bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estradiol deficiency is a risk factor for idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in postmenopausal female patients
Authors: Yang Hualan , Gu Huanhuan , Sun Wenjing , Li Yanpeng , Wu Huijuan , Burnee Molorerdene , Zhuang Jianhua
Published: May 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

Although it is generally considered that benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is associated with changes in female sex hormone levels, no direct data have been reported until now. The purpose of this article was to provide direct data showing the distinct relationship between female sex hormone fluctuations and BPPV in postmenopausal female patients.

Study Design

Prospective analysis in humans and basic research in animals.

Methods

Blood samples were analyzed to determine the levels of estradiol, progesterone, follicle‐stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone in 50‐ to 80‐year‐old postmenopausal female patients newly diagnosed with idiopathic BPPV based on history compatible with BPPV and positive provocative maneuvers. Animal models of bilateral ovariectomy and female sex hormone replacement therapy were used to further confirm the relationship between BPPV and female sex hormone levels by determining the expression levels of otoconin 90, the protein suggested as essential in the dislocation of otoconia.

Results

Statistically significant differences between the estradiol level of BPPV patients and the control group were found (P < .001). Moreover, in bilateral ovariectomy in rats, 17β‐estradiol replacement reversed the decrease of otoconin 90 levels.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that estradiol deficiency may be an important risk factor for idiopathic benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in postmenopausal female patients.

Level of Evidence

NA. Laryngoscope, 128:948–953, 2018
Evaluation of airway protection: Quantitative timing measures versus penetration/aspiration score
Authors: Kendall Katherine A.
Published: May 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

Quantitative measures of swallowing function may improve the reliability and accuracy of modified barium swallow (MBS) study interpretation. Quantitative study analysis has not been widely instituted, however, secondary to concerns about the time required to make measures and a lack of research demonstrating impact on MBS interpretation. This study compares the accuracy of the penetration/aspiration (PEN/ASP) scale (an observational visual‐perceptual assessment tool) to quantitative measures of airway closure timing relative to the arrival of the bolus at the upper esophageal sphincter in identifying a failure of airway protection during deglutition.

Study Design

Retrospective review of clinical swallowing data from a university‐based outpatient clinic.

Methods

Swallowing data from 426 patients were reviewed. Patients with normal PEN/ASP scores were identified, and the results of quantitative airway closure timing measures for three liquid bolus sizes were evaluated. The incidence of significant airway closure delay with and without a normal PEN/ASP score was determined. Inter‐rater reliability for the quantitative measures was calculated.

Results

In patients with a normal PEN/ASP score, 33% demonstrated a delay in airway closure on at least one swallow during the MBS study. There was no correlation between PEN/ASP score and airway closure delay. Inter‐rater reliability for the quantitative measure of airway closure timing was nearly perfect (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.973).

Conclusions

The use of quantitative measures of swallowing function, in conjunction with traditional visual perceptual methods of MBS study interpretation, improves the identification of airway closure delay, and hence, potential aspiration risk, even when no penetration or aspiration is apparent on the MBS study.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 127:2314–2318, 2017
The clinical outcomes of patients with portal vein tumor thrombi after living donor liver transplantation
Authors: Choi Ho Joong , Kim Dong Goo , Na Gun Hyung , Hong Tae Ho , Bae Si Hyun , You Young Kyoung , Choi Jong Young , Yoon Seung Kew
Published: May 2017

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of living donor liver transplantation for treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and segmental portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT) below the second‐order branch. Between January 2005 and December 2015, we retrospectively analyzed 242 patients in a control group (n = 184), a microvascular invasion (MVI) group (n = 24), and a PVTT group (n = 34). To assess the risks associated with PVTT, we evaluated recurrence, the disease‐free survival (DFS) rate, the overall survival (OS) rate, and various other factors based on the characteristics of patients and tumors. Of the 242 patients, 5‐year DFS and OS rates were 79.5% and 70.7%. A total of 34 (14.0%) patients had PVTT, of whom 7 had lobar PVTT in first‐order branches. The control, MVI, and PVTT groups significantly differed in terms of tumor morphology (maximal and total diameters) and biology (alpha‐fetoprotein [AFP] and protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II). The control, MVI, and PVTT groups significantly differed in terms of the recurrence, DFS, and OS rates. Especially, lobar PVTT reduced the 5‐year DFS and OS rates to dismal and 14.3%, respectively, but segmental PVTT was associated with favorable 5‐year DFS and OS rates (63.9% and 50.3%, respectively). We found no statistically significant difference in the DFS and OS rates of patients with MVI alone and segmental PVTT alone. In patients in the segmental PVTT group with AFP levels of <100 ng/mL, the 5‐year DFS and OS rates were 90.9% and 71.3%, respectively. In conclusion, a tumor thrombus in a lobar portal vein remains a contraindication to liver transplantation. However, a segmental PVTT is acceptable, especially when the AFP level is <100 ng/mL. Liver Transplantation 23 1023–1031 2017 AASLD.
Mesenchymal stem cells attenuate acute liver injury by altering ratio between interleukin 17 producing and regulatory natural killer T cells
Authors: Milosavljevic Neda , Gazdic Marina , Simovic Markovic Bojana , Arsenijevic Aleksandar , Nurkovic Jasmin , Dolicanin Zana , Djonov Valentin , Lukic Miodrag L. , Volarevic Vladislav
Published: May 2017

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are, due to immunomodulatory characteristics, considered as novel agents in the treatment of immune‐mediated acute liver failure. Although it is known that MSCs can regulate activation of T lymphocytes, their capacity to modulate function of neutrophils and natural killer T (NKT) cells, major interleukin (IL) 17–producing cells in acute liver injury, is still unknown. By using 2 well‐established murine models of neutrophil and NKT cell–mediated acute liver failure (induced by carbon tetrachloride and α‐galactoceramide), we investigated molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in MSC‐mediated modulation of IL17 signaling during acute liver injury. Single intravenous injection of MSCs attenuate acute hepatitis and hepatotoxicity of NKT cells in a paracrine, indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO)–dependent manner. Decreased levels of inflammatory IL17 and increased levels of immunosuppressive IL10 in serum, reduced number of interleukin 17–producing natural killer T (NKT17) cells, and increased presence of forkhead box P3 + IL10–producing natural killer T regulatory cells (NKTregs) were noticed in the injured livers of MSC‐treated mice. MSCs did not significantly alter the total number of IL17‐producing neutrophils, CD4+, and CD8 + T lymphocytes in the injured livers. Injection of mesenchymal stem cell–conditioned medium (MSC‐CM) resulted with an increased NKTreg/NKT17 ratio in the liver and attenuated hepatitis in vivo and significantly reduced hepatotoxicity of NKT cells in vitro. This phenomenon was completely abrogated in the presence of IDO inhibitor, 1‐methyltryptophan. In conclusion, the capacity of MSCs to alter NKT17/NKTreg ratio and suppress hepatotoxicity of NKT cells in an IDO‐dependent manner may be used as a new therapeutic approach in IL17‐driven liver inflammation. Liver Transplantation 23 1040–1050 2017 AASLD.
Motor‐symptom laterality affects acquisition in Parkinson's disease: A cognitive and functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Huang Pei , Tan Yu‐Yan , Liu Dong‐Qiang , Herzallah Mohammad M. , Lapidow Elizabeth , Wang Ying , Zang Yu‐Feng , Gluck Mark A. , Chen Sheng‐Di
Published: May 2017

Background and Objectives: Asymmetric onset of motor symptoms in PD can affect cognitive function. We examined whether motor‐symptom laterality could affect feedback‐based associative learning and explored its underlying neural mechanism by functional magnetic resonance imaging in PD patients.

Methods: We recruited 63 early‐stage medication‐naïve PD patients (29 left‐onset medication‐naïve patients, 34 right‐onset medication‐naïve patients) and 38 matched normal controls. Subjects completed an acquired equivalence task (including acquisition, retention, and generalization) and resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Learning accuracy and response time in each phase of the task were recorded for behavioral measures. Regional homogeneity was used to analyze resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data, with regional homogeneity lateralization to evaluate hemispheric functional asymmetry in the striatum.

Results: Left‐onset patients made significantly more errors in acquisition (feedback‐based associative learning) than right‐onset patients and normal controls, whereas right‐onset patients performed as well as normal controls. There was no significant difference among these three groups in the accuracy of either retention or generalization phase. The three groups did not show significant differences in response time. In the left‐onset group, there was an inverse relationship between acquisition errors and regional homogeneity in the right dorsal rostral putamen. There were no significant regional homogeneity changes in either the left or the right dorsal rostral putamen in right‐onset patients when compared to controls.

Conclusions: Motor‐symptom laterality could affect feedback‐based associative learning in PD, with left‐onset medication‐naïve patients being selectively impaired. Dysfunction in the right dorsal rostral putamen may underlie the observed deficit in associative learning in patients with left‐sided onset.© 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Resolving NMR signals of short‐chain fatty acid mixtures using unsupervised component analysis
Authors: Costa Pereira Jorge , Jarak Ivana , Carvalho Rui Albuquerque
Published: May 2017

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a very powerful instrumental technique suited to identify and characterize organic compounds. NMR has been successfully used in the analysis of complex biological and environmental samples; however, these applications are still rather limited. In this work, we describe unsupervised component analysis as a multivariate unsupervised method suited to identify the number of relevant NMR signal contributions and to deconvolve mixed signals into signal individual sources and respective contributions. Using this approach, we were able to advance further in the field of quantification of NMR spectra, and this methodology will help in the characterization of complex biological samples. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mechanical properties of metal oxide dispersed jute fiber reinforced polyester biocomposites
Authors: Adhikari Jaideep , Biswas Bhabatosh , Chabri Sumit , Bandyopadhyay Nil Ratan , Halder Sudipta , Mitra Bhairab Chandra , Sinha Arijit
Published: May 2017

Enhancement in toughness without reducing its mechanical property is a serious issue in context of application of the biocomposites. Therefore, in this study, the effect of incorporation of Al2O3and ZrO2particles in the polymer matrix on the mechanical properties of jute fiber reinforced unsaturated polyester biocomposites were investigated. Reinforcements with fibers were carried out in different weight proportions (5–25%) and with varied fiber lengths. The biocomposites were fabricated using hand lay‐up method. Overall 20 wt % filler content (18 wt% fiber and 2 wt% metal oxide particles) was selected as the optimized composition. The fibers were treated with NaOH solution for better compatibility with matrix whereas the particles were treated with silane for better adherence with the matrix. Microhardness, tensile, flexural, and impact properties of the biocomposites were evaluated as per standard. Fractography of the biocomposites were done using scanning electron microscope. It was found that the ZrO2particle incorporated bicomposites show better mechanical properties than the Al2O3dispersed bicomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E101–E112, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Evaluation of fretting wear behavior of PEEK by analyzing the change of crystallinity: The high temperature effect
Authors: Wang Qiufeng , Wang Yunxia , Wang Hongling , Fan Na , Wang Mengjiao , Yan Fengyuan
Published: May 2017

In this study, the high‐temperature tribological behaviors of poly‐ether‐ether‐ketone (PEEK) under fretting wear condition have been evaluated by using a SRV‐IV oscillating reciprocating ball‐on‐disk tribometer. It can be found that the noticeable transitions of the friction coefficient and wear rate occurred when the test temperature was 150°C. Based on the observations of the morphologies of worn surfaces, the transition of wear mechanisms of PEEK actually occurred at 150°C. In addition, by investigating the change of the crystalline structure of PEEK, results showed that the wear contributed to the formation of a higher crystallinity of PEEK. The change of the crystallinity further affected the tribological behavior of PEEK. According to the result of permanganate etching, it also can be observed that the main component of plastic deformation resulting from adhesive wear was the amorphous phase. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:1340–1348, 2017. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Validation of patient‐specific surgical guides for femoral neck cutting in total hip arthroplasty through the anterolateral approach
Authors: Sakai Takashi , Hamada Hidetoshi , Takao Masaki , Murase Tsuyoshi , Yoshikawa Hideki , Sugano Nobuhiko
Published: May 2017

Background

The aim of this study was to validate the effectiveness of neck‐cut patient‐specific surgical guides (PSGs) for femoral component implantation in total hip arthroplasty (THA) through the anterolateral approach compared with that without PSG.

Methods

A total of 32 fresh cadaveric hips were included. Anatomical stem implantation with wide‐base‐contact PSG (AWP group) and without PSG (control group) were compared. The absolute errors between preoperative planning and PSG setting (E1), as well as those between preoperative planning and postoperative component implantation (E2) were evaluated using CT.

Results

The E1/E2 values of AWP were 0.9±0.3°/0.6±0.6° in the coronal plane, and 1.7±0.8°/1.0±0.9° in the sagittal plane, and 1.0±0.6 mm/1.0±1.1 mm for the medial height. The E2 value in the sagittal plane (P=0.037) and the medial height (P=0.011) of AWP were significantly smaller than those of control group.

Conclusions

The neck‐cut PSG through the anterolateral approach is effective for femoral component implantation.
Orf virus infection
Authors: Bergqvist Christina , Kurban Mazen , Abbas Ossama
Published: May 2017

Orf virus (ORFV) is an important pathogen responsible for a highly contagious zoonotic viral infection that threatens those who handle sheep and goats. Orf virus is the prototype of the Parapoxvirus genus, and its resilience in the environment and ability to reinfect its host has contributed to the spread and maintenance of the infection in many species. In healthy humans, the disease usually resolves spontaneously within 3 to 6 weeks. There is no specific treatment and many different approaches such as use of imiquimod, cidofovir, curettage, shave excision, cryotherapy, and electrocautery have all been reported to be successful, without supporting evidence from controlled clinical trials. Throughout its interaction with the different hosts, ORFV has evolved a strategy for immune evasion via the development of an array of virulence factors. The interaction of ORFV with the immune system has been the subject of research for decades. Whole inactivated ORFV has been used as a type of immunomodulating drug; a so called paramunity inducer proposed as both a preventative and a therapeutic immunomodulator across various species. Additional research on the remarkable strategies underlying ORFV infection could lead to improved understanding of skin immunity.
The Endothelial Protein C Receptor Is a Potential Stem Cell Marker for Epidermal Keratinocytes
Authors: Xue Meilang , Dervish Suat , Chan Benjamin , Jackson Christopher J.
Published: May 2017

Endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) is a specific receptor for anticoagulant protein C and expressed by human epidermis and cultured keratinocytes. Here we investigated whether: (a) the level of EPCR in keratinocytes is associated with their growth potential; and (b) EPCR is a potential marker for human epidermal stem cells. Human keratinocytes isolated from foreskins or adult skin tissues were transfected with EPCR siRNA or EPCR overexpressing plasmids. Cell proliferation, long term proliferation potential, colony forming efficiency (CFE), and in vitro epidermal regeneration ability of EPCRhigh and EPCRl°w cells were assessed. The expression and colocalization of EPCR with stem cell markers p63, integrin β1, and activation of MAP kinases were detected by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining, or Western blot. Results showed that EPCR was highly expressed by the basal layer of skin epidermis. EPCRhigh cells were associated with the highest levels of p63 and integrin β1. Most EPCRhigh cells were smaller in size, formed larger colonies and had a greater long term growth potential, CFE, holoclone formation, and in vitro epidermal regeneration ability when compared to EPCRl°w cells. Blocking EPCR resulted in keratinocyte apoptosis, particularly in nondifferentiated conditions. Cell proliferation and p63 expression were reduced by blocking EPCR and enhanced by overexpressing this receptor. These data indicate that EPCR can regulate p63, is associated with highly proliferative keratinocytes, and is a potential human epidermal stem cell marker.
Cell Therapy in Parkinson's Disease: Host Brain Repair Machinery Gets a Boost From Stem Cell Grafts
Authors: Napoli Eleonora , Borlongan Cesar V.
Published: May 2017

This commentary highlights the major findings and future research directions arising from the recent publication by Zuo and colleagues in Stem Cells 2017 (in press). Here, we discuss the novel observations that transplanted human neural stem cells can induce endogenous brain repair by specifically stimulating a host of regenerative processes in the neurogenic niche (i.e., subventricular zone [SVZ]) in an animal model of Parkinson's disease. That the identified therapeutic proteomes, neurotrophic factors, and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the SVZ may facilitate brain regeneration and behavioral recovery open a new venue of research for our understanding of the pathology and treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Slow-Myofiber Commitment by Semaphorin 3A Secreted from Myogenic Stem Cells
Authors: Tatsumi Ryuichi , Suzuki Takahiro , Do Mai-Khoi Q. , Ohya Yuki , Anderson Judy E. , Shibata Ayumi , Kawaguchi Mai , Ohya Shunpei , Ohtsubo Hideaki , Mizunoya Wataru , Sawano Shoko , Komiya Yusuke , Ichitsubo Riho , Ojima Koichi , Nishimatsu Shin-ichiro , Nohno Tsutomu , Ohsawa Yutaka , Sunada Yoshihide , Nakamura Mako , Furuse Mitsuhiro , Ikeuchi Yoshihide , Nishimura Takanori , Yagi Takeshi , Allen Ronald E.
Published: May 2017

Recently, we found that resident myogenic stem satellite cells upregulate a multi-functional secreted protein, semaphorin 3A (Sema3A), exclusively at the early-differentiation phase in response to muscle injury; however, its physiological significance is still unknown. Here we show that Sema3A impacts slow-twitch fiber generation through a signaling pathway, cell-membrane receptor (neuropilin2-plexinA3) → myogenin-myocyte enhancer factor 2D → slow myosin heavy chain. This novel axis was found by small interfering RNA-transfection experiments in myoblast cultures, which also revealed an additional element that Sema3A-neuropilin1/plexinA1, A2 may enhance slow-fiber formation by activating signals that inhibit fast-myosin expression. Importantly, satellite cell-specific Sema3A conditional-knockout adult mice (Pax7CreERT2-Sema3Afl°x activated by tamoxifen-i.p. injection) provided direct in vivo evidence for the Sema3A-driven program, by showing that slow-fiber generation and muscle endurance were diminished after repair from cardiotoxin-injury of gastrocnemius muscle. Overall, the findings highlight an active role for satellite cell-secreted Sema3A ligand as a key “commitment factor” for the slow-fiber population during muscle regeneration. Results extend our understanding of the myogenic stem-cell strategy that regulates fiber-type differentiation and is responsible for skeletal muscle contractility, energy metabolism, fatigue resistance, and its susceptibility to aging and disease.
Adiponectin Enhances Quiescence Exit of Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Hematopoietic Recovery Through mTORC1 Potentiation
Authors: Masamoto Yosuke , Arai Shunya , Sato Tomohiko , Kubota Naoto , Takamoto Iseki , Kadowaki Takashi , Kurokawa Mineo
Published: May 2017

Myelotoxic injury, such as chemotherapeutic agents and ionizing radiation, unlocks the vigorous power of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to replenish the hematopoietic system, making quiescent HSCs enter the cell cycle. Considering that both HSC-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms enforce quiescence of HSCs, the drastic change in bone marrow (BM) environment after injury, represented by massive expansion of BM adipocytes, might trigger HSC activation. BM adipocytes, the major cellular component in the ablated marrow, however, reportedly suppress proliferation of hematopoietic cells, which may indicate the BM adipocytogenesis is an irrational response of injured organism. Given that adipose tissue is an endocrine organ with pleiotropic functions, we hypothesized that adipocyte-derived factors, especially adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory adipokine involved in regulation of granulopoiesis, are implicated in HSC activation. Myeloablative intervention increased BM adiponectin by multiple mechanisms, including adipocyte expansion and increased diffusion from the blood. Adiponectin-null (Adipoq  −/−) mice showed delayed hematopoietic recovery after BM injury, with Adipoq−/− HSCs more quiescent and defective in mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation. Recombinant adiponectin promoted not only HSC activation in vivo but cytokine-induced activation in vitro, and shortened the time for exit from quiescence in an mTORC1-dependent manner. These data illustrate a scarcely-reported example of a cell-extrinsic factor, adiponectin, enhancing quiescence exit of HSCs, and subsequent hematopoietic recovery. Our findings also highlight adipocytes as a source of adiponectin to ensure the proliferative burst of hematopoietic cells in ablated marrow.
Innovative precast, prestressed concrete network arches: Elastic response during construction
Authors: Yousefpour Hossein , Gallardo Jose M. , Helwig Todd A. , Bayrak Oguzhan
Published: May 2017

To the authors’ knowledge, the West Seventh Street Bridge in Fort Worth, Texas is the first precast concrete network arch bridge in the world. Completed in 2013, this bridge consists of 12 identical arches that were precast and post‐tensioned near the bridge site. The prefabricated arches, which were 49.8‐m long and weighed approximately 2,500 kN, were then transported to the bridge site and erected. To evaluate the structural behavior throughout construction and under subsequent live (truck) loading, 224 vibrating wire gauges were embedded in the 12 arches prior to concrete placement. Three‐dimensional finite element models of the arches were also developed to evaluate the structural response under different loading and boundary conditions. Relatively small bending moments were observed in the arches, and the response of the arch elements was generally governed by axial forces. This paper describes the bridge, the instrumentation, and the modeling effort, in addition to the short‐term response of the arches.
Influence of steel fibers extracted from waste tires on shear behavior of reinforced concrete beams
Authors: Rashid Khuram , Balouch Nosheen
Published: May 2017

The accumulation of worn‐out tires creates health and fire hazards, and researchers are busy to incorporate waste tire rubber in concrete instead of burning or dumping. After shredding of waste tires, steel beads were separated by magnetic separator. The potential utilization of wasted steel fibers in concrete was investigated in this experimental work; fresh and hardened properties of fiber‐reinforced concrete (RC) were evaluated and compared with the conventional concrete. Shear behavior was investigated by conducting a four‐point bending test on RC beams. Five types of RC beams were cast; two control specimens were cast, with and without stirrups, by using conventional concrete. Three types of beams were cast by using 0.40, 0.65, and 1.00% fibers by volume. Workability of fiber RC was lower than the conventional concrete. Linear increase in failure load was observed with an increase in the dosage of fibers, and a 64.3% increase in failure load was observed after 1% addition as compared to control specimen. Mid‐span deflection, crack initiation load, and ultimate shear load were also increased with the addition of fibers. Crack spacing was reduced by 64.2% of specimen, with 1% dosage of fibers as compared to a control specimen without any stirrups, and a reduction in crack width was also observed with the addition of fibers.
Land Use and Salinity Drive Changes in SAV Abundance and Community Composition
Authors: Patrick Christopher J. , Weller Donald E. , Orth Robert J. , Wilcox David J. , Hannam Michael P.
Published: May 2017

Conserving and restoring submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are key management goals for estuaries worldwide because SAV integrates many aspects of water quality and provides a wide range of ecosystem services. Management strategies are typically focused on aggregated abundance of several SAV species, because species cannot be easily distinguished in remotely sensed data. Human land use and shoreline alteration have been shown to negatively impact SAV abundance, but the effects have varied with study, spatial scale, and location. The differences in reported effects may be partly due to the focus on abundance, which overlooks within-community and among-community dynamics that generate total SAV abundance. We analyzed long-term SAV aerial survey data (1984–2009) and ground observations of community composition (1984–2012) in subestuaries of Chesapeake Bay to integrate variations in abundance with differences in community composition. We identified five communities (mixed freshwater, milfoil-Zannichellia, mixed mesohaline, Zannichellia, and Ruppia-Zostera). Temporal variations in SAV abundance were more strongly related to community identity than to terrestrial stressors, and responses to stressors differed among communities and among species. In one fifth of the subestuaries, the community identity changed during the study, and the probability of such a change was positively related to the prevalence of riprapped shoreline in the subestuary. Mixed freshwater communities had the highest rates of recovery, and this may have been driven by Hydrilla verticillata, which was the single best predictor of SAV recovery rate. Additional species-specific and community-specific research will likely yield better understanding of the factors affecting community identity and SAV abundance, more accurate predictive models, and more effective management strategies.
Long‐term reliability and stability of behavioral measures among adolescents: The Delay Discounting and Stroop tasks
Authors: Martínez‐Loredo Víctor , Fernández‐Hermida José Ramón , Carballo José Luis , Fernández‐Artamendi Sergio
Published: May 2017

Delay Discounting (DD) and the Stroop test are two fundamental tasks for the assessment of impulsivity and inhibitory control, core features of several behavioral disorders. Although the study of reliability and temporal stability is important, only studies with adults and small samples have been carried out. The aim of this study is to assess the one‐year reliability and temporal stability of both tasks among adolescents. A total of 1375 adolescents (M = 13.08 years old, SD = 0.51) made up the final sample (53.5% males). The results showed moderate stability and good reliability for both DD (α = 0.90) and Stroop (α = 0.85). Indices based on the reaction times and not the number of errors are recommended when using the Stroop test. These results support the use of both behavioral tasks in longitudinal research among adolescents.
Gender inequality in Russia’s rural informal economy
Authors: Wegren Stephen K. , Nikulin Alexander , Trotsuk Irina , Golovina Svetlana
Published: May 2017

This article analyzes gender inequality in Russia’s rural informal economy. Continuation of unequal gendered roles in Russia’s rural informal economy suggests that tradition and custom remain strong. Gender differentials in time spent tending the household garden remain significant, as is the distribution of household tasks into gendered roles in ways that effect professional advancement for women. Land ownership is the domain of men, and women are not owners in Russia’s new economy. Moreover, men earn more from entrepreneurial activity, a function of how male and female services are valued and priced in society. Responsibility that is shared includes the marketing of household food. The conclusion is that institutional change is less impactful on gender inequality than persistence of culture and tradition.
Rivalry and Revenge
Authors: Balcells Laia
Published: May 2017

What explains violence against civilians in civil wars? Why do groups kill civilians in areas where they have full military control and their rivals have no military presence? This innovative book connects pre-war politics to patterns of violence during civil war. It argues that both local political rivalry and local revenge account for violence against civilians. Armed groups perpetrate direct violence jointly with local civilians, who collaborate when violence can help them gain or consolidate local political control. As civil war continues, revenge motives also come into play, leading to spirals of violence at a local level. In an important contribution to the study of the Spanish Civil War, Balcells combines statistical analyses with ethnographic and qualitative research to provide new insights to scholars and academic researchers with an interest in civil war, politics and conflict processes. Rivalry and Revenge is theoretically and empirically rich, and it offers a theory and method generalizable to a wide set of cases.
A regression model for terminal airspace delays
Authors: Çetek F. Aybek , Kantar Y.M. , Cavcar A.
Published: May 2017

Air Traffic Management (ATM) research generally focuses on achieving a safer, more effective and economical air traffic system. The current airspace system has become increasingly strained as the demand for air travel has steadily grown. Innovative, proactive and multi-disciplinary approaches to research are needed to solve flight congestion and delays as a consequence of this rapid growth. As a result of this growth, air traffic flow becomes more complex, especially in Terminal Airspaces (TMA) where climb and descent manoeuvres of departing and arriving flights take place around airports. As air traffic demand exceeds the capacity in a TMA, the resultant congestion leads to delays that spread all over the system. Therefore, the reduction of delays is critical for airspace designers to increase customer satisfaction and the perception of service quality. Numerous studies have been conducted to reduce delays within TMAs. This research focuses on defining the causes of delays quantitatively through statistical analysis. The first step was to create a fast-time simulation model of sample airspace for collecting delay data. After building up this model using the SIMMOD fast-time ATM simulation tool, simulation experiments were run to produce various traffic scenarios and to generate traffic delay data. The number of airports, entry points, fixes and flight operations in airspace and the probability of wide-body aircraft were considered as independent variables. The correlations between the considered variables were analysed, and the total delay data was modelled using a linear regression model. The findings of regression model present a statistical approach for airspace designers and air traffic flow planners.
Transparency and Opaqueness in the Chinese ICT Sector: A Critique of Chinese and International Corporate Governance Norms
Authors: HAWES Colin , LI Grace
Published: May 2017

This article critiques the current Chinese corporate governance framework and the OECD Principles of Corporate Governance (OECD Principles) on which the Chinese framework is largely based through detailed analysis of public disclosures by four prominent Chinese internet and communications technology (ICT) firms. These include State-controlled firms (China Telecom & China Mobile), mixed ownership (ZTE), and privately-controlled firms (Huawei Technologies). The article argues that neither Chinese nor international corporate governance norms deal adequately with the complex group structures that are so common among large Chinese firms. It also reveals deficiencies in the rules on independent directors, supervisory committees, and Chinese Communist Party committees as they are applied by Chinese ICT firms. The article concludes with reform proposals that would provide more useful information and better protection to outside investors and public stakeholders in the unique Chinese corporate environment.
Psychological and Educational Interventions for Atopic Dermatitis in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hashimoto Kayoko , Ogawa Yusuke , Takeshima Nozomi , Furukawa Toshi A.
Published: May 2017

Psychological and educational interventions are valuable adjuncts in the management of adult atopic dermatitis. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of the efficacy of these interventions. Twelve articles published between 1986 and 2013 were identified through electronic searches. The methodological quality was assessed according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, version 5.1.1 (Higgins & Green, 2015). A random-effects model was used to estimate the standardised mean difference (SMD). No significant difference was found in eczema severity determined in three RCTs (124 participants; SMD, -0.29; 95% CI [-0.64, 0.07]) and dropout rate in five RCTs (198 participants; relative risk, 0.66; 95% CI [0.20, 2.17]). Education via online video was significantly superior to handouts in ameliorating eczema severity in one RCT (80 participants). We conclude that, rather than a combination of these interventions with conventional therapy being of no value, the data did not have sufficient power to provide evidence-based conclusions.
Antipsychotic Prescribing Practices in Those with Parkinsonism: Adherence to Guidelines
Authors: Rigby Heather B. , Rehan Sara , Hill-Taylor Barbara , Matheson Kara , Sketris Ingrid
Published: May 2017

Several evidence-informed treatment guidelines recommend against the use of typical antipsychotics in patients with Parkinson’s disease; of the atypical antipsychotics, clozapine and quetiapine are preferred. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency with which potentially inappropriate antipsychotics are dispensed to older adults in Nova Scotia who are on levodopa-containing medications. In this cohort, 59.9% were dispensed a preferred atypical antipsychotic and 12.6% a potentially harmful typical antipsychotic. Our results suggest that potentially inappropriate prescribing practices are common in the neuropsychiatric management of patients with parkinsonism and that there is an opportunity for education and improvement in prescribing practices.
A sound extrapolation method for aeroacoustics far-field prediction in presence of vortical waves
Authors: Zhong Siyang , Zhang Xin
Published: May 2017

Off-surface integral solutions to an inhomogeneous wave equation based on acoustic analogy could suffer from spurious wave contamination when volume integrals are ignored for computation efficiency and vortical/turbulent gusts are convected across the integration surfaces, leading to erroneous far-field directivity predictions. Vortical gusts often exist in aerodynamic flows and it is inevitable their effects are present on the integration surface. In this work, we propose a new sound extrapolation method for acoustic far-field directivity prediction in the presence of vortical gusts, which overcomes the deficiencies in the existing methods. The Euler equations are rearranged to an alternative form in terms of fluctuation variables that contains the possible acoustical and vortical waves. Then the equations are manipulated to an inhomogeneous wave equation with source terms corresponding to surface and volume integrals. With the new formulation, spurious monopole and dipole noise produced by vortical gusts can be suppressed on account of the solenoidal property of the vortical waves and a simple convection process. It is therefore valid to ignore the volume integrals and preserve the sound properties. The resulting new acoustic inhomogeneous convected wave equations could be solved by means of the Green’s function method. Validation and verification cases are investigated, and the proposed method shows a capacity of accurate sound prediction for these cases. The new method is also applied to the challenging airfoil leading edge noise problems by injecting vortical waves into the computational domain and performing aeroacoustic studies at both subsonic and transonic speeds. In the case of a transonic airfoil leading edge noise problem, shocks are present on the airfoil surface. Good agreements of the directivity patterns are obtained compared with direct computation results.
METRIC ABSTRACT ELEMENTARY CLASSES AS ACCESSIBLE CATEGORIES
Authors: LIEBERMAN M. , ROSICKÝ J.
Published: May 2017

We show that metric abstract elementary classes (mAECs) are, in the sense of [15], coherent accessible categories with directed colimits, with concrete ℵ1-directed colimits and concrete monomorphisms. More broadly, we define a notion of κ-concrete AEC—an AEC-like category in which only the κ-directed colimits need be concrete—and develop the theory of such categories, beginning with a category-theoretic analogue of Shelah’s Presentation Theorem and a proof of the existence of an Ehrenfeucht–Mostowski functor in case the category is large. For mAECs in particular, arguments refining those in [15] yield a proof that any categorical mAEC is μ-d-stable in many cardinals below the categoricity cardinal.
Institutional Environment and IPO Strategy: A Study of ChiNext in China
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhang Wei , Schwab Andreas , Zhang Sipei
Published: May 2017

Taking an institution-based view, we investigate how entrepreneurs respond to immature regulatory environments in order to be listed on stock markets in countries with an emerging economy. Unlike stock markets in developed countries, in emerging markets, gaining government approval for listing is a critical and more unpredictable process for entrepreneurs. Hence, entrepreneurs who are preparing for a public offering might give substantially discounted shares to venture capital (VC) investors. This will lead to higher investment returns in pre-IPO deals than those at earlier stages, which distorts the risk-return tradeoff found in developed markets. In particular, the VC investors affiliated with powerful organizations that can promise entrepreneurs preferential access to stock market gatekeepers will gain even higher pre-IPO investment returns. The associated additional institutional rents earned by VC investors, however, are expected to decrease over time, as the stock markets mature. Related hypotheses with regard to the investment timing, VC firm affiliations with government agencies, securities traders, and universities are tested using data from ChiNext in China (2009–2013). This study highlights that institutional factors impact the behavior of participants in emerging markets. It extends current theories derived almost exclusively from developed markets.
Investigation of serum levels of sortilin in response to antidepressant treatment
Authors: Buttenschøn Henriette Nørmølle , Nielsen Marit , Glerup Simon , Mors Ole
Published: May 2017

Background

The identification of biomarkers for depression is of great clinical relevance as the diagnosis is currently subjective. Recent research points towards sortilin as a potential biomarker for depression, and the aim of the current study was to investigate the serum sortilin level in response to antidepressant treatment.

Methods

The study included 56 depressed individuals of which 41 responded to treatment. Depression scores and serum levels of sortilin were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 13.

Results

The depression score and response to treatment were not predicted by the sortilin level. Likewise, we observed no significant change in serum sortilin levels following 12 weeks of antidepressant treatment. Furthermore, no association between the serum sortilin level and depression score was observed.

Conclusion

The results do not point towards sortilin as a state-dependent biomarker.
Stability and change in dietary scores and patterns across six waves of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children
Authors: Gasser Constantine E. , Kerr Jessica A. , Mensah Fiona K. , Wake Melissa
Published: May 2017

This study aimed to derive and compare longitudinal trajectories of dietary scores and patterns from 2–3 to 10–11 years and from 4–5 to 14–15 years of age. In waves two to six of the Baby (B) Cohort and one to six of the Kindergarten (K) Cohort of the population-based Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, parents or children reported biennially on the study child’s consumption of twelve to sixteen healthy and less healthy food or drink items for the previous 24 h. For each wave, we derived a dietary score from 0 to 14, based on the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines (higher scores indicating healthier diet). We then used factor analyses to empirically derive dietary patterns for separate waves. Using group-based trajectory modelling, we generated trajectories of dietary scores and empirical patterns in 4504 B and 4640 K Cohort children. Four similar trajectories of dietary scores emerged for the B and K Cohorts, containing comparable proportions of children in each cohort: ‘never healthy’ (8·8 and 11·9 %, respectively), ‘moderately healthy’ (24·0 and 20·7 %), ‘becoming less healthy’ (16·6 and 27·3 %) and ‘always healthy’ (50·7 and 40·2 %). Deriving trajectories based on dietary patterns, rather than dietary scores, produced similar findings. For ‘becoming less healthy’ trajectories, dietary quality appeared to worsen from 7 years of age in both cohorts. In conclusion, a brief dietary measure administered repeatedly across childhood generated robust, nuanced dietary trajectories that were replicable across two cohorts and two methodologies. These trajectories appear ideal for future research into dietary determinants and health outcomes.
A systematic review of diet quality indices in relation to obesity
Authors: Asghari Golaleh , Mirmiran Parvin , Yuzbashian Emad , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: May 2017

Tools, called ‘diet/dietary quality indices’, evaluate the level of adherence to a specified pattern or a set of recommendations in populations. Yet, there are no review studies providing unanimous comprehensive results of dietary indices on obesity. We reviewed observational studies, focusing on the association of diet quality indices with general obesity or abdominal obesity in adults. We systematically conducted a search in all English language publications available on MEDLINE, ISI Web of Science and Embase between January 1990 and January 2016. Among the wide variety of indices and weight-derived variables, studies with dietary-guideline-based indices and mean changes for weight gain or OR for general obesity and abdominal obesity were selected. From a total of 479 articles, thirty-four studies were selected for the current review, ten of which had prospective designs and twenty-six had cross-sectional designs. Associations of weight status with the original Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and other versions of the HEI including alternative HEI, HEI-2005 and HEI-05 were examined in thirteen studies, with ten studies revealing significant associations. The HEI was a better general obesity predictor in men than in women. Diet scores lacked efficacy in assessing overall diet quality and demonstrated no significant findings in developing countries, in comparison with US populations. In addition, indices based on dietary diversity scores were directly associated with weight gain. Despite the insufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions about the relation between dietary indices and obesity, HEI was found to be inversely associated with obesity and diversity-based indices were positively associated with obesity.
You Haven't Seen Their Faces: Eugenic National Housekeeping and Documentary Photography in 1930s America
Authors: CURRELL SUE
Published: May 2017

This essay explores the relationship between welfare, eugenics and documentary photography during the New Deal in order to explain how a set of government photographs taken by Arthur Rothstein in the Shenandoah became entwined in the rhetorical structure of eugenic ideology. The photographs discussed portray victims of forced sterilization before their incarceration, yet there is no evidence to show that the photographer was aware of, or complicit with, this fact. This essay responds to the questions this raises about the images: what historical and social contingencies were behind their production? What is the relationship between the photographer, the photographs, the New Deal and the subjects depicted? How did efforts to help America's poorest lead to their incarceration and sterilization? Why is the full picture impossible to see? And how do we read and understand them today?
Necrology: Daniel Aaron (1912–2016)
Authors: WHITFIELD STEPHEN
Published: May 2017

Present at the creation of American Studies, Daniel Aaron belongs on the short list of the academy's most learned and admired custodians of the nation's culture, for which President Obama awarded him the National Humanities Medal in 2011. That would have been close to seven decades after the inauguration of Aaron's teaching career. A president of the American Studies Association (ASA), he held the rank of Victor S. Thomas Professor of English and American Literature at Harvard, where his service included chairing its Committee on American Civilization. The lengthy span of Aaron's life in the profession, punctuated by many other honors (including the ASA's Bode-Pearson Prize), has few, if any, counterparts in duration and distinction. Such was the arc of his career and concerns that, as this necrology is intended to suggest, the field of American Studies will not see his like again.