bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oceanic dispersion of Fukushima‐derived radioactive cesium: a review
Authors: Kaeriyama Hideki
Published: December 2016

This review summarizes the more than 70 papers published during the 4 years since the Fukushima Dai‐ichi nuclear power plant accident that occurred on 11 March 2011, and details the radioactive cesium dispersion pattern in the North Pacific and adjacent seas. The total amount of Fukushima‐derived radioactive cesium released into the North Pacific via atmospheric deposition and direct release, spatial and temporal changes in the Pacific coast around the accident site, and the concentration levels of radioactive cesium around the Japanese Islands, not only the Pacific coast but also in adjacent seas, such as Japan Sea, East China Sea are summarized. Based on observational data mostly obtained during 2 years since the accident, and simulation results, oceanic dispersion of radioactive cesium in the entire area of the North Pacific is described. The Fukushima‐derived radioactive cesium dispersed eastward as surface water and extended to the eastern side of the North Pacific in 2014, and was also observed via a southward intrusion to subsurface waters as Subtropical Mode Water and Central Mode Water. The radioactive cesium movement related to mode water is important in terms of the circulation of cesium into the ocean interior. Some new technologies and techniques concerning emergency monitoring of radioactivity in the ocean environment are also reported, the effectiveness of which has been demonstrated by use in relation to the Fukushima accident.
Lessons from the canine Oxtr gene: populations, variants and functional aspects
Authors: Bence M. , Marx P. , Szantai E. , Kubinyi E. , Ronai Z. , Banlaki Z.
Published: December 2016

Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) acts as a key behavioral modulator of the central nervous system, affecting social behavior, stress, affiliation and cognitive functions. Variants of the Oxtr gene are known to influence behavior both in animals and humans; however, canine Oxtr polymorphisms are less characterized in terms of possible relevance to function, selection criteria in breeding and domestication. In this report, we provide a detailed characterization of common variants of the canine Oxtr gene. In particular (1) novel polymorphisms were identified by direct sequencing of wolf and dog samples, (2) allelic distributions and pairwise linkage disequilibrium patterns of several canine populations were compared, (3) neighbor joining (NJ) tree based on common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was constructed, (4) mRNA expression features were assessed, (5) a novel splice variant was detected and (6) in vitro functional assays were performed. Results indicate marked differences regarding Oxtr variations between purebred dogs of different breeds, free‐ranging dog populations, wolf subspecies and golden jackals. This, together with existence of explicitly dog‐specific alleles and data obtained from the NJ tree implies that Oxtr could indeed have been a target gene during domestication and selection for human preferred aspects of temperament and social behavior. This assumption is further supported by the present observations on gene expression patterns within the brain and luciferase reporter experiments, providing a molecular level link between certain canine Oxtr polymorphisms and differences in nervous system function and behavior.
Potential for adaptation to climate change in a coral reef fish
Authors: Munday Philip L. , Donelson Jennifer M. , Domingos Jose A.
Published: December 2016

Predicting the impacts of climate change requires knowledge of the potential to adapt to rising temperatures, which is unknown for most species. Adaptive potential may be especially important in tropical species that have narrow thermal ranges and live close to their thermal optimum. We used the animal model to estimate heritability, genotype by environment interactions and nongenetic maternal components of phenotypic variation in fitness‐related traits in the coral reef damselfish, Acanthochromis polyacanthus. Offspring of wild‐caught breeding pairs were reared for two generations at current‐day and two elevated temperature treatments (+1.5 and +3.0 °C) consistent with climate change projections. Length, weight, body condition and metabolic traits (resting and maximum metabolic rate and net aerobic scope) were measured at four stages of juvenile development. Additive genetic variation was low for length and weight at 0 and 15 days posthatching (dph), but increased significantly at 30 dph. By contrast, nongenetic maternal effects on length, weight and body condition were high at 0 and 15 dph and became weaker at 30 dph. Metabolic traits, including net aerobic scope, exhibited high heritability at 90 dph. Furthermore, significant genotype x environment interactions indicated potential for adaptation of maximum metabolic rate and net aerobic scope at higher temperatures. Net aerobic scope was negatively correlated with weight, indicating that any adaptation of metabolic traits at higher temperatures could be accompanied by a reduction in body size. Finally, estimated breeding values for metabolic traits in F2 offspring were significantly affected by the parental rearing environment. Breeding values at higher temperatures were highest for transgenerationally acclimated fish, suggesting a possible role for epigenetic mechanisms in adaptive responses of metabolic traits. These results indicate a high potential for adaptation of aerobic scope to higher temperatures, which could enable reef fish populations to maintain their performance as ocean temperatures rise.
Cities, municipal solid waste management, and climate change: Perspectives from the South
Authors: Onyanta Adama
Published: December 2016

Climate change is arguably the most debated and contentious environmental issue today. Hitherto neglected, the role of cities is beginning to attract attention particularly within the academic milieu. Cities are acknowledged as development drivers but also considered major drivers of climate change as a result of activities associated with the release of harmful substances such as carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases. Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is noted as a major contributor to climate change due to the release of harmful substances during waste treatment and disposal activities. MSWM remains a challenge across the globe but particularly in the South where many cities lack regular waste collection and disposal services. The paper addresses the gap between the North and South through a critical analysis of the current global debate on cities, MSWM, and climate change. The paper reports that there are major differences between the North and South in almost all components of MSWM, from waste generation to treatment and disposal. A notable difference is that the shift in priority from local burdens to the global concern for climate has occurred mainly in the North. Furthermore, the priorities and needs of cities in the South are largely neglected in the global debate. A major example is the failure to acknowledge the role of the Informal Waste Sector even though it is a prominent feature of MSWM systems and a notable contributor to resource recovery in cities in the South. Lessons from the South suggest that climate change cannot be treated in isolation. Recognition of the role of the Informal Waste Sector is crucial because it introduces other important issues such as urban poverty, local economic development, urban governance and exclusionary practices, and citizenship rights. The paper suggests the need for a more inclusive approach if we are to have a truly global solution to climate change.
Radiation‐associated neoplasia: clinical, pathological and genomic correlates
Authors: Sholl Lynette M , Barletta Justine A , Hornick Jason L
Published: December 2016

Ionizing radiation is an established risk factor for the development of benign and malignant tumours. The epidemiology of radiation‐associated neoplasia has been studied over the decades in diverse populations, including Japanese atomic bomb survivors, exposed communities following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster, and paediatric and adult populations receiving therapeutic irradiation. Radiation has been associated with an increased risk of neoplasia throughout the human body, with some sites showing a markedly increased relative risk of developing tumours (thyroid; soft tissues), depending on patient age and the context of exposure. Although the mechanisms of cellular injury and repair resulting from ionizing radiation are well described, the genomics of radiation‐induced tumours are still relatively poorly understood, with some exceptions, such as RET rearrangement in thyroid carcinomas following iodine‐131 exposure and MYC amplification in cutaneous angiosarcoma following chest wall irradiation for breast cancer. This review will provide a general overview of the epidemiology, molecular mechanism, pathology and genomics of radiation‐associated neoplasia in humans.
Iatrogenic changes in the urinary tract
Authors: Lopez‐Beltran Antonio , Paner Gladell P , Montironi Rodolfo , Raspollini Maria R , Cheng Liang
Published: December 2016

A handful of therapeutic procedures are used to treat malignancies of the urinary tract, most frequently intravesical immunotherapy or chemotherapy, but also neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy. These treatment modalities produce morphological changes in the urothelium that can be mistaken for carcinoma; in particular, these therapies frequently mimic urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS) urothelial dysplasia or true invasive neoplasia. Drugs such as mitomycin C used after transurethral resection of bladder tumour to reduce recurrences, bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) intravesical immunotherapy to treat high‐risk non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer and urothelial CIS and platin‐based systemic chemotherapy to improve postcystectomy disease‐specific survival are examples of therapy‐related atypia seen in the urinary tract. To complicate the pathologist's life, a number of systemic drugs in use to treat other diseases, such cyclophosphamide, used to treat some autoimmune disorders or certain haematological malignancies or, in the case of anaesthetics, ketamine, used increasingly as an illegal recreational drug, may produce similarly relevant atypical changes in the urothelium, and therefore need to be differentiated from intraepithelial neoplasia. Other less frequent procedures, such as photodynamic and laser therapy or the newer gene therapy to treat urothelial neoplasia, remain experimental. An immunohistochemical approach to reactive urothelium versus carcinoma in situ using p53, cytokeratin 20 and CD44 is also valid in the post‐therapy setting. The pathologist should be aware of these novelties, as he or she plays a crucial role in evaluating treatment efficacy, but at the same time needs to avoid misdiagnosing secondary atypia as intraepithelial neoplasia.
Sovereign Credit Risk Co‐Movements in the Eurozone: Simple Interdependence or Contagion?
Authors: Buchholz Manuel , Tonzer Lena
Published: December 2016

We investigate credit risk co‐movements and contagion in the sovereign debt markets of 17 industrialized countries during the period 2008–2012. We use dynamic conditional correlations of sovereign credit default swap spreads to detect contagion. This approach allows us to separate contagion channels from the determinants of simple interdependence. The results show that, first, sovereign credit risk co‐moves considerably, particularly among eurozone countries and during the sovereign debt crisis. Second, contagion varies across time and countries. Third, similarities in economic fundamentals, cross‐country linkages in banking and common market sentiment constitute the main channels of contagion.
Mental health nurses’ perceptions of patient safety culture in psychiatric settings
Authors: Hamaideh S.H.
Published: December 2016

Background

Mental health nurses have a crucial role in preventing medical incidents and in promoting safety culture because they provide and coordinate most of patients’ care. Therefore, they are able to enhance patients’ outcomes and reduce nurses’ injuries.

Aims

The aims of this study were to assess the perception of mental health nurses about patients’ safety culture and to detect the factors which may affect patients’ safety culture at psychiatric hospitals.

Methods

A predictive correlational design was employed to collect data about patient safety culture and safety outcomes from 224 mental health nurses working in psychiatric hospitals using Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture.

Results

Positive scores to patients’ safety culture dimensions ranged between 13.4% and 81.2%. Two‐thirds of mental health nurses perceived safety as excellent/very good, 20.5% perceived it as acceptable and 10.8% perceived it as poor/failing. Overall perception of safety correlated significantly with four dimensions and explained 32.6% of the variance. Frequency of events reported correlated significantly with six dimensions and explained 23.1% of the variance.

Conclusion

Of the 12 dimensions of patients’ safety culture, only one was strong, six within acceptable range and five were weak and need improvement.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Healthcare managers and policy‐makers should encourage educational interventions and help to establish a reporting system that focus on improving systems, not on blaming individuals and encourage open communication among mental healthcare workers.
Does a Mandatory Reduction of Standard Working Hours Improve Employees' Health Status?
Authors: Sánchez Rafael
Published: December 2016

Most of the empirical evidence regarding the impact of reductions of standard working hours analyzes its effects on employment outcomes, family life balance, and social networks, but there is no empirical evidence of its effects on health outcomes. This study uses panel data for France and Portugal and exploits the exogenous variation of working hours coming from labor regulation and estimates its impact on health outcomes (from 39 to 35 hours a week and from 44 to 40 hours a week, respectively). Results suggest that the mandatory reduction of standard working hours decreased the working hours of treated individuals (and not the hours of individuals in the control group). Results also suggest that the fact of being treated generated a negative (positive) effect on young males’ (females’) health in France. No effects on health outcomes were found for Portugal.
Collective Bargaining and Innovation in Germany: A Case of Cooperative Industrial Relations?
Authors: Addison John T. , Teixeira Paulino , Evers Katalin , Bellmann Lutz
Published: December 2016

At the level of theory, the effect of collective bargaining on innovation is contested. The large proponderance of the U.S. evidence clearly points to adverse effects, but other‐country experience suggests that certain industrial‐relations systems, or the wider regulatory apparatus, might even tip the balance in favor of unions. Our pooled cross‐ section and difference‐in‐differences estimates provide some weak evidence that German collective bargaining inhibits innovation. However, in conjunction with workplace representation, there is the suggestion that it might actually foster innovative activity.
The Labor‐Market Impact of San Francisco's Employer‐Benefit Mandate
Authors: Colla Carrie H. , Dow William H. , Dube Arindrajit
Published: December 2016

We evaluate a San Francisco policy requiring employers to provide health benefits or contribute to a public‐option health plan to better understand the incidence of employer mandates through their effects on wages, employment, and prices. We develop an individual case study approach combining border discontinuity in policies and permutation‐type inference using other metropolitan areas. Findings indicate that employment patterns did not change appreciably following the policy, and there is little evidence of significant negative earnings in highly impacted sectors. However, approximately half of the incidence of the mandate in the restaurant sector fell on consumers via surcharges.
An epidemiological study of avian influenza A (H5) virus in nomadic ducks and their raising practices in northeastern Bangladesh, 2011‐2012
Authors: Sarkar Shamim , Khan Salah Uddin , Mikolon Andrea , Rahman Mohammad Ziaur , Abedin Jaynal , Zeidner Nord , Sturm‐Ramirez Katherine , Luby Stephen P.
Published: December 2016

Background

In Bangladesh, nomadic duck flocks are groups of domestic ducks reared for egg production that are moved to access feeding sites beyond their owners’ village boundaries and are housed overnight in portable enclosures in scavenging areas. The objectives of this study were to measure the prevalence of influenza A virus RNA and H5‐specific antibodies in nomadic ducks and to characterize nomadic duck raising practices in northeastern Bangladesh.

Methods

We tested duck egg yolk specimens by competitive ELISA to detect antibodies against avian influenza A (H5) and environmental fecal samples by real‐time reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT‐PCR) to detect influenza A virus RNA and H5 subtype.

Results

The median age of the ducks was 24 months (range: 8‐36 months) and the median flock size was 300 ducks (range: 105‐1100). Of 1860 egg yolk samples, 556 (30%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 28‐32) were positive for antibodies against H5 and 58 flocks (94%) had at least one egg with H5‐specific antibodies. Of 496 fecal samples, 121 (24%, 95% CI: 22‐29) had detectable influenza A RNA. Thirty‐three flocks (53%) had at least one fecal sample positive for influenza A RNA.

Conclusions

Nomadic ducks in Bangladesh are commonly infected with avian influenza A (H5) virus and may serve as a bridging host for transmission of avian influenza A (H5) virus or other avian influenza A viruses subtypes between wild waterfowl, backyard poultry, and humans in Bangladesh.
Development and validation of the predrinking motives questionnaire
Authors: Labhart Florian , Kuntsche Emmanuel
Published: December 2016

Elaborating on instruments for U.S. university students, we developed and validated the predrinking (drinking before going out) motives questionnaire (PMQ) for general populations of young adults. In popular nightlife areas in Switzerland, 316 predrinkers aged 16–25 (48% women) were recruited. Focus group interviews and exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses yielded a three‐factor measure, with a structure that was invariant across linguistic regions, gender, age, and student status. “Fun/intoxication” motives were associated with predrinking but “conviviality” and “facilitation” motives were not. Men scored higher on “facilitation” than women and those from the French‐speaking region scored higher on “conviviality” than German‐speaking participants. Although yet to be replicated in other countries, the PMQ appears to be an appropriate general measure of predrinking motives.
Nonlinear FEM based high‐speed shell shattering simulation for shelled edible agricultural products: Pecan fruit shattering
Authors: Celik H. Kursat , Caglayan Nuri , Rennie Allan E.W.
Published: December 2016

This paper introduces an advanced engineering simulation procedure for the nonlinear finite element method (FEM) based high‐speed shattering case of shelled edible agricultural products. A high‐speed impactor which is targeted at the Pecan fruit (kernel‐in‐shell) was considered in this case study. Physical compression tests were conducted on Pecan fruit specimens and experimental deformation characteristics were utilized to describe realistic material models in the FEM based engineering simulation. Subsequently, a reverse engineering approach was employed in the solid modeling stage and the Pecan shell shattering case under high‐speed loading was simulated, considering the explicit dynamics approach. The effect of the high loading rate on the deformation characteristics of the Pecan fruit components was observed. Visual outputs from the simulation revealed the shattering behavior of the Pecan fruit components under defined boundary conditions. In addition to useful visual simulation outputs, time‐dependant stress distributions on the Pecan fruit under high‐speed loading rates were represented using graphs. Simulation results have revealed that maximum equivalent stress values were 7.1 (MPa), 5.1 (MPa), and 0.336 (MPa) for shell, packing material, and kernel, respectively. Maximum reaction force at impact was calculated as 996,000 (N). This work contributes to further research into the use of nonlinear numerical method based high‐speed deformation simulation studies for shelled edible agricultural products.

Practical application

As the industry relevance, useful deformation visuals and numerical findings related to impact shattering case of the Pecan fruit have been exhibited and the findings have been presented in a form which may be used as input parameters in design studies of shelled agricultural product processing machinery systems used in related industry.
Influence of Hymenaea courbaril gum as a new additive on nixtamalized flour properties and quality of tortilla
Authors: Calderón‐Peralta Cinthya Vanessa , Jiménez‐Hernández Javier , Maldonado‐Astudillo Yanik Ixchel , Flores‐Casamayor Verónica , Arámbula‐Villa Gerónimo , Salazar Ricardo
Published: December 2016

Hymenaea courbaril seed xyloglucan was obtained and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermal stability, and moisture adsorption. In addition, the effect of the addition of H. courbaril gum (HCG) (0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 g/100 g) on nixtamalized corn flour (NCF) and its influence on tortilla quality were analyzed. The effect of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) and xanthan gum (XAG) was also analyzed for comparison purposes. Supplementation of NCF with HCG significantly increased peak viscosity, gelatinization enthalpy, and the water absorption of NCF as well as tortilla yield. Thus, HCG could be used as a substitute for CMC or XAG to improve the functional properties of NCF. The tortillas became more flexible when gums were added, the largest effect was produced by HCG followed by XAG. SEM images revealed a protective effect of either HCG or XAG on the starch destruction during tortilla cooking.

Practical applications

Gums are frequently used for improving the texture and structure of foods in general. Carboxymethyl cellulose and xanthan gum are frequently used in food applications. The use of new materials to replace popular gums is of significant importance to create new food products and improve food quality in the food industry. In this article, we report the effect of the supplementation of Hymenaea courbaril gum on nixtamalized corn flour and its influence on tortilla quality. The results obtained suggest that H. courbaril gum has perspectives as a tortilla improver. This is of utmost importance, because it provides the food manufacturer with information of which hydrocolloid is more likely to achieve a better product under a wider range of processing conditions.
Sex‐Specific Effects of Chronic Administration of Relaxin‐3 on Food Intake, Body Weight and the Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Gonadal Axis in Rats
Authors: Calvez J. , de Ávila C. , Guèvremont G. , Timofeeva E.
Published: December 2016

The present study examined the effects of chronic central administration of relaxin‐3 (RLN3) on food intake, body weight and fat mass in intact and sterilised male and female rats, as well as on hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal (HPG) axis activity in intact male and female rats that received i.c.v. infusions of RLN3 (400 pmol/day) or vehicle during a 14‐day period. The intact RLN3‐injected rats displayed a higher body weight than the vehicle‐treated groups, and this increase was statistically significantly stronger in female rats compared to male rats. In addition, feed efficiency and gonadal white adipose tissue weight were higher in female RLN3‐injected rats. Chronic i.c.v. administration of RLN3 activated the HPG axis in intact male rats, whereas inhibition of the HPG axis was observed in intact female rats. RLN3 significantly increased the plasma levels of luteinising hormone and follicular‐stimulating hormone in male rats but not in female rats. Conversely, hypothalamic expression of gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone mRNA was decreased by RLN3 in female rats but not in male rats. In addition, the plasma levels of oestradiol were significantly decreased by RLN3 administration in female rats. Consequently, intact RLN3‐injected female rats failed to display phasic inhibition of eating during oestrus. Sex‐specific effects of RLN3 on food intake and body weight were also observed in ovariectomised female and orchidectomised male rats, suggesting that the sex‐specific effects of RLN3 on energy metabolism are independent on the differential effects of RLN3 on HPG axis activity in male and female rats.
School Wellness Programs: Magnitude and Distribution in New York City Public Schools
Authors: Stiefel Leanna , Elbel Brian , Pflugh Prescott Melissa , Aneja Siddhartha , Schwartz Amy E.
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Public schools provide students with opportunities to participate in many discretionary, unmandated wellness programs. Little is known about the number of these programs, their distribution across schools, and the kinds of students served. We provide evidence on these questions for New York City (NYC) public schools.

METHODS

Data on wellness programs were collected from program websites, NYC's Office of School Food and Wellness, and direct contact with program sponsors for 2013. Programs were grouped into categories, nutrition, fitness, and comprehensive, and were combined with data on school characteristics available from NYC's Department of Education. Numbers of programs and provision of programs were analyzed for relationships with demographic and school structural characteristics, using descriptive statistics and multiple regression.

RESULTS

Discretionary wellness programs are numerous, at 18 programs. Little evidence supports inequity according to student race/ethnicity, income, or nativity, but high schools, new schools, co‐located schools, small schools, and schools with larger proportions of inexperienced teachers are less likely to provide wellness programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Opportunities exist to further the reach of wellness programs in public schools by modifying them for high school adoption and building capacity in schools less likely to have the administrative support to house them.
School‐Based Positive Youth Development: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Curran Tess , Wexler Lisa
Published: December 2016

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

The values, perspectives, and behavior patterns that begin in adolescence can continue throughout one's life. Because of these lifetime effects, much research has focused on adolescent risk and prevention, but a new body of knowledge investigates protective factors and strengths. Positive youth development (PYD) increases internal and external assets during adolescence and is often based within communities. This review, however, focuses on school‐based PYD interventions because these institutions are the largest youth‐serving institutions in the country.

METHODS

This review considered 711 PYD school‐based programs found using 4 databases. We included articles published after 2000, and did not review those reporting on regular school curriculum or activities.

RESULTS

The 24 remaining articles describe PYD programs that fall under 3 general categories: curriculum‐based, leadership development, and student‐based mentorship programs.

CONCLUSIONS

Evaluations indicate that programs increase intrapsychic measures of well‐being in youth as well as social confidence and healthy behaviors. However, it is important to not only include “at‐risk” persons in programming, because a mixed group of young people encourages a more positive peer‐to‐peer climate. In addition, peer mentorship activities should be actively facilitated by an adult supervisor to ensure positive communication and trust between the mentor and mentee.
I. EXECUTIVE CONTROL IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Authors: Clark C. A. C. , Chevalier N. , Nelson J. M. , James T. D. , Garza J. P. , Choi H.‐J. , Espy K. A.
Published: December 2016

Executive control (EC) is a central construct in developmental science, although measurement limitations have hindered understanding of its nature and development in young children, relation to social risk, and prediction of important outcomes. Disentangling EC from the foundational cognitive abilities it regulates and that are inherently required for successful executive task completion (e.g., language, visual/spatial perception, and motor abilities) is particularly challenging at preschool age, when these foundational abilities are still developing and consequently differ substantially among children. A novel latent bifactor modeling approach delineated respective EC and foundational cognitive abilities components that undergird executive task performance in a socio demographically stratified sample of 388 preschoolers in a longitudinal, cohort‐sequential study. The bifactor model revealed a developmental shift, where both EC and foundational cognitive abilities contributed uniquely to executive task performance at ages 4.5 and 5.25 years, but were not separable at ages 3 and 3.75. Contrary to the view that EC is vulnerable to socio‐familial risk, the contributions of household financial and learning resources to executive task performance were not specific to EC but were via their relation to foundational cognitive abilities. EC, though, showed a unique, discriminant relation with hyperactive symptoms late in the preschool period, whereas foundational cognitive abilities did not predict specific dimensions of dysregulated behavior. These findings form the basis for a new, integrated approach to the measurement and conceptualization of EC, which includes dual consideration of the contributions of EC and foundational cognitive abilities to executive task performance, particularly in the developmental context of preschool.
Epidemiology of onychomycosis in Serbia: a laboratory‐based survey and risk factor identification
Authors: Dubljanin Eleonora , Džamić Aleksandar , Vujčić Isidora , Grujičić Sandra Š. , Arsenijević Valentina A. , Mitrović Sanja , Čalovski Ivana Čolović
Published: December 2016

Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the fingernails and/or toenails caused by dermatophytes, yeasts and non‐dermatophyte moulds. The epidemiology of onychomycosis in Serbia is yet to be fully established. This epidemiological study was aimed at evaluating the epidemiology of onychomycosis in a sample of the Serbian patients at risk of onychomycosis, to determine the fungal aetiological agents and to identify the possible risk factors. The study population included 374 patients from six centres in Serbia with suspected onychomycosis. Demographic data, data about comorbidities, lifestyle, clinical aspects of onychomycosis, trauma, excessive perspiration and personal and family history of previous onychomycosis were studied. Laboratory confirmation of diagnosis was done by direct microscopy, fungal culture and PCR. Diagnosis of onychomycosis was confirmed in 50.8% of patients, who tested positive to at least one laboratory test (direct microscopy, fungal culture or PCR). Trichophyton rubrum was predominant both on toenails (85.98%) and on fingernails (38.46%). Independent risk factors for onychomycosis were: old age (OR = 2.285; P < 0.001), family history of previous onychomycosis and/or tinea pedis (OR = 2.452; P = 0.005), excessive perspiration (OR = 2.165; P = 0.002) and higher degree of hyperkeratosis (OR = 1.755; P = 0.020). This is a first epidemiological study of onychomycosis from Serbia.
Concepts of God in Islam
Authors: Ali Zain
Published: December 2016

This article explores the various ways in which Muslims, in the past and the present, think about God. The article canvasses a range of views on questions and puzzles pertaining to the essence and attributes of God, the basis of God's Justice, the transcendence of God, and our ability to know and understand God. We encounter a diverse, and at times radically divergent range of views on how best to understand divinity within the tradition of Islam. Given the various conceptions of divinity, available within the tradition, I develop an argument for the view that God is best understood as love. The view that God is love, I contend, emerges directly from the Quran, which is a document that sits at the very heart of the Islamic tradition.
Hegel's social and political philosophy: Recent debates
Authors: Nance Michael
Published: December 2016

This article discusses three topics that have been the subject of debate in recent scholarship on Hegel's social and political philosophy: first, the relevance of Hegel's systematic metaphysics for interpreting Hegel's social and political writings; second, the relation between recognition (Anerkennung), social institutions, and rational agency; and third, the connection between the constellation of institutions and norms that Hegel calls “ethical life” (Sittlichkeit) and Hegel's theory of freedom. This article provides a critical overview of the positions in these three debates. In the case of the first debate, I clarify the conceptual terrain by distinguishing between several kinds of systematicity that are at issue. In the case of the second debate, I argue that the views of two of the major participants, Axel Honneth and Robert Pippin, are in fact compatible. In the case of the third debate, I seek to clarify the connection in Hegel between two different ideas of freedom in ethical life, each of which has been emphasized by different interpreters of Hegel: the idea of freedom as non‐alienation and the idea of freedom as social freedom. I conclude with a discussion of the ways in which ethical life, for Hegel, enables the freedom of individuals.
Achievement, wellbeing, and value
Authors: Bradford Gwen
Published: December 2016

Achievement is among the central goods in life, but just what is achievement, and how is it valuable? There is reason to think that it is a constitutive part of wellbeing; yet, it is possible to sacrifice wellbeing for the sake of achievement. How might it have been worthwhile, if not in terms of wellbeing? Perhaps, achievement is an intrinsic good, or perhaps it is valuable in terms of meaning in life. This article considers various ways in which we can understand the nature and value of achievement, as well as the significance of achievement for other areas of philosophical inquiry.
Systematic Reviews of Mechanisms for Financing Family Planning: Findings, Implications, and Future Agenda
Authors: Lissner Craig L. , Ali Moazzam ,   Study Group on Contraceptive Financing Mechanisms
Published: December 2016

The article describes an international collaboration that systematically reviewed the evidence on financing mechanisms for family planning/contraception, assessed the strength of and summarized the evidence, identified research gaps, and proposed a new research agenda to address the gaps. The review found that the evidence base is weak owing to the paucity of studies, diversity in findings, and variations in intervention, study design, and outcome measures. Of more than 17,000 papers reviewed only 38 met the eligibility criteria. A number of general recommendations on the directions and areas of future research can be drawn. There is a strong need for more robust study designs on the effectiveness of financial incentives in family planning.
The big data divide and its consequences
Authors: McCarthy Matthew T.
Published: December 2016

Recent advances in technology and the increasing volumes of data that they enable have led to a wave of scholarly and popular attention to big data. While big data is often heralded for its ability to provide insight, the data, its analysis, and its outcomes are not evenly distributed. Currently, scholarship on big data is extending past work on the digital divide, theorizing a new big data divide. While this work most directly addresses the issues of ownership and access to big data, some work extends the divide to issues relating to skill and use. This extension opens up new complications relating to identity, social sorting, use, agency, and global development that are inextricably related to the issues above and to the study of big data. These issues go beyond the simple language of the digital divide extending inquiries into the realm of digital inequalities more generally. Any work on big data and the big data divide needs to engage with a more broad‐based notion of digital inequalities to be better equipped to handle the complex issues above, as well as the material, democratic, and identity problems that big data bring about.
Neo‐liberal reform, the public sector and Black–White inequality
Authors: Wilson George , Roscigno Vincent J.
Published: December 2016

In this article, we offer an overview and critical assessment of recent changes wrought by “new governance” reforms within public sector work, highlighting the implications specifically for Black–White inequality, and denote where further sociological analyses are warranted. These foci are important given the widely accepted—though hardly comprehensively examined—assumption that public sector employment remains a favorable “economic niche” for African Americans. Recent sociological research, including our own, suggests that this is likely no longer the case. The very structure and functioning of public sector work have changed owing to neoliberal agendas and reforms toward privatization over the last two decades, becoming less bureaucratic and increasingly mirroring processes and inequalities more traditionally characteristic of the private sector. We emphasize the consequences particularly for African Americans and call for deeper sociological analyses of public sector racial inequalities, processes, and their consequences.
Student Perceptions of a Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics Camp Experience
Authors: Binns Ian C. , Polly Drew , Conrad James , Algozzine Bob
Published: December 2016

“As the world becomes increasingly technological, the value of (the ideas and skills of its population) will be determined in no small measure by the effectiveness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States” and “STEM education will determine whether the United States will remain a leader among nations and whether we will be able to solve immense challenges in such areas as energy, health, environmental protection, and national security” (President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, 2010, p. vii). Research on the effectiveness of STEM‐focused school and other learning experiences (e.g., short‐term camps) on student attitudes and performance outcomes is sparse. In this study, we documented the influence of an intensive STEM summer program on high school students’ attitudes toward STEM concepts and interests in STEM careers. Attending the summer program was associated with gains on students’ attitudes toward some aspects of STEM as well as specific career interests. Notably, students reported statistically significant views of important aspects of STEM and their attitudes toward science and mathematics were more positive than their attitudes about engineering and technology.
Multi‐Year Professional Development Grounded in Educative Curriculum Focused on Integrating Technology With Reformed Science Teaching Principles
Authors: Longhurst Max L. , Coster Daniel C. , Wolf Paul G. , Duffy Aaron M. , Lee Hyunju , Campbell Todd
Published: December 2016

Visions of science teaching and learning in the newest U.S. standards documents are dramatically different than those found in most classrooms. This research addresses these differences through closely examining one professional development (PD) project that connects teacher learning and teacher practice with student learning/achievement. This study examines the effects on eighth grade science teachers and their students in the context of a PD focused on the integration of information communication technologies and reformed science teaching practices. Findings from this investigation suggest that teachers who participated in PD for two years learned more about technology, improved their practice, and their students’ achievement was significantly higher compared to teachers who participated in one year of the PD or non‐participating peers. Science educators face multiple challenges as they attempt to deliver instruction in fundamentally different ways than what they experienced as learners. The delivery of this professional learning suggest that PD for science teachers should include educative learning experiences if understandings of reforms supported by research are to be realized.
Student Interest in Engineering Design‐Based Science
Authors: Selcen Guzey S. , Moore Tamara J. , Morse Gillian
Published: December 2016

Current reform efforts in science education around the world call on teachers to use integrated approaches to teach science. As a part of such reform efforts in the United States, engineering practices and engineering design have been identified in K–12 science education standards. However, there is relatively little is known about effective ways of teaching science through engineering design. The study explores the approaches or strategies used by a sixth grade science teacher to teach science and engineering in an integrative manner. Classroom observations, teacher interview, and student surveys were used to study the features of engineering integration implemented by the teacher and the changes in student interest in science and engineering by participating in an engineering design‐based science unit. Findings suggest that the teacher explicitly included practices and core ideas from engineering and science; used an engaging, motivating engineering challenge; and provided students with opportunities to be autonomous. Students engaged in the activities in the engineering unit and their interest level slightly increased. The results suggest that the three strategies that the teacher used to teach engineering and science are important foundations of integrated science and engineering education.
Simulating World Trade in the Decades Ahead: Driving Forces and Policy Implications
Authors: Fontagné Lionel , Fouré Jean , Keck Alexander
Published: December 2016

Notwithstanding the current slowdown, the geography and composition of international trade are changing fast. We link a macroeconomic growth model and sectoral computable general equilibrium framework in order to project the world economy forward to the year 2035 and assess to what extent current trends in trade are expected to continue. Constructing fully traceable scenarios based on assumptions grounded in the literature, we are also able to isolate the relative impact of key economic drivers. We find that the stakes for developing countries are particularly high: the emergence of new players in the world economy, intensification of South–South trade and diversification into skill‐intensive activities may continue only in a dynamic economic and open trade environment. Current trends towards increased regionalisation may be reversed, with multilateral trade relationships gaining in importance. Hypothetical mega‐regionals could slow down, but not frustrate the prevalence of multilateralism. Continuing technological progress is likely to have the biggest impact on future economic developments around the globe. Population dynamics are influential as well: for some countries, upskilling will be crucial; for others, labour shortages may be addressed through migration. Several developing countries would benefit from increased capital mobility; others will only diversify into dynamic sectors, when trade costs are further reduced.
Pre-service Physics Teachers’ Opinions about the Difficulties in Understanding Introductory Quantum Physics Topics
Authors: Kızılcık Hasan Şahin , Yavaş Pervin Ünlü
Published: December 2016

The aim of this study is to identify the opinions of pre-service physics teachers about the difficulties in introductory quantum physics topics. In this study conducted with twenty-five pre-service physics teachers, the case study method was used. The participants were interviewed about introductory quantum physics topics. The interviews were coded using content analysis and were divided into different categories. In this way, we tried to reveal the opinions of pre-service physics teachers about the difficulties of these topics. In conclusion, it can be said that the participants had the most difficulty in transition from classical physics to quantum physics. This is especially evident in quantum physics topics that require a different understanding such as black body radiation, wave-particle structure of light and the uncertainty principle. It was also found that the participants had no difficulties in terms of mathematical calculations, and that approaches based on visualizing the topic were received positively.
Parasympathetic withdrawal increases heart rate after 2 weeks at 3454 m altitude
Authors: Siebenmann Christoph , Rasmussen Peter , Hug Mike , Keiser Stefanie , Flück Daniela , Fisher James P. , Hilty Matthias P. , Maggiorini Marco , Lundby Carsten
Published: December 2016

Key points

Heart rate is increased in chronic hypoxia and we tested whether this is the result of increased sympathetic nervous activity, reduced parasympathetic nervous activity, or a non‐autonomic mechanism.

In seven lowlanders, heart rate was measured at sea level and after 2 weeks at high altitude after individual and combined pharmacological inhibition of sympathetic and/or parasympathetic control of the heart.

Inhibition of parasympathetic control of the heart alone or in combination with inhibition of sympathetic control abolished the high altitude‐induced increase in heart rate.

Inhibition of sympathetic control of the heart alone did not prevent the high altitude‐induced increase in heart rate.

These results indicate that a reduced parasympathetic nervous activity is the main mechanism underlying the elevated heart rate in chronic hypoxia.

Chronic hypoxia increases resting heart rate (HR), but the underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. We investigated the relative contributions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, along with potential non‐autonomic mechanisms, by individual and combined pharmacological inhibition of muscarinic and/or β‐adrenergic receptors. In seven healthy lowlanders, resting HR was determined at sea level (SL) and after 15–18 days of exposure to 3454 m high altitude (HA) without drug intervention (control, CONT) as well as after intravenous administration of either propranolol (PROP), or glycopyrrolate (GLYC), or PROP and GLYC in combination (PROP+GLYC). Circulating noradrenaline concentration increased from 0.9 ± 0.4 nmol l−1 at SL to 2.7 ± 1.5 nmol l−1 at HA (P = 0.03). The effect of HA on HR depended on the type of autonomic inhibition (P = 0.006). Specifically, HR was increased at HA from 64 ± 10 to 74 ± 12 beats min−1 during the CONT treatment (P = 0.007) and from 52 ± 4 to 59 ± 5 beats min−1 during the PROP treatment (P < 0.001). In contrast, HR was similar between SL and HA during the GLYC treatment (110 ± 7 and 112 ± 5 beats min−1, P = 0.28) and PROP+GLYC treatment (83 ± 5 and 85 ± 5 beats min−1, P = 0.25). Our results identify a reduction in cardiac parasympathetic activity as the primary mechanism underlying the elevated HR associated with 2 weeks of exposure to hypoxia. Unexpectedly, the sympathoactivation at HA that was evidenced by increased circulating noradrenaline concentration had little effect on HR, potentially reflecting down‐regulation of cardiac β‐adrenergic receptor function in chronic hypoxia. These effects of chronic hypoxia on autonomic control of the heart may concern not only HA dwellers, but also patients with disorders that are associated with hypoxaemia.