bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bronze Age Textile & Wool Economy: The Case of the Terramare Site of Montale, Italy
Authors: Sabatini Serena , Earle Timothy , Cardarelli Andrea
Published: November 2018

At the onset of the 2nd millenniumbc, a wool economy emerged across continental Europe. Archaeological, iconographical, and written sources from the Near East and the Aegean show that a Bronze Age wool economy involved considerable specialised labour and large scale animal husbandry. Resting only on archaeological evidence, detailed knowledge of wool economies in Bronze Age Europe has been limited, but recent investigations at the Terramare site of Montale, in northern Italy, document a high density of spindle whorls that strongly supports the existence of village-level specialised manufacture of yarn. Production does not appear to have been attached to an emerging elite nor was it fully independent of social constraints. We propose that, although probably managed by local elites, wool production was a community-based endeavour oriented towards exports aimed at obtaining locally unavailable raw materials and goods.
Causal modeling with multi-value and fuzzy-set Coincidence Analysis
Authors: Baumgartner Michael , Ambühl Mathias
Published: November 2018

Coincidence Analysis (CNA) is a configurational comparative method of causal data analysis that is related to Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) but, contrary to the latter, is custom-built for analyzing causal structures with multiple outcomes. So far, however, CNA has only been capable of processing dichotomous variables, which greatly limited its scope of applicability. This paper generalizes CNA for multi-value variables as well as continuous variables whose values are interpreted as membership scores in fuzzy sets. This generalization comes with a major adaptation of CNA’s algorithmic protocol, which, in an extended series of benchmark tests, is shown to give CNA an edge over QCA not only with respect to multi-outcome structures but also with respect to the analysis of non-ideal data stemming from single-outcome structures. The inferential power of multi-value and fuzzy-set CNA is made available to end users in the newest version of the R package cna.
A high-resolution paleolimnological study of climate and human impacts on Lac Noir, Québec, over the past 1000 yr
Authors: Neil Karen , Gajewski Konrad
Published: November 2018

Diatom assemblages in lake sediments of Lac Noir, southwestern Québec, were studied at a resolution of 10 yr to determine principal drivers of primary producers for the past ~1000 yr. Generalized additive modeling revealed strong links between broadscale climate intervals of the late Holocene, forest composition, and diatom flora. During the Medieval Warm Period (~AD 1200) and onset of the Little Ice Age (~AD 1450), increases in Tabellaria flocculosa str. IIIp at the expense of Discostella stelligera reflected low lake productivity. At AD 1630, an abrupt shift to cooler temperatures and dry conditions triggered a decline in hemlock (Tsuga), replaced by disturbance and cool-adapted taxa. Greater nutrient availability and soil erosion in the catchment led to a corresponding and rapid increase in diatoms with higher optima for nitrogen, such as Asterionella formosa and Fragilaria crotonensis. After AD 1870, an increase in pollen of taxa associated with disturbances signaled the arrival of Euro-Canadians, and associated nutrient inputs to the lake triggered increases in Stephanodiscus minutulus and Achnanthidium minutissimum. Overall results of the study indicate that climate played an important underlying role in lake-ecosystem dynamics; however, disturbances affecting forest composition had more direct influences on the diatom communities of Lac Noir.
14C release from steels under aerobic conditions
Authors: Rodríguez M , Gascón J L , Magro E , Piña G , Lara E , Sevilla L
Published: November 2018

Radiocarbon (14C) is a key radionuclide in the assessment of the safety of underground geological disposal facilities for radioactive wastes, and the understanding of the 14C behavior in stainless steel may lead to a re-evaluation of the near-surface repository for the disposal of wastes containing this radionuclide in high concentrations. To achieve this objective, leaching experiments were planned for two different scenarios. The first is where the leaching solution, NaOH solution of pH ca. 12 in aerobic conditions, simulates the expected conditions in a cement-based near-surface repository over long time periods. The other one uses an acid solution of 1M H3PO4, which has been proved as a high efficiency chemical removal agent of 14C in graphite. The development of both analytical methods and protocols to measure the release of 14C from the activated steel samples and the speciation in the aqueous and gaseous phase has been undertaken as part of the EC CAST (CArbon-14 Source Term) project. Analytical methods, suitable for identifying and quantifying low molecular weight organic molecules, comprise ion chromatography (IC) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS); they are described for aqueous and gaseous samples, respectively. In this paper the preparation of leaching experiments to measure the release of 14C and the results obtained are described.
WITCHCRAFT, THE PRESS, AND CRIME IN IRELAND, 1822–1922
Authors: SNEDDON ANDREW , FULTON JOHN
Published: November 2018

Drawing on witchcraft cases reported in newspapers and coming before Ireland's courts, this article argues that witch belief remained part of Protestant and Catholic popular culture throughout the long nineteenth century. It is shown that witchcraft belief followed patterns established in the late eighteenth century and occasioned accusations that arose from interpersonal tensions rather than sectarian conflict. From this article, a complex picture emerges of the Irish witches and their ‘victims’, who are respectively seen to have fought accusation and bewitchment using legal, magical, physical, and verbal means. In doing so, the contexts are revealed in which witchcraft was linked to other crimes such as assault, slander, theft, and fraud in an era of expansion of courts and policing. This illustrates how Irish people adapted to legal changes while maintaining traditional beliefs, and suggests that witchcraft is an overlooked context in which interpersonal violence was exerted and petty crime committed. Finally, popular and elite cultural divides are explored through the attitudes of the press and legal authorities to witchcraft allegations, and an important point of comparison for studies of witchcraft and magic in modern Europe is established.
Productivity and physiological response of lactating Holstein cows to sugarcane supplementation and evaporative cooling under heat-stress
Authors: Campos F. P. , Conceição M. R. G. , Sarmento P. , Nicácio D. R. O. , Lima C. G. , Matarazzo S. V.
Published: November 2018

The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effects of sugarcane and maize silage mixturev.maize silage in diets of Holstein cows and investigate performance under two environmental conditions. The cows were placed in freestalls, with individuals and stalls assigned to one of four treatments according to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 20-day periods divided into 11 days of adaptation (wash-out period) and 9 days of collection. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design: total diets (maize silage (MS-based diet), the roughage mixture (RM-based diet, sugarcane : maize silage, 500 : 500 g/kg DM) plus concentrate); environmental conditions (with (W) and without (Wo) fan and nebulizers); and measurement times (09.40 and 14.00 h). The temperature and relative humidity was higher at 14.00 h and contributed to increased temperature-humidity index (76.6, Wv.75.9, Wo). Feed dry matter intake (DMI) was similar between diets (20.2 kg/day), but milk production and feed efficiency were lower with RM. Under W conditions, higher fat content and total solids of milk were observed with the RM-based diet, while crude protein and lactose were higher with MS. The Wo conditions increased body surface temperature (BS) in cows fed MS. The rectal temperature (RT) was higher with RM. The BS, RT and respiratory rate were higher at 14.00 h (34.9, 38.6 °C and 58.2 breaths/min) than at 09.40 h. The RM-based diet maintained DMI and milk composition, but not milk production. The use of the cooling system led to higher DMI and feed N efficiency use.
Never say never: circumventing a contraindication to control apnoea-induced epileptic events with a mandibular advancement device
Authors: Fenton J E , Fitzgerald C , Dillon P J , O'Shea D
Published: November 2018

Background

The benefit of mandibular advancement devices in patients with sleep-disordered breathing and as a potential option for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is well recognised. Their use in the setting of epilepsy or other seizure disorders is typically contraindicated.

Case report

A 48-year-old patient with a history of poorly controlled epilepsy and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome was referred for ENT review for possible tracheostomy. The patient was wheelchair-bound with 24-hour continuous positive airway pressure, but sleep studies demonstrated persistent, severe episodes of apnoea and notable sleep disturbance. Sleep nasendoscopy demonstrated marked improvement on capnography with the laryngeal mask airway in situ, and this was maintained with mandibular advancement using jaw thrust following removal of the laryngeal mask airway. A mandibular advancement device was subsequently trialled; this had no subjective benefit for the patient, but the seizures resolved and control of apnoea was achieved with the combination of a mandibular advancement device and continuous positive airway pressure.

Conclusion

This paper highlights a novel application of mandibular advancement devices, used in combination with continuous positive airway pressure, which resulted in complete resolution of sleep deprivation and apnoea-induced epileptic events.
Incidental mastoiditis on magnetic resonance imaging scans: clinical relevance and cost implications
Authors: Abbas Y , Yuen H S , Trinidade A , Watters G
Published: November 2018

Objectives

To determine: (1) the incidence of incidental ‘mastoiditis’ reported on magnetic resonance imaging scans performed in patients with asymmetrical sensorineural hearing loss and/or unilateral tinnitus; (2) how many of those patients have actual otological pathology and/or require treatment; and (3) the financial implications of such a reporting practice.

Method

Retrospective case series.

Results

Between October 2015 and November 2016, 500 patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the internal auditory meatus to rule out cerebellopontine angle lesions. There was an incidental finding of increased mastoid signalling in 5.8 per cent (n= 29), of which 20.7 per cent (6 of 29) were reported as bilateral cases. The diagnosis of ‘mastoiditis’ was found in 39.7 per cent (29 of 73). None of these patients had any pathology identified clinically. Other significant pathology was identified in a further 8.8 per cent (n= 44).

Conclusion

The diagnosis of mastoiditis is primarily clinical. An incidental finding of high signalling in the mastoid region on magnetic resonance imaging is highly unlikely to represent actual clinical disease. In patients who are scanned for other reasons and who do not complain of otological symptoms, such findings are unlikely to require otolaryngology input.
Nasal eosinophilia in nasal smears of patients with persistent and intermittent allergic rhinitis
Authors: Berkiten G , Aydoğdu İ , Kumral T L , Saltürk Z , Uyar Y , Arslanoğlu A , Tutar B , Göker A E
Published: November 2018

Background

Eosinophils are the principal effector cells involved in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis. Cell numbers increase in non-allergic rhinitis patients with eosinophilia, aspirin hypersensitivity and nasal polyposis, as well as in allergic rhinitis patients. Exfoliative nasal cytology can be used in the differential diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.

Objective

To evaluate nasal eosinophilia in nasal smears of patients with mild, persistent and intermittent allergic rhinitis.

Methods

The study comprised 60 patients with allergic rhinitis and 20 healthy volunteers. The patients were divided into intermittent and persistent allergic rhinitis groups. Nasal smear status, eosinophil numbers and Total Nasal Symptom Scores were compared.

Results

Nasal smear results were pathological in 40 of 60 allergic rhinitis patients, which was significantly higher than the rate in controls. The mean nasal eosinophilia score was significantly higher in the intermittent allergic rhinitis than in the persistent allergic rhinitis group (p= 0.029). There was a positive correlation between nasal eosinophilia score and Total Nasal Symptom Score (r = 0.652;p< 0.05) in persistent allergic rhinitis and intermittent allergic rhinitis patients.

Conclusion

The nasal smear test is inexpensive, objective and simple to perform, and should be part of the diagnostic investigation.
Reproductive parameters of Atlantic chub mackerel Scomber colias in M'diq Bay, Morocco
Authors: Techetach Mohamed , Ajana Rabia , Saoud Younes
Published: November 2018

Reproductive biology of Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) was studied based on samples from commercial catches in M'diq Bay, Morocco. Females predominated in the total catch (54%), their size at first maturity being 19.19 ± 0.43 cm TL. A minimum landing size (MLS) of 21 cm is suggested. The oocyte size frequency distribution and histological analysis confirmed that S. colias is a species with an indeterminate fecundity. The batch fecundity was estimated as 18,452–131,642, with a mean of 60,022 oocytes. The relative batch fecundity was 157–360, with a mean of 279 eggs g−1.
Faraway Siblings, So Close: Ephemeral conviviality across the Wakhan divide
Authors: MOSTOWLANSKY TILL
Published: November 2018

In this article, I set out to explore the possibility of a shared life between two places in the highlands of Pakistan and Tajikistan—a region dissected by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan corridor, by present-day nation-state boundaries, by historical divisions between Central and South Asia, and by a former Cold War frontier. Moving away from a take on conviviality as specifically tied to urban spaces and face-to-face encounters, I attempt to trace the processes that determine the coming and going of shared modes of being. In doing so, I first situate the two places—Karimabad and Khorog—in their respective post-Cold War borderlands and point to their historically ambivalent status as ‘marginal’ places at the frontier, culturally diverse ‘hubs’, and sites of globalization. Then I analyse the historical build-up—material and ideological—that led to the establishment of specific forms of connection and disconnection between the two places. In the last part of the article, I discuss how people in and from Karimabad and Khorog seek out opportunities to attain shared instances of common sociality, which often remain ephemeral and subject to regimes of power. Finally, I argue that the cases of these two ‘marginal hubs’ highlight the importance of looking beyond the conventional ‘imperial centre’ when debating the dynamics that lead people to desire, create, and abandon ties across difference.
Picky eating in children: causes and consequences
Authors: Taylor Caroline M. , Emmett Pauline M.
Published: November 2018

Picky eating is a common behaviour in early childhood. There is neither a universally accepted definition of picky eating, nor is there agreement on the best tool to identify it. Causes of picky eating include early feeding difficulties, late introduction of lumpy foods at weaning, pressure to eat and early choosiness, especially if the mother is worried by this; protective factors include the provision of fresh foods and eating the same meal as the child. The consequences for the child's diet include poor dietary variety and a possible distortion of nutrient intakes, with low intakes of iron and zinc (associated with low intakes of meat, and fruit and vegetables) being of particular concern. Low intakes of dietary fibre, as a result of low intakes of fruit and vegetables, are associated with constipation in picky eaters. There may be developmental difficulties in some children with persistent picky eating. There is little evidence, however, for a consistent effect of being a picky eater on growth trajectories. There may be a small subgroup of children in whom picky eating does not resolve who might be at risk of thinness during adolescence, or of developing an eating disorder or adult picky eating: these children need to be identified at an early age to enable support, monitoring and advice to be offered to parents. Strategies for avoiding or ameliorating picky eating include repeated exposures to unfamiliar foods, parental modelling of eating fruit and vegetables and unfamiliar foods, and the creation of positive social experiences around mealtimes.
Angiostrongylosis inCerdocyon thous(crab-eating fox) andLycalopex gymnocercus(Pampas fox) in Southern Brazil
Authors: Caprioli Rafaela A. , de Andrade Caroline P. , Argenta Fernando F. , Ehlers Luiza P. , Soares João Fábio , Pavarini Saulo P. , Driemeier David , Sonne Luciana
Published: November 2018

The objective of this study was to identify species ofAngiostrongylusspp. infecting wild carnivores in Southern Brazil, as well as to describe gross and histopathological findings associated with the infection. Necropsy was conducted in 16 wild carnivores parasitized byAngiostrongylusspp. Analysed lungs revealed multifocal dark-red areas of consolidation; in one case, multifocal firm white nodules spread in all pulmonary lobes were observed. In one animal, a focally extensive area of malacia associated with haemorrhage was noted in the encephalon. Histologically, multifocal granulomatous pneumonia or bronchopneumonia, associated with eggs and larvae in blood vessels, lung interstitium, alveoli, and sometimes in bronchi and bronchioles was observed. Adult nematodes were seen within blood vessels. The lesion observed in the brain was characterized as a focally extensive area of malacia associated with gitter cells, haemorrhage, thrombosis and a free intralesional larva. Through molecular techniques, seven positive samples ofAngiostrongylus cantonensiswere obtained, including the brain sample, and a positive sample ofAngiostrongylus vasorum-like, all inCerdocyon thous. The positive sample forA. vasorumshowed 97% similarity with sequences deposited in GenBank, suggesting a new species or subspecies ofAngiostrongylussp. Infection ofLycalopex gymnocercusbyAngiostrongylusspp. was confirmed by histological evaluation.
Meta-regulation meets Deliberation: Situating the Governor within NHS Foundation Trust Hospitals
Authors: MILLAR ROSS , FREEMAN TIM , MANNION RUSSELL , DAVIES HUW T. O.
Published: November 2018

NHS Foundation Trust (FT) hospitals in England have complex internal governance arrangements. They may be considered to exhibit meta-regulatory characteristics to the extent that governors are able to promote deliberative values and steer internal governance processes towards wider regulatory goals. Yet, while recent studies of NHS FT hospital governance have explored FT governors and examined FT hospital boards to consider executive oversight, there is currently no detailed investigation of interactions between these two groups. Drawing on observational and interview data from four case-study sites, we trace interactions between the actors involved; explore their understandings of events; and consider the extent to which the proposed benefits of meta-regulation were realised in practice. Findings show that while governors provided both a conscience and contribution to internal and external governance arrangements, the meta-regulatory role was largely symbolic and limited to compliance and legitimation of executive actions. Thus while the meta-regulatory ‘architecture’ for governor involvement may be considered effective, the soft intelligence gleaned and operationalised may be obscured by ‘hard’ performance metrics which dominate resource-allocation processes and priority-setting. Governors were involved in practices that symbolised deliberative involvement but resulted in further opportunities for legitimising executive decisions.
ON STATE-INDEPENDENT IMPORTANCE SAMPLING FOR THE GI|GI|1 TANDEM QUEUE1
Authors: Buijsrogge Anne , de Boer Pieter-Tjerk , Scheinhardt Werner R.W.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we consider a d-node GI|GI|1 tandem queue with i.i.d. inter-arrival process and service processes that are independent of each other. Our main interest is to estimate the probability to reach a high level N in a busy cycle of the system using simulation. As crude simulation does not give a sufficient precision in reasonable time, we use importance sampling. We introduce a method to find a state-independent change of measure and we show that this is equivalent to a change of measure that was earlier, but implicitly, described by Parekh and Walrand [8]. We also show that this change of measure is the only exponential state-independent change of measure that may result in an asymptotically efficient estimator. Lastly, we provide necessary conditions for this state-independent change of measure to give an asymptotically efficient estimator.
Multi-object-based Vessel Traffic Scheduling Optimisation in a Compound Waterway of a Large Harbour
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Li Ruijie , Chen Xiang , Li Junjie , Wang Chengbo
Published: November 2018

In order to investigate the benefits of compound waterways more fully, this study reveals vessel navigational mode and traffic conflicts in a compound waterway through a case analysis, following which a type of simplified prototype of a compound waterway is proposed and three key conflict areas are specified. Based on the three key sub-models of slot allocation for vessels in a waterway entrance, traffic flow conversion of a main and auxiliary waterway in a precautionary area, and traffic flow coordination of division and confluence in a Y crossing area, a vessel traffic scheduling optimisation model is presented, with the minimum waterway occupancy time and minimum total waiting time of vessels as the objective. Furthermore, a multi-objective genetic algorithm is proposed to solve the model and a simulation experiment is carried out. By analysing the optimised solution and comparing it with other scheduling schemes in common use, the results indicate that this method can effectively improve navigation safety and efficiency in a compound waterway.
Sparse Highly Connected Spanning Subgraphs in Dense Directed Graphs
Authors: KANG DONG YEAP
Published: November 2018

Mader proved that every strongly k-connected n-vertex digraph contains a strongly k-connected spanning subgraph with at most 2kn - 2k2 edges, where equality holds for the complete bipartite digraph DKk,n-k. For dense strongly k-connected digraphs, this upper bound can be significantly improved. More precisely, we prove that every strongly k-connected n-vertex digraph D contains a strongly k-connected spanning subgraph with at most kn + 800k(k + Δ(D)) edges, where Δ(D) denotes the maximum degree of the complement of the underlying undirected graph of a digraph D. Here, the additional term 800k(k + Δ(D)) is tight up to multiplicative and additive constants. As a corollary, this implies that every strongly k-connected n-vertex semicomplete digraph contains a strongly k-connected spanning subgraph with at most kn + 800k2 edges, which is essentially optimal since 800k2 cannot be reduced to the number less than k(k - 1)/2.

We also prove an analogous result for strongly k-arc-connected directed multigraphs. Both proofs yield polynomial-time algorithms.
The 2016 Election: Like 1888 but not 1876 or 2000
Authors: Barthélémy Fabrice , Martin Mathieu , Piggins Ashley
Published: November 2018

Donald J. Trump won the 2016 US presidential election with fewer popular votes than Hillary R. Clinton. This is the fourth time this has happened, the others being 1876, 1888, and 2000. In earlier work, we analyzed these elections (and others) and showed how the electoral winner can often depend on the size of the US House of Representatives. This work was inspired by Neubauer and Zeitlin (2003, 721–5) in their paper, “Outcomes of Presidential Elections and the House Size.” A sufficiently larger House would have given electoral victories to the popular vote winner in both 1876 and 2000. An exception is the election of 1888. We show that Trump’s victory in 2016 is like Harrison’s in 1888 and unlike Hayes’s in 1876 and Bush’s in 2000. This article updates our previous work to include the 2016 election. It also draws attention to some of the anomalous behavior that can arise under the Electoral College.
Does social support modify the relationship between food insecurity and poor mental health? Evidence from thirty-nine sub-Saharan African countries
Authors: Na Muzi , Miller Meghan , Ballard Terri , Mitchell Diane C , Hung Yuen Wai , Melgar-Quiñonez Hugo
Published: November 2018

Objective

The present study aimed to determine the relationship among food insecurity, social support and mental well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, a region presenting the highest prevalence of severe food insecurity and a critical scarcity of mental health care.

Design

Food insecurity was measured using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). Social support was assessed using dichotomous indicators of perceived, foreign perceived, received, given, integrative and emotional support. The Negative and Positive Experience Indices (NEI and PEI) were used as indicators of mental well-being. Multilevel mixed-effect linear models were applied to examine the associations between mental well-being and food security status, social support and their interaction, respectively, accounting for random effects at country level and covariates.

Participants

Nationally representative adults surveyed through Gallup World Poll between 2014 and 2016 in thirty-nine sub-Saharan African countries (n 102 235).

Results

The prevalence of severe food insecurity was 39 %. The prevalence of social support ranged from 30 to 72 % by type. In the pooled analysis using the adjusted model, food insecurity was dose-responsively associated with increased NEI and decreased PEI. Perceived, integrative and emotional support were associated with lower NEI and higher PEI. The differences in NEI and PEI between people with and without social support were the greatest among the most severely food insecure.

Conclusions

Both food insecurity and lack of social support constitute sources of vulnerability to poor mental well-being. Social support appears to modify the relationship between food security and mental well-being among those most affected by food insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa.
Getting the food list ‘right’: an approach for the development of nutrition-relevant food lists for household consumption and expenditure surveys
Authors: Bell Winnie , Coates Jennifer C , Rogers Beatrice L , Bermudez Odilia I
Published: November 2018

Objective

The present paper aimed to demonstrate how 24 h dietary recall data can be used to generate a nutrition-relevant food list for household consumption and expenditure surveys (HCES) using contribution analysis and stepwise regression.

Design

The analysis used data from the 2011/12 Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS), which is nationally representative of rural Bangladesh. A total of 325 primary sampling units (PSU=village) were surveyed through a two-stage stratified sampling approach. The household food consumption module used for the analysis consisted of a 24 h open dietary recall in which the female member in charge of preparing and serving food was asked about foods and quantities consumed by the whole household.

Setting

Rural Bangladesh.

Participants

A total of 6500 households.

Results

The original 24 h open dietary recall data in the BIHS were comprised of 288 individual foods that were grouped into ninety-four similar food groups. Contribution analysis and stepwise regression were based on nutrients of public health interest in Bangladesh (energy, protein, fat, Fe, Zn, vitamin A). These steps revealed that a list of fifty-nine food items captures approximately 90 % of the total intake and up to 90 % of the between-person variation for the key nutrients based on the diets of the population.

Conclusions

The study illustrates how 24 h open dietary recall data can be used to generate a country-specific nutrition-relevant food list that could be integrated into an HCES consumption module to enable more accurate and comprehensive household-level food and nutrient analyses.
The Third French Individual and National Food Consumption (INCA3) Survey 2014–2015: method, design and participation rate in the framework of a European harmonization process
Authors: Dubuisson Carine , Dufour Ariane , Carrillo Sandrine , Drouillet-Pinard Peggy , Havard Sabrina , Volatier Jean-Luc
Published: November 2018

Objective

Assessing dietary exposure or nutrient intakes requires detailed dietary data. These data are collected in France by the cross-sectional Individual and National Studies on Food Consumption (INCA). In 2014–2015, the third survey (INCA3) was launched in the framework of the European harmonization process which introduced major methodological changes. The present paper describes the design of the INCA3 survey, its participation rate and the quality of its dietary data, and discusses the lessons learned from the methodological adaptations.

Design

Two representative samples of adults (18–79 years old) and children (0–17 years old) living in mainland France were selected following a three-stage stratified random sampling method using the national census database.

Setting

Food consumption was collected through three non-consecutive 24 h recalls (15–79 years old) or records (0–14 years old), supplemented by an FFQ. Information on food supplement use, eating habits, physical activity and sedentary behaviours, health status and sociodemographic characteristics were gathered by questionnaires. Height and body weight were measured.

Participants

In total, 4114 individuals (2121 adults, 1993 children) completed the whole protocol.

Results

Participation rate was 41·5% for adults and 49·8% for children. Mean energy intake was estimated as 8795 kJ/d (2102 kcal/d) in adults and 7222 kJ/d (1726 kcal/d) in children and the rate of energy intake under-reporters was 17·8 and 13·9%, respectively.

Conclusions

Following the European guidelines, the INCA3 survey collected detailed dietary data useful for food-related and nutritional risk assessments at national and European level. The impact of the methodological changes on the participation rate should be further studied.
FREE-SURFACE DYNAMICS OF THIN SECOND-GRADE FLUID OVER AN UNSTEADY STRETCHING SHEET
Authors: PANDA S. , PATRA K. K. , SELLIER M.
Published: November 2018

We derive an evolution equation for the free-surface dynamics of a thin film of a second-grade fluid over an unsteady stretching sheet using long-wave theory. For the numerical investigation of the viscoelastic effect on the thin-film dynamics, a finite-volume approach on a uniform grid with implicit flux discretization is applied. The present results are in excellent agreement with results available in the literature for a Newtonian fluid. We observe that the fluid thins faster with the rapid stretching rate of the sheet, but the second-grade parameter delays the thinning behaviour of the liquid film.
Cross-subsidization of teacher pension benefits: the impact of the discount rate
Authors: Costrell Robert M.
Published: November 2018

This paper builds on previous work (Costrell and McGee, 2017a, Education Finance and Policy) on the redistribution of teacher pension benefits, as measured by the wide variation in individual normal cost rates by age of entry and exit, and the associated cross-subsidies. The further steps taken here are: (i) to examine the impact of the discount rate on the degree of redistribution, and the analytics behind it; and (ii) to identify the distribution of the market value of the pension guarantee. Using the example of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, I find that: (i) high-assumed returns substantially understate the extent to which costs are redistributed for back-loaded plans; and (ii) the market value of the pension guarantee is highly concentrated among long-term teachers.
Mediating effect of interpersonal coping on meaning in spirituality and quality of life and the influences of depression and anxiety thereon in cancer patients
Authors: Cha Kyeong Min , Kang So Young , Hyun So Yeon , Noh Jae Sung , Shin Yun Mi , Kim Nam Hee
Published: November 2018

Objective

This study aimed to investigate associations among spirituality, coping strategies, quality of life (QOL), and the effects of depression and anxiety thereon in cancer patients.

Method

In total, 237 cancer patients referred to a psycho-oncology clinic at a university hospital in Korea were enrolled. After identifying predictors of patient QOL in a stepwise regression model, we developed a hypothetical path model wherein interpersonal coping was considered as a mediating variable between spirituality (meaning/peace) and QOL and wherein depression and anxiety affected each of these three variables.

Result

The direct effect of spirituality (meaning/peace) on QOL was 36.7%. In an indirect model, interpersonal coping significantly mediated the relationship between spirituality (meaning/peace) and QOL. Depression exerted the largest negative effect on spirituality (meaning/peace), interpersonal coping, and QOL. Anxiety had negative effects on spirituality (meaning/peace) and QOL, but a positive effect on interpersonal coping.

Significance of results

Interpersonal coping strategies work as a partial mediator of the relationship between meaning/peace subscales of spirituality and QOL. Effective management of depression may help in achieving better outcomes associated therewith. Greater attention and efforts to improve social connectedness and meaning of life in spiritual well-being may improve the QOL of cancer patients.
Distribution, associated vegetation, conservation and utilization of Grewia tenax: an important underutilized shrub species of the Thar Desert of India
Authors: Venkatesan K. , Patidar Anil , Singh Maharaj , Kumar Mahesh , Kumawat R. N. , Dev Rahul , Uchoi Julius , Kumar Abhishek , Mertia D. S. , Singh J. P.
Published: November 2018

Grewia tenax locally known as ‘Gangerun’, is an important multipurpose underutilized shrub and potentially threaten species of the Thar Desert of India. Owing to its importance, naturally available germplasm was collected and evaluated for its sustainable utilization in future. Data on individual mother plant, seed characters and soil profile were investigated. Habitat occurrence of G. tenax was found in patches with dominant association of Euphorbia caducifolia across the four districts of western Rajasthan. Individual plant on unprotected area portrayed far lower average height (0.95 m) and canopy area (1.75 m2) than protected area (2.63 m and 13.89 m2) signifying level of browsing pressure on this species in Jaisalmer. Soil samples belonging to Pali region have high organic carbon and low electrical conductivity content than Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. The statistical analysis of seed characters revealed the presence of high coefficient of variation (%) in 100-seed weight (HSW; 27.36) followed by seed length (SL; 8.06) and least in seed breadth (SB; 5.85). The range and mean values of HSW, SL, SB and length:breadth ratio (LBR) were (2.02–7.00 and 3.34 g), (4.36–6.15 and 5.36 mm), (3.73–4.68 and 4.25 mm) and (1.11–1.44 and 1.27), respectively. Significantly positive correlation was observed between SL and LBR (0.73) followed by HSW and SL (0.66). Along with these findings, its economic importance, utilization and conservation are detailed in this paper as to hasten further research on its various aspects for its successful conservation and utilization.
Wine consumers’ reaction to prices, organic production and origins at the point of sale: an analysis of household panel data
Authors: Schäufele Isabel , Hamm Ulrich
Published: November 2018

Price premiums are considered as major purchase barriers for organic products and therefore may prevent organic market growth. For wine, however, prices take a double and conflicting effect: they also serve as quality signal for consumers. Therefore, it is of high relevance to examine if price is a major barrier for organic wine as well.

Even though many studies already examined price behavior for organic wine through surveys and experiments, it is still to be clarified how consumers’ react to price changes in a real market context. So far, no study analyzed consumer preferences for organic labeled wine in daily shopping situations. Through the analysis of the GfK household panel—a high-frequency data set of extensive population coverage—implications for price setting and price promotions in different market segments can be given.

In contrast to previous studies, consumers’ overall price sensitivity was found to be low for organic wine and consumers’ preferred organic over conventional wine. The effect of price as quality cue or purchase barrier and the effect of an organic label on consumers’ behavior varied between price categories. Organic wine was valued highest in the low-price category, whereas no price premium for the organic label was examined in the high-price segment. Price sensitivity was extremely high for organic wine in the low-price segment, while price functioned as quality signal in the premium segment for organic and conventional wine similarly.

This study verified previous stated preference studies on organic wine through the analysis of actual purchase data. Moreover, new insights for price setting in different price categories were generated through the examination of a large amount of disaggregated data on single consumer purchases.
Political party ambitions and type-2 diabetes policy in Brazil and Mexico
Authors: Gómez Eduardo J.
Published: November 2018

In the Americas, next to the United States, Brazil and Mexico have the highest prevalence of type-2 diabetes. In contrast to most studies, this article compares and analyzes the politics behind the implementation of type-2 diabetes self-care management programs (DSM), which is a new area of scholarly research. This article claims that Brazil outpaced Mexico with respect to the implementation of effective DSM programs, the product of positive policy spillover effects associated with the president and governing political party’s popular anti-poverty programs, and the enduring legacy of centralized ministry of health financial and human resource assistance to primary care programs in a context of decentralization. Brazil also benefited from having a strong partnership with international health agencies. None of these factors was present in Mexico. Findings suggest that more research needs to go into understanding the complex political and inter-governmental contexts facilitating DSM program implementation, which is a neglected area of research.
Design of graded honeycomb radar absorbing structure with wide-band and wide-angle properties
Authors: Zhao Yuchen , Ren Fang , He Li , Zhang Jinsheng , Yuan Yanning , Xi Xiaoli
Published: November 2018

In this paper, the design of a graded honeycomb radar absorbing structure (RAS) is presented to realize both a wide bandwidth and absorption over a wide range of angles. For both transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic polarization, a fractional bandwidth of more than 118.6% is achieved for at least a 10 dB reflectivity reduction when the incident angle is <45°, an 8 dB reduction when the incident angle is <55° and a 5 dB reduction when the incident angle is <70°. Meanwhile the 10 dB reduction upper angle limit is approximately 30° for the uniform coating honeycomb RAS in the literature, which loses its absorbing ability when the incident angle is larger than 55°. Furthermore, the total thickness of our design is 10.7 mm, which is only approximately 1.29 times that of the theoretical limitation. The good agreement between the calculated, simulated, and measured results demonstrates the validity of this optimization.
A test of famine-induced developmental programming in utero
Authors: Catalano Ralph , Gemmill Alison , Bruckner Tim
Published: November 2018

The ‘DOHaD’ literature argues that stressors encountered at age t ‘program’ individual health at age t+n, and that this programming appears strongest when t defines critical developmental periods including gestation. Accordingly, children of ill-nourished pregnant women suffer greater later life morbidity than do offspring of well-nourished mothers. The possibility that circumstances other than access to nutritious food drive both a mother’s diet and fetal development remains, however, a threat to the inference of programming in utero. Attempts to rule out this threat include tests of the hypothesis that birth cohorts in gestation during famines exhibit shorter life spans than other cohorts. The tests produce conflicting results attributed to confounding by autocorrelation, selective migration and introduction of modern medicine. We offer a test in which neither medicine nor migration nor autocorrelation could obscure the presumed effect. We apply time-series regression methods to the life span of Swedes born between 1751 and 1800 to test the hypothesis that cohorts exposed in utero to the Swedish Famine of 1773 lived shorter lives than expected from trends and other forms of autocorrelation. We use these 50 birth cohorts not only because they included those exposed to severe famine but also because they may well be the only human birth cohorts that completed life unaffected by selective migration and unaided by modern medicine and for which we know life span. We find that the cohort born in 1773 live 4.2 years longer than expected from trends over the last half of the 18th century.
The X-Linked Analog of the Hardy–Weinberg Law
Authors: Stark Alan E.
Published: November 2018

The system of mating that maintains a general genotypic distribution among females with respect to an X-linked locus is defined. In particular, it is shown that Hardy–Weinberg proportions can be maintained with non-random mating.
Future Changes of Subseasonal Precipitation Variability in North America During Winter Under Global Warming
Authors: Dong Lu , Leung L. Ruby , Song Fengfei
Published: November 2018

Changes in subseasonal precipitation variability have important implications for predictability of weather and climate extreme. Here we explore the mechanisms that lead to future changes in subseasonal precipitation variability in North America during winter based on 20 state‐of‐the‐art climate models. Modeling evidences indicate that in a warmer climate, the subseasonal precipitation variability consistently increases over most of North America, with intensified swing between the wet and dry extremes, but declines over Mexico. Using a moisture budget decomposition framework, two opposing mechanisms are established: the thermodynamic component from increasing moisture due to global warming intensifies the subseasonal precipitation variability, while the dynamic component from the projected reduction in subseasonal rainfall‐related circulation variability has an opposite effect. Overall, the thermodynamic effect wins the tug of war at the mid‐to‐high latitudes over most of North America, while the dynamic effect overwhelms the thermodynamic effect in Mexico, creating distinct changes in subseasonal precipitation variability.
A Recent Shift Toward an El Niño‐Like Ocean State in the Tropical Pacific and the Resumption of Ocean Warming
Authors: Cha Sang‐Chul , Moon Jae‐Hong , Song Y. Tony
Published: November 2018

Since approximately 2011, the tropical Pacific has been sharply shifting toward an opposite phase to that observed in the previous decade. This shift has coincided with a recent resumption of global warming after a hiatus in the 2000s. Based on a model‐data analysis using an ensemble empirical mode decomposition, we identified a distinct low‐frequency mode of the sea level in the tropical Pacific and showed its connection to global ocean warming and the suppression of global warming during the early 2000s, as well as the resumption of warming during recent years. Hindcast and model experiments conducted to illustrate the physical mechanism linking the decadal mode to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation‐related trade winds, which regulate the strength of the Equatorial Undercurrent and the surface temperature of the tropical Pacific Ocean, revealed an El Niño‐like state for the last several years.
Volume and Transport of Eddy‐Trapped Mode Water South of the Kuroshio Extension
Authors: Shi Fei , Luo Yiyong , Xu Lixiao
Published: November 2018

Mesoscale eddies play an important role in transporting North Pacific subtropical mode water (STMW). Using eddy samples adopted from a 3‐day and 0.1° ocean model output spanning from 1980 to 2014, this study quantifies the eddy‐trapped STMW volume and transport south of the Kuroshio Extension. Based on the shape of their isopycnals, anticyclonic eddies (AEs) in the region are classified into two types. The first type (AE1) has a lens‐like structure of isopycnals, and the second type (AE2) has downward bending isopycnals throughout the pycnocline. In contrast to AE2, a cyclonic eddy is characterized by upward bending isopycnals throughout the pycnocline. Although all three eddy types can trap STMW, the low potential vorticity water within an AE1 is found to be thicker in the spring and better preserved through the rest of the year. A quantitative estimation finds that the STMW volume trapped by an AE1 is approximately 1.5 and 2.5 times larger than the volumes trapped by an AE2 and a cyclonic eddy, respectively. The eddy‐trapped STMW moves primarily westward, with its meridional integration between 25 and 35°N reaching ~1 Sv at 143°E, approximately 17% of the time‐mean total zonal STMW transport there. This study highlights the important role of eddies (particularly the AE1) in carrying STMW westward and thus modulating North Pacific climate variability.
Analysis of Climate Trends and Leading Modes of Climate Variability for MENA Region
Authors: Dogar Muhammad Mubashar , Sato Tomonori
Published: November 2018

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), primarily the Arabian Peninsula (AP), is a region where the rate of mean surface temperature rise per decade is among the highest globally known during the recent past. Moreover, MENA regional climate is very sensitive to internal and external climate drivers. Therefore, it is of significant practical importance to analyze MENA sensitivity to climate trends as well as leading variability modes such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and Indian summer monsoon (ISM). Using multiple regression technique on observations and the high‐resolution atmospheric model output, this study investigates the role of climate trends and leading circulation modes such as NAO, ENSO, and ISM in inducing temperature and precipitation variability in MENA region for the period 1979–2008. Our results show substantial regional temperature and precipitation responses of ENSO, NAO, and ISM over MENA. Both the model and the observations indicate that positive phase of NAO and ENSO significantly cools central parts of MENA, in particular, the AP in winter. However, in boreal summer, the warm ENSO phase produces significant warming and drying over the tropical region. The strengthening (weakening) of ISM suggests cooling (warming) and wetting (drying) over MENA rain‐belt region. Moreover, ISM induces a dipole precipitation structure over the tropics caused by Intertropical Convergence Zone shift and associated cloud distribution. High‐resolution atmospheric model slightly underestimates NAO and ENSO winter cooling over the AP; however, overall patterns are well reproduced. The conducted analysis sheds light on the internal mechanisms of MENA climate variability.