bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
School personnel-student racial congruence and the achievement gap
Authors: Moore Allison B. , MacGregor Cynthia , Cornelius-White Jeffrey
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between student achievement and racial congruence of school personnel and students to help educators and policy makers narrow the achievement gap.

Design/methodology/approach

This quasi-experimental, correlational study used publicly available data from 158 elementary schools in the Houston Independent School District. The authors analyzed the level of congruence of school personnel and students in relation to reading, math and science scores with the fifth-grade students.

Findings

Controlling for the percentage of economically disadvantaged students, separate univariate ANCOVAs on the outcome variables revealed significant effects of racial congruence levels on reading scores, F(2, 153) = 3.73, p = 0.026 and math scores, F(2, 153) = 3.977, p = 0.02.

Research limitations/implications

The operationalization of racial congruence had not been previously used. African-Americans and Hispanics were labeled as non-white, Asian-Americans (who do not show the achievement gap) were grouped with white students, and other minority groups were excluded. The study was a natural experiment without randomization or intervention.

Practical implications

Findings can be used to narrow the achievement gap by encouraging recruitment of Hispanics and African-Americans educators and influencing administrators as they decide where to place hired personnel.

Originality/Value

Using a much larger sample size than previous studies, this study found a factor to narrow the achievement gap.
Survival of Islamic education in a secular state: the madrasah in Singapore
Authors: Mohd Nor Mohd Roslan , Senin Nurhanisah , Mohd Khambali Hambali Khadijah , Ab Halim Asyiqin
Published: September 2017

Purpose

This paper attempts to explore the transformations taken by madrasah, especially in preparing students both in religious and academic field. Besides, this paper aims to demonstrate measures taken by madrasah in instilling the religious and racial cohesion far from conservatism and extremism that has always been labeled to their students.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is qualitative in nature. It is a library research and uses historical method in collecting the data. Some relevant literatures and data have been analyzed and presented in this paper.

Findings

Madrasah in Singapore has always been perceived in a negative nuance because of its ineffectiveness and irrelevant roles in economic building. The conservative and traditional madrasah education system is also seen to impede Singapore’s religious and racial cohesion. The struggle increases prior to the implementation of compulsory education (CE) policy in 2001, where madrasah was almost forced to closure.

Originality/value

Islamic education in Singapore can be observed evolving through three phases: colonial period where it adopted the secular system, post-colonial with the traditional system and, currently, the transformation period with its integrated syllabus.
How do empowering conditions lead to empowered behaviours? Test of a mediation model
Authors: Pigeon Marilyne , Montani Francesco , Boudrias Jean-Sebastien
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Behavioural outcomes of empowerment are not often studied comprehensively and in a specific manner in the literature. The purpose of this paper is to test a research model that specifies how two empowering conditions (empowering leadership and job autonomy) influence specific behavioural outcomes expected from empowered subordinates (discretionary-empowered behaviours and participation in decision making). A mediated model through psychological empowerment is hypothesised.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional questionnaire study relying on 141 dyads of subordinates-supervisors was conducted. Subordinates provided information on psychological empowerment and empowering leadership, while supervisors assessed job autonomy and behavioural outcomes.

Findings

Structural equation modelling analyses lent partial support to the hypothesised model. Psychological empowerment completely mediated the relationships between empowering leadership and behavioural outcomes. However, psychological empowerment was a partial mediator of the relationships between job autonomy and behavioural outcomes. A strong direct link was found between job autonomy and participation in decision making.

Originality/value

This study enables to extend the empowerment literature by showing how job design and leadership factors contribute to boost two types of specific empowered behaviours. The contribution is particularly original in the case of subordinates’ participation in decision making that is not often considered as a subordinate’s empowered behaviour.
A Switchable Linker‐Based Immunoassay for Ultrasensitive Visible Detection of Salmonella in Tomatoes
Authors: Hahn Jungwoo , Kim Eunghee , You Young Sang , Gunasekaran Sundaram , Lim Seokwon , Choi Young Jin
Published: September 2017

On‐site detection for sensitive identification of foodborne pathogens on fresh produce with minimal use of specialized instrumentation is crucial to the food industry. A switchable linker (SL)‐based immunoassay was designed for ultrasensitive on‐site detection of Salmonella in tomato samples. The assay is based on large‐scale aggregation of gold nanoparticles (GNPs), induced by a quantitative relationship among the biotinylated Salmonella polyclonal antibody (b‐Ab) used as the SL, the functionalized GNPs, and Salmonella. Important factors such as the concentration of SLs, time required for large‐scale aggregation, and selectivity of b‐Ab were optimized to minimize the detection time (within 45 min with gentle agitation) and achieve the lowest limit of detection (LOD; 10 CFU/g in tomato samples) possible. This SL‐based immunoassay with its relatively low LOD and short detection time may meet the need for rapid, simple, on‐site analysis of pathogens in fresh produce.

Practical Application

The novel switchable linker‐based immunoassay is a rapid, specific, and sensitive method that has potential applications for routine diagnostics of Salmonella in tomato products. These advantages make it a practical approach for general use in the processing industry to detect Salmonella rapidly and to implement appropriate regulatory procedures. Furthermore, it could be applied to other fresh products including cantaloupe, strawberry, and cucumbers.
Information Asymmetry and Voluntary SFAS 157 Fair Value Disclosures by Bank Holding Companies During the 2007 Financial Crisis
Authors: Weiss Renee , Shon John
Published: September 2017

We hand‐collect SFAS 157 voluntary fair value disclosures of 18 bank holding companies. The SEC's Division of Corporate Finance likely targeted these entities in 2008 through their “Dear CFO” letters in which they requested specific, additional disclosure items. We collect disclosures that match the SEC recommendations and create eight common factor disclosure variables to examine the effect of such disclosures on information asymmetry. We find that disclosure variables about the use of broker quotes or prices from pricing services and the use of market indices and illiquidity adjustments are related to lower information asymmetry. However, disclosure variables about valuation techniques and asset‐backed securities are related to greater information asymmetry. We also document that disclosure complexity, and disclosure tone (uncertainty and litigious) is related to greater information asymmetry. These findings are consistent with criticism that corporate disclosures are voluminous; management may obfuscate unfavorable information which in turn increases market participants’ assessment of uncertainty associated with the fair value measures. We caveat that the setting of the financial crisis and a small sample size may limit the ability to generalize these inferences to other time periods or other financial firms.
Neural correlates of tobacco cue reactivity predict duration to lapse and continuous abstinence in smoking cessation treatment
Authors: Owens Max M. , MacKillop James , Gray Joshua C. , Beach Steven R.H. , Stein Michael D. , Niaura Raymond S. , Sweet Lawrence H.
Published: September 2017

It has been hypothesized that neural reactivity to drug cues in certain limbic/paralimbic regions of the brain is an indicator of addiction severity and a marker for likelihood of success in treatment. To address this question, in the current study, 32 participants (44 percent female) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging cigarette cue exposure paradigm 2 hours after smoking, and then enrolled in a 9‐week smoking cessation treatment program. Neural activation to smoking cues was measured in five a priori defined limbic/paralimbic regions previously implicated with cue reactivity across substances. These included regions of the ventral striatum, anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala. Cox proportional hazard modeling was conducted to predict the number of days to first smoking lapse by using neural activation in these regions. Greater neural activation during pre‐treatment exposure to smoking cues in the right ventral striatum, the left amygdala, and the anterior cingulate was associated with longer periods of abstinence following cessation. A similar pattern was present for continuous abstinence for the full duration of treatment. While baseline levels of nicotine dependence were strongly associated with treatment outcome, activation in the right ventral striatum predicted duration of abstinence beyond level of nicotine dependence. These results suggest that pre‐treatment reactivity to smoking cues in areas associated with cue reactivity may be associated with successfully maintaining abstinence during treatment. This is consistent with models that propose that as addiction becomes more severe, motivational processing shifts from regions that subserve reward salience and learning to regions responsible motor behavior and habit learning.
Benefits of Well‐Being Training in Healthy Older Adults
Authors: Cantarella Alessandra , Borella Erika , Marigo Cinzia , De Beni Rosanna
Published: September 2017

Introduction

Several studies have shown that psychological well‐being (PWB) can be promoted through positive psychological interventions (PPIs). Although these interventions have shown promising results in clinical settings, only a few studies have investigated their effectiveness in older adults, and they have rarely considered an active control group. In addition, generalisation effects of thePWBtraining to quality of life (QoL) and to untrained cognitive abilities have never been considered.

Objective

In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of a six‐sessionPWBintervention aiming specifically to improvePWB, and sought any transfer effects on an aspect related toPWB, QoL. Transfer effects on a high‐level cognitive process, working memory (WM), were also investigated.

Methods

Thirty‐two older adults (61–82 years old) volunteered to take part in the study and were randomly assigned to either a training group or an active control group.

Results

Only the trained group, once controlled for variability, reported larger gains inPWBand inWMperformance after the training.

Conclusions

This pilot study suggests thatPWBtraining can be effective in older adults, with a positive generalisation effect on cognition (WM). The discussion focuses on the need to developPPIs tailored to older adults’ needs and resources.
Steroid phobia, Chinese medicine and asthma control
Authors: Ip Ka Ian , Hon Kam Lun , Tsang Kathy Yin Ching , Leung Theresa Ngan Ho
Published: September 2017

Background

Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) are the mainstay of treatment for asthma. Corticosteroid (CS) phobia and fears are prevalent, and these may influence therapeutic efficacy and asthma control.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate if CS fear is associated with asthma control in children.

Methods

Patients aged >4 years with asthma at a pediatric outpatient clinic were surveyed, and the Asthma Control Test (ACT) was used for the assessment of asthma control.

Results

Ninety‐eight patients and their parents were interviewed. Thirty‐four (35%) parents reported moderate or significant CS fear. They were more likely than those with no or little fear to have poorer asthma control (mean ACT scores 21.3 ± 4.0 vs 23.1 ± 3.3, P = 0.02), discuss their fears with their doctors (P < 0.001), request CS sparing medications (P = 0.044) and resort to Chinese medicine (CM) usage (P < 0.001). Backward binomial logistic regression showed parents with moderate/significant fears were more likely to discuss their fears with their doctors (OR: 5.21; 95% CI: 1.86‐14.59; P = 0.002) and have used CM (OR: 4.28; 95% CI: 1.61‐11.41; P = 0.004). CS fear was not translated to reduced self‐reported compliance in the prescribed ICS. About 40% of the respondents had ever used Chinese Medicine (CM) with 82% of the users reported having used Chinese herbal medicine and 49% had used cold moxibustion.

Conclusions

CS fear and CM usage are prevalent. Parents with CS fear were more likely to have children with poorer asthma control and have used Chinese medicine. Physicians caring for children with asthma should be aware of parents with CS fear, prepared to address the fear or concerns and offer evidence‐based alternative treatment.
Towards physiologically meaningful water‐use efficiency estimates from eddy covariance data
Authors: Knauer Jürgen , Zaehle Sönke , Medlyn Belinda E. , Reichstein Markus , Williams Christopher A. , Migliavacca Mirco , De Kauwe Martin G. , Werner Christiane , Keitel Claudia , Kolari Pasi , Limousin Jean‐Marc , Linderson Maj‐Lena
Published: September 2017

Intrinsic water‐use efficiency (iWUE) characterizes the physiological control on the simultaneous exchange of water and carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems. Knowledge of iWUE is commonly gained from leaf‐level gas exchange measurements, which are inevitably restricted in their spatial and temporal coverage. Flux measurements based on the eddy covariance (EC) technique can overcome these limitations, as they provide continuous and long‐term records of carbon and water fluxes at the ecosystem scale. However, vegetation gas exchange parameters derived from EC data are subject to scale‐dependent and method‐specific uncertainties that compromise their ecophysiological interpretation as well as their comparability among ecosystems and across spatial scales. Here, we use estimates of canopy conductance and gross primary productivity (GPP) derived from EC data to calculate a measure of iWUE (G1, “stomatal slope”) at the ecosystem level at six sites comprising tropical, Mediterranean, temperate, and boreal forests. We assess the following six mechanisms potentially causing discrepancies between leaf and ecosystem‐level estimates of G1: (i) non‐transpirational water fluxes; (ii) aerodynamic conductance; (iii) meteorological deviations between measurement height and canopy surface; (iv) energy balance non‐closure; (v) uncertainties in net ecosystem exchange partitioning; and (vi) physiological within‐canopy gradients. Our results demonstrate that an unclosed energy balance caused the largest uncertainties, in particular if it was associated with erroneous latent heat flux estimates. The effect of aerodynamic conductance on G1 was sufficiently captured with a simple representation. G1 was found to be less sensitive to meteorological deviations between canopy surface and measurement height and, given that data are appropriately filtered, to non‐transpirational water fluxes. Uncertainties in the derived GPP and physiological within‐canopy gradients and their implications for parameter estimates at leaf and ecosystem level are discussed. Our results highlight the importance of adequately considering the sources of uncertainty outlined here when EC‐derived water‐use efficiency is interpreted in an ecophysiological context.
Fast extraction methodologies for the determination of toxic arsenic in meat
Authors: Ruiz‐de‐Cenzano Manuela , Cava‐Montesinos Patricia , Cervera Maria Luisa , de la Guardia Miguel
Published: September 2017

A nonchromatographic analytical procedure has been developed for the determination of arsenic in meat samples including the major toxic arsenic species arsenite, arsenate, monomethylarsonic acid (MMA) and dimetylarsinic acid (DMA). The method is based on the extraction of arsenic species in mild conditions, selective trivalent hydride formation and final determination by hydride generation atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (HG‐AFS). Different extractant agents and two different procedures, microwave‐assisted extraction (MAE) and ultrasound assisted extraction at room temperature, were evaluated for As species extraction. The method provided a limit of detection of 0.013 ng mL−1 and a mean relative standard deviation in actual samples of 0.3%. Data found for toxic As in meat samples varied from 0.42 ng g−1 in chicken muscle to 68 ng g−1 in pork liver. Percentage of toxic As respect to total As varied in the 9–46% range depending on the meat product.
Deep tissue loads in the seated buttocks on an off‐loading wheelchair cushion versus air‐cell‐based and foam cushions: finite element studies
Authors: Peko Cohen Lea , Gefen Amit
Published: September 2017

For wheelchair users, a common injury is a sitting‐acquired pressure ulcer (PU) which typically onsets near the interface between the ischial tuberosity (IT) and the overlying soft tissues. The risk of developing PUs can be reduced considerably if an adequate cushion is placed on the wheelchair in order to protect tissues from PUs by minimising interface mechanical loads between the body and cushion and also, exposure to internal soft tissue loads. In this work, we studied the biomechanical performances of an off‐loading (OL) cushion with limited adjustability, in comparison to a standard foam cushion and a fully adjustable air‐cell‐based (ACB) cushion. These different cushion design approaches were methodologically and quantitatively analysed and compared here using a finite element (FE) modelling framework. We determined the internal mechanical deformations, strains and stresses in soft tissues of the seated buttocks during symmetric sitting, in a specific anatomy of a person with a spinal cord injury that was acquired during sitting in an open, magnetic resonance imaging configuration. Our results have shown that strains and stresses in muscle, fat and skin tissues are orders of magnitude lower for the ACB cushion with respect to the standard foam and OL cushions. The OL cushion design has taken the approach of protecting at‐risk sites of the buttocks by transferring local internal tissue loads away from the ITs and towards the greater trochanters, at the price of increasing exposure to internal tissue loads at sites other than the ITs. The ACB cushion design, however, has taken a different approach, that is, immersion and envelopment of the entire buttocks structure, which is useful for minimising the exposure to internal tissue loads throughout the whole buttocks. Quantifying performances of wheelchair cushions using FE modelling provides insights into deep tissue loads, which is essential for informed decision‐making in developing sitting solutions for individuals at risk, as well as for patient groups.
Short‐term safety and efficacy of left atrial appendage closure with the WATCHMAN device in patients with small left atrial appendage ostia
Authors: Venkataraman Ganesh , Strickberger S. Adam , Doshi Shephal , Ellis Christopher R. , Lakkireddy Dhanunjaya , Whalen S. Patrick , Cuoco Frank
Published: September 2017

Introduction

Left atrial appendage (LAA) closure with the WATCHMAN device, according to FDA labelling, is recommended in patients with a maximal LAA ostial width between 17 and 31 mm. The safety and efficacy of LAA closure in patients with a maximal LAA ostial width < 17 mm has not been evaluated.

The goal of this study was to determine the acute and short‐term safety and efficacy of LAA closure with the WATCHMAN device in patients with a maximal LAA ostial width < 17 mm.

Methods and results

Thirty‐two consecutive patients with a maximal LAA ostial width < 17 mm as determined by a screening transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) underwent LAA closure with the WATCHMAN device between March 2015 and November 2016 at five medical centers, and were included in this study.

Mean age, body mass index (BMI), and CHA2DS2‐VASC score were 70.8 ± 8.6 years, 29.3 ± 6.5 kg/m2, and 3.9 ±1.2, respectively. At the screening TEE, mean maximal LAA ostial width and depth were 15.6 ± 0.6 mm (range 14–16) and 23.2 ± 4.5 mm (range 13–31), respectively.

Successful LAA closure with the WATCHMAN device was achieved in 31 of 32 patients (97%), with no major complications. TEE performed 45 days after LAA closure demonstrated no peridevice leak > 5 mm and no device related thrombi. Warfarin was discontinued in all 31 patients 45 days after LAA closure.

Conclusions

LAA closure with the WATCHMAN device can be successfully and safely achieved in patients with a maximal LAA ostial width < 17 mm.
Cancer Screening of Older Adults in Israel According to Life Expectancy: Cross Sectional Study
Authors: Bareket Ronen , Schonberg Mara A. , Comaneshter Doron , Schonmann Yochai , Shani Michal , Cohen Arnon , Vinker Shlomo
Published: September 2017

Objectives

To examine over‐screening of older Israelis for colon and breast cancer.

Design

Cross sectional.

Setting

Clalit Health Services (CHS), Israel's largest health maintenance organization (HMO), provides care for more than half of the country's population and operates a national age‐based programs for cancer screening.

Participants

All community‐dwelling members aged 65 to 79 in 2014 (N = 370,876).

Measurements

We used CHS data warehouse to evaluate cancer screening during 2014. Life expectancy (LE) was estimated using the validated Schonberg index.

Results

Almost one‐quarter (23.1%; 15.6% of adults aged 65–74, 42.7% of adults aged 75–79) of the study population had an estimated LE of less than 10 years. Annual fecal occult blood test and biannual mammography rates among adults aged 65 to 74 with a LE of 10 years or longer were 37.1% and 70.0%, respectively. Rates dropped after age 75 (4.0%, 19.5%) and to a lesser extent with a LE of less than 10 years (31.6%, 56.4%). Prostate‐specific antigen testing is not part of the national screening program, and the proportion of people tested (42.6%), did not vary similarly with age of 75 and older (43.2%) or LE of less than 10 years (38.1%).

Conclusion

The cancer screening inclusion criteria of the national referral system have a strong effect on receipt of screening; LE considerations are less influential. Some method of estimating LE could be incorporated into algorithms to improve individualized cancer screening to reduce over‐ and underscreening of older adults.
Types and Nature of Parental Support for Overweight Students to Cope With Weight‐Related Teasing
Authors: Zhao Qi , Li Weidong , Rukavina Paul B.
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

Parental support can protect adolescents from various forms of bullying. There is a lack of in‐depth information about what social support parents provide to overweight adolescents when they are teased at school. In this study, we took an initial step to address this gap in the literature by describing the types and nature of support that parents provided to their overweight child when they were teased.

METHODS

A conversational style semistructured interview/prompts and probes were conducted with 28 volunteering parents. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the data. Data trustworthiness was established through a variety of strategies.

RESULTS

Six themes emerged from the data: (1) having conversations, being encouraging, and “being supportive”; (2) using religion to teach self‐acceptance and comfort their child; (3) offering advice on how to cope with the teasing; (4) fostering their child's self‐esteem; (5) teaching reality and acceptance of criticism in early life; and (6) seeking support from other parents or professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Parents offered multiple supports for their child when they were teased. This information can facilitate the development of effective family‐based interventions on coping with teasing among overweight students. Future research is also needed to examine the effectiveness of the recommended interventions.
A School‐Based Dental Program Evaluation: Comparison to the Massachusetts Statewide Survey
Authors: Culler Corinna S. , Kotelchuck Milton , Declercq Eugene , Kuhlthau Karen , Jones Kari , Yoder Karen M.
Published: September 2017

BACKGROUND

School‐based dental programs target high‐risk communities and reduce barriers to obtaining dental services by delivering care to students in their schools. We describe the evaluation of a school‐based dental program operating in Chelsea, a city north of Boston, with a low‐income and largely minority population, by comparing participants' oral health to a Massachusetts oral health assessment.

METHODS

Standardized dental screenings were conducted for students in kindergarten, third, and sixth grades. Outcomes were compared in bivariate analysis, stratified by grade and income levels.

RESULTS

A greater percentage of Chelsea students had untreated decay and severe treatment need than students statewide. Yet, fewer Chelsea third graders had severe treatment need, and more had dental sealants. There was no significant difference in the percentage of Chelsea students having severe treatment need or dental sealants by income level.

CONCLUSIONS

Students participating in our program do not have lower decay levels than students statewide. However, they do have lower levels of severe treatment need, likely due to treatment referrals. Our results confirm that school‐based prevention programs can lead to increased prevalence of dental sealants among high‐risk populations. Results provide support for the establishment of full‐service school‐based programs in similar communities.
Maternal concerns and perceptions of elementary school‐age children's weight status
Authors: Hernandez Daphne C. , Reesor Layton , Kabiri Laura S.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics associated with maternal concerns for her child becoming overweight, and how these concerns are related to her perceptions of her child's weight.

Design

A school‐based sample of 55 children and their mothers from Houston, Texas, participated in a cross‐sectional survey. Mothers reported on their concerns and perceptions regarding their child's weight. Child and mother height and weight were directly assessed to calculate body mass index (BMI). Covariate‐adjusted logistic regression models were conducted.

Results

Over one‐third of mothers misperceived their child's weight status [9% (n = 5) overestimated; 27% (n = 15) underestimated]. Mothers of sons were less accurate compared with mothers of daughters. For every one unit increase in maternal BMI, mothers had 13% higher odds of being concerned of their child becoming overweight. Concerned mothers had 82% lower odds of underestimating their child's weight.

Practice Implications

In order for school‐based childhood obesity prevention and intervention programs to be successful, parents must accurately perceive their elementary school‐age child's weight status. School nurses can be vital to these efforts through proper training and resources. Nurses can use the “School Nurse Childhood Obesity Toolkit” and motivational interviewing techniques to address parental concerns and perceptions prior to teaching behavior modification strategies to children/families.
On Wigner–Ville Spectra and the Uniqueness of Time‐Varying Copula‐Based Spectral Densities
Authors: Birr Stefan , Dette Holger , Hallin Marc , Kley Tobias , Volgushev Stanislav
Published: September 2017

The uniqueness of the time‐varying copula‐based spectrum recently proposed by the authors is established via an asymptotic representation result involving Wigner–Ville spectra.
Gene Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases and their Inhibitors (TIMPs) in Meningiomas of Dogs
Authors: Mandara M.T. , Reginato A. , Foiani G. , De Luca S. , Guelfi G.
Published: September 2017

Background

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are considered to be key mediators of tumor invasion and metastasis.MMP‐2 andMMP‐9 are expressed in meningiomas of dogs, butTIMPexpression, and variations of specificMMP/TIMPratios still are unknown in this tumor.

Hypothesis/Objectives

Expression ofMMP/TIMPmight increase progressively from grade I to gradeIIImeningioma. Therefore, genetic expression ofMMP‐2 andMMP‐9, and specificTIMP‐2 andTIMP‐1, respectively, has been investigated in meningiomas of different grades.

Animals

Selected formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded tissue from 43 meningiomas of dogs was evaluated.

Methods

Genetic material was obtained from pathologic samples and used for quantitative reverse transcriptase real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR).

Results

MMP‐9 was not expressed in all of the tumors, butMMP‐2 was significantly more expressed in papillary meningioma. Likewise, theMMP‐2/TIMP‐2 ratio was numerically higher in papillary meningiomas compared to all grades (>3.5 times) showing a strong bias in favor of metalloproteinase. In the papillary meningioma,TIMP‐1 gene expression was significantly higher than in grades I andIII.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

MMP‐2/TIMP‐2 imbalance might contribute to the aggressive biologic behavior of papillary meningiomas in dogs.TIMP‐1 expression may play a role independent ofMMP‐9 expression in neoplastic progression. These results further support that therapeutic and prognostic evaluations of dogs with meningioma need to be addressed according to different histologic patterns as is performed in humans.
Consumer Willingness to Pay for a Saline Fish Species Grown in the US Midwest: The Case of Striped Bass, Morone saxatilis
Authors: Quagrainie Kwamena K.
Published: September 2017

The US Midwest region has saline water resources that include saline aquifers, saline springs, water from oil extraction, effluents from coal beneficiation, water produced from coal‐bed methane production, and other industrial effluents. There is considerable quantity of saline water in the Midwest to support a saltwater aquaculture industry. Striped bass, Morone saxatilis, is a saline fish species that has attracted interest in the Midwest region for aquaculture production. The study used willingness‐to‐pay information from consumers to assess the potential market for striped bass grown in the Midwest. The results suggest that males and consumers of age 29 yr and younger are more likely to pay higher amounts for striped bass. In particular, consumers who prefer farmed and fresh seafood, those who purchase seafood frequently for home consumption, and those who consume seafood 26–50% of the time when eating out have a higher probability of paying higher amounts for striped bass grown in the Midwest.
Terrestrial biosphere models underestimate photosynthetic capacity and CO2 assimilation in the Arctic
Authors: Rogers Alistair , Serbin Shawn P. , Ely Kim S. , Sloan Victoria L. , Wullschleger Stan D.
Published: September 2017

Terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs) are highly sensitive to model representation of photosynthesis, in particular the parameters maximum carboxylation rate and maximum electron transport rate at 25°C (Vc,max.25 and Jmax.25, respectively). Many TBMs do not include representation of Arctic plants, and those that do rely on understanding and parameterization from temperate species.

We measured photosynthetic CO2 response curves and leaf nitrogen (N) content in species representing the dominant vascular plant functional types found on the coastal tundra near Barrow, Alaska.

The activation energies associated with the temperature response functions of Vc,max and Jmax were 17% lower than commonly used values. When scaled to 25°C, Vc,max.25 and Jmax.25 were two‐ to five‐fold higher than the values used to parameterize current TBMs. This high photosynthetic capacity was attributable to a high leaf N content and the high fraction of N invested in Rubisco. Leaf‐level modeling demonstrated that current parameterization of TBMs resulted in a two‐fold underestimation of the capacity for leaf‐level CO2 assimilation in Arctic vegetation.

This study highlights the poor representation of Arctic photosynthesis in TBMs, and provides the critical data necessary to improve our ability to project the response of the Arctic to global environmental change.
Cancer screening participation in schizophrenic outpatients and the influence of their functional disability on the screening rate: A cross‐sectional study in Japan
Authors: Fujiwara Masaki , Inagaki Masatoshi , Nakaya Naoki , Fujimori Maiko , Higuchi Yuji , Hayashibara Chinatsu , So Ryuhei , Kakeda Kyoko , Kodama Masafumi , Uchitomi Yosuke , Yamada Norihito
Published: September 2017

Aim

The influence of schizophrenic patients’ functional disability on cancer screening participation worldwide is unclear. There are few findings on the disparities in schizophrenic patients’ participation in cancer screening programs in Asia. The aim of this study was to investigate the screening rate and the associations between screening and symptom severity/functional disability in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted in a psychiatric hospital outpatient clinic in Japan. We recruited schizophrenic patients meeting the national program criteria for cancer screening for colorectal, gastric, lung, breast, and cervical cancer (n = 224, 223, 224, 110, and 175, respectively). Receipt of cancer screenings was assessed using a self‐report questionnaire. Scores on the modified Global Assessment of Functioning (mGAF) were evaluated by participants’ primary psychiatrists.

Results

Rates of cancer screenings were as follows: 24.1% for colorectal, 21.5% for gastric, 30.8% for lung, 25.5% for breast, and 19.4% for cervical cancer. A multivariable logistic analysis showed that a 1‐point increase in severity/disability (100 minus mGAF score) was associated with significantly lower odds ratios (OR) for receipt of cancer screenings, except for breast cancer (OR, 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.93–0.98 for colorectal; OR, 0.96, 95%CI, 0.93–0.98 for gastric; OR, 0.95, 95%CI, 0.93–0.97 for lung; OR, 0.97, 95%CI, 0.94–1.00 for breast; and OR, 0.95, 95%CI, 0.92–0.98 for cervical cancer).

Conclusion

The findings demonstrated low rates of cancer screenings in schizophrenic patients in Japan. Our study suggests the need to encourage attendance at cancer screenings, especially in schizophrenic patients with severe symptoms/functional disability.
Personality correlates of individual differences in the recruitment of cognitive mechanisms when rewards are at stake
Authors: Heritage Allan J. , Long Laura J. , Woodman Geoffrey F. , Zald David H.
Published: September 2017

Individuals differ greatly in their sensitivity to rewards and punishments. In the extreme, these differences are implicated in a range of psychiatric disorders from addiction to depression. However, it is unclear how these differences influence the recruitment of attention, working memory, and long‐term memory when responding to potential rewards. Here, we used a rewarded memory‐guided visual search task and ERPs to examine the influence of individual differences in self‐reported reward/punishment sensitivity, as measured by the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS)/Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scales, on the recruitment of cognitive mechanisms in conditions of potential reward. Select subscales of the BAS, including the fun seeking and reward responsiveness scales, showed unique relationships with context updating to reward cues and working memory maintenance of potentially rewarded stimuli. In contrast, BIS scores showed unique relationships with deployment of attention at different points in the task. These results suggest that sensitivity to rewards (i.e., BAS) and to punishment (i.e., BIS) may play an important role in the recruitment of specific and distinct cognitive mechanisms in conditions of potential rewards.
Unified Empirical Likelihood Ratio Tests for Functional Concurrent Linear Models and the Phase Transition from Sparse to Dense Functional Data
Authors: Wang Honglang , Zhong Ping-Shou , Cui Yuehua , Li Yehua
Published: September 2017

We consider the problem of testing functional constraints in a class of functional concurrent linear models where both the predictors and the response are functional data measured at discrete time points. We propose test procedures based on the empirical likelihood with bias-corrected estimating equations to conduct both pointwise and simultaneous inferences. The asymptotic distributions of the test statistics are derived under the null and local alternative hypotheses, where sparse and dense functional data are considered in a unified framework. We find a phase transition in the asymptotic null distributions and the orders of detectable alternatives from sparse to dense functional data. Specifically, the tests proposed can detect alternatives of √n-order when the number of repeated measurements per curve is of an order larger than nη0 with n being the number of curves. The transition points η0 for pointwise and simultaneous tests are different and both are smaller than the transition point in the estimation problem. Simulation studies and real data analyses are conducted to demonstrate the methods proposed.
Monetary Policy with Sectoral Trade‐Offs
Authors: Petrella Ivan , Rossi Raffaele , Santoro Emiliano
Published: September 2017

We formulate a two‐sector New Keynesian economy featuring sectoral heterogeneity along three dimensions: price stickiness, consumption goods durability, and the usage of input materials in production. These factors affect both inter‐sectoral and intra‐sectoral stabilization. We examine the welfare properties of simple rules that react to alternative measures of final goods price inflation. Due to factor demand linkages, the cost of production in one sector is influenced by price‐setting in the other sector. Therefore, measures of aggregate inflation weighting sectoral prices based on their relative stickiness do not allow one to keep track of the effective speeds of sectoral price adjustment.
Olive mill waste and glyphosate‐based herbicide addition to olive grove soils: effects on microbial activities and their responses to drying–rewetting cycles
Authors: Boukhdoud N. , Farnet Da Silva A. M. , Darwish T. , Gros R.
Published: September 2017

The objective of this experimental study was to determine the effect of agronomic practices usually implemented in olive groves (addition of olive mill waste and herbicides) on soil microbial communities and to test whether drought enhanced such effects. For that purpose, mesocosms containing soil cores from olive groves were incubated for 5 months under either of the three treatments: (i) addition of olive mill waste (OMW), (ii) addition of glyphosate‐based herbicide (Gly treatment) and (iii) both treatments. Half of the mesocosms were subjected or not (controls) to drying–rewetting cycles (D/Rw) for 1 month (1 D/Rw) or 3 months (3 D/Rw). In the controls, 2 months after the Gly treatment, higher lipase activities were observed compared with no practice treatment as well as a significant change in catabolic profiles of cultivable microbial communities. Three months later, lipase activities significantly decreased under the Gly treatment. Addition of OMW together with Gly treatment counteracted the negative effect of the herbicide on lipase activities. After three D/Rw cycles, Gly treatment modified catabolic profiles and induced a decrease in functional diversity. Overall, the combination of glyphosate‐based herbicide with OMW was a conservative practice that maintained soil functioning and led to a better response to D/Rw cycles.
Sex differences in the role of phospholipase A2‐dependent arachidonic acid pathway in the perivascular adipose tissue function in pigs
Authors: Ahmad Abdulla A. , Randall Michael D. , Roberts Richard E.
Published: September 2017

Key points

The fat surrounding blood vessels (perivascular adipose tissue or PVAT) releases vasoactive compounds that regulate vascular smooth muscle tone.

There are sex differences in the regulation of vascular tone, but, to date, no study has investigated whether there are sex differences in the regulation of blood vessel tone by PVAT.

This study has identified that the cyclooxygenase products thromboxane and PGF2α are released from coronary artery PVAT from pigs.

Thromboxane appears to mediate the PVAT‐induced contraction in arteries from females, whereas PGF2α appears to mediate the contraction in arteries from males.

These sex differences in the role of these prostanoids in the PVAT‐induced contraction can be explained by a greater release of thromboxane from PVAT from female animals and greater sensitivity to PGF2α in the porcine coronary artery from males.

Previous studies have demonstrated that perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) causes vasoconstriction. In this present study, we determined the role of cyclooxygenase‐derived prostanoids in this contractile response and determined whether there were any sex differences in the regulation of vascular tone by PVAT. Contractions in isolated segments of coronary arteries were determined using isolated tissue baths and isometric tension recording. Segments were initially cleaned of PVAT, which was then re‐added to the tissue bath and changes in tone measured over 1 h. Levels of PGF2α and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) were quantified by ELISA, and PGF2α (FP) and thromboxane A2 (TP) receptor expression determined by Western blotting. In arteries from both male and female pigs, re‐addition of PVAT caused a contraction, which was partially inhibited by the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin and flurbiprofen. The FP receptor antagonist AL8810 attenuated the PVAT‐induced contraction in arteries from males, whereas the TP receptor antagonist GR32191B inhibited the PVAT‐induced contraction in arteries from females. Although there was no difference in PGF2α levels in PVAT between females and males, PGF2α produced a larger contraction in arteries from males, correlating with a higher FP receptor expression. In contrast, release of TXB2 from PVAT from females was greater than from males, but there was no difference in the contraction by the TXA2 agonist U46619, or TP receptor expression in arteries from different sexes. These findings demonstrate clear sex differences in PVAT function in which PGF2α and TXA2 antagonists can inhibit the PVAT‐induced vasoconstriction in male and female PCAs, respectively.
Ultrasound propagation through dilute polydisperse microbubble suspensions
Authors: Ovenden Nicholas C. , O'Brien Jean-Pierre , Stride Eleanor
Published: September 2017

In a fully nonlinear model of wave propagation through bubbly media, computational complexity arises when the medium contains a polydisperse bubble population. This is because a nonlinear ordinary differential equation governing the bubble response must be solved for the current radius of each bubble size present at every spatial location and at every time step. In biomedical ultrasound imaging, commercial contrast agents typically possess a wide range of bubble sizes that exhibit a variety of differing behaviours at ultrasound frequencies of clinical interest. Despite the advent of supercomputing resources, the simulation of ultrasound propagation through microbubble populations still represents a formidable numerical task. Consequently, efficient computational algorithms that have the potential to be implemented in real time on clinical scanners remain highly desirable. In this work, a numerical approach is investigated that computes only a single ordinary differential equation at each spatial location which can potentially reduce significantly the computational effort. It is demonstrated that, under certain parameter regimes, the approach replicates the fully nonlinear model of an incident ultrasound pulse propagating through a polydisperse population of bubbles with a high degree of accuracy.
Evaluation of the Innate Immune Modulator Acitretin as a Strategy To Clear the HIV Reservoir
Authors: Garcia-Vidal Edurne , Castellví Marc , Pujantell Maria , Badia Roger , Jou Antoni , Gomez Lucia , Puig Teresa , Clotet Bonaventura , Ballana Ester , Riveira-Muñoz Eva , Esté José A.
Published: September 2017

The persistence of HIV despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy is a major roadblock to HIV eradication. Current strategies focused on inducing the expression of latent HIV fail to clear the persistent reservoir, prompting the development of new approaches for killing HIV-positive cells. Recently, acitretin was proposed as a pharmacological enhancer of the innate cellular defense network that led to virus reactivation and preferential death of infected cells. We evaluated the capacity of acitretin to reactivate and/or to facilitate immune-mediated clearance of HIV-positive cells. Acitretin did not induce HIV reactivation in latently infected cell lines (J-Lat and ACH-2). We could observe only modest induction of HIV reactivation by acitretin in latently green fluorescent protein-HIV-infected Jurkat cells, comparable to suboptimal concentrations of vorinostat, a known latency-reversing agent (LRA). Acitretin induction was insignificant, however, compared to optimal concentrations of LRAs. Acitretin failed to reactivate HIV in a model of latently infected primary CD4+T cells but induced retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS) expression in infected and uninfected cells, confirming the role of acitretin as an innate immune modulator. However, this effect was not associated with selective killing of HIV-positive cells. In conclusion, acitretin-mediated stimulation of the RIG-I pathway for HIV reactivation is modest and thus may not meaningfully affect the HIV reservoir. Stimulation of the RIG-I-dependent interferon (IFN) cascade by acitretin may not significantly affect the selective destruction of latently infected HIV-positive cells.
Complementary Methodologies To Investigate Human Gut Microbiota in Host Health, Working towards Integrative Systems Biology
Authors: Méndez-García Celia , Barbas Coral , Ferrer Manuel , Rojo David
Published: September 2017

In 1680, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek noted compositional differences in his oral and fecal microbiota, pioneering the study of the diversity of the human microbiome. From Leeuwenhoek's time to successful modern attempts at changing the gut microbial landscape to cure disease, there has been an exponential increase in the recognition of our resident microbes as part of ourselves. Thus, the human host and microbiome have evolved in parallel to configure a balanced system in which microbes survive in homeostasis with our innate and acquired immune systems, unless disease occurs. A growing number of studies have demonstrated a correlation between the presence/absence of microbial taxa and some of their functional molecules (i.e., genes, proteins, and metabolites) with health and disease states. Nevertheless, misleading experimental design on human subjects and the cost and lack of standardized animal models pose challenges to answering the question of whether changes in microbiome composition are cause or consequence of a certain biological state. In this review, we evaluate the state of the art of methodologies that enable the study of the gut microbiome, encouraging a change in broadly used analytic strategies by choosing effector molecules (proteins and metabolites) in combination with coding nucleic acids. We further explore microbial and effector microbial product imbalances that relate to disease and health.