bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiomyocyte Sirt (Sirtuin) 7 Ameliorates Stress-Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy by Interacting With and Deacetylating GATA4
Authors: Yamamura Satoru , Izumiya Yasuhiro , Araki Satoshi , Nakamura Taishi , Kimura Yuichi , Hanatani Shinsuke , Yamada Toshihiro , Ishida Toshifumi , Yamamoto Masahiro , Onoue Yoshiro , Arima Yuichiro , Yamamoto Eiichiro , Sunagawa Yoichi , Yoshizawa Tatsuya , Nakagata Naomi , Bober Eva , Braun Thomas , Sakamoto Kenji , Kaikita Koichi , Morimoto Tatsuya , Yamagata Kazuya , Tsujita Kenichi
Published: November 2019

Sirt (Sirtuin) 7, the most recently identified mammalian sirtuin, has been shown to contribute to appropriate wound healing processes after acute cardiovascular insult. However, its role in the development of cardiac remodeling after pressure overload is unclear. Cardiomyocyte-specific Sirt7-knockout and control mice were subjected to pressure overload induced by transverse aortic constriction. Cardiac hypertrophy and functions were then examined in these mice. Sirt7 protein expression was increased in myocardial tissue after pressure overload. Transverse aortic constriction-induced increases in heart weight/tibial length were significantly augmented in cardiomyocyte-specific Sirt7-knockout mice compared with those of control mice. Histological analysis showed that the cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area and fibrosis area were significantly larger in cardiomyocyte-specific Sirt7-deficient mice. Cardiac contractile functions were markedly decreased in cardiomyocyte-specific Sirt7-deficient mice. Mechanistically, we found that Sirt7 interacted directly with GATA4 and that the exacerbation of phenylephrine-induced cardiac hypertrophy by Sirt7 knockdown was decreased by GATA4 knockdown. Sirt7 deacetylated GATA4 in cardiomyocytes and regulated its transcriptional activity. Interestingly, we demonstrated that treatment with nicotinamide mononucleotide, a known key NAD
+
intermediate, ameliorated agonist-induced cardiac hypertrophies in a Sirt7-dependent manner in vitro. Sirt7 deficiency in cardiomyocytes promotes cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in response to pressure overload. Sirt7 exerts its antihypertrophic effect by interacting with and promoting deacetylation of GATA4.
Crosstalk Between Vascular Redox and Calcium Signaling in Hypertension Involves TRPM2 (Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 2) Cation Channel
Authors: Alves-Lopes Rhéure , Neves Karla B. , Anagnostopoulou Aikaterini , Rios Francisco J. , Lacchini Silvia , Montezano Augusto C. , Touyz Rhian M.
Published: November 2019

Increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and altered Ca
2+
handling cause vascular damage in hypertension. Mechanisms linking these systems are unclear, but TRPM2 (transient receptor potential melastatin 2) could be important because TRPM2 is a ROS sensor and a regulator of Ca
2+
and Na
+
transport. We hypothesized that TRPM2 is a point of cross-talk between redox and Ca
2+
signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and that in hypertension ROS mediated-TRPM2 activation increases [Ca
2+
]
i
through processes involving NCX (Na
+
/Ca
2+
exchanger). VSMCs from hypertensive and normotensive individuals and isolated arteries from wild type and hypertensive mice (LinA3) were studied. Generation of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide (H
2
O
2
) was increased in hypertensive VSMCs, effects associated with activation of redox-sensitive PARP1 (poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1), a TRPM2 regulator. Ang II (angiotensin II) increased Ca
2+
and Na
+
influx with exaggerated responses in hypertension. These effects were attenuated by catalase−polyethylene glycol -catalase and TRPM2 inhibitors (2-APB, 8-Br-cADPR olaparib). TRPM2 siRNA decreased Ca
2+
in hypertensive VSMCs. NCX inhibitors (Benzamil, KB-R7943, YM244769) normalized Ca
2+
hyper-responsiveness and MLC20 phosphorylation in hypertensive VSMCs. In arteries from LinA3 mice, exaggerated agonist (U46619, Ang II, phenylephrine)-induced vasoconstriction was decreased by TRPM2 and NCX inhibitors. In conclusion, activation of ROS-dependent PARP1-regulated TRPM2 contributes to vascular Ca
2+
and Na
+
influx in part through NCX. We identify a novel pathway linking ROS to Ca
2+
signaling through TRPM2/NCX in human VSMCs and suggest that oxidative stress-induced upregulation of this pathway may be a new player in hypertension-associated vascular dysfunction.
Gait Speed and Mood, Cognition, and Quality of Life in Older Adults With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Marino Francesca R. , Lessard Darleen M. , Saczynski Jane S. , McManus David D. , Silverman‐Lloyd Luke G. , Benson Christopher M. , Blaha Michael J. , Waring Molly E.
Published: November 2019

Background

Low gait speed has been linked with impaired mood, cognition, and quality of life (
QOL
) in older adults. We examined whether low gait speed was associated with impaired mood, cognition, and
QOL
among older adults with atrial fibrillation (
AF
).

Methods and Results

Participants (n=1185) had a diagnosis of
AF
, aged ≥65 years,
CHA
2
DS
2
VAS
c ≥2 and had no contraindications to anticoagulation. Participants completed a 15‐foot walk test, and low gait speed was categorized using cutoffs from the Fried Frailty Index. Participants self‐reported measures of depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire 9 ≥10), anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 ≥10), cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment ≤23), and potentially impaired Atrial Fibrillation Effect Quality‐of‐Life Questionnaire <80. Participants were on average aged 75.3 (
SD
: 7.0) years, 48.0% were women, and 85.5% were non‐Hispanic white; 85.6% were taking an oral anticoagulant, 26.1% had low gait speed, 8.4% had elevated depressive symptoms, 5.7% had elevated anxiety symptoms, 41.1% were cognitively impaired, and 41.6% had potentially impaired
AF
‐related
QOL
. Participants with low gait speed were significantly more likely to have elevated depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio: 2.1, 95%
CI
: 1.3–3.4), elevated anxiety symptoms (adjusted odds ratio: 2.2, 95%
CI
: 1.2–3.9), and cognitive impairment (adjusted odds ratio: 1.5, 95%
CI
: 1.1–2.1). Impaired
AF
‐related
QOL
did not differ by gait speed after adjustment for clinical characteristics (adjusted odds ratio: 1.1, 95%
CI
: 0.8–1.5).

Conclusions

Twenty‐six percent of older adults with
AF
had low gait speed, and low gait speed was associated with impaired mood and cognition. Further research is needed to determine whether declines in gait speed lead to impaired mood and cognition or whether these conditions develop concurrently.
Associations of Perioperative Variables With the 30-Day Risk of Stroke or Death in Carotid Endarterectomy for Symptomatic Carotid Stenosis
Authors: Knappich Christoph , Kuehnl Andreas , Haller Bernhard , Salvermoser Michael , Algra Ale , Becquemin Jean-Pierre , Bonati Leo H. , Bulbulia Richard , Calvet David , Fraedrich Gustav , Gregson John , Halliday Alison , Hendrikse Jeroen , Howard George , Jansen Olav , Malas Mahmoud B. , Ringleb Peter A. , Brown Martin M. , Mas Jean-Louis , Brott Thomas G. , Morris Dylan R. , Lewis Steff C. , Eckstein Hans-Henning ,   on behalf of the Carotid Stenosis Trialists’ Collaboration
Published: November 2019

Background and Purpose—

This analysis was performed to assess the association between perioperative and clinical variables and the 30-day risk of stroke or death after carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid stenosis.

Methods—

Individual patient-level data from the 5 largest randomized controlled carotid trials were pooled in the Carotid Stenosis Trialists’ Collaboration database. A total of 4181 patients who received carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic stenosis per protocol were included. Determinants of outcome included carotid endarterectomy technique, type of anesthesia, intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring, shunting, antiplatelet medication, and clinical variables. Stroke or death within 30 days after carotid endarterectomy was the primary outcome. Adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) were estimated in multilevel multivariable analyses using a Poisson regression model.

Results—

Mean age was 69.5±9.2 years (70.7% men). The 30-day stroke or death rate was 4.3%. In the multivariable regression analysis, local anesthesia was associated with a lower primary outcome rate (versus general anesthesia; aRR, 0.70 [95% CI, 0.50–0.99]). Shunting (aRR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.05–1.95]), a contralateral high-grade carotid stenosis or occlusion (aRR, 1.58 [95% CI, 1.02–2.47]), and a more severe neurological deficit (mRS, 3–5 versus 0–2: aRR, 2.51 [95% CI, 1.30–4.83]) were associated with higher primary outcome rates. None of the other characteristics were significantly associated with the perioperative stroke or death risk.

Conclusions—

The current results indicate lower perioperative stroke or death rates in patients operated upon under local anesthesia, whereas a more severe neurological deficit and a contralateral high-grade carotid stenosis or occlusion were identified as potential risk factors. Despite a possible selection bias and patients not having been randomized, these findings might be useful to guide surgeons and anesthetists when treating patients with symptomatic carotid disease.
Prevalence of Intracranial Aneurysms in Patients With Systemic Vessel Aneurysms
Authors: Song Jihye , Lim Yong Cheol , Ko Inseok , Kim Jong-Yeup , Kim Dong-Kyu
Published: November 2019

Background and Purpose—

Most aneurysms are a focal manifestation of a systemic condition. Some reports have suggested genetic and environmental factors may play a role in pathogenesis. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of intracranial aneurysms (IA) in a large cohort of patients with other systemic vessel aneurysms and dissections (OVAD) and identify potential risk factors for IA in this population.

Methods—

We defined OVAD as systemic vessel aneurysms, excluding aortic dissections and aneurysms. A cohort of 1.1 million patients was extracted from the population-based cohort from the Korea National Health Insurance Service, which holds almost all medical data including diagnostic codes, procedures, and personal information. Using χ
2
or Fisher exact test, the prevalence of the IA concerning OVAD status was analyzed.

Results—

In OVAD individuals, 25.7% (261/1017) of patients had been concurrently diagnosed with IA. The odds ratios for having concurrent IA in patients with OVAD were 56.31 (95% CI, 48.821–64.949;
P
=0.000). OVAD patients with dyslipidemia were >7× likely to be affected by IA (adjusted odds ratio, 7.7 [95% CI, 6.59–9.01];
P
=0.000). Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, old age (>60 years), and male sex had increased odds for having concurrent IA by 5.89, 3.48, 1.83, and 1.35, respectively. Subgroup analysis with socioeconomic or disability revealed that the prevalence of IA was significantly higher in all groups. Uncertainty regarding the temporal sequence of onset and lack of detail on disease severity and subtype prevented more conclusive results.

Conclusions—

Patients with OVAD have a higher prevalence of IA than control groups. Therefore, we may approach aneurysms as systemic disease, and further investigations about their pathophysiology must follow.
Pulling Apollo Apart
Authors: Hunter Richard , Laemmle Rebecca
Published: November 2019

This paper considers the etymologising of the names of Apollo in Plato, Cratylus and Plutarch, The E at Delphi. It is argued that the richness of the god’s etymologies in these texts and in classical literature more generally suggests that a special connection was seen between the nature of Apollo and the practices of etymologising; this connection is in part owed to the similarities between etymologising and prophetic speech and practice and in part to the fact that ancient etymology reveals settled, unchanging truths about language, just as Apollo manifests the settled, unchanging order of the world. The paper sheds light not just upon ancient etymological practice from Homer onwards but also on certain conceptions of the nature of Apollo.
Becoming Chinese Buddhas: Claims to Authority and the Making of Chan Buddhist Identity
Authors: Buckelew Kevin
Published: November 2019

According to many recent scholars, by the Song dynasty Chan Buddhists had come to identify not primarily as meditation experts—following the literal meaning of chan—but rather as full-fledged buddhas. This article pursues a deeper understanding of how, exactly, Chan Buddhists claimed to be buddhas during the eighth through eleventh centuries, a critical period in the formation of Chan identity. It also addresses the relationship between Chan Buddhists’ claims to the personal status of buddhahood, their claims to membership in lineages extending back to the Buddha, and their appeals to doctrines of universal buddhahood. Closely examining Chan Buddhists’ claims to be buddhas helps explain the tradition’s rise to virtually unrivaled elite status in Song-era Buddhist monasticism, and illuminates the emergence of new genres of Chan Buddhist literature—such as “discourse records” (yulu)—that came to be treated with the respect previously reserved for canonical Buddhist scriptures.
Call and Response: Antiphonal Elements in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic Poetry
Authors: Lieber Laura S.
Published: November 2019

In this essay, the varieties of refrain structures used in the body of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic poetry from late antiquity provide a laboratory for examining the intersection of acclamation structures and piyyutim. The fact that these poems were written in the vernacular of the community rather than in Hebrew complicates our understanding of their performative setting but at the same time may make it easier to consider a variety of potential modes of community engagement, as we are not constrained by the potential norms of a fixed liturgical setting. The analysis offered here, tentative as it may be, helps us understand both the auditory world of Late Antiquity and the active participation of Jews in the shaping of their soundscape.
The Boreal Summer Madden–Julian Oscillation and Moist Convective Morphology over the Maritime Continent
Authors: Toms Benjamin A. , van den Heever Susan C. , Riley Dellaripa Emily M. , Saleeby Stephen M. , Maloney Eric D.
Published: November 2019

While the boreal summer Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is commonly defined as a planetary-scale disturbance, the convective elements that constitute its cloud dipole exhibit pronounced variability in their morphology. We therefore investigate the relationship between the intraseasonal cloud anomaly of the MJO and the convective elements that populate its interior by simulating a boreal summer MJO event over the Maritime Continent using a cloud-resolving model. A progressive relationship between convective cell morphology and the MJO within the convectively enhanced region of the MJO was identified and characterized as follows: anomalously long-lasting cells in the initial phases, followed by an increased number of cells in the intermediate phases, progressing into more expansive cells in the terminal phases. A progressive relationship does not seem to exist within the convectively suppressed region of the MJO within the simulated domain, however. Within the convectively enhanced region of the MJO, the progressive relationship is partially explained by the evolution of bulk atmospheric characteristics, such as instability and wind shear. Positive midlevel moisture anomalies coincide with anomalously long-lasting convective cells, which is hypothesized to further cascade into an increase in convective cell volume, although variability in the number of convective cells seems to be related to an unidentified variable. This intraseasonal relationship between convective cell morphology and the boreal summer MJO within the Maritime Continent may have broader implications for the large-scale structure and evolution of the MJO, related to both convective moistening and cloud-radiative feedbacks.
Pediatric Thyroidectomy: NSQIP-P Analysis of Adverse Perioperative Outcomes
Authors: Patel Vijay A. , Khaku Aliasgher , Carr Michele M.
Published: November 2019

Background:

This study identifies risk factors and 30-day adverse outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing thyroidectomy.

Methods:

Retrospective analysis utilizing the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement–Pediatric Database (2015-2016). Study population includes pediatric patients (≤18 years) who underwent hemithyroidectomy (HT), total thyroidectomy (TT), and total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection (TT+ND).

Results:

A total of 720 cases were identified; mean age at time of surgery was 14.1 years, with a female-to-male ratio of 3.4:1. Following hospital discharge, there were 10 related readmissions, with 1 patient requiring reoperation for neck hematoma evacuation. Regression analysis revealed anesthesia time had a significant impact on total length of stay ( P = .0020).

Conclusion:

Contemporary pediatric thyroidectomy has a low incidence of 30-day general surgical postoperative complications. Future research efforts are necessary once thyroidectomy specific variables are incorporated into ACS-NSQIP-P, which will provide further insights into managing this unique patient population.
Utility of Audiometry in the Evaluation of Patients Presenting with Dysphonia
Authors: Ross Justin , Valentino William L. , Calder Alyssa , Bigly David , Othman Sammy , McKinnon Brian , Sataloff Robert T.
Published: November 2019

Objectives:

Hearing loss has been implicated in dysphonia secondary to voice misuse, although the data supporting this claim are scant. Determining the prevalence of hearing loss in patients with dysphonia and correlating it with self-perception of vocal handicap may help clarify the value of audiometry in evaluation of patients with dysphonia.

Methods:

This is a retrospective chart review of all new voice patients (n = 405) presenting with dysphonia to the primary investigator between 2015 and 2018. Each new patient routinely undergoes audiometric and voice objective analyses. Main outcomes measured include prevalence, severity of hearing loss, and voice handicap index-10 (VHI-10).

Results:

Of the 405 subjects reviewed, mean age was 49.0 years (SD = 17.4). 60.7% of subjects were female and 39.3% male. Patients with hearing loss defined as >25 dB in worse ear with pure tone average (PTA) thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 kHz (PTA-S) accounted for 18% of the total cohort. The prevalence of previously undiagnosed hearing loss in this cohort was 13.1% (53 of 405 subjects). Of these subjects, 62.3% (33 subjects) reported no perception of hearing loss while 37.7% (20 subjects) suspected they had some hearing loss, yet never sought evaluation. Only increased PTA-S, speech discrimination, Reflux Symptom Index, and female gender demonstrated a significant relationship with VHI-10 when analyzed with multivariate linear regression analysis.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of hearing loss in patients presenting with dysphonia in this cohort is similar to normative population data. This study has also demonstrated that the majority of these patients did not perceive any hearing loss. The reasons behind this may be a result of or associated with the patients’ dysphonia. Furthermore, clinicians should consider performing audiometric evaluation in patients with abnormal VHI-10 scores in the appropriate clinical context.
Standard Setting of Competency in Mastoidectomy for the Cross-Institutional Mastoidectomy Assessment Tool
Authors: Kerwin Thomas , Wiet Gregory , Hittle Brad , Stredney Don , De Boeck Paul , Moberly Aaron , Andersen Steven Arild Wuyts
Published: November 2019

Objective:

Competency-based surgical training involves progressive autonomy given to the trainee. This requires systematic and evidence-based assessment with well-defined standards of proficiency. The objective of this study is to develop standards for the cross-institutional mastoidectomy assessment tool to inform decisions regarding whether a resident demonstrates sufficient skill to perform a mastoidectomy with or without supervision.

Methods:

A panel of fellowship-trained content experts in mastoidectomy was surveyed in relation to the 16 items of the assessment tool to determine the skills needed for supervised and unsupervised surgery. We examined the consensus score to investigate the degree of agreement among respondents for each survey item as well as additional analyses to determine whether the reported skill level required for each survey item was significantly different for the supervised versus unsupervised level.

Results:

Ten panelists representing different US training programs responded. There was considerable consensus on cut-off scores for each item and trainee level between panelists, with moderate (0.62) to very high (0.95) consensus scores depending on assessment item. Further analyses demonstrated that the difference between supervised and unsupervised skill levels was significantly meaningful for all items. Finally, minimum-passing scores for each item was established.

Conclusion:

We defined performance standards for the cross-institutional mastoidectomy assessment tool using the Angoff method. These cut-off scores that can be used to determine when trainees can progress from performance under supervision to performance without supervision. This can be used to guide training in a competency-based training curriculum.
Wnt receptor gene FZD1 was associated with schizophrenia in genome-wide SNP analysis of the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank cohort
Authors: Liu Xiaoman , Low Siew-Kee , Atkins Joshua R , Wu Jing Qin , Reay William R , Cairns Heath M , Green Melissa J , Schall Ulrich , Jablensky Assen , Mowry Bryan , Michie Patricia T , Catts Stan V , Henskens Frans , Pantelis Christos , Loughland Carmel , Boddy Alan V , Tooney Paul A , Scott Rodney J , Carr Vaughan J , Cairns Murray J
Published: November 2019

Objectives:

Large-scale genetic analysis of common variation in schizophrenia has been a powerful approach to understanding this complex but highly heritable psychotic disorder. To further investigate loci, genes and pathways associated more specifically in the well-characterized Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank cohort, we applied genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis in these three annotation categories.

Methods:

We performed a case–control genome-wide association study in 429 schizophrenia samples and 255 controls. Post-genome-wide association study analyses were then integrated with genomic annotations to explore the enrichment of variation at the gene and pathway level. We also examine candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms with potential function within expression quantitative trait loci and investigate overall enrichment of variation within tissue-specific functional regulatory domains of the genome.

Results:

The strongest finding ( p = 2.01 × 10−6, odds ratio = 1.82, 95% confidence interval = [1.42, 2.33]) in genome-wide association study was with rs10252923 at 7q21.13, downstream of FZD1 (frizzled class receptor 1). While this did not stand alone after correction, the involvement of FZD1 was supported by gene-based analysis, which exceeded the threshold for genome-wide significance ( p = 2.78 × 10−6).

Conclusion:

The identification of FZD1, as an independent association signal at the gene level, supports the hypothesis that the Wnt signalling pathway is altered in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and may be an important target for therapeutic development.
Improvement in cognitive function in young people with bipolar disorder: Results from participants in an 18-month randomised controlled trial of adjunctive psychotherapy
Authors: Porter Richard J , Inder Maree , Douglas Katie M , Moor Stephanie , Carter Janet D , Frampton Christopher MA , Crowe Marie
Published: November 2019

Objective:

To examine the effects of 18 months of intensive stabilisation with medication management and Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy or Non-specific Supportive Clinical Management on cognitive function in young people with bipolar disorder. Determinants of change in cognitive function over the 18 months of the trial were also examined.

Method:

Patients aged 15–36 years with Bipolar I Disorder, Bipolar II Disorder and Bipolar Not Otherwise Specified were recruited. From a battery of cognitive tests, change scores for pre-defined domains of cognitive function were created based on performance at baseline and follow-up. Change was compared between the two therapy groups. Regression analysis was used to determine the impact of a range of clinical variables on change in cognitive performance between baseline and follow-up.

Results:

One hundred participants were randomised to Interpersonal and Social Rhythm Therapy ( n = 49) or Non-specific Supportive Clinical Management ( n = 51). Seventy-eight patients underwent cognitive testing at baseline and 18 months. Across both groups, there were significant improvements in a Global Cognitive Composite score, Executive Function and Psychomotor Speed domains from baseline to 18 months. Lower scores at baseline on all domains were associated with greater improvement over 18 months. Overall, there was no difference between therapies in change in cognitive function, either in a global composite score or change in domains.

Conclusion:

While there was no difference between therapy groups, intensive stabilisation with psychological therapy was associated with improved cognitive function, particularly in those patients with poorer cognitive function at baseline. However, this was not compared with treatment as usual so cannot be attributed necessarily to the therapies.
Teacher Evaluation Feedback and Instructional Practice Self-Efficacy in Secondary School Teachers
Authors: Smith Eric C. , Starratt Gerene K. , McCrink Carmen L. , Whitford Heidi
Published: November 2019

Purpose: This study, which investigated the relationship between veteran secondary school teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback and self-efficacy of instructional practice, was driven by the research question: What is the relationship among evaluation processes, teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback, and veteran secondary education teacher self-efficacy toward personal instructional practice? Method: Participants were recruited from two school districts in west central Florida. The study tested two hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: Veteran secondary teachers self-efficacy of instructional practice will be related to both evaluation system type (standard vs. nonstandard) and specificity of feedback (high vs. low specificity). Hypothesis 2: Veteran secondary school teacher perceptions of the characteristics of evaluation feedback will predict teacher self-efficacy toward personal instructional practice. The study instrument included the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES; Tschannen-Moran & Hoy, 2001) and additional feedback-related questions. Teachers were recruited through gatekeepers at the two districts and invited to take the online survey. Results: In a test of Hypothesis 1, analysis of variance revealed that teachers who reported receiving specific evaluation feedback also reported higher teacher self-efficacy compared with teachers who reported receiving nonspecific evaluation feedback, although there were no differences related to standard versus nonstandard evaluation systems. To test Hypothesis 2, multiple regression analysis showed the perceived value of feedback to be the strongest predictor of teacher self-efficacy. Conclusions: These findings, which link teacher perceptions of evaluation feedback to teacher self-efficacy of instructional practice, have the potential to inform the creation of improved professional development practices.
Administration of Justice: Judicial Delays in India
Authors: Singh Tanushree , Thakur Akash Singh
Published: November 2019

In unique as well as comparative terms, the Indian judiciary—an integrated federal hierarchy with federal, state and district courts set up under the Constitution—fares better than the legislative and executive branches of the governments in India as well as those in other countries, especially in the Global South, in terms of impartiality, efficiency and independence. This article seeks to take a closer analytical look at an aspect of judicial administration, which is often glossed over in the existing literature in highlighting the issues of autonomy and constitutional adjudication and constitutional law on fundamental rights of citizens, federal division of powers, separation of powers, judicial review and the like. In this article we focus on the perennial and notorious judicial delays, their causes and remedial reforms. Delays in speedy disposal of cases occur mainly due to a large number of vacancies that remain unfilled partly due to fiscal reasons, administrative inaction and tension between the executive and the superior courts, lack of adequate operational budgetary allocations and physical infrastructure and frequent postponement of hearings until next dates set for reasons not always genuine. We have suggested reforms in the administration of the courts as well as alternate forums like Lok Adalats, e-judicial governance, ethical discourse in the Bar and the Bench as well as the civil society.
Performance Analysis of a Steam Power Plant with Different Governors
Authors: Bhurtun Chawdhurry
Published: November 2019

A comparative study of three steam plant governors is made using MATLAB. Such an exercise trains students in using engineering software for simulation. It also adds motivation to learning control as a subject by showing the practical application of the theory taught in class.
Teaching Load Frequency Control using Matlab and Simulink
Authors: Faried S. O. , Demeter E.
Published: November 2019

In this paper, an attractive approach for teaching automatic load frequency control of a single-area system is presented. This approach is based primarily on using SIMULINK in building the system model and simulating its behaviour. A detailed design example for such an application is also presented.
Is a Picture Worth a Thousand Words? An Empirical Study of Image Content and Social Media Engagement
Authors: Li Yiyi , Xie Ying
Published: November 2019

Are social media posts with pictures more popular than those without? Why do pictures with certain characteristics induce higher engagement than some other pictures? Using data sets of social media posts about major airlines and sport utility vehicle brands collected from Twitter and Instagram, the authors empirically examine the influence of image content on social media engagement. After accounting for selection bias on the inclusion of image content, the authors find a significant and robust positive mere presence effect of image content on user engagement in both product categories on Twitter. They also find that high-quality and professionally shot pictures consistently lead to higher engagement on both platforms for both product categories. However, the effect of colorfulness varies by product category, while the presence of human face and image–text fit can induce higher user engagement on Twitter but not on Instagram. These findings shed light on how to improve social media engagement using image content.
Associated Factors of Psychological Symptoms Among Unemployed Turkish Adults: The Role of Personality Factors and Rumination
Authors: Tuna Ezgi , Balcı Şeyma
Published: November 2019

Unemployment has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes including depression and suicide. In the last decades, unemployment rates have increased substantially in Turkey; yet, factors and mechanisms that play a role in experiencing psychological symptoms among unemployed individuals are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of personality characteristics on psychological symptoms among unemployed Turkish adults and to test the mediating role of rumination as a dysfunctional cognitive strategy. The sample consisted of 217 unemployed Turkish adults who completed self-report measures on neuroticism, external locus of control, rumination, and psychological symptoms. The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that rumination partially mediated the relationship between personality variables (i.e., neuroticism and external locus of control) and psychological symptoms, thus verifying the hypothesis of the study. The direct paths from trait neuroticism and external locus of control to psychological symptoms were also significant. Results revealed that a tendency to attribute future outcomes to external factors and an increased tendency to experience negative emotions are associated with engaging passively in rumination, which in turn predicts psychological symptoms. Interventions are suggested to focus on effective coping strategies along with increasing individuals’ perceived control over life and future.
When Climate-Induced Change Reaches Social Media: How Realistic Travel Expectations Shape Consumers’ Attitudes toward the Destination
Authors: Scholl-Grissemann Ursula , Peters Mike , Teichmann Karin
Published: November 2019

The Web 2.0 has significantly changed how consumers plan for and book trips. For example, online content showing climate-induced, unfavorable conditions at a destination might influence overall attitudes toward that destination. Two experimental studies confirm that when consumers learn of unfavorable conditions in a destination (e.g., snow deficiency) through online content, they develop more realistic travel expectations and ultimately more positive attitudes toward the destination, compared with when they review online content that ignores the unfavorable conditions. In addition, user-generated content influences the mediating effect of realistic expectations on the relationship between climate-induced, unfavorable conditions at a destination and attitudes toward the destination, whereas DMO-generated content does not. Implications underline the importance of realistic destination marketing communication strategies. The study contributes to the understanding of consumer response to realistic social media content in tourism.
Critical Tension: Sufficiency and Parsimony in QCA
Authors: Dușa Adrian
Published: November 2019

The main objective of the qualitative comparative analysis is to find solutions that display sufficient configurations of causal conditions leading to the presence of an outcome. These solutions should be less complex than the original observed configurations, as parsimonious as possible, without sacrificing the sufficiency requirement. Sufficiency and parsimony are two requirements that act in opposition, and an optimal solution is one that accommodates both. There are different search strategies that lead to different types of solutions, with an ongoing debate about which solution type is closest to the true, underlying causal structure. This article presents the different logics behind each simplification system in order to explain how and why they lead to different results and introduces the concept of “robust sufficiency” to clear the debate. It analyses the correctness ratios for the different solution type and provides an improved set of procedures to measure correctness that captures the best features from each system. Out of the competition between the conservative and the parsimonious search strategies, the intermediate solution emerges as the best hybrid that is suitable for causal analysis, outperforming the parsimonious solution in recovering a known (even parsimonious) causal structure.
In the Eye of the Beholder: Students’ Views of Mentors in Psychology
Authors: Cronan Terry A. , Van Liew Charles , Stal Julia , Marr Nicole , Patrus Alan , Mansoor Mathew , Cronan Sierra B.
Published: November 2019

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether students’ views of mentors have changed as a function of the increased number of faculty members conducting research and the inclusion of undergraduate students in faculty mentors’ research teams, using reports from current students. The participants were 227 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students at two large, Western public universities located in the United States. One institution was a research-intensive university and the other was not. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire about whether they had a mentor, the characteristics of their mentors, and their perceptions of their mentors. The findings indicated that 28.5% of undergraduates and 95% of graduate students had mentors. Undergraduate students were significantly more likely to choose mentors for being inspiring instructors, and graduate students were significantly more likely to choose mentors because of interest in their research. The most important characteristic of both good and bad mentors was personality. Students at all levels perceived their mentors as very interested in their futures. Mentor satisfaction was high among students at all levels. The findings are encouraging, and they provide evidence that psychology has adapted well to the increased number of faculty conducting research and to the inclusion of undergraduate students in research.
Introduction to the special section: Mindfulness in me and in you—Measurement, development, and implications for adolescents’ emotional and academic resilience
Authors: Zimmer-Gembeck Melanie J.
Published: November 2019

An introduction to the special section titled ‘Mindfulness in me and in you—Measurement, development, and implications for adolescents’ emotional and academic resilience’.
Creating Space for Public Administration in International Organization Studies
Authors: Moloney Kim , Rosenbloom David H.
Published: November 2019

The emergent global administrative order includes more than 800 international and regional organizations. Just as the rise of the modern state placed greater importance on the study of public administration, the growth of multistate organizations, their agendas, and personnel require research that draws upon contemporary and classical public administrative thought. This article employs multiple lenses to explore the utility of public administrative theory and empirically based knowledge in analyzing the behavior of international and regional organizations. Specifically, while remaining cognizant of differences between international organizations and sovereign states, we consider the utility of the politics–administration dichotomy, representative bureaucracy, individual and employee due process and other rights, and broader questions of accountability in understanding the administrative life and influence of international organizations in global governance.
Tendon-driven continuum robots with extensible sections—A model-based evaluation of path-following motions
Authors: Amanov Ernar , Nguyen Thien-Dang , Burgner-Kahrs Jessica
Published: November 2019

Continuum robots are highly miniaturizable, exhibit non-linear shapes with several curves, and are flexible and compliant. In particular, concentric-tube and tendon-driven continuum robots can be designed on a small scale with diameters of below 10 mm. A small diameter-to-length ratio enables insertion of these robots through small entry points in order to reach hardly accessible regions by avoiding obstacles. This scenario can often be found in minimally invasive surgery and technical inspections. However, to reach the target region, a deployment along a narrow tortuous path is often required. Common tendon-driven continuum robots are intrinsically incapable of such deployment and concentric-tube continuum robots require special path conditions and intensive parameter optimization. Other proposed robot types, such as hyper-redundant and pneumatically actuated robots, exhibit less favorable diameter-to-length ratios and are thus not suitable for those tasks. Since the limiting factors are found in the design of continuum robots, we propose a novel tendon-driven continuum robot design, which features an additional degree of freedom in each robot section. The backbone is composed of straight, concentrically arranged tubes, each of which composes a section and is used to adapt its length. We present a three-section continuum robot prototype with a diameter of 7 mm, determine its follow-the-leader capabilities theoretically, and validate the results experimentally using model-based control. For our 165 mm long robot prototype, the repeatability is below 2.38 mm. The model accuracy reaches a median of 3.16% over 25 configurations with respect to robot length. The path-following error over five curvilinear paths results in median errors of 2.59% with respect to robot length.
A solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma of the fourth ventricle: case report and literature review
Authors: Yang Han , Zhang Yuxin , Zheng Ting , Li Cao , Tang Guangcai , Chen Guangxiang
Published: November 2019

Solitary fibrous tumors/hemangiopericytomas (SFTs/HPCs) are rare in the central nervous system and intraventricular SFTs/HPCs are even rarer. We present a clinical case of SFT/HPC that was located in the fourth ventricle and performed a literature review of radiological findings of SFT/HPC. The patient was a 52-year-old man who presented to our hospital with dizziness and progressive weakness in his left extremities. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed an irregular-shaped mass in the fourth ventricle. The upper anterior and lower posterior parts of the mass showed different densities and signal intensities, which formed a black and white sign. The upper anterior and lower posterior parts of the mass were enhanced to different degrees, and showed heterogeneous reversed enhancement. The patient underwent surgical resection and the mass was histologically confirmed to be an SFT/HPC. SFTs/HPCs of the fourth ventricle are rare, but show characteristic radiological presentations. In the present case, we observed a solid mass with flow voids, black and white sign, and heterogeneously reversed enhancement in the fourth ventricle. Collectively, these radiological features suggested the diagnosis of SFT/HPC.
Struggling beyond the paradigm of Neoliberalism
Authors: Welsh John
Published: November 2019

Whilst the Neoliberal alludes to an array of very real material practices and axioms of contemporary capitalism, the concept of Neoliberalism itself has arguably become moribund. Worse, perhaps it has become an asphyxiating and enervating monolith, a ‘ptolemization’ from which our critical thinking cannot escape. The key strategy of the article is to explore the Neoliberalism concept as a ‘mode of telling’, and how the constitutive moments of that concept have been discursively constructed into a hegemonic discursive formation. Whilst the resultant paradigm of Neoliberalism has ironically been constituted out of the identity-thinking and the synthetic historicizing of its very critics, the article searches for alternative avenues of reconstitutive deconstruction, so as to offer both critical optimism and a more effective means of struggle against the material practices of contemporary capitalism. To this end, I shall indicate how overdetermination in conceptualization provides the opportunity to break down identity-thinking and how articulation can translate the material elements of contemporary capitalism into fresh moments of a counter-hegemonic discourse.
Mechanical properties of the three-dimensional compression-twist cellular structure
Authors: Zhang Wei , Bai Xiaoyu , Hou Bowen , Sun Yadong , Han Xiao
Published: November 2019

The cellular structure can exhibit many special mechanical behaviors due to its variable cell shape. A three-dimensional compression-twist cell structure based on the rotation mechanism of two-dimensional chiral cell structure is developed, which has twist deformation under axial compression. The shape of three-dimensional compression-twist cell structure is determined through cell angle, cell length, and thickness ratio. Analytical expressions of effective Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and twist angle are derived by using beam theory, which have a good agreement with the finite element calculations and the deformation process of the cell is discussed. To work on the effect of geometric parameters of cell on the mechanical properties, a finite element analysis model of compression-twist cell structure is carried out, which shows the process of elastic and plastic deformation under compression. Effects of cell angle, cell length, and thickness ratio are fully discussed, which indicate that cell angle has obvious nonlinear effect on relative twist angle and could stiffen it. Finally, a compression-twist cell structure sample is made through three-dimensional printing, and an in-plane compressive experiment is carried out to prove analytical and finite element analysis results.
Bureaucrats, Authoritarianism, and Role Conceptions
Authors: O’Connor Karl , Knox Colin , Janenova Saltanat
Published: November 2019

Governance literature in the developed world is rich with scholarship on the role conceptions of civil servants and how these guide their behavior in the attainment of political objectives set by elected representatives. There is however a dearth of research on the various roles civil servants play in developing countries, specifically those located in authoritarian states. This study uses Q methodology to examine the politician–bureaucrat interface in Kazakhstan, a highly centralized post-Soviet state. It finds evidence of three types of officials: job bureaucrats, policy entrepreneurs, and ethno-politicos. Tribalism and ethno-politics feature as an undercurrent in the political-administrative interface at the senior level. There is an overriding allegiance to the dominant political party that makes neutrality less important as an administrative tenet. Advancement as a career official has little to do with meritocracy, despite the façade, but rather connections are what matter.
Applying the Universal Design for Learning Framework to Mathematics Instruction for Learners With Extensive Support Needs
Authors: Root Jenny R. , Cox Sarah K. , Saunders Alicia , Gilley Deidre
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a mathematics intervention that utilized the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework on mathematical problem solving skills for three middle school students with extensive support needs (ESN). Participants were taught to solve percent of change word problems related to personal finance (calculating the final price after leaving a tip or purchasing a discounted item). Visual analysis of the multiple probe across participants design indicated a functional relation between the mathematics intervention and an increase in mathematical problem solving skills. Results are discussed in terms of acquisition and generalization of mathematical problem solving skills. Implications for application of the UDL framework to mathematics instruction for learners with ESN are discussed.