bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long run urban analysis using property records: A methodological case study of land use change
Authors: Hurley Joe , Wood Gavin , Groenhart Lucy
Published: July 2016

This paper demonstrates the contribution that historical property records can make to our understanding of long run urban change. We use a case study of two streets from the suburb of Carlton in Melbourne, Australia between 1870 and 1970. The property records form a panel database that can be interrogated using standard modelling techniques. These data are used to analyse change in the built environment over time, and identify the factors that may be influencing such change. With the assembled data we track built form, land value, ownership and land use over 100 years. We find that stability characterises the built environment over lengthy periods, but when change occurs it does so in bursts, rather than incrementally. Furthermore, these bursts of change are unevenly spread across our two case study streets, despite their proximity. The streetscape’s primary built material is the key factor shaping geographical patterns of land use change in the case study area.
Modeling Causal Irrelevance in Evaluations of Configurational Comparative Methods
Authors: Thiem Alrik , Baumgartner Michael
Published: July 2016

In volume 44 of Sociological Methodology, Lucas and Szatrowski argued that the method of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) suffers from a built-in confirmation bias due to a proclivity for including conditions in its output models whose corresponding factors are not systematically correlated with the endogenous factor. The authors therefore urged that QCA be abandoned. With this comment, we pursue four related objectives: first, we explain why correlation-based evaluation designs for testing QCA’s power of discrimination with respect to causally irrelevant factors are unsuitable; second, we show how appropriate tests must be constructed; third, we offer an R function that implements a routine for such tests; and fourth and finally, we conduct three series of comprehensive tests, all of whose results indicate that QCA does not suffer from the kind of confirmation bias criticized by Lucas and Szatrowski.
Addressing Measurement Error Bias in GDP with Nighttime Lights and an Application to Infant Mortality with Chinese County Data
Authors: Chen Xi
Published: July 2016

As an emerging research area, application of satellite-based nighttime lights data in the social sciences has increased rapidly in recent years. This study, building on the recent surge in the use of satellite-based lights data, explores whether information provided by such data can be used to address attenuation bias in the estimated coefficient when the regressor variable, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is measured with large error. Using an example of a study on infant mortality rates (IMRs) in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), this paper compares four models with different indicators of GDP as the regressor of IMR: (1) observed GDP alone, (2) lights variable as a substitute, (3) a synthetic measure based on weighted observed GDP and lights, and (4) GDP with lights as an instrumental variable. The results show that the inclusion of nighttime lights can reduce the bias in coefficient estimates compared with the model using observed GDP. Among the three approaches discussed, the instrumental-variable approach proves to be the best approach in correcting the bias caused by GDP measurement error and estimates the effect of GDP much higher than do the models using observed GDP. The study concludes that beyond the topic of this study, nighttime lights data have great potential to be used in other sociological research areas facing estimation bias problems due to measurement errors in economic indicators. The potential is especially great for those focusing on developing regions or small areas lacking high-quality measures of economic and demographic variables.
Studying Other Memories
Authors: Candina-Polomer Azun
Published: July 2016

The Colegio Médico de Chile (College of Physicians of Chile) was a significant professional association with a long history and a leadership position in discussions about physicians as an occupational group and about public health in Chile. It opposed the socialist Popular Unity government (1970–1973), supported the military coup, collaborated actively with the dictatorship for several years afterward, and later joined the opposition demanding a return to democracy. Since the formal return to democracy in 1990, it has continued to participate in public discussions not only about health but also about human rights, reparations, and democratic convivencia in Chile. Examining its history helps us to historicize the construction of contemporary memory, facilitating an analysis of groups that do not correspond to the binary opposition of victims and victimizers that dominates the historical literature. The Colegio’s use of the same memories in different contexts leads us to reflect upon the fact that public memories are much more mobile and pragmatic and less principled than they first appear. This underlines the importance of including class and professional or corporate identity and other differences in analyses of the discourse of memory.

El Colegio Médico de Chile es una importante asociación profesional con una larga historia y una posición de liderazgo en las discusiones sobre los médicos como grupo ocupacional y sobre la salud pública en Chile. Se opusieron al gobierno socialista de la Unidad Popular (1970–1973), apoyaron el golpe militar, colaboraron activamente con la dictadura durante varios años y más tarde se unieron a la oposición que exigía el regreso de la democracia. Desde el retorno formal de la democracia en 1990, el Colegio ha participado activamente en los debates públicos no sólo sobre la salud sino también sobre los derechos humanos, las reparaciones y la convivencia democrática en Chile. Si examinamos su historia podemos historizar la construcción de la memoria contemporánea, lo que nos ayuda a analizar aquellos grupos que no cuadran con la oposición binaria de víctimas y victimarios que domina la literatura histórica. El uso que hace el Colegio de las mismas memorias en diferentes contextos nos lleva a reflexionar sobre el hecho de que las memorias públicas son mucho más flexibles y pragmáticas y menos guiadas por principios de lo que parecen a primera vista. Todo esto subraya la importancia de incluir clase e identidad profesional o corporativa y otras diferencias en los análisis del discurso de la memoria.
Adaptive and sliding mode tracking control for wheeled mobile robots with unknown visual parameters
Authors: Yang Fang , Su Hongye , Wang Chaoli , Li Zhenxing
Published: July 2016

The trajectory tracking control problem of dynamic nonholonomic wheeled mobile robots is considered via visual servoing feedback. A novel visual feedback tracking error model is proposed. Its tracking controller is independent of uncalibrated visual parameters by using new methods. This controller consists of two units: one is an adaptive control for compensation of the uncertainties of dynamic parameters, the other is a variable structure control for the interference suppression. In addition, the torque tracking controller is global and smooth, and the chattering phenomenon is eliminated. The asymptotic convergence of tracking errors to equilibrium point is rigorously proved by the Lyapunov method. Simulation and experiment results are provided to illustrate the performance of the control law.
Feedback linearization and feedforward neural network control with application to twin rotor mechanism
Authors: Lin Chia-Wei , Li Tzuu-Hseng S , Chen Chung-Cheng
Published: July 2016

A twin rotor multi-input multi-output system (TRMMS) is a high-order nonlinear system with a significant cross-coupling effect. The control of TRMMSs is considered a markedly challenging topic in the field of robust control. This study proposes a novel feedback linearization and feedforward neural network controller design for a TRMMS with almost disturbance decoupling (ADD) capabilities. The proposed composite controller achieves exponentially global stability and ADD performance without applying any traditional parallel learning algorithms. This study proposes an organization of the feedforward neural network and the weights among the layers to guarantee the stability of the overall system. A number of nonlinear systems, which are too complex to be solved by general ADD studies, are proposed in this study to demonstrate that the proposed methodology can effectively achieve the tracking and ADD performances through Matlab. Moreover, an efficient algorithm is proposed for designing the feedback linearization and feedforward neural network control with ADD and tracking capabilities.
Dualization and subjective employment insecurity: Explaining the subjective employment insecurity divide between permanent and temporary workers across 23 European countries
Authors: Chung Heejung
Published: July 2016

Dualization theory posits that certain institutions cause dualization in the labour market, yet how institutions deepen the subjective insecurity divide between insiders and outsiders has not been examined. This article examines this question using data from 23 European countries in 2008/2009. Results show that the subjective employment insecurity divide between permanent and temporary workers varies significantly across different countries. Corporatist countries, with stronger unions, have larger subjective insecurity divides between permanent and temporary workers. However, this is because permanent workers feel more secure in these countries rather than because temporary workers are more exposed to feelings of insecurity.
Searching for the Prosocial Personality
Authors: Habashi Meara M. , Graziano William G. , Hoover Ann E.
Published: July 2016

The search for the prosocial personality has been long and controversial. The current research explores the general patterns underlying prosocial decisions, linking personality, emotion, and overt prosocial behavior. Using a multimethod approach, we explored the links between the Big Five dimensions of personality and prosocial responding. Across three studies, we found that agreeableness was the dimension of personality most closely associated with emotional reactions to victims in need of help, and subsequent decisions to help those individuals. Results suggest that prosocial processes, including emotions, cognitions, and behaviors, may be part of a more general motivational process linked to personality.
Usefulness of Accounting Estimates
Authors: Eng Li Li , Vichitsarawong Thanyaluk
Published: July 2016

This is an exploratory study to examine the quality or usefulness of accounting estimates of companies in China and India over time. Specifically, we examine how well the accounting estimates are able to predict future earnings and cash flows during the period 2003-2013. The results for India indicate that the out-of-sample earnings and cash flow predictions derived are more accurate and more efficient in the more recent period (2010-2013) than the earlier period (2003-2006). In contrast, the out-of-sample earnings and cash flow predictions for China are generally more biased, less accurate, and less efficient. The results indicate abnormal returns earned on hedge portfolios formed on earnings (cash flow) predictions for India in the recent period. In contrast, none of the portfolios for China earn positive returns. The results suggest that the accounting estimates in India in recent years have become better predictors of future earnings and cash flow than accounting estimates in the earlier period. However, the accounting estimates in China are not relevant for predicting earnings and cash flows over the years in the sample period.
Decision Trajectories in Dementia Care Networks: Decisions and Related Key Events
Authors: Groen-van de Ven Leontine , Smits Carolien , Oldewarris Karen , Span Marijke , Jukema Jan , Eefsting Jan , Vernooij-Dassen Myrra
Published: July 2016

This prospective multiperspective study provides insight into the decision trajectories of people with dementia by studying the decisions made and related key events. This study includes three waves of interviews, conducted between July 2010 and July 2012, with 113 purposefully selected respondents (people with beginning to advanced stages of dementia and their informal and professional caregivers) completed in 12 months (285 interviews). Our multilayered qualitative analysis consists of content analysis, timeline methods, and constant comparison. Four decision themes emerged—managing daily life, arranging support, community living, and preparing for the future. Eight key events delineate the decision trajectories of people with dementia. Decisions and key events differ between people with dementia living alone and living with a caregiver. Our study clarifies that decisions relate not only to the disease but to living with the dementia. Individual differences in decision content and sequence may effect shared decision-making and advance care planning.
Implications of Small Samples for Generalization: Adjustments and Rules of Thumb
Authors: Tipton Elizabeth , Hallberg Kelly , Hedges Larry V. , Chan Wendy
Published: July 2016

Background:

Policy makers and researchers are frequently interested in understanding how effective a particular intervention may be for a specific population. One approach is to assess the degree of similarity between the sample in an experiment and the population. Another approach is to combine information from the experiment and the population to estimate the population average treatment effect (PATE).

Method:

Several methods for assessing the similarity between a sample and population currently exist as well as methods estimating the PATE. In this article, we investigate properties of six of these methods and statistics in the small sample sizes common in education research (i.e., 10–70 sites), evaluating the utility of rules of thumb developed from observational studies in the generalization case.

Result:

In small random samples, large differences between the sample and population can arise simply by chance and many of the statistics commonly used in generalization are a function of both sample size and the number of covariates being compared. The rules of thumb developed in observational studies (which are commonly applied in generalization) are much too conservative given the small sample sizes found in generalization.

Conclusion:

This article implies that sharp inferences to large populations from small experiments are difficult even with probability sampling. Features of random samples should be kept in mind when evaluating the extent to which results from experiments conducted on nonrandom samples might generalize.
Body Composition and Bone Mineral Density in Patients With Heart Failure
Authors: Abshire Demetrius A. , Moser Debra K. , Clasey Jody L. , Chung Misook L. , Pressler Susan J. , Dunbar Sandra B. , Heo Seongkum , Lennie Terry A.
Published: July 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine associations among bone mineral density, osteopenia/osteoporosis, body mass index (BMI), and body composition in patients with heart failure (HF). A total of 119 patients (age = 61 ± 12 years, 65% male) underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans to determine bone mineral density and body composition. In multivariable linear regressions, BMI, relative skeletal muscle index (RSMI), and mineral-free lean mass were positively associated with total body bone mineral density. Mineral-free lean mass was most strongly associated with bone mineral density (β = .398). In multivariable logistic regressions, higher BMI, RSMI, and mineral-free lean mass were associated with lower odds for osteopenia/osteoporosis. Fat mass was not associated with total body bone mineral density or osteopenia/osteoporosis. These results suggest that muscle mass may be the important component of body mass associated with bone mineral density in patients with HF.
Cross-sectional Volatility and Stock Returns: Evidence for Emerging Markets
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Garg Vidisha
Published: July 2016

Executive Summary

Cross-sectional volatility measures dispersion of security returns at a particular point of time. It has received very little focus in research. This article studies the cross-section of volatility in the context of economies of Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, South Korea, and South Africa (BRIICKS). The analysis is done in two parts. The first part deals with systematic volatility (SV), that is, cross-sectional variation of stock returns owing to their exposure to market volatility measure ( French, Schwert, & Stambaugh, 1987 ). The second part deals with unsystematic volatility (UV), measured by the residual variance of stocks in a given period by using error terms obtained from Fama–French model.

The study finds that high SV portfolios exhibit low returns in case of Brazil, South Korea, and Russia. The risk premium is found to be statistically significantly negative for these countries. This finding is consistent with Ang et al. and is indicative of hedging motive of investors in these markets. Results for other sample countries are somewhat puzzling. No significant risk premiums are reported for India and China. Significantly positive risk premiums are observed for South Africa and Indonesia. Further, capital asset pricing model (CAPM) seems to be a poor descriptor of returns on systematic risk loading sorted portfolios while FF is able to explain returns on all portfolios except high SV loading portfolio (i.e., P1) in case of South Africa which seems to be an asset pricing anomaly.

It is further observed that high UV portfolios exhibit high returns in all the sample countries except China. In the Chinese market, the estimated risk premium is statistically significantly negative. This negative risk premium is inconsistent with the theory that predicts that investors demand risk compensation for imperfect diversification. The remaining sample countries show significantly positive risk premium. CAPM does not seem to be a suitable descriptor for returns on UV sorted portfolios. The FF model does a better job but still fails to explain the returns on high UV sorted portfolio in case of Brazil and China and low UV sorted portfolio in South Africa.

The findings are relevant for global fund managers who plan to develop emerging market strategies for asset allocation. The study contributes to portfolio management as well as market efficiency literature for emerging economies.
Ethics of E-waste Management: An Input–Process–Output Analytic Approach
Authors: Ozzie Mascarenhas SJ  , Doris D’Souza AC  , S George SJ
Published: July 2016

E-waste is looming as a gigantic global problem that is an increasing threat to ecology, biology and sustainability. Most of e-waste management solutions, legislations and enforcements thus far are post-factum (after the e-waste stream or damage has occurred) band aids or quick-fixes that become mutated problems of tomorrow. In exploring ethics of e-waste management, we offer an integrated before– during–after approach of inputs, processes and outputs. We first characterize the e-waste enterprise in its antecedent inputs of design and production, in its process of distribution and marketing, and in its consequent outputs of e-consumption, e-disposal and e-waste. Several ethical theories are invoked and applied and their potential for resolving the e-waste problem explored.
The inclusion of multiple exceptional gifted students in talent development programmes
Authors: Gyarmathy Éva , Senior John
Published: July 2016

Models of giftedness in the 21st century tend to describe talent as a social construct. Research now indicates that certain talented populations that are composed of multiple exceptional individuals are excluded from talent development programmes. Recognizing how well the environment best fits individual needs at particular key developmental moments, shifts the emphases of focus regarding gifted education significantly. The provision for, and the development of, multiple exceptional gifted individuals from this perspective can engender far greater possibilities than previously imagined earlier. In Hungary, we started to create innovative networks for the encouragement and the development of effective, inclusive provision. The networks have however replicated many of the problems of the former provision for talented individuals and groups. The further development of content and appropriate forms of programmes need to be synchronized through networks of innovative provision and evaluation. The proposed complex provision is suggested as a solution for the new forms of talent development that are open to the multiple exceptional gifted population regardless of the populations’ needs being understood, and perceived by, different audiences as being variously extreme, diverse and novel. A system utilizing key aspects of Bloom’s taxonomy, Renzulli’s enrichment triad and Gardner’s multiple intelligences is proposed.
Nasrin Gone Global
Authors: Hasan Md Mahmudul
Published: July 2016

Taslima Nasrin’s writings, which are extremely critical of Islam, have sparked controversy over the contents of her feminist work and strategy. Although many dismiss these writings as an anti-Islamic provocation, her ideas are well-received in the West, where she is celebrated as a feminist rebel who defies the supposedly suffocating Bangladeshi Islamic patriarchy. Unlike earlier Islamic feminists, especially Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain, who re-examined Islamic teachings in the light of locally prevalent gender discrimination, Nasrin directs her attacks against religion itself, putting almost the entire blame of gender injustice on it. In light of Rokeya’s work and strategy, and current struggles in Bangladesh to fine-tune the nation’s vision, the present article critically analyses Nasrin’s overly negative views of Islam and assesses the validity and efficacy of her feminist approach in Bangladesh society.
Climate Justice Framing in Bangladeshi Newspapers, 2007–2011
Authors: Rhaman Mofizur
Published: July 2016

Drawing upon the concepts of framing theory, this article explores, through close textual scrutiny, how two leading Bangladeshi newspapers have approached the issues of climate justice while covering three major climate summits, Bali 2007, Copenhagen 2009 and Durban 2011. The analysis reveals significant shifts in the treatment of issues related to climate justice by Bangladeshi journalists. Earlier coverage framed the problems mainly in terms of compensatory and distributive justice, but by 2011 disappointment, lost hopes and the need for activist movement are more prominent. The final analysis identifies important tensions between international developments and local engagement and perceptions, indicating that national and even local developments to address climate change problems in Bangladesh seem set to become more prominent news items in future.
Tribal Education
Authors: Rupavath Ramdas
Published: July 2016

This article critically examines initiatives for greater participation in education by tribal communities in India, arguing that current policy does not effectively enough facilitate greater participation and may, in fact, go against the avowed principle of ensuring greater equity. The article relies on fieldwork-based study to support arguments for the need to be culturally sensitive in making appropriate provisions for the education of scheduled tribes in India. Reasons for high dropout rates and non-enrolment among tribal children are examined and some searching questions are asked about why so many tribal people dislike schools.
Trans-Area Studies and the perils of geographical ‘world-writing’
Authors: Chari Sharad
Published: July 2016

The relationship between Geography and Area Studies remains fraught but crucial, as it highlights at least three imperatives we cannot do without: to decolonize disciplinary Geography, to forge more egalitarian and sustainable relations of knowledge production and to foreground enduring differences of life ‘elsewhere’ represented in novel forms. I argue that these imperatives require an Area Studies ethos, and that the longer Geography as we know it remains aloof from such imperatives, its days as an art or science of broader value are numbered.
Atmospheres of stillness in Bristol’s Bearpit
Authors: Buser Michael
Published: July 2016

This paper studies atmospheres of stillness in a contested urban public space known as the ‘Bearpit’. The purpose is to provide a nuanced account of stillness and its relationship to atmosphere. Drawing on an ethnographic examination of the Bearpit, the paper finds that the positive and beneficial aspects of stillness can be found in unexpected and unconventional places. However, there is no single, unifying experience of stillness, but rather a plurality of ‘stillings’. The paper highlights three forms of stillness distilled from study of the site – calmness, control and withdrawnness – and demonstrates how these modalities emerge from and contribute to the construction of atmospheres in the Bearpit. Moreover, these atmospheres have direct political consequences for those who take part in city life. The paper’s contribution is found in the advancement of non-anthropocentric understandings of atmosphere and the development of stillness as a way of understanding city life.
Enrolling and keeping participants in multiple sclerosis self-management interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Arafah Alaa M , Bouchard Vanessa , Mayo Nancy E
Published: July 2016

Objectives:

The objectives were to provide an estimate of expected enrolment and attrition rates based on published studies of existing self-management interventions for people with multiple sclerosis, and to identify contributing factors and impact on outcomes.

Review methods:

A systematic literature search was conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, OT Seeker, PubMed, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases. Controlled trials with or without randomization using either a between-group or within-person design were included if they met specified criteria. A random-effect meta-regression analysis was conducted to estimate the overall enrolment and attrition proportions, effect of person- and study-related factors, and impact on outcomes.

Results:

A total of 48 studies, comprising 4446 persons were identified. The estimated enrolment rate was 50.3% (95% confidence interval (CI): 49.6 to 51.1) and the estimated attrition rates in the intervention and control groups were 16.8% (95% CI: 16.2 to 17.3) and 14.4% (95% CI: 13.8 to 14.9), respectively. The main reported reason for refusing to participate was lack of interest (70.6%), while the reported reasons for dropping out were mainly owing to medical issues (26.1%) and disliking the intervention (17.9%). Trial, programme, and patient-related variables were found to influence the enrolment and/or attrition rates. Studies that had a 10% higher attrition rate had an effect size that was larger by 0.19 (95% CI: 0.17 to 0.24).

Conclusion:

Greater understanding of the factors associated with enrolment and attrition rates would help in planning and developing a more appealing self-management intervention that patients can easily accept and incorporate into their everyday lives.
Life in the Fast Lane
Authors: Koblitz Ann Hibner
Published: July 2016

Images of Middle Eastern women in the Western media tend toward the exotic, erotic, or abject. The women are often styled as the victims of patriarchal institutions and depicted as in need of being saved by their supposedly more enlightened Western sisters. These stereotypes carry over into Western media assumptions about the participation of Arab women in science and technology as well; few people are aware of the existence of professional women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields in the Middle East. This article discusses the experiences of expatriate Arab women in high-tech start-ups and other scientific enterprises in the United Arab Emirates and other countries of the Middle East. Among the issues addressed are experiences in the field and on temporary job locations, citizenship quandaries, family and community responsibilities, private versus governmental and semigovernmental employers, apparel/veiling considerations, and gender and racial prejudice. The essay is based on conversations with young women from Belorussia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Palestine who work primarily as engineers and computer scientists.
Cerebral blood flow MRI in the nondemented elderly is not predictive of post-operative delirium but is correlated with cognitive performance
Authors: Hshieh Tammy T , Dai Weiying , Cavallari Michele , Guttmann Charles RG , Meier Dominik S , Schmitt Eva M , Dickerson Bradford C , Press Daniel Z , Marcantonio Edward R , Jones Richard N , Gou Yun Ray , Travison Thomas G , Fong Tamara G , Ngo Long , Inouye Sharon K , Alsop David C ,   on behalf of the SAGES Study Group
Published: July 2016

Three-dimensional Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL) MRI was performed before surgery in a cohort of 146 prospectively enrolled subjects ≥ 70 years old scheduled to undergo elective surgery. We investigated the prospective association between ASL-derived measures of cerebral blood flow (CBF) before surgery with postoperative delirium incidence and severity using whole-brain and globally normalized voxel-wise analysis. We also investigated the cross-sectional association of CBF with patients’ baseline performance on specific neuropsychological tests, and with a composite general cognitive performance measure (GCP). Out of 146 subjects, 32 (22%) developed delirium. We found no significant association between global and voxel-wise CBF with delirium incidence or severity. We found the most significant positive associations between CBF of the posterior cingulate and precuneus and the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test – Revised total score, Visual Search and Attention Test (VSAT) score and the GCP composite. VSAT score was also strongly associated with right parietal lobe CBF. ASL can be employed in a large, well-characterized older cohort to examine associations between CBF and age-related cognitive performance. Although ASL CBF measures in regions previously associated with preclinical Alzheimer’s Disease were correlated with cognition, they were not found to be indicators of baseline pathology that may increase risk for delirium.
Quantitative hemodynamic PET imaging using image-derived arterial input function and a PET/MR hybrid scanner
Authors: Su Yi , Vlassenko Andrei G , Couture Lars E , Benzinger Tammie LS , Snyder Abraham Z , Derdeyn Colin P , Raichle Marcus E
Published: July 2016

Positron emission tomography (PET) with 15O-tracers is commonly used to measure brain hemodynamic parameters such as cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen. Conventionally, the absolute quantification of these parameters requires an arterial input function that is obtained invasively by sampling blood from an artery. In this work, we developed and validated an image-derived arterial input function technique that avoids the unreliable and burdensome arterial sampling procedure for full quantitative 15O-PET imaging. We then compared hemodynamic PET imaging performed on a PET/MR hybrid scanner against a conventional PET only scanner. We demonstrated the proposed imaging-based technique was able to generate brain hemodynamic parameter measurements in strong agreement with the traditional arterial sampling based approach. We also demonstrated that quantitative 15O-PET imaging can be successfully implemented on a PET/MR hybrid scanner.
Systematic review and stratified meta-analysis of the efficacy of carnosine in animal models of ischemic stroke
Authors: Davis Charles K , Laud Peter J , Bahor Zsanett , Rajanikant GK , Majid Arshad
Published: July 2016

Carnosine is a naturally occurring pleotropic dipeptide which influences multiple deleterious mechanisms that are activated during stroke. Numerous published studies have reported that carnosine has robust efficacy in ischemic stroke models. To further evaluate these data, we have conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies. We included publications describing in vivo models of ischemic stroke where the neuroprotective efficacy of carnosine was being evaluated through the reporting of infarct volume and/or neurological score as outcomes. Overall efficacy was evaluated using weighted mean difference random effects meta-analysis. We also evaluated for study quality and publication bias. We identified eight publications that met our inclusion criteria describing a total of 29 comparisons and 454 animals. Overall methodological quality of studies was moderate (median = 4/9). Carnosine reduced infarct volume by 29.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 24.0% to 34.9%; 29 comparisons). A clear dose-response effect was observed, and efficacy was reduced when carnosine was administered more than 6 h after ischemia. Our findings suggest that carnosine administered before or after the onset of ischemia exhibits robust efficacy in experimental ischemic stroke. However, the methodological quality of some of the studies was low and testing occurred only in healthy young male animals.
Awake emergency endotracheal intubation using sheath-assisted technique for patients having malignant tracheal stenosis under fluoroscopy guidance: a retrospective study
Authors: Jiao Dechao , Han Xinwei , Wu Gang , Ren Jianzhuang , Li Zhen , Wang Ling
Published: July 2016

Background

For patients having a severe larynx or tracheal stenosis, emergency endotracheal intubation (EEI) may be needed due to respiratory failure.

Purpose

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of awake EEI using a fluoroscopy-guided sheath-assisted technique for adult patients having a malignant tracheal stenosis.

Material and Methods

From October 2009 to May 2015, 219 patients having a malignant tracheal stenosis causing dyspnea or asphyxia required EEI. Of these, 32 patients who experienced intubation difficulties or failure were included in this study. Data on the technical success, procedure time, complications, and clinical outcome were collected. The pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) and Hugh-Jones classification were used to evaluate the respiratory function before and after EEI.

Results

Awake fluoroscopy-guided EEI was technically successful in 15 ± 4 min and acute dyspnea was resolved in all patients. The SpO2 and Hugh-Jones classification increased after EEI ( P < 0.05). Subsequent treatments included tracheal stents (n = 15), surgical resection (n = 10), and palliative tracheotomy (n = 7), which were performed within 72 h after EEI.

Conclusion

Awake EEI using a sheath-assisted technique for adult patients having a malignant tracheal stenosis is a safe and effective procedure.
Functional Recovery in Osteoarthritic Chondrocytes Through Hyaluronic Acid and Platelet-Rich Plasma–Inhibited Infrapatellar Fat Pad Adipocytes
Authors: Chen Wei-Hong , Lin Chien-Min , Huang Chiung-Fang , Hsu Wei-Che , Lee Chian-Her , Ou Keng-Liang , Dubey Navneet Kumar , Deng Win-Ping
Published: July 2016

Background:

Recent studies have shown evidence that higher adiposity in the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) induces inflammatory phenotypes in the knee joint and thereby contributes to the development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). In particular, IFP adipocyte–derived inflammatory cytokines participate in pathological events. Our previous research has already addressed the therapeutic efficacy of hyaluronic acid and platelet-rich plasma (HA+PRP), including the promotion of cartilage regeneration and the inhibition of inflammation. The current study aimed to explore the remedial action of coadministered HA+PRP in OA recovery via IFP adipocyte inhibition.

Hypothesis:

HA+PRP repairs OA articular cartilage by inhibiting the release of adipokines from IFP adipocytes.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

IFP adipocytes and articular chondrocytes were obtained from 10 patients with OA, and the effects of releasates containing cytokines and adipokines in IFP adipocyte–derived conditioned medium (IACM) on articular chondrocytes and IFP adipocytes themselves were evaluated. The therapeutic efficacy of exogenous HA+PRP was determined through its administration to cocultured IFP adipocytes and articular chondrocytes and further demonstrated in a 3-dimensional (3D) arthritic neocartilage model.

Results:

The IACM and IFP adipocyte–induced microenvironment could induce dedifferentiated and inflammatory phenotypes in articular chondrocytes. HA+PRP decreased the inflammatory potential of IFP adipocytes through the profound inhibition of cytokines and adipokines. The IACM-mediated and -reduced cartilaginous extracellular matrix could also be recovered through HA+PRP in the 3D arthritic neocartilage model.

Conclusion:

IFP adipocyte–derived releasates mediated inflammatory response dedifferentiation in chondrocytes, which was recovered through HA+PRP administration.

Clinical Relevance:

Our findings demonstrated that HA+PRP effectively diminished IFP adipocyte–promoted inflammation in articular chondrocytes, indicating that the IFP could be a potential therapeutic target for OA therapy.
Evaluation of Repair Tension in Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Kim Do Hoon , Jang Young Hoon , Choi Young Eun , Lee Hwa-Ryeong , Kim Sae Hoon
Published: July 2016

Background:

Repair tension of a torn rotator cuff can affect healing after repair. However, a measurement of the actual tension during arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is not feasible. The relationship between repair tension and healing of a rotator cuff repair remains unclear.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of repair tension on healing at the repair site. The hypothesis was that repair tension would be a major factor in determining the anatomic outcome of rotator cuff repair.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs (132 patients) for full-thickness rotator cuff tears were analyzed. An intraoperative model was designed for the estimation of repair tension using a tensiometer. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed approximately 1 year (mean [±SD], 12.7 ± 3.2 months) postoperatively for the evaluation of healing at the repair site. Multivariable analysis was performed for tear size, amount of retraction, and fatty degeneration (FD) of rotator cuff muscles.

Results:

The mean repair tension measured during the arthroscopic procedure was 28.5 ± 23.1 N. There was a statistically significant correlation between tension and tear size (Pearson correlation coefficient [PCC], 0.529; P < .001), amount of retraction (PCC, 0.619; P < .001), and FD of the supraspinatus (Spearman correlation coefficient [SCC], 0.308; P < .001) and infraspinatus (SCC, 0.332; P < .001). At the final follow-up (12.7 ± 3.2 months), healing failure was observed in 18.2% (24/132), and repair tension also showed a significant inverse correlation with healing at the repair site (SCC, 0.195; P = .025). However, when sex, age, tear size, amount of retraction, tendon quality, and FD of rotator cuff muscles were included for multivariable logistic regression analysis, only FD of the infraspinatus showed an association with the anatomic outcome of repair (Exp(B) = 0.596; P = .010).

Conclusion:

Our intraoperative model for the estimation of rotator cuff repair tension showed an inverse correlation of repair tension with healing at the repair site, suggesting that complete healing is less likely with high-tension repairs. A significant association was observed on MRI between a high level of FD of the infraspinatus and repaired tendon integrity.
Correlation of Body Mass Index and Physical Activity Among 7- to 11-Year Children at Zahedan, Iran
Authors: Keykhaei Fatemeh , Shahraki Mansour , Sargolhosseinzadeh Elham , Shahraki Touran , Dashipour Alireza
Published: July 2016

Background:

Childhood obesity is currently one of the major concerns in pediatric field. In recent literature, correlation of obesity with some behavioral factors such as physical activity (PA) received attention.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and PA.

Materials and Methods:

This cross-sectional study was carried out in 2012 on 548 randomly selected 7- to 11-year schoolchildren from Zahedan, Iran. The underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity status were all based on BMI percentiles for age and sex. Moderate to vigorous PA during the previous 7 days was assessed by a modified version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children.

Results:

The prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity among the participants was 18.3%, 47.9%, 11.8%, and 22.1%, respectively. Overweight and obesity were significantly higher among girls than boys. Mean PA score in participants was 2.4 ± 0.5. The results showed the PA score was significantly higher among boys than girls. The PA score had a significant association with BMI ( P = .018), and it was greater in normal participants than in obese participants.

Conclusion:

On the basis of observed data and due to the impact of PA on BMI as an indicator of nutritional status and health, teaching children to have better nutrition and lifestyle changes is very important. Therefore, more studies should focus on childhood obesity prevention programs to prevent nonoverweight children from becoming overweight or obese in the future.
Ex ante evaluation of interdisciplinary research projects: A literature review
Authors: Oviedo-García M. Ángeles
Published: July 2016

Ex ante evaluations have received little attention in the literature, resulting in a scattered set of contributions, despite their potential impact on society at large and on the academic careers of the members of research teams proposing interdisciplinary projects. Firstly, a review of the existing literature on the evaluation of interdisciplinary research proposals is presented. Then, two alternatives to the traditional peer-review process are described in the context of interdisciplinary research. The conclusions are of potential use both to academics involved in interdisciplinary research projects and to those responsible for funding such projects.
Meaning in Life in Earlier and Later Older-Adulthood: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Correlates of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire
Authors: Hallford D. J. , Mellor D. , Cummins R. A. , McCabe M. P.
Published: July 2016

Objective: To validate the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) in earlier and later older-adulthood, and examine its correlates. Method: Participants in earlier ( n = 341, M age = 68.5) and later older-adulthood ( n = 341, M age = 78.6) completed the MLQ and other measures. Confirmatory multigroup analysis, correlations, and regression models were conducted. Results: A two-factor (presence and search), eight-item model of the MLQ had a good fit and was age-invariant. Presence and search for meaning were largely unrelated. Meaning was associated with life satisfaction, well-being across a range of domains, and psychological resources. Searching for meaning correlated negatively with these variables, but to a lesser degree in later older-adulthood. Discussion: The MLQ is valid in older-adulthood. Meaning in life is psychologically adaptive in older-adulthood. Searching for meaning appears less important, especially in later older-adulthood. Findings are discussed in the context of aging and psychosocial development.
Effect of pyrolysis conditions on the characteristics of biochar produced from a tobacco stem
Authors: Lin Yanhui , Yan Wei , Sheng Kuichuan
Published: July 2016

To investigate the potential use of tobacco stems as feedstock for biochar production, a variety of pyrolysis conditions were studied to determine their effects on the distribution of pyrolysis products, as well as the physicochemical properties, energy yield and porosity characteristics of the biochar. The results showed that a moderate temperature of 400–450°C, a retention time of three hours and a slow heating rate of 5°C min−1 was better to get high energy yield from biochar. In this study, the highest calorific value of biochar was 28.128 MJ kg−1. The highest biochar yield occurred at a moderate retention time of three hours. The heating rate had an important influence on the characteristics of biochar, and the physiochemical properties of biochar produced at a heating rate of 10°C min−1 were better than other levels. Also, the oil yield decreased and gas yield increased as retention time and heating rate increased. Biochar produced at a high temperature of 600°C, a retention time up to four hours and a heating rate of 10–15°C min−1 had a larger BET surface area and cumulative pore volume than that of others. The highest change rate of pore volume of biochar almost occurred at the pore size of 2–5 nm.
Corn forage biological pretreatment by Trametes versicolor in a tray bioreactor
Authors: Planinić Mirela , Zelić Bruno , Čubel Ivan , Bucić-Kojić Ana , Tišma Marina
Published: July 2016

Trametes versicolor is a white-rot fungus known to be efficient in lignin removal due to its complex extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymatic system. Therefore, it can be used in the treatment of lignocellulose waste from agro, food, and wood industries. In a first experiment, corn forage treatment with T. versicolor was investigated in laboratory jars. In a second experiment, the process was scaled up to a tray bioreactor. In the tray bioreactor, the process of lignin degradation was improved, resulting in an increase in lignin conversion of up to 71% during seven days’ treatment.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: The Longitudinal Value of Local Cut Scores Using State Test Data
Authors: Nelson Peter M. , Van Norman Ethan R. , VanDerHeyden Amanda
Published: July 2016

We used existing reading ( n = 1,498) and math ( n = 2,260) data to evaluate state test scores for screening middle school students. In Phase 1, state test data were used to create a research-derived cut score that was optimal for predicting state test performance the following year. In Phase 2, those cut scores were applied with future cohorts. Diagnostic accuracy of the research-derived cut scores was compared with the state’s proficiency benchmark from the previous year. Across grades and content areas, research-derived cut scores yielded higher sensitivity and lower specificity values relative to state-defined cut scores. Marked decreases in sensitivity and specificity were not observed in subsequent years. Results provide evidence for procedures in which previous state test data are repurposed for screening decisions.
Where a Subdivision Is Not a “Subdivision”: State Enabling Statutes and the Local Regulation (or Not) of Land Division in the United States
Authors: Prytherch David L.
Published: July 2016

Subdivision control has long been a central pillar of planning. Nonetheless, many American states statutorily exempt entire classes of land division from local subdivision control. This legal analysis therefore asks the following: Which land divisions are localities actually enabled by statute to regulate as “subdivisions”? Which are exempted from subdivision control? What are the implications for development and planning, particularly at the exurban fringe? This fifty-state review reveals diverse ways subdivisions are defined and particular divisions—involving no new streets, large parcels, or small numbers of lots—commonly exempted from regulation, and possible consequences for managing rural sprawl.