bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Traffic-related air pollutants increase the risk for age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Chang Kuang-Hsi , Hsu Po-Yuan , Lin Chun-Ju , Lin Cheng-Li , Juo Suh-Hang Hank , Liang Chung-Ling
Published: August 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate whether ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) increase the risk for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This is a longitudinal population-based study using the data on Taiwan National Health Insurance Program between year 2000 and 2010. From the nationwide dataset, we enrolled subjects aged 50 or older and the annually total NO2 and CO exposure was calculated from 1998 to 2010 for each subject. The Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the HRs with adjustment for other variables. A total of 39,819 AMD-free residents were enrolled, and 1442 participants developed AMD during the 11 -year follow-up. Compared with the lowest exposure quartile, the highest quartile of each air pollutant was associated with an increased risk for AMD. The adjusted HR was 1.91 (95% CI 1.64 to 2.23, p<0.001) for the highest NO2 quartile, and was 1.84 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.15, p<0.001) for the highest CO quartile. In this study, chronic exposure to the highest quartile of ambient NO2 or CO significantly increases the risk for AMD.
Thermal and optical characterization of multiple hydrogen bonded liquid crystals derived from mesogenic and non-mesogenic compounds: experimental and theoretical (DFT) studies
Authors: Sundaram S. , Subhasri P. , Jayaprakasam R. , Vijayakumar V.N.
Published: August 2019

A set of new cyclic multiple hydrogen bonded liquid crystals (HBLCs) have been designed and synthesized from citric acid (CA) and 4-dodecyloxybenzoic acid (12OBA). The presence of intermolecular hydrogen bonds (H-bonds) between non-mesogenic and mesogenic compounds has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and density functional theory (DFT) studies. The hydrogen bonding interactions were explained from natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis using B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. Additionally, the Mulliken atomic charges reveal the nature of charge distribution in the HBLC complex. The dynamics of phase transitions and the corresponding stability factor have been evaluated using polarizing optical microscopy (POM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and electrostatic potential (ESP) analysis. Highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energies of the CA+12OBA complex is theoretically calculated and experimentally verified. It is found that the variation in the mole ratio in mesogenic with non-mesogenic compound induces the stabilized nematic (N) and smectic X (Sm X) phases. Photocatalytic activity of the CA+12OBA HBLC complex reveals the usage of its optical applications.
Measurement of coherent to Compton scattering differential cross-section ratios of cadmium at different momentum transfer factors
Authors: Akkuş Tuba
Published: August 2019

The coherent to Compton scattering ratio is a useful technique because it is independent of the density of the material and the material is defined only by the atomic number. Also, this ratio is used where changes in the atomic number are important and changes in the attenuation coefficient are too small to detect. In this study, coherent to Compton scattering ratios of cadmium have been calculated at different scattering angles (90°, 95°, 100°, 105°, 110°, 115°, 120°, 125°, and 130°). A high purity germanium detector was used. The coherent to Compton scattering differential cross-section ratios were plotted as a function of the scattering angles and constituted a best fit curve. It was observed that the coherent to Compton differential cross-section ratios decrease with an increasing scattering angle. The experimental results agree well with the results of the non-relativistic and relativistic form factor method.
Signatures of directional selection in a hybrid yeast population
Authors: Sun Xiaoguang , Ni Li , Wang Guan , Zhang Xiaohui
Published: August 2019

Meiotic recombination is a fundamental biological process that leads to crossover and gene conversion. High resolution maps of meiotic recombination have been reported in several model organisms. However, few studies have studied how rapidly selection affects the products of meiotic recombination. Here we constructed and sequenced a yeast population of 38 haploid strains derived from hybridizations of two common used strains S288c and YJM789. We identified 20 regions with strong biased allele frequency across the genome, revealing signatures of selection in a rather short period. These regions harbor ample crossovers and gene conversions, which enable us to trace how selection works on the genomic fragments after meiosis. The total length of such regions under selection accounts for 5% of the entire genome, and those regions contain many functional-related genes. In addition, recombination breaks down linkage disequilibrium to half of its maximum within 42 kb and reduces nucleotide diversity significantly in selected regions. Our study thus provides details of directional selection on the outcomes of meiotic recombination using experimental approaches, and will shed light on our understanding of the fast reshaping of population structure by selection, as well as the important roles of recombination.
Gauge covariant approach to the electroweak interactions of mesons in the Nambu–Jona-Lasinio model with spin-1 states
Authors: Osipov A. A. , Hiller B. , Zhang P. M.
Published: August 2019

An extended Nambu–Jona-Lasinio (NJL) model with chiral group [Formula: see text] and spin-0 and spin-1 four quark interactions is used to develop the gauge covariant approach to the diagonalization of the [Formula: see text] mixing in the presence of electroweak forces. This allows for manifestly gauge covariant description of both the non-anomalous and anomalous parts of the effective Lagrangian. It is shown that in the non-anomalous sector the theory is equivalent to the standard non-covariant approach.
New extremal Type II ℤ4-codes of length 32 obtained from Hadamard matrices
Authors: Ban Sara , Crnković Dean , Mravić Matteo , Rukavina Sanja
Published: August 2019

For every Hadamard design with parameters [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] having a skew-symmetric incidence matrix we give a construction of 54 Hadamard designs with parameters [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text]. Moreover, for the case [Formula: see text] we construct doubly-even self-orthogonal binary linear codes from the corresponding Hadamard matrices of order 32. From these binary codes we construct five new extremal Type II [Formula: see text]-codes of length 32. The constructed codes are the first examples of extremal Type II [Formula: see text]-codes of length 32 and type [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], whose residue codes have minimum weight 8. Further, correcting the results from the literature we construct 5147 extremal Type II [Formula: see text]-codes of length 32 and type [Formula: see text].
A Pseudo-likelihood Approach for Geo-localization of Events from Crowd-sourced Sensor-Metadata
Authors: More Amit , Chaudhuri Subhasis
Published: August 2019

Events such as live concerts, protest marches, and exhibitions are often video recorded by many people at the same time, typically using smartphone devices. In this work, we address the problem of geo-localizing such events from crowd-generated data. Traditional approaches for solving such a problem using multiple video sequences of the event would require highly complex computer vision (CV) methods, which are computation intensive and are not robust under the environment where visual data are collected through crowd-sourced medium. In the present work, we approach the problem in a probabilistic framework using only the sensor metadata obtained from smartphones. We model the event location and camera locations and orientations (camera parameters) as the hidden states in a Hidden Markov Model. The sensor metadata from GPS and the digital compass from user smartphones are used as the observations associated with the hidden states of the model. We have used a suitable potential function to capture the complex interaction between the hidden states (i.e., event location and camera parameters). The non-Gaussian densities involved in the model, such as the potential function involving hidden states, make the maximum-likelihood estimation intractable. We propose a pseudo-likelihood-based approach to maximize the approximate-likelihood, which provides a tractable solution to the problem. The experimental results on the simulated as well as real data show correct event geo-localization using the proposed method. When compared with several baselines the proposed method shows a superior performance. The overall computation time required is much smaller, since only the sensor metadata are used instead of visual data.
Low 24-hour core body temperature as a thrifty metabolic trait driving catch-up fat during weight regain after caloric restriction
Authors: Calonne Julie , Arsenijevic Denis , Scerri Isabelle , Miles-Chan Jennifer L. , Montani Jean-Pierre , Dulloo Abdul G.
Published: August 2019

The recovery of body weight after substantial weight loss or growth retardation is often characterized by a disproportionately higher rate of fat mass vs. lean mass recovery, with this phenomenon of “preferential catch-up fat” being contributed by energy conservation (thrifty) metabolism. To test the hypothesis that a low core body temperature (Tc) constitutes a thrifty metabolic trait underlying the high metabolic efficiency driving catch-up fat, the Anipill system, with telemetry capsules implanted in the peritoneal cavity, was used for continuous monitoring of Tc for several weeks in a validated rat model of semistarvation-refeeding in which catch-up fat is driven solely by suppressed thermogenesis. In animals housed at 22°C, 24-h Tc was reduced in response to semistarvation (−0.77°C, P < 0.001) and remained significantly lower than in control animals during the catch-up fat phase of refeeding (−0.27°C on average, P < 0.001), the lower Tc during refeeding being more pronounced during the light phase than during the dark phase of the 24-h cycle (−0.30°C vs. −0.23°C, P < 0.01) and with no between-group differences in locomotor activity. A lower 24-h Tc in animals showing catch-up fat was also observed when the housing temperature was raised to 29°C (i.e., at thermoneutrality). The reduced energy cost of homeothermy in response to caloric restriction persists during weight recovery and constitutes a thrifty metabolic trait that contributes to the high metabolic efficiency that underlies the rapid restoration of the body’s fat stores during weight regain, with implications for obesity relapse after therapeutic slimming and the pathophysiology of catch-up growth.
Modeling and Computation of Transboundary Pollution Game Based on Joint Implementation Mechanism
Authors: Tang Wenguang , Zhang Shuhua
Published: August 2019

In the paper, we use the differential game method to test the impact of joint implementation (JI) mechanism on pollution control in two bilateral countries. The Hamilton‐Jacobi‐Bellman (HJB) equations of the models are obtained by using the dynamic programming principle. We obtain the optimal emissions, optimal local and foreign investments in environment projects, optimal revenues, and optimal trajectories of carbon stock under three situations, namely, situation without JI, with JI (noncooperative), and with JI (cooperative), of the two countries by solving these equations. We also compare their optimal Nash equilibrium solutions. We find that the introduction of JI mechanism can slow down the growth of the carbon stocks by reducing emissions or increasing investment in emission reduction projects, compared to the situation without JI mechanism. However, the JI mechanism does not reduce the revenue of the two countries under certain conditions. Finally, some numerical tests are provided to illustrate the theoretical results.
Distribution and Bioaccumulation of Perfluoroalkyl Acids in Xiamen Coastal Waters
Authors: Dai Zhineng , Zeng Fansheng
Published: August 2019

Since perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAs) are widely used and harmless to organisms, they have attracted great attention in recent years. The distribution of PFAs in the oceans all around the world is well documented. However, the study of PFAs in Xiamen could be a beneficial complement, for its unique geologies of no rivers that originate from other cities to influence the concentration of PFAs in this area. In this paper, six PFAs were analyzed in water, sediments, and organisms from both freshwater and seawater and the bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) were calculated with the quantity of PFAs in different trophic levels of aquatic organisms. The results showed that the ΣPFA concentrations ranged from 7.66 to 11.98 ng·L−1 for seawater samples and from 2.12 to 8.61 ng·L−1 for freshwater. The concentration of ΣPFAs in sediments was 7.43–12.89 ng·g−1 and 4.53–5.80 ng·g−1 in seawater and freshwater, respectively. The PFA concentration in water is highly positive correlated with the PFA concentration in sediments (R2 = 0.85). The calculated bioaccumulation factors (BCFs) were 6412–14254 L·kg−1 and 2927–7959 L·kg−1 for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonates (PFOS), respectively. PFOA seems more bioaccumulative than PFOS in seawater. The results illustrated the PFA pollution in the Xiamen sea area, and it is useful for the protection and control of the organic pollutants in this area.
The Use of Medicinal Plants for the Treatment of Toothache in Ethiopia
Authors: Megersa Moa , Jima Tilahun Tolossa , Goro Kabaye Kumela
Published: August 2019

This paper presents a review of relevant medicinal plants used for toothache treatment in Ethiopia. This finding is based on a review of the literature published in scientific journals. A total of 130 medicinal plants, distributed in 117 genera and 62 families, are reported in the reviewed literature. Of the 130 species of medicinal plants reported in the literature, ninety-two (70.7%) were obtained from the wild whereas twelve (9.2%) were from home gardens. Shrubs (34.6%) were the primary source of medicinal plants, followed by herbs (30%). The Asteraceae came out as a leading family with 12 medicinal species while the Fabaceae followed with nine. Some findings include the predominance of root material used (31%), followed by leaves (29%). This study demonstrates the importance of traditional medicines in the treatment of toothache in Ethiopia. It is essential for the health of users to phytochemically demonstrate the effects of medicinal plants for their possible therapeutic applications. Hence, future phytochemical and pharmaceutical studies should give due consideration on frequently reported medicinal plants in order to produce natural drugs that could be effective in toothache treatment and without side effects.
"Vidas secas" em francês: tradução e leitura
Authors: Santos Kedrini Domingos dos
Published: August 2019

O romance Vidas secas de Graciliano Ramos foi traduzido para o francês, em 2014, por Mathieu Dosse, que, além de tradutor, desenvolve pesquisas na área da tradução. Dosse interroga a relação entre o texto original e sua tradução e questiona sua hierarquização, compreendendo que as traduções são um texto específico que demanda um modo de leitura particular. Para ele, ler uma tradução é também ler um tradutor, sendo importante considerar esse sujeito que traduz. Este artigo busca observar como esse tradutor respondeu às peculiaridades de uma das principais obras da literatura brasileira.
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy-Associated Desmosomal Variants Are Rarely De Novo
Authors: van Lint Freyja H.M. , Murray Brittney , Tichnell Crystal , Zwart Rob , Amat Nuria , Lekanne Deprez Ronald H. , Dittmann Sven , Stallmeyer Birgit , Calkins Hugh , van der Smagt Jasper J. , van den Wijngaard Arthur , Dooijes Dennis , van der Zwaag Paul A. , Schulze-Bahr Eric , Judge Daniel P. , Jongbloed Jan D.H. , van Tintelen J. Peter , James Cynthia A.
Published: August 2019

Background:

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is associated with pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants in genes encoding the cardiac desmosomal proteins. Origin of these variants, including de novo mutation rate and extent of founder versus recurrent variants has implications for variant adjudication and clinical care, yet this has never been systematically investigated.

Methods:

We identified arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy probands who met 2010 Task Force Criteria and had undergone genotyping that included sequencing of the desmosomal genes (
PKP2
,
DSP
,
DSG2
,
DSC2
, and
JUP
) from 3 arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy registries in America and Europe. We classified the desmosomal variants, defined the contribution of unique versus nonunique (ie, not family-specific) P/LP variants, and identified the frequency and characteristics of de novo variants. Next, we haplotyped nonunique variants to determine how often they likely represent a single mutation event in a common ancestor (implied by shared haplotypes) versus multiple mutation events at the same genetic location.

Results:

Of 501 arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy probands, 322 (64.3%) carried 327 desmosomal P/LP variants. Most variants (n=247, 75.6%, in 245 patients) were identified in more than one proband and, therefore, considered nonunique. For 212/327 variants (64.8%) genetic cascade screening was performed extensively enough to identify the parental origin of the P/LP variant. Only 3 variants were de novo, 2 of which were whole gene deletions. For 24 nonunique P/LP
PKP2
variants, haplotyping was conducted in 183 available families. For all 24 variants, multiple seemingly unrelated families sharing identical haplotypes were identified, suggesting that these variants originate from common founders.

Conclusions:

Most desmosomal P/LP variants are inherited, nonunique, and originate from ancient founders. Two of 3 de novo variants were large deletions. These observations inform genetic testing, cascade screening, and variant adjudication.
Coupling to Gq Signaling Is Required for Cardioprotection by an Alpha-1A-Adrenergic Receptor Agonist
Authors: Myagmar Bat-Erdene , Ismaili Taylor , Swigart Philip M. , Raghunathan Anaha , Baker Anthony J. , Sahdeo Sunil , Blevitt Jonathan M. , Milla Marcos E. , Simpson Paul C.
Published: August 2019

Rationale:

Gq signaling in cardiac myocytes is classically considered toxic. Targeting Gq directly to test this is problematic, because cardiac myocytes have many Gq-coupled receptors.

Objective:

Test whether Gq coupling is required for the cardioprotective effects of an alpha-1A-AR (adrenergic receptor) agonist.

Methods and Results:

In recombinant cells, a mouse alpha-1A-AR with a 6-residue substitution in the third intracellular loop does not couple to Gq signaling. Here we studied a knockin mouse with this alpha-1A-AR mutation. Heart alpha-1A receptor levels and antagonist affinity in the knockin were identical to wild-type. In wild-type cardiac myocytes, the selective alpha-1A agonist A61603-stimulated phosphoinositide-phospholipase C and myocyte contraction. In myocytes with the alpha-1A knockin, both A61603 effects were absent, indicating that Gq coupling was absent. Surprisingly, A61603 activation of cardioprotective ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) was markedly impaired in the KI mutant myocytes, and A61603 did not protect mutant myocytes from doxorubicin toxicity in vitro. Similarly, mice with the α1A KI mutation had increased mortality after transverse aortic constriction, and A61603 did not rescue cardiac function in mice with the Gq coupling-defective alpha-1A receptor.

Conclusions:

Gq coupling is required for cardioprotection by an alpha-1A-AR agonist. Gq signaling can be adaptive.
Assessment of the Most Optimal Control Tissue for Intracranial Aneurysm Gene Expression Studies
Authors: Laarman Melanie D. , Kleinloog Rachel , Bakker Mark K. , Rinkel Gabriël J.E. , Bakkers Jeroen , Ruigrok Ynte M.
Published: August 2019

Background and Purpose—

Finding adequate control tissue for intracranial aneurysm (IA) pathophysiological studies, including gene expression studies, can be challenging. We compared gene expression profiles of superficial temporal, cortical, and circle of Willis (CoW) arteries and IA in search of the most optimal control tissue for future experiments.

Methods—

We compared RNA-sequencing data of IA samples and of superficial temporal, cortical, and CoW artery samples using Pearson correlation, Euclidean distance, and principal component analysis. We used the Mann-Whitney
U
test for comparison of Pearson correlation coefficients and Euclidean distances, to assess which control tissue is most similar to IA in terms of gene expression. Other unrelated tissues were used as negative controls.

Results—

The cortical and the CoW arteries were more similar to IA in terms of gene expression than the superficial temporal artery. This was based on Pearson correlation (+0.023 [90% CI, 0.017/0.029;
P
=1.9E-09] for the cortical artery and +0.034 [90% CI, 0.028/0.040;
P
=6.0E-15] for the CoW artery compared with the superficial temporal artery), Euclidean distance (−25.71 [90% CI, −31.54/−20.02;
P
=1.9E-11] for the cortical artery and −38.09 [90% CI, −44.08/−32.19;
P
<2.2E-16] for the CoW artery compared with the superficial temporal artery) and principal component analysis. In all analyses, the unrelated tissues formed separate groups compared with IA and the 3 control arteries.

Conclusions—

The cortical arteries and the CoW arteries are better controls for gene expression studies on IA than the superficial temporal artery. This probably relates to differences in anatomy of these tissues, such as the presence of an external elastic lamina in the extracranial vasculature and absence in the intracranial vasculature, because IAs, cortical arteries, and CoW arteries are all intracranial while the superficial temporal artery is extracranial. Since CoW arteries can only be obtained postmortem, cortical arteries are preferred over CoW arteries.
Cultural accommodation and the policing of Aboriginal communities: A case study of the A

n

angu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands
Authors: Whellum Peter , Nettelbeck Amanda , Reilly Alexander
Published: August 2019

The relationship between Aboriginal communities and police continues to be a pressing issue in contemporary debates about criminal justice reform in Australia. The Australian Law Reform Commission’s recent Pathways to Justice report offers a set of recommendations on how to interrupt the continuing cycle of Aboriginal people’s disproportionate susceptibility to arrest, police custody, and incarceration. Many of its recommendations are grounded in the principle of building more systematic forms of cultural accommodation and community collaboration into the culture of policing. Some of these principles are already adopted by Australian police authorities in programmes such as the employment of Aboriginal police liaison officers, the inclusion of cultural awareness education in the training of law enforcement personnel, and the guarantee of interpreter services. Focusing upon the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands and drawing upon the reported experiences of Anangu with police, this article examines the extent to which such reforms have transformed Aboriginal/police relations and worked to incorporate cultural difference into the culture of contemporary policing. While none of the policing issues discussed here are unique to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands, the geographical remoteness of the Lands and the diversity of their communities combine to establish a unique set of policing challenges. Having considered existing strategies to meet these challenges, the article concludes that Aboriginal people’s fuller access to justice requires deeper structural reform to the culture of policing than is yet available.
(In)Effective Business Responsibility Engagements in Areas of Limited Statehood: Nigeria’s Oil Sector as a Case Study
Authors: Nwoke Uchechukwu
Published: August 2019

In reality, most state actors—especially those in the developing world—are usually incapable of effectively governing all facets of their territory. This has necessitated the intervention of non-state actors (in this instance, corporations), who through their social responsibility engagements act as functional equivalents to state-driven government. Using empirical data, this article evaluates the “governance” interventions of corporations in the oil industry in Nigeria’s Delta region. While arguing that the area qualifies as an area of limited statehood, the article asserts that corporate social responsibility practices that are based on Western (neoliberal) approaches cannot contribute effectively to the sustainable development of host-communities. In this context, the article contends that since the social responsibility engagements of corporations in the Niger Delta (as in most developing countries) are influenced by a pro-West philosophy, the end result is a business responsibility engagement which is ineffective as a development strategy.
Periodontal Medicine: 100 Years of Progress
Authors: Beck J.D. , Papapanou P.N. , Philips K.H. , Offenbacher S.
Published: August 2019

Periodontal medicine is a term used to describe how periodontal infection/inflammation may impact extraoral health. Periodontitis has been linked to over 50 systemic diseases and conditions. As part of the Journal of Dental Research’s Centennial Celebration, this narrative review discusses periodontal medicine research done over the past 100 y, with particular focus on the effects of periodontal disease on 3 pathological conditions: cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. We selected 29 total studies that were the “first” of their kind, as they provided novel observations or contributed to shifting paradigms as well as important studies that made strong contributions to progress in understanding relationships to the systemic conditions. These studies were organized in an overview timeline and broken down into timelines by topic: cardiovascular disease ( n = 10), diabetes ( n = 12), and adverse pregnancy outcomes ( n = 7). Overall, the majority of cross-sectional, case-control, and longitudinal studies have revealed positive associations between poor periodontal status and cardiovascular disease, diabetes metabolic control, and a number of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and these associations are upheld in systematic reviews. Findings from randomized controlled trials testing the effects of periodontal therapy on systemic health outcomes were conflicting and inconsistent. While there has been a great deal of progress, we highlight lessons learned and make comments and suggestions on a number of key aspects, including the heterogeneity of case definitions of periodontal disease across studies, accounting for features of the periodontal phenotype that are most relevant to the biological link between periodontitis and systemic outcomes, the role of other comorbid inflammatory conditions, selection of study participants, and timing and intensity of the periodontal intervention.
Intimacy among relative strangers: Practices of touch and bodily care in new foster care relationships
Authors: Tankred Luckow Stine
Published: August 2019

When children move into a new foster care family, they and the foster carers are initially strangers to one another. Without knowing one another’s history, experiences and practices, foster carers and children are expected to get settled quite quickly in the intimate setting that makes up family life. In these early days of a new placement, bodily intimacy is brought to the forefront; how the foster carers manage bodily care and go about touch without any ‘embodied knowledge’ of the child. This study draws on in-depth interviews with eight foster care couples and explores how foster carers construct practices around bodily care and touch in new foster care relationships. Findings of the study showed that in some cases (babies) the foster carers felt it was ‘natural’ and relatively straightforward to care for the child in an intimate and bodily sense. However, most often the foster carers experienced that either they or the children had felt discomfort, often lead by a lack of embodied knowledge and around reading and understanding one another’s bodily signals. The study emphasizes how children’s prior trajectories around negative, positive or absent touch are imperative for the dynamics of bodily care practices in new foster care relationships. Children may express their embodied experiences very differently, and foster carers, also having embodied biographies, can enact bodily practices in a more or less negotiable manner, adjusted to the child.
The impacts of built environment on ridesourcing demand: A neighbourhood level analysis in Austin, Texas
Authors: Yu Haitao , Peng Zhong-Ren
Published: August 2019

Recently, the explosive growth of ridesourcing, or on-demand ridesharing, has attracted a great deal of attention from researchers and planners. Despite its transformative impacts on mobility, limited studies have examined how built environment affects its use. In this study, we investigate the impacts of built environment on ridesourcing demand. We employ structural equation modelling to account for the complex relationships among study variables, and investigate the impacts at census block group level by using RideAustin data in Austin, Texas. Findings reveal strong impacts of built environment on ridesourcing demand and significant temporal heterogeneity. The models show that greater population/employment/service job densities, road density, pavement completeness, land use mix and job accessibility by transit produce more ridesourcing demand. Access to the commuter rail (MetroRail) also leads to greater demand. Furthermore, time-of-day (TOD) models demonstrate that these effects vary significantly according to the time of day. Our research has implications for policy making and for travel demand modelling of ridesourcing.
Reservoir characteristics and multi-stage hydrocarbon accumulation of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the southwestern Ordos Basin, NW China
Authors: Fu Siyi , Liao Zhiwei , Chen Anqing , Chen Hongde
Published: August 2019

The Chang-8 and Chang-6 members of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation (lower part) are regarded as the main oil producing members of the Ordos Basin. Recently, new hydrocarbon discoveries have been made in the upper part of the Yanchang Formation (e.g., Chang-3) in the southwestern Ordos Basin, implying that this interval also has a good potential for hydrocarbon exploration. However, studies on the origin of the high-quality reservoir, hydrocarbon migration, and accumulation patterns remain insufficient. In this study, integrated petrological, mineralogical, and fluid inclusion tests are employed to evaluate reservoir characteristics, and reconstruct the history of hydrocarbon migration and accumulation during oil and gas reservoir formation. The results reveal that the Yanchang Formation is characterized by low porosity (8 − 14%), medium permeability (0.5 − 5 mD), and strong heterogeneity; the reservoir properties are controlled by secondary porosity. Two types of dissolution are recognized in the present study. Secondary pore formation in the lower part of the formation is related to organic acid activity, while dissolution in the upper part is mainly influenced by atmospheric fresh water associated with the unconformity surface. The Yanchang Formation underwent hydrocarbon charging in three phases: the early Early Cretaceous, late Early Cretaceous, and middle Late Cretaceous. A model for hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in the Yanchang reservoirs was established based on the basin evolution. We suggest that hydrocarbon accumulation occurred at the early stage, and that hydrocarbons migrated into the upper part of the Yanchang Formation by way of tectonic fractures and overpressure caused by continuous and episodic hydrocarbon expulsion during secondary migration, forming potential oil reservoirs during the later stage.
Customer Injustice and Employee Performance: Roles of Emotional Exhaustion, Surface Acting, and Emotional Demands–Abilities Fit
Authors: Lavelle James J. , Rupp Deborah E. , Herda David N. , Pandey Alankrita , Lauck John R.
Published: August 2019

This paper develops and tests a process model examining the sequential mediating roles of emotional exhaustion and surface acting on the relationships between employee perceptions of unfair treatment from customers and three forms of employee performance: in-role performance, customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCBC), and customer-oriented counterproductive work behavior (CWBC). In Study 1, we found support for our model demonstrating that the relationships between customer injustice and supervisor ratings of employees’ in-role performance and OCBC are each sequentially mediated first by emotional exhaustion and then by surface acting. In Study 2, using time-lagged data, we found additional support for our sequential mediation process when predicting CWBC. Moreover, we found that emotional demands–abilities fit moderated the sequential indirect effect of customer injustice on CWBC. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
EPM 20/20: A Review, Framework, and Research Agenda for Electronic Performance Monitoring
Authors: Ravid Daniel M. , Tomczak David L. , White Jerod C. , Behrend Tara S.
Published: August 2019

Electronic performance monitoring (EPM) refers to the use of technological means to observe, record, and analyze information that directly or indirectly relates to job performance. The last comprehensive review of the EPM literature was published in 2000. Since 2000, dramatic advances in information technologies have created an environment in which organizations are able to monitor employees to a greater extent and with greater intensity than was previously possible. Moreover, since that time, considerable research has been devoted to understanding the effects of EPM on individual performance and attitudes. Contradictory findings in the EPM literature exist, suggesting that EPM is a multidimensional phenomenon and one for which contextual and psychological variables are pertinent. Thus, we propose a theory-based typology of EPM characteristics and use this typology as a framework to review the EPM literature and identify an agenda for future research and practice.
Dynamics of the cerebral blood flow response to brief neural activity in human visual cortex
Authors: Kim Jung Hwan , Taylor Amanda J , Wang Danny JJ , Zou Xiaowei , Ress David
Published: August 2019

The blood oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signal depends on an interplay of cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen metabolism, and cerebral blood volume. Despite wide usage of BOLD fMRI, it is not clear how these physiological components create the BOLD signal. Here, baseline CBF and its dynamics evoked by a brief stimulus (2 s) in human visual cortex were measured at 3T. We found a stereotypical CBF response: immediate increase, rising to a peak a few second after the stimulus, followed by a significant undershoot. The BOLD hemodynamic response function (HRF) was also measured in the same session. Strong correlations between HRF and CBF peak responses indicate that the flow responses evoked by neural activation in nearby gray matter drive the early HRF. Remarkably, peak CBF and HRF were also strongly modulated by baseline perfusion. The CBF undershoot was reliable and significantly correlated with the HRF undershoot. However, late-time dynamics of the HRF and CBF suggest that oxygen metabolism can also contribute to the HRF undershoot. Combined measurement of the CBF and HRF for brief neural activation is a useful tool to understand the temporal dynamics of neurovascular and neurometabolic coupling.
Novel mutation in the periaxin gene causal to Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 4F
Authors: Chen Yu-hui , Zhang Hua , Meng Ling-bing , Tang Xiao-yan , Gong Tao , Yin Jian
Published: August 2019

Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) disease is the most common hereditary neuropathy. Mutations in the periaxin gene ( PRX) can cause CMT type 4F, an autosomal recessive neuropathy, which is clinically characterized by slowly progressive distal muscle atrophy and weakness, with pes cavus deformity of the foot, and the absence of deep tendon reflexes. To date, dozens of reports of PRX mutations have been published worldwide, but none have been reported in Chinese patients. Here, we describe a 14-year-old Chinese boy with neuropathy characterized by slowly progressive limb weakness and atrophy, as well as sensory ataxia, whose cerebrospinal protein levels were 1627 mg/L. Genetic analysis identified a novel homozygous mutation, c.1174C>T (p.R392X), in exon 6 of PRX, which is the first case of its kind recorded in China.
Effect of microscopically assisted decompression with micro-hook scalpel in the surgical treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament
Authors: Yang Sheng , Lu Jianmin , Fu Dapeng , Shang Depeng , Zhou Fei , Liu Jifeng , Cao Meng
Published: August 2019

Objective

This study was performed to investigate the effect of microscopically assisted decompression using a micro-hook scalpel on ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL).

Methods

Sixty-one patients with OPLL were divided into Group A (posterior surgery with laminectomy of the responsible segment and lateral mass screw fixation) and Group B (anterior cervical corpectomy with intervertebral titanium cage fusion). Neurological function was assessed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, and recovery rate. The fixation status and the result of spinal canal decompression were radiographically assessed.

Results

In Groups A and B, the JOA score was significantly higher and the VAS score was significantly lower at 1 week postoperatively and at the final follow-up than during the preoperative period. The mean recovery rate in Group A and B was 59.92% ± 13.46% and 62.28% ± 14.00%, respectively. Postoperative radiographs showed good positioning and no damage to the internal fixation materials. The spinal canal was also fully decompressed.

Conclusions

Microscopically assisted decompression with a micro-hook scalpel in both anterior and posterior surgeries achieved good clinical effects in patients with OPLL.
A nomogram for predicting the risk of sepsis in patients with acute cholangitis
Authors: Liu Qingqing , Zhou Quan , Song Meina , Zhao Fanfan , Yang Jin , Feng Xiaojie , Wang Xue , Li Yuanjie , Lyu Jun
Published: August 2019

Objective

Sepsis is a serious complication of acute cholangitis. We aimed to establish a nomogram for predicting the probability of sepsis in patients with acute cholangitis.

Methods

Subjects were patients with acute cholangitis in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care database. Extraneous variables were excluded based on stepwise regression. The nomogram was established using logistic regression.

Results

The predictive model comprised five variables: age (odds ratio [OR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.04), ventilator-support time (OR: 1.004, 95% CI: 1.001–1.008), diabetes (OR: 10.74, 95% CI: 2.80–70.57), coagulopathy (OR: 2.92, 95% CI: 1.83–4.73) and systolic blood pressure (OR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.41–0.93). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the nomogram for the training and validation sets were 0.700 and 0.647, respectively. The Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test revealed high concordance between the predicted and observed probabilities for both the training and validation sets. The calibration plot also demonstrated good agreement between the predicted and observed outcomes for both the training and validation sets.

Conclusions

We developed and validated a risk-prediction model for sepsis in patients with acute cholangitis. Our results will be helpful for preventing sepsis in patients with acute cholangitis.
Spontaneous rupture of giant hepatic hemangioma: misdiagnosis as gastrointestinal perforation
Authors: Zhai Lu-Lu , Ju Tong-Fa , Zhou Chun-Hua , Xie Qi
Published: August 2019

Hepatic hemangioma is a frequent nonmalignant tumor in the human liver. Although rupture of hepatic hemangioma is a rare complication, it may have serious consequences. In this report, we describe a 56-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopic surgery and open surgery for sudden abdominal pain and peritonitis. Gastrointestinal perforation was prioritized before surgery according to the patient’s symptoms, signs, and radiological report. A giant dark red mass connected to the left liver by a pedicle was unexpectedly found during intraoperative exploration. Hemoperitoneum was also found. Conversely, no gastrointestinal perforation was found during intraoperative exploration. The mass was successfully removed, and the hemoperitoneum was resolved. Postoperative pathological examination showed that the mass was a hepatic hemangioma. Ultimately, the patient was diagnosed with spontaneous rupture of a giant hepatic hemangioma.
Comparison of short and long axis ultrasound-guided approaches to internal jugular vein puncture: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Jian , Wang Xiaohan , Miao Shuai , Shi Mengzhu , Wang Guanglei , Tu Qing
Published: August 2019

Objective

To compare short-axis versus long-axis plane for ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and CNKI databases were searched for randomized controlled trials, published to 1 June 2019, that compared short- versus long-axis plane in ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture. Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan software, version 5.3. Statistical results are presented as risk ratio (RR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for dichotomous data and standard mean difference (SMD) (95% CI) for continuous data.

Results

Ten studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Analyses of pooled results showed no statistically significant differences in arterial puncture incidence between the two planes (RR 0.73 [95% CI 0.38, 1.39]). First-pass success rate (RR 1.08 [95% CI 0.95, 1.22]), total success rate (RR 1.00 [95% CI 0.99, 1.02]) and number of attempts required (SMD –0.09 [95% CI –0.37, 0.18]) were also similar between the two approaches. Trial sequential analysis indicated that the available evidence was insufficient to detect potential differences between the two techniques.

Conclusions

There is insufficient data for an evidence-based choice of either short- or long-axis plane in ultrasound-guided internal jugular vein puncture.
Agglomeration and innovation: Selection or true effect?
Authors: Fang Li
Published: August 2019

This paper separates two mechanisms through which agglomeration increases average firm innovation: selection (less innovative firms being forced out of agglomerations) and true agglomeration (firms become more innovative). I apply a quantile regression to estimate the distribution of firm innovation and separate these two mechanisms. Linking a unique establishment-level dataset with the patent dataset in the state of Maryland for the period 2004–2013, I find that a 1-mile radius area with above-median employment concentration significantly encourages firm innovation. An average establishment that files for at least one patent during the study period increases citation-weighted patent applications by 31.2% to 31.5% in such employment centers. I also find evidence of selection: non-innovators are 1.3% less likely to survive in agglomerations. The coexistence of agglomeration and selection causes the result of an ordinary least squares regression to be upwardly biased. By eliminating the selection effect, this study more precisely estimates the agglomeration effect, which can be applied to cost–benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of urban and industrial policies.
Ezekiel’s immobility and the meaning of ‘the house of Judah’ in Ezekiel 4
Authors: Crouch C L
Published: August 2019

Ezekiel 4.4-6 recounts a sign-act in which the prophet is instructed to lie first on his left side and then on his right, to symbolise the עון‎ of the house of Israel and the עון‎ of the house of Judah. The interpretive crux of the passage concerns the identification of ‘the house of Israel’ and ‘the house of Judah’, usually understood as either the northern and southern kingdoms or as interchangeable terms for the same entity. This article challenges the assumptions about Israel and Judah which underlie these interpretations, re-examining the terms’ use in the immediate and wider contexts in order to argue that the condemnation of the house of Judah in 4.6 extends a sign-act originally concerned only with the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the inhabitants of the country as a whole. The interpretation explains the specifications of ‘left’ and ‘right’ and the significance of the 40 years allotted to Judah, as well as enabling a consistent meaning for the key term עון‎.
Maternal wellbeing and pregnancy outcomes in anaesthetic trainees
Authors: Zacher Rosmarin
Published: August 2019

The importance of supporting and maintaining doctors’ health and wellbeing cannot be overstated. Combined with the undisputed status of work in medicine as both strenuous and stressful, pregnancy is a unique time during which the mother and unborn baby may be at risk of adverse outcomes.

A narrative literature review is presented with a focus on studies of relevance to pregnancy in anaesthesia trainees, however much of the evidence is drawn from studies involving anaesthetic consultants, trainees in other specialties and pregnant workers in general. After a brief exploration into historical concepts in occupational hazards and adverse pregnancy outcomes, further discussion ensues on more recent evidence in relation to specialist training (or ‘residency’), the impact of work stressors and maternal psychological state on pregnancy outcomes and attitudes towards pregnancy during specialist training. Finally, occupational guidelines are considered along with the rationale for ‘pregnancy-friendly’ workplaces and suggestions for future research in this area for both the profession and employers.
Acquired and Persistent Eldercare Demands: Impact on Worker Well-Being
Authors: Dugan Alicia G. , Barnes-Farrell Janet L. , Fortinsky Richard H. , Cherniack Martin G.
Published: August 2019

Eldercare demands (ECD) may result in stress when finite resources needed to fulfill life roles (i.e., family, work) become scarce. ECD may be acquired, continue over time, or be relinquished. They thus may represent acute stress (immediate, severe) or chronic stress (persistent, milder). Workers at six U.S. manufacturing companies completed surveys ( N = 520). ECD were operationalized as providing assistance to an adult aged 65+ years due to disability or illness. Workers were categorized into four ECD groups (persistent, relinquished, acquired, and none), and we examined the ECD groups’ association with person-centric and work-centric outcomes. Respondents with acquired ECD had worse mental health and greater depressive symptoms than those with none, and those with persistent ECD had greater work stress and family–work conflict than those with none. Findings suggesting that acute stress is more related to person-centric outcomes and chronic stress is more related to work-centric outcomes could inform development of tailored interventions.