bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thymine DNA Glycosylase Gene Knockdown Can Affect the Differentiation of Pig Preadipocytes
Authors: Zhang Lian-Jiang , Liu Si-Yuan , Zhu Ya-Nan , Gao Yan , Chen Jian , Yuan Bao , Jiang Hao , Dai Li-Sheng , Zhang Jia-Bao
Published: August 2016

Aims: To study the effect of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) gene knockdown on the differentiation of pig preadipocytes. Methods: Preadipocytes were obtained from subcutaneous adipose tissue from the neck of 1- to 7-day-old pigs. The TDG gene was knocked down using siRNA, and cell differentiation was induced. The mRNA expression level was measured using fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the protein expression level was determined using Western blot analysis. The DNA methylation levels in promoter regions of differentiation-related genes were also evaluated. Results: TDG gene knockdown decreased the mRNA expression levels of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptorγ (PPARγ) and Fatty acid binding proteins 4(FABP4 Also known as aP2) genes (P<0.01), while the mRNA expression level of the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha(C/EBPα) gene did not change significantly (P>0.05). In addition, after induced differentiation, the lipid droplet production significantly decreased, and the percentages of methylation in the promoter regions of C/EBPα, PPARγ, and aP2 genes were 0.9%, 80%, and 76%, respectively. In contrast, the percentages of methylation in the negative control groups were 0.5%, 67.5%, and 58%, respectively. Conclusion: TDG gene knockdown could inhibit the differentiation of pig preadipocytes and affect the DNA methylation levels of some transcription factors.
Acid Sphingomyelinase (ASM) is a Negative Regulator of Regulatory T Cell (Treg) Development
Authors: Zhou Yuetao , Salker Madhuri S. , Walker Britta , Münzer Patrick , Borst Oliver , Gawaz Meinrad , Gulbins Erich , Singh Yogesh , Lang Florian
Published: August 2016

Background/Aims: Regulatory T cell (Treg) is required for the maintenance of tolerance to various tissue antigens and to protect the host from autoimmune disorders. However, Treg may, indirectly, support cancer progression and bacterial infections. Therefore, a balance of Treg function is pivotal for adequate immune responses. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) is a rate limiting enzyme involved in the production of ceramide by breaking down sphingomyelin. Previous studies in T-cells have suggested that ASM is involved in CD28 signalling, T lymphocyte granule secretion, degranulation, and vesicle shedding similar to the formation of phosphatidylserine-exposing microparticles from glial cells. However, whether ASM affects the development of Treg has not yet been described. Methods: Splenocytes, isolated Naive T lymphocytes and cultured T cells were characterized for various immune T cell markers by flow cytometery. Cell proliferation was measured by Carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) dye, cell cycle analysis by Propidium Iodide (PI), mRNA transcripts by q-RT PCR and protein expression by Western Blotting respectively. Results: ASM deficient mice have higher number of Treg compared with littermate control mice. In vitro induction of ASM deficient T cells in the presence of TGF-β and IL-2 lead to a significantly higher number of Foxp3+ induced Treg (iTreg) compared with control T-cells. Further, ASM deficient iTreg has less AKT (serine 473) phosphorylation and Rictor levels compared with control iTreg. Ceramide C6 led to significant reduction of iTreg in both ASM deficient and WT mice. The reduction in iTreg leads to induction of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17 but not IFN-γ mRNA levels. Conclusion: ASM is a negative regulator of natural and iTreg.
Modifiable Factors Associated with Cognitive Impairment in 1,143 Japanese Outpatients: The Project in Sado for Total Health (PROST)
Authors: Kitamura Kaori , Watanabe Yumi , Nakamura Kazutoshi , Sanpei Kazuhiro , Wakasugi Minako , Yokoseki Akio , Onodera Osamu , Ikeuchi Takeshi , Kuwano Ryozo , Momotsu Takeshi , Narita Ichiei , Endo Naoto
Published: August 2016

Background/Aims: Evidence on modifiable factors associated with cognitive impairment in Japanese patients is scarce. This study aimed to determine modifiable factors for cognitive impairment in a Japanese hospital-based population. Methods: Subjects of this cross-sectional study were 1,143 patients of Sado General Hospital (Niigata, Japan) registered in the Project in Sado for Total Health (PROST) between June 2008 and September 2014. We assessed disease history, body mass index (BMI), leisure time physical activity, walking time, smoking and drinking habits, and consumption of vegetables, fruits, and green tea as predictors, with cognitive impairment defined by the Mini-Mental State Examination (score <24) as an outcome. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for cognitive impairment. Results: The mean subject age was 68.9 years, and the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 21.5%. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (p < 0.001), low BMI (<21.1; OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.12-1.72), a history of stroke (p = 0.003), a history of myocardial infarction (p = 0.038), low fruit consumption (p for trend = 0.012), and low green tea consumption (p for trend = 0.032) were independently associated with a higher prevalence of cognitive impairment. Conclusions: Modifiable factors, such as low BMI, low fruit consumption, and low green tea consumption, are associated with cognitive impairment. Longitudinal studies will be needed to confirm these findings.
Possible Inhibitory Effect of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents at the Predialysis Stage on Early-Phase Coronary Events after Hemodialysis Initiation
Authors: Nishimura Masato , Watanabe Keitaro , Kitamura Yuki , Nagashima Takao , Tokoro Toshiko , Takatani Toru , Sato Nodoka , Yamazaki Satoru , Hashimoto Tetsuya , Kobayashi Hiroyuki , Ono Toshihiko
Published: August 2016

Background: We examined whether the use of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) to correct anemia at the predialysis stage could inhibit early-phase coronary events after hemodialysis initiation. Methods: We enrolled 242 patients with chronic kidney disease who had received continued medical treatments and initiated maintenance hemodialysis from 1 September 2000 to 31 December 2014 at Toujinkai Hospital. Patients with a previous history of blood transfusion or any cardiovascular events or interventions were excluded. The coronary events were followed for 1 year after initiation of hemodialysis. Results: Coronary events occurred in 51 of 242 patients: 10 patients had acute coronary syndrome [9 with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), 1 without intervention], and 41 had elective coronary revascularization (38 PCI and 3 coronary artery bypass graft). ESA was administered in 118 of 242 patients (48.8%). In stepwise logistic analysis, coronary events were positively associated with nonuse of ESA at the predialysis stage (odds ratio 2.66, p = 0.005) and diabetes mellitus (odds ratio 5.33, p < 0.001). When dividing the patients into 4 subgroups by blood hemoglobin (Hb) level (8.5 g/dl) and the use/nonuse of ESA, coronary event-free survival rates were higher (p = 0.005) in those with Hb ≥8.5 g/dl, ESA+ (86.6%, n = 82) and tended to be higher (p = 0.055) in those with Hb <8.5 g/dl, ESA+ (86.1%, n = 36) than in patients with Hb <8.5 g/dl, ESA- (68.6%, n = 86) in a Kaplan-Meier analysis. Conclusions: The use of ESA to correct anemia at the predialysis stage may inhibit early-phase coronary events after hemodialysis initiation.
A Protective Kidney-Lung Approach to Improve Outcomes in Mechanically Ventilated Patients
Authors: Husain-Syed Faeq , Birk Horst-Walter , Seeger Werner , Ronco Claudio
Published: August 2016

There is increasing evidence that deleterious interactions between the lung and the kidney may be partly responsible for the multiorgan failure and high mortality seen in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. Lung protective strategies can reduce many of the adverse mechanistic and biological effects of mechanical ventilation. However, the key modifiable mediators are yet to be defined for the titration of balance between protective ventilation settings and distant organ function. Disparate but complementary mechanisms that may be involved in acute lung-kidney interactions will be discussed. A kidney-lung protective strategy in patients on mechanical ventilation is a potential approach that should be exploited to improve outcomes in critically ill patients. Video Journal Club ‘Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco' at http://www.karger.com/?doi=448471.
O catálogo editorial e a bibliografia como fontes de pesquisa: avanços e desafios na era digital
Authors: Souza Willian Eduardo Righini de
Published: August 2016

Ao contrário de países como França e Inglaterra, o Brasil não possui uma tradição de publicação de bibliografias comerciais correntes ou públicas nacionais que permitam averiguar a produção nacional de livros por longos períodos, ainda que o depósito legal seja uma realidade há mais de um século. As nossas principais bibliografias foram interrompidas ou perderam continuidade após alguns anos, dificultando a realização de pesquisas sobre determinados períodos históricos. Atualmente, o Brasil não dispõe de uma bibliografia nacional corrente e a Biblioteca Nacional enfrenta dificuldades para manter os seus registros eletrônicos atualizados. Desse modo, defende-se que os catálogos editoriais podem contribuir para pesquisas ao permitir a constituição de listas bibliográficas, embora, na maioria das vezes, não adotem um vocabulário controlado para facilitar a recuperação dos seus registros. Com o advento do digital, diversas editoras têm substituído a produção de catálogos impressos pela disponibilização de registros online. Assim sendo, aborda-se, a partir deste quadro, o catálogo editorial e a bibliografia com fontes de pesquisa assim como se discute os avanços e desafios para a produção desses instrumentos na contemporaneidade.
O conceito de documento em abordagem bibliográfica segundo as disciplinas constituintes do campo
Authors: Ortega Cristina Dotta
Published: August 2016

Bibliografia, Biblioteconomia, Documentação e Ciência da Informação apresentam, cada uma a seu modo, e influenciando-se uma à outra, o campo que tem por objeto a mediação documentária em abordagem bibliográfica. Na perspectiva de vertentes constituintes do campo, estas disciplinas permitem um conceito de documento no sentido de objeto empírico sobre o qual recaem os procedimentos. O objetivo é tratar da construção do conceito de documento por meio das disciplinas cujas contribuições convergem para o campo das ações de mediação documentária em abordagem bibliográfica. Como metodologia, recorreu-se à exploração de literatura que discute o documento pelas disciplinas citadas, buscando estabelecer equivalências e realizar contrapontos. O primeiro tópico apresenta uma construção histórica do conceito de documento em Documentação, durante o século XX, em especial, em solo francês, desde sua concepção por Paul Otlet, depois por Suzanne Briet, e posteriormente por Jean Meyriat; o segundo tópico perpassa as disciplinas Bibliografia, Biblioteconomia e Documentação, em torno do conceito de documento em perspectiva empírica ou científica, e a Ciência da Informação no que tange aos aspectos que herda das disciplinas que a precederam; e o terceiro tópico busca aprofundar o conceito de documento, em abordagem bibliográfica, estabelecendo algumas relações com ideias propostas para este conceito em abordagem arquivística e museológica. Conclui que predomina abordagem bibliográfica sobre documento que enfatiza a instância tipológica do objeto e normatizadora de sua descrição, menos que aquela baseada no caráter simbólico dos procedimentos e de seu produto final.
Consistency of Hemoglobin A1c Testing and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Medicare Patients With Diabetes
Authors: Goodney Philip P. , Newhall Karina A. , Bekelis Kimon , Gottlieb Daniel , Comi Richard , Chaudrain Sushela , Faerber Adrienne E. , Mackenzie Todd A. , Skinner Jonathan S.
Published: August 2016

Background

Annual hemoglobin A1c testing is recommended for patients with diabetes mellitus. However, it is unknown how consistently patients with diabetes mellitus receive hemoglobin A1c testing over time, or whether testing consistency is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Methods and Results

We identified 1 574 415 Medicare patients (2002–2012) with diabetes mellitus over the age of 65. We followed each patient for a minimum of 3 years to determine their consistency in hemoglobin A1C testing, using 3 categories: low (testing in 0 or 1 of 3 years), medium (testing in 2 of 3 years), and high (testing in all 3 years). In unweighted and inverse propensity‐weighted cohorts, we examined associations between testing consistency and major adverse cardiovascular events, defined as death, myocardial infarction, stroke, amputation, or the need for leg revascularization. Overall, 70.2% of patients received high‐consistency testing, 17.6% of patients received medium‐consistency testing, and 12.2% of patients received low‐consistency testing. When compared to high‐consistency testing, low‐consistency testing was associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events or death in unweighted analyses (hazard ratio [
HR
]=1.21; 95%
CI
, 1.20–1.23;
P
<0.001), inverse propensity‐weighted analyses (
HR
=1.16; 95%
CI
, 1.15–1.17;
P
<0.001), and weighted analyses limited to patients who had at least 4 physician visits annually (
HR
=1.15; 95%
CI
, 1.15–1.16;
P
<0.001). Less‐consistent testing was associated with worse results for each cardiovascular outcome and in analyses using all years as the exposure.

Conclusions

Consistent annual hemoglobin A1c testing is associated with fewer adverse cardiovascular outcomes in this observational cohort of Medicare patients of diabetes mellitus.
Morphology and phylogenic position of Wynnella subalpina sp. nov. (Helvellaceae) from western China
Authors: ZHAO QI , BROOKS SIRAPRAPA , ZHAO YONG-CHAN , YANG ZHU L. , HYDE KEVIN D.
Published: August 2016

The genus Wynnella has long been regarded as a monotypic genus, consisting only W. auricula (Schaeff) Boud. Morphological and phylogenetic studies were carried out on new collections of Wynnella from Tibet and Sichuan, in southwestern China. Morphology and phylogenies inferred from the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA (ITS) and the D1–D3 region of 28S nrDNA (28S) sequences data clearly suggest these collections representing a new species in the genus. Wynnella subalpina is thus introduced and illustrated. The species is characterized by its rabbit ear-shaped apothecia, with a tea brown to blackish brown hymenium, a red, reddish brown to pale yellowish brown receptacle surface, and a costate stipe. Detailed macro- and micro-scopic descriptions, illustrations of microscopic characters and photographic plates are provided herein.
Two new species of Podostemaceae from the Yinggeling National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China
Authors: LIN QIN-WEN , LU GANG , LI ZHENG-YU
Published: August 2016

In this paper we describe and illustrate two new species, Cladopus yinggelingensis and Terniopsis daoyinensis, both from the Yinggeling National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China. Morphologically, Cladopus yinggelingensis is similar to C. doianus, and Terniopsis daoyinensis is similar to T. ubonensis. For the new taxa, information on its geographic range, habitat, and morphological differences between their known congeneric species are presented.
Aspidistra ronganensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from limestone areas in Guangxi, China
Authors: LIU JING , HUANG JIE , XU WEI-BIN , LIN CHUN-RUI
Published: August 2016

A new species, Aspidistra ronganensis, discovered in Guangxi Zhuangzu Autonomous Region of southern China, is described and illustrated. It is similar to A. retusa in the shape of the flower, but differs by the perigone tubular (vs. campanulate), 20–25 × 6–8 mm, lobes triangular-lanceolate (vs. deltoid-ovate), apex gradually acuminate (vs. subobtuse), with spurlike basal protuberances (vs. withoutr keels), anthers lineate, ca. 5 × 0. 5–1 mm (vs. ovate, 1.8 ×1.8 mm). The chromosome number of the new species was determined to be 2n = 38 + 1B, and the karyotype was formulated as 2n = 24m + 2sm + 12st + 1B. One B chromosome was observed in the chromosome complement. The average length of chromosome complement is 4.22 μm, the karyotype asymmetry indices CVCL and MCA are 63.24 and 26.20, respectively.
A new macropterous species of a rarely collected subfamily (Heteroptera, Tingidae, Vianaidinae)
Authors: GUIDOTI MARCUS , MONTEMAYOR SARA I.
Published: August 2016

Pterovianaida duckensis n. sp., a new macropterous species of the rarely collected subfamily Vianaidinae is here described. The group currently comprises nine species, two of them fossils. Pterovianaida Montemayor and Carpintero is a recent monotypic genus described for a macropterous species collected in Peru. Here, a new macropterous species of Pterovianaida is described, and characters of the head, pronotum and hemelytra distinguish this species from the type species. This is the first record of a macropterous Vianaidinae for Brazil. A key to all extant species of this subfamily is provided.
Rainbows, Halos, Coronas and Glories: Beautiful Sources of Information
Authors: Können Gunther P.
Published: August 2016

Rainbows, halos, coronas, and glories are aesthetic features admired over millennia by man. They are also carriers of useful information about the physical properties of drops and solid particles floating in the atmospheres of Earth and other planets. Although atmospheric optics is a centuries-old discipline, significant progress in the understanding of these phenomena has been achieved during the past 40 years, as well as of their relation to the physical properties of the individual scatterers. At the same time, with the development of planetary exploration, the number of observations of rainbows, halos, and glories in the atmospheres of planets other than Earth is steadily growing. In this article we describe these phenomena and their information content and illustrate them with pictures mostly showing their typical appearance rather than presenting the “best pictures ever.”
Social Justice Leadership and Family Engagement
Authors: DeMatthews David E. , Edwards D. Brent , Rincones Rodolfo
Published: August 2016

Research Approach: This in-depth qualitative case study explores one school leader’s enactment of social justice leadership in an elementary school in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Analysis of interviews and observations revealed how this leader adapted her leadership to prioritize the severe needs of families and students in one of the world’s most violent cities. Findings: The article describes how the leader made sense of the community and its needs. Then, it examines how the leader enacted social justice leadership by addressing the out-of-school challenges that affected student achievement and well-being. Consequently, the leader’s focus shifted toward meaningful family engagement through adult education, community advocacy, and critical questioning of the status quo. Implications: Implications for future research, theory, and administrator preparation programs are presented at the conclusion of the article.
Cross-Cultural Comparisons of Infant Fear
Authors: Gartstein Maria A. , Carranza Jose Antonio , González-Salinas Carmen , Ato Ester , Galián María D. , Erickson Nora L. , Potapova Natalia
Published: August 2016

Cross-cultural investigations addressing the development of individual differences are important because these speak to the generalizability of results and the extent to which the development of temperament and personality differs by culture. The present study was aimed at comparing manifestations of fear, defined in infancy as startle or distress to sudden changes in stimulation (e.g., facial/bodily expressions of fear), and inhibited approach to novelty (e.g., escape/avoidance), for samples from Spain ( n = 51) and the United States ( n = 102). We obtained data from mothers of U.S. and Spanish infants at 12 months of age, also observing these babies in the context of a structured laboratory procedure designed to elicit fearful reactivity. Data reduction efforts produced coherent observation-based fearfulness constructs for both groups, and individual indicators were also examined. Significant differences between U.S. and Spanish infants for the observation-based fear composite and component indices of distress vocalizations, bodily fear, and escape intensity, but not for the parent-report of this attribute, were demonstrated. A significant culture-by-gender interaction emerged for the laboratory-based fear composite and the intensity of facial fear indicator, wherein Spanish female infants exhibited higher intensity of expression, relative to the U.S. counterparts.
Relationships Between Refraining From Catastrophic Thinking, Repetitive Negative Thinking, and Psychological Distress
Authors: Sugiura Tomoko , Sugiura Yoshinori
Published: August 2016

Skills to refrain from catastrophic thinking were negatively related to worry and a wide range of psychological distress. Repetitive negative thinking (including worry) is proposed as a common etiological factor for a wide range of psychological distress. Therefore, reduced repetitive negative thinking would mediate the negative relation between refraining from catastrophic thinking and psychological distress (depression, social anxiety, phobia, generalized anxiety, and obsessions and compulsions). As an overlap between five indices of psychological distress was expected, we first computed latent factors underlying them, which were then predicted by refraining from catastrophic thinking and repetitive negative thinking. Cross-sectional questionnaire data from 125 nonclinical voluntarily participating students ( M age = 19.0 years, SD = 3.6; 54% women) supported the predictions: refraining from catastrophic thinking was negatively correlated with depression, social anxiety, phobia, generalized anxiety, and obsession and compulsion. Repetitive negative thinking mediated the negative relationship between refraining from catastrophic thinking and latent factors underlying psychological distress (Fear and Distress). Refraining from catastrophic thinking may be negatively correlated with psychological distress due to its negative relation to repetitive negative thinking.
Numerical study of the three-dimensional preliminary flow field in the ring spinning triangle
Authors: Guo Hui Fen , Lam Ngan Yi Kitty , Yan Feng , Yang Chenxiao , Li Li
Published: August 2016

The spinning triangle is a critical region in ring spinning. To understand the formation principle of the triangle zone, a dynamic mesh model with SIMPLEC algorithm is employed to study airflow around the rotating front roller-pair. The effects of both the top roller offset and the drafting inclination angle are also discussed. The bubble-type vortex breakdown and vortices around two cylinders are observed. The bubble-type vortices will help the edge fibers to converge to the center. A contour line with special value is defined to describe the spinning triangle. A dynamic triangle zone is also observed with time. As the forward offset of the top roller increases, the velocities in the stream-wise ( x- and y-) directions decrease and the maximum values of the skin friction deflect gradually towards the apex of the roller. However, the z-velocity for the 3 mm top roller offset is the largest and results in a good converging for fibers and, consequently, increases the yarn tension. With increasing the inclination angle, the velocities increase while both the defined triangle zones and the maximum values of the friction coefficients decrease, thus speeding up the fibers transportation. The simulation results agree well with the theory analysis and experiments of spinning.
Preparation and study of low-resistance polyacrylonitrile nano membranes for gas filtration
Authors: Lou Li-Hua , Qin Xiao-Hong , Zhang Hongnan
Published: August 2016

In this paper, patterned nanofibrous membranes were fabricated for air filtration. Polyacrylonitrile was employed as the electrospinning material as its fluffy property and bulged bubble template served as collector to prepare the patterned membrane. With this special structure, the pressure drop significantly declined from 151.7 to 24.7 mmH2O, although the filtration efficiency of nanofiber membranes exhibited a slight decline from 99.94% to 96.33% compared to traditional electrospinning nanofibrous membranes. These sharp declines of the pressure drop while retaining the filtration efficiency imply that it could have more extensive applications.
Preparation and characterizations of flame retardant melamine cyanurate/polyamide 6 composite fibers via in situ polymerization
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Lin Yunzhi , Sha Kai , Xiao Ru
Published: August 2016

To improve the flame retardancy of polyamide 6 (PA6) fibers, melamine cyanurate (MCA)/PA6 composites were synthesized via in situ polymerization of ɛ-caprolactam in the presence of adipic acid-melamine salt and cyanuric acid-hexane diamine salt. The flame retardant MCA/PA6 composite fibers were prepared by melt spinning. The structure and properties of MCA/PA6 composites and MCA/PA6 composite fibers were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, tensile tests, vertical burning tests (UL94) and limiting oxygen index (LOI) tests. Experimental results indicated that the MCA/PA6 composites loaded with 8 wt% of additives can achieve UL94 V-0 rating with an LOI value of 29.3%. The tenacity at break of PA6 fiber decreased from 4.85 to 3.11 cN·dtex–1 for MCA/PA6-8 composite fiber. However, the MCA/PA6 composite fibers can effectively suppress the propagation of flame in fabric. This means that the in situ polymerization approach paves the way for the preparation of MCA/PA6 composites that have good spinnability and flame retardancy.
Using a Social Science–Fictional Play to Teach about Global Capitalism and Macro-structural Systems in Introduction to Sociology
Authors: Pelak Cynthia Fabrizio , Duncan Stacey
Published: August 2016

This article explores the use of a social science–fictional play to teach macro-structural concepts related to global capitalism and surplus labor in a small and large Introduction to Sociology course. Relying on a cross-disciplinary and critical pedagogical approach that combines theory and practice to empower students to develop a critical consciousness of the world around them, the authors develop an active learning exercise centered on an in-class reading of the dystopian play I Like Firing People written by sociologists Charles Derber and Yale Magrass. To assess the effectiveness of the exercise to increase student engagement and conceptual learning, the authors use quantitative and qualitative data and a quasi-experimental research design. Even with the mixed findings, the reading of an evocative social scientific fictional play coupled with short writing exercises and class discussions appears to assist in making macro-structural systems more visible and real to students and offers a unique role-playing opportunity that highlights multiple perspectives on the global capitalist economy.
Is “Bow” for an Arrow or for Hair? A Classroom Demonstration on Gender Differences in Interpreting Ambiguous Information
Authors: Fa-Kaji Naomi , Nguyen Linda , Hebl Mikki , Skorinko Jeanine
Published: August 2016

This article details a classroom demonstration of how gender differences in cognitive schemas can result in men and women differentially interpreting the same information. Students heard a series of six homonyms (e.g., bow and nail) spoken aloud and wrote down the first word with which they free-associated each homonym. When hearing the words (e.g., bow), men were more likely to respond with a male-gendered word (e.g., arrow), whereas women were more likely to respond with a female-gendered word (e.g., hair). The demonstration is easy to administer, takes approximately 10 min, results in strong differences, and improves students’ understanding of gender differences in cognitive schemas.
An alternative general method to evaluate the atmospheric down-welling radiation
Authors: Wang Yan , Pan Dongmei , Wang Lei , Long Enshen , Deng Shiming
Published: August 2016

The importance of atmospheric down-welling radiation in studying building thermal environments and energy performance has been well identified, and empirical formulae to evaluate atmospheric down-welling radiation values developed with their inadequacies. In this paper, a study of developing an alternative general method for evaluating atmospheric down-welling radiation values to the water pond-based empirical formula by Clark and Allen is reported. The validity of the alternative general method has been demonstrated by comparing the atmospheric down-welling radiation values evaluated using the alternative general method and that using the Clark and Allen’s formula. Since the alternative general method developed is based on a building roof system, and no water is involved, the alternative general method developed in this paper appears to have more advantages. On one hand, this could eliminate any potential impacts on prediction accuracy when water is used in different climates. On the other hand, the application of the alternative general method is relatively easier as only a suitable existing roof system is required. Therefore, the use of alternative general method can provide a more reliable and economic alternative in evaluating atmospheric down-welling radiation, when compared to using Clark and Allen’s empirical formula.

Practical application The alternative general method developed for evaluating atmospheric down-welling radiation values in this paper could be used as an alternative to the empirical formula proposed by Clark and Allen and is valid for all climate conditions and easy to be implemented to evaluate alternative general method values. It can be used when evaluating building night sky cooling, building passive cooling system, etc.
Culture and Healthy Eating
Authors: Levine Cynthia S. , Miyamoto Yuri , Markus Hazel Rose , Rigotti Attilio , Boylan Jennifer Morozink , Park Jiyoung , Kitayama Shinobu , Karasawa Mayumi , Kawakami Norito , Coe Christopher L. , Love Gayle D. , Ryff Carol D.
Published: August 2016

Healthy eating is important for physical health. Using large probability samples of middle-aged adults in the United States and Japan, we show that fitting with the culturally normative way of being predicts healthy eating. In the United States, a culture that prioritizes and emphasizes independence, being independent predicts eating a healthy diet (an index of fish, protein, fruit, vegetables, reverse-coded sugared beverages, and reverse-coded high fat meat consumption; Study 1) and not using nonmeat food as a way to cope with stress (Study 2a). In Japan, a culture that prioritizes and emphasizes interdependence, being interdependent predicts eating a healthy diet (Studies 1 and 2b). Furthermore, reflecting the types of agency that are prevalent in each context, these relationships are mediated by autonomy in the United States and positive relations with others in Japan. These findings highlight the importance of understanding cultural differences in shaping healthy behavior and have implications for designing health-promoting interventions.
You Spin Me Right Round: A Within-Person Examination of Affect Spin and Voluntary Work Behavior
Authors: Clark Malissa A. , Robertson Melissa M. , Carter Nathan T.
Published: August 2016

The current study extends prior research on emotional dynamics within the workplace by examining workplace correlates of within-person affect spin—a form of variability in affect states. Drawing from affective events theory, the current study tests both concurrent and lagged associations between work events, daily affect spin, mood, and daily voluntary workplace behaviors in a 2-week daily diary study of 114 working adults. Multilevel analyses demonstrated that levels of daily affect spin were higher on days in which employees experienced mixed work events (i.e., both positive and negative work events on the same day) compared to days with only positive work events or no work events. Results revealed that daily affect spin was indirectly related to daily organizational citizenship behavior through lower pleasant mood. Lagged analyses suggest the effects of daily spin on mood and voluntary work behaviors may not carry over to the next day. Our findings build upon prior between-person research on affect spin by providing evidence that affect spin can be meaningfully assessed at the within-person level of analysis. Moreover, this article extends prior research and theory by showing that affect spin is an important correlate of workplace events, mood, and voluntary work behavior at the within-person level.
Rethinking Value in the Bio-economy
Authors: Birch Kean
Published: August 2016

Current debates in science and technology studies emphasize that the bio-economy—or, the articulation of capitalism and biotechnology—is built on notions of commodity production, commodification, and materiality, emphasizing that it is possible to derive value from body parts, molecular and cellular tissues, biological processes, and so on. What is missing from these perspectives, however, is consideration of the political-economic actors, knowledges, and practices involved in the creation and management of value. As part of a rethinking of value in the bio-economy, this article analyzes three key political-economic processes: financialization, capitalization, and assetization. In doing so, it argues that value is managed as part of a series of valuation practices, it is not inherent in biological materialities.
Toward an ‘African’ take on the cultural and creative industries?
Authors: De Beukelaer Christiaan
Published: August 2016

This article questions the extent to which ‘Africa’ can simply buy into the creative economy discourse. This is necessary because the relative lack of attention to the cultural and creative industries on the continent in the academic literature creates a double blind. First, the empirical context in which culture is created, traded, and consumed remains absent from the largely Western literature. Second, the same Western literature serves as a way to make cultural production on the African continent fit the notion of the cultural and creative industries. This creates a tension between the cultural and creative industries models and the context in which most cultural stakeholders on the continent work. My argument is that far greater empirical attention is needed to the practices in the cultural sector across the continent, because ‘Africa’ cannot simply pick and adopt a model, it needs to conceptualize and theorize its own models and approaches to the cultural industries for this discourse to become a useful tool.
Innovation or Inconsistency? Framing Colorectal Cancer Guidelines to Improve Public Perceptions of Updated Screening Recommendations
Authors: Neil Jordan M. , Krieger Janice L. , Kalyanaraman Sriram , George Thomas J.
Published: August 2016

Effectively communicating how findings from population science inform patient-level decision-making about cancer prevention remains a challenge. Despite the substantial benefits associated with early detection of colorectal cancer, patient compliance with screening guidelines is suboptimal. One potential barrier to compliance is the language used by organizations to frame screening recommendations. Drawing on theory and research on verbal immediacy, the current study examines whether linguistically framing screening messages as being temporally immediate makes them more effective than non-immediate messages for encouraging people to adopt state-of-science screening recommendations. An online message design experiment was conducted with a sample of older adults ( N = 305). Results show temporally immediate frames are more effective at increasing behavioral intention to follow updated screening guidelines than temporally non-immediate frames. In addition, both response efficacy of a screening modality and perceived susceptibility to cancer moderate the relationship between message strategy and intention to screen.
The Language of Dementia Science and the Science of Dementia Language
Authors: Wray Alison
Published: August 2016

Language is a balance of precision and flexibility, and scientific dialogue across disciplines faces challenges in how terms are used and how phenomena, including language itself, are described and explained. Taking dementia as its focus, this article offers linguistic perspectives on causes of inherent difficulty with terminological exactness. Attention is paid to the interface between the positivist imperatives of clinical evaluation and the relativist interpretations that help make sense of uses of terms across contexts. Two types of reason are examined for why the language produced by people with dementia is sometimes hard to characterize and predict: the theoretical challenges inherent in analyzing the language of dementia and the social variables that affect how that language is manifested. The article concludes with the vision of linguistic research using corpus-based discourse analysis to underpin and catalyze communication-bridging activities in interdisciplinary projects, within and beyond the dementia context.
Inferior vena cava thrombosis as a cause of haemolysis in a patient on ECMO
Authors: Wills Samantha , Forrest Paul
Published: August 2016

Haemolysis, thrombosis and haemorrhage are well-documented complications of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. This case report outlines an unusual case of haemolysis, thought secondary to a large mobile thrombus in the inferior vena cava.
Physician Recommendations Trump Patient Preferences in Prostate Cancer Treatment Decisions
Authors: Scherr Karen A. , Fagerlin Angela , Hofer Timothy , Scherer Laura D. , Holmes-Rovner Margaret , Williamson Lillie D. , Kahn Valerie C. , Montgomery Jeffrey S. , Greene Kirsten L. , Zhang Biqi , Ubel Peter A.
Published: August 2016

Objective. To assess the influence of patient preferences and urologist recommendations in treatment decisions for clinically localized prostate cancer. Methods. We enrolled 257 men with clinically localized prostate cancer (prostate-specific antigen <20; Gleason score 6 or 7) seen by urologists (primarily residents and fellows) in 4 Veterans Affairs medical centers. We measured patients’ baseline preferences prior to their urology appointments, including initial treatment preference, cancer-related anxiety, and interest in sex. In longitudinal follow-up, we determined which treatment patients received. We used hierarchical logistic regression to determine the factors that predicted treatment received (active treatment v. active surveillance) and urologist recommendations. We also conducted a directed content analysis of recorded clinical encounters to determine if urologists discussed patients’ interest in sex. Results. Patients’ initial treatment preferences did not predict receipt of active treatment versus surveillance, Δχ2(4) = 3.67, P = 0.45. Instead, receipt of active treatment was predicted primarily by urologists’ recommendations, Δχ2(2) = 32.81, P < 0.001. Urologists’ recommendations, in turn, were influenced heavily by medical factors (age and Gleason score) but were unrelated to patient preferences, Δχ2(6) = 0, P = 1. Urologists rarely discussed patients’ interest in sex (<15% of appointments). Conclusions. Patients’ treatment decisions were based largely on urologists’ recommendations, which, in turn, were based on medical factors (age and Gleason score) and not on patients’ personal views of the relative pros and cons of treatment alternatives.
Analysis of Attendance in Turkish State Theatres
Authors: Akdede Sacit Hadi , Ogus Binatli Ayla
Published: August 2016

In this article, a system of equations is estimated, and the determinants of attendance for plays put on stage by the General Directorate of State Theatres in Turkey are investigated for the 2002 to 2003 season. We disaggregated attendance by type (discounted vs. single tickets) and by location. Our results suggest that the preferences of single and discounted ticket buyers are different. Specifically, we found that for discounted ticket holders, live theatre is negatively affected by price, but that for single ticket holders, the consumption of live theatre displays properties of the Veblen effect. We speculate whether this could be evidence of the Veblen effect for the consumption of the arts in general and for consumption of state financed live theatre for the Turkish case.
Reliability of postoperative MR imaging in the determination of level and side of lumbar spinal decompression surgery
Authors: Wanivenhaus Florian , Buck Florian M , Betz Michael , Farshad-Amacker Nadja A , Farshad Mazda
Published: August 2016

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the diagnostic modality of choice in defining soft tissue compromise of the spinal canal.

Purpose

To evaluate the reliability of postoperative MRI in the determination of level and side of lumbar spinal decompression surgery, investigated by two reviewers, in different levels of training and specialization.

Material and Methods

Postoperative MR images of 86 patients who underwent spinal decompression (single level, n = 70; multilevel, n = 16; revision decompression, n = 9) were reviewed independently by an experienced musculoskeletal radiologist and a fourth-year orthopedic surgery resident. The level (single or multiple) and side of previous surgical decompression were determined and compared to the surgical notes. We examined factors that may have influenced the reliability, including demographics, type of surgical decompression, use of a drain, and time interval from surgery to MRI.

Results

Significantly fewer levels were correctly determined by the resident (77/86 cases, 89.5%) compared with the radiologist (84/86 cases, 97.7%) ( P = 0.014). The resident interpreted significantly more MR images incorrectly in cases where a drain was used (n = 8; P < 0.001). Re-decompression cases were interpreted incorrectly significantly more often by both the radiologist (n = 2, P = 0.032) and the resident (n = 4, P = 0.014).

Conclusion

Determination of the level and side operated on in previous lumbar spinal decompression surgery on MRI has a high reliability, especially when performed by a musculoskeletal radiologist. However, this reliability is decreased in cases involving surgical drainage and same-level revision surgery.
The long reach of lean retailing: Firm embeddedness and Wal-Mart’s implementation of local produce sourcing in the US
Authors: Bloom J Dara , Hinrichs C Clare
Published: August 2016

With its corresponding concepts of societal, territorial, and network embeddedness, firm embeddedness offers a theoretical framework for analyzing how retailers develop strategies and business models determined by their home country context, but also adapted to new places, consumers, and networks. This paper uses firm embeddedness to examine food retailer adaptation within a changing home market, focusing on Wal-Mart’s efforts to implement local produce sourcing in the U.S. Growing consumer interest in local food has sufficiently shifted the competitive landscape within the U.S. market that Wal-Mart and other food retailers have sought to incorporate local produce into their operations. This paper asks whether Wal-Mart’s core lean retailing strategy facilitates or impedes such efforts to localize its U.S. produce supply chains. Qualitative field research conducted in 2011–2012 in one U.S. region centered on semi-structured interviews with 27 fresh fruit and vegetable producers involved in Wal-Mart’s local produce supply chains and 20 representatives of organizations facilitating commercial relationships between local growers and Wal-Mart. We find that the lean retailing model developed by Wal-Mart in response to historical circumstances in U.S. retailing and central to its present global retail dominance also limits Wal-Mart’s ability to engage in the bottom-up learning and adaptation to local contexts necessary for adjusting to the new competitive environment of local food. Wal-Mart’s centralized management and distribution systems, practices of cutting out intermediaries, and emphasis on standardization all presented some barriers to establishing the territorial and network embeddedness that could facilitate adaptation. However, we conclude that rather than simply failing to adapt to the challenges of localization, Wal-Mart applied a hybrid strategy in its local produce sourcing program. This hybrid strategy combined lean retailing—Wal-Mart’s traditional basis of competition—with selected, rather than comprehensive aspects of localization.
Geometric Risk Factors Associated With Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Graft Rupture
Authors: Levins James G. , Sturnick Daniel R. , Argentieri Erin C. , Gardner-Morse Mack , Vacek Pamela M. , Desarno Michael J. , Tourville Timothy W. , Slauterbeck James R. , Beynnon Bruce D.
Published: August 2016

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft rupture occurs at a high rate, especially in young athletes. The geometries of the tibial plateau and femoral intercondylar notch are risk factors for first-time ACL injury; however, little is known about the relationship between these geometries and risk of ACL graft rupture.

Hypothesis:

The geometric risk factors for noncontact graft rupture are similar to those previously identified for first-time noncontact ACL injury, and sex-specific differences exist.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Eleven subjects who suffered a noncontact ACL graft rupture and 44 subjects who underwent ACL reconstruction but did not experience graft rupture were included in the study. Using magnetic resonance imaging, the geometries of the tibial plateau subchondral bone, articular cartilage, meniscus, tibial spines, and femoral notch were measured. Risk factors associated with ACL graft rupture were identified using Cox regression.

Results:

The following were associated with increased risk of ACL graft injury in males: increased posterior-inferior–directed slope of the articular cartilage in the lateral tibial plateau measured at 2 locations (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.50, P = .029; HR = 1.39, P = .006), increased volume (HR = 1.45, P = .01) and anteroposterior length (HR = 1.34, P = .0023) of the medial tibial spine, and increased length (HR = 1.18, P = .0005) and mediolateral width (HR = 2.19, P = .0004) of the lateral tibial spine. In females, the following were associated with increased risk of injury: decreased volume (HR = 0.45, P = .02) and height (HR = 0.46, P = .02) of the medial tibial spine, decreased slope of the lateral tibial subchondral bone (HR = 0.72, P = .01), decreased height of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus (HR = 0.09, P = .001), and decreased intercondylar notch width at the anterior attachment of the ACL (HR = 0.72, P = .02).

Conclusion:

The geometric risk factors for ACL graft rupture are different for males and females. For females, a decreased femoral intercondylar notch width and a decreased height of the posterior medial meniscus were risk factors for ACL graft rupture that have also been found to be risk factors for first-time injury. There were no risk factors in common between ACL graft injury and first-time ACL injury for males.