bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association between sugar‐sweetened beverages and dental caries among third‐grade students in Georgia
Authors: Wilder Jocelyn R. , Kaste Linda M. , Handler Arden , Chapple‐McGruder Theresa , Rankin Kristin M.
Published: September 2015

Objective

The purpose of this study is to examine the association between sugar‐sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and caries experience among Georgia third graders.

Methods

The 2010‐2011 Georgia Third Grade Oral Health Study provided a school‐based sample for analysis. Data were weighted to be representative of the state of Georgia's third graders. Log‐binomial regression was used to assess the association between SSB consumption and caries experience after adjusting for socio‐demographic and maternal and child oral health characteristics.

Results

Georgia third graders consumed approximately two servings of SSB per day on average (1.7, 95% CI 1.6‐1.8). Fifty‐two percent of Georgia third graders had caries experience. Daily consumption of SSB and prevalence of caries experience differed significantly by demographic characteristics. After adjustment for socio‐demographic and maternal oral health characteristics, caries experience increased 22 percent (adjusted PR = 1.2, 95% CI 1.1, 1.3) for every additional reported serving of SSB consumed per day.

Conclusion

Higher consumption of SSBs is associated with higher caries prevalence among Georgia third graders after adjustment for important covariates. Consequently, health messages about SSBs from dentists, physicians, and other healthcare providers as well as policy approaches at the school, state, and national levels to limit consumption of SSBs may collectively impact both the development of dental caries and obesity, leading to overall better health for children.
The same but different: discussing the literature regarding mental health nurses' difficulty in meeting the physical health needs of service users, regardless of differing education programmes
Authors: Walker S. , McAndrew S.
Published: September 2015

Accessible summary

In the Western world, many people who have mental health problems experience poor physical health. Research suggests that those with mental illness often have difficulties in accessing health care services, reporting that when they do, their physical health needs are often overlooked.

Nurses are expected to deliver safe and effective care that meets the needs of service users. In order to help mental health nurses address physical health care needs, changes to nurse education, supported by government policy, have been made in the United Kingdom. Despite these changes, mental health nurses still feel less confident and prepared to address physical health needs of service users. However, this same problem is also reported by nurses throughout Europe and in other Western countries, who have undergone different training and education programmes.

This paper discusses important factors affecting the mental health nurses' ability to deliver physical care and how they impact on confidence and competence.

The paper concludes by highlighting the role of the mental health nurse being key in addressing the physical health needs of those in their care, and how this will only be realized when education and practice provide sufficient opportunity for them to develop and maintain their knowledge and skills.

In the Western world, there is increasing concern regarding the ability of health care professionals to meet the physical health care needs of those diagnosed with mental illness. This discussion paper seeks to explore some of the issues facing mental health nurses in delivering care to those who have both mental and physical illness. Criticism of the National Health Service for failing to meet the physical health needs of people with serious mental illness has generated a number of political strategies aimed at addressing inequalities between mental and physical health care, a consequence being a change in pre‐registration nurse education. It is envisaged that such changes will enable all nurses to deliver safe, effective care to service users, with adult and mental health nurses being more adept at meeting both the mental and physical health needs of those in their care. The impact of three key areas identified within the literature will be considered: the impact of co‐existing physical and mental illness; the role of mental health nurses and perceptions of service users re physical health care; and education, training and learning from others in the Western world. In conclusion, the complexities of delivering such care will be addressed.
Random environment integer‐valued autoregressive process
Authors: Nastić Aleksandar S. , Laketa Petra N. , Ristić Miroslav M.
Published: September 2015

An r states random environment integer‐valued autoregressive process of order 1, RrINAR(1), is introduced. Also, a random environment process is separately defined as a selection mechanism of differently parameterized geometric distributions, thus ensuring the non‐stationary nature of the RrNGINAR(1) model based on the negative binomial thinning. The distributional and correlation properties of this model are discussed, and the k‐step‐ahead conditional expectation and variance are derived. Yule–Walker estimators of model parameters are presented and their strong consistency is proved. The RrNGINAR(1) model motivation is justified on simulated samples and by its application to specific real‐life counting data.
‘To Arms!’: Invasion Narratives and Late‐Victorian Literature
Authors: Bulfin Ailise
Published: September 2015

This article introduces readers to the fiction of invasion, a paranoid literary phenomenon that responded to widespread social concerns about the possible invasion of Britain by an array of hostile foreign forces in the period between 1870 and 1914. It begins with an overview of the development of this relatively unknown body of work in the late‐Victorian and Edwardian periods, charting assumptions of imminent large‐scale war, fascination with the technology of warfare and the marked participation of military men who used the fiction to agitate for increased defence spending. While this alarmist brand of popular fiction provoked considerable contemporary commentary, modern critical engagement with it has been somewhat limited. Beginning in the 1960s and dominated by the work of the master bibliographer I. F. Clarke, the initial scholarly response necessarily took the form of classification and survey and evinced particular interest in adjudging the accuracy of fictional predictions about future war. More recent scholarship is concerned with reading the fiction in the context of its own times, probing its relationship with external imperial factors and internal domestic concerns and its effectiveness as a propaganda tool. In addition to offering an overview of this line of enquiry, this article seeks to broaden the understanding of the invasion narrative in fin‐de‐siècle popular fiction, drawing lines out to the recurrence of the invasion theme across a broad range of genres and modes exceeding that of future war fiction and including so‐called ‘yellow peril’ narratives, crime and detective fiction and the gothic. In conclusion, a number of avenues complementing the textual and the historical are suggested for future exploration.
Romanticism and Speculative Realism
Authors: Washington Chris
Published: September 2015

My essay surveys two recent philosophical strains of thoughts, Speculative Realism and Object‐Oriented Ontology, in order to show their relevance to Romantic literature and culture, and the humanities more widely. I explain how Quentin Meillassoux, in his bookAfter Finitude:An Essay on the Necessity of Contingency, targets “correlationism,” the notion that there is no access to the world except by the human mind, as the defining problem of modern thought. Romanticist Timothy Morton, springboarding from Graham Harman's Meillassoux‐inspired Object‐Oriented Ontology, theorizes what he calls a “hyperobject,” a non‐localized object like climate change that disturbs and disrupts the supposed connection between human being and worldly phenomenon. These theories, I show, intersect with Romantic apocalyptic traditions that foresee a future paradise brought on by human action. As I read it, though, Meillassoux's Speculative Realism and Morton's hyperobjects shine a light on the largely ignored, post‐apocalyptic aspects of Romantic literature in works like Shelley's “Mont Blanc.” I argue that Romantic post‐apocalypticism relies on Romantic irony to root us in a temporality of the present rather than a deferred vision of a utopian future.
Seascape drivers of Macrocystis pyrifera population genetic structure in the northeast Pacific
Authors: Johansson Mattias L. , Alberto Filipe , Reed Daniel C. , Raimondi Peter T. , Coelho Nelson C. , Young Mary A. , Drake Patrick T. , Edwards Christopher A. , Cavanaugh Kyle , Assis Jorge , Ladah Lydia B. , Bell Tom W. , Coyer James A. , Siegel David A. , Serrão Ester A.
Published: September 2015

At small spatial and temporal scales, genetic differentiation is largely controlled by constraints on gene flow, while genetic diversity across a species' distribution is shaped on longer temporal and spatial scales. We assess the hypothesis that oceanographic transport and other seascape features explain different scales of genetic structure of giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. We followed a hierarchical approach to perform a microsatellite‐based analysis of genetic differentiation in Macrocystis across its distribution in the northeast Pacific. We used seascape genetic approaches to identify large‐scale biogeographic population clusters and investigate whether they could be explained by oceanographic transport and other environmental drivers. We then modelled population genetic differentiation within clusters as a function of oceanographic transport and other environmental factors. Five geographic clusters were identified: Alaska/Canada, central California, continental Santa Barbara, California Channel Islands and mainland southern California/Baja California peninsula. The strongest break occurred between central and southern California, with mainland Santa Barbara sites forming a transition zone between the two. Breaks between clusters corresponded approximately to previously identified biogeographic breaks, but were not solely explained by oceanographic transport. An isolation‐by‐environment (IBE) pattern was observed where the northern and southern Channel Islands clustered together, but not with closer mainland sites, despite the greater distance between them. The strongest environmental association with this IBE pattern was observed with light extinction coefficient, which extends suitable habitat to deeper areas. Within clusters, we found support for previous results showing that oceanographic connectivity plays an important role in the population genetic structure of Macrocystis in the Northern hemisphere.
Linking transcriptional responses to organismal tolerance reveals mechanisms of thermal sensitivity in a mesothermal endangered fish
Authors: Komoroske Lisa M. , Connon Richard E. , Jeffries Ken M. , Fangue Nann A.
Published: September 2015

Forecasting species' responses to climate change requires understanding the underlying mechanisms governing environmental stress tolerance, including acclimation capacity and acute stress responses. Current knowledge of these physiological processes in aquatic ectotherms is largely drawn from eurythermal or extreme stenothermal species. Yet many species of conservation concern exhibit tolerance windows and acclimation capacities in between these extremes. We linked transcriptome profiles to organismal tolerance in a mesothermal endangered fish, the delta smelt(Hypomesus transpacificus),to quantify the cellular processes, sublethal thresholds and effects of thermal acclimation on acute stress responses. Delta smelt initiated rapid molecular changes in line with expectations of theoretical thermal limitation models, but also exhibited diminished capacity to modify the expression of some genes and cellular mechanisms key to coping with acute thermal stress found in eurytherms. Sublethal critical thresholds occurred 4–6 °C below their upper tolerance limits, and thermal acclimation shifted the onset of acute thermal stress and tolerance as predicted. However, we found evidence that delta smelt's limited thermal plasticity may be partially due to an inability of individuals to effectively make physiological adjustments to truly achieve new homoeostasis under heightened temperatures, resulting in chronic thermal stress. These findings provide insight into the physiological basis of the diverse patterns of thermal tolerances observed in nature. Moreover, understanding how underlying molecular mechanisms shape thermal acclimation capacity, acute stress responses and ultimately differential phenotypes contributes to a predictive framework to deduce species' responses in situ to changes in selective pressures due to climate change.
Multilocus phylogeography of a widespread savanna–woodland‐adapted rodent reveals the influence of Pleistocene geomorphology and climate change in Africa's Zambezi region
Authors: McDonough Molly M. , Šumbera Radim , Mazoch Vladimír , Ferguson Adam W. , Phillips Caleb D. , Bryja Josef
Published: September 2015

Understanding historical influences of climate and physiographic barriers in shaping patterns of biodiversity remains limited for many regions of the world. For mammals of continental Africa, phylogeographic studies, particularly for West African lineages, implicate both geographic barriers and climate oscillations in shaping small mammal diversity. In contrast, studies for southern African species have revealed conflicting phylogenetic patterns for how mammalian lineages respond to both climate change and geologic events such as river formation, especially during the Pleistocene. However, these studies were often biased by limited geographic sampling or exclusively focused on large‐bodied taxa. We exploited the broad southern African distribution of a savanna–woodland‐adapted African rodent,Gerbilliscus leucogaster(bushveld gerbil) and generated mitochondrial, autosomal and sex chromosome data to quantify regional signatures of climatic and vicariant biogeographic phenomena. Results indicate the most recent common ancestor for allG. leucogasterlineages occurred during the early Pleistocene. We documented six divergent mitochondrial lineages that diverged ~0.270–0.100 mya, each of which was geographically isolated during periods characterized by alterations to the course of the Zambezi River and its tributaries as well as regional ‘megadroughts’. Results demonstrate the presence of a widespread lineage exhibiting demographic expansion ~0.065–0.035 mya, a time that coincides with savanna–woodland expansion across southern Africa. A multilocus autosomal perspective revealed the influence of the Kafue River as a current barrier to gene flow and regions of secondary contact among divergent mitochondrial lineages. Our results demonstrate the importance of both climatic fluctuations and physiographic vicariance in shaping the distribution of southern African biodiversity.
Investigating complex I deficiency in Purkinje cells and synapses in patients with mitochondrial disease
Authors: Chrysostomou Alexia , Grady John P. , Laude Alex , Taylor Robert W. , Turnbull Doug M. , Lax Nichola Z.
Published: September 2015

Aims

Cerebellar ataxia is common in patients with mitochondrial disease, and despite previous neuropathological investigations demonstrating vulnerability of the olivocerebellar pathway in patients with mitochondrial disease, the exact neurodegenerative mechanisms are still not clear. We use quantitative quadruple immunofluorescence to enable precise quantification of mitochondrial respiratory chain protein expression in Purkinje cell bodies and their synaptic terminals in the dentate nucleus.

Methods

We investigated NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 alpha subcomplex subunit 13 protein expression in 12 clinically and genetically defined patients with mitochondrial disease and ataxia and 10 age‐matched controls. Molecular genetic analysis was performed to determine heteroplasmy levels of mutated mitochondrial DNA in Purkinje cell bodies and inhibitory synapses.

Results

Our data reveal that complex I deficiency is present in both Purkinje cell bodies and their inhibitory synapses which surround dentate nucleus neurons. Inhibitory synapses are fewer and enlarged in patients which could represent a compensatory mechanism. Mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy demonstrated similarly high levels of mutated mitochondrial DNA in cell bodies and synapses.

Conclusions

This is the first study to use a validated quantitative immunofluorescence technique to determine complex I expression in neurons and presynaptic terminals, evaluating the distribution of respiratory chain deficiencies and assessing the degree of morphological abnormalities affecting synapses. Respiratory chain deficiencies detected in Purkinje cell bodies and their synapses and structural synaptic changes are likely to contribute to altered cerebellar circuitry and progression of ataxia.
Majority of symptoms in esophageal reflux PPI non‐responders are not related to reflux
Authors: Roman S. , Keefer L. , Imam H. , Korrapati P. , Mogni B. , Eident K. , Friesen L. , Kahrilas P. J. , Martinovich Z. , Pandolfino J.E.
Published: September 2015

Background

Genesis of persistent gastro‐esophageal reflux symptoms despite proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy is not fully understood. We aimed at determining reflux patterns on 24‐h pH‐impedance monitoring performed on PPI and correlating impedance patterns and symptom occurrence in PPI non‐responders.

Methods

Seventy‐eight PPI non‐responder patients underwent 24‐h pH‐impedance monitoring on PPI. Reflux impedance characterization included gastric and supragastric belches and proximal extent of reflux. Symptoms were considered associated with reflux if occurring within 5 min after a reflux event. Patients were classified into three groups: persistent acid reflux (acid esophageal exposure [AET] >5% of time), reflux sensitivity (AET <5%, symptom index [SI] ≥50%), and functional symptoms (AET <5%, SI <50%). Dominant impedance pattern was determined for each patient.

Key Results

Seven patients (9%) had persistent acid reflux, 28 (36%) reflux sensitivity, and 43 (55%) functional symptoms. A total of 4296 reflux events were identified (median per patient 45 [range 4–221]). Although liquid reflux was the most common pattern in all groups, patients with reflux sensitivity and functional symptoms had much more variability in their pattern profile with a large proportion being associated with gastric and supragastric belching. Only 417 reflux events (9.7%) were associated with symptoms. Reflux with a supragastric component and proximal extent were more likely to be associated with symptoms.

Conclusions & Inferences

The impedance reflux profile in PPI non‐responders was heterogeneous and the majority of reflux events were not associated with symptoms. Thus, the treatment of PPI non‐responders should focus on mechanisms beyond reflux, such as visceral hypersensitivity and hypervigilance.
Mechanisms contributing to visceral hypersensitivity: focus on splanchnic afferent nerve signaling
Authors: Deiteren A. , De Man J. G. , Keating C. , Jiang W. , De Schepper H. U. , Pelckmans P. A. , Francque S. M. , De Winter B. Y.
Published: September 2015

Background

Visceral hypersensitivity is a main characteristic of functional bowel disorders and is mediated by both peripheral and central factors. We investigated whether enhanced splanchnic afferent signaling in vitro is associated with visceral hypersensitivity in vivo in an acute and postinflammatory rat model of colitis.

Methods

Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)‐colitis was monitored individually by colonoscopy to confirm colitis and follow convalescence and endoscopic healing in each rat. Experiments were performed in controls, rats with acute colitis and in postcolitis rats. Colonic afferent mechanosensitivity was assessed in vivo by quantifying visceromotor responses (VMRs), and by making extracellular afferent recordings from splanchnic nerve bundles in vitro. Multiunit afferent activity was classified into single units identified as low threshold (LT), wide dynamic range (WDR), high threshold (HT), and mechanically insensitive afferents (MIA).

Key Results

During acute TNBS‐colitis, VMRs were significantly increased and splanchnic nerve recordings showed proportionally less MIA and increased WDR and HT afferents. Acute colitis gave rise to an enhanced spontaneous activity of both LT and MIA and augmented afferent mechanosensitivity in LT, WDR and HT afferents. Postcolitis, VMRs remained significantly increased, whereas splanchnic nerve recordings showed that the proportion of LT, WDR, HT and MIA had normalized to control values. However, LT and MIA continued to show increased spontaneous activity and WDR and HT remained sensitized to colorectal distension.

Conclusions & Inferences

Visceral hypersensitivity in vivo is associated with sensitized splanchnic afferent responses both during acute colitis and in the postinflammatory phase. However, splanchnic afferent subpopulations are affected differentially at both time points.
The effect of refractive error on the accommodative response gradient: a summary and update
Authors: Millodot Michel
Published: September 2015

Purpose

To give a summary of the original paper ‘The effect of refractive error on the accommodative response gradient’ published in 1986 and to present a brief overview of the most salient, subsequent findings which have appeared since then.

Recent findings

Intensive and prolonged near work as a precursor to myopia has been substantiated since the original paper and is thought to contribute to the remarkable increase in the prevalence of myopia in the world which has occurred in the last 30 years, consistent with the emergence of compulsory education, computers and urbanisation. Increased accommodation has not been found to be essential in the development of myopia, but inaccurate accommodation during near work in the form of accommodative lag with its consequent hyperopic defocus has been confirmed as an association with myopia, although it is not clear whether that association is causal or merely a consequence of myopia.

The premise of the original paper that near work engenders lower accommodation in myopes compared to emmetropes and hyperopes has been corroborated over the years, particularly in progressing myopes as distinct from stable adult myopes. Inaccurate accommodation resulting in accommodative lag has been amply confirmed in subsequent studies.
Myopia and cognitive dysfunction among elderly Chinese adults: a propensity score matching analysis
Authors: Sun Hong‐Peng , Liu Hu , Xu Yong , Pan Chen‐Wei
Published: September 2015

Purpose

The association between myopia and cognitive dysfunction among elderly adults was assessed by applying a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) approach. This is a statistical method which allows investigators to estimate causal treatment effects using observational or nonrandomised data.

Methods

The study was designed as a community‐based cross‐sectional study based on a Chinese cohort aged 60 years or older in China. Objective refraction was measured using an autorefractor and subjective refraction was used to refine vision, using the results of the objective refraction as the starting point. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent value of less than −0.50 dioptre (D) in the right eye. The Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) was used for cognitive assessment. The propensity scores for myopia were formulated using 13 potential confounders. We matched the propensity scores for subjects with and without myopia within a caliper of 0.01 of logit function of propensity scores.

Results

About 4123 elderly adults who successfully completed the AMT were included in this analysis. The odds ratio (OR) of cognitive dysfunction for myopia before matching was 1.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61, 2.44; p < 0.001). There were significant covariate imbalances between comparison groups and after propensity score matching, covariate imbalance was significantly reduced. After propensity score matching, the OR of cognitive dysfunction was marginally significant and the magnitude of association was reduced (OR: 1.31 95% CI 1.00, 1.71; p = 0.05). Traditional multivariate logistic regression modelling found an OR of 1.52 (95% CI 1.23, 2.06; p < 0.001) after adjusting for the 13 potential confounders.

Conclusions

Myopia was associated with a higher prevalence of cognitive dysfunction among elderly Chinese aged 60 years or older in China. The PSM approach may be a useful method to address selection bias in observational studies when randomised trials cannot ethically be conducted.
Frege on the Normativity and Constitutivity of Logic for Thought I
Authors: Mezzadri Daniele
Published: September 2015

This two‐part paper reviews a scholarly debate on an alleged tension in Frege's philosophy of logic. In Section 1 of Part I, I discuss Frege's view that logic is concerned with establishing norms for correct thinking and is therefore a normative science. In Section 2, I explore a different understanding of the role of logic that Frege seems to advance: logic is constitutive of the very possibility of thought, because it sets forth necessary conditions for thought. Hence, the tension: the view according to which logic is normative for thought seems to be incompatible with the idea that abiding by the laws of logic forms a precondition for thought. In Section 1 of Part II, I survey a number of interpretations of Frege's conception of logic that deal with this question. I show that they are for the most part either normative readings (emphasising the former understanding of the nature of logic) or constitutive readings (emphasising the latter). Finally, in Section 2, I adjudicate the debate and aim at reconciling the normative and the constitutive strands in Frege's conception of logic.
What a Loaded Generalization: Generics and Social Cognition
Authors: Wodak Daniel , Leslie Sarah‐Jane , Rhodes Marjorie
Published: September 2015

This paper explores the role of generics in social cognition. First, we explore the nature and effects of the most common form of generics about social kinds (descriptive generics). Second, we discuss the nature and effects of a less common but equally important form of generics about social kinds (normative generics). Finally, we consider the implications of this discussion for how we ought to use language about the social world.
Comparison of methods for extracting thylakoid membranes of Arabidopsis plants
Authors: Chen Yang‐Er , Yuan Shu , Schröder Wolfgang P.
Published: September 2015

Robust and reproducible methods for extracting thylakoid membranes are required for the analysis of photosynthetic processes in higher plants such as Arabidopsis. Here, we compare three methods for thylakoid extraction using two different buffers. Method I involves homogenizing the plant material with a metal/glass blender; method II involves manually grinding the plant material in ice‐cold grinding buffer with a mortar and method III entails snap‐freezing followed by manual grinding with a mortar, after which the frozen powder is thawed in isolation buffer. Thylakoid membrane samples extracted using each method were analyzed with respect to protein and chlorophyll content, yields relative to starting material, oxygen‐evolving activity, protein complex content and phosphorylation. We also examined how the use of fresh and frozen thylakoid material affected the extracts' contents of protein complexes. The use of different extraction buffers did not significantly alter the protein content of the extracts in any case. Method I yielded thylakoid membranes with the highest purity and oxygen‐evolving activity. Method III used low amounts of starting material and was capable of capturing rapid phosphorylation changes in the sample at the cost of higher levels of contamination. Method II yielded thylakoid membrane extracts with properties intermediate between those obtained with the other two methods. Finally, frozen and freshly isolated thylakoid membranes performed identically in blue native‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis experiments conducted in order to separate multimeric protein supracomplexes.
On the need of legal frameworks for assessing restoration projects success: new perspectives from São Paulo state (Brazil)
Authors: Chaves Rafael B. , Durigan Giselda , Brancalion Pedro H. S. , Aronson James
Published: September 2015

Despite growing worldwide commitment to large‐scale ecosystem restoration, national public policies on restoration are few, and those that exist tend to be vague. Brazil and especially São Paulo state stand out. In a pioneering attempt to improve restoration projects and their outcomes, the Secretariat for the Environment of the State of São Paulo has enacted a legal instrument to drive planning and to assess whether the goals and targets of mandatory ecological restoration are being achieved. Regardless of the restoration techniques applied, the effectiveness of mandatory or public‐funded projects will henceforth be assessed by using three ecological indicators: (1) ground coverage with native vegetation; (2) density of native plants spontaneously regenerating; and (3) number of spontaneously regenerating native plant species. We analyze how this science‐based legal framework is expected to promote greater restoration success, improve cost‐effectiveness, and help bridge the all‐too‐familiar knowledge‐action gap in environmental policies. Notably, scientists, professionals, public agents, and stakeholders from different institutions have collaborated to advance the refinement and rolling out of this legal instrument. By 2037, it is expected that more than 300,000 restoration projects will be carried out in São Paulo state and monitored using this set of indicators. We also suggest that this approach could be usefully applied to the growing number of ecological restoration programs being carried out worldwide, especially in the context of offset policies intended to achieve serious compensation for environmental degradation or loss of biodiversity.
Free Will in Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta: Rāmānuja, Sudarśana Sūri and Veṅkaṭanātha
Authors: Freschi Elisa
Published: September 2015

Free will may not be a universal problem, but it is also not only confined to Christianity, as shown in the case of Viśiṣṭādvaita Vedānta. The authors of this school of Indian philosophy, founded in the 11th c. and still influential up until today, had to face the challenge of accounting for human autonomy and God's omnipotence. Their solution was to create a precinct for free will in human minds, whereas all actions depend on God. Thus, God does not interfere with the initial determination of human free will and it later supports human intentions, thus permitting that they are turned into action.
Ibāḍism: History, Doctrines, and Recent Scholarship
Authors: Hoffman Valerie J.
Published: September 2015

Ibāḍism is the only surviving sect of Khārijism and thus represents the third main branch of Islam, after Sunnism and Shīʻism. Ibāḍīs, who number less than 1% of the world's Muslims, are found mainly in the Sultanate of Oman, in the Mzāb and Wārgla (Ouargla) regions of southeastern Algeria, in the Nafūsa mountain region of northwestern Libya, and on the island of Jirba (Djerba), Tunisia. The traditional narrative of Ibāḍism's origins dates it to ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ibāḍ's split from the radical Khārijism of Nāfi‘ ibn al‐Azraq in 64/684 CE. Ibāḍīs say that Jābir ibn Zayd (d. 93/711 CE) organized the sect in Baṣra, but recent scholarship questions much of this traditional narrative. This article discusses recent scholarship on Ibāḍism's historical development, summarizes its distinctive teachings in theology and jurisprudence, and offers a brief analysis of the relationship of Ibāḍism to the Bū Saʻīdī sultanate of Oman and Zanzibar.
Clinical efficacy of anti‐glycopeptidolipid‐core IgA test for diagnosing Mycobacterium avium complex infection in lung
Authors: Numata Takanori , Araya Jun , Yoshii Yutaka , Shimizu Kenichiro , Hara Hiromichi , Nakayama Katsutoshi , Kuwano Kazuyoshi
Published: September 2015

Background and objective

It is difficult to verify the bacteriological diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) infection. The anti‐glycopeptidolipid (GPL)‐core IgA antibody test was recently developed as a diagnostic method for MAC pulmonary disease. Only a few studies evaluate its clinical efficacy. We conducted retrospective evaluations of clinical characteristics of patients suspected of MAC infection to explore the usefulness of the anti‐GPL‐core IgA antibody test.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 296 patients who were suspected to have MAC infection and underwent anti‐GPL‐core IgA antibody test between March 2013 and July 2014 in Jikei University hospital.

Results

A total of 29 patients were diagnosed with ‘definite MAC’ based on the American Thoracic Society (ATS) criteria with multiple identifications of MAC. On the other hand, 106 patients were diagnosed with other pulmonary diseases than MAC. The sensitivity and specificity of anti‐GPL‐core IgA antibody test for MAC diagnosis were 58.6% and 98.1%, respectively. The definite MAC group showed no significant differences in strains, treatment history or number of segments involved. The duration of MAC disease in the positive‐antibody group was significantly longer than in the negative‐antibody group (P = 0.046). A significant increase in the false‐negative rate was observed in patients with malignant disease (P = 0.029).

Conclusions

The anti‐GPL‐core IgA antibody test demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of MAC infection especially in patients without malignant diseases.
Global Distribution of Transnational Human Rights NGOs: The Effects of Domestic Resources and Institutions
Authors: Zhou Min
Published: September 2015

This article examines domestic sources of the uneven distribution of human rights transnational NGOs (TNGOs) across countries. I compile an original dataset covering 787 human rights TNGOs during the 2005–2010 period from the Yearbook of International Organizations (supplemented by the directories produced by Human Rights Internet and the Encyclopedia of Associations). I employ the zero‐inflated negative binomial model to explore domestic conditions influencing the location of TNGO headquarters. The analysis distinguishes two processes. First, population size and political institutions are particularly important for the likelihood of hosting any human rights TNGOs. Human rights TNGOs are likely to exist only in strong democratic countries with relatively large populations. Second, domestic resources (economic and human) and institutions (political and regulatory) affect the count of human rights TNGOs in a country. A high level of economic development, a large and well‐educated population, strong democratic institutions, and a less regulatory environment provide favorable conditions for the establishment of more human rights TNGOs. Although human rights TNGOs are transnationally oriented, their establishment is still greatly influenced by domestic factors.
Creating a Man for the Future: A Narrative Analysis of Male In‐Migrants and Their Constructions of Masculinities in a Rural Context
Authors: Aure Marit , Munkejord Mai Camilla
Published: September 2015

Most research on rural masculinity focuses on sedentary and agricultural lifestyles. Based on fieldwork and interviews with 18 male newcomers, this article explores constructions of masculinities among in‐migrants engaged in several occupations and entrepreneurial activities in Finnmark, in Northern Norway. Building on the concept of hegemonic masculinities, we show how a specific combination of compact geography, a changing labour market and the Nordic dual‐earner family model and welfare state create a rural space of opportunities in which male in‐migrants construct themselves as men for the future. The respondents emphasise the importance of intensive fatherhood, being a supportive spouse, and commitment to leisure activities as well as their professional identities. Contrary to studies of rural masculinities emphasising ‘macho’ traits, our analysis demonstrates the prevalence of novel nonhegemonic masculinities among in‐migrants in northernmost Norway.
Cooperation Versus Competition Effects on Information Sharing and Use in Group Decision‐Making
Authors: Toma Claudia , Butera Fabrizio
Published: September 2015

Information processing in groups has long been seen as a cooperative process. In contrast with this assumption, group members were rarely found to behave cooperatively: They withhold unshared information and stick to initial incorrect decisions. In the present article, we examined how group members' cooperative and competitive motives impact on group information processing and propose that information sharing and use in groups could be seen as strategic behavior. We reviewed the latest developments in the literature investigating different forms of strategic information processing and their underlying mechanisms. This review suggests that explicit cooperative goals are needed for effective group decision‐making.
Accuracy of Social Perception: An Integration and Review of Meta‐Analyses
Authors: Nater Christa , Zell Ethan
Published: September 2015

This review examines the overall accuracy of social perception across several research topics and identifies factors that influence the accuracy of social perception. Findings from 14 meta‐analyses examining topics such as social/personality judgments, health judgments, legal judgments, and academic/vocational judgments were obtained. Social perception accuracy was generally moderate, yielding an average effect size (r) of .32. However, individual meta‐analytic effects varied widely, with some topics yielding small effects (e.g., lie detection, eyewitness identification) and other topics yielding large effects (e.g., educational judgments, health judgments). Several moderators of social perception accuracy were identified, including the nature of the information source, familiarity of the target, type of personality trait, and severity of the outcome being judged. These findings provide a comprehensive summary and novel integration of disparate findings on the accuracy of social perception. Concluding remarks highlight avenues for future research and call for cross‐disciplinary collaborations that would enhance our understanding of social perception.
Exploring the Enigmatic Link between Religion and Anti‐Black Attitudes
Authors: Howard Simon , Sommers Samuel R.
Published: September 2015

This review explores social psychological perspectives on the complex relationship between religion and anti‐Black prejudice in the United States. We examine the different ways in which religiosity has been conceptualized by behavioral scientists. We consider the methodological limitations of previous research, as well as how the advent of priming research introduces new empirical questions regarding religiosity and anti‐Black prejudice, such as whether activation of different religious conceptions (e.g., God versus religion) or priming via different types of stimuli (e.g., words versus images) produces different outcomes. Finally, we discuss the lack of diverse samples in the present literature and highlight the need for additional research with Black American respondents. Conclusions consider the real world implications of links between religion and anti‐Blackness for both White individuals (e.g., intergroup relations) and Black individuals (e.g., psychological functioning).
Non‐invasive diagnosis of pink basal cell carcinoma: how much can we rely on dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy?
Authors: Witkowski A. M. , Łudzik J. , DeCarvalho N. , Ciardo S. , Longo C. , DiNardo A. , Pellacani G.
Published: September 2015

Background

Non‐pigmented ‘pink’ cutaneous lesions in differential diagnosis with basal cell carcinoma may present a challenge for clinicians. Our objective was to determine the potential improvement of diagnostic accuracy using combined dermoscopy‐reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) image evaluation.

Methods

Two hundred and sixty clinically equivocal ‘pink’ cutaneous lesions were evaluated retrospectively. Reader accuracy was tested with dermoscopy images only vs. RCM and combined dermoscopy‐RCM images.

Results

Out of 260 equivocal ‘pink’ cutaneous lesions, there were 114 basal cell carcinomas within a total of 140 malignancies that included 12 melanomas, 13 squamous cell carcinomas, and 1 other malignancy type. Dermoscopy only evaluation resulted in an overall sensitivity of 85.1% and specificity of 92.4%, resulting in a positive predictive value (PPV) of 89.8%, with 1 of 12 melanomas misdiagnosed. RCM evaluation resulted in an overall sensitivity of 85.1% and specificity of 93.8%, resulting in a PPV of 91.5%, with no melanomas misdiagnosed. Combined dermoscopy‐RCM evaluation resulted in an overall sensitivity of 77.2% and specificity of 96.6%, resulting in a PPV of 94.6%.

Conclusion

The combination of dermoscopy‐RCM evaluation significantly improves the accuracy and safety threshold in equivocal ‘pink’ cutaneous lesions in the differential diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma.
The effects of exchange transfusion for prevention of complications during pregnancy of sickle hemoglobin C disease patients
Authors: Benites Bruno Deltreggia , Benevides Thais Celi Lopes , Valente Isabella Salvetti , Marques Jose Francisco , Gilli Simone Cristina Olenscki , Saad Sara Teresinha Olalla
Published: September 2015

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy represents a challenge for women with sickle cell disease (SCD), with higher rates of both maternal and fetal complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of prophylactic transfusion support administered specifically to pregnant women with sickle hemoglobin C disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients were divided into two groups according to the type of transfusion support received: 10 women received prophylactic erythrocytapheresis or manual exchange transfusion at 28 weeks of gestation, and 14 received transfusions only on demand, due to acute complications, or received no transfusions at all.

RESULTS

Our results indicated higher frequencies of SCD‐related complications in the group that did not receive prophylactic transfusion support (35.7% vs. only 10% in the erythrocytapheresis group). Furthermore, these complications were more severe in this group and included all cases of acute chest syndrome. A significant difference was observed concerning gestational age at birth (38.7 weeks in the transfusion group vs. 34.4 weeks, p = 0.037), with a higher frequency of preterm births in the nontransfused group (69.23% vs. 30% in the transfusion group).

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated a clear reduction of unfavorable outcomes in patients receiving prophylactic transfusions, probably reflecting better maternal and fetal conditions, which corroborated to the more satisfactory indices of vitality, observed in newborns. Considering that erythrocytapheresis or manual exchange transfusions both represent feasible and safe procedures, they could represent important tools for the optimal management of these patients.
Twenty‐eight days of exposure to 3454 m increases mitochondrial volume density in human skeletal muscle
Authors: Jacobs Robert A. , Lundby Anne‐Kristine Meinild , Fenk Simone , Gehrig Saskia , Siebenmann Christoph , Flück Daniela , Kirk Niels , Hilty Matthias P. , Lundby Carsten
Published: September 2015

Key points

It is generally accepted that mitochondrial volume density in human skeletal muscle diminishes with chronic high altitude exposure.

All data supporting this concept were collected during mountaineering expeditions, which are associated with the confounding effects of whole body negative energy balance.

Here we examine the effect of 28 days of exposure to 3454 m on skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume density in a setting where whole body weight, whole body composition, leg lean mass, skeletal muscle fibre area and maximal power output were preserved.

Our results demonstrate that total skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume density increases in response to high altitude exposure secondary to a preferential increase in intermyofibrillar mitochondrial populations.

This study provides direct evidence contradicting the notion that high altitude exposure diminishes skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume density, highlighting an inconsistent understanding of the role of hypoxia on skeletal muscle mitochondria.

The role of hypoxia on skeletal muscle mitochondria is controversial. Studies superimposing exercise training on hypoxic exposure demonstrate an increase in skeletal muscle mitochondrial volume density (MitoVD) over equivalent normoxic training. In contrast, reductions in both skeletal muscle mass and MitoVD have been reported following mountaineering expeditions. These observations may, however, be confounded by negative energy balance, which may obscure the results. Accordingly we sought to examine the effects of high altitude hypoxic exposure on mitochondrial characteristics, with emphasis on MitoVD, while minimizing changes in energy balance. For this purpose, skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from nine lowlanders at sea level (Pre) and following 7 and 28 days of exposure to 3454 m. Maximal ergometer power output, whole body weight and composition, leg lean mass and skeletal muscle fibre area all remained unchanged following the altitude exposure. Transmission electron microscopy determined that intermyofibrillar (IMF) MitoVD was augmented (P = 0.028) by 11.5 ± 9.2% from Pre (5.05 ± 0.9%) to 28 Days (5.61 ± 0.04%). In contrast, there was no change in subsarcolemmal (SS) MitoVD. As a result, total MitoVD (IMF + SS) was increased (P = 0.031) from 6.20 ± 1.5% at Pre to 6.62 ± 1.4% at 28 Days (7.8 ± 9.3%). At the same time no changes in mass‐specific respiratory capacities, mitochondrial protein or antioxidant content were found. This study demonstrates that skeletal muscle MitoVD may increase with 28 days acclimation to 3454 m.
Complete Genome Sequence of the Rhizobacterium Pseudomonas trivialis Strain IHBB745 with Multiple Plant Growth-Promoting Activities and Tolerance to Desiccation and Alkalinity
Authors: Gulati Arvind , Swarnkar Mohit Kumar , Vyas Pratibha , Rahi Praveen , Thakur Rishu , Thakur Namika , Singh Anil Kumar
Published: September 2015

The complete genome sequence of 6.45 Mb is reported here for
Pseudomonas trivialis
strain IHBB745 (MTCC 5336), which is an efficient, stress-tolerant, and broad-spectrum plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium. The gene-coding clusters predicted the genes for phosphate solubilization, siderophore production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase activity, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, and stress response.
Complete Genome Sequence of Porcine Deltacoronavirus Strain CH/Sichuan/S27/2012 from Mainland China
Authors: Wang Yi-Wen , Yue Hua , Fang Weihuan , Huang Yao-Wei
Published: September 2015

We report the first complete genome sequence of porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) strain CH/Sichuan/S27/2012 identified in feces of diarrheic piglets from mainland China in 2012. This strain has two unique in-frame deletions within the ORF1a gene and is phylogenetically between the prototype PDCoV (HKU15) and the 2014 U.S. strains.
Complete Genome Sequence of Streptococcus thermophilus MN-BM-A02, a Rare Strain with a High Acid-Producing Rate and Low Post-Acidification Ability
Authors: Shi Yudong , Chen Yun , Li Zhouyong , Yang Lan , Chen Wei , Mu Zhishen
Published: September 2015

Streptococcus thermophilus
MN-BM-A02 was originally isolated from a traditional fermented dairy product in China. The characteristics of this bacterium are its high acid-producing rate and low post-acidification. This study presents the genome sequence of MN-BM-A02. Its complete genome comprises 2,025 genes and 1,850,434 nucleotides with an average G+C content of 39%.