bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with NASH severity and advanced fibrosis
Authors: Sarkar Monika , Terrault Norah , Chan Wesley , Cedars Marcelle I. , Huddleston Heather G. , Duwaerts Caroline C. , Balitzer Dana , Gill Ryan M.
Published: October 2019

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 10% of reproductive‐aged women, and is marked by irregular menses and high androgens. PCOS is a known risk factor for imaging‐confirmed steatosis, and we now aim to evaluate whether PCOS influences histologic severity of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods

Retrospective study of women ages 18‐45 years with biopsy‐confirmed NAFLD between 2008 and 2019. Metabolic comorbidities were captured within 6 months of biopsy. Histologic features of non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) were independently evaluated by two pathologists blinded to PCOS status.

Results

Among 102 women meeting study criteria, 36% (n = 37) had PCOS; median age was 35 years; 27% were white, 6% black, 19% Asian and 47% reported Hispanic ethnicity. Women with PCOS had higher LDL (122 vs 102 mg/dL, P = .05) and body mass index(BMI) (38 vs 33 kg/cm2, P < .01). NASH was present in 76% of women with PCOS vs 66% without PCOS (P = .3), and a higher proportion with PCOS had severe ballooning (32% vs 13%, P = .02), presence of any fibrosis (84% vs 66%, P = .06) and advanced fibrosis (16% vs 6%, P = .10). Adjusted for age and BMI, PCOS remained associated with severe hepatocyte ballooning (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.1‐10.6, P = .03) and advanced fibrosis (OR 7.1, 95% CI 1.3‐39, P = .02). Among women with advanced fibrosis, median age was 5 years younger in those with as compared to those without PCOS (40 vs 45 years, P = .02).

Conclusion

Polycystic ovary syndrome is independently associated with more severe NASH, including advanced fibrosis. Hepatologists should routinely inquire about PCOS in reproductive‐aged women with NAFLD, and evaluate for more severe liver disease in this population.
Permanent immunosuppression in SLA/LP‐positive autoimmune hepatitis is required although overall response and survival are similar
Authors: Zachou Kalliopi , Weiler‐Normann Christina , Muratori Luigi , Muratori Paolo , Lohse Ansgar W. , Dalekos George N.
Published: October 2019

Background and aims

Antibodies against soluble liver antigen/liver pancreas (anti‐SLA/LP) are highly specific for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and have been linked with a more severe clinical course of the disease, frequent relapses after treatment withdrawal and worse outcome. To address definitely the clinical significance of anti‐SLA/LP, we investigated a large number of anti‐SLA/LP‐positive and ‐negative patients followed in three referral centres.

Methods

Prospectively collected data from 89 anti‐SLA/LP‐positive AIH patients (29 from Hamburg‐Germany, 20 from Bologna‐Italy and 40 from Larissa‐Greece) were analysed retrospectively. Age‐ and sex‐matched anti‐SLA/LP‐negative patients served as disease controls (n = 230; 1:2.5 ratio).

Results

In respect to baseline characteristics, anti‐SLA/LP‐positive patients were more frequently asymptomatic compared to anti‐SLA/LP‐negative (P < .05). However, anti‐SLA/LP‐positive patients did not differ from anti‐SLA/LP‐negative in terms of the overall response to treatment, disease progression and survival even though, they were less likely to achieve corticosteroid withdrawal (P < .05), needed longer treatment duration to achieve first complete response (P < .001) and relapsed more frequently after treatment withdrawal compared to anti‐SLA/LP‐negative patients (P = <.001).

Conclusions

We showed that anti‐SLA/LP antibodies do not characterize a group of AIH patients with distinct features and cannot identify patients with a more severe form of the disease or worse survival. Most importantly, however, anti‐SLA/LP‐positive patients appear to require lifelong immunosuppression as they are less likely to achieve the cessation of corticosteroids and present higher relapse rates after treatment withdrawal. Therefore, close long‐term monitoring should be advised in all anti‐SLA/LP‐positive patients after withdrawal of immunosuppressive treatment.
Follicular occlusion disorders in Down syndrome patients
Authors: Firsowicz Maya , Boyd McKenna , Jacks Stephanie K.
Published: October 2019

Disorders involving follicular occlusion, such as hidradenitis suppurativa, folliculitis, acneiform eruptions, and pilonidal cysts, have shown an increased prevalence in the Down syndrome (DS) population, but there are limited published data examining this association. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 243 DS patients presenting to a pediatric dermatology clinic to further examine the prevalence of disorders of follicular occlusion in DS patients. Our study showed high rates of disorders of follicular occlusion in DS patients, with prevalent disorders including folliculitis (21.0%), keratosis pilaris (17.3%), acne vulgaris (11.1%), hidradenitis suppurativa (7.0%), and furunculosis (4.5%), and overall prevalence of 44.9%. These findings add to a limited but growing body of evidence that documents an increased rate of disorders of follicular occlusion in pediatric DS patients.
Trust, regulation, and redistribution why some governments overregulate and under‐redistribute
Authors: Charron Nicholas , Harring Niklas , Lapuente Victor
Published: October 2019

For many social scientists, government intervention is linked to low levels of social trust and corruption, while others associate it with high trust and low corruption. We aim to reconcile these contrasting views by distinguishing the opposing effects of trust on two alternative types of government intervention: regulation and redistribution. We argue that distrusting individuals demand more governmental regulation (H1) but less government redistribution (H2), and this could be one of the mechanisms explaining why countries with low levels of trust tend to both overregulate and under‐redistribute. And the effects of trust on policy preferences are conditional on the quality of institutions. The higher the level of quality of government in a particular region, the more high‐trusting individuals will like government redistribution and dislike government regulation that restricts the operations of free markets (H3). We test these hypotheses with data from the latest round of the European Quality of Government Index (EQI) survey, which covers 77,000 individuals from 185 regions of 21 EU member states.
Income Underreporting and Tax Evasion in Italy: Estimates and Distributional Effects
Authors: Albarea Andrea , Bernasconi Michele , Marenzi Anna , Rizzi Dino
Published: October 2019

The paper estimates the extent of evasion of personal income tax (PIT) in Italy by integrating two methods that the literature has previously applied separately. The consumption‐based method introduced by Pissarides and Weber (1989) is used to estimate misreporting of income in micro data collected in the household IT‐SILC survey. We adopt an econometric specification close in spirit to that of Feldman and Slemrod (2007), which allows us to estimate income misreporting at different rates for different income sources. The misreporting estimates are then used in the discrepancy method to correct the incomes compared with administrative registered data. The comparison provides new estimates of evasion of personal income tax by type of income, region and income class. The estimates are used to improve microsimulation analyses of the distributional impact of tax evasion.
The Politics of Expanding Healthcare Access to the Poor and Informal Sectors
Authors: Harris Joseph
Published: October 2019

How do the politics of agenda setting and policy adoption operate in the arena of healthcare reform in the industrializing world? Literature on the twenty‐first‐century developmental state emphasizes the role of democratic competition and civil society in causing political parties to take up new agendas, while power resources theory stresses the role of left‐wing political parties and labor unions in policy adoption. Yet, core tenets of these theories have not been considered extensively in light of dynamics in the industrializing world. This article examines the politics of policy adoption in countries that have recently aimed to provide healthcare access and financial protection to the poor and people in the informal sector in Mexico and Turkey. In line with literature on the twenty‐first‐century developmental state, we find democratic competition to play an important role in causing political parties to take up new agendas. However, examination of the cases illuminates surprising dynamics that challenge important elements of sociological theory: right‐leaning political parties played important roles in adoption, while labor unions and left‐wing parties oppose reform in the cases. Public health‐minded physicians leading change teams played important roles in agenda setting and leading the process of implementation.
Mothers' interoceptive knowledge predicts children's emotion regulation and social skills in middle childhood
Authors: MacCormack Jennifer K. , Castro Vanessa L. , Halberstadt Amy G. , Rogers Megan L.
Published: October 2019

Interoception, often defined as the perception of internal physiological changes, is implicated in many adult social affective processes, but its effects remain understudied in the context of parental socialization of children's emotions. We hypothesized that what parents know about the interoceptive concomitants of emotions, or interoceptive knowledge (e.g., “my heart races when excited”), may be especially relevant in emotion socialization and in supporting children's working models of emotions and the social world. We developed a measure of mothers' interoceptive knowledge about their own emotions and examined its relation to children's social affective outcomes relative to other socialization factors, including self‐reported parental behaviors, emotion beliefs, and knowledge of emotion‐relevant situations and non‐verbal expressions. To assess these, mothers (N = 201) completed structured interviews and questionnaires. A few months later, third‐grade teachers rated children's social skills and emotion regulation observed in the classroom. Results indicated that mothers' interoceptive knowledge about their own emotions was associated with children's social affective skills (emotion regulation, social initiative, cooperation, self‐control), even after controlling for child gender and ethnicity, family income, maternal stress, and the above maternal socialization factors. Overall, findings suggest that mothers' interoceptive knowledge may provide an additional, unique pathway by which children acquire social affective competence.
Does the Association between Religiosity and Substance Use Vary between Adolescence and Early Adulthood?
Authors: Freeman Jason A.
Published: October 2019

The present study examines whether the association between substance use and two dimensions of religiosity—institutional and personal—changes as individuals transition from adolescence to early adulthood. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult (Add) Health, logistic regression models with interaction terms were run to test the hypothesis that the association between an individual's religiosity and his or her level of substance use is stronger during early adulthood compared to adolescence. This hypothesis is based on the observation that the shared family environment largely explains the association between religiosity and substance use during adolescence, while individual‐level characteristics largely explain this association during early adulthood. Overall, my findings support the research hypothesis, but only for the association between institutional religiosity and stigmatized types of substance use (smoking and marijuana use). This study highlights the fact that studies exploring the association between religiosity and substance use should consider potential variation between life stages.
The prevention of arboviral diseases using mobile devices: a preliminary study of the attitudes and behaviour change produced by educational interventions
Authors: Abel Mangueira Francisco Fernandes , Smania‐Marques Roberta , Dutra Fernandes Izabelly , Alves Albino Victor , Olinda Ricardo , Acácia Santos‐Silva Tais , Traxler John , Matheson David , Santos Silvana
Published: October 2019

Objectives

In Brazil, the National Policy for Dengue Control seeks to incorporate the lessons of national and international experience in dengue control, emphasising the need for health education activities. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare knowledge, attitudes and behaviours related to the prevention of arboviruses before and after a two‐month educational intervention using a learning platform on mobile devices.

Methods

This quasi‐experimental study corresponds to the first phase of the project ‘Impact of mobile learning in the prevention and management of complications caused by arboviruses (Zika, Dengue, Chikungunya) – ZIKAMOB’, sponsored as part of the British Council Newton Fund.

Results

Thirty of the 93 participants were first‐year undergraduate university students (36.7% male), and 63 were police officers (84.1% male). The pattern of attitudes and behaviour was very similar in both groups before the intervention. The students changed their attitudes and behaviour (P = 0.032) in relation to their engagements in actions for the prevention of arboviral diseases and several other activities related to house inspections and precautions with water tanks (P < 0.01). However, recycling and surveillance activities were not as effective in changing behaviour. Female participants showed more motivation to participate in preventive activities, but living alone and working were barriers to participation. Individuals who already perform selective waste collection and are cultivating gardens demonstrated both a positive attitude and a positive behaviour towards actions for the prevention of arboviral diseases.

Conclusion

Mobile learning and behaviour change theories might be successful as the basis for school‐based and community‐based interventions to avoid arboviruses. These outcomes need to be confirmed in broader future studies.
Arabidopsis MYB4 plays dual roles in flavonoid biosynthesis
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Chen , Wu Jie , Guan Meng‐Ling , Zhao Cui‐Huan , Geng Pan , Zhao Qiao
Published: October 2019

SUMMARY

Flavonoids are major secondary metabolites derived from the plant phenylpropanoid pathway that play important roles in plant development and also have benefits for human health. So‐called MBW ternary complexes involving R2R3‐MYB and basic helix‐loop‐helix (bHLH) transcription factors along with WD‐repeat proteins have been reported to regulate expression of the biosynthetic genes in the flavonoid pathway. MYB4 and its closest homolog MYB7 have been suggested to function as repressors of phenylpropanoid metabolism. However, the detailed mechanism by which they act has not been fully elucidated. Here, we show that Arabidopsis thaliana MYB4 and its homologs MYB7 and MYB32 interact with the bHLH transcription factors TT8, GL3 and EGL3 and thereby interfere with the transcriptional activity of the MBW complexes. In addition, MYB4 can also inhibit flavonoid accumulation by repressing expression of the gene encoding Arogenate Dehydratase 6 (ADT6), which catalyzes the final step in the biosynthesis of phenylalanine, the precursor for flavonoid biosynthesis. MYB4 potentially represses not only the conventional ADT6 encoding the plastidial enzyme but also the alternative isoform encoding the cytosolic enzyme. We suggest that MYB4 plays dual roles in modulating the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway in Arabidopsis.
Immediate effect of transmucosal application of corn syrup or 50% dextrose solution on blood glucose concentrations in healthy dogs
Authors: Holt Rhonda L. , Gordon Jana M. , Ruaux Craig
Published: October 2019

Objective

Evaluate and quantify the effects of mucosal corn syrup and 50% dextrose application on blood glucose concentrations in healthy dogs, to assess the effectiveness of a widely used practice for treatment of hypoglycemia.

Design

Randomized controlled trial.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Twelve client‐owned dogs that were healthy, >1 year of age, weighing >5 kg, and had normal physical exam and biochemical profiles.

Interventions

Dogs were fasted overnight for a minimum of 12 hours. Once normal physical exam and biochemical profile were confirmed, an IV catheter was placed in a peripheral vein for serial blood sampling. Each dog served as their own control and received each of 3 treatments, the orders of which were randomized for each dog. Treatments included mucosal application of commercially available corn syrup (Karo light syrup), water (control), and 50% dextrose solution, each at a dose of 1 mL/kg of body weight. Blood glucose was measured using a point‐of‐care glucometer. Samples were taken immediately prior to each treatment and at 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, 20‐, 30‐, and 60‐minute intervals.

Results

All treatments were well tolerated and no adverse events were observed. A statistically significant increase in blood glucose was observed at the 15‐, 20‐, 30‐, and 60‐minute time points in the corn syrup and 50% dextrose groups as compared with the control.

Conclusions

A significant effect on the blood glucose concentrations of the treated animals was not observed until 15 minutes after application of concentrated glucose solutions. These findings suggest that, in more severely hypoglycemic patients, parenteral glucose administration may be necessary.
Caval‐aortic ratio and caudal vena cava diameter in dogs before and after blood donation
Authors: Herreria‐Bustillo Vicente J. , Fitzgerald Ella , Humm Karen R.
Published: October 2019

Objective

To investigate whether the donation of 1 unit of blood results in a significant decrease in the caudal vena cava diameter (CVCd) and the caudal vena cava diameter to aortic diameter (CVCd:Aod) ratio measured at the iliac location.

Interventions

Eight healthy client‐owned Greyhounds underwent ultrasound of their caudal vena cava and aorta before and after blood donation. The principal investigator obtained M‐mode images of the blood vessels from all dogs and a secondary investigator measured the CVCd and aortic diameter in a blinded manner from stored images. The ratio of CVCd:Aod was then calculated. After assessing for normality, paired‐sample t‐tests were performed to compare mean values before and after donation.

Main Results

The mean (±SD) CVCd before and after blood donation were 15.84 mm (±5.06 mm) and 15.82 mm (±5.42 mm) and the CVCd:Aod ratios were 0.93 (±0.23) and 1.00 (±0.27), respectively. There was no statistical difference between pre‐ and postdonation values for CVCd (P = 0.99) or CVCd:Aod (P = 0.34).

Conclusion

The measurement of CVCd and CVCd:Aod ratio with ultrasound at the iliac location failed to detect mild‐to‐moderate blood loss produced by the donation of 1 unit of blood in Greyhounds.
Overcoming the deceptively low viability of CD45+ cells in thawed cord blood unit segments
Authors: Pasha Roya , Halpenny Mike , Pineault Nicolas
Published: October 2019

Background and objectives

There is no standard methodology for post‐thaw sample preparation for viability analysis of umbilical cord blood units (CBU). A common challenge faced by CB bank is for their product to meet the post‐thaw cell viability threshold for CD45+ cells set at 40% by NetCord‐FACT. The objective of this work was to improve the post‐thaw staining method to maximize CD45+ cell viability so that clinically valuable samples meet the NetCord‐FACT threshold criteria for CD45+ and CD34+ cell viabilities.

Materials and methods

Samples of CBU buffy coats and CBU segments were thawed and taken for staining. Various parameters were evaluated on CD45+ and CD34+ cell viability as measured by 7‐actinomycin D (7‐AAD) staining.

Results

The results revealed that initiating the staining at 20 min post‐thaw instead of 30, shortening the red cell lysis treatment, or performing lysis on ice and removing this step all together, all improved the viability of CD45+ cells. Using CBU segments, it was shown that the most effective approach in increasing the viability of CD45+ cells was the complete omission of red cell lysis step. However, removal of the lysis step can create technical artefacts during flow cytometry acquisition that results in an underestimation of the viability of CD34+ cells. This can be avoided and CD34+ cell viability restored with additional thresholding on CD45 signal.

Conclusion

CB CD45+ cells are sensitive to red cell lysis treatment post‐thaw; omission of this step provides the best viability and ultimately better reflects the quality of cells used for transplantation.
Effects of the menstrual and oral contraceptive cycle phases on microvascular reperfusion
Authors: Mattu Anmol T. , MacInnis Martin J. , Doyle‐Baker Patricia K. , Murias Juan M.
Published: October 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What are the effects of the menstrual (early follicular and mid‐luteal) or monophasic oral contraceptive (inactive‐ and active‐pill) cycle phases on vascular reperfusion of lower limb microvasculature in healthy, active women using the near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) vascular occlusion test (VOT) technique?

What is the main finding and its importance?

We demonstrated that vascular responsiveness in the lower limb microvasculature remained unchanged between the early follicular and mid‐luteal phases of the menstrual cycle and inactive‐ and active‐pill phases of the oral contraceptive cycle. These data support that controlling for the cycle phases, within the specific times evaluated in this study, might not be necessary when assessing NIRS‐VOT reperfusion rates.

The objective was to examine whether the menstrual or monophasic oral contraceptive cycle phases affect microvascular responsiveness of the lower limb in healthy, active women. During the follicular or inactive‐pill phase and the luteal or active‐pill phase of the menstrual or oral contraceptive cycle, respectively, 15 non‐oral contraceptive users (mean ± SD; 27 ± 6 years of age) and 15 monophasic oral contraceptive users (24 ± 4 years of age) underwent a lower‐limb vascular occlusion test (5 min baseline, 5 min occlusion and 8 min post cuff release). Menstrual cycle phases were verified using an ovulation test. Vascular responsiveness was assessed by calculating the near‐infrared spectroscopy‐derived muscle oxygen saturation (StO2) reperfusion slope (slope 2 StO2) and the post occlusion StO2 area under the curve (StO2AUC) of the tibialis anterior muscle. There were no differences in the reperfusion slope (as a percentage per second; follicular, 1.18 ± 0.48; luteal, 1.05 ± 0.48, inactive‐pill, 0.95 ± 0.23; and active‐pill, 0.87 ± 0.36; P = 0.09) and area under the curve (as a product of the percentage and seconds; follicular, 1067 ± 562; luteal, 918 ± 414, inactive‐pill, 945 ± 702; and active‐pill, 750 ± 519; P = 0.09) between the phases of the menstrual or oral contraceptive cycle, regardless of pill generation. The duration of oral contraceptive use was not associated with changes in slope 2 StO2 (r = 0.02, P = 0.94) or StO2AUC (r = −0.34, P = 0.22) between cycle phases. In conclusion, vascular responsiveness remained unchanged between the early follicular and mid‐luteal phases of the menstrual cycle and the inactive‐pill and active‐pill phases of the oral contraceptive cycle.
Attitudes on Affirmative Action in University Students: Effects of Race, Political Beliefs and Prejudice
Authors: Pilati Ronaldo , Turgeon Mathieu
Published: October 2019

The interplay between explicit and implicit attitudes toward affirmative action (AA) policies is relevant to applied psychology. Its comprehension helps to improve our capacity to evaluate support for such policies. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which students’ race, political opinion of affirmative action, and prejudice against minorities influence the relationship between implicit-explicit attitudes toward affirmative action policies. 492 student participants were recruited from a large Brazilian public university about racial quotas in admissions. Implicit and explicit measures of attitude about the admission process were applied, together with measures of political opinion of affirmative action, prejudice against minorities and race. The results show that race has little effect on the difference between implicit and explicit attitudes about the admission process, but that prejudice and political position exert strong effects. Our findings suggest that implicit measures of attitudes should be used when evaluating attitudes on AA.
Arousal and Satisfaction during Mountain Rambling: Comparing Non-Athletes’, Mountain Athletes’ and Non-Mountain Athletes’ Views
Authors: Fruchard Eric , Rulence-Pâques Patricia
Published: October 2019

We explored the how non-athletes, athletes doing mountain sports, and athletes doing sports other than mountain sports use five informational cues (relatedness, autonomy, competence, risk-taking, and weather conditions) for judging the degree of arousal and the degree of satisfaction experienced during mountain rambling. Participants gave their judgment of arousal and satisfaction in 32 scenarios constructed from the orthogonal combination of these information cues. All three groups integrated the informational cues in the same way. The impact of relatedness and the impact risk-taking varied according to the judgment condition.
Cultural Differences in Perceived Appropriateness of Breaking Bad News to Patients: A Direct Comparison of Togo and France
Authors: Kpanake Lonzozou , Igier Valérie , Muñoz Sastre Maria Teresa
Published: October 2019

We examined cross-cultural differences in people’s positions regarding the appropriateness of breaking of bad news to elderly patients. A total of 450 Togolese and French people who had in the past received bad medical news were presented with 72 vignettes depicting communication of bad news to elderly female patients and asked to indicate the appropriateness of physicians’ conduct in each case. The vignettes comprised five pieces of information: (a) the severity of the disease, (b) the patient’s wishes, (c) the level of social support during hospitalization, (d) the patient’s psychological robustness, and (e) the physician’s decision about communicating bad news. Through cluster analysis, six qualitatively different positions were found: (a) Always Tell the Truth to Patients, (b) Tell the Truth to Patients or their Relatives, (c) Depends on Patients’ Wishes, (d) Tell the Truth to the Relatives, (e) Don’t Tell the Truth to Patients, and (f) Undetermined. The French participants reported a stronger tendency to endorse the view that physicians should always tell the truth directly to the patient than the Togolese participants. In contrast, there was a stronger tendency among the Togolese participants to endorse the view that physicians should inform the patient’s family first than among the French. These findings highlight the importance for physicians, at the time of delivering bad news, of considering patients’ cultural values and of tailoring their disclosure approaches to match the diversity of patients’ personal preferences.
La representación social de la violencia de género en la prensa generalista escrita: El País, El Mundo y ABC (2000-2015)
Authors: Cabrera de la Cal María Isabel , Correa Chica Andrea
Published: October 2019

España, desde 2004, con la generación del marco regulatorio recogido en la Ley Orgánica 1/2004 de Medidas de Protección Integral contra la Violencia de Género, busca castigar, prevenir y erradicar la violencia de género, así como ayudar a las víctimas de dicha violencia. Esta ley formaliza el concepto de violencia de género e insta a la sensibilización y, en concreto, a los medios de comunicación como agentes socializadores secundarios a formar parte de los principales mecanismos de prevención al respecto. Por lo anterior, el objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar la evolución que ha tenido el tratamiento de la violencia de género en la prensa generalista española, específicamente en los diarios El País, El Mundo y ABC durante los primeros 15 años del siglo XXI, y revisar si las medidas legislativas e iniciativas políticas en pro de la erradicación de la violencia de género han modificado la representación de este fenómeno. Se identificó, como principal avance, el reemplazo de terminologías genéricas como “malos tratos” o “violencia doméstica” por terminología especifica como “violencia de género” o “violencia machista”, que aportan a visibilizar y caracterizar este fenómeno de relevancia social.
Social Cognition among People with Schizophrenia: An Information Integration Perspective
Authors: Ruffié Stéphanie , Chabrol Henri , Mullet Etienne
Published: October 2019

We examined whether the ability to integrate social information among people with schizophrenia (PWS) differed from that of healthy people. Four social cognition task implying information integration were selected: (a) judging the level of success of a student to an exam as a function of this student’s known level of capacity and the time spent at preparing for the exam, (b) judging the level of blame deserved by an aggressor as a function of the severity of the act committed and its level of intentionality, (c) judging one’s personal level of willingness to forgive a transgression as a function of the extent to which its consequences still persist and the quality of the transgressor’s apologies, and (d) judging one’s personal level of adherence to a medical treatment as a function of the severity of pain experienced and the existence of undesirable side effects. PWS’s pattern of responses in the performance task, in the blame attribution task, and the adherence to treatment task were indistinguishable from the healthy participants’ one. In the willingness to forgive task, however, the information on consequences (an inverse effect cue) was given less weight during the judgment process among PWS than among controls whereas the information on apologies (a direct effect cue) was given more weight. Once PWS have been stabilized, their integrative capacities are, therefore, largely preserved.
Salud mental de adolescentes españoles según variables contextuales y horas de uso de internet
Authors: Fajardo-Bullon Fernando , Burguillo Valverde Beatriz , Leon Del Barco Benito , Felipe-Castaño Elena
Published: October 2019

El análisis de la salud mental en adolescentes es un tema actual de interés internacional. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la salud mental de los menores españoles, evaluada mediante la puntuación total de dificultades del Cuestionario de Capacidades y Dificultades (SDQ), en función del número de horas de conexión a internet y otras variables contextuales, como tipo de centro, sexo, curso y  edad. La metodología utilizada fue un estudio ex post facto, de corte transversal, con una muestra formada por 430 estudiantes de España de 12 a 17 años. Los resultados muestran una asociación significativa entre la salud mental de los menores, el número de horas de uso de internet (χ2 = 10.2; p = 0.017) y la edad (χ2 = 11.86; p = 0.037). Sin embargo, esta asociación no se encontró con el tipo de centro educativo (U = 20026, p = 0.418), el sexo (U = 18638, p = 0.082) y el curso académico (χ2 = 1.62, p = 0.655). Se puede concluir que aquellos menores conectados a internet más de cinco horas al día presentaron mayores puntuaciones en dificultades en salud mental. Del mismo modo, los menores con edades entre 15 y 17 años, obtuvieron mayores puntaciones en dificultades en salud mental en comparación con los más jóvenes, de 12 años. Finalmente, se sugiere realizar labores de prevención en salud mental focalizadas en menores en la adolescencia tardía y que se conecten a internet más de cinco horas al día.
Conducta prosocial en estudiantes universitarios argentinos: estudio comparativo entre carreras
Authors: Auné Sofía Esmeralda , Abal Facundo Juan Pablo , Attorresi Horacio Félix
Published: October 2019

En este estudio, se puso a prueba la hipótesis sobre las diferencias en conducta prosocial según el tipo de carrera estudiada. Se utilizó la Escala de Conducta Prosocial, un test previamente modelado con los procedimientos clásicos y con la Teoría de la Respuesta al Ítem, conformado por dos dimensiones: Ayuda y Confortar. Se midieron asimismo diferencias en la Autopercepción en Orientación Prosocial (AOP) y en Distorsión. Una muestra depurada de 1383 estudiantes universitarios de diferentes carreras se dividió teniendo en cuenta si la carrera involucra o no directamente a las conductas prosociales, y en caso afirmativo, distinguiendo si lo hace en relación con la salud física. La media de edad fue de 22.4 años, ocupando las mujeres el 79 % de la muestra. Los resultados indicaron que los estudiantes de carreras que involucran conductas prosociales relacionadas con la salud física puntuaron significativamente más alto en la dimensión Ayuda que el resto, aunque igualmente tuvieron más distorsión en su respuesta.  En cuanto a la dimensión Confortar, los estudiantes de carreras directamente vinculadas con las conductas prosociales en general fueron quienes puntuaron más alto. Dentro de la AOP, el tipo de carrera tuvo efectos significativos sobre el puntaje en Autopercepción de la Conducta Prosocial y en Autopercepción de Dadivosidad. Se discuten los resultados y las limitaciones.
Conjoint Use of Regression Analysis and Functional Measurement to Test Models of Combination of Factors Predicting Negative Attitude to Women
Authors: Bugay Ash , Delevi Rakel , Mullet Etienne
Published: October 2019

The present study was aimed at showing that by conjointly using two techniques that are rarely used in combination – regression analysis and functional measurement, it may be possible to rigorously tests models of combination of factors using data obtained in traditional multi-item/multi-scale surveys. The data used for this demonstration were taken from a large survey (N = 3,235) of Turkish students’ attitude to women (ATW). As it included 12 types of predictors (e.g., age, geographic location, score on collectivism scales), stepwise regression analysis was firstly used to select a subset of predictors. Three of them explained the major part of variance: biological gender (sex), level of political conservatism in the area (the place factor), and personal score on the vertical individualism scale (the culture factor). Secondly, continuous conservatism and collectivism scores were categorized into three levels and three factorial plots were created -- one for each level of support for conservatism -- with ATW on the y-axis, vertical collectivism on the x-axis, and biological sex on curves. Divergence of curves observed in all panels supported a multiplicative-type model of combination of the gender and culture factors. As a result, the model of combination of factors suggested was: Negative Attitude to Women = (Gender x Culture) + Place.
The Religious Orientation Scale Revised among Spanish Catholic People: Structural Validity and Internal Consistency of a 21-item Model
Authors: García-Alandete Joaquín , Rubio-Belmonte César , Soucase Lozano Beatriz
Published: October 2019

The personal religious orientation understood as the motivation behind religious behaviors must be considered as the process that manages and organizes the behavior of those who are religious. Thus, identifying the dimensionality of religiosity is important (Francis, 2007; Kirkpatrick & Hood, 1990). This paper analyzed the structural validity and internal consistency of the 31-item Batson and Ventis Religious Orientation Scale. Participants were 529 Spanish Catholic undergraduates aged between 18 and 55 years, M = 21.55, SD = 4.39. A Principal Component Analysis with Equamax rotation method was performed on the ROS-31 with the randomized 50% of the sample, obtaining a 21-item three-component model (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest religious orientations). Then, a CFA carried out with the other 50% of the sample showed an adequate fit of the obtained model, SBχ2(186) = 352.45, p < 0.01, CFI = 0.93, IFI = 0.93, RMSEA = 0.059 (CI 90% [0.049, 0.067]). The intrinsic scale showed an excellent internal consistency, the quest scale showed good internal consistency, and the extrinsic scale showed an acceptable internal consistency. Future lines of research are suggested in order to clarify the relationship between the religious orientation scales and some psychosocial variables.
La Teoría de los Fundamentos Morales y la orientación política detrás del apoyo o rechazo al movimiento estudiantil chileno del 2011
Authors: Solano Silva Dante , Carrere Ignacio
Published: October 2019

La presente investigación estudia los fundamentos morales relacionados con el apoyo o rechazo al Movimiento Estudiantil Chileno (MECh) durante las manifestaciones del 2011 (N=170). De acuerdo a los análisis factoriales –exploratorios y confirmatorios–, los fundamentos de daño/cuidado, justicia/engaño, autoridad/subversión y santidad/degradación se comportaron consistentes con la teoría; pero el fundamento de lealtad/traición, se dividió en dos valores: Patriotismo y Lealtad. Los fundamentos de Daño/cuidado y Justicia/engaño se asociaron a posiciones de la izquierda política y al apoyo al MECh; mientras que el patriotismo, la autoridad/subversión y la santidad/degradación se asociaron a la derecha y el rechazo a este. Un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales evidenció que el daño/cuidado se asociaba directamente al apoyo al movimiento; mientras que la justicia/engaño y la autoridad/subversión estaban mediadas por la orientación política.
Thermodynamically Consistent Variational Approach for Modeling Brittle Fracture in Thick Plates by a Hybrid Phase Field Model
Authors: Raghu P. , Rajagopal A. , Reddy J. N.
Published: October 2019

In this work, we propose a thermodynamically consistent phase-field model for the brittle fracture analysis of thick plates. A hybrid model, which is fast and accurate, is proposed for the phase-field modeling of fracture in thick plates. Reddy’s third-order shear deformation theory (TSDT) has been employed to capture the transverse shear deformation effects in thick plates. Governing equations are derived by seeking the minimization of the free-energy functional. A staggered solution algorithm with arc length control is used to solve the governing equations within the finite element framework. The nucleation and propagation of cracks in the thick plates subjected to uniformly distributed load is presented. The mechanical response corresponding to phase-field models based on both the classical plate theory and TSDT has been compared for the case of thick plates and a significant difference between these two models is observed. Parametric studies have been carried out to illustrate the effects of boundary conditions, shear deformation, and the mesh size.
Student and instructor framing in upper-division physics
Authors: Chari Deepa N. , Nguyen Hai D. , Zollman Dean A. , Sayre Eleanor C.
Published: October 2019

Upper-division physics students spend much of their time solving problems. In addition to their basic skills and background, their epistemic framing can form an important part of their ability to learn physics from these problems. Encouraging students to move toward productive framing may help them solve problems. Thus, an instructor should understand the specifics of how students have framed a problem and understand how her interaction with the students will impact that framing. In this study, we investigate epistemic framing of students in problem solving situations where math is applied to physics. To analyze the frames and changes in frames, we develop and use a two axis framework involving conceptual and algorithmic physics and math. We examine student and instructor framing and the interactions of these frames over a range of problems in an upper-division electromagnetic field course. Within interactions, students and instructors generally follow each others' leads in framing.
Bose–Einstein condensation in spherically symmetric traps
Authors: Bereta Sálvio Jacob , Madeira Lucas , Bagnato Vanderlei S. , Caracanhas Mônica A.
Published: October 2019

We present a pedagogical introduction to Bose–Einstein condensation in traps with spherical symmetry, namely, the spherical box and the thick shell, sometimes called bubble trap. In order to obtain the critical temperature for Bose–Einstein condensation, we describe how to calculate the cumulative state number and density of states in these geometries, using numerical and analytical (semi-classical) approaches. The differences in the results of both methods are a manifestation of Weyl's theorem, i.e., they reveal how the geometry of the trap (boundary condition) affects the number of the eigenstates counted. Using the same calculation procedure, we analyzed the impact of going from three-dimensions to two-dimensions, as we move from a thick shell to a two-dimensional shell. The temperature range we obtained, for the most commonly used atomic species and reasonable confinement volumes, is compatible with current cold atom experiments, which demonstrates that these trapping potentials may be employed in experiments.
Lost in Knowledge Translation: Media Framing of Physical Activity and Sport Participation
Authors: Dottori Mark , Faulkner Guy , Rhodes Ryan , O’Reilly Norm , Vanderloo Leigh , Abeza Gashaw
Published: October 2019

This study explored the frame-setting and frame-sending process of media who reported on the 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth. Through the use of a case-study method employing a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach (content analysis followed by semistructured interviews), the findings revealed a high level of frame-sending characteristics by the media, and the framing of stories was found to be influencing the message being sent, making it different from the original messaging sent by public relations practitioners charged with dispersing information. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed along with suggestions for future studies.
Autoregressive Modeling as Diagnostic Tool to Identify Postanterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Limb Asymmetry
Authors: Morgan Kristin D.
Published: October 2019

Between-limb deficits in vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) production continue to remain years after anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation, resulting in altered dynamic stability. However, the challenge is in identifying ways to assess this between-limb stability. This study implemented second-order autoregressive [AR(2)] modeling and its stationarity triangle to both quantitatively and visually delineate differences in dynamic stability from peak vGRF data in controls and post-anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) individuals during running. It was hypothesized that post-ACLR individuals would exhibit less dynamic stability than the controls, and that they would reside in a different location on the stationarity triangle, thus denoting differences in stability. The results presented supported the hypothesis that post-ACLR individuals exhibited significantly less dynamic stability than their control counterparts based on their model coefficients (AR1 P < .01; AR2 P = .02). These findings suggested that the post-ACLR individuals adopted a similar running pattern, possibly due to muscle weakness asymmetry, which was less dynamically stable and potentially places them at greater risk for injury. The ability of this approach to both quantitatively and visually delineate differences between these 2 groups indicates its potential as a return-to-sport decision tool.
Effects of Home- and Center-Based Exercise Programs on the Strength, Function, and Gait of Prefrail Older Women: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Costa Sabrine N. , Vieira Edgar R. , Bento Paulo C. B.
Published: October 2019

The aims of this study were to compare the effects of a multicomponent exercise program provided at a center (CB) versus done part at home and part at a center (H+CB) on frailty status, strength, physical function, and gait of prefrail older women. Twenty-five women were randomly allocated into the CB (n = 14; 69 ± 6 years) and the H+CB (n = 11; 69 ± 7 years) groups. Both groups completed an exercise program including strengthening, balance, and gait exercises. The program was 12 weeks long, done three times per week, for 60 min per session. Frailty, knee and hip muscle strength, spatiotemporal parameters of the usual and maximum speed dual-task gait, and physical function were assessed at baseline and after program completion. The exercise program reversed the prefrail status of most participants independently of the mode of delivery. Strength increased in both groups, but the CB group had more pronounced improvements in gait and physical function. H+CB exercise programs are good options for prefrail older women.
Contrasting Age Effects on Complexity of Tracking Force and Force Fluctuations During Monorhythmic Contraction
Authors: Chen Yi-Ching , Lin I-Chen , Lin Yen-Ting , Huang Wei-Min , Huang Chien-Chun , Hwang Ing-Shiou
Published: October 2019

This study contrasted the stochastic force component between young and older adults, who performed pursuit tracking/compensatory tracking by exerting in-phase/antiphase forces to match a sinusoidal target. Tracking force was decomposed into the force component containing the target frequency and the nontarget force fluctuations (stochastic component). Older adults with inferior task performance had higher complexity (entropy across time; p = .005) in total force. For older adults, task errors were negatively correlated with force fluctuation complexity (pursuit tracking: r = −.527 to −.551; compensatory tracking: r = −.626 to −.750). Notwithstanding an age-related increase in total force complexity (p = .004), older adults exhibited lower complexity of the stochastic force component than young adults did (low frequency: p = .017; high frequency: p = .035). Those older adults with a higher complexity of stochastic force had better task performance due to the underlying use of a richer gradation strategy to compensate for impaired oscillatory control.
Achieving Accelerometer Wrist and Orientation Invariance in Physical Activity Classification via Domain Adaption
Authors: Twaites Joshua , Everson Richard , Langford Joss , Hillsdon Melvyn
Published: October 2019

Purpose: Physical activity classifiers are typically trained on data obtained from sensors at a set orientation. Changes in this orientation (such as being on a different wrist) result in performance degradation. This work investigates a method to obtain sensor location and orientation invariance for classification of wrist-mounted accelerometry via a technique known as domain adaption. Methods: Data was gathered from 16 participants who wore accelerometers on both wrists. Physical activity classification models were created using data from each wrist and then used to predict activities when using data from the opposing wrist. Using subspace alignment domain adaption, this procedure was then repeated to align the training and testing data before the classification stage. Results: Prediction of activity when using data where the wearer’s wrist was incorrectly specified resulted in a significant (p = .01) decrease in performance of 12%. When using domain adaption this drop in performance became negligible (M difference < 1%, p = .73). Conclusion: Domain adaption is a valuable method for achieving accurate physical activity classification independent of sensor orientation in wrist-worn accelerometry.