bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mechanistic Links Underlying the Impact of C-Reactive Protein on Muscle Mass in Elderly
Authors: Wåhlin-Larsson Britta , Wilkinson Daniel J. , Strandberg Emelie , Hosford-Donovan Adrian , Atherton Philip J. , Kadi Fawzi
Published: November 2017

Background/Aims: Mechanisms underlying the relationship between systemic inflammation and age-related decline in muscle mass are poorly defined. The purpose of this work was to investigate the relationship between the systemic inflammatory marker CRP and muscle mass in elderly and to identify mechanisms by which CRP mediates its effects on skeletal muscle, in-vitro. Methods: Muscle mass and serum CRP level were determined in a cohort of 118 older women (67±1.7 years). Human muscle cells were differentiated into myotubes and were exposed to CRP. The size of myotubes was determined after immunofluorescent staining using troponin. Muscle protein synthesis was assessed using stable isotope tracers and key signalling pathways controlling protein synthesis were determined using western-blotting. Results: We observed an inverse relationship between circulating CRP level and muscle mass (β= -0.646 (95% CI: -0.888, -0.405) p<0.05) and demonstrated a reduction (p < 0.05) in the size of human myotubes exposed to CRP for 72 h. We next showed that this morphological change was accompanied by a CRP-mediated reduction (p < 0.05) in muscle protein fractional synthetic rate of human myotubes exposed to CRP for 24 h. We also identified a CRP-mediated increased phosphorylation (p<0.05) of regulators of cellular energy stress including AMPK and downstream targets, raptor and ACC-β, together with decreased phosphorylation of Akt and rpS6, which are important factors controlling protein synthesis. Conclusion: This work established for the first time mechanistic links by which chronic elevation of CRP can contribute to age-related decline in muscle function.
Diagnóstico do sistema de gestão dos parques naturais municipais do norte do Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Casanova Carmem Fátima , Pandolfo Adalberto , Eckert Natalia Hauenstein , Berticelli Ritielli , Barbacovi Naira , Martins Marcele Salles , Gomes Aline Pimentel
Published: November 2017

A grande maioria dos parques brasileiros continua irregular, mesmo depois de anos da criação da primeira Unidade de Conservação. As novas regras e leis vigentes ainda não garantem as melhores formas de gestão dessas áreas, que atualmente se apresentam ineficientes na administração e repassadas à população com qualidade ínfima de uso. O objetivo desta pesquisa se baseou em avaliar o sistema de gestão das Unidades de Conservação do tipo Parques Naturais Municipais no norte do Rio Grande do Sul, visando proporcionar um levantamento do seu atual gerenciamento através de um diagnóstico por meio da avaliação de quatro fatores: ambientais, sociais, econômico-financeiros e institucionais. A metodologia de abordagem utilizou questionários aplicados aos gestores e visitas às áreas. Os pontos positivos e negativos em cada um dos parques foram pontuados como forma de compreensão dos problemas, para que ações futuras possam ocorrer de forma eficiente na preservação das áreas protegidas do norte do estado do Rio Grande do Sul.
O sequestro de carbono em trechos da floresta urbana de Belo Horizonte: por um sistema de espaços livres mais eficiente no provimento de serviços ecossistêmicos urbanos
Authors: Amaral Rubens , Costa Stael De Alvarenga Pereira , Muzzi Maria Rita Scotti
Published: November 2017

Este artigo objetiva estudar o papel das florestas urbanas na provisão de serviços ecossistêmicos urbanos por meio da análise do sequestro de carbono em áreas diferenciadas, no sistema de espaços livres da cidade de Belo Horizonte, procurando ofertar indicadores de qualidade de serviços ambientais e subsidiar a proposição de diretrizes paisagísticas direcionadas à sua implantação ou melhoria. Pela interpretação e aplicação de princípios e métodos relacionados ao estudo da paisagem – em especial aqueles das escolas da morfologia urbana e da ecologia da restauração –, foi possível a escolha para estudo de caso dos seguintes trechos de floresta urbana: o Parque Municipal das Mangabeiras, a praça Raul Soares e o Parque Municipal Américo Renê Giannetti. Nessas áreas estimou-se a biomassa vegetal  e do solo, assim como a concentração de substâncias húmicas e de isótopos estáveis de carbono e nitrogênio do solo. Os resultados obtidos foram analisados criticamente em relação aos processos morfológicos e à concepção e tratamento paisagístico de cada área. Com base nisso, delinearam-se diretrizes paisagísticas orientadas para a introdução e melhoria da prestação de serviços ecossistêmicos urbanos em trechos diferenciados de floresta urbana.
Antropologia do lugar na Villa Grimaldi: espaço público e pluralidade de simbolismos na paisagem urbana chilena
Authors: Diligenti Marcos Pereira , Dias Maria Alice Medeiros
Published: November 2017

A Villa Grimaldi, localizada na Região Metropolitana de Santiago do Chile, constitui-se numa área de aproximadamente 10.200 m², que durante boa parte do século XX serviu de local de encontro de artistas e intelectuais, onde se promoviam debates sobre as mais diversas áreas da cultura chilena e mundial. Posteriormente ao Golpe Militar de 1973, esse espaço abrigou o maior centro de detenção e tortura do regime militar chileno. Após anos de abandono, no período da concertación democrática foi inaugurado no local o parque por la Paz Villa Grimaldi, que em 2004 foi declarado Monumento Nacional. Esse espaço público se constitui de praça e memorial de visitação, com o intuito de denunciar o período em que esteve sob a égide dos militares e homenagear aqueles que resistiram ao regime ditatorial. Este artigo relaciona, a partir dos paradoxais usos desse lugar, a conformação paisagística e os significados real e simbólico desse espaço coletivo e sua integração no tecido urbano em cada um dos períodos históricos investigados. Utilizou-se a metodologia de pesquisa qualitativa, bibliográfica e documental, baseada em vasto material colhido na cidade de Santiago nos anos de 2014 e 2015. Por meio dos aportes teóricos de autores como Marc Augé, Lineu Castello e Norberg-Schulz, busca-se estabelecer o sentido dialógico do espaço público, em seus diferentes espectros de uso, e sentidos paisagístico e urbanístico na consolidação da sua inserção (ou não) na cidade.
Apo A-I (Apolipoprotein A-I) Vascular Gene Therapy Provides Durable Protection Against Atherosclerosis in Hyperlipidemic Rabbits
Authors: Wacker Bradley K. , Dronadula Nagadhara , Bi Lianxiang , Stamatikos Alexis , Dichek David A.
Published: November 2017

Objective—

Gene therapy that expresses apo A-I (apolipoprotein A-I) from vascular wall cells has promise for preventing and reversing atherosclerosis. Previously, we reported that transduction of carotid artery endothelial cells with a helper-dependent adenoviral (HDAd) vector expressing apo A-I reduced early (4 weeks) fatty streak development in fat-fed rabbits. Here, we tested whether the same HDAd could provide long-term protection against development of more complex lesions.

Approach and Results—

Fat-fed rabbits (n=25) underwent bilateral carotid artery gene transfer, with their left and right common carotids randomized to receive either a control vector (HDAdNull) or an apo A-I–expressing vector (HDAdApoAI). Twenty-four additional weeks of high-fat diet yielded complex intimal lesions containing lipid-rich macrophages as well as smooth muscle cells, often in a lesion cap. Twenty-four weeks after gene transfer, high levels of apo A-I mRNA (median ≥250-fold above background) were present in all HDAdApoAI-treated arteries. Compared with paired control HDAdNull-treated arteries in the same rabbit, HDAdApoAI-treated arteries had 30% less median intimal lesion volume (
P
=0.03), with concomitant reductions (23%–32%) in intimal lipid, macrophage, and smooth muscle cell content (
P
≤0.05 for all). HDAdApoAI-treated arteries also had decreased intimal inflammatory markers. VCAM-1 (vascular cell adhesion molecule-1)–stained area was reduced by 36% (
P
=0.03), with trends toward lower expression of ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1), MCP-1 (monocyte chemoattractant protein 1), and TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α; 13%–39% less;
P
=0.06–0.1).

Conclusions—

In rabbits with severe hyperlipidemia, transduction of vascular endothelial cells with an apo A-I–expressing HDAd yields at least 24 weeks of local apo A-I expression that durably reduces atherosclerotic lesion growth and intimal inflammation.
American Heart Association Principles on the Accessibility and Affordability of Drugs and Biologics
Authors: Antman Elliott M. , Creager Mark A. , Houser Steven R. , Warner John J. , Konig Madeleine
Published: November 2017

Net US spending on pharmaceuticals reached $309.5 billion in 2015, an 8.5% increase from the year before, and is expected to reach between $370 and $400 billion by 2020. These current and projected levels have raised serious concerns by policy makers, providers, payers, and patient groups that they are unsustainable and threaten the affordability of and accessibility to much-needed therapies for patients. Two trends related to drugs/biologics and generic drugs/biosimilars underlie this overall increase in spending. First, the market entry prices of innovator pharmaceutical products, or brand drugs and biologics, are at levels that some assessments consider unaffordable to the healthcare system. Second, prices for some established generic drugs such as digoxin and captopril have seen sharp and rapid increases. As an evidence-based patient advocacy organization dedicated to improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans, the American Heart Association has a unique role in advocating for treatments, including medicines that are available, affordable, and accessible to patients. This advisory serves to lay out a set of principles that will guide association engagement in pursuit of this goal.
Ascending Aortic Dimensions in Former National Football League Athletes
Authors: Gentry James L. , Carruthers David , Joshi Parag H. , Maroules Christopher D. , Ayers Colby R. , de Lemos James A. , Aagaard Philip , Hachamovitch Rory , Desai Milind Y. , Roselli Eric E. , Dunn Reginald E. , Alexander Kezia , Lincoln Andrew E. , Tucker Andrew M. , Phelan Dermot M.
Published: November 2017

Background—

Ascending aortic dimensions are slightly larger in young competitive athletes compared with sedentary controls, but rarely >40 mm. Whether this finding translates to aortic enlargement in older, former athletes is unknown.

Methods and Results—

This cross-sectional study involved a sample of 206 former National Football League (NFL) athletes compared with 759 male subjects from the DHS-2 (Dallas Heart Study-2; mean age of 57.1 and 53.6 years, respectively,
P
<0.0001; body surface area of 2.4 and 2.1 m
2
, respectively,
P
<0.0001). Midascending aortic dimensions were obtained from computed tomographic scans performed as part of a NFL screening protocol or as part of the DHS. Compared with a population-based control group, former NFL athletes had significantly larger ascending aortic diameters (38±5 versus 34±4 mm;
P
<0.0001). A significantly higher proportion of former NFL athletes had an aorta of >40 mm (29.6% versus 8.6%;
P
<0.0001). After adjusting for age, race, body surface area, systolic blood pressure, history of hypertension, current smoking, diabetes mellitus, and lipid profile, the former NFL athletes still had significantly larger ascending aortas (
P
<0.0001). Former NFL athletes were twice as likely to have an aorta >40 mm after adjusting for the same parameters.

Conclusions—

Ascending aortic dimensions were significantly larger in a sample of former NFL athletes after adjusting for their size, age, race, and cardiac risk factors. Whether this translates to an increased risk is unknown and requires further evaluation.
Self-Contained Localization Strategy: Case Studies of Japanese Firms
Authors: Park YoungWon , Hong Paul , Shin Geon-Cheol
Published: November 2017

Huge numbers of middle-income groups are distributed in China and Association of South East Asian Nations (asean). In this context, global firms recognize the need for localization strategy. The practical upcoming challenge of global companies is to determine the best way to accomplish localization. In this paper, we present the development of a self-contained localization system based on organizational capabilities, and suggest the self-contained localization strategy through case studies of Japanese firms. The foreign subsidiaries with self-contained units include their own R&D, operations, marketing, service, and human resource functions. Therefore, the self-contained localization strategy allows the foreign subsidiary a large degree of autonomy in responding appropriately to local competitive conditions with locally responsive strategies. When we analyze the relationships between Japanese headquarters and local business subsidiaries, we find the larger a degree of autonomy of self-contained subsidiaries, the higher their global market share.
Réflexions sur femmes et propriété en France
Authors: Denèfle Sylvette
Published: November 2017

Comme pour la plupart de la législation en France, les lois sur la propriété, de même que celles sur l’héritage, ne différencient pas les femmes et les hommes. Pourtant, plusieurs études récentes ont mis en évidence un écart de patrimoine variant entre 15 et 25%, entre les femmes et les hommes, quelles que soient les catégories sociales. Les femmes se trouvent statistiquement moins aisées et, notamment, moins souvent propriétaires de leur logement que les hommes.

Ce texte propose d’éclairer ces inégalités entre les femmes et les hommes dans la propriété puis de présenter des formes de résistance, voire de résilience que les femmes d’aujourd’hui développent pour parvenir à des situations plus égalitaires.

La propriété en tant que principe légitimant l’égalité, permet de voir que les pratiques sociales, lorsqu’on les éclaire par la dimension du genre, présentent en fait des sociétés très inégalitaires qui ne sont guère favorables aux femmes. Mais elle éclaire aussi les résiliences innovantes des femmes qui revendiquent une citoyenneté active et ne se plient plus aussi facilement que dans le passé aux exigences de leurs assignations sociales.
Femmes, waqf et droit de propriété en Iran à l’époque safavide
Authors: Neyestani Mohammadreza
Published: November 2017

Dans la société safavide en Iran (du 16ème au 18ème siècle), les femmes jouaient un rôle, quoique à un moindre degré que les hommes, à travers les waqfs. Par ce moyen, elles ont laissé des traces qui indiquent leurs droits de propriété ainsi que le rôle qu’elles jouaient dans les domaines culturels, religieux et caritatifs à l’époque. Les femmes de la capitale safavide s’investissaient dans la mesure de leurs moyens et grâce à leurs droits de propriété dans ces questions en consacrant une partie de leurs biens aux œuvres d’intérêt général et caritatives, à travers le waqf.

Dans cet article, nous étudions certains aspects du droit de propriété accordé aux femmes qu’elles exerçaient à l’époque safavide en nous appuyant sur les documents d’époque, particulièrement, sur les chartes de fondation des waqf conservées dans les archives d’Ispahan.
Empowerment of Women Between Law and Science
Authors: Shabana Ayman
Published: November 2017

This paper examines the role of biomedical technology in reconstructing traditional gender roles in the Muslim world. It questions the neutrality of this technology and explores the extent to which various applications of genetic and reproductive technologies can be used either to enhance or diminish gender equality. It concentrates on Islamic normative discussions surrounding pre-marital genetic testing and sex selection and emphasizes the role of these discussions for the proper accommodation of these technologies within the Muslim context.
Relationships between anatomical and vibrational properties of wavy sycamore maple
Authors: Alkadri Ahmad , Carlier Capucine , Wahyudi Imam , Gril Joseph , Langbour Patrick , Brémaud Iris
Published: November 2017

Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) is a wood species particularly known for its wavy grain figure and its high-value utilization among luthiers and craftsmen for making musical instruments or furniture. In this study, the anatomical and physical-acoustical characteristics of its wood, taken from different trees with various surface figures, were characterized. Vibrational mechanical measurements were conducted taking into account radial and longitudinal directions and local variations. Waviness parameters were quantified on split blocks, and anatomical properties such as microfibril angle and ray dimensions were measured using light microscopy. Results provide a complete dataset on the properties of sycamore maple along a gradient of the wavy figure. Through statistical analysis, significant correlations were found between the measured parameters, particularly between the waviness and microfibril angle, and between the anatomical features and the specific modulus of elasticity and damping by internal friction of the wood in the longitudinal direction. Anisotropy was found to be very low but was not satisfactorily explained by the studied anatomical features. Prospects for future studies on the wavy figure are discussed.
Early Miocene angiosperm woods from Sihong in the Jiangsu Province, Eastern China
Authors: Cheng Ye-Ming , Yang Xiao-Nan , He Zhe-Feng , Mao Bing , Yin Ya-Fang
Published: November 2017

We describe a new species, Gleditsioxylon jiangsuensis (Leguminosae), a new record of Robinia zirkelii (Platen) Matten, Gastaldo & Lee (Leguminosae), and a new record of Moroxylon xinhuaensis Yin, Liu & Cheng (Moraceae) from the early Miocene strata of Sihong County in Jiangsu Province, eastern China. Gleditsioxylon jiangsuensis sp. nov. is the first report of Gleditsioxylon fossil wood from China. These fossil woods, combined with paleontological records, may indicate that the boundary between the subtropical and the temperate zones in eastern China during the early Miocene was located north of its modern location.
Second-step typification of Statice insignis, basionym of Limonium insigne (Plumbaginaceae)
Authors: FERRER-GALLEGO P. PABLO , LAGUNA EMILIO , ROSSELLÓ JOSEP A.
Published: November 2017

Cosson (1852: 177) described Statice insignis (Plumbaginaceae Juss.), providing a detailed description of this species, reporting several localities of provenance and indicating a pertinent gathering by the French traveler and plant collector Eugène Bourgeau: “In salsuginosis Hispaniae australioris, in regno Granatensi ad urbem Vera (E. Bourgeau, pl. Esp. n. 1442) et ad oppidula Santa-Fe et Roqueta (E. Bourgeau, 1851)”.
The checklist of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) from India
Authors: KARIYANNA B. , MOHAN M. , GUPTA RAJEEV , VITALI FRANCESCO
Published: November 2017

A checklist of longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) within the present geographical frontier of Indian subcontinent up to 2016 is provided. As per the current checklist prepared, there are 1536 species, classified under 440 genera, 72 tribes, and seven subfamilies of Cerambycidae (Parandrinae is not present in India). The report is accounted for 4.2 per cent of species, 7.94 per cent of genera and 28.24 per cent of tribes from India as compared to global record. For each species, accepted nomenclature followed by all relevant works reporting systematics, distribution and ecology of Indian longhorn beetles is provided along with synonyms, type locality and distribution within and outside India.
Difference Not Deficit: Reconceptualizing Mathematical Learning Disabilities (Reprint)
Authors: Lewis Katherine E.
Published: November 2017

Mathematical learning disability (MLD) research often conflates low achievement with disabilities and focuses exclusively on deficits of students with MLDs. In this study I adopt an alternative approach using a response-to-intervention MLD classification model and identify the resources students draw upon rather than the skills they lack. The intervention model involved videotaped one-on-one fraction tutoring sessions implemented with students with low mathematics achievement. This article presents case studies of two students who did not benefit from the tutoring sessions. Detailed diagnostic analyses of the sessions revealed that the students understood mathematical representations in atypical ways and that this directly contributed to the persistent difficulties they experienced. Implications for screening and remediation approaches are discussed.
Commentary: Urban friendship: Towards an alternative anthropological genealogy
Authors: Werbner Pnina
Published: November 2017

This commentary outlines an intellectual genealogy of urban friendship stretching from the 1950s to the present, which influenced my own work on friendship. It begins by tracing this developing theory grounded in a basic contrast between close-knit, segregated networks and loose-knit or widely ramifying networks. Such morphological features define gender roles, friendship cultures and peer-group loyalties. Against the view that urban friendship is restricted to the intimate, private domain, I argue that friendship mediates structures of class and urban cognitive mapping. It is also the basis for the formation of elites and of the interdomestic domain – the setting for tournaments of value among immigrants newcomers. I further propose that elective friendship in voluntary organisations such as Sufi orders cuts across kinship, place and national boundaries. A rather darker, more dialectical conception of urban individual subjectivity emerges from Georg Simmel’s theorisation of the modern capitalist metropolis as a place of ‘freedom’, but also of anonymity and alienation, and of a ‘reserved’, distrustful attitude. This Simmelian vision is articulated, I propose, in many of the articles in this special issue, concerned with the ambivalences of friendship and the nature of fleeting friendships.
Long-term postpartum effect of severe maternal morbidity on sexual function
Authors: Norhayati Mohd Noor , Azman Yacob Mohd
Published: November 2017

There was limited knowledge on the sexual function in women who have survived severe obstetric complications. The aim of this study was to compare the level of sexual functioning among women with and without severe morbidity at six months postpartum and to identify the factors associated with sexual function scores of women. A prospective double-cohort study design was applied at two tertiary hospitals over a six-month period. Postpartum women with and without severe maternal morbidity were selected as the exposed and the non-exposed group, respectively. The study included 145 exposed and 187 non-exposed women. Those with severe maternal morbidity were significantly ( P < 0.001) older (mean (SD): 31.6 years (6.26) vs. 29.2 years (5.65)) and had longer hospital stays (mean (SD): 5.9 days (3.79) vs. 3.6 days (2.23)). They were also more likely to have delivered preterm (75.9 vs. 93.0) and to have had a caesarean section (80.7 vs. 67.9) than those without severe maternal morbidity. After adjusting for age and mental health, there was no significant difference in Female Sexual Function Index scores ( P = 0.895) between the two groups. Both groups showed the highest sexual dysfunction in pain and the lowest dysfunction in orgasm. Linear regression analyses showed no association between Female Sexual Function Index scores and sociodemographic characteristics, reproductive history, or quality of life. Sexual function in women with severe maternal morbidity did not differ from that in women without severe maternal morbidity. In-depth qualitative studies of women who have experienced potentially life-threatening conditions may improve the understanding of their sexual function.
Design of a decoupling strategy and parameter calculation for six-phase PM machines with general angular displacement
Authors: Catuogno Guillermo , Frias Gaston , Garcia Guillermo , Leidhold Roberto
Published: November 2017

A novel decoupling model for a six-phase permanent magnet machine is proposed in this paper. The model considers the machine as two independent three-phase stator windings that are spatially shifted by a generic angle [Formula: see text]. The proposed transformation considers the zero sequence and allows the coupling between phases to be eliminated. The parameters, which define the dynamic behaviour of the model, are calculated with simulations performed using the finite-element method. The decoupled model and the parameters are analyzed for two configurations of a traditional six-phase machine. Simulation results were validated by experimental results with a simple procedure.
An Interview with Arlie Russell Hochschild: Critique as Emotion
Authors: Willig Rasmus
Published: November 2017

This is the second of two interviews with Arlie Russell Hochschild, Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley. In her work, Hochschild explores the many ways we manage our emotions in personal life and perform emotional labor in the workplace.
Perceptions of STS Topics Among Uruguayan College Students: Implications for Secondary School Curricular Reform
Authors: González-Espada Wilson J. , Aguirre Rosina Pérez , Sarasola Marcos
Published: November 2017

The purpose of this descriptive and exploratory study was to measure the perceptions regarding a variety of science, technology, and society (STS) topics among a sample of Uruguay underclassmen college students. These perceptions were compared with the viewpoints of a group of professional scientists. It was found that, for some STS topics, such as the role of humans in global climate change, the perceptions of Uruguay underclassmen and scientists were statistically identical. For topics, such as the problem of human overpopulation, both groups find themselves on the same side of the issue but with a statistically significant gap between them. Uruguay underclassmen and professional scientists have opposite views on STS topics such as the use of animals for scientific research. A sizable proportion of Uruguay underclassmen were not familiar with several STS topics, such as the scientific work of the International Space Station. Implications for formal and informal STEM education efforts are discussed.
Implementing Generalized Additive Models to Estimate the Expected Value of Sample Information in a Microsimulation Model: Results of Three Case Studies
Authors: Rabideau Dustin J. , Pei Pamela P. , Walensky Rochelle P. , Zheng Amy , Parker Robert A.
Published: November 2017

Background. The expected value of sample information (EVSI) can help prioritize research but its application is hampered by computational infeasibility, especially for complex models. We investigated an approach by Strong and colleagues to estimate EVSI by applying generalized additive models (GAM) to results generated from a probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA). Methods. For 3 potential HIV prevention and treatment strategies, we estimated life expectancy and lifetime costs using the Cost-effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications (CEPAC) model, a complex patient-level microsimulation model of HIV progression. We fitted a GAM—a flexible regression model that estimates the functional form as part of the model fitting process—to the incremental net monetary benefits obtained from the CEPAC PSA. For each case study, we calculated the expected value of partial perfect information (EVPPI) using both the conventional nested Monte Carlo approach and the GAM approach. EVSI was calculated using the GAM approach. Results. For all 3 case studies, the GAM approach consistently gave similar estimates of EVPPI compared with the conventional approach. The EVSI behaved as expected: it increased and converged to EVPPI for larger sample sizes. For each case study, generating the PSA results for the GAM approach required 3 to 4 days on a shared cluster, after which EVPPI and EVSI across a range of sample sizes were evaluated in minutes. The conventional approach required approximately 5 weeks for the EVPPI calculation alone. Conclusion. Estimating EVSI using the GAM approach with results from a PSA dramatically reduced the time required to conduct a computationally intense project, which would otherwise have been impractical. Using the GAM approach, we can efficiently provide policy makers with EVSI estimates, even for complex patient-level microsimulation models.
From world cities to world sites: Strategic ruralism and the case for an anthropology of actually existing connectivity
Authors: Vasantkumar Chris
Published: November 2017

As anthropological interest in trans-local connection has expanded in recent decades, anthropologists have increasingly turned to cities as paradigmatic locations of the global, the modern, and the cosmopolitan. As they have done so, an older paradigm of anthropologists doing research in villages and other out of the way places has been maligned as old fashioned or out of touch, perpetually associated with the local pole of a hackneyed local-global dialectic. By contrast, my essay elaborates a case for a shift in focus from “world cities” to “world sites” in which the erstwhile givens of urban connection and rural disconnection, urban culture and rural nature, are opened up to critical rethinking via ethnographies of actually existing connectivity. Where influential work has taken cities as paradigmatic nodes of globalization, I argue for the necessity of a “strategic ruralism” in anthropological approaches to actually existing global connectivity. In particular, I suggest, in order to begin to replace virtualist notions of world cities with more symmetrical and empirically derived formulations of world sites, we must critically assess the binaries that continue to condition the boundary work that scripts the urban as always already human and unnatural on the one hand and the rural as natural and by extension relatively non-human on the other.
Free vibration and buckling study of doubly curved laminated shell panels using higher order shear deformation theory based on Sander's approximation
Authors: Biswal Deepak K , Joseph Shince V , Mohanty Sukesh C
Published: November 2017

The free vibration and static stability analyses of higher order shear deformable doubly curved laminated shell panels have been carried out in this paper. The proposed shear deformation theory takes care of the parabolic variation of the transverse shear strains through the thickness of the shell and assumes rigid body motion. An eight-noded isoparametric finite shell elements with nine degrees–of-freedom per node is used for the analysis based of Kant and Khares' higher order shear deformation theory. Full geometric nonlinearity in the Green–Lagrange sense is considered for the buckling analysis, whereas for free vibration study only linear strains are taken into account. A generic code is developed in the MATLAB platform to solve the vibration and buckling eigenvalue problems. The effect of various parameters such as thickness ratio, curvature ratio, orthotropic ratio, lamination scheme, number of plies, boundary conditions, and shell geometries on the natural frequencies and critical buckling loads of shell panels are investigated. The efficacy and accuracy of the present formulation has been validated by comparing the results with those available in literature. The fundamental frequencies and critical buckling loads are found to increase with an increase in thickness ratio, ratio of principal radii of curvatures, and orthotropic ratio, but exhibit a decreasing trend with an increase in aspect ratio and radii of curvatures.
Who takes care of non-standard career paths? The role of labour market intermediaries
Authors: Lorquet Nadège , Orianne Jean-François , Pichault François
Published: November 2017

As flexible career paths become more common in European labour markets, how to combine the flexibility required by non-standard work with new patterns of security is the focus of political debate. Some European Union (EU) countries have launched radical labour market reforms, while in others such reforms remain limited. This paves the way for bottom-up solutions developed by private and non-profit labour market intermediaries in order to support the job transitions of non-standard workers. We map these initiatives through a multidimensional grid and explore the extent to which they contribute to renewed regulation of modern labour markets. We outline two ideal-typical approaches. The first extends internal labour markets to triangular employment relationships by considering workers as ‘quasi-employees’. The second involves more disruptive solutions by treating non-standard workers as ‘quasi-self-employed’.
Adjustment for treatment changes in epilepsy trials: A comparison of causal methods for time-to-event outcomes
Authors: Dodd Susanna , Williamson Paula , White Ian R
Published: November 2017

Background

When trials are subject to departures from randomised treatment, simple statistical methods that aim to estimate treatment efficacy, such as per protocol or as treated analyses, typically introduce selection bias. More appropriate methods to adjust for departure from randomised treatment are rarely employed, primarily due to their complexity and unfamiliarity. We demonstrate the use of causal methodologies for the production of estimands with valid causal interpretation for time-to-event outcomes in the analysis of a complex epilepsy trial, as an example to guide non-specialist analysts undertaking similar analyses.

Methods

Two causal methods, the structural failure time model and inverse probability of censoring weighting, are adapted to allow for skewed time-varying confounders, competing reasons for treatment changes and a complicated time to remission outcome. We demonstrate the impact of various factors: choice of method (structural failure time model versus inverse probability of censoring weighting), model for inverse probability of censoring weighting (pooled logistic regression versus Cox models), time interval (for creating panel data for time-varying confounders and outcome), choice of confounders and (in pooled logistic regression) use of splines to estimate underlying risk.

Results

The structural failure time model could adjust for switches between trial treatments but had limited ability to adjust for the other treatment changes that occurred in this epilepsy trial. Inverse probability of censoring weighting was able to adjust for all treatment changes and demonstrated very similar results with Cox and pooled logistic regression models. Accounting for increasing numbers of time-varying confounders and reasons for treatment change suggested a more pronounced advantage of the control treatment than that obtained using intention to treat.

Conclusions

In a complex trial featuring a remission outcome, underlying assumptions of the structural failure time model are likely to be violated, and inverse probability of censoring weighting may provide the most useful option, assuming availability of appropriate data and sufficient sample sizes. Recommendations are provided for analysts when considering which of these methods should be applied in a given trial setting.
India, the European Union and Human Rights
Authors: Jain Rajendra K.
Published: November 2017

Growing media attention and international criticism about human rights violations in the wake of the resurgence of insurgency led India to make major policy changes in its attitude towards human rights and begin to discuss human rights with the European Union for the first time in 1990. This article critically examines Indian perceptions of the EU’s approach towards human rights since the 1990s to the present. It evaluates Indian responses to the inclusion of human rights provisions in trade agreements and criticism of the ‘one size fits all’ model of the Europeans for the promotion of human rights. It explores the sources of Indian scepticism about the international human rights regime and criticism of Western countries’ selectivity in enforcing human rights. In the ultimate analysis, the responsibility for initiating and implementing the multitude of structural, economic, social and political reforms necessary to improve human rights implementation must be taken by Indians themselves. External players can only play a supportive role and their capacities to bring about fundamental change are necessarily limited.
The Impact of School Visits on Siblings of Children With Cancer
Authors: Sjoberg Isabelle , Pole Jason D. , Cassidy Marilyn , Boilard Claudette , Costantini Sharon , Johnston Donna L.
Published: November 2017

Background: Childhood cancer affects the entire family. Siblings experience similar stress to that of the ill child, including anger, depression, jealousy, guilt, and social isolation. School reentry programs are shown to be positive interventions for patients, it is hypothesized that similar outcomes exist for siblings. Objective: To examine the feasibility of studying the impact of the Ontario Oncology Nurse School Visitation Program on the well-being and school adjustment of siblings of pediatric cancer patients. Methods: Fourteen sibling participants and parents completed a semistructured interview and the PedsQL® questionnaire before and after a nurse school visit. School attendance was also compared and data were collected for logistics of study procedures. Results: The mode of data collection was agreeable and easy to plan and execute. School attendance showed a reduction of days missed; there was no significant impact on PedsQL results but the interviews yielded positive feedback. Conclusions: The outlook for siblings improves with the support of family members and health care professionals. This pilot study provides hypotheses and design for future research.
Cardiovascular Disease Risk Predicts Health Perception in Prison Inmates
Authors: Saleh Zyad T. , Connell Alison , Lennie Terry A. , Bailey Alison L. , Elshatarat Rami A. , Yousef Khalil , Moser Debra K.
Published: November 2017

We hypothesized that risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) would be associated with worse health perceptions in prison inmates. This study included 362 inmates recruited from four medium security prisons in Kentucky. Framingham Risk Score was used to estimate the risk of developing CVD within the next 10 years. A single item on self-rated health from the Medical Outcomes Survey–Short Form 36 was used to measure health perception. Multinomial logistic regression showed that for every 1-unit increase in Framingham Risk Score, inmates were 23% more likely to have rated their health as fair/poor and 11% more likely to rate their health as good rather than very good/excellent. These findings demonstrate that worse health perceptions may serve as a starting point for discussing cardiovascular risk factors and prevention with inmates.
How to Identify Narcissism With 13 Items? Validation of the German Narcissistic Personality Inventory–13 (G-NPI-13)
Authors: Brailovskaia Julia , Bierhoff Hans-Werner , Margraf Jürgen
Published: November 2017

Four studies investigated the construct validity of the brief version of the German Narcissistic Personality Inventory–13 (G-NPI-13). Study 1 ( N = 603) confirmed the three-factor structure of the G-NPI-13 and its associations with the NPI-40 and the NPI-16. In Study 2 ( N = 438), the convergent and discriminant validity of the G-NPI-13 was analyzed by investigating its relationships with the “Big Five,” self-esteem, and mental health variables (depression, anxiety, stress symptoms; life satisfaction, happiness, social support). Study 3 ( N = 118) provided further support for the convergence between the G-NPI-13 and the NPI-40 by investigating their associations with vulnerable narcissism, self-monitoring, and mental health. In Study 4 ( N = 82), the 1-year test–retest reliability (three measurement time points) of the G-NPI-13 was investigated. Taken together, the G-NPI-13 is a valid, reliable, and economical instrument for measuring the personality trait narcissism. Possible practical applications and limitations of the G-NPI-13 are discussed.
The performance of delay compensation in real-time dynamic substructuring
Authors: Tang Zhenyun , Dietz Matt , Li Zhenbao , Taylor Colin
Published: November 2017

Real-time dynamic substructuring (RTDS) is a state-of-the-art experimental technique for evaluating the dynamic performance of a structural system subjected to time-varying loads in civil engineering. The accuracy and stability of RTDS is affected by the natural dynamics of the constituent transfer system. Of various control strategies, and due to the merits of simple implementation and low computational cost, delay-compensation methods have become most pervasive. In this paper, the performance of delay compensation based methods for RTDS is assessed in terms of accuracy and stability. Three commonly-used delay compensation schemes are considered, two of which are time variant and one time invariant. Stability is assessed analytically, numerically, and experimentally. Accuracy is assessed numerically and experimentally. To provide a suitable test for the delay compensation control schemes, a shaking table is adopted as the RTDS transfer system. It is demonstrated numerically, analytically, and experimentally that when applied to transfer systems such as these, delay compensation can work to the detriment of test accuracy and test stability. Adequate performance of delay compensated, shaking-table based RTDS is confined to a narrow low frequency bandwidth, which severely restricts the range of potential application.
Phylogenetic Biodiversity Assessment Based on Systematic Nomenclature
Authors: Crozier Ross H , Dunnett Lisa J , Agapow Paul-Michael
Published: November 2017

Biodiversity assessment demands objective measures, because ultimately conservation decisions must prioritize the use of limited resources for preserving taxa. The most general framework for the objective assessment of conservation worth are those that assess evolutionary distinctiveness, e.g. Genetic ( Crozier 1992 ) and Phylogenetic Diversity ( Faith 1992 ), and Evolutionary History ( Nee & May 1997 ). These measures all attempt to assess the conservation worth of any scheme based on how much of the encompassing phylogeny of organisms is preserved. However, their general applicability is limited by the small proportion of taxa that have been reliably placed in a phylogeny. Given that phylogenizaton of many interesting taxa or important is unlikely to occur soon, we present a framework for using taxonomy as a reasonable surrogate for phylogeny. Combining this framework with exhaustive searches for combinations of sites containing maximal diversity, we provide a proof-of-concept for assessing conservation schemes for systematized but un-phylogenised taxa spread over a series of sites. This is illustrated with data from four studies, on North Queensland flightless insects ( Yeates et al. 2002 ), ants from a Florida Transect ( Lubertazzi & Tschinkel 2003 ), New England bog ants ( Gotelli & Ellison 2002 ) and a simulated distribution of the known New Zealand Lepidosauria ( Daugherty et al. 1994 ). The results support this approach, indicating that species, genus and site numbers predict evolutionary history, to a degree depending on the size of the data set.
MBEToolbox 2.0: An enhanced version of a MATLAB toolbox for Molecular Biology and Evolution
Authors: Cai James J. , Smith David K. , Xia Xuhua , Yuen Kwok-yung
Published: November 2017

MBEToolbox is an extensible MATLAB-based software package for analysis of DNA and protein sequences. MBEToolbox version 2.0 includes enhanced functions for phylogenetic analyses by the maximum likelihood method. For example, it is capable of estimating the synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates using a novel or several known codon substitution models. MBEToolbox 2.0 introduces new functions for estimating site-specific evolutionary rates by using a maximum likelihood method or an empirical Bayesian method. It also incorporates several different methods for recombination detection. Multi-platform versions of the software are freely available at http://www.bioinformatics.org/mbetoolbox/ .
The Role of the Phylogenetic Diversity Measure, PD, in Bio-Informatics: Getting the Definition Right
Authors: Faith Daniel P.
Published: November 2017

A recent paper in this journal (Faith and Baker, 2006) described bio-informatics challenges in the application of the PD (phylogenetic diversity) measure of Faith (1992a), and highlighted the use of the root of the phylogenetic tree, as implied by the original definition of PD. A response paper (Crozier et al. 2006) stated that 1) the (Faith, 1992a) PD definition did not include the use of the root of the tree, and 2) Moritz and Faith (1998) changed the PD definition to include the root. Both characterizations are here refuted. Examples from Faith (1992a, b) document the link from the definition to the use of the root of the overall tree, and a survey of papers over the past 15 years by Faith and colleagues demonstrate that the stated PD definition has remained the same as that in the original 1992 study. PD's estimation of biodiversity at the level of “feature diversity” is seen to have provided the original rationale for the measure's consideration of the root of the phylogenetic tree.
Total Evidence, Average Consensus and Matrix Representation with Parsimony: What a Difference Distances Make
Authors: Levasseur Claudine , Lapointe François-Joseph
Published: November 2017

Matrix representation with parsimony (MRP) can be used to combine trees in the supertree or the consensus settings. However, despite its popularity, it is still unclear whether MRP is really a consensus method or whether it behaves more like the total evidence approach. Previous simulations have shown that it approximates total evidence trees, whereas other studies have depicted similarities with average consensus trees. In this paper, we assess the hypothesis that MRP is equally related to both approaches. We conducted a simulation study to evaluate the accuracy of total evidence with that or various consensus methods, including MRP. Our results show that the total evidence trees are not significantly more accurate than average consensus trees that accounts for branch lengths, but that both perform better than MRP trees in the consensus setting. The accuracy rate of all methods was similarly affected by the number of taxa, the number of partitions, and the heterogeneity of the data.
CoMET: A Mesquite Package for Comparing Models of Continuous Character Evolution on Phylogenies
Authors: Lee Chunghau , Blay Sigal , Mooers Arne Ø. , Singh Ambuj , Oakley Todd H.
Published: November 2017

Continuously varying traits such as body size or gene expression level evolve during the history of species or gene lineages. To test hypotheses about the evolution of such traits, the maximum likelihood (ML) method is often used. Here we introduce CoMET (Continuous-character Model Evaluation and Testing), which is module for Mesquite that automates likelihood computations for nine different models offrait evolution. Due to its few restrictions on input data, CoMET is applicable to testing a wide range of character evolution hypotheses. The CoMET homepage, which links to freely available software and more detailed usage instructions, is located at http://www.lifesci.ucsb.edu/eemb/labs/oakley/software/comet.htm .