephen D.
Published: March 2019

Research shows that there is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and that eliminating smoking indoors fully protects nonsmokers from indoor SHS exposure. Casinos often allow smoking indoors and can be a source of involuntary SHS exposure for employees and visitors. We examined attitudes toward smoke-free casino policies among US adults. During June and July 2017, we used a web-based survey to ask a nationally representative sample of 4107 adults aged ≥18 about their attitudes toward smoke-free casinos. Among 4048 respondents aged ≥18, a weighted 75.0% favored smoke-free casino policies, including respondents who visited casinos about once per year (74.1%), several times per year (75.3%), and at least once per month (74.2%). Although the sociodemographic characteristics of respondents who favored smoke-free casino policies varied, the majority in each group, except current smokers (45.4%), supported smoke-free policies. Allowing smoking inside casinos involuntarily exposes casino employees and visitors to SHS, a known and preventable health risk. Further assessment of public knowledge and attitudes toward smoke-free casinos at state and local levels may help inform tobacco control policy, planning, and practice.
Two Cheers for Air Pollution Control: Triumphs and Limits of the Mid-Century Fight for Air Quality
Authors: Chowkwanyun Merlin
Published: March 2019

This article analyzes the early years of 20th-century air pollution control in Los Angeles. In both scholarship and public memory, mid-century efforts at the regional level were overshadowed by major federal developments, namely the Clean Air Act and creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1970. Yet the mid-century local experience was highly consequential and presaged many subsequent challenges that persist today. The article begins with an exploration of the existential, on-the-ground misery of smog in Los Angeles during the 1940s and 1950s. The article examines the role that scientific evidence on smog did and did not play in regulation, the reasons smog control galvanized support across various constituencies in the region, and, finally, some of mid-century air pollution’s limits.
The Role of the Steelworker Occupational Community in the Internalization of Industrial Restructuring: The ‘Layering Up’ of Collective Proximal and Distal Experiences
Authors: McLachlan Christopher J , MacKenzie Robert , Greenwood Ian
Published: March 2019

This article explores the relationship between occupational community and restructuring at a UK steelworks. Through historic and contemporary experiences, restructuring has become an internalized feature of the steelworker identity. Zittoun and Gillespie’s framework of proximal and distal experiences is adapted to analyse the internalization process. The article argues that experiential resources associated with restructuring are transmitted via the occupational community, forming a part of a collective memory of workplace change. These experiences relate to the historical precedence of restructuring, the role of trade unions in accepting the inevitability of downsizing and prior personal and vicarious experiences of redundancy. The findings build on debates around the determinants of an occupational community, highlighting the role of ‘marginality’ and how experiences of restructuring bind steelworkers to a broader community of fate.
Estimated Costs of a Reinsurance Program to Stabilize the Individual Health Insurance Market: National- and State-Level Estimates
Authors: Drake Coleman , Fried Brett , Blewett Lynn A.
Published: March 2019

Reinsurance, an insurance product designed to protect health insurers against the financial risk of covering high-cost enrollees, has attracted bipartisan policy interest as a mechanism to stabilize individual health insurance markets. Three states—Alaska, Minnesota, and Oregon—have implemented state-based reinsurance programs under the Affordable Care Act’s 1332 State Innovation Waivers, and reinsurance waivers have been approved though not yet enacted in Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. In this article, we estimate the costs of implementing national and state-based reinsurance programs using health spending data from the 2007-2016 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and state demographic and health insurance coverage data from the 2015-2017 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement. We project that a reinsurance program with an 80% payment rate for expenditures between $40,000 and $250,000 would cost $30.1 billion from 2020-2022. We observed considerable variation in reinsurance programs and estimated costs between the 4 states we examined: California, Florida, Illinois, and Texas. Our projections provide updated estimates of the costs of implementing federal reinsurance programs for the individual health insurance market.
Testing Political Philosophies
Authors: Bunge Mario
Published: March 2019

The purposes of the present article are to note the paucity of tests in the politological literature and to advance the thesis that some social movements have unwittingly supported certain political philosophies, whereas others have undermined them. For example, recent trends in longevity statistics favor free and universal health care policies while undermining the private health care ones. Likewise, economic statistics can be used to test the view that free trade favors its practitioners.
Managing the refugee crises in South Asia: The role of SAARC
Authors: Ahmed Zahid Shahab
Published: March 2019

South Asia is home to roughly three million refugees and their long-term presence brings enormous challenges. South Asia’s history of colonialism, low economic development, and intra- and inter-state conflicts have contributed to the large-scale refugee movement and the lack of capacity to address the problem. This article examines the history, current activity and potential for regional cooperation in South Asia to address the issue. The article focuses particularly on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the structure and culture of the organization and the likelihood of it addressing the politically complex issue of forced migration.
Working in employee-owned companies: The role of economic democracy skills
Authors: Summers Juliette , Chillas Shiona
Published: March 2019

Employee-owned companies (EOCs) are a growing sector of the UK economy and yet research remains divided on their impact and effectiveness. While research has focused on the links between ownership form and organisational performance, this article investigates whether distinctive ‘economic democracy skills’ can be identified. The findings reveal that economic democracy skills in EOCs comprise formal business-owner skills – termed skills in economic democracy – and softer socioemotional skills necessary for effective democratic functioning, which are labelled economic democracy skills. These skills are developed through democracy work by EOCs. The implications of these findings for the sustainable performance of democratically owned firms are discussed.
Effects of a Family-Based Diabetes Intervention on Family Social Capital Outcomes for Mexican American Adults
Authors: McEwen Marylyn Morris , Pasvogel Alice , Murdaugh Carolyn
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to test the effects of a culturally tailored family-based self-management education and social support intervention on family social capital with Mexican American (MA) adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and their family member.

Methods

Using a 2-group, experimental repeated-measures design, 157 dyads were randomly assigned to an intervention (group education and social support, home visits, and telephone calls) or a wait list control group. Data were collected at baseline, immediately postintervention (3 months), and 6 months postintervention. A series of 2 × 3 repeated-measures analyses of variance with interaction contrasts were used to test the hypotheses regarding the differential effects on family social capital.

Results

Social capital outcomes included social integration, social support, and family efficacy. Social integration scores, high for family members and friends and low for community engagement, did not change over time for participants or family members. Participants perceived high support from family for physical activity with an immediate increase postintervention and moderate sabotage for healthy eating with no change over time. A sustained intervention effect was noted for family efficacy for general health and total family efficacy in participants and family members.

Conclusions

This family-based culturally tailored intervention demonstrated the potential to improve social capital, specifically social support for physical activity and family efficacy for diabetes management for MA adults with T2DM. Ongoing research that examines the family as a critical context in which T2DM self-management occurs and that targets strategies for sustained family social capital outcomes for T2DM is needed.
Understanding and Measuring Symptom Burden in Heart Failure: A Concept Analysis
Authors: Stockdill Macy L. , Patrician Patricia A. , Bakitas Marie
Published: March 2019

Heart failure is a common, complex, and costly condition accompanied by a high degree of symptom burden. The concept of heart failure symptom burden has been used and measured inconsistently in research. To develop effective symptom management and palliation strategies, a clear conceptual understanding is needed. Rodgers’ evolutionary method of concept analysis was used to identify articles in CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, and PubMed focused on chronic heart failure. Analysis of 20 articles revealed key attributes (subjectivity, negative impact on daily life and/or overall functioning, synergistic symptom associations, and symptom exacerbation), related terms (symptom distress and symptom experience), a surrogate term (heart failure burden), antecedents (heart failure classification or stage), and consequences (increased morbidity/mortality, decreased functioning, increased symptom prevalence/severity, decreased quality of life, and recurrent hospital admissions). No gold standard for measurement was identified. Research is needed to validate heart failure symptom burden measurement strategies across populations.
Informal and non formal music experience: power, knowledge and learning in music teacher education in Chile
Authors: Poblete Carlos , Leguina Adrian , Masquiarán Nicolás , Carreño Bárbara
Published: March 2019

Previous research recognizes the importance of musical experiences on music teacher education. However, current efforts do not provide a comprehensive view of the way their students learn music before starting university. The objective of this study is to portray their musical experiences, identifying the distinctive mechanisms underlying the relationship between practices, repertoires, and training contexts for music learning. A combination of pedagogical, social and musical dimensions, inspired by sociological theories of P. Bourdieu and B. Bernstein, examine the pre-university musical experiences and the mediating role of students’ sociocultural origins. Empirically, multimodal information from four Chilean universities ( n = 55) was collected through the application of a survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews, and analyzed using a set of mixed techniques, including descriptive statistics, text mining, and content analysis. Findings reveal relevant associations between practices, repertoires, and learning contexts, especially in terms of the specialized nature of musical training and the habitus and cultural dispositions of practitioners. Particularly relevant is the predominance of informal and non-formal learning contexts and their translation into specific types of learning. These challenge current perspectives and contribute a tool kit for the understanding of the relationship between power and knowledge in future professional teachers.
First in-human PET study and kinetic evaluation of [18F]AS2471907 for imaging 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1
Authors: Bhatt Shivani , Nabulsi Nabeel B , Li Songye , Cai Zhengxin , Matuskey David , Bini Jason , Najafzadeh Soheila , Kapinos Michael , Ropchan Jim R , Carson Richard E , Cosgrove Kelly P , Huang Yiyun , Hillmer Ansel T
Published: March 2019

11β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) catalyzes enzymatic conversion of cortisone into the stress hormone cortisol. This first-in-human brain imaging study characterizes the kinetic modeling and test–retest reproducibility of [18F]AS2471907, a novel PET radiotracer for 11β-HSD1. Eight individuals underwent one 180-min ( n = 4) or two 240-min ( n = 4) [18F]AS2471907 PET brain scans (12 total) acquired on the high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT) scanner with arterial blood sampling. Imaging data were modeled with 1-tissue (1T) and 2-tissue (2T) compartment models and with multilinear analysis (MA1) to estimate [18F]AS2471907 availability ( VT). [18F]AS2471907 demonstrated high, heterogeneous uptake throughout the brain. Of the compartment models, 2T best described [18F]AS2471907 data. Estimates of VT were highly correlated between 2T and MA1 ( t* = 30 min) with MA1 yielding VT values ranging from 3.2 ± 1.0 mL/cm3 in the caudate to 15.7 ± 4.2 mL/cm3 in the occipital cortex. The median absolute test–retest variability of 16 ± 5% and high intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values of 0.67–0.97 across regions indicate fair test–retest reliability but large intersubject variability. VT estimates using 180 min were within 10% of estimates using full acquisition time. In summary, [18F]AS2471907 exhibits reasonable kinetic properties for imaging 11β-HSD1 in human brain.
Maternal Affection Moderates the Associations Between Parenting Stress and Early Adolescents’ Externalizing and Internalizing Behavior
Authors: Silinskas Gintautas , Kiuru Noona , Aunola Kaisa , Metsäpelto Riitta-Leena , Lerkkanen Marja-Kristiina , Nurmi Jari-Erik
Published: March 2019

The present study investigated the role of parenting stress in early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behavior and, particularly, the moderating effect of maternal affection on these associations. The data of 992 early adolescents ([Formula: see text]; 454 girls) and their mothers during the transition from primary school to lower secondary school were analyzed. The results showed that when maternal affection was low, parenting stress was not related to the changes in early adolescents’ externalizing or internalizing behavior. In contrast, when maternal affection was high, low parenting stress related to a decrease and high parenting stress to an increase in such behavior. The results were statistically significant and stronger for internalizing behavior; for externalizing behavior, they were marginally significant but showed the same pattern. Overall, the results support the idea that maternal affection provides a context which intensifies (rather than ameliorates) the influence of parenting stress on early adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing behavior.