bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aquinas and the Natural Law
Authors: Seipel Peter
Published: January 2015

Recent decades have seen a shift away from the traditional view thatAquinas's theory of the natural law is meant to supply us with normative guidance grounded in a substantive theory of human nature. In the present essay,Iargue that this is a mistake. Expanding on the suggestions ofJeanPorter andRalphMcInerny,Idefend a derivationist reading ofST I‐II,Q. 94,A. 2 according to whichAquinas takes our knowledge of the genuine goods of human life and their proper ordering to one another to be self‐evident only to the wise who are able to discern the truth about ourGod‐given human nature. I then show that this reading provides a better account ofAquinas's view than two recent alternatives:JohnFinnis's brand of inclinationism andDanielMarkNelson's virtue‐based interpretation.
Sexuality and Christian Tradition
Authors: Newheiser David
Published: January 2015

This essay aims to clarify the debate over same‐sex unions by comparing it to the fourth‐century conflict concerning the nature of Jesus Christ. Although some suppose that the council of Nicaea reiterated what Christians had always believed, the Nicene theology championed by Athanasius was a dramatic innovation that only won out through protracted struggle. Similarly, despite the widespread assumption that Christian tradition univocally condemns homosexuality, the concept of sexuality is a nineteenth‐century invention with no exact analogue in the ancient world. Neither heterosexuality nor homosexuality is addressed directly in Christian tradition; for this reason, the significance of older authorities for the modern debate is necessarily indirect. The dichotomy between progressive and conservative positions is therefore misguided: it is necessary neither to abandon tradition for the sake of progress nor to oppose innovation for the sake of fidelity.
Getting it Right
Authors: Johnson James Turner
Published: January 2015

In addition to noting significant differences of interpretation between me and Kristopher Norris on understanding classic just war thought and judging its importance, this Comment flags errors of fact and faulty logic in the Norris essay.
Bone density assessment in a tertiary paediatric centre over 13 years: Referral patterns and limitations
Authors: Jones Alicia R , Zacharin Margaret R , Cameron Fergus J , Simm Peter J
Published: January 2015

Aim

This study aims to examine the referral practices for the Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) bone density service over the past 13 years and to demonstrate referral patterns and possible limitations to accessing paediatric bone densitometry.

Methods

All patients attending the RCH Healthy Bones Unit for bone densitometry from 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2012, aged under 18 years of age, were included. Densitometry results were downloaded directly from the Hologic scanner into an Excel document. However, the referring unit and indication for referral were collected manually from either the referral card or the hospital's scanned medical records system.

Results

A total of 5767 bone densitometry scans were performed over the study period on 3004 patients. The majority of referrals were made by the Endocrinology department, followed by Adolescent Medicine, Gastroenterology and Neurology. Relatively few referrals were made by general paediatrics. The most common indication for bone density test overall was eating disorders, followed by steroid use, osteogenesis imperfecta and other collagen disorders and inflammatory bowel disease. The lowest lumbar spine z‐scores by indication were for cerebral palsy and other causes of immobility.

Conclusions

Multiple childhood diseases predispose to low bone density; however, paediatric bone densitometry is still underutilised and not appropriately supported by subsidies.
Exploratory study of bed‐sharing and maternal‐infant bonding
Authors: Mitchell Edwin A , Hutchison B Lynne , Thompson John MD , Wouldes Trecia A
Published: January 2015

Aim

Bed‐sharing with an infant is controversial due to the increased risk of sudden unexpected death in infancy versus postulated benefits of the practice such as enhanced breastfeeding and maternal‐infant bonding. This study evaluated the association between bed‐sharing and maternal‐infant bonding.

Methods

Four hundred randomly selected mothers who had delivered in a large maternity unit in Auckland and whose infants were between the ages of 6 weeks and 4 months were sent a postal questionnaire asking about their bed‐sharing practices last night, usually, and in the last 2 weeks. Included in the questionnaire were factors 1 and 2 questions from the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire to assess maternal‐infant bonding.

Results

Responders totalled 172 (43%), and infants were a mean age of 11 weeks. Fourteen per cent of infants slept in a bed‐sharing situation last night, 8% usually, and 41% had slept with an adult in the last 2 weeks. Nine per cent of mothers scored above the cut‐off for factor 1 for impaired maternal‐infant bonding. Infants of these mothers were more likely to bed‐share last night, usually, and in the last 2 weeks, and were less likely to use a pacifier and to breastfeed. Bed‐sharing mothers scored more highly on individual questions relating to being annoyed or irritated by their baby.

Conclusion

There is an inverse association between bed‐sharing and maternal‐infant bonding, which is contrary to the often expressed belief that bed‐sharing enhances maternal‐infant bonding.
Dystrophin‐deficient muscular dystrophy in two lurcher siblings
Authors: Giannasi C. , Tappin S.W. , Guo L.T. , Shelton G.D. , Palus V.
Published: January 2015

Two cases of dystrophin‐deficient muscular dystrophy in 16‐week‐old male lurcher siblings are reported. The myopathies were characterised by regurgitation, progressive weakness and muscle wastage. The dogs had generalised weakness in all four limbs, with more pronounced weakness in the pelvic limbs. Reduced withdrawal in all limbs, muscle contracture and lingual hypertrophy were noted. Serum creatine kinase activities were markedly elevated. Electromyographic abnormalities included fibrillation potentials. Histopathological and immunohistochemical staining were consistent with dystrophin‐deficient muscular dystrophy. Clinical improvement was noted in one of the cases withl‐carnitine supplementation and supportive therapy. Genetic transmission of the disease was postulated as the dogs were siblings.
Intraspecific differentiation of Pleurospermum hookeri (Apiaceae), and its interspecific relationships with two close relatives in the genus Pleurospermum
Authors: Bai Xue , Ma Xiang‐Guang , Gao Yun‐Dong , Zhao Cai , He Xing‐Jin
Published: January 2015

In order to clarify the interspecific relationships of a lineage in Pleurospermum, P. hookeri C. B. Clarke, P. yunnanense Franch., and P. giraldii Diels, and to understand intraspecific divergence of P. hookeri, a phylogeographic study was carried out based on 198 individuals from 24 populations. Three chloroplast DNA regions, ndhF‐rpl32, trnL‐trnF, and trnQ‐rps16, were sequenced in the present study. The genetic relationship between P. hookeri and P. giraldii is not as close as previously assumed. Pleurospermum hookeri and P. giraldii may originate from an unknown ancestor located in the Qinling region. Pleurospermum yunnanense was found to be the closest relative of P. hookeri in all the species included in the phylogenetic analysis. The two haplotypes identified from P. yunnanense are shared with P. hookeri, which is potentially a result of both incomplete linkage sorting and introgression. Three large divergences within P. hookeri were identified, located at the northeastern edge, southeastern edge, and platform of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP), respectively. Long‐term history can explain the deep intraspecific divergence of P. hookeri. The uplift of the QTP played a key role in that divergence, and then were the climatic changes in the Quaternary. In addition, we found one refugium at the northeastern edge of the QTP, one at the southeastern edge, and at least one in the Hengduan Mountains region on the platform of the QTP.
Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic assessments of 10 mg/kg tramadol intramuscular injection in yellow‐bellied slider turtles (Trachemys scripta scripta)
Authors: Giorgi M. , Salvadori M. , De Vito V. , Owen H. , Demontis M. P. , Varoni M. V.
Published: January 2015

In reptiles, administration of opioid drugs has yielded unexpected results with respect to analgesia. The aims of this study were to assess the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) properties of tramadol and its active metabolite M1 and to evaluate the effect of the renal portal system on the PK/PD parameters in yellow‐bellied slider turtles. Turtles (n = 19) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, according to a masked, single‐dose, four‐treatment, unpaired, four‐period crossover design. Group A (n = 5) received a single i.m. dose of tramadol (50 mg/mL) at 10 mg/kg in the proximal hindlimb. Group B (n = 5) received the same i.m. dose but in the forelimb. Groups C (n = 5) and D (n = 4) received a single i.m. injection of saline (NaCl 0.9%) of equivalent volume to the volumes of tramadol injected in the hind‐ and forelimb, respectively. Groups were rotated (1‐month washout period) until the completion of the crossover study. Tramadol plasma concentrations were evaluated by a validated HPLC‐FL method. An infrared thermal stimulus was applied to the plantar surface of the turtles' hindlimbs to evaluate the thermal withdrawal latency (TWL). The two PK profiles of tramadol differed in the first 2 h following administration, but overlapped in the elimination phases. The metabolite M1 was formed in both the treatment groups, showing similar pharmacokinetic trends, although the amount of M1 was significantly higher (20%) in the hindlimb vs. forelimb group. Turtles given tramadol in the hind‐ and forelimb showed a significant increase in TWL over the periods of 0.5–48 and 8–48 h, respectively. The calculated % maximal possible response (% MPR) was low (about 24%). The PK/PD correlations between M1 plasma concentrations vs. % MPR appeared to show a counterclockwise hysteresis loop shape.
Long‐term changes in composition, diversity and distribution patterns in four herbaceous plant communities along an elevational gradient
Authors: Sproull Gregory J. , Quigley Martin F. , Sher Anna , González Eduardo
Published: January 2015

Questions

Have species expanded their ranges upward in elevation? Have α‐ and β‐diversity changed over time? Have species richness changes along the gradient shown distributional patterns? Have community compositions changed over time, and if so, which plant families are responsible for variation? Do herbaceous changes correspond to increased warming, overstorey shifts and disturbance events at each site?

Location

Long‐term Ecological Research (LTER) sites near Niwot Ridge, CO, US.

Methods

We surveyed four herbaceous plant communities along an elevational gradient for species composition, diversity and frequency. Our results were compared to those found in 1981 and 1996 in the same plots to determine long‐term community change at each site and along the elevational gradient. We evaluated changes in elevational species range expansion, community diversity, and composition. We related herbaceous change to tree data and site‐specific literature on climate and disturbance to analyze change patterns and drivers.

Results

Our investigation showed the upward range expansion of eight species. Alpha‐diversity changes were site‐specific, while species richness changes along the gradient did not exhibit distinctive patterns. Each community changed significantly (P < 0.05) in composition and in β‐diversity. Shade‐tolerant families increased in dominance at the three lower sites, which reflected succession‐driven canopy closure. Changes correlated to increased warming, overstorey shifts and disturbance.

Conclusions

Herb aceous communities have changed in dynamic ways, as evidenced by shifts in composition, diversity and distribution. We confirm the need for more long‐term studies that can offer robust insights into the interplay between change drivers, such as climate, biotic interactions and disturbance, which work in concert to determine community assemblage.
Recent Developments in 17th and 18th‐Century English Catholic Studies
Authors: Gevirtz Karen
Published: January 2015

The last 15 years have brought a revolution to research in 17th‐ and 18th‐century English Catholicism. New approaches, shaped primarily by New Historicism and gender studies, have expanded the materials, questions, and methods driving scholarly investigations. The article describes several primary trends within this revolution: the development of inward‐oriented and outward‐oriented studies examining English Catholicism and English Catholicism's relationship with other discourses, respectively; a growing interest in women's experiences of and contributions to English Catholicism, particularly those of English nuns in exile; and a new narrative for 18th‐century English Catholicism revealing its public as well as private iterations and impacts. Overall, current scholarship draws on a plethora of materials including material objects, texts, and space to construct an increasingly detailed picture of English Catholicism as a complex, dynamic force, and community during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Between Freud and Coleridge: Contemporary Scholarship on Victorian Literature and the Science of Dream‐states
Authors: Schatz Stephanie L.
Published: January 2015

The aim of this essay is to provide an overview of recent scholarship on specific kinds of sleep and dream‐states in 19th‐century literature and science and to note areas where there is an apparent dearth in order to encourage further research. The categories surveyed here are general studies of sleep and dream‐states, mesmerism and related trance‐like states (such as hypnotism and animal magnetism), déjà vu, and nightmares or Incubus (more recently termed “sleep paralysis”). Given the plurality and fluidity of historical approaches to understanding “dreamy” mental states, this survey will expand the contemporary literary corpus on dream‐states by including historical, scientific, anthropological, and other studies alongside literary criticism in order to suggest possible points of comparison across disciplines that have not been fully explored. As this survey will demonstrate, Victorian discussions of dream‐states were highly interdisciplinary in nature, and so reading different contemporary methodological approaches to these topics can illuminate ideas, questions, and points of interest that are not necessarily apparent from a single theoretical or disciplinary perspective. This multi‐discipline approach allows for a more pluralistic account of scholarship on Victorian dream‐states and will encourage greater cross‐talk among scholars and journals about Victorian dream‐states and their continuing relevance in contemporary literature, culture, and science.
The fungal core effector Pep1 is conserved across smuts of dicots and monocots
Authors: Hemetsberger Christoph , Mueller André N. , Matei Alexandra , Herrberger Christian , Hensel Götz , Kumlehn Jochen , Mishra Bagdevi , Sharma Rahul , Thines Marco , Hückelhoven Ralph , Doehlemann Gunther
Published: January 2015

The secreted fungal effector Pep1 is essential for penetration of the host epidermis and establishment of biotrophy in the Ustilago maydis–maize pathosystem. Previously, Pep1 was found to be an inhibitor of apoplastic plant peroxidases, which suppresses the oxidative burst, a primary immune response of the host plant and enables fungal colonization.

To investigate the conservation of Pep1 in other pathogens, genomes of related smut species were screened for pep1 orthologues. Pep1 proteins were produced in Escherichia coli for functional assays. The biological function of Pep1 was tested by heterologous expression in U. maydis and Hordeum vulgare.

Pep1 orthologues revealed a remarkable degree of sequence conservation, indicating that this effector might play a fundamental role in virulence of biotrophic smut fungi. Pep1 function and its role in virulence are conserved in different pathogenic fungi, even across the monocot–dicot border of host plants.

The findings described in this study classify Pep1 as a phylogenetically conserved fungal core effector. Furthermore, we documented the influence of Pep1 on the disease caused by Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei which is a non‐smut‐related pathosystem.
A gain‐of‐function mutation of plastidic invertase alters nuclear gene expression with sucrose treatment partially via GENOMES UNCOUPLED1‐mediated signaling
Authors: Maruta Takanori , Miyazaki Nozomi , Nosaka Ryota , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Padilla‐Chacon Daniel , Otori Kumi , Kimura Ayako , Tanabe Noriaki , Yoshimura Kazuya , Tamoi Masahiro , Shigeoka Shigeru
Published: January 2015

Plastid gene expression (PGE) is one of the signals that regulate the expression of photosynthesis‐associated nuclear genes (PhANGs) via GENOMES UNCOUPLED1 (GUN1)‐dependent retrograde signaling. We recently isolated Arabidopsis sugar‐inducible cotyledon yellow‐192 (sicy‐192), a gain‐of‐function mutant of plastidic invertase, and showed that following the treatment of this mutant with sucrose, the expression of PhANGs as well as PGE decreased, suggesting that the sicy‐192 mutation activates a PGE‐evoked and GUN1‐mediated retrograde pathway.

To clarify the relationship between the sicy‐192 mutation, PGE, and GUN1‐mediated pathway, plastid and nuclear gene expression in a double mutant of sicy‐192 and gun1‐101, a null mutant of GUN1 was studied.

Plastid‐encoded RNA polymerase (PEP)‐dependent PGE was markedly suppressed in the sicy‐192 mutant by the sucrose treatment, but the suppression as well as cotyledon yellow phenotype was not mitigated by GUN1 disruption. Microarray analysis revealed that the altered expression of nuclear genes such as PhANG in the sucrose‐treated sicy‐192 mutant was largely dependent on GUN1.

The present findings demonstrated that the sicy‐192 mutation alters nuclear gene expression with sucrose treatment via GUN1, which is possibly followed by inhibiting PEP‐dependent PGE, providing a new insight into the role of plastid sugar metabolism in nuclear gene expression.
Statistical Data and Mathematical Propositions
Authors: Juhl Cory
Published: January 2015

Statistical tests of the primality of some numbers look similar to statistical tests of many nonmathematical, clearly empirical propositions. Yet interpretations of probability prima facie appear to preclude the possibility of statistical tests of mathematical propositions. For example, it is hard to understand how the statement that n is prime could have a frequentist probability other than 0 or 1. On the other hand, subjectivist approaches appear to be saddled with ‘coherence’ constraints on rational probabilities that require rational agents to assign extremal probabilities to logical and mathematical propositions. In the light of these problems, many philosophers have come to think that there must be some way to generalize a Bayesian statistical account. In this article I propose that a classical frequentist approach should be reconsidered. I conclude that we can give a conditional justification of statistical testing of at least some mathematical hypotheses: if statistical tests provide us with reasons to believe or bet on empirical hypotheses in the standard situations, then they also provide us with reasons to believe or bet on mathematical hypotheses in the structurally similar mathematical cases.
A multivariate approach for assessing leaf photo‐assimilation performance using the IPL index
Authors: Losciale Pasquale , Manfrini Luigi , Morandi Brunella , Pierpaoli Emanuele , Zibordi Marco , Stellacci Anna Maria , Salvati Luca , Corelli Grappadelli Luca
Published: January 2015

The detection of leaf functionality is of pivotal importance for plant scientists from both theoretical and practical point of view. Leaves are the sources of dry matter and food, and they sequester CO2 as well. Under the perspective of climate change and primary resource scarcity (i.e. water, fertilizers and soil), assessing leaf photo‐assimilation in a rapid but comprehensive way can be helpful for understanding plant behavior under different environmental conditions and for managing the agricultural practices properly. Several approaches have been proposed for this goal, however, some of them resulted very efficient but little reliable. On the other hand, the high reliability and exhaustive information of some models used for estimating net photosynthesis are at the expense of time and ease of measurement. The present study employs a multivariate statistical approach to assess a model aiming at estimating leaf photo‐assimilation performance, using few and easy‐to‐measure variables. The model, parameterized for apple and pear and subjected to internal and external cross validation, involves chlorophyll fluorescence, carboxylative activity of ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo), air and leaf temperature. Results prove that this is a fair‐predictive model allowing reliable variable assessment. The dependent variable, called IPL index, was found strongly and linearly correlated to net photosynthesis. IPL and the model behind it seem to be (1) reliable, (2) easy and fast to measure and (3) usable in vivo and in the field for such cases where high amount of data is required (e.g. precision agriculture and phenotyping studies).
Macroeconomic Volatility, Institutional Instability and the Incentive to Innovate
Authors: Masino Serena
Published: January 2015

This study investigates the channels through which macroeconomic and institutional instability hinders innovative investment undertakings financed by the domestic private sector. The analysis is based on a sample of 44 countries and considers various instability dimensions. The results suggest a negative impact of real, monetary and political instability on the aggregate level of R&D financed by the business sector. Thus, highlighting the importance of stable macro‐institutional environments in preventing avoidance or abandonment of private innovation undertakings.
Financial Development and Economic Activity in Advanced and Developing Open Economies: Evidence from Panel Cointegration
Authors: Chortareas Georgios , Magkonis Georgios , Moschos Demetrios , Panagiotidis Theodore
Published: January 2015

This study considers the effects of financial development on output in a panel cointegration framework, focusing on the implications of trade and financial openness. Our analysis indicates that after controlling for cross‐sectional dependence, the typical relationship between finance and output does not hold in the long run. This relationship, however, is re‐established once we account for economic openness. While trade openness emerges as more important for developing countries, financial openness is more important for advanced economies. In the long run, causality runs from financial development to output in the advanced economies, while in developing economies causality is bidirectional. There is no short‐run causality between financial development and output, however.
Network Model-Assisted Inference from Respondent-Driven Sampling Data
Authors: Gile Krista J. , Handcock Mark S.
Published: January 2015

Respondent-driven sampling is a widely used method for sampling hard-to-reach human populations by link tracing over their social networks. Inference from such data requires specialized techniques because the sampling process is both partially beyond the control of the researcher, and partially implicitly defined. Therefore, it is not generally possible to compute the sampling weights for traditional design-based inference directly, and likelihood inference requires modelling the complex sampling process. As an alternative, we introduce a model-assisted approach, resulting in a design-based estimator leveraging a working network model. We derive a new class of estimators for population means and a corresponding bootstrap standard error estimator. We demonstrate improved performance compared with existing estimators, including adjustment for an initial convenience sample. We also apply the method and an extension to the estimation of the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus in a high-risk population.
Realtime Nowcasting with a Bayesian Mixed Frequency Model with Stochastic Volatility
Authors: Carriero Andrea , Clark Todd E. , Marcellino Massimiliano
Published: January 2015

The paper develops a method for producing current quarter forecasts of gross domestic product growth with a (possibly large) range of available within-the-quarter monthly observations of economic indicators, such as employment and industrial production, and financial indicators, such as stock prices and interest rates. In light of existing evidence of time variation in the variances of shocks to gross domestic product, we consider versions of the model with both constant variances and stochastic volatility. We use Bayesian methods to estimate the model, to facilitate providing shrinkage on the (possibly large) set of model parameters and conveniently generate predictive densities. We provide results on the accuracy of nowcasts of realtime gross domestic product growth in the USA from 1985 through 2011. In terms of point forecasts, our proposal improves significantly on auto-regressive models and performs comparably with survey forecasts. In addition, it provides reliable density forecasts, for which the stochastic volatility specification is quite useful.
From Sample Average Treatment Effect to Population Average Treatment Effect on the Treated: Combining Experimental with Observational Studies to Estimate Population Treatment Effects
Authors: Hartman Erin , Grieve Richard , Ramsahai Roland , Sekhon Jasjeet S.
Published: January 2015

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) can provide unbiased estimates of sample average treatment effects. However, a common concern is that RCTs may fail to provide unbiased estimates of population average treatment effects. We derive the assumptions that are required to identify population average treatment effects from RCTs. We provide placebo tests, which formally follow from the identifying assumptions and can assess whether they hold. We offer new research designs for estimating population effects that use non-randomized studies to adjust the RCT data. This approach is considered in a cost-effectiveness analysis of a clinical intervention: pulmonary artery catheterization.
A Bayesian Framework for Estimating Disease Risk Due to Exposure to Uranium Mine and Mill Waste on the Navajo Nation
Authors: Hund Lauren , Bedrick Edward J. , Miller Curtis , Huerta Gabriel , Nez Teddy , Ramone Sandy , Shuey Chris , Cajero Miranda , Lewis Johnnye
Published: January 2015

More than 1100 abandoned mines, milling sites and waste piles from the uranium mining period are scattered across the Navajo Nation, resulting in exposures to environmental metals, including uranium. The Diné Network for Environmental Health project began in response to concerns regarding the community health effects of these environmental exposures on chronic disease. The paper presents the results of the initial Diné Network for Environmental Health survey of 1304 individuals living on the Navajo Nation. We examine the relationship between uranium mine waste exposure and kidney disease, diabetes and hypertension. These chronic diseases are found at high prevalences in the study population, present major public health risks and have been linked to metals exposures in other studies. We model the exposure–outcome relationship by using a multivariate model for the three binary responses. We implement a Bayesian multivariate t-model, which has marginal log-odds ratio parameter interpretations and is computationally efficient. In examining environmental exposures, appropriately adjusting for potential confounders is pivotal to obtaining policy relevant effect estimates. We use Bayesian model averaging to account for uncertainty in the functional form for confounding adjustment within a small set of measured confounders. Using this multivariate framework, we find evidence of associations between these chronic diseases and both historic mining era and legacy mining exposures.
Validation of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults in a Danish population
Authors: Emtekær Hæsum Lisa Korsbakke , Ehlers Lars , Hejlesen Ole K.
Published: January 2015

Objective

To describe how the original American full‐length version of the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) was translated and adapted for use in the Danish setting and culture. A reliable Danish version of the TOFHLA was created and pretested using patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as case group.

Methods

Forty‐two patients with COPD completed the Danish TOFHLA and participated in a face‐to‐face interview concerning their basic demographics. Statistical analyses were conducted to explore the demographic data provided by the participants and to determine the internal consistency and reliability of the Danish TOFHLA.

Results

The mean age of sample was 68.7 years (range 34–86). The face validity, internal consistency and item to scale correlations of the Danish TOFHLA were determined and found to fulfil well‐established criteria; on this basis, we found the reliability and consistency of the Danish TOFHLA to be satisfying.

Conclusion

The Danish TOFHLA is now ready for application in future research projects, which test levels of functional health literacy in an elderly Danish population at risk of chronic diseases. The evolvement in the measurement of health literacy is still ongoing, as there is a need to refine existing methods. Until recently, there has been a total lack of instruments for assessing health literacy in Scandinavia; it is hoped that this development of the Danish TOFHLA will promote further research within the field of health literacy in Scandinavia and other European countries.
Factors connected with positive life orientation at age 70, 80, 85 and 90 – The Turku Elderly Study
Authors: Eloranta Sini , Arve Seija , Isoaho Hannu , Lehtonen Aapo , Viitanen Matti
Published: January 2015

Background

A positive life orientation (PLO) is important for staying healthy physically, mentally and functionally. However, little is known about the factors connected with PLO in home‐dwelling older people, even though it is an important topic.

Aim

The aim of this study was to identify factors connected with positive life orientation among home‐dwelling older people.

Study design

An explorative, population‐based cross‐sectional study of the age cohort of 70‐year‐olds living at home at the age of 70, 80, 85 and 90.

Methods

The data were collected in 1991 among all residents of Turku, Finland, born in 1920 (N = 1530). Follow‐ups were conducted in 2001 (n = 656), 2006 (n = 304) and 2011 (n = 156). A multiple regression analysis was conducted to estimate a model of factors that connected with PLO.

Results

Several factors were significantly connected with PLO at ages 70, 80, 85 and 90. For example, if 70‐year‐old respondents perceived themselves as being in better health than others of the same age, it improved their PLO. We also observed that PLO was improved by good self‐rated health during the past 12 months at 80, good self‐rated health at 85 and good self‐rated health compared to others of the same age at 90. The various explanatory models explained between 24 and 36% of the variance in outcomes.

Conclusion

Overall, our results showed that the respondents' own subjective views were significant independent factors of PLO in all four analyses (70, 80, 85 and 90 years). These subjective experiences remained significant even when objective indicators such as medication use, the presence of diseases and functional capacity were taken into account.
Mental Disorders, Comorbidity, and Pre‐enlistment Suicidal Behavior Among New Soldiers in the U.S. Army: Results from the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS)
Authors: Nock Matthew K. , Ursano Robert J. , Heeringa Steven G. , Stein Murray B. , Jain Sonia , Raman Rema , Sun Xiaoying , Chiu Wai Tat , Colpe Lisa J. , Fullerton Carol S. , Gilman Stephen E. , Hwang Irving , Naifeh James A. , Rosellini Anthony J. , Sampson Nancy A. , Schoenbaum Michael , Zaslavsky Alan M. , Kessler Ronald C. ,   the Army STARRS Collaborators
Published: January 2015

We examined the associations between mental disorders and suicidal behavior (ideation, plans, and attempts) among new soldiers using data from the New Soldier Study (NSS) component of the Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers (Army STARRS; N = 38,507). Most new soldiers with a pre‐enlistment history of suicide attempt reported a prior mental disorder (59.0%). Each disorder examined was associated with increased odds of suicidal behavior (ORs = 2.6–8.6). Only PTSD and disorders characterized by irritability and impulsive/aggressive behavior (i.e., bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder) predicted unplanned attempts among ideators. Mental disorders are important predictors of pre‐enlistment suicidal behavior among new soldiers and should figure prominently in suicide screening and prevention efforts.
ANN‐based pedotransfer and soil spatial prediction functions for predicting Atterberg consistency limits and indices from easily available properties at the watershed scale in western Iran
Authors: Zolfaghari Z. , Mosaddeghi M. R. , Ayoubi S.
Published: January 2015

Atterberg consistency limits (liquid limit, LL; plastic limit, PL; shrinkage limit, SL) and indices (plasticity index, PI; friability index, FI) are useful indicators of soil mechanical behaviour. This study was conducted to evaluate the use of soil and environmental data for predicting Atterberg limits or indices using artificial neural network (ANN) models at the watershed scale in western Iran. The LL, PL, SL, PI, FI, particle size distribution, organic matter (OM) and calcium carbonate equivalent (CCE) were measured in soil samples collected from 113 locations. Three sets of readily available properties were employed as inputs. The first of these data sets or models consisted of soil properties. The second included topographic attributes and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the third was a combination of soil, topographic attributes and NDVI. Developed ANN models could explain a majority of the variability (62–94%) in Atterberg limits and indices. Greatest and poorest performances were attributed to the third and first models, respectively. No significant efficacy difference was observed between the second and third models. Therefore, the second data set with its readily available environmental variables is suggested for use in predicting Atterberg limits and indices at the regional scale. Sensitivity analysis showed that NDVI, OM, clay content, CCE and topographic attributes (wetness index, elevation, plan curvature and slope) could explain much of the variance associated with Atterberg limits and indices at the watershed scale in western Iran.
Remark: Long‐Distance Reflexives, Blocking Effects, and the Structure of Mandarin Comparatives
Authors: Hsieh I‐Ta Chris
Published: January 2015

Drawing on data concerning the long‐distance dependency of the Mandarin bare reflexive ziji ‘self’ in embedded comparatives, this remark compares two types of analyses of Mandarin comparatives—the Reduction Analysis and the Direct Analysis. The discussion shows that the long‐distance dependency of ziji in an embedded comparative can be easily captured in the Reduction Analysis, where a deletion operation is involved in the derivation; however, the Direct Analysis, where the constituent size of the standard of comparison is transparent, encounters challenges when facing the same data.
‘Cabin pressure’: designing affective atmospheres in airline travel
Authors: Lin Weiqiang
Published: January 2015

This article considers the affective design and atmospheric manipulation of spaces of transportation before they are made available for use or consumption. Recent scholarship emphasises the experiential aspect of these onboard spaces, and how affective atmospheres are spontaneously conjured and felt amidst mobility. This article aims to develop a keener understanding of the role of transport providers in (co)founding such ambiences, and makes a case for the importance of their prior manipulations. Taking the aircraft cabin as an example where transport operators labour to (pre)shape passenger experience, I interrogate the early organisational practices of one non‐Western airline – Singapore (SIA) – in deploying flight attendants known as Singapore Girls to imbue its cabins with certain strategic atmospheres by design. Empirical sections draw on staff newsletters and newspaper reports to show how SIA sought to induce comforting moods of Oriental hospitality, familiarity and quickened senses of care within its cabins through its crew members. While this research focuses on the design intentions of an airline, its findings have wide‐ranging implications on the future study of affective atmospheres in terms of their pre‐fabrication in a variety of consumer contexts. Relevant to scholars of geography, mobilities, tourism and beyond, this article draws ethical attention to the politics of such methods of anticipatory atmosphere‐making, and prompts further questions about their global circulation.
Equine bone marrow volume reduction, red blood cell depletion, and mononuclear cell recovery using the PrepaCyte‐CB processing system
Authors: Burton Andrew G. , Clark Kaitlin C. , Borjesson Dori L. , Carrade Danielle D. , Burges Julie , Owens Sean D.
Published: January 2015

Background

Volume reduction and RBC depletion of equine bone marrow specimens are necessary processing steps for the immediate therapeutic use of bone marrow (BM)‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), and for MSC expansion in culture.

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ability of the PrepaCyte‐CB processing system to reduce volume, deplete RBC, and recover mononuclear cells (MNC) from equine BM specimens.

Methods

One hundred and twenty mL of heparinized BM were obtained from each of 90 horses. A CBC was performed on the BM pre‐ and post‐PrepaCyte‐CB processing. Volume and RBC reduction, and total nucleated cell (TNC) and MNC recoveries were determined.

Results

Bone marrow volume was reduced from 120 mL to 21 mL with a median RBC depletion of 90.1% (range, 62.0–96.7%). The median preprocessing total TNC count was 2.2 × 109 (range, 0.46–7.9 × 109) and the median postprocessing TNC count was 1.7 × 109 (range, 0.3–4.4 × 109; P < .0001), with a median recovery of 73.5% (range, 22.4–216.7%). The median preprocessing total MNC count was 0.9 × 109 (range, 0.1–4.7 × 109) and median postprocessing total MNC count was 0.8 × 109 (range, 0.1–2.7 × 109; P = .06), with a median recovery of 83.7% (range, 15.4–413.9%).

Conclusions

The PrepaCyte‐CB processing system can be used to deplete both volume and RBC, and recover MNC from equine BM specimens. Further studies assessing the viability of MSC and the efficacy of MSC expansion after using the PrepaCyte‐CB processing system are warranted.
The effect of needle gauge, needle type, and needle orientation on the volume of a drop
Authors: Tripp Geneva K. , Good Kathryn L. , Motta Monica J. , Kass Philip H. , Murphy Christopher J.
Published: January 2015

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine impact of needle gauge, type, and orientation on average volume of drop dispensed.

Procedure

Five needle gauges (22G, 23G, 25G, 27G, and 30G) were examined. For each gauge, volume of drop delivered was determined for standard sharp beveled tip, blunt tip, and after breaking off of the sharp needle from the hub. Vertical and horizontal orientation of the needle was tested for effect on drop volume for 22‐G and 30‐G sharp beveled needles.

Results

Mean drop volume was affected by needle gauge, needle orientation, and whether the needle had been broken off from its hub. Mean drop volume scaled directly with needle diameter with drop volumes of 25.0 μL (±20.2) and 83.9 μL (±16.5) being found for 30‐gauge and 22‐gauge needles, respectively. Intermediate gauges (27, 25, 23G) yielded intermediate drop volumes. Blunt needles tended to produce larger drop volumes compared to sharp beveled needles, but these differences did not reach statistical significance. Breaking off of the needle from the hub produced substantially larger drop volumes with little difference being found between needle gauges. Average volumes of 1 drop from a 22‐G vertical, 22‐G horizontal, 30‐G vertical, and 30‐G horizontal sharp beveled needle were 20.2, 9.1, 10.1, and 3.3 μL, respectively.

Conclusions

These findings have relevance for controlled delivery of topical ophthalmic medications to patients.
Squarefree values of trinomial discriminants
Authors: Boyd David W. , Martin Greg , Thom Mark
Published: January 2015

The discriminant of a trinomial of the form $x^{n}\pm \,x^{m}\pm \,1$ has the form $\pm n^{n}\pm (n-m)^{n-m}m^{m}$ if $n$ and $m$ are relatively prime. We investigate when these discriminants have nontrivial square factors. We explain various unlikely-seeming parametric families of square factors of these discriminant values: for example, when $n$ is congruent to 2 (mod 6) we have that $((n^{2}-n+1)/3)^{2}$ always divides $n^{n}-(n-1)^{n-1}$. In addition, we discover many other square factors of these discriminants that do not fit into these parametric families. The set of primes whose squares can divide these sporadic values as $n$ varies seems to be independent of $m$, and this set can be seen as a generalization of the Wieferich primes, those primes $p$ such that $2^{p}$ is congruent to 2 (mod $p^{2}$). We provide heuristics for the density of these sporadic primes and the density of squarefree values of these trinomial discriminants.
McCammond’s normal forms for free aperiodic semigroups revisited
Authors: Almeida J. , Costa J. C. , Zeitoun M.
Published: January 2015

This paper revisits the solution of the word problem for${\it\omega}$-terms interpreted over finite aperiodic semigroups, obtained by J. McCammond. The original proof of correctness of McCammond’s algorithm, based on normal forms for such terms, uses McCammond’s solution of the word problem for certain Burnside semigroups. In this paper, we establish a new, simpler, correctness proof of McCammond’s algorithm, based on properties of certain regular languages associated with the normal forms. This method leads to new applications.
Greater impairments in cerebral artery compared with skeletal muscle feed artery endothelial function in a mouse model of increased large artery stiffness
Authors: Walker Ashley E. , Henson Grant D. , Reihl Kelly D. , Morgan R. Garrett , Dobson Parker S. , Nielson Elizabeth I. , Ling Jing , Mecham Robert P. , Li Dean Y. , Lesniewski Lisa A. , Donato Anthony J.
Published: January 2015

Key points

Increased large artery stiffness is a hallmark of arterial dysfunction with advancing age and is also present in other disease conditions such as diabetes. Increased large artery stiffness is correlated with resistance artery dysfunction in humans.

Using a mouse model of altered arterial elastin content, this is the first study to examine the cause‐and‐effect relationship between large artery stiffness and peripheral resistance artery function.

Our results indicate that mice with genetically greater large artery stiffness have impaired cerebral artery endothelial function, but generally preserved skeletal muscle feed artery endothelial function. The mechanisms for impaired cerebral artery endothelial function are reduced nitric oxide bioavailability and increased oxidative stress.

These findings suggest that interventions that target large artery stiffness may be important to reduce disease risk associated with cerebral artery dysfunction in conditions such as advancing age.

Advancing age as well as diseases such as diabetes are characterized by both increased large artery stiffness and impaired peripheral artery function. It has been hypothesized that greater large artery stiffness causes peripheral artery dysfunction; however, a cause‐and‐effect relationship has not previously been established. We used elastin heterozygote mice (Eln+/–) as a model of increased large artery stiffness without co‐morbidities unrelated to the large artery properties. Aortic stiffness, measured by pulse wave velocity, was ∼35% greater in Eln+/– mice than in wild‐type (Eln+/+) mice (P = 0.04). Endothelium‐dependent dilatation (EDD), assessed by the maximal dilatation to acetylcholine, was ∼40% lower in Eln+/– than Eln+/+ mice in the middle cerebral artery (MCA, P < 0.001), but was similar between groups in the gastrocnemius feed arteries (GFA, P = 0.79). In the MCA, EDD did not differ between groups after incubation with the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester (P > 0.05), indicating that lower NO bioavailability contributed to the impaired EDD in Eln+/– mice. Superoxide production and content of the oxidative stress marker nitrotyrosine was higher in MCAs from Eln+/− compared with Eln+/+ mice (P < 0.05). In the MCA, after incubation with the superoxide scavenger TEMPOL, maximal EDD improved by ∼65% in Eln+/– (P = 0.002), but was unchanged in Eln+/+ mice (P = 0.17). These results indicate that greater large artery stiffness has a more profound effect on endothelial function in cerebral arteries compared with skeletal muscle feed arteries. Greater large artery stiffness can cause cerebral artery endothelial dysfunction by reducing NO bioavailability and increasing oxidative stress.