bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Valproate Interaction With Carbapenems: Review and Recommendations
Authors: Al-Quteimat Osama , Laila Alla
Published: February 2019

Introduction: Valproic acid is a commonly used antiepileptic drug. Combining valproate derivatives with carbapenem antibiotics is associated with a potential drug interaction that decreases serum concentration of valproate and may expose the patient to uncontrolled seizure risk from valproate subtherapeutic concentration. Raising awareness of this drug interaction among health care providers including emergency department physicians, neurologists, and pharmacists is highly needed. The aim of this article was to review the current literature about the potential drug interaction resulting from combining valproate derivatives with carbapenem antibiotics and to establish therapeutic recommendations regarding their use together. Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using Medline (through PubMed), Ovid, Embase, Cochrane library using the following keywords: valproate, valproic acid, carbapenem, ertapenem, doripenem, meropenem, imipenem, and valproate drug interaction. In addition, a manual search through major journals for articles referenced in PubMed was performed. Related publications from January 1998 till November 2018 were included in the initial search. Relevant publications were reviewed, and data regarding patients, type of carbapenem used, valproic acid dosing and level, interaction severity, and clinical outcome were summarized. Results and Discussion: Few clinical trials and multiple case reports have shown that carbapenem antibiotics including meropenem, ertapenem, imipenem, and doripenem can decrease the serum concentration of valproate derivatives leading to a subtherapeutic serum concentration and seizures in some patients. Valproic acid serum concentration may be significantly decreased with addition of a carbapenem antibiotic but generally return toward normal shortly after discontinuation of the carbapenem antibiotic. Conclusions: Generally, the concurrent use of carbapenem antibiotics with valproate derivatives should be avoided due to the potential of drug-drug interaction that results in subtherapeutic valproate serum concentration. Other antimicrobial agents should be considered as alternatives to carbapenems but if a concurrent carbapenem is necessary, using an additional antiepileptic agent is recommended. Therapeutic drug monitoring of valproate serum concentrations is warranted when a carbapenem-valproic acid combination therapy is unavoidable.
Human transcendence: the possibility of spiritual irredentism
Authors: Tallis Raymond
Published: February 2019

The article is concerned with the project of spiritual irredentism; of reclaiming for humanity that which has been donated to God. It takes its rise from the view, particularly associated with Feuerbach and Durkheim, that the object of religious worship is a projection of humanity’s intuition of its own transcendence. The broad outlines of the manner in which mankind transcends nature are sketched. The question then remains as to how this is to be placed at the service of humanity, and, indeed, to meeting those needs that religion has served. This is the greatest challenge of secular humanism.
Transcendence and freely chosen constraints
Authors: Gill Robin
Published: February 2019

Four areas that can evoke a sense of transcendence are explored – music, marriage, intellectual discipline and worship – and affinities (and differences) are traced between religious and non-religious responses to the first three. Worship, however, is seen as especially distinctive for those who are religious.
Difficult texts: John 20.16–17a – the Resurrection in visual art
Authors: Harrison Ted
Published: February 2019

Despite its central position within Christian belief, visual artists have found particular difficulty in depicting the Resurrection.
Cult books revisited: John Hick’s God and the Universe of Faiths
Authors: Philip Barnes L.
Published: February 2019

This article provides an account of John Hick’s first expression of his pluralist theology of religions as he presented it in God and the Universe of Faiths (1973). Attention is focused on the reasons that he believes justify regarding the different religions as independent sources of revelation and salvation and on their assessment.
Reflections of an international graduate student in a North American Communication Department
Authors: Nikoi Nii Kotei
Published: February 2019

This essay examines various aspects of my intellectual experience as an international graduate student studying in a North American university grappling with questions of postcolonial life in Africa. Specifically, I examine the intellectual tensions of dealing with the underdeveloped questions of colonialism in communication theory. The article draws on work calling for the de-Westernization and decolonization of communication theory. While the call for decentering ‘academic Eurocentrism’ is important, it is pertinent not to erect another epistemic fundamentalism in its place. Overall, the article calls attention to epistemic plurality and why communication scholarship needs to seriously consider what Comaroff and Comaroff (2012) call ‘Theory from the South’.
Personalised, de-ideologised and negative? A longitudinal analysis of campaign posters for German Bundestag elections, 1949–2017
Authors: Steffan Dennis , Venema Niklas
Published: February 2019

Faced with fundamental societal changes such as partisan dealignment and mediatisation, political parties in Germany as well as in other Western democracies professionalise their communication. Drawing on the concept of professionalisation of political communication, the present study investigates changes of campaign posters for German Bundestag elections from 1949 until 2017 with regard to personalisation, de-ideologisation and negative campaigning. By using a quantitative content analysis of visual and textual elements of campaign posters ( N = 1,857) and logistic regression analyses, we found an increase in visual personalisation and in visual ideologisation. However, no upwards trend was detected regarding negative campaigning across the four phases of political campaigning. Moreover, we found no empirical evidence for an increasing textual personalisation or textual de-ideologisation. All in all, the findings of this longitudinal analysis indicate an increasing visualisation of political communication.
An Exploratory Analysis of Quality Indicators in Adapted Alternating Treatments Designs
Authors: Shepley Collin , Ault Melinda J. , Ortiz Kaylee , Vogler J. Colin , McGee Molly
Published: February 2019

The single-case adapted alternating treatments design allows for an experimental comparison between two independent variables applied across two equally difficult, yet functionally independent, dependent variables. The design has been used prominently within the special education and behavior analysis literature since its inception. Despite its history and continued use, there are currently no formalized quality standards specific to the adapted alternating treatments design. Given the rise of evidence-based practices and the increased number of organizations developing quality and rigor standards, a discussion and evaluation of quality indicators specific to adapted alternating treatments designs is warranted. We provide an overview of quality indicators and examine their prevalence over the years within a subset of studies commonly incorporating the adapted alternating treatments design. Implications for researchers who use the design and organizations that develop standards for single-case research are discussed. Copies of coding tables and syntax in Microsoft Excel and SPSS formats may be obtained via Open Science Framework at https://osf.io/guw6h/ .
Shared Book Reading to Promote Math Talk in Parent–Child Dyads in Low-Income Families
Authors: Hendrix Nicole M. , Hojnoski Robin L. , Missall Kristen N.
Published: February 2019

Shared book reading can facilitate meaningful mathematical interactions. This study extends prior research by exploring the effect of book content and parent training in shared book reading. A comparison phase embedded within a multiple baseline design across participants was used with three Head Start parent–child dyads to examine the effect of book type (i.e., math or nonmath) on the frequency of parent and child mathematical utterances (i.e., math talk) and to evaluate whether there was a functional relation between training as well as provision of reader’s guides and increased frequency and diversity of parent and child math talk. Overall and on average, dyads engaged in more math talk when provided with math books as compared with nonmath books. Results regarding training and provision of supplementary materials were less clear. Results are discussed with attention to multiple indicators of effectiveness and considerations for designing home mathematical interventions.
Frequency and Vehicle Capacity Determination using a Dynamic Transit Assignment Model
Authors: Cats Oded , Glück Stefan
Published: February 2019

We integrate for the first time, to our knowledge, a dynamic transit assignment model into the tactical planning phase. The settings of service frequencies and vehicle capacities determine line capacity and have significant consequences for level-of-service and operational costs. The objective of this study is to determine frequency and vehicle capacity at the network level while accounting for the impact of service variations on users and operator costs. To this end, we propose a simulation-based optimization approach. The proposed model allows accounting for variations in service headways and crowding as well as their consequences for passenger flows distribution, all of which have not been accounted for in the tactical planning so far. Practical benefits of the model are demonstrated by an application to a bus network in the Amsterdam metropolitan area. This study contributes to the development of a new generation of methods that integrate reliability into the tactical planning phase to improve service quality.
Different Stories from Different Approaches in Evaluating Property Value Uplift: Evidence from the Gold Coast Light Rail System in Australia
Authors: Yen Barbara T. H. , Mulley Corinne , Shearer Heather
Published: February 2019

Increases in land value, known as value uplift, follow from improvements in accessibility arising from new transport infrastructure. This paper investigates how different approaches in evaluating property value uplift could lead to different results. The case study of the light rail transit system in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, is the context for this study. This paper addresses two of the critical aspects of the value uplift literature—how many of the results are determined by the method adopted and, perhaps more importantly, if there is a method which provides the best results. Historical data on private property sales are used to evaluate the timing, shape, and conditions for increases in land value or value uplift employing two of the most widely used modeling approaches: difference-in-differences and multilevel regression models. The more recent literature has also identified that the choice of control area is pertinent and so this study uses two different approaches for the selection of catchment areas: conventional distance-based methods and propensity score matching. The model results do confirm the increases in property prices because of better accessibility to Gold Coast light rail transit, but the amount of uplift does appear to depend both on the model approach and the method to select catchment and control areas. The paper discusses the implications of this for literature which has a variety of different methods established for research.
Multiple Equipment Integrated Scheduling and Storage Space Allocation in Rail–Water Intermodal Container Terminals Considering Energy Efficiency
Authors: Yang Yijia , Zhu Xiaoning , Haghani Ali
Published: February 2019

The rail–water coordinated operation area in a container terminal is the key place to operate the transshipment of intermodal containers between the rail and the sea—the handling efficiency in which can affect the overall transport turnover efficiency. A complicated operational process for various handling equipment exists in this coordinated operation area and can lead to a large amount of energy consumption and environmental pollution. This study proposes an integrated optimization approach to manage the multiple equipment integrated scheduling and storage space allocation problem in an energy-efficient way. A bi-objective optimization model is proposed to minimize the overall operation time and energy consumption, in which the handling operations of imported and exported intermodal containers are considered simultaneously. A genetic algorithm based heuristic algorithm is developed to solve the problem. Results from computational experiments indicate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm, verifying that a near-optimum solution can be obtained for large-scale problems efficiently, which contributes to the improvement of operation services in rail–water intermodal container terminals.
An Analysis of Success Plans and Performance Measures for Rural Transit Systems in North Carolina
Authors: Monast Kai , Stanfield Charlie
Published: February 2019

Performance measurement and funding allocation based on these measurements are becoming increasingly popular in public transportation. Understanding what is important to transit systems is critical to properly assess them on their operational and administrative performance. The research goals were to determine how rural transit systems in North Carolina define success, what performance metrics the systems select for themselves, and why they selected those metrics. Each transit system was required by the North Carolina Department of Transportation to create a Success Plan for themselves that consisted of a mission statement, vision statement, values, and a scorecard that contained performance metrics. The analysis of these Success Plans shows that rural transit systems broadly define their values based on customer service, safety, and reliability. However, aside from safety, the specific metrics that the systems use for evaluating their performance are not well connected to these values. This lack of internal consistency within the Success Plans means that rural transit systems are not selecting performance metrics that complement their stated goals. This lack of internal consistency could have many causes and interviews were conducted with public transit administrators in North Carolina to try and understand the causes. From these interviews, it was determined that the lack of internal consistency in the plans could be partially attributed to the following: (1) system administrators were not aware of the importance of internally consistent plans; (2) system administrators had difficulty creating metrics; and (3) system administrators included metrics that they felt the state wanted to see.
Sensitivity of Life-Cycle Assessment Outcomes to Parameter Uncertainty: Implications for Material Procurement Decision-Making
Authors: Bhat Chaitanya G. , Mukherjee Amlan
Published: February 2019

This paper aims to apply an analytical approach to propagate parameter uncertainty through Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) outcomes, and identify equivalence intervals that are applicable during material procurement decision-making. LCA outputs are usually presented as point estimates without accompanying confidence intervals, or associated margins of error, due to methodological ambiguity in accounting for uncertainties, be they epistemic (due to inherent randomness) or aleatory (due to lack of knowledge). This reduces the reliability of using LCA for design selection, and of decision-making during material procurement. This paper aims to fill this gap using a methodology based on Taylor’s first-order approximation to examine LCA outcomes for asphalt mixtures. The method is applied to assess the impact of variation in input flows on the estimated output emissions by propagating the parameter uncertainties through the LCA. It allows for the reporting of LCA outputs using intervals rather than point estimates. For competing designs, the overlap in intervals is used to construct equivalence intervals within which the effective impact of the designs can be considered equivalent due to expected variability in input parameters. The method is applied to construct equivalence intervals for the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of three asphalt mixtures, each having different levels of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP). Their role in communicating LCA outcomes for decision-making is illustrated. Foreground data collected from 40 North American asphalt plants were used to estimate uncertainty in the input parameters of electricity and energy use in asphalt production. The paper adds to existing literature on uncertainties in pavement LCAs by establishing the need to incorporate uncertainty when using LCA to support decision-making during material procurement.
Field Performance of Foaming Warm Mix Asphalt Pavement
Authors: Wu Shenghua , Zhang Weiguang , Shen Shihui , Muhunthan Balasingam
Published: February 2019

Water-containing and water-based foaming warm mix asphalt (WMA) technologies have been widely used in recent years but their long-term field performance is scarcely documented. This paper summarizes the field performances of six water-containing foaming and 10 water-based foaming WMA pavements across the United States and compares them with corresponding hot mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. Two series of field distress surveys were conducted to measure wheel-path longitudinal cracking, transverse cracking, and rut depth. Field cores were extracted to measure the in-place air void content, aggregate gradation, and asphalt content. The volumetric properties and field performance of foaming WMA and HMA control pavements were evaluated. The foaming WMA pavements showed slightly higher in-place air void (i.e., lower in-place density) than the HMA pavements. It was also found that the foaming WMA pavements in general had comparable or more wheel-path longitudinal cracking than the HMA pavements. The long-term field performance of foaming WMA pavements for transverse cracking and rutting were found to be similar to control HMA pavements. The study also reinforced the importance of in-place air void and asphalt content, finding that slightly higher asphalt content and lower in-place air void content may be beneficial for long-term resistance to cracking of asphalt pavements. As a result of the findings, the optimal pavement maintenance time was estimated to be four to five years since paving for full-depth pavement projects.
The Mathematical Performance of At-Risk First Graders as a Function of Limited English Proficiency Status
Authors: Martin BrittanyLee N. , Fuchs Lynn S.
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore interactions between limited English proficiency (LEP) status, as a function of risk status (low math performance at the start of the school year), on computation and word-problem-solving performance. Among 260 first-grade students, classified as at-risk (AR) or not-at-risk (NAR) for math disability, we compared the performance of LEP students with native-English-speaking peers. A series of two-way ANOVAs were conducted on computation and word-problem-solving skills at two time points, fall and spring of first grade. On fall computation measures, there was no main effect for LEP status and no interaction between LEP and risk status. On spring computation, a main effect for LEP status had emerged, but again no interaction. By contrast, on fall word-problem solving, there was an interaction between LEP and risk status; however, this interaction was no longer significant by spring. Results suggest that language proficiency is an important factor in the development of computation and word-problem-solving skill. Implications for future research are discussed.
Evaluating the Leuven Research Skills Test for 11th and 12th Grade
Authors: Maddens Louise , Depaepe Fien , Janssen Rianne , Raes Annelies , Elen Jan
Published: February 2019

According to (inter)national policy and curriculum documents, the acquisition of research skills is an important objective of secondary education. However, the conceptualization and hence the operationalization of this concept seems ambiguous. Furthermore, no test exists to assess students’ proficiency in (a broad range of) research skills in a 11th- and 12th-grade behavioral sciences classroom context. This article first elaborates on what constitutes research skills in this educational context. Second, the development and testing process of the Leuven Research Skills Test (LRST) is described. Third, the psychometric properties and the dimensional structure of the LRST are presented, based on a large-scale sample ( n = 405) of Belgian students in 11th and 12th grade. The results revealed that (a) the LRST is an internal consistent instrument and that (b) a hierarchical model with eight subordinate factors and one single uniting upper level factor appears to be the best fit to the data (in comparison with a unidimensional model and an eight-factor multidimensional model). It is argued that the LRST can be used to assess (individual differences in) overall research skills proficiency and to investigate the effect of particular interventions to foster research skills in future studies.
Multilevel Control Over Sexuality of Unmarried Adolescent Girls and Related Violence: A Qualitative Exploration in Slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh
Authors: Naved Ruchira Tabassum , Khan Nur Newaz
Published: February 2019

High concerns about sexuality of unmarried adolescent girls (UAGs) in patriarchal societies and perceived links between sexuality and honor are likely to trigger controlling behavior and underlie a range of violence perpetrated against them. These concerns are heightened in the urban slums of Bangladesh, where economic and social changes challenge traditional gender roles and behaviors. Little is, however, known about control of and violence against UAGs perpetrated by families, romantic partners, and community. Using 12 key informant interviews, 15 focus group discussions, and 27 in-depth interviews carried out between June and November 2011 in Dhaka slums, this study explores the sociocultural expectations around sexuality of UAGs, how they interact with ground reality, control, resultant conflicts, violence against UAGs, and the ways UAGs grapple with controlling behavior and violence. The findings show that perceptions, attitudes, and expectations about the behavior of these girls remain patriarchal despite changes in economic and social circumstances reshaping gender roles and practices. Patriarchy finds new ways of controlling the girls by imposing dress codes, setting new boundaries for mobility and interaction with the opposite sex, and inflicting different forms of violence at different levels of the society. Some girls attempt to avoid violence by conforming to the new rules, while many negotiate the new boundaries with the family, romantic partner, and community. UAGs sometimes make compromises in one domain or level, while they resist control and violence in another. The findings lend support to the patriarchal bargain theory. Promotion of nonpatriarchal norms is expected to reduce vulnerability of these girls to violence.
Early Maladaptive Schemas and Social Information Processing in Child-to-Parent Aggression
Authors: Orue Izaskun , Calvete Esther , Fernández-González Liria
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to assess the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and child-to-parent aggression (CPA) and to test whether social information processing (SIP) mediates this association. A total of 903 adolescents (50.9% girls) completed measures of EMSs at Time 1, SIP at Time 1 and Time 2 (1 year later), and CPA at Time 1, Time 2, and Time 3 (2 years later) to determine whether SIP measured at Time 2 mediated between the EMSs measured at Time 1 and CPA measured at Time 3. The results showed that each schema evaluated in this study had a different effect on SIP components and CPA. The SIP components of anger and aggressive response access in turn predicted CPA, mediating the relationship between two EMSs and CPA. More specifically, the schemas of defectiveness and the justification of violence predicted the response access component of SIP, which in turn predicted CPA. The results also showed bidirectional relationships between SIP components and CPA; whereas SIP components predicted CPA, the latter also predicted a worsening in SIP, perpetuating the problem. Furthermore, several gender differences were found in these paths. The findings indicate that intervention in the social-cognitive mechanisms is important to reduce adolescents’ aggression directed toward their parents.
Front Business–Back Business: The Social Anatomy of Small-Time Drug Dealing in a Mexico City Neighborhood
Authors: Chomczyński Piotr A. , Guy Roger , Cortina-Cortés Rodrigo
Published: February 2019

Research introduced here draws on over two years of ongoing qualitative work of low-level drug dealers in a Mexico City neighborhood. Through interviews and participant observation, we explore the social mechanisms that sustain and facilitate informal drug dealing. Our findings indicate that the sale of illicit products, especially drugs, is a needed supplement to household income that expands and contracts according to economic need. Drug selling is integrated into the context of small licit (front) businesses in which dealers sell small amounts of marijuana and cocaine to trusted clients as a (back) business. These “back businesses” are protected by those who operate them, and family, community members, and corrupt officials who benefit from their existence. Finally, the dealers that we studied occupy a unique niche in the overall structure of drug dealing in the neighborhood by remaining under the radar by not attracting the attention of drug cartels.
Coupled analysis of the unsteady aerodynamics and multi-body dynamics of a small car overtaking a coach
Authors: Liu Jun , Gu Zhengqi , Huang Taiming , Li Shuya , Zheng Ledian , Sun Kai
Published: February 2019

The severe additional aerodynamic loads that are generated on a small car when overtaking a coach have an adverse effect on the car handling stability and its safety. In this article, a two-way coupling of the unsteady aerodynamics and multi-body dynamics is performed in order to study the mutual interactions of a car in an overtaking maneuver with a coach. The unsteady aerodynamic interactions are obtained by using SST (Menter) K-Omega Detached Eddy Simulation and overset mesh technology. The aerodynamics couple the multi-body dynamics, taking into account the effects of the transverse spacing and the cross winds. To validate the necessity of the two-way coupling method, a one-way coupling of the aerodynamics to the vehicle motion is also conducted. Finally, by comparing the aerodynamic loads and the dynamic response of the overtaking car in different overtaking maneuvers between one- and two-way coupling, the results show that it should be considered with two-way coupling analyses of the car while overtaking a coach, particularly under the severe conditions of a lower transverse spacing or the crosswinds.
Estimation of feasible ranges of functional tire characteristics based on tire dimension, inflation pressure, and wheel load
Authors: Strigel Adrian , Peckelsen Ulrico , Unrau Hans-Joachim , Gauterin Frank
Published: February 2019

The functional properties of a tire contribute significantly to the achievement of the overall vehicle targets in terms of driving performance, fuel consumption, and comfort. Tire development based on functional tire characteristics enables the use of objective target values across all topics and thus contributes to a clear target agreement between tire and vehicle manufacturers. Development tires can be evaluated on the basis of test bench measurements and duration as well as financial costs can be reduced in this way. The increasingly strict and conflicting targets imposed by legal and customer-related requirements are a major challenge. In order to reach the long-term goals, methods for evaluating all requirements with regard to their feasibility are needed. Within the scope of this study, different geometrical and physical influences on the functional tire characteristics lateral grip, cornering stiffness, and lateral relaxation length are statistically analyzed on the basis of numerous test bench measurements. These functional tire characteristics are set in relation to the tire dimension, the inflation pressure, and the wheel load. Based on this, a method for estimating realizable ranges of the functional tire characteristics is derived. This method can then be used to identify existing conflicts between targets and development priorities can be set accordingly.
Heterarchical social organizations and relational models: Understanding gender biases in psychological science
Authors: Schoenherr Jordan Richard , Dopko Raelyne L.
Published: February 2019

In the present study, we sought to explain changes in the proportion of men and women working within North American psychological science in terms of a heterarchical social organization defined by norms and conventions of society, the structure of higher-education institutions, as well as scientific communities. Using archival records from psychology within the U.S., we found that the demographic shift from male-dominated to female-dominated reflects an asymptotic relationship that has been established in the last two decades. An examination of three potential indicators of status (PhD department appointments, general science awards, and scientific awards in psychology) did not indicate a similar trend compared to the ascension of women within psychological science. We believe that this reflects a heterarchical structure: disparate criteria were used to assign women’s status in the social networks of academic institutions and scientific research. Moreover, we also claim that the increase in the number of women and “female-associated” topics has resulted in a general change in the status of psychology.
Post out-of-hospital cardiac arrest care in a tertiary care center in southern Thailand: From emergency department to intensive care unit
Authors: Vattanavanit Veerapong , Uppanisakorn Supattra , Nilmoje Thanapon
Published: February 2019

Background:

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest results in a high mortality rate. The 2015 American Heart Association guideline for post-cardiac arrest was launched and adopted into our institutional policy.

Objectives:

We aimed to evaluate post-cardiac arrest care and compare the results with the 2015 American Heart Association guideline and clinical outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.

Methods

Included in this study were all adult patients who survived out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and were admitted to the Medical Intensive Care Unit of Songklanagarind Hospital, Thailand. The retrospective review was from 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2017.

Results:

From a total of 161 post-cardiac arrest patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit, 69 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients were identified. The most common cause of arrest was presumed cardiac in origin (45.0%) in which the majority was acute myocardial infarction (67.8%). Coronary intervention and targeted temperature management were performed in 27.5% and 13% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients, respectively. Survival to hospital discharge was 42%. Independent factors associated with survival to discharge were shockable rhythms, lower adrenaline doses, and the absence of hypotension at medical intensive care unit admission.

Conclusion:

Compliance with the 2015 American Heart Association post-cardiac arrest care guideline was low in our institution, especially in coronary intervention and targeted temperature management.
An optimized molecular method for detection of influenza A virus using improved generic primers and concentration of the viral genomic RNA and nucleoprotein complex
Authors: Kim Ji-Woon , Lee Chung-Young , Nguyen Thanh Trung , Kim Il-Hwan , Kwon Hyuk-Joon , Kim Jae-Hong
Published: February 2019

For reported primer sets used to detect influenza A viruses (IAVs), we verified the nucleotide identities with 9,103 complete sequences of matrix (M) genes. At best, only 93.2% and 85.3% of the sequences had a 100% match with reported forward and reverse primers, respectively. Therefore, we designed new degenerate forward and reverse primers with 100% identity to 94.4% and 96.2% of compared genes, respectively, and the primer set was used with SYBR-based reverse-transcription real-time PCR (SYBR-RT-rtPCR) for lower detection limits. The sensitivity of SYBR-RT-rtPCR with the new primers was 10-fold higher than that with a conventional method in ~2.37% of all M genes in the database used in our study. We successfully increased the sensitivity of SYBR-RT-rtPCR by concentrating the viral ribonucleoprotein (RNP) using immunomagnetic beads and Triton X-100. The improved generic primer set and RNP concentration method may be useful for sensitive detection of IAVs.
Intrapericardial Encephalitozoon pogonae–associated arteritis with fatal hemopericardium in two juvenile central bearded dragons
Authors: Wünschmann Arno , Armién Aníbal G. , Childress April L. , Wellehan James F. X. , Giannitti Federico
Published: February 2019

Two male juvenile central bearded dragons ( Pogona vitticeps) were submitted for postmortem examination after dying at their respective homes. Dragon 1 had marked hemopericardium with restrictive epicarditis. The inner aspect of the distended pericardial sac was lined by a fibrinoheterophilic membrane. In addition, granulomas abutted the testes. Dragon 2 had acute hemopericardium and granulomatous arteritis of the great vessels exiting the heart. Histologically, both animals had granulomatous arteritis of the large arteries with intrahistiocytic gram-positive, slightly elongated, up to 2 μm long microorganisms that contained a vacuole. These microorganisms were also present in the paratesticular granulomas. On transmission electron microscopy, the microorganisms were identified as microsporidians given the presence of exospore, endospore, vacuole, nucleus, and a filament with 4–6 coils. The microsporidia were identified as Encephalitozoon pogonae based on sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 of the ribosomal RNA genes. Microsporidia are agents of disease in bearded dragons. Intrapericardial arteritis of large arteries with hemopericardium or restrictive epicarditis is a fatal manifestation of this infection.
Dynamic analysis of multilayered magnetoelectroelastic plates based on a pseudo-Stroh formalism and Lagrange polynomials
Authors: Ewolo Ngak Frank Pékin , Ntamack Guy Edgar , Azrar Lahcen
Published: February 2019

In this article, a semi-analytical three-dimensional modeling of dynamic behavior of the multilayered magnetoelectroelastic plates under simply supported edges boundary conditions is derived. A combination of pseudo-Stroh formalism and the Lagrange polynomials is elaborated for the space and time response. The time domain is subdivided into small intervals that are discretised using the associated Tchybechev points. The layer-time solution is elaborated in time-dependent matrix form. The propagator matrices are used for the laminated multifunctional plates with an arbitrary number of layers. Extended-traction vectors are obtained for mechanical, electrical, and magnetic excitations. To validate the elaborated numerical procedure, the dynamic behavior of the three layered plates made of piezoelectric material [Formula: see text] and piezomagnetic material [Formula: see text] is investigated. The lower surface of the plate is assumed to be traction free, whereas the upper surface is subjected to a dynamic sinusoidal loading. The obtained results are in good agreement with the available ones based on the Layer wise and the state-space approaches. These results demonstrated that a magnetoelectric coupling coefficient is time-independent but depends strongly on the kind of imperfect interfaces and the taking sequences of the multilayered plates. Furthermore, it is established that the imperfect interfaces have a strong influence on the dynamic behavior of the laminated structures.
“Check Yourself”: Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teachers of Students With Challenging Behaviors
Authors: Haydon Todd , Alter Peter , Hawkins Renee , Kendall Theado Connie
Published: February 2019

In this article, we open with a discussion of stress and its potential impact on the teaching profession. We then follow with an empirical rationale for and steps in the implementation of potentially promising mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions for teachers, particularly teachers of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Body scan, calm breathing, focused attention, and relaxation are highlighted. A list of resources for further use of MBSR is included.
Teaching Truth, Lies, and Accuracy in the Digital Age: Media Literacy as Project-Based Learning
Authors: Friesem Yonty
Published: February 2019

The post-truth era has challenged traditional ways of teaching journalism and media literacy. Media literacy education can offer a useful lens for teaching students to be more critical. This pedagogy article describes a semester-long undergraduate course designed to deconstruct information disorder in the post-truth era by looking at economics, ideology, and power relations. Applying a project-based learning model allowed students to enhance their digital and media literacy skills by inquiring about the accuracy of a variety of sources centered on a single story.
Emotional Appeals in Tourism TV Commercials: A Psycho-Physiological Study
Authors: Li Shanshi
Published: February 2019

This study adopts psycho-physiological techniques to examine the impacts of different types of emotional appeals (used in tourism TV commercials) on consumers’ emotional and evaluative responses. A total of 101 participants were exposed to 18 existing tourism TVCs while their psycho-physiological and self-report data were collected. Findings suggest that emotional appeals in tourism advertising should not be considered as homogeneous. Specifically, different types of emotional appeals in tourism TVCs can be discriminated based on their ability to evoke emotional responses. More important, the results of this article have advanced the general theories addressing the effects of ad-evoked emotions on advertising effects and concluded that the role ad-evoked emotion plays in generating consumers’ emotional and evaluative responses depended on the type of emotional appeal used. Methodological, theoretical, and practical implications of this study are discussed.
Burnout in Blue: An Analysis of the Extent and Primary Predictors of Burnout Among Law Enforcement Officers in the United States
Authors: McCarty William P. , Aldirawi Hani , Dewald Stacy , Palacios Mariana
Published: February 2019

Job-related burnout is a significant concern for researchers, law enforcement administrators, and government authorities because of its broader effects on officer health, job performance, and service provided to the public. This topic is particularly relevant amidst a variety of complex challenges and heightened scrutiny surrounding law enforcement officers, their decisions, and relations with the public. Although much work has been conducted on burnout among police officers, the aim of this study is to build on the literature through analyzing survey data from roughly 13,000 sworn respondents representing 89 agencies throughout the United States to describe the extent of two components of burnout—emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Then, based on Leiter and Maslach’s (2004) six areas of worklife, this study uses multivariate analysis to identify the primary predictors of those two components of burnout and how they are shaped by the characteristics of the agencies and communities in which these officers work. The analysis indicates approximately 19% of the total sample was experiencing severe levels of emotional exhaustion and 13% had extreme values of depersonalization. In addition, regression analyses suggest that specific measures of workload and values were the strongest predictors of emotional exhaustion, while depersonalization was driven by similar factors in addition to a measure of community that tapped into relations with the public. Furthermore, little empirical support was found for the importance of agency and community-level variables as predictors of either component of burnout. A discussion of how to translate those results into efforts to mitigate burnout is also presented.
Dual Analysis of Virus-Host Interactions: The Case of Ostreid herpesvirus 1 and the Cupped Oyster Crassostrea gigas
Authors: Rosani Umberto , Young Tim , Bai Chang-Ming , Alfaro Andrea C. , Venier Paola
Published: February 2019

Dual analyses of the interactions between Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) and the bivalve Crassostrea gigas during infection can unveil events critical to the onset and progression of this viral disease and can provide novel strategies for mitigating and preventing oyster mortality. Among the currently used “omics” technologies, dual transcriptomics (dual RNA-seq) coupled with the analysis of viral DNA in the host tissues has greatly advanced the knowledge of genes and pathways mostly contributing to host defense responses, expression profiles of annotated and unknown OsHV-1 open reading frames (ORFs), and viral genome variability. In addition to dual RNA-seq, proteomics and metabolomics analyses have the potential to add complementary information, needed to understand how a malacoherpesvirus can redirect and exploit the vital processes of its host. This review explores our current knowledge of “omics” technologies in the study of host-pathogen interactions and highlights relevant applications of these fields of expertise to the complex case of C gigas infections by OsHV-1, which currently threaten the mollusk production sector worldwide.
How influencer ‘mumpreneur’ bloggers and ‘everyday’ mums frame presenting their children online
Authors: Archer Catherine
Published: February 2019

The rise of mum/mom/mommy bloggers has been a worldwide trend, with some mum bloggers now earning a significant income from their personal ‘brand’ and role as social media influencers. As ‘prosumers’ (i.e. consumers turned producers), successful mum bloggers are often courted by international brands and organisations. While mum bloggers were early adopters in the digital landscape, everyday (non-blogging) mums have also embraced technology and have become avid users of social media, in particular Facebook, and are sometimes influenced by the bloggers they follow. Invariably, as pro-am mothers, mumpreneur bloggers use their families (in particular, their young children) as characters in their story posts and also co-opt them in sponsorship and other money-making opportunities. These posts help the audience identify with the bloggers, increasing their social capital and influence. Everyday mothers may also follow the example set by the mumpreneurs, sharing images and stories related to their offspring, sometimes from the first ultrasound scan. This article investigates and compares the motivations, hesitations and justifications of both influencer mumpreneur bloggers and everyday mums related to sharing their children’s images and stories.
Multiple ontologies of Alzheimer’s disease in Still Alice and A Song for Martin: A feminist visual studies of technoscience perspective
Authors: Lukić Dragana
Published: February 2019

The prevalence of dementia is increasing worldwide but there is still no hope of a cure. Huge resources go into biomedical research, whose reductive ‘enactment’ has severe consequences for women, who are predominantly affected by dementia. To challenge such tragic enactment, this article considers ‘multiple ontologies’ of the most common type of dementia – Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – in the popular fictional film adaptations Still Alice (2014) and A Song for Martin ( En sång för Martin, 2000). Using a post-humanist account of feminist visual studies of technoscience, this comparative film analysis reveals how gender supersedes AD oversteering the hierarchical dualisms between health and pathology, human and nonhuman, and biomedical and artistic modes of knowing about Alzheimer’s. The author argues that these films stress the potential of the arts (dramatic arts and music), as a multisensorial post-humanist embodied state of becoming with AD, to challenge hierarchical dualisms and innovatively contribute to dementia care.
The populist allure of social media activism: Individualized charismatic authority
Authors: Gustafsson Nils , Weinryb Noomi
Published: February 2019

This article argues that the type of individualized social media activism that has been conceptualized as ‘connective action’ has affinities to populism, and may have detrimental consequences for democratic procedures and the bureaucratic structures that enable them. We trace the normative allure of individualized digital engagement to the libertarian roots of techno-utopianism and argue that this, in combination with a form of mobilization fueled by digital enthusiasm, has potentially dire democratic and organizational consequences. Digital enthusiasm generated on social media platforms entails self-infatuation, here conceptualized as a form of individualized charismatic authority in the Weberian sense. This individualized form of charismatic authority is fundamentally focused on personalized engagement, and simultaneously interconnected through the technological affordances of social media platforms. If individualized charismatic authority becomes institutionalized as a legitimate and predominant manner of organizing, it may have large-scale implications for societal organizing at large by promoting populism. In sum, we argue that digital enthusiasm not only provides democratic opportunities for protest and contention in civil society, but that the fickleness of the individualized charismatic authority it generates may also put democratic procedures and respect for bureaucratic structures at risk.