bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparing a workforce to effectively reuse data
Authors: Lucic Ana , Blake Catherine
Published: December 2016

For centuries, library and information science professionals have been responsible for curating and preserving access to information resources. The last few decades have seen an unprecedented change in how new knowledge is created, disseminated and reused both within academe and industry, which provides new opportunities to intervene within the data lifecycle. This paper documents efforts to create a graduate educational program that produces alum who understand both the social and technical aspects of data analytics and who can effectively employ data to address questions in academe and industry. We share perspectives gained from initial interviews with project partners who have data needs, and report on how those needs directly informed curricula development of the Socio‐technical Data Analytics (SODA) program at the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois. We also provide a formative student evaluation of the program that was conducted to identify aspects that are successful, and those where further work is needed in order to help other schools who are developing similar programs that prepare a workforce who can effectively reuse data.
Historical bibliometric analysis: A case of the journal of the siam society, 1972–1976
Authors: Tejasen Chirabodee
Published: December 2016

This paper presents results of a study that applies a historical bibliometric treatment on the Journal of the Siam Society in the period from 1972 to 1976, aiming to chart a life story of the Journal in such the timeframe. The research approach taken brings together quantitative and qualitative research methods to trace the historical development of a learned publication devoted to the academic studies of Thailand. The bibliometric methods examine the trend and change in the Journal's bibliographic characteristics which are viewed as the intellectual contours of the Journal. Then, these contours are contextualised and interpreted through historical research methods which primarily engage documentary evidence. The findings of the study show that both bibliometric and historical analyses complement each other, suggesting that the research design and methods are workable. Contributions of the study are outlined.
Structural investigation on WlaRG from Campylobacter jejuni: A sugar aminotransferase
Authors: Dow Garrett T. , Gilbert Michel , Thoden James B. , Holden Hazel M.
Published: December 2016

Campylobacter jejuni is a Gram‐negative bacterium that represents a leading cause of human gastroenteritis worldwide. Of particular concern is the link between C. jejuni infections and the subsequent development of Guillain‐Barré syndrome, an acquired autoimmune disorder leading to paralysis. All Gram‐negative bacteria contain complex glycoconjugates anchored to their outer membranes, but in most strains of C. jejuni, this lipoglycan lacks the O‐antigen repeating units. Recent mass spectrometry analyses indicate that the C. jejuni 81116 (Penner serotype HS:6) lipoglycan contains two dideoxyhexosamine residues, and enzymological assay data show that this bacterial strain can synthesize both dTDP‐3‐acetamido‐3,6‐dideoxy‐d‐glucose and dTDP‐3‐acetamido‐3,6‐dideoxy‐d‐galactose. The focus of this investigation is on WlaRG from C. jejuni, which plays a key role in the production of these unusual sugars by functioning as a pyridoxal 5′‐phosphate dependent aminotransferase. Here, we describe the first three‐dimensional structures of the enzyme in various complexes determined to resolutions of 1.7 Å or higher. Of particular significance are the external aldimine structures of WlaRG solved in the presence of either dTDP‐3‐amino‐3,6‐dideoxy‐d‐galactose or dTDP‐3‐amino‐3,6‐dideoxy‐d‐glucose. These models highlight the manner in which WlaRG can accommodate sugars with differing stereochemistries about their C‐4′ carbon positions. In addition, we present a corrected structure of WbpE, a related sugar aminotransferase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa, solved to 1.3 Å resolution.
Contemporary Meanings of the ‘Sustainable City’: A Comparative Review of the French‐ and English‐Language Literature
Authors: Hamman Philippe , Anquetin Virginie , Monicolle Céline
Published: December 2016

This paper analyses the repertoire of the ‘sustainable city’ by conducting a comparative review of the French‐ and English‐language literature. Some use this language for its practical impact regarding urban policies; others criticize it as a tool for legitimizing growth‐oriented policies. The article aims at overcoming this duality. Statistical and lexical analyses evidence four main variants of ‘sustainable city’ discourses, subject to debate: ‘green city’, ‘city of short distances’, ‘just city’ and ‘participatory city’. They yield four main findings: first, there is no single model of the ‘sustainable city’; second, the different approaches are not mutually exclusive, be it conceptually, institutionally, practically or geographically; third, the ‘sustainable city’ appears as a genuinely political repertoire – a wide range of actors and institutions act as filters, promoters or detractors; fourth, these situated uses are not fixed but constantly changing, in terms of both contents and procedures. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Biomedical Applications of Metal‐Encapsulated Fullerene Nanoparticles
Authors: Li Tinghui , Dorn Harry C.
Published: December 2016

The carbonaceous nanomaterials known as metallofullerenes have attracted considerable attention due to their attractive properties. The robust nature of the “Trojan Horse” fullerene cage provides an important structural component, which isolates the metal cluster from the bioenvironment. The large carbon surface area is ideally suited for multiple exo‐functionalization approaches to modify the hydrophobic cage for a more hydrophilic bioenvironment. Additionally, peptides and other agents are readily covalently attached to this nanoprobe for targeting applications. The recent progress in developing metallofullerenes for next‐generation biomedical applications is described. Of special interest are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Several recent studies reported cumulative gadolinium deposition in the brain and bones of individuals using commercial clinical MRI contrast agents. Gadolinium‐based metallofullerenes provide 2–3 orders of magnitude improvement in MRI relaxivity and potentially lower clinical levels of toxic Gd3+ ions deposited. Other potential biomedical applications are also reviewed herein.
The Mesenchymal Precursor Cell Marker Antibody STRO-1 Binds to Cell Surface Heat Shock Cognate 70
Authors: Fitter Stephen , Gronthos Stan , Ooi Soo Siang , Zannettino Andrew C.W.
Published: December 2016

Since its discovery more than 25 years ago, the STRO-1 antibody has played a fundamental role in defining the hierarchical nature of mesenchymal precursor cells (MPC) and their progeny. STRO-1 antibody binding remains a hallmark of immature pluripotent MPC. Despite the significance of STRO-1 in the MPC field, the identity of the antigen has remained elusive. Using a combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, coupled with Western blotting and Tandem mass spectroscopy, we have identified the STRO-1 antigen as heat shock cognate 70 (HSC70;HSPA8). STRO-1 binds to immune-precipitated HSC70 and siRNA-mediated knock down of HSPA8 reduced STRO-1 binding. STRO-1 surface binding does not correlate with HSC70 expression and sequestration of cholesterol reduces STRO-1 surface binding, suggesting that the plasma membrane lipid composition may be an important determinant in the presentation of HSC70 on the cell surface. HSC70 is present on the surface of STRO-1+ but not STRO-1− cell lines as assessed by cell surface biotinylation and recombinant HSC70 blocks STRO-1 binding to the cell surface. The STRO-1 epitope on HSC70 was mapped to the ATPase domain using a series of deletion mutants in combination with peptide arrays. Deletion of the first four amino acids of the consensus epitope negated STRO-1 binding. Notably, in addition to HSC70, STRO-1 cross-reacts with heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), however all the clonogenic cell activity is restricted to the STRO-1BRIGHT/HSP70− fraction. These results provide important insight into the properties that define multipotent MPC and provide the impetus to explore the role of cell surface HSC70 in MPC biology.
Gender and climate change
Authors: Pearse Rebecca
Published: December 2016

This study reviews the literature on gender relations and climate change. Gender analysis contributes to our understanding of: (1) vulnerability and climate change impacts; (2) adaptations in different contexts; (3) responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions; (4) inequalities in climate governance; and (5) knowledges and social action on climate change. Overall, the literature has established that gender relations are an integral feature of social transformations associated with climate change. This poses a challenge to gender‐blind social research into climate change. Without gender analysis, we omit key aspects of social life in a changing climate. It is vital that the gendered character of climate change is recognized and further explored in the social sciences and humanities. WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e451. doi: 10.1002/wcc.451

This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Perceptions of Climate Change

Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Sociology/Anthropology of Climate Knowledge
Sweet sorghum bagasse and corn stover serving as substrates for producing sophorolipids
Authors: Samad Abdul , Zhang Ji , Chen Da , Chen Xiaowen , Tucker Melvin , Liang Yanna
Published: December 2016

To make the process of producing sophorolipids by Candida bombicola truly sustainable, we investigated production of these biosurfactants on biomass hydrolysates. This study revealed: (1) yield of sophorolipds on bagasse hydrolysate decreased from 0.56 to 0.54 and to 0.37 g/g carbon source when yellow grease was dosed at 10, 40 and 60 g/L, respectively. In the same order, concentration of sophorolipids was 35.9, 41.9, and 39.3 g/L; (2) under similar conditions, sophorolipid yield was 0.12, 0.05 and 0.04 g/g carbon source when corn stover hydrolysate was mixed with soybean oil at 10, 20 and 40 g/L. Sophorolipid concentration was 11.6, 4.9, and 3.9 g/L for the three oil doses from low to high; and (3) when corn stover hydrolysate and yellow grease served as the substrates for cultivating the yeast in a fermentor, sophorolipid concentration reached 52.1 g/L. Upon further optimization, sophorolipids production from ligocellulose will be indeed sustainable.
Clinical Issues‐January 2017
Authors: Burlingame Byron L.
Published: December 2016

This Month

Jewelry removal when using electrosurgical devices

Key words: electrosurgery, monopolar electrosurgery, jewelry, body piercing.

Use of electrosurgery when a cardiac implanted device is present

Key words: electrosurgery, monopolar electrosurgery, bipolar electrosurgery, implanted electronic device, cardiac implanted electronic device.

Staffing when a laser is used

Key words: laser, laser operator, laser nurse, laser assistant, laser user.
Temporal processsing demands in the HIV‐1 transgenic rat: Amodal gating and implications for diagnostics
Authors: McLaurin Kristen A. , Booze Rosemarie M. , Mactutus Charles F.
Published: December 2016

Despite the success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), approximately 50% of HIV‐1 seropositive individuals develop HIV‐1 associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Unfortunately, point‐of‐care screening tools for HAND lack sensitivity and specificity, especially in low‐resource countries. Temporal processing deficits have emerged as a critical underlying dimension of neurocognitive impairments observed in HIV‐1 and may provide a key target for the development of a novel point‐of‐care screening tool for HAND. Cross‐modal prepulse inhibition (PPI; i.e., auditory, visual, or tactile prepulse stimuli) and gap‐prepulse inhibition (gap‐PPI; i.e., auditory, visual or tactile prepulse stimuli), two translational experimental paradigms, were used to assess the nature of temporal processing deficits in the HIV‐1 transgenic (Tg) rat. Cross‐modal PPI revealed a relative insensitivity to the manipulation of interstimulus interval (ISI) in HIV‐1 Tg rats in comparison to controls, regardless of prestimulus modality. Gap‐PPI revealed differential sensitivity to the manipulation of ISI, independent of modality, in HIV‐1 Tg rats in comparison to control animals. Manipulation of context (i.e., concurrent visual or tactile stimulus) in auditory PPI revealed a differential sensitivity in HIV‐1 Tg animals compared to controls. The potential utility of amodal temporal processing deficits as an innovative point‐of‐care screening tool was explored using a discriminant function analysis, which diagnosed the presence of the HIV‐1 transgene with 97.4% accuracy. Thus, the presence of amodal temporal processing deficits in the HIV‐1 Tg rat supports the hypothesis of a central temporal processing deficit in HIV‐1 seropositive individuals, heralding an opportunity for the development of a point‐of‐care screening tool for HAND.
Secondary instability analysis of crossflow on a hypersonic yawed straight circular cone
Authors: Moyes Alexander J. , Paredes Pedro , Kocian Travis S. , Reed Helen L.
Published: December 2016

The purpose of this paper is to provide secondary instability analysis of stationary crossflow vortices on a hypersonic yawed straight circular cone with a $7^{\circ }$ half-angle at $6^{\circ }$ angle of attack, free-stream Mach number 6 and unit Reynolds number $10.09\times 10^{6}~\text{m}^{-1}$. At an angle of attack, a three-dimensional boundary layer is developed between the windward and leeward symmetry planes. Under the action of azimuthal pressure gradients, the flow near the surface is deflected more than the flow near the edge of the boundary layer. This results in an inflectional velocity profile that can sustain the growth of crossflow vortices. The stationary crossflow instability is computed by means of the nonlinear parabolized stability equations, including a methodology to predict the stationary-crossflow marching path and variation of the spanwise number of waves in the marching direction solely from the basic state. Secondary instability analysis is performed using spatial BiGlobal equations based on two-dimensional partial differential equations. The secondary instabilities are calculated at different axial locations along two crossflow vortex trajectories selected to complement experiments conducted in the Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel at Texas A&M University and in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel at Purdue University. The secondary instability analysis captures various instability modes. Similar to observations in the low-speed regime for an infinite swept wing, secondary shear-layer instabilities are amplified as a consequence of the three-dimensional shear layer formed by crossflow vortices. Also, low-frequency travelling crossflow and high-frequency second modes coexist with the shear-layer instabilities. These results are shown to be in good agreement with the two sets of hypersonic yawed cone experiments (one with natural surface roughness and one with artificial discrete roughness) and compare well with experimental measurements of an incompressible swept wing.
Haier Is the Sea: CEO Zhang Ruimin's Innovative Management
Authors: Chen Jin
Published: December 2016

The chief executive officer of the Haier Group, Zhang Ruimin, wrote the philosophical text ‘Haier Is the Sea’, published in Chinese in 1994, and since then Haier has gradually built up a ‘sea culture’ that has guided its organizational transformations for over twenty years. The latest reform, in 2014, reorganized the giant corporation into the Haier Open Partnership Ecosystem (HOPE), which is like ‘a sea of entrepreneurs’, to achieve the goal of ‘management without leadership and organization without borders’ [管理无领导, 组织无边界] (see discussions in Schrage, 2014 and Ye & Teng, 2015). This radical organizational change astounded its peers and competitors at home and abroad. Even in the internet era, most white-goods companies still rely heavily on ‘economies of scale’ to reduce their costs to compete in the market, which in turn requires a pyramidal management structure. However, if we review the thinking of its leader for thirty years, we will understand that the 2014 reform was not radical but, rather, followed a smooth trajectory building on the past.
Focus statistics for testing network centrality on uncorrelated random graphs
Authors: WANG TAI-CHI , PHOA FREDERICK KIN HING
Published: December 2016

Network centrality has been addressed for more than 30 years; however, few studies provided statistical tests for verifying this network characteristic. By applying the idea of focus test in spatial analysis, we propose a statistical method to test the centrality of a network. We consider not only the degree of node, but also give weights on other nodes with different lengths of the shortest paths, which are called “distances” in networks. According to the density of distance based on the hidden variable model and the property of the multinomial distribution, a test statistic called “focus centrality” is provided to evaluate a network centrality. Besides the theoretical construction, we verify that the proposed method is feasible and effective in the simulation studies. Further, two empirical network data are studied as demonstrations.
Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Effects for the Mesolithic and Medieval Periods in the Western Isles of Scotland
Authors: Ascough Philippa L , Church Mike J , Cook Gordon T
Published: December 2016

This article presents new values for the Scottish marine radiocarbon reservoir effect (MRE) during the Mesolithic at 4540–4240 BC (6490–6190 BP) and the Medieval period at AD 1460–1630 (490–320 BP). The results give a ΔR of –126±3914C yr for the Mesolithic and of –130±3614C yr for the Medieval. We recalculate previously published MRE values for the earlier Holocene in this region, at 6480–6290 BC (8430–8180 BP). Here, MRE values are slightly elevated, with a ΔR of 64±4114C yr, possibly relating to the 8.2ka BP cold event. New values for the Mesolithic and Medieval indicate lower MRE values, broadly consistent with an existing data set of 37 mid- to late Holocene assessments for Scottish waters, indicating stable ocean conditions. We compare the intercept and probability density function (PDF) methods for assessing ΔR. The ΔR values are indistinguishable, but confidence intervals are slightly larger with the PDF method. We therefore apply this more conservative method to calculate ΔR. The MRE values presented fill important gaps in understanding Scottish marine14C dynamics, providing confidence when calibrating material from critical periods in Scotland’s prehistory, particularly the Mesolithic, when the use of marine resources by coastal populations was high.
What Makes a Utopia Inconvenient? On the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Realist Orientation to Politics
Authors: MCKEAN BENJAMIN L.
Published: December 2016

Contemporary politics is often said to lack utopias. For prevailing understandings of the practical force of political theory, this looks like cause for celebration. As blueprints to apply to political practice, utopias invariably seem too strong or too weak. Through an immanent critique of political realism, I argue that utopian thought, and political theory generally, is better conceived as supplying an orientation to politics. Realists including Bernard Williams and Raymond Geuss explain how utopian programs like universal human rights poorly orient their adherents to politics, but the realists wrongly conclude that utopias and other ideal theories necessarily disorient us. As I show through an analysis of utopian claims made by Michel Foucault, Malcolm X, and John Rawls, utopias today can effectively disrupt entrenched forms of legitimation, foster new forms of political identity, and reveal new possibilities within existing institutions. Utopias are needed to understand the political choices we face today.
Domination and Care in Rousseau'sEmile
Authors: FRAISTAT SHAWN
Published: December 2016

Domination, understood as the abusive or capricious employment of power over others for the sake of one's own ends, is among the gravest threats to human freedom. Solving the problem of domination is a crucial normative challenge, and this article identifies in the work of Jean-Jacques Rousseau a promising and overlooked avenue for addressing it. I propose an interpretation of Rousseau'sEmilein which preventing domination requires moral education in the practice and value of care. This interpretation gives Rousseau new relevance as a theorist of domination. In connecting non-dominative to educative care, Rousseau's approach has the potential to forge new connections between neo-republican theories of domination and feminist care ethics, even suggesting new routes by which public policy might foster a non-dominative society.
Covenants without the Sword? Comparing Prison Self-Governance Globally
Authors: SKARBEK DAVID
Published: December 2016

Why does prison social order vary around the world? While many of the basic characteristics of prisons are similar globally, the extent and form of informal inmate organization varies substantially. This article develops a governance theory of prison social order. Inmates create extralegal governance institutions when official governance is insufficient. The size and demographics of the prison population explain why inmates produce extralegal governance institutions in either decentralized ways, such as ostracism, or through more centralized forms, such as gangs. Comparative analysis of Brazil, Bolivia, England, Scandinavia, and men's and women's prisons in California provide empirical support.
Anti-inflammatory effects of an oxylipin-containing lyophilised biomass from a microalga in a murine recurrent colitis model
Authors: Ávila-Román Javier , Talero Elena , Rodríguez-Luna Azahara , García-Mauriño Sofía , Motilva Virginia
Published: December 2016

Diet and nutritional factors have emerged as possible interventions for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which are characterised by chronic uncontrolled inflammation of the intestinal mucosa. Microalgal species are a promising source of n-3 PUFA and derived oxylipins, which are lipid mediators with a key role in the resolution of inflammation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an oxylipin-containing lyophilised biomass from Chlamydomonas debaryana on a recurrent 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis mice model. Moderate chronic inflammation of the colon was induced in BALB/c mice by weekly intracolonic instillations of low dose of TNBS. Administration of the lyophilised microalgal biomass started 2 weeks before colitis induction and was continued throughout colitis development. Mice were killed 48 h after the last TNBS challenge. Oral administration of the microalgal biomass reduced TNBS-induced intestinal inflammation, evidenced by an inhibition of body weight loss, an improvement in colon morphology and a decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-17. This product also down-regulated colonic expressions of inducible nitric oxide, cyclo-oxygenase 2 and NF-κB, as well as increased PPAR-γ. In addition, lyophilised microalgal biomass up-regulated the expressions of the antioxidant transcription factor nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 and the target gene heme oxygenase 1. This study describes for the first time the prophylactic effects of an oxylipin-containing lyophilised microalgae biomass from C. debaryana in the acute phase of a recurrent TNBS-induced colitis model in mice. These findings suggest the potential use of this microalga, or derived oxylipins, as a nutraceutical in the treatment of IBD.
The creation of age-friendly environments is especially important to frail older people
Authors: CRAMM JANE M. , VAN DIJK HANNA M. , NIEBOER ANNA P.
Published: December 2016

The preference of older people when it comes to ageing in place may be modified by levels of frailty. The aim of this research is to characterise the relationship between frailty and ageing in place, and to identify differences in neighbourhood characteristics supporting ageing in place missed by frail and non-frail older people. A concurrent nested mixed-methods approach was used. For quantitative evaluation, a sample of 945 independently living older adults residing in four districts of Rotterdam were asked to complete a questionnaire in 2013 (response rate = 62%; N = 558). In addition, 32 interviews were conducted with frail and non-frail older people. Results showed that gender, age and especially frailty were related to missed neighbourhood characteristics. People displayed awareness of their increasing frailty and often acknowledged that it increased the need for neighbourhood characteristics enabling them to age in place. We can conclude that dependence on neighbourhoods varies with frailty status. This relationship is dynamic; with frailty, older people become more dependent on their neighbourhood. However, expectations regarding neighbourhood characteristics seem to dissipate with advanced age and increasing frailty.
Parenting and adolescents’ psychological adjustment: Longitudinal moderation by adolescents’ genetic sensitivity
Authors: Stocker Clare M. , Masarik April S. , Widaman Keith F. , Reeb Ben T. , Boardman Jason D. , Smolen Andrew , Neppl Tricia K. , Conger Katherine J.
Published: December 2016

We examined whether adolescents’ genetic sensitivity, measured by a polygenic index score, moderated the longitudinal associations between parenting and adolescents’ psychological adjustment. The sample included 323 mothers, fathers, and adolescents (177 female, 146 male; Time 1 [T1] average age = 12.61 years, SD = 0.54 years; Time 2 [T2] average age = 13.59 years, SD = 0.59 years). Parents’ warmth and hostility were rated by trained, independent observers using videotapes of family discussions. Adolescents reported their symptoms of anxiety, depressed mood, and hostility at T1 and T2. The results from autoregressive linear regression models showed that adolescents’ genetic sensitivity moderated associations between observations of both mothers’ and fathers’ T1 parenting and adolescents’ T2 composite maladjustment, depression, anxiety, and hostility. Compared to adolescents with low genetic sensitivity, adolescents with high genetic sensitivity had worse adjustment outcomes when parenting was low on warmth and high on hostility. When parenting was characterized by high warmth and low hostility, adolescents with high genetic sensitivity had better adjustment outcomes than their counterparts with low genetic sensitivity. The results support the differential susceptibility model and highlight the complex ways that genes and environment interact to influence development.
Why do Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Professionals Leave EMS?
Authors: Blau Gary , Chapman Susan A.
Published: December 2016

Objective

The objective was to determine why Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)-Basics and Paramedics leave the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) workforce.

Methods

Data were collected through annual surveys of nationally registered EMT-Basics and Paramedics from 1999 to 2008. Survey items dealing with satisfaction with the EMS profession, likelihood of leaving the profession, and likelihood of leaving their EMS job were assessed for both EMT-Basics and Paramedics, along with reasons for leaving the profession. Individuals whose responses indicated that they were not working in EMS were mailed a special exit survey to determine the reasons for leaving EMS.

Results

The likelihood of leaving the profession in the next year was low for both EMT-Basics and Paramedics. Although overall satisfaction levels with the profession were high, EMT-Basics were significantly more satisfied than Paramedics. The most important reasons for leaving the profession were choosing to pursue further education and moving to a new location. A desire for better pay and benefits was a significantly more important reason for EMT-Paramedics’ exit decisions than for EMT-Basics.

Conclusions

Given the anticipated increased demand for EMS professionals in the next decade, continued study of issues associated with retention is strongly recommended. Some specific recommendations and suggestions for promoting retention are provided.

BlauG,ChapmanSA.Why do Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals leave EMS?Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(Suppl.1):s105–s111.
Effects of a community-based nutrition promotion programme on child feeding and hygiene practices among caregivers in rural Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Kang Yunhee , Suh Youn Kyoung , Debele Lemma , Juon Hee-Soon , Christian Parul
Published: December 2016

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a community-based participatory nutrition promotion (CPNP) programme involving a 2-week group nutrition session in improving child feeding and hygiene practices among caregivers.

Design

Cluster randomized trial. In the intervention area (six clusters), the CPNP programme was added to the context of government nutrition programmes; the control area (six clusters) received the government programme only. Child feeding practices were assessed every 3 months using a 24 h dietary recall questionnaire, and hand washing with soap was assessed every 6 months, over a period of 12 months. Feeding and hygiene measures at each visit were scored and the scores summed up for the entire follow-up period.

Setting

Habro and Melka Bello districts, Ethiopia.

Subjects

Randomly selected mothers with a child aged 6–12 months (n1790).

Results

A total of 1199 mothers, 629 in the control and 570 in the intervention areas, were assessed at all visits and included in the analysis. Mothers in the intervention area showed higher scores than those in the control area regarding meal frequency (difference: 1·04, 95 % CI 0·35, 1·73), composite feeding score_1 (difference: 1·25, 95 % CI 0·37, 2·13; a summing score of currently breast-feeding, meal frequency and dietary diversity) and composite feeding score_2 (difference: 1·40, 95 % CI 0·49, 2·32; a summing score of meal frequency and dietary diversity). However, there were no differences in the scores of breast-feeding, dietary diversity and hand washing between the two areas (allP>0·05).

Conclusions

The CPNP programme was effective in improving some child feeding behaviours in rural Eastern Ethiopia.
Development and validation of a nutrition knowledge questionnaire for a Canadian population
Authors: Bradette-Laplante Maude , Carbonneau Élise , Provencher Véronique , Bégin Catherine , Robitaille Julie , Desroches Sophie , Vohl Marie-Claude , Corneau Louise , Lemieux Simone
Published: December 2016

Objective

The present study aimed to develop and validate a nutrition knowledge questionnaire in a sample of French Canadians from the province of Quebec, taking into account dietary guidelines.

Design

A thirty-eight-item questionnaire was developed by the research team and evaluated for content validity by an expert panel, and then administered to respondents. Face validity and construct validity were measured in a pre-test. Exploratory factor analysis and covariance structure analysis were performed to verify the structure of the questionnaire and identify problematic items. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were evaluated through a validation study.

Setting

Online survey.

Subjects

Six nutrition and psychology experts, fifteen registered dietitians (RD) and 180 lay people participated.

Results

Content validity evaluation resulted in the removal of two items and reformulation of one item. Following face validity, one item was reformulated. Construct validity was found to be adequate, with higher scores for RDv. non-RD (21·5 (sd2·1)v. 15·7 (sd3·0) out of 24,P<0·001). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the questionnaire contained only one factor. Covariance structure analysis led to removal of sixteen items. Internal consistency for the overall questionnaire was adequate (Cronbach’sα=0·73). Assessment of test–retest reliability resulted in significant associations for the total knowledge score (r=0·59,P<0·001).

Conclusions

This nutrition knowledge questionnaire was found to be a suitable instrument which can be used to measure levels of nutrition knowledge in a Canadian population. It could also serve as a model for the development of similar instruments in other populations.
Perception of measures for dealing with Ebola disease in primary care
Authors: Roca Saumell Carme , Aguilar Margalejo Anna , Barro Lugo Silvia , Sànchez Collado Dolors ,   COCOOPSI Group
Published: December 2016

Background: An epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) occurred in West Africa in 2014. In Catalonia, primary care is the first level of healthcare so it has a key role in the detection and initial management of possible cases of EVD and in identifying contacts. Aim: This study aimed to find out how the staff of primary care centers perceived the measures for dealing with EVD. Method: An online questionnaire was distributed to all primary care workers in Catalonia during the period February–March 2015. Findings: The estimated response rate was 10.1%. They reported having received training/information, that a specific circuit had been organized and that the necessary equipment was available. They considered it unlikely that a patient with suspected EVD would present at the center and were aware of the action to take but were worried about this possibility. Rigorous scientific training in international health is essential to take on new global health challenges.
Video evidence that parenting methods predict which infants develop long night-time sleep periods by three months of age
Authors: St James-Roberts Ian , Roberts Marion , Hovish Kimberly , Owen Charlie
Published: December 2016

Aim

To examine two hypotheses about the longitudinal relationship between night-time parenting behaviours in the first few postnatal weeks and infant night-time sleep-waking at five weeks, three months and six months of age in normal London home environments.

Background

Most western infants develop long night-time sleep periods by four months of age. However, around 20–30% of infants in many countries continue to sleep for short periods and cry out on waking in the night: the most common type of infant sleep behaviour problem. Preventive interventions may help families and improve services. There is evidence that ‘limit-setting’ parenting, which is common in western cultures, supports the development of settled infant night-time behaviour. However, this evidence has been challenged. The present study measures three components of limit-setting parenting (response delay, feeding interval, settling method), examines their stability, and assesses the predictive relationship between each of them and infant sleep-waking behaviours.

Methods

Longitudinal observations comparing a General-Community (n=101) group and subgroups with a Bed-Sharing (n=19) group on infra-red video, diary and questionnaire measures of parenting behaviours and infant feeding and sleep-waking at night.

Findings

Bed-Sharing parenting was highly infant-cued and stable. General-Community parenting involved more limit-setting, but was less stable, than Bed-Sharing parenting. One element of General-Community parenting – consistently introducing a short interval before feeding – was associated with the development of longer infant night-time feed intervals and longer day-time feeds at five weeks, compared with other General-Community and Bed-Sharing infants. Twice as many General-Community infants whose parents introduced these short intervals before feeding in the early weeks slept for long night-time periods at three months of age on both video and parent-report measures, compared with other General-Community and Bed-Sharing infants. The findings’ implications for our understanding of infant sleep-waking development, parenting programmes, and for practice and research, are discussed.
Creating a Knowledge Database in SharePoint: Testing the Boundaries
Authors: Lustigman Allie , Hanley Amy
Published: December 2016

This article follows an initiative to create a Knowledge Database in SharePoint from inception to roll out. Written by Allie Lustigman and Amy Hanley, the Knowledge and Information Team at Charles Taylor, this article explores how certain customisations to SharePoint 2010's out of-the-box capabilities can be successfully applied to a knowledge repository on a limited timescale and budget.
Law Via the Internet 2015 Conference
Authors: Browne Glenda
Published: December 2016

Free access to public legal information for the general public and professionals promotes justice and the rule of law. Presenters at the 2015 Law via the Internet conference discussed projects using the power of technology combined with expert human input to make information accessible, and to extract new information from large document collections. Although the scale is different, there are similarities in the ways in which indexers and informaticians explore meaning, develop standards and consider user needs to make information widely accessible. Glenda Browne reports on the conference.*
Why Aren't Political Scientists Interested in Native American Politics?
Authors: Frymer Paul
Published: December 2016

Native Americans have been structurally excluded from the discipline of political science in the continental United States, as has Native epistemology and political issues. I analyze the reasons for these erasures and elisions, noting the combined effects of rejecting Native scholars, political issues, analysis, and texts. I describe how these arise from presumptions inherent to the disciplinary practices of U.S. political science, and suggest a set of alternative formulations that could expand our understanding of politics, including attention to other forms of law, constitutions, relationships to the environment, sovereignty, collective decision-making, U.S. history, and majoritarianism.
Marginalizing Politics: The Conceptual and Epistemological Barriers to American Indians
Authors: MacLean Lauren M.
Published: December 2016

Native Americans have been structurally excluded from the discipline of political science in the continental United States, as has Native epistemology and political issues. I analyze the reasons for these erasures and elisions, noting the combined effects of rejecting Native scholars, political issues, analysis, and texts. I describe how these arise from presumptions inherent to the disciplinary practices of U.S. political science, and suggest a set of alternative formulations that could expand our understanding of politics, including attention to other forms of law, constitutions, relationships to the environment, sovereignty, collective decision-making, U.S. history, and majoritarianism.
Actualizing Political Science
Authors: Proudfit Joely
Published: December 2016

Native Americans have been structurally excluded from the discipline of political science in the continental United States, as has Native epistemology and political issues. I analyze the reasons for these erasures and elisions, noting the combined effects of rejecting Native scholars, political issues, analysis, and texts. I describe how these arise from presumptions inherent to the disciplinary practices of U.S. political science, and suggest a set of alternative formulations that could expand our understanding of politics, including attention to other forms of law, constitutions, relationships to the environment, sovereignty, collective decision-making, U.S. history, and majoritarianism.
Absence Does Not Make the Indigenous Political Heart Grow Fonder
Authors: Wilkins David E.
Published: December 2016

Native Americans have been structurally excluded from the discipline of political science in the continental United States, as has Native epistemology and political issues. I analyze the reasons for these erasures and elisions, noting the combined effects of rejecting Native scholars, political issues, analysis, and texts. I describe how these arise from presumptions inherent to the disciplinary practices of U.S. political science, and suggest a set of alternative formulations that could expand our understanding of politics, including attention to other forms of law, constitutions, relationships to the environment, sovereignty, collective decision-making, U.S. history, and majoritarianism.
Response to the Symposium Panel
Authors: Ferguson Kennan
Published: December 2016

Native Americans have been structurally excluded from the discipline of political science in the continental United States, as has Native epistemology and political issues. I analyze the reasons for these erasures and elisions, noting the combined effects of rejecting Native scholars, political issues, analysis, and texts. I describe how these arise from presumptions inherent to the disciplinary practices of U.S. political science, and suggest a set of alternative formulations that could expand our understanding of politics, including attention to other forms of law, constitutions, relationships to the environment, sovereignty, collective decision-making, U.S. history, and majoritarianism.
Can the Biomedical Research Cycle be a Model for Political Science?
Authors: Lieberman Evan S.
Published: December 2016

In sciences such as biomedicine, researchers and journal editors are well aware that progress in answering difficult questions generally requires movement through a research cycle: Research on a topic or problem progresses from pure description, through correlational analyses and natural experiments, to phased randomized controlled trials (RCTs). In biomedical research all of these research activities are valued and find publication outlets in major journals. In political science, however, a growing emphasis on valid causal inference has led to the suppression of work early in the research cycle. The result of a potentially myopic emphasis on just one aspect of the cycle reduces incentives for discovery of new types of political phenomena, and more careful, efficient, transparent, and ethical research practices. Political science should recognize the significance of the research cycle and develop distinct criteria to evaluate work at each of its stages.
On Political Theory, the Humanities, and the Social Sciences
Authors: Dienstag Joshua Foa
Published: December 2016

Sometimes political theorists like to imagine that they are lonely humanists misplaced in social science departments. In fact, political theory was created as part of a political science composed of both humanistic and social-scientific elements. Rather than trying to locate political theory somewhere between the humanities and the social sciences, we should instead dismantle the boundary between the two and create a unified discipline of questioning that embraces both kinds of inquiry.
White Man’s IR: An Intellectual Confession
Authors: Lake David A.
Published: December 2016

Drawing largely on my own career in academia, I elaborate on the need for greater gender, racial and other forms of diversity in International Relations. Although theories are thought to be “objective,” what goes into those theories and, in turn, their explanatory power is ultimately shaped by subjective, lived experiences. Different individuals with different life stories will develop different intuitions about how the world “works,” and thus will write different theories to capture those intuitions and, in turn, larger patterns of politics. I explain here how my life experience as a privileged white male has shaped the intellectual contours of my work on international hierarchy. Building from this foundation, I then explore how professional practices elevate as gatekeepers individuals with generally similar life experiences and, thus, intuitions about what constitutes “good” work in the field, which in turn reinforces those professional practices and priorities. The final section focuses on problems of eroding the disciplinary hierarchy and broadening the pipeline into the profession.
Getting Personal: Effects of Twitter Personalization on Candidate Evaluations
Authors: Meeks Lindsey
Published: December 2016

Personalization has cultivated a bad reputation in politics. Initially, scholarship on the personalization of politics focused on what was often called “candidate-centered” voting: the idea that citizens would vote based on a candidate's personality. Many scholars viewed this evaluative approach as irrational and heralded the value of issue stances over charisma (see Fenno 1978; Popkin 1991). Focusing on the personal, it seems, was problematic. Another iteration of the personalization in politics was also problematic and focused on the use of the “personal frame” in news coverage of women candidates. Such news coverage focused more on women's personalities and personal lives as compared to men's (e.g., Bystrom 1999; Devitt 1999). On its surface, such coverage does not appear detrimental. However, this framing would often emphasize women's roles as mothers and wives and use that framing to question women's experience, fitness for office, and whether they could juggle domestic and political responsibilities (Braden 1996). Personalization in both iterations elicited a sense of triviality: voters’ focus on persona was deemed as a trivial way to form an opinion, and women candidates were trivialized via a focus on their personal, not political, lives.
Childhood body mass index at 5.5 years mediates the effect of prenatal maternal stress on daughters’ age at menarche: Project Ice Storm
Authors: Duchesne A. , Liu A. , Jones S. L. , Laplante D. P. , King S.
Published: December 2016

Early pubertal timing is known to put women at greater risk for adverse physiological and psychological health outcomes. Of the factors that influence girls’ pubertal timing, stress experienced during childhood has been found to advance age at menarche (AAM). However, it is not known if stress experienced by mothers during or in the months before conception can be similarly associated with earlier pubertal timing. Prenatal maternal stress (PNMS) is associated with metabolic changes, such as increased childhood adiposity and risk of obesity, that have been associated with earlier menarchal age. Using a prospective longitudinal design, the present study tested whether PNMS induced by a natural disaster is either directly associated with earlier AAM, or whether there is an indirect association mediated through increased girls’ body mass index (BMI) during childhood. A total of 31 girls, whose mothers were exposed to the Quebec’s January 1998 ice storm during pregnancy were followed from 6 months to 5 1/2 to 5.5 years of age. Mother’s stress was measured within 6 months of the storm. BMI was measured at 5.5 years, and AAM was assessed through teen’s self-report at 13.5 and 15.5 years of age. Results revealed that greater BMI at 5.5 years mediated the effect of PNMS on decreasing AAM [B=−0.059, 95% confidence intervals (−0.18, −0.0035)]. The present study is the first to demonstrate that maternal experience of stressful conditions during pregnancy reduces AAM in the offspring through its effects on childhood BMI. Future research should consider the impact of AAM on other measures of reproductive ability.