bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adaptive immunity-driven inflammation and cardiovascular disease
Authors: Ilatovskaya Daria V. , Halade Ganesh V. , DeLeon-Pennell Kristine Y.
Published: November 2019

The adaptive immune response has recently emerged as an important factor in a wide variety of cardiovascular disorders including atherosclerosis, hypertension, cardiac remodeling, and heart failure; however, its role is not fully understood. Since an assortment of innate responsive cells, e.g., neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages, coordinate with adaptive immunity, e.g., T cells, dendritic cells, and B cells, the temporal response and descriptions pertinent to the cellular phenotype and inflammation processes, in general, need additional investigation, clarification, and consensus particularly in cardiovascular disease. This Perspectives article reviews the contributions of 15 articles (including 7 reviews) published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology in response to the Call for Papers: Adaptive Immunity in Cardiovascular Disease. Here, we summarize the crucial reported findings at the cardiac, vascular, immune, and molecular levels and discuss the translational feasibility and benefits of future prospective research into the adaptive immune response. Readers are encouraged to evaluate the data and learn from this collection of novel studies.
Dietary Intake of Branched-Chain Amino Acids and Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Katagiri Ryoko , Song Mingyang , Zhang Xuehong , Lee Dong Hoon , Tabung Fred K. , Fuchs Charles S. , Meyerhardt Jeffrey A. , Nishihara Reiko , Chan Andrew T. , Joshi Amit D. , Iwasaki Motoki , Ogino Shuji , Willett Walter C. , Giovannucci Edward , Wu Kana
Published: November 2019

Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are essential amino acids, and emerging evidence suggests that BCAAs may mediate pathways related to cancer progression, possibly due to their involvement in insulin metabolism. We investigated the association between dietary intake of BCAAs with colorectal cancer risk in three prospective cohorts: the Nurses' Health Study I [(NHS), number of participants (n) at baseline = 77,017], NHS II (n = 92,984), and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study [(HPFS) n = 47,255]. Validated food frequency questionnaires were administered every 4 years and follow-up questionnaires on lifestyle biennially. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Pooled HRs were obtained using random effect models. After up to 28 years of follow-up, 1,660 cases were observed in NHS, 306 in NHS II, and 1,343 in HPFS. In multivariable adjusted models, we observed a weak inverse association between BCAA intake and colorectal cancer [highest vs. lowest quintile, pooled HR including all three cohorts (95% CI): 0.89 (0.80–1.00), Ptrend = 0.06, HR per standard deviation (SD) increment 0.95 (0.92–0.99)]. However, after including dairy calcium to the models, BCAA intake was no longer associated with risk of colorectal cancer [HR 0.96 (0.85–1.08), Ptrend = 0.50, HR per SD increment 0.97 (0.93–1.01)]. We did not find evidence that higher dietary BCAA intake is associated with higher risk of colorectal cancer. As this is the first prospective study to examine the association between BCAA intake and colorectal cancer, our findings warrant investigation in other cohorts.
A Multistage Murine Breast Cancer Model Reveals Long-Lived Premalignant Clones Refractory to Parity-Induced Protection
Authors: Li Shuo , Gestl Shelley A. , Gunther Edward J.
Published: November 2019

Breast cancers evolve in a multistage process that can span decades after a carcinogenic exposure. It follows that long-lived precursor breast lesions persist in a subclinical state prior to completing malignant transformation, yet widely used breast cancer models lack an experimental framework for targeting premalignant disease. Inspired by classic multistage skin carcinogenesis protocols, we combined chemical carcinogenesis with transgenic mouse modeling to resolve mouse mammary carcinogenesis into discrete initiation and progression stages. At the initiation stage, exposure to the carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA) generated “initiated mammary epithelial cells” (iMEC) by introducing a stereotyped HrasQ61L driver mutation. Whether DMBA exposure occurred during puberty or adulthood, mice efficiently acquired iMEC clones that eluded detection by conventional histology, yet were long lived, persisting in a clinically silent state for months in the absence of a cooperating event. At the progression stage, inducible activation of oncogenic Wnt signaling drove rapid and synchronous transformation of latent iMECs into overt mammary carcinomas, while Wnt activation in neighboring normal mammary epithelium yielded only benign hyperplasia over this same time period. Although early parity (completion of a full-term pregnancy) reduces breast cancer risk in some contexts, standard parity-induced protection schemes failed to eliminate iMECs in our multistage model, suggesting Wnt-responsive iMECs are maintained by hormone-independent mechanisms. Variations on our multistage modeling strategy may help to identify and validate cellular and molecular targets for breast cancer chemoprevention.
Expression of mTOR Signaling Pathway Molecules in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Ito Kei , Ogata Hideaki , Honma Naoko , Shibuya Kazutoshi , Mikami Tetuo
Published: November 2019

Introduction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR), and epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), currently has no effective hormonal or molecular target therapy. Objective and Methods: To elucidate the role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in TNBC, the expression of molecules involved in mTOR signaling including mTOR, phosphorylated (p)-mTOR, p-4EBP1, GLUT1, GLUT3, HIF-1α, and Ki67 was investigated by immunohistochemistry in 35 TNBC and 81 non-TNBC cases. Results: Expression of p-mTOR, the activated form of mTOR, but not unphosphorylated mTOR, was significantly higher in non-TNBC cases than in TNBC cases. Expression of p-4EBP1, GLUT1, and GLUT3 was higher in TNBC cases than in non-TNBC cases. When the localization of p-mTOR was classified as nuclear, perinuclear, or cytoplasmic, nuclear localization of p-mTOR was observed more frequently in TNBC than in non-TNBC cases and was correlated with the expression of GLUT1 and GLUT3, which was related to proliferation activity examined with Ki67. Conclusions: mTOR signaling regulates cell proliferation in some cases of TNBC and may be a potential target of molecular therapy for TNBC.
Effect of Anesthesia on Microelectrode Recordings during Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery in Tourette Syndrome Patients
Authors: Bos Michael J. , Alzate Sanchez Ana Maria , Smeets Anouk Y.J.M. , Bancone Raffaella , Ackermans Linda , Absalom Anthony R. , Buhre Wolfgang F. , Roberts Mark J. , Janssen Marcus L.F.
Published: November 2019

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an accepted treatment for patients with medication-resistant Tourette syndrome (TS). Sedation is commonly required during electrode implantation to attenuate anxiety, pain, and severe tics. Anesthetic agents potentially impair the quality of microelectrode recordings (MER). Little is known about the effect of these anesthetics on MER in patients with TS. We describe our experience with different sedative regimens on MER and tic severity in patients with TS. Methods: The clinical records of all TS patients who underwent DBS surgery between 2010 and 2018 were reviewed. Demographic data, stimulation targets, anesthetic agents, perioperative complications, and MER from each hemisphere were collected and analyzed. Single-unit activity was identified by filtering spiking activity from broadband MER data and principal component analysis with K-means clustering. Vocal and motor tics which caused artifacts in the MER data were manually selected using visual and auditory inspection. Results: Six patients underwent bilateral DBS electrode implantation. In all patients, the target was the anterior internal globus pallidus. Patient comfort and hemodynamic and respiratory stability were maintained with conscious sedation with one or more of the following anesthetic drugs: propofol, midazolam, remifentanil, clonidine, and dexmedetomidine. Good quality MER and clinical testing were obtained in 9 hemispheres of 6 patients. In 3 patients, MER quality was poor on one side. Conclusion: Cautiously applied sedative drugs can provide patient comfort, hemodynamic and respiratory stability, and suppress severe tics, with minimal interference with MER.
Skeletal Muscle Loss during Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Treatment for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Uchikawa Shinsuke , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Namba Maiko , Kodama Kenichiro , Ohya Kazuki , Morio Kei , Nakahara Takashi , Murakami Eisuke , Tsuge Masataka , Hiramatsu Akira , Imamura Michio , Takahashi Shoichi , Chayama Kazuaki , Aikata Hiroshi
Published: November 2019

Introduction: The measurement of body composition such as the skeletal muscle index (SMI) has been reported to be useful for predicting prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we analyzed skeletal muscle change during sorafenib and lenvatinib therapy and the association between SMI and prognosis. Methods: A total of 67 patients with advanced HCC and Child-Pugh grade A status treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) at Hiroshima University between September 2009 and December 2018 were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study. Patients underwent computed tomography (CT) imaging before starting sorafenib treatment and 1–3 months after treatment initiation. Results: In all patients, the median SMI was 45.3 cm2/m2 before TKI treatment and 42.1 cm2/m2 after treatment; 54 of 67 (80.6%) patients experienced SMI loss. The median ΔSMI was –1.5 cm2/m2/months, and no difference in ΔSMI was observed between patients receiving sorafenib and lenvatinib. No significant differences were observed in median ΔSMI between patients with and without progressive disease (–2.35 and –1.1 cm2/m2/months, respectively), albumin-bilirubin grade 1 and 2 group disease (–1.7 and –1.5 cm2/m2/months, respectively), and relative dose intensity ≤80 and >80 (–1.8 and –1.2 cm2/m2/months, respectively). Conclusion: This report demonstrated that patients receiving TKI treatment experienced a significant loss of skeletal muscle mass regardless of disease progression, hepatic reserve, or which TKI (sorafenib or lenvatinib) they received.
Fungal Pigments, Wood Coloring Technology and Their Applications in the Play The Blue Forest
Authors: Robinson Seri C. , Van Court R.C. , Andersen Claudia
Published: November 2019

Staining wood with fungal pigments has a long history in fine art, especially wood naturally stained blue-green by fungi from the genus Chlorociboria. Recent innovations have allowed for controlled application of extracted pigment for reinterpreting this old art form. This technology is showcased in objects created for a production of The Blue Forest by Louis Aubert, representing the power of nature and natural magic within the play.
Hybrid zone genomics supports candidate species in Iberian Alytes obstetricans
Authors: Dufresnes Christophe , Martínez-Solano Íñigo
Published: November 2019

While estimates of genetic divergence are increasingly used in molecular taxonomy, hybrid zone analyses can provide decisive evidence for evaluating candidate species. Applying a population genomic approach (RAD-sequencing) to a fine-scale transect sampling, we analyzed the transition between two Iberian subspecies of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans almogavarii and A. o. pertinax) in Catalonia (northeastern Spain), which putatively diverged since the Plio-Pleistocene. Their hybrid zone was remarkably narrow, with extensive admixture restricted to a single locality (close to Tarragona), and congruent allele frequency clines for the mitochondrial (13 km wide) and the average nuclear genomes (16 km wide). We also fitted clines independently for 89 taxon-diagnostic SNPs: most of them behave like the nuclear background, but a subset (13%) is completely impermeable to gene flow and might be linked to barrier loci involved in hybrid incompatibilities. Assuming that midwife toads are able to disperse in the area of contact, we conclude that these taxa experience partial reproductive isolation and represent incipient species, i.e. Alytes almogavarii and Alytes obstetricans. Interestingly, their evolutionary age and mitochondrial divergence fall below the thresholds proposed in molecular systematics studies, emphasizing the difficulty of predicting the outcome of secondary contacts between young lineages entering the grey zone of speciation.
Morphological and molecular characterisation of Distolabrellus veechi (Rhabditida: Mesorhabditidae) from India
Authors: Suman  , Bhat Aashaq Hussain , Aasha  , Chaubey Ashok Kumar , Abolafia Joaquín
Published: November 2019

A redescription of Distolabrellus veechi (Rhabditida: Mesorhabditidae) from agricultural soils in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, India, is provided. Specimens were extracted from soil using the Galleria soil baiting technique, with two strains of nematodes named JP1 and JP2 being obtained. Morphological and morphometric studies on the species agree well with previous records. Molecular analyses are provided using 18S, 28S and ITS rRNA sequences, the ITS sequences being obtained for the first time in this species. These analyses show that the material examined agrees well with previously studied populations. Phylogenetic analyses showed Distolabrellus to be the sister group of Crustorhabditis and Teratorhabditis, all having the male spicules fused for more than 50% of their length. Illustrations and phylogenetic trees based on 18S, 28S and ITS rRNA sequences are provided.
Marine Environmental Damage: The Compensability of Ecosystem Service Loss in International Law
Authors: Handl Günther
Published: November 2019

Key maritime conventions governing liability and compensation for pollution of the marine environment, foremost among them the 1992 Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Convention and the 2003 Supplementary Fund Protocol (the CLC/Fund regime), exclude compensation for pure environmental loss. This article discusses whether anything less than full compensation of damage to the marine environment, including the loss of ecosystem services, comports with contemporary international public policy or law. After reviewing and rejecting traditional arguments opposing such compensability, the article contrasts the CLC/Fund regime’s environmental claims practice with emerging trends in decision on the international legal plane and in select domestic legal systems, all of which support full compensation. The article thus concludes that an adjustment of the CLC/Fund regime’s environmental claims approach is desirable to align it with this international (and national) practice and thereby to protect the long-term integrity of the regime itself.
Race and Networks in the Job Search Process
Authors: Pedulla David S. , Pager Devah
Published: November 2019

Racial disparities persist throughout the employment process, with African Americans experiencing significant barriers compared to whites. This article advances the understanding of racial labor market stratification by bringing new theoretical insights and original data to bear on the ways social networks shape racial disparities in employment opportunities. We develop and articulate two pathways through which networks may perpetuate racial inequality in the labor market: network access and network returns. In the first case, African American job seekers may receive fewer job leads through their social networks than white job seekers, limiting their access to employment opportunities. In the second case, black and white job seekers may utilize their social networks at similar rates, but their networks may differ in effectiveness. Our data, with detailed information about both job applications and job offers, provide the unique ability to adjudicate between these processes. We find evidence that black and white job seekers utilize their networks at similar rates, but network-based methods are less likely to lead to job offers for African Americans. We then theoretically develop and empirically test two mechanisms that may explain these differential returns: network placement and network mobilization. We conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for scholarship on racial stratification and social networks in the job search process.
Resting-state functional connectivity of the striatum predicts improvement in negative symptoms and general functioning in patients with first-episode psychosis: A 1-year naturalistic follow-up study
Authors: Oh Sanghoon , Kim Minah , Kim Taekwan , Lee Tae Young , Kwon Jun Soo
Published: November 2019

Objective:

The persistent disease burden of psychotic disorders often comes from negative symptoms; however, prognostic biomarkers for negative symptoms have not been fully understood. This study investigated whether the altered functional connectivity of the striatum predicts improvement in negative symptoms and functioning after 1 year of usual treatment in patients with first-episode psychosis.

Methods:

Resting-state functional magnetic imaging was obtained from 40 first-episode psychosis patients and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. Whole-brain functional connectivity maps were generated with subdivisions of the striatum as seed regions and compared between first-episode psychosis patients and healthy controls. In 22 patients with first-episode psychosis, follow-up assessments of negative symptom severity and general functional status were conducted after 1 year of usual treatment. Multiple regression analyses were performed to examine factors predictive of symptomatic or functional improvements over the 1-year period.

Results:

First-episode psychosis patients showed greater functional connectivity between the left dorsal caudate and left primary motor cortex, as well as between the left ventral rostral putamen and right temporal occipital fusiform cortex, than healthy controls. Lower functional connectivity between the right dorsal rostral putamen and anterior cingulate cortex was observed in the first-episode psychosis patients than in healthy controls. In multiple regression analyses, lower functional connectivity of the left dorsal caudate–left primary motor cortex/right dorsal rostral putamen–anterior cingulate cortex predicted improvement in negative symptoms. In addition, lower right dorsal rostral putamen–anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity predicted improvement in general functioning.

Conclusion:

These results suggest that altered striatal functional connectivity can be a potent neurobiological marker in the prognosis prediction of first-episode psychosis. Furthermore, altered striatal functional connectivity may provide a potential target in developing treatments for negative symptoms.
Recent developments in the processing of waste carbon fibre for thermoplastic composites – A review
Authors: Khurshid Muhammad Furqan , Hengstermann Martin , Hasan Mir Mohammad Badrul , Abdkader Anwar , Cherif Chokri
Published: November 2019

The aim of this paper is to highlight recent developments in the processing of waste carbon fibre for thermoplastic composites. Initially, injection moulding and nonwoven technologies have been used to integrate waste carbon fibres into fibre-reinforced thermoplastic composites. Recently, tape and hybrid yarn spinning technologies have been developed to produce tape and hybrid yarn structures from waste carbon fibre, which are then used to manufacture recycled carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastics with much higher efficiency. The hybrid yarn spinning technologies enable the development of various fibrous structures with higher fibre orientation, compactness and fibre volume fraction. Therefore, thermoplastic composites manufactured from hybrid yarns possess a good potential for use in load-bearing structural applications. In this paper, a comprehensive review on novel and existing technologies employed for the processing of waste carbon fibre in addition to different quality aspects of waste carbon fibre is presented.
Investigation of thermal and mechanical properties of styrene–butadiene rubber nanocomposites filled with SiO2–polystyrene core–shell nanoparticles
Authors: Khan Mujahid , Mishra Satyendra , Ratna Debdatta , Sonawane Shriram , Shimpi Navinchandra Gopal
Published: November 2019

The present study investigates the effect of SiO2–polystyrene core–shell nanoparticles on properties of styrene–butadiene rubber nanocomposites. Meanwhile, SiO2–polystyrene core–shell nanoparticles were synthesized under controlled ultrasound assisted microemulsion technique. Further, as-synthesized SiO2–polystyrene nanoparticles were subjected to various characterization techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to know its size, shape, and presence of functional groups. The average diameter of SiO2–polystyrene nanoparticles was found to be ∼45 nm. SiO2–polystyrene nanoparticles were reinforced in styrene–butadiene rubber using two-roll mill and molded on compression molding machine, which then subjected to various testings (X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope, thermogravimetric analysis, and universal testing machine). Moreover, the crosslinking density was investigated using solvent sorption technique. The properties of styrene–butadiene rubber nanocomposites were found to be improved with increasing amount of SiO2–polystyrene nanoparticles (2.0 wt%) and decreases subsequently (2.5 wt%). This enhancement in properties was due to uniform dispersion of core–shell nanoparticles with embedded chains of rubber. Also this enhancement in properties was due to smooth surface of core–shell nanoparticles (2.0 wt%) and decreases subsequently at higher amount of loading (2.5 wt%). However, the minimal crosslinkage leads to more solvent sorption, which leads to increase in average molecular weight. This decrement in the crosslinkage density with increase in average molecular weight was due to voids or free volume inside the matrix, which allows the solvent to get penetrated inside the matrix. This effect was not due to styrene–butadiene rubber matrix but due to shell of polystyrene over SiO2.
Temperature dependence of statistical fatigue strengths for unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastics under tension loading
Authors: Nakada Masayuki , Miyano Yasushi
Published: November 2019

The formulation for time- and temperature-dependent statistical static and fatigue strengths for carbon fiber reinforced plastics laminates is newly proposed based on the physically serious role of resin viscoelasticity as the matrix of carbon fiber reinforced plastics. In this study, this formulation is applied to the tensile strength along the longitudinal direction of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastics constituting the most important data for the reliable design of carbon fiber reinforced plastics structures which are exposed to elevated temperatures for a significant period of their operative life. The statistical distribution of the static and fatigue strengths under tension loading along the longitudinal direction of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced plastics were measured at various temperatures by using resin-impregnated carbon fiber reinforced plastics strands as specimens. The master curves for the fatigue strength as well as the static strength of carbon fiber reinforced plastics strand were constructed based on the time–temperature superposition principle for the matrix resin viscoelasticity. The long-term fatigue strength of carbon fiber reinforced plastics strand can be predicted by using the master curve of fatigue strength.
Narrative Engagement, Enjoyment, Learning and Theme Comprehension: Using an Authentic Music Video in an Introductory College Language Classroom
Authors: Benitez-Galbraith Jacqueline , Galbraith Craig S.
Published: November 2019

Using authentic audio-visual material in early language classes has become commonplace, but little prior empirical research has been published regarding why this pedagogical technique is effective for some students, and not others. This study examines the process of engagement and transportation of beginning foreign language learners into an authentic, Spanish language narrative-based music video. A structural equation model is developed that ties various elements such as belief consistency, cognitive difficulty, and affective disposition to the process of narrative engagement. The study then examines how a student’s engagement and transportation into the music video’s narrative impacts that student’s language learning, thematic comprehension, and entertainment – three commonly cited objectives of using authentic audio-visual material. Evidence is provided to indicate that the degree of engagement and transportation into the narrative-based video influences students’ language learning, thematic comprehension and entertainment.
Tourism Xenophilia: Examining Attraction to Foreignness
Authors: Nørfelt Astrid W. , Kock Florian , Josiassen Alexander
Published: November 2019

Individuals have demonstrated an attraction toward foreignness, which, arguably, constitutes a central reason to travel. Drawing on research from social and evolutionary psychology, the authors provide the first investigation of tourism xenophilia (TXI), which we define as individuals’ attraction toward the perceived foreignness of destinations. Across three studies, the authors conceptualize, develop, and apply a reliable, valid, and parsimonious TXI scale. The results show that TXI explains several important tourist and resident behaviors, such as willingness to engage with locals, willingness to stay at a bed-and-breakfast, intention to try local food, resident hospitality, support for immigration policies, and travel to foreign destinations. The authors also empirically investigate three key antecedents of TXI: promotion focus, boredom proneness, and mind-wandering. Finally, implications for academics and practitioners are discussed.
The Double Bind of Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Authors: Arel-Bundock Vincent
Published: November 2019

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is an influential methodological approach motivated by set theory and boolean logic. QCA proponents have developed algorithms to analyze quantitative data, in a bid to uncover necessary and sufficient conditions where causal relationships are complex, conditional, or asymmetric. This article uses computer simulations to show that researchers in the QCA tradition face a vexing double bind. On the one hand, QCA algorithms often require large data sets in order to recover an accurate causal model, even if that model is relatively simple. On the other hand, as data sets increase in size, it becomes harder to guarantee data integrity, and QCA algorithms can be highly sensitive to measurement error, data entry mistakes, or misclassification.
Steering, Knowledge and the Challenge of Governance Evaluation: The Case of National Health Service Governance and Reform in England
Authors: Greenwood Dan , Mills Thomas
Published: November 2019

Drawing from “robust political economy” (RPE) literature, we address evaluative questions concerning governance effectiveness in the face of complex, cross-cutting problems. Central to RPE is the challenge of coordination, with its fundamental epistemological dimension requiring close attention to stakeholder knowledge about policy impacts. This focus contrasts with process-orientated analysis predominant in political science and public administration and enables holistic governance evaluation that draws from various, often demarcated, research fields. This is demonstrated through a focus on the evolution of health governance in England, particularly how diabetes services in England were affected by the 2012 Health and Social Care Act.
Between the marked and the unmarked: twin semiotic paradoxes of the barrage in China’s livestreaming fandom
Authors: Chen Xinru , Chen Zhuo
Published: November 2019

As one of the most popular online media in China, personal livestreaming attracts massive attention and effects on human social communication in multiple novel ways. This article explores the semiotic mechanism of the barrage, a special form of commenting, on China’s livestreaming platforms. Drawing on cultural semiotic theories, it discusses the impact of the barrage by the fandom of China’s livestreaming. Two interrelated semiotic paradoxes are created by two interrelated forms of markedness from the use of the barrage by Chinese livestreaming fans, that is, the markedness of time and the markedness of space. Through careful assessment of the use of the barrage in China’s livestreaming fandom, this article sheds new light on China’s livestreaming and its potential impact on the future of digital China.
Generativity and Well-Being of Midlife and Aging Parents With Children With Developmental or Mental Health Problems
Authors: Homan Kristin J. , Greenberg Jan S. , Mailick Marsha R.
Published: November 2019

Parents who have a child with a developmental problem or mental disorder often provide support and assistance to their child throughout their lives, and the burden of caregiving can have an adverse impact on parents’ mental and physical health. Using Erikson’s theory as a framework, the present study investigated generativity as a moderator of the effects of parenting a child with a disability on parents’ well-being during mid- to late life. Using data from the study of Midlife in the United States, we identified 220 parents who had a child with a disability and 3,784 parents whose children did not have a disability. Regression analyses showed that the effect of parenting a child with a disability on negative affect, positive affect, and physical health was conditional on both parental gender and generativity, with mothers experiencing greater adverse effects of parenting but showing a benefit from high levels of generativity.
Agency and Accountability in (Un)Employment-Related Discourse in the Era of “Crisis”
Authors: Figgou Lia
Published: November 2019

This study explores the ways in which young people orient to and manage their agency in (un)employment-related discourse in “crisis ridden” Greece. It focuses on data elicited by semistructured interviews with 40 people, aged between 18 and 29 years. Interviews were analyzed by the principles of critical discursive social psychology. Analysis indicated that, in the context of accounting for job loss, participants mobilized the rhetoric of “crisis,” managing to negotiate complaints, without directly identifying a blame-worthy party. In the context of discussing effective job seeking, however, interviewees were concerned to depict themselves as active agents. Paradoxically, success in job seeking was depicted as the result of accepting unfavorable job opportunities. Finally, when participants unfolded their plans to emigrate, unemployment was related to structural flaws of the Greek labor market and “crisis” narratives were contested. Different constructions of agency are seen to reflect the contingencies of both local (interactional) and broader (historical) contexts.
Voice Changes Meaning: The Role of Gay- Versus Straight-Sounding Voices in Sentence Interpretation
Authors: Fasoli Fabio , Maass Anne , Karniol Rachel , Antonio Raquel , Sulpizio Simone
Published: November 2019

Utterances reveal not only semantic information but also information about the speaker’s social category membership, including sexual orientation. In four studies ( N = 345), we investigated how the meaning of what is being said changes as a function of the speaker’s voice. In Studies 1a/1b, gay- and straight-sounding voices uttered the same sentences. Listeners indicated the likelihood that the speaker was referring to one among two target objects varying along gender-stereotypical characteristics. Listeners envisaged a more “feminine” object when the sentence was uttered by a gay-sounding speaker, and a more “masculine” object when the speaker sounded heterosexual. In Studies 2a/2b, listeners were asked to disambiguate sentences that involved a stereotypical behavior and were open to different interpretations. Listeners disambiguated the sentences by interpreting the action in relation to sexual-orientation information conveyed by voice. Results show that the speaker’s voice changes the subjective meaning of sentences, aligning it to gender-stereotypical expectations.
Media and immobility: The affective and symbolic immobility of forced migrants
Authors: Smets Kevin
Published: November 2019

Can we think about the role of media and information and communication technologies in the lives of forced migrants through the lens of immobility? The dominant focus in the communication studies literature is on mobility, movement and connectivity. Migration studies and anthropology however offer productive ways to conceptualize the mobility–immobility spectrum as well as the imaginative dimensions of (im)mobility. Building on two studies that were situated at the temporal and geographical edges of the ‘European refugee crisis’ – a 2015 study in a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey and a 2017–2018 study with Syrian, Afghan and Iraqi refugees in Belgium – this article develops a conceptual framework of media and immobility in the context of forced migration. It coins the pair concepts affective immobility and symbolic immobility to highlight and understand practices of disengagement with media and information and communication technologies, agentic disconnectivity and feelings of symbolic fixedness.
CT angiogram findings in carotid-cavernous fistulas: stratification of imaging features to help radiologists avoid misdiagnosis
Authors: Benson John C , Rydberg Charlotte , DeLone David R , Johnson Matthew P , Geske Jennifer , Brinjikji Waleed , Lanzino Giuseppe , Cloft Harry , Luetmer Patrick H
Published: November 2019

Background

Carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are commonly misdiagnosed on computed tomography angiography (CTA).

Purpose

This study sought to identify the most sensitive and specific imaging features of CCFs on CTA.

Material and Methods

A retrospective review identified 18 consecutive patients suspected of having a CCF on CTA and subsequently underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Two blinded reviewers assessed multiple findings on CTA: cavernous sinus asymmetry/enlargement; arterial-phase contrast in the cavernous sinus; proptosis; pre- or post-septal orbital edema; and dilated regional vasculature. Each was graded as positive, possible, and negative; “possible” was counted as positive. A third blinded reviewer served as a tiebreaker.

Results

Of 18 patients, nine were true-positive and nine were false-positive. Superior ophthalmic vein early enhancement and dilatation had 100.0% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI] 40.0–100.0) and 77.8% specificity (95% CI 44.4–100.0); arterial-phase contrast in the cavernous sinus had 88.9% sensitivity (95% CI 44.4–100.0) and 66.7% specificity (95% CI 18.5–90.1); peri-orbital edema had 88.9% sensitivity (95% CI 35.5–100.0) and 77.8% specificity (95% CI 22.2–100.0). The most specific markers of CCF were superior petrosal sinus and inferior ophthalmic vein dilatation/enhancement (100.0%, 95% CI 88.8–100.0 and 88.9%, 95% CI 44.4–100.0, respectively); the specificity of asymmetric cavernous enlargement was 44.4% (95% CI 11.1–77.7).

Conclusions

Among patients in whom a CCF is suspected on CTA, superior ophthalmic vein dilatation/enhancement and arterial-phase contrast within the cavernous sinus are the most sensitive findings. Asymmetric cavernous sinus enlargement has poor specificity and may result in false-positive diagnoses of CCFs. False positive cases were less likely to have an optimally timed contrast bolus.
Aging and the Perception of Motion-Defined Form
Authors: Norman J. Farley , Sanders Karli N. , Shapiro Hannah K. , Peterson Ashley E.
Published: November 2019

A single experiment required 26 younger and older adults to discriminate global shape as defined only by differences in the speed of stimulus element rotation. Detection of the target shape required successful perceptual grouping by common fate. A considerable adverse effect of age was found: In order to perceive the target and discriminate its shape with a d’ value of 1.5, the older observers needed target element rotational speeds that were 23.4% faster than those required for younger adults. In addition, as the difference between the rotation speeds of the background and target stimulus elements increased, the performance of the older observers improved at a rate that was only about half of that exhibited by the younger observers. The results indicate that while older adults can perceive global shape defined by similarity (and differences) in rotational speed, their abilities are nevertheless significantly compromised.
Ethics Reporting Practices in Aging Research From the Arab Region
Authors: Sibai Abla Mehio , Arawi Thalia , Al Faisal Waleed , Makhoul Jihad , Hussain Hamid Yahya , Haddad Stephanie , Rizk Anthony
Published: November 2019

Objectives: This study aims to assess the extent of ethics reporting practices in aging research from Arab countries. Methods: A systematic scoping review of research on aging in 22 Arab countries from seven databases (1994-2013) identified 637 publications warranting institutional ethical approval and 612 publications warranting informed consent. We used multivariable regression analysis to examine variations by time, place, and study characteristics. Results: Only 36.6% of articles reported approval from a Research Ethics Committee and 38.7% reported informed consent. Reporting of ethical research practices increased significantly over time and as research collaborations and journal impact factor increased, and when sampling frame included institutionalized participants. In contrast, failure to report ethical research practices was significantly more common in non-English articles and those that did not report a funding source. Discussion: Despite gains across time, reporting of ethical research practices remains suboptimal in the Arab region. Further guidelines and capacity building are needed.
An Investigation of High School Students’ Errors in Introductory Programming: A Data-Driven Approach
Authors: Qian Yizhou , Lehman James
Published: November 2019

This study implemented a data-driven approach to identify Chinese high school students’ common errors in a Java-based introductory programming course using the data in an automated assessment tool called the Mulberry. Students’ error-related behaviors were also analyzed, and their relationships to success in introductory programming were investigated. This study identified 15 common compilation errors and 6 common test errors. The results showed that these common errors accounted for a large proportion of all errors, so identifying the common errors is important to help students succeed in introductory programming courses. Based on these common errors, five underlying student difficulties were identified and are discussed. In addition, after analyzing existing measures of students’ error-related behaviors, we developed a measure called improvement rate to quantify students’ success in fixing errors. The results of our study suggest that students’ competence of improving code is important to their success in introductory programming. We recommend researchers design and develop automated assessment tools that provide feedback messages for common student errors and instructors who explicitly teach knowledge and skills of improving code in class.
Economic Evaluation of Public Health Interventions: An Application to Interventions for the Prevention of Violence Against Women and Girls Implemented by the “What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls?” Global Program
Authors: Ferrari Giulia , Torres-Rueda Sergio , Michaels-Igbokwe Christine , Watts Charlotte , Jewkes Rachel , Vassall Anna
Published: November 2019

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) has important social, economic, and public health impacts. Governments and international donors are increasing their investment in VAWG prevention programs, yet clear guidelines to assess the “value for money” of these interventions are lacking. Improved costing and economic evaluation of VAWG prevention can support programming through supporting priority setting, justifying investment, and planning the financing of VAWG prevention services. This article sets out a standardized methodology for the economic evaluation of complex, that is, multicomponent and/or multiplatform, programs designed to prevent VAWG in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It outlines an approach that can be used alongside the most recent guidance for the economic evaluation of public health interventions in LMICs. It defines standardized methods of data collection and analysis, outcomes, and unit costs (i.e., average costs per person reached, output or service delivered), and provides guidance to investigate the uncertainty in cost-effectiveness estimates and report results. The costing approach has been developed and piloted as part of the “What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls?” (What Works?) program in five countries. This article and its supplementary material can be used by both economists and non-economists to contribute to the generation of new cost-effectiveness data on VAWG prevention, and ultimately improve the allocative efficiency and financing across VAWG programs.
“I Don’t Feel Like the Odd One”: Utilizing Content Analysis to Compare the Effects of Social Media Use on Well-Being Among Sexual Minority and Nonminority US Young Adults
Authors: Escobar-Viera César , Shensa Ariel , Hamm Megan , Melcher Eleanna M. , Rzewnicki Daniel I. , Egan James E. , Sidani Jaime E. , Primack Brian A.
Published: November 2019

Purpose:

Although there is evidence of associations between social media (SM) use and mental well-being among the general population, these associations among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) persons are poorly understood. This study compared the influence of SM experiences on mental well-being between LGB and non-LGB persons.

Design and Setting:

Online cross-sectional survey.

Participants:

National sample of 2408 US adults aged 18 to 30 years.

Method:

We asked participants to provide examples of when SM affected their well-being separately in good and bad ways. We coded, summed, and used rate ratios (RRs) to compare responses of LGB and non-LGB individuals. Thematically similar codes were described and grouped into categories.

Results:

Most responses described positive SM effects. However, of 6 codes that were significantly more frequent among LGB respondents, only social capital (RR = 1.58, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.17-2.12) described a positive effect. Five codes described negative effects of SM for LGB users: negative emotional contagion (RR = 1.28, 95% CI, 1.04-1.58), comparison with others (RR = 1.28, 95% CI, 1.01-1.62), real-life repercussions (RR = 1.86, 95% CI, 1.18-2.94), envy (RR = 2.49, 95% CI, 1.48-4.19), and need for profile management (RR = 2.32, 95% CI, 1.07-5.03).

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that, for LGB persons, gaining social capital from SM is valuable for establishing and maintaining connections. Increased negative SM experiences may pose a risk for the mental well-being of LGB individuals.
Enhanced thermal, static, and dynamic mechanical properties of multi-walled carbon nanotubes-reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene nanocomposite
Authors: Kapoor Sahil , Goyal Meenakshi , Jindal Prashant
Published: November 2019

Nanocomposites of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been fabricated using a facile solution blending technique with the variable weight of MWCNTs in ABS within a range of 1–5 wt% in the ABS/MWCNTs nanocomposites. Morphological characterization using field emission scanning electron microscope has shown uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in the nanocomposites. Thermal gravimetric analysis has shown improved thermal degradation stability for 5 wt% ABS/MWCNTs nanocomposites in comparison to pure ABS. Thermal expansion analysis of ABS/MWCNTs nanocomposites also showed a significant reduction in thermal strain and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) in comparison to pure ABS, with the 5 wt% sample showing a maximum reduction in thermal expansion properties. Mechanical characterization for 5 wt% ABS/MWCNTs nanocomposite, using nanoindentation, showed significant improvement in elastic modulus (90%) and hardness (99%) in comparison to pure ABS. The dynamic mechanical properties of 5 wt% ABS/MWCNTs nanocomposites also showed significant improvement with storage modulus and hardness improving by 153% and 342%, respectively, in comparison to pure ABS. These enhanced thermal and mechanical properties of ABS/MWCNTs nanocomposites enable their applications for a wider scope in various areas of engineering-based application, especially in the automobile industry.
The child as a gendered rights holder
Authors: Frödén Sara , Quennerstedt Ann
Published: November 2019

In this article, we call for a gendering of children’s rights by using an intersectional approach. First, age and gender in different theoretical frameworks are highlighted. Second, we demonstrate the interconnection of age and gender in United Nations human rights treaties and interpretation guidance. Third, current gendered rights issues are identified and new ones are proposed. Finally, we argue that further gendering of children’s rights is necessary to acknowledge issues relating to children with different gender, sexual orientations and ethnicities.
Healing or Deepening the Scars of Unemployment? The Impact of Activation Policies on Unemployed Workers
Authors: Fervers Lukas
Published: November 2019

Unemployment has severe consequences that persist over the life course, including higher risk of future unemployment and worse employment conditions. While the existence of scarring effects has become conventional wisdom, labour market sociologists have pointed out that their magnitude differs between institutional contexts. Recently, the focus of the discussion has shifted towards the role of activation policies, which are suspected to speed up labour market integration but worsen reemployment quality, hereby deepening the scarring effects of unemployment. To contribute to this discussion, this article provides an analysis of the impact of a large-scale counselling and monitoring scheme on unemployed workers by means of matching/weighting analyses. In contrast to sanctions, the counselling and monitoring programme fosters labour market integration without impairing job quality. Apparently, activation programmes pose a danger of impairing job quality, but this negative effect can be avoided for programmes based on more emphatic governance principles.
Not Learning From Failure—the Greatest Failure of All
Authors: Eskreis-Winkler Lauren , Fishbach Ayelet
Published: November 2019

Our society celebrates failure as a teachable moment. Yet in five studies (total N = 1,674), failure did the opposite: It undermined learning. Across studies, participants answered binary-choice questions, following which they were told they answered correctly (success feedback) or incorrectly (failure feedback). Both types of feedback conveyed the correct answer, because there were only two answer choices. However, on a follow-up test, participants learned less from failure feedback than from success feedback. This effect was replicated across professional, linguistic, and social domains—even when learning from failure was less cognitively taxing than learning from success and even when learning was incentivized. Participants who received failure feedback also remembered fewer of their answer choices. Why does failure undermine learning? Failure is ego threatening, which causes people to tune out. Participants learned less from personal failure than from personal success, yet they learned just as much from other people’s failure as from others’ success. Thus, when ego concerns are muted, people tune in and learn from failure.